Classical Music and Opera

Music Review: LA Phil with Salonen, Ax, and Hillborg

November 27, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

LA Phil Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen returned to Los Angeles with Swedish composer Anders Hillborg and a triumphant saga for the ages.  Like Homer’s Ulysses, Salonen tethered himself to the mast of the LA Phil and took us on a dramatic voyage through the world of the Sirens, and with Hillborg’s help, we too heard [...]



Classical Focus: Nov. 25-27

November 21, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

Ah, the days after Thanksgiving are a great time to spend some quality time with family and friends, and that is just what the Los Angeles Philharmonic is doing this post-holiday weekend, giving us Angelenos a great opportunity to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime program at Walt Disney Concert Hall.  Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen returns for three [...]



Music Review: LA Philharmonic Chamber Music Society

November 13, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

Tuesday evening, Nov. 8, members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic brought a French-inspired program to the chamber music series at Walt Disney Concert Hall.  The first half gave us the delightful music of Françaix and Poulenc, and the second half was devoted to Debussy’s brilliant string quartet.
Jean Françaix’s Quartet for English Horn and Strings was [...]



Music Review: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

November 9, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

A distinguished cast from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center visited Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium in Pasadena Sunday afternoon, Nov. 6, with a program titled “Manifest Legacy: Beethoven and Brahms.”  Artistic directors David Finckel and Wu Han combined Beethoven’s Trio in D Major for violin, viola, and cello, Op. 9, No. 2 (1778) with two [...]



Classical Focus, Nov. 13-18

November 7, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

The chamber scene in LA is in high gear this week, filled with fantastic music from the very best ensembles that Los Angeles has to offer.  The LA Phil’s Chamber Music Concert will be a great way to begin on Tuesday, and any of the competing weekend concerts from Musica Angelica, Da Camera Society, California [...]



Conlon Conducts LA Phil With Yuja Wang

November 6, 2011 | By Henry Schlinger | Category: Classical Music and Opera

Los Angeles is fortunate to have in our midst at least two internationally recognized conductors, Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the LA Phil, and James Conlon, music director of the LA Opera.
The LA Phil is also fortunate to get Conlon to walk across the street from his usual home at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to [...]



Thus Spoke Dudamel, and It Was Goode

October 29, 2011 | By Henry Schlinger | Category: Classical Music and Opera

Gustavo Dudamel continued to demonstrate his mastery of the standard orchestral repertoire last night when he led the LA Philharmonic in a performance of two major works: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K 466, with Richard Goode at the keyboard, and the tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss.
Friday evening’s concert [...]



Music Review: Los Angeles Master Chorale Opening Gala

October 21, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

The Los Angeles Master Chorale opened its 2011-2012 season to a full house at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 16 with Grant Gershon and Leslie Leighton sharing the podium in a program that featured some of their all-time best music and close friends.  The headline work, Lux Aeterna, by Morten Lauridsen has become a [...]



Music Review: Ebene Quartet With the Colburn Chamber Music Society

October 13, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

The Colburn Chamber Music Society brought Quatuor Ebène and its signature Debussy to a full house on Oct. 10 to open the 2011-2012 season at Zipper Hall.  The Ebène Quartet has enjoyed meteoric fame since it was awarded “Recording of the Year” at the 2009 Classic FM Gramophone Awards for its disc of Debussy, Ravel, [...]



Classical Focus: Oct. 11 – 20

October 10, 2011 | By Theodore Bell | Category: Classical Music and Opera

The Los Angeles chamber music scene has so much to offer this time of the year that it is difficult to know where to begin this week.  The opening gala of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Sunday, Oct. 16, will be especially unique, and any of the outstanding instrumental groups performing this week will be [...]