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Sunday, March 11, 2018

The Magic Flute

KUSC is broadcasting the seventh concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 6 PM (PDT).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

We went to the Saturday concert!  :)


Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with stage director Robert Neu.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute

Tamino:  John Tessier, tenor
Papageno:  Hadleigh Adams, baritone
Pamina:  Tess Altiveros, soprano
Queen of the Night:  Kathryn Lewek, soprano
Sarastro:  Evan Boyer, bass
Three Ladies:  Amy Shoremount-Obra, soprano, Deborah Nansteel, mezzo-soprano, Julia Benzinger, mezzo-soprano
Monastatos:  Julius Ahn, tenor
Child Spirits:  Members of the Southern California Children’s Chorus
Papagena:  Bridgette Gan, soprano
Speaker of the Temple, Priest, Armed Guard, Slave:  Colin Ramsey, bass
Priest, Armed Guard, Slave:  David Guzman, tenor

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Brahms & Prokofiev

KUSC is broadcasting the sixth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

We went to the Saturday concert!  :)


Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Alexander Romanovsky.

Johannes Brahms:  Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90

Paul Chihara:  Wild Wood (West Coast premiere)
Serge Prokofiev:  Concerto No. 2 in G Minor for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 16

Friday, March 2, 2018

Organ Superstar: Paul Jacobs

This is a recital concert we want back in January.  It is part of the Pacific Symphony's Pedals and Pipes Organ Series, featuring Paul Jacobs.


The screen was placed on the stage, so the folks far away can see Paul play the organ.  And of course, it showed his footwork as well!

Paul Jacobs has been coming to Orange County every other year for some time now.  On top of being a spectacular organist, he is a wonderful person.  I can't speak for his students at Juilliard, but he's always gentle and patient, and I've never seen him seem a slight bit irritated!  :)


Johann Sebastian Bach:  Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565
Johann Sebastian Bach:  Trio Sonata in E Minor, BWV 528
Johann Sebastian Bach:  ”Arioso” from Cantata, BWV 156
Johann Sebastian Bach:  Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532

Franz Liszt:  Fantasia and Fugue on “Ad Nos, Ad Salutarem Undam”


The first half of the concert was all J. S. Bach, changing the Trio Sonata from the program notes (because he can!).  It showed Bach's virtuosic side, technical side, tender side, and cheerful side.  After the majestic piece by the half-gypsy half-priest Liszt, Paul closed the concert with another Bach encore, the Gigue Fugue.

Paul has played the entire organ works of Bach in one day several years ago.  I wish I could have sit in on that.  :)
If he publishes a Bach organ work box set, I'm sure to buy without hesitation!


I think Messiaen is another composer he did a complete-works-in-one-day on.  :)