Susan Hall
Bio:
Recent Articles:
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New York City Opera's L'Etoile Music
Opera Bouffe Fluffed to Perfection
By: - Mar 23rd, 2010The greed of a theater owner buried L'Etoile, a huge hit in its Paris premier, and for reasons no one can quite figure out, this enchantingly silly piece wasn't mounted again for almost a hundred years. The New York City Opera stages a charming and funny revival, featuring Can-Can girls, a Chaplinesque King and a guillotine the likes of which you've never seen before. The score is a masterpiece of comic music, as brilliant as the Barber of Seville.
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New York City Opera's Madam Butterfly Music
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 Music
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 Music
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 Music
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 Music
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 Music
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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Riccardo Muti and Attila Debut at the Met Music
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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Richie Havens at Carnegie Hall Music
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 Enchanted Pig at the New Victory Theater Music
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 Music
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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Alan Gilbert Leads the New York Philharmonic Music
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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The Brother - Sister Plays at Steppenwolf Theatre
Tarell Alvin McCraney Wows Chicago
By: - Feb 09th, 2010Steppenwolf, one of America's great ensemble theaters, welcomes a triple-header by Tarell Alvin McCraney. All three plays are directed by ensemble member Tina Landau.
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Elixir of Love: Chicago Lyric Opera Music
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 Music
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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O'Neill and Beckett by Brian Dennehy Theatre
At Chicago's Goodman Theatre to Feb. 23
By: - Feb 01st, 2010The superb actor Brian Dennehy suggested that Hughie and Krapp's Last Tape be performed together, and this was a brilliant choice. The run has been extended to February 23.
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Tosca Tantalizes Chicago's Lyric Opera Music
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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James Levine & Met Orchestra at Carnegie Hall Music
Diva Diana Damrau Sings Strauss
By: - Jan 28th, 2010Taking on two symphonic war horses, the Schubert Unfinished and Beethoven's Fifth, James Levine helps you hear them as new. The program was performed on January 24.
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Verdi's Stiffelio at the Metropolitan Opera Music
Sondra Radvanovsky Shines
By: - Jan 17th, 2010Stiffelio, Verdi's mid career opera which had been banned when it was first produced, arrives at the Met. Placido Domingo conducted the magnificent Sondra Radvanovsky.
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A Bold, Erotic Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD January 16 Music
Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna Face Off Brilliantly
By: - Jan 13th, 2010This Carmen mounted by award-winning director Richard Eyre and conducted by Yannick Neret-Seguin, both making their Met debuts,is sure to thrill at your local Cineplex, live in HD, on Saturday, January 16th.
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Der Rosenkavalier: Soars at the Met Music
Susan Graham as Octavian in a Stunning Production
By: - Jan 08th, 2010Recently the Metropolitan Opera came to your local theater in HD with Der Rosenkavalier. One cannot imagine a better cast or more compelling production.
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Celebrating a New Year with Alan Gilbert & The New York Philharmonic Music
Thomas Hampson sings Copland and Cole Porter
By: - Jan 02nd, 2010The Philharmonic celebrated New Year's Eve with an all American concert featuring Thomas Hampson, Baritone. The program included Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copland, Old American Songs, Aaron Copland, Medley of Cole Porter songs, An American in Paris, George Gershwin.
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Mamet's American Buffalo at the Steppenwolf Theatre
Chicago Welcomes Back Its Homies
By: - Dec 29th, 2009While Mamet's first Chicago home was the Goodman Theater, Steppenwolf has stepped up with a wonderful new production of American Buffalo. It continues in the Windy City through February 7.
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James Levine Conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Music
Elgar and Mahler at Carnegie Hall
By: - Dec 22nd, 2009James Levine conducted a beautiful program at Carnegie Hall on Sunday. Mezzo soprano, Stephanie Blythe, an elemental force, sang "Sea Pictures" Of course, being able to hear the details in Mahler is important, and Carnegie has one of the best acoustic environments in the world.
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Fabio Luisi Conducts Hansel and Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera Music
Opera 101 for Children of All Ages
By: - Dec 18th, 2009Last night the Metropollitan Opera presented "Hansel and Gretel," and a measure of the production's success is that every role is wonderfully sung, enhancing a gorgeous score. It completely absorbed and enchanted our reviewer's six year old companion.
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