Category Archives: Symphonic Music
Impending Eargasms: Vocal, Chamber and Symphonic happenings
A busy musical weekend looms, beginning tomorrow evening (8:00 p.m., Friday, Oct 26th) with a gala vocal scholarship benefit concert at the College of Charleston’s Simons Center Recital Hall. The College’s vocal/choral programs have never been better – and your support will help keep their efforts on an upward curve. Featured will be the College’s […]
Bavarian Philharmonic Energizes Beethoven
Those of you who followed Eargasms during Spoleto know that I was only able to keep up with the best stuff with the help of guest bloggers – mostly fellow musicians and knowledgeable classical fans around town. I’m finding that, even during the regular season, it’s well-nigh impossible to keep up with all the best […]
Eargasm Alert: Two CSO Happenings & a Kennedy Center Honoree!
The Serious music scene in Chucktown tends to explode in October – and this week promises to be the busiest one yet. I’ve been running myself ragged keeping up with it all. So watch for imminent commentary – either printed or online – about Chamber Music Charleston’s latest house concert and the New Music […]
Backstage Pass: Didja get YOURS?
It was great to see – and hear – the Charleston Symphony back at the Sottile Theatre again. The occasion was Friday evening’s opening concert of the CSO’s new “Backstage Pass” series, formerly known as “Casual Classics”.
The similarities? The emphasis is still on smaller-scale orchestral classics; mostly accessible, appealing material by “cool” modern […]
Eargasm Alert
I regret having allowed myself to be distracted last week from my self-imposed duty to tell you about several promising musical happenings that are now history. Like the September 30 evensong service at Grace Church and organist Bill Gudger’s organ recital. My apologies to the artists. I didn’t even toot the CSO’s horn for their […]
Janet Newcomb to be CSO’s new Executive Director
Please pardon my long silence: I’ve been busy writing lately about non-musical matters (like global warming: watch for it in an imminent issue of the City Paper) – but this musical news cries out to be blogged about. It should serve as an auspicious occasion to mark the re-launch of Eargasms as Chucktown’s first-ever year-round […]
Precision and Passion
Nina Ananiashvili and the State Ballet of Georgia opened this festival’s run of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake to a packed and appreciative house tonight, further cementing Nina’s primacy in the world of ballet. Her Odette tonight was fluid and oh, so precise, and never failed to capture a beautiful sense of doomed longing. Her Odile charmed […]
Mahler Lite?
Well, Mahler may have had his lighter moments, but he’s still Mahler. And that means big, complex, magnificent — and LOUD. Along with some pretty classy Strauss and Dukas, the Spoleto Festival brought Mahler’s “heavenly” Symphony No. 4 to vibrant life last night. To read my full review, just click HERE. I hope you were […]
Vetting Verdi
Some of the festival’s heaviest eargasms happened last night, courtesy of Maestro Joseph Flummerfelt, a huge orchestra plus chorus, and some pretty classy soloists — all conspiring to crank out Giuseppe Verdi’s towering, overpowering Requiem. But there were some problems, too. Curious? Check out my full review, right HERE.
One Last Spoletogasp
It’s hard to believe it’s over — that it’s been over, for more than a week. It seems like a rich, juicy dream of musical gluttony. But it must’ve happened: I emerged from my usual semi-comatose post-Spoleto state this morning to find my own festival music overview on the streets in today’s City Paper (and […]