Reviews & Articles

Find Reviews by Category
Josie de Guzman at The Green Room 42. Photo by Edward Kliszus
Cabaret
Edward A Kliszus

Josie de Guzman at The Green Room 42

Two-time Tony Award nominee Josie de Guzman performed her show “Back Where I Started” and enthralled listeners at The Green Room 42.The enchanting and vivacious de Guzman performed a musical biopic of her remarkable stage career. She spoke of the many fellow luminaries with whom she performed and collaborated. The amazing list includes Leonard Bernstein, Nathan Lane, Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, Alan Jay Lerner, and Burton Lane, to name a few.

Read More »
September 12, 2023
Cyclic Journey by Marshall Gilkes
Jazz
Edward A Kliszus

Marshall Gilkes Presents: Cyclic Journey

Gilkes’s new album Cyclic Journey touches anyone who appreciates and enjoys world-class artistry and virtuosity in classical and jazz idioms. Cyclic Journey is a musical adventure where the listener can experience the sounds of a team of musicians at the top of their game. At the same time, Gilkes shares his biographical virtual journey that emerged from his creative imagination. As you listen, close your eyes, and permit yourself to be transported through his ephemeral, beautiful sonic world.

Read More »
September 5, 2023
A surreal landscape of notes and syllables seen while approaching Washington Square Park. Posted in Melisma in Music on OpeningNight.Online. Digital Art by Edward Kliszus
Music Appreciation
Edward A Kliszus

Melisma in Music

If you like Pop, R&B, or Rock singers, you’ve certainly heard melismatic music. Next, watch and listen to Luther Vandross, one of the greatest R&B singers. On this occasion, he sings the beautiful song A House is Not a Home written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Read More »
August 21, 2023
A scene featuring a beautiful disco dancer moving to rhythm in music and a powerful beat with a crowd cheering in the background. Show her in one an iconic disco spandex outfits, possibly a red leather jacket or a sparkling suit, and have her dancing with his style and energy. Illuminate her with bright spotlights, and show reflections on the disco floor. Set the scene in a New York City club or a concert stage. The music should show through the dynamic motion and expression of the people watching, while the background should feature vivid flashes of colors and light. This will create a dynamic and entertaining image.
Music Appreciation
Edward A Kliszus

Rhythm in Music

Rhythm in Music is an essential element in music for dancing as it provides the beat that drives the body to move.

Read More »
July 23, 2023
Hamilton Clancy center stage as a cowboy in a scene from Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. Photo by Jonathan Slaff
Off Broadway
Edward A Kliszus

Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors

The actors’ droll and elegant linguistic patter sliced into the backdrop of the city’s hubbub of engines, horns, and sirens. The virtual world they drew us into was a topsy-turvy pastiche of clever banter, delight, and merriment.

Read More »
July 21, 2023
Melody, sound, beauty, and love
Music Appreciation
Edward A Kliszus

Melody in Music

Melody in music can vary in different ways – like pitch, rhythm, and tempo. And the best part? It often makes us feel a certain way, whether it’s happy, sad, nostalgic, or excited. To make a melody, you just need a series of musical notes that are put together in a particular pattern. This pattern is repeated throughout the song, creating a unique sound that captures the listener’s attention. So you can see that melody is truly the heart of a song that sets the mood and makes it memorable.

Read More »
July 20, 2023
Salvatoris hodie by Pérotin the Great. Public Domain. From Pérotin and Polyphony in Music
Music Appreciation
Edward A Kliszus

Pérotin and Polyphony in Music

Pérotin, also referred to as Pérotin the Great, was a prominent French composer during the Middle Ages, particularly in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He played a crucial role in the development of polyphonic music in the Notre Dame School. Pérotin established himself as a visionary composer and legendary musician of his time.

Read More »
July 8, 2023
Notre Dame, Paris MET 38.34. Public Domain.
Music Appreciation
Edward A Kliszus

The Musical Magic of Léonin

Léonin (d. 1201) was not just a medieval composer. He was a forward-thinking pioneer whose legacy lives on today. Thanks to his contributions, polyphonic music became a reality, featuring more than one voice part. Leonin started this revolution during the late 12th century and has been widely recognized as the first composer to create music in this unique style.

Read More »
July 2, 2023
To A Garden Luxuriously Verdant at Lincoln Center. Photo by Lawrence Sumulong
Dance
Edward A Kliszus

To a Garden Luxuriously Verdant

Tonight’s Juneteenth Celebration at New York’s Lincoln Center was a reflective, fresh, and vibrant source of inspiration for all participants. This nonpareil venue inspired artistic expression and creativity with its lustrous modernist designs, magnificent facades, soaring columns, and capacious plazas. It was a celebration of elegance, sumptuousness, and breathtaking transcendence.

Read More »
June 20, 2023
David Bernard and the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony at Merkin Hall. Photo by Edward Kliszus
Music Reviews
Edward A Kliszus

Park Avenue Chamber Symphony Concerto Artists

This auspicious event was the fruit of an esteemed collaboration between the Kaufman Music Center and the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony. Gifted young artists competed for the opportunity to grace the stage and perform major musical works with a symphony orchestra before a packed house in a remarkable concert space.

Read More »
June 12, 2023