Classical Music
Lent came quickly this year. With no buildup to Carnival and Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday, because of you know what, Ash Wednesday suddenly appeared. I thought we’d explore a few musical carnivals since the season didn’t …
I’ve had dozens of conversations that discussed the greatest symphonies of all time. I’ve read dozens of articles on the same topic. The usual suspects are all there, Beethoven’s Ninth, Mahler’s Ninth, Bruckner’s Eighth, Brahms' …
I wrote a little preview of the San Diego Symphony livestream entitled Wagner meets Mozart and mentioned that I didn’t quite understand how the concert hung together. After watching the livestream, I still don’t get …
Recently I realized I had some holes in my listening habits for one of my favorite composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams. I have listened to some of Vaughan Williams’s most popular pieces to death. These would …
San Diego Symphony and Music Director Rafael Payare have announced a special 2021 digital season that strives to inspire and connect with its audience while in-person performances cannot occur due to Covid. From January to …
At this point, Mainly Mozart has gone far beyond turning lemons into lemonade. They are now turning lemons into a sumptuous limoncello from the Amalfi Coast. In February and April, Mainly Mozart will be producing …
Since it’s a new year and many of us have resolutions, let’s consider some resolutions for some of opera’s most famous characters. Don Ottavio, from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, is the fiancé of Donna Anna whom …
Over the holidays, I had what I’ll call a spirited conversation regarding objective truth versus subjective truth. Since neither myself nor the other participants are professionals in the cognitive disciplines, the conversation lacked a certain …
Christmas always has a nip of melancholy in the eggnog for me these days. It could be because my children are growing older. It could be because I myself am growing older. For many of …
Opera, opera, opera. What are we to do with opera? Even those who love opera can’t agree on what it is, what it should be, or what it could be. I recently shared a meme …
There will be no Nutcracker this year, at least not a live version. The ballet has become such a part of the holiday season that it is difficult to believe that for most of its …
The La Jolla Symphony recently released a performance of Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 from their performance vault. I gave it a listen and have concluded that it is a fine, fine, performance. For those who …
The San Diego Symphony streamed their second concert on Friday, November 20. This concert was performed in Symphony Hall. It is available in its entirety on YouTube. This is exactly the type of concert the …
Thanksgiving is nigh, so how about two pieces by George Frederic Handel that give thanks? The first is “But Thanks be to God” from Handel’s Oratorio Messiah. The second is Dank sei dir Herr (Thanks …
The end of October saw a flurry of live classical music and opera suddenly descend upon San Diego. October 24 was the conclusion of the Drive-In Mainly Mozart Festival and the opening of the Drive-In …
It would appear as though our political system is at the start of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. You may recall that The Ring starts with the dwarf, Alberich, stealing the Rhinegold in order to create a …