Music’s relationship to the natural world is an unsteady one. On one hand, it seems contradictory to celebrate nature using artificial instruments that are, after…
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Category: Music
Coverage of music in Philadelphia.
Spectacular Strauss (Curtis Symphony Orchestra): Germanic overtures
Is it possible for a composer to be too German? Sure, the deeply problematic Wagner has long cornered the market on gratuitous Teutonic mythmaking, but it’s his…
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Making Music: Interview with Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra’s Beatrice Jona Affron
Beatrice Jona Affron is celebrating her 30th year with the Philadelphia Ballet (formerly Pennsylvania Ballet.) The music director and conductor joined the company in 1993…
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10 Days in a Madhouse (Opera Philly): This is not a time for quiet art
Director Joanna Settle wants you to know that 10 Days in a Madhouse is not just an opera. It is an “announcement … almost a…
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Philadelphia heavy quintet Quiet Man release debut single
Philadelphia sludge outfit Quiet Man recently released their first single, “Set to Boil is the New Standard”, from their upcoming debut, The Starving Lesson. Quiet…
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A Music Video to Make You HAPPY
Friend of Phindie Josh McIlvain and his band Casual Fantastic released a new video for their song “Happy (You Make Me)” from recently released album…
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THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA’S GREAT STAGES GALA: A Dilettante at Large review
DAL is pleased to report that this gala was more fun than glam. Oh, there was the occasional gown and a sprinkling of black ties,…
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La Bohème (Opera Philadelphia): Time’s arrow
Of Yuval Sharon’s reverse-chronology retelling of Puccini’s La Bohème, the Wall Street Journal says, “It’s not just a gimmick—it works.” Of course, if you have…
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DON GIOVANNI (AVA): A dilettante at large review
Mozart’s Don Giovanni is the greatest opera ever written. Don’t take my word for it—what do I know, I’m a dilettante—but that was the opinion…
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Perry, Schumann, and Mahler (Curtis Symphony Orchestra): Season-closing performance
Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that there are two types of writers. And because he’s Kurt Vonnegut, he gave them both silly names. First you’ve got…
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DON PASQUALE (AVA): A Dilettante at Large review
Our dilettante at large reviews Academy of Vocal Arts’ South Philly themed production of Donizetti’s comic opera
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Carmina Burana + Credo (Opera Philly): A dilettante at large review
The Dilettante at Large is at large again, writing about the culture as an enjoyer rather than an expert. Her latest pleasure was Opera Philly’s…
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OTELLO (Opera Philadelphia): A dilettante at large reviews
This is one for the life list if you’re an opera fan.
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The Musical Legacy of Charles V: Piffaro Founders’ Finale
The final concert for Piffaro founders Joan Kimball and Bob Wiemken is far from a somber affair as they celebrate a thriving Renaissance band as their legacy.
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Lisette: A Haitian song travels through Philadelphia history and beyond
The oldest-known Haitian song has a Philadelphia connection.
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THE SPARKS BROTHERS (dir. Edgar Wright): Film review
Perhaps the most wonderful thing about the film is how welcoming it is to new fans.
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Opera Philadelphia’s FREE world premiere THEY STILL WANT TO KILL US commemorates 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 8pm EST, a group of arts institutions across the nation will premiere the short film They Still Want to…
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Irina Varina Knows What You Did Last Summer
In 2020, filmmaker and theater creator Irina Varina had a plan to make a film called I Know What You Did in the Summer of…
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A MODERN-DAY CARMEN FANTASY by The Philadelphia Orchestra and Brian Sanders’ JUNK
The Philadelphia Orchestra teams up with Brian Sanders’ JUNK for a reimagined, COVID-cautious CARMEN.
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Holiday Concerts in Review: 6 shows that went on despite the pandemic
Some of the most beloved choruses and orchestras in the Philadelphia area became creative in entertaining audiences in safe and often unexpected ways via virtual holiday performances.
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