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.
Author: Sydney Boyd
Form and Story: Laurie Anderson at UH
Laurie Anderson resists categorization. The Mitchell Artist Lecture is an annual event that aims to bring “icons of the avant garde” to the University of Houston. And you can read the long list of reasons why Anderson fits this bill… Continue Reading
A New Make
Alex Waterman, director of Robert Ashley’s Vidas Perfectas, introduced tonight’s performance by remembering what Ashley said to him about re-making his television opera Perfect Lives: “Don’t sell them a used car–make them a new one.” The performance tonight in… Continue Reading
Summer Intermission: Some Notes
As the summer opera-hiatus drags on—alas, will October never arrive?—a few notes: Opera is not far away! Alex Waterman directs the late Robert Ashley’s Vidas Perfectas over two weekends in west Texas. Vidas Perfectas is a Spanish iteration of Ashley’s… Continue Reading
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.
Casual Friday
On Wednesday at the luminous G Gallery in the heights, four celebrated poets read from their work—Ange Mlinko, Paul Otremba, Joseph Campana, and Nick Flynn. And then, standing in a meager circle of electronic equipment and percussion instruments, musician… Continue Reading
HGO’s Carmen at Houstonia Magazine
It might be that Das Rheingold is just a hard act to follow. Or maybe not–read my review of HGO’s season-closer Carmen at Houstonia Magazine.
Need a Spring pick-me-up? See Houston Symphony: Bronfman plays Beethoven’s 4
I grew up listening to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, otherwise known as the Emperor Concerto, every Saturday afternoon. With its lyrical opening line, fast turns, and harmonic vivacity, the last movement of his Piano Concerto No. 4 has always… Continue Reading
Das Rheingold at HGO Redefines Wagner’s Total Work of Art
What is a total work of art? Those familiar with Richard Wagner will jump in first to correct the English with the German “Gesamtkunstwerk” and describe, starry-eyed, Wagner’s vision of a totalizing performance space in which all the arts—architecture,… Continue Reading