MUSIC REVIEWS
La Jolla SummerFest Gives Shostakovich His Due in Two Illuminating Concerts
La Jolla SummerFest completed its Shostakovich intensive with two powerful concerts of chamber music of the highest caliber August 22 & 23 . . .
Read MoreBrilliant Opening of Shostakovich Intensive in La Jolla
Friday’s (August 21) all-Shostakovich program at La Jolla SummerFest demonstrated how well the composer’s enigmatic qualities and quietly profound instincts have served him in history’s larger time line . . .
Read MoreFrom Russia with Love
As a prelude to SummerFest’s upcoming weekend of all-Shostakovich programs, Tuesday’s (August 18) SummerFest concert offered an overview of Russian music just before the Russian Revolution . . .
Read MorePlaying Beethoven in the Computer Era
The Borromeo String Quartet demonstrated unequivocally how using the computer can improve the performance of Beethoven’s monumental String Quartet, Op. 130 . . .
Read MoreOpera NEO Stages Handel’s Middle East War of Shock and Awe
Handel’s early London success “Rinaldo” completed this year’s summer season for Opera NEO. The young cast made an excellent case for Handel’s rich score, and director Peter Kozma sprinkled some 21st-century touches into this story from the 11th century . . .
Read MoreSteven Schick’s Percussion Apotheosis at SummerFest
The medieval German city of Hamelin has been known for centuries by its iconic musician, the pied piper. From Wednesday’s La Jolla SummerFest concert, a good case could be made that San Diego’s iconic musician is percussionist Steven Schick . . .
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