Franz Schubert was born on Jan. 31, 1797 and would go on to become one of the great romantic German composers of his time. He studied music from a very early age, studying with his father and older brother. But he soon exceeded their own abilities and by age 11 he was already studying at the Stadtkonivkt school. He studied {…}
Lago di Como is said to be the most beautiful place in Italy, which is a very big call indeed. Since Pliny the Younger, Lake Como has attracted discerning aristocrats, poets, politicians and potentates, artists and arrivistes, cultivated voyageurs and celebrity votaries. Stendhal and Mark Twain, George IV’s unwelcome wife Queen Caroline, Sir Winston Churchill, Gianni Versace, numerous Rockefellers, Richard {…}
Celebrating 60 years of the Chicago Symphony Chorus was no easy task given the unit’s reputation for quality. That anniversary was marked this past weekend with a program highlighted by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus putting forth an absolutely sublime Schubert Mass in E-Flat major. The three-part program began with maestro Riccardo Muti and the CSO performing the overture {…}
On February 3, 2018, the Tucson Guitar Society and the University of Arizona Bolton Guitar Studies Program presented bass-baritone Philippe Sly and guitarist John Charles Britton in an all-Schubert recital. This was yet another part of the Tucson Desert Song Festival. At first, I wondered about Schubert with a guitar instead of a piano, or to be more historically informed {…}
Franz Schubert, born on Jan. 31, 1797, is universally hailed for his incredible ability to write for the voice. His song cycles are among the most beloved in the entire repertoire, championed by the world’s greatest singers. But Schubert also composed opera, though to this day, none have managed to establish a foothold in the standard repertoire. Here is a {…}
Here is the story of a man and his brook… the poet and the maiden, the tenor and his Schubert. In other words – Jonas Kaufmann in Santa Monica, MLK day, 2018. Thirty somethings, 80 somethings, 39s, 48s, 24s… be-earringed, high-heeled, suited, sweat-shirted, flaming red and ocean blue hair, finely-knit sweaters, plain black jackets – all pressed through the doors {…}
To put what is wordless back into words and believe it will express the same thing is like offering the hen her egg again. So, to say what Ian Bostridge transmitted at Cal Performances on Nov. 10, 2017, seems arbitrary and futile. But, we are human, and we try, listeners, music and life-lovers. Schubert’s “Winterreise” is the story of a {…}
There is perhaps no tenor more lauded for his interpretation in the German repertoire than Fritz Wunderlich. The German tenor worked mostly in his home country until his untimely death in 1966. American audiences were robbed of his Metropolitan Opera debut, and there is surely a hole missing where his growth as an artist would have been fostered. In honor of {…}
Superstar bass Ferruccio Furlanetto is set to showcase his talents in Sydney, Australia in a rare concert performance this fall. The bass will appear at the City Recital Hall on Sept. 27 and 29 alongside pianist Igor Tchetuev. The first of these concerts will feature Furlanetto in Schubert’s “Winterreise,” while the latter performance will see the famed Verdi interpreter perform {…}
This summer, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York City will begin the first of what will be an annual summer event. The Chamber Music Festival, to be held this June and every June hereafter, will highlight a single composer. “Facets of Schubert” kicks-off the new tradition with three different performances throughout the month, where the organization will explore {…}
The Mostly Mozart Festival is one of the highlights of the summer in New York City, filled with many selections from the great genius. Of course, there is always a nice selection for opera lovers and this year is no different. There will be two concerts that feature choral music. The first of these is “The Singing Heart” on July {…}