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Lloyd Schwartz Lloyd Schwartz is the classical music critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
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Music Reviews

Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Go 'Cheek To Cheek' On A 4-Disc Set

Fresh Air

Fitzgerald's warm, yet ultra-cool voice was at the opposite pole of jazz singing from Armstrong's gravelly growl. There's absolutely no reason their voices should blend so effortlessly — but they do.

Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Go 'Cheek To Cheek' On A 4-Disc Set

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Review

Music Reviews

New Takes On Bach And Handel Delight The Ears During The Pandemic

Fresh Air

Two new CDs of serious music feels just right: Johnny Gandelsman plays violin transcriptions of Bach's Complete Cello Suites, and Kate Lindsey sings arias by Handel, Haydn, and Scarlatti on Arianna.

New Takes On Bach And Handel Delight The Ears During The Pandemic

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Performing Arts

From Anorexia To Political Intrigue, New Operas Tackle Contemporary Topics

Fresh Air

Ellen West, a new one-act chamber opera presented by Opera Saratoga, is based on a tragic poem by Frank Bidart, while Poul Ruders' The Thirteenth Child draws on a relatively obscure Grimm fairy tale.

From Anorexia To Political Intrigue, New Operas Tackle Contemporary Topics

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Review

Movie Reviews

Documentary Reveals The Depth And Complexity Of Opera Star Maria Callas

Fresh Air

Maria by Callas weaves together performance clips, home movies, interviews and poignant diary excepts to present an intimate portrait of the singer in her own words.

Documentary Reveals The Depth And Complexity Of Opera Star Maria Callas

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Review

Movie Reviews

'Damn Yankees' DVD Revival Showcases Fosse And Verdon's 1st Collaboration

Fresh Air

Choreographer Bob Fosse and dancer Gwen Verdon light things up in this recently reissued movie version of the musical Damn Yankees. It was the only time the pair danced together on the big screen.

'Damn Yankees' DVD Revival Showcases Fosse And Verdon's 1st Collaboration

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Review

Music Reviews

New Recording Of Busoni's 'Piano Concerto' Is An Extraordinary Experience

Fresh Air

The Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2017 performance of Ferruccio Busoni's monumental concerto met all the composer's impossible demands. A new live recording of the event is both serious and fabulous.

New Recording Of Busoni's 'Piano Concerto' Is An Extraordinary Experience

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Arts & Life

'My Mother Is Mad At The Sun': A Poet Reflects On His Mom's Alzheimer's Disease

Fresh Air

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reads a poem about his late mother, who had Alzheimer's Disease. Schwartz's latest collection is Little Kisses.

'My Mother Is Mad At The Sun': A Poet Reflects On His Mom's Alzheimer's Disease

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Review

Music Reviews

Pianist David Deveau Offers An Intimate Take On Works By Mozart And Beethoven

Fresh Air

Deveau and the Borromeo String Quartet perform piano concertos by Mozart and Beethoven as chamber music on a new recording. Lloyd Schwartz says the album is "full of feeling and discovery."

Pianist David Deveau Offers An Intimate Take On Works By Mozart And Beethoven

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Review

Music Reviews

New Recording Of 'Doctor Atomic' May Be The Opera's Definitive Performance

Fresh Air

John Adams' opera, which premiered in 2005, centers on the first atomic bomb test at Los Alamos, N.M. Now, a new album features a recording of Doctor Atomic conducted by the composer himself.

New Recording Of 'Doctor Atomic' May Be The Opera's Definitive Performance

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Music Reviews

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters Offers A Seductive Take On A Stravinsky Classic

Fresh Air

The legendary frontman plays all the characters in a new recording of Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale. Critic Lloyd Schwartz calls it a seriously enjoyable addition to the Stravinsky catalog.

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters Offers A Seductive Take On A Stravinsky Classic

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Fine Art

An Intimate Pontormo Show Outshines The Met's Big Delacroix Retrospective

Fresh Air

In the age of blockbuster art exhibitions, a small show sometimes makes just as big an impression as a large one. That's what happened to critic Lloyd Schwartz on a recent trip to New York.

An Intimate Pontormo Show Outshines The Met's Big Delacroix Retrospective

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Review

Music Reviews

Yo-Yo Ma Presents Bach As A Wise And Spellbinding Storyteller In 'Six Evolutions'

Fresh Air

Ma began learning Bach's famous cello suites when he was 4. Now in his 60s, Ma has released his third recording of the pieces. Critic Lloyd Schwartz says this latest iteration may be his favorite.

Yo-Yo Ma Presents Bach As A Wise And Spellbinding Storyteller In 'Six Evolutions'

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Review

Music Reviews

New Bethany Beardslee Release Heralds The Golden Age Of German And Viennese Singers

Fresh Air

Though known for her avant-garde concert performances, the 92-year-old soprano recorded songs by 19th-century classical composers, including Schubert, Schumann and Brahms, when she was turning 60.

New Bethany Beardslee Release Heralds The Golden Age Of German And Viennese Singers

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Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Go 'Cheek To Cheek' On A New 4-Disc Set
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Review

Music Reviews

Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Go 'Cheek To Cheek' On A New 4-Disc Set

Fresh Air

Fitzgerald's warm, yet ultra-cool voice was at the opposite pole of jazz singing from Armstrong's gravelly growl. There's absolutely no reason their voices should blend so effortlessly — but they do.

Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Go 'Cheek To Cheek' On A New 4-Disc Set

Listen · 8:49
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Violinist Johnny Gandelsman Infuses Bach's 'Sonatas & Partitas' With Joy

Fresh Air

Gandelsman has been celebrated for playing a wide variety of music, from purely classical to the most inventive contemporary pieces. He takes on Bach's complex sonatas and partitas on his new album.

Violinist Johnny Gandelsman Infuses Bach's 'Sonatas & Partitas' With Joy

Listen · 8:07
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