Concert Review: A King of Infinite Space

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Bach and Bruckner.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the fabulous Philadelphians.
Photo © 2017 The Philadelphia Orchestra.

The Philadelphia Orchestra's relationship with music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a model of modern artistic collaboration. The Quebecois conductor has brought a much-needed dose of enthusiasm and artistic integrity to the band on Broad Street, and the orchestra has responded according to its gifts with full, rich performances that remain deeply satisfying. One of those took place on Friday afternoon, in a concert at Verizon Hall that featured a true symphonic heavyweight: Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 8.

Opera Review: We Don't Have To Take Our Shoes Off

Juilliard Opera lifts off with Jonathan Dove's Flight.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Stuck in the aurport with you: the Refugee (Jakub Józef Orliński, left) and anunhappy couple in a scene from Flight. Photo by Rosalie O'Connor for The Juilliard School. 

It is rare to encounter a contemporary opera that is, at once musically rich, dramatically moving and funny as hell. Such an opera is Jonathan Davis' 1998 opus Flight, which landed on the stage of Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater on Wednesday night. This is the second New York production of this contemporary masterpiece, with a witty libretto owing something to Lorenzo Da Ponte. Flight is a comedy for our modern age, chronicling the travails of anonymous travelers trapped in an airport terminal overnight, their trips delayed by an electrical storm.

Superconductor Road Trip!

Coming to a City Near You!

Don't you wish all tour buses were this groovy and train-like?
Concept bus © 2009 General Motors Inc.

< Superconductor is going on the road in the next week, with help from MegaBus, Greyhound, and our (unofficial, as in they don't know about it) sponsor 5 Hour Energy. I'm going to be seeing performances in Philadelphia, (Carmen on Sunday Oct. 2) Boston (Boston Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 6) and Cleveland, with two performances from the Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst. This will be my first chance to visit historic Severance Hall, and I'll be there on Oct. 8 and 9.

You'll still be able to count on this blog for the best coverage of the New York classical and opera scene, with regular reviews of concerts at the New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall, and opera performances at the Metropolitan Opera (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Anna Bolena) at the Met. October should be an exciting month.

In the meantime, please consult the new Short List (that's the funky Hunt for Red October graphic to the left), our comprehensive 2011 Opera Previews, and our guides to the season at Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic. Be sure to check back often for frequent updates, both from home and on the road.