MUSIC REVIEWS
Christopher Adler’s Avant-garde Monody Follows Aeneas into the Underworld
Under the aegis of San Diego New Music, Colin McAllister and several musical colleagues followed in the footsteps of the 17th-century Florentine Camerata, presenting Christopher Adler’s “Aeneas in the Underworld,” a recounting of one of the stories from Virgil’s The Aeneid in a fashion that might have been recognized by the ancient Greeks, but using a contemporary musical idiom.
Read MoreGinger Costa-Jackson’s Nonpareil Carmen Scores for San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera General Director David Bennett wisely hired Ginger Costa-Jackson to sing the title role of his company’s recently opened production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” Vocally and dramatically, Costa-Jackson’s Carmen is simply nonpareil.
Read MoreSacra/Profana: Luminous Singing for the Lives and Strength of Women
Last weekend, March 22 & 23, 2019, the San Diego choral ensemble Sacra/Profana presented “Gender: X,” an adventurous and challenging collage of works by women composers and poets under the direction of guest conductor Emilie Amrein.
Read MoreSan Diego Symphony and Master Chorale Deliver a Rewarding Surprise: Puccini’s ‘Messa di Gloria’
The March 22 San Diego Symphony Concert with the San Diego Master Chorale, under the baton of guest conductor Courtney Lewis, took the audience on an unexpected Puccini adventure: a compelling performance of his “Messa di Gloria” for chorus, three soloists and orchestra.
Read MoreRingo Starr Gets By with Help from All-Starr Friends at Harrah’s; We Get High on Variety, Nostalgia
Ringo Starr and his All-Starrs deliver a blast from the past variety show that feels like a surreal two-hour car ride or the best wedding reception ever…
Read MoreSteven Schick Leads Stirring, Probing Account of Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony with La Jolla Symphony
After a rugged and stirring performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish,” by the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus Saturday, March 16, I left UC San Diego’s Mandeville Auditorium refreshed and uplifted. Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony, based on the ancient Hebrew prayer for the dead, takes the listener on a probing and at times exalting journey.
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