The program, set long before Crumb’s death in February, following an implicit logic from Debussy to Stravinsky through Charles Ives and ending in Crumb’s somber lament, Ancient Voices of Children.
With the eternally young Gilbert Kalish leading the way, the festival's all-star roster delighted an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Center for the Performing Arts audience.
“It’s a contra-alto clarinet,” explained Ben Goldberg to an audience puzzled at the first sight of this long, coiled silver instrument. “But it can be used to clean your sink in an emergency.
Planners of the Lucerne Festival at the Kultur und Kongresshaus Luzern (KKL) set out to change the preconception that conductors are generally male. With a theme entitled “Prima Donna”, the aim is to promote female conductors.
The Australian Chamber Orchestra struggle with John Adams before finding their form in the music of Grieg, Maria Schneider (with Dawn Upshaw as soloist) and Elgar.