Dan Rest/Chicago Lyric Opera

Interview: Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah,” which comes to Opera Pacific this week, is fondly remembered by its composer, 50 years later. The Orange County Register, May 9, 2008.

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The political satirist interviews opera hunk Nathan Gunn.

Rose Palmisano

REVIEW: Under departing principal conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, the famed Philharmonia delivers sturdy readings of standards. The Orange County Register, May 9, 2008.

The Philharmonia Orchestra (of London), under conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi, will perform Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, tonight in Segerstrom Concert Hall. 

Great minds have attempted to decipher the work’s meaning for years. No one quite agrees. Here’s a sample of what some of them said:

“It will be generally admitted that Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that ever penetrated into the ear of man. ” — E.M. Forster

“For the grandeur and simplicity of its melodic materials, the nobility of its formal proportions, and the forthrightness of its expression, it has been esteemed throughout the Western world for over a century now as a sort of Parthenon among symphonies. Yet what it means nobody really knows. It has been as much argued about as ‘Hamlet,’ and it remains to this day as movingly obscure a work. ” — Virgil Thomson

“Thus Fate knocks at the door. ” — Beethoven, on the first four notes.

“The Fifth Symphony is simply music, and it is a pity that Schindler’s legend of fate knocking at the door was ever promulgated. These people who find ‘meaning,’ scenes, dramas in music! ” — Olin Downes

“One has neither the obligation nor the temptation, as in the case of some of the other Symphonies, to attach any definite meaning to the music or construct any picture of it. It is enough that it touches one’s deepest and most sombre feelings, and hurries one along unresistingly on its tremendous current. ” — George Grove

“The Symphony in C minor … appears to us to emanate directly and solely from the genius of Beethoven. It is his own intimate thought which is there developed; and his secret sorrows, his pent-up rage, his dreams so full of melancholy oppression, his nocturnal visions and his bursts of enthusiasm furnish its entire subject. ” — Hector Berlioz

“Or it was meant to be Pathological, perhaps — the first movement is Chronic Dyspepsia, sub-acute inflammation of the coats of the stomach — the gnawing of the gastric juice — accelerated pulse — throbbing head — nausea — megrims — vapors and desperation. The liver begins to act in the Andante; the patient is congratulated by his friends on his looking so much better, and walks the streets convinced that `Radway’s Ready Relief’ is what he has sought so long. In the Finale he is regenerated and restored — is once more an ornament to Society and makes his home happy. ” — George Templeton Strong

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

Andrea Bocelli, who a friend has dubbed “the blind singer for deaf people,” has come clean. Even he thinks some of the stuff he performs is, well, sub-par. From the Times in London, quote: 

Now Bocelli has admitted that at times he sold his talent short. He said: “I regret being forced by circumstances to do things that were very profitable, but occupied a lot of time I could have dedicated to more artistically satisfying work.” Speaking to Radio Times, Bocelli added: “Every TV appearance based on commercial foundations robs me of time I’d prefer to devote to studying. In this business you have to do what the world requires.”

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa recently criticised crossover singers as “the new fakes for the new generation — they sing with a microphone”. Bocelli said: “I agree with her. It’s a pity to sing with a microphone, if you can do without it, although it’s excusable in an arena. It’s much easier without one, because you sing the way nature teaches you.” However Caruso also used “amplification”, Bocelli noted.

RTWTH 

No, it’s not me. I know that’s hard to believe, but really.

I have to admit I love this ad campaign. (There’s another one where he’s riding in some sort of rocket sled, in a tux, smoking a cigar and laughing.) At any rate, I wonder about his musical tastes. What would The World’s Most Interesting Man’s record collection look like (and you know it’d be vinyl)? I’m certain he’d have a complete set of Jean Martinon. Surely, he’d be into Aksel Schoitz. For Mahler, it’d be Giulini, of course. His favorite opera? Do you need to ask? “Falstaff“! Anyway, what else would he have in his collection to slap on the old gramophone after he had poured himself a ever-so-subtle, but lustrous cabernet? (Your cue, reader.)

Stay thirsty, my friends.

Riccardo Muti has been named music director of the Chicago Symphony. Read here. Funny, he never mentioned it when he phoned about Bruckner.

Tenor Ian Bostridge reviews “The Rest is Noise” by Alex Ross.

Jonathan Yardley remembers a great musical autobiography.

Benjamin Schwarz on “Frank Sinatra: The Man, the Music, the Legend.” 

Mike Schwartz

REVIEW: The Russian guest conductor forges a sizzling reading of the composer’s jokey symphony, with some well drilled Mozart to start.

AP photo

…Violinist/conductor Vladimir Spivakov leads the Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Concert Hall tonight and tomorrow in a Mozart/Shostakovich program that includes Dmitri’s farcical Ninth Symphony. … The Mozart Classical Orchestra winds up its season in the same venue Sunday afternoon with music by Cimarosa, Mozart and Haydn. … Violinist Cho-Liang Lin (call him Jimmy) performs concertos by Tan Dun and Mozart with the UCI Symphony, Saturday night at the Irvine Barclay. … London’s venerable Philharmonia Orchestra visits Disney Hall (May 6 and 7) and Segerstrom Hall (May 8) with outgoing principal conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi on the podium (Esa-Pekka Salonen is his replacement). … With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Salonen looks into the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Brahms (with Leif Ove Andnes) tonight, and adds excerpts from “Gotterdammerung” (with Lisa Gasteen) Sunday afternoon. … The De Angelis Vocal Ensemble gives a concert of English secular music by Holst, Vaughan Williams, Delius and Rutter at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano. … John Koshak says goodbye after 37 years of conducting the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra, at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Chapman University Auditorium.