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Video of the Day – Sid Caesar (1922-2014): In Memoriam

By Paul E. Robinson on 14 February 2014 Classical, Video of the day

Like so many kids growing up in North America in the 1950s, my life was hugely enriched by Sid Caesar’s comedy on television. He was a genius at what he did, and in my book there is greater gift than being able to make people laugh. Sid Caesar had a remarkable gift for sketch comedy, the kind of thing we celebrate today on “Saturday Night Live.” While we are at it, let’s not forget the contribution to this genre made by so many Canadian comic actors on SCTV. Caesar had a Chaplinesque talent for physical comedy. He had a rubber face,…

Sternberg Collection Volume 2

By Paul E. Robinson on 5 January 2014 CD and Book Reviews, Classical, Orchestral, Piano

Schubert/Hoiby: Introduction, Theme and Variations Op. 82 No. 2/Rieti: Capers/Menotti: SebastianVienna State Opera Orchestra/Jonathan Sternberg Pierian 0050 (78 m 35 s)Jonathan Sternberg was music director of the Harkness Ballet in 1966-68. He led performances with the company on tour across the U.S. and in Europe and South America. These recordings were probably made during a tour of Europe in 1967, but they were never released.Leo Hoiby (1926-2011) was an American pianist-composer who often worked with the Harkness Ballet. He orchestrated an obscure piano four-hands piece by Schubert into a sort of concerto movement for piano and orchestra. It is a…

Video of the Day – Chronological Survey of Beethoven Eroica Symphony Recordings

By Paul E. Robinson on 26 November 2013 Classical, Orchestral, Video of the day

There have been dozens of recordings of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony made over the years. The first one dates from the 1920s. It would be a daunting task to listen to them all and make detailed comparisons. But someone has gone to the trouble of taking just the two opening chords and comparing performances of them in chronological order. No commentary is offered. You’ll have to draw your own conclusions. What does it all mean? Probably very little. It would be foolish to compare performances of the Eroica Symphony, a work lasting about 45 minutes, just based on what the conductor…

This week in Montreal: April 15 – 21

By La Scena Musicale Team on 15 April 2013 Classical, Opera, This Week in Montreal

Opera de Montreal’s Atelier Lyric Performs a Menotti Double BillFor its annual production, the Atelier Lyric at the Opera de Montreal presents two one-act operas by Gian Carlo Menotti: The Old Maid and the Thief and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Musical direction is provided by Robin Wheeler and staging by Martine Beaulne. This production is in collaboration with the Canadian National Theatre School. Four performances are planned and will take place at the Monument National, April 13, 16, 18 and 20 at 7:30 pm. www.operademontreal.com – Daniel TurpChants Libres: Oper’Actuel 2013 – Works in Progress, 4th editionDirected by Pauline Vaillancourt,…

Video of the Day – Karajan, Eschenbach and Frantz Play Mozart

By Paul E. Robinson on 26 March 2013 Classical, Piano, Video of the day

Herbert von Karajan was one of the most renowned conductors of his generation, but he started his career as a pianist and returned to the keyboard from time to time in later years. He was especially fond of playing harpsichord in performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. With two younger colleagues – Christoph Eschenbach and Justus Frantz – he also made a specialty of Mozart’s Concerto for Three Pianos and Orchestra. In this performance recorded in 1971 Eschenbach took the first part, Frantz the second and Karajan the third. At the time both Eschenbach and Frantz had major careers as soloists…

A Tale of Two Cities/ A Tale of Two Orchestras

By Paul E. Robinson on 11 March 2013 Classical, Classical Music, Concert Reviews, Opera, Orchestral

Paul E. Robinson Vivaldi: Concerto in C major for Recorder, Strings and Continuo RV 444 Vivaldi: Concerto in C major for Recorder, Strings and Continuo RV 443 Mahler: Symphony No. 6 in A minor Erik Bosgraaf, recorder Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Jaap van Zweden Meyerson Symphony Center Dallas, Texas March 1, 2013 It was an interesting weekend. On Friday night, I heard the Dallas Symphony under its music director Jaap van Zweden performing Mahler’s massive Sixth Symphony at the Meyerson SymphonyCenter in preparation for its European tour. The next day I drove 250 miles down I-45 to hear a concert performance of…

Beethoven & Britten at the Movies

By Paul E. Robinson on 21 December 2012 Classical, Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Orchestral

by Paul E. Robinson From left to right: Mark Ivanir, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener A Late Quartet Director: Yaron Zilberman Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman/Christopher Walken/Catherine Keener/Mark Ivanir Music: Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 131 Moonrise Kingdom Director: Wes Anderson Cast: Bruce Willis/Bill Murray/Ed Norton/Frances McDormand Music: Britten: Noyes’ Flood/Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra/Songs for Friday Afternoons/A Midsummer Night’s Dream (excerpts) Films about classical music composers and performers are nearly always risible in the extreme. Think Song Without End (1960) with Dirk Bogarde as Liszt or Humoresque (1946) with John Garfield as an unlikely virtuoso…

DSO, van Zweden & Co. Present Britten’s Prayer for Pacifism

By Paul E. Robinson on 15 November 2012 Chamber Music, Classical, Concert Reviews, Orchestral

by Paul E. RobinsonOlga Guryakova, sopranoIan Bostridge, tenorDietrich Henschel, baritoneChildren’s Chorus of Greater DallasDallas Symphony ChorusDallas Symphony OrchestraJaap Van Zweden, conductorPaul Phillips, conductor (chamber orchestra)Myerson Symphony CentreDallas, TexasNovember 9, 2012By the late 1930s Germany, out to build its empire, had taken over Austria and Czechoslovakia. By September 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, it had become clear to the rest of the world that Germany would not be satisfied until it had conquered the whole of Europe and the Soviet Union, just as Japan was on a track to crush China and the whole of Asia. There is not much…

Van Zweden/DSO Triumph with Concert Version of Beethoven’s Fidelio

By Paul E. Robinson on 24 May 2012 Classical, Concert Reviews, Orchestral

by Paul RobinsonLisa Milne, Leonore (Fidelio)Robert Dean Smith, FlorestanRobert Bork, PizarroArthur Woodley, RoccoSimona Saturova, MarzellineMarcel Reijans, JacquinoDetlef Roth, Don FernandoDallas Symphony Chorus (Joshua Habermann, director)Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Jaap van Zweden, conductorMeyerson Symphony CenterDallas, TexasMay 13, 2012On the face of it, opera “in concert” is a near impossibility. Opera is an art form that combines live theatre and music, with sets, costumes and the whole nine yards; to present it in concert form is to eliminate most of what makes it what it is; on the other hand, the music alone in many operas is so magnificent that the elimination of a full theatrical presentation can easily be justified, and in…

ALO Flute Lacks Magic!

By Paul E. Robinson on 8 November 2011 Classical, Concert Reviews, Opera

by Paul E. RobinsonMozart: The Magic Flute Austin Lyric Opera (ALO)Director: James MarvelConductor: Richard BuckleyThe Long Center Austin, TexasSaturday November 5, 2011Congratulations are in order for the Austin Lyric Opera on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary. The organization also deserves enormous credit for dealing quickly and apparently effectively with a serious financial crisis that came to a boil last spring. Changes since then have included the resignation of General Director Kevin Patterson, the listing of ALO’s office building for sale, and major program cuts to the 2011-2012 season. Kevin Smith was appointed interim General Director and principal conductor Richard…

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