New York Classical Review

New Whitman cycle makes poetic impact in world premiere with Musica Sacra

Kent Tritle conducted the Musica Sacra chorus and orchestra (strings, piano, harp, organ and percussion), with soprano Susanna Phillips and baritone John Moore, in vivid settings of 17 poems—some ...
New York Classical Review

Philadelphia Orchestra soars in Mahler “Resurrection” at Carnegie

Beauty is an odd but real issue. Philadelphia has one of the most beautiful orchestral sounds, but it still doesn’t quite have a Mahler sound—though it got much closer Tuesday night than previously.
New York Classical Review

New supporting cast helps Met’s “Butterfly” take wing

Madama Butterfly runs through March 28. Aleksandra Kurzak will sing the title role on March 14, 18, 21, and 27. Matthew Polenzani will sing Pinkerton March 11, 14, 19, 23 and 28. Toni Marie Palmertree ...
New York Classical Review

Double trouble: Singers reach the heights in Met’s “Tristan”; staging, conducting not so much

Séguin, leading this work for the first time, and lastly Sharon’s staging, which was hit or miss (mostly the latter) all night. The star of the night was Davidsen as Isolde. She delivered a stellar, ...
New York Classical Review

Brooklyn Art Song Society conveys the eternal truths of Rorem’s epic masterpiece

This is, quite simply, one of the finest song cycles in classical music, an equal to the famous ones from Schumann, Schubert, and other European composers. This is also a great American work, with ...
New York Classical Review

Takács players dissect and reassemble the string quartet with new Assad piece

Clarice Assad’s NEXUS, which received its New York premiere in the Takács Quartet’s concert Wednesday night in Carnegie’s ...
New York Classical Review

Freely individual playing colors outside the lines in Vienna Philharmonic’s Strauss, Sibelius

Even the orchestral tone poems of Richard Strauss, their scores larded with tantalizing verbal hints such as “Of the Great Longing” or “Song of the Night Wanderer,” tend to slip off the analyst’s hook ...
New York Classical Review

Nelsons, Vienna Philharmonic stumble in Carnegie opener

The Vienna Philharmonic with conductor Andris Nelsons plays Kurtág’s Petite musique solennelle, Mozart’s Symphony No. 36, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6, 8 p.m. Saturday; and Strauss’s Also sprach ...
New York Classical Review

Young pianist proves a fine colorist with brilliant technique in Schumann, moderns

Minyoung Rho, a superbly gifted pianist, introduced herself to New York audiences Monday night with an almost wholly successful recital in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Although the event wasn’t ...
New York Classical Review

Opera stars of the future shine brightly in London Competition Finals

The winners of the George and Nora London Competition Awards on Friday were (l to r): Evan Lazdowski, Magdalena Kuźma, Alec Carlson, Shelén Hughes, and Joseph Parrish. Foundation President John Hauser ...
New York Classical Review

Liu serves up technical thrills and uncertain interpretations at Carnegie recital

Lack of certainty is an underrated quality in classical music. The norm is to value repertoire performances that aren’t just technically precise but have a sense that the ideas about the music are ...