Classical Music
One of my early tactics for exploring music was to simply find recordings with orchestra and chorus. I was in choir all through high school and college, so I was into works that featured a …
With the Mainly Mozart Festival now over, the 2022-2023 season has come to an end. It is possible to view Mainly Mozart as the beginning of the summer festival season, which is fair, but to …
“...Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield …
The Mainly Mozart Festival is in full flight. This year’s proceedings started on Thursday, June 15, and have gone from strength, to strength, to strength, to sublime. The first concert saw LA Philharmonic principal bassoonist …
I was looking at the schedule for Mainly Mozart and saw the name Gossec. I had never heard of Gossec so I looked him up. François-Joseph Gossec was a French composer and conductor who lived …
On Saturday, May 27, The San Diego Symphony completed the 2022-2023 Jacobs Masterworks season at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. The event was a multi-sensory extravaganza that maximized the potential of both the venue …
Rigorous is a word that rarely raises its strict head in the fair city of San Diego. Relaxation is the dominant paradigm. Rigor must hide in the shadows cast by the eternal sunny disposition of …
When it comes to symphonies, very few composers have all of their symphonic utterances consistently performed. Of course, Beethoven sits atop the heap even if his First, Second, Fourth, and Eighth symphonies don’t get the …
The San Diego Symphony concert on Saturday, May 6, started off with a new piece of music entitled Onward by Brian Raphael Nabors. This composition took me by surprise. I am always skeptical of new …
When I'm in a cultural depression, I often turn to The Edwardians. The Edwardian Era is home to England’s most accomplished composers, save Georg Frederik Handel. The era lasted from 1901 to the death of …
Some unavoidable conflicts thwarted my plans to go to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 on Saturday, April 22. By all accounts, it was a lovely performance. Yet, at the end of the day, it is …
With the NBA Playoffs in full flight, I will take this opportunity to explore some classical music via the logos of some of the teams in contention this year. Some teams, such as the New …
Having been inspired by San Diego Opera’s recent production of Tosca, I’ve spent the last week listening to war horse recordings of war horse operas. I’ve selected a few highlights here. Based on what I’ve …
Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca was the best thing San Diego Opera has produced in years. This production had it all, especially where it counted the most. Competent, seasoned, opera singers who knew their business performed the …
The San Diego Mainly Mozart Festival used to be held at The Balboa Theatre and it used to be a great classical music event. Then it was held outdoors at the Del Mar Surf Cup …
Like many classical music fans, I was introduced to Alma Deutscher several years ago via a 60 Minutes report. I was struck by her musicianship and her devotion to creating melodies. I have lamented long …