Classical
Music News for September/October 2018
LOS ANGELES
NEWS
LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
The Los Angeles Master Chorale will present two major concerts this Fall,
commencing with two performances of THE MOZART REQUIEM on Saturday, Sept
22 at 2 pm and Sunday, September 23 at 7 pm at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Each performances will feature the entire 100-voice Master Chorale and
Orchestra and will be conducted by Grant Gershon. Guest soloists include
Liv Redpath, J’Nai Bridges, David Portillo and Rod Gilfry.
The September
concerts will open with Shawn Kirchner’s “Songs of Ascent”–-a
setting of Psalms sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem-–commissioned
and premiered by the Master Chorale in 2015 when Kirchner was the Swan
Family Composer-in-Residence. The performances will include three Psalms
Kirchner has since added to the piece.
MOZART’S REQUIEM–-the last piece of music he composed and infamous
for its mysterious origins and posthumous completion–-has been performed
by the Master Chorale under each of its directors, most recently at the
Hollywood Bowl in 2017 with Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles
Philharmonic.
There have been several versions of the Requiem published. The Master
Chorale will perform the Franz Xavier Sussmayr version. Sussmayr (1766-1803)
is the Austrian composer and conductor credited with completing the Requiem
after Mozart’s death in 1791.
Featured in the Requiem is “Lacrimosa,” a short film by director
Arnaud Uyttenhove which was shot especially for the company, scored by
composer Adam Crystal with a sampled orchestral track by Jeff Beal and
conducted by the Master Chorale’s Associate Conductor, Jenny Wong.
Call 213-972-7282 or visit lamasterchorale.org
On Sat. Oct
20 and Sun. Oct. 21 at 7.30 pm, The Master Chorale will once again mount
a production of AGRIME DI SAN PIETRO/TEARS OF ST. PAUL by Orlando Di Lasso,
this time (it was last seen at Disney Hall in 2017) at Bram Goldsmith
Theatre at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly
Hills in a first a capella staging. Jenny Wong conducts.
Twenty-one Master Chorale singers have committed this 75-minute Renaissance
masterpiece to memory. Dramatically staged by Peter Sellars, AGRIME is
a biblical parable of St. Peter’s disavowal of Jesus Christ and a
contemporary allegory for our fractious times.
The L.A. Times called the 2017 production “a major accomplishment
for The Master Chorale–and a major accomplishment for music history.”
Call 310-746-2727 or visit thewallis.org
PIANO TRIO TUSCANY
The Music Guild will present Piano Trio Tuscany in three recitals (Oct.
22, 23 & 24) at its usual venues: University Synagogue Brentwood,
Daniel Recital Hall, Cal State Long Beach and Adat Ari El Temple North
Hollywood. Starting time is 8 pm.
Piano Trio Tuscany will explore works by Rachmaninov, Schubert and Ravel
at each of these venues, incelebration of The Music Guild’s 2018/2019
season, its 74th.
Complimentary Peet’s coffee, Nate ‘n Al’s bagels, cookies
and cheese will be served on Mondays and Wednesdays, 7.30 to 8 pm, and
at intermission.
For tickets and information call 310-558-3500 or visit concerts@themusicguild.org