On the flight to London last week, Air New Zealand had loaded up a bunch of James Bond movies on the monitors in our seats. An appropriate gesture, I think, to get us in the mood for our final destination. Naturally, I got sucked in. I watched 007 besting bad guys all the way from … Continue reading Peter Sellars on the Threat of Cultural Impositionalism
Remembering Van Cliburn: “The Texan Who Conquered Russia”
"I do not have fingers. I have ten voices and they must all sing." Van Cliburn Against the backdrop of the Cold War and the Space Race, a lanky 23-year-old classical pianist burst onto the scene as an unlikely ambassador of cultural understanding. At the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, Van Cliburn won the … Continue reading Remembering Van Cliburn: “The Texan Who Conquered Russia”
LA Phil 2013-14: By the Numbers
Much has already been written about the LA Phil's new 2013-14 season, just announced yesterday at Walt Disney Concert Hall. (In my estimation, the most insightful summations come from Mr. CK Dexter Haven at All is Yar and Timothy Mangan at Classical Life.) As orchestras around the country hemorrhage audiences, money, and relevance, a few--like … Continue reading LA Phil 2013-14: By the Numbers
Top 8 Oscar Snubs: Film Music Edition
Earlier this week on the KUSC Blog, Tim Greiving chronicled the five film scores nominated for this year’s Academy Awards. His post was titled “For Once, Oscar Picked (Some of) the Best Scores,” hinting that perhaps The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences occasionally misses the mark. Okay … actually, The Academy has a … Continue reading Top 8 Oscar Snubs: Film Music Edition
Happy 100th, Witold Lutosławski!
"Composers are messengers from an ideal world." -Witold Lutosławski 2013 is a big anniversary year for classical music. It's the bicentennials of Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813) and Giuseppe Verdi (October 10, 1813); the centennial of Benjamin Britten (November 22, 1913); and the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (May … Continue reading Happy 100th, Witold Lutosławski!
Out-of-Context Christmas Song Lyrics
We know these songs well. So well, in fact, we probably don't pay too much attention to what the lyrics actually say. Which, to me, seemed like something worthy of exploration. When considered independently of their song's context, the lyrics to our standard canon of Christmas songs range from hilarious to creepy to risqué. "Man, … Continue reading Out-of-Context Christmas Song Lyrics
Christmas Music That’s Actually Good
A while back I did a thing for the KUSC blog where I picked my Top 10 Classical Christmas Picks. (Actually, it ended up being a Top 12 list, but whatever.) Here's an updated version of that post. But you won't hear any of that music blaring over the loudspeakers at your favorite shopping mall. … Continue reading Christmas Music That’s Actually Good
Orchestra Playoffs
With Major League Baseball's League Championship Series getting underway this weekend, we find ourselves bearing witness to the best teams playing baseball at the highest level under the most pressure-packed circumstances. To me, that always sounds a lot like what goes on year round in concert halls across the country. That big clarinet solo in … Continue reading Orchestra Playoffs
Happy Birthday, Luciano Pavarotti
The "King of the High C's" would have been 77 years old today. Hard to believe it's been five years already since he passed away. Here are some of my favorites from Pavarotti, including duets with Sting and Jon Bon Jovi. (Side note: I'm not responsible for the misspelling of Puccini's Turandot.)
Brutal Virtuosity: Grappling with Stravinsky’s Rite
“It doesn’t matter what notes you play,” I said, “as long as you play them at the right time.” It was 2004 and my violinist friend and I were driving to the first rehearsal of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Neither of us had played the work before and both of us were marveling … Continue reading Brutal Virtuosity: Grappling with Stravinsky’s Rite
Brian Lauritzen 