Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:03:59 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jay Nordlinger :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Jay+Nordlinger istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/maazel-at-bat-for-a-final-season/86147/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST On Wednesday night, the New York Philharmonic began its 2008–09 season, and Lorin Maazel began his last as music director of the orchestra. He arrived in 2002. His successor will be Alan Gilbert, who is coming to us from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Because it was opening night, Mr. Maazel and his charges started out with the national anthem. As he has the last several years, Mr. Maazel conducted the anthem nobly, elegantly, and purposefully. Some people think he adds a little... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/ripped-from-a-romance-cover/86741/ Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST 'Don Giovanni," Mozart's opera about that appalling man, was revived again at the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday afternoon. The production is that from 2004 by Marthe Keller. And in the pit was Louis Langrée. New York audiences know him best as the music director of the Mostly Mozart Festival. A Frenchman, he exhibits many of the traits associated with his country, including elegance and refinement. He is one of the best phrasers in Mozart now working. And, on Saturday afternoon, he had a... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/the-art-of-the-octet/86740/ Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST In the field of composition, trios and quintets are fairly common. Quartets are very much so. And duos, sextets, and so on are rather less so. Last week, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center kicked off its season with a program of octets. The most famous of all, of course, is the Mendelssohn — produced when the composer was 16. Now there was a gifted adolescent. The Mendelssohn was not on CMS's program. But other interesting material was, including two octets by great 20th-century... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/carnegie-hall-goes-all-bernstein/86618/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Another opening, another show — Carnegie Hall kicked off its 2008-09 season on Wednesday night. The hall looked absolutely beautiful. And it sounded beautiful, too. One can forget how good these acoustics are, over the course of a summer. The program was all-Bernstein. And why's that? Because the composer's dates are 1918 to 1990 — making this the 90th anniversary of his birth. And you know how music loves an anniversary — any anniversary, even 90th ones. Anniversaries are virtually the... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/in-the-buff-and-boffo/86547/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST When Karita Mattila does "Salome" at the Metropolitan Opera, she goes all the way — that is, she appears stark naked (briefly) at the end of the Dance of the Seven Veils. The former general manager of the Met, Joseph Volpe, put a photo of this moment in his memoirs. Ms. Mattila's striptease is known throughout the operagoing world. Chances are, there are more pairs of binoculars than usual at the Met when she performs "Salome." I'm not sure that the "full frontal" adds anything (except... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/what-becomes-a-legend-most/86440/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Two years ago, the American soprano Renée Fleming made an album called "Homage." The idea was to pay tribute to legendary sopranos of the past. Ms. Fleming, too, is a legend — or will be one, in the fullness of time. She has her off nights, like everyone else. But, unlike everyone else, she is an immortal. Ms. Fleming had the honor of opening the Metropolitan Opera's 2008-09 season on Monday night. She starred in a gala, consisting of three stretches from three operas. These stretches were Act... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/maazel-and-bronfman-light-it-up/86278/ Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Many years ago, my colleague Fred Kirshnit said that a concert had started with the "obligatory opening modern piece." I immediately shortened this to "OOMP." Well, Friday afternoon's concert by the New York Philharmonic had an OOMP — and it was a better-than-average one. It was "Rhapsodies" for Orchestra by Steven Stucky, an American who teaches at Cornell. His piece was jointly commissioned by the Philharmonic and the BBC Proms. It begins with percussion, which is no great surprise: Almost... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-requiem-for-pavarotti/86281/ Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Last week, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus gathered in their house. They were led by their chief, James Levine. And they performed Verdi's Requiem. That is no opera, although it has operatic stretches. What were they doing? They were giving this performance in honor of Luciano Pavarotti, the legendary tenor who died about a year ago. Pavarotti sang many Verdi Requiems, including on special occasions — much like this. He no doubt would have appreciated it. The first measures of the... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-quirky-kid-a-comic-opera-and-an-old-master/86078/ Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Lang Lang, rolling through his career, has now made a recording of the two Chopin piano concertos. He has done so for Deutsche Grammophon. And the 26-year-old phenom is joined by a wise old conductor and a wise old orchestra: Zubin Mehta and the Vienna Philharmonic. That's a lot of conductorial and orchestral firepower for the Chopin concertos, isn't it? We're always told that Chopin knew nothing about orchestration, and that these are nothing parts — the concertos are piano vehicles, pure and... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-no-show-a-young-star-and-a-mercurial-russian/85962/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST There will be many, many concerts and recitals from now till New Year's. Shall I try to pick some winners for you? I'll do my best — but we offer no money-back guarantees. Begin at Carnegie Hall, that fabled home of music. October 2 will see "Leon Fleisher & Friends." Mr. Fleisher will be joined by three other pianists for duets and so forth, and one of those pianists will be Yefim Bronfman. Three days later, on October 5, the Met Orchestra will appear, under James Levine. Their soloist will be... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/fleming-mattila-and-damrau-ignite-the-opera-season/85972/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The "first semester" of the 2008-09 classical-music season is loaded with opera. I will give my sense of the highlights. They will not include anything from City Opera, as that company is somewhat sidelined this year. They are transitioning. What they're transitioning to, we can't be quite sure. But we can hope for the best. At the Metropolitan Opera, Renée Fleming will star in a gala (September 22). It is devoted to her. Ms. Fleming is a great singer and a great opera performer, as will be... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/joshua-bells-four-seasons/85590/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Everyone and his brother has recorded Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" — meaning, of course, every violinist and his brother. You can no more skip "The Four Seasons" than you can the Mendelssohn Concerto. And now Joshua Bell, the famed American, age 40, has gone and put Vivaldi's work on Sony. The composer wrote this hit in 1723, and it comprises four little violin concertos, really. Each has three movements, and is intended to be "programmatic" — to represent a season. Do the concertos work on this... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/glorious-sounds-from-salzburg/84759/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — The Vienna Philharmonic has no permanent conductor — instead they have an endless string of guests. But if they did have a permanent conductor, they could do worse than Mariss Jansons, the formidable Latvian-born musician. It was he who conducted them in a concert at the Salzburg Festival last weekend. Mr. Jansons has plenty of work to do — he heads two big orchestras, the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. In earlier days... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/mozarts-magic-flute-done-right-in-his-hometown/84561/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — A few years ago, the Salzburg Festival had a production of Mozart's "Magic Flute" that was roundly disliked — disliked by the public. Even some critics risked being thought square by objecting. Then, the festival acquired a new production: by Pierre Audi, a Beirut-born British citizen. It was more like it. Like what? Like "The Magic Flute." It is whimsical, friendly, and interesting. There are goofy touches — such as the little red circus car in which Papageno rides around... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/christine-schafer-subpar-but-great-in-salzburg/84487/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — It is a privilege to sing a voice recital at the Salzburg Festival — particularly a recital of German art song. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau did it, a lot. And, last week, Christine Schäfer, the German soprano, did it. She certainly deserves the privilege. Her program was a Schwarzkopfian one: Bach, Mahler, and Wolf. And she began with five songs of Mahler, four of them from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." As always, Ms. Schäfer was tasteful and intelligent. I... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/an-uglified-rusalka-in-the-worlds-most-beautiful/84488/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — The Cleveland Orchestra is not very often found in an opera pit: They are a symphonic band, occupying the famed Severance Hall. But there they were in the pit of the House for Mozart, here at the Salzburg Festival. They were not playing Mozart: They were playing Dvořák's "Rusalka," the opera about a water nymph who longs to be human, gets her way, and pays a heavy price. Apparently, some members of the Vienna Philharmonic grumbled about the Clevelanders' moment in the... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/ohioans-in-austria/84404/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Salzburg, Austria — The Vienna Philharmonic is king of the Salzburg Festival — the king orchestra — but other bands are let in, for a few moments in the sun. This year, the Cleveland Orchestra, Ohio's own, has more than a few: They are enjoying a full-scale residence. Of course, their music director, Franz Welser-Möst, is Austrian — a Linz boy. And in 2010, he will assume the biggest Austrian job of all (musical division): general music director of the Vienna State Opera. But he will remain... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/don-giovanni-deep-in-the-woods/84285/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni" was first performed at the Salzburg Festival in 1922, two years after the festival began. In the pit was that great Mozart lover and exponent Richard Strauss. And the stage director was a man named Hans Breuer. This year, the stage director is Claus Guth, a German. And he is undisputed boss, as directors tend to be on this continent. I will describe a little of his first act — and I do mean his, not Mozart's or that of his librettist, Da Ponte... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/muti-lights-otello-on-fire-in-salzburg/84299/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — Back when he was starting with the Philadelphia Orchestra, 25 years ago, Riccardo Muti was the target of a particular criticism: Everything he conducted sounded like Verdi. Whether that was true or not, this is clear: The man can well and truly conduct Verdi, as he proved in Salzburg's Great Festival Hall on Sunday afternoon when he presided over "Otello." Mr. Muti was on fire, and so was the Vienna Philharmonic, and so was Verdi's score. The opera began with a fantastic... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/rafal-blechacz-starry-young-lisztian/84111/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — Rafal Blechacz, born in 1985, is a Polish pianist and a rising star. He had the honor of a recital at the Salzburg Festival last week — in the Grosser Saal of the Mozarteum, one of the most beautiful concert venues (or venues period) in all the world. Young Mr. Blechacz studied at the Artur Rubinstein School — which is natural — and, three years ago, won the Chopin Competition, held in Warsaw. That, too, might be regarded as natural. This has been a pretty good summer in... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/their-gig-their-glory/84041/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST SALZBURG, Austria — The Vienna Philharmonic is hard at work, as it usually is at the Salzburg Festival. This is their summer home — their gig, their glory. Late last week, they played programs of Bartók and Brahms. Those programs give us plenty to chew on. This is something of a Bartók summer here in Salzburg. About a dozen of that composer's works are sprinkled throughout the festival, including concertos, sonatas, ballets — and the composer's lone opera, "Bluebeard's Castle." There is even a... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/the-many-gifts-of-krystian-zimerman/83811/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Salzburg, Austria — Krystian Zimerman, the famed Polish pianist, has said that he will not play in America: He is angry at America and American policy. But he is perfectly happy to play in Austria, that model among nations. He played a recital on Tuesday night in the Great Festival Hall, Salzburg's premier venue. The Salzburg Festival begins in late July and continues until the end of August. People here believe that this is the world's most prestigious music festival. And they are not to be... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/making-room-for-mikhail-pletnev/83554/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Mikhail Pletnev is one of the most extraordinary musicians we have. He is a pianist of the first rank, and a worthy conductor. He composes as well. I have never heard any of his music, but how bad can it be? His overall musicianship is too good to allow bad composition — or at least to allow the public airing of bad composition. He is also something of an entrepreneur or impresario — founding the Russian National Orchestra in 1990, even before the disintegration of the USSR. With this... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/lionel-bringuier-the-cant-miss-kid/83320/ Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Lionel Bringuier, the French conductor, made his New York debut on Tuesday night. But readers of this newspaper have had a taste of him before. In January 2007, he conducted in Davos, Switzerland. I wrote, "It's always risky to say that someone, in any field, is can't miss, but it's not so risky in this case." At the time, Maestro Bringuier was 20 years old. He is now a seasoned 21. And he is, indeed, can't miss. In fact, he has already arrived. Mr. Bringuier is assistant to Maestro Esa-Pekka... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/two-fine-pairs/83135/ Mon, 4 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra played on Friday night, and two composers were on the bill: Mozart and Webern. The festival, of course, posited al ink between those two composers. Of course, you can posit a link between any two composers: Monteverdi and Mantovani, Byrd and Birtwistle. Such positings are what makes programmers feel useful and happy. Conducting the Festival Orchestra was its music director, Louis Langrée, and his guest soloist was Christiane Oelze, the German soprano. Both... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/pearls-from-the-penthouse-late-night-mostly-mozart/83017/ Fri, 1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Jane Moss, the artistic director of the Mostly Mozart Festival, had a bright idea: the late-night, one-hour concert. These are 10:30 affairs, held at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, yet another space in Lincoln Center. The name of these concerts? "A Little Night Music," of course. And, sitting there amid the twinkling lights, you feel quite urban. Even the square can fancy themselves night prowlers. Also, these concerts afford a rare closeness to the performers — a physical proximity. Which... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/for-a-festivals-opening-mozart-and-mahler/82917/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The opening concert was mostly Mahler — by about a half-hour. But the concert included Mozart, too. This was the kickoff gala of the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. The festival is in its 42nd season. Its music director, Louis Langrée, is in his sixth. Mr. Langrée is a French conductor who combines elegance, intelligence, and brio. That is an excellent combination, indeed. He is energetic, but not manic — there is a lot of mania on podiums these days. You might say it beats... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/hamelin-from-mozart-to-ives/82686/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Marc-André Hamelin, the Canadian pianist, is known for playing literature off the beaten track: the Alkan Concerto for solo piano, the Godowsky Grand Sonata — that sort of thing. He is also known for a monster technique. But he began his recital on Saturday night with a Mozart sonata. This recital took place at Mannes College, and was the last recital of the International Keyboard Institute & Festival. The Mozart sonata was the one in A minor, K. 310 — and, from Mr. Hamelin, it was strong... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/joyce-jones-an-organ-playing-rose-of-texas/82687/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Joyce Jones calls herself "the accidental organist." Why? Because, years ago, when she was an undergrad at the University of Texas, she sprained her hand badly. She was a piano student. During the six-week recovery period, she studied the organ, doing pedal exercises. And that set the course of her life. At every recital she plays, she offers a piece that features the pedals. "It is my way of thanking God," Ms. Jones says, "for showing me what he wanted me to do with my life." Ms. Jones... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/entremont-encore/82605/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST In the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, Philippe Entremont was a big star. Then the career of this French pianist went kind of quiet. He took conducting posts — with minor orchestras, including chamber orchestras. We can only hope that Mr. Entremont has had the kind of career he desired. He came to New York for a recital on Wednesday night. The evening was part of the International Keyboard Institute & Festival, held at Mannes College. The place was packed to the rafters. And, despite problems, Mr... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/the-undiscovered-henry-purcell/82337/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Henry Purcell is known for his songs, hymns, anthems, odes, operas — in short, for his vocal music. Which is all the more reason to welcome an excellent forthcoming CD of his keyboard music. Just to refresh your memory, Purcell was a composer of the English Baroque, living from 1659 to 1695. And he was a towering genius. We think of Mozart, Schubert, and Mendelssohn as composers who died young (35, 31, and 38). Purcell's short span — 36 years — was another blow in musical history. We appreciate... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/pedals-pumps-and-pipes-too-jane-watts-at-trinity/82243/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST It is maybe the most charming name on the current New York scene: "Pedals and Pumps: A Festival of Organ Divas." This is a series of organ recitals held at Trinity Church, at Broadway and Wall Street. They take place on Thursday at 1 o'clock. All the organists are women. And last Thursday's recitalist was Jane Watts, of Britain. Since 1991, she has been affiliated with the Bach Choir (London). Trinity literature says that the series "highlights contemporary female musicianship" — a gag-making... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/pressler-plays/82141/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The Beaux Arts Trio was formed in 1955, and is calling it quits this summer. Throughout these decades, the ensemble has had one pianist, Menahem Pressler, born in 1923. He played a concert at Mannes College on Wednesday night. This was part of the International Keyboard Institute & Festival. Introducing the concert, Joseph Patrych remarked that, with the Beaux Arts Trio no more, we could look forward to a long solo career from Mr. Pressler. He was not quite solo on this occasion — for his first... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/the-philharmonics-all-star-game/82036/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The New York Philharmonic played a big venue on Tuesday night, and played to a big crowd: This was a concert in Central Park. Apparently, there were 60,000 people there — more, as was pointed out from the stage, than those at Yankee Stadium for the All-Star Game. The two events took place at the same time. (The game lasted a lot longer.) Before the concert, there were many preliminaries — including speeches of the "New York's the greatest city in the world" type. Several people took credit for... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/new-discs-from-old-warriors-domingo-and-abbado/81756/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Plácido Domingo is an old warrior of a tenor, and Claudio Abbado is an old warrior of a conductor. They both have new discs out — and we'll begin with the tenor. He was born in a trunk, so to speak. His parents were zarzuela singers, and ran a zarzuela company. Mr. Domingo has long paid homage to this tradition. And his latest disc is called "Pasión Española." (The label is Deutsche Grammophon.) The CD consists of coplas, which are different from zarzuelas. The distinction will be unimportant... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/dinnersteins-act-2/81765/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST One of the most satisfying and impressive discs of 2007 came from Simone Dinnerstein. (She pronounces her first name "Simona," by the way.) Ms. Dinnerstein is a 30-something pianist who lives in Brooklyn. And, for the Telarc label, she recorded Bach's "Goldberg Variations." This disc created excitement throughout the music world, excitement that was justified. Now she has a recital disc, also on Telarc. The disc has a rather pompous title: "Simone Dinnerstein: The Berlin Concert." You know... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-souvenir-from-vladimir-horowitz/81280/ Mon, 7 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Vladimir Horowitz, the great and wizardly pianist, lived from 1903 to 1989. He played his last recital on June 21, 1987, at age 83. And now we have that recital on disc. The event took place in Hamburg, allowing the record label, Deutsche Grammophon, to call the album "Horowitz in Hamburg." A little alliteration is always appreciated. Horowitz was one of the great uneven performers in all history. Sometimes he could be unsurpassably good; sometimes he could be shockingly bad. You never knew... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/the-formal-and-the-popular/81194/ Thu, 3 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The concert by the New York Philharmonic on Tuesday night had a dorky title: "Romancing the Riviera." But you have to sell the product. And, when it comes to summertime concerts, a little dorkiness is certainly allowed. The evening began with a Rossini overture — that to "L'Italiana in Algeri." We have always translated this opera "The Italian Girl in Algiers." The Philharmonic's program had a translation of goofy political correctness: "The Italian Woman in Algiers." Give us a break. What do... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/karajan-live-and-alive/80899/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Last month, a Honda-made robot conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. It was a stunt heard round the world. But a colleague of mine quipped, "What's the big deal? They had a robot conducting the Berlin Philharmonic for years." The reference was to Herbert von Karajan (1908-89), who could indeed be robotic. This was especially true in his later years, and it was never truer than when he entered the recording studio (which was often). Karajan strove for a kind of perfection — his version. And... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-spaniard-at-the-keyboard/80897/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Spanish music rests on the twin pillars of Albéniz and Granados. Spanish piano music rests on the twin pillars of "Iberia," the suite by Albéniz, and "Goyescas," the suite by Granados. Excerpts from both suites were heard at Weill Recital Hall on Thursday night. Of course, there are other Spanish composers (starting with Falla and Turina, and continuing with Mompou, Montsalvatge, Halffter, Suriñach, etc.). And there is a ton of other piano music — Alicia de Larrocha introduced all of us to just... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/dont-hate-them-because-theyre-popular/80786/ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST On Wednesday night, the white jackets came out, as the New York Philharmonic began its "Summertime Classics" series at Avery Fisher Hall. I should say that the white jackets were onstage, not in the audience. The evening was dubbed "Moscow on the Hudson," and, as you can guess, the program was all-Russian. We had the "Festive Overture" of Shostakovich, excerpts from "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev, and the Piano Concerto No. 2 of Rachmaninoff. These are fantastic, ever-lovable pieces. There was... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/the-frustrating-finn/80684/ Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST About 10 years ago, I did something exceptional: I walked out of a concert. It was a piano recital, and the performer was Olli Mustonen, a 30-year-old Finn. He was playing Beethoven's Sonata in D, Op. 28, known as the "Pastoral." At least that's what the program said — that he was playing the "Pastoral." He seemed to be playing something else. He took liberty after liberty, basically remaking Beethoven's sonata. Tempos, dynamics, phrasing, rhythm — all were distorted, all were personalized... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/borodin-bartok-and-more/80455/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST In late December, the Berlin Philharmonic performed an all-Russian concert: Mussorgsky and Borodin. Now that concert is an EMI Classics CD. It begins with Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" (in the Ravel orchestration) and ends with Borodin's "Polovtsian Dances." In between comes a less familiar work: Borodin's Symphony No. 2. Alexander Borodin was one of the most astonishing figures in music history. Born the bastard son of a Georgian nobleman, he went on to be a distinguished chemist: a... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/tosca-time-at-the-new-york-philharmonic/80023/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST In these last weeks of the 2008-09 season, the New York Philharmonic is providing a night at the opera. They do this every once in a while — put on an opera-in-concert. The current offering is Puccini's "Tosca." And the Philharmonic will perform it twice more, tomorrow and Thursday nights. Last Thursday night, the conductor, Lorin Maazel, was fabulously good. And the conductor is the most important factor in most any opera. But, honoring tradition, we will first consider the singers. They were... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-new-boheme-from-operas-it-couple/80026/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Opera's "it" couple has made a new recording — and it is a recording of a complete opera: "La Bohème." Do we need another recording of this Puccini hit? "Need" is not quite the question. A good new recording is always welcome. You know who the "it" couple is: Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón. She's a Russian soprano, and he's a Mexican tenor. They're not a real-life couple — they have other partners. But they are paired onstage, and in recordings. The record label, Deutsche Grammophon, has an... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-slice-of-the-ring/79943/ Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Lorin Maazel has a long history with Wagner. He was the first American to conduct at the Bayreuth Festival (the Wagner shrine). And he was the first foreigner to conduct the "Ring" cycle there. In January, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time in 45 years. He conducted a slice of "The Ring" — "Die Walküre." He conducted all of "The Ring" on Wednesday night, in a way. He conducted a "symphonic synthesis" of "The Ring," which boils down the cycle (15 hours) to 70 minutes. Mr... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-genuine-show-in-show-boat/79819/ Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST When you go to a concert of classical music in New York, the usher is likely to tell you, "Enjoy the show." Well, two nights ago, Carnegie Hall had a genuine show — "Show Boat," no less. The performance was a gala benefit for the hall itself. Kern and Hammerstein wrote this musical in 1927, which was a good year for the Yankees, too. Both the show and the team have endured. Carnegie Hall looked spiffy for "Show Boat," with mood lighting and a little patriotic bunting. It was jarring to see the... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-russian-soiree/79537/ Mon, 9 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Last week, the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York gave a concert in Weill Recital Hall. Founded in 1984, the RCCNY is billed as "America's preeminent Russian vocal ensemble." To borrow Bill Buckley's formulation, is that like "celebrating the tallest building in Wichita, Kansas"? Not really — there are lots of Russians in America. Last week's concert was not exactly a choral concert — it was a Russian musicale, or soirée. It was a variety show, bringing choruses, songs, and instrumental music... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/lorin-maazel-battles-with-bruckner/79433/ Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST In years past, Lorin Maazel has liked to end the New York Philharmonic season with a Mahler symphony. This year, however, Mr. Maazel - who is the orchestra's music director - is ending it with a Bruckner symphony. Even so, he is including a Mahler symphony in these final weeks. And it is the composer's last, the Ninth. Is this the best - the most profound, the most brilliant, the most moving - of the Mahler symphonies? Yes, until you consider all the others. And then you find that it is... JAY NORDLINGER http://www.nysun.com/arts/around-the-world-in-three-new-discs/79430/ Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST XUEFEI YANG 40 Degrees North Xuefei Yang has made another album, this one called "40 Degrees North" (on EMI Classics). And who is Ms. Yang? A Chinese classical guitarist, and, really, one of the most extraordinary instrumentalists in the world. She may be Chinese, but every guitarist is a little bit Spanish — or, indeed, a lot Spanish. Ms. Yang's new CD carries that unusual title because, as the liner notes explain, that is "the line of latitude that roughly connects the capital cities of China...