Concert Reviews by Albert Fried-Cassorla

Last updated: 6/11/04

***** = Loved it and recommend it **** = Enjoyed it *** = Decent ** = Dull * = Why did I bother?

2004

*****

Chris Potter Quartet - A fantascic concert by the saxophinist and his new group! At the Philadephia Art Museum. Melodic, hypnotic and reaching great heights. Craig Taborn, keyboard, Nate Smith, drums, Adam Rogers, guitar.

 

****

Alicia Souza - A varied and exptic presentaiton by the lyrical Brazilian singer. Very artistic.

 

****

Philadelphia Orchestra - Conducted by Simon Rattle. 1/23/04, The Kimmel Center, Philadelphia. This program was very engaging and enjoyable.

Wagner - Prelude to Act 1 of Tristan and Isolde. Very melopdic and romantic.

Henze - Enjoyable modern piece, with what seemed like 25 percussion instruments.Inventive!

Brahms - Symphony No.2 in D Major, Op. 73 - Romantic, bucolic and lovely. A crowd-pleaser most nightys, adn this was no exception!

 

2003

****

Julliard String Quartet - Playing Mozart, Beethoven and Gunther Schuller. The Mozart was charming and relaxcing, Beethoven more strenuous and demanding of a more considered ear. The Schuller was for me the most interesting -- atonal but rewarding. At the Perelman Theater of the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA.

 

2002

Brahms and Shostakovich, as performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - The Brahms piece (*****) was Piano Conerto No 1 in D Minor, Opus 15, a lovely rolling, gorgoues work of great romantic emotion. Performed by pianist Krystian Zimerman. The Sostakovich Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Opus 93 (****) was brilliant and sometimes appropriately stentorian, dealing as it does with Stalin. Percussion and brass dominate, but with many soulful and delicate interludes.

 

*****

The Three Wishes - an original ballet by Lisa Collins Vidovic, Metropolitan Ballet Academy, Jenkintown PA, performed at Abington Friends Theater. Lovely dancers and gorgeous music by Bizet, Smetana and many others. Of course it didn't hurt that my nephew Daniel Fried-Petersen was a dancing woodcutter!

 

*****

Crosby Stills Nash & Young -- Concert at the First Union Center, Philadelphha, 4-19-02

This concert was great!! Of course, I've loved the group and their sounds and have felt that way since about 1968 or so when they premiered.

Amazingly, most of the audience was made up of teenagers or people in their early 20s. In fact, middle-aged people were probably 1% of the crowd or less. All of these kids must have heard the group on WMGK, the local classic rock station.

CSN&Y can rock! If you come for soothing sounds, such as the elegant tune, Guinevere, be prepared for hard rock, too.

Not only can they rock beautifully, but the do so better than any other group I've heard except maybe the Rolling Stones and the Who. Stills and Young engaged in some awe-inspiring duets, exchanging brilliant riffs.

Tunes they played included: teach Your Children, Woodstock, Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl and Harvest Moon, Graham Nash's Military Madness, Carry On, Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Southern Cross, and more -- about 30 tunes in all, maybe 10 of them new.

CSN&Y are simply some of the music makers in my world.

 

****

Garnet Rogers at a high school in Montgomery County, PA

Rogers is a folk singer from Canada. I enjoyed his show, his soothing, deep voice, and his musicianship. I recall that ne of his songs was particuarly poignant and concerend his deceased brother. I think that of you like Gordon Lightfoot, you might also enjoy Rogers.

 

2001

***

Philadelphia Orchestra - Included J. Strauss Jr. Lehar's Gold and Silver Waltz, Mozart's Ene Kleine Nachmusik, amd other works by Korngold, and others. Gabriela Fontana, a soprano, sang beautifully.