music Archives » gramilano

Barbra Streisand’s last concert

Jun 162013

P6150743 500x375 Barbra Streisands last concert With last night’s concert in Berlin, Barbra Streisand said auf wiedersehen to Europe forever. In fact, apart from two last concerts in Israel, she is saying goodbye to live concerts altogether.

This is Streisand’s fourth tour since returning to live performances in 1973 after a 27 year absence. If she waits another 6 years — that seems to be her touring rhythm — she will be 77-years-old.

I hate to say this, but this is probably the last time that I’ll be here.

Though she quipped,

But never say never… The opera is not over until the fat lady sings, and I’m not so fat!

However, Streisand, the perfectionist, must hate it when her voice lets her down, and sometimes it does.… [continue reading]

Joyce DiDonato’s recital interrupted by a call from Rossini

music, opera 3 Responses »

Jun 102013

P6090617 500x375 Joyce DiDonatos recital interrupted by a call from Rossini Joyce DiDonato well and truly conquered La Scala’s audience during her recital last night.

She was greeted by an ovation that took her aback — the sort of applause reserved for a Marilyn Horne or Teresa Berganza, recognising their past triumphs on the legendary stage. In this case is was more of a signal to the theatre’s management to get DiDonato back to Milan: she’s not slated for an opera next season, and hasn’t sung at La Scala since La Donna del Lago a couple of years ago. DiDonato has an easy charm on stage, with amusing and informative patter, and she is a captivating actress too: Rossini’s La regata veneziana songs were each perfectly-judged cameos. She knows her beautifully chosen all-Venice programme inside out, and it showed.… [continue reading]

Kaufmann’s cancellation: curse or conspiracy?

music No Responses »

Jun 032013

1957 UK The Curse of Frankenstein 500x382 Kaufmanns cancellation: curse or conspiracy? The Curse of La Scala strikes again?

As already noted in this blog, the recital series at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala has suffered from a great number of cancellations and postponements during the last year or so. The latest has been Jonas Kaufmann’s recital on 1 June which, ‘due to a sudden illness’, has been postponed until late October. As he’s also slated to sing in the 2013–2014 series, this means that in less that six months he’ll be back… or will he?

Curse or conspiracy? According to Norman Lebrecht’s blog Slipped Disc,

Backstage, they are saying he needed more time to prepare for Trovatore in Munich.

…or did he? At the end of this month the German tenor will début as Manrico at the Bayerische Staatsoper, but that’s more than three weeks away.… [continue reading]

World première of a piece by Giuseppe Verdi

music 1 Response »

May 292013

Giuseppe Verdi 326x500 World premiere of a piece by Giuseppe Verdi Tomorrow evening there will be a world première of a piece by Giuseppe Verdi, in his 200th Anniversary year.

Flautist Claudio Ferrarini was rummaging through the library in Verdi’s home Villa di Sant’Agata (more commonly known as Villa Verdi), where Verdi often made music with Antonio Barezzi, president of the Busseto Philharmonic Society. Ferrarini found many scores that were owned by Verdi, and among them a transcription by the great composer of a popular piece from the 1860s: Bersagliera e Galop nel gran ballo Flick Flok.

Thanks to his heir, Carrara Verdi, Claudio Ferrarini, together with pianist Gregorio Nardi, will perform the piece which hasn’t been heard for more than a century at the Limen Studios in Milan.… [continue reading]

The Hunger Project UK: Ending hunger with music

music No Responses »

May 282013

Dionne Warwick Joe McElderry The Hunger Project UK: Ending hunger with music Today is World Hunger Day and The Hunger Project UK have been celebrating and raising money with music.

After previous events in large theatres and concert halls, this year’s approach is ‘up close and personal’, culminating in tonight’s concerts at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club with Joe McElderry & Friends.

If you can’t support the initiative in person, Joe McElderry, who won the sixth series of The X Factor, has recorded a duet with vocal legend Dionne Warwick which can be bought and downloaded online.

This anthemic song encourages the whole world to sing with one voice to end hunger once and for all, for every individual and within every community worldwide. According to UN FAO Goodwill Ambassador and long-term Hunger campaigner, Dionne Warwick,

Given the importance of this challenge and the fact that in 2013 there are still two million children dying from malnutrition every year in conditions of extreme poverty, it seems reasonable for us all to aim to achieve poll position in music charts around the world.… [continue reading]

100 years after the riot: The Rite of Spring by those who were there

ballet, music No Responses »

May 282013

One day, when I was finishing the last pages of The Firebird in St Petersburg [in 1910], I had a fleeting vision… I saw in my imagination a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle, watched a single girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of spring.

On 29 May 1913 Igor Stravinsky’s vision became reality when The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps) was premiered at the Théâtres des Champs-Élysées in Paris — 100 years ago. And it caused a riot. Literally.

There was something in this ballet and its music which didn’t irritate or bore but caused anger. It was too much.

Before the riot

Diaghilev and Stravinsky 500x395 100 years after the riot: The Rite of Spring by those who were there Even those collaborating on the new piece had their doubts. … [continue reading]

Pavarotti water, Bocelli wine, now Britten beer

music, opera No Responses »

May 272013

Native Britten Pavarotti water, Bocelli wine, now Britten beer San Pellegrino teamed up with the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation to create special bottles of Big Lucy mineral water. Andrea Bocelli, together with brother Alberto, produce a range of wines from the family home in Lajatico, near Pisa. Now, demonstrating that this isn’t just a tenor tendency, Aldeburgh Music’s Chief Executive, Jonathan Reekie, has commissioned a Benjamin Britten Centenary Ale.

Fergus Fitzgerald of Adnam’s didn’t want to slap on a label and be done, but was inspired to create a new beer based on Benjamin Britten’s life and music.

As Britten had said, “My music has its roots in where I live and work,” he was inspired to use local produce, and being that Britten set Shakespeare’s line ‘I know a bank where the wild thyme grows’ to music in his opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fitzgerald decided to include the herb in the mix.… [continue reading]

Older Entries

gramilano

Barbra Streisand’s last concert

Share

Joyce DiDonato’s recital interrupted by a call from Rossini

Share

Kaufmann’s cancellation: curse or conspiracy?

Share

World première of a piece by Giuseppe Verdi

Share

The Hunger Project UK: Ending hunger with music

Share

100 years after the riot: The Rite of Spring by those who were there

Before the riot

Share

Pavarotti water, Bocelli wine, now Britten beer

Share

Facebook

Twitter

Google Plus

YouTube

Google Plus