also looking forward to hearing the book announcement next week so my mom will stop texting me to ask if it's announced. We are all clamoring for this content
>>> I missed Beethoven 5 at the Ny Phil this year because I felt like I was, like, above seeing it? But that's really not true, and I think any chance you have to see a Beethoven symphony live is more than worth it.
>>> Pictures at an Exhibition is teetering on over-representation but not unlike, say, Pines of Rome (a similar case), when I saw it live for the first time, I felt like the whole thing started to make more sense to me as an exploration of time and art. Beyond that, Khachaturian is always fun!
I can't wait to find out what the May book is! I loved Middlemarch May, even though I only really pretended to reread the book- I am in for any literary conversations and have already overcommitted myself to many a book club!! Yay Fran Magazine 100! (pew pew pew)
This COULD be good also but I find that I don't much care for the Prokofiev symphonies, but Beethoven Leonore Overture might be good enough to balance that out (and you might like the Prokofiev, I don't know!).
I love the LSO!! I saw Tchaikovsky 4 at the Barbican a number of years ago and totally fell in love with them.
Congrats on 100! I have recommended you to music and movie friends alike, happy to see this issue focused on what you are excited for this year.
I am always interested in reading your classical music thoughts because although I enjoy going to see live performances, I am definitely of the let it wash over you variety. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra just released their Classics schedule if you can take a peek! I go at least once a year but usually pick at random/tag along with someone who has a subscription. Just saw their Bernstein/Gershwin set this month which sandwiched some beautiful Ravel in between. Thanks!
Congrats on a 100! Im in the sf bay area and recently visited the sf symphony for the first time (& have a visit for their live performance of the score of LOTR movie #1 coming up) but would love to hear some reccs for the area! (I did drive all the way to big sur once to watch a movie screening so i am willing to drive to hear some music 🚗 💨 lol )
I think the SF orchestra does the best live orchestra stuff - it's all very John Williams and Marvel movies over here. But like, Gladiator live? That would be awesome. A few others of interest:
>>> This is a great program - that Tchaikovsky piece is REALLY underrated - and I'm also planning to see Sheku Kanneh-Mason this May, a fun young talented who seems destined for a great career ahead.
>>> Depending on who you talk to, Mendelssohn's 3rd is the most overrated symphony of all time, but I love Mendelssohn's two vacation symphonies (this + the Italian) because they are perfect to take a weed edible and listen to because nothing bad happens in them, they're not scary, and you can reflect on how people in the past also went on vacation. Plus the Elgar cello concerto - perhaps equally overrated but always good - is the sexy concerto from Tár!
I'll be attending the Minnesota Orchestra in a few days to see Yuja Wang play live cuz I just gotta but am curious if you see anything interesting this year also I've been to the orchestra more than 5 times but also def fewer than 12.
Toronto! I saw the orchestra play Carnegie last year - they're really great.
I recced Tchaikovsky 4 about - both a huge inspo for the Dario Marianelli score from the 2012 Anna Karenina film and also about Anna K at the time of its composing: https://www.tso.ca/concerts-and-events/events/tchaikovsky-brahms/ A really bleak Tchaikovsky work but a great one.
Yay congratulations on the 100! Excited to hear what the book is although my Big Book for the year is gonna be Moby Dick so might not join in, let's see...
I just booked to take my never been to the symphony bf to see the NZSO perform Mahler 5 next week (conducted by Gemma New, New Zealand's Tár in that she is a blonde star conductor). But they're doing Tchaikovsky a few weeks later which I also might go to. I've just discovered that a small child I know is desperate to learn violin and despite wanting to indoctrinate him with viola superiority I want to see if he is keen to come so he can be enthusiastic about the potential in the string section 🥲 but keen to hear if you have any other NZSO recs for the year!!
I don't always go in for a big Mozart program but the Jupiter symphony is so fun, and if you've never seen the Copland live, you kind of can't beat it. It's clear so much comes from Appalachian Spring that we take for granted.
Congratulations to Fran and Mag on Issue #100! This issue is incredible information to me (new, but excited, orchestra goer) because one of my goals this year is get to the Philharmonic. Currently making my Philadelphia subscription as we speak--most excited for Tchaikovsky's Pathetique and seeing Gil Shaham again.
Eager to hear what you go see... I am really waffling on just buckling and seeing the Pathetique again next year as if I don't already know it so well.
also looking forward to hearing the book announcement next week so my mom will stop texting me to ask if it's announced. We are all clamoring for this content
You can give her my number...
100!!!
I would love to hear any recs for the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra! https://www.mnphil.org
there's not a ton on the cal here yet HOWEVER this forthcoming May event is awesome: https://www.mnphil.org/events/throughlines/
That Borodin piece is one of my favorites!
I'd love to hear what sounds good from the NSO at the Kennedy Center! And congrats on 100 issues!!
Thank you! Some really fun stuff on the horizon for NSO
> https://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/2023-2024/zhang-banks/
>>> This, in a few weeks, is the most slam dunk program of all time, just pleasing, cool, thrilling work from top to bottom.
> https://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/2024-2025/noseda-willis-sorenson/
>>> I missed Beethoven 5 at the Ny Phil this year because I felt like I was, like, above seeing it? But that's really not true, and I think any chance you have to see a Beethoven symphony live is more than worth it.
> https://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/2024-2025/deneve-thibaudet/
>>> Pictures at an Exhibition is teetering on over-representation but not unlike, say, Pines of Rome (a similar case), when I saw it live for the first time, I felt like the whole thing started to make more sense to me as an exploration of time and art. Beyond that, Khachaturian is always fun!
I can't wait to find out what the May book is! I loved Middlemarch May, even though I only really pretended to reread the book- I am in for any literary conversations and have already overcommitted myself to many a book club!! Yay Fran Magazine 100! (pew pew pew)
Thank you!!! I promise this year's selection is shorter...
I mean, I generally love a big chonky boy (as I like to refer to 800+ page books), but they can be hard to schedule in!
100!!! Congratulations!
Do you have any recommendations for the London symphony?
Yes! You have the wonderful Mahler 3 coming up in May (https://www.lso.co.uk/whats-on/the-beginning-of-summer-mahlers-third-symphony-12-may/)- my first Mahler I ever saw live which completely upended how I listened to his music, as well as this program with Rachmaninoff 2 which is the best: https://www.lso.co.uk/whats-on/springtime-romance-boulanger-barber-rachmaninoff/
This COULD be good also but I find that I don't much care for the Prokofiev symphonies, but Beethoven Leonore Overture might be good enough to balance that out (and you might like the Prokofiev, I don't know!).
I love the LSO!! I saw Tchaikovsky 4 at the Barbican a number of years ago and totally fell in love with them.
Congrats on 100! I have recommended you to music and movie friends alike, happy to see this issue focused on what you are excited for this year.
I am always interested in reading your classical music thoughts because although I enjoy going to see live performances, I am definitely of the let it wash over you variety. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra just released their Classics schedule if you can take a peek! I go at least once a year but usually pick at random/tag along with someone who has a subscription. Just saw their Bernstein/Gershwin set this month which sandwiched some beautiful Ravel in between. Thanks!
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate all the referrals out - it really does make a difference.
This next month there's set to be a great program of Berlioz and Liszt (two favorites) that's sure to be a banger evening: https://www.mso.org/concerts/symphonie-fantastique/57669/
And then beyond that, here's a program towards the end of the year that has the aforementioned Hindemith that NY Phil is doing along with a very famous Beethoven Piano Concerto: https://www.mso.org/concerts/reinhardt-conducts-beethoven/62516/
I highly endorse both!!!
Thanks so much for your recs!
Congrats Fran! So happy to have found my way here and the way you enrich my inbox every weekend when I finally catch up on newsletters.
Any tips for the LA Phil?
Thank you so much! I am happy to have you here!
LA recs posted up a little further up. A great season ahead: https://franmagazine.substack.com/p/fran-magazine-issue-100/comment/52607907
Alas, Beethoven likely conflicts with the 11...
Congrats on a 100! Im in the sf bay area and recently visited the sf symphony for the first time (& have a visit for their live performance of the score of LOTR movie #1 coming up) but would love to hear some reccs for the area! (I did drive all the way to big sur once to watch a movie screening so i am willing to drive to hear some music 🚗 💨 lol )
I think the SF orchestra does the best live orchestra stuff - it's all very John Williams and Marvel movies over here. But like, Gladiator live? That would be awesome. A few others of interest:
> https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/SALONEN-KANNEH-MASON
>>> This is a great program - that Tchaikovsky piece is REALLY underrated - and I'm also planning to see Sheku Kanneh-Mason this May, a fun young talented who seems destined for a great career ahead.
> https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/CANELLAKIS-CONDUCTS-STRAUSS
>>> Ravel! La Valse!!! Plus that Don Juan is a really gorgeous R. Strauss that's very dancey. I saw that this past Feb in NYC and it was so awesome.
> https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/MENDELSSOHN-SCOTTISH
>>> Depending on who you talk to, Mendelssohn's 3rd is the most overrated symphony of all time, but I love Mendelssohn's two vacation symphonies (this + the Italian) because they are perfect to take a weed edible and listen to because nothing bad happens in them, they're not scary, and you can reflect on how people in the past also went on vacation. Plus the Elgar cello concerto - perhaps equally overrated but always good - is the sexy concerto from Tár!
I'll be attending the Minnesota Orchestra in a few days to see Yuja Wang play live cuz I just gotta but am curious if you see anything interesting this year also I've been to the orchestra more than 5 times but also def fewer than 12.
Rare Beethoven 8 on the horizon! https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/tickets/calendar/classical/beethoven-and-tchaikovsky/
Plus Rach 1 and Also Sprach Zarathrustra: https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/tickets/calendar/classical/sondergard-gerstein-and-rachmaninoff/
100! 🍾
Pittsburgh symphony 🫡🫡
Rach 3 will be insane: https://pittsburghsymphony.org/production/84675/lets-rach-rachmaninoffs-3rd-piano-concerto (plus a rare Liszt!!)
And Beethoven 9 on the horizon which is like, you gotta??? It's the big one!!! It's so long... but so epic... and really one of the most famous pieces of all time, the Mona Lisa, maybe, of classical music: https://pittsburghsymphony.org/production/84676/beethoven-symphony-no-9
Lisztomania irl
I feel like I'm an insider because I know a celebrity
Congrats on 100! Curious about your recs for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra...
Toronto! I saw the orchestra play Carnegie last year - they're really great.
I recced Tchaikovsky 4 about - both a huge inspo for the Dario Marianelli score from the 2012 Anna Karenina film and also about Anna K at the time of its composing: https://www.tso.ca/concerts-and-events/events/tchaikovsky-brahms/ A really bleak Tchaikovsky work but a great one.
This program is like, both lmao and also kind of my dream night at the symphony: https://www.tso.ca/concerts-and-events/events/spirited-overtures/ It will be so fun... you will be rollicking
Yay congratulations on the 100! Excited to hear what the book is although my Big Book for the year is gonna be Moby Dick so might not join in, let's see...
I just booked to take my never been to the symphony bf to see the NZSO perform Mahler 5 next week (conducted by Gemma New, New Zealand's Tár in that she is a blonde star conductor). But they're doing Tchaikovsky a few weeks later which I also might go to. I've just discovered that a small child I know is desperate to learn violin and despite wanting to indoctrinate him with viola superiority I want to see if he is keen to come so he can be enthusiastic about the potential in the string section 🥲 but keen to hear if you have any other NZSO recs for the year!!
Which Tchaikovsky are they doing?? Always fun to see Tchaikovsky with a good crowd.
My big other rec on the calendar would be this one: https://www.nzso.co.nz/the-nzso/events-tickets/events/jupiter
I don't always go in for a big Mozart program but the Jupiter symphony is so fun, and if you've never seen the Copland live, you kind of can't beat it. It's clear so much comes from Appalachian Spring that we take for granted.
Congratulations to Fran and Mag on Issue #100! This issue is incredible information to me (new, but excited, orchestra goer) because one of my goals this year is get to the Philharmonic. Currently making my Philadelphia subscription as we speak--most excited for Tchaikovsky's Pathetique and seeing Gil Shaham again.
Eager to hear what you go see... I am really waffling on just buckling and seeing the Pathetique again next year as if I don't already know it so well.