Night After Night

Agenda.

A week of big orchestral concerts ahead for coverage in The New York Times, and, as ever, plenty that I'd like to see were sleeplessness (well, additional sleeplessness) or cloning available options.

Wednesday, March 12: New York Philharmonic
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center; 7:30pm; $39–$59

Alan Gilbert and the Phil continue the outstanding cycle of Carl Nielsen's orchestral music undertaken in collaboration with the Danish record label Dacapo, which has already produced a dynamic CD of the Symphonies Nos. 2 ("Sinfonia espansiva") and 3 ("The Four Temperaments"). This week's program includes the Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4 (no nicknames) and Helios Overture, and it repeats on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16: Vienna Philharmonic (1, 2)
Isaac Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall; Sat at 8pm, Sun at 7pm; $34–$225

The Vienna Philharmonic returns to Carnegie for two more concerts under the Vienna: City of Dreams festival banner. On Saturday, Christoph Eschenbach fills in for an injured Daniele Gatti, conducting Schubert's Symphony No. 8 ("Unfinished") and Mahler's Symphony No. 4, the latter with Juliane Banse as soloist. And on Sunday, Zubin Mehta steers a celebration of all things Viennese, from waltzes to Webern with a juicy centerpiece in Korngold's Violin Concerto (featuring Gil Shaham). Diana Damrau and the New York Choral Artists are also pitching in.

Elsewhere and -when

Monday, March 10: Jay Campbell plays David Fulmer, Simon Steen-Andersen, Matthias Pintscher and more at Weill Recital Hall (more)

Monday, March 10: Benjamin Hochman plays Luciano Berio, Oliver Knussen, Frederic Rzewski and Tamar Muskal at SubCulture (more)

Tuesday, March 11: Aventa Ensemble plays Rolf Wallin and Michael Osterle for Ear Heart Music at Roulette (more)

Wednesday, March 12: Imperial Topaz and Hex Breaker Quartet at Death by Audio (more)

Wednesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 13: Elliott Sharp's SysOrk at Roulette (more)

Thursday, March 13: Bang on a Can Peoples' Commissioning Fund concert at Merkin Concert Hall (more)

Thursday, March 13: Ensemble Signal plays Unsuk Chin at Miller Theatre (more)

Thursday, March 13: Rachel Golub and Nick Didkovsky at Spectrum (more)

Friday, March 14: David Del Tredici and Marc Peloquin play Del Tredici at Bargemusic (more)

Sunday, March 16: counter)induction plays Salvatore Sciarrino, Robert Suderburg, Ryan Streber, Douglas Boyce and Kyle Bartlett at Greenwich House Music School (more)

Sunday, March 16: String Noise and Friends at the Firehouse Space (more)

Talea Ensemble at the Austrian Cultural Forum, March 4, 2014

Talea Ensemble at the Austrian Cultural Forum, March 4, 2014
The New York Times, March 6, 2014

My report on a Talea Ensemble performance at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, one of many fruitful intersections between those two important institutions. Since there was no Times photographer on hand, I've chosen an older video of Talea's Alex Lipowski playing Pierluigi Billone's Mani.Matta, a feat repeated in the concert at hand.

If you, like me, initially thought that tonight's Talea concert at the Bohemian National Hall on the Upper East Side is a repeat of the Tuesday program, look again: The same three composers — Billone, Bernhard Gander and Olga Neuwirth – are involved, but the pieces are newer ones, written for considerably larger forces. It's free of charge at 8pm, and you can still make reservations online.

For the record, I regret that I was unable to work in a mention of the Suffocation T-shirt Gander was wearing under his sport coat on Tuesday night.

Classical Playlist: Stephanie Blythe, Eva-Maria Houben, Nicholas Phillips and More

Nicholas Phillips

Classical Playlist: Stephanie Blythe, Eva-Maria Houben, Nicholas Phillips and More
New York Times ArtsBeat, March 5, 2014

My contributions:

HOUBEN: ‘Lost in Dreams — Works for Piano’
Eva-Maria Houben, pianist
(Edition Wandelweiser)

‘AMERICAN VERNACULAR — NEW MUSIC FOR SOLO PIANO’
Nicholas Phillips
(New Focus Recordings)

CAMPBELL: ‘Things You Already Know’
Christopher Campbell and ensemble
(Innova)

Agenda.

After more than a month off the beat—and after a quiet soft-start (in multiple senses) with the very impressive opening event of the new series Music for Contemplation last Saturday night—I'm finally heading back out into concert life. There are three events on my agenda this week: two on assignment for The New York Times, the third a personal pick related to an upcoming NYT project.

Tuesday, March 4: Talea Ensemble
Austrian Cultural Forum; 7:30pm; free

Checking in with Talea is always welcome, whatever's on the bill. This ensemble is among the fewish NYC institutions deeply engaged with rigorous modernists and their progeny, one that keeps tabs on prominent European composers poorly represented stateside as well as emerging creators of substantial promise. Tuesday's program, part of Carnegie Hall's big Vienna: City of Dreams festival, includes recent chamber pieces by Olga Neuwirth, Bernhard Gander and Pierluigi Billone. According to the ACFNY website, this concert is already booked to capacity, but you can still make reservations for Talea's second program on Friday, March 7, which takes place at the more spacious Czech Center New York and includes large-ensemble premieres by the same three composers.

Thursday, March 6: The String Orchestra of Brooklyn
Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity; 8pm; $15, seniors and students $10

Strictly speaking, this isn't a performance by the SOB, but an evening of chamber music by Brooklyn-based composers, presented under the orchestra's banner. Whatever you call it, it's a chance to hear New York premieres by Christopher Cerrone, Ted Hearne and Scott Wollschleger, as performed by a clutch of excellent musicians that includes Mellissa Hughes, Timo Andres, Ashley Bathgate and the Mivos Quartet.

Sunday, March 9: Lamentatio: Darkness and Light
Trinity Church; 5pm; $25

This fascinating new six-concert series at Trinity Church is meant to explore concepts of darkness and light through a range of works—early and contemporary, sacred and secular. Several ensembles are involved, including Decoda, Novus NY and the Choir of Merton College, Oxford. The inaugural event showcases the wonderful Trinity Choir and its director, Julian Wachner; beginning with two portions from Ockeghem's Missa pro defunctis (late 15th c.), the program encompasses settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet by Ernst Krenek (1942), Alberto Ginastera (1946) and Orlando de Lassus (1585).

Elsewhere and -when

Monday, March 3, 7:30pm: Orli Shaham plays Steve Mackey and John Adams at SubCulture (more)

Tuesday, March 4–Sunday, March 9, 8 & 10pm: International Contemporary Ensemble at the Stone (more)

Tuesday, March 4, 8pm: Cygnus Ensemble plays Mario Davidovsky at Merkin Concert Hall (more)

Tuesday, March 4, 6pm: Ekmeles sings Peter Ablinger, Kaija Saariaho and more at Miller Theatre (more) <- free!

Wednesday, March 5, 7pm: Frances-Marie Uitti plays Giacinto Scelsi at the Italian Academy, Columbia University (more) <- free!

Thursday, March 6, 8pm: Charlemagne Palestine organ concert at Plymouth Church (more)

Friday, March 7, 8pm: Ensemble LPR plays Bryce Dessner, Jonny Greenwood and Bartók at Le Poisson Rouge (more)

Friday, March 7, 10pm: Fennesz with Lillevan—inspired by Mahler—at Zankel Hall (more)

Friday, March 7, 8:45pm: James Moore plays John Zorn and Lainie Fefferman at Spectrum (more)

Friday, March 7, 7:30pm: Nate Wooley Quintet plays Wynton Marsalis at Greenwich House Music School (more)

Saturday, March 8, 8pm: Stile Antico sings Byrd, Tallis and more at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin (more)

Sunday, March 9, 5pm: The Improvised Traumdetung with Franz Hautzinger, Martin Siewert, Dieb13, Burkhard Stangl, Billy Roisz and others—inspired by Webern—at Le Poisson Rouge (more) <- free!

ArtsBeat Classical Playlists

A comprehensive list of the recordings I've covered in Classical Playlist on The New York Times ArtsBeat blog since the series started on November 6, 2013, in reverse chronological order. I've listed only my own contributions here; click on each header for the complete ArtsBeat post.

Classical Playlist: George Antheil, Haydn, Sibelius and More
March 19, 2014

DAVID T. LITTLE: ‘Haunt of Last Nightfall’
Third Coast Percussion
(New Amsterdam)

 

Classical Playlist: John Adams, Prokofiev, Harrison Birtwistle and More
March 12, 2014

MORTON FELDMAN: ‘For Philip Guston’
John Tilbury, pianist; Carla Rees, flutist; Simon Allen, percussionist
(Atopos)

HARRISON BIRTWISTLE: ‘The Moth Requiem’
Roderick Williams, baritone; BBC Singers, Nash Ensemble, conducted by Nicholas Kok
(Signum)

 

Classical Playlist: Stephanie Blythe, Eva-Maria Houben, Nicholas Phillips and More
March 5, 2014

HOUBEN: ‘Lost in Dreams — Works for Piano’
Eva-Maria Houben, pianist
(Edition Wandelweiser)

‘AMERICAN VERNACULAR — NEW MUSIC FOR SOLO PIANO’
Nicholas Phillips
(New Focus Recordings)

CAMPBELL: ‘Things You Already Know’
Christopher Campbell and ensemble
(Innova)

 

Classical Playlist: Jenny Lin, Joshua Rubin, David Aladashvili and More
February 19, 2014

‘THERE NEVER IS NO LIGHT’
Joshua Rubin, clarinetist; Cory Smythe, pianist
(Tundra/New Focus Recordings)

PAINE: Orchestral Works
Ulster Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta
(Naxos)

WORTHINGTON: ‘Even the Light Itself Falls’
ensemble et cetera
(Populist; available via Bandcamp)

 

Classical Playlist: Danish String Quartet, Thomas Meglioranza, Gidon Kremer and More
February 12, 2014

‘THE GOOD SONG’
Thomas Meglioranza, baritone; Reiko Uchida, pianist
(self-released; available via CD Baby)

 

Classical Playlist: Andrew Parrott, Jeroen Van Veen, Ildar Abdrazakov and More
February 5, 2014

‘SPRUNG RHYTHM’
Inscape*; Abigail Lennox, soprano
(Sono Luminus)

MONTSALVATGE: ‘Madrigal’ and Other Works
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano; Tim Fain, violinist; Perspectives Ensemble, conducted by Angel Gil-Ordoñez
(Naxos)

 

Classical Playlist: Zuill Bailey, Natasha Paremski, Leon Kirchner and More
January 29, 2014

RADIGUE: ‘Naldjorlak I II III’
Charles Curtis, cellist; Carol Robinson and Bruno Martinez, basset horn players
(Shiiin)

VERDI: ‘Otello’
Giovanni Martinelli, Elisabeth Rethberg, Lawrence Tibbett, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Ettore Panizza
(Naxos Historical)

STREIFF: ‘Vokal/Instrumental’
Anne Schmid, contralto; Katharina Suske, oboe d’amore player; Elisabeth Grimm, violinist; Klavierduo Kordzaia-Blum and others
(Edition Wandelweiser)

 

Classical Playlist: Olivia Block, William Christie, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet and More
January 22, 2014

BLOCK: ‘Karren’
Olivia Block, electronics, field recordings
(Sedimental)

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 4
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; conductor, Vasily Petrenko
(Naxos)

ROSENBLUM: ‘Möbius Loop’
Raschèr Saxophone Quartet; Boston Modern Orchestra Project, conducted by Gil Rose
(BMOP/Sound)

 

Classical Playlist: Louis Lortie, Daniel Barenboim, the Hilliard Ensemble and More
January 15, 2014

VIVALDI: Concertos for Two Violins and Strings I
Dmitry Sinkovsky and Riccardo Minasi, violinists; Il Pomo d’Oro
(Naïve)

SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7; ‘Tapiola’
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Robert Spano, conductor
(ASO Media)

PISARO: ‘asleep, forest, melody, path’
Greg Stuart, percussionist, and ensemble
(Soundcloud)

 

Classical Playlist: Leonard Bernstein, Keller Quartet, Cassandra Miller and More
December 18, 2013

BEUGER: ‘Sixteen Stanzas on Stillness and Music Unheard’
Greg Stuart, vibraphone
(l’innomable)

‘DUETS FOR SOLO SNARE DRUM’
Nick Hennies, snare drum
(Weighter Recordings)

SHIM: ‘LOVE’
Nick Hennies and Greg Stuart, percussion
(Senufo Editions)

 

Classical Playlist: Anna Caterina Antonacci, Mivos Quartet, Matthew Brown and More
December 4, 2013

‘REAPPEARANCES’
Mivos Quartet
(Carrier)

 

Classical Playlist: Martha Argerich, Third Coast Percussion, Garrick Ohlsson and More
November 27, 2013

THOMAS: ‘Resounding Earth’
Third Coast Percussion
(New Focus Recordings)

EVA-MARIA HOUBEN: Piano Music
R. Andrew Lee, piano
(Irritable Hedgehog)

 

Classical Playlist: András Schiff, Janine Jansen, Rebekah Heller and More
November 13, 2013

‘100 NAMES’
Rebekah Heller, bassoon, percussion, narrator
(Tundra/New Focus Recordings)

‘HOT’
Ryan Muncy, saxophone; with Nadia Sirota, viola; Ben Melsky, harp; Claire Chase, bass flute; and Ensemble Dal Niente, conducted by Michael Lewanski
(New Focus Recordings)

‘CHAMBERS’
Spektral Quartet
(Parlour Tapes+)

Classical Playlist: Jenny Lin, Joshua Rubin, David Aladashvili and More

Classical Playlist: Jenny Lin, Joshua Rubin, David Aladashvili and More
The New York Times ArtsBeat, February 19, 2014

My contributions:

‘THERE NEVER IS NO LIGHT’
Joshua Rubin, clarinetist; Cory Smythe, pianist
(Tundra/New Focus)

PAINE: Orchestral Works
Ulster Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta
(Naxos)

WORTHINGTON: ‘Even the Light Itself Falls’
ensemble et cetera
(Populist; available via Bandcamp)

Coming soon: Eva-Maria Houben; Nicholas Phillips; Christopher Campbell

Classical Playlist: Danish String Quartet, Thomas Meglioranza, Gidon Kremer and More

Classical Playlist: Danish String Quartet, Thomas Meglioranza, Gidon Kremer and More
The New York Times ArtsBeat, February 12, 2014

My contribution:

‘THE GOOD SONG’
Thomas Meglioranza, baritone; Reiko Uchida, pianist
(self-released; available via CD Baby)

Classical Playlist: Andrew Parrott, Jeroen Van Veen, Ildar Abdrazakov and More

Inscape*, by Jennifer White-Johnson

Classical Playlist: Andrew Parrott, Jeroen Van Veen, Ildar Abdrazakov and More
The New York Times ArtsBeat, February 5, 2014

My contributions:

‘SPRUNG RHYTHM’
Inscape*; Abigail Lennox, soprano
(Sono Luminus)

MONTSALVATGE: ‘Madrigal’ and Other Works
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano; Tim Fain, violinist; Perspectives Ensemble, conducted by Angel Gil-Ordoñez
(Naxos)

Days between: New York Times writing, January 10–29, 2014

The New York Times building, by Richard Drew/AP

I'd intended to make the previous "Days between" post the last…until such time as I once again fall so badly behind that I can't locate the 10 to 15 minutes it takes to flog a bit of my writing for The New York Times here on my own site, anyway. Then I looked at the eight items on hold since my last post, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players performance of Patience on January 3, and changed my mind. What's past is past; time to clear out whatever remains and look ahead.

So, here: A profile of indie-opera impresario Beth Morrison; two reviews of shows in Prototype, the festival Morrison co-directs; two reviews of operas that were not part of Prototype; and three Classical Playlist posts from the Times's ArtsBeat blog – and thus we arrive at my present sabbatical. As ever and as applicable, the performance date is provided first, followed by the publication date.

One final note: The service information underneath the review of composer-soprano Kate Soper's brilliant musical-theater piece Here Be Sirens notes four further performances that were meant to take place between January 30 and February 2. Those performances were cancelled due to a sick vocalist, but watch out for a return engagement in September.

Prototype "Paul's Case" at HERE, January 8, 2014
January 11, 2014

In the first of two continuous acts, Paul is encircled and trapped by his teachers; in the second, the same singers, as hotel maids, buoy and buffet Paul’s airy elation.

Bronx Opera Company "The Rivals" at Lovinger Theater, January 11, 2014
January 13, 2014

In spirit, “The Rivals” harks to Rossini and Donizetti; in sound, it weds Puccini’s generous lyricism to the dancing meters of Bernstein’s “Candide.”

"Ears for Opera, Eyes on the Future – Beth Morrison, Opera Producer with Prototype Festival"
January 12, 2014

“I think the performer thing wasn’t right, because it was all about me, all about me, all about me,” she said. “The minute that it could be not about me at all, and about everything else, then I relaxed and became very excited and passionate.”

Morningside Opera "Here Be Sirens" at Dixon Place, January 12, 2014
January 23, 2014

…Brad Peterson’s video projections present an oceanic horizon increasingly cluttered with victims of the sirens’ irresistible allure — a quality shared by Ms. Soper’s remarkable show.

Classical Playlist: Louis Lortie, Daniel Barenboim, the Hilliard Ensemble and More
January 15, 2014

VIVALDI: Concertos for Two Violins and Strings I
Dmitry Sinkovsky and Riccardo Minasi, violinists; Il Pomo d’Oro
(Naïve)

SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7; ‘Tapiola’
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Robert Spano, conductor
(ASO Media)

PISARO: ‘asleep, forest, melody, path’
Greg Stuart, percussionist, and ensemble
(Soundcloud)

Mr. Pisaro’s close collaborator Greg Stuart leads a 30-member ensemble in a patient, unpredictable, exceedingly beautiful mingling of simple structures, improvised textures and field recordings

Prototype "Have a Good Day!" at HERE, January 15, 2014
January 17, 2014

After invoking the slumbering groceries (“Buttermilks in a deep sleep/Eggs in line, wearing calcium pajamas”), the cashiers robotically chant shopping lists and sales incentives in Lithuanian, with English titles projected overhead on the back wall.

Classical Playlist: Olivia Block, William Christie, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet and More
January 22, 2014

BLOCK: ‘Karren’
Olivia Block, electronics, field recordings
(Sedimental)

SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 4
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; conductor, Vasily Petrenko
(Naxos)

ROSENBLUM: ‘Möbius Loop’
Raschèr Saxophone Quartet; Boston Modern Orchestra Project, conducted by Gil Rose
(BMOP/Sound)

…the two tremendous pieces that constitute her newest LP are as rigorously assembled, finely detailed and dramatically taut as any modern composition you might care to name, each evoking a dreamlike story without words.

Classical Playlist: Zuill Bailey, Natasha Paremski, Leon Kirchner and More
January 29, 2014

RADIGUE: ‘Naldjorlak I II III’
Charles Curtis, cellist; Carol Robinson and Bruno Martinez, basset horn players
(Shiiin)

VERDI: ‘Otello’
Giovanni Martinelli, Elisabeth Rethberg, Lawrence Tibbett, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Ettore Panizza
(Naxos Historical)

STREIFF: ‘Vokal/Instrumental’
Anne Schmid, contralto; Katharina Suske, oboe d’amore player; Elisabeth Grimm, violinist; Klavierduo Kordzaia-Blum and others
(Edition Wandelweiser)

…her goal remained the same: to parse the vast range of overtones and resonances latent in every humble note — “a kind of wild and frail, versatile and volatile world of sounds,” in Ms. Radigue’s own words.

Related:

Days between: New York Times writing, March 23–August 12, 2013

Days between: New York Times writing, August 20–November 10, 2013

Days between: New York Times writing, November 25–December 30, 2013

Days between: New York Times writing, November 25–December 30, 2013

The third and, for now, last next to last in a brief series, this post collects all of my writing for The New York Times between my report on the American Symphony Orchestra concert of November 17 and the collective article "Critics Weigh In on Standout Operas of Recent Decades," both of which I posted individually elsewhere. I'm including the "Classical Playlist" CD capsule-review posts that have been appearing on the paper's ArtsBeat blog, but I also intend to create a new landing page specifically to compile those reviews for easy access.

At this point, I intend (or at least hope) to present fresh reviews and articles as they appear…fingers crossed. As before, the first date refers to the event, the second to when the review appeared.

David Lang "New Voices, New Music" at Zankel Hall, November 20, 2013
November 25, 2013 (web-only)

Nicholas Deyoe’s “Lullaby 4,” played by the startlingly versatile gnarwhallaby, a California quartet in matching black outfits, murmured and pounced with the spontaneity of free improvisation, yet always conveyed the sense of a firm guiding hand.

Juilliard String Quartet at Alice Tully Hall, November 21, 2013
November 27, 2013

Paradoxically balancing thoroughgoing poise with an almost reckless edge, they expertly enacted visionary qualities intrinsic to late Schubert.

Classical Playlist: Martha Argerich, Third Coast Percussion, Garrick Ohlsson and More
November 27, 2013

THOMAS: ‘Resounding Earth’
Third Coast Percussion
(New Focus Records)

EVA-MARIA HOUBEN: Piano Music
R. Andrew Lee, piano
(Irritable Hedgehog)

Through his consistently impressive solo releases on the curiously named Irritable Hedgehog label, the Colorado-based pianist R. Andrew Lee has asserted a vision of musical Minimalism far broader than the limited patch that abused term usually signifies.

21c Liederabend at the BAM Harvey Theater, November 22, 2013
November 26, 2013

Despite a growth trajectory that has seen each successive 21c Liederabend housed in a larger space with more elaborate production elements, Ms. Morrison and Ms. Prestini preserved the sensation of a family affair…

Classical Playlist: Anna Caterina Antonacci, Mivos Quartet, Matthew Brown and More
December 4, 2013

‘REAPPEARANCES’
Mivos Quartet
(Carrier)

…the group covers an admirably broad expressive range: from Alex Mincek’s rigorously calibrated violence to Felipe Lara’s voluptuous, elemental lyricism, by way of expressive contemplations from Wolfgang Rihm and David Brynjar Franzson.

Anna Thorvaldsdottir Composer Portrait at Miller Theatre, December 5, 2013
December 11, 2013

In just eight minutes, this chamber orchestra work perfectly encapsulates her uncanny knack for conjuring the natural world — not through quaint, picturesque mimicry, but with potent evocations of elemental power, flux and potential.

Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, December 9, 2013
December 11, 2013

…those qualities were enacted convincingly at the close of a brilliantly played, fervently felt account, enriched with silken strings, robust brass and eloquent solos by the principal winds and the concertmaster, Max Tan.

UnCaged Toy Piano Festival at Pianos, December 12, 2013
December 14, 2013

The spirits of John Cage and Charles M. Schulz’s Schroeder converged on the Lower East Side on Thursday night…

Classical Playlist: Leonard Bernstein, Keller Quartet, Cassandra Miller and More
December 18, 2013

BEUGER: ‘Sixteen Stanzas on Stillness and Music Unheard’
Greg Stuart, vibraphone
(l’innomable)

‘DUETS FOR SOLO SNARE DRUM’
Nick Hennies, snare drum
(Weighter Recordings)

SHIM: ‘LOVE’
Nick Hennies and Greg Stuart, percussion
(Senufo Editions)

…a ghostly, gorgeous lesson in how close, concentrated listening can alter and enhance perception.

Stars of the Lid with the Wordless Music Orchestra and Justin Walter, Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, December 17, 2013
December 20, 2013

Like Satie’s “Gymnopédies” as heard through a narcotic veil, the music stair-stepped and circled with melancholy deliberateness, slight disharmonies lending the sensation of cracked, yellowed photos.

"That's Vintage Verdi, That '61 'Otello' – Critics Pick Recordings to Celebrate Verdi's Bicentennial"
December 26, 2013

‘FALSTAFF’ Herva Nelli, Teresa Stich-Randall, Giuseppe Valdengo; Arturo Toscanini, conductor; Robert Shaw Chorale, NBC Symphony Orchestra (RCA Gold Seal).

‘OTELLO’ Renata Scotto, Jon Vickers, Cornell MacNeil; James Levine, conductor; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Sony Classical, DVD).

‘LA TRAVIATA’ Maria Callas, Alfredo Kraus, Mario Sereni; Franco Ghione, conductor; Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Lisbon (Myto Records).

VERDI REQUIEM Anja Harteros, Sonia Ganassi, Rolando Villazón, René Pape; Antonio Pappano, conductor; Santa Cecilia Academy Chorus and Orchestra (EMI Classics).

‘RIGOLETTO’ (from “Verdi at the Met: Legendary Performances at the Metropolitan Opera”) Bidú Sayão, Jussi Bjoerling, Leonard Warren; Cesare Sodero, conductor; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Sony Classical).

True story: “Rigoletto” changed my life.

New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, December 28, 2013
December 30, 2013

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, titled “Pathétique” and completed in August 1893, is a beautiful time bomb with a faulty firing pin — or so it can seem, given the response its unorthodox construction almost inevitably compels.

Related:

Days between: New York Times writing, March 23–August 12, 2013

Days between: New York Times writing, August 20–November 10, 2013