Madame Butterfly

We went to the seventh concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 classical concert series!  :)

We got B. Toffee for renewing our subscription!

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on March 17, 2019.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted the semi-staged opera with the Pacific Chorale.

PUCCINI:  Madame Butterfly

In the pre-concert lecture, KUSC's Alan Chapman said that this opera has the simplest plot.  He even made a unit of measure for opera story complexity, called the "Butterfly".  Madame Butterfly will be 1 Butterfly.  I wonder how Wagner's opera score on the butterfly scale!  :)

Nutcracker Fantasy

KUSC is broadcasting the fourth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted with pianist Markus Groh.

BRAHMS:  Piano Concerto No. 2

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS:  Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

TCHAIKOVSKY/ELLINGTON:  Suite from The Nutcracker 

It's the Nutcracker suite with a jazzy twist!  :)

Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto

KUSC is broadcasting the third concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Guest conductor Rune Bergmann conducted with violinist Philippe Quint.

MOZART: Overture to Don Giovanni

TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto

NIELSEN: Symphony No. 4, “The Inextinguishable”

We went to the Saturday concert!  :)

Bernstein @ 100

KUSC is broadcasting the second concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted with violinist Augustin Hadelich, vocalist Angel Garcia, soprano Celena Shafer, clarinetist Joseph Morris, and the Pacific Chorale.

Bernstein:  PRELUDE, FUGUE AND RIFFS

Bernstein:  SERENADE (AFTER PLATO’S “SYMPOSIUM”)

Bernstein:  CHICHESTER PSALMS

Bernstein:  SELECTIONS FROM ARIAS AND BARCAROLLES

An apprentice of Leonard Bernstein's, Carl is very passionate about "Lenny" and his works.  There is probably no person better fit for a centennial concert.

1,001 Nights

We went to the third concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 Sunday Matinees Series!  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on March 10, 2019.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted the symphony.

Rimsky-Korsakov:  “SCHEHERAZADE”

Before playing it in full, Carl gave a little preview of the piece, with snippets from each movement.  He also teased the audience with a partial Super Bowl score, "7".  :)

Scheherazade is the main character in "The Arabian Nights", or "One Thousand and One Nights".  The once-betrayed Sultan, as his revenge to all women, took a new wife every day and killed her at dawn.  To stop this, Scheherazade volunteered to become his wife, and told a story every night, leaving the punch line open for the next day.  She continues this for 1,001 nights, until the Sultan finally gives up on killing her.

Carl likened this to the Netflix model, which lures the viewers into continuing to watch the next episode.  :)

Rach 3 & Boléro

KUSC is broadcasting the first concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

We went to the Saturday and Sunday concerts!  :)

Pop quiz:  What color was the dress Olga was wearing at this concert?

Answer at the end of this post.

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Olga Kern.

TICHELI: Shooting Stars

RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3

MOZART: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola

RAVEL: Boléro 

Pop quiz answer:  She was wearing a purple dress on the Saturday night performance.