Seven decades of African American composition in a New Jersey carpark

By Kurt Gottschalk, 19 October 2020

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Reviewed at Morris Museum: Bickford Theatre, Morristown on 17 October 2020

Hailstork, Three Spirituals for Orchestra (I. We Shall Overcome)

Montgomery, Voodoo Dolls

Price, Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint: Calvary

Price, Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint: Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes

Price, Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint: Shortnin’ Bread

Perkinson, String Quartet no. 1 "Calvary" (Allegro, Rondo: Allegro vivace)

Weston, Juba

Still, Lyric Quartette

American Symphony Orchestra’s Quartet

Almost rescued from tyranny: Smetena's Dalibor stuns at Bard

Robert Levine, 27th July

Bedřich Smetana’s patriotic opera Dalibor is given a rare outing at Bard College, directed by Jean-Romain Vesperini and conducted by Leon Botstein.

****1

Damning with faint praise: Berlioz at Bard

Cameron Kelsall, 18th August

As part of a festival considering the composer's oeuvre, Leon Botstein leads a concert performance of La Damnation de Faust lacking in French style.

**111

The fat knight sings in Bard Festival's Sir John in Love

Cameron Kelsall, 13th August

A two-week Ralph Vaughan Williams retrospective closed with his gentle, folksy spin on Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor.

***11

Saint-Saëns rarity Henry VIII takes the crown at Bard SummerScape

Cameron Kelsall, 21st July

Conductor Leon Botstein and director Jean-Roumain Vesperini treat this Tudor soap opera with appropriate grandeur, while a top-notch cast deliver the vocal goods.

****1

Strauss' Silent Woman makes a grand noise at Bard

Robert Levine, 24th July

Bard’s always courageous Music Director, Leon Botstein, never one to shy away from a challenge, presents Strauss' comedy uncut.

****1

Chausson's rarely heard Le Roi Arthus well served at Bard

Robert Levine, 25th July

The first fully staged American production of Chausson's sole opera features remarkable singing, fine storytelling and plush orchestral playing.

****1

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Kurt Gottschalk

Kurt Gottschalk is a journalist and author based in New York City. His writings on contemporary and classical music, jazz and improvisation have been published in outlets throughout Europe and America and he has two volumes of short fiction to his name. He produced and hosted the Miniature Minotaurs radio programme on WFMU and currently hosts Afternoon New Music on WKCR.