Music
I know no more thoughtful disquisition, for the opera stage, on basic questions of life, death, war, love, power, and resistance.
As the composer moves from youth to middle age, Thomas Adès is unique among his contemporaries for his singular embrace of melody, harmony, and form.
The Pixies could be anthemic, snarky, jaunty, or forlorn as they chose, which meant they were never boring.
This collection, Newvelle Records’ first series release in two years, features original compositions by Elan Mehler, Michael Blake, Dave Liebman, and Nadje Noordhuis.
Gil Rose’s team, headed by an incandescent Ellie Dehn as Catherine of Aragon, should help bring this major work back to the world’s opera-house stages.
It is pretty clear that this Canadian band was not in the right place at the right time, despite the ferocious energy and speed of its music and sublime performances.
Channeling equal parts Lucinda Williams and Levon Helm, the album features Robin Lane’s rich, earthy voice supported by sparse instrumentation.
There is a full lineup of performances scheduled for the next few months in Groton Hill Music Center’s Meadow Hall as the organization’s donors and subscribers prepare for life in the world-class facility.
Chant For Our Planet is a great recording full of exciting ensemble playing, with lots of tasty solos and, if you want to listen in that way, an important theme that expresses deep concern for the state of our environment.
Classical Critic’s Notebook: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2
Whatever Rachmaninoff’s conflicted feelings about writing symphonies were, there’s nothing ambiguous about the content of his Second Symphony. From start to finish, it’s a marvel of melodic freshness and brilliant instrumentation.
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