Search Results: samph

Concert Review: Yunchan Lim — The BSO Brings in a Pianist to Watch

February 23, 2024
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Pianist Yunchan Lim struck an arresting balance between thunderous drama and filigreed lyricism as he tackled Rachmaninoff’s knuckle-busting score.

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Classical Album Reviews: Violinists Frank Peter Zimmermann and James Ehnes play Stravinsky

February 23, 2024
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Franz Peter Zimmermann’s rendition of Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto overflows with style and character; James Ehnes’ version is generally warmer and more relaxed, though it doesn’t lack for rhythmic zip.

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Classical Concert Review: Karina Canellakis Conducts Bartók and Haydn

February 14, 2024
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Karina Canellakis’s tour through Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” showed why she remains a conductor who continues to exercise a remarkable interpretive power.

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Music Commentary: In Memoriam, Seiji Ozawa (1935-2024)

February 13, 2024
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Taking in the totality of Seiji Ozawa’s life and career, it seems clear that Boston got him in his prime and that he largely returned the favor, ingratiating himself with the community, at times truly elevating the BSO while conveying a lot of joy and energy in the process.

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NY Theater Review: “The Connector” – Truth or Consequences

February 16, 2024
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The musical’s focus on truth in journalism resonates in our post-2016, “fake news,” and Artificial Intelligence-saturated environment.

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Concert Review: Boston Symphony Orchestra plays Smyth, Bruch, and Mendelssohn

February 8, 2024
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Given its considerable strength and vitality, Ethel Smyth’s music deserves its newfound place in the limelight. Let’s hope the BSO programs more of her music again soon.

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Coming Attractions in Popular Music: November 2010

November 4, 2010
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Boston’s pop music scene in November has an international flair. Multiple groups from the UK who specialize in folk and electropop join bands from Spain and Ireland in coming to Boston this fall. While the picks for this month all have roots abroad, these acts make the Fall months of Boston that much more inviting.…

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Film Review: The Karate Kid — A Preteen Rumble

June 25, 2010
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The remake follows the same plot as the 1984 original, but the new version is more like watching a bunch of twelve-year-old kids in a steel cage death match. Reviewed by Tom Samph In a time when baby-faced Michael Cera and whiny John Mayer are cultural icons, Americans still can’t get enough blood and guts.…

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Music Review: Brandeis VoiceMale Gets Serious

December 17, 2009
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In their latest collection, “Suit Up,” Brandeis VoiceMale have yet again produced an eclectic mix of passionately sung, expertly mixed A Cappella covers. Reviewed by Thomas Samph The title of the album tells us to suit up. Evidently that’s what the all-male group did before going into the recording studio, because they have a truly…

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Coming Attractions: Popular Music in June 2010

June 4, 2010
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By Thomas Samph This month’s music selection is all about trying something new. One of my selected artists recorded her entire album in a church. One guy kissed another guy on stage at an awards show that was on live TV. And another group brings together nine solo acts under one dirty name that has…

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