Directory of Reviews and Essays

As many of you know, I write reviews and articles at various websites. After a while it's getting a bit much to keep track of what I had written about, so I'm compiling the articles I've posted online as 'Smorg' here to make it easier for those searching for specific reviews. The directory is subjected to periodic updates, of course:

But, first off, the other two open websites (aside from Amazon) I post at are: Epinions.com and AssociatedContent.com
Also... I'm sdcmorg at Youtube.

Selected Samplers:
- Most positive reviews: Opera Scenes and Orchestral Songs (Astrid Varnay), La clemenza di Tito (Salzburg 2003)
- Most negative reviews: Ascanio in Alba (Salzburg 2006), James McMullen's Cry of the Panther
- Most popular for some weird reasons: Working In Nursing Homes During College, Musical Taste Ain't Universal: Bel Canto
- Wish they'd be more popular: Doing Science Means Never Taking Things For Granted, Evolving Thoughts While Visiting Balboa Park

 
General Ramblings:
A Smorgish Saturday, Working In Nursing Homes During College, Rant!, Golf Spectating, Smorg's Bits of San Diego, Entertaining Brainiacs: Celebrities with Stellar Academic Credentials,

INTERVIEWS:  

After Daybreak (classical-pop crossover trio)

Esther Barr (metalworks artist)

Ian Campbell (General Director & Music Director of San Diego Opera)

Arturo Chacon Cruz (operatic tenor)

Clark Cunningham (author)

Christy M Erb (ex-LPGA Tour player, personal trainer, writer)

Kurtz Frausun (composer/singer)

Courtly Noyse (San Diego based Renaissance Music Group)

Juliette Galstian (operatic mezzo-soprano)

Integr8ed Soul (folk band/cartoonists/crochet artists)

Christiane Karg (operatic soprano)

Helene Lindqvist (operatic soprano & co-founder of The Art Song Project)

Gary McKercher (Music Director - San Diego Master Chorale)

Leon Natker (General Director - Lyric Opera San Diego)

Rebecca Nelsen (operatic soprano)

Eimear Noone (composer/conductor)

Rene Tornero (experimental rock guitarist)

Elizabeth Tryon (classical-pop crossover singer)


SCHEDULES: 
L'Ubica (Luba) Orgonasova, Vesselina Kasarova

MUSIC ESSAYS:

Some Classical Music Numbers You Know, Smorg's Music Playlist (May'08),, A Few Musical Terms For Non-Musicians ('Va, pensiero' from Nabucco), Richard Strauss' September, Spring/Im Frühling/Rite of Spring (Schubert, R Strauss, Stravinsky), To Opera Fans on Youtube, Favorite Classical Music, Yet Some More Favorite Music,, Five Spunky Opera Arias, Lyric Opera San Diego profile, Drench in Sound and Drown in Sorrows ('O ma lyre immortelle' from Sapho), Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix from Samson et Dalila, Tancredi's O patria - Di tanti palpiti, D'Amour, l'ardente flamme from La damnation de Faust, Obbligato Arias, 20 Most Distinctive Female Operatic Voices of the Last Century, Operatic Winter/Cold Music, Sexiest Female Opera Singers, Sexiest Male Opera Singers,

RANTS: 

What Ticks Smorg Off, Faith in What, Exactly? (Don't Evangelize Me!), Doing Science Means Never Taking Things For Granted,Why Smorg Is Not Religious, Scientific Thoughts While Visiting Balboa Park (Evolution in action, and why concerned about 'Climate Change'?), Them Are Us (Who Are 'Them' Anyway?), Late Night Rant Against Religious Fundamentalism, Why Care About Global Warming/Climate Change?,

OPERA RAMBLINGS:
A Few Words To Opera Newbies , Opera Listening Tips to Newbies, Commandments for the Operafans, Stylistic Opera Samplers for Newbies, 10 Beginners-Friendly Opera, Bel Canto Is NOT About Sounding Beautiful!, Seven Weepiest Opera Scenes, Seven Funniest Opera Scenes, Seven Sea-Loving Scenes from the Opera, Some Friendly Diva Opera Arias (the ladies), Some Friendly Divo Opera Arias (the gents), Some Friendly Operatic Duets, Some Friendly Operatic Ensembles, Tips In Opera Reviewing, 15 Favorite Opera Youtube Clips (2007), Newbies' Guide to German & French Opera, Newbies' Guide to Mozart & Bel Canto Opera, Newbies' Guide to Operetta, Smorgish Thoughts On Classical 'Cross-Over' Singers, My Favorite Opera, Opera Tunes You've Heard Before, Favorite Songs (Dec 2008), Some Operatic Music You Already Know!, My 5 Musical Heroes, Do Opera Stars Today Measure Up To Past Legends?, Favorite Sopranos: Part 1 (Stemme, Denoke, Harteros, Stoyanova), Favorite Sopranos: Part 2 (Hartelius, Naglestad, Antonacci, Gruberova), Seven Deadliest Dames of Opera, Operatic Style Samplers, Sexiest Female Opera Singers (2010), Sexiest Male Opera Singers (2010),

LIVE CLASSICAL MUSIC/OPERA REVIEWS: 

Donizetti's Dom Sébastian (OONY 2006), Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea (LA Opera 2006), Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro (San Diego Opera 2007), Donizetti's Maria Stuarda (SDO 2008), Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci (SDO 2008), Verdi's Aida (SDO 2008), Kellogg's 'Fiery Furnace' & Grieg's 'Peer Gynt' (San Diego Symphony 2008), Bizet's Les Pecheurs de Perle (SDO May2008), Puccini's Tosca (SDO Jan2009), Massenet's Don Quichotte/Don Quixote (SDO Feb2009), Verdi's Rigoletto (SDO Mar2009), Respighi's Le fontane di Roma, Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor & 'Italian' symphony (San Diego Symphony & Cory Cerovsek 2009), Britten's Peter Grimes (SDO Apr2009), Puccini's Madama Butterfly (SDO May2009), Summer Pops 1812 Extravaganza (SD Symphony 2009), All Shostakovich at the San Diego Symphony (SDSymphony with Julie Albers Oct 2009), Mozart's Requiem (SDSymphony & Master Chorale 2009), Beethoven's 9th Symphony (SDSymphony & Master Chorale 2009), Puccini's La Boheme at San Diego Opera (Jan2010), Bizet's Carmen (HD broadcast with Alagna & Garanca 2010), Strauss, Mozart & Debussy's La Mer (SDSymphony Feb2010),Verdi's Nabucco (SDO Feb2010), Kevin Cole & Marvin Hamlisch do Gershwin (SDSymphony Mar2010) Joshua Bell at San Diego Symphony (Mar2010), Gounod's Romeo et Juliette at San Diego Opera (Mar2010), SDMC: Cathedral Classics (Apr2010), Puccini's Turandot (SDO Feb2011), Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier (SDO 2011), Bizet's Carmen (SDO May2011).

ALL THINGS VESSELINA KASAROVA: How did I find her?, What's Lovable About Her?

CDs: Suter: Le laudi di San Francesco (1991), French Song Cycles (1995), A Portrait (1996), Lied-Duett/Wir Schwestern zwei, (with E Gruberova) (1996), Mozart Arias (1997), Rossini Arias & Duets (1999), German Lieder (2000), Love Entranced (French Opera Arias) (2002), Bulgarian Soul (2003), Stars of Salzburg (2003), The Magic of Kasarova (2004), Bel Canto Duets (With Vargas, Mei, Florez)(2005), Das Bayerische Staatsoper: 1997-2005 (2006), Belle Nuit (2008), Sento brillar (2008), Passionate Arias (2009).

Opera CDs: Alcina (Munich 2005), Beatrice di Tenda (Vienna 1992), I Capuleti e i Montecchi, La Cenerentola (Munich 2005), La clemenza di Tito (Munich 2006), Dom Sébastien (ROH 2005), La Favorite (Munich 2000), Mitridate (Salzburg 1997), Oberon, Tancredi, Werther

Opera DVDs: Il barbiere di Siviglia (Zürich 2001), La belle Hélène (Zürich 1997), Berlin Opera Night 2003, Chopin At The Opera (2010), La clemenza di Tito (Salzburg 2003), La clemenza di Tito (Zürich 2005), La damnation de Faust (Salzburg 1999), Orphée et Eurydice (Munich 2005), Pique Dame/Queen of Spade (Vienna 1992), Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria (Zürich 2002), Der Rosenkavalier (Zürich 2004)

Live Performance: Dom Sébastian at Carnegie Hall 2006 

CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE/RECORDING REVIEWS (by composer): 
JS BACH: Cantatas 82 & 199 (Hunt-Lieberson), Matthäus-Passion (Harnoncourt 2001)
L van BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 (Ashkenazy/Philharmonia Orch),
V BELLINI: Beatrice di Tenda (Vienna 1992: Steinberg/ Gruberova, Morosow, Bernardini, Kasarova), I Capuleti e i Montecchi (R Abbado 1997: Kasarova, Mei, Vargas), I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Martina Franca Festival 2006: ), Norma (Munich 2006: Heider/ Gruberova, Shagidulin, Ganassi)
H BERLIOZ: La damnation de Faust (Salzburg 1999: Cambreling/ Groves, Kasarova, White), Les Troyens (Paris 2003)
G BIZET: Carmen (Verona 2003), Les Pecheurs de Perle (Live SDO 2008)
B BRITTEN: Peter Grimes (live SDO 2009)
F CHOPIN: Chopin At The Opera (2010)
G DONIZETTI: Dom Sébastien (ROH 2005: Elder/ Filianotti, Kasarova, Keenlyside), Dom Sébastien (live performance- OONY 2006: Queler/ Korchak, Kasarova), La Favorite (Munich 2000: /Kasarova, Vargas), Lucia di Lammermoor (Mexico City 1952: /Callas), Linda di Chamounix (Zurich 1996:/ Gruberova), Maria Stuarda (SDO 2008: Mueller/ Jaho, Aldrich)
A DVORAK: Rusalka (ENO 1986)
W FORTNER: Bluthochzeit (Stuttgart 1964)
CW GLUCK: Iphigénie en Tauride (Zürich 2001:/Galstian, Van der Walt), Orphée et Eurydice (Munich 2005: Bolton/ Kasarova, Joshua, York) 

C GOUNOD: Romeo et Juliette (SDO 2010: Keltner/ Costello, Perez)
E GRIEG: Peer Gynt (live SDSymphony 2008)
J HALEVY: La Juive (Vienna 2003)
GF HÄNDEL: Alcina (Munich 2005: Bolton/ Harteros, Kasarova, Prina), Alcina (A Curtis/ DiDonato, Beaumont, Prina), Alcina (Stuttgart 1999:/ Naglestad, Coote, Schniedermann), Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Bruxelles 1992), Rinaldo (Venice 1989: Fischer/ Horne, Gasdia), Rodelinda (Munich)  

E HUMPERDINCK: Hansel und Gretel (LOSD 2009)
L JANÁČEK: Jenůfa (Munich 1971)
D KELLOGG: Fiery Furnace (live SDSymphony 2008)
EW KORNGOLD: Die tote Stadt (Strasbourg 2001)
R LEONCAVALLO: I Pagliacci (SD Opera 2008)
P MASCAGNI: Cavalleria Rusticana (SD Opera 2008), Cavalleria Rusticana (Munich 1954)
J MASSENET: Werther (V Jurowski 1998), Werther (Vienna 2005)
F MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY: Violin Concerto in E minor & Symphony #4 in A major 'Italian' (San Diego Symphony & Corey Cerovsek 2009)
C MONTEVERDI: L’incoronazione di Poppea (live performance- LAO 2006), Il ritorno d’Ulysse in patria (Zürich 2002)
WA MOZART: Apollo et Hyacinthus (Salzburg 2006), Ascanio in Alba (Salzburg 2006), Bastien und Bastienne/Der Schauspieldirektor (Salzburg 2006), La clemenza di Tito (Salzburg 2003), La clemenza di Tito (Zürich 2005), La clemenza di Tito (Munich 2006), La clemenza di Tito (JE Gardiner), Cosi fan tutte (Ponnelle film), Don Giovanni (Met 2000), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Salzburg 1998), La finta giardiniera (Salzburg 2006), La finta semplice (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Met 198-), Lucio Silla (Salzburg 2006), Mitridate (Salzburg 1997), Mitridate (Rousset), Le nozze di Figaro (live performance- SDO 2007), Die Zauberflöte (ROH 2001), Die Zauberflöte (Modena 2005), Die Zauberflöte (Zürich 1999), Rosetti & Mozart: Symphony in G-minor & Violin Concerto No. 5)
J OFFENBACH: La Belle Hélène (Zürich 1997), Orphée aux enfers (Lyon 1997)
G PAISIELLO: Nina (Zürich 1998)
R PORTMAN: The Little Prince (BBC 2003)
F POULENC: Les dialogues des Carmelites (Strasbourg 1999)
G PUCCINI: La fanciulla del west (Milan 1956), Manon Lescaut (Barcelona 1992), Madama Butterfly (SDO 2009), La Boheme (SDO 2010: Keltner/ Beczala, Dehn, Gandhi), Turandot (SDO 2011: Mueller/ Lindstrom, Ventre, Jaho),
H PURCELL: King Arthur (Salzburg 2004)
S RACHMANINOV: The Miserly Knight (Glyndebourne 2004)
JF RAMEAU: La Platée (Paris 2002)
O RESPIGHI: Le fontane di Roma (The Fountains of Rome) (San Diego Symphony 2009)
N RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Le coq d’or (Paris 2002), Sadko (St. Petersburg 1996)
FA ROSETTI: Rosetti & Mozart: Symphony in G minor & Violin Concert No.5
G ROSSINI: Il barbiere di Siviglia (Zurich 2001), Le cambiale di matrimonio (Schwetzingen 1989), La Cenerentola (Munich 2005), Ermione (Glyndebourne 1995), L'Italiana in Algeri (Met 1986), Maometto II (C Scimone 1983), Tancredi (R Abbado 1996), Tancredi (N Zedda), Tancredi (Schwetzingen 1992)
A SALIERI: Tarare (Schwetzingen 1988)
F SCHUBERT: Fierrabras (Zürich 2005)
DD SHOSTAKOVICH: Katerina Izmailova (M Shapiro film)
R STRAUSS: Elektra (Cologne 1953), Elektra (Götz Friedrich 1982 film), Der Rosenkavalier (Zurich 2004), Der Rosenkavalier (Solti 1988), Der Rosenkavalier (Vienna 1978: Dohnanyi)
H SUTER: Le laudi di San Francesco d'Assisi (Ligeti/1991)
TAN DUN: Tea: A Mirror of Soul
PI TCHAIKOVSKY: Pique Dame/Queen of Spade (Vienna 1992)
G VERDI: Aida (Live - SDO 2008), Ernani (Met 1982), Jerusalem (Genoa 2000), Nabucco (Met), Messa da Requiem (C Abbado 2001), Rigoletto (live - SDO 2009)
R WAGNER: Lohengrin (Met 1986), Great Wagnerian Scenes (Flagstad, Nilsson, Rysanek, S Björling), Tristan und Isolde (Orange 1973)
CM von WEBER: Oberon (Janowski 1996)
C ZELLER: Der Vogelhändler (Mörbisch 1998)

SOLO RECORDING REVIEWS (by artist’s last-name): 
Antonacci, Anna Caterina: Era la notte
Bartoli, Cecilia: Rossini Recital
Borodina, Olga: Olga Borodina: Arias
Brightman, Sarah: Classics
Ciofi, Patrizia: Amor e gelosia
Cosmic Voices of Bulgaria: Le Mystere des voix bulgares
Dessay, Natalie: Mozart Concert Arias
DiDonato, Joyce: Amor e gelosia
Fleming, Renée: By Request
Garanca, Elina: Mozart Opera & Concert Arias
Genaux, Vivica: Arias for Farinelli
Graham, Susan: Artist Portrait
Gruberova, Edita: Mozart Concert Arias (Harnoncourt), Lied-Duett (Kasarova), The Art of Coloratura
Hagner, Viviane & Nicole: Works for Violin & Piano: Beethoven, Saint-Saëns, Schubert
Horne, Marilyn: Marilyn Horne in Recital (Milan 1981)
Hunt-Lieberson, Lorraine: Bach Cantatas #82 & #199)
Kasarova, Vesselina: CDs: Suter: Le laudi di San Francesco (1991), French Song Cycles (1995), A Portrait (1996), Lied-Duett/Wir Schwestern zwei, (with E Gruberova) (1996), Mozart Arias (1997), Rossini Arias & Duets (1999), German Lieder (2000), Love Entranced (French Opera Arias) (2002), Bulgarian Soul (2003), Stars of Salzburg (2003), The Magic of Kasarova (2004), Bel Canto Duets (With Vargas, Mei, Florez)(2005), Das Bayerische Staatsoper: 1997-2005 (2006), Belle Nuit (2008), Sento brillar (2008), Passionate Arias (2009). Full Opera CDs: Alcina (Munich 2005), Beatrice di Tenda (Vienna 1992), I Capuleti e i Montecchi, La Cenerentola (Munich 2005), La clemenza di Tito (Munich 2006), Dom Sébastien (ROH 2005), La Favorite (Munich 2000), Mitridate (Salzburg 1997), Oberon, Tancredi, Werther Opera DVDs: Il barbiere di Siviglia (Zürich 2001), La belle Hélène (Zürich 1997), Berlin Opera Night 2003, La clemenza di Tito (Salzburg 2003), La clemenza di Tito (Zürich 2005), La damnation de Faust (Salzburg 1999), Orphée et Eurydice (Munich 2005), Pique Dame/Queen of Spade (Vienna 1992), Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria (Zürich 2002), Der Rosenkavalier (Zürich 2004) ,Live Performance: Dom Sébastian at Carnegie Hall 2006
Kozena, Magdalena: French Arias
Potts, Paul: One Chance
Röschmann, Dorothea: Händel: Deutsche Arien
Roth, Linus: Rosetti & Mozart
Terfel, Bryn: Opera Arias
Varnay, Astrid: Opera Scenes and Orchestral Songs, Wagner, Beethoven, Verdi, Halevy
Various Artists: Das Bayerische Staatsoper: 1997-2005, Berlin Opera Night 2003, Great Wagnerian Scenes (Flagstad, Nilsson, Rysanek, S Björling)

BOOK REVIEWS: (by author's last-name)
Michael J ARLEN: Passage to Ararat
Anatoli BOUKREEV: Above the Clouds
Jean CRAIGHEAD-GEORGE: My Side of the Mountain
Richard P. FEYNMAN: The Meaning of It All
Hans HOTTER: Hans Hotter: Memoirs
Lotte LEHMANN: My Many Lives
Christa LUDWIG: In My Own Voice
James MARSHALL: Walkabout
James McMULLEN: Cry of the Panther
Leonard MLODINOW: Feynman's Rainbow
Birgit NILLSON: La Nilsson
Lisa RANDALL: Warped Passages
Georges RODENBACH: Bruges la Morte
Jeffrey TAYLOR: Siberian Dawn
Barbara TUCHMAN: The Guns of August
Astrid VARNAY: 55 Years in 5 Acts (Hab'mir's Gelobt)
Galina VISHNEVSKAYA: Galina

RESTAURANT REVIEWS (San Diego area): 
Downtown Johnny Brown's (Civic Ctr), The Fields (Gaslamp Qtr), Lotus Thai Restaurant (East Village/Gaslamp Qtr), Nicky Rottens (Gaslamp Quarters), Pokez (East Village), Royal India (Gaslamp Qtr), Royal Thai Cuisine (Gaslamp Qtr), Sultan Shawarma (Gaslamp Qtr), Thai Time in Downtown San Diego, The Pita (in Pacific Beach), DoReMi House (Kearny Mesa), Sau Voi Deli (Kearny Mesa), Just Burgers & Lounge (Little Italy), Mona Lisa (Little Italy), Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant (Grant Hill), Mexican Fiesta (Little Italy), Pete's Quality Meat (Little Italy),, Thai Island (Downtown),The Kebab Shop (East Village), Neighborhood Grill (East Village),

TRAVEL ARTICLES:  

San Diego Air & Space Museum, Coronado (San Diego), Little Italy (San Diego), East Village (San Diego), Embarcadero (San Diego), Maritime Museum of San Diego, Torrey Pines Gliderport (San Diego), Christopher Columbus' Nina, Walk the Coast of La Jolla (San Diego), Torrey Pines State Reserve (San Diego), Historic Gaslamp Quarter (San Diego), Air and Space Museum (San Diego), Must Do List For Animal Lovers (San Diego),

MISC:

Bluestocking Books (Hillcrest, San Diego), Freak Factory (Mission Beach, San Diego), Golf On My Mind,