By Robert Croan Haydn’s six late-in-life settings of the Catholic Mass are outpourings of joy, reflecting the composer’s optimism and attitude towards life – even when, as in 1798, he labeled his Mass in D minor, “Mass in Troubled Times.” The “trouble” was Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt, designed to interfere with his enemies’ trade routes, directly or indirectly … [Read more...]
Artist Wynne makes poetry with poured glass
By Sandra Schulman Hand-poured glass spells poetic words, while embroidered photos tell stories. In a genre he has created and perfected, Rob Wynne is having a survey exhibit at Gavlak Palm Beach, The Underside of a Leaf, of new and historical works. A selection of Wynne’s iconic poured glass pieces is shown alongside his archival “photograms,” and text-based works from … [Read more...]
At the Flagler: Alphonse Mucha, mystical and modern master
By Sandra Schulman The Art Nouveau movement in turn-of-the-century Paris flourished with graceful elaborate lines, embellished flora and fauna, and romantic femme fatales advertising --- cocaine? Rolling papers? Alcohol? Hedonism indeed. The head of this heady movement was Alphonse Mucha, whose work is featured in the exhibition Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau … [Read more...]
Pianist Trifonov miraculous in Mozart with Rotterdam Phil
By Márcio Bezerra The Kravis Center’s exceptional Classical Concert Series featured the Rotterdam Philharmonic on March 4. Playing to a packed house, the regional orchestra gave a satisfying concert, displaying fine musicianship and a cohesive ensemble. Under the direction of its chief conductor, Lahav Shani, the group started the program with Swansong by Estonian … [Read more...]
FGO reinvigorates, expands ‘Pagliacci’ in gripping production
By Michelle F. Solomon On Valentine’s Day in 1942, tenor and voice teacher Arturo di Filippi, co-founder of the Opera Guild of Greater Miami, the precursor to Florida Grand Opera, produced its first production. It was Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, and it played for only one night at Miami High School. It was groundbreaking because only four years later, The Opera Guild … [Read more...]
Detroit SO, Weilerstein brilliant in concert to remember
By Márcio Bezerra Most people come from the Midwest to enjoy our mild winters. However, on the rainy afternoon of Feb. 11, one, for a little over two hours, envied the folks living in Detroit thanks to the thrilling concert given by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. It was a reminder that, no matter how well intentioned our local … [Read more...]
PB Symphony satisfies with Rimsky, Zwilich, Grieg
By Márcio Bezerra The Palm Beach Symphony continued its 50th anniversary celebration Feb. 5 with a satisfying concert at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Under the music direction of the competent Gerald Schwarz, the local ensemble has bloomed into a serious musical organization and its increasingly audacious programming is proof of that. On Monday, the main … [Read more...]
Pedestrian conducting makes Cleveland Orchestra concert a mixed effort
By Márcio Bezerra For an orchestra that markets itself as “the best in America,” the concert given by the Cleveland Orchestra at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts was only a partial success. Playing for a (finally!) packed house, the venerable ensemble presented a conventional program performed with great technical prowess, but that ultimately failed to … [Read more...]
LW Playhouse presents a rousing ‘Oklahoma!’
By Dale King If you’ve never ridden in a surrey with a fringe on top; if you’ve never viewed a sunrise and declared, “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” or if you’ve never bought a picnic lunch at auction to share with the lovely young lady who filled it with luscious goodies, then you’ve never enjoyed the wonderful music, rousing dance numbers and varied plot lines of the … [Read more...]
Boca Museum of Art’s Lippman to step down in 2025
By Sandra Schulman Inca gold. Massive movie backdrops. Glass jaguar heads. These are some of the astonishing art works that have been shown under the stellar direction of Boca Raton Museum of Art’s Irv Lippman, who announced this week he will retire in 2025. He has built a powerful legacy, transforming the museum literally inside and out to become a world-class … [Read more...]