Opera Chic

Too Much Cool For One Stage: Ozawa's JapanNYC at Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall's JapanNYC festival kicked off on Tuesday in a city-wide celebration of Japanese culture that resumes in March & April 2011 to complete its 65 events. This week's launch (consisting of three concerts) commenced with Artistic Director Seiji Ozawa conducting the 26-year-old Saito Kinen Orchestra, which he co-founded with fellow conductor Kazuyoshi Akiyama to honor his late mentor Hideo Saito.

Tuesday's concert consisted of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (with soloist Mitsuko Uchida), Brahms’s Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, and the U.S. premiere of a Carnegie Hall commission, Atsuhiko Gondai’s Decathexis, both Ozawa and Tatsuya Shimono sharing in the conducting duties, earlier cited for health reasons.

Above the Maestro pauses for an adorable breath. Below, Uchida takes a bow (with Shimono on the far left and composer Atsuhiko Gondai rocking the red jacket).

Carnegie Hall Tower's Last Tenant

The last resident moves out of the 116-year-old studio apartments in Carnegie Hall Tower. The commerical and residental studios are being demolished to create new spaces for Carnegie Hall.

New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham says goodbye [video].

 

GAME ON! Grandmaster Flash at Carnegie Hall: Seriously.

 

Tonight at Carnegie Hall, legendary old school rapper/turntableist and former Sugarhill gang-member Grandmaster Flash speaks on a panel for GAME ON!, where he'll be addressing the future of music and video gaming (Mr. Flash will be a character in the Activision video game DJ Hero, launching next week).

Other panelists include Melissa Auf der Maur, former member of The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole; Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix who created Guitar Hero and Rock Band; Christopher Tin, video game composer; and Meghan Asha, talking head technology specialist. So where's the token panelist who only listens to anime soundtracks?

Moderating is Pete Wentz, the Royal Prince of Guyliner and lead singer of Fall Out Boy -- the same guy who named his first child "Bronx Mowgli". The panel will conclude with an afterparty at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center. Power up!

Carnegie Hall's 119th Season Opener: Gatti Saves the Day

Here are a few pictures from last night's concert gala at New York City's tony Carnegie Hall. We missed James Levine, but were treated to last-minute sub Daniele Gatti. O.C. was in the house and will share her review later. Below find images of Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin and American harpist Ann Hobson Pilot. (all photos Getty)

DANIELE GATTI FOR THE WIN!

Tomorrow night's Carnegie Hall Opening Night Gala with the Boston Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by that Milanese powerhouse Daniele Gatti.

Gatti replaces James Levine, who yesterday announced his absence from all Fall performances to recover from looming back surgery on a herniated disc.

Berlioz's Roman Carnival overture will be replaced by Beethoven's Coriolan overture.

OC will be there tomorrow night in an Inter jersey, which she'll wear over her Miu Miu dress.

Danny & Jimmy's Carnegie Hall Adventure: The Fabulous Barenvine Boys

It's all Barenboim all the time for New York: the Israeli/Argentinian/Spanish/Palestinian/Whatevs maestro is in NYC to:

1. make his Metropolitan Opera debut on November 28 with Tristan und Isolde
2. play a solo piano recital at the Met on December 14
3. play with the Met music director James Levine on November 23 at Carnegie’s Weill Hall four-hand piano pieces by Schubert and Brahms

Whew!

What Opera Chic can exclusively reveal is that Barenboim, now that Mike Mussina has officially retired, will officially do a try out for the New York Yankees -- a lifetime of piano playing apparently gave Barenboim a mean, mean slider.

Daniel Barenboim Plays Carnegie, Shrinks. Scroll Down 4 Teh Incredible Images

OMG they shrunk the Maestro! WTF Carnegie? Look at the little baby piano I will play for yoooouuuuu!

Daniel Barenboim played Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I & II at NYC's Carnegie Hall, each one a successive night of Saturday, January 20 and Sunday January 21, 2007. He reflected on his earliest musical impressions of Bach's WTC:

"At the age of 12 I moved to Paris to study harmony and counterpoint with Nadia Boulanger. When I arrived for my first lesson, The Well-Tempered Clavier was on the music stand of the grand piano. She turned the pages forward and back; finally she settled on the Prelude in E minor from Book One and said: 'Right, my boy, now play it for me in A minor.' She held a wooden ruler in her hand and every time my fingers played a wrong note she tapped them with it. Thus, The Well-Tempered Clavier became the foundation for everything."

Happy 50th anniversary at Carnegie Hall, Maestro; may you play and conduct for 50 more. The Opera Chic "Barenboim Plays Carnegie" Flickr set is here.

מזל טוב

cya in meeeylan 4 caffe' @same table @teh principe di savoia bar ok? hugs OC