In her concert programming and her recording, the Dutch-born cellist Iris van Eck has championed the music of repertory outsiders such as Max Reger and female composers in particular, such as her countrywoman Henriette Bosmans. On Sunday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale’s Leiser Opera Center, van Eck and her Chameleon Musicians chamber group closed their 13th season of concerts … [Read more...]
No-holds-barred Mahler 7th ends NWS season in blaze of glory
Gustav Mahler is a composer whose vast constructs encourage interpretations that allow space for Mystery to inhabit some of his symphonies’ many rooms. For Michael Tilson Thomas, the surface perplexities of Mahler’s Seventh can be likened to the jump-cut film styles of the German expressionist filmmakers Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau, who would follow Mahler in the cultural space … [Read more...]
Until the end, mother, son bonded over books
Mary Anne Schwalbe and her son Will shared a longtime passion for books. She had been a dean at Harvard and Radcliffe and he was editor-in-chief of a major New York book publisher. When Mary Anne was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2007, the two decided to read books together in what he later dubbed “The End of Your Life Book Club.” Will Schwalbe describes his growing … [Read more...]
Will the iPad mean the end of the page turner?
Of all the jobs that computer-related technology has caused to disappear, one other may soon need to be added to the list: Page turner. Concertgoers are used to seeing a turner come on stage, trailing the pianist, then sit unobtrusively to his or her left, and rise to turn the pages of the music when the time comes. It’s a job that is small but vital for musical continuity, … [Read more...]
Stravinsky, Schumann end chamber fest’s 20th summer in excellent style
Of the last concert in the 20th season of the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival it need only be said that as the Crest Theatre audience sat there Sunday afternoon listening to L’Histoire du Soldat, the brilliance of Stravinsky’s conception became clear. Which is only a fancy way of saying that the musicians and actors of the festival did this little masterwork proud, ending … [Read more...]
ArtsPreview 2010-11: The season in film
We are willing to look ahead at future film releases, but only as far as the end of the calendar year. Even then, the crystal ball gets fuzzy, as these release dates are highly likely to change as Hollywood strategizes and counter-programs. Nevertheless, there are bound to be Oscar nominees within these subjective picks of what will hit screens in the next three months … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Oct. 23-25
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, Stella White and Suzette Urs. Maxine Schreiber’s tropical landscapes are oils on canvas, … [Read more...]
Weekend picks: July 30-August 2
Music: Earlier this year, the now-defunct Boynton Regional Symphony Orchestra featured a performance by a 13-year-old Hollywood violinist in the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Gabrielle Chou proved to have a good command of the concerto, demonstrating thorough technique and some attractive elements of personal style. She's a triple threat, as it turns out: She's equally … [Read more...]