By Pierre Ruhe | Dec 22, 2010
2010 was not the most eventful of years for Atlanta’s classical music ensembles, which in many ways tracked national trends as a result of the Great Recession: fewer concerts, reduced attendance, a just-hang-on attitude. A few notable happenings:
10. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra named Stanley Romanstein its new CEO in April. Now nine months on the job, he’s made friends with just about everyone, especially donor constituencies that were said to have felt alienated by former ASO leadership. Despite the general gloom that hangs over some corners of the classical industry -- where a few communities can no longer afford an ...
By Pierre Ruhe | Dec 10, 2010
The annual “Christmas With the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra” has been around in some form since the 1940s, when CBS radio launched a national, 90-minute program called “Christmas With Robert Shaw.” Shaw devised a swift and flowing 80 minutes of music, divided into four 20-minute segments (separated by commercials).
The formula, a sort of substantive Christmas pops, transferred easily into the concert hall, retaining the mix of ancient carols, sacred classics, sugar-coated music of the season and a few sing-alongs. The four sections move from “Prophecy and Advent” to “The stable,” “Around the ...
By Pierre Ruhe | Dec 4, 2010
Two religious works that offer hedonistic pleasures returned to Symphony Hall on Thursday night, the start of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s holiday programming. The concert of excerpts from Handel's “Messiah” and Vivaldi's Gloria repeats tonight. With the chamber chorus in sparkling form, it comes warmly recommended -- despite a few quibbles.
For all the musical appeal, the rituals built up around the ASO’s Christmas concerts are oddly stiff, with countless artistic and historical inconsistencies and complications. The stage is festive, trimmed with giant green wreaths, tiny icicle lights and long red ribbons. ...
By Pierre Ruhe | Nov 30, 2010
A bombshell for local woodwind aficionados and for regular listeners of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Patrick McFarland, 71, the orchestra's principal English horn player, resigned yesterday after 47 years of service. It was a sudden announcement that surprised his colleagues.
Asked about his decision, McFarland replied, "There were several reasons, not the least was burnout. I don't want to be hanging around when I'm not playing my best, and I wanted to go out ahead of it, before I lost it."
Technically, he is now on medical disability, but he says he has no plans to return to the Symphony Hall stage. ...
By Pierre Ruhe | Nov 30, 2010
Luminocity's ironically named "Hinterland," performed Saturday night in downtown Atlanta's Woodruff Park, with dance by Lauri Stallings' gloATL and music by Big Boi, was one of the major autumn happenings on the local arts scene. It made so many connections, exploded so much conventional wisdom, that the arts community will be talking about its ramifications for weeks and months to come. Read Cynthia Bond Perry's review here.
Choreographer Stallings' mixed-media dance events hold a populist charm that's rare in the high arts nowadays: her shows are designed to engage as many people as possible, from all corners of the city. (Dancing ...
By Pierre Ruhe | Nov 22, 2010
It’s called Project Jupiter, a three-year partnership between Spivey Hall and the Boston-based Jupiter String Quartet to perform, teach and connect with metro Atlanta’s Southern Crescent region in traditional and unique ways.
Saturday night in the hall, the quartet performed an excellent program of Beethoven and Kurtag, the culmination of a busy week. Over the previous days, they’d played two sets in the atrium of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, given a concert at an assisted living residence and joined with high school students for Spivey’s annual chamber orchestra workshop. In spring 2011 and future seasons, the Jupiters are booked to work through ...
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