Music
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Leon Botstein Mounts Saint Saens' Henry VIII
Ellie Dehn as Catherine Wins at Bard
By: - Aug 21st, 2012This delicious opera not often produced starts slowly and leaves us hanging. Leon Botstein, the great educator in the US today, has taken up its cause. We are fortunate to have him teaching us opera.
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Marsalis and McBride Ignite Ozawa Hall
Historic Return of Jazz Masters to Tanglewood
By: - Aug 21st, 2012Both nine time Grammy winner, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis leading his Quintet, and renowned bass player Christian McBride with a trio, commented warmly on the honor of returning to Tanglewood. But, for both, not in many years. The evening that ended at 11 PM closed in a jam session with all of the musicians trading riffs.
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No Andris Nelsons for the BSO?
Globe Reports Contract Extension
By: - Aug 19th, 2012Andris Nelson, who some think is on the short list for the music director position as the Boston Symphony, has extended his contract with the Birmingham Symphony.
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Ebene Quartet at Ozawa Hall
Tanglewood Rethinks Jazz Programming
By: - Aug 17th, 2012Last night in Ozawa Hall the French Ebene Quartet offered a divided program that included two works by Mozart and Tchakovsky followed by a jazz set. It is a part of he overhaul of jazz programming at Tanglewood. On Monday, August 20 Wynton Marsalis and Christian McBride are featured. With Chick Corea and Gary Burton slated for Sunday, August 26.
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International Contemporary Ensemble at Lincoln Center
Messiaen's Blackbirds Dance at Mostly Mozart
By: - Aug 12th, 2012Awash in beautiful sounds, often mirroring nature, the music performed by the young International Contemporary Ensemble sang at Alice Tully Hall. Jonathan Harvey's Birdsong premiered.
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Art Garfunkel Launches Tour and CD at the Clark
Poignant Performance Combined Old and New Songs
By: - Aug 12th, 2012Last night at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown the legendary singer/ songwriter, Art Garfunkel launched an 18 city tour that will end on December 1. It supports the issue of a double CD which is a retrospective of his career but includes new material. While he spoke to the audience of "giving my heart to you" he struggled to push a voice that he virtually lost just two years ago. An appreciative audience supported his courage and poetic humanity.
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Chris Botti Scorches a Soaked Tanglewood
Richly Varied Two Hour Set in Ozawa Hall
By: - Aug 07th, 2012Just before Chris Botti came on stage for a two hour performace at Ozawa Hall there was a brief but ferocious downpour that had hundreds of fans on the lawn scurrying of shelter. The downpour soaked some fans but failed to dampen spirits of a stunning, eclectic and thoroughly entertaining evening with one of our greatest living artists.
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Bard Summerscape Mounts Chabrier's King
Leon Botstein Conducts the American Symphony Orchestra
By: - Jul 29th, 2012Leon Botstein gives us unusual and rare operas in wonderful productions year after year. Although The King In Spite of Himself by Emmanuel Chabrier has languished over the years, it was greeted with wild enthusiasm when it was first produced in Paris. One critic wrote, "...it is exquisite. Impossible to pick out the best numbers for each one is better than the one before."
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Don Pasquale a Hit for Boston Midsummer Opera
Austere Production Quenches Boston's Classical Music Drought
By: - Jul 29th, 2012Donizetti was a master of opera buffa - comic opera - and "Don Pasquale" is one of his enduring hits. By focusing on singers and their interactions, Boston Midsummer Opera gets it right.
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Sweet Soubrette in Concert at Dream Away Lodge
No Cover Event August 18
By: - Jul 27th, 2012Sweet Soubrette, a melodic, ukulele-powered indie rock band based in NYC, will perform an acoustic concert at Dream Away Lodge in Becket on August 18. WBRS (Brandeis University radio) says: “Sweet Soubrette’s music is modern and sonically diverse…talented instrumentalists and tightly sung melodies make for a really exciting listen.â€
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Bellini's I Capuleti e I Montechhi at Caramoor
Will Crutchfield Does it Again
By: - Jul 23rd, 2012Summer after summer the Caramoor International Music Festival brings us delicious bel canto operas, marvelously produced. It was an enchanting musical evening, with some extraordinarily beautiful moments, lines and clouds of bel canto tone.
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Green River Festival XXVI Satisfies
Arlo and the Guthrie Family Headline
By: - Jul 18th, 2012It was certainly a coup to have Arlo and the Guthrie Family headlining the opening day of the festival on the actual 100th anniversary of Woody’s birth.
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A Conversation With Herb Gart - Part VIII
The Ones Who Got Away!
By: - Jul 13th, 2012Nearing the end of our conversation, Herb notes a few of the ones who got away. When Phil Ochs was mentioned, the focus shifted and we took time to share some memories of our colleague.
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Art Garfunkel Performs at the Clark August 11
Previews The Singer a 34 Song CD
By: - Jul 09th, 2012The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute welcomes legendary singer-songwriter Art Garfunkel in a rare concert appearance on Saturday, August 11, at 8 pm.
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Arlo & Family Headline the Green River Festival
On Woody’s Centennial Birthday: July 14 & 15
By: - Jul 09th, 2012Fortunate are we that on that day, July 14th, this coming weekend, they will headline the Green River Festival in Greenfield, MA.
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Bernadette Peters Pops Tanglewood
Broadway in the Berkshires
By: - Jul 09th, 2012In one of the best ever Pops programs Keith Lockhart paid tribute to New York composers. Including the Washington D. C. born jazz great Duke Ellington's A Tone Parallel to Harlem. For the second half of the concert he was joined by Broadway legend Bernadette Peters. She performed a number of songs by Stephen Sondheim including two from Follies which she performed this season on Broadway. Awesome.
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Ewa Podles Mesmerizes at Caramoor
The World's Great Contralto is Perfect in Rossini's Ciro in Babilonia
By: - Jul 08th, 2012The event of the summer is Ewa Podles arrival at Caramoor to sing Rossini under the able baton of Will Crutchfield and the Orchestra of St. Luke's.
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Greater Worcester Opera's Carmen at Eagle Hill
A Rousing Close to Season III
By: - Jul 08th, 2012When the opportunity to experience a performance of Bizet’s Carmen, as performed by the Greater Worcester Opera, just a few miles from my home in the boonies, I eagerly joined a few hundred of my neighbors.
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Tempus Fugit for Tanglewood 75th
Christoph von Dohnányi Conducts Sweltering Opening Night
By: - Jul 07th, 2012It was steamy in the Shed last night for the sweltering launch of the gala, 2012, 75th season of Tanglewood. With Christoph von Dohnányi, a Conducting Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 1952, the orchestra replicated the very first BSO concert that took place on August 5, 1937. A capacity audience enjoyed the all-Beethoven program, opening with the Leonore Overture No. 3, followed by Symphony No. 6, Pastoral, and Symphony No. 5.
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The Taylors James and Swift at Tanglewood
Annual Franchise Concert Thrills Fans
By: - Jul 03rd, 2012Last night James Taylor performed the first of three annual sold out shows at Tanglewood. With a twenty minute intermission the program started just after seven and ended just before ten. During all that time guest artist Taylor Swift graced us with two duets and a solo of her teen anthem, a thrill to thousands of girls in the audience “Love Story.†More tonight.
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The Wall Is Spectacular At Fenway Park
Roger Waters' Rock Opus is Visually and Musically Stunning
By: - Jul 02nd, 2012Thirty-five years after writing the autobiographical rock opera, Roger Waters is touring the World with a complex projection and animation musical presentation at large venues. Last night, July 1, the epic event was presented at 100 year old Fenway Park. If the 50,000+ crowd can be correctly judged, the high ticket costs were well worth the value. This was a event that was visually stunning and musically memorable.
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Hundred Dollar Valentine by Chris Smither
An Exceptional New CD
By: - Jul 01st, 2012Singer/Songwriter Chris Smither and producer David Goodrich have combined their talents to generate an exceptional CD Chris sings with a voice distinctively his own yet emotionally reminiscent of so many iconic voices that come to my mind.
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Wolftrap Snares Don Giovanni
Tomer Zvulun Stages a High Tech Opera
By: - Jun 30th, 2012The perfect opera is still perfect, but also very currrent. Facebook, phone fotos, and Victoria's Secret all play roles in this terrific, intense production.
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The Hunchback Variations at 59East59 Theaters
Chicago's Theater Oobleck Creates a Masterpiece
By: - Jun 25th, 2012This delightful chamber opera, both funny and moving in its absurdity, is playing in New York after a triumphant world premier in Chicago.
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A Conversation With Herb Gart - Part VII
On Auditioning Record Labels
By: - Jun 24th, 2012I explain to my clients that they are not auditioning for a record company; the record company is auditioning for us. We know you’re great and we are looking for the A&R man who gets it.
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