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Reviews of Oregon Symphony and Cascadia Composers concerts

My most recent reviews of the Oregon Symphony concert (Haydn's Creation) and the Cascadia Composers concert (Bang on a Can) are posted in Oregon Music News - just scroll down the main page.

Opera Feast at Mark Mandel's home

While attending Seattle Opera last weekend, I talked with fellow critic Mark Mandel, who writes for Opera News. Mark told me about the ongoing opera series in which the public is invited to come to his home to watch opera DVDs on his large screen TV. You are also invited to bring a vegetarian dish to the days in which a potluck is scheduled.

Here's the invitation from Mark with his schedule of operas. His contact information is at the end of the posting.

Friends,

Welcome to the season’s second half! We mark the Massenet death centenary with three of his operas: Manon, Werther and Thaïs. Sunday matinee options exist for Werther and Atys, which along with Jenůfa are the greatest performances here. Saturdays: dinner at 5, intro at 5:45, show at 6:15. Sundays: lunch at noon, intro at 12:45, show at 1:15. Show lengths and estimated finish times are given. Bring friends!



Sat., Jan. 28, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 129 min./8:49

LA FINTA SEMPLICE – Mozart was 12 when he composed this farcical, somewhat bawdy opera buffa about a “pretend simpleton” who feigns simplicity to further the amorous designs of herself and others. Outdoors in the Residenzhof at the Salzburg Festival, it gets a spiffy white-and-red staging by director Joachim Schlömer and designer Jens Kilian. In the title role, Malin Hartelius is exquisite, enchanting, superb. She is ably backed by singers Josef Wagner, Matthias Klink, Marina Comparato, Silvia Moi, Jeremy Ovenden, Miljenko Turk, actress Marianne Hamre and dancer Anna Tenta. Michael Hofstetter conducts the spirited Camerata Salzburg.



Sat., Feb. 4, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 145 min./9:05

MADAMA BUTTERFLY – Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s film of Puccini’s opera delves the minds of Cio-Cio-San and Pinkerton, both victims, revealing their hopes and fears; the action unfolds as their dream/nightmare. Musically, none of Butterfly’s many recordings beats this one. Herbert von Karajan’s protracted pacing and wide dynamics yield strong climaxes, magnificently executed by the Vienna Philharmonic. Mirella Freni’s lovely, vulnerable Cio-Cio-San and Plácido Domingo’s unusually sympathetic Pinkerton get top support from Christa Ludwig’s exemplary Suzuki, Robert Kerns’ sensitive Sharpless and Michel Sénéchal’s oily Goro.



Sat., Feb. 18, 5 p.m. Mark cooks. 175 min./9:55

MANON – Little is more French than Massenet’s opera about a girl torn between love of luxury and the love of a fervent chevalier whose better sense and religious calling can’t prevent his being dragged down with her. A French Manon is a big plus, and Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu has one in Natalie Dessay, whose acting and singing are finely nuanced. Her passionate Des Grieux is the intense Rolando Villazón. David McVicar’s detailed, unsentimental staging stresses the 18th century’s seamy, mercenary side and vividly evokes the era. Manuel Lanza, Francisco Vas, Didier Henry and Samuel Ramey are in the cast. Victor Pablo Pérez conducts.



Sat., Feb. 25, 5 p.m. & Sun., Feb. 26, noon. Vegetarian potlucks. 161 min./9:21 & 4:21

WERTHER – Goethe’s Sorrows of Young Werther inspired a wave of suicides and Massenet’s best opera. No finer lyric tenor and lyric mezzo roles exist than poetic Werther and his beloved, unattainable Charlotte. For Opéra National de Paris at Opéra Bastille, Jonas Kaufmann and Sophie Koch are emotionally overwhelming, staggeringly superb. Ludovic Tézier is ideal as Charlotte’s husband Albert; Anne-Catherine Gillet is winsome as her sister Sophie. Conductor Michel Plasson expansively, expertly draws out the score’s beauty. One of the greatest stage performances triumphs over stage director Benoît Jacquot’s sometimes-goofy video direction.



Sat., March 10, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 138 min./8:58

THAÏS – Massenet’s opera sets Anatole France’s tale of ships passing in the night: the courtesan Thaïs treks from worldly Alexandria to desert convent and to God, guided by the monk Athanaël, who drifts from ascetic Cenobite order into the thrall of carnal passion. For Venice’s Teatro La Fenice (at Teatro Malibran during La Fenice’s reconstruction), Eva Mei and Michele Pertusi are the rare Thaïs and Athanaël who are believable at each step of their journeys – and sing strongly too. Director/designer Pier Luigi Pizzi tells the story clearly, stressing not the obvious contrasts but the similarity of sexual and religious fervor. Marcello Viotti conducts.



Sat., March 17, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 155 min./9:15

SEMELE – Handel’s sensual/sublime music and Congreve and Pope’s rich poetry treat the myth of ambitious Semele, ardent Jupiter and jealous Juno. Great arias abound: “Endless pleasure,” “Iris, hence away!” “O sleep, why dost thou leave me?” “Where’er you walk,” “Myself I shall adore” and many more. Zurich Opera teams three reliably terrific artists in conductor William Christie, director Robert Carsen and singer Cecilia Bartoli, a scintillating Semele. Charles Workman and Birgit Remmert head a good supporting cast. Add strong work by Zurich Opera’s chorus and period orchestra La Scintilla and spare, stylish, elegant Patrick Kinmonth designs.



Sat., April 7, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 118 min./8:13

JENŮFA – Janáček’s masterpiece is a searing music drama of passion, jealousy, betrayal, infanticide, guilt, forgiveness and the transfiguring power of love. In an outwardly bucolic but morally stifling Czech village, repressed emotion erupts like a volcano. The luminous, febrile music glows and burns like lava. Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s superbly taut Glyndebourne Festival staging has an excellent cast headed by Roberta Alexander’s tender Jenůfa, Anja Silja’s haunted Kostelnička, Philip Langridge’s intense Laca and Mark Baker’s driven Števa. The London Philharmonic conducted by Andrew Davis plays as if possessed; the tension never sags.



Sat., April 14, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 141 min./9:01

DIE GEZEICHNETEN – The title of Schreker’s gorgeous, disturbing opera refers both to artists’ models and to those branded by fate. An ugly man craves beauty and creates an idyllic grotto where, to his horror, others seduce and rape women and girls. A beautiful “painter of souls” with a heart defect paints his portrait; he falls for her, but a rival vows to take her by force. Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s Salzburg Festival staging takes place on a toppled, broken statue of a woman. Robert Brubaker, Anne Schwanewilms, Michael Volle, Robert Hale and Wolfgang Schöne head a strong cast. Kent Nagano leads the plush Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.



Sat., April 21, 5 p.m. Mark cooks. 196 min./9:56

THE CORONATION OF POPPEA – In Monteverdi’s amoral, unsettling masterpiece, Emperor Nero orders the death of his mentor Seneca and the exile of his wife Octavia and crowns as empress the courtesan Poppea. Robert Carsen’s incisive, brilliant Glyndebourne Festival staging in modern dress stars Danielle de Niese as a ravishing, riveting Poppea and Alice Coote as a ruthless, lava-voiced Nero. Tamara Mumford, Iestyn Davies, Marie Arnet, Paolo Battaglia, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Dominique Visse and more add strong support. Emmanuelle Haïm extracts vibrant, beautiful playing from the period Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.



Sat., April 28, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 148 min./9:08

DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES – Ten days before the Reign of Terror ended in 1794, 16 Carmelite nuns were guillotined. Poulenc’s poignant, powerful opera treats their doubt and faith, their fear and courage, their humility and heroism. At Milan’s Teatro degli Arcimboldi during La Scala’s renovation, Riccardo Muti and Robert Carsen superbly conduct and direct La Scala forces. Dagmar Schellenberger as the fearful Blanche de la Force and Anja Silja as the tormented Old Prioress are gripping actresses. Gwynne Geyer is the serene New Prioress. Barbara Dever is the disciplined Mother Marie. Laura Aikin is the ebullient Sister Constance.



Sat., May 5, 5 p.m. & Sun., May 6, noon. Vegetarian potlucks. 196 min./10:16 & 5:16

ATYS – The catalyst of the French baroque opera revival was the 1987 production of Lully’s Atys by Les Arts Florissants, William Christie and director Jean-Marie Villégier. Many who saw it in Paris and on tour thought it the apex of their operagoing, and one man paid $3.1 million to finance this 2011 revival so that he could see Atys again before he died. At the Opéra-Comique, Christie leads Les Arts Florissants and a great cast: Bernard Richter, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Emmanuelle de Negri, Nicolas Rivenq, Sophie Daneman, Marc Mauillon, Paul Agnew, Cyril Auvity and more. The rare production and performance where every facet seems exactly right.



Sat., May 12, 5 p.m. Vegetarian potluck. 117 min./8:37

CANDIDE – Bernstein’s most ambitious project was his idea-packed setting of Voltaire’s stinging little book skewering philosophical optimism. Brainwashed that “all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds,” Candide and his beloved Cunegonde trot the globe and suffer sobering misadventures. At last, free of illusion, they determine to cultivate their garden. Lonny Price’s semistaging isn’t the best of all possible Candides, but it may be the liveliest and funniest. Paul Groves, Kristen Chenoweth, Patti LuPone, Thomas Allen, Stanford Olsen, Jeff Blumenkrantz and Janine LaManna head the cast. Marin Alsop leads the New York Philharmonic.

Mark Mandel
markmandel@comcast.net
503-274-0322

Fomer principal trumpeter of the Oregon Symphony passes

It has come to my attention that James R. Smith, former principal trumpet of the Oregon Symphony, died last night (January 3rd). Smith played during the Bloomfield, Belugi, and Singer eras and sat next to John Trudeau, former principal trombonist. He also toured with Robert Shaw.

Classical Revolution Portland incorporates as a Non-Profit

CRPDX, one of the mainstays in P-town's vibrant alternative classical music scene, has incorporated as a non-profit after much hard work. They are currently seeking Founding Revolutionaries---the first 50 people to join as a sustainer at $10/month or donate $100 outright get to be CRPDX's bff and listed as such on the website.

If you are able, please consider supporting this group that has done so much through the years to spread the gospel of classical music. By presenting chamber music in non-traditional venues and formats they have done excellent work towards the goal of reaching as many people as possible with this wonderful art-form. They are truly worth your hard-earned arts-supporting dollar, and any donation large or small is gratefully accepted. Viva la Revolucion!

Radio sound-effects guy for Prairie Home Companion dies

The great sound-effects man for Prairie Home Companion, Tom Keith, died on Sunday, October 30th died of a heart attack on Sunday at his home in Woodbury, Minnesota. He was 64 years old.

Here are some obituaries about Keith:

- Minnesota Public Radio News
- Minneapolis Star Tribune
- St. Paul Pioneer Press
- Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion (with video clips)

Tenor needed for a Christmas party

Tenor needed for quartet performing Italian Christmas repertoire, about 15 minutes worth, accompanied by strings and keyboard, at a large house party on Dec. 10, beginning at 5 p.m. There will be three rehearsals (10/19, 11/16, and 12/2).

There is lots of food, drinks, and music music music (mostly strings) at these events. The setting is quite spectacular.

The rehearsals take place near Lewis and Clark.

Please contact Joan at jglassel@gmail.com, if interested.

Mamma Mia lights up ABBA fans in Portland

If you are looking for a lighthearted story that is punctuated by the music of ABBA, then Mamma Mia is your ticket. It’s a cheesy, spandex-driven musical that will make you want to get out of your seat and start dancing. That was the scene at Keller Auditorium, when I attended Mamma Mia on Tuesday evening (August 23), which was the first night of its weeklong run in Portland as part of its North American tour.

Perhaps there is no way to explain the enduring popularity of ABBA’s music, which sold in the millions when the Swedish pop group was one of the hottest acts on the planet forty years ago. But the success of the musical, which has been playing in London since 1999, has inspired productions all over the world and a hit film version in 2008. So it is no wonder that the audience (which was predominately female) loved every second of ABBA standards like “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trouper,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” and “SOS.” All that was missing was a disco ball.

The musical is set on a Greek island, where a young woman is preparing to get married. She would like to be given away by her father, but she doesn’t know who her real father is. After she finds one of her mother’s old diaries, she discovers that her mother’s dalliances with three men many years ago probably means that one of them is her father. She then invites the three men to her wedding, and they actually show up. Tensions flare and a lot of dodging, singing, and dancing goes on before the final outcome.

The volume of the show on Tuesday night was turned up so high that the sound became slightly distorted at the beginning of the show. The sound crew might have been trying too hard to overcompensate for the vastness of Keller Auditorium, or they might have been trying to aid the voice of Kaye Tuckerman, who had a tough time projecting her lower range but did well in all other aspects as the mother. Chloe Tucker outstandingly conveyed the wishful naiveté of the young bride to be. The show was almost stolen by Mary Callanan as the mother’s overweight friend. Alison Ewing as the mother’s surgically-enhanced friend was also superb. The prospective fathers were expertly portrayed by Jeff Applegate, Paul De Boy, and John-Michael Zuerlen.

The exceptional comic timing, energetic dancing, and over-the-top pantomiming (while dancing and singing) made Mamma Mia delightful. But the touring version relied too heavily on one set, which depicted the outside of a hotel and courtyard (and later the nave of a church). Another set would have been refreshing.

Although the entire audience was standing and cheering at the end of the show, the bonus finale that included glitzy ABBA-inspired costumes raised the rooftop with singing from all corners. That was a great way to end the evening.

There may be some tickets left for the remaining performances of Mamma Mia on Saturday (August 27) and Sunday (August 28). Contact Broadway Across America.

How to get Schrott and Netrebko in Portland

Since Erwin Schrott and Oregon Symphony conductor Carlos Kalmar are natives of Montevideo Uruguay, it might be possible for Kalmar to appeal to his fellow countryman for an appearance with the Oregon Symphony. Of course, that would mean a duet opportunity for Schrott and his wife Anna Netrebko.

Well, it's a long, long shot, but you have to start somewhere.

New stuff at Oregon Music News

Just a quick link to a couple of new articles up at Oregon Music News:

An interview with Bobby Ray of The Electric Opera Company proved most enlightening! I'll be at their show with CRPDX at the Alberta Rose Theatre tomorrow night. I guarantee you won't have more of a blast anywhere in the 503 for 8 bucks on Friday.


I reviewed Hideki Yamaya's latest CD: a recording of Roncalli's Capricci Armonici sopra la Chitarra Spagnola for baroque guitar. Hideki is one of my very favorite solo baroque stylists in a city that is absolutely crazy for early music, boasting many top-notch performers. Simply put, this CD is marvelous.

Click on the links above for the articles and further linkage.

CRPDX and Electric Opera Company team up in 'Sympathy for the Devil'

Electric Opera Company and Classical Revolution PDX Present:
Sympathy for the Devil
A classically inspired rock concert at the Alberta Rose Theater

Portland’s favorite Electric Guitar Orchestra collides with the city’s
most accessible Chamber Ensemble to show you a side of classical music you’ve never even dreamed of, but will never want to leave behind…

PORTLAND — Alternative Classical Music. You could say they’re polar opposites. The guitarists of Electric Opera Company bringing their modern instruments into classical settings play the Ying to Classical
Revolution PDX’s Yang of chamber instrumentalists playing at bars and other comfortable settings. But this is a case where opposites
attract for a common goal: Making Classical Music more accessible to
the everyday listener!

Classical Revolution and Electric Opera Company will bring their
trademark stylings of 18th century masterworks to the Alberta Rose
Theater on August 19th for a concert that won’t soon be forgotten.
The theme is “Sympathy for the Devil” and there’s a heavy helping of
“Diablo in musica” in store including the Danse Macabre, selections
from Gounod’s Faust, Chopin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and
plenty more surprises. Bring your beer drinking fists and wear
whatever you want, its classical music for the 21st century!

Classical Revolution PDX in a Nutshell
Classical Revolution PDX offers chamber music performances in highly accessible venues, such as bars and cafes. By taking chamber music out of the recital hall and making it more accessible to an audience who does not otherwise hear such music in a live context, Classical Revolution strives to make the public aware that classical music is still relevant and can be enjoyed by all.

"Will the demise of appreciation for classical music be reversed by the Classical Revolution movement? Time will tell, it's transformational, it's unforgettable and every pair of ears that hears it is going to pass the word on. Now that's the stuff of revolutions alright." - Zaph Mann, OPB Music


Electric Opera Company in a Nutshell
Electric Opera Company is dedicated to revitalizing the popularity of
opera and classical music through education and performance; and to
breaking down the barriers to these arts by presenting them in a
modern, accessible medium. This accessible medium is the Fifteen
Piece Electric Guitar orchestra, in which musicians play the exact
parts as written by the composer. But the instruments typically
associated with classical music are replaced with an army of electric
guitars, keyboards, and drums.

The orchestra has been making waves around town as both a rock band teaching adults that classical music is way more awesome than they think it is, a company that produces fully staged operas, and an educational outreach group teaching kids basically the same thing. They’ve been spotted in opera houses, rock venues, middle schools, elementary schools, music festivals, non-profits, and more, spreading
the gospel of classical music to the unsuspecting.



Calendar Listing
What: Sympathy for the Devil, a concert featuring Electric Opera
Company and Classical Revolution PDX

Who: Produced by Electric Opera Company and Classical Revolution PDX.
Arranged by Bobby Ray and Adam Goodwin. Musical direction by
Ray/Goodwin/Kaiser

When/Where: Friday, August 19th, 8:00 pm – Minors OK when accompanied
by a parent or guardian
The Alberta Rose Theater 3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR (503) 719-6055

Why: To bring the joy of Classical Music to those who might not
experience it otherwise, and to share a new lens through which to view
a timeless favorite.

Tickets: $8 at the door or purchased online at
http://www.albertarosetheatre.com/


--
Mattie Kaiser
Executive Director | Classical Revolution PDX
www.classicalrevolutionpdx.org

Filmusik and Federale rock the house with 'The Grand Duel'

Filmusik, Portland's homegrown musical idea whose name expresses exactly what it does, delivered another bang-up performance with the live-soundtrack rendition of 'The Grand Duel,' a spaghetti western of the best (worst?) kind Thursday night at the Hollywood Theater.

Federale, a local band who specializes in the dramatic music of the kind found in this genre, performed a live version of the soundtrack. The main theme is probably better known to most audiences from its appropriation by Quentin Tarantino for the soundtrack to 'Kill Bill Vol. 1.' The iconic harmonium melody, doubled at various times by soprano or trumpet, was accompanied by a perfect high lonesome whistle from one of the band members (and quite an excellent display of whistling prowess it was.) After all, what's spaghetti western music without the whistling?

The performance gave you everything you want from this genre, in which, let's face it, the music is much better than the film. And much more intense from being live and in your face. The film itself was a delicious, laughable bit of nonsense, full of hyperbole, melodrama, gratuitous nudity, stereotypes, and hatchet-faced Europeans with bad teeth somehow trying to pass themselves off as Americans, replete with oompa-loompa-cum-John-Boehner tans. Starring the iconic Lee Van Cleef as a sheriff out to save an innocent man from hanging and bent on revenge agains the cruel Patriarch, this film needed great music to save it from itself.

Federale betrayed a keen understanding of the musical needs of this genre, from gritty verismo atmospherics in which inglorious death is all around, to sinister carefully layered mood music, full of atonalism and sound-effects that also showcased the droning surf-rock origin behind much of the guitar work.

Another worthwhile endeavor from Galen Huckins and Filmusik, the final performance takes place tonight at 8 pm at the Hollywood Theater.

John Richards - longtime Oregon Symphony member and tuba virtuoso passes

I've just received word that John Richards, former principal tuba of the Oregon Symphony for 53 years, died earlier today. Richards was a phenomenal musician and a real Mensch. He had a doctorate in psychology and taught a Lewis & Clark College while playing in the orchestra. He also had a huge collection of instruments. I interviewed him twice for articles that I wrote for a couple of publications (Sforzando and The Oregonian). I found out that he only needed about two or three hours of sleep to feel rested. He built instruments, arranged music, and founded the Portland version of Tuba Christmas. He will be missed.

--

I have just found out that a memorial service of John Richards will be held at the Agnes Flanagan Chapel of Lewis & Clark College on August 13th at 11 am.

Upcoming Filmusik madness: The Grand Duel

Filmusik, the unique brainchild of Portland composer Galen Huckins that combines classic cinema with all manner of live performance elements, including live original soundtracks, voice dubbing and sound effects, is at it again this upcoming week with their new project The Grand Duel.

A spaghetti western starring the inimitable Lee Van Cleef, this film marks Filmusik's first collaboration with Federale, a local alternative band who just happens to specialize in writing and performing music that, in their own words, "recapture[s] the haunting, violent atmosphere illustrated in such classic films as A Fistful of Dollars." With their ranchero-style horns and the intensely powerful soprano of Maria Karlin, Federale, besides being an extremely talented ensemble that knows exactly how to achieve their musical goals, is a plain old-fashioned kick in the pants. Marvelously fun, Filmusik and Federale are a natural fit for each other, and for this enterprise Federale composed an entirely new soundtrack and will be on hand to perform for all three shows. The showings are Thursday July 28th, Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th at the Hollywood Theater at 8pm.

Getting a hand in on the new edition of Grove Dictionary of American Music

Because I'm a member of the Music Critics Association of North America (see mcana.org), I got the opportunity to write and/or update a number of entries to the new edition of the Grove Dictionary of American Music. What started out as three or four pieces last summer ended up encompassing entries on 41 subjects. I finished the last two entires a few weeks ago.

Here's the entire lists of entries that I wrote or rewrote:

- American String Quartet
- Mark Applebaum
- Jacob D. Avshalomov
- Claude Baker
- John Barbirolli
- Mason Bates
- Thomas Beecham
- John P. Corigliano
- Helan Donath
- ETHEL
- Brent Ellis
- Carlisle (Sessions, Jr.) Floyd
- Maureen Forrester
- Pamela Frank
- Gidon Kremer
- Kronos Quartet
- Jack Lawrence
- Robert Levin
- Keith Lockhart
- Yo-Yo Ma
- Aprile Millo
- James Morris
- Carol Neblett
- Paul Neubauer
- Yannick Nezet-Seguin
- Oregon Bach Festival
- Orion String Quartet
- Peter Oundjian
- Awadagin Pratt
- Arvo Part
- Helmuth Rilling
- Andre-Michel Schub
- Richard Sher
- Neil Shicoff
- Robert Spano
- Cheryl Studer
- Tomas Svoboda
- Carol Vaness
- Stephen Wadsworth
- Stewart Wallace

All of these are edited by academics, and almost all have been approved for print.

Oregon Arts Watch

A big welcome to Oregon Arts Watch, which debuted this week. Under music, you'll see that Brett Campbell has posted stories about the Oregon Symphony, Cappella Romana and other local music organizations.

A few extra thoughts about San Francisco's Ring Cycle

One of the things that I realized after hearing the Ring Cycle in San Francisco was how good the Seattle Opera orchestra is. Even though the orchestra of the San Francisco Opera is one of the best in the land, it stumbled and fumbled here and there during each opera in the Cycle. I have heard the Seattle Opera Orchestra play the Ring operas at a higher level. Perhaps the frequency of the Ring Cycle in Seattle has helped the musicians there to become very familiar with the extreme demands of Wagner's music.

Today's Birthdays

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)
Wilfred Pelletier (1896-1982)
Chet Atkins (1924-2001)
Ingrid Haebler (1926)
Eric Dolphy (1928-1964)
Arne Nordheim (1931)
Mickie Most (1938-2003)
Brian Wilson (1942)
Anne Murray (1945)
André Watts (1946)
Lionel Richie (1949)

and

Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948)
Lillian Hellman (1905-1984)
Vikram Seth (1952)

Today's Birthdays

François Rebel (1701-1775)
Johann Wenzel Stamitz (1717-1757)
Carl Zeller (1842-1898)
Alfredo Catalani (1854-1893)
Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915)
Guy Lombardo (1902-1977)
Edwin Gerschefski (1909-1988)
Anneliese Rothenberger (1926)
Elmar Oliveira (1950)
Philippe Manoury 1952)

and

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Tobias Wolff (1945)
Salman Rushdie (1947)

Today's Birthdays

Antonio Maria Bononcini (1677-1726)
Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1831)
Sir George Thalben-Ball (1896-1987)
Edward Steuermann (1892-1964)
Manuel Rosenthal (1904-2003)
Paul McCartney (1942)
Hans Vonk (1942-2004)
Anthony Halstead (1945)
Diana Ambache (1948)
Eva Marton (1948)
Peter Donohoe (1953)

and

Geoffrey Hill (1932)
Richard Powers (1957)