Live Music
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 …
I heard a rumor about the San Diego Civic Theater receiving an overhaul at some point in the future. Having just seen an opera production and a symphony concert at the 56-year-old venue, I hope, …
A classical spring is coming to San Diego. The end of March and the entire month of April are bursting with classical music concerts. There’s also opera. Tosca by Giacomo Puccini opens at The Civic …
The latest victim of updating is Disney’s Peter Pan which is based on the play by Scottish author J. M. Barrie. The new version takes its title from the 1911 novel by the same author …
While scrolling through my Google feed, I saw an article entitled “15 Greatest Symphonies of all Time”. Of course, I clicked on it and was taken to Great Britain’s Classic FM website. Mozart’s Symphony No. …
What was once known as Il Trittico, by Giacomo Puccini, is now being billed as The Puccini Duo by San Diego Opera. That’s probably for the best because the three one-act operas make for a …
The San Diego Symphony has announced their 2023-2024 Jacobs Masterworks Series. This season promises to be a turning point in the organization's evolution under CEO Martha Gilmer. The most obvious element is the grand opening …