Music
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New York City Opera's Madam Butterfly
Stunning Production by Mark Lamos
By: - Mar 22nd, 2010For its spring season, the New York City Opera has revived a wonderful production of Madama Butterfly featuring Shu-Ying Li as Cio-Cio-San and presenting exciting debut performances by baritone Quinn Kelsey and mezzo Nina Yoshida Nelsen.
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Dawn Upshaw and Emanuel Ax at Carnegie Hall
Celebrating Chopin and Schumann at 200
By: - Mar 19th, 2010The soprano Dawn Upshaw, first vocalist to win a MacArthur genius award for her promotion of new composers, and the infinitely apt pianist Emanuel Ax performed Chopin, Schumann and former poet laureate Billy Collin's Piano Teacher poems set to music by Stephen Prutsman. They brought extraordinary musicality to this performance.
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The New York Philharmonic: Riccardo Muti
Vadim Repin Performs the Beethoven Violin Concerto
By: - Mar 11th, 2010Two one of a kind compositions by Beethoven and Cesar Franck were combined in a stunning program at Avery Fisher Hall. Riccardo Muti is interpreting Beethoven's only concerto for the violin, the D Major. Cesar Franck's seldom performed Symphony in D minor, is presented in the second half of the program. The compositions are both in D modes, and modality is explored creatively by both composers.
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Shostakovich by a Nose at the Met
William Kentridge Designs a Masterpiece
By: - Mar 08th, 2010Peter Gelb,in a brilliant stroke, brings together Dimitri Shostakovich and William Kentridge at the Metropolitan Opera. The Nose had sixteen productions in Russia and then vanished. One critic noted a new musical language based on rhythm and timbre, rather than arias and cantilenas, everyday speech is set in music.
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Riccardo Muti: The New York Philharmonic
Andras Schiff Performs a Brilliant Brahms
By: - Mar 05th, 2010Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 opened the program for the New York Philharmonic. Second up on the program conducted by Riccardo Muti was a symphony composed by Paul Hindemith, composed for Serge Koussevitsky during Tanglewood's first season.
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Lauren Flanigan at the Graduate Center, CUNY
The Art of Monodrama
By: - Mar 03rd, 2010Lauren Flanigan, among the most dramatic sopranos singing today, presented an evening of songs accompanied by Miriam Charney on the piano, and joined by actress Ellen Lauren and jazz singer Annie Ross with Tardo Hammer.
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The Mount: Edith Wharton's Parisian Salon
Cantilena Chamber Choir March 13
By: - Mar 02nd, 2010On Saturday, March 13, at 4:00 p.m., The Mount will present a special performance of Edith Wharton's Parisian salon, featuring the Cantilena Chamber Choir. The concert is similar to those given by Edith Wharton in her Parisian salon to raise money for the Belgian war relief effort in World War I.
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Riccardo Muti and Attila Debut at the Met
An Early Opera by Verdi Superbly Mounted
By: - Feb 28th, 2010Several debuts were made at the Metropolitan Opera this week. Riccardo Muti, one of the world's great conductors, made his first appearance at the Met. He chose to conduct the Met's first production of Attila by Verdi. Miuccia Prada designed the costumes. The Pritzer-award winning Swiss architects, Jacques Herzog & Pierre deMeuron, created the sets.
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CareFusion Jazz Festival New York
45 Concerts at 20 Venues June 17 to 26
By: - Feb 26th, 2010The legendary jazz producer, George Wein, the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival is returning to New York with the CareFusion Jazz Festival. There will be 45 concerts at 20 venues. On June 23 there will be a free concert on the Central Park Summer Stage.
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George Wein Talks About CareFusion Festival
East Side West Side All Around the Apple
By: - Feb 26th, 2010Legendary jazz promoter, George Wein has been checking out clubs including crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. What he has heard will be featured in the upcoming events in June. Wein informs us that "We announced the schedule for the Care Fusion New York Jazz Festival a few days ago and after 60 years of producing jazz events I can still get excited; actually, more than usual."
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Michael Tilson Thomas National Medal of Arts
Conducted at Tangelwood Last Summer
By: - Feb 25th, 2010Last summer Michael Tilson Thomas made an acclaimed return to Tanglewood. The Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, Founder and Artistic Director of the New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy, and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, has been awarded the National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest award for artistic achievement. The award will be presented by President Barack Obama at a ceremony at the White House.
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Richie Havens at Carnegie Hall
A Woodstock Update, Fresh as Ever
By: - Feb 23rd, 2010Richie Havens has kept on truckin' since Woodstock. Although that event was defining, he is as current today as he was then. His gravelly baritone still thrills.
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The Real McCoy
With Tyner Back When
By: - Feb 23rd, 2010Seeing a visibly aged McCoy Tyner recently at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center made me reach into the vault for notes and images of an afternoon together in October, 1979. It evoked memories of a life in the arts.
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McCoy Tyner at the Mahaiwe
Jazz in the Berkshires
By: - Feb 22nd, 2010McCoy Tyner was barely twenty when for four years he played piano in "The Classic" John Coltrane Quartet. He appeared last night at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. It was a powerful but too brief set by his trio that left the audience hungry for more.
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Avery Sharpe Toured with McCoy Tyner
Bass Player a Long Time Berkshire Resident
By: - Feb 22nd, 2010The bass player, Avery Sharpe, fell by the Mahaiwe to catch a set by McCoy Tyner. He joined Tom Reney of WFCR at the Castle Street Cafe to discuss the music of Tyner. Reney has graciously allowed us to post the liner note essay for his 2009 recording Autumn Moonlight on JKNM Records.
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125th Season of Boston Pops
Opening Night Celebration May 4
By: - Feb 20th, 2010In a great Boston tradition the Pops will open its 125th season at Symphony Hall on May 4. Keith Lockhart will conduct. A richly varied program continues through June 20. An evening of Pops will launch the Carole King James Taylor Tanglewood love in on Friday, July 2. A number of concerts have already sold out.
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The Enchanted Pig at the New Victory Theater
An Opera for All Ages: Naughty and Nice
By: - Feb 19th, 2010The intimate theater that once housed Minsky's follies and triple X films, presents fabulous fare for children of all ages. The current production enchants.During school vacation week Susan Hall took her young companion Tanner for an outing in Times Square.
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Adriadne auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera
Nina Stemme Is a Glorious Adriadne
By: - Feb 16th, 2010A difficult opera by Richard Strauss is brought to life with wonderful staging and mighty singing by Nina Stemme.
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2010 Tanglewood Jazz Festival
Off the Hook Labor Day Weekend
By: - Feb 15th, 2010In what has become a season ending Labor Day Weekend event the 2010 Tanglewood Jazz Frestival will wail in Lenox on Saturday and Sunday, September 4 & 5. John Pizzarelli, his Dad, Bucky, and wife Jessica Molaskey will kick it off at 2 pm with a live broadcast of their popular "Radio Deluxe." Perhaps like last year, Kurt Elling will fall by to scat with John. He is featured that night.
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Alan Gilbert Leads the New York Philharmonic
A Valentine from Composer Christopher Rouse
By: - Feb 14th, 2010The New York Philharmonic presented two Mozart pieces sandwiching a new composition by Christopher Rouse, which turned out to be a Valentine. The putative Mozart Sinfonia Concertante that opened program was lovely in conductor Alan Gilbert's hands.
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Tanglewood Tickets on Sale February 14
Blockbuster 74th Season in the Berkshires.
By: - Feb 11th, 2010The 2010 Tanglewood season will start with a blokbuster Fourth of July weekend featuring Keith Lockhart and the Pops on Friday, with James Taylor and Carole King on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. And that's just the beginning. Tickets go on sale February 14
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Tanglewood Adds Another Show on July 5
Two Concerts with James Taylor and Carole King Sold Out
By: - Feb 08th, 2010There is something magical about James Taylor and Tanglewood. But add his pal, Carole King, and wow. With the Pops on Friday, and three concerts by the dynamic duo, Tanglewood is set to draw some 60,000 visitors on the Fourth of July Weekend. Talk about fireworks. Zowie.
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Elixir of Love: Chicago Lyric Opera
Giuseppe Filinoti Shines as Nemorino
By: - Feb 03rd, 2010The Lyric Opera of Chicago is presenting Donizetti's Elixir of Love throughout the month of February. The moment the curtain rises on a small southern Italian village, we meet Nemorino (Filianoti) who is passionately in love with Adina (Cabell), a coquette who is fickle as a breeze, flitting from man to man. She quickly recommends finding a new love each day as the solution to anyone's amorous issues.
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A Noble Simon Boccanegra at the Met Opera
James Levine Conducts Live in HD Feb. 6
By: - Feb 02nd, 2010Placido Domingo, singing the title role at the Metropolitan Opera, provides a stunning figure in Simon Boccanegra. It will be performed Live in HD, with James Levine conducting, at US and Canadian movie theaters on February 6th.
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Tosca Tantalizes Chicago's Lyric Opera
Violeta Urmana As Tosca
By: - Jan 31st, 2010Tosca has been performed at all the American opera houses this season, and surely the production at the Lyric is one of the best.
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