The Magic Flute

We went to the Pacific Symphony concert on Saturday!  :)

There is one more performance on Tuesday.

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on March 11, 2018.

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

Puppet designer:  Robin Walsh

Lighting designer:  Kathy Pryzgoda

Costume designer:  Katie Wilson

Wig and makeup designer:  Ora Jewell-Busche

This was a "semi-staged" opera, which means the orchestra was on stage, instead of being in the pit.  This allowed stage director Robert Neu to put in a lot of creativity.  He also talked during the pre-concert talk with Alan Chapman, how he took the liberty of "contemporizing" the show.  Tamino and Pamina were wearing office attire, Papageno was calling on Alexa to turn on the lights, etc.

I loved how Papageno was breaking the fourth wall all over the place!  :)

At one point he was conducting the orchestra while Carl was holding the magic bells up high!

And of course, the Queen of the Night aria was amazing!  The visual effect amplified the experience, with her huge puppet floating behind her like a guardian angel.

They still have one more performance on Tuesday.  But in case you miss it, you can listen on the replay on KUSC, March 11.

Beethoven's Violin Concerto

KUSC is broadcasting the fifth 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!  :)

Guest conductor Michael Francis conducted with violinist Ray Chen.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61

Edward Elgar:  Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55

Gershwin's Concerto

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

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Guest conductor Anu Tali conducted with pianist Xiayin Wang.

Bedřich Smetana:  The Moldau from Má Vlast

George Gershwin:  Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra

Antonín Dvořák:  Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70

You can sample Xiayin's piano on Amazon!

Cathedrals of Sound

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

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with the Nobertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey and organist Christoph Bull.

An Introduction to Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8

Anton Bruckner:  Symphony No. 8 in C Minor

tye_Bruckner_Making-of from trust your ears on Vimeo.

I've been to the first concert when the Nobertine Fathers came.  They were chanting in the dimmed lobby before the concert began, with a spotlight shining from above.  It was definitely a wonderful spiritual experience.

Mozart & Rachmaninoff

KUSC is broadcasting the second 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.  :)

Guest conductor Rune Bergmann conducted with pianist Garrick Ohlsson.

André Previn:  Almost an Overture (West Coast Premiere)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2

Beethoven's Fifth

KUSC is broadcasting the first 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 Sunday concert.  :)

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted with bass-baritone Greer Grimsley.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67

Richard Strauss:  Don Juan, TrV 156, Op. 20

Richard Wagner:  Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music from Die Walküre

Beethoven's Violin Concerto

We went to the Pacific Symphony concert last Saturday!  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on February 25, 2018.

Guest conductor Michael Francis conducted with violinist Ray Chen.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61

Edward Elgar:  Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55

I loved the Beethoven concerto.  It is always refreshing to hear a non-Kreisler cadenza played.  :)

In addition to the 1st and 3rd movement cadenzas, Ray Chen inserted a transition piece between the 2nd and 3rd.  For an encore, he treated us with Paganini's Caprice No. 21.  The replay on KUSC is definitely something I will be looking forward to!  :)

There was lots of fun in the pre-concert lecture as well!  Alan Chapman interviewed the star guests, and here are some fun facts I found out.

Michael brought the rain to California last week!  He told the orchestra, if you do an English piece with an English conductor, you're getting English weather.  :)

He also reminded us that Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance was not composed for US graduation ceremonies.

Ray, at 28 years old, has more concerts with first-time conductors.  He's starting round 2's and 3's with orchestras, though.

He talked about his pre-concert ritual, a count-down before entering the stage.  Being a young performer, Ray still gets nervous, and this helps him get a psychological advantage.

He was coming down with a cold or something, but his performance was awesome!  :)

You can sample Ray Chen's violin on Amazon!

==>http://amzn.to/2BfdyOU