The Atos Trio of Germany gave an immaculate concert of music by Rachmaninov, Josef Suk and Franz Schubert in the Flagler Museum’s music series Feb. 18. The Rachmaninoff and Suk pieces were written when both composers were mere teenagers, but their music is anything but sophomoric; it is well-developed, tuneful and one might say, masterly in structure. Kudos to the Atos Trio … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2014
Oscar predictions: ‘12 Years’ for picture, McConaughey for actor
Several of the acting categories in the 86th annual Academy Awards appear to be locked up, but the top statuette for Best Picture is headed towards a photo finish this Sunday evening. By most accounts, 2013 was a solid year at the movies, with an array of first-rate releases. Nine films received the required 5 percent of first-place votes and, therefore, are in the running to … [Read more...]
Flagler silver exhibit takes us back to Age of Acquisition
Nobody uses a 137-year-old silver set of 1,250 pieces from Tiffany & Co. to eat lunch anymore or gets a glossy water pitcher as retirement gift. A pen and porcelain plates will do. Sometimes it takes such a decline in popularity to make an art exhibition happen. If it wasn’t for silver’s falling demand, the current show at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum may not have … [Read more...]
Strong corps of singers lifts charming ‘Barber’ at PB Opera
There is a celebrated passage in Stendhal’s Life of Rossini in which the French writer describes an outing he and his friends took to Lake Como exactly 200 years ago, in the summer of 1814. The party had a wonderful time on the road from Brescia to Como, and an even better time staying at the beautiful inn run by one of Stendhal’s other friends once they got there. That night, … [Read more...]
Grosvenor brilliant at Four Arts
By Donald Waxman Benjamin Grosvenor, the much-heralded young British pianist, is only 21, but he began performing in public and winning awards at the age of 10 and hasn’t stopped since. His current concert itinerary shows him playing two or three solo or orchestral concerts a week worldwide for the entirety of the concert season. For his recital at the Society of the Four … [Read more...]
Whimsical jewelry captivates at Norton’s Webb exhibit
A gypsy monkey, a turtle and twin frogs are having the time of their life, and not just because they are made of gold, rubies and diamonds. Framed by elegant green walls, these bejeweled animals are among 80 jewelry pieces enjoying a great deal of attention at the Norton Museum of Art. On view since January, David Webb: Society’s Jeweler is like an expensive Christmas … [Read more...]
Naharin work brings fresh energy to Ailey troupe
By Tara Mitton Catao The dancers of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre were on full throttle as they worked the crowd at the Kravis Center on Monday night with a seasoned and savvy flair. The program, of course, included the infectious Revelations, which is Alvin Ailey’s most well-known work. Even after 50 years of regularly closing the show, this signature work managed … [Read more...]
‘The Wind Rises’ an astonishing swan song
The Wind Rises, the self-professed final film from Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), is as visually masterful as ever. It’s filmed in his preferred, largely hand-drawn and 2D style, with deep attention paid to the flickers of light and the accuracy of shadows, to the right amount of ash and flames swirling above an earthquake-stricken city and to the … [Read more...]
Slatkin, Detroit Symphony ready to show what they’re made of
The big industrial cities of the Midwest — Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis — grew up with the country in the mid-19th century, and added cultural institutions as they moved into the Gilded Age and the early 20th century. The symphonic ensembles their prominent citizens brought into being have long been prized institutions, and gained importance as this … [Read more...]
Violinist Lee gives Rinker audience Szymanowski, Ives to remember
The classical music world these days is replete with fine young female violinists, and one of the most promising ones I’ve heard visited the Rinker Playhouse on Feb. 17. Kristin Lee, a South Korea-born American of just 27 years who is a protégé of Itzhak Perlman, appeared in the Kravis Center’s Young Artists series, accompanied by the splendid pianist Kwan Yi. She chose a … [Read more...]