Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) was a German composer, quite successful in her day. Among her compositions are 8 symphonies, a piano concerto, several concert overtures and much chamber music. Her most famous teacher was Carl Loewe, remembered today mostly for his
A visit to Pacific Symphony’s music library
You go in the artists’ entrance at Segerstrom Concert Hall, walk past the security guard behind the window (once you get the OK), enter the first door on the right and head down two flights of stairs. You’re in the
Meet Michael Clive, Pacific Symphony’s program annotator
By Erica Sharp “Sometimes as a joke I refer to myself as ‘your intrepid annotator,’” said Michael Clive, longtime program note writer for Pacific Symphony, in an interview last week. He had just arrived back at his Connecticut home and
Luciano Berio: Quattro versioni originali della ‘Ritirata notturna di Madrid’
The full title of this 1975 piece explains what it is: “Quattro versioni originali della ‘Ritirata notturna di Madrid’ di Luigi Boccherini, sovrapposte e transcritte per orchestra.” In English that would be: “Four Original Versions of the ‘Withdrawal by Night
William Grant Still: Symphony No. 5, ‘Western Hemisphere’
Written in 1945, Still’s Fifth is an attractive, easy to listen to and evocative American Symphony. The movements are described thusly: 1. “The vigorous, life-sustaining forces of the Hemisphere” (briskly) 2. “The natural beauties of the Hemisphere” (slower, and with
Sousa: ‘Hands Across the Sea’
As is custom, music director Carl St.Clair will once again hold a conducting clinic for children before the orchestra’s Symphony in the Cities events in Mission Viejo and Irvine this month, and then have them come to stage en masse
2018-2019 Soka concerts on sale, programming set
Single tickets for next season’s Pacific Symphony concerts at the Soka Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo go on sale today. The popular three-concert series was previously available by subscription only. Programming for the three Sunday afternoon concerts has also
Bernstein at the Skirball
I went to the “Leonard Bernstein at 100” exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles yesterday afternoon, an entertaining way to beat the excessive heat. The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 2, is organized by the GRAMMY Museum
Neglected symphony: Walter Piston: Symphony No. 2
Walter Piston’s Symphony No. 2 was given its premiere by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Kindler in March of 1944. Leonard Bernstein chose the remarkable Adagio of this work to perform with the New York Philharmonic as a
Happy 4th
As you will probably hear “Star and Stripes Forever,” or “Semper Fidelis” or “The Washington Post” or some other famous Sousa march today, I thought I’d share one of his lesser known gems, the “George Washington Bicentennial” March. Rudolf Urbanec