Classical

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two recent reissues of violinist Joseph Szigeti playing Bach. Lloyd says that Szigeti was one of the 20th centuries Bach pioneers.

Composer John Corigliano, Composer-in residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His composition "Symphony No. 1" is Corigliano's personal statement about the AIDS crisis. The first three movements of the Symphony are dedicated to three of his lifelong musician-friends who died of AIDS. Corigliano was inspired to write the composition after seeing the AIDS memorial quilt. (Corigliano: Symphony No. 1, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim -- on the Erato Label, #2292-45601-2).

Singer Angelina Réaux. She's gained international recognition for her interpretation of Kurt Weill music. She performed in a one-woman show, "Stranger Here Myself," a collection of Weill music, dramatically linked. (A recording of the show is on the Koch Classics International label). Réaux also performs in Opera and Concert engagements and collaborated with Leonard Bernstein in a some of his final projects: recordings of "West Side Story" and "A Quiet Place." She began her career in Broadway musicals.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of Opera Finales performed by soprano Josephine Barstow. (on the Decca label).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the restored score of Voltaire's "Candide," conducted by Leonard Bernstein a year before his death.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new collection of works by French composer Charles Koechlin ("Kuhch-LAN") performed by Boston Symphony flutist Fenwick Smith. (The album's called "Music for Flute" and it's on the Hyperion label).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new release by conductor Craig Smith. Smith is best known as the conductor of Peter Sellars' controversial stagings of Mozart operas. His new recording is of a series of motets by German composer Heinrich Schutz (rhymes with "putz"). It's performed by the Chorus of Boston's Emanuel Church, and it's on the Koch International Label.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a reissue of an album of Mozart and Beethoven Duos and Sonatas.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz tells us about a new release of some early performances by New York Philharmonic Conductor Sir John Barbirolli.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new opera, "The Ghosts of Versailles ("vahr-SIGH") by composer John Corigliano ("core ee ahn no"). It premiered two weeks ago at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the first new opera to premiere at the Met in 25 years.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "On Mozart," by Anthony Burgess. It's a surreal novel about the composer Mozart. (published by Ticknor & Fields).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new and first recording of conductor Benjamin Zander and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of Nigel Kennedy performing the Brahms Violin Concerto. (It's on the Angel/E.M.I. label).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of music by Czech composers Gideon Klein and Viktor Ullmann. Klein and Ullmann were both imprisoned at the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War 2, and later put to death at Auschwitz. This is the first of 6 planed recordings of music the pair wrote while under Nazi imprisonment.

Musician and conductor JoAnn Falletta. Falletta is conductor of the Bay Area Women's Philharmonic in San Francisco, which is dedicated to finding and playing music by women that was previously undiscovered or unrecorded. Falletta has a PhdD from Juilliard.

Classical music fans around the world are commemorating the bicentennial of Mozart's death. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz is observing a happier anniversary, the 100th anniversary of Prokofiev's birth. He reviews a new compact disc (on the Pearl label) of Prokofiev playing his own works.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "The Death of Klinghoffer," the new opera from composer John Adams. It recently had its American premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reports on cellist Yo-Yo Ma's performance at Tanglewood last week. He played the world premiere of electronic music composer Tod Machover's "Begin Again Again," which was written for the cellist.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two new Brahms recordings by the Boston Chamber Music Society. Lloyd says it's great music, and a great argument for chamber music written for something OTHER than string quartet. (The recordings are on Northeastern).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of Mozart piano sonatas by Yugoslavian pianist Dubravka Tomsic (TOM-sich).