Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. Eun Sun Kim, conductor; Taylor Raven, mezzo-soprano. July 24, 2026.

David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center.  Orchestra (Seat T103, $35).

Eun Sun Kim and Taylor Raven after performing the "Seven Songs" by de Falla.

Program - Elegant Impressions

Petite Suite, L 65 (1889, orch. 1907) by Debussy (1862-1918), orch. Busser (1872-1973).

Siete canciones populares espanoios (1915, arranged 1945) by de Falla (1876-1946), arr. Halfter (1905-1989).

Sinfonietta (1948) by Poulenc (1899-1963).

In the Program Notes, the orchestra's current music director Jonathan Heyward gives (some) credit to Louis Langree for the beautiful French sound of the ensemble.  My own impression is that the orchestra certainly improved a lot during Langree's tenure, but I wouldn't be able to distinguishing the different sounds, be they German or French.  We attended more than 10 Mostly Mozart events in 2018 and 2019, not one single piece was by a French composer (admittedly I took only a cursory look).  Naturally I won't be able to say "this Mozart is performed with a considerable French flair to it," so Heyward's remark may be well above my level of appreciation.

In any case, it is an interesting program, if it's only for me to appreciate what a French sound sounds like.  When it comes to French composers, the two that readily come to mind are Debussy and Ravel, and Poulenc if one tries hard.  I may have listened to other Poulenc pieces before, but the only one I remember would be his opera about the Carmelite nuns.  (The dramatic ending certainly helped sear the opera in my memory.)  And the recent one-woman opera La voix humaine led by Hannigan.  I had always thought Manuel de Falla to be a through-and-through Spanish composer, and he is.  He connected with French composers during his stay in Paris from 1907 to 1914.

I am typing this about four days after the concert, and much of what I "got" is already gone.  So let me go through them piece by piece, briefly.

The Debussy piece contains four movements: En bateau (by boat); Cortege (procession); Menuet; and Ballet.  One could make the case for a boat trip (water is Debussy's specialty, after all), and can imagine what the procession is.  The last movements then simply became standard ones with a French take on them.  And I don't know what the French take is specifically.  The piece lasts 13 minutes per the Progam.

Taylor Raven was the soloist for the de Falla "folk songs."  The words, sometimes witty, speak of life and love.  The seven pieces total 15 minutes, and supposedly represent styles from different regions of Spain.  Here is the list: El pano moruno (the Moorish Cloth); Seguidilla murciana (Seguidilla from Murcia); Asturiana (Asturian Song); Jota (Jota); Nana (Lullaby); Cancion (Song); and Polo (Polo).

Taylor Raven ‘svoice came across well.  We saw her in NJ Symphony's performance of Mozart's Requiem a few months ago.

Poulenc's Sinfonietta has four movements: Allegro con fuoco; Molto vivace; Andante cantabile; and Finale: Prestissimo et tres gai.  Markings mostly in Italian, but with a French phrase (and very cheerful) thrown in.  As with many first listens of Poulenc (I evidently have done a few), that's all I can say about it.  At 29 minutes calling it a symphony would have been okay.

After performance of Debussy (first piece).  The harp was used for all three compositions on the program.

This is the first time we saw Kim.  She has been the music director of San Francisco Opera since 2021.  Her directions seemed precise, and the orchestra responded accordingly.  Perhaps the music didn't call for it, but the contrasts were not as big as what Heyward got a couple of weeks ago.

After the intermission we sat in the last row so we could make a quick exit after the concert concluded.  We made the 9:23 train to return home.

Glimmerglass Festival. Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. July 20, 2026.

Alice Busch Opera Theater, Corning, NY.  Orchestra (Seat G14, $119.50).

From left: Alfonso, Guglielmo, Dorabella, Maestro Colaneri, Firodiligi, Ferrando, Despina.

Story.  See prior post.

Conductor - Joseph Colaneri.  Fiordiligi - Amanda Batista, Dorabella - Michelle Mariposa, Ferrando - Travon D. Walker, Guglielmo - Gregory Feldman, Alfonso - Kevin Burdette, Despina - Keely Futterer.

A few surprises about this production.  First, it is sung in English.  Of course the Met has been putting out an English (and abridged) version of the Magic Flute for quite a few years.  With a much smaller operating budget, it is impressive, and surprising, that Glimmerglass decided to do so.  (As far as I know, this was a Glimmerglass project.)  The setting is a college residential hall in the 1970s or 1980s.  Sunbury is not a real school, and Spartans not a real football team, but fictional setting is fine also.  So instead of being soldiers, the male protagonists are football players; I don't know if Fiordiligi and Dorabella are more than just college students.  Alfonso is the janitor; and Despina the Resident Advisor.  So the libretto is not a simple translation but adaptation as well.  And rather than going off to war, Ferrnado and Guglielmo got injured in a football game.  They are disguised as a "strong man" and a clown when they came back.  The revised story hangs together as well as the original, in my opinion.  And one has to give allowances for how well a story hangs together in a comedy, anyway.

Some of these names are tongue-twisters, I must say.  And I bet no US college dorm has ever housed characters with these names, at the same time.

The set has two levels.  The top level is a dorm room and a bathroom - the latter isn't really necessary except to elicit a few laughs, and Alfonso is a custodian, after all.  The lower level is the RA's room and the student lounge, complete with notice boards and a foosball set.  An elevator connects the two levels, but the singers probably have to take stairs.  One of the advertisements on the billboard is for a Bible Study.

The performance is 3 hours long, with a 25-minute interval.  The prior ones I had been to felt longer, so I wonder if some passages were cut in this production.  As a search on the web indicates, most productions cut out various passages for reasons ranging from easing the stamina required of the singers, to making it more acceptable to the audience.  Today's performance was at a good pace, and there were no places where things dragged on.

In many productions Dorabella and Ferrando are the supporting cast.  It didn't feel that way today (I assume one can make a distinction if one tries hard).  Mariposa sang the role of Suzuki yesterday.  While Suzuki's role is limited in Madama Butterfly, it is still impressive that she could do them back-to-back.  Her website says she is Filipino-Chinese.  Colaneri was again the conductor.

Before the performance (whom I assume to be) the general manager came and said the opera is performed in a language the audience understands, which is how Mozart would have liked it.  The premiere of this was in Vienna, so I assume they sang in Italian in front of a German-speaking audience?  In the Program they also said the idea of reversing the male and female roles was considered.  That could also work, but the story needs to change even more, I suppose.  In any case, Mozart could be applauding this, or he could be shaking his head.  We won't know.

I enjoyed the performance, perhaps even more than Madama Butterfly.  But did I enjoy a Mozart opera?

Glimmerglass was good enough to leave a small gift at my seat: a college sticker and some candy.  The gesture is appreciated.

We drove home right after the conclusion of the performance.  Traffic was good, we got home around 9 pm.  Last year it was hot, and rained.  Weather for these two days was perfect.

Glimmerglass Festival. Puccini's Madama Butterfly. July 19, 2026.

Alice Busch Opera Theater, Corning, NY.   Orchestra (Seat BB22, $119.50).

Story.  See prior post.

Conductor - Joseph Colaneri; Cio-Cio San - Eri Nakamura, Lt. Pinkerton - Eric Taylor, Suzuki - Michelle Mariposa, Sharpless - Troy Cook, Goro - Randy Ho, Prince Yamadori - Joseph Park, The Bonze - Woosik Nam.

This is our second year coming to the Glimmerglass Festival, making good on my remark "I rate our return next season as likely" from last year.  Ticket prices have remained the same (assuming the seats are in the same category), which is quite noteworthy.

Our seats were quite close to the stage, so all the voices came across well, especially those of Butterfly, Pinkerton, and Suzuki.  Last year it was quite warm in the balcony; this year our seats are in the orchestra section, and we are having a reprieve from the warmer than usual summer season.  So it was a comfortable viewing experience - indeed Anne had to get a sweater at intermission.

[They were talking about having to move last night's performance indoors; it wasn't the heat or power outage, but the "Canadian fog" due to wildfires in Ontario.  Which also affected NJ last week.]

The set is adapted from Francesca Zambello's 1998 production.  A web search indicates she was working at the Washington National Opera at the time, and that the production "offers a nuanced, visually elegant look at the cultural collision and power dynamics between the United States and Japan."  To me they were simply simple sets.  The two major sets are best described as consular offices with the pledge of allegiance and the America flag as the backdrop; and a series of semi-transparent screens for the interior of a Japanese dwelling.  Butterfly commits suicide on stage, and as she puts the knife on her neck, the stage turned red with lighting and a sheet; which I thought was effective (and better than seeing fake blood).  Many scenes happening in a Japanese setting now happen in the Consular offices.  An example is when Bonze comes on to condemn Butterfly: it happens inside the Consular office.  It doesn't not work, but certainly does nothing to highlight any cultural collision or power dynamics.  Not nuanced, not elegant.

The role of Madama Butterfly is very demanding.  Once she appears on scene, she gets very little break until the Humming Chorus.  Vocally Nakamura delivered, splendidly.  In her acting she was a little wooden.  I do wonder if the costumes limit how she can move.  When she first came on I was worried that her kimono would trip her up, and she couldn't take big strides.  Also, the hump in her back (probably from an obi) made her look crunched over, and made her stature even smaller.  At some point her wish to adopt an American lifestyle had her wearing a western dress and heels; and she was fine.

To "pass the time" during the Humming Chorus where Butterfly, Suzuki and Sorrow wait for Pinkerton, the three first circulated the stage a couple of times with lanterns, and then Pinkerton and Kate mimed their marriage.  That did the job.

Sorrow's role is played by a young boy.  Despite not having a speaking role, he is quite active in the play.  I do wonder how he is counseled so he can manage his emotions and issues such as suicide properly.

We saw this opera about 6 months ago at Opera Australia.  I wrote how cultural sensitivities are center-stage nowadays.  The Festival's Program Book also felt the need to weigh in.   For this performance, I felt Butterfly came across as a less sympathetic figure, not because she was less oppressed or less taken advantage of, but because she was too stubborn with her misdirected faith.  

Mixed in the applause for Pinkerton was some booing - which is a compliment, I guess.  It's one of the few times a "villain" gets booed in my experience.

We woke up early this morning to do the 4-hour drive to the 1 pm performance.  I was surprisingly awake for the show.  We will stay at a local hotel tonight (well, it's 45 minutes away), and return for tomorrow's Cosi Fan Tutti.

Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. Chloe van Soeterstede, conductor; Simone Lamsma, violin. July 17, 2026.

David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center.  First Tier (Seat BB7, $35).

Lasma and van Soeterstede after the performance of Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1.

Program - Hymn and Reformation

Hymn - 2001 (2001) by Silvestrov (b. 1937).

Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1866, rev. 1887) by Bruch (1838-1920).

Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 107, "Reformation" (1830, rev. 1832) by Mendelssohn (1809-1847),.

Given my experience with the last concert, I was quite looking forward to tonight's event.  And it didn't disappoint.

Per the Program Notes, Valentin Silvestrov was born in Ukraine, started off as an avant-garde composer, but changed course in 1970 (that's quite a while ago) to adopt "a fresh style that incorporated gestures and techniques from the Classical and Romantic eras, along with national and liturgical reference."  For today's piece, Silvestrov describes it as a hymn "enveloped in silence, although it appears like a customary string setting on the outside."  Fair description, but in isolation the piece simply sounded simple.  There is a long violin solo passage by the principal second violin.  (In some YouTube videos, the passage is played by the assistant concertmaster.)  What I didn't know - until I looked into the piece just now - was that the silence at the end is "significant" (not sure what that means, either; the YouTube video I saw had an interval that was more than 20 seconds).  Perhaps the piece would appeal to me after multiple listens, but tonight it felt like a "so what?" composition.

van Soeterstede briefly introduced the pieces in the program at the beginning of the concert.

At the end of Hymn - 2001 the principal second violin (Frautschi) was acknowledged for the solo passages she played.

van Soeterstede is a French conductor who now lives in the UK.  She spoke briefly about the program before the concert started.  On the Bruch violin concerto: the premiere wasn't well received, and Bruch invited Joachim to help with the violin solo part.  All said and done, Bruch wanted to call the piece a Fantasy (which would be a legitimate name) but Joachim insisted on it being a concerto.  The original dedication was to Joachim "with respect," but the manuscript (now housed in New York) has that crossed out and replaced with "with friendship."

Despite my having heard the Bruch violin concerto in March, my encounters with the piece have been rare recently (the one before was in 2018, with Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and Joshua Bell as the soloist).  Interestingly, I heard it multiple times in the 2010s decade.  Is that an accident because of the concerts I went to?  Or do pieces go in and out of fashion?

I thought the piece began in a rather lackluster and sloppy manner, but it improved greatly as the performance continued.  We heard Lamsma once before, in 2018, performing the Britten Violin Concerto.  In 2018 she performed on a 1718 Stradivarius, tonight it was the 1703 "Aurora ex-Foulis," also on loan.

Surprisingly, Lamsma didn't do an encore.

There is no doubt that Mendelssohn's Reformation Symphony is not performed often.  Being "religious" doesn't explain it (not completely anyway).  I have only one other instance recorded in this blog; and I certainly do not go out of my way to avoid it.  The last movement (Chorale: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace) was based on Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is our Lord."  The first movement (Andante - Allegro con fuoco) is infused with the Dresden Amen (and snippets that sound very much like it).  Supposedly the third movement (Andante) referenced a Jewish folk song and other works, but I didn't catch them.  The second movement (Allegro vivace) is a scherzo.

This symphony was chronologically the second one written by Mendelssohn, and wasn't published until 21 years after his death.  It was planned for the 300th anniversary of the Ausburg Confession (1530), but Mendelssohn couldn't get it finished in time for the occasion, partly due to his health.  The name "Reformation" was given by his sister Fanny.

The Reformation Symphony by Mendelssohn was the last piece in the program.

Our seats in the First Tier gave us good view of the orchestra.  The acoustics, however, weren't the best.  We also noticed two more familiar faces in the orchestra: violist Weyman from NJ Symphony, and cellist Gee from NY Phil.

The concert ended just after 9 pm, and we managed to get to NY Penn in time to catch the 9:23 pm train back to South Amboy.

Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. Jonathon Heyward, conductor; Alice Sara Ott, piano. July 11, 2026.

David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, New York.  Orchestra (Seat AA102, $35).

Ott and Heyward after the performance of Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto.

Program - The Beethoven Effect

subito con forza (2020) by Unsuk Chin (b. 1981).

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 (1800?) by Beethoven (1770-1827).

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1807) by Beethoven.

The composition date of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 is a subject of debate among musicologists.  It was first performed in 1803, and published in 1804.

A bit of history.  When I moved to NJ in 1979 one of my colleagues at work would try to sign up people for the Mostly Mozart Festival during the summer months.  Work and young children made it quite impossible to attend concerts during those years.  Per entries in this blog, we went regularly starting in 2009, and did that until 2019.  COVID made it impossible to attend in-person concerts during the subsequent years.  In 2023 and 2024 many changes were announced for the Mostly Mozart Festival, among which were the replacement of Louis Langree by Jonathan Heyward, the renaming of the orchestra from MM Festival Orchestra to Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center, and a new "pay what-you-want" pricing scheme for concert tickets.  To make things even more confusing, things are now part of the "Lincoln Center's Summer for the City."

Inertia is such a thing that once you stop doing something, it takes energy and deliberation to restart.  With the many significant changes in the "organization" (don't know what else to call it), I didn't want to bother, especially since I didn't want to "fight" (even online) for these tickets, thinking they would be popular as they can be free.

This season I did look, and found out general ticket sales started in May, so I went to the website on 5/20.  Many seats were already gone (perhaps to members who donated to the program), but there were still quite a few seats available, with a "list price" of $35 per ticket.  I bought tickets for three concerts.

I am glad I did, if tonight's experience was any indication.

Jonathan Heyward is quite young (early 30s), and is the Music Director of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.  After seeing him for this concert, the word that comes to mind is "dynamic."  The contrast he managed to get out of the orchestra was phenomenal, and the musicians seemed to be happy to be performing under his baton.  Being dynamic works very well for Beethoven, and both the Piano Concerto and the Symphony brought new excitement to and appreciation of these traditional work horses.

Ott made some variations in her tempo when she first came in; my thought was there was no need to do so with Beethoven.  While I still hold that view, she put in an impressive and enjoyable performance which completely won over the audience.

Before she played her encore, she mentioned the piece "For Alina" by Arvo Part is a piece of very few notes, in contrast to Beethoven, and that it can also bring people together.  (Some words to that effect, I forget after a few days.)

After intermission, the empty seat next to us was taken by someone who sat in the front for the piano concerto.  He mentioned that Ott performed without shoes on.  With her long dress, I didn't notice that at all.

Unsuk Chin's piece subito con forza drew inspiration from Beethoven.  I didn't get the quotes.

Conclusion of a satisfying concert.

Definition of exuberance.

Per this blog, I have heard Unsuk Chin once, and it's the same piece performed tonight.  It was in 2024, performed by the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra.  I scratched my head after the Rutgers concert.

For this concert, the Program Notes describes how Chin was inspired by Beethoven (the title now makes some sense, perhaps even better if it's "allegro con brio.")  The Notes further invites the audience to catch references to Beethoven's works (Coriolan Overture, Fifth Symphony, Emperor Concerto).  I am embarrassed to say I missed all of them.  So I still scratched my head even with more detailed notes.

The audience were really into it.  They applauded after every movement (except between the third and fourth movements of the Symphony since there is no break).  Summer concerts tend to be less formal, so I need to relax a bit.

On the other hand, this concert felt a lot more formal than the ones I used to attend.  Perhaps the renovated David Geffen Hall just feels more formal than Avery Fisher Hall, or perhaps during the Mostly Mozart Festival years the stage was configured differently.  I still recognize the concertmaster, the principal second violin, the principal cellist, and the principal flutist; so most of the musicians probably carry over from the pre-COVID period.  (Yes, Avery Fisher was renamed by 2019, but renovation was yet to take place.)

We might even go in on an earlier train and grab dinner next time.

New Jersey Symphony. Xian Zhang, Gergory D. McDaniel, conductors. Emanuel Ax, piano. June 6, 2026.

Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, NJ.  Balcony (Seat G112, $52).

Program

Doublespeak by Loggins-Hull.

Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat Major, K. 482 by Mozart.

Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 by Berlioz.

This is the season finale, and the program is certainly one worthy of it.  Emanuel Ax, Symphonie fantastique, what more can one ask for?  And it was a satisfying evening.

The evening started with a 13-minute long piece by Alice Loggins-Hull that was commissioned by NJ Symphony.  The Program Notes contains a description of the piece, "graciously" provided by the composer.  In addition to describing each of the three (continuous) movements, Doublespeak "explores the tension between truth, perception, and language in modern life."  I am usually positive about Loggins-Hull's writings (have heard maybe three pieces of hers before), today I can at best be neutral.

The description of the movements helped.  In the first movement ("The Party") I could tell the piano is tapping out the Morse Code (not that I remember much of it), that was about it.  I tried to listen to the "We Shall Overcome" theme but couldn't get it.  The second movement ("Connection") has these digital blips that suggests the constant technology in modern day life.  The finale "Hold" has a bass ostinato (I was thinking pedal point, but different concepts).  I couldn't catch these simple concepts I thought I should get.  (Probably didn't help that I forgot what I was to listen for.)  Next time I will pay more attention.  Loggins-Hill has been popular the last couple of years, so there is a likely next time.

McDaniel conducted the premiere of Loggins-Hill "Doublespeak."

My recollection was that Emanuel Ax used to be a lot more active in the area.  Well, I still seem to see him once every few years, so that recollection is not quite correct.  And if one goes check on his website, one would see a very busy concert schedule.  It is particularly impressive that he is still at the top of his game at 77.

As usual, I cannot tell a good Mozart from a great Mozart.  But it was easy to be absorbed into the performance, and how the piano interacted with the orchestra.  I am not familiar with this particular concerto, and playing it doesn't look like a walk in the park.  Musicologists point out this is the first piano concerto in which the we find the clarinet (instead of the oboe) in the orchestra.  Cadenzas were Ax's, although they were all fleeting.  While the applause was enthusiastic by NJ standards, Zhang had to encourage the audience to clap more so Ax could come out to take a second bow.  He didn't do an encore.

Idee Fixe and Dies Irae are two things to look for in Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, and they were hard to miss.  The next thing is the visualization of the movements (some macabre), which is relatively easy to do.  Lastly, one laments the failed marriage between Berlioz and Harriet Smithson.  (Not part of the program in this symphony.)  Meanwhile, the music itself is just pleasant to listen to.

Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique is always a crowd pleaser.

I just found out Berlioz and Smithson are buried together despite Berlioz's having remarried after he and Smithson divorced.

Attendance was better than usual, but many seats in the balcony were unoccupied.  We actually sat in seats one row behind so we could get an unobstructed view of the stage.

New York Philharmonic. Semyon Bychkov, conductor. June 5, 2026.

David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, NY.  Orchestra (Seat Y119, $74).

Bychkov shaking hands with Staples, the associate concertmaster.

Program

Symphony No. 8 in C minor (1887, rev. 1889-90; ed. Nowak, 1955) by Bruckner (1824-96).

Over the years I have listened to quite a few Bruckner symphonies.  Not all of them.  Some several times. I heard tonight's symphony a couple of times before, once conducted by Alan Gilbert, and once by Zubin Mehta.  Of course I don't recall how the two performances sounded, but I was quite sure I had a lot of great words to say about the one conducted by Mehta.  To my surprise, I was relatively neutral about that performance, if the blog entry is any indication.  (I made a similarly wrong recollection earlier; misconceptions are difficult to purge.)

A specific blog entry (for a 10/24/2014 concert) also explained why the symphony sounded so familiar to us.  It was one of the few CDs we had in our car, and was therefore played very often.  (And I thought my memory was so good.)

The Program Notes are probably the same used on prior occasions.  It talks how late Bruckner started as a composer, a bit of his background, and how his compositions often get altered, by himself or by others with his consent.  There is no insight into the specific symphony whatsoever, except it had its supporters and detractors when it first came out, and that Bruckner uses bold statements to slowly make his points.  One can add to the musicologist's insight with how his themes tie together, how he manages a grand sound with minimal percussion instruments (unlike Mahler, for instance), that the cymbals and triangle appeared only briefly (in the slow third movement, curiously), and that the timpani gets a starring role in the piece.  I can add to that the rich brass sounds, and the three harps often played in unison.

These are my observations, and a search of the web returns a lot more "insight" into what to listen for in the symphony.  Some interesting points raised are: the Bruckner sound is influenced by his church music background; the harps are not in such unison in some editions; and that Bruckner later privately described the program for the symphony.

Speaking of loud, I recorded a 90 dB at my seat in Row Y.  I wonder how many musicians had earplugs.

It's a testimony to the music, and the musicians, that I was enjoying the concert very much.  Without consciously thinking about it, I was trying to decipher the structure, the themes, and the orchestration of the work.

Bychkov is a hard working fellow.  We saw him last week in Berlin conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, so I wonder if there was much rehearsal time for this NY Phil series.

We left soon after the conclusion of the concert.  NJ Transit now has a train departing 9:23 pm (used to be 9:38 pm), and we barely made it.