Garrett Harris

San Diego

Columnist at San Diego Reader

Saving Classical Music from itself. New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays.

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Articles

Dvořák at the gym

6 days ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

A deep dive while staving off dotage I spend a significant amount of time walking and going to the gym each week. Besides staving off the days of my dotage, it gives me a chance to listen to a lot of music. I’m not sure where the thought came from, but I realized that I wanted to take a week to listen to only Antonín Dvořák. I had listened to his Symphonies 7, 8, and 9 for decades, but had barely touched his other symphonies.
La Traviata at San Diego Opera

1 week ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

The final production of the San Diego Opera 2024-2025 season is Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata; it opens on Friday, April 25, at The San Diego Civic Theatre. Composed in 1853, Traviata followed Verdi's Rigoletto and Il Trovatore, capping off what could be considered the greatest stretch of operatic hits a composer has ever managed. Traviata has remained the most popular of the three, due to its emotional content and, of course, the music.
Beethoven's Fifth Cures Cancer

2 weeks ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

Did you know that Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 kills 20 percent of cancer cells? It’s true; I know because someone posted it on Facebook. I thought it seemed interesting so I investigated it with the all-knowing power of Google search. According to Snopes.com, the claim is based on a study from 2011. It was performed by a team in Brazil, and the effect was observed on cells in petri dishes.
Salome at San Diego Opera

3 weeks ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

Good to hear local singers, but still not a memorable production I saw Salome by Richard Strauss at San Diego Opera on Sunday, March 23. Let's start with the positives. I like the way the current administration uses local singers for the roles that were written for local singers. During the Ian Campbell regime, out-of-town singers were routinely brought in to sing minuscule parts. I guess that would have been fine if the singers were good, but we in the chorus were often perplexed.
Diagnosing my case of operatic angst

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

As the San Diego Opera’s production of Richard Strauss’s Salome opens, I’ve come to a realization. I have opera angst. Upcoming EventSalomeSan Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Avenue, San DiegoAge Limit: Not availableThere was a time when my ears greedily devoured every opera production I could feed them. Once upon a time, I went to every production mounted by San Diego Opera.
Salome at San Diego Opera: Desire, Power, and Consequence

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

The story raises questions about the meaning of life, love, and death San Diego Opera is presenting Salome by Richard Strauss on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 21, 22, and 23. Salome was last produced in 2012. Salome, based on the play by Oscar Wilde, is a compelling exploration of desire, power, and the consequences of unchecked passion. If you grew up attending church and went to Sunday school, you know the basic story.
A guide to good opera singing

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

Pavarotti, Jussi Björling, Placido Domingo, Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli The Aida with the best combination of singing and sound quality features Birgit Nilsson in the title role. I’d say one of the greatest barriers to enjoying opera is knowing whether or not the singing is good. I’m being serious. It’s a problem for those who haven’t spent years studying voice or exploring the vast expanses of the operatic recording industry. It goes beyond just knowing what you like.
Beethoven and Sibelius - excellent from start to finnish at San Diego Symphony

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

But I ended up regretting wearing shorts I attended my first morning concert by the San Diego Symphony on Friday, February 28. The concert started at 11 am, and I was happy to have the day free in order to attend. I’ve reached an age where a daytime concert is more attractive than an evening concert. I took full advantage of the 72-degree weather and wore shorts. I parked a good half a mile away and enjoyed a brief stroll through sunny downtown San Diego.
Some Brahms with your Brahms at San Diego Symphony

2 months ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

I have it on good authority that the San Diego Symphony concert on Sunday, February 9, provided a fantastic experience of classical music. My plans to attend were usurped by a family medical situation. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t talk about a concert that I didn’t attend, but apparently, this one was special. The meat of the concert was the Symphony No. 2 by Johannes Brahms.
San Diego Symphony Season Announcement

2 months ago | sandiegoreader.com | Garrett Harris

The San Diego Symphony has announced its 2025-26 season. The schedule is, of course, solid but there are a few concerts that jump off the page. Let's take a look. The season opens on Friday, October 3, with music by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Ravel’s one act opera, The Child and the Magical Spells is the main dish. Gerard McBurney is listed as the director so this appears to at least be a semi-staged production. I love the symphony moving in this direction.