Celebrity Series of Boston Blog

Happy Halloween

Globe: Perlman "Slow off the bat, but worth the wait"

Matthew Guerierri of The Boston Globe and Soho the Dog reviewed Itzhak Perlman's recital from last Sunday:

"The grandiose finale was vintage Perlman, extroverted and spontaneous, as was a ravishing reading of Schumann's opus 73 "Phantasiestücke" ("Fantasy Pieces"): Perlman spun out an intimate tone, gold leaf rubbed onto every corner of the music, with the performers in a synergy of attentive detail and quicksilver flow."

He is always a pleasure to read.

Read Slow off the bat, but worth the wait.

Everything Typepad: A short interview with Alex Ross

The good people at Typepad, or more specifically, the Everything Typepad blog (I use their service for this blog, as you may have noticed) recently posted a short interview with author/blogger Alex Ross. In it he talks a bit about writing his very popular blog, The Rest is Noise (also the name of his new book, which I just bought...it looks terrific), and about some other music-related blogs he reads. The post also features a link to his New Yorker article, The Well Tempered Web, The Internet May be killing the pop CD, but it's helping classical music.

Champs, again!

Nicely done, gentlemen.

Theodore Bale reviews the Sean Curran Company

The Boston Herald's Theodore Bale reviewed Friday evening's Tsai Performance Center program for today's edition: Sean Curran pulls powerful strings. This afternoon's performance by the Company is a family matinee, featuring this weekend's world premiere work, Social Discourse, plus Metal Garden and Amadinda Dances, which were not performed on Friday or Saturday. Today's family matinee performance also includes commentary on the works by Curran.

Boston Globe reviews Sean Curran Company

Thea Singer reviewed the Sean Curran Company's opening night performance at the Tsai Performance Center for The Boston Globe. The company performs tonight at 8pm and tomorrow at 3.

Herald: "Curran strikes up discourse with Radiohead's Yorke"

As a preview to this weekend's Tsai Center engagement by the Sean Curran Company, Theodore Bale talked with Sean Curran for yesterday's Boston Herald about his young dancers, Radiohead's Thom Yorke, growing older as a dancer and becoming more mature as a choreographer. Here's a taste:

"'In my day we were mad on going to ballet class,' he said. 'These dancers take yoga and Pilates and go to the gym. They are very concerned with how they look. They are not so interested in stretching feet and making lines. In a way they are the grandchildren of (postmodern choreographer) Trisha Brown. Street and club dance really informs how they generate movement.'"

Read all of Curran strikes up discourse with Radiohead's Yorke.

Boston Globe: Sean Curran, "stepping to a new level"

   
Members of the Sean Curran Company in Aria/Apology

Valerie Gladstone surveyed what's new with Belmont, Mass. native Sean Curran and his Sean Curran Company for today's Boston Globe. The Company opens tonight for a run through Sunday at the Tsai Performance Center. Here's a smidge to whet your appetite:

"I'm moving into a new period," Curran says. "I'm no longer a colleague of my dancers; I'm the boss. I look kind of funny when I dance with them, so now I only do solos. My new pieces are also very different than the older ones. They're more contemplative, without being any less vigorous and athletic. I jokingly call my new style postmodern Baroque."

Read all of Stepping to a new level

Ax makes a change, but it's not a competition...

(L to R) Pianists Emanuel Ax and Jeremy Denk: despite Ax's program change, the two are not competing

Pianist Emanuel Ax has decided to make a small alteration to his November 4 recital program. Instead of Beethoven's Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Opus 57, the “Appassionata” sonata, Mr. Ax will play Beethoven's Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Opus 53, otherwise known as the "Waldstein" sonata.

Veteran Celebrity Series watchers will note that the "Waldstein" sonata is also the subject of Rob Kapilow's What Makes It Great? program on May 10, 2008 (a mere 7 months from now). The pianist for that program will be noted pianist and blogger Jeremy Denk, whose name is worth remembering for both his erudition and his musicianship.

It has been said that music is not and should not be a competitive enterprise, but undoubtedly there will be some among you who cannot resist the temptation to compare the two performances.

"In lane 1, wearing number 8..."

Fall back for Ax

It's enough to make you think Emanuel Ax is testing us. His piano recital is happening on November 4 at Jordan Hall which just happens to be the day that Daylight Savings Time takes effect. So let me remind all of you - officially - not to show up at 2 o'clock on Sunday afternoon thinking it's 3.

If you do show up early and you have a web connection handy, here are some restaurants in the area so you can grab a cup of coffee or something: Jordan Hall Restaurant List.