Carnegie Hall's 125th Anniversary Gala

By Courtney Smith, 08 May 2016

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Reviewed at Carnegie Hall: Stern Auditorium, New York City on 5 May 2016

Smith, Star Spangled Banner

Handel, Coronation Anthem no. 1: Zadok the priest, HWV 258

Mendelssohn, Piano Trio no. 1 in D minor, Op.49 (Andante con moto tranquillo )

Dvořák, Slavonic Dance no. 8 in G minor, Op.46 no.8

Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals: The Swan

Ponce, Intermezzo

Lecuona, Cuban Dance:...Y La Negra Bailaba!

Strauss R., Morgen! Op.27 no.4

Offenbach, Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Belle nuit, o nuit d'amour (Barcarolle)

Bizet, Carmen: "Habanera", L'amour est un oiseau rebelle

Cohen, Hallelujah

Gershwin, Strike up the Band

Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern, Tribute to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

Harrison, Here comes the sun

Taylor, You and I Again

Taylor, Shower the people

Edens, The Joint is Really Jumpin' in Carnegie Hall (Encore)

Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Orchestra

Oratorio Society of New York

Kent Tritle, Conductor

Orchestra of St Luke's

Pablo Heras-Casado, Conductor

Emanuel Ax, Piano

Yo-Yo Ma, Cello

Itzhak Perlman, Violin

Renée Fleming, Soprano

Isabel Leonard, Mezzo-soprano

Martina Arroyo, Soprano

Marilyn Horne, Mezzo-soprano

Lang Lang, Piano

Audra McDonald, Vocals

Jessye Norman, Soprano

Michael Feinstein, Vocals

James Taylor, Vocals

Minimalism with a beating heart: Julius Eastman's Femenine

Kurt Gottschalk, 4th February

The spirit of the St Luke's Chamber Ensemble makes for a successful performance of Julius Eastman's 1974 composition Femenine.

****1

Pichon crafts inventive Beethoven program with Orchestra of St Luke's

Cameron Kelsall, 6th November

The French conductor pairs Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with several of the composer’s more obscure miniatures, performed alongside thematically related poetry.

*****

A resplendent St John Passion at Carnegie Hall

Susan Stempleski, 10th April

Principal Conductor Bernard Labadie leads the Orchestra of St Luke’s in a superbly sung and played performance of Bach’s fiery and dramatic St John Passion.

****1

Promethean Fire and an homage to Carolyn Adams ignite Paul Taylor

Carla Escoda, 6th November

A chilling masterpiece, a tribute to a beloved dancer, and the announcement of a new resident choreographer galvanized the Paul Taylor Dance gala audience at New York's Lincoln Center.

****1

Three premieres – heard twice – in New York

Kurt Gottschalk, 25th July

It can be a pleasure to hear an unfamiliar piece twice in the same program. Here, we heard three premieres fresh and then repeated after composer comments.

***11

St Luke's Chamber Ensemble finds the joy in Julius Eastman

Kurt Gottschalk, 22nd June

In their “Visionary Sounds” concert, the ensemble lets Eastman's Stay On It fall into abandon at times... but never without a plan.

****1

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Courtney Smith

Courtney Smith is an American freelance journalist living in Milan, Italy. On classical music and opera, she's written for the BBC Music Magazine, Opera Now, Opera News, Corriere della Sera Style Magazine, Auditorium, Limelight and Classical Singer. She's written in-house for classical music organizations such as The New York Philharmonic and the Royal Opera House's blog. On luxury, fashion and beauty, she's written for The Wall Street Journal, Women's Wear Daily, Grazia.it and W Magazine's Editors' Blog. She's written in-house for brands such as Calvin Klein.

Musical stars power Carnegie Hall's 125th Anniversary Gala