by Kevin McLaughlin
The Canton Symphony thrilled and captivated in two portrayals of the story of Scheherazade and a masterfully played piano concerto on a snowy evening at the Zimmermann Symphony Center on January 22.
The world premiere of Quinn Mason’s Portrait of Scheherazade, commissioned by the CSO, made for an appealing start. It’s always exciting to hear a piece for the first time, particularly so when it’s introduced by the composer. Speaking easily and plainly, Mason identified his purpose as depicting the person of Scheherazade (“who the lady was”) rather than refashioning the famous work by Rimsky-Korsakov.
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From the time that Cuban-born guitarist René Izquierdo heard his first live concert as a child, he knew that he wanted to make “connecting with people through music” his life’s work. On Saturday, January 28 at 7:30 pm at Plymouth Church in Shaker Hts., the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society International Series will present René Izquierdo in a program that highlights his Cuban and Spanish heritage. Tickets are available
When we think of the Medieval period, musical variety is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. But Allison Monroe and her Trobár Medieval colleagues would beg to differ with that sentiment. “There’s a lot of variety in the repertoire,” Monroe said during a recent interview.
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When composer Melissa Dunphy and her husband purchased a Philadelphia property that was in foreclosure, they saw it as an opportunity to own what could become a small performing arts space in a prime location. “It’s only an eight-minute walk to the Liberty Bell,” Dunphy said during a telephone conversation. Little did they know that what lay beneath the foundation of the former Magic Theater would reveal a story worthy of a made-for-television cold case mystery. Or better yet, an opera.
From a brooding opening, through a turbulent depiction of reality, to a rousing journey for freedom that surely lodged itself into the audience’s collective memory for a long time to come, the orchestral and choral forces of Oberlin College and Conservatory traced a compelling emotional arc with their program at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium on January 20.
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