From the category archives:

Classical Music

Concert Review: Lyric Opera of Chicago – Damnation of Faust By Hector Berlioz

March 9, 2010

A successful theatrical production needs to captivate an audience with a combination of stage design, lighting and a powerful cast.   The current run of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Damnation of Faust by Hector Berlioz is well worth experiencing because of all three of these elements.  The visual experience of the opera was as impressive as [...]

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Kip Winger – Rocker Turned Classical Composer

January 11, 2010

The past couple of months Viola and I have been on a classical meets heavy metal kick.  Although the musical styles are different, there is a common element between them.  Like classical composers, metalheads are explorers of music.  Breaking away from conformity is practically a necessity to be considered respectable in heavy metal.  The same [...]

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For The Classical Music Fan – A List of Unique Masterworks

December 20, 2009

The following post was co-written with Contrapuntist.
If you’re a classical music aficionado who is looking for something different, how about trying some progressive rock and metal music? Now before you run away screaming, give me a moment to explain. As mentioned in a previous post, both Contrapuntist and I are metalheads and classically trained [...]

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Alec Baldwin Is The Voice For New York Philharmonic

December 15, 2009

Who knew Alec Baldwin was such a classical music fan?  I sure didn’t, but I stumbled onto an interesting article from the New York Times about Baldwin serving as the official announcer of the New York Philharmonic’s weekly radio broadcasts.  At a time when major symphony orchestras are struggling for survival, could a partnership with [...]

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Violist Eliesha Nelson’s Intriguing New CD Brings 20th-Century American Composer Quincy Porter’s Music to the Forefront

December 3, 2009

I first saw information about Nelson’s album, The Complete Viola Works of Quincy Porter, on Amazon.com last month. It was brought to my attention again by an article in this month’s International Musician (the official journal of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada). As a violist, I am thrilled to [...]

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Classical Music For Metalheads

November 23, 2009

Whether you‘re a diehard classical music fan who’s trying to get your favorite metalhead to branch out a bit, or a metalhead who’s just looking for something new, check out this list. Contrapuntist and I are both classically trained musicians and metal fans.  We thought this would be a good way to share our two [...]

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Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Announce US and Canada Tour During November

October 25, 2009

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China and the 130th anniversary of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the oldest orchestra in Asia and one of the oldest classical ensembles in the world.  The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (SSO)  announced it will tour the US and Canada at the direction of Maestro Long [...]

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You Can Help Dilettante Choose Its First Digital Composer-In-Residence

October 20, 2009

For several months, I’ve had my eyes on Dilettante, a classical music community; think Last.Fm but for classical music enthusiasts.  I joined the community in its infancy, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first.  I can’t say I’ve been an active participant, but I do read the emails I get from [...]

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Chicago A Cappella Pairs Music of the Beatles with Baroque Choral Works

October 1, 2009

Beatlemania is all the rage right now, with newly remastered recordings and a Rock Band video game. Chicago a cappella, one of the city’s most acclaimed singing groups, has put together an interesting program for its first concert of the year. Here’s a press release with more information:
Chicago a cappella offers a classical twist on [...]

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The Orchestral Experience-When It’s Good, It’s Very Good, and When It’s Not, It’s…

September 8, 2009

While browsing the Comcast home page a few weeks ago, I came across this video about The Really Terrible Orchestra.

I looked at their website, and part of their mission statement struck me:
It began with our envying the pleasure our children gained from music. And as nobody else would have us, we formed our own orchestra. [...]

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