by Michael Cirigliano II While the Los Angeles Philharmonic was introducing the Lincoln Center crowd to John Adams’ new biblical account, The Gospel According to the Other Mary, many New York City ensembles chose to move forward traditional Eastertime programming.... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II In commemorating the centenary of Benjamin Britten’s birth, the entire classical-music world is inundating concert audiences with performances of the famed British composer’s output. However, for every large-scale production of Peter Grimes or the War Requiem... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II After trekking from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center and back on a regular basis, it’s nice to encounter some grass-roots music-making that’s a bit closer to home, and the Florilegium Chamber Choir’s Sunday-afternoon performance at the... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II For the first concert of their three-night residency at Carnegie Hall this year, the Vienna Philharmonic stayed close to their Austrian heritage, showcasing works of von Suppé and Richard Strauss on the program’s first half. Even... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II Capping off a week of performances that brought their jazz, new music, and Baroque ensembles to four of New York City’s prized venues, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music imported its prestigious orchestra to Carnegie Hall for... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II Few musical works are as emblematic of the time and circumstances of their composition as Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. Written in 1941 while the composer was held as a prisoner-of-war, Messiaen scored... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II I’ve always admired the relationship fostered by the Juilliard School and London’s Royal Academy of Music [and not just because I’m a graduate of the latter]. It’s quite a testament to the current strength of international... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II Photo: Ruby Washington for the New York Times It does seem odd that the inaugural recipient of the New York Philharmonic’s Kravis Prize for New Music would be a 96-year-old composer that hasn’t written an original... Continue reading

by Michael Cirigliano II Photo: Carol Rosegg Despite an expensive and acclaimed première at the Metropolitan Opera in 1991, John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles has received very little attention over the past 20 years. Peter Gelb had high hopes... Continue reading