A French feast for the ears from Denève and the New World Symphony

Isabel Leonard and the New World Symphony

Stéphane Denève

Stéphane Denève conducts the New World Symphony

By Phillip Nones, 21 January 2024

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“in Leonard’s conception, every word had musical meaning”

Reviewed at New World Center, Miami Beach on 21 January 2024

Ravel, Miroirs: Alborada del gracioso

Roussel, Le Festin d'Araignée

Ravel, Shéhérazade

Schmitt, La Tragédie de Salomé

Grégoire Pont, Animator

Isabel Leonard, Mezzo-soprano

Molly Turner, Conductor

New World Symphony

Stéphane Denève, Conductor

A relevance of violas in Miami Beach

Laurence Vittes, 17th October

In a world for which Neharo't Neharo't had suddenly become painfully relevant once again: the man lamenting his love in the gentle ending could have been lamenting the Kurds.

*****

A feast of violas at Miami Beach

Laurence Vittes, 16th October

The New World Symphony's Viola Visions kicked off Wednesday night with a concert of music that spanned three centuries and gave full voice to the splendor of the instrument

****1

An auspicious alignment of stars at Carnegie Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 1st May

A sprightly MTT seemed to be in the right place among the fellows of the New World Symphony, his brainchild, in a program where youth was prevalent.

****1

Denève, Lewis and the Netherlands Radio Phil in Utrecht

Laurence Vittes, 23rd January

At TivoliVredenburg’s Grote Zaal: a program of Beethoven, Liszt, and Schumann that, intentionally or not, invited reflection on long-range musical continuity.

***11

Classical jazz from Stéphane Denève and The Cleveland Orchestra

Frank Kuznik, 9th January

A tribute to John Coltrane highlights an adventurous outing by The Cleveland Orchestra led by cosmopolitan conductor Stéphane Denève.

****1

French music gilded by Golda Schultz at the BBC Proms

Mark Valencia, 4th September

Stéphane Denève conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in music by Fauré, Boulanger and Ravel.

****1

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Phillip Nones

Phillip Nones studied piano from age six, also playing percussion in educational and civic groups before moving to a rural area of the USA in 1990, where performance opportunities were few. Recently he has started performing again, participating in “side-by-side” orchestra performances and playing percussion in the World Doctors' Orchestra. His personal collection of music includes over 5,000 classical albums in all formats (CDs, LPs, 78s), plus downloads. In his professional life, he heads up a marketing communications firm in the state of Maryland. He blogs about the French composer Florent Schmitt here.

A French feast for the ears from Stéphane Denève and the New World Symphony