Lloyd Schwartz

In the age of blockbuster art exhibitions, a small show sometimes makes just as big an impression as a large one. That's what happened to critic Lloyd Schwartz on a recent trip to New York.

Ma began learning Bach's famous cello suites when he was 4. Now in his 60s, Ma has released his third recording of the pieces. Critic Lloyd Schwartz says this latest iteration may be his favorite.

Though known for her avant-garde concert performances, the 92-year-old soprano recorded songs by 19th-century classical composers, including Schubert, Schumann and Brahms, when she was turning 60.

Fitzgerald's warm, yet ultra-cool voice was at the opposite pole of jazz singing from Armstrong's gravelly growl. There's absolutely no reason their voices should blend so effortlessly — but they do.

Gandelsman has been celebrated for playing a wide variety of music, from purely classical to the most inventive contemporary pieces. He takes on Bach's complex sonatas and partitas on his new album.

The New York Philharmonic celebrates its 175th birthday with a box set dating back to its very first recordings a century ago, featuring some of the greatest musicians of the 20th-century.

Callas, who died in 1977, was known for her ability to merge musical notes with complex feelings. Now Warner Classics has released a box set of her live recordings — including 20 complete operas.

Freire plays tribute to the noted German composer on his new album. Music critic Lloyd Schwartz doesn't always love Brahms, but he loves this recording.

Stettheimer, who died in 1944, had only one public showing of her paintings during her lifetime. Now the Jewish Museum in New York has the first new exhibit of her work in more than 20 years.

In 1942, the Austrian pianist recorded a set of Schubert Impromptus that were never released. Those recordings, plus others from the session, are now available in a new CD set.

Beckett wrote the screenplay for only one film, a 1965 silent short starring Keaton. Film has recently been re-released, along with a documentary called Notfilm. Critic Lloyd Schwartz has a review.

A new two-CD set features music inspired by Shakespeare as well as actors reading his work. Critic Lloyd Schwartz says any excuse to honor the master playwright is a good one.

The new Broadway musical was inspired by the hit 1951 Hollywood musical starring Gene Kelly, with music by George Gershwin. Critic Lloyd Schwartz explains why he hopes a lot of people see the show.

Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen explores questions of time, memory, nature and human isolation. His recent collaboration with soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan has garnered worldwide attention.

The inaugural show at the Metropolitan Museum's Met Breuer branch raises the question of what makes a finished work of art. Critic Lloyd Schwartz calls it "an astonishing gathering of masterpieces."

When his mother was turning 90, music critic Lloyd Schwartz wrote poems that put her memories into verse. Composer Mohammed Fairouz set three of the poems to music on the new recording, No Orpheus.

The opera, by the late composer Maurice Ravel, spins a modern fairy tale about a naughty child at bedtime. Critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of it by conductor Seiji Ozawa.

In 1955 and '56, NBC aired live telecasts of the Broadway hit Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin. Critic Lloyd Schwartz calls the performances, now available on Blu-ray, a "tribute to freedom and youth."

A two-CD set featuring performers from the Lyric Stage of Irving, Texas, revives the soundtrack from the 1954 play, The Golden Apple. Critic Lloyd Schwartz calls it a "game-changing new recording."

Lloyd Schwartz discusses the timeless appeal of the late choreographer George Balanchine. "[He] was our Shakespeare. ... watching a Balanchine ballet is like watching music come alive," he says.