Classical Music

Classical Album Review: A Treasure Trove of Saxophone Music Lost, Forgotten, and of Our Time

October 1, 2021
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Major works for saxophone in world-premiere recordings featuring virtuoso Paul Cohen and his brilliant colleagues.

Concert Preview/Interview: Anne-Sophie Mutter Plays John Williams’s Violin Concerto no. 2

September 29, 2021
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A packed, wide-ranging conversation with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter that touches on several subjects, from a lifelong love of jazz to her verdict on John Williams’ Violin Concerto no. 2.

Classical Album Review: Cellist Maya Beiser plays Philip Glass

September 26, 2021
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Some tracks work better than others, but Maya Beiser’s larger effort succeeds in presenting Glass’s music in a more nuanced – and musically complex – light.

Classical Album Review: Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason’s “Summertime” — A Keeper

September 25, 2021
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A thoughtfully conceived, technically excellent, beautifully recorded, and expressively rich album that celebrates 20th-century piano music by (mostly) American composers.

Classical Album Review: The Nash Ensemble — Bruch’s Chamber Music

September 20, 2021
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One could hardly ask for more persuasive Bruch advocacy than what the Nash Ensemble offers here.

Classical Album Review: Escher String Quartet — Barber & Ives String Quartets

September 19, 2021
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Here is an outstanding recording from the Escher String Quartet of music by two stylistically divergent 20th-century American composers, Samuel Barber and Charles Ives.

Classical Album Review: An Opera by the “Croatian Verdi” — Sung Right

September 14, 2021
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The performance shows generally high competence and comfort, no surprise given that the work is a longtime staple in Croatia: indeed, it is the single most-performed opera in the entire repertory of the Croatian National Theater.

Classical CD Reviews: Listening During COVID, Part 6 — Fresh Music-Making from Three Splendid Singers and One Amazing Pianist-Who-Also-Sings

September 10, 2021
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Chopin masterpieces, Rossini duets, and songs, spirituals, and arias — all performed in ways that make the music dazzle.

Arts Reconsideration: The 1971 Project — Celebrating a Great Year in Music (September Entry)

September 9, 2021
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Arts Fuse writers continue their countdown of great music celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. This month’s list includes such big names as Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, The Who, The Beach Boys, and George Rochberg.

September Short Fuses – Materia Critica

September 7, 2021
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Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.

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