Howard Reich – Page 20

Puppeteers are part of the production of Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades" Feb. 12, 2020.

Lyric Opera review: A ‘Queen of Spades’ appealing more to the ear than to the eye

February 16, 2020 at 9:29 a.m.

"Eugene Onegin" stands as Tchaikovsky's most celebrated opera, but the score to "The Queen of Spades" deserves at least equal attention. If its narrative, loosely based on Pushkin's short story,...

Versatile Damien Sneed brings an eclectic tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

February 13, 2020 at 9:34 a.m.

Last November, a large gathering of instrumentalists and choristers convened at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York to revive a monumental work: Wynton Marsalis' "The Abyssinian Mass." The score...

Sondra Radvanovsky as Floria in a previous performance of "Tosca," in Los Angeles.

Lyric Opera’s next season: A series of milestones from Andrew Davis’ departure and the Joffrey’s addition

February 12, 2020 at 10:03 p.m.

Next season will be an eventful one for Lyric Opera. Among the milestones: The 66th season will be conductor Andrew Davis' last as music director and the Joffrey Ballet's first...

A world premiere concerto for the CSO’s J. Lawrie Bloom takes on Shakespeare’s Ophelia

February 12, 2020 at 4:13 a.m.

The prolific French composer Nicolas Bacri admits he was torn when asked to write a bass clarinet concerto for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's J. Lawrie Bloom. "Honestly, I didn't find...

Chicago Opera Theater review: ‘Freedom Ride’ illuminates a battle for civil rights

February 10, 2020 at 1:30 p.m.

Why did they do it? Why did young men and women in the summer of 1961 climb onto buses and trains in the name of integration, whites sitting next to...

Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts to members of the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists during a performance of Claudio Monteverdi's opera "L'incoronazione di Poppea" at the Harris Theater Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017.

An alternate view of Beethoven’s symphonies: John Eliot Gardiner turns back the calendar

February 7, 2020 at 4:12 p.m.

Sometime in the not-too-distant future, listeners will hear the complete Beethoven symphonies as recorded live by Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The recordings, still in progress as the...

Suzuki (played by Deborah Nansteel) center, looks on following the marriage of Lt. B. F. Pinkerton (played by Brian Jagde), left, and Cio-Cio San/Madama Butterfly (played by Ana Maria Martinez) during the first act of Madama Butterfly.

Lyric Opera review: A compelling case for ‘Madama Butterfly’

February 8, 2020 at 9:26 a.m.

Yes, Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" still can make you weep. It wasn't difficult to hear sniffles at the Lyric Opera House on Thursday evening as the grand old opera approached its...

Bassist Marlene Rosenberg, from a 2017 performance at Jazz Showcase.

Remembering a Chicago jazz master: Eddie Harris

February 6, 2020 at 9:10 a.m.

The last time Chicago jazz giant Eddie Harris played his hometown, in April/May of 1996, he obviously wasn't well. The saxophonist, who once commanded a huge, blues-inflected sound, didn't show...

Joyce DiDonato, shown in Orchestra Hall last year, will present "Songplay" at the Harris Theater.

With Joyce DiDonato and Patricia Racette, Harris Theater will bulk up on music for 2020-21

February 6, 2020 at 12:00 a.m.

The Harris Theater's musical offerings will expand significantly during the 2020-21 season. In addition to ongoing attractions such as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, which will mark its...

Cello player Ifetayo Ali-Landing solos as conductor Marin Alsop leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a tribute to Leonard Bernstein at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park on Saturday, July 27, 2019.

Conductor Marin Alsop takes major post at Ravinia

February 5, 2020 at 9:07 a.m.

Marin Alsop has been appointed chief conductor and curator of the Ravinia Festival, the Highland Park institution announced Wednesday morning. She will be the first person to hold this post,...

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