★★★★★ Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Goodman Theatre extended thru Aug. 2. Deutsche Finance America and New York developer Michael Shvo teamed up to buy the building. Blomstedt’s youngest daughter, Kristina and her family live in the house so he is well taken care of when he gets there. 24, Show Boat (5 stars) at the Lyric Opera thru Mar. Only in the last pages did that churn blow into froth and then into a sonic torrent exhilarating in its pure energy and brilliance. Joshua Kosman has covered classical music for the San Francisco Chronicle since 1988, reviewing and reporting on the wealth of orchestral, operatic, chamber and contemporary music throughout the Bay Area. Steven Pasquale is Billy Bigelow, Baritone Hvorostovsky, in poignant recital, rewards ardent fans with profound singing, ‘Raisin in the Sun’ at TimeLine: Family dreams confront reality in a journey back to the future, Riccardo Muti’s starry Beethoven Ninth opens Chicago Symphony season in cosmic fashion, ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ is film-familiar, brimming with talent and poised for B'way, New musical ‘Amazing Grace’ recounts the story of perfect storm that redeemed a slave trader, Star countertenor puts spin on taking a break: Orliński balances singing with breakdancing, ‘Fish Men’ at Goodman: When chess hustlers bait their hooks, slippery truth snaps at the line, Cue cameras: Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, come of age, is playing at a cinema near you. This is a Gravatar-enabled weblog. What happens to Kamala Harris' Senate seat now that she's vice president-elect? This is not a fancy, high-gloss “e-zine,” but rather a simple, straightforward newsletter-style section of our website designed for ease of reading and packing the maximum amount of useful information into each issue. Blomstedt, who made his conducting debut with the Stockholm Philharmonic in 1954, will turn 93 in July. They shone throughout, as did the woodwinds in their exchanges with a string choir that indeed brought a singing character to their refined playing. It also proved to be an ideal match for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. One famous part of the city gave him less than 3.5% of its share. These truly are performances where the interpretation simply vanishes into the natural, effortless flow of the music, and if that isn’t a “classical” ideal then nothing is. It does rip at the close, but that’s more exclamation mark than proclamation. Well, there was a small volume, presumably a score, on the conductor’s desk, but he never so much as opened it. 2 in D without a score. WALTRAUD BLOMSTEDT / Wife of ex-director of S.F. His approach here–lively but elastic tempos, affectionate phrasing in the slow movements, incisive rhythms, and translucent textures–works magnificently well, but the star of the show, equally, is the Staatskapelle Dresden. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Every section plays with distinction, especially the woodwinds, who lend so much character to the early symphonies and make something truly special out of “The Great” and “Unfinished”. That means a lot of traveling, rehearsal days, and interviews – activities that go hand-in-hand with such an intense program. Keep it clean. (5 stars) at Chicago Theatre thru Dec. 30, A Little Night Music (4 stars) at Writers' Theatre thru Aug. 12, A Midsummer Night's Dream (5 stars) at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru April 8, A Walk in the Woods (4 stars) at Timeline thru Nov. 20, Aida (3 stars) at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru Mar. 1. Penelope (3 stars) at Steppenwolf thru Feb. 5. He imbued the outer movements with irrepressible life and turned the central Adagio into a bittersweet rumination that scarcely needed a text to invoke the opera stage. So I texted him back. I have rarely heard such grand, grounded, and deeply cons... Continue Reading, When Alexandre Tharaud, the finest pianist of his generation for miniatures, recorded the Goldberg Variations, expectations ran high. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is California's first amusement park to reopen, Bizarre news conference held by Trump's team at Philly landscaping store. On balance, this is probably the finest, most consistent Schubert cycle available. Luckily, ... Continue Reading, A new recording of Mozart‘s violin concertos should bring something special to the table. It is beautifully situated by a lake near Gyttorp, in the forest and mining district of central Sweden. Didn’t Glenn Gould tell us that a child’s fiddling with the knobs of the home stereo was already... Continue Reading, The Bottom Line: This is atrocious. Herbert Blomstedt conducted Brahms’ Second Symphony without a baton — and without opening that book on his desk. Herbert Blomstedt, at 92, poured a long life into luminous Brahms Second with the CSO. Pride and Prejudice (4 stars) at Lifeline thru July 8, Race (4 stars) by Mamet at the Goodman thru Feb. 19, Red (5 stars) at the Goodman Theatre thru Oct. 30, Rent (4 stars) at American Theater Co. with About Face Theatre thru July 1, Rick Bayless in Cascabel (4 stars) at Lookingglass thru April 29, Rinaldo (4 stars) at Lyric Opera thru Mar. at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru April 7, Tigers Be Still (2 stars) at Theater Wit thru June 3, Time Stands Still (4 stars) at Steppenwolf thru May 13, Timon of Athens (4 stars) at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru June 10, We Are Proud to Present (4 stars) at Victory Gardens thru April 29, ★ Making Noise Quietly at Steep Theatre thru Nov. 10, ★ The Gifts of the Magi, produced by Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773 thru Dec. 23, ★★ By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at Goodman Theatre thru June 2, ★★ Jekyll & Hyde at the Cadillac Palace Theatre thru March 24, ★★ The Woman in White at Lifeline thru Oct. 28, ★★★ 33 Variations at Stage 773 by TimeLine thru Oct. 21, ★★★ A Body of Water at Redtwist Theatre thru April 7, ★★★ A Soldier's Play at Raven Theatre thru March 30, ★★★ Agnes of God at American Theater Co. thru Nov. 4, ★★★ Big Fish at Oriental Theatre thru May 5, ★★★ Broken Glass at Redtwist thru Nov. 18, ★★★ La bohème at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru March 28, ★★★ Purple Heart at Redtwist Theatre thru Jan. 27, ★★★ QED at Collaboraction Theatre, co-produced by theatre4humanity thru Dec. 9, ★★★ Rigoletto at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru March 30, ★★★ The City & The City at Lifeline Threatre thru April 7, ★★★ The Fall of the House of Usher at Chicago Opera Theater thru Mar. Exclusive music reviews and news, created specifically for classical music listeners, from the serious collector to the inquisitive newcomer. Learn how your comment data is processed. She was 74. Moscow, Cheryomuski (4 stars) at Chicago Opera Theater thru April 25. That quality cannot be found on the page. CD From Hell: Bezuidenhout Badly Botches Beethoven (Video Review), Helmchen Homers In Beethoven’s 4th Concerto (Video Review), Ethel Smyth’s The Prison: A Work To Be Reckoned With, Gratifying Schubert From The Koroliov/Hadžigeorgieva Duo, Alexandre Tharaud’s Singular Goldberg Vartiations, Absorbing Glass And Indulgent Schubert From Simone Dinnerstein, Gimmick Instrument, Splendid Performances: Mozart’s Violin Concertos. Blomstedt got right at the core of its surge-and-relent progress and the rhythmic churn that keeps pushing the music forward. Want to know first what the latest reviews are that have been posted to ClassicsToday each week? I suppose it wasn’t even about that unopened score; it wasn’t about notes at all, but rather the spaces between the notes, the music’s living breath and its transcendence. Or listen to the crisp elegance of the strings in the Fifth, or notice the always present but never vulgar trumpets and drums (even in the First and Second). He conducts with his hands, which never become fists. Herbert Blomstedt at 90: ... Waltraud’s, family. Jeering crowd greets, taunts Trump arriving at White... San Francisco erupts in cheering as Biden announced... World leaders react to Biden's victory: 'Welcome... Kamala Harris was on a jog when Biden was declared... CNN commentator breaks down on-air after Biden... Joe Biden texted me relentlessly. The Chicago Symphony responded to Blomstedt’s expansive tempos and immaculate voicing with a performance that felt at once impassioned and weightless. He celebrated his 80th birthday on July 11, 2007. 31, The Pitmen Painters (4 stars) at TimeLine thru Dec. 18, The Price (3 stars) at Raven Theatre thru April 14, The Real Thing (5 stars) at Writers' Theatre thru Dec. 4, The Taming of the Shrew (4 stars) in Short Shakespeare! Essential. at Redtwist Theatre extended thru Oct. 31, ★★ First Wives Club presented by Broadway in Chicago at the Oriental Theatre thru March 29, ★★ That Hopey Changey Thing and ★★★★ Sorry at TimeLine Theatre thru April 19, ★★ The Who & The What at Victory Gardens thru July 12, ★★★ Airline Highway at Steppenwolf Theatre thru Feb.11, ★★★ Carousel at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru May 3, ★★★ Grand Concourse at Steppenwolf Theatre thru Aug. 30, ★★★ Isaac's Eye at Writers Theatre extended thru Dec. 21, ★★★ King Lear at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru Nov. 9, ★★★ Pippin presented by Broadway in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre thru Aug. 9, ★★★ Pride and Prejudice at American Players Theatre thru Sept. 26, ★★★ Rapture, Blister, Burn at Goodman Theatre thru Feb. 22, ★★★ Sondheim on Sondheim, produced by Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773 thru March 15, ★★★ The Cryptogram at Profiles Theatre extended thru Dec. 6, ★★★ The Humans at American Theater Company thru Feb. 1, ★★★ The Whaleship Essex produced by Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit thru Oct. 11, ★★★ Yankee Tavern produced by American Blues Theater at Greenhouse Theater Center thru March 22, ★★★★ All Our Tragic produced by The Hypocrites at The Den extended thru Aug. 16, ★★★★ Antigonick produced by Sideshow Theatre at Victory Gardens Theater thru April 5, ★★★★ Balm in Gilead produced by Griffin Theatre at The Den Theatre thru April 19, ★★★★ Beast on the Moon at Raven Theatre thru June 6, ★★★★ Capriccio at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru Oct. 28, ★★★★ Don Giovanni at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru Oct. 29, ★★★★ Genius at Profiles Theatre thru May 3, ★★★★ Goldfish, produced by Route 66 Theatre at the Greenhouse Theater Center thru July 12, ★★★★ Good People at Redtwist Theatre, extended thru Aug. 23, ★★★★ Ionesco Suite at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru Oct.19, ★★★★ Red at Redtwist Theatre, extended thru March 29, ★★★★ Sense & Sensibility at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru June 14, ★★★★ Tannhäuser at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru March 6, ★★★★ The American Clock at Redtwist Theatre thru May 17, ★★★★ The Night Alive at Steppenwolf Theatre thru Nov. 16, ★★★★ The Passenger at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru March 15, ★★★★ The Rose Tattoo produced by Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit thru Feb. 28, ★★★★ Three Sisters produced by The Hypocrites at The Den Theatre thru June 6, ★★★★★ A Streetcar Named Desire at American Players Theatre thru Sept. 5, ★★★★★ Accidentally, Like a Martyr at A Red Orchid Theatre, extended thru March 15, ★★★★★ An Iliad at American Players Theatre thru Oct. 18, ★★★★★ Dunsinane, produced by National Theatre of Scotland at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru March 22, ★★★★★ Moby Dick at Lookingglass Theatre thru Aug. 28, ★★★★★ Porgy and Bess at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru Dec. 20, ★★★★★ Side Man, produced by American Blues Theater at Greenhouse Theater Center thru May 24, ★★★★★ Smokefall at Goodman Theatre thru Oct. 26, ★★★★★ Sweeney Todd produced by Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773, extended thru Nov. 16, ★★★★★ The Diary of Anne Frank at Writers Theatre extended thru Aug. 16, ★★★★★ The Good Book at Court Theatre thru April 19, ★★★★★ The Herd at Steppenwolf Theatre, extended thru June 14, ★★★★★ The Other Place by Sharr White at Profiles Theatre thru April 5, ★★★★★ Two Trains Running at Goodman Theatre, extended thru April 19. Mrs. Blomstedt was born in Hamburg to Swedish parents and moved to Sweden during World War II, where she met her future husband. This $449 HP laptop is perfect for virtual learning, too, The best toys on sale at Walmart for Black Friday, These SF neighborhoods had the highest turnout for Trump, SF Mayor Breed pauses some openings with uptick in cases, Study: Severe COVID-19 cases may age brain by 10 years, Iconic SF skyscraper sells for the first time ever. (Todd Rosenberg photos). 25, Aida (4 stars – new cast) at Lyric Opera thru Mar. Stay on topic. Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting (3 stars) thru Feb. 19, My Kind of Town (4 stars) at TimeLine Theatre thru July 29. Like her husband, Mrs. Blomstedt was also a devout Seventh-Day Adventist and was active in the church, both in the Bay Area and abroad. From this miniatures master one might expect each variation to be ... Continue Reading, No New York City resident has been immune to the physical and emotional stress resulting from the pandemic and various states of lockdown, and that unquestionably includes working musicians. He conducted Brahms’ Symphony No. With my husband away so much, I have had to make my own life. The mayor is putting the brakes on the majority of activities and businesses that were... Hospitalized patients who recovered perform worse than expected on intelligence tests. Blomstedt’s broadly drawn, detailed and luminous Brahms was the issue of a long life’s immersion. ★ Lay Me Down Softly produced by Seanachaí Theatre at The Den thru May 25, ★ The Great God Pan at Next Theatre thru May 11, ★★ Good Boys and True at Raven Theatre thru May 3, ★★ In the Garden: A Darwinian Love Story at Lookingglass Theatre thru June 15, ★★ Queenie Pie at Chicago Opera Theater thru March 23, ★★★ A Tale of Two Cities at Lifeline Theatre thru April 13, ★★★ Ain't Misbehavin' at Porchlight Music Theatre thru March 9, ★★★ Ain't Misbehavin' by Porchlight at 773 thru March 9, ★★★ Buyer & Cellar at Broadway Theatre thru June 15, ★★★ Death and the Maiden at Victory Gardens thru July 20, ★★★ Gidion's Knot at Profiles Theatre thru March 9, ★★★ Happy at Redtwist Theatre thru March 16, ★★★ Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru June 15, ★★★ Maskarade by Vox3 Collective at Vittum Theatre thru Jan. 25, ★★★ Otello at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru Nov. 2, ★★★ Our Country's Good produced by Shattered Globe Theatre at Theatre Wit thru Feb. 22, ★★★ Solstice at A Red Orchid Theatre thru Feb. 23, ★★★ The How and the Why at TimeLine Theatre thru April 6, ★★★ Tristan & Yseult produced by Kneehigh theater company at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru April 13, ★★★★ A Raisin in the Sun at TimeLine thru Nov. 17, ★★★★ Assassins by Kokandy Productions at Theater Wit thru July 20, ★★★★ Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre thru Aug. 17, ★★★★ Charles Ives Take Me Home at Strawdog Theatre thru June 21, ★★★★ Detroit '67 at Northlight thru Dec. 15, ★★★★ Golden Boy produced by Griffin Theatre at Theatre Wit thru April 6, ★★★★ Grounded produced by American Blues Theater at Greenhouse Theater Center thru July 13, ★★★★ If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet at Steep Theatre thru June 7, ★★★★ Look Back in Anger at Redtwist Theatre extended thru June 28, ★★★★ Madama Butterfly at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru Jan. 26, ★★★★ Mud Blue Sky at A Red Orchid Theatre thru June 29, ★★★★ Other People's Money produced by Shattered Globe at Theater Wit thru Oct. 19, ★★★★ Peter and the Starcatcher at Bank of America Theatre thru April 13, ★★★★ Playboy of the Western World at Raven Theatre thru April 5, ★★★★ Pullman Porter Blues at Goodman Theatre thru Oct. 27, ★★★★ Romeo and Juliet at American Players Theatre thru Oct. 4, ★★★★ Russian Transport at Steppenwolf Theatre thru May 11, ★★★★ The Importance of Being Earnest at American Players Theatre thru Sept. 27, ★★★★ The Last Ship presented by Broadway in Chicago at Bank of America Theatre thru July 13, ★★★★ The Merry Wives of Windsor at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru Jan. 19, ★★★★ The Mountaintop at Court Theatre thru Oct. 13, ★★★★ To Master the Art at Broadway Playhouse thru Oct. 20, ★★★★ Venus in Fur at Goodman Theatre thru April 13, ★★★★ Vieux Carré at Raven Theatre thru June 28, ★★★★★ A View From the Bridge produced by Teatro Vista at Victory Gardens thru May 18, ★★★★★ American Buffalo at American Players Theatre thru Nov. 8, ★★★★★ Gypsy at Chicago Shakespeare Theater thru March 23, ★★★★★ Into the Woods produced by The Hypocrites at Mercury Theatre thru April 5, ★★★★★ Luna Gale at Goodman Theatre thru Feb. 23, ★★★★★ Rusalka at Lyric Opera of Chicago thru March 16, ★★★★★ Seminar produced by Haven Theatre at Theatre Wit thru April 13, ★★★★★ Seven Guitars at Court Theatre thru Feb. 16, ★★★★★ The Barber of Seville at Lyric Opera thru Feb. 28, ★★★★★ The Dance of Death at Writers Theatre extended thru Aug. 3, ★★★★★ The Seafarer produced by Seanachai Theatre at The Den extended thru Feb. 8, ★★★★★ Water by the Spoonful at Court Theatre thru April 6, A Behanding in Spokane (3 stars) at Profiles thru Dec. 4, A Catered Affair (4 stars) by Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773 thru April 1, A Christmas Story, The Musical! 18, Hunger (4 stars) at Lifeline Theatre thru Mar. BRAHMS: Symphony No. In his spare time, he is the co-constructor of a weekly cryptic crossword puzzle in The Nation magazine, and has repeatedly placed among the top 20 contestants at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Abdullah Khan in 'Blood and Gifts' – Kareem Bandealy, Aggie in 'A Catered Affair' – Rebecca Finnegan, Ahab in 'Moby Dick' – Christopher Donahue, Alice in 'The Dance of Death' – Shannon Cochran, All seven characters in 'The Amish Project' – Sadieh Rifai, Anna in 'City of Dreadful Night' – Justine C. Turner, Anya Botvinnik in 'A Walk in the Woods' – Janet Ulrich Brooks, Benjamin Stone in 'Follies' – Brent Barrett, Bev/Kathy in 'Clybourne Park' – Kirsten Fitzgerald, Blanche DuBois in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' – Tracy Michelle Arnold, Bo Decker in 'Bus Stop' – Michael Stegall, Caroline in 'Luna Gale' – Mary Beth Fisher, Catherine Parr in 'The Last Wife' – AnJi White, Charlesetta in 'East Texas Hot Links' – Tyla Abercrumbie, Clown in 'Burning Bluebeard' – Dean Evans, Clytemnestra in 'Agamemnon' – Sandra Marquez, Donel in 'The Opponent' – Kamal Angelo Bolden, Eddie Carbone in 'A View From the Bridge' – Ramón Camín, George in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' "I am not that career-minded," she once said. homemaker and helpmeet to her husband, who retains the position of conductor laureate. ©1999 - 2015 Classics Today All Rights Reserved - Website by FirstTracks Marketing. Waltraud Blomstedt, the wife of former San Francisco Symphony music director Herbert Blomstedt, died Saturday at her home in Lucerne, Switzerland, after a long illness.