Review: Emerson Quartet packs Beethoven. Orange County Register, Oct. 11, 2014.
Objectively conducted fortissimo
“…at the back of every conductor’s mind is a desire to make his orchestra produce a louder noise than anyone else’s orchestra can produce, a really majestic noise, a Niagara Falls of sound. At some time in the course of nearly every concert this desire overpowers him. You can tell when it is coming on by the way he goes into a brief convulsion at that point. The convulsion is useful to the conductor, because it prevents his hearing what the orchestra really sounds like while his fit is on. But if you watch carefully from the house you will usually find that the sound provoked out of a group of exacerbated musicians by any gesture of the convulsive type is less accurate in pitch and less sonorous in decibels than a more objectively conducted fortissimo.” — Virgil Thomson
Long Beach Symphony launches 80th anniversary season and search for music director
Review: Long Beach Symphony begins search. Orange County Register, Oct. 6, 2014.
Orchestras of the season at the Philharmonic Society
Philharmonic Society brings orchestral prospects to O.C. Orange County Register, Oct. 3, 2014.
photo: Chris Christodoulou
Dudamel and L.A. Phil open with David Lang, Mahler
Review: Dudamel, L.A. Phil give epic Mahler. Orange County Register, Oct. 3, 2014.
photo: Mathew Imaging
Pacific Symphony’s Casual Connections series
Review: Casual Connections rings bells. Orange County Register, Sept. 29, 2014.
“Casual” is a trending word in the world of classical music these days. A number of groups (including the L.A. Phil) use it to denote their concert series in which aspects of the presentation are made less formal. The dress code may be relaxed or the program shortened. The performers may talk about the music or meet with the audience before and after. Or sometimes all of these. The idea is to make classical music somehow less intimidating to listeners who may find it so. They aren’t a small group.
Dudamel and L.A. Phil open season with tribute to John Williams
Review: More than Hollywood glitz in L.A. Philharmonic’s tribute to John Williams. Orange County Register. Oct. 1, 2014.
photo: Mathew Imaging
Some smaller seasons
Classical music: Smaller seasons fill up teeming landscape. Orange County Register, Sept. 26, 2014.
Pacific Symphony launches St.Clair’s 25th season
Review: Pacific Symphony launches St.Clair’s 25th season. Orange County Register, Sept. 27, 2014.
Big Bill Broonzy
“The Glory of Love.”
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