Tchaikovsky Spectacular!

We went to the final concert of the Pacific Symphony's Summerfest 2018 at the Pacific Amphitheatre!  :)

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Vadym Kholodenko, and the Huntington Beach Concert Band.

Dmitri Shostakovich:  Festive Overture, Op. 96

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:  Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov:  “Procession of the Nobles” from Mlada

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov:  Russian Easter Overture, Op. 36

Alexander Borodin:  “Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:  1812 Overture, Op. 49

The second half of the program was accompanied with an experimental app, "Encue".  It shows real-time program notes, describing the pieces as they progress.  They first tried it out at an open rehearsal back in January, but I guess there was some tweaking to be done for the general performance.

This was nice, but I needed to see the canon and fireworks!  :)

You can install the app from iTunes for Apple, and Google Play for Android.  You have to be at the venue to download the show notes, though.

Sounds of Hollywood

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

We went to the Sunday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with violinist Anne Akiko Meyers.

Mikhail Glinka:  Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla

Morten Lauridsen:  O Magnum Mysterium

Maurice Ravel:  Tzigane, rapsodie de concert, for Violin & Orchestra

Leonard Bernstein:  Somewhere from West Side Story

Richard Strauss:  Ein Heldenleben, TrV 190, Op. 40

This was also the debut classical concert for the new Concertmaster, Dennis Kim.  :)

Rach 2

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

We went to the Saturday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Guest conductor Ben Gernon conducted, with pianist Boris Giltburg.

Sergei Prokofiev:  Russian Overture

Sergei Rachmaninoff:  Concerto No. 2 in C Minor for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 18

Igor Stravinsky:  Petrushka (1947 version)

The super-tuba played in Petrushka by Jim Self.

Alan Chapman interviewed both guest artists in the pre-concert lecture.

Conductor Ben Gernon was born in a musical family, with both parents being music teachers.  He started the Tuba when he was 7, because nobody in his Dad's brass band wants to play it.  :)

Ben started conducting when he was 15, in the school orchestra!

Boris Giltburg is somebody who loves playing the piano.  He makes practicing his first priority, saying it's hard to know when it's good enough, and time to stop.  Boris talked about the differences between the German and Russian music schools.  The German school leans more intellectual, and the Russian school leans more emotional.  They also touched on his "dream piano", posted on his blog.

You can sample Boris' piano in Amazon.  :)

Watts Plays Beethoven

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

We went to the Saturday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with pianist André Watts.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra,

Dmitri Shostakovich:  Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93

There was a video of Dmitri Shostakovich playing in the lobby.

KUSC's Alan Chapman interviewed André Watts in the pre-concert lecture, and André was hilarious as always.  He talked about the teaching music.  The hypocrisy of teaching, telling something to the student and not doing it yourself.  How he juggles teaching and performing.  The range of talent in his students.  His amazing experiences with Glenn Gould.

André Watts is one of the few artists that takes advantage of the BYOS (Bring Your Own Steinway) policy.  :)

Glass & Shankar

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

We went to the Saturday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with Sitarist Anoushka Shankar, Baritone Christòpheren Nomura, Soprano Elissa Johnston, Bass Baritone Donovan Singletary, Alto I-Chin Lee, Tenor Nicholas Preston, and the Pacific Chorale.

Philip Glass:  Meetings Along the Edge (based on a theme by Ravi Shankar), from Passages

Ravi Shankar:  Sitar Concerto No. 3

For an encore, Anoushka played her own composition, "Monsoon".

Philip Glass:  The Passion of Ramakrishna

The symphony took the whole concert to Carnegie Hall on April 21.  Although anyone can rent the hall based on availability, the Pacific Symphony was INVITED for the Philip Glass's 80th birthday event!

A CD recording of "The Passion of Ramakrishna" is also available, from the 2011 concert.

Pinchas Zukerman

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

We went to the open rehearsal, and the Sunday concert.

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with violinist Pinchas Zukerman.

Maurice Ravel:  Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  Violin Concerto No. 3, K. 216

Modest Mussorgsky:  Pictures at an Exhibition

You won't be able to see it on radio, but played with visuals created by the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

The symphony also took this concert to China in May.

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