Globe review of Finckel, Han, Setzer concert

Jeffrey Gantz reviewed Sunday's recital by cellist David Finckel, pianist Wu Han and violinist Phillip Setzer for today's Boston Globe. Read review here (login required).

Globe: de la Salle shows "perfect touch"

Matthew Guerierii's review in today's Boston Globe said of Lise de la Salle's Celebrity Series debut recital on Saturday evening:

"... in Lise de la Salle’s excellent Celebrity Series concert on Saturday-the French pianist’s Boston recital debut-the focus of energy was the point of contact between finger and key. The effect was both vintage, foregrounding a clavichord-like primacy of touch, and modern: clarity as an illusion of objectivity."

Read all of the review (login required)

Gustav Leonhardt (1928-2011)

Gustav Leonhardt

The renowned Dutch harpsichordist, organist and conductor Gustav Leonhardt has died at 83. A pioneer of period instrument performance, Leonhardt performed four harpsichord recitals on the Celebrity Series from 1978 to 1990. Reviewing for The Boston Globe in 1980, Richard Dyer said of one Celebrity Series Leonhardt recital, "... one listened not through the music to what it used to be, but to it for what it is."

New York Times obituary

The Telegraph (UK)

NPR (blog)

Radio Netherlands

Baltimore Sun

Limelight

 

Globe reviews Lang Lang recital

Lang Lang during his masterclass at Sanders Theatre on Saturday

Matthew Guerrieri reviewed this past Sunday's Celebrity Series recital by pianist Lang Lang, the culmination of the superstar pianist's stay in Boston. Here's a snippet:

"During intermission, Lang swapped the fine-grained German Steinway for a brassier American one (something of a star-privilege trademark for him), then offered all 12 of Chopin’s Op. 25 Études, a fully stocked cabinet of virtuosity highlighting Lang’s penchant for show, not to mention showing off - the two A-minor études, nos. 4 and 11, were thrillingly cocky torrents, the relentless octaves of the B-minor positively blazed."

Read all of A dash of daring serves Lang.

 

 

Boston Globe reviews Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Jeffrey Gantz, formerly of the Boston Phoenix, reviewed this past weekend's Celebrity Series and World Music co-presentation of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. The Complexions run at the Cutler Majestic Theatre was the final performance in the Celebrity Series of Boston's 2010-11 season. Read Complexions dancers rise to the occasion.

Globe reviews Emerson Quartet with Sir James Galway

Matthew Guerrieri's review of Friday evening's concert by the Emerson String Quartet and Sir James Galway (brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Celebrity Series) appeared in today's Boston Globe. Here is a bit of Mr. Geurrieri's take:

"Most concerts are curated with the aim of an e-pluribus-unum revelation of unexpected affinities. The Emerson String Quartet and Sir James Galway flipped the pattern for their star-summit Celebrity Series program on Friday; one could surmise logical connections, but the experience was more high-minded variety show — swinging from light to dark, from cheer to tragedy and back again."

Read all of Galway's flute and Emerson's strings combine for quite a show.

David Weininger reviews Evgeny Kissin's recital for Boston Globe

This review is online now but should appear in tomorrow's print edition:

"The music world is marking the bicentennial of the birth of Franz Liszt — composer, virtuoso, and all-around diabolical genius. The latest event in the ongoing celebration came on Wednesday, when Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin brought an all-Liszt recital to a packed Symphony Hall."

Read all of Evgeny Kissin plays up to the many challenges of Liszt.

Boston Globe review of violinist Bell

Matthew Guerrieri reviewed Friday evening's Celebrity Series concert by Joshua Bell at Symphony Hall. Here's a snippet:

"Bell has always exemplified old-school Romantic virtues, technically accomplished and emotionally flamboyant. If anything, his technique has only gotten better; his bowing, in particular, was a paragon, exceptionally controlled across a range of styles."

Read all of With violinist Bell's aplomb, the bolder the music the better.

Boston Globe review of Balé Folclórico da Bahia

Balé Folclórico da Bahia lit up the Opera House on Saturday night. Karen Campbell reviewed the performance for today's Boston Globe: Brazilian troupe kicks up the heat.

Billy Ruane (1957-2010)

Boston Phoenix (Jon Garelick)

Boston Globe (Bryan Marquard)

 

Recent previews & reviews

We've fallen a little behind in our tracking of reviews and previews of our performances in the local press, so Aisle Be Seeing You will now fall back on lists of links to cover more ground. Don't worry, once we get our 2010-2011 subscription season launched, and once we're showered with enough compliments (and once we stop using the royal "we"), we'll pick up the delightfully informative and unrelenting narrative you all know and love. In the meantime, let's hear from the critical establishment:

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (April 15-18, Citi Wang Theatre)

Boston Globe/Boston.com

Boston Herald

Boston Phoenix

The Tufts Daily

Imani Winds with Stefon Harris (April 16, NEC's Jordan Hall)

Boston Globe/Boston.com (preview)

Maya Beiser, World to Come (April 23, Paramount Theatre)

Boston Globe/Boston.com (review)

Maurizio Pollini (April 25, Symphony Hall)
 
Boston Globe/Boston.com

The Boston Musical Intelligencer

The Boston Musical Intelligencer
(Thoughts on Hearing Maurizio Pollini's Hamburg Steinway Fabbrini in Concert)

Danish Dance Theater (April 27 & 28, Paramount Theatre)

Boston Globe/Boston.com

Boston Globe review of Ailey company's opening night

Karen Campbell's review of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's opening night performance is online (it will be in print tomorrow, April 17). The program covered in Campbell's review will be repeated Saturday evening:

"When the music pops into a funky groove, flat-footed jive walks combine with
rippling bodies. An African beat brings on rolling shoulders, arms swinging,
legs bent, dancers briefly launching themselves into backward turns, bodies
curved like commas in the air. Robinson’s swirling, swooping solo seems to
invoke the spirits, her arms repeatedly curling inward as if drawing in curling
tendrils of smoke. She turns in place, head thrown back."

Read all of Ailey troupe celebrates director's dancing spirit.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs at the Wang Theatre through Sunday.

Max Raabe wows Paramount crowds, reviewers

He's glamorous, he's suave, he's totally Weimar. His deadpan delivery and tuxedoed band played two fantastic concerts at the Paramount Theatre last week. Ironically, Max Raabe, playing music of the 1920s and 30s, is a man of the moment.

Here are two reviews of his show:

Boston Herald (Bob Young)

Boston Globe (Matthew Guerrieri)

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour reviewed

Here are a couple of reviews from Thursday night's performance by the all-stars:

Steve Greenlee's review for The Boston Globe

Bob Young for The Boston Herald

Update:

Sophie Duvernoy reviewed for The Harvard Crimson

Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet Globe review

The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet made its Boston debut on Friday night at Jordan Hall. Matthew Guerrieri reviewed for The Boston Globe: Berlin Quintet's blend mutes distinctiveness.

Globe's Jeremy Eichler on Tetzlaff: "nothing more was required"

Jeremy Eichler's review of Christian Tetzlaff's unaccompanied violin recital last Sunday is in today's Boston Globe:

"There were no gimmicks in Jordan Hall Sunday night. No semi-staging. No actors employed. No mood lighting. No screen projections to help us feel the music. There was not even a pianist to accompany it.

There was only one deeply serious artist, the violinist Christian Tetzlaff, alone with his instrument on a completely empty stage. It turned out that, for one of the most rewarding concerts in recent memory, nothing more was required."

Read all of A lone violin, when nothing more is needed.

Globe, Herald Reviews of Mozart Dances

Two reviews of the Mark Morris Dance Group's Mozart Dances with Emmanuel Music at The Opera House are in to date:

The Boston Globe (Karen Campbell), 'Mozart Dances' Captures Music's Playfulness

The Boston Herald (Keith Powers), When Mix is Right, Morris and Mozart Cook

One more performance of Mozart Dances remains, this afternoon at 3pm. There are tickets left. I'm just sayin'.

Reviews of Emanuel Ax recital

Two Three reviews of last Friday's Jordan Hall  recital by Emanuel Ax have appeared online to date:

The Boston Globe (David Weininger)

The Arts Fuse (Caldwell Titcomb)

UPDATE:

The Boston Phoenix (Jeffrey Gantz)

Reviews of the Emerson String Quartet

Here is a collection of reviews of the Emerson String Quartet's December 4 recital at Jordan Hall:

The Boston Globe (Jeremy Eichler)

The Arts Fuse (Caldwell Titcomb)

The Boston Phoenix (Lloyd Schwartz)


FYI: These reviews were not late - I'm late in posting them.

Recent previews & reviews: Vega, Sondheim and the Berlin Phil

Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic at Symphony Hall on Sunday (Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

Suzanne Vega (November 6, Sanders Theatre)

The Boston Phoenix (Carrie Battan)


An Evening With Stephen Sondheim (November 14, Sanders Theatre)

The Hub Review (Thomas Garvey)

Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle, conducting (November 15, Symphony Hall)

The Boston Globe (Jeremy Eichler)

The Hub Review (Thomas Garvey)

The Boston Phoenix (Lloyd Schwartz)

The Boston Herald (Ed Symkus)