Music

Classical Music Commentary: Tanglewood Confabulation

September 1, 2010
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This past Friday night’s guests were two of the most impressive names in classical music, concert pianist Emmanuel Ax and conductor Kurt Masur. By Ron Barnell One of the highlights of this and the past several Tanglewood seasons has been a two-step operation. First, early Friday night Boston Symphony Orchestra concert goers enjoy chamber music…

Theater Interview: Talking with the Big Banana Bag & Bodice

September 1, 2010
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By Chantal Mendes This Sunday the enterprising theater troupe Banana Bag & Bodice brings its distinctively modern adaptation of an ancient classic, Beowulf – A Thousand Years of Baggage, to Oberon in Cambridge, MA. For those of us who missed the recent movie version, Beowulf conjures up sleepy times in early English Literature class. Given…

Coming Attractions in Popular Music: September 2010

September 1, 2010
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Even though it’s the time of year when the T is clogged with wide-eyed college freshman trying to find Faneuil Hall, there are still lots of great shows to go see in Boston. By Thomas Samph This month’s selection of pop music begins with an up-and-coming female pop act from the UK whose Family Jewels…

Classical Music Sampler: September 2010

August 30, 2010
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By Caldwell Titcomb September 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29: Free Wednesday afternoon concerts continue throughout the month. September 1: Pianist Benjamin Warsaw plays works by Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Liszt, and Warsaw himself. September 8: A further celebration of Schumann’s bicentenary brings a program of songs, with soprano Lisa Lynch, mezzo Carola Emrich-Fisher, tenor Jason…

Culture Vulture: Tanglewood Highlight Without Stars

August 29, 2010
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Every single player and singer seemed thrilled to be performing this music, absorbed in it, attentive to their masterful conductor and having a good time. It made me think how often that is not the case at symphony concerts. By Helen Epstein There were no star soloists or conductors around on Friday night and since…

Culture Vulture: Homage to Chopin

August 28, 2010
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By Helen Epstein After some peculiar programming last week, Tanglewood’s current weekend got off to a rousing start on Thursday night as Garrick Ohlsson gave a haunting, introspective, and idiosyncratic performance of Chopin. The program, emotion-packed and filled with delicacies as though the pianist could not bear to leave anything out, included nocturnes and mazurkas,…

Music Review: Newport Jazz Festival 2010

August 25, 2010
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For all the hand-wringing in the media about the death rattle of jazz, what with record stores closing and radio stations losing listeners, Newport reminds you that the art form is alive and well, with a growing audience of people of all ages and races. By Charles McEnerney, Host + Producer, Well-Rounded Radio Both the…

Culture Vulture: Youth and Age at Tanglewood

August 22, 2010
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By Helen Epstein This Tanglewood season, overshadowed by the absence of ailing maestros James Levine, Seiji Ozawa, and others who have canceled their appearances, has got me thinking about age and illness. There have been some compelling concerts these past two months, including Michael Tilson Thomas’s riveting Mahler renditions, but the absence of a strong…

Music Review: Film Night At Tanglewood A Classics Act

August 22, 2010
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Reviewed by Ron Barnell The celebration of composer John Williams’s 30 year association with the Boston Pops Orchestra was brought to a gala conclusion on August 14th with the orchestra’s annual Tanglewood Film Festival night. Devoted to the performance of select film scores, with accompanying movie clips displayed on large projection screens, the concert presents…

Fuse Flash: Newport Folk Festival 2010 review

August 18, 2010
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The 51st Newport Folk Festival ended on Sunday with 35 acts over 3 days. When all is said and done, you could argue that this is no longer a festival about folk music, but two of the elder statesman that appeared this year—Richie Havens and Levon Helm (of The Band fame)—served as an inspiring bridge…

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