Lang Lang came to town last Sunday, and weren’t we the lucky ones. The Chinese pianist played a Steinway — a 10-foot concert grand, the biggest they make — to a packed house Feb. 22 at the Kravis Center. His strolling, casual entrance of nonchalance and self-assurance contrasted mightily with his playing speed, which belonged at the Daytona Speedway. From Artur Schnabel to … [Read more...]
Vänskä, Perianes astonish at New World
By Lawrence Budmen The New World Symphony’s concert on Saturday evening at Frank Gehry’s stunning New World Center looked fairly conventional on paper. The standard repertoire pairing of a Chopin concerto and Sibelius symphony hardly seemed daring or innovative, unlike the Miami Beach-based orchestral academy’s more adventurous programming; yet the combination of the … [Read more...]