Monthly Archives: November 2005

Home Away From Home Home, to Sir Simon Rattle, is the familiar musical repertory we most often hear at concerts and on the radio, music from the 19th century or before, when the tunes and the harmonies were friendly and … Continue reading →

Last Breaths During the several years’ survey of the symphonies of Dmitri Shostakovich, the Philharmonic has had the admirable idea of preceding each symphony with the like-numbered string quartet in a pre-concert presentation, performed by orchestra members. Those quartet performances … Continue reading →

Bravely, Uphill Alone on a concert stage or facing an orchestra, András Schiff is a comforting presence. He puts on no airs, nor does his music-making. Something about his quiet, undemonstrative manner tells us that we, and his chosen music, … Continue reading →

Two concerts, on successive nights of a recent weekend, were enough to restore anyone’s faith in the continued strengths of our music, our music makers and the people who make music happen. Both drew capacity, cheering crowds. I’ll write about … Continue reading →