Jaap Van Zweden To Be Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic

Jaap Van Zweden speaks on the occasion of his appointment as the next music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Van Zweden was for many years the concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and came late to conducting. But in just a few years he has established himself as one of the most sought-after maestros on the planet. Just a few months ago he stepped down as chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic but he is still in his post as music director of the Dallas Symphony. Even so, it is a long commute between Dallas and Hong Kong and one wonders why he would have taken a job with another second tier orchestra. The Hong Kong Philharmonic is a good band but it is not the Cleveland Orchestra or the Berlin Philharmonic. But the fact is that the Dallas Symphony is in a holding pattern at the moment, trying to manage its finances. It recently announced it was cutting five weeks out of its schedule for next season. Van Zweden must be all too aware that there will not be much room for personal growth in the forseeable future in Dallas. And as far as major orchestras are concerned there are lots of candidates but not many openings. The Boston Symphony is looking for a new leader but there are not many other openings on this level. No doubt Van Zweden is being considered in Boston but it remains just a remote possibility. The attraction in Hong Kong is that China is moving fast to build up its cultural infrastructure and money is not a problem. During Van Zweden's tenure in Hong Kong a new concert hall is likely to be built and international tours and recordings are very likely. And by committing to just 12 weeks a year in Hong Kong Van Zweden keeps his options open. Paul E. Robinson

Leontyne Price Sings "Libera Me" from the Verdi Requiem

This Friday (Jan. 27) marks the passing of the great Italian opera

composer Giuseppe Verdi 111 years ago. One of his most enduring

compositions is the Manzoni Requiem. Here is the last section, "Libera

Me" with soprano and chorus, here sung by Leontyne Price under the

baton of Herbert von Karajan conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of La

Scala.  Recorded live in 1967 and available on Deutsche Grammophon,

this is a performance for the ages.

Joseph K. So

Alan Gilbert Talks About Mahler

Alan Gilbert, music director of the New York Philharmonic, was recently in the news. During a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 a cell phone began ringing and didn't stop. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Gilbert stopped the performance and turned around to try to deal with the interruption. Members of the audience began shouting and ultimately the offending cell phone owner was identified and shut off his phone. Gilbert explained to the audience that normally he would ignore such distractions but in this case it went on and on and neither Gilbert nor his musicians could do justice to the music under these conditions. In fact, the cell phone noise started at the worst possible place in the score: the quiet final pages of the last movement. For the record, after order was restored in the hall Gilbert finished the performance. He wisely went back to a loud section in the movement so that the structure and emotion of the last section could be fully appreciated.

The New York Philharmonic has a long tradition of Mahler performance going back to Bruno Walter who was a Mahler protegee and one of his most authoritative interpreters, and Leonard Bernstein who initiated the Mahler revival in the 1960s. In our video Alan Gilbert talks about Mahler's music and what it means to him. This video is part of a project undertaken by Mahler's publisher Universal Edition to record interviews about Mahler with many of the leading conductors of our day.

Paul E. Robinson

Meta Weiss & Arianna Warsaw-Fan's Pop Video Take on the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia

The last time I remember a large chunk of the audience clapping between movements at a classical music concert was at the Mariinsky's appearance in Montreal last October and it was, unsurprisingly, during a performance of Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony. 

I attended Santropol Roulant's Gala symphonique last night. During a performance of Dvořák's Terzetto and the Brahms's Sextet No. 1, there was not only enthusiastic applause between each movement, but loud 'bravo's.' I even heard a couple 'wow's', etc. The perfomers—a very strong Andrew Wan, Arianna Warsaw-Fan, Rémi Nakauchi Pelletier, Andrew Beer, Yegor Dyachkov, and Anna Burden—reacted with grins of what seemed like mild surprise as well as pleasure. 

I've written about how the 'silence between movements' rule is quite a recent phenomenon ("The History of Concert Etiquette, Abridged"), and I can attest that listening to these supposed disruptions was a lot more pleasant than taking in the usual releasing of pent-up coughs, recrossing of legs, and shuffling of programme notes. People might have been doing these things as well, but thankfully it was drowned out by the applause.

The applause was in no small part in response to the charismatic playing and players and their relaxed and friendly approach. Wan introduced the performance by making a joke about Vulcans (Sarek, Spock's father, cries at a performance of the sextet in an episode).

Warsaw-Fan's colleague, Meta Weiss, sent this Video of the Day entry to us several months ago. Like last night's performance, it's a quirky and personable take on a chamber music piece (the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia). The visuals might be described as a mix of Coppola's Marie Antoinette and Stoker's Dracula alongside graffiti and modern cityscapes. The recording of this very difficult piece is played cleanly and well.

Weiss wrote us that they "wanted to make something that would reach a broader audience outside of the classical music world, and also something that would accurately reflect the nuances of the music."

One of the commenters on Youtube wrote: "Nice performance, ladies. I suppose it's a sign of progress for classical music that the video for 'Criminal' by Britney Spears turns up as related at the end!"

That didn't show up for me, but it is a sign that Weiss and Warsaw-Fan have potential to reach that elusive broader audience they speak of.

Do you know of other classical music videos that successfully take cues from pop music videos?

— Crystal Chan

Edo De Waart's Last Season in Hong Kong

Earlier this week came the announcement that Jaap Van Zweden would take over as music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He will assume his responsibilities later this year. In the meantime, another Dutch conductor, Edo De Waart, is finishing up his tenure as music director of the orchestra.

Edo De Waart began his career as an oboist in the Concertgebouw Orchestra then turned to conducting. He has headed orchestras in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Sydney and elsewhere. Later this year he will take over the Royal Flemish Orchestra in Belgium.

In recent years the Hong Kong Philharmonic has become an orchestra of real stature. Under major conductors like De Waart and Van Zweden it has been able to attract better players and soloists. Hong Kong is very much part of the New China and has the financial resources to build cultural institutions every bit as good as those in the West.

In this video Edo De Waart talks about Hong Kong and how he put together his last season with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.

Paul E. Robinson

A Conversation with Composer George Crumb

George Crumb is one of those rare composers who manages to be both experimental and accessible. His compositions invariably break new ground in matters of instrumentation and unusual combinations of instruments and voices, and yet they are frequently profoundly expressive and touch the heart as well as the mind.

Crumb was born in Charleston, West Virginia in 1929 and at the age of 82 continues to compose.

One of his earliest successes was a song cycle based on poems by Lorca called Ancient Voices of Children. It remains an astonishingly imaginative piece combining soprano and boy soprano with a wide variety of percussion instruments and mandolin, harp and toy piano. Another remarkable work from the same period (1970) is Black Angels for electric string quartet. For more on Crumb visit his web site at www.georgecrumb.com.

This video was prepared for West Virginia public television in 2007.

Paul E. Robinson 

Weissenberg and Karajan Play Rachmaninov

Alexis Weissenberg died this past Sunday at the age of 82. He had had an erratic career. He was born in Bulgaria but went to New York to study at Juilliard in 1946. The very next year he made his professional debut in New York playing Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 with Szell and the NY Philharmonic. He created a sensation and was immediately embarked on a major career. But for all his brilliance Weissenberg was a vulnerable human being. Like Horowitz before him he withdrew from concertizing in 1957 for several years. The pressure of playing in public had become overwhelming.

Weissenberg returning to the concert circuit in 1966 and quickly re-established himself as an important artist. Karajan recognized his greatness and they often collaborated in the years to come. They recorded all the Beethoven concertos and Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2. In our video they are seen together with the Berlin Philharmonic in a film from 1973.

I interviewed Weissenberg in the 1980s and he turned out to be one of the most articulate and thoughtful artists I had ever come across. He seemed to be interested in everything and particularly loved the cut and thrust of intellectual discussion. We talked for hours.

But the demons of performing in public never really left him and he was again forced to withdraw from the stage. I believe he would much rather have followed Glenn Gould's example and stopped concertizing entirely. Like Gould he was a perfectionship and a man who would rather explore ideas than perform.

For more on Weissenberg visit his website at www.alexisweissenberg.com. At his best he was a unique and exciting artist. The performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Karajan was sublime and Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 with Pretre and the Chicago Symphony was equally good.

Paul E. Robinson

Ben Heppner as Tristan

This coming Saturday (Jan. 14) marks the birthday of the great Canadian tenor Ben Heppner, who turns 56 this year. Since his transition to the Wagner/Strauss fach in 1988, Heppner has become the premiere heldentenor of our time. Although he has retired the role of Siegfried, which he was originally scheduled to sing at the Met this season, Heppner continues to sing other Wagnerian roles including Tristan. He sang this most taxing of heldentenr roles beautifully in Munich last July. Currently, Ben is at the Calgary Opera rehearsing Jake Heggie's Moby Dick, as Captain Ahab, a role composed for him and which he created. There are also unconfirmed rumours that the tenor may be singing Tristan for the Canadian Opera Company - we'll find out soon enough as the COC Season announcement is on Jan. 18. Here is Ben as Tristan at the Met, dated fall 2001. If you follow the links, the bulk of this performance can be found on Youtube. Happy Birthday Ben Heppner!

Joseph K. So

Ax and Haitink Play Brahms

American pianist Emanuel Ax and Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink have been frequent collaborators, especially in the music of Brahms. Here they are with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2. The performance was recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall during last year's Proms.

Next week Ax will be appearing with the Austin Symphony playing music by Beethoven (Piano Concerto No. 2) and the rarely-heard Symphony No. 4 for Piano and Orchestra by Syzmanowski. Ax will give a recital at Koerner Hall in Toronto on May 13. For more on Emanuel Ax check out his website at www.emanuelax.com.

Paul E. Robinson

Daniel Barenboim on the Art of Stealing Time

Barenboim is well-known as one of the most gifted of all musicians. But he is also one of the most articulate too. His brain almost works too fast for most of us but for those who can keep up he is an unending source of illumination. Here he is in a Beethoven Master Class talking about tempo and rubato. His analysis is very subtle and yet absolutely profound. He gets to the very heart of what makes music come alive in the hands of the greatest interpreters.

Paul E. Robinson

Uchida Plays Schumann

Both my videos this week feature Mitsuko Uchida and the Schumann concerto. In the other video she talks about the piece and in this one she is seen playing an excerpt from it with Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. The concert was given in 2009. In everything she plays Uchida exhibits an uncommon intelligence and beauty of sound. But perhaps her greatest strength is her joy in making music. Simon Rattle has the same qualities as a conductor and together they make the Schumann concerto something fresh and life-affirming.

For more on Mitsuko Uchida visit her website at www.mitsukouchida.com.

Paul E. Robinson

Mitsuko Uchida Talks About the Schumann Piano Concerto

This week I have chosen two videos featuring pianist Mitsuko Uchida. In this video Uchida is featured in conversation with Sarah Willis, a member of the horn section of the BPO. The subject of their conversation is the Schumann Piano Concerto. In the other video we see an excerpt from this concerto with Uchida joined by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Uchida is a celebrated interpreter of the music of Mozart. She has recorded all the piano concertos with Jeffrey Tate and is now in the middle of a second recorded cycle directing from the keyboard. She is highly respected for her Beethoven too. She has recorded all the concertos with Kurt Sanderling conducting and is working on a second cycle with Colin Davis and the London Symphony. And let's not forget her fine performances of the piano music of Schubert and Schumann. This same artist, so much admired for her performances of the Viennese classics is also one of the great interpreters of the Schoenberg Piano Concerto which she has recorded with Pierre Boulez.

Paul E. Robinson

Encore: Another Movement From the Schubert Octet

I hope you enjoyed last week's performance of a movement from the Schubert Octet played by a fine ensemble led by Dutch violinist Janine Jansen. As an encore here is the last movement. This is a time of the year to be with family and friends and to be reminded about the meaning of life in terms of one's own religion or tradition. The Schubert Octet is not religious music but it certainly expresses the joy of being alive. Janine Jansen and her colleagues get right to the heart of the matter in a performance that is full of heartfelt sharing between musicians. This performance had me smiling as I watched and listened and long after the last note had sounded. I hope it does the same for you.

Paul E. Robinson

The King's Singers Version of Jingle Bells

It's that time of the year again and all the old familiar music is with us again. But here is a fresh version of Jingle Bells from the always inventive King's Singers.

Merry Christmas!

Paul E. Robinson

Jessye Norman Sings Die Nachtigall from Alban Berg's Sieben fruehe Lieder

This Saturday (Christmas Eve) marks the passing of Austrian composer Alban Berg (Feb. 9 1885 - Dec. 24 1935) 76 years ago. Berg, like Schoenberg and Webern, was an important exponent of the Second Viennese School and a master of serialism. But early in his career, he composed pieces in a highly tonal, Late Romantic style, such as his Sieben fruehe Lieder, a cycle often heard in recitals and is well represented on recordings. Of the seven songs, I am particularly fond of Die Nachtigall with its soaring melodic line and ingratiating harmonies. This song never fails to move me, especially when sung by a singer with as opulent a voice as Jessye Norman here. Her tone is so smooth, like dark mahogany, seemingly without edge - it really takes one's breath away, even if her mannerism is not to everyone's taste. The London Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez is equally exquisite.  This is a desert island performance for me.

Joseph K. So

Jorge Bolet Master Class

Many years ago I had the pleasure of working with the late Jorge Bolet (1914-1990) for a performance of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. He was a great pianist and especially good in the music of Liszt and Rachmaninov. But he could be intimidating. He was a tall man with a thick black mustache and his normal facial expression suggested that he was upset about something. It always seemed to me that he was on the verge of exploding. Pity the poor student or conductor who had arrived unprepared. In this Master Class from 1983 Bolet is trying very hard to get the young pianist to give some shape to the music - Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3. The young man plays the notes very well but Bolet is clearly interested in something else.

Bolet was born in Cuba but lived most of his life in the United States. He studied at the Curtis Institute and later returned to succeed Rudolf Serkin as the Head of the Piano Department. The year before he died Bolet recorded both Chopin Piano Concertos with Dutoit and the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal.

Paul E. Robinson

Janine Jansen Leads the Schubert Octet

In the last few years Dutch violinist Janine Jansen has emerged as as one of the most exciting soloists of the younger generation. But she loves chamber music too and has started her own festival to spend more time doing it. She is artistic director of the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht and has attracted some wonderful musicians to make music with her. This year's festival takes place between Dec. 26-30.

Our video this week is a fine example of Jansen's involvement in chamber music: a movement from Schubert's Octet. Jansen leads the ensemble with Julia-Maria Kretz, violin, Maxim Rysanov, viola, Jens Peter Maintz, cello, Stacey Watton, double bass, Chen Halevi, clarinet, Sergio Azzolini, bassoon, and Radovan Vlatkovic, horn. Each of the players has a distinguished career as a soloist and chamber music musician and it shows in this wonderful performance. Every detail has been carefully considered and the phrasing and rhythms perfectly realized. The tempo for the Trio section is just ideal: it makes you want to get up and dance! Also in the Trio the bassoonist's phrasing is a joy to hear.

Paul E. Robinson

Renata Tebaldi and Jussi Bjoerling in O soave fanciulla La boheme Act 1

Video Link

Next Monday (Dec. 19) marks the passing of the great Renata Tebaldi (Feb. 1 1922 - Dec. 19 2004), arguably the most beautiful soprano voice to have come out of Italy in the second half of the 20th Century. She made her debut as Elena in Boito's Mefistofele in 1944, and bid farewell to the stage in 1976. The Tebaldi voice in its prime was noted for its opulence and velvety timbre. Never a great actress, Tebaldi did all her emoting through her voice. It is often said that she and Maria Callas were polar opposites when it comes voice and theatricality - Callas was fiery and dramatic but her instrument was imperfect, while Tebaldi possessed a gorgeous instrument but she was not an inspired actress. To remember her passing, here is the duet that ends Act 1 of La boheme, with Tebaldi and the great Swedish tenor Jussi Bjoerling. It was filmed by NBC in 1955 - poor picture quality but what star power!

Joseph K. So

Jansen and Rachlin Play Mozart

Dutch violinist Janine Jansen is among the most dynamic performers before classical music audiences today. But in addition, she is a fine artist. She frequently collaborates with Julian Rachlin, another great solo violinist. In this video Jansen and Rachlin appear together in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major K. 364 for violin, viola and orchestra. Rachlin shows that he is also a master of the viola. The interplay between the soloists is remarkable. They toss musical ideas back and forth almost as if they were improvising. This is great music-making. The excellent orchestra is the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia - located in the Spanish city of Coruna - conducted by Victor Pablo Perez.

Next week another video featuring Janine Jansen leading an extraordinary performance of the Schubert Octet.

Paul E. Robinson

Kremer and Argerich Play Fritz Kreisler

Some joyous and charming music-making from an unlikely source! Violinist Gidon Kremer and pianist Martha Argerich are universally recognized as two of the most gifted and unique artists of their generation. They established themselves early in their careers on the concerto and recital circuits then decided to go their own ways. They still play concertos and recitals on occasion but much prefer to play chamber music - in Argerich's case - or explore new repertoire in Kremer's case. Both artists continue to surprise us.

But here they are together playing one of those delightful miniatures that Kreisler wrote for his own use as a violin soloist: Schon Rosmarin. Argerich gets no chance to display her legendary virtuosity but I am sure she didn't care one bit. This piece is one of those gems that violinists love to play and that audiences love to hear. And to make music with an old friend and colleague would have been satisfaction enough for Argerich.

Paul E. Robinson

Jose Carreras Sings "Nessun dorma" from Turandot

Yesterday (Dec. 5) Spanish tenor Jose Carreras turned 65.  A native of Barcelona, Carreras is of course one of The Three Tenors, the others being Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.  They achieved tremendous popular fame with their first concert in Rome in 1990 at the time of the World Cup. CDs and DVDs of that concert sold in the millions. The Three Tenors continued until 2003 and spawned many imitators. Carreras first sang in public as a young boy of 8, and made his opera debut as Flavio in Norma in Barcelona in 1970. The Carreras tenor in its youthful prime - throughout the 1970s - was a glorious instrument. At the urging of Herbert von Karajan, Carreras took on roles that were too heavy for his lyric instrument, and by the mid 80's, his sound has lost its youthful sheen. In 1987, Carreras was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia, with a 10% chance of survival.  He underwent a grueling series of treatment in Seattle and eventually recovered and returned to singing, though his post-recovery repertoire was severely limited.  His work as one of the Three Tenors, while an enormous commercial success, does not show Carreras at his best. Here is a video clip of his "Nessun dorma" (Turandot) from Vienna in 1983, when the voice was still in relatively good shape. Today Carreras has retired from the operatic stage but continues to appear in concerts.

Joseph K. So

Szell Conducts Mussorgsky

Watch video here

George Szell died in 1970 but the first biography has just appeared under the title George Szell: A Life in Music. It was written by Michael Charry who was an assistant to Szell with the Cleveland Orchestra. Within a week or so I will post a lengthy review of the book on the LSM website. But let me just mention here that the book is well-researched and gives us a very comprehensive view of this great conductor. 

Szell was a child prodigy pianist and composer  who grew up in Vienna, became a protegee of composer-conductor Richard Strauss and worked for many years at leading opera houses included the Met. He was chosen to head the Cleveland Orchestra in 1946 and remained its musical director until his death. Under his direction the Cleveland Orchestra became one of the great orchestras of the world.

While Cleveland was the place he chose to use as home base, Szell had numerous offers to head other orchestras. He was asked twice to take over the Chicago Symphony but declined both times. In this 1961 video he is seen guest conducting the Chicago Symphony in the Prelude to the opera Khovantchina by Mussorgsky.

Paul E. Robinson

Helmut Rilling Conducts Bach's B Minor Mass

For more than forty years Helmut Rilling has been one of the leading interpreters of the choral works of J.S. Bach. He founded the Gachinger Kantorei in 1954, the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart in 1965 and the Oregon Bach Festival in 1970. 

Among his many distinctions he has made two recordings of the complete choral works of Bach as well as the major choral works of many other composers.

Although Rilling is widely respected for his Bach performances he is very much "old school" in the sense that he doesn't use period instruments in his performances and doesn't pay much attention to the work of conductor-scholars such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt or John Eliot Gardiner.

At the age of 78 Rilling is still very active but he will step down from the Oregon Bach Festival in 2013.

In this video Rilling gives a lecture on Bach's B Minor Mass and uses the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra and Chorus and soloists to illustrate his talk.

Paul E. Robinson

Baritone Hermann Prey Sings Mein sehnen, mein wahnen (Tanzlied) from Die tote Stadt

Watch video here

Today (Nov. 29) marks the passing of the Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (5/29/1897 - 11/29/1957)  Born in Brno in what is now the Czech Republic to a Jewish family, Korngold was an undisputed child prodigy. Strauss and Mahler both called Korngold a genius. At the precocious age of 11, Korngold composed his first ballet, and he was only 17 when he composed his opera Violanta, still occasionally performed.  He was 23 when he composed his masterpiece, Die tote Stadt. Korngold immigrated to America in 1934 and became a successful composer of film scores. At the end of WWII and disillusioned with Hollywood, Korngold returned to Austria with the intention of resuming his career in "legitimate" classical music.  But his late-Romantic musical idiom was considered old-fashioned compared to his contemporaries who were all busy at work on serialist compositions. Korngold subsequently returned to the US and died in Hollywood in 1957. To remember his passing, I've chosen one of his most inspired melodies, that of "Mein Sehnen, Mein Wahnen", or the so-called Pierrot's Tanzlied sung by Fritz in Die tote Stadt.  This aria has become a real party piece for the baritone, and is often sung at concerts and competitions. Here is the great German baritone Hermann Prey in one of his signature pieces, recorded in his youthful prime in 1957, the year of the death of Korngold. 

- Joseph K. So

Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic

Gustavo Dudamel is not spending all his time in Los Angeles these days. Here he is with the Vienna Philharmonic at the 2010 Lucerne Festival playing Rossini's La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) Overture. Fine playing from the VPO and very restrained conducting by Dudamel. Remember, however, that Dudamel is an Abbado protegee. Note also that this concert was being given in the hall where Abbado annually works his magic with the Lucerne Festival Overture.

- Paul E. Robinson

Riccardo Muti Accepts Birgit Nilsson Prize

Riccardo Muti was recently awarded the Birgit Nilsson Prize and on October 13, 2011 he gave his acceptance speech at the Royal Swedish Opera House. Muti has a reputation as not only a great conductor but as an uncompromising artist and citizen. On several occasions he has resigned his posts over artistic and political matters. He has strong views on the scores he conducts and on the work of stage directors. 

Muti is now music director of the Chicago Symphony and the relationship seems to be thriving. To date Muti has made few recordings in Chicago but the orchestra's are broadcast regularly on NPR. Recently, Muti conducted the same programme Mahler conducted with the New York Philharmonic in 1911 and which turned out to be his last concert. As it happens, it was a concert of works by Italian composers. It was an unusual and imaginative programming choice for both Mahler and Muti.

- Paul E. Robinson

Pilar Lorengar and Richard Leech in the Grand Duet from Les Huguenots

Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots is the quintessential French grand opera - five acts and a ballet, with an epic story, outsized emotions, and a big orchestra. It has a large cast and the vocal writing is taxing - though rewarding - for the soloists.  No wonder it is hardly ever staged.  This week, Toronto opera lovers will have a chance to hear this rare work, in a concert performance by Opera In Concert. I would be foolish to suggest that you don't need an orchestra in this work - because to realize the full grandeur of this piece, you really need it.  However, that isn't likely going to happen any time soon.  What Opera in Concert does have are some fine voices - Laura Whalen as Marguerite, Edgar Ramirez as Raoul and Lesley Ann Bradley as Valentine. This single concert performance takes place on Sunday Nov. 27 at 2:30 p.m., at the Jane Mallet Theatre.  For today's video, I have chosen a fantastic video clip of the Grand Duet with a young Richard Leech as a fearless Raoul (when it comes to the high notes) and the beloved and much lamented Spanish soprano Pilar Lorengar, who left us far too soon.  Here both artists are in absolutely top form - Leech in his youthful bloom and Lorengar in her Indian Summer. It is is a performance to honour and enjoy.

- Joseph K. So

Yo Yo Ma at New York's American Museum of Natural History

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has been a pioneer in using music to provide a bridge to other cultures. Ma formed the Silk Road Ensemble to show how musicians from different countries could play together and find their common ground. What might have appeared a gimmick at first is still going strong. Yo-Yo Ma still devotes much of his time to the Silk Road Ensemble and with this group he has undoubtedly inspired people all over the world. 

In this video Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble perform Ascending Bird, a traditional Persian folk melody.

Paul E. Robinson

Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic in Japan 1959

In 1959 Herbert von Karajan reigned supreme in Europe. He was conductor for life of the Berlin Philharmonic, general director of the Vienna State Opera and famous everywhere for the dozens of recordings he had made with London's Philharmonia Orchestra. In October he led the Vienna Philharmonic on an unprecedented world tour that started in New Delhi, India and ended in Montreal a month later. There were 25 concerts and Karajan conducted all of them.

In this black and white video we see the third movement from Brahms Fourth Symphony. The concert was given in Tokyo November 6, 1959. Karajan's conducting style seems oddly self-indulgent and arbitrary and perhaps more interesting to the audience than to the musicians. But what Karajan had throughout his career was charisma and authority and there is plenty of both here. And the orchestra, led by Willi Boskovsky, responds with playing of tremendous warmth and intensity.

Paul E. Robinson

Lucia Popp Sings "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka

I had the great pleasure of seeing the opening night performance of Opera de Montreal's Rusalka last Saturday. It seemed that all the stars were aligned and the performance was truly wonderful.  First of all, what a magnificent-looking production!  I have seen plenty of projections but nothing can compare to this one.  I was stunned by its beauty.  The musical side of things was also terrific. Kelly Kaduce is a great singing actress. She was an amazing Butterfly two years ago in Santa Fe, and now she is equally wonderful as Rusalka in Montreal.  Here is the best known aria from the opera, "Song to the Moon" sung by the great Slovak soprano, the late Lucia Popp.  Tomorrow (Wednesday) marks her passing 18 years ago, when she died on Nov. 16 1993 from a brain tumour. The opera world lost this great singer much too soon!

Joseph K. So