James Galway, Still Going

James Galway, Celebrating 70: A Collection of Personal Favorites (Sony, 2009)

Charles T. Downey, James Galway still knows how to spin out a beautiful phrase (Washington Post, March 22)

Sir James Galway’s last visit to Washington, in 2013, was billed as a legacy tour. The Irish flutist, a legend by any measure, was still at the top of his game, and he had the audience eating out of his hand. On Sunday afternoon, Galway was back, presented again by Washington Performing Arts in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, and playing a platinum Nagahara flute he helped design. But this time around, the less-than-full house and increasing shortcomings in finger agility and tuning gave the impression of an artistic arc beginning its descent.

At 76, Galway still worked marvels in many pieces, not least in the outrageous variations of Giulio Briccialdi’s “Carnival of Venice,” where the complex writing gives the impression of the flute accompanying its own melody... [Continue reading]

James Galway, flute
Washington Performing Arts
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

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