Piano - my/maSCENA

Bay/ASO and Jonathan Biss: Under the Influence

By Paul E. Robinson on 12 February 2014 Concert Reviews, Orchestral, Piano, Romantic, Violin

by Paul E. RobinsonVaughan Williams: The Lark AscendingSchumann: Piano Concerto in a minor Op. 54Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 73Jessica Mathaes, violinJonathan Biss, pianoAustin Symphony Orchestra/Peter BayLong Center for the Performing ArtsAustin, TXFebruary 8, 2014I have been spending a lot of time lately with Jonathan Biss – not the man himself, but his website. Mr. Biss is a 33-year-old American pianist of great distinction who also writes well about music. Biss has been particularly eloquent on the subjects of Beethoven and Schumann. He is recording all the Beethoven sonatas and has written a book (Beethoven’s Shadow) about…

Sternberg Collection Volume 2

By Paul E. Robinson on 5 January 2014 CD and Book Reviews, Classical, Orchestral, Piano

Schubert/Hoiby: Introduction, Theme and Variations Op. 82 No. 2/Rieti: Capers/Menotti: SebastianVienna State Opera Orchestra/Jonathan Sternberg Pierian 0050 (78 m 35 s)Jonathan Sternberg was music director of the Harkness Ballet in 1966-68. He led performances with the company on tour across the U.S. and in Europe and South America. These recordings were probably made during a tour of Europe in 1967, but they were never released.Leo Hoiby (1926-2011) was an American pianist-composer who often worked with the Harkness Ballet. He orchestrated an obscure piano four-hands piece by Schubert into a sort of concerto movement for piano and orchestra. It is a…

“Shelter” Songs for Soprano and Cello. Music by Previn, Tavener, Honstein, Heggie and Rachmaninov

By Paul E. Robinson on 23 December 2013 CD and Book Reviews, Chamber Music, Piano, Strings

Mela Dailey, soprano; Scott Kluksdahl, cello; Rick Rowley, pianoPierian 0047 (64 m 44 s)****Recital albums featuring young sopranos are not uncommon. But what makes this new release exceptional is the unusual choice of repertoire and the high quality of the performances.Who would have thought of putting together an album of contemporary music for soprano and cello? And who would have thought that the music for this combination could be of such high quality?Andre Previn’s Four Songs for Soprano, Cello and Piano of 1994 are settings of poems by Toni Morrison. These are beautiful songs, recalling Britten in their transparency, and…

Dallas Symphony Pays Tribute to JFK with New Work by Conrad Tao

By Paul E. Robinson on 7 December 2013 Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Orchestral, Piano

By Paul E. RobinsonTao: The world is very different now (world premiere)Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 47Milhaud: Murder of a Great Chief of State Op. 405Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major Op. 55, “Eroica”Joshua Bell, violinDallas Symphony Orchestra/Jaap van ZwedenMeyerson Symphony CenterDallas, TexasNovember 23, 2013Across America and around the world, individuals and organizations paused on November 22 to reflect on the 50thanniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK). In Dallas, Texas, the occasion had special significance because it was in that city that the murder took place. In remembrance of President Kennedy, The Dallas…

Video of the Day – The Dallas Symphony and JFK

By Paul E. Robinson on 17 November 2013 Contemporary, Orchestral, Piano, Video of the day

It was 50 years ago, November 22, 1963, that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Dallas remembers that terrible day with commemorative events throughout November this year. Jaap van Zweden and the Dallas Symphony are presenting special concerts for the occasion. In this video conductor Jaap van Zweden talks about what the tribute means to him and to Dallas. He also discusses a new work written for these concerts by Conrad Tao.Paul E. Robinson

Video of the Day – Lisiecki Plays Chopin at Verbier Festival 2013

By Paul E. Robinson on 29 August 2013 Piano, Romantic, Video of the day

The summer music festivals are drawing to a close for another year. Among the highlights was this performance by Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki from the 2013 Verbier Festival in Switzerland. Lisiecki plays Chopin’s Nocturne in C sharp minor.Paul E. Robinson

Cette semaine à Montréal : le 8 au 14 juillet

By La Scena Musicale Team on 8 July 2013 Orchestral, Piano, Romantic, This Week in Montreal

Le festival de musique de Lachine : Verdi, Wagner et PoulencAxé sur les anniversaires des compositeurs, le festival donne une place de choix au chant. Au concert d’ouverture du 29 juin, Étienne Dupuis et le chef Jordan de Souza interpréteront Verdi et Wagner, tandis que le 6 juillet, c’est Poulenc qui sera à l’honneur avec la soprano Pascale Beaudin, accompagnée par Olivier Godin et François Zeitouni. Le Concert découvertesprésentera deux jeunes lauréats de concours : Gordon Bintner, baryton-basse, et Florie Valiquette, soprano (4 juillet). Le directeur artistique, Richard Turp, est particulièrement fier d’avoir pu intégrer au programme la hautboïste canadienne Louise…

Video of the Day – The Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

By Paul E. Robinson on 27 May 2013 Piano, Video of the day

It was just a few months ago that pianist Van Cliburn passed away, but his piano competition continues without him. This year’s edition began in Ft. Worth this past Friday and will continue until June 9.Earlier this year a 5-member jury travelled the world listening to no fewer than 133 possible competitors and narrowed the field down to 30. In the First Round currently under way in Ft. Worth each of the 30 pianists will present two 45-minute recitals, and then the field will be reduced to 12 semi-finalists for the next round. Each of the pianists will play a 60-minute recital, including…

Video of the Day – The Aldeburgh Connection Presents Its Final Concert

By Paul E. Robinson on 13 May 2013 Chamber Music, Contemporary, Piano, Video of the day

After more than 30 years of distinguished music-making, the Aldeburgh Connection has decided to pack it in. This month it will give its final concert. The organization was created by pianists and life partners Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata, and presented most of its concerts at Walter Hall at the University of Toronto. The “Aldeburgh Connection” relates to the close relationship the organization always had with the Aldeburgh Festival and its founders Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears. Ralls worked at the festival as a rehearsal pianist for Britten’s opera Death in Venice, and both Ralls and Ubukata were frequent visitors…

Cette semaine à Montréal : le 13 au 19 mai

By La Scena Musicale Team on 13 May 2013 Opera, Orchestral, Piano, Romantic, Scena Jazz, This Week in Montreal

Festival de Musique de Chambre de Montréal (FMCM) La saison des festivals de musique d’été s’ouvre avec le FMCM, dont la 18e édition se déroule jusqu’au 1er juin à l’église anglicane Saint-Georges. Fidèle à la tradition, le directeur artistique Denis Brott ne nous ménage pas les surprises. On pourra entendre entre autres les quatuors Emerson et Fine Arts, les Swingle Singers, le pianiste Jean-Philippe Collard et Oliver Jones. Le marathon de quatre heures est consacré cette année à Tchaïkovski. www.festivalmontreal.org- Renée BanvilleConcert prestige Le CMIM annonce un prestigieux concert réunissant le violoniste Maxim Vengerov, le violoncelliste Stéphane Tétreault et le…

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