Fleisher's Linton Debut Warmly Welcomed

Posted: Apr 23, 2013 - 11:05:04 AM in: reviews_2013

Leon Fleisher

Pianist Leon Fleisher's debut on Cincinnati's Linton Music Series. long overdue, was a signal event April 21 at First Unitarian Church in Avondale. Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor, with violinists Jaime Laredo and Bella Hristova, violist Ida Kavafian and cellist Sharon Robinson, has rarely sounded so inspired. (first published in the Cincinnati Enquirer April 21, 2013)
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Music Lifts Hearts, Fights Measles

Posted: Apr 22, 2013 - 11:02:25 AM in: reviews_2013

MYCincinnati is Cincinnati's "El Sistema," the revolutionary Venezuelan music education initiative that has spread around the world. The MYCincinnati Orchestra, comprising Price Hill students ages 7-13, joined hands with the Red Cross Measles and Rubella Initiative April 19 at Memorial Hall in a concert to raise funds for both organizations.
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Cellist David Geringas Joins Ariel Quartet for Season Finale

Posted: Apr 10, 2013 - 3:34:57 PM in: reviews_2013

Ariel String Quartet

The Ariel String Quartet, quartet-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, closed its first season at CCM with a distinguished visitor, cellist David Geringas. The program was both rare and well done, with "David's Song" by Lithuanian composer Anatolijus Šenderovas and the String Quintet, Op. 69, by Alexander Glazunov. The "teaser" was Beethoven's Quartet Op. 18, No. 1, to go with the announcement that the Ariel will present a complete Beethoven cycle at CCM in early 2014.
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CCM's "Zauberflöte" Magic

Posted: Apr 8, 2013 - 9:51:45 PM in: reviews_2013

Yi Li as Tamino with the magic flute (photo by Mark Lyons)

Mozart's "The Magic Flute," main stage production by the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music April 7 at Corbett Auditorium, was true to its title. There was enchantment everywhere. CCM's Steven Goldstein directed the all-student cast. Mark Gibson conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra. (first published at http://www.concertonet.com)
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Glass' "Naqoyqatsi" a Concerto for Our Time

Posted: Apr 5, 2013 - 2:18:35 PM in: reviews_2013

This winning disc of Philip Glass' Cello Concerto No. 2 is one for our time, with its theme of "life as war" ("Naqoyqatsi"). Cellist Matt Haimovitz brings it vividly to life here with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra led by Dennis Russell Davies.
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Concerto Theme Showcases Watts, CSO

Posted: Mar 24, 2013 - 11:34:07 AM in: reviews_2013

Composer Jennifer Higdon, guest conductor Mei-Ann Chen, pianist Andre Watts and composer Zhou Tian combined their considerable talents in a conjunction of music with a concerto theme March 22 at Music Hall. There was Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor"), Higdon's Concerto for Orchestra and Zhou's "Poem from a Vanished Time," which featured concertmaster Timothy Lees. Commissioned by the CSO, Zhou's work, which looks back on a China before industrialization, was a world premiere. (first published in The Cincinnati Enquirer March 24, 2013)
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Shakespeare Brings Ensembles Together

Posted: Mar 19, 2013 - 6:32:53 PM in: reviews_2013

When Ixi Chen and Annalisa Pappano wanted to present a joint concert by their two ensembles, concert:nova and Catacoustic Consort, they came up with a genuine universal, William Shakespeare. Joined by Jennifer Joplin of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, they brought it off with a concert March 10 in Cincinnati's historic Mercantile Library. Heard were songs from Shakespeare's plays by his contemporaries Robert Johnson, Thomas Morley and John Dowland, as well as more "up to date" works by Amy Beach, Igor Stravinsky and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. There was even a Pulitzer Prize-winner, Paul Moravec, with excerpts from his 2002 "Tempest Fantasy."
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Music At An Exhibition

Posted: Mar 17, 2013 - 9:25:00 PM in: reviews_2013

Dick Waller

Dick Waller is well known in Cincinnati as a musician and as co-founder of the Linton Music Series. Waller, principal clarinetist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1961-1994, is also a painter. The coincidence inspired Linton to sponsor a concert in conjunction with the opening of an exhibit of Waller's paintings March 17 at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center. Centerpiece of the program was Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" performed by pianist Orli Shaham.
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CSO's "Classical Roots" Summons Heroes

Posted: Mar 16, 2013 - 4:59:11 PM in: reviews_2013

Branford Marsalis

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's "Classical Roots" concerts celebrate African-American contributions to music. Now in its third season, the popular event had a military theme March 15 at Music Hall with music evoking black Americans in uniform. On the podium was Cincinnati Pops conductor John Morris Russell, one of the prime movers of "Classical Roots." Guest artist was CSO co-creative director Branford Marsalis on saxophone. The Community Mass Choir, centerpiece of "Classical Roots," comprised 144 singers from 40 area churches.
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Bronfman's Brahms to Remember

Posted: Mar 15, 2013 - 3:16:45 PM in: reviews_2013

Pianist Yefim Bronfman is a favorite of Cincinnati Symphony audiences. The great Russian virtuoso brought Brahms Concerto No. 2 with him March 14 at Music Hall which, combined with the Symphony No. 2 by Robert Schumann made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. On the podium was the CSO's talented associate conductor Robert Trevino in his CSO subscription concert debut.
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Chieftans Stir Pops Audience

Posted: Mar 9, 2013 - 4:10:15 PM in: reviews_2013

photo by Scott Preston, Cincygroove.com

The Chieftains, Ireland's official "musical ambassadors," returned to the Cincinnati Pops for the first time since 2001 Friday night at Music Hall. They brought quite a show with them, including Irish dancers, fiddlers, harp, guitar and vocalist Alyth McCormack. Pops conductor John Morris Russell even got into the act with some Irish steps of his own and a solo turn on spoons. (first published at www.cincinnati.com)
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Three's a Charm for Linton

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 7:33:42 PM in: reviews_2013

Anthony McGill

Good things came in three for the Linton Music Series with a concert March 3 by pianist Anna Polonsky, clarinetist Anthony McGill and cellist Eric Kim. Each performed a solo work and all joined for "clarinet" trios by Beethoven and Alexander Zemlinsky.
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Chamber Orchestra Scores with Proto

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 - 2:56:18 PM in: reviews_2013

Frank Proto

Mischa Santora and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra hit upon a choice bit of programming with their March 3 concert "Queen City Conductors/Composers." There was music by conductors of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra who were also composers, namely Eugene Ysaÿe, and Leopold Stokowski. Featured work, however, was Frank Proto's Concerto No. 2 for Saxophone and Orchestra. Proto is a former double bassist of the CSO.
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Josefowicz Soars in Ades Concerto

Posted: Mar 2, 2013 - 1:13:29 PM in: reviews_2013

Leila Josefowicz

Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena could easily become a favorite guest conductor in Cincinnati, witness his performance with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra March 1 at Music Hall in Schubert's Symphony No. 9 ("The Great"). Add the phenomenal violinist Leila Josefowicz in the CSO premiere of Thomas Adés’violin concerto "Concentric Paths," and it was a concert not to miss.
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Honegger's "King David" Vivid at Knox

Posted: Feb 28, 2013 - 10:43:52 AM in: reviews_2013

Swiss composer Arthur Honegger's "symphonic psalm" "King David" has been an audience favorite since its inception as incidental music for playwright René Morax' drama "Le Roi David" in 1921. Earl Rivers, director of music at Knox Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati led a performance of the original wind orchestra version Feb. 24 at the church. Also on the program was Paul Hindemith's 1927 Kammermusik No. 7 for organ and chamber orchestra, another treat rare and well done, with Knox organist Christina Haan at the keyboard.
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