Pianist Hélène Grimaud lends a sensitive hand to Brahms Second Concerto
/Ms. Grimaud showed us in the first two movements that passion and poetry could be sharply contrasting two sides of the same coin
Read MoreConcert and opera reviews from Southern California.
Ms. Grimaud showed us in the first two movements that passion and poetry could be sharply contrasting two sides of the same coin
Read MoreL.A. Opera’s Music Director since 2006, James Conlon not only gave a highly stimulating pre-opera talk, but also directed a stylish and lively Abduction, balancing Mozart’s comical Turkish elements with the soft tender moments between the lovers.
Read Morewhen the music began, this unlikely couple showed their chemistry and uncanny ability to finish each other’s musical thoughts and phrases as if they were long-lost twins.
Read MoreThe latest to visit L.A. was German/Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili, who played the Tchaikovsky d-minor Violin Concerto in a glossy, lyrical fashion that matched the shine of her flowing silver gown.
Read MoreThe immediate impression one got upon first hearing was the Trio’s big, brash Romantic sounds
Read Morefive or six encores interspersed with Mr. Perlman’s inexhaustible supply of jokes pertaining to himself or the music at hand.
Read MoreThroughout the performance, one was shocked and awed by the power and precision in which the Master Chorale conveyed Beethoven’s vivid word painting
Read MoreThe international theme continued with Rita Moreno reprising her Anita in the rousing “America” dance number from the 1961 film “West Side Story” – with contributions from Storm Large, China Forbes and the fabulous Aztlán de Pueblo High School mariachi band.
Read MoreMaestro Shao-Chia Lu conducted with elegant precision, bringing out surprising Brahmsian warmth from the Taiwanese strings.
Read MoreTying up all these together was conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who never let up the excitement after the initial ‘Big Bang’ of Creation (“Let there be light!”) and made this two-hour religious oratorio almost as enjoyable as a Mozart comic opera.
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