The New York Times submits (for your approval) the eight best classical music moments from the past week. They include:
- A performance in the crypt of the Church of the Intercession in Harlem. The Times writes, “The most transfixing moment came during the somber, lingering final strand of Copland’s Piano Sonata, which Mr. Tao played with bittersweet tenderness.”
- “A Diva Wanna-Bey.” Of this Beyonce-inspired moment, The Times writes, “In the middle of a long profile of this superstar diva, preparing to end her career in staged opera, a delightful moment from her old manager, Matthew Epstein, captured the mainstream recognition Ms. Fleming sought (and found).”
- “Bach Breathing Free.” The Times writes, “In her Bach Odyssey recital at the 92nd Street Y, you knew that this excellent pianist would get there eventually, but it took a moment for her personality to blossom. The early movements of the first work, Bach’s B-flat Partita (BWV 825), sounded ever so slightly stiff and studious. But after injecting a modest embellishment here and another there, she finally let loose with a flourish in the Sarabande that seemed to strike even her own fancy and germinate into a freedom that greatly benefited the rest of the work, especially the concluding Giga.”