Long before I walked into the Park Avenue Armory for Mieczyslaw Weinberg's The Passenger in the much-acclaimed, much-traveled David Pountney production, the opera itself had left me puzzled and underwhelmed, namely in the DVD shot live in Bregenz that preceded the opera's many visits around the world. The final scenes of this opera about Auschwitz and its … [Read more...] about The Passenger: The reality behind the letdown
Christopher Rouse: New music for existential terror
For American composers, over-exposure is a rare and grand accomplishment, especially for someone like Christopher Rouse, whose music is neither pretty nor minimalist. So prolific was he during much of the 1990s that he suffered the typical suspicion: Can anybody write so much, so quickly and still be good? Luckily, there's a second act in this American life. How could there … [Read more...] about Christopher Rouse: New music for existential terror
Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos: A gentleman and an artist
The tireless, ageless and ubiquitous conductor Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos is suddenly no longer with us. His death at age 80 from cancer was announced on June 11 - only a week or so after he cancelled all conducting engagements. At that time, one could hope that it was a false alarm, that he was doing the right thing by letting orchestras know that there's trouble, thus avoiding … [Read more...] about Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos: A gentleman and an artist
Dudamel, Gergiev: Should they leave politics to the experts?
Though I typically love Washington Post music critic Anne Midgette's reasoning and writing, her March 14 column on whether classical musicians should take political stands - forcefully argued and written - is deeply disturbing from the first sentence. Midgette thoughtfully examines the public roles of musicians, asking if they have a duty to speak up for human rights, … [Read more...] about Dudamel, Gergiev: Should they leave politics to the experts?
Gerard Mortier’s Last Day in Salzburg (when Viennese Opera found its place on the lunatic fringe)
It promised to be a doozy. The provocative director of the Salzburg Festival - who died at age 70 on March 8 - was staring down his Austrian enemies for one last round. Politicians and critics had been lining up against him over his 11 years heading the festival that Herbert von Karajan so conservatively built. And by the summer of 2001 when the government was winging … [Read more...] about Gerard Mortier’s Last Day in Salzburg (when Viennese Opera found its place on the lunatic fringe)