Classical Music
Christmas is about so many, many things. There’s Santa Claus, Sol Invictus, the winter solstice, Frosty the Snowman, Buddy the Elf, Kevin—the Home Alone kid, Ralphie—the A Christmas Story kid, Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, and …
The San Diego Opera is on a roll that started with last season’s production of *Tosca*. October saw continuing an exquisite concert featuring Latonia Moore and J’Nai Bridges, and now SDO has triumphed with El …
In the course of a recent conversation, I realized I had something of a blindspot in my operatic acumen when it came to baritones and basses of the golden era. The golden era of opera …
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, the first Sunday of Advent, also known as the Christmas Season, is upon us. This is, by far, my favorite time of year even though the sun is directly …
The Ring Without Words as performed by The San Diego Symphony on Saturday, November 11, was all I hoped it would be.The pacing and structure of Lorin Maazel’s adaptation of Wagner’s Ring Cycle are masterful, creating a seamless …
I have been preparing all week for the upcoming San Diego Symphony concerts on Friday and Saturday, November 10 and 11. The concerts are at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and begin at 7:30 …
The San Diego Symphony’s Jacobs Masterworks series officially starts on Saturday, November 4, at 7:30 pm. The venue is The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. This will be the 14th season I’ve covered for the …
Opera is the single greatest art form that you can possibly experience in this world that we live in. Nothing hits harder when it is done well. When done at an elite level, the portals …
I often ask musicians about their best, worst, and weirdest experiences while performing in and around San Diego. In the case of classically-trained soprano and mezzo-soprano <a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/victoria-robertson/">Victoria Robertson</a>, these three categories melded in one …
Last week we had Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with Alisa Weilerstein and the San Diego Symphony. I was looking forward to more Dvorak this season. His Symphony No. 9 was originally on the schedule but …
The San Diego Symphony previewed their Friday, October 13, Carnegie Hall concert on Saturday, October 4, at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Music director Rafael Payare and the orchestra had previously performed the same …
NPR recently reported that an affiliate radio station considered not airing seven different broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera this season. The NPR report made sure to recognize the ethnic backgrounds of some of the composers …
Every now and then I meet someone who says something like, “I want to listen to more classical music but I don’t know where to start.” It’s a common issue. Classical music can be intimidating …
At long last September, my least favorite month of the year, is coming to an end. Although I must admit this September has been more generous than previous years. The weather has stopped short of …
With a new opera season starting, at least via streaming or tourism, it might be a good time to ask what opera is. Opera is like the movies. There’s the broad term of movies but …
The NFL season started with the Detroit Lions defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20 on Thursday, September 7, 2023. While I don’t feel inclined to divulge my team loyalties, I will say that I am …