This weekend’s selections include Cuban jazz, a comedy from Shakespeare (and the conclusion of the Stratford Shakespeare Film Festival), George Gershwin’s only opera, live performances by a legendary tenor, a mandolin musician who straddles the worlds of classical and jazz music and so much more.

Here are this week’s Culture Best Bets at Home: July 17th – July 19th:

Virtual Fire Island Dance Festival – July 17th – 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT

The Fire Island Dance Festival – Dancers Responding to AIDS, was launched in 1991 by Denise Roberts Hurlin and Hernando Cortez who were both former Paul Taylor Dance Company members. Nearly three decades later the festival is taking place during another pandemic.

And due to that pandemic, has been forced to go online.

This year’s line-up has a mix of world premiere pieces and some returning favorites. All pieces are being performed and/or were filmed keeping social distancing guidelines in place. Amongst the choreographers and dancers involved are:

Tap Dancer Ayodele Casel in a new work called Oscar Joy; When the Sum Comes Out from KEIGWIN + COMPANY’s Larry Keigwin with a number of dancers performing across Fire Island; Are You Lonesome Tonight from Stephen Petronio; Weekend ’76 from Al Blackstone; Continuum from Garrett Smith and an excerpt from a work in progress from A.I.M’s Kyle Abraham.

You need to register to get the link to Fire Island Dance Festival. There is no charge, but as this is an annual fundraiser, donations are definitely encouraged.

Afro-Cuban All-Stars with Juan de Marcos – SF Jazz – July 17th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

This week’s Friday at Five from SFJazz offers up the Afro-Cuban All-Stars performing at the venue in a concert on May 3, 2019.

Juan de Marcos has lead the band since the early 1990s. His mission is to celebrate classic Cuban music. This is the orchestra that appears in the film and on the records, Buena Vista Social Club. Like any ensemble, the line-up changes over the years.

If this isn’t music that puts a smile on your face at the end of a week, I don’t know what will.

SF Jazz’s Fridays at Five requires that you sign up for either a one-month package (for all of $5) or a one-year package ($60) to access these concerts. These concerts are only available at 5:00 PM PDT.

The Taming of the Shrew – Stratford Festival – Now – August 6th

Stratford Festival’s Shakespeare Film Festival comes to a conclusion with this 2015 production of The Taming of the Shrew.

Chris Abraham directed this production of two on-again/off-again lovers who appear in the play-within-the-play. Starring as Petruchio and Katherina are Ben Carlson and Deborah Hay.

This film festival has been a great way to get familiar with Shakespeare’s plays during the past few months. Since productions remain available for three weeks, you can still catch Antony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet.

Great Performances: Porgy and Bess at The Met – July 17th – Check Local Listings

DuBose Heyward’s 1925 novel, Porgy, was the inspiration for a play written by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward. That play served as the inspiration for this opera by George Gershwin with a libretto by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. Porgy and Bess had its world premiere in 1935 at Boston’s Colonial Theatre.

In the opera, Porgy (Eric Owens) lives in Charleston’s slums. He’s disabled and spends his time begging.

He is enamored with Bess (Angel Blue) and does everything he can to rescue her from an abusive lover, Crown (Alfred Walker) and a far-too-seductive drug dealer, Sportin’ Life (Frederick Ballentine.)

James Robinson directed this production at the Met Opera. His production was first seen at the English National Opera. David Robertson conducts the Met Opera Orchestra.

Anthony Tommasini, writing for the New York Times raved about the production and, in particular, its two stars:

“As Porgy, the magnificent bass-baritone Eric Owens gives one of the finest performances of his distinguished career. His powerful voice, with its earthy textures and resonant sound, is ideal for the role. His sensitivity into the layered feelings and conflicts that drive his character made even the most familiar moments of the music seem startlingly fresh. And, as Bess, the sumptuously voiced soprano Angel Blue is radiant, capturing both the pride and fragility of the character.”

Denis Matsuev plays Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev – Medici.tv – July 17th – July 19th

In this week’s recital from Carnegie Hall Russian pianist Denis Matsuev gives the second of two recitals he performed there in 2018. This performance is from November 9th.

The program is extensive and includes five encores.

The announced program was Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3; Rachmaninov’s Variations on a theme by Corelli, Op. 42; Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52; Tchaikovsky’s Méditation from 18 Pieces, Op. 72 and Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83.

The encores were Schumann’s Dreaming from Kinderszene, Op. 15; Schubert’s Impromptu No. 3 in G flat major from Four Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899; Sibelius’ Etude from 13 Pieces for Piano, Op. 76; Scriabin’s 12th Etude in D-sharp minor from Twelve Etudes, Op. 8 and he concluded with Grieg’s In the Hall Of The Mountain King from Peer Gynt.

Amadeus – National Theatre Live – Now – July 23rd

Peter Shaffer’s play that inspired the Oscar-winning best picture of 1984, has been performed on stage many times. Amongst the memorable actors to appear as either Mozart or Salieri are Paul Scofield, Tim Curry, Ian McKellen, Peter Firth, Mark Hamill, Frank Langella, Michael Sheen and David Suchet.

In this 2016 National Theatre production directed by Michael Longhurst, those roles are played by Adam Gillen (Mozart) and Lucian Msamati (Salieri).

Longhurst came up with the idea of having an 20-person orchestra and six singers on stage to fully integrate the music into the narrative. The results, according to critics, were nothing short of amazing.

Michael Billington, writing for The Guardian, said of this idea, “What is startling about Longhurst’s production is that the band is fully integrated into the dramatic action. As Lucian Msamati’s Salieri strikes a bargain with God to live a virtuous life in exchange for fame, the onstage orchestra bow their heads in silent prayer. At other times, the players are more mutinous: when Salieri proudly refers to his opera, The Stolen Bucket, they disdain his plea to offer an excerpt. The singers are also, literally, to the fore: an adored Viennese soprano (lustrously sung by Fleur de Bray) is wheeled in on a portable dais and key moments from the operas of Salieri’s detested rival, Mozart, are played in full pomp downstage.”

Rossini’s Cinderella – SF Opera – July 17th – July 18th

Gioachino Rossini’s opera of the Cinderella story is based on Charles Perrault’s Cendrillon. The libertto, by Jacopo Ferretti, was based on two previous libretti for operas based on the same story: Charles-Guillaume Étienne’s libretto for Nicolas Isouard’s 1810 opera Cendrillon and Francesco Fiorini’s libretto for Stefano Pavesi’s 1814 opera, Agatina o La virtú premiata. La Cenerentola had its world premiere in 1817 in Rome.

The story is exactly you expect. After being relegated to chores around the house by her Stepmother and her Stepsisters, Cinderella dreams of going to the Prince’s ball. They mock her before leaving themselves for the event. Cinderella’s fairy godmother appears to make her dream a reality, but only if she returns by midnight.

This 2014 production was directed by Gregory Fortner, based on the 1969 Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production. The orchestra was lead by Jesus-López Cobos. Karine Deshayes sings the role of Cinderella.

Joshua Kosman, writing for the San Francisco Gate, said of her performance, ” …French mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes turned in a performance that grew continuously in strength and forcefulness, leading up to the big display of vocal fireworks with which Rossini caps the opera. Deshayes boasts a ripe upper register and the ability to maneuver her way through demanding passagework without breaking a sweat, and her stage demeanor suggests just the sort of inner fortitude that the character should convey.”

Jonas Kaufmann Live in Concert from Polling, Bavaria – Met Opera Stars Live in Concert – July 18th – 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT

The Metropolitan Opera launches a new program this weekend with Met Opera Stars Live in Concert. For $20 you can get access to a live performance by one of opera’s biggest singers. You not only get access for the live event, but you can watch it as many times as you want for 12 days.

The series launches on Saturday with a recital by tenor Jonas Kaufmann who will be accompanied by pianist Helmut Deutsch. The venue is an abbey outside of Munich.

The program has been announced and will have Kaufmann singing 12 arias. He’s included works from such operas as Tosca, Carmen, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Andrea Chénier and the inevitable Nessun Dorma from Turandot.

Upcoming recitals will feature Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Anna Netrebko, Bryn Terfel and more.

Live from Lincoln Center – Lincoln Center at Home – Now Available

While researching this week’s selections, I discovered that there is a bounty of free streaming concerts from Lincoln Center currently available on their website. Here’s a quick rundown:

From the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: a concert celebrating the work of Brahms with Jessye Norman; Odyssey: The Chamber Music Society in Greece; The Chamber Music Society with Itzhak Perlman; Bach to Bach; Masters and Masterpieces; 25th Season Opening Gala; 30th Anniversary Gala; An Evening of Beethoven; The Chamber Society at Shaker Village and I Can’t Believe It’s Schoenberg.

From Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: Cynthia Erivo in Concert; Annaleigh Ashford in Concert; Megan Hilty in Concert and Yo-Yo Ma Plays Dvorak.

From the New York Philharmonic: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel in Concert (previewed last week); Renée Fleming Sings Mozart and Strauss; Celebrating Sondheim; Itzhak Perlman plays Mendelssohn and Brahms; 9/11 Memorial Concert: A German Requiem; New York Philharmonic: Masur, Ax and Beethoven’s 5th and Symphony No. 1 with Maazel.

Not specified with a link to a particular program or venue: The Romantic Violin with Joshua Bell and Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Chris Thile Live – Caramoor – July 19th – July 20th

Bedford New York’s Caramoor has been a source of music and the arts since 1945. They have regular seasons there, but both ongoing work at the venue and the Covid crisis have them putting some performances online.

Mandolin musician Chris Thile will perform there on Saturday, July 18th. There won’t be audience, but the concert will be online the next day. Thile’s performance is being filmed and will be available for $10 for non-Caramoor members and free for members.

In addition to being a Grammy Award-winning artist, Thile is a MacArthur Fellow. He’s regularly performed across music genres and collaborated with a number of artists. Amongst those collaborators is pianist Brad Mehldau. When Thile and Mehldau were performing in Los Angeles in 2017, Mehldau told me about Thile, “I knew from hearing and seeing him that he is a true improviser – and that is what I like to do a lot. Second, his singing really affects me, and I was excited about the idea of making music with that kind of vocal expression.”

Before we close out your Best Bets at Home: July 17th – July 19th, a few reminders:

The weekend’s opera streams from the Metropolitan Opera include their 2008-2009 season of Rossini’s La Cenerentola (this is a popular weekend for Cinderella) on Friday; Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro on Saturday and Puccini’s La Bohème on Sunday.

Night of a Thousand Judys will still be available and features some terrific performances of songs made famous by Judy Garland.

That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoy your weekend and your Best Bets at Home: July 17th – July 19th.

Main photo: Angel Blue and Eric Owens in Porgy and Bess (Photo by Ken Howard/Courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera)

The post Culture Best Bets at Home: July 17th – July 19th appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

The concert launches a season that will feature a tour of Violins of Hope – 60 stringed musical instruments rescued during the Holocaust. In late March and early April there will be multiple concerts (at The Soraya, the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civics Arts Plaza and the Long Beach Symphony) that will feature some of these rescued instruments.

Perlman himself has been to the workshop in Tel Aviv where the instruments have been restored. He said of the experience, “I believe that the violin is a replica of the soul, and these violins more than most are powerful examples of perseverance. They once represented survival for their owners, and they symbolize the same to us today.”

The program for Thursday night’s rare recital by Perlman is scheduled to include Beethoven’s Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 12, No. 3, the Franck Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano and Dvorak’s Sonatina in G major for Violin and Piano, Op. 100, B. 183. The website also indicates that additional works will be announced from the stage.

Hopefully you have tickets for The Soraya opening. It appears they have sold out. But the link above for the Violins of Hope concerts will give you full details of where and when you can see and hear the recovered and restored instruments.

For tickets (you never know when an extra ticket or two might become available) go here.

Photo of Itzhak Perlman by Lisa Marie Mazzucco/Courtesy of The Soraya

The post Itzhak Perlman and the Violins Of Hope appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Perlman famously played the violin solo for John Williams’ score for Schindler’s List. I’ve always found there to be some similarities between the main theme of that score and the opening of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

In this clip, Perlman talks about the concerto:

And you can hear for yourself if there are similarities between Mendelssohn and Williams as Perlman talks about Schindler’s List and plays the main theme.

Beethoven’s Pastoral is one of his most beloved symphonies. It also served as the music for one of the sequences in Fantasia.

Neil Diamond might call dibs on hot August night, but this strikes me as a great way to enjoy a different type of music on Tuesday evening at the Bowl.

Photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco/Courtesy of ItzhakPerlman.com

The post Dudamel & Perlman appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

CDMX: NEW MUSIC FROM MEXICO (CONTEMPORARY MEXICO)

Date: October 17

As part of the Green Umbrella series, the LA Phil New Music Group will present an evening of music by contemporary Mexican composers. All five scheduled pieces are both world premieres and LA Philharmonic commissions. The entire CDMX series looks fascinating.

SHAHAM IN RECITAL

Date: October 18^th

No one radiates as much joy in performance as violinist Gil Shaham. In this concert Shaham will be joined by Akira Eguchi on piano. The program includes Prokofiev’s Five Melodies and Bach’s Partita No. 3 for solo violin.

WAR OF THE WORLDS

Date: November 12

Innovative director Yuval Sharon (Invisible Cities, Hopscotch) teams up with conductor Christopher Rountree (Wild Up!) for this world premiere of a new work by Annie Gosfield. This is inspired by the 1938 Orson Welles’ radio broadcast that had millions convinced that aliens were invading the United States.

BERNSTEIN’S MASS WITH DUDAMEL

Dates: Feb 1-Feb 4

As part of worldwide celebrations of the 100^th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, Gustavo Dudamel will be leading the LA Philharmonic in Bernstein’s MASS. Long considered to be a fascinating but messy composition, look for Dudamel to bring some order and understanding to this over 90-minute composition.

COMPOSER SALONEN SERIES

Dates: Feb 8-Feb 18

Former LA Philharmonic conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to the podium for a celebration of his work. Including in this series are three concerti: The Cello Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma, his piano concert with Yefim Bronfman and his violin concerto with Leila Josefowicz. He’ll also be conducting his Wing on Wing, originally written for the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall. In April, Gustavo Dudamel will be conducting a world premiere of a new work by Salonen.

MUHLY & MUSSORGSKY

Dates: Feb 23-Feb 25

LA Opera conductor James Conlon will be at the podium for the world premiere of a new Organ Concerto by Nico Muhly. If Muhly’s name sounds familiar, he’s written film scores, collaborated with Björk and Grizzly Bear. The combination of his unique compositions with the mighty organ at Walt Disney Concert Hall makes this a high priority. The Mussorgsky composition is Pictures at an Exhibition.

A TRIP TO THE MOON

Dates: Mar 2-3

If you saw Martin Scorsese’s film Hugo, you are familiar with the 1902 silent film by Georges Mélies. That’s the inspiration for this new work by Andrew Norman making its US Premiere. Appropriately it is being paired with The Planets by Holst. Joining the LA Phil is the LA Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus. Once again, Yuval Sharon is directing this concert.

PERLMAN & ARGERICH

Dates: Mar 13-14

Any opportunity to see the legendary Martha Argerich at the piano is a gift. Teaming with violinist Itzhak Perlman, this concert showcases Bach’s Sonata for Keyboard and Violin and Franck’s Violin Sonata in A.

MAHLER’S SONG OF THE EARTH

Dates: April 5-7

Gustavo Dudamel has proven himself to be a master interpreter of Mahler. For this concert, the LA Philharmonic is teaming with Chilean theater company Teatrocinema. Coming after a period of great loss for Mahler, this emotional work should find Dudamel and the Phil at their best.

SCHUMANN CYCLE

Dates: May 17-June 3

To close out the 99^th LA Philharmonic Season Gustavo Dudamel will lead the orchestra in a cycle of all four of Schumann’s symphonies. Also included will be the composer’s cello concerto, his piano concerto (performed by Mitsuko Uchida) an evening of chamber music and the rarely performed Das Paradies und die Peri (with Peter Sellars as director.)

The post The 10 Most Exciting LA Philharmonic Concerts of the New Season appeared first on Cultural Attaché.