Song Preservation Society at Union Pool
by Laura Wasson It isn’t often I have much reason to ruminate on the finer points of poetry and the lost art of songwriting, but Song Preservation Society’s Tuesday night show […]
New York Philharmonic Plays Dukas, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky
by Caroline Sanchez Having only ever seen the New York Philharmonic in outdoor venues as part of their Concerts in the Parks series, I can technically call Saturday night’s concert
Stonewall Chorale Brings Fiery “Carmina Burana” to Church of the Holy Apostles
by Michael Cirigliano II Marking the end of their 36th season, the Stonewall Chorale—the nation’s first LGBTQ chorus—presented an intense reading of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, using its alternate orchestration
Bonnaroo 2013: Sunday
One more panel in the press tent, with (l-r) Bob Saget, Matt Berninger (The National), Britt Daniel (Spoon, Divine Fits), Chris Stapleton, and Alex Sharpe (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic
Bonnaroo 2013: Saturday
Saturday at Bonnaroo couldn't possibly live up to the standard set by Paul McCartney's marathon set Friday night, but organizers were thrown a particularly gnarly curve ball when Saturday headliners
Bonnaroo 2013: Paul McCartney
When I reviewed the lineup for this year's Bonnaroo, I saw Paul McCartney's name on the bill and thought to myself: "That's nice that they gave the old guy a
Bonnaroo 2013: Friday Pics
Wilco playing the main What Stage at Bonnaroo as the sun went down Friday night. More pics from sets by Trombone Shorty, Glen Hansard, Grizzly Bear, and more on the
Bonnaroo 2013: Thursday Pics
By the time I got to the festival grounds Thursday night and set up my tent, it was late and all I wanted was a burger and a beer. But,
Jennifer Koh and Ensemble LPR at (le) Poisson Rouge
Last night, trailblazing violinist Jennifer Koh was joined by Ensemble LPR at (le) Poisson Rouge. They came together for a night of music by John Zorn, Charles Wuorinen, and Ludwig van Beethoven as a part of the LPR X5 festival. All of the pieces, ‘Passagen’ by Zorn, ‘Spin-5 for Violin and 18 Musicians’ by Wuorinen, and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony brought a sense of wild abandon that perfectly complemented the youth and excitement of both Koh and Ensemble LPR.
Koh brought a fiery passion to John Zorn’s ‘Passagen’ for solo violin, which, like Wuorinen’s, was written for Ms. Koh. The piece is rife with rapid shifts from tight, intense tremolos and harsh pizzicato to tender ghostly harmonics. Sometimes, just sometimes, Koh coaxed out a single pure clean ethereal note or phrase that would sing out from the chaos before it was swallowed up again. The uneven rhythmic chords and pizzicato playing gave a distinctly Bartokian flavor, a flavor that was enhanced by Koh’s savage bowing.