Like a jukebox musical, a pasticcio opera takes hit tunes from an artist or era and stitches them together with a bespoke plot. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Portland Baroque Orchestra is set to perform ‘Dinner with Handel,’ a pasticcio where the great composer is caught in a surprise dinner party—revealing the man and his complicated relationships.
A Handelian Feast in Portland Read More »
Like Monteverdi, Emilio de’ Cavalieri took a ‘seconda pratica’ approach by breaking counterpoint rules to better convey the texts. He also experimented with new styles and techniques, such as dividing a whole-step into more than two pitches. Elam Rotem and his ensemble Profeti della Quinta specialize in this sort of treacherously difficult music to sing, and they deliver Cavalieri’s ‘Lamentations’ with exquisite precision. The effect is a little disorienting and thoroughly mesmerizing.
Celebrating the Microtonal with Cavalieri’s ‘Lamentations’ Read More »
Playing an exceptional 1806 Broadwood fortepiano, Anders Muskens makes Beethoven’s beloved ‘Waldstein’ and ‘Appassionata’ sonatas sound not just vital and exciting but revolutionary and new.
Revolutionary Beethoven on the Fortepiano Read More »
Even before the ubiquity of Zoom, we were all conditioned to think that in-person musical interactions are always superior to anything online. Always. But what if a musician can’t spend the money or time to connect in person? The author argues that newer technology allows us a more nuanced approach: we can pick solutions that are financially, logistically, and artistically preferable.
Canto: We Have the Technology Read More »
Perhaps more than any other Mozart opera, ‘Don Giovanni’ lends itself to an extremely wide range of cultural, psychological, and aesthetic interpretations. In his new book, ‘Don Giovanni Captured: Performance, Media, Myth,’ Richard Will examines approaches from the past 125 years through recordings and videos, tracing stylistic changes as well as how the anti-hero is inevitably seen as a mirror of ourselves.
Listening Anew to ‘Don Giovanni’ Read More »
