* [EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT] Nov 7, 2008
The pianist, who is visiting Taipei as part of his 2008 Asian tour, will perform works by Schubert, Janacek, Beethoven and Debussy. Today at 7:30pm. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
From the rostrum, the outlook is fine Sep 22, 2008
Although upset by the fracas, the maestro has been immersing himself in work, chiefly the scores of Britten and Janacek. He is deep in rehearsal for the revival of Billy Budd at the Opera House on Wednesday. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Classical music review - The Takacs Quartet Aug 11, 2008
The Musica Viva program of Schubert, Janacek and Mills juxtaposed the magnificent, the moving and the modern with a trio of works that complemented one other surprisingly well ... Janaceks Intimate Letters second quartet is an altogether more emotionally-driven work lamenting, as it does, the composers unhappy and largely unrequited love. (Adelaide Independent Weekly)
Critics' picks - classical music Jun 15, 2008
The Biava Quartet, a young rising ensemble, performs at Rockport on Thursday (Haydn, Janacek, and Grieg) and Saturday (Kodaly and Dohnanyi, with pianist David Deveau). At 8 p.m., Rockport Art Association, 978-546-7391. (Boston Globe)
Events listings May 18, 2008
Works by Haydn, Janacek, Grieg. 6/20: Michael Hawley, pianist and raconteur, with Bob Lucky. (Boston Globe)
JOB PROFILE: Living a dream May 18, 2008
Answer: I am currently music director and principal conductor of the Fresno Philharmonic, also same title with the Czech Symphony Orchestra [Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra], the Reno Chamber Orchestra, artistic director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music and Nevada Chamber Music Festival, and principal conductor of the Kent/Blossom Music Festival [at Kent State University in Ohio. When and how did you start your musical career, and what instrument did you play. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Czech quartet prepares a taste of Prague May 2, 2008
The program makes sense when you consider the highly regarded ensemble took its name from the late Czech composer Pavel Haas, who was a student of Janacek's (and died in a Holocaust concentration camp) ... It contained recordings by Janacek and the group's namesake composer, and was voted one of the top CDs of the year by Britain's Daily Telegraph ... The group's second CD was released in fall, 2007 and offered more Czech fare by Haas and Janacek. (Howard County Times, MD)
Lofty lineup Apr 3, 2008
The Szymanowski was, said Mills, "a moment of personal indulgence - but I believe Szymanowski is as important as Janacek and up there with Berg and Sibelius. King Roger is a masterwork of the operatic repertoire.". Gergiev will also lead the London Symphony Orchestra through all seven of Prokofiev's symphonies and all his violin concertos, with the Greek virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos as soloist. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Oz goes operatic in From The House Of The Dead Feb 7, 2008
The show that most opera lovers were looking forward to this season was Leos Janaceks From The House Of The Dead ... In his own libretto, Janacek turns Dostoevskys semi-autobiographical novella about life in a Siberian prison camp into a grim, dark work thats a true ensemble piece ... Thankfully, young conductor Alexander Briger, a Janacek specialist and the nephew of the great Charles Mackerras (who worked on the critical edition of the opera), gets thrilling, at times jarring sounds... (Now Toronto)
A rare mixture of tenderness and cruelty Feb 4, 2008
So it was a rare experience to emerge from the first Canadian performance of Janacek's From the House of the Dead and hear people puzzling over basic details of what had happened on stage, and why ... Janacek's last opera (barely finished when he died in 1928) is based on Dostoyevsky's thinly fictionalized account of his experiences in a Siberian prison camp ... Janacek seems to have been fascinated by the way that cruelty and tenderness can co-exist in a single thought or action. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Public radio Nov 17, 2007
Beethoven: Duo No. 2 in F for Clarinet and Bassoon; Schubert: Piano Sonata in D, D - 850; Biggs: Medieval Dance Suite; Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No. 2 in D; Janacek: String Quartet No. 1. 10:15 a.m. Morning Freeforms with Annie Garde. (Montana Standard, MT)
Mario Lanza tribute premieres Oct. 28 in Westerly Oct 26, 2007
" Lanza died from a heart attack in 1959, at the age of 38.Himself now 46 years old, Peter Buchi finds his "light, lyric tenor" voice is now weightier and growing in depth. He s comfortable singing operatic roles such as Nemorino in Donizetti s comic opera "L Elisir D Amore" and Pinkerton in Puccini s "Madama Butterfly," and demanding works like Beethoven s Ninth Symphony "Ode to Joy" and Janacek s "Glagolitic Mass. " "I d love to start adding a few more roles to my repertory," he says, "like... (Westerly Sun, RI)
Brass section gives Czechs a bounce Oct 15, 2007
Yet the monumental opening of Janacek's Sinfonietta is no act of aggression ... The rest of the orchestra negotiated Janacek's challenging score with great clarity ... Janacek, apparently, never had much time for his composing compatriot Smetana. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Mackerras returns to home turf Oct 8, 2007
But then the maestro - Charlie to his family and friends - will be performing his favourite works by his favourite composers: Dvorak, Janacek, Mozart and Richard Strauss ... " Today Mackerras is regarded as one of the world's finest interpreters of the Czech composers. But until that first visit behind the Iron Curtain he would not have rated Janacek as a great composer. "I hadn't realised the drama and immense meaning of his operas," he says. "Of course I'm doing his Sinfonietta here, which is... (Sydney Morning Herald)
The Air This Week Sep 25, 2007
Today Noon-4 p.m. Janacek String Quartet No. 2, motets by Dufay and Binchois, Martin Etudes for string orchestra, etc. (WGBH). (Boston Globe)
Fall Arts Preview Sep 9, 2007
12/1: Janacek's "Glagolitic Mass" with New World Chorale; works by Revueltas, Mussorgsky ... 12/7, 12/9: Martinu's Duo for violin and cello, Borodin's Quartet No. 2, Janacek's Quartet No. 1, "Kreutzer Sonata." Boston Chamber Music Society Fri: NEC's Jordan Hall, 290 Huntington Ave., Boston ... David Hoose conducts works by Rouse, Janacek, Dvorak. (Boston Globe -- Living)
A master builder, and hero to the arts Aug 18, 2007
Bradshaw expanded the COC's repertoire to include major operas by Janacek, Debussy and Mussorgsky, as well as rare but important works by Rossini, Stravinsky and Handel ... It would be absurd to say his work was done; he was only 63, and had great plans for the future, including the COC premiere (later this season) of Janacek's From the House of the Dead, and a promised rendezvous with Prokofiev's War and Peace. (Globe and Mail)
Archival story: Richard Bradshaw Aug 17, 2007
"You've got to decide what sort of company you want to be. I believe that if any artistic enterprise is going to be successful, whether it's an orchestra or an opera company, you have to take the responsibility that you're going to lead. I don't mean to just impose what you want to do on people, but you have to have a vision that perhaps people will go to a Janacek opera and their life will be changed by it. It doesn't work overnight, and you have to build that trust. But you have to decide... (Ottawa Citizen)
SummerFest treats classical as living form Aug 2, 2007
"Beethoven I - The Young Hero" - 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7; The Shanghai Quartet with Weiyin Chen, Joanna Frankel, Marie Stephanie Janacek and others perform Beethoven's Trio No. 1 in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin and Cello, Quartet in B-flat Major and Septet in E-flat Major for Strings and Winds. "An Evening with Cho-Liang Lin" ---- 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8; Lin and others perform Julian Milone's "Tales from Magic Flute," Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano, Bartok's Contrasts for Clarinet and Brahms Sextet... (North County Times)
"From the House of the Dead": New collaboration revives Janacek opera Jul 18, 2007
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France: Leos Janacek has entered the opera mainstream in recent decades with "Kat'a Kabanova," "Jenufa" and "The Makropoulos Affair," but the Czech composer's final and darkest opera, "From the House of the Dead," has been largely overlooked, perhaps understandably ... Janacek himself died two years before its first performance in 1930 ... Janacek, who as always wrote his own libretto, imagined the opera taking place in the Siberian countryside, but Ch. (International Herald Tribune)
Summer Festivals around the world Jun 2, 2007
re" and Janacek's "From the House of the Dead. " "Le Nozze di Figaro" (costumes by Christian Lacroix), "Orfeo" and "The Abduction from the Seraglio" (designed by Miquel Barcel?) will be performed at the traditional Th??tre de l'Archev?ch?. Simon Rattle, Daniel Harding, Marc Minkowski, Ren? Jacobs, and Pierre Boulez (collaborating with director Patrice Ch?reau on Janacek) are on the roster of conductors. Wagnerites may be discouraged by the price of first-class tickets for "Walk. (International Herald Tribune -- Travel)
Comprehensive event listings May 20, 2007
Works by Mozart, Janacek, Mendelssohn. 8/9: Vermeer Quartet. (Boston Globe)
Bloody, bold and resolute May 17, 2007
"Stand by for storms over Manhattan when Jones hits the Metropolitan with his cannibalistic Hansel und Gretel. But even if he does find himself at odds with American houses, those days are long behind him on this side of the Atlantic. Here, Jones is in his element: the work is rolling in, and he's eager for more."I'll do anything by Handel, Janacek or Wagner," Jones says. "And that includes the Ring, which I'd like to do again. Wagner is very durable material. (Guardian Unlimited)
Whose wife is it anyway? Apr 30, 2007
Illicit sex powered the work of Verdi and Janacek ... Janacek, too, was protesting about prevailing social values when he made the nightmare mother-in-law of the adulterous Katya Kabanova the villain of a piece set in 19th-century Russia. (The Observer)
A rare Russian staging of Janacek's 'Jenufa' Apr 11, 2007
A rare Russian staging of Janacek's 'Jenufa ... ST. PETERSBURG: The great Russian bear awoke last week to another opera venerated in the West when the Maryinsky Theater unveiled a new production of "Jenufa," its first ever of an opera by Leos Janacek ... One might have thought that as a Slavic composer, Janacek would have been eagerly embraced by Russia, and perhaps he thought so himself. (International Herald Tribune)
Blast off to 'Bach, Beethoven, Beyond' Mar 19, 2007
Lin selected the three Young Artists pianist Weiyin Chen, violinist-violist Joanna Franckel and cellist Marie-Stephanie Janacek who will participate in open rehearsals, coaching sessions and performances. In addition, the American String Quartet, Escher String Quartet and Real Quiet will all be making SummerFest debuts while the Shanghai String Quartet will return for its second season. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
In classical music, there's no shortage of notable recordings Mar 16, 2007
Fine recordings, from Handel to Janacek. By David Weininger, Globe Correspondent | March 16, 2007. (Boston Globe -- Living)
Bringing a sprite to life Mar 8, 2007
"You can hear Wagner and Elgar through the piece and there's a rich tapestry of colour and moods It's also incredibly singable music, more so than Janacek, which is less lyrical and more angular.". Barker and her husband, Peter Coleman-Wright, who recently starred in Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, call Australia home but there's no shortage of operas and concerts in Europe demanding their attention. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Provocative assault on hedonism by Weill and Brecht roars to life Feb 27, 2007
Joyce Castle's dusky voice has some roughness around its edges but she was persuasive as Leocadia Begbick , the city's keeper, mustering at points the starchy forcefulness of a Janacek heroine. Amy Burton's soprano has no Lenya-style grit or smokiness, but she was still an affecting Jenny -- seductive when necessary but ultimately more tender than tough. (Boston Globe)
LSO/Elder / Barbican, London Feb 23, 2007
Brahms and Janacek don't have much in common, but they made a surprisingly effective pairing in this London Symphony Orchestra programme conducted by the versatile Mark Elder. He began with Jealousy, originally conceived as the overture to Janacek's opera Jenufa, but wisely dropped as surplus to requirements ... As a concert item, it works perfectly well, though its conventional sound-and-fury reveals another reason Janacek ditched it. (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Here's the full schedule Feb 7, 2007
Lutoslawski: "Mi-Parti"; Janacek: "Taras Bulba"; Dvorak: Cello Concerto. SPECIAL EVENTS. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Canadian Opera Company unveils new season Jan 17, 2007
The company will also give its first-ever performances of Janacek's From the House of the Dead, in a new production directed by Dmitri Bertman, who in 1999 gave the company a contentious La Traviata that is being revived later this season ... as and for the Janacek opera. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Canadian Opera Company unveils 2007/8 season Jan 17, 2007
In February 2008, controversial director Dmitri Bertman will take on Leos Janacek's House of the Dead, offering another new interpretation after shocking audiences with a daring production of ``La Traviata" in 1999. His cutting-edge take featured leather and miniskirts and "a certain S&M vibe" set in the Paris Latin quarter, recalled Lewis. It returns to the COC this spring. House of the Dead is a more sombre story, adapted in the late 1920s by Janacek from Dostoyevsky's autobiographical account... (Toronto Star)
