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Reviews
Reimagined Treemonisha Triumphs

CHICAGO— Nearly 300 miles southwest of Chicago, in St. Louis, stands the only surviving house in which we know, beyond a doubt, Scott Joplin lived. The rest of the ragtime pioneer’s former homes have been razed; this one narrowly … »
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Orchestral Feats & Feasts at the 2025 Aix Easter Festival, Part I

The two annual festivals of Aix-en-Provence—one for concerts, the other for operas—have no endeavours in common beyond the city whose name they share. Nevertheless, when word of the sudden passing of Pierre Audi , artistic director of … »
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Atlanta's Siegfried: Pros in the Roles

ATLANTA—In an earlier era, the Atlanta Opera couldn’t have undertaken a project on the scale of Wagner’s Ring . But under Tomer Zvulun—general and artistic director of 12 years, and the cycle’s director—the … »
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Wilding Up a 1970s Cult Classic

LOS ANGELES—For the last 15 years or so, L.A.’s merry collective Wild Up has been busy upending conventional notions of “classical” new music. Its latest contribution was a riotous performance of Arthur Russell’s … »
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The Violent World of Kosky's Walküre

LONDON—It should come as no surprise that Barrie Kosky's new Royal Ballet and Opera production of Die Walküre should have its roots firmly in the German-domiciled director’s native Australia. The smoldering tree trunks, so … »
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Met Salome Adds an Unsettling Layer

As one who frequently stresses the importance of innovative, imaginative productions, Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb has been slow to engage a number of European directors who have significant reputations for doing precisely that. … »
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Circus Meets Symphony, with Delightful Results

LONDON—Spring is in the air in London and so is orchestral music courtesy of Multitudes, the ten-day multidisciplinary arts festival at the Southbank Centre. Underway since April 23, the event is presenting nine orchestras, many of them SBC … »
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The Critic, the Donor, and the Resurrection of Giants...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.— What transpired in Sioux Falls last weekend was a testament to the power of words. In 2022, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross praised the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) as “bolder and savvier in its … »
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In Juilliard's Carmelites, the Parts Are Greater than the Sum of the Whole

During the rehearsal period for Juilliard’s mounting of Dialogues des Carmelites , the federal government revoked the visa of a participating student. This encounter with the current administration might have been expected to lend a degree … »
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A Blowout Birthday Bash,
A Hero's Sendoff

SAN FRANCISCO—On a night that began with baby pictures and ended with a balloon drop, San Francisco Symphony’s cherished former Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas got a farewell send-off on April 26 at a packed Davies Symphony Hall. … »
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