Next Generation Barber at San Diego Opera
Barber of Seville opens on Saturday the 21st at San Diego Opera. It has been a favorite of audiences for years because of its sparkling wit and vocal fireworks. Having YouTubed the cast, I’m stunned at how young and phenomenal …
Lots of Heat and a Stroke Survivor in Boston
The 116th edition of the Boston Marathon ground runners to a pulp with 80 degree weather on Monday. The men’s winner finished in a mediocre 2:12:40. Come on, that’s an average pace of about 5:05 per mile. Weak.That’s the second …
Eternal Tone
In a recent rehearsal, the conductor shared an idea that I loved and had never considered. The conductor was Italian and struggled a little getting the idea across but we received the message none the less. He was speaking about …
Look Down Your Nose
I journeyed north in search of a yoga class. It was rumored to be at 775 N. Vulcan Dr. in Leucadia. My phone would guide me to the Bergamot Spa + Boutique. I knew it was just south of Leucadia …
Weekend Preview
Some concerts for this weekend: Saturday night the Canterbury Cathedral Choir is performing at Mission Valley United Methodist as part of their 2012 North American Tour. The concert is at 7:00 pm. The choir is composed of 18 boy choristers …
Supplemental
If you’ve ever walked into a store like GNC or Vitamin Shoppe you may have noticed there are an overwhelming number of supplements on the market. Where do we start if we’re looking to incorporate supplements into our lifestyle? It’s …
Seven Last Words
On Good Friday I got a chance to sing a piece of music I've always wanted to sing. The piece was Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ. I was invited to sing at Church of the Nativity in Rancho Santa …
Certified Instruction
Becoming a yoga instructor is a popular idea these days. I heard that local soprano and recent college graduate Elisa Jordan was finishing a certification course today. I decided she needed a pop quiz. Sdreader: What inspired/possessed you to take …
Rain Check
After being rained out on March 17th, I didn’t know this type of event could be rained out, the Oriflamme 50K (31.4 miles) is back on tomorrow morning at 7:00am. The justification for the rain out was that emergency response …
Little Match Girl Passion: Sacra Profana
The Little Match Girl Passion is a setting of the Hans Christian Andersen story as influenced by Bach’s St. Mathew’s Passion. At least this is what the composer, David Lang, claims. The Little Match Girl is a story about a …
California 70.3
The California Ironman 70.3 was held in Oceanside this last weekend. The 70.3 designator stands for the sum of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. These distances represent half the Ironman. The California …
Higher Consciousness in Faure
The final section of Faure’s Requiem is in paradisum — in paradise. It is not a traditional text that is set for a requiem but is reserved for burial. Faure included it on his own volition. The text seems pretty …
Ignominious
I told my yoga instructor that I had been visiting various 24 Hour Fitness clubs and checking out their yoga. What was his take on that? “Ignominious”. Definition: involving a total loss of dignity and self-respect. Ouch. Fortunately I understood …
Ball and Chain: San Diego Symphony Requiem
Before the concert on Sunday we were reminded that the San Diego Symphony is a “tier one orchestra”. That is not in dispute. How about the San Diego Master Chorale? They’re a tier one church choir but I’m getting ahead …
Beethoven Could Be Rick Astley
I mentioned that Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto may have been forgotten if it had been written by a lesser composer. The point being, there is a ton of mediocre classical music. It is tempting to consider every piece of classical …
Candide: Run Forrest Run
I was reminded today of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. This piece is an operetta or light opera and had its premiere in 1956. It was not received well. The libretto was reworked in 1974 and that is the version most often …
The Old Globe: Room with a View of Hell
I ended up going to see A Room with a View at The Globe this weekend. I was thinking about writing a rant but I’ll tone it down a bit and just say I hated it. I hated it on …
Go-To Playlist
Do you have a go-to playlist? A go to playlist is a list of music that gets you through the current mess you’ve created in your life. I have one and it has bailed me out more times than I …
The Pooch Is Okay: San Diego Symphony
The pooch didn’t get screwed but it was close. I made the claim that I didn’t care what happened in Bruckner’s 4th Symphony this weekend. As soon as the performance started, I started to care. The first item on the …
Truth Changes its Mind: The Six Editions of Bruckner's Fourth
To my knowledge, there are no fewer than six versions of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony. They are: The 1889/90 First Edition. The Hass Edition of 1936. The Nowak Edition of 1953 using the 1886 copy. The Nowak Edition of 1974 using …