Knicks Battle King Curry & the Warriors

Knicks cleaved the Warriors with a narrow 4 point win:  109-105.  The lead story is jousted by Stephen Curry's astounding 54 point total. (Ode to Miller's King of the Road;)

   King Curry for shots or blocks,
score that went…50 + 4.
No miss, no way, all net,
  He ain't got no regrets,
Ah, but…4 periods of shooting 3's,
Still a loss though only by  4,
  He's the man of skill by all means,
Curry, King of the Court.

 I'm your Knicks fan but Curry's game was nothing short of astounding.

W. Marsalis' BLOOD ON THE FIELDS, Jazz @ LC

Wynton Marsalis & his Jazz Orchestra performed Marsalis' Pulitze Prize winning BLOOD ON THE FIELDS.  This is a heartfelt, jazz orchestration that tells of our nation's heinous institution of slavery through the compelling story of a husband & wife, Jesse & Leona, captured and forced into slavery.  Marsalis uses his musical mastery to capture the emotions and experiences of slavery through the intimate look into the lives of this couple. Marsalis' original musical genius and his syntax of brilliant prose draw you, leaving you with an indelible reminder of the heinous institution of slavery & of the indomitable human spirit.  A sparse narrative is told by Marsalis.  Three highly acclaimed artists sing the parts of Jesse, Leona & Juba another slave who provides sage advice & some jubilation to Leona & Jesse's saga. The vocalists, Gregory Porter, Kenny Washington & Paula West sing with soulful elegance & feeling adding their own jazz interpretations that enhance the story telling.  Marsalis has several jazz solos that are works of art in & of themselves but the impact of the entire orchestration and performance is radiant, and an important work of art that speaks to the heart of our dark history.  It is no surprise that Marsalis received the Pulitzer Prize for his composition.   The enigma is why it hasn't been performed since 1994 or annually for that matter.  It should also be performed in perpetuity.

Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity @ MET

Ladies, this is a show to see & enjoy with your girlfriends.  What could be more divine than seeing some of the most beautiful Impressionist's paintings, from a luxurious languid time period, with a fashion focus?  A live fashioin show you say?  Sorry, if you missed out on the fun of the recent fashion shows @ Lincoln Center, but don't miss the opportunity to revel in the fashions from the mid-1860's-1880's, predominately in Paris, with America following on the heels of  French la mode fashion.  Speaking of heels, there are shoes, gloves fans, parasols & chapeaus on display in addition to period costumes that bespeak of a time of milinary and soutache braiding that alas is a dying art form.  (Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie almost buried any chance for the comeback of donning hats.)   Of course, the artworks of the Master Impressionist Painters are simply breathtaking & will wisk you away to time of elegance, extravagance and sheer beauty.  Degas, Manet Morisot, Tissot  are a few of the great French Impressionists whose art is on display.  American is represented too with paintings by Whistler & Cassott and vintage American dresses (thankfully the American corset and bustle gave way  to sensible modernity.)  The attention to detail in the paintings captures the sensual textures of the fabrics.  I was captivated by Tissot's "Evening" & Beraud's "A Ball."  Men's fashions in paintings & period pieces (loved the top hats) held a minor place in the show.  This show is a diva's delight. Gentlemen who escort their ladies will garner bonus points.

Blues for Smoke @ Whitney, Blew Me Away

The Blues is melancholic music of African-American origin born out of oppression to convey emotions. Blues was the harbinger to Ragtime, Swing, Jazz, R&B, and a new era of artistic expression beginning in the 60's. Why am I referring to musical forms in regards to the art exhibit, "Blues for Smoke?"  Because there is an artistic sensibility that stretches from improvisational expression that reflect the mood, emotion and social issues relevant to a period of time.  Having just seen the Dieter Roth exhibit @ the MoMA, I am reminded that art is transitional & temporary.  Nonetheless, art & music possess a powerful poetic avant-garde.  The exhibit has an accompaniment that kept the guards swaying and lifted the art into focus.   Homage was paid to many inspirational musical greats; John Coltrane, Charlie Parker & Albert Ayler.  Their blend of primal aggression and surprising harmony was mirrored in the artwork.  Note Bearden's musician themed collages, Walker's video of sexual abasement, and Edward's sculptures evoking oppression.  Also view Ligon's lyrical oil, "No Room," with a poignant & comedic refrain, Cole's "We Mourn Our Loss," a large memorial tribute and Weem's photos & commentary on family members.  In the last gallery, be sure to note contemporary works by Whitten and Bradford which are multi-layered and deconstructed, creating something innovative & unexpected.  With "Blues for Smoke," there is plenty to reflect upon.  Like smoke, artforms are elusive & unsustainable yet indelible upon the soul.

The Movie Quartet, Starring Maggie Smith

Quartet is an ensemble of formidable, veteran actors under the direction of Acad. Award winning actor, 1st time dir. Dustin Hoffman.  The star studded septuagenarian ensemble includes Bill Connolly, Michael Gambon, Pauline Collins and the Grande Dame, Maggie Smith.   The movie is set in a lovely English estate, Beckum.  Beckum is now a retirement home for musicians & singers well past their heydey.  Sadly, the establishment too has fallen on leaner times.  Despite drastric reductions, it's expected to be relinquished in 6 months.  Nevertheless, Maggie Smith, a prominent & respected opera singer, just enters the home to much fanfare from almost all the residents except for two:  her arch rival & her ex-husband.  To the more pressing matter, what to do to save Beckum from going under?  I know, let's all put on a show!  But alas, if only Smith, who was part of the highly acclaimed quartet can be convinced to reunite with her ex for the benefit.  This unflappable melodrama is packed so full of charm, I felt mired in marmalade.  I also tired of the other 1/2 of the quartet; her senility & his virility.  The best scene in the movie was the class Gambon taught to h.s. students where he swapped his knowledge & mutual admiration with a young rapper.  "Opera is simply the out pouring of all our emotions in singing."  The student demonstrated his poetic rap & told Gambon "there is little  difference except we talk not sing our feelings."  Hoffman's film oozed with so much glee I clambered for a rest.  I wouldn't tell Mozart he used too many notes.  But, I would direct Hoffman to hold back on the cloying emotions, at least a quarter of the time.

Evidence Dance Co. @ the Joyce Theatre

Brooklyn based Evidence Dance Co. was founded in 1985 by Ronald Brown.  Brown is the Founder, Choreographer & Artistic Director for his Evidence Dance Co.  It is hard not to draw comparison between Evidence & the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre (AADT.)  Brown has created works for both Ailey II & AADT.  In 2011 Brown received the Alvin Ailey Apex Award.  Evidence Dance Co. explores the "human experience in the African Diaspora" with the art of dance and storytelling.  Program B I saw consisted of "Walking out the Dark," 2001 and "Upside Down," 1998.  There was a Program Note, Mr. Brown wrote, "One of my teachers often said, "don't give in to the pressure to create something new, make sure you always show people  where you have come from."  "Walking out of the Dark," is a very powerful & solemn piece scored with hymnal music.  There was a tribal, ritualistic sensibility conveyed through the dancers.  The dance had dim lighting & celestial beams spotlighting the 3 female & 1 male dancer.  Despite the strong, grounded dancing, I found it repititous.  Too much time was spent with the dancers prone or standing still. The dancing stops with the dancers on their backs while dust falls upon them.  I found this heavy handed. Brown incorporated an elegy after the dancing, "Strength can't be contained or stay buried in the dark.  Escape from this cycle is impossible without you."  Very poetic, but very unnecssary.  "Upside Down," was an African Folklore style dance emitting a feeling of kinship.  Both Evidence & Ailey converse an African heritage through dance.  I agree with Brown's teacher "show people where you have come from."  But, as a patron of Evidence & Ailey, I urge the creation for something new.  

"Beautiful Creatures" - Casts a Bewitching Spell

"Twilight" fans, you're left in the dust with your memories, a new day has dawned.  With "Beautiful Creatures," you'll understand what happiness is.  Hooray, a new saga has begun.  On the way out, a dad said to his teenage daughter, "I liked it, I really liked it."  And, so did I.  There was plenty to like in this good vs. evil, h.s. forbidden love with magical powers added to the pot.  Boil, boil, toil and trouble, in the cauldron boil and bake, with the right ingredients you shall make, a very entertaining film for young & old to partake.  The stellular Academy Award winning cast includes Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson & Viola Davis.  The two relatively unknown leads carry the movie & hold their own while pulling on your heartstrings.  Alden Ehrenreich & Alice Englert play h.s. sweethearts; Ethan & Lena .  The movie is set, present day, in a small southern town where book banning & social ostrcism fester along with annual Civil War reenactments.  Ethan feels "unstuck in time," & restless to get out of this hick town where "you're either too stuck to move or too stupid to leave."  Ethan's junior year of h.s. starts with Lena as the new kid who doesn't fit in or play nicely with the other snobby southern belles. But wait, there is more magic than your tired old formulaic voodoo vampire mumbo jumbo. This creole stew has more in the mix, including smart writing, with nuanced & delicious acting that draw you into the movie.  Something wickedly enchanting this way comes.

Julliard's Drama Production of Pericles

Shakespeare's play Pericles debuted in 1607 making it the longest running melodrama.  Scholars proclaim the first half of the play was written by George Wilkins then completed (and credited) to William Shakespeare.  The Julliard drama students are an indefatigable troupe and brought their own style & interpretation to this 400 year old play.  Contemporary, anachronistic staging added a delightful & creative element.  I particularly enjoyed the oceanic voyages & choreography used in the production.  The videos in the background added an aesthetic & informative feature.  I did however, get distracted by the relentless loudly, falling planks to bring actors on/off the set.  I've spent a lot of time commenting on the production aspects, what of the acting?  The students brought a lot of energy to the stage. Unfortunately, the fluidity of Shakespeare's prose was inconsistent.  More elocution & cadence coaching is needed.  Modifying Shakespeare's plays is not sacrosanct but maintaining Shakespeare's (and Wilkins) beautiful phrasing should be steadfast.  The comedic edge distracted from the tragic/romantic melodrama.  As did the laughing buffoon behind me.  Tackling an iconic work such as this is no easy task.  The students should all be commended.  It is always a delight to observe Julliard's emerging young performers.

Dieter Roth @ MoMA - This too shall pass

The German born Swiss artist, Dieter Roth is known for blurring the lines, literally, between art, literature & printing.  His work encompasses sculpture, books, prints & painting.  He may be best known for using bizarre materials such as chocolate, cheese, sausages & excrement.  To these works my reaction was ooh; not kosher.   However, there was a delightfully boisterous 5 year old in the exhibit who loudly proclaimed "This is the best art, ever."  Which actually corroborated Roth's premise:  "Works of art should change like man himself, grow old and die."  I am obviously an old poopy head while this youngster has a broader perspective on art.  The scope of this exhibit focuses on his innovative works from the late 50's to the yearly 70's.  Admittedly, I was transfixed by his biodegradable works, made with perishable items sealed in plastic showing varying stages of decay.  (But again, ooh, awkward.)  Roth was not concerned with art for its aesthetic.  He was an innovative artist whose works morphed.  He was a poet & a prophet of future technical & literary experimentation.    His books for children were unbound, with opaque & transparent shapes he felt would appeal to children, making them "fantastically bored."  The construction of his mini books were not intended for reading, but as structures in themselves.  His ambigous aphorisms were perplexing, "A tear is as evil as a good word."  Where was that little girl when I needed her?  I was intrigued by the exhibit. I will see go again with a pre-schooler.  I will also re-read Joyce's "A Portrait of an Artist," which Roth referred to Bradbury's "Farenheit 451," which he did not.

Julliard's Drama Topdog/Underdog - Unforgettable

Watching the 2 character play by playwright, Suzan-Lori Parks, about 2 brothers is like watching Ali & Frazier in the ring, like watching 3 card Monte holding your bet.  You can't take your eyes away for a second.  Parks is a Tony Award nominee & Pulitizer Prize winner for Drama.  This is a total knockdown brilliant play performed by 2 of the finest young actors assured of illustrious acting careers.  Michael Shaw plays Lincoln the older brother to Booth, played by Jeremy Tardy.  Lincoln tells his brother that their father named them as a joke. While there is humor in this play, it is not a comedy but an unforgettable drama.  The action takes place in a squalid 8 x 10" apartment with only 1 cot & 1 reclining chair & no plumbing.  The set is sunken into the center of the stage adding to the enclosed no escaping battle ground.  The love/hate relationship with the brothers is both endearing & savage.  The deal with this play is its relentless depiction of the plights of Blackmen from the time of Abraham Lincoln to present day.  Don't be a chump.  Go see anything by playwright Parks & anything performed by Shaw & Tardy.  These three reMARKable talents are the real deal.  

The Mystery of Edwin Drood @ the Roundabout

The musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood is based on Charles Dickens' last novel.  Dickens passed away before completing this work.  Posthumously, his novel has been turned into this awful musical mess. This charmless & droll musical begins before the curtain rises.  Characters from the play move through the audience in costume striking up conversations.  A member of the audience is brought on stage for the opening musical number which appeals to out-of-towners but appears buffoonish for New Yorkers. The gimmick of a play within a play grew wearisome along with the trite inside squabbles amongst the cast. The show is an awful mishmash of vaudeville, farce, droll puns, poor Gilbert & Sullivan immitation & ludicrous humor.  All of which the audience found amusing.  Therein lies the Mystery; what if anything was redeeming?  Chita Rivera was everybit the Broadway star in an otherwise Broaway flop.  At inermission,  my NYC friends said tally ho.  But I endured the beginning of Act II where the device for solving the Mystery was put forth for audition participation.  Alas, I could bear it no more & shot out the door.  This play may fly with the tourists, but for discerning NYC theatre patrons, bah humbug.

Bethany @ NY Center Stage

Bethany is cogent & compelling play reflecting not only the demise of the American Dream, but the diaspora for the thousands whose homes have been forelosed.  The play opens with an "inspirational speeker," Charlie, making the grandiose claim "They could have saved their homes with the secrets he has to share."  The one act, one set play, packs a lot of pain & pathos from Crystal, played with raw emotion by America Ferrera (Ugly Betty.)  Crystal enters a vacated home in a neighborhood where the majority of homes have been forelosed.  Unbeknownst to her, there is a squatter, Gary, who had already laid claim to the house.  Her fright at encountering Gary yields to a forged co-habitation she desperately needs to present the facade of a stable living environment needed to regain custody of her 5 year old daughter, Bethany.  Crystal works @ a Saturn car dealership about to be shut down.  Her salary is based solely on commission.  She has everything riding on Charlie as a viable buyer.  She is desperate enough to go the extra mile to close the deal.  Crystal is struggling to maintain a semblence of stable domesticity to her social worker.  Despite a courageous battle to forge a living & establish a compatable living situation with her seemingly benevolent vagrant, Gary, her world is crashing in around her.  Charlie is crazed charlatan who preys on Crystal's desperaton. Gary's graps on reality turns to violent, paranoid survivalist rantings.  This intelligent play builds in intensity as fiscal problems are brought to the forefront.  How far can a mother be driven to protect & provide for her child?  This play convincingly argues, to Saturn & back.

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Today was my first time attending the Westminster Dog Show @ Piers  92/94.  I've watched some of the competitions on T.V. but attending is an entirely unique experience.  I know absolutely NOTHING about how the competitions work or what the  judges are looking for in the animals.  My lack of knowledge did not curtail my enjoyment.  The one competition I watched in its entirety was for the Standard Poodles.    I'm telling you, these Poodles were strutting their stuff better than Naomi on the catwalk.  And, talk about a dog's life, these dogs all have their own entourage: owner, trainer, breeder, presenter, masseuse, groomer - I mean stylist.  These dog's are coiffed to the nines.  The poofs on the Poodles were primped to canine perfection.  The Dog Show was a hoot.  Being at the Dog Show was funnier than the movie "Best in Show."  What do you need to know before attending?  I advise should  you feel the need to laugh, take your howling outside.  I love dogs, I do.  But, most of these people
L O V E  dogs to a whole other realm.  I know what you dog L O V E R S are thinking, you're thinking I'm a real bitch.

NewYC Ballet - New Look inside Koch Theatre

There's a new experience in the Koch Theatre.  The NYCB art commission, FAILE, has just mounted the cutting edge block structures inside.  The tower of blocks on the 2nd floor promenade reaches up to balcony level.  Brooklyn based artists McNeil & Miller accessed the ballet's archives and for photos, posters, promotional materials to highlight dancers along with some of their signature iconography:  wolves, political figures, & sexual provacative images.  The sculptures are an amalgamation of vivid colors and arresting images that elicit a high power impact of energy & movement.  Each time you view   the work, you'll find something new & arresting.  Oh yes, there was dancing last night, also.  Jerome Robbins' N. Y. Export: Opus Jazz which 1st premiered in 1958.  It felt contemporary & exciting; a blend of his West Side Story & Glass Pieces with scenery by politically outspoken artist, Ben Shahn.  Robbins expands the boundaries between ballet & developing dance forms.  Perhaps, this is why his choreography still feels modern, timeless and evocative.   George Balanchine's Symphony in 3 Movements to Stravinsky's music is an iconic work from 1972.  Symphony in 3 Movements still sets the bar for timeless elegance and artistry.  Before, Balanchine's ballet, the orchestra pit rouse to stage level performing Stravinsky's music.  The conductor turned to the audience & elaborated on the propulsive rythm that underlies Balanchine's athletic choreography.  The conductor's dialogue gave an added element for appreciating the creative collaboration between these two artistic genuises,  Stravinksy & Balanchine.  NYCB deserves to be viewed in a new light.  The Company is merging the world of art, music & dance for a more rewarding experience.

Water by the Spoonful, 2012 Pulitzer Prize Winner

Water by the Spoonful at 2ST is the 2012 Pulitzer Prize Winning play by Quiara Hudes.  Are there any other awards out there to bestow on this brilliant and moving theatrical masterpiece?  There is plenty to extol in this play: exceptional writing, characters we're drawn to & great acting.  Act I has two separate plots.  The play begins with 2 cousins, Yaz a music prof. & Elliot, a returning Iraqi vet, who are caring for their dying, beloved aunt while dealing with their own turmoils.  Yaz is going through a divorce and Elliot is dealing with physical & emotional damage from the war.  The scene shifts to two women & a  man, connected via internet to an online support group for crack addicts.  The 3 maintain nom de plumes:  Odessa (the driving force of the site) Haikumum, Orangutan and Shutes & Ladders.  The banter between the 3 is clever, sharp & heartfelt.  They are soon joined for the 1st time by another male, Fountainhead.  The caring, understanding & supportive connection is apparent.  What isn't clear until the very end of Act I is the link between the 2 storylines.  Odessa is the sister to the dying Aunt.  In Act II, a hostile confrontation between Elliot & Odessa reveals Elliot as Odessa's son.  Elliot was raised by his aunt because of Odessa's crack addiction.  The play is overflowing with shimmering allergories. Yaz discovered the harmony in John Coltrane's music; cohesion in dissonance.  While water is essential to live, life has no sustainance in anonymity.  Orangutan asks Shutes & Ladders for his friendship. When they meet face to face, give their real names & hold each other's hand, the waterworks flowed.  What greater praise can there be, than this play melted this heart of ice & brought on the tears?

Why Jazz Happened - TribecaY Ta

The title "Why Jazz Happened," captured my interest but it was a misnomer.  Marc Myers hour talk should have been called, "Why Jazz Styles Morphed from 1942-72."  Nonetheless, learning what major factors played in the evolution of jazz made for an enlivened lecture with the audio & visuals he utilized to beat home his themes.  Myers is a WSJ music contributor & JazzWax.com (Jazz Jounalists 2012 Blog of the Year.)  I'll briefly outline the reasons jazz has changed from (1942-72.)   First, for any artform to survive, it is vital to coninuously reinvent itself. The 3 key elements inducing change were:  technological advancements, cultural influences and business adaptations.  Myers spoke of the early 40's musician's strike, the development of long playing records, emphasis on promoting artists & concerts, the civil rights movement, California suburban sprawl & the British invasion.  Audio recordings along with visuals of the artists made it interesting to discern the arch of jazz styles:  swing, Bebop, Pop Jazz, Cool Jazz, Protest Jazz and Jazz  Rock Fusion.  I'm not inclined to read Myers' book "Why Jazz Happened," as it addresses a jejune metamorphisis of jazz.  As an avid fan of jazz, understanding its ORIGINS & listening to Cool Jazz interest me.

The Doc. Film, KOCH - Kocha See It!

How ironic that former NYC's mayor, Edward I. Koch, should pass away on the day the documentary film on his life opens?  Perhaps not - Koch's personality was bigger than life and his legacy is  embedded in our city.  This thoroughly entertaining doc. film shows Koch wh lived life on his own terms.  He called it as he saw it, impossible to intimidate, resourceful, and in constant touch with his fellow New Yorkers.  He was responsible for bringing NYC back from the brink of financial ruin and constructing affordable housing in desolate communities.  The film encapsulates many of the issues plaguing our city in the 70's-80's:  rampant crime, homelessnes, transit strike, teacher strike, an aids epidemic, and racial tension.  The Eddie Murphy SNL skit where Eddie is perched on a ledge & the crowd is yelling "don't jump" until Koch comes out on the ledge & the crowd chants, "jump." is hysterical.  Murphy proceeds to tell Koch all the blights of NYC.  Sintra song expresses Koch's life  "Regrets, I've had a few. But then too few to mention {closing the Hospital in Harlem.}  I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption."  Being the unique, irrepressible man Koch was, he had his plot & tombstone laid out in the Trinity Church Cemetary because he wanted to be amongst the hustle & bustle of NYC.  His tombstone reads "He fiercely defended the city of New York and he fiercely defended its people."  I'll tell yah how NYC is doing -  posthumously pretty good due to the iconic NYC Mayor Ed Koch.

Bucks Stopped Here @ MSG

Last night @ the Garden the Knicks beat the Bucks by 10 but it wasn't until the 3rd period that they found the net.  The Bucks were leading in the entire 1st half - but, then, it's how you end. The Knicks game back leading by 7 at end of the 3rd & won with a 10 point spread.  And a win is a win.  There were no major celebrities to see @ the Garden except for C. C. Sabathia (perhaps the celebs are down in New Orleans.  No, I'm not headed to the Super Bowl - unless someone has a ticket they liked to offer.  I'm just saying - and dreaming,  I'll be watching from my sofa and rooting for my old Home Team, San Francisco.  I will be at the @ Barclay Center for the Nets/Lakers game on Tuesday.  C.C. I'll be seeing you this spring on the field and rooting for the Yankees.  Tomorrow - Go 49er's!

NYC Ballet - World Premier

Last night Paz de la Jolla choreographed by Justin Peck made its world premier at NYC Ballet.  Peck, a dancer for the Company has been designated by Peter Martins as their 1st year-long choreographer in-residence.  Paz de la Jolla marks his second and more (literally) fluid composition for NYC.  Having been raised in Southern CA, the ballet is reflective of the CA sunshine & beaches.  The dancers are costumed in bathing suits & summer attire.  Tiler Peck dancing in a lovely emerald green suit danced gracefully and at times as if she were swimming through water.  Amar Ramasar & Sterling Hyltin dancing was airy & vibrant except for when they were laying on the stage (which was too much of the time.)  Peck choreographed the corps to evoke a tide coming in & off shore to great effect.  Justin Peck is a talented choreographer with creative ideas & promise.  Balanchine's Variations Pour Une Porte et un Soupir premiered in 1974. I thought I'd seen all of Balanchine's repertoire, but this was the first time for me. It was more in keeping with modern dance than ballet and surprisingly avant-garde pas de deux. The female dancer is attached to billowing black canvas that moves over and around her while she casts a menacing shadow.  The male dancer is covered all in white including his face & stand-up hair. He   flayed & struggled to escape as if trapped in a spiders' web.  The score was a mix of harsh creaking sounds.  This made for a very provocative performance.  I too felt somewhat trapped as it went on for  too long.  The last ballet was Concerto DSCH choreographed by Alexi Ratmansky (2008) to music by Dmitri Shostakovich.  While Balanchine is considered the greatest choreographer of the 20th C,  I consider Ratmansky to be the greatest choreographer of the 21st C.  Concerto DSCH was elegant, vibrant and masterful.  Ratmansky, Knighted in Denmark in 2002 is transforming the world of ballet today.    

NYPhilh. Open Rehearsal - All Beethoven Program

Yesterday's open rehearsal for the NY Philharmonic was an all-Beethoven program:  Overture to Die Geschopf, Piano Concert No. 1 in C major, played majesticially by Radu Lupu & Symphony #5 in C minor.  The concert masestro was Christoph von Dohnanyi. Lupu, the piano soloist is considered among the elitie interpreters of Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert & Brahms. Mr.  Ludo has won the Van Cliburn & Leeds Piano Competitions. Lupu is a prolific recording artist including the complete Beethoven concertos.   I can listen to an all Beethoven concert by our NY Philharmonic ($18) all the time.  For those who don't take advantage of these symphonic masterpieces, all I can say is - duh duh duh dumb!