http://berkshirereview.net Classical Music, Opera, Theatre, Photography, Art Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:22:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Classical Music, Opera, Theatre, Photography, Art Berkshire Review, an International Journal for the Arts no Berkshire Review, an International Journal for the Arts editor@berkshirereview.net editor@berkshirereview.net (Berkshire Review, an International Journal for the Arts) © 2010 Michael Miller A Podcast from the Berkshire Review for the Arts classical music, opera, theatre, dance, art, photography, literature, travel, food, wine http://www.berkshirereview.net/images/BRbloglogo.jpg http://berkshirereview.net/category/music/recordings-music/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/11/grooves-in-the-mist-part-ii/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/11/grooves-in-the-mist-part-ii/#comments Sat, 06 Nov 2010 02:14:36 +0000 Steven Kruger http://berkshirereview.net/?p=8494 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/11/grooves-in-the-mist-part-ii/feed/ 0 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/11/grooves-in-the-mist-vinyl-memoir-hifi-stereo/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/11/grooves-in-the-mist-vinyl-memoir-hifi-stereo/#comments Sat, 06 Nov 2010 02:04:17 +0000 Steven Kruger http://berkshirereview.net/?p=6327 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/11/grooves-in-the-mist-vinyl-memoir-hifi-stereo/feed/ 0 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/06/david-fray-bach-keyboard-concerti-schubert-impromptus-moments-musicaux/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/06/david-fray-bach-keyboard-concerti-schubert-impromptus-moments-musicaux/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:30:26 +0000 Steven Kruger http://berkshirereview.net/?p=6462 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/06/david-fray-bach-keyboard-concerti-schubert-impromptus-moments-musicaux/feed/ 0 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/06/stravinsky_les_noces_oedipus_rex_gergiev/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/06/stravinsky_les_noces_oedipus_rex_gergiev/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:04:36 +0000 Huntley Dent http://berkshirereview.net/?p=6445 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/06/stravinsky_les_noces_oedipus_rex_gergiev/feed/ 0 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/04/pristine-audio-salle-pleyel-pierre-monteux-stravinsky-sacre-du-printemps-ravel/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/04/pristine-audio-salle-pleyel-pierre-monteux-stravinsky-sacre-du-printemps-ravel/#comments Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:13:34 +0000 Michael Miller http://berkshirereview.net/?p=6163 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/04/pristine-audio-salle-pleyel-pierre-monteux-stravinsky-sacre-du-printemps-ravel/feed/ 0 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/04/bso-celebrating-carter%e2%80%99s-century-music-by-elliott-carter-from-the-2008-festival-of-contemporary-music-at-tanglewood/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/04/bso-celebrating-carter%e2%80%99s-century-music-by-elliott-carter-from-the-2008-festival-of-contemporary-music-at-tanglewood/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:19:49 +0000 The Editor http://berkshirereview.net/?p=6076 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/04/bso-celebrating-carter%e2%80%99s-century-music-by-elliott-carter-from-the-2008-festival-of-contemporary-music-at-tanglewood/feed/ 1 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/02/gil-rose-interview-michael-miller-contemporary-music-bmop-madame-white-snake/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/02/gil-rose-interview-michael-miller-contemporary-music-bmop-madame-white-snake/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:04:07 +0000 Michael Miller http://berkshirereview.net/?p=5790 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/02/gil-rose-interview-michael-miller-contemporary-music-bmop-madame-white-snake/feed/ 1 20th century music,Boston Modern Orchestra Project,contemporary music,Opera Boston,Zhou Long Gil Rose is best known for his leadership of two high-profile Boston organizations, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), one of the major supporters of contemporary music in America, and Opera Boston, Gil Rose is best known for his leadership of two high-profile Boston organizations, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) (http://www.bmop.org/), one of the major supporters of contemporary music in America, and Opera Boston, (http://www.operaboston.org/) which specializes in musically outstanding performances of operatic masterpieces which have been neglected by the mainstream houses. I know I'll be eternally grateful to him and Opera Boston for my first opportunity to see Weber's (http://berkshirereview.net/music/freischuetz_boston.html)Der Freischütz, (http://berkshirereview.net/music/freischuetz_boston.html) universally regarded as a seminal work in the history of opera and a great one, but rarely performed today. Just last year there were Shostakovich's The Nose, and Rossini's (http://berkshirereview.net/2009/10/rossinis-tancredi-at-opera-boston/)Tancredi, (http://berkshirereview.net/2009/10/rossinis-tancredi-at-opera-boston/) and now Opera Boston's first commission of a new opera, Zhou Long's Madame White Snake. Such original programming will seem like a dream to most musical organizations, but both Opera Boston and BMOP are thriving. This doesn't come out of thin air, of course, and it's clear to anyone who has seen an Opera Boston production that success depends entirely upon strict priorities. What impresses me about the work of both organizations is that the essential musical values are consistently on a very high level, and when sacrifices are made, they are as accurately positioned as Gil Rose's beat on the podium. While it is clear that nothing has been wasted and a few sacrifices have been made, there is consistently excellence in the areas that matter most, as well as a few well-judged luxuries like the great Ewa Podleś in Tancredi, where a truly outstanding star turn is pretty much a necessity. This sense of priorities was evident at an almost fanatical level at BMOP's Malden office, where we met to discuss Gil Rose latests projects: to call it spartan is a serious understatement. No interior decorator or corporate curator has been near it. All furniture is strictly functional. File boxes dotted the mostly empty spaces. For our conversation, Mr. Rose settled us in his own office, one of the fuller spaces, but again, entirely arranged for productivity. BMOP's activities are multi-faceted. As befits an organization intended to become the major venue for contemporary music in America—which is what Gil Rose plans to achieve for it, or perhaps has achieved already during its fourteen years of operation. Since the beginning BMOP has presented a wide variety of music by contemporary composers in a variety of Boston venues, most commonly Jordan Hall. BMOP appears occasionally in Distler Hall at Tufts University, as well as the spectacular Barbara Lee Family Foundation at ICA Boston. I personally liked the acoustics in concerts which admittedly involved considerable amplification and synthesized music, but Mr. Rose told me that the acoustics are quite difficult for musicians. BMOP also holds three or four Club Concerts every season in a less conventional venue, the Moonshine Room at the Club Café. Programs are never fixed or published in advance, and, according to Mr. Rose, the drinks flow freely. He regards these occasions as a form of outreach, offering opportunities to hear new works and new ensembles in a relaxed environment. As Rose said in the recorded portion of the interview, performing new music should be the core of musical life. Contemporary concert life is historically unique in its almost exclusive concentration on the music of the past. I asked Gil Rose what he thought of the recent criticisms directed at the Boston Symphony for neglecting the work of young composers in favor of the likes of Carter and Harbison, and did he devote particular attention to newcomers? Without the slightest trace of hesitation or an apologetic tone, he said that he did not. Michael Miller no 7:26 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/01/berkshire-bookshop-books-cds-dvds/ http://berkshirereview.net/2010/01/berkshire-bookshop-books-cds-dvds/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:00:11 +0000 The Editor http://berkshirereview.net/?p=4679 http://berkshirereview.net/2010/01/berkshire-bookshop-books-cds-dvds/feed/ 0 http://berkshirereview.net/2009/12/david-finckel-wu-han-artistled-recording-beethoven-cello-sonatas-variations/ http://berkshirereview.net/2009/12/david-finckel-wu-han-artistled-recording-beethoven-cello-sonatas-variations/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:09:54 +0000 Michael Miller http://berkshirereview.net/?p=5309 http://berkshirereview.net/2009/12/david-finckel-wu-han-artistled-recording-beethoven-cello-sonatas-variations/feed/ 0