Classical Music

Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic Orchestra plays Mozart and Bruckner

April 29, 2024
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Ultimately, on some level, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance of Bruckner Ninth functioned as a study in approaching the unknown (and unknowable) with humility.

Concert Review: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Performs Thorvaldsdottir, Brahms, and Mozart

April 23, 2024
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The music of Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir embraces the elemental, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra skillfully waded into its searching mystery.

Concert Review: Cambridge Symphony Orchestra Explores an Immigrant’s Journey

April 5, 2024
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The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra’s recent performance supplied drama, vigor, and reflection.

Classical Concert Preview: Portland Youth Philharmonic’s East Coast Centennial Tour

March 26, 2024
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The Portland Youth Philharmonic’s East Coast tour allows the ensemble, whose membership is mostly drawn from the city of Portland, and its nearby suburbs, to showcase their artistry in venues that will do them sonic justice, including Worcester’s Mechanics Hall.

Classical Album Reviews: The Sinfonia of London and Susanna Mälkki with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

March 24, 2024
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The Sinfonia of London and Susanna Mälkki with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra release recordings filled with color and beauty.

Opera Album Review: A Gold-Medal Recording of a Baroque Opera about the Ancient Greek Olympics

March 22, 2024
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The shamefully belated release of the first recording (1992!) of “L’olimpiade,” a major work by Hasse (a renowned contemporary of Handel and Vivaldi), featuring some of the best singers of the day, including male soprano Randall K. Wong.

Opera Album Review: Two Comic Operas Thrive in Frenchified Versions

March 18, 2024
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Much-loved short works by Pergolesi and Mozart storm the stage, thanks to spiffy French dialogue between the musical numbers.

Opera Album Review: Gluck’s Final Opera Finally Steps into the Spotlight via a Superb New Recording

March 13, 2024
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Rejected in Gluck’s time because it lacked dramatic thrust, today “Écho and Narcissus” proves to be a candy-box of delights.

Opera Reviews: BLO and Enigma Chamber Opera Serve Up a Feast of Music and Drama

March 9, 2024
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Some may continue to lament the (supposed) dearth of opera in Boston, but an honest look at these enterprising companies suggest that vivid stories are being told with invention and economy.

Opera Album Review: A Resplendent First Recording of a Forgotten Opera by the Composer of “Manon” and “Thaïs”

March 8, 2024
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With Egyptian-born Amina Edris in the title role, Massenet’s opera engages the musical and theatrical imagination with its rich characterizations of Greek mythic adventures.

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