Author Archives: Neil Kurtzman
The Met’s 26-27 Season
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 19th February 2026The Metropolitan Opera officially announced its 2026–27 season today, revealing a scaled-back schedule of 17 productions – the fewest in over 60 years due to ongoing financial constraints. There are also three special events. General Manager Peter Gelb announced he will retire in 2030. He noted that the reduced season is a response to budget…
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LCO Program Notes – March 14, 2026
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 17th February 2026The following are the program notes I wrote for the Lubbock Chamber Orchestra’s March 14 concert. Tickets can be purchased here. Copland Appalachian Spring Appalachian Spring was commissioned in 1943 by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge as a ballet for choreographer Martha Graham. The scenario portrays a young pioneer couple beginning their married life in rural Pennsylvania,…
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The Otello Tenor
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 12th February 2026I recently wrote that the title role in Verdi’s Otello was unique and so difficult to fully realize that it needed a tenor so gifted that the role might belong to a class of its own – The Otello Tenor. The role requires a tenor with the strength of an offensive tackle and the finesse…
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The 25 Best Operas – Part 2
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 5th February 2026Part 1 of this list is here. Aida (Verdi, 1871) was composed to open the new Cairo Opera House. It was written to a libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, which in turn was based on a scenario developed by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Because of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 its sets made in Paris…
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The 25 Best Operas – Part 1
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 3rd February 2026This list grew to such length that I decided to split it into two parts. The first 12 operas discussed are here. The remaining 13 will be in the next post. A few disclaimers before I start my list. This sort of compendium is just for fun. There can be no definitive list of the…
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Death and Rebirth
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 30th January 2026In writing about Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, I mentioned how that inevitable event (death) had occasioned so much beautiful music. Hence, facing the depth of winter, I decided to assemble some of the most profound examples of macabre music. Henry Purcell (1659-1695) remains Britain’s greatest composer. His Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary is…
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What the Bad Weather Stopped the LSO From Playing
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 26th January 2026The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra’s scheduled concert on Saturday, January 24, was cancelled by the frigid storm that originated not too far from town. It then proceeded to spread east, paralyzing a good part of the country. I can’t recall an LSO concert being cancelled for any reason. The program notes for the annulled performance are…
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Program Notes for Schumann and Brahms
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 20th January 2026The program notes I wrote for the February 28, 2026 performance of Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo, and Finale and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem are below. Tickets can be purchased here. Schumann: Overture, Scherzo and Finale Robert Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo, and Finale was composed in 1841 and heavily revised in 1845 after a lukewarm reception at its…
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Cancer Statistics 2026
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 14th January 2026Every January the American Cancer Society releases the latest data about cancer in the United States. The full report can be downloaded below. As is typical for the society their press release highlights the increase in cancer survival. Below is a quotation from an article in the lay press: The five-year cancer survival rate in…
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I Puritani in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 10th January 2026Vincenzo Bellini’s final opera, first produced in 1835, the year of his death at age 33, was telecast today by the Metropolitan Opera. This new production was staged by Charles Edwards who also designed the sets. If you ask any singer or conductor what their artistic goal is, they will say that it’s to realize…
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