András Schiff at Carnegie Hall
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Continue reading "András Schiff at Carnegie Hall" »
(All photos by Steven Pisano.)
A new work by Meredith Monk is always a cause for celebration. Her performances, which always feature a magical combination of singing, dancing, and visuals, never fail to provoke the mind, even as they entertain. Always more interested in the textures of the voice as instrument, rather than simply a conveyance to sing a song, Monk has long been one of the most extraordinary vocalists of the last 50 years.
Monk's new work, Cellular Songs, is playing at the Harvey Theater at BAM through this weekend. Cellular Songs is sparer than the last work Monk presented at BAM: the brilliant On Behalf of Nature, which played three seasons ago. That work was a rich whirlwind of colors in the sets and in the costumes, and was brimming with Monk's trademark chant-like singing.
In Cellular Songs, Monk sings with less force than she has in the past, but even in her mid-70s now, she can still entice your ears in a way only she can. If you've only heard her on recordings or in videos, you've missed the special experience it is to hear her sing in person.
Continue reading "Meredith Monk's "Cellular Songs" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music" »
In the centennial year of the celebrated conductor, pianist, and composer Leonard Bernstein, there are plenty of options for celebration. Feast of Music is giving away THREE PAIRS of tickets to Bernstein's only opera, A Quiet Place. Next Tuesday's performance will be by the Curtis Opera Theater at the
Kaye Playhouse at 8 pm.Here's how to enter:
1. Email robert@feastofmusic.com -OR-
2. Retweet our post with the hashtag #freetickets -OR-
3. Head to our Facebook page and COMMENT on our giveaway post!
Good luck!
by Nick Stubblefield
When SubCulture announced in July 2015 that they were “re-structuring their business model” and cancelling the majority of their lineup, many faithful concert-goers fretted about losing this intimate, inviting venue for good. Luckily, over two years later, it’s still here - though indeed the business model has changed. Now there are far fewer artists on the calendar, with more focus on residencies and concert series.
When I stopped in Wednesday night to hear pianist Ian Hobson perform part six of his eight-part concert series of Debussy and Ravel pieces for piano, I figured he must know his way around the instrument quite well. After all, the now highly-selective venue booked him for eight programs. And my hunch was correct: Hobson, a native Englishman, channeled every ounce of impressionistic beauty in selections from two of France’s beloved composers.
Hobson opened his set with a series of four Debussy works. Berceuse heroique entered like a slow funeral march, gradually building momentum until the climax. Valse and Mazurka are more sprightly numbers, so Hobson’s fingers lightly danced and frolicked across the keys, whereas the Nocturne was grander, darker, requiring a heavier hand.
Continue reading "Ian Hobson Paints Musical Colors with Debussy and Ravel at SubCulture" »