So the question is, who is Osvaldo Golijov and why is he such a big deal? That is, such is the question on the outside chance that someone who reads a blog in a Cleveland Orchestra site is not familiar with the composer of the songs soprano Dawn Upshaw will sing this weekend at Knight Hall. But not everyone who cares about classical music cares about contemporary work enough to follow it.  So skip this if you know it already; otherwise, hang with me for a short while. Though he’d been around long enough to study with George Crumb, earn a Ph. … Continue reading →

  American soprano Dawn Upshaw, who will sing three songs by Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov this weekend with the Cleveland Orchestra at the Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall, finds herself connected to the hottest controversy of the moment in classical music. For Golijov, who a decade ago became as much of a rock star as one can be in his field, has recently been accused of plagiarism by critics and scholars, and provoked a debate about originality, creativity, and ethics in the high arts. “I haven’t talked to Osvaldo about it,” said Upshaw at the Arsht Center, where she is rehearsing. The three songs she … Continue reading →

Little more can be added to what has already been said about this weekend’s Cleveland Orchestra concerts – see South Florida Classical Review. About Bronfman’s mastery, for example. Or the flawless interpretation of the Shostakovich 6. But one point is worth underscoring. The orchestra is bringing us a rich offering, unafraid of performing anything but the most beloved chestnuts. The 6 is not Shostakovich’s most performed and though the Russian master is hardly an unknown, he is a modern and that itself puts his work in a more than crowd-pleasing category. Brahms is, after Beethoven, the quintessence of the canon. … Continue reading →