Classical Music - my/maSCENA

Video of the Day – Lorin Maazel (1930-2014) RIP

By Paul E. Robinson on 15 July 2014 Orchestral, Video of the day

I first saw Lorin Maazel conduct at Plateau Hall in Montreal in 1962. He was touring with the French National Orchestra. He was 32-years-old at the time and a real whiz-kid. He conducted everything from memory and seemed to have the most precise stick technique I had ever seen. Among other works he conducted Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and Berlioz’ Roman Carnival Overture. At the end of the Berlioz there is a loud sustained brass chord and Maazel dealt with it in the most theatrical way possible. He demonstratively dropped his arms while the brass players held their chord. Then when it…

Video of the Day – Trumpeter Philip Smith Steps Down From the NY Philharmonic

By Paul E. Robinson on 13 July 2014 Orchestral, Video of the day

Philip Smith has been principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic for several decades. He joined the orchestra in 1978 and stayed for 36 years. He was universally admired for the quality of his playing. His reputation was so great that many people came to believe that he never missed a note. The fact is that he very rarely cracked a note but more than that he played with phenomenal technical control and tonal variety.Philip Smith is retiring from the Philharmonic at the end of this season and his chair will be hard to fill. It will be nearly impossible…

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…

Alice Through the Looking-Glass

By Paul E. Robinson on 7 July 2014 CD and Book Reviews, Orchestral, Strings, Theatre

by Paul E. RobinsonStory by Lewis CarrollAdaptation for the stage by James ReaneyDirector: Jillian KelleyChoreographer: Dayna TekatchDesigner: Bretta GereckeComposer: Jonathan MunroSound Designer: John GzowskiAlice: Trish LindströmRed Queen: Cynthia DaleWhite Queen: Sarah OrensteinHumpty Dumpty: Brian TreeStratford Festival Avon TheatreJune 21, 2014It is one of the great mysteries of genius how a shy, stammering Oxford mathematics professor came to create the most enchanting children’s books in the history of the genre; not only that, but how these same stories about a young girl and her adventures with a vast panoply of absurd characters are so intellectually clever as to continue to challenge great…

Video of the Day – Salonen Teams Up with Apple

By Paul E. Robinson on 24 June 2014 Orchestral, Video of the day

Esa-Pekka Salonen, principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra and former music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is one of the world’s foremost conductors. But he is equally renowned as a composer. One can only imagine how he manages to find time to be so active and so successful in both activities.Salonen is a fine musician but he is also a man of his time. He is curious about everything in life, and especially fascinated with technology that can make him even more productive as a conductor and a composer. He has recently joined forces with Apple to make use…

Video of the Day – Bernard Labadie In Munich

By Paul E. Robinson on 17 June 2014 Baroque and Early, Orchestral, Video of the day, Vocal

It was recently announced that Quebec conductor Bernard Labadie would step down from his post as music director of Les Violons du Roy. He will become founding director, presumably a title which suggests far less conducting than in the past. Now comes an announcement this past week that Labadie has cancelled all conducting engagements through the rest of 2014 “for health reasons.”In the past few seasons Labadie has become incredibly busy as a guest conductor with orchestras around the world. He is an authority of historical performance practice and a very welcome guest conductor wherever he goes. We understand that…

Video of the Day – A Great Conductor: RIP

By Paul E. Robinson on 9 June 2014 Orchestral, Video of the day

On June 4, 2014 Rafael Frübeck de Burgos announced his retirement. He was 80 years old and conducted his last concert on March 14 with the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. Less than a week later the news from Spain is that he has passed away.Frübeck de Burgos had been in failing health for some time but it was only this month that he publicly stated that he was suffering from cancer. The celebrated Spanish conductor had a major international career and conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra more than 150 times. He had a close association with the Montreal Symphony and…

Video of the Day – Serhiy Salov Plays Debussy

By Paul E. Robinson on 3 June 2014 Piano, Video of the day

SUDDEN FLASHES OF LIGHT from Santiago Ruiztorres on Vimeo.Serhiy Salov is a Ukrainian-born pianist now living in Montreal. He won the 2004 Montreal International Competition and has established himself as an exceptional artist. In this video he plays his own arrangement of Debussy’s Fetes (Festivals). The playing is remarkable enough but what makes this video even more memorable is the direction by Santiago Ruiztorres. The camera work and the editing is imaginative, to say the least. Videos of this sort can sometimes seem gimmicky and contrived, telling us more about the film-maker’s self-absorption than about the performer or the music. Not…

Video of the Day – Franz-Paul Decker: In Memoriam

By Paul E. Robinson on 26 May 2014 Orchestral, Video of the day

The German-born conductor Franz-Paul Decker died in Montreal on May 19 at the age of 90. He was music director of the Montreal Symphony from 1967 to 1975 and returned often thereafter as a guest conductor. Just last season he had been scheduled to appear with the MSO – the main work was Richard Strauss’ massive An Alpine Symphony – but was forced to cancel due to ill health.Decker held many conducting posts in Europe throughout his career and he also had a close association with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Decker was highly regarded for his performances of the German…

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