Classical Music

Opera Review: White Snake Projects’s “Is This America?” — A Moral Parable for Our Times

September 29, 2024
Posted in , , ,

By Aaron Keebaugh The opera’s libretto moves back and forth fluently between Fannie Lou Hamer’s childhood years to her later struggles serving the cause of racial justice. On June 1, 1865, in front of a large crowd gathered at New York’s Cooper Union, Frederick Douglass gave a eulogy for Abraham Lincoln. The president had been…

Read More

Classical Album Reviews: “American Road Trip” and “Beyond the Years”

September 24, 2024
Posted in , , ,

Violinist Augustin Hadelich and pianist Orion Weiss prove that there is plenty of music written on these shores to explore, especially when you are not limited by region or style. Soprano Karen Slack and pianist Michelle Cann demonstrate the strength of Florence Price’s songs and arrangements.

Read More

Concert Review and Commentary: Music Worcester’s The Complete Bach & In Memoriam, Richard Dyer

September 23, 2024
Posted in , , ,

Music Worcester’s ambitious project, which will involve multiple Boston-area music groups, is slated to run the next eleven seasons. The goal will be to present every note the great man wrote. And a homage to the late Richard Dyer, the chief classical music critic of “The Boston Globe” for three decades.

Read More

Classical Album Review: American Organ Concertos, Performed With Plenty of Swagger

September 18, 2024
Posted in , , ,

Paul Jacobs, the day’s reigning organ virtuoso, has assayed a fascinating assortment of Americana that showcases the King of Instruments against an orchestra.

Read More

Opera Album Review: Baroque Music Enlivens the Boston Music Scene and Two New French Recordings

September 17, 2024
Posted in , , ,

The Boston Early Music Festival announces its 2024-25 season, and our critic welcomes world-premiere recordings of operas by Mondonville and Destouches, splendidly sung and glitteringly played.

Read More

Classical Album Review: “Grace” — The Music of Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas

September 17, 2024
Posted in , , ,

This album fills out Michael Tilson Thomas’s compositional catalogue, deepening our appreciation of it. More fundamentally, it adds meaningfully to the story of American concert music.

Read More

Classical Album Reviews: Anna Clyne’s Sumptuous “Shorthand” and Isata Kanneh-Mason’s Intense “Mendelssohn”

September 16, 2024
Posted in , , ,

Composer Anna Clyne’s collection of works for mostly solo instruments offers enormous musical satisfaction; pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason knows how to craft an enticing program and advocate for it.

Read More

Opera Album Review: The Music of Georg Philipp Telemann — Finally Getting Its Proper Recognition

September 8, 2024
Posted in , , , ,

You want Baroque energy and Early Classic poise? Here’s a first-rate recording of a one-act, one-singer opera by Telemann along with some of his imaginative orchestral works.

Read More

Opera Album Review: First-Ever Recording of “Shamus O’Brien” — A Long-Forgotten Delight by One of Britain’s Savviest Composers

September 2, 2024
Posted in , , ,

A success in 1890s London and New York, the engaging Irish comic opera “Shamus O’Brien” finally gets Its world-premiere recording

Read More

Classical Album Review: Pacifica Quartet’s Bracing Collection of “American Voices”

August 31, 2024
Posted in , , ,

When it comes to defining American music, Pacifica Quartet’s new recording offers some welcome food for thought.

Read More

Recent Posts

Popular Posts

Categories

Archives