Concert and opera reviews from Southern California.
The best thing about this concert was that one never had the sense that these were just excerpts; instead, one was carried satisfyingly onwards to the gods’ twilight and the destruction of Valhalla.
Read MoreSoprano Sondra Radvanovsky looks imperious as the eponymous prima donna Floria Tosca, sings powerfully with Scarpia, and sweetly with Cavaradossi, floating some poignant pianissimo high notes and spinning long, creamy lines of great beauty.
Read MoreThe Cantorey’s 31-member choir and 30-player Baroque orchestra were the perfect size to convey the work’s grandeur without sacrificing the agility and clarity in the 4- and 5-part choruses
Read MoreThe concert started off with the nationalistic Finnish tone poem Finlandia, a perennial favorite among Hi-Fi enthusiasts, here sounding spectacular in its dynamism and bold colors.
Read MorePianist Stephen Kovacevich got through Mozart's C-minor turbulence with perfect poise and poetic refinement, conveying the shades of autumn without too much melancholy. He was accompanied by Mirga’s equally sensitive conducting on the podium...
Read MoreLed by their new Italian conductor Fabio Luisi. The combination of cool Scandinavian efficiency and warm Mediterranean sunshine proved to be a winning formula.
Read MoreThe entire concert was most impressive and inspiring because of Mr. Domingo, who just turned 76 and still sang and conducted almost non-stop with boundless energy.
Read MoreLoosely based on the 1991 critical edition by Michael Kaye, but replaced most of the dialogues with Guiraud’s long recitatives that made it a long evening
Read MoreProkofiev’s Second Violin Concerto heard Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji’s serenely beautiful and confident playing. Shoji’s playing was notable for its confident manner and wide expressive nuance
Read MoreFrom the famous opening ‘fate’ motif, the listener was treated to a thrilling roller-coaster ride of light and darkness, purposeful and suspenseful, lyrical and dramatic.
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