MusicWatch Monthly: Back to comfort and joy
Matthew Neil Andrews
December 5, 2024
In praise of Christmas music, from Oregon Symphony to Portland Revels.
In praise of Christmas music, from Oregon Symphony to Portland Revels.
“The Raven,” Witch Mountain, Shaw vs. Shaw, 45th Parallel’s Angel, Hannah Penn’s “Shakespeare Songs,” Ginette DePreist at Oregon Historical Society, and plenty more.
Creepy bands and tribute bands, Saloon Ensemble’s “Nitemare B4 Xmas” returns, and Third Angle does Glass’ “Dracula.”
In which we consider the possibility that “without music, life would be a mistake.”
45th Parallel Universe’s Garden Parties, Renegade Opera’s “Batman,” Deena T. Grossman’s new album, Fear No Music’s Oregonic season, and orchestras all over the state.
Also: Fear No Music throws down the gauntlet, announcing an all-local composer season to come.
Tips for staying cool during yet another apocalyptic heat wave while enjoying the best in Oregon music.
Resonance Ensemble celebrates fifteen years, In Medio Choir sings Randall Thompson and Judy A. Rose, Oregon Symphony plays Beethoven’s Tenth, Britt Music & Arts Festival warms up, and In A Landscape gets rolling.
The 1905 continues to reopen; Eugene Symphony performs “Star Wars” and Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony”; Major Tomboys do the Lazarus trick.
The big groups play the big names, from Beethoven to Dvořák to Tchaikovsky to Bach. Also: Renegade Opera at the Hampton Center, Kronos Quartet and Imani Winds at The Reser.
Percussion concerts with 45th Parallel and Third Angle; goth and punk and whathaveyou at Mississippi Studios; CMNW’s mini-festival of piano trios; neurologist Larry Sherman with Portland Chamber Orchestra; Christopher Brown Quartet plays “Blackstar.”
The Pulitzer-winning composer and Portland singer-songwriter’s new “electronic cinematic pop duo” Ringdown prepares for festival season with a concert in Northeast Portland; MYS performs two more Oregon composers and also Beethoven.
The pronk quartet returns to live music, Oregon Symphony celebrates the “Rhapsody” centennial, Grammy-winner Cann performans a recital of Black women composers for PPI, Eugene Concert Choir releases their “Black is Beautiful” CD, and the Albina Community Archive goes live.
The new year takes flight with a festival of Portland bands, a local pop star, and a bevy of chittering contemporary classical music.
Doom metal in Eugene, orchestras young and old, all the Strauss you can handle, Beethoven’s Glorious Ninth, New Year’s Eve parties, a burlesque extravaganza, and more.
YOB is love; Eugene versus Corvallis; Renegade Opera and PSU Opera; twangy Indian music; and the one true “Messiah.”
Youth orchestras, Oregon poets, spiritual moments, and more.
!mindparade, Saloli, Via Mardot, and all the synths; Yawa with her voice and her technologies; a tribute to Svoboda; Delgani plays Golijov and Reza Vali; an All Hallows’ Evening.
Xhurch and regular church; so many difficult Friday the 13th shows; LISTENing to Resonance; Prefontaine again; a new Machado Mijiga album.
Green shows in Ashland, Indian music in Portland, Gustav vs. Gabe, queer and femme.
Working hard with Renegade Opera, Jim Pepper Native Arts Festival, Cascadia Composers, Lose Yr Mind Fest, Ural Thomas, Amenta “Yawa” Abioto, and more.
Remembering David Bernstein, Tomáš Svoboda, and Metallica. A vinyl celebration of Roselit Bone, Spoon Benders, The Shivas, and Møtrick. Joe Kye sings about grandma.
In which we consider the meanings of music with a Fresh Air Fest, a Columbia Riverkeeper composer-in-residence, a pair of rowdy rock concerts, and a sampling of Chamber Music Northwest.
Hurtling into Fourth of July weekend and the height of summer with Waterfront Blues Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, Oregon Bach Festival, and The Thesis.
Festivals large and small with Resonance Ensemble, Makrokosmos Project, New Music Gathering, Chamber Music Northwest, Brittfest, and more.
In which the Merry Month promises premieres, percussions, a plethora of Bandcamp Friday pickings, and plenty more.
New music, new music, and other new music. Also: old music.
The Shivas and !mindparade shimmy into Doug Fir Lounge; 45th Parallel illuminates the Universe; Machado Mijiga’s new “Uncharted,” “Loss” and Third Angle; MF Zakir.
In which we discuss Baroque music, marching bands, protest songs, and other acts of resistance.
Featuring KayelaJ, Donte Thomas, PDXJazz, Darrell Grant, and the latest edition of long-running hip-hop showcase The Thesis.
January brings a city-wide music festival, Fear No Music’s “Generations,” a PJCE celebration of women in jazz, and more.
Listening backwards and forwards to the trends and traditions which (we hope) will continue into the next year.
Your guide to making last-minute holiday music plans through the New Year, from Nutcrackers to Pink Martinis.
In which we discuss Niel DePonte’s chair change, Aminé with Oregon Symphony, Caroline Shaw at The Reser, PCSO premieres Nicole Buetti, Cappella Romana premieres Robert Kyr, Young Composers Project alumni with FNM and MYS and PYP, Dvořák galore, and more.
Classical mainstays move into their seasons, a choir dissents, new music sounds out, electronica and rock get experimental, plus jazz and post-punk.
Waterfront festivals, touring jazz giants, and local musicians transmute summer into fall.
Keep keeping your fingers crossed for an Augustful of festivals, from jazz to loopers to hip-hop.
Summer brings sunny festivals to Oregon ears: Chamber Music Northwest inside, Cathedral Park Jazz Festival outside, and more.
Pride Month, Juneteenth, and more.
As musicians play canary in the Covid coal mine, youth orchestras play concerti; cellos haunt The Old Church and Dante’s; Gaytheist and Eight Bells get hard.
Earth days, green days, Russian music, new music.
Reser Center marches forth in Beaverton; Black music still matters; “Ladies’ Night” with Third Angle.
Change in the weather, change in the sound: The Oregon music scene begins to thaw and stretch its muscles.
Festivals galore hope to postpone postponement, offering live music and merch
Christmas concerts, drag shows, música latina, doom metal, and everything in between
MusicWatch Monthly: November brings a wave of sounds (and don’t forget Halloween and Day of the Dead).
Symphonies, concerti, chamber collabs, extra-curricular improv, progressive jazz, and Zoomer B.S.
September attempts to get “real” with symphonies, operas, ‘90s bands
It’s a busy August of album-release shows, neighborhood concerts, a renamed synth library, Hip Hop Week & more.
In the opening remarks at last week’s Makrokosmos festival, pianist and co-Artistic-Director Saar Ahuvia said, “live music is finally back.” That is true, with an asterisk.
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