Video of the day - my/maSCENA

Video of the Day – The Legend of Django Reinhardt

By Paul E. Robinson on 19 August 2014 Strings, Video of the day

For anyone brought up to appreciate the artistry of men like Andres Segovia and Django Reinhardt (1910-1953), it is sad to see the abuse of the guitar in contemporary popular music. The instrument has been transformed into a monster emitting deafening electronic noise. And the more distortion the better.Django was in his prime in the 1930s and 40s. The war interrupted his career and together with some mishaps and bad judgment his postwar career was a series of hits and misses. But the recordings he made are jazz classics. Very little of his work was captured on film but it…

Video of the Day – Carlo Bergonzi (1924-2014): In Memoriam

By Paul E. Robinson on 8 August 2014 Opera, Video of the day

Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi was 90 years old when he died this past week. He had a long and illustrious career. His made his debut at La Scala in 1953 and at the Met 3 years later. Thereafter, he was a regular at the Met for 30 years. He was not the most exciting tenor of his generation. But he was widely admired for his beautiful tone and good taste.Like too many artists Bergonzi didn’t know when to quit and left a major blemish on his career. In 2000 he attempted to sing the leading role in Verdi’s Otello in…

Video of the Day – Karajan: the 25th Anniversary of His Death

By Paul E. Robinson on 29 July 2014 Orchestral, Video of the day

It was 25 years ago this month (July 16) that Herbert von Karajan passed away. He was 81 and still conducting regularly even though he had been in almost constant pain from back problems for years. At the time of his death he was rehearsing a new production of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera at the Salzburg Festival.In the above video the current conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic – Simon Rattle – talks about his illustrious predecessor. As usual, Rattle is articulate, balanced and perceptive in what he says about Karajan. After all these years, he can’t get over how Karajan…

Video of the Day – David Zinman Retires from the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich

By Paul E. Robinson on 21 July 2014 Orchestral, Video of the day

On July 11, 2014 David Zinman conducted his last concert as music director of the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich. He has headed the orchestra for 19 years and together they have made dozens of highly-acclaimed recordings including all the Schubert, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Mahler symphonies. Not to mention nearly all the orchestral works of Richard Strauss.Zinman is now 78 years old and says that due to medical problems he intends to slow down. There will be some guest conducting but no more permanent positions.Zinman is one of the most successful and underappreciated American conductors of his generation. In his early…

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…

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…

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