Latest news with #Requiem
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Classical music: Some concerts to catch in Vancouver this summer
Classical music during the West Coast summer is quite a different proposition to our regular season. June, July and August demand different venues — some even outdoors, for organizations brave enough to risk the uncertainties of our weather. And there are summer festivals and special events of all manners to tempt listeners on summer afternoons and evenings. Here's a brief rundown of promising events: Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. • Our single biggest summertime event is Early Music Vancouver's annual festival, which this year runs July 24 through Aug. 8, with multiple events in different locations and lots of guest performers. I'll do a proper preview in early July but, given that EMV's theme for 2025 is In Endless Ascent: Bach and Mozart, it's probably wise to mention in advance that the festival will wind up with gala performances of Bach's Musical Offering and Mozart's Requiem. More info at . • The musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra traditionally get August off, with many leaving town to participate in various far-off festivals and special programs. Before then, there are Movie Nights With the VSO at the Orpheum Theatre. This summer's Live in Concert screenings are Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (July 3 and 4), Barbie the Movie (July 16) and Encanto (July 18 and 19). All three programs begin at the family friendly hour of 7 p.m., except the Encanto 2 p.m. matinee on July 19. Then there's a gamer one-night-only add-on, Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy, on July 11 at 7 p.m., featuring guest vocalist Amanda Achen and HD video created by Square Enix specifically for this tour. Two final, always much appreciated summer VSO projects are the outdoor concerts July 5 and 12 at Sunset Beach and Deer Lake Park respectively. Go to for more info. • Canada's National Youth Orchestra is on tour and plays at the Chan Centre July 6. In days of yore — the initiative is celebrating its 65th year — the NYO was the premiere training program for young orchestral players. Today, we enjoy a gratifying proliferation of intensive summer training options for would-be professionals, but the NYO remains a prestigious option for budding professionals who can both make the cut and afford time off from summer jobs. The 7:30 p. m program here, conducted by Naomi Woo, opens with the overture to Dame Ethyl Smyth's Edwardian era opera The Wreckers, followed by Debussy's sea-symphony-in-all-but-name, La Mer. Shostakovich's grim but always magnificent Tenth Symphony rounds out the program — an eclectic evening of uneasy musical bedfellows, perhaps, but a diverse workout for the band. More info at . • For classical fans minded to leave town but still enjoy live music, there's a relatively new chamber music program, Cascade Peaks Chamber Music, based in Princeton. Its mainstage concert series runs June 20-22 at the RockRidge Canyon Resort, a lakeside venue that boasts a 350-seat concert hall. Core participants include the Borealis String Quartet and the Gryphon Trio, plus Jonathan Crow, the Prince George-born concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony, violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez, and clarinetist James Campbell. More info at . • Finally, two in-town summer educational programs are well worth a look. The Vancouver Piano Sessions happen in early August. For the interested public who might just be craving a piano recital or two, Alexander Kobrin, who won gold in the Van Cliburn Competition back in 2005, plays at Christ Church Cathedral Aug. 9 at 7 p.m., in a lovely Schubert/Schumann program. Haochen Zhang, who won the same honour four years later, performs Aug. 12, starting with Schumann and then ending with a killer pair of late Beethoven sonatas. More info at . • In between comes the annual Kessler Academy, a strings-only project in which younger players are mentored by members of the Microcosmos String Quartet. This year's grand performance is Aug. 10, a 3 p. m matinee, at The Roundhouse. And the repertoire is simply astonishing: Tenor Charles Daniels, who has often performed for Early Music Vancouver, will be featured in Benjamin Britten's Les Illuminations, settings of texts by Arthur Rimbaud, followed by the glorious Concerto for Double String Orchestra by Britten's contemporary Michael Tippett. More info at .
Tom's Guide
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
All ‘Predator' movies ranked from best to worst
For almost 40 years, the 'Predator' franchise has explored the galaxy's ultimate hunter. The alien race was first introduced in 1987's 'Predator,' becoming instantly iconic. Over the subsequent decades, various Predators have been featured across five mainline movies and a couple of 'vs. Alien' spin-offs. Here's the truth about the 'Predator' series: It's wildly inconsistent. The highs are pretty darn high, but some of the lows are pitiful. While I'm significantly more partial to its (friendly) rival, the 'Alien' franchise, I still have a soft spot for all things 'Predator.' So, after watching the franchise in its entirety several times over the years, I'm here to rank every single movie from best to worst. With the latest installment in the franchise, 'Predator: Killer of Killers,' landing on Hulu this week (Friday, June 6), now is the perfect time to return to the series and make a definitive call on where each one falls in the ranking. Here are all the 'Predator' movies ranked from the highs of 2022's phenomenal 'Prey' to the crushing lows of 2018's painfully poor 'The Predator.' I don't say this lightly, but 'The Predator' is offensively bad. That's not a hyperbolic statement; I was actually offended by this movie. I can't get into its biggest sin without spoilers, but beyond its jaw-droppingly insulting climax, 'The Predator' is just wretched in almost every way. The biggest disappointment is that, on paper, there were promising signs. Shane Black returns to the franchise in the director's chair this time, after a supporting role in the original, and it was touted pre-release as the start of a new era for the 'Predator' franchise. The 2018 flop has all the signs of intense studio meddling with a chopped-up narrative, erratic pacing and a bizarre ending (the final scene was reportedly altered last minute to remove an 'Alien' reference). The especially poor CGI and the highly unlikely cast of characters are just the rotten cherry on top of this hugely underbaked cake. It's a straight-up disaster. Watch "The Predator" on Hulu now (if you must!) I've never been wholly sold on 'Alien vs. Predator' as a concept. Granted, I'm pretty biased as 'Alien' is my favorite film franchise of all time, but the former has genuine sci-fi prestige, and while I have a fondness for 'Predator,' I'm well aware it's a little more shlocky in tone. In my opinion, the two series are better separated. Still, at least the first 'Alien vs. Predator' has its moments (but we'll get to that), whereas the truly terrible 'Requiem' very much doesn't. It plays out with all the grace of a young child smashing two action figures together, and don't get me started on the abomination that is the 'Predalien,' a Predator/Xenomorph hybrid that proves to be as dumb in practice as it sounds on paper. The lighting is also so dark that figuring out what is happening half the time is a real struggle, but considering 'Requiem' is a front-to-back mess, perhaps that's a saving grace. Watch "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" on Hulu now 'Predator 2' was met with unfavorable reviews upon release in 1990, but over time, its reputation has improved, and it now stands as something of a cult favorite. Still, I rank it pretty low overall, with its central setting being one of my biggest points of criticism. Switching from the jungles of Central America to sunny, urban Los Angeles, 'Predator 2' is a bit of a mismatch. It almost feels like two different movies stitched together as the eponymous hunter finds himself in the middle of a turf war between two rival drug cartels. Danny Glover's leading performance as an LAPD officer has been much praised over the years, and his compelling character is the standout reason to give 'Predator 2' a chance. Still, this first sequel is one for franchise completionists rather than essential viewing. Watch "Predator 2" on Hulu now 'Alien vs. Predator' was a long-requested flick following the two titans of the sci-fi landscape first facing off in comic book form in the '90s. The big-screen result was less impressive than the concept sounds in theory, but it's still got a few memorable scenes. Perhaps, I'm overly kind to this movie. It served as my introduction to both 'Alien' and 'Predator' in my youth, so I guess you could say I have a liking for the first 'AVP.' I can acknowledge that the characters are thinly-sketched and the decision to turn the 'Predator' into ostensibly the hero of the piece feels ill-judged. But putting all its many flaws aside, when the Predators start squaring off against a pack of ferocious Xenomorphs, it's undeniably novel. That is when you can actually make out what is happening on screen; several action scenes are poorly constructed and hard to decipher. Watch "Alien vs. Predator" on Hulu now 2010's 'Predators' is the point where I can start recommending movies in the franchise without a lengthy string of caveats. This attempted reboot of the franchise is pretty underrated in my eyes. It kicks off with a bang as Adrien Brody's Royce literally falls into unfamiliar territory, and from there, it's a cat-and-mouse game against the universe's most lethal hunter. The cast list is also pleasantly stacked with Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne and Danny Trejo in supporting roles (and Topher Grace ...), and I like the way it takes a group of harder mercs and throws them into a situation where their bravado falls away to real fear. The action is also some of the franchise's best to date, and things build to a suitably bombastic finale. It does have some of the less savory hallmarks of 2010s action sci-fi, but 'Predators' is a franchise reboot that manages to both honor the original and stay relatively fresh. Watch "Predators" on Hulu now It's hard to argue against the original 'Predator.' Obviously, as the franchise starter, it has the benefit of setting the standard and introducing us to a sci-fi creation that has become hugely iconic, but it's also a beefed-up '80s action movie with enough brains to supplement its hefty brawl. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch is one of the genre's great action heroes, and there are plenty of iconic moments and lines ('If it bleeds, we can kill it' remains just as badass as ever). Its sweltering setting of a Central American jungle adds a great deal to the sense of unease, and the characters, while not super memorable beyond Dutch, at least fit the tone. 'Predator' is also smartly restrained, giving us enough of the creature to be intrigued but not so much that it loses its fear-factor (later sequels would go overboard in this regard). It's a sci-fi classic for good reason, and for a long time, I thought it would never be topped. Watch "Predator" on Hulu now 'Prey' absolutely blew me away. I didn't have the highest of expectations when it was announced due to the low quality of most 'Predator' movies after the original, but director Dan Trachtenberg delivered an action-horror that truly unlocks the hunter's potential. The period setting proves to be a stroke of genius, and the showdown between a young Comanche warrior (Amber Midthunder) and the single Predator is spine-tinglingly awesome. The setup is simple: An aspiring Native American hunter gets more than she bargained for when she becomes the prey for the universe's most deadly killer. But it's this simplicity that makes the movie so engaging. Its singular focus is sharp and intense. The movie is also available in a full Comanche language dub, which adds extra authenticity and is the best way to experience this showdown between two highly-skilled forces of nature. While 'Prey' is more restrained than other 'Predator' movies, that works in its favor, and the build-up to the finale only makes the end results all the more impactful. Watch "Prey" on Hulu now
Los Angeles Times
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Carl St.Clair selects Verdi's ‘Requiem' for his Pacific Symphony finale
Carl has had cause for celebration, seemingly experiencing every emotion as his 35th and final season as music director of the Pacific Symphony comes to a close. Gratitude and loyalty came up several times in a conversation on Tuesday, when the Laguna Beach resident shared his thoughts on a long career with the Costa Mesa-based orchestra. Pacific Symphony will perform Giuseppe Verdi's 'Requiem' to cap the current season, with shows Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. A Sunday matinee performance is scheduled for 3 p.m. The celebrated conductor plans to continue leading some musical performances when he transitions to music director laureate, but he is handing over the reins of the music director position to Alexander Shelley. The proper moment to pass the baton had lived in subconscious for some time. Leading into rehearsal just two days before the concert, had a recollection of some of the pieces he considered for this finale — Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 9' and Gustav Mahler's 'Resurrection,' to name a couple. thought that Verdi could 'give people a chance to be thankful, to be humble, to be communally in the same space with hopefully very deep feelings.' Then he invoked 'libera me,' words that appear at the end of 'Requiem' that in Latin mean 'deliver me.' 'When I thought about that, I thought about it in a much more communal, collective way,' said. 'Not just 'deliver me,' although I'm praying this all the time. But also deliver Pacific Symphony into its next chapter, into the next journey that it takes with Alexander. 'I just really thought that's very poignant. … There's a C major chord. It's just hopeful. It says that after all this hard work is hope for a beautiful future as we move into the 50th anniversary and into the next chapter of the orchestra's life because my goal all along with this transition, which I announced already three years ago, is really so that there would not be one stutter step, one skipped beat in the growth, the progression and the development of Pacific Symphony.' It was important for to share this season with those who have been major contributors throughout the journey. He said this week's concerts would mark the 166th time that he has worked with Pacific Chorale. Raquel Gonzalez (soprano), Daryl Freedman (mezzo-soprano), Won Whi Choi (tenor) and Zaikuan Song (bass) will also lend their voices as soloists. 'The one thing that's really kept us moving forward is the loyalty,' said. 'The loyalty of our audience, the loyalty of our board, the loyalty of our musicians — their talents, but also their loyalty,' he reiterated. said he always believed the Pacific Symphony should be a 'locally-acclaimed' production. 'We need to be loved and respected and kept close to the vest and in the hearts of Orange County,' said. 'We are Orange County's orchestra, and I want to be the beacon of artistic achievement for Orange County.' A local resident since 1994, met his wife, Susan, the first week he moved to the Table Rock neighborhood in South Laguna. Their children, Cade and Siena, graduated from Laguna Beach High, although the family lived bi-continentally in Germany and the United States as the kids were growing up. 'If I didn't have to, I wouldn't leave the city limits,' said. 'I really wouldn't. It's just everything that I ever wanted. I met my wife there, our children were born there, brought up there, St. Catherine's of Siena, that's our parish, that's where we were baptized. … It just has everything that someone of my spirit needs in order to remain nurtured.' Laguna Beach's arts scene includes an array of musical programming. said he has had the opportunity to conduct the Laguna Beach Community Concert Band on a couple of occasions, adding he knows most of its members. 'It's such a live area when it comes to not only the visual arts, but all the arts,' said of his hometown. 'The theater is great. Pageant of the Masters, Art-A-Fair and Sawdust. For a town of a little bit less than 25,000 people, it's pretty amazing.' Outside of music, said the family has worked for many years at the Friendship Emergency Shelter on Laguna Canyon Road. 'We do this as part of a dedicated team of fellow parishioners from St. Catherine [of Siena Parish],' said. 'Every time we serve there, we are the ones being nourished.'
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
He Reinvigorated the Met Opera's Chorus. Next Stop, Chicago.
When Donald Palumbo departed his post as chorus master of the Metropolitan Opera last year after nearly two decades, he could have easily taken a break. But Palumbo, 76, wasn't finished. 'I knew it was not a retirement situation for me,' he said. Now Palumbo has lined up his next position: the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced on Tuesday that he would serve as its next chorus director — only the third in the choir's 67-year history — beginning an initial three-year term in July. 'I love this chorus,' Palumbo said in a telephone interview from Chicago, where he was rehearsing the chorus. 'I love this city.' Palumbo was a fixture at the Met from 2007 to 2024, helping turn the chorus into one of the most revered in the field. He could often be seen during performances racing around backstage, working with singers to refine bits of the score. He was chorus master at Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1991 to 2007. At the Chicago Symphony, he said, he hoped to work with the singers on 'creating an identity as a chorus from the way we sing, and the way we devote ourselves to the music.' Jeff Alexander, the Chicago Symphony's president, said that Palumbo had built a close relationship with the chorus during guest appearances over the years, creating 'an atmosphere of collaboration that yielded exceptional artistry.' 'We knew this would be the ideal choice to build on the legacy of this award-winning ensemble,' Alexander said in a statement. Palumbo, who lives in Santa Fe and will commute to Chicago, is already at work with the Chicago singers. He will serve as guest chorus director this month for Verdi's Requiem, working with Riccardo Muti, the Chicago Symphony's former music director. In July, he will begin his tenure as chorus director with a performance of Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony at the Ravinia Festival, led by the festival's chief conductor, Marin Alsop. While Palumbo has forged a close relationship with Muti, he said, he was still getting to know Klaus Mäkelä, the Chicago Symphony's incoming music director, who begins in 2027. (Palumbo said he has been watching videos of Mäkelä on YouTube: 'Everything he does musically is exciting,' he said.) Palumbo said he hoped to stay in Chicago beyond the end of his initial term in 2028. 'I certainly am not planning on having a cutoff point,' he said. 'I intend to keep working.'
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Classical and jazz for summer 2025: From concert halls to the open air of Millennium Park
Condolences to everyone's calendar. Despite sobering news of canceled summer festivals and slashed National Endowment for the Arts grants, Chicago summer — knock wood — looks to be as busy as ever. Classical and jazz programming alone is packed with blockbusters. Before the subscription arts season is out, Riccardo Muti is back at the Chicago Symphony, closing out the season with Verdi's Requiem, his calling card, and trumpeter Esteban Batallán as a featured soloist (June 12-24). After that, Giancarlo Guerrero begins his tenure as director of the Grant Park Music Festival, bringing with him a bevy of music by living and American composers (June 11-Aug. 16). Musicians and celebrity chefs team up for the Ravinia Festival's Breaking Barriers, with audiences taste-testing the results (July 25-27). Then, to close out the season, the Chicago Jazz Fest returns, this time with esperanza spalding, Monty Alexander, Kermit Ruffins and Eliades Ochoa as headliners (Aug. 28-31). But with so much excitement afoot, it's all too easy for other cultural highlights to get lost. Here's a handful to keep on your radar well ahead of summer's dog days. Before the boycott: Rosa Parks was just the most famous representative of a group of women who worked to desegregate Montgomery's public transit system in the 1950s. Chicago Opera Theater's 'She Who Dared' — with music by the talented young composer Jasmine Barnes and a libretto by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton — foregrounds their overlooked story. June 3, 6 and 8 at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., tickets $60-$160, Price's precocious champion: Still in his 20s, Randall Goosby has become one of the leading interpreters of Florence Price's music. The violinist brings her music — specifically her second violin concerto — back to its home city alongside the CSO and conductor Sir Mark Elder. June 5-7 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., tickets $39-$299, What happens to music never heard?: In the case of Oscar Peterson's 'Africa,' it gets resurrected. Peterson performed and recorded movements of the suite throughout his career, but never the entire thing. Thanks to bandleader and arranger John Clayton, the late jazz pianist's epic finally sees the light of day. 8 p.m. June 13 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., tickets $39-$299, Soundtrack to the 21st century: World-class soloists and contemporary classical music are both hallmarks of the Grant Park Music Festival, but they don't always converge. This summer is a refreshing change of pace, with several guest artists platforming pieces written in the new millennium. First among them: cellist Inbal Segev, who plays Mark Adamo's 'Last Year' (July 9) and Anna Clyne's 'Dance' (July 16) as this year's artist-in-residence. Also on tap are trumpeter Pacho Flores in Arturo Márquez's Concierto de Otoño (June 20-21); the Imani Winds in a concerto grosso penned by former ensemble member Valerie Coleman (June 25); mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges in Peter Lieberson's 'Neruda Songs' (Aug. 1 and 2 at Harris Theater); and Glen Ellyn native Jennifer Koh in Jennifer Higdon's epic 'The Singing Rooms' for solo violin, orchestra and chorus (Aug. 8 and 9). All at Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., free admission, Paired pipes: From 2018 to 2020, Camille Thurman — as alluring a singer as she is a tenor saxophonist — made history as the first woman to join the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra roster. But she's a commanding, charismatic bandleader in her own right, as this local run of shows will no doubt co-sign. June 26-29 at the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court, tickets $25-$45, more information at Big news for people who hit things: Chicago institution Third Coast Percussion is turning 20. The quartet rings in the milestone with 'Rhythm Fest,' an all-day bash with collaborators past and present. Noon to 10 p.m. June 28 at Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave., tickets $60-120 and $30 for students, Irakere at 50: The iconic Cuban ensemble technically celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. Then again, no celebration is big enough to capture its outsized mark on contemporary Latin jazz. Founder and bandleader Chucho Valdés is joined by former bandmates Paquito D'Rivera and Arturo Sandoval — a rare convening of the genre's elder statesmen — for this one-night-only Ravinia extravaganza. 7:30 p.m. July 9 at the Ravinia Pavilion, 201 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park, tickets $29-$65, One day, two premieres: Slather on sunscreen if you must, because new music fans are advised to post up at the Ravinia grounds on July 20. Steans Institute musicians debut a string quartet by American composer Joel Thompson at Bennett Gordon Hall (1:30 p.m.). A few short hours later, the CSO gives the first performance of Malek Jandali's 'Rhapsody for Orchestra' (5 p.m.). Both July 20 at Ravinia, 201 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park, free admission for the Steans recital, tickets $15-$95 for the Pavilion concert, Early music everywhere: 'Baroque-and-before' need not mean 'boxed in.' Creative and unconventional early-music performances abound this summer, starting with 'Secret Byrd,' a theatricalized account of William Byrd's Mass for Five Voices devised by Bill Barclay. (Barclay was the mind behind 2023's excellent 'The Chevalier.') Meanwhile, at Ravinia, Cleveland- and Chicago-based early music troupe Apollo's Fire presents a 'dueling double concerto' program — as do actual fencers, demonstrating the sport on the lawn. Haymarket Opera Company also makes its festival debut with a semi-staged 'Alcina'; soprano Nicole Cabell, who starred in the company's recent 'L'Amant anonyme,' sings the title role. 'Secret Byrd,' two shows each, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., on July 20 and 21 at Salvage One, 1840 W. Hubbard St., tickets $65-$75, 'Fencing Match' with Apollo's Fire, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at Ravinia's Martin Theatre, tickets $15-$75, Handel's 'Alcina' with Haymarket Opera, 1 p.m. Aug. 24 at Ravinia's Martin Theatre, tickets $15-$75, Partitas na praia: Bach and Brazil meet in Plínio Fernandes. The São Paulo-born guitarist's 'Bacheando,' featuring Bach arrangements, was one of the illustrious Decca label's most striking 2023 releases. He picks up where the album left off with this Ravinia recital. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Ravinia's Bennett Gordon Hall, tickets $20,
