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The L.A. Opera's "Ring of the Nibelung" begins its 18-hour story of the birth and death of the world.
2/23/2009 - original publish date
Music old, music new, music in between
2/17/2009 - original publish date
A splendid "Marriage of Figaro" at UCLA; a little-known French chamber work outruns all expectations
2/10/2009 - original publish date
The great directorial art of Walter Felsensteini s magically preserved in a box of DVDs.
2/3/2009 - original publish date
When did you last hear the B-minor Rondo Brillante of Schubert?
2/1/2009 - original publish date
Reminiscences of "Maytme" waft through Disney Hall
1/27/2009 - original publish date
Our music man enciunters Nirvana at his four- or five-dozenth "Magic Flute"
1/21/2009 - original publish date
The new year begins with a non-stop series of new-music events
1/13/2009 - original publish date
Betty Freeman, Los Angeles' most famous music patron, dies quietly and alone.
1/4/2009 - original publish date
Did Mozartt guide the pen of Preston Sturges?
1/3/2009 - original publish date
Achim Freyer shaoes a preliminary conception of what will eventually take shape as part of the long-awaited "Ring," involving a gathering of the Gibichung family. Michael Tilson Thomas honors his own family , especially his grandparents who founded the great Yiddish theater movement in New York.
12/21/2008 - original publish date
REVISED VERSION OF THIS WEEK'S: FIVE DAYS OF NEW MUSIC, THEN -- UGH -- BRAHMS
12/15/2008 - original publish date
Lots of interesting contemporary music...and then came Brahms.
12/14/2008 - original publish date
Hope for the Future: Gustavo transplants his marvelous musical educational techniques onto local soil.
12/8/2008 - original publish date
A remarkable list of new-music events on the way; Dudamel's week with two orchestras; "Carmen" at the L.A. Opera.
12/1/2008 - original publish date
Dawn Upshaw and the Kakfa Fragments; new music from the Netheerlads; a new String Quartet from Esa-Pekka
11/22/2008 - original publish date
Dawn Upshaw and the Kakfa Fragments; new music from the Netheerlads; a new String Quartet from Esa-Pekka
11/22/2008 - original publish date
Pianos: Australian music at Zipper Hall, Mozart at Disney. Also, a great new work by Thomas Adès at the Philharmonic.
11/15/2008 - original publish date
The Terrible Implicatons of Gérard Mortier's Resignation from the New Yor City Opera
11/8/2008 - original publish date
Naxos produces a five-DVD set: five composers at work; Judith Tick's package-size documentary of American music-makng is a greatly valuable volume; report on two concerts on an ecstatic Sunday.
11/3/2008 - original publish date
Dear old Leon Levich turns up as a "historic sight" at the latest "historic site" concer' also: "Musica Angelica" remains angelic.
10/28/2008 - original publish date
A drag show that doesn't quite make it, a couple of pianists who definitely do, and Jacaranda, over the top as usual.
10/19/2008 - original publish date
Further note on the end of the world; Jake Heggie at Broad; Tchaikovsky at Disney Hall
10/12/2008 - original publish date
Season's beginnings: Rumi at the Bowl, "Butterfly" at the Music Center, Gloria, Jeff.
10/5/2008 - original publish date
A cleveland critic is made to turn in his badge
9/26/2008 - original publish date
A concert at Zipper previews the upcoming new-music festival at Carlsbad-by-the-Sea; Brahms by David Horward and Philharmonic confreres.
9/24/2008 - original publish date
The San Francisco Opera's new opera is out of the old boneyard
9/15/2008 - original publish date
"The Fly" at the L.A. Opera is one big turkey.
9/9/2008 - original publish date
The latest news of retrenchment by Radio Station KCSN
9/3/2008 - original publish date
A critic here gives us
His vision of hell,
To prove Burma-Shave is
Both Living and well.
8/25/2008 - original publish date
The L.A. Opera's "Opera Camp" revives the concentration-camp opera and the Philharmonic revives the Khatchaturian Piano Concerto
8/23/2008 - original publish date
The Philip Glass Violin Concerto
8/14/2008 - original publish date
CONDUCTORS A TO Z:Marin Alsop at the Cabrillo Festival; Christian Zacharias at the Hollywood Bowl.
8/6/2008 - original publish date
A couple of reflections on the musical world, from today's mail
8/4/2008 - original publish date
James Thurber can never be forgotten; Hollywood Bowl makes a new friend; the language makes a new foe.
7/30/2008 - original publish date
Martha Argerich talks about her unique repertory of musical attitudes, including a kind of Beethoven phobia; Tony Palmer revisits Henryk Gorecki and his "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"
7/21/2008 - original publish date
New Discs by Gloria Cheng and Matt McBane honor the talents of local musicians.
7/12/2008 - original publish date
Reminiscences of Clay Felker; Trying to Forget a Terrible Puccini Movie; The Special Flavor of the Figs in My Backyard
7/3/2008 - original publish date
In a lighter mood, a memoir of the early days, when the site of our Hollywood Bowl was known as "Daisy Dell," and our music critic found solace in that knowledge. An L.A. Weekly clipping from 1999 or thereabouts.
6/27/2008 - original publish date
Rumors circulate around a possible sad terminaton for the once-splendid KCSN: a classic-lite feed from the midwest? a way-station for local jazz? a commercial football for a misinformed educaional institute? Meanwhile, our Philharmonic also suffers a loss.
6/25/2008 - original publish date
Friday with Paul Jacobs at the Orange County Organ
6/21/2008 - original publish date
A review of the opera company's final offering of the season, and some recordings, on downloads aon on disc. A low bow to the creator of that seird cartoon...you know the one!
6/13/2008 - original publish date
Steve Reich's music dominated the programs at the Ojai Festival this year; the hoopla would have you assume that he's America's greatest composer. Maybe so, maybe no, says our critic; there was some other interesting stuff at Ojai, along with some that might have just as well have been left out. The new sensation was the young pianist Eric Huebner, who played music by Elliot Carter and Gyorgy Ligeti
6/8/2008 - original publish date
Ojai again. Last night there were whoops and cheers of joy and celebrations. Steve Reich is the main attraction.
6/6/2008 - original publish date
Further news from the KCSN battlefront: the Dean sounds a note of discouragement. They don't want your money, he says; still, you have to pay to get near the place. Gives you the feeling, perhaps, that their right hand doesn't know what their left hand is doing.
Back in 1999, however, all was well in Costa Mesa, as John Eliot Gardiner (not yet "Sir") brought his young orchestra to town to perform all nine Beethoven symphonies in a five-day orgy.
6/4/2008 - original publish date
Intro
6/3/2008 - original publish date
A satisfying musical week in Los Angeles...
6/1/2008 - original publish date
Steve Reich talks about his "Tehillim," his sources from ancient Hebrew chants and his relation to Hebrew traditions.
1/16/1983 - original publish date