Classical - my/maSCENA

Le Festival de Lanaudière du 8 juillet au 10 août

By Justin Bernard on 8 July 2014 Classical, La Scena Online, Orchestral, Piano, Romantic, Strings

par Justin BernardPour cette 37e édition, le pianiste Alain Lefèvre, ambassadeur artistique du festival, fera le concert d’ouverture. Au programme, une œuvre de Bach transcrite par Liszt, une sonate de Haydn et une autre de Rachmaninov, les 24 préludes de Chopin et La Valse de Ravel. 8 juillet.Pour souligner le 150e anniversaire de naissance de Richard Strauss, trois des œuvres du compositeur seront interprétées : le poème symphonique Don Quichotte avec solistes, accompagnés par l’Orchestre du Festival, que l’on pourra entendre dans un autre poème symphonique, Don Juan, et dans la suite orchestrale extraite du Chevalier à la rose. À la…

Don Quixote Rides Again at Stratford

By Paul E. Robinson on 8 July 2014 Classical, Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Strings

by Paul E. RobinsonMan of La ManchaWritten by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and Lyrics by Joe DarionDirector: Robert McQueenChoreographer: Marc KimelmanMusical Director: Franklin BraszMiguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote: Tom RooneySancho Panza: Steve RossAldonza: Robin HuttonStratford FestivalAvon TheatreJune 20, 2014Man of La Mancha opened on Broadway in 1965 and quickly entered the ranks of the classics of the American musical theatre. It is an inspired treatment of Cervantes’ Don Quixote story and continues to delight audiences all around the world. More than that, it is recognized as part of a genre that was created with commercial success in mind…

Electifying Korngold and Bach with Gil Shaham/Austin Symphony

By Paul E. Robinson on 16 April 2014 Classical, Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Orchestral, Violin

by Paul E. RobinsonLiszt: Les PréludesKorngold: Violin ConcertoDvořák: Symphony No. 7 in d Minor Op. 70Gil Shaham, violinAustin Symphony/Peter BayLong Center for the Performing ArtsAustin, TexasWhen the still boyish Gil Shaham comes bounding on stage, violin in hand, with a huge smile on his face, you know you are in for a special kind of music-making. Shaham, now 43, still seems the charming prodigy he was when he first came to international attention. Before playing so much as a note, he has the audience in the palm of his hand. This is clearly a young man who loves music and…

A New Nagano Generation: The Artistry Continues

By Paul E. Robinson on 1 April 2014 CD and Book Reviews, Chamber Music, Classical, Piano, Strings

Flash version here. Mozart: Piano Concertos No. 12 in A major K. 414 & No. 13 in C major K. 415 Karin Kei Nagano, piano; Cecilia String Quartet Analekta AN2 8765 (51 m) Is it in the genes? No, but genes play a major role in the creation of musical talent, especially so in the case of 15-year-old Karin Kei Nagano. Her father, Kent Nagano, has been the music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal since 2006 and recently renewed his contract until 2020. Karin’s mother, Mari Kodama, is herself a fine pianist with an international reputation. Against this background,…

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…

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