The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra lately seemed to be reverting back to the conservatism that had dominated its programming before Music Director Ward Stare’s arrival. Yesterday at Kodak Hall, however, Stare and the RPO presented its boldest concert in recent memory. The evening began with Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 22. Stare took a brisk, stately […]
Classical Concert Review
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Classical review: Pegasus’s ‘Bach & Bach’
In the Baroque period, different countries had different musical traits associated with them. In a quick-and-dirty overview: Italian music was vocally oriented and virtuosic; German music was “learned” (heavy on the counterpoint); and French music was, well, French: generally light textured, highly ornamented, more concerned with the intimate than the transcendental. (This is a very […]
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Classical review: SCMR’s ‘A Couple of Couples’
The Society for Chamber Music in Rochester is always a source of imaginative and engaging programming. Its most recent concert, which took place Sunday afternoon, brought together two musical marriages: violinist Robin Scott of the Ying Quartet and cellist Ahrim Kim (principal cello of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra); and cellist Keiko Ying of Roberts Wesleyan […]
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Classical review: RPO’s ‘Bernstein Celebration’
This week, Ward Stare and the Rochester Philharmonic are celebrating the centennial of that first among 20th century American musicians, Leonard Bernstein. This concert wasn’t just a tip of the baton to a revered musician; it was a salute by a lively, communicative conductor to an infinitely talented composer, conductor, and general muse to American […]
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Classical review: RPO performs ‘The Music of Swan Lake’
In Thursday’s concert of mostly ballet music at Kodak Hall, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra showed flashes of pure brilliance. Unfortunately, the performance as a whole was lackluster. The RPO opened the program with a trio of AntonรญnDvořรกk’s “Slavonic Dances,” and was joined onstage by members of the Rochester City Ballet. Stare conducted with a light […]
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Classical Review: In ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ program, RPO plays the infernal and the impressionistic
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra started 2018 by inviting Marcelo Lehninger, the Brazilian-born music director of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, to guest conduct this week’s program. The RPO performed last night and will repeat the concert on Saturday. Lehninger is offering an unusual but intelligently balanced program: Russian emotional rawness tempered by French Impressionism, and […]
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Concert review: Yuja Wang with the RPO
Pianist Yuja Wang on Thursday and Saturday broke into Bartok and helped the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra reach
new heights.
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Classical review: RPO performs “Four Last Songs”
The RPO continues its mastery of Barber while presenting fascinating new music.
