Arts Alive

A new thriller out of Germany is the focus of Kenneth Turan’s film review this week. The LA Times and Arts Alive film critic spoke to KUSC’s Gail Eichenthal.

Pixar films are famous for their tear-jerking powers, and the studio’s latest is no exception. Onward may have a high-concept fantasy premise—a modernized, suburban version of a land of dragons, wizards, and unicorns—but the emotional core is very true-to-life.

KUSC’s Alan Chapman has a lot to say about music, but can he say it in 60 seconds? That’s the Chapman Challenge. We ask a question and Alan has a minute to answer it.

Today’s question is from Lee in San Diego who writes, “I recently attended a concert where the violinist was playing a Stradivarius that was on loan. How does that work?”

Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms both wanted to capture the vibrant folk music of Hungary in their compositions. Brahms through his 21 Hungarian Dances written in 1879 and Liszt through his 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies published between 1851 and 1886. Both composers borrowed their melodies from actual Hungarian folk songs, oftentimes sharing the same material. For example, the same celebratory folk song is used by Liszt in his Hungarian Rhapsody No. 8 as Brahms in his Hungarian Dance No. 3.

On Arts Alive today, LA Times and Arts Alive film critic Kenneth Turan tells us about a perfect Valentine’s Day entertainment for lovers of sheep, and, of stop-motion animation. He spoke to KUSC’s Gail Eichenthal.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s survey of the politically-charged Weimar Republic era continues this weekend at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Esa Pekka-Salonen will conduct the orchestra and soloists in fully staged performances of the Kurt Weill/Bertold Brecht masterpiece, The Seven Deadly Sins. KUSC’s Gail Eichenthal has a preview.

Theatre, dance, music, experimental design, found objects, and more come together for a modern adaptation of the classic story of Frankenstein this week at The Wallis in Beverly Hills.

Many performers have elaborate rituals that they go through before concerts — Glenn Gould used to soak his forearms in hot water before performances — but Stephen Hough has made a point of never depending on any of them.

Austrian composer Alban Berg (1885 – 1935) has a relatively small oeuvre, writing only a dozen or so major compositions in his life. However, each piece captures an entire world of emotion and structure and has a fascinating backstory, including one piece that has a secret love affair embedded in the music. Berg’s Lyric Suite is a highly expressive string quartet that was written in 1926. It wasn’t until 50 years later, that musicologists discovered that the piece actually contained a secret dedication and a hidden narrative of Berg’s love affair with Hanna Fuchs-Robettin.