This now marks the fourth time I’ve seen the BRSO. They came almost two years ago and held three concerts, thankfully all with Mariss Jansons himself. They presented three excellent programs then, and there were two exceptional programs lined up … Continue reading Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Zubin Mehta
featuring cellist Pablo Ferrández and conductor Robert Trevino It’s been quite some time since I’ve paid the Taipei Symphony a visit, in fact more than four months. They spent a little time traveling down south for some concerts, and had one or two … Continue reading TSO’s Don Quixote
performed by Peter Damm and the Staatskapelle Dresden under Rudolf Kempe, or below by Stefan Dohr and the Oklahoma Symphony under Hansjörg Schellenberger This is very early Strauss. It was written by a very young Richard Strauss to his father, a horn player … Continue reading Strauss Horn Concerto no. 1 in E-flat, op. 11
performed by the Staatskapelle Dresden under Rudolf Kempe, unquestionably the best recording of the work, in my opinion The death of this aspiring, idealistic, energetic artist is a grave loss… Strauss, on the death of Gustav Mahler Today’s work is … Continue reading Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie, op. 64
featuring 楊文信 (Wen-Sinn Yang), cello Welcome back, NSO! Our very own National Symphony Orchestra recently returned from their trip abroad, their first concert visit to America, as well as a concert in Vancouver. They got newspaper spots, filled Western concert … Continue reading NSO’s Cello & Symphony
We’re quite spoilt here in Taipei. I won’t go on again about having seen the world-famous ensembles from Berlin, Vienna, Chicago, and Munich come visit, along with the likes of the Concertgebouw and Philharmonia, and on and on, but we … Continue reading Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Taipei
30th Anniversary Season Opener, featuring Leonidas Kavakos Well, I’m a bit late in coming with this. The concert was almost a week ago, and came at the end of an extremely long day (and weekend, involving a national holiday, two typhoons, a … Continue reading NSO’s A Hero’s Life
Who doesn’t love chamber music? I’m not much for midweek concerts, because they usually involve first running home to care quickly for a dog, then rushing to a concert, then rushing home to get ready for work the next day, … Continue reading TSO’s Playful Music Adventure
I love the French horn. But it has to be one of the most difficult, unreliable, wobbly instruments in the ensemble. In most (rare-ish) cases of a missed entry or high note, a ‘whoops’ of loss of tone or control, the … Continue reading Concert Review: NSO’s Blast of Spring
I’m not entirely sure what it was about these three pieces that tie them together under that title, even before hearing the first piece on the program. Some things, though, never change, and that’s so comforting. 19:30 pm, the chatter from … Continue reading Concert Review: NSO’s Musical Philosophy
performed by the Staatskapelle Dresden under Rudolf Kempe Somehow… Despite excerpts from Don Juan being on the auditions for like, every instrument ever, and it being (I feel, right?) an outstandingly popular tone poem, I was super late to the party and … Continue reading Strauss: Don Juan, op. 20
performed by the Staatskapelle Dresden under Rudolfe Kempe We’re finally doing Strauss! It’s about darn time. (Featured image is the View of the Ponte Nomentano in the Roman Campagna, by Jean Achille Benouville) As one of the few multi-movement tone poems in our … Continue reading Richard Strauss: Aus Italien
Last month, I had the last minute opportunity to see the Asian Youth Orchestra live here in Taipei from just about the best seats in the concert hall (and for free, no less). I had originally planned on attending that evening’s performance, but of the four events I had decided to go to, it was the least enticing program (up against the likes of Mahler and Sibelius, two of my favorites), so it got the hack. Also, it was a Monday night, which tends to be somewhat more inconvenient. As it turns out, a coworker had two extra tickets (center … Continue reading Concert Review: Asian Youth Orchestra
Fugue for Thought 