David Noel Edwards is a writer, composer, and recording artist from Canaan, New York. He has been writing for the Berkshire Edge since 2015, mainly about music, but also about books, birds, and reptiles.
Before considering Patneaud's virtuosity as a saxophone player, it's worth pointing out that reviews of his performances and recordings reveal a musician who is mindful of what pleases a crowd.
"I was very taken with the students' seriousness and creativity when exposed to these new kinds of music… I was very impressed with their musicality and their spirit. They seemed like young, seasoned pros in some ways." — Ted Rosenthal
"Death and the Maiden" is emotionally intense from start to finish, with a persistent pulse that you can feel even in moments of silence, kind of like the clock that was ticking on Schubert's life.
When was the last time you saw anyone sing a song from memory while accompanying themselves on cello? It must be extremely difficult, because I can count on one hand all of the classically-trained cellists I've heard of who are even willing to attempt it in public.
The chamber music canon is immense, and much of it will leave you cold. But there's one piece out there with your name on it that will hit you right between the eyes and resonate on a very deep level—even shake you up—in a way that orchestral music cannot.
"Tim Cook will sell you more, but what's it for?" Keane inquires, in the the rising tones of an aroused evangelist. "Manipulation, that's for sure. That Apple's rotten to the core!"
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk in the classical music world about equity and inclusiveness. One result is that the composers on Sunday's program are being discovered by a new generation of classical music concertgoers.
Those rascally sprites come at a high cost to performing musicians: Mendelssohn himself described the scherzo of his C-minor trio as "a trifle nasty to play."
Renée Anne Louprette performs a program of Bruhns, Reincken, Böhm, Buxtehude, and Bach at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in the village of Housatonic.
West Stockbridge's The Foundry will celebrate their survival through some pretty rocky times with "Stayin' Alive," a free concert held in the very dead of winter, Friday, February 3, at 7:30 p.m. Aimee Van Dyne, Sample the Cat, The Fremonts, and Gypsy Layne.
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare Card holders receive steeply discounted admissions to concerts, museums, and cultural institutions throughout the Berkshires.
James Taylor first performed at Tanglewood on July 30, 1974, and has appeared there almost 60 times since then. And on July 3 and 4, 2023, he will do it again, although the tickets will be long gone before he arrives in Lenox. That's why people in the know have already established an account at JamesTaylor.com so they can participate in James' exclusive ticket presale event on Monday, January 23, at 10 a.m.
"Critics shouldn't be so critical that they drive people away ... It doesn't mean that critics can't be true to themselves, but somehow we all need to be on the same page. We are all sales people for classical music."
Eddie Allen is best known as a jazz player but has plenty of credits in the R&B and rock worlds, not to mention all the Broadway orchestras he's played in. He has a special affinity for holiday music.
