Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra have launched the second season of their journey through the Beethoven Symphonies in their Classics Declassified Series at Symphony Space. This afternoon they presented a spirited rendition of the Pastoral Symphony (No. 6, Op. 68), following a lengthy, illuminating talk by Maestro Botstein with illustrations played by the orchestra.
I think this series is very important for the members of the orchestra. They do a commendable job in … <Read More>
Regular readers of this blog will know that one of my favorite singers is the baritone Thomas Meglioranza. I'm pleased to report a new recording by Mr. Meglioranza of music for baritone and orchestra by Virgil Thomson on the Boston Modern Orchestra Project label. He sings the "Five Songs from William Blake" and "The Feast of Love," and joins with soprano Kristen Watson in "Collected Poems," a witty setting of words and phrases by Kenneth … <Read More>
The Loew's Jersey Theatre at Journal Square, NJ, held a little mini-horror film festival the past few days, and a friend organized a small expedition to see "Nosferatu" last night. The 1922 German silent film, an unauthorized adaptation directed by F.W. Murnau of Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula," was accompanied last night on the organ by Wayne Zimmerman. The big attraction for me was seeing the interior of this grand old movie palace, which is in process … <Read More>
Four San Diego, California, firefighters who were required over their protest to operate a fire engine as part of the San Diego Gay Pride Parade in 2007 have prevailed against the City in their suit alleging workplace sexual harassment in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Code (FEHC). On October 14, the California 4th District Court of Appeal ruled in Ghiotto v. City of San Diego, 2010 Westlaw 4018644, that a jury verdict … <Read More>
Last night I attended a performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 at Carnegie Hall. Valery Gergiev and his Mariinsky Orchestra are in the middle of performing a Mahler symphony cycle. They were joined on this occasion by eight singers from the Marinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia, and several choral groups: Orfeon Pamplones, Choral Arts Society of Washington (DC), and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy. The stage was packed, and they still probably did not … <Read More>
A unanimous 8-member chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ruled on October 21 that the Russian government violated the European Convention on Human Rights when the Moscow city government denied permission for four consecutive years for the holding of a gay rights parade and demonstration in that city. Ruling on three applications to the court filed by Nicolas Alekseyev, the leader of the Russian gay rights group in Moscow, the court found violations of … <Read More>
The winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Anna in the Tropics" by Nilo Cruz, is being presented by the drama department at Daytona State College in Florida. I happen to be in neighboring Ormond Beach, Florida, this weekend, visiting with my Mom and two nieces, so we hopped over to Daytona to catch the opening night. This production is directed by Walter Kmiec, with set design by Scott Green, lighting by Trevor Aiello, … <Read More>
Tonight Orpheus Chamber Orchestra played the first concert in their Carnegie Hall Series for 2010/11. They offered Schubert's Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Berg's Three Pieces from the Lyric Suite, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, with guest soloist Garrick Ohlsson.
I thought this was a magnificent concert. The Schubert was right up their alley – a work that thrives on the kind of integrated chamber music approach that this conductorless orchestra follows. This … <Read More>
This has been a very busy day on the gay rights legal front, with three major developments in important pending cases:
1 – DADT. Judge Virginia Phillips issued her final order in the pending challenge to the U.S. military don't ask, don't tell policy, under which gay people can only serve in the uniformed Armed Forces if they pretend that they are not gay by breathing not a word about being gay, doing nothing that … <Read More>
I seem to be going to previews of revivals… Yesterday afternoon, it was "La Bete" by David Hirson, previewing at the Music Box Theatre with a projected opening date later this week of October 14. Mark Rylance, David Hyde Pierce and Joanna Lumley star in this talky but engaging modern creation of a French renaissance farce.
The premise is that the Princess, played exquisitely by Lumley, has cast her eye on an itinerant street performer … <Read More>