Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Sibelius, Puccini, and Beethoven in San Diego

Rowdy February Preview

Tarmo Peltokoski - Image by Peter Rigaud
Tarmo Peltokoski

With the holidays all wrapped up, we look toward what could be considered the meat of the classical music season. January is generally quiet but things get rowdy in February.

On February 2 and 3, a 22-year-old conducting phenom from Finland makes his U.S. conducting debut with the San Diego Symphony. Tarmo Peltokoski has made several sensational debuts in Europe over the last few years and now he’s coming to San Diego to conduct Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2.

Video:

Sibelius Symphony No. 1

Of course, Sibelius was of Finland as well. His second symphony is well known for having one of the most gorgeous tunes to fall out of the pen of any composer anywhere. Also on the program is Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with San Diego Symphony Concertmaster Jeff Thayer featured as the soloist. This concert takes place at two different venues. Thursday, February 3, is at The California Center for the Arts Escondido and Friday, February 4, takes place at Southwestern College.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Two of the three one-act operas which comprise Giacomo Puccini’s Il Trittico open on Saturday, February 11, at San Diego Opera. The company is billing this as “The Puccini Duo”. The two operas are Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi.

Video:

Puccini: "Senza mamma"

Suor Angelica is an undervalued operatic experience. The all-female cast spins the story of Angelica who has been sent to the convent to atone for having a child out of wedlock. Angelica’s final aria, “Senza Mamma”, is one of Puccini’s finest efforts and the closing scene is opera at its best.

Gianni Schicchi is a happier opera than Suor Angelica and is genuinely funny. It too has a famous aria, “O mio babbino caro”. Whereas “Senza Mamma” suffers from underexposure, this aria suffers from overexposure. The more interesting aria in Gianni Schicchi is the tenor aria “Firenze È Come Un Albero Fiorito”.

Video:

Bonisolli sings Puccini

More interesting than the tenor aria is vocal-force-of-nature Stephanie Blythe singing the baritone role of Schicchi. This isn’t a case where she sings the role an octave up and transforms Schicchi into a female role. No. From what I’ve been led to believe, Blythe is singing the role at pitch. Incredible.

February ends with an all-Beethoven concert at The San Diego Symphony. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 4 will be performed on February 24 and 25, at The Civic Theatre. I would prefer Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 3. Maybe next time.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Next Article

Ramona musicians seek solution for outdoor playing at wineries

Ambient artists aren’t trying to put AC/DC in anyone’s backyard
Tarmo Peltokoski - Image by Peter Rigaud
Tarmo Peltokoski

With the holidays all wrapped up, we look toward what could be considered the meat of the classical music season. January is generally quiet but things get rowdy in February.

On February 2 and 3, a 22-year-old conducting phenom from Finland makes his U.S. conducting debut with the San Diego Symphony. Tarmo Peltokoski has made several sensational debuts in Europe over the last few years and now he’s coming to San Diego to conduct Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2.

Video:

Sibelius Symphony No. 1

Of course, Sibelius was of Finland as well. His second symphony is well known for having one of the most gorgeous tunes to fall out of the pen of any composer anywhere. Also on the program is Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with San Diego Symphony Concertmaster Jeff Thayer featured as the soloist. This concert takes place at two different venues. Thursday, February 3, is at The California Center for the Arts Escondido and Friday, February 4, takes place at Southwestern College.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Two of the three one-act operas which comprise Giacomo Puccini’s Il Trittico open on Saturday, February 11, at San Diego Opera. The company is billing this as “The Puccini Duo”. The two operas are Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi.

Video:

Puccini: "Senza mamma"

Suor Angelica is an undervalued operatic experience. The all-female cast spins the story of Angelica who has been sent to the convent to atone for having a child out of wedlock. Angelica’s final aria, “Senza Mamma”, is one of Puccini’s finest efforts and the closing scene is opera at its best.

Gianni Schicchi is a happier opera than Suor Angelica and is genuinely funny. It too has a famous aria, “O mio babbino caro”. Whereas “Senza Mamma” suffers from underexposure, this aria suffers from overexposure. The more interesting aria in Gianni Schicchi is the tenor aria “Firenze È Come Un Albero Fiorito”.

Video:

Bonisolli sings Puccini

More interesting than the tenor aria is vocal-force-of-nature Stephanie Blythe singing the baritone role of Schicchi. This isn’t a case where she sings the role an octave up and transforms Schicchi into a female role. No. From what I’ve been led to believe, Blythe is singing the role at pitch. Incredible.

February ends with an all-Beethoven concert at The San Diego Symphony. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 4 will be performed on February 24 and 25, at The Civic Theatre. I would prefer Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 3. Maybe next time.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Second largest yellowfin tuna caught by rod and reel

Excel does it again
Next Article

Undocumented workers break for Trump in 2024

Illegals Vote for Felon
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader