Chicago Classical Review

5 days ago | chicagoclassicalreview.com | John Y. Lawrence

Friday night’s concert by the vocal group Consonance was about as tightly themed as a program can be. All three works performed at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest were for choir and percussion ensemble, and all three set poetry about stars. Though the program spotlighted the composition by Juhi Bansal, the works by Marybeth Kunat and Dan Forrest on the first half were equally worthy of attention. First was Forrest’s Three Nocturnes.

1 week ago | chicagoclassicalreview.com | John Y. Lawrence

On Friday evening, the Kontras Quartet returned to Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University for their fourth annual appearance as part of the American Music Project. What stood out in the quartet’s playing in four of the five pieces on the all-American program was their warm sound, so unlike the astringent tang common in performances of modern music. Their tone, their phrasing, and even hints of portamento were more Romantic than modernistic.

2 weeks ago | chicagoclassicalreview.com | Lawrence A. Johnson

The massive silver pipes of the Norman and Hilda Ozinga Organ have towered imposingly over performances by the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra for years like a great silent sentinel. For the orchestra’s final season concert Saturday night at Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Hall in Palos Heights, the silent beast came to life as a full participant in the IPO’s “Organ Spectacular” program with the instrument on display in three of the evening’s four works.

3 weeks ago | chicagoclassicalreview.com | Lawrence A. Johnson

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra Stilian Kirov, conductor Peter Richard Conte, organist Gigout: Grand Choer Dialogue Poulenc: Organ Concerto Huyhn: Nước (world premiere) Elgar: Enigma Variations 7:30 p.m. Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights ipomusic.org May 23 American Music Project Kontras Quartet Copland: Two Pieces for String Quartet Riley: G Song Imbrie: String Quartet No. 1 Wolfe: Four Marys Ives: String Quartet No. 1 7:30 p.m. Ganz Hall americanmusicproject.net May 29 Northwestern...

3 weeks ago | chicagoclassicalreview.com | Lawrence A. Johnson

For many aficionados, Italo Montemezzi’s L’amore dei tre re is the holy grail of neglected Italian operas. Premiered in 1913 at La Scala to mixed reviews, the opera saw its U.S. debut at the Met five years later with an all-star cast led by Enrico Caruso, Claudia Muzio and Pasquale Amato. The opera quickly became a repertory staple in the U.S. where it remained hugely popular for decades. After WWII, the opera’s performances quickly waned as it dropped into obscurity and is rarely presented today.