Category Archives: Pitman Reviews
Blues Dialogues with Rachel Barton Pine
Rachel Barton Pine long ago established herself as a violinist willing to step outside the normal realm of the classical canon to explore a broader landscape of music. Pine’s performances of metal bands such as Metallica (she actually formed a band of her own, Earthen Grave), are one example of how she embraces music that …
There’s A Place for Us: Soprano Nadine Sierra
American soprano Nadine Sierra, 2018 winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s prestigious Beverly Sills Artist Award, has just signed on to Deutsche Grammophon. The daughter of parents passionate about music who sought a better life in the United States, Sierra’s debut CD reflects her own roots, as well as the experiences of composers from throughout the …
Zealot Chronicles: An Oratorio for Tolerance (Donald Nally, conductor)
Winner of the 2018 Grammy for Best Choral Performance, The Crossing has just recorded an oratorio with a text that resonates with our times. Conductor Donald Nally is John Pitman’s guest, discussing “Zealot Chronicles, an oratorio for tolerance” by Lansing McLoskey. The composer based the text on “Twelve Canticles for the Zealot” by Nigerian Nobel …
Notorious RBG in Song
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has always loved classical music. Especially opera. More than once, people have captured her on their camera phones at Santa Fe Opera (you can find this on Facebook and You Tube). Now there’s a CD that sets her words, and those of friends and family to music. Soprano Patrice …
Lara Downes celebrates Lenny’s 100th
In this anniversary year – the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth – many record labels are releasing new performances of his music, as well as his own discography. Many of them are of his music: West Side Story, Mass, and other major pieces. Pianist Lara Downes took a more intimate approach in her disc. …
Bell’s Scottish Fantasy
Back in 2011, American violinist Joshua Bell became the first music director of London’s Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, since its founding by Neville Marriner. Bell and the orchestra already had a longstanding relationship: Around the time of the violinist’s 19th birthday, he recorded Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Academy. Now it feels …
Hopes and Dreams (The Lullaby Project)
In April, the Oregon Symphony presented a remarkable and powerful concert as part of its “Sounds of Home” series, where young mothers experiencing housing insecurity, had the opportunity to write lullabies for their children. These were performed by OSO musicians. Their concert was inspired by Carnegie Hall’s “Lullaby Project”, which recently released a CD under …
Dinnerstein encircles Bach, Glass
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein’s newest CD pairs Bach’s Concerto in G minor with a newly-commissioned one by Philip Glass. Ms. Dinnerstein shares the story of how she asked Mr. Glass for a new concerto, Bach’s influence on both pianist and composer, and the process of bringing the concerto to life. Hear more in the pianist’s …
Ravel’s “Choreographic Symphony”
Kazem Abdullah is an American conductor (he hails from Indiana, studied at Tanglewood and Peabody), and was General-Musikdirektor of the Symphony Orchestra in Aachen, Germany from 2012 to 2017. Maestro Abdullah has also been to Oregon: About ten years ago he subbed for one of Carlos Kalmar’s concerts. Based on the new recording (a live …
Tomas Cotik explores Mozart
Violinist Tomas Cotik, Assistant Violin Professor at Portland State University, is also an internationally-renowned concert and recording artist. He has done extensive study of fellow Argentine Astor Piazzolla, in several acclaimed recordings (Naxos); a complete series of Schubert’s violin works (Centaur); and now the violin sonatas of Mozart. Mr. Cotik has been a guest in …
