Posts by Ken Herman
Strong Voices Grace San Diego Opera’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’ Vividly Staged with Forest Creatures of Day and Night
Saturday, February 8, San Diego Opera opened an unusually imaginative, ingratiating, dramatic production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s 1893 fairy tale opera “Hansel and Gretel” at San Diego Civic Theatre.
Read MoreCamarada’s Sophisticated Bossa Nova Valentine at the Museum of Photographic Arts
Sunday’s program at the Museum of Photographic Arts, a tempting buffet of stylish, jazz-inflected bossa nova selections, demonstrated again the laudable versatility of the chamber ensemble Camarada.
Read MoreBritish Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor Makes Splendid Debut in Mozart Concerto with the San Diego Symphony
Friday’s San Diego Symphony concert devoted to the music of Mozart and Mendelssohn featured guest soloist Benjamin Grosvenor in a brilliant account of Mozart’s E-flat Major Piano Concerto, K. 271, and Mendelssohn’s Fifth Symphony (“Reformation”) under the baton of Jun Märkl.
Read MoreMezzo-Soprano Blythe Gaissert as Hansel Takes Cues from Young Sons Bringing ‘Hansel and Gretel’ to San Diego Opera’s Production of the Beloved Fairy Tale Opera
San Diegans impressed with the vocal and dramatic skills of mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert in San Diego Opera’s 2017 production of Laura Kaminsky’s challenging contemporary chamber opera As One should rejoice. Gaissert is back in town to sing the role of Hansel in the company’s production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s 1893 fairy tale opera Hansel and Gretel that opens February 8 in the Civic Theatre.
Read MoreKian Soltani and Julio Elizalde Bring Brilliant Chamber Program to La Jolla
If the goal of the La Jolla Music Society’s “Discovery Series” is to present highly promising young performers, Sunday’s (January 26) accomplished duo-recital by cellist Kian Soltani and pianist Julio Elizalde made the best possible case for that premise.
Read MoreEdo de Waart and Leila Josefowicz Bring John Adams’ Brilliant Violin Concerto to San Diego
Friday, in his second program of the Symphony’s current month-long Beethoven at 250 festival, Principal Guest Conductor Edo de Waart continued to work his magic, turning out a dramatic but keenly focused account of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony paired with an exhilarating presentation of John Adams’ 1994 Violin Concerto with the accomplished Leila Josefowicz as soloist.
Read More