Music
This year’s Revels is more than a parade of Christmas songs and stories that tap deep into America’s European and African past.
I had never heard of Marcus Paus before, but his work I Hate Men, set to witty verses by Dorothy Parker, proved to be one of the most entertaining and engaging pieces I have heard in recent years.
The current incarnation of the Swingle Singers, just called Swingles, exemplifies why the group has survived 57 years.
This year has brought a bumper crop of wonderful recordings of unusual operas — and one unusual recording of a repertory staple: Gounod’s Faust.
Pianist Kris Davis’s Diatom Ribbons and the multi-disc set Nat King Cole’s Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-43) are among the albums that made more than one list.
One of Donizetti’s strongest and most original works, has finally been reconstructed and recorded by superb forces under the remarkable Mark Elder.
Each concert offered all that the Tedeschi Trucks Band can do.
Tarare is simply one of the most important operas of the Classic era, precisely because it challenges so many aspects of Classic-era “normality.” You won’t believe your ears.
I do not know how BEMF will ever top this. Bravo tutti!
Even taking into consideration my several objections, this Faust is one of the most accomplished and intriguing opera releases of recent years.
Theater Commentary: Live Theater—An Incomparable Art Form