Over the past several days I’ve had three intense, but very different, theatrical experiences. On Saturday night, I finally caught up with the Metropolitan Opera’s “new” production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” which was introduced last season. Then on Sunday afternoon I attended Atlantic Theater Company’s presentation of the Donmar Warehouse production of Conor McPherson’s “The Night Alive.” Finally, last night, I was at a performance of Shakespeare’s “MacBeth” presented by Lincoln Center Theater. All were … <Read More>
Pablo Heras-Casado
Orchestra of St. Luke’s Begins Carnegie Hall Season for 2013-14
I had a mixed reaction to tonight’s concert by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, led by Principal Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, at Carnegie Hall.
The centerpiece of the concert was Benjamin Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31, with soloists Ian Bostridge (tenor) and Stewart Rose (horn). As prelude, the orchestra performed Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After intermission, they played Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9.
The Britten was splendid, as one could … <Read More>
Orchestra of St. Luke’s – Heras-Casado Debut at Carnegie Hall
Last night I attended the Orchestra of St. Luke’s subscription concert at Carnegie Hall. Pablo Heras-Casado was making his first appearance at Carnegie Hall as principal conductor of the orchestra. Christian Zacharias was the piano soloist in Chopin’s Concerto No. 2, Op. 21. The program began with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, and continued after intermission with Hans Zender’s orchestration of five piano preludes by Debussy, concluding with the original 1841 version of Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. … <Read More>