Damnation without Purification
My review of Houston Symphony performing Verdi’s Requiem on Friday night.
Houston Symphony
A Clarinet to Remember
An invigorating trio of Ives, Copland and Dvořák at Houston Symphony Orchestra this weekend, with soloist Martin Fröst, in his HSO debut, leaving a deep impression. Read my review at Bachtrack.
Graf Conducts at Houston Symphony
It was a slow night of Hindemith, Saint-Saëns, and Schumann at Jones Hall on Friday. Read my review at Bachtrack.
Mozart and Shostakovich at HSO
Water sprites and revolutions–a delight indeed this weekend at Jones Hall. Read my review of Houston Symphony’s concert at Bachtrack.
Christmas Lists
HGO premieres A Christmas Carol with music by Iain Bell and libretto by Simon Callow. It is the worst kind of bad–a boring bad. Read my review at Houstonia Magazine. In happier holiday news, read my Top 5 classical and… Continue Reading
A Little Schumann with Your Beethoven?
A pizzicato—the string vibrating against the fingerboard, sound reverberating against the air for a tiny moment—opened all three pieces on the program last night at Jones Hall. Concluding Houston Symphony’s “Three Weeks of Beethoven,” the First and Fourth symphonies were… Continue Reading
Kozhukhin at Houston Symphony
An astounding performance by Denis Kozhukhin of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no. 2 at Houston Symphony. Read my review at Bachtrack. You can watch his sublime encore of Gluck’s “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” here: Kozhukhin Encore
Houston Symphony: More of the New, Please
World Premiere Karnavalingo by Gabriela Lena Frank up against Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2 and Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben in Houston Symphony’s Classical Season Opener. Read my review at Bachtrack.
Symphonic Spectacular!
Houston Symphony Pops’ closing concert of its centennial season veers from Rocky to a “Conductor Think Cap”–read my review at Houstonia Mag.
Houston Symphony plays Mahler’s 8th
A transcendental performance: read my review at Houstonia here.