papsrus

Or a copy editor. ...

Heh heh. Yeah. A full meal indeed, sounds like. With plenty of side dishes. As for the folks who decided to leave at intermission, I often find the most compelling performances come after intermission, for whatever reason -- the place is loose, everyone's settled into the rhythm of things, the musicians are up and ready to finish with flourish. Whatever the reason, it's almost never a good move to split at intermission, for purely selfish reasons, never mind just out of respect for the performance. But, sometimes you've got to go. Back to work or whatever. I've had to bug out early on a few occasions, but never have been happy about it.

I'm right there with you, having taken a swan dive from the high platform into "classical" (big umbrella) music just the past couple of years, except that you have the advantage or perspective of a practicing musician, and all that brings to the table. Going to a rehearsal of the Dohnanyi string trio piece last week (referenced above) really opened my eyes about how much room there is for "interpretation" in chamber music. (Thus the counterbalance of the HIP movement, which seeks to perform these pieces without interpretation, but rather exactly as the composer intended, whatever that might mean). And I would guess this latitude for interpretation (outside the HIP movement) is particularly wide in chamber music, where each instrument has its own part in that conversation among the instruments -- each musician bringing their own insights and preferences to their parts, with elevating "the whole" very much at the forefront. In any case, all this adds up to this: the music you hear live at any given performance is very much in the moment and unique, as you describe. And (not to get too sappy) shared among musicians and audience. With musicians coming and going and typically playing in more than one ensemble, I'd guess this sort of evolution of interpretation is pretty constant, even in longstanding groups, but perhaps even moreso in festival settings where you get musicians coming together from hither and yon learning how to play with one another in a relatively short period of time. ​Anyways, glad you enjoyed it. Check out that Dohnanyi Serenade for String Trio in C major, Op. 10, if you get a chance. At first blush, I'm less enamored of his piano quartets -- they sound like they could be anybody in that bag, if you know what I mean. Small sample size, but stripped of the piano something else emerges, judging by your and my impressions of two different string pieces of his.

Nice program. More Dohnanyi. Be interested in your impressions of that one. Enjoy.

Rehearsal (so, not a concert, but this thread seemed appropriate) Ernst von Dohnanyi -- Serenade for String Trio in C major Op. 10 Federico Agostini, violin; Rebecca Albers, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello Mildred Sainer Pavilion of New College Florida I wish I had familiarized myself with the piece beforehand. The passages played were no doubt some of the more technically challenging parts. And while I'm not familiar with the composer, judging from what I heard and the accompanying notes, Dohnanyi had a penchant for fireworks. To quote from the notes on this piece: "... A romanza follows, rewarding the viola with a thematic droit du seigneur, followed by a scherzo for which safety goggles and flameproof clothing are recommended." The musicians didn't communicate with the sparse audience about which passages they were practicing, and being unfamiliar with the piece, I'd only be guessing, but it's quite possible parts of this flame-throwing scherzo were among the sections they practiced. I sat front row, center, in the small auditorium, fine acoustics. Fascinating to listen to the three of them go back and forth about the nuances of how each of them should play -- individually, collectively, more forceful here, more forward movement there, let the viola elevate here, hold back the support there. A lot of the time they would speak in these sorts of non-technical terms about the music. "Let it flow forward here," "We need to hold (as in, embrace) the viola here," etc. The other thing of note is that each suggestion that any of the three made about changes in tempo, attack, etc., were accepted and tried out. There was no, "Oh, I don't like that. Let's not try that." It was always, "Yes, ok let's try that." And so, with each run through a section (sometimes two or three, sometimes a half dozen) the music almost magically evolved into a more cohesive and unified sound. Won't go on too much, but one thing's for sure. I need to search out this piece of music right away (won't be able to attend the performance, unfortunately). And the musicians are each outstanding -- Julliard, Yale, etc. No slouches, these three. Nice way to spend a few hours in the afternoon.

La Musica Festival -- Sarasota Opera House Brahms, Horn Trio in E flat major, Op. 4 Eric Ruske, Jennifer Frautschi, Derek Han Villa-Lobos, Trio for Violin, Cello, Piano No.1 Claudio Cruz, Antonio Meneses, Derek Han Murphy, Piano Trio No.1, "Emotions" * WORLD PREMIERE * Federico Agostini, Julie Albers, Derek Han Brahms, String Sextet in G Major, Op. 36 Federico Agostini, Jennifer Frautschi, Bruno Giuranna, Rebecca Albers, Dmitri Atapine, Julie Albers Bit of a mixed bag today. The Brahms horn trio that kicked things off was a bit thin, I thought. Disjointed maybe -- it's probably me, but there was something about the separateness of sounds of the three instruments (piano, violin, horn) that didn't quite come together for me. No flow. Nicely played and all, just ... not quite there. The Villa-Lobos, who I had no familiarity with at all (Brazilian), was very good -- with beautiful, vibrant, flowing themes, haunting at times, lush piano darting here and there and everywhere. A lot of energy here. Enjoyed this one. Here's a YouTube link to another performance of the piece. The third slot in the program was a composition by a young student from the area -- college-aged perhaps, but just barely, I think. And while pleasant enough, it was what you'd expect from a young student. Not a mature piece, let's just say. But kudos to him for putting himself out there and on the whole it was a worthy stepping stone in a young musical career -- something anyone can be envious of. I'm sure it was a thrill for him as he took a bow with the beaming musicians. The best, by far, was saved for last. The Brahms string sextet was a truly elevated performance. You can sense almost instinctively when a performance -- the musicians, the audience, everything -- seems to come together in the moment and transports everyone involved to another level. This was that. The sound of the string sextet fully enveloped the house -- compared for instance to the first horn trio piece that opened the concert, which was thin in tone and almost hesitant or "by the numbers." This Brahms sextet was instead lush, flowing, the musicians fully engaged, in sync, the audience pretty much rapt. Certainly made up for the unevenness of the rest of the concert, and more. All in all, a great afternoon of music. A minor annoyance: Some dude arrived halfway through the first piece with two women in tow and they plopped themselves down a couple of rows in front of me and immediately started whispering back and forth, snapping open mint containers, giggling and chuckling away. The guy in front of me finally leaned forward and told them to "knock it off." They shut up from then on, but seriously -- arrive late, which is disruptive enough but OK, then talk and giggle through the music? I think they might have been there for the student's "world premier" cause they gave that number a standing ovation. In the end, no biggie.

La Musica Festival, Sarasota Opera House Mozart -- String Quintet in B flat major Claudio Cruz (violin), Federico Agostini (violin), Bruno Giuranna (viola), Daniel Avshalomov (viola), Julie Albers (cello) Biilk -- String Quartet in Modus Lascivus (world premier) Frederico Agostini (violin), Jennifer Frautschi (violin), Daniel Avshalomov (viola), Dmitri Atapine (cello) Schumann -- Piano Quartet in E flat Major, Op.47 Jennifer Frautschi (violin), Bruno Giuranna (violin), Antonio Meneses (cello), Derek Han (piano) Outstanding. The festival attracts some really good musicians while trying to incorporate some local flavor. For this concert that local flavor was provided by the world premier piece by Biilk, who relocated to the area fairly recently. Don't know much about him other than he had some association with the University of Michigan and had composed both orchestral and marching band music as well as some film/television scores. The Mozart was played beautifully. It's Mozart, and a piece that is characterized as marking some musical maturity for him, although still a teenager, and some independence as a composer. The Schumann was my favorite -- beautiful melodies and interplay among the piano and strings, especially the third movement tinged with sadness but so damn gorgeous. Really breathtaking. The Biilk, given his background, felt cinematic and modern. Very well put together with musical ideas that were clear and developed in a way that was straightforward. It was the first time he had heard the piece performed before an audience, and you could see he was thrilled as he took a bow with the musicians afterward. Very nice. We sat in the upper balcony, forward, as is my usual preference. Very good sound and attentive audience. Although the orchestra level was mostly full, there was nobody in the balcony behind the first three rows. On the one hand, this affords great comfort and undisturbed listening. On the other hand I would have been happier had the balcony been full. The musicians, nonetheless, gave it their all and played wonderfully throughout. A very fine concert. Going again Sunday afternoon. If circumstances permit, I may take in a few rehearsals as well. EDIT: Oops. Mozart was quintet, not quartet. Math never my strong point. Thanks Jeff!

Thanks. Still not sure what to make of it. Would probably go if I lived near Philly just out of curiosity. Perhaps there'll be some recording of it one way or another. On another note, went to see Tosca last week and Don Carlos (Paris version) earlier this week. Both great. Starting to develop a little bit of a thing for Italian opera. Don Carlos was a wonderful production -- beautiful music, elegant staging and costumes, fantastic singing and drama. I'd guess they sunk a good chunk of their production efforts / costs for the season into this one, it being part of their Verdi cycle, and a mammoth effort as well. Tosca was well done as well, but not quite to the level of Don Carlos, which seemed to me as though it would not have been out of place in any opera house in the world. So, that completes the season for me: Marriage of Figaro, great music, enthusiastic production, very enjoyable; Golden Cockerel, sub-par, frankly. Only with the appearance of the queen in the second act did the music start to take off. So kind of disjointed overall; Tosca, very enjoyable, beautiful music, production in line with most of what else I've been to here, which is to say very good; Don Carols, best combination of excellent production, music, singing, story, impact. Five star. Side note: Neither of the last two included a prelude / overture, which I always kind of enjoy. Don Carlos had a very short orchestral introduction, but the curtain went up almost immediately in Tosca.

Philadelphia Opera -- "Yardbird" Five performances in June. Synopsis: March 12, 1955. New York City. Charlie Parker is dead. But nobody knows it yet. In that twilight between the here and the hereafter, Parker sets out to write his last great musical work. As he composes, he revisits the inspirations, demons, women and rivals who fueled his creative genius. Seen through the eyes of the women who loved him, the beauty that comes from this flawed man’s soul reminds the rest of us that beyond human fragility, beyond our internal battles, lies a world of union, harmony, and transcendent spirit. Composer: Daniel Schnyder. Have you folks heard of this? I'm not aware of this Schnyder fellow but from the bio linked above he seems to do kind of a classic-world-jazz-pop kind of cross-genre thing. I know nothing about the Philly Opera, other than anecdotal grumblings that the Academy of Music is ... lacking. This could be pretty cool or it could be complete schlock. Any ideas?

Verdi Concert -- Sarasota Opera Orchestra, soloists and chorus I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but the Sarasota Opera has since 1989 been putting on at least one Verdi opera each season with the intent of performing the complete cycle. (This year it's Don Carlos, Paris version). They will finish the cycle next year. As part of this obsession, the opera orchestra puts on a Verdi concert during the opera season. This year's concert featured the orchestra performing music from "Jerusalem," "Nabucco," "Un ball in maschera" and "Otello," followed by an intermission and more Verdi. Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the second half of the concert as I was playing hookie from work and had to return. (Fortunately for me, the opera house is three blocks from work). Had a seat in the fourth row, dead center. First time I've not been in the balcony at the old opera house and while the singers certainly hit you full blast from that close range, and the orchestra sounded great, I think in the balcony you get a better overall balance. Nonetheless, a beautiful performance. From my low perch I'd gauge the quality of singers we get for the main roles as pretty high. Not top level but certainly experienced, fully capable of wowing the audience and fully invested in the performances they give. Experienced. And most of those on stage tonight were from those main roles, so excellent singers. It's entertaining watching them take on the personas of the characters they're singing, even though in a concert setting they're just on stage, not in costume, standing in front of the orchestra. They get into it. The orchestra -- which was set up in a divided configuration that had violins split on each side, then the violas split on each side sitting behind the violins, and the cellos in the middle -- began alone for the variations and other pieces from "Jerusalem." Soprano Kara Shay Thompson was powerful in performing an aria from Act II of "Nabucco." All lungs and actually had my ear drums fluttering on a couple of the high notes. Lots of power here. In her aria from "Un ballo in maschera," soprano Michelle Johnson was somewhat less captivating than Thompson before her. Baritone Sean Anderson took his turn on another piece from "Un ballo," and was by comparison much more dynamic and imposing. Impressive. The highlight of the evening for me were the pieces from "Otello." A beautiful, intertwining duet featuring tenor Rafael Davila and soprano Maria Antunez was simply mesmerizing. That was followed by eight soloists spanning the front of the stage with full chorus behind the orchestra performing the "Act III Finale written for Paris" to punctuate the first half of the concert with a fitting crescendo. Disappointed I couldn't stay for the second half, but was quite happy to have enjoyed the first half.

Guardian surveys the "best" concert halls (although no Concertgebouw, so ... ) Have the London oddsmakers weighed in on this yet?

Seems inevitable to me. I'd guess Paris' new hall was the last straw: "That's it. Call Rattle." Noteworthy that the article barely touched (if at all) on Rattle's education outreach efforts, something the writer laments would be a better use of public funds. Not a zero sum game, after all. David Geffen just donated $100 million toward the refurbishment of Avery Fisher in NY. Perhaps private fundraising could play a role in London? Will be interesting to watch from afar.

LINK Will be excited for our UK contingent, I'd say.

Dresden Philharmonic, Michael Sanderling, conductor with Johannes Moser (cellist) Tchaikovsky -- Variations on a Rococo Theme Op. 33 John Williams -- Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha (intermission) Beethoven, Symphony No. 7 Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall First, I should admit that I've probably in the past been a little too dismissive of the Van Wezel. The orchestra sounded wonderful. I suppose in contrast to the Arsht Center, where I attended the Cleveland Orchestra on Friday, with it's clear, reverberant acoustic, the Van Wezel today offered a warmer acoustic, and quite clear. Closing my eyes, the sound was right there in front of me. Perhaps it was the orchestra, perhaps my notions of the overall quality of the hall were too harsh to begin with. Whatever the case, a very solid, enveloping projection from the stage today. And I was up in the back of the house, center. Moser was fantastic in the Tchaikovsky. Plenty 'o' fireworks, sensitivity, a little flair from the stage. The Williams' Geisha is an Asian-flavored piece, of course. Kind of odd listening to a German orchestra perform a piece like this, but Moser again took hold of his featured role with virtuosity. It's amazing watch someone with that kind of control over an instrument. I don't know if this was the traveling band or what, but while Cleveland the other night numbered perhaps 90 to 100, Dresden today numbered about 60. Large string section, not much brass or woodwinds. The other interesting thing about the configuration of the orchestra was that for the first two pieces they were set up in typical fashion, with contrabass, cellos and violas on the right and violins primarily on the left (viewed from the audience), for the Beethoven they switched sides. And the four horns were split with two on the left side and two kind of on the right in the back. (The orchestra used a single riser platform for woodwinds, horns percussion in the back. Anyways, I sensed they took the Beethoven 7th at a pretty good clip. Sometimes these touring bands can give somewhat flat performances -- another whistle stop. But while the audience received the first half of the concert with polite enthusiasm, it was a sincere standing O following the Beethoven 7. William Tell Overture finale for the encore sent everyone off to the parking lot charged up and ready to lay rubber. Kind of funny sending a bunch of, lets say, senior folks out the door that way. German humor maybe? All in all, a great time.

Sounds a bit comm-U-nist to me! Suppose it's only fair and right, as the new chairman of Carnegie Hall wants to bring in more Rock 'n' Roll, to the consternation of some.

I agree. That would be fantastic! There are sometimes recitals in offbeat places here. Not bars, but I walked into the middle of a Liszt piano recital once stepping through the door of a second hand shop. Small audience seated on one side, piano on the other, me coming through the door unaware stepping right in between them. Nothing to do but proceed into the store, which is the way they intended things, certainly. That last YouTube you posted was terrific.

Thanks, yeah, I was using the phrase kind of as a catch-all, as in the Titanic is going down and the band played on. And yeah, live music is live music. I'm sort of past the notion that it should take place in pristine silence. Not going to happen. First of all, you're mostly going to be in an acoustically sensitive environment, so ambient noise happens and you'll hear it. Secondly, as far as symphony orchestras go, if you want the full blast experience, sit up front. You won't notice so much anything other than having your mind blown. My experience, anyways. YMMV.

I shouldn't have, damn me, but I laughed out loud at this. Do hope the fellow is OK, of course, but the fact that the band played on ... ppp ... is right out of an SNL skit or something. Otherwise, sounds like a great night!

I should emphasize that perhaps the most revelatory takeaway from the evening was the Becewicz piece from the concert prelude. If anyone has any ideas how to proceed there, I'm all ears.

Excellent, thanks! I'll look for it.

Not wishing to correct your homework (sorry, occupational hazard), but I think you'll find that was no. 5. I really like 6 - very odd shape. An opening slow movement and then two quick ones. Are you sure you weren't hearing 5? 6 is quite rare. Yes, no need to apologize at all Bev. All corrections welcome! It was the 6th; I confused it's historical context. Three movements, very quiet at the start and building to quite a frenzy. Impressive.

Cleveland Orchestra Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (Eroica) (intermission) Shostakovich Symphony No. 6 Arsht Center, Miami This performance was part of Cleveland Orchestra's winter residency at the Arsht Center, which in itself is an impressive, relatively new concert hall. Same guy as designed the one in Dallas. All sleek, light-toned wood and measured contours inside. A lovely acoustic. As an added bonus there was a prelude concert before the main event featuring a piano trio performing Beethoven's Piano Trio No. 5 in D major, then a violin quartet playing Quartet for Four Violins, by Grazyna Bacewicz, the latter quite moving. Neo-Classical, I suppose, but with threads of dissonance and colliding lines as well. I will seek out some more of Bracewicz's music, for sure. The Cleveland Orchestra's reading of Beethoven's No. 3 was precise and bold from the opening notes, as one would expect. This is my favorite of his symphonies at the moment -- for the significance of it in his own life and it's triumphant message. Musically, for all those cross rhythms in the first movement; the way he sometimes stresses the second beat -- almost jazzy. The solemn second movement that shows off the strings. The third movement that features the horns. Pretty damn thrilling and I'd guess a measure of any orchestra's abilities. The orchestra and Franz Welzer-Most delivered all the nuances of the Shostakovich No. 6, beginning as it does so delicately and migrating from one instrument to another -- the piccolo, French horn, trumpet, etc. -- before building throughout the piece to a quite a frenzy. This piece really put the orchestra's range on display. Maybe even in a more impressive fashion than the Beethoven. The common theme for these two pieces of music, as explained in the program, was their political significance -- Beethovan's Eroica written for, then supposedly torn to pieces in objection to, Napoleon; Shostakovich's No. 6 his response to the "just criticism" of his opera Lady McBeth of Mtsensk. All in all, a wonderful evening of music and I'm happy to have had the chance to listen Most and his orchestra. As a postscript, the hall, wonderful as it is, was probably just a little more than 3/4 full. Lots of open seats orchestra level scattered about. I remarked to the woman sitting next to me, a season subscriber, that I was surprised it wasn't sold out, given the reputation of the orchestra and the program. "Never is," she said. The beautiful opera house across the street that is part of the Arsht Center complex is also having some trouble attracting patrons, I believe. Or at least some funding issues as wealthy patrons head off to the great beyond. Miami needs to get its shit together when such a fine orchestra is in residence.

Hah! ... Just got an email from a friend of mine who saw GC earlier. His unsolicited, to-the-point assessment: "Nice scenery but otherwise sucked."

Ah, yes. I loved the music, especially in the latter acts. And the costumes. Wild and colorful. The staging itself, less imaginative. And the story and libretto, uneven / disjointed. Once the queen appears (Act III) it's as if all that came before is shoved to the side and kind of forgotten. War? What war? Dead sons? Who cares. But it is supposed to be a fantasy / dream, so in an odd way maybe that fits. And as mentioned, the sometimes eye-rolling libretto didn't seem to dovetail with the beautiful, lush music. Anyways, had a great time and overall enjoyed it.

OTT orchestration?