1) Die Walkure – Metropolitan Opera – Despite director Robert Lepage’s monstrous mechanical set that occasionally ate and spat out singers, this new production boasted an almost dream cast. James Levine’s conducting of the Met orchestra was nothing short of legendary and considering that we may never see him at the podium again, it was an incredible evening of musical drama.
2) Academy of St. Martin-In-The-Fields Chamber Ensemble – Troy Chromatic Concerts – Eight of Europe’s finest chamber music players gathered in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall for an evening of fine ensemble playing. Included in the evening is the rarely-heard Octet by Johan Svendsen.
3) Satyagraha – Metropolitan Opera – To honor Philip Glass’s 75th birthday, his opera about Gandhi’s early days in South Africa returns to the Met. Visually and musically stunning.
4) Brooklyn Rider Quartet – Union College Concert Series – Led by the always-inventive Jacobsen brothers, a program featuring the String Quartet No. 3 of Philip Glass.
5) Jupiter Quartet – Union College Concert Series – Rising above the fray in the world of string quartets, this family affair featured an ambitious program highlighted by a knockout performance of the Bartok Quartet No. 6.
Greg Anderson
Recent Comments