Latest news with #Petrushka
San Francisco Chronicle
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: S.F. Symphony and Giancarlo Guerrero deliver orchestral showstoppers
Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero's two previous appearances with the San Francisco Symphony amply showcased his flair for colorful, dramatic music. After a two-year gap, he's back at Davies Symphony Hall with a program of glittering orchestral showpieces. The late Kaija Saariaho composed 'Asteroid 4179: Toutatis' in 2005 as a complement to a Berlin Philharmonic concert featuring Gustav Holst's 'The Planets.' The asteroid in question is tiny and irregularly shaped, and at about four minutes in length, the music matches the object's scale. In addition to the astronomical theme, there are the typical Saariaho trademarks: beautiful, ingeniously layered orchestration and power that wells up over the course of the work. The piece opens with crystalline transparency, a piccolo, percussion and celesta floating above the larger orchestra. Massed brass instruments interrupt, and after a brief climax, the orchestra dies away into silence. It was a thoughtful start to this flashy program heard on Friday, May 2, the first of two concerts at Davies, concluding on Saturday, May 3. Igor Stravinsky's great ballet score 'Petrushka' unfolds on a completely different scale, taking some 40 minutes to tell the story of three puppets brought to life by a magician. Guerrero led a taut, exciting account of the work, performed in Stravinsky's revised 1947 version. One of the Costa Rican conductor's superpowers is his ability to throw a spotlight on a piece's structure through knife-edge timing and control of dynamics. Another is knowing when to step back and let the musicians do their thing. Tight ensemble playing was a hallmark of this 'Petrushka.' At the same time, Guerrero gave associate principal flute Blair Francis Paponiu complete freedom in her beautifully played cadenza. The conductor's emphasis on sharply articulated rhythms paid off throughout the work, especially in 'The Grand Carnival' section, when competing bands seemingly play in different meters. Every crescendo and decrescendo was perfectly timed. Occasionally, a section or player was drowned out in the welter of sound. John Wilson's casual virtuosity on piano, positioned right in front of the conductor, was a highlight of the 'Russian Dance,' but Guerrero covered Wilson's playing too often in the opening tableau. The strings were sometimes obliterated by the brass. Nonetheless, this was a thrilling account of a great work. What do Stravinsky and Ottorino Respighi have in common? Both composers studied with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, one of the great orchestrators of the 19th century, and both came away with enormous skill in handling huge forces. The second half of Friday's program was devoted to Respighi's 'Fountains of Rome' and 'Pines of Rome,' flamboyant blockbusters that have to walk a fine line to avoid turning into kitsch. (This is never an issue with Stravinsky.) Guerrero performed them with a straight face, and his enormous technical skill and ear for color and dynamics made this music sound better than perhaps it fundamentally is. The first work makes its way around Rome, picturing fountains in different locations throughout the day. The 'Valle Giulia' movement, with chiming winds and a prominent celesta part, seemingly pays homage to Richard Strauss' opera 'Der Rosenkavalier.' Special kudos to Marc Shapiro, whose celesta playing contributed beautifully to all four works on the program, and to principal oboe Eugene Izotov and principal flute Yubeen Kim for their work in both Respighi pieces. The brass, too, played brilliantly throughout. It's an oddity of 'Pines of Rome' that the splashy first movement, 'The Pines of the Villa Borghese,' sounds more like an actual fountain than anything in 'Fountains of Rome.' In 'Pines Near a Catacomb,' Guerrero finely judged every climax; principal trumpet Mark Inouye was magnificent in his moody offstage solo (and also in 'Petrushka'). Principal clarinet Carey Bell's long-breathed, introspective solo in 'The Pines of the Janiculum' was another highlight, as were the silken strings and oceanic sound Guerrero conjured. As for the last movement, 'The Pines of the Appian Way,' here Respighi generates excitement through some of the more obvious tricks in a composer's arsenal: antiphonal brass playing from the terrace, full-orchestra chromatic slides and an admittedly electrifying five-minute-long crescendo. The movement is intended to evoke marching Roman legions, but it might just as well be invoking Italian Fascists or Imperial Stormtroopers. We describe, you decide. San Francisco Classical Voice.
Buzz Feed
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
This Clip Of JD Vance Getting Mercilessly Booed At A Concert Is Going Viral
Hardly two weeks ago, JD Vance touched down in Vermont for a ski vacation shortly following his and Donald Trump's Oval Office meeting-turned-yelling-match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As you can see, Vermonters were not too happy with his presence. Well, it looks like the East Coast is keeping that energy consistent as JD and his wife, Usha Vance, were met by a chorus of booing while attending a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In a now-viral video of the moment, JD and Usha are seen taking their seats for what was reportedly the National Symphony Orchestra's performance of Shostakovich's "Violin Concerto No. 2" and Stravinsky's "Petrushka." (Perhaps ironically, perhaps not, both of these musical pieces were composed for a ballet about Russian puppets.) Someone in the clip can be heard telling another that JD has stepped in, to which they respond, "Oh fuck. Oh shit." Then, almost as if on queue, the room largely starts booing. Which JD decides to respond to by waving.
USA Today
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
JD Vance booed by crowd at Kennedy Center concert after Trump takeover of arts venue
JD Vance booed by crowd at Kennedy Center concert after Trump takeover of arts venue Show Caption Hide Caption JD Vance booed at Kennedy Center performance The vice president was booed at the Kennedy Center amid controversy after President Trump took over as chairman. WASHINGTON − Vice President JD Vance received a roaring chorus of boos and jeers while attending a National Symphony Orchestra performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Thursday. Loud boos broke out in the audience as Vance took his seat in the box tier next to his wife, Usha Vance, for the symphony's performance of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Stravinsky's "Petrushka." The vice president could be seen in videos smiling and waving amid the noise. Shouts of 'you ruined this place!' could also be heard among the boos, The Guardian reported. The symphony's performance was delayed about 20 minutes because of Secret Service security measures, the New York Times reported. Vance's less-than-welcome reception comes after his boss, President Donald Trump, launched a major overhaul of the cultural center's leadership. Last month, Trump removed multiple board members (prompting others to leave voluntarily) and replaced them with allies and Cabinet members. Trump also announced a new chairman for the Kennedy Center board: himself. The president made the decision, he explained on social media at the time, after the center hosted drag show performances at its venue last year. What's the buzz?! Sign up for USA TODAY's Everyone's Talking newsletter. Multiple stars and artists have denounced the new administration's takeover, some opting to pull upcoming performances at the center off the calendar. Usha Vance is among the new Kennedy Center board members, along with Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vice President JD Vance Loudly Booed While Attending Kennedy Center Concert
Vice President JD Vance was greeted with a loud round of boos when attendees spotted him at a performance of Stavinsky's Petrushka at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Thursday night (March 13). Video of the incident appeared to show other attendees expressing their displeasure with the veep as he took a seat in a box next to wife Usha Vance and sipped on a beverage before the start of the performance. Seemingly not reacting to the nearly 30 seconds of boo birds, Vance was seen waving and smiling during the VP's first appearance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since Donald Trump appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center and controversially filled its board with MAGA loyalist last month. More from Billboard Playboi Carti Delays 'I AM MUSIC' Album Release by Three Hours Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco Reminisce on 'Sunset Blvd' in New Single: Stream It Now Chappell Roan Unveils Country-Leaning Track 'The Giver': Stream It Now According to the New York Times, the concert started nearly 20 minutes late because of added security measures related to the VP's attendance. The Trump takeover of the Kennedy Center leadership featured a purge of the previously bipartisan board, with appointments that included other Trump loyalists appointees, including his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, Fox News host Laura Ingraham and attorney general Pam Bondi. After the Trump purge of the board at the Center, the backlash from performers and former supporters was swift. Among those resigning from the Center were Ben Folds, soprano Renée Fleming and producer Shonda Rhimes, with actress Issa Rae, singers Rhiannon Giddens and Peter Wolf and a production of Hamilton all calling off previously scheduled performances in protest. J. Geils Band singer Wolf said he'd decided to pull his planned March 21 stop at the Center due to the 'egregious firing of staff by the new administration,' while Gidden explained her decision by saying, 'I cannot in good conscience play at The Kennedy Center with the change in programming direction forced on the institution by this new board.' In addition, the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington cancelled a planned Pride Month performance and Philly band Low Cut Connie canceled a booked February show. Posting about the board putsch on his social media feed last month, Trump promised that the new bookings at the Center would be free of 'ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.' In his first term as president, Trump broke with precedent by not attending the annual Kennedy Center Honors, something all previous presidents had done since the honors program began in 1978, with the exception of a few cases when they were called away by urgent events. At the time of the board re-shuffle, Trump — who has never attended a show at the Kennedy Center in either one of his terms to date — added, 'Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!' In addition to the board shake-up, like many parts of the government, the Center scrubbed its site of any references to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. To date, nearly two dozen performances have been cancelled or postponed at the Center. Thursday's boos were not the first time this week that Vance has faced a hostile audience. While visiting his Cincinnati home last weekend, the Ohio-bred VP was greeted with protesters outside his $1.4 million East Walnut Hills home, where a group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators waved signs reading 'JD Vance: Ukraine's kids aer way more scared than yours' and 'JD Vance: Have you no shame?' The protest came in the wake of a tense Oval Office meeting last month with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Vance berated the wartime Ukrainian leader for what he perceived as a lack of gratitude for U.S. support in the unprovoked war against his country launched by Russia in 2022. Best of Billboard Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles 14 Things That Changed (or Didn't) at Farm Aid 2021
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch JD Vance Get Viciously Booed By Kennedy Center Crowd
JD Vance took in an orchestra of boos and jeers on Thursday as he and his wife, Usha Vance, attended a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (You can check out the video below.) The vice president and the second lady were at the concert hall to reportedly peep the National Symphony Orchestra's performance of Shostakovich's 'Violin Concerto No. 2' and Stravinsky's 'Petrushka' — composed for a ballet about Russian puppets — when they were hit with the not-so-warm welcome. The vice president — seen in a clip shared by The Guardian's global affairs correspondent Andrew Roth — waved to the crowd, and the couple flashed smiles at each other as dozens turned in their direction away from the orchestra. 'Thanks for coming, we appreciate your support,' shouted one audience member in footage shot by Michael Brodeur, a classical music critic at The Washington Post. 'Thanks for being on time,' yelled another attendee. The vice president, who was notably booed by a firefighters union in Boston last year, was recently met with a blizzard of outraged protesters during a family ski trip in Vermont earlier this month. The wicked reception arrives weeks after President Donald Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center and fired 18 of its board members — including Deborah F. Rutter, its first woman president — who were appointed by former President Joe Biden. Trump — who knocked the center for hosting drag and LGBTQ-friendly programming — brought on new board members, including Usha Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Fox News' Laura Ingraham. The move sparked resignations by many of the center's board members and led to the cancellation of an eight-week run of the Broadway musical 'Hamilton.' JD Vance's Sock Choice Stops President Trump Mid-Sentence During Oval Office Meeting JD Vance's Republican Cousin Who Fought In Ukraine Slams VP's Love For Russia Green Day Slams JD Vance With Lyrics Change At Australian Concert
