Category Archives: Chamber Music
St. Petersburg Quartet does right by Debussy, Messiaen
At last! — I finally made it to my first Piccolo event today. As I’ve told you, my marching orders are to cover the classical end of the big festival — ALL of it — and that means I miss the many world-class acts that have been gracing Piccolo for many years. But I absolutely […]
Chamber VII: Rare Birds
The seventh program of the Bank of America Chamber Music Series blew into town early this afternoon, providing a choice selection of delights. Dr. Wadsworth slated some rare birds in with more familiar material, opening a lot of eyes (and hopefully ears as well!). A hot day did nothing to dampen the audience’s spirits, and […]
Swimming in Water Music: Soundscapes from Music In Time
I use the word “soundscapes” – well, mostly because series host John Kennedy used it while introducing program IV of the ever-adventurous Music in Time series yesterday; but also because some of this material struck me as being more soundscapes than music. The term applied in particular to the opening work, Six Japanese Gardens, by […]
He Who Laughs Last…
After the searing and emotionally draining Piano Quintet by Alfred Schnittke on Thursday, it was with a decidedly dubious sense of anticipation that I approached this afternoon’s concert by the St. Petersburg String Quartet. I “enjoy” Schnittke (quite a lot, actually…), but actively listening to his biter sarcasm can easily become an emotional marathon; barefoot […]
Choicest Chamber Yet
My ‘puter woes continue in the wake of my recent laptop loss (by theft): I’m reduced to commandeering my roommate’s old dinosaur of a PC to work on from home — and all it’s got is wordpad. Forgive me if I omit some of those fancy accent marks and assorted squiggles that go with exotic […]
The Imani Winds – By Themselves
Lucky Lindsay: I got to hear the terrific Imani Winds – not just once, but twice. Thursday’s third Music in Time program was devoted entirely to them – and I was part of their absolutely enchanted Simmons Recital Hall audience. It was quite a different experience, compared to their big gig at the Gaillard […]
Chamber Champs Do it Again
Forgive me if I don’t include as many of my usual artist links for awhile. I’m in the throes of a temporary crisis: my laptop was stolen Thursday, and my only backup for now is an old dinosaur of a PC at home that runs with all the speed of an arthritic turtle – and […]
Torturous Beauty
Prelude
The muted steel-gray of an overcast day greeted my rising with serious intent. The rising and falling of several intense emotional states in friends and co-workers throughout the day kept my mind on practicing equanimity. As I strolled to this evenings concert, a one-armed flower seller cursed at me for smiling and nodding in silent […]
Something Old, Something New
I’ve been focusing on Piccolo Spoleto’s Spotlight Concert Series this week, and have to say that the sheer variety of offerings within this one series has my head spinning! This evening’s concert by The Converse Trio proved no exception. Violinist Sarah Johnson was here for the birth of our dear festivals. She and her colleagues […]
A Walk on Chamber Music’s Wild Side
Don’t get me wrong: Tuesday’s generous Chamber VIII concert had lots of terrific traditional music going for it – but, between plums by Vivaldi and Schumann came a piece from Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer that temporarily turned my musical world upside down.
But first came a well-known item from the so-called “red priest” of […]