Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901).By Greg StepanichTime was, and not all that long ago, that the only way South Florida could hear the Verdi Requiem in concert was to wait for the Florida Philharmonic to schedule it or hope that a big touring ensemble would put it on.This year, there have been two major local performances of this 1874 masterwork: Once in January at a … [Read more...]
Music roundup: A powerful premiere at Lynn; evocative Ravel at PB Symphony
Composer Chiayu Hsu.Lynn Philharmonia/Gunther Schuller (Jan. 29, Wold Performing Arts Center, Boca Raton)“I am Chiayu!” the small woman wearing a red dress jacket almost shouted to the audience at the Wold Performing Arts Center as she took the stage at Lynn University in Boca Raton to introduce her new composition.Chiayu Hsu, a Taiwan-born composer who … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Dec. 3-5
Sara Bareilles.Pop music: Fresh off her third Grammy nomination, announced Wednesday in Los Angeles, Sara Bareilles plays Boca Raton’s Mizner Park on Saturday night on a bill with Michael Franti and Spearhead, the always barefoot social-justice singer’s dub-ska outfit. The two acts are playing as part of WRMF-97.9 FM’s annual No Sno … [Read more...]
Music reviews: Confident ‘Creation,’ strong ‘Turandot,’ elegant Mozart
Soprano Maria Jette. Here are capsule reviews of three recent classical music events:Master Chorale of South Florida (Nov. 20, Wold Center for the Performing Arts, Boca Raton)The Creation is one of Franz Joseph Haydn’s finest works, and even in the abridged version the Master Chorale of South Florida presented Saturday night, the beauty and vigor of this … [Read more...]
Music feature: Master Chorale chief sees growth as group embarks on ‘Creation’
The Master Chorale of South Florida.By Greg StepanichWhen Joshua Habermann looks into the upturned 100 or so faces of the Master Chorale of South Florida, he sees a neighborhood.“Choirs are the ultimate community. There’s no question that singing brings people together,” Habermann said. “I look out at that choir on Monday nights and I see lawyers and … [Read more...]
Music roundup: Rare Taneyev, lively Mahler
The Amernet Quartet: Misha Vitenson, Marcia Littely,Jason Calloway and Michael Klotz.By Greg StepanichEditor’s note: Here are brief reviews from local concerts in the past weeks.Amernet Quartet(Oct. 24, Josephine Leiser Center, Fort Lauderdale)The Russian composer Sergei Taneyev has been largely overlooked in the United States, but he had much to offer, … [Read more...]
Music review: Lynn Phil opens season with strong Prokofiev
Albert-George Schram and the Lynn Philharmonia.By Greg StepanichYou can't get a majority of people to like Schoenberg, it seems, even 100 years later, but that should not obscure the main impression left Saturday night by the Lynn Philharmonia -- that this is an orchestra that keeps going from strength to strength.The Lynn orchestra, like all such student groups, has a … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Oct. 23-25
Trumpet Player, by Herman Schreiber.[This entry has been updated to correct a factual error.] This weekend, the south end of Palm Beach County has what you need for your art fix. Opening Friday night at the Urs Art Studio Gallery in Boynton Beach is an exhibit featuring eight artists: George Cheskes, Portland Jastram, Vera Rekstad, Naomie St. Amand, Maxine and Herman Schreiber, … [Read more...]
Music review: Sierra shows star quality with Lynn Philharmonia
Soprano Nadine Sierra. By Greg StepanichBOCA RATON -- One way to measure the still-developing art of the young soprano Nadine Sierra is this:After her climactic high B-flats at the end of Un bel di, Sierra waited out Puccini's brief postlude not as a singer waiting for the orchestra to finish or as a happy musician smiling at the audience. Instead, she was staring straight … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: March 27-29
Reflection: West Palm Beach, by Elle Schorr. Art: Five local artists are offering interpretations of their environment in a show wrapping up this week at the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, which is at 6301 Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach.The show, called Native Offerings II, is curated by Talya Lerman and features photography by Jacek Gancarz, Elle Schorr and Lyn … [Read more...]