Gidon Kremer and Alban Berg: Violin Concerto/The Secret Life of Alban Berg
Entartete Musik (Free subscription) | yesterday
At the Grand Théâtre de Genève, French theatrical bad boy Olivier Py has just directed the work he was born to direct, Alban Berg's Lulu . Despite his ability to shock, such as employing Hervé-Pierre Gustave, the French porn star, for his production of Tannhäuser at the same address, Py always brings an intelligence and strength to his work. Featuring Patricia Petibon...
Civic Center (Free subscription) | 02/06/2010
Last weekend at Yerba Buena Center, the local, very ambitious chamber orchestra Ensemble Parallele presented a pair of performances of Alban Berg's forbidding, mostly atonal German opera "Wozzeck" in a new, reduced orchestration by John Rea. The piece starts off grim with the lowly soldier title character being abused by every other character in the opera, and then proceeds to get even grimmer...
A Beast in a Jungle (Free subscription) | 01/21/2010
Sometimes I really do wish I could be in two places at once. This coming Sunday I'll be leaving to attend the Sundance Film Festival for the first time, which I'm pretty excited about, especially since MG is going to be my escort and she's an old pro at this event. If anyone can get us into one of the Runaways screenings, please let me know- there's a few rounds of drinks in it for you if you can come...
Musical Perceptions (Free subscription) | 01/09/2010
1. "Frogs" from E.T. soundtrack by John Williams. 2. "From Border to Border from Quiet Flows the Don" by Ivan Dzerzhinsky, performed by Paul Robeson Jr. on Songs of Free Men . 3. From me flows what you call Time (1993) by Toru Takemitsu, performed by Andrew Davis and BBC Symphony Orchestra. 4. "From Me to You" by Lennon and McCartney, performed by (a) Arthur Wilkinson...
From Beyond the Stave (Free subscription) | 01/07/2010
Towards the end of last year, Alex Ross included Othmar Schoeck’s Notturno, performed by baritone Christian Gerhaher with the Rosamunde Quartett on the ECM label, among his recordings of the year. It is indeed a stunning recording – a warmly expressive performance by Gerhaher with superb playing by the Munich-based quartet – which will certainly enhance Schoeck’s growing reputation....
dramma per musica (Free subscription) | 12/14/2009
Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, without doubt one of the greatest operatic achievements of the 20th century, received its premiere in Berlin 84 years ago today. In November of 1927, the composer, seeking to “correct an error” that arose soon after the work was initially produced, wrote a brief article of explanation for Modern Music, which I [...]
Violinist.com (Free subscription) | 11/21/2009
By Laurie Niles: I realized on Thursday night that despite having listened to recordings of the Alban Berg Violin Concerto countless times, I hadn't come close to understanding it. Seeing a live performance enlightened me; moreover, seeing a live performance with violinist Gil Shaham , conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Hall energized my senses. The evening also included...
Vancouver Opera Blog (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
Musical Geniuses? Maybe. Otherwise? Not so much. Post your answers in the comments section. Here's your quiz: Match the eight composers to the unfortunate circumstances of their demise (alleged or real). 1. Robert Schumann 2. Jean-Baptiste Lully 3. Charles-Valentin Alkan 4. Alban Berg 5. Peter Tchaikovsky 6. Henry Purcell 7. Maurice Ravel 8. Ernest Chausson a. Died when a bookcase fell on him b. Died...
The Rehearsal Studio (Free subscription) | 10/20/2009
Yesterday I submitted a comment to San Francisco Classical Voice in response to Jason Victor Serinus' review of the current San Francisco Opera production of Richard Strauss' Salome . I wanted to pick up on his observation that Kim Begley had played Herod as "a pathetic wimp of a lush hardly capable of wearing the crown" (without saying very much about whether this was Begley's decision,...
AfriClassical (Free subscription) | 10/12/2009
[ Africa: Piano Music of William Grant Still ; Denver Oldham, piano; Koch 3 7084 2H1 (1991) ] Yesterday AfriClassical posted “Vangelisti & Marks Perform Songs of William Grant Still at U. of Louisiana at Monroe Oct. 12.” In an interview, Dr. Brian Marks, a pianist at Baylor University, explained that he and Dr. Claire Vangelisti are scheduled to present a recital at 7:30 pm Monday,...
Entartete Musik (Free subscription) | 10/03/2009
As the Philharmonia's City of Dreams series comes to a close this Thursday with a concert performance of Wozzeck, I wonder what it is that attracted Esa-Pekka Salonen to this particular work in the Viennese output. The performance will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 on the 15th October. By the time that Alban Berg’s first opera Wozzeck was premiered in Berlin on 14 December 1925, Europe had
The Rehearsal Studio (Free subscription) | 08/21/2009
I did not immediately jump to my keyboard when the news of Hildegard Behrens' death first broke. However, having now read Joshua Kosman's excellent San Francisco Chronicle obituary for her, I realize that I have a few personal points to add. Without in any way trying to diminish either her talent or her stature, Behrens was, for me, the "post-Nilsson" soprano, since she took on many of the...
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