NEWS
Release day for this thrilling new album that I've had the pleasure to help launch, first taking this picture and then shooting a music video, coming soon! The album features a fascinating arrangement of Samuel Barber's Excursions for reed quintet, among other gems of American music ranging from Gershwin to Moondog.Good morning from New York — we’re thrilled with the birth today of our new and 21st album: ‘An American Rhapsody’. 🥳🍾🎈🎷🧡
Thanking all the people involved at PENTATONE, Little Tribeca, and Calefax!
We'll celebrate this release with performing tracks of the album tomorrow in New York City, at this concert that marks the beginning of our tour. www.pscny.org/calefaxquintet
Next stops: Ann Arbor MI, Miami and Key West FL. Details here calefax.nl/en/projects/united-states-tour-2023/
Go Dispeker Artists!
📷 @Paul Moon
It's Samuel Barber's birthday! He was born on March 9, 1910. Here are some ways to celebrate: (1) check out Howard Pollack's voluminous new biography that I had the pleasure to collaborate on for all its photographs, at amzn.to/3mCNydD (this is a snapshot of the advance copy I got yesterday!); (2) listen to my podcast conversation with Howard when he was developing his book, at open.spotify.com/episode/4hQ2ZsDiDN8EYO0j56j5P6; (3) listen to Anne Akiko Meyers' definitive reading of the great Violin Concerto at youtu.be/AOrN0dY4NUs; (4) if you haven't grabbed yourself a DVD or Blu-ray of the film, visit shop.zenviolence.com or the shop on this Facebook page for a discount; (5) watch the complete bonus clips from the film at samuelbarberfilm.com/category/bonus. Cheers!
Licking Zeffirelli - Slippedisc
What a joy to see Gian Carlo Menotti's first and only venture into directing for cinema! Anthology Film Archives screened a well-preserved 35mm print of his masterpiece "The Medium" this past Monday (a very rare privilege to witness) - and if you're in the NYC area (East Village), it'll screen one more time this coming Sunday at 6pm, as part of an Alexander Hammid retrospective (who co-directed with Menotti, and edited the film): anthologyfilmarchives.org/film_screenings/calendar?view=list&month=01&year=2023#showing-55568
Greetings from Philadelphia! It's great to be back, for a concert by "Samuel Barber's band," The Philadelphia Orchestra!
Barber vis-à-vis Barber! 😀More than just a pretty voice, soprano superstar Pretty Yende will display her versatility in Princeton this weekend, on a pair of concerts presented by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.
The second half of the program, as might be expected, will feature sparkling arias from Rossini's “The Barber of Seville” and Verdi's “La traviata;” but the first half of the concert, devoted to American music, will include Yende’s soulful rendition of Samuel Barber's nostalgic and poignant “Knoxville: Summer of 1915.” Also on the program will be overtures from Rossini and Verdi operas and Aaron Copland's Pulitzer Prize winning masterwork, “Appalachian Spring.”
Put a spring in your step with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, at Richardson Auditorium this Saturday evening at 8:00 and Sunday afternoon at 4:00. Sunday’s performance will be a preceded by an onstage conversation with music director Rossen Milanov at 3:00. For tickets and information, visit princetonsymphony.org.
Curious to learn more about “Knoxville?” The PSO will host musicologist Austin Stewart, as he reflects on the backgrounds of both Barber’s composition and the James Agee text upon which it is based, at Princeton Public Library this Thursday evening at 7:00. The library event is free and open to the public.
From director H. Paul Moon and the 21st Century Consort also featured in Samuel Barber: Absolute Beauty, this holiday favorite is now available to stream on the Opera Philadelphia Channel at operaphila.tv and forever via DVD or Blu-ray at scroogeopera.com/orderHold on to the Christmas spirit with The Passion of Scrooge on the Opera Philadelphia Channel! From composer Jon Deak and filmmaker H. Paul Moon, this timeless tale is part of our collection of opera films from creators across the country, available to Channel subscribers at www.operaphila.tv
Upon seeing the news of composer Ned Rorem's passing, I'm taken back to this inaugural podcast conversation with composer Daron Hagen whose first-hand insights about his mentor and friend remain illuminating and historically important: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daron-hagen/id1473390770?i=1000444742861
Oh, no! I hadn't heard about Ned! So proud that he was a fellow Hoosier. Thank you for sharing this reminder about this podcast.
