Browsing: Romantic

Festival de Musique de Chambre de Montréal (FMCM) La saison des festivals de musique d’été s’ouvre avec le FMCM, dont la 18e édition se déroule jusqu’au 1er juin à l’église anglicane Saint-Georges. Fidèle à la tradition, le directeur artistique Denis Brott ne nous ménage pas les surprises. On pourra entendre entre autres les quatuors Emerson et Fine Arts, les Swingle Singers, le pianiste Jean-Philippe Collard et Oliver Jones. Le marathon de quatre heures est consacré cette année à Tchaïkovski. www.festivalmontreal.org- Renée BanvilleConcert prestige Le CMIM annonce un prestigieux concert réunissant le violoniste Maxim Vengerov, le violoncelliste Stéphane Tétreault et le…

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Montreal Chamber Music Festival (MCMF/FMCM)The musical festival season opens with the MCMF. The 18th editition takes place from May 9 to June 1 at St. George’s Anglican Church. True to tradition, artistic director Denis Brott spares us no surprises. Performers include the Emerson and Fine Arts Quartets, the Swingle Singers, and pianists Jean-Philippe Collard and Oliver Jones, to name a few. This year’s four-hour marathon is dedicated to Tchaikovsky. www.festivalmontreal.org- Renée BanvilleConcert PrestigeThe MIMC has announced a prestigious concert bringing together violinist Maxim Vengerov, cellist Stéphane Tétrault, and pianist Serhiy Salov, 2004 grand prize winner of the MIMC. Accompanied by…

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Literary and Musical Premiere at ECM+Under the artistic direction of Véronique Lacroix, ECM+ offers a visionary program: Alban Berg’s Chamber Concertoand a premiere by Nicolas Gilbert, Vertiges. Among the soloists are Jimmy Brière, piano, and Jean-Sébastien Roy, violin, as well as four acrobats and narrator Jean Marchand. Salle Pierre-Mercure, May 1 at 7:30 pm. www.ecm.qc.ca- Renée BanvilleQuatrix and the Forests of Resonance (“Forêts de résonances”)Composed of two pianists (Jean-Fabien Schneider and Irina Krasnyanskaya) and two percussionists (Corinne René and Julien Compagne), Quatrix presents the “classics” of the repertoire, comissioned works, and musical arrangements for this little-used formation. Conservatoire de Musique,…

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by Paul E. RobinsonBrahms: Tragic Overture Op. 81Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem Op. 20Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor Op. 15Yefim Bronfman, pianoAustin Symphony (ASO)/Peter BayLong CenterAustin, TexasJanuary 12, 2013What a year 2013 is going to be for commemorative celebrations! Verdi and Wagner will be honoured on the occasion of the 200th anniversaries of their births in 1813, and Benjamin Britten for the 100th anniversary of his birth in 1913. In Britten’s case, the actual birth date is November 22, but conductor Peter Bay couldn’t wait that long. I don’t blame him; Britten’s greatness only grows with each passing…

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by Paul RobinsonBruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C minor (1890 version)Dallas Symphony Orchestra/ Jaap van Zweden, conductorMeyerson Symphony CenterDallas, TexasFriday, April 27, 2012For Dallas listeners who got to know Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony through one of the many Karajan recordings made between 1957 and 1988, Jaap van Zweden’s tempo for the Scherzo must have come as a shock. Where Karajan takes a very measured tempo – some would say slow and ponderous – van Zweden takes off like a rocket. Who is right? Well, for the record, the score is marked “Allegro moderato;” van Zweden clearly has the score on his side.It is interesting to note…

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by Paul E. RobinsonBerlioz: Roman Carnival OvertureRavel: ShéhérazadeLalo: Le Roi d’Ys “De tous côtés j’aperçois dans la plaine”Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila “Mon Coeur s’ouvre à ta voix”Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila “Bacchanale”Bizet: Carmen “Près des remparts de Séville” (Seguidilla)Bizet: Carmen “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Habanera)Ravel: La ValseDenyce Graves, mezzo-sopranoAustin Symphony Orchestra/Peter Bay, conductorLong CenterAustin, TexasFriday, March 2, 2012What does it take for a young singer to make it to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera? What does it take to triumph in leading roles with colleagues like Placido Domingo and James Levine? Having achieved all that, what does it take to stay there at the height of operatic superstardom?In the 1990s, Denyce Graves (photo: right) was…

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by Paul E. RobinsonBoulez: MémorialeBeethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major Op. 19Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat majorTimothy Hutchins, fluteTill Fellner, pianoOrchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM): Kent Nagano, conductorLa Maison symphoniquePlace des ArtsMontréalSaturday, October 15, 2011Montréal’s new hall, La Maison symphonique, has been presenting concerts for over a month now, and after an ‘unfinished’ opening, we’re finally into the fine-tuning phase of the project. An impromptu example occurred mid-concert when maestro Nagano stepped down from the podium after the first movement of the Bruckner to announce that he was unable to continue until his wonky podium…

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Vocal soloists; Schweizer Kammerchor; Zürcher Sängerknaben; WDR Rundfunkchor Köln; Kinderchor Kaltbrunn; Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich/David Zinman RCA Red Seal 88697 72723-2 (15 Hybrid SACD – 794 min 24 s/ DVD 80 min) ***** It used to be that a Mahler symphony cycle on record typically required a decade or more to complete. The sessions for this set began in 2006 and concluded last year. RCA threw in super audio (playable on conventional CD decks) recording and launched the cycle with military precision in 2007. The performances reached collectors in sequence, at mid-price and in short order. The appearance of this lavish…

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by Paul E. RobinsonClassical TravelsMeyerson Symphony CentreDallas, TexasOctober 22, 2010Mendelssohn: Violin ConcertoShostakovich: Symphony No. 8Nicola Benedetti, violinDallas Symphony Orchestra/Jaap van ZwedenJaap van Zweden took most of the summer off to nurse a sore shoulder. The recuperation seems to have been successful and he is back in town leading the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) with even more energy than before. Among his specialties are the symphonies of Bruckner and Mahler and Shostakovich is not far behind. Last season in Dallas he conducted a stunning performance of the Symphony No. 7 and this season he followed it up with an equally fine…

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