Enter the world of fairy tales and you’ll find yourself surrounded by rules. Don’t lie or no one will believe you when you tell the truth. Don’t tell someone you can spin straw into gold when you can’t. And if
The Many Tales of The Firebird
“Carmen”: The Scandalous Birth of a Classic
“Carmen,” George Bizet’s risqué tale of love, lust and murder, has a backstory worthy of its subject. One of the most beloved and popular operas in the world was born amid scandal, controversy, and a stubborn artistic vision that defied
“Scheherazade”: A Masterwork Inspired by 1,000 Stories—and a Heart Attack
With such a plain spoken title, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade (1888) has to be programmatic music, right? A retelling of stories from the Thousand and One Nights? Well, yes…and no. Richard Strauss, master of programmatic music, famously said “I could set
Sibelius’ First: Inner Turmoil and Romantic Sensibility
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 Sibelius, like Brahms, waited to finish his first symphony. His career was well underway when he tackled the challenge in his early 30s. And, like Brahms, he paid attention to the
An Interview with Robert Istad, Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director
When Carl St.Clair and Pacific Symphony navigate their way through the dramatic terrain of Verdi’s Requiem June 5-8, they’ll be doing so with their long-time vocal partners, Pacific Chorale. Dr. Rob Istad, currently enjoying his eighth season at the Chorale’s helm, recently took some time to discuss his approach to the work: what it means to him, and how he prepares his singers….
Verdi’s Mighty Requiem
Requiem Masses have long served as a way for nations to mourn their public figures…. The best known of course is Verdi’s Requiem Mass, but which public figure was it meant to honor? Therein lies a tale…
Bruckner, Symphony No. 7
Is it wrong to wish Anton Bruckner had been a little more stubborn? Certainly it would have simplified the work of identifying the definitive performance scores for his symphonies if he’d just said, “Close enough” and moved on….
Beyond the Notes: Maestro Shelley Breathes New Life into Beethoven’s Fifth
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is one of, if not THE, most familiar pieces of music in history. With so much cultural awareness attached to it, a conductor is posed with an interesting puzzle: how do you make it come alive for an audience that’s heard it 1,000 times before?
Curse of the Ring: Das Rheingold
Richard Wagner began his monumental cycle of operas Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) in 1848, in the wake of the Age of Enlightenment…
Carmina Burana
If the apocalypse has a soundtrack, it’s “O Fortuna” from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana…