Caroline Miolan‑Carvalho (1827-1895)
Ernest John Moeran (1894-1950)
Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940)
Nathan Milstein (1904-1992)
Jule Styne (1925-1994)
Jaap Schröder (1925-2020)
Odetta (1930-2008)
Calvin Hampton (1938-1984)
Stephen Cleobury (1948)
Donna Summer (1948-2012)
Jennifer Higdon (1962)
and
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Nicholas Sparks (1965)
Junot Díaz (1968)
Northwest Reverb - Reflections by James Bash and others about classical music in the Pacific Northwest and beyond - not written by A.I.
Friday, December 31, 2021
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Today's Birthdays
William Croft (1678-1727)
André Messager (1853-1929)
Joseph Bohuslav Foerster (1859-1951)
Alfred Einstein (1880-1952)
Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)
Paul Bowles (1910-1999)
Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015)
Bo Diddley (1928-2008)
Bruno Canino (1935)
June Anderson (1950)
Stephen Jaffe (1954)
Antonio Pappano (1959)
and
Theodor Fontane (1819-1898)
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Sara Lidman (1923-2004)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1879 was the premiere of Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," in Paignton at the Royal Bijou (partial preview to insure British copyright). The first full performance of the new work occurred at the Fifth Avenue Theater in New York City the following day, with Sullivan conducting and Gilbert in attendance. The New York premiere was arranged to register American copyright of the new work and pre-empt unauthorized "pirate" productions in the U.S.
André Messager (1853-1929)
Joseph Bohuslav Foerster (1859-1951)
Alfred Einstein (1880-1952)
Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987)
Paul Bowles (1910-1999)
Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015)
Bo Diddley (1928-2008)
Bruno Canino (1935)
June Anderson (1950)
Stephen Jaffe (1954)
Antonio Pappano (1959)
and
Theodor Fontane (1819-1898)
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Sara Lidman (1923-2004)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1879 was the premiere of Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," in Paignton at the Royal Bijou (partial preview to insure British copyright). The first full performance of the new work occurred at the Fifth Avenue Theater in New York City the following day, with Sullivan conducting and Gilbert in attendance. The New York premiere was arranged to register American copyright of the new work and pre-empt unauthorized "pirate" productions in the U.S.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Tomás Bretón (1850-1923)
Pablo Casals (1876-1973)
Lionel Tertis (1876-1975)
Yves Nat (1890-1956)
Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912-1990)
Billy Tipton (1914-1989)
and
William Gaddis (1922-1998)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1903 took place the first concert by the Seattle Symphony at Christensen's Hall in Seattle under the baton of violinist Harry F. West. The program includes music of Massenet, Bruch, Schubert and Rossini.
Pablo Casals (1876-1973)
Lionel Tertis (1876-1975)
Yves Nat (1890-1956)
Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912-1990)
Billy Tipton (1914-1989)
and
William Gaddis (1922-1998)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1903 took place the first concert by the Seattle Symphony at Christensen's Hall in Seattle under the baton of violinist Harry F. West. The program includes music of Massenet, Bruch, Schubert and Rossini.
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Christian Cannabich (1731-1798)
Julius Rietz (1812-1877)
B. J. Lang (1837-1909)
Francesco Tamagno (1850-1905)
Roger Sessions (1896-1985)
Earl "Fatha" Hines (1905-1983)
Johnny Otis (1921-2012)
Nigel Kennedy (1956)
and
Charles Portis (1933-2020)
Julius Rietz (1812-1877)
B. J. Lang (1837-1909)
Francesco Tamagno (1850-1905)
Roger Sessions (1896-1985)
Earl "Fatha" Hines (1905-1983)
Johnny Otis (1921-2012)
Nigel Kennedy (1956)
and
Charles Portis (1933-2020)
Monday, December 27, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Sir John Goss (1800-1880)
Tito Schipa (1888-1965)
Marlene Dietrich (1904-1992)
Oscar Levant (1906-1972)
and
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
Charles Olson (1910-1970)
Wilfrid Sheed (1930-2011)
Chris Abani (1966)
Sarah Vowell (1969)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1841, Franz Liszt performs at the Singakademie in Berlin. Women swooned and the general audience reacts with such uncontrolled enthusiasm that Heinrich Heine coins the term "Lisztomania" to describe their fanatical devotion to the performer, which soon swept through most of Europe.
Tito Schipa (1888-1965)
Marlene Dietrich (1904-1992)
Oscar Levant (1906-1972)
and
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
Charles Olson (1910-1970)
Wilfrid Sheed (1930-2011)
Chris Abani (1966)
Sarah Vowell (1969)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1841, Franz Liszt performs at the Singakademie in Berlin. Women swooned and the general audience reacts with such uncontrolled enthusiasm that Heinrich Heine coins the term "Lisztomania" to describe their fanatical devotion to the performer, which soon swept through most of Europe.
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Maurice Gendron (1920-1990)
Thea King (1925-2007)
Earle Brown (1926-2002)
Phil Specter (1940)
Wayland Rogers (1941)
Harry Christophers (1953)
Andre-Michel Schub (1953)
Gabriella Smith (1991)
and
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
Henry Miller (1891-1980)
Jean Toomer (1894-1867)
Juan Felipe Herrera (1948)
David Sedaris (1958)
Thea King (1925-2007)
Earle Brown (1926-2002)
Phil Specter (1940)
Wayland Rogers (1941)
Harry Christophers (1953)
Andre-Michel Schub (1953)
Gabriella Smith (1991)
and
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
Henry Miller (1891-1980)
Jean Toomer (1894-1867)
Juan Felipe Herrera (1948)
David Sedaris (1958)
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Jean‑Joseph de Mondonville (1711-1772)
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint‑George (1745-1799)
Cosima Wagner (1837-1930)
Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944)
Giuseppe de Luca (1876-1950)
Gladys Swarthout (1900-1969)
Cab Calloway (1907-1994)
Noël Lee (1924-2013)
Noel Redding (1945-2003)
Jon Kimura Parker (1959)
Ian Bostridge (1964)
and
Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855)
Clara Barton (1821-1912)
Rod Serling (1924-1975)
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint‑George (1745-1799)
Cosima Wagner (1837-1930)
Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944)
Giuseppe de Luca (1876-1950)
Gladys Swarthout (1900-1969)
Cab Calloway (1907-1994)
Noël Lee (1924-2013)
Noel Redding (1945-2003)
Jon Kimura Parker (1959)
Ian Bostridge (1964)
and
Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855)
Clara Barton (1821-1912)
Rod Serling (1924-1975)
Friday, December 24, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Peter Cornelius (1824-1874)
Nikolai Roslavets (1881-1944)
Lucrezia Bori (1887-1960)
Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881-1946)
Sir Vivian Dunn (1908-1995)
Teresa Stich-Randall (1927-2007)
Mauricio Kagel (1931-2008)
Arnold Östman (1939)
Libby Larsen (1950)
Hans-Jürgen von Bose (1953)
Vasyl Slipak (1974-2016)
and
Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)
Anthony Fauci (1940)
Dana Gioia (1950)
and from The Writer's Almanac
Today is Christmas Eve. One of the best modern Christmas Eve stories is a true one, and it happened in 1914, in the trenches of World War I. The “war to end all wars” was raging, but German and British soldiers had been engaging in unofficial ceasefires since mid-December. The British High Command was alarmed, and warned officers that fraternization across enemy lines might result in a decreased desire to fight. On the German side, Christmas trees were trucked in and candles lit, and on that Christmas Eve in 1914, strains of Stille Nacht — “Silent Night” — reached the ears of British soldiers. They joined in, and both sides raised candles and lanterns up above their parapets. When the song was done, a German soldier called out, “Tomorrow is Christmas; if you don’t fight, we won’t.”
The next day dawned without the sound of gunfire. The Germans sent over some beer, and the Brits sent plum pudding. Enemies met in no man’s land, exchanging handshakes and small gifts. Someone kicked in a soccer ball, and a chaotic match ensued. Details about this legendary football match vary, and no one knows for sure exactly where it took place, but everyone agrees that the Germans won by a score of three to two.
At 8:30 a.m. on December 26, after one last Christmas greeting, hostilities resumed. But the story is still told, in a thousand different versions from up and down the Western Front, more than a century later.
On Christmas Eve in 1906, the first radio program was broadcast. Canadian-born Professor Reginald Aubrey Fessenden sent his signals from the 420-foot radio tower of the National Electric Signaling Company, at Brant Rock on the Massachusetts seacoast. Fessenden opened the program by playing “O Holy Night” on the violin. Later he recited verses from the Gospel of St. Luke, then broadcast a gramophone version of Handel’s “Largo.” His signal was received up to five miles away.
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1920, the last operatic appearance ever of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso took place in an evening performance of Halevy's "La Juive" (The Jewess) at the old Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Caruso would die in Naples (where he made his operatic debut on March 15, 1895) at the age of 48 on August 2, 1921.
Nikolai Roslavets (1881-1944)
Lucrezia Bori (1887-1960)
Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881-1946)
Sir Vivian Dunn (1908-1995)
Teresa Stich-Randall (1927-2007)
Mauricio Kagel (1931-2008)
Arnold Östman (1939)
Libby Larsen (1950)
Hans-Jürgen von Bose (1953)
Vasyl Slipak (1974-2016)
and
Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)
Anthony Fauci (1940)
Dana Gioia (1950)
and from The Writer's Almanac
Today is Christmas Eve. One of the best modern Christmas Eve stories is a true one, and it happened in 1914, in the trenches of World War I. The “war to end all wars” was raging, but German and British soldiers had been engaging in unofficial ceasefires since mid-December. The British High Command was alarmed, and warned officers that fraternization across enemy lines might result in a decreased desire to fight. On the German side, Christmas trees were trucked in and candles lit, and on that Christmas Eve in 1914, strains of Stille Nacht — “Silent Night” — reached the ears of British soldiers. They joined in, and both sides raised candles and lanterns up above their parapets. When the song was done, a German soldier called out, “Tomorrow is Christmas; if you don’t fight, we won’t.”
The next day dawned without the sound of gunfire. The Germans sent over some beer, and the Brits sent plum pudding. Enemies met in no man’s land, exchanging handshakes and small gifts. Someone kicked in a soccer ball, and a chaotic match ensued. Details about this legendary football match vary, and no one knows for sure exactly where it took place, but everyone agrees that the Germans won by a score of three to two.
At 8:30 a.m. on December 26, after one last Christmas greeting, hostilities resumed. But the story is still told, in a thousand different versions from up and down the Western Front, more than a century later.
On Christmas Eve in 1906, the first radio program was broadcast. Canadian-born Professor Reginald Aubrey Fessenden sent his signals from the 420-foot radio tower of the National Electric Signaling Company, at Brant Rock on the Massachusetts seacoast. Fessenden opened the program by playing “O Holy Night” on the violin. Later he recited verses from the Gospel of St. Luke, then broadcast a gramophone version of Handel’s “Largo.” His signal was received up to five miles away.
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1920, the last operatic appearance ever of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso took place in an evening performance of Halevy's "La Juive" (The Jewess) at the old Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Caruso would die in Naples (where he made his operatic debut on March 15, 1895) at the age of 48 on August 2, 1921.
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Joseph Boismortier (1689-1755)
Ross Lee Finney (1906-1997)
Claudio Scimone (1934-2018)
Ross Edwards (1943)
Edita Gruberová (1946)
Elise Kermani (1960)
Han-Na Chang (1982)
and
Harriet Monroe (1860-1936)
Norman Maclean (1902–1990)
Robert Bly (1926-2021)
Carol Ann Duffy (1955)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1989, Leonard Bernstein led the first of two public performances of Beethoven's Ninth at the Philharmonie in West Berlin, with an international orchestra assembled to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. The second performance occurred on December 25 at the Schauspielhaus in East Berlin.
Ross Lee Finney (1906-1997)
Claudio Scimone (1934-2018)
Ross Edwards (1943)
Edita Gruberová (1946)
Elise Kermani (1960)
Han-Na Chang (1982)
and
Harriet Monroe (1860-1936)
Norman Maclean (1902–1990)
Robert Bly (1926-2021)
Carol Ann Duffy (1955)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1989, Leonard Bernstein led the first of two public performances of Beethoven's Ninth at the Philharmonie in West Berlin, with an international orchestra assembled to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. The second performance occurred on December 25 at the Schauspielhaus in East Berlin.
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787)
Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889)
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Franz Schmidt (1874-1939)
Edgard Varèse(1883-1965)
Joseph Deems Taylor (1885-1966)
Alan Bush (1900-1995)
Andre Kostelanetz (1901-1980)
David Leisner (1953)
Jean Rigby (1954)
Zhou Tian (1981)
and
Jean Racine (1639-1699)
Kenneth Rexroth (1905-1982)
Donald Harrington (1935-2009)
Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889)
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Franz Schmidt (1874-1939)
Edgard Varèse(1883-1965)
Joseph Deems Taylor (1885-1966)
Alan Bush (1900-1995)
Andre Kostelanetz (1901-1980)
David Leisner (1953)
Jean Rigby (1954)
Zhou Tian (1981)
and
Jean Racine (1639-1699)
Kenneth Rexroth (1905-1982)
Donald Harrington (1935-2009)
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Zdeněk Fibich (1850-1900)
André Turp (1925-1991)
Frank Zappa (1940-1993)
Roger Lasher Nortman (1941)
Michael Tilson Thomas (1944)
András Schiff (1953)
Kim Cascone (1955)
Thomas Randle (1958)
Jonathan Cole (1970)
and
Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)
Maud Gonne (1866-1953)
Edward Hoagland (1932)
André Turp (1925-1991)
Frank Zappa (1940-1993)
Roger Lasher Nortman (1941)
Michael Tilson Thomas (1944)
András Schiff (1953)
Kim Cascone (1955)
Thomas Randle (1958)
Jonathan Cole (1970)
and
Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)
Maud Gonne (1866-1953)
Edward Hoagland (1932)
Monday, December 20, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Henry Hadley (1871-1937)
Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996)
Gordon Getty (1933)
John Harbison (1938)
Roger Woodward (1942)
Mitsuko Uchida (1948)
and
Elizabeth Benedict (1954)
Sandra Cisneros (1954)
Nalo Hopkinson (1960)
Vagn Holmboe (1909-1996)
Gordon Getty (1933)
John Harbison (1938)
Roger Woodward (1942)
Mitsuko Uchida (1948)
and
Elizabeth Benedict (1954)
Sandra Cisneros (1954)
Nalo Hopkinson (1960)
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Kyr's "In Praise of Music" given terrific voice by The Antioch Ensemble
Earlier this year an outstanding recording of a cappella numbers by Robert Kyr was released on the Bridge label. Entitled In Praise of Music, the CD contains pieces that Kyr has written over the last 20 years. All are beautifully sung with impeccable blend by the Antioch Chamber Ensemble, a professional choir based in metropolitan New York, under the direction of Joshua Copeland.
The first three pieces of the album have text written by Kyr that lauds the music as a balm for our souls. “In Praise of Music” builds upon multilayered lines to a final, vigorous climax. “O Great Spirit” offers echoing, sonic waves. “In the Name of Music” is highlighted by pure tone, and an enchanting siren of women’s voices that wonderfully decay into the distance.
“Veni Creator Spiritus” channels back to a Medieval-sounding recitative style with various Latin texts. The men’s voices rumble in the basement region while the women hover in the upper stories. The piece ends with an eloquent Dona nobis pacem that becomes triumphant – all with no vibrato.
One of the highlights of the “Santa Fe Vespers” is when the women sing a playful Laudate while the men anchor things steadily underneath. Another high point, the choir executes a tricky series sounds that spiral downward. Later, while singing of seraphims, it is easy to imagine these angelic creatures swirling about in the heavens.
“Downsong” is a soothing, meditative vocalise. “Ode to Music” provides a lovely setting of a sonnet by John Donne. The choir raised an intense prayer in “Voices for Peace” and followed that with ardent wailing in “Freedom Song” with Kyr accompanying on a frame drum. The last number, “Alleluia for Peace” gives a final, passionate plea.
The Antioch Ensemble sang each piece with terrific balance and commitment, making In Praise of Music an excellent addition to your choral library.
Today's Birthdays
Louis‑Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749)
George Frederick Bristow (1825-1898)
Fritz Reiner (1885-1963)
Paul Dessau (1894-1979)
Edith Piaf (1915-1963)
Dalton Baldwin (1931)
Phil Ochs (1940-1976)
William Christie (1944)
Marianne Faithfull (1946)
Olaf Bär (1957)
Steven Esserlis (1958)
Rebecca Saunders (1967)
and
Italo Svevo (1861-1928)
Constance Garnett (1861-1946)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the birthday of French chanteuse Édith Piaf (1915). Piaf was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, on the outskirts of Paris. Her mother was a café singer and a drug addict, and her father was a street performer who specialized in acrobatics and contortionism. Neither of them particularly cared for Piaf, so she mostly grew up with her grandmother, who ran a brothel. Piaf was looked after by prostitutes and later claimed that she was blind from the ages of three to seven because of keratitis, or malnutrition, though this was never proved.
Her father reclaimed her when she was nine and Piaf began singing with him on street corners until he abandoned her again. She lived in shoddy hotel rooms in the red-light district of Paris and sang in a seedy café called Lulu’s, making friends with pimps, hookers, lowlifes, and gamblers, until she was discovered by an older man named Louis Leplée.
Leplée ran a nightclub off the Champs-Élysées. He renamed Piaf La Môme Piaf, “The Little Sparrow,” dressed her entirely in black, and set her loose on the stage. Piaf was a hit, and recorded two albums in one year, becoming one of the most popular performers in France during World War II.
Édith Piaf died on the French Riviera at the age of 47. More than 40,000 people came to her funeral procession. Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Karachkina named a small planet after Piaf; it’s called 3772 Piaf. Her songs have been covered by Madonna, Grace Jones, and even Donna Summer.
Édith Piaf’s last words were, “Every damn thing you do in this life, you have to pay for.”
George Frederick Bristow (1825-1898)
Fritz Reiner (1885-1963)
Paul Dessau (1894-1979)
Edith Piaf (1915-1963)
Dalton Baldwin (1931)
Phil Ochs (1940-1976)
William Christie (1944)
Marianne Faithfull (1946)
Olaf Bär (1957)
Steven Esserlis (1958)
Rebecca Saunders (1967)
and
Italo Svevo (1861-1928)
Constance Garnett (1861-1946)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the birthday of French chanteuse Édith Piaf (1915). Piaf was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, on the outskirts of Paris. Her mother was a café singer and a drug addict, and her father was a street performer who specialized in acrobatics and contortionism. Neither of them particularly cared for Piaf, so she mostly grew up with her grandmother, who ran a brothel. Piaf was looked after by prostitutes and later claimed that she was blind from the ages of three to seven because of keratitis, or malnutrition, though this was never proved.
Her father reclaimed her when she was nine and Piaf began singing with him on street corners until he abandoned her again. She lived in shoddy hotel rooms in the red-light district of Paris and sang in a seedy café called Lulu’s, making friends with pimps, hookers, lowlifes, and gamblers, until she was discovered by an older man named Louis Leplée.
Leplée ran a nightclub off the Champs-Élysées. He renamed Piaf La Môme Piaf, “The Little Sparrow,” dressed her entirely in black, and set her loose on the stage. Piaf was a hit, and recorded two albums in one year, becoming one of the most popular performers in France during World War II.
Édith Piaf died on the French Riviera at the age of 47. More than 40,000 people came to her funeral procession. Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Karachkina named a small planet after Piaf; it’s called 3772 Piaf. Her songs have been covered by Madonna, Grace Jones, and even Donna Summer.
Édith Piaf’s last words were, “Every damn thing you do in this life, you have to pay for.”
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Edward MacDowell (1860-1908)
Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)
Rita Streich (1920-1987)
William Boughton (1948)
David Liptak (1949)
Christopher Theofanidis (1967)
and
Saki - H. H. Munro (1870-1916)
Paul Klee (1879-1940)
Christopher Fry (1907-2005)
Abe Burrows (1910-1985)
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Edward MacDowell (1860-1908)
Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)
Rita Streich (1920-1987)
William Boughton (1948)
David Liptak (1949)
Christopher Theofanidis (1967)
and
Saki - H. H. Munro (1870-1916)
Paul Klee (1879-1940)
Christopher Fry (1907-2005)
Abe Burrows (1910-1985)
Friday, December 17, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979)
Ray Noble (1903-1975)
Art Neville (1937)
and
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Ford Madox Ford (1873-1939)
William Safire (1929-2009)
John Kennedy Toole (1937-1969)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It's the day that The Nutcracker ballet was performed for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia (1892). Czar Alexander III, in the audience, loved the ballet, but the critics hated it. Tchaikovsky wrote that the opera that came before The Nutcracker "was evidently very well liked, the ballet not. ... The papers, as always, reviled me cruelly." Tchaikovsky died of cholera less than a year later, before The Nutcracker became an international success.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979)
Ray Noble (1903-1975)
Art Neville (1937)
and
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
Ford Madox Ford (1873-1939)
William Safire (1929-2009)
John Kennedy Toole (1937-1969)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It's the day that The Nutcracker ballet was performed for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia (1892). Czar Alexander III, in the audience, loved the ballet, but the critics hated it. Tchaikovsky wrote that the opera that came before The Nutcracker "was evidently very well liked, the ballet not. ... The papers, as always, reviled me cruelly." Tchaikovsky died of cholera less than a year later, before The Nutcracker became an international success.
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Today's Birthdays
François Adrien Boieldieu (1775-1834)
Augusta Holmès (1847-1903)
Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
Turk Murphy (1915-1987)
Steve Allen (1921-2000)
Dame Thea King (1925-2007)
Alice Parker (1925)
Kenneth Gilbert (1931-2020)
Rodion Shchedrin (1932)
Philip Langridge (1939-2010)
Trevor Pinnock (1946)
Isabelle van Keulen (1966)
and
Jane Austin (1775-1817)
George Santayana (1863-1952)
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Sir Noel Coward (1899-1973)
Noël Coward (1899-1973)
V. S. Pritchett (1900-1997)
Augusta Holmès (1847-1903)
Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
Turk Murphy (1915-1987)
Steve Allen (1921-2000)
Dame Thea King (1925-2007)
Alice Parker (1925)
Kenneth Gilbert (1931-2020)
Rodion Shchedrin (1932)
Philip Langridge (1939-2010)
Trevor Pinnock (1946)
Isabelle van Keulen (1966)
and
Jane Austin (1775-1817)
George Santayana (1863-1952)
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Sir Noel Coward (1899-1973)
Noël Coward (1899-1973)
V. S. Pritchett (1900-1997)
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Michel‑Richard Delalande (1657-1726)
Lotte Schöne (1891-1981)
Stan Kenton (1911-1979)
Ida Haendel (1924-2020)
Eddie Palmieri (1936)
Nigel Robson (1948)
Jan Latham-Koenig (1953)
and
Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof (1859-1917)
Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959)
Freeman Dyson (1923-2020)
Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000)
Edna O'Brien (1930)
Lotte Schöne (1891-1981)
Stan Kenton (1911-1979)
Ida Haendel (1924-2020)
Eddie Palmieri (1936)
Nigel Robson (1948)
Jan Latham-Koenig (1953)
and
Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof (1859-1917)
Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959)
Freeman Dyson (1923-2020)
Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000)
Edna O'Brien (1930)
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Maria Agata Szymanowska (1789-1831)
Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
Georges Thill (1897-1984)
Spike Jones (1911-1965)
Rosalyn Tureck (1914-2003)
Dame Ruth Railton (1915-2001)
Ron Nelson (1929)
Christopher Parkening (1947)
Thomas Albert (1948)
John Rawnsley (1949)
and
Shirley Jackson (1919-1965)
Amy Hempel (1951)
Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
Georges Thill (1897-1984)
Spike Jones (1911-1965)
Rosalyn Tureck (1914-2003)
Dame Ruth Railton (1915-2001)
Ron Nelson (1929)
Christopher Parkening (1947)
Thomas Albert (1948)
John Rawnsley (1949)
and
Shirley Jackson (1919-1965)
Amy Hempel (1951)
Monday, December 13, 2021
Callaway puts plenty of sparkle into the Vancouver Symphony's holiday concert
The Vancouver Symphony’s holiday concert with Liz Callaway glowed with homecoming atmosphere on Saturday evening (December 11). Patrons of the orchestra enthusiastically greeted the musicians with applause in Skyview Concert Hall for the first time since the pandemic shut down that venue in March of 2020. Because of a ban on outside vendors by the school district, the orchestra performed its first two concerts of the season in Portland’s Newmark Theatre and the Cowlitz Ballroom of the ilani Casino. So, it was heartening to see the auditorium at about two-thirds capacity, and there must have been a good-sized crowd online. They received an outstanding show by Callaway and the orchestra under the direction of Salvador Brotons.
Seasonal decorations, including Christmas lights wrapped around a double-bass, poinsettias lining the front of the stage, and greenery draped around the rail of the conductor’s podium, added to the concert’s festive mood. Brotons gave Callaway a rousing introduction, and she launched into “Something’s Coming” from "West Side Story." Next came a lively, pop-styled arrangement of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” with principal trumpet Bruce Dunn adding some extra licks.
Flavoring her selections with humorous anecdotes, Callaway recalled singing Grizabella for five years in “Cats” and how fun it is to sing it now “without whiskers.” She gave “Memory” a terrific climax at the end, which elicited sustained applause from the audience. Callaway followed that with “Broadway Baby” from “Follies” and the snippet of lines that she sang in her first Broadway show, “Merrily We Roll Along,” which, she also noted, closed after two weeks.
Acknowledging her longtime collaboration with Stephen Sondheim, who recently passed away, Callaway gave a passionate performance of “Send in the Clowns” from “A Little Night Music.” She closed out the first half of the program with two signature numbers – “Once Upon a December” and “Journey to the Past” – that she has made famous in the Disney animated film “Anastasia:”.” That combo brought down the house, resulting in a standing ovation.
After intermission, Callaway sang a splashy arrangement of “Joy to the World” to a pulsating beat. She also gave poignancy to “Grown-Up Christmas List,” then jolted us with a bracing “Jingle Bells” in a refreshing arrangement by Jack Gold and Marty Paich that required some tricky meters and modulations. She wound things up with “God Bless My Family,” which was written by her sister Ann Hampton Callaway and contains a beautiful message, and finally a soothing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” that I am sure had some online listeners reaching for a glass of eggnog.
The concert opened with Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess: Selections for Orchestra” in a superb arrangement by Robert Russell Bennet that put the spotlight on various members of the orchestra and a fun exchange between the woodwinds and the brass when they played “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” The orchestra served a delectable slice of Viennese pieces with Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant Overture,” Strauss Jr’s “Emperor Waltz” – both of which featured fine solos by principal cellist Dieter Ratzlaf. After transitioning to Strauss Jr’s lighthearted “Tritsch-Tratsch Polka,” the orchestra wrapped up the evening with the Strauss Sr’s “Radetzky March” in which Brotons got the entire audience clapping rhythmically with gusto.
Seasonal decorations, including Christmas lights wrapped around a double-bass, poinsettias lining the front of the stage, and greenery draped around the rail of the conductor’s podium, added to the concert’s festive mood. Brotons gave Callaway a rousing introduction, and she launched into “Something’s Coming” from "West Side Story." Next came a lively, pop-styled arrangement of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” with principal trumpet Bruce Dunn adding some extra licks.
Flavoring her selections with humorous anecdotes, Callaway recalled singing Grizabella for five years in “Cats” and how fun it is to sing it now “without whiskers.” She gave “Memory” a terrific climax at the end, which elicited sustained applause from the audience. Callaway followed that with “Broadway Baby” from “Follies” and the snippet of lines that she sang in her first Broadway show, “Merrily We Roll Along,” which, she also noted, closed after two weeks.
Acknowledging her longtime collaboration with Stephen Sondheim, who recently passed away, Callaway gave a passionate performance of “Send in the Clowns” from “A Little Night Music.” She closed out the first half of the program with two signature numbers – “Once Upon a December” and “Journey to the Past” – that she has made famous in the Disney animated film “Anastasia:”.” That combo brought down the house, resulting in a standing ovation.
After intermission, Callaway sang a splashy arrangement of “Joy to the World” to a pulsating beat. She also gave poignancy to “Grown-Up Christmas List,” then jolted us with a bracing “Jingle Bells” in a refreshing arrangement by Jack Gold and Marty Paich that required some tricky meters and modulations. She wound things up with “God Bless My Family,” which was written by her sister Ann Hampton Callaway and contains a beautiful message, and finally a soothing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” that I am sure had some online listeners reaching for a glass of eggnog.
The concert opened with Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess: Selections for Orchestra” in a superb arrangement by Robert Russell Bennet that put the spotlight on various members of the orchestra and a fun exchange between the woodwinds and the brass when they played “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” The orchestra served a delectable slice of Viennese pieces with Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant Overture,” Strauss Jr’s “Emperor Waltz” – both of which featured fine solos by principal cellist Dieter Ratzlaf. After transitioning to Strauss Jr’s lighthearted “Tritsch-Tratsch Polka,” the orchestra wrapped up the evening with the Strauss Sr’s “Radetzky March” in which Brotons got the entire audience clapping rhythmically with gusto.
Today's Birthdays
Alexis de Castillon (1838-1873)
Josef Lhévinne (1874-1944)
Eleanor Robson Belmont (1879-1979)
Samuel Dushkin (1891-1976)
Victor Babin (1908-1972)
Alvin Curran (1938)
and
Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882)
Kenneth Patchen (1911-1972)
James Wright (1927-1980)
Lester Bangs (1948-1982)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1836, at a musical soiree at Chopin's apartments in Paris, the female writer "George" Sand, determined to make a good impression with her host, arrives wearing white pantaloons and a scarlet sash (the colors of the Polish flag). Paris Opéra tenor Adolphe Nourit sings some Schubert songs, accompanied by Franz Liszt. Liszt and Chopin play Moschele's Sonata in Eb for piano four-hands.
Josef Lhévinne (1874-1944)
Eleanor Robson Belmont (1879-1979)
Samuel Dushkin (1891-1976)
Victor Babin (1908-1972)
Alvin Curran (1938)
and
Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882)
Kenneth Patchen (1911-1972)
James Wright (1927-1980)
Lester Bangs (1948-1982)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1836, at a musical soiree at Chopin's apartments in Paris, the female writer "George" Sand, determined to make a good impression with her host, arrives wearing white pantaloons and a scarlet sash (the colors of the Polish flag). Paris Opéra tenor Adolphe Nourit sings some Schubert songs, accompanied by Franz Liszt. Liszt and Chopin play Moschele's Sonata in Eb for piano four-hands.
Sunday, December 12, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Andrey Schulz‑Evler (1852-1905)
Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974)
Frank Sinatra (1915-1998)
Philip Ledger (1937-2012)
Donald Maxwell (1948)
Margaret Tan (1953)
Jaap van Zweden (1960)
David Horne (1970)
Evren Genis (1978)
and
Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)
Edvard Munch (1863-1944)
John Osborne (1929-1994)
Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974)
Frank Sinatra (1915-1998)
Philip Ledger (1937-2012)
Donald Maxwell (1948)
Margaret Tan (1953)
Jaap van Zweden (1960)
David Horne (1970)
Evren Genis (1978)
and
Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)
Edvard Munch (1863-1944)
John Osborne (1929-1994)
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
Mieczyslaw Karlowicz (1876-1909)
Leo Ornstein (1893-2002)
Elliott Carter (1908-2012)
David Ashley White (1944)
Neil Mackie (1946)
and
Grace Paley (1922-2007)
Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006)
Grace Paley (1922-2007)
Jim Harrison (1937-2016)
Thomas McGuane (1939)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1918, Russian-born conductor Nikolai Sokoloff leads the first concert of the Cleveland Orchestra at Gray's Armory, presented as a benefit for St. Ann's Church. His program included Victor Herbert's "American Fantasy," Bizet's "Carmen" Suite, two movements of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, Liadov's "Enchanted Lake," and Liszt's "Les Préludes".
Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
Mieczyslaw Karlowicz (1876-1909)
Leo Ornstein (1893-2002)
Elliott Carter (1908-2012)
David Ashley White (1944)
Neil Mackie (1946)
and
Grace Paley (1922-2007)
Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006)
Grace Paley (1922-2007)
Jim Harrison (1937-2016)
Thomas McGuane (1939)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1918, Russian-born conductor Nikolai Sokoloff leads the first concert of the Cleveland Orchestra at Gray's Armory, presented as a benefit for St. Ann's Church. His program included Victor Herbert's "American Fantasy," Bizet's "Carmen" Suite, two movements of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, Liadov's "Enchanted Lake," and Liszt's "Les Préludes".
Friday, December 10, 2021
Preview of Vancouver Symphony holiday concert with Liz Callaway in The Columbian
Today's Birthdays
César Franck (1822-1890)
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Morton Gould (1913-1996)
Sesto Bruscantini (1919-2003)
Nicholas Kynaston (1941)
Julianne Baird (1952)
Kathryn Stott (1958)
Sarah Chang (1980)
and
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Melvil Dewey (1851-1931)
Adolf Loos (1870-1933)
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Morton Gould (1913-1996)
Sesto Bruscantini (1919-2003)
Nicholas Kynaston (1941)
Julianne Baird (1952)
Kathryn Stott (1958)
Sarah Chang (1980)
and
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Melvil Dewey (1851-1931)
Adolf Loos (1870-1933)
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Oregon Symphony's "Messiah" breaks into the fast lane
David Danzmayr led the Oregon Symphony in a super-fast performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Saturday evening (December 4) at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This daring decision by the orchestra’s new music director gave the sense of rushing ahead, but at the cost of leaving much of the music’s emotion in the dust. If only someone had walked on stage and issued a speeding ticket.
The orchestra performed it all immaculately, with the strings excelling in creating clean lines with no vibrato, much like you would hear from a baroque ensemble. Jeffrey Work’s accompanying “The trumpet shall sound” was a highlight of the evening, and the addition of the theorbo, as part of the continuo team (with Garrett Bond switching between the harpsichord and portative organ), came across very strongly, albeit a little too strongly at times.
The Portland State Chamber Choir was well prepared by Ethan Sperry, but it could not articulate the numerous runs without resorting to da-ga-da-ga-da-ga iterations because of the fast tempos. That became really annoying. Transitions from the soloists to the choir went well except for the disjointed exchange from Jonathan Woody’s singing of “Why do the nations so furiously rage together” to the chorus’ “Let us break their bonds asunder.” It was also impossible for the chorus to create explosive fortes, for example in the last lines of “Lift up your heads” and “Since by man came death.”
Tenor Miles Mykkanen stood out for his clarion voice, diction, and dynamic ability to reach into the furthest corners of the hall. Soprano Yulia Van Doren sang gorgeously – with some very creative ornamentation – but she left off the ending consonants of her words. Mezzo-Soprano Gina Perregrino had much success with the upper range of her arias but lacked power in the lower portion. Bass-Baritone Jonathan Woody delivered his arias forcefully but could not be heard as well in the deepest passages.
It is terrific that Danzmayr is trying out new ideas, especially in finding out what works and what doesn’t work with the new sound system. And I have nothing against setting a quick pace through a famous oratorio that can become weighty and sag, but a slightly slower tempo would have gone a long way in making this “Messiah” more enjoyable.
The orchestra performed it all immaculately, with the strings excelling in creating clean lines with no vibrato, much like you would hear from a baroque ensemble. Jeffrey Work’s accompanying “The trumpet shall sound” was a highlight of the evening, and the addition of the theorbo, as part of the continuo team (with Garrett Bond switching between the harpsichord and portative organ), came across very strongly, albeit a little too strongly at times.
The Portland State Chamber Choir was well prepared by Ethan Sperry, but it could not articulate the numerous runs without resorting to da-ga-da-ga-da-ga iterations because of the fast tempos. That became really annoying. Transitions from the soloists to the choir went well except for the disjointed exchange from Jonathan Woody’s singing of “Why do the nations so furiously rage together” to the chorus’ “Let us break their bonds asunder.” It was also impossible for the chorus to create explosive fortes, for example in the last lines of “Lift up your heads” and “Since by man came death.”
Tenor Miles Mykkanen stood out for his clarion voice, diction, and dynamic ability to reach into the furthest corners of the hall. Soprano Yulia Van Doren sang gorgeously – with some very creative ornamentation – but she left off the ending consonants of her words. Mezzo-Soprano Gina Perregrino had much success with the upper range of her arias but lacked power in the lower portion. Bass-Baritone Jonathan Woody delivered his arias forcefully but could not be heard as well in the deepest passages.
It is terrific that Danzmayr is trying out new ideas, especially in finding out what works and what doesn’t work with the new sound system. And I have nothing against setting a quick pace through a famous oratorio that can become weighty and sag, but a slightly slower tempo would have gone a long way in making this “Messiah” more enjoyable.
Today's Birthdays
Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915)
Joaquin Turina (1882-1949)
Conchita Supervia (1895-1936)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1915-2006)
Dennis Eberhard (1943-2005)
Christopher Robson (1953)
Donny Osmond (1957)
Joshua Bell (1967)
and
John Milton (1608-1674)
Joel Chandler Harris (1848-1908)
Léonie Adams (1899-1988)
Ödön von Horváth (1901-1938)
From the Writer's Almanac:
Milton coined more than 600 words, including the adjectives dreary, flowery, jubilant, satanic, saintly, terrific, ethereal, sublime, impassive, unprincipled, dismissive, and feverish; as well as the nouns fragrance, adventurer, anarchy, and many more.
Joaquin Turina (1882-1949)
Conchita Supervia (1895-1936)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1915-2006)
Dennis Eberhard (1943-2005)
Christopher Robson (1953)
Donny Osmond (1957)
Joshua Bell (1967)
and
John Milton (1608-1674)
Joel Chandler Harris (1848-1908)
Léonie Adams (1899-1988)
Ödön von Horváth (1901-1938)
From the Writer's Almanac:
Milton coined more than 600 words, including the adjectives dreary, flowery, jubilant, satanic, saintly, terrific, ethereal, sublime, impassive, unprincipled, dismissive, and feverish; as well as the nouns fragrance, adventurer, anarchy, and many more.
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Claude Balbastre (1724-1799)
Frantisek Xaver Dussek (1731-1799)
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Manuel Ponce (1882-1948)
Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)
Gérard Souzay (1918-2004)
Moisei Vainberg (1919-1996)
James Galway (1939)
and
Horace (65-8 B.C.)
Diego Rivera (1886-1957)
James Thurber (1894-1961)
James Tate (1948)
Mary Gordon (1949)
Bill Bryson (1951)
Frantisek Xaver Dussek (1731-1799)
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Manuel Ponce (1882-1948)
Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)
Gérard Souzay (1918-2004)
Moisei Vainberg (1919-1996)
James Galway (1939)
and
Horace (65-8 B.C.)
Diego Rivera (1886-1957)
James Thurber (1894-1961)
James Tate (1948)
Mary Gordon (1949)
Bill Bryson (1951)
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710)
Hermann Goetz (1840-1876)
Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945)
Ernst Toch (1887-1964)
Rudolf Friml (1879-1972)
Richard Franko Goldman (1910-1980)
Daniel Jones (1912-1993)
Helen Watts (1927-2009)
Harry Chapin (1942-1981)
Daniel Chorzempa (1944)
Tom Waits (1949)
Kathleen Kuhlmann (1950)
Krystian Zimerman (1956)
and
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680)
Willa Cather (1873-1947)
Joyce Cary (1888-1957)
Noam Chomsky (1928)
Susan Isaacs (1943)
Hermann Goetz (1840-1876)
Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945)
Ernst Toch (1887-1964)
Rudolf Friml (1879-1972)
Richard Franko Goldman (1910-1980)
Daniel Jones (1912-1993)
Helen Watts (1927-2009)
Harry Chapin (1942-1981)
Daniel Chorzempa (1944)
Tom Waits (1949)
Kathleen Kuhlmann (1950)
Krystian Zimerman (1956)
and
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680)
Willa Cather (1873-1947)
Joyce Cary (1888-1957)
Noam Chomsky (1928)
Susan Isaacs (1943)
Monday, December 6, 2021
The Brentano String Quartet sheds light on esoteric Stravinsky - but Beethoven shines brighter
The Brentano String Quartet incisively delivered an eclectic concert (December 3) in Lincoln Recital Hall that centered on Stravinsky’s music for string quartet. Since Stravinsky wrote just a couple of brief string quartets, the program, sponsored by Chamber Music Northwest, was filled out with pieces that sounded similar to Stravinsky's and pieces that may have influenced him – plus a sprinkling of poetry of Amy Lowell. But despite the Brentano’s passionate playing, Stravinsky’s austere style came across as a dry and intellectual exercise. Fortunately, Beethoven’s String Quartet No 16, which the foursome played outstandingly, rescued the evening.
It probably comes as no surprise that Stravinsky’s ability to push boundaries and put his stamp on whatever he created extended all the way to some of his most obscure music. His dissonant “Concertino for String Quartet,” written in 1920, teeters between furious and relaxed passages that become more disjointed.
This number was sandwiched by two movements from John Cage’s “Quartet in Four Parts” (1950). Employing no vibrato, the Brentanos (violinists Mark Steinberg and Serena Canin, violist Misha Amory, and cellist Nina Lee) created a probing spirit from “Quietly Flowing Along” and explored a medieval-sounding “Quodlibet.”
Stravinsky’s “Three Pieces for String Quartet,” composed in 1914, had an odd, lopsided effect. “Danse” and “Excentrique” featured aggressive phrases with sporadic outbursts. The sorrowful, dirge-like “Cantique” was performed with pristine, carefully placed tones. Three evocative poems by Amy Lowell (played in a recording by Barbara Sukowa) were inspired by the “Three Pieces.” But his “Anthem,” written as a choir piece in 1962, just didn’t resonate without the corresponding text.
The “Three Pieces” may have been influenced by Machaut’s music. The Brentanos performed an arrangement of his “Quant en moy” and the “Ave Maria” from Verdi’s “Quattro pezzi sacri.” (Violinist Mark Steinberg in his program notes mentioned that Stravinsky admired Verdi’s music.) The ensemble also played Shostakovich’s delightfully off kilter “Polka for String Quartet” (1931).
“Three Madrigals” by Carlo Gesualdo, whose music Stravinsky helped to champion by arranging for orchestra, had a lovely serene effect. The first two madrigals were arranged for string quartet by Steinberg and the third by Bruce Adolphe.
The Brentanos closed out the concert with a sterling performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 16 (Opus 135), which he finished about three months before he died. The ensemble conveyed the volatile emotion of the piece. I loved how the sound could swell up in a huge forte and die down – with the sound from all four musicians balanced perfectly. The group also excelled with the tender, pleading sections of the piece. It was a stunningly beautiful way to bring the concert to an end.
It probably comes as no surprise that Stravinsky’s ability to push boundaries and put his stamp on whatever he created extended all the way to some of his most obscure music. His dissonant “Concertino for String Quartet,” written in 1920, teeters between furious and relaxed passages that become more disjointed.
This number was sandwiched by two movements from John Cage’s “Quartet in Four Parts” (1950). Employing no vibrato, the Brentanos (violinists Mark Steinberg and Serena Canin, violist Misha Amory, and cellist Nina Lee) created a probing spirit from “Quietly Flowing Along” and explored a medieval-sounding “Quodlibet.”
Stravinsky’s “Three Pieces for String Quartet,” composed in 1914, had an odd, lopsided effect. “Danse” and “Excentrique” featured aggressive phrases with sporadic outbursts. The sorrowful, dirge-like “Cantique” was performed with pristine, carefully placed tones. Three evocative poems by Amy Lowell (played in a recording by Barbara Sukowa) were inspired by the “Three Pieces.” But his “Anthem,” written as a choir piece in 1962, just didn’t resonate without the corresponding text.
The “Three Pieces” may have been influenced by Machaut’s music. The Brentanos performed an arrangement of his “Quant en moy” and the “Ave Maria” from Verdi’s “Quattro pezzi sacri.” (Violinist Mark Steinberg in his program notes mentioned that Stravinsky admired Verdi’s music.) The ensemble also played Shostakovich’s delightfully off kilter “Polka for String Quartet” (1931).
“Three Madrigals” by Carlo Gesualdo, whose music Stravinsky helped to champion by arranging for orchestra, had a lovely serene effect. The first two madrigals were arranged for string quartet by Steinberg and the third by Bruce Adolphe.
The Brentanos closed out the concert with a sterling performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 16 (Opus 135), which he finished about three months before he died. The ensemble conveyed the volatile emotion of the piece. I loved how the sound could swell up in a huge forte and die down – with the sound from all four musicians balanced perfectly. The group also excelled with the tender, pleading sections of the piece. It was a stunningly beautiful way to bring the concert to an end.
Today's Birthdays
Orazio Vecchi (1550-1605)
Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703)
Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)
Dave Brubeck (1920-2012)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-2016)
Henryk Górecki (1933-2010)
Tomas Svoboda (1939)
John Nelson (1941)
Daniel Adni (1951)
Bright Sheng (1955)
Matthew Taylor (1964)
and
Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529)
The Encyclopedia Brittanica (1768)
Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898-1995)
Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703)
Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)
Dave Brubeck (1920-2012)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-2016)
Henryk Górecki (1933-2010)
Tomas Svoboda (1939)
John Nelson (1941)
Daniel Adni (1951)
Bright Sheng (1955)
Matthew Taylor (1964)
and
Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529)
The Encyclopedia Brittanica (1768)
Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898-1995)
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762)
Vitezslav Novák (1870-1949)
"Little" Richard Wayne Penniman (1935-2020)
José Carreras (1946)
Krystian Zimerman (1956)
Osvaldo Golijov (1960)
and
Christina (Georgina) Rossetti (1830-1894)
Joan Didion (1934)
Calvin Trillin (1935)
John Berendt (1939)
Lydia Millet (1968)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1704, George Frideric Handel (age 19) refuses to turn over the harpsichord to Johann Mattheson (age 23) during a performance of Mattheson's opera "Cleopatra," leading to a sword duel between the two. It is said that during the swordplay, Handel was saved by a button on his coat that deflected Mattheson's mortally-directed blade. The two reconciled on December 30 that year, dining together and attending a rehearsal of Handel's opera "Almira," becoming, as Mattheson put it: "better friends than ever."
Vitezslav Novák (1870-1949)
"Little" Richard Wayne Penniman (1935-2020)
José Carreras (1946)
Krystian Zimerman (1956)
Osvaldo Golijov (1960)
and
Christina (Georgina) Rossetti (1830-1894)
Joan Didion (1934)
Calvin Trillin (1935)
John Berendt (1939)
Lydia Millet (1968)
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1704, George Frideric Handel (age 19) refuses to turn over the harpsichord to Johann Mattheson (age 23) during a performance of Mattheson's opera "Cleopatra," leading to a sword duel between the two. It is said that during the swordplay, Handel was saved by a button on his coat that deflected Mattheson's mortally-directed blade. The two reconciled on December 30 that year, dining together and attending a rehearsal of Handel's opera "Almira," becoming, as Mattheson put it: "better friends than ever."
Saturday, December 4, 2021
Today's Birthdays
André Campra (1660-1744)
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667-1737)
Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1949)
Alex North (1910-1991)
Yvonne Minton (1938)
Lillian Watson (1947)
Andrew Penny (1952)
and
Thomas Carlyle (1795-1891)
Samuel Butler (1835-1902)
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)
Cornell Woolrich (1903-1968)
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667-1737)
Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1949)
Alex North (1910-1991)
Yvonne Minton (1938)
Lillian Watson (1947)
Andrew Penny (1952)
and
Thomas Carlyle (1795-1891)
Samuel Butler (1835-1902)
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)
Cornell Woolrich (1903-1968)
Friday, December 3, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Nicolo Amati (1596-1684)
André Campra (1660-1744)
Antonio Soler (1729-1783)
Émile Waldteufel (1837-1915)
Anton Webern (1883-1945)
Halsey Stevens (1908-1989)
Nino Rota (1911-1979)
Irving Fine (1914-1962)
Charles Craig (1919-1997)
Paul Turok (1929-2012)
José Serebrier (1938)
Matt Haimovitz (1970)
and
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)
Anna Freud (1895-1982)
Zlata Filipović (1980)
André Campra (1660-1744)
Antonio Soler (1729-1783)
Émile Waldteufel (1837-1915)
Anton Webern (1883-1945)
Halsey Stevens (1908-1989)
Nino Rota (1911-1979)
Irving Fine (1914-1962)
Charles Craig (1919-1997)
Paul Turok (1929-2012)
José Serebrier (1938)
Matt Haimovitz (1970)
and
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)
Anna Freud (1895-1982)
Zlata Filipović (1980)
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949)
Rudolf Friml (1879-1972)
Harriet Cohen (1895-1967)
Sir John Barbirolli (1899-1970)
Robert Moevs (1920-2007)
Maria Callas (1923-1977)
Jörg Demus (1928-2019)
and
Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859-1891)
T. Coraghessan Boyle (1948)
George Saunders (1958)
Ann Patchertt (1963)
And from the Composers Datebook: On this day in 1717, J.S. Bach is allowed to leave the Duke’s Court at Weimar. He had been imprisoned since Nov. 6th by his former employer Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar for accepting a new post at Prince Leopold’s court at Cöthen without first asking permission.
Rudolf Friml (1879-1972)
Harriet Cohen (1895-1967)
Sir John Barbirolli (1899-1970)
Robert Moevs (1920-2007)
Maria Callas (1923-1977)
Jörg Demus (1928-2019)
and
Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859-1891)
T. Coraghessan Boyle (1948)
George Saunders (1958)
Ann Patchertt (1963)
And from the Composers Datebook: On this day in 1717, J.S. Bach is allowed to leave the Duke’s Court at Weimar. He had been imprisoned since Nov. 6th by his former employer Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar for accepting a new post at Prince Leopold’s court at Cöthen without first asking permission.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Today's Birthdays
François‑Xavier Richter (1709-1789)
Ernest (Louis-Etienne-Ernest) Reyer (1832-1909)
Agathe Grøndahl (1847-1907)
Lou Rawls (1933-2006)
Gordon Crosse (1937-2021)
Bette Midler (1945)
Rudolf Buchbinder (1946)
Leontina Vaduva (1960)
Ernest (Louis-Etienne-Ernest) Reyer (1832-1909)
Agathe Grøndahl (1847-1907)
Lou Rawls (1933-2006)
Gordon Crosse (1937-2021)
Bette Midler (1945)
Rudolf Buchbinder (1946)
Leontina Vaduva (1960)
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Carl Loewe (1796-1869)
Charles Valentin Alkan (1813-1888)
Sergei Liapunov (1859-1924)
Ludwig Thuille (1861-1907)
Ture Rangström (1884-1947)
Ray Henderson (1896-1970)
Klaus Huber (1924-2017)
Gunther Herbig (1931)
Walter Weller (1939-2015)
Radu Lupu (1945)
Semyon Bychkov (1952)
and
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
L(ucy) M(aud) Montgomery (1874-1942)
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Jacques Barzun (1907-2012)
David Mamet (1947)
Charles Valentin Alkan (1813-1888)
Sergei Liapunov (1859-1924)
Ludwig Thuille (1861-1907)
Ture Rangström (1884-1947)
Ray Henderson (1896-1970)
Klaus Huber (1924-2017)
Gunther Herbig (1931)
Walter Weller (1939-2015)
Radu Lupu (1945)
Semyon Bychkov (1952)
and
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
L(ucy) M(aud) Montgomery (1874-1942)
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Jacques Barzun (1907-2012)
David Mamet (1947)
Monday, November 29, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967)
John Brecknock (1937-2017)
Chuck Mangione (1940)
Louise Winter (1959)
and
Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888)
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007)
Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967)
John Brecknock (1937-2017)
Chuck Mangione (1940)
Louise Winter (1959)
and
Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888)
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007)
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838)
Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894)
Pamela Harrison (1915-1990)
Berry Gordy Jr. (1929)
Randy Newman (1943)
Diedre Murray (1951
and
John Bunyan (1628-1688)
William Blake (1757-1827)
Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)
Stefan Zweig (1881-1942)
Nancy Mitford (1904-1973)
Rita Mae Brown (1944)
Alan Lightman (1948)
Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838)
Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894)
Pamela Harrison (1915-1990)
Berry Gordy Jr. (1929)
Randy Newman (1943)
Diedre Murray (1951
and
John Bunyan (1628-1688)
William Blake (1757-1827)
Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)
Stefan Zweig (1881-1942)
Nancy Mitford (1904-1973)
Rita Mae Brown (1944)
Alan Lightman (1948)
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Chiara Margarita Cozzolani (1602-1678)
Anton Stamitz (1750-1798 or 1809)
Franz Krommer (1759-1831)
Sir Julian Benedict (1804-1885)
Viktor Ewald (1860-1935)
Charles Koechlin (1867-1950)
Leon Barzin (1900-1999)
Walter Klien (1928-1991)
Helmut Lachenmann (1935)
Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)
David Felder (1953)
Victoria Mullova (1959)
Hilary Hahn (1979
and
Anders Celsius (1701-1744)
Charles Beard (1874–1948)
James Agee (1909-1955)
Marilyn Hacker (1942)
Bill Nye (1955)
Anton Stamitz (1750-1798 or 1809)
Franz Krommer (1759-1831)
Sir Julian Benedict (1804-1885)
Viktor Ewald (1860-1935)
Charles Koechlin (1867-1950)
Leon Barzin (1900-1999)
Walter Klien (1928-1991)
Helmut Lachenmann (1935)
Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)
David Felder (1953)
Victoria Mullova (1959)
Hilary Hahn (1979
and
Anders Celsius (1701-1744)
Charles Beard (1874–1948)
James Agee (1909-1955)
Marilyn Hacker (1942)
Bill Nye (1955)
Friday, November 26, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Earl Wild (1915-2010)
Eugene Istomin (1925-2003)
Alan Stout (1932-2018)
John Sanders (1933-2003)
Craig Sheppard (1947)
Vivian Tierney (1957)
Spencer Topel (1979)
and
Eugene Ionesco (1909-1994)
Charles Schulz (1922-2000)
Marilynne Robinson (1943)
Eugene Istomin (1925-2003)
Alan Stout (1932-2018)
John Sanders (1933-2003)
Craig Sheppard (1947)
Vivian Tierney (1957)
Spencer Topel (1979)
and
Eugene Ionesco (1909-1994)
Charles Schulz (1922-2000)
Marilynne Robinson (1943)
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Soloists reign supreme in Bach Cantata Choir concert
In June of 2020 the Bach Cantata Choir (of which I am a member) was supposed to have sung at Bachfest, the international festival in Leipzig, Germany. COVID-19 put the kibosh on that event, but the choir has been reinvited to participate in 2024. In the meantime, the BCC has restarted performing at Rose City Park Presbyterian with its first in-person and livestreamed concert taking place this past Sunday afternoon (November 21). The program featured mezzo Hannah Penn, soprano Vakarė Petroliūnaitė, tenor Les Green, and bass Jacob Herbert – the four soloists who were scheduled to appear with the choir in Leipzig back in 2020 – in a selection of solos and duets, plus a chorale in which all four sang. An instrumental ensemble with artistic director Ralph Nelson at the helm accompanied each piece. I heard it all online.
The concert began with Penn warming things up with a mellifluous “Bekennen will ich seinen Namen” from Bach’s Cantata 200. Green followed with “Frohe Hirten” from the “Christmas Oratorio,” conquering the treacherously high passages with elan. Next came Penn, who delivered a lovely, soul-searching “Schliesse, mein Herz.”
In the duet “Seid wachsam, ihr heiligen Wächter” from Cantata 149, Penn and Green’s voices balanced exceptionally well. Afterwards came “Liebster Jesu, mein verlangen” from Cantata 132 with heartfelt singing by Petroliūnaitė, representing the soul and Hebert as Jesus. The concert concluded with the foursome in the final chorale from that cantata.
Portland is fortunate to have a cadre of top-tier professional singers who can handle the many challenges of singing Bach, including incisive diction. I expect that they will team up with the choir in a couple of years to show an international audience in Leipzig that Bach’s music is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest.
---
For readers who would like to hear the choir, it will be in full force on December 17th for the Baroque Holiday Concert. I hope to see you there.
The concert began with Penn warming things up with a mellifluous “Bekennen will ich seinen Namen” from Bach’s Cantata 200. Green followed with “Frohe Hirten” from the “Christmas Oratorio,” conquering the treacherously high passages with elan. Next came Penn, who delivered a lovely, soul-searching “Schliesse, mein Herz.”
In the duet “Seid wachsam, ihr heiligen Wächter” from Cantata 149, Penn and Green’s voices balanced exceptionally well. Afterwards came “Liebster Jesu, mein verlangen” from Cantata 132 with heartfelt singing by Petroliūnaitė, representing the soul and Hebert as Jesus. The concert concluded with the foursome in the final chorale from that cantata.
Portland is fortunate to have a cadre of top-tier professional singers who can handle the many challenges of singing Bach, including incisive diction. I expect that they will team up with the choir in a couple of years to show an international audience in Leipzig that Bach’s music is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest.
---
For readers who would like to hear the choir, it will be in full force on December 17th for the Baroque Holiday Concert. I hope to see you there.
Today's Birthdays
Franz Gruber (1785-1863)
Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991)
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989)
Paul Desmond (1924-1977)
Sir John Drummond (1934-2006)
Jean-Claude Malgoire (1940)
Håkan Hagegård (1945)
Yvonne Kenny (1950)
Gilles Cachemaille (1951)
and
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)
Helen Hooven Santmyer (1895-1986)
Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
Murray Schisgal (1926-2020)
Shelagh Delaney (1938-2011)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1934, conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler's article "The Hindemith Case" defending Hindemith's music appears in several German newspapers. A response attacking both Hindemith and Furtwängler appears in the Nazi newspaper "Der Angriff" on November 28. Furtwängler resigns all his official German posts on December 4 and leaves Berlin for several months. On December 6 Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels denounces Hindemith as an "atonal noisemaker" during a speech at the Berlin Sport Palace.
Wilhelm Kempff (1895-1991)
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989)
Paul Desmond (1924-1977)
Sir John Drummond (1934-2006)
Jean-Claude Malgoire (1940)
Håkan Hagegård (1945)
Yvonne Kenny (1950)
Gilles Cachemaille (1951)
and
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)
Helen Hooven Santmyer (1895-1986)
Lewis Thomas (1913-1993)
Murray Schisgal (1926-2020)
Shelagh Delaney (1938-2011)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1934, conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler's article "The Hindemith Case" defending Hindemith's music appears in several German newspapers. A response attacking both Hindemith and Furtwängler appears in the Nazi newspaper "Der Angriff" on November 28. Furtwängler resigns all his official German posts on December 4 and leaves Berlin for several months. On December 6 Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels denounces Hindemith as an "atonal noisemaker" during a speech at the Berlin Sport Palace.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Last-minute conductor Andrew Grams elevates Stravinsky ballet and Ehnes delivers impeccable Mozart at Oregon Symphony concert
For the second time this season, the conductor scheduled to lead the Oregon Symphony concert could not enter the United States because of visa problems. Just a few weeks ago David Danzmayr stepped in for Jun Märkl to inspire the orchestra. This time around, Andrew Grams replaced Jonathon Heyward, who also could not enter the United States from Europe where he is the Chief Conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. But Grams really saved the evening (November 20) at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall because the program included Stravinsky’s “Agon,” a rarely performed ballet that could have been disastrous with a less-gifted director. In fact, Grams and the orchestra made the Stravinsky a highlight of the evening, rivaling the impeccable playing by James Ehnes of Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto. To top that off, Grams led the musicians in stirring performances of Kareem Roustom’s “Dabke” and Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.”
Stravinsky wrote “Agon” in the 12-tone technique, which can sound abstract, dissonant, and dry to the ears. But in Grams’ hands, “Agon” had shape and emotion that made its eccentricity fun to hear. It turns out that Grams, in his earlier career as a violinist, has played this piece numerous times. He elicited an exciting interpretation that skillfully accented the many quirky ensemble combinations, such as timpani, flutes, xylophone, trombones, and concertmaster Sarah Kwak playing in one of the movements. Another featured harp, mandolin, piano, timpani, flutes, basses, and cello. At times, the piece seemed to have an ancient, fragmentary allure, and that made me wonder how dancers would interpret it. It all flowed together so well that the audience rewarded it with sustained applause.
Ehnes, a frequent guest artist with the Oregon Symphony, delivered an elegant and inspired interpretation of Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 for violin and orchestra. Playing with impeccable clarity and control, Ehnes also gave each phrase just the right dash of salt and pepper to make the piece fresh and invigorating. It was a mesmerizing performance by a great artist who makes it all look so effortless. Enthusiastic applause and loud bravos brought Ehnes back to center stage several times, and I think that some folks wanted an encore, but they will have to wait for another engagement from the stellar Canadian virtuoso.
Digging into the rhythmic propulsion of “Dabke” by Syrian-American composer Kareem Roustom, the strings created terrific sonic textures with a Middle Eastern temperament. The violas and basses had a couple of flings with thrumming, thematic lines that jolted the piece forward. I loved the quick, sliding sounds and the intense pizzicato passages. Kwak and the principal strings deftly showed their expertise in several exposed sections, and the piece came across in stunning fashion, resulting in vigorous and loud acclaim from all corners of the hall.
The concert closed with a superb performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.” Highlights included the swirling, chaotic sounds of the fight scene, and the lush, romantic melody that soared with passion before descending into sadness – with the cellos and basses and finally the last heartbeats from the timpani signaling the lovers’ deaths. It was breathtaking to hear and concertgoers again responded with heartfelt acclamation.
Unsung hero
For his work behind the scenes, Charles Calmer, the orchestra’s vice president for artistic planning, deserves high praise. With only a four-day notice to find a conductor to replace Heyward, Calmer fortunately contacted Grams, who knew the Stravinsky piece forwards and backwards and led the hometown band in another exceptional concert. But with the pandemic still causing problems in Europe, it looks like Calmer will have to be at the ready in the New Year for more last-minute replacements. Hmmm.... maybe we will see Grams, who was until recently the music director of the Elgin Symphony, in the very near future.
Stravinsky wrote “Agon” in the 12-tone technique, which can sound abstract, dissonant, and dry to the ears. But in Grams’ hands, “Agon” had shape and emotion that made its eccentricity fun to hear. It turns out that Grams, in his earlier career as a violinist, has played this piece numerous times. He elicited an exciting interpretation that skillfully accented the many quirky ensemble combinations, such as timpani, flutes, xylophone, trombones, and concertmaster Sarah Kwak playing in one of the movements. Another featured harp, mandolin, piano, timpani, flutes, basses, and cello. At times, the piece seemed to have an ancient, fragmentary allure, and that made me wonder how dancers would interpret it. It all flowed together so well that the audience rewarded it with sustained applause.
Ehnes, a frequent guest artist with the Oregon Symphony, delivered an elegant and inspired interpretation of Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 for violin and orchestra. Playing with impeccable clarity and control, Ehnes also gave each phrase just the right dash of salt and pepper to make the piece fresh and invigorating. It was a mesmerizing performance by a great artist who makes it all look so effortless. Enthusiastic applause and loud bravos brought Ehnes back to center stage several times, and I think that some folks wanted an encore, but they will have to wait for another engagement from the stellar Canadian virtuoso.
Digging into the rhythmic propulsion of “Dabke” by Syrian-American composer Kareem Roustom, the strings created terrific sonic textures with a Middle Eastern temperament. The violas and basses had a couple of flings with thrumming, thematic lines that jolted the piece forward. I loved the quick, sliding sounds and the intense pizzicato passages. Kwak and the principal strings deftly showed their expertise in several exposed sections, and the piece came across in stunning fashion, resulting in vigorous and loud acclaim from all corners of the hall.
The concert closed with a superb performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.” Highlights included the swirling, chaotic sounds of the fight scene, and the lush, romantic melody that soared with passion before descending into sadness – with the cellos and basses and finally the last heartbeats from the timpani signaling the lovers’ deaths. It was breathtaking to hear and concertgoers again responded with heartfelt acclamation.
Unsung hero
For his work behind the scenes, Charles Calmer, the orchestra’s vice president for artistic planning, deserves high praise. With only a four-day notice to find a conductor to replace Heyward, Calmer fortunately contacted Grams, who knew the Stravinsky piece forwards and backwards and led the hometown band in another exceptional concert. But with the pandemic still causing problems in Europe, it looks like Calmer will have to be at the ready in the New Year for more last-minute replacements. Hmmm.... maybe we will see Grams, who was until recently the music director of the Elgin Symphony, in the very near future.
Today's Birthdays
Scott Joplin (1868-1917)
Willie ("The Lion") Smith (1897-1973)
Norman Walker (1907-1963)
Erik Bergman (1911-2006)
Emma Lou Diemer (1927)
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Maria Chiara (1939)
Chinary Ung (1942)
Tod Machover (1953)
Jouni Kaipainen (1956)
Edgar Meyer (1960)
Angelika Kirchschlager (1965)
and
Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677)
Laurence Sterne (1713-1768)
Margaret Anderson (1886-1973)
Dorothy Butler Gilliam (1936)
Nuruddin Farah (1945)
Arundhati Roy (1961)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1850, the legendary soprano Adelina Patti makes her operatic debut at age 16 in New York City, singing in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor."
Willie ("The Lion") Smith (1897-1973)
Norman Walker (1907-1963)
Erik Bergman (1911-2006)
Emma Lou Diemer (1927)
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Maria Chiara (1939)
Chinary Ung (1942)
Tod Machover (1953)
Jouni Kaipainen (1956)
Edgar Meyer (1960)
Angelika Kirchschlager (1965)
and
Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677)
Laurence Sterne (1713-1768)
Margaret Anderson (1886-1973)
Dorothy Butler Gilliam (1936)
Nuruddin Farah (1945)
Arundhati Roy (1961)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1850, the legendary soprano Adelina Patti makes her operatic debut at age 16 in New York City, singing in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor."
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Pierre Du Mage (1674-1751)
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
André Caplet (1878-1925)
Guy Reginald Bolton (1884-1979)
Jerry Bock (1928-2010)
Vigen Derderian (1929-2003)
Krzysztof Penderecki (1933)
Ludovico Einaudi (1955)
Thomas Zehetmair (1961)
Nicolas Bacri (1961)
Ed Harsh (1962)
and
Nirad C. Chaudhuri (1897-1999)
Paul Celan (1920-1950)
Jennifer Michael Hecht (1965)
and from the Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1889, the first jukebox was unveiled in a saloon in San Francisco. It was invented by Louis Glass, who had earlier worked as a telegraph operator for Western Union and then co-founded the Pacific Phonographic Company. He was fascinated by the phonograph technology and saw a market for charging people to listen to them, since phonographs were still too expensive to buy for your own home. He installed the machine in the Palais Royal saloon simply because he knew the owner and it was close to his house, so he didn’t have to carry the machine very far.
The word “jukebox” wasn’t invented until the 1920s. Glass called his machine the “nickel-in-the-slot phonograph,” since you had to pay a nickel to hear a song play. In today’s money, a nickel was about $1.27 at the time. The first machine had four different stethoscopes attached to it that functioned as headphones. Each pair of headphones had to be activated by putting in a nickel, and then several people could listen to the same song at once. There were towels left by each listening device so people could wipe them off after using. As part of his agreement with the saloonkeepers, at the end of each song, the machine told the listener to “go over to the bar and buy a drink.”
His phonograph was a huge hit and, at a conference in Chicago, Glass told his competitors that his first 15 machines brought in over $4,000 in six months. This led to other manufacturers making their own machines. Shortly after, Thomas Edison designed a phonograph people could buy for their homes, which also cut into the market. Glass’s invention eventually made the player piano obsolete, and competitors updated the jukebox with new technologies from record players to CDs. Now there is such a thing as a digital jukebox, but they never really caught on, since they come with the size and expense of a regular jukebox, without any of the charm of flipping through the records and watching the moving parts of the machine.
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
André Caplet (1878-1925)
Guy Reginald Bolton (1884-1979)
Jerry Bock (1928-2010)
Vigen Derderian (1929-2003)
Krzysztof Penderecki (1933)
Ludovico Einaudi (1955)
Thomas Zehetmair (1961)
Nicolas Bacri (1961)
Ed Harsh (1962)
and
Nirad C. Chaudhuri (1897-1999)
Paul Celan (1920-1950)
Jennifer Michael Hecht (1965)
and from the Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1889, the first jukebox was unveiled in a saloon in San Francisco. It was invented by Louis Glass, who had earlier worked as a telegraph operator for Western Union and then co-founded the Pacific Phonographic Company. He was fascinated by the phonograph technology and saw a market for charging people to listen to them, since phonographs were still too expensive to buy for your own home. He installed the machine in the Palais Royal saloon simply because he knew the owner and it was close to his house, so he didn’t have to carry the machine very far.
The word “jukebox” wasn’t invented until the 1920s. Glass called his machine the “nickel-in-the-slot phonograph,” since you had to pay a nickel to hear a song play. In today’s money, a nickel was about $1.27 at the time. The first machine had four different stethoscopes attached to it that functioned as headphones. Each pair of headphones had to be activated by putting in a nickel, and then several people could listen to the same song at once. There were towels left by each listening device so people could wipe them off after using. As part of his agreement with the saloonkeepers, at the end of each song, the machine told the listener to “go over to the bar and buy a drink.”
His phonograph was a huge hit and, at a conference in Chicago, Glass told his competitors that his first 15 machines brought in over $4,000 in six months. This led to other manufacturers making their own machines. Shortly after, Thomas Edison designed a phonograph people could buy for their homes, which also cut into the market. Glass’s invention eventually made the player piano obsolete, and competitors updated the jukebox with new technologies from record players to CDs. Now there is such a thing as a digital jukebox, but they never really caught on, since they come with the size and expense of a regular jukebox, without any of the charm of flipping through the records and watching the moving parts of the machine.
Monday, November 22, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Frantisek Benda (1709-1786)
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710-1784)
Conradin Kreutzer (1780-1849)
Edgard Varèse (1883-1965)
Hoagy Carmichael (1899-1981)
Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999)
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Gunther Schuller (1925-2015)
Jimmy Knepper (1927-2003)
Hans Zender (1936-2019)
Kent Nagano (1951)
Stephen Hough (1961)
Sumi Jo (1962)
and
George Eliot (1819-1880)
André Gide (1869-1951)
Winfred Rembert (1945-2021)
And from The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the feast day of Saint Cecilia, who was the patron saint of musicians because she sang to God as she died a martyr’s death. She was born to a noble family in Rome near the end of the second century A.D.
It wasn’t really until the 1400s that people really began to celebrate her widely as the patron saint of music. Then, in the 1500s, people in Normandy held a large musical festival to honor her, and the trend made its way to England in the next century. Henry Purcell composed celebratory odes to honor her, and the painter Raphael created a piece called “The Ecstasy of St. Cecilia.” Chaucer wrote about her in the Second Nonnes Tale, and Handel composed a score for a famous ode to her that John Dryden had written.
Today, Saint Cecilia is often commemorated in paintings and on stained glass windows as sitting at an organ.
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710-1784)
Conradin Kreutzer (1780-1849)
Edgard Varèse (1883-1965)
Hoagy Carmichael (1899-1981)
Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999)
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Gunther Schuller (1925-2015)
Jimmy Knepper (1927-2003)
Hans Zender (1936-2019)
Kent Nagano (1951)
Stephen Hough (1961)
Sumi Jo (1962)
and
George Eliot (1819-1880)
André Gide (1869-1951)
Winfred Rembert (1945-2021)
And from The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the feast day of Saint Cecilia, who was the patron saint of musicians because she sang to God as she died a martyr’s death. She was born to a noble family in Rome near the end of the second century A.D.
It wasn’t really until the 1400s that people really began to celebrate her widely as the patron saint of music. Then, in the 1500s, people in Normandy held a large musical festival to honor her, and the trend made its way to England in the next century. Henry Purcell composed celebratory odes to honor her, and the painter Raphael created a piece called “The Ecstasy of St. Cecilia.” Chaucer wrote about her in the Second Nonnes Tale, and Handel composed a score for a famous ode to her that John Dryden had written.
Today, Saint Cecilia is often commemorated in paintings and on stained glass windows as sitting at an organ.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909)
Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969)
Bernard Lagacé (1930)
Malcolm Williamson (1931-2003)
James DePreist (1936-2013)
Idil Biret (1941)
Vinson Cole (1950)
Kyle Gann (1955)
Stewart Wallace (1960)
Björk (1965)
and
Voltare (1694-1778)
Arthur Quiller-Couch (1863-1944)
Mary Johnston (1870-1936)
René Magritte (1898-1967)
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902-1991)
Marilyn French (1929-2009)
Tina Howe (1937)
Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969)
Bernard Lagacé (1930)
Malcolm Williamson (1931-2003)
James DePreist (1936-2013)
Idil Biret (1941)
Vinson Cole (1950)
Kyle Gann (1955)
Stewart Wallace (1960)
Björk (1965)
and
Voltare (1694-1778)
Arthur Quiller-Couch (1863-1944)
Mary Johnston (1870-1936)
René Magritte (1898-1967)
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902-1991)
Marilyn French (1929-2009)
Tina Howe (1937)
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Edmond Dédé (1827-1903)
Daniel Gregory Mason (1873-1953)
Maya Plisetskaya (1925-2015)
René Kolo (1937)
Gary Karr (1941)
Meredith Monk (1942)
Phillip Kent Bimstein (1947)
Barbara Hendricks (1948)
and
Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014)
Maya Plisetskaya (1925-2015)
R.W. Apple Jr. (1934-2006)
Don DeLillo (1936)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1805, Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" (1st version, with the "Leonore" Overture No. 2) was premiered in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien.
Daniel Gregory Mason (1873-1953)
Maya Plisetskaya (1925-2015)
René Kolo (1937)
Gary Karr (1941)
Meredith Monk (1942)
Phillip Kent Bimstein (1947)
Barbara Hendricks (1948)
and
Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014)
Maya Plisetskaya (1925-2015)
R.W. Apple Jr. (1934-2006)
Don DeLillo (1936)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1805, Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" (1st version, with the "Leonore" Overture No. 2) was premiered in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien.
Friday, November 19, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (1663-1712)
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859-1935)
Jean‑Yves Daniel‑Lesur (1908-2002)
Géza Anda (1921-1976)
Maralin Niska (1926-2010)
David Lloyd-Jones (1934)
Agnes Baltsa (1944)
Ross Bauer (1951)
and
Allen Tate (1899-1979)
Sharon Olds (1942)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
On this date in 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was four and a half months after the devastating battle, and it was a foggy, cold morning. Lincoln arrived about 10 a.m. Around noon, the sun came out as the crowds gathered on a hill overlooking the battlefield. A military band played, a local preacher offered a long prayer, and the headlining orator, Edward Everett, spoke for more than two hours. Everett described the Battle of Gettysburg in great detail, and he brought the audience to tears more than once. When Everett finished, Lincoln spoke.
Now considered one of the greatest speeches in American history, the Gettysburg Address ran for just over two minutes, fewer than 300 words, and only 10 sentences. It was so brief, in fact, that many of the 15,000 people that attended the ceremony didn't even realize that the president had spoken, because a photographer setting up his camera had momentarily distracted them. The next day, Everett told Lincoln, "I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes."
There are several versions of the speech, and five different manuscript copies; they're all slightly different, so there's some argument about which is the "authentic" version. Lincoln gave copies to both of his private secretaries, and the other three versions were re-written by the president some time after he made the speech. The Bliss Copy, named for Colonel Alexander Bliss, is the only copy that was signed and dated by Lincoln, and it's generally accepted as the official version for that reason.
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859-1935)
Jean‑Yves Daniel‑Lesur (1908-2002)
Géza Anda (1921-1976)
Maralin Niska (1926-2010)
David Lloyd-Jones (1934)
Agnes Baltsa (1944)
Ross Bauer (1951)
and
Allen Tate (1899-1979)
Sharon Olds (1942)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
On this date in 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was four and a half months after the devastating battle, and it was a foggy, cold morning. Lincoln arrived about 10 a.m. Around noon, the sun came out as the crowds gathered on a hill overlooking the battlefield. A military band played, a local preacher offered a long prayer, and the headlining orator, Edward Everett, spoke for more than two hours. Everett described the Battle of Gettysburg in great detail, and he brought the audience to tears more than once. When Everett finished, Lincoln spoke.
Now considered one of the greatest speeches in American history, the Gettysburg Address ran for just over two minutes, fewer than 300 words, and only 10 sentences. It was so brief, in fact, that many of the 15,000 people that attended the ceremony didn't even realize that the president had spoken, because a photographer setting up his camera had momentarily distracted them. The next day, Everett told Lincoln, "I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes."
There are several versions of the speech, and five different manuscript copies; they're all slightly different, so there's some argument about which is the "authentic" version. Lincoln gave copies to both of his private secretaries, and the other three versions were re-written by the president some time after he made the speech. The Bliss Copy, named for Colonel Alexander Bliss, is the only copy that was signed and dated by Lincoln, and it's generally accepted as the official version for that reason.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Jean‑Baptiste Loeillet (1680-1730)
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836-1911)
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941)
Amelita Galli‑Curci (1882-1963)
Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985)
Lillian Fuchs (1901-1995)
Compay Segundo (1907-2003)
Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)
Don Cherry (1936-1995)
Heinrich Schiff (1951)
Bernard d'Ascoli (1958)
and
Louis Daguerre (1787-1851)
Asa Gray (1810-1888)
George Gallup (1901-1984)
Margaret Atwood (1939)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1741, Handel arrives in Dublin for an extended stay, involving a number of concerts in the Irish capital, including the premiere of his latest oratorio "Messiah" the following Spring (Gregorian date: Nov. 29).
On this day in 1928, Mickey Mouse debuts in "Steamboat Willie," in New York. This was the first animated cartoon with synchronized pre-recorded sound effects and music -- the latter provided by organist and composer Carl Stalling of Kansas City. Stalling would later provide memorable music for many classic Warner Brothers cartoons.
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836-1911)
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941)
Amelita Galli‑Curci (1882-1963)
Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985)
Lillian Fuchs (1901-1995)
Compay Segundo (1907-2003)
Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)
Don Cherry (1936-1995)
Heinrich Schiff (1951)
Bernard d'Ascoli (1958)
and
Louis Daguerre (1787-1851)
Asa Gray (1810-1888)
George Gallup (1901-1984)
Margaret Atwood (1939)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1741, Handel arrives in Dublin for an extended stay, involving a number of concerts in the Irish capital, including the premiere of his latest oratorio "Messiah" the following Spring (Gregorian date: Nov. 29).
On this day in 1928, Mickey Mouse debuts in "Steamboat Willie," in New York. This was the first animated cartoon with synchronized pre-recorded sound effects and music -- the latter provided by organist and composer Carl Stalling of Kansas City. Stalling would later provide memorable music for many classic Warner Brothers cartoons.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Ernest Lough (1911-2000)
Hershy Kay (1919-1981)
Leonid Kogan (1924-1982)
Sir Charles Mackerras (1925-2010)
David Amram (1930)
Gene Clark (1941-1991)
Philip Picket (1950)
Philip Grange (1956)
and
Shelby Foote (1916-2006)
Hershy Kay (1919-1981)
Leonid Kogan (1924-1982)
Sir Charles Mackerras (1925-2010)
David Amram (1930)
Gene Clark (1941-1991)
Philip Picket (1950)
Philip Grange (1956)
and
Shelby Foote (1916-2006)
Today's Birthdays
Scott Joplin (1868-1917)
Willie ("The Lion") Smith (1897-1973)
Norman Walker (1907-1963)
Erik Bergman (1911-2006)
Emma Lou Diemer (1927)
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Maria Chiara (1939)
Chinary Ung (1942)
Tod Machover (1953)
Jouni Kaipainen (1956)
Edgar Meyer (1960)
Angelika Kirchschlager (1965)
and
Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677)
Laurence Sterne (1713-1768)
Margaret Anderson (1886-1973)
Dorothy Butler Gilliam (1936)
Nuruddin Farah (1945)
Arundhati Roy (1961)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1850, the legendary soprano Adelina Patti makes her operatic debut at age 16 in New York City, singing in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor."
Willie ("The Lion") Smith (1897-1973)
Norman Walker (1907-1963)
Erik Bergman (1911-2006)
Emma Lou Diemer (1927)
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Maria Chiara (1939)
Chinary Ung (1942)
Tod Machover (1953)
Jouni Kaipainen (1956)
Edgar Meyer (1960)
Angelika Kirchschlager (1965)
and
Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677)
Laurence Sterne (1713-1768)
Margaret Anderson (1886-1973)
Dorothy Butler Gilliam (1936)
Nuruddin Farah (1945)
Arundhati Roy (1961)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1850, the legendary soprano Adelina Patti makes her operatic debut at age 16 in New York City, singing in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor."
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Rodolphe Kreutzer (1766-1831)
Alfred Hill (1869-1960)
W. C. Handy (1873-1958)
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Burnet Tuthill (1888-1982)
Lawrence Tibbett (1896-1960)
Earl Wild (1915-2010)
David Wilson-Johnson (1950)
Donald Runnicles (1954)
and
George S. Kaufman (1889-1961)v José Saramago (1922-2010)
Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)
Andrea Barrett (1954)
Alfred Hill (1869-1960)
W. C. Handy (1873-1958)
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Burnet Tuthill (1888-1982)
Lawrence Tibbett (1896-1960)
Earl Wild (1915-2010)
David Wilson-Johnson (1950)
Donald Runnicles (1954)
and
George S. Kaufman (1889-1961)v José Saramago (1922-2010)
Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)
Andrea Barrett (1954)
Monday, November 15, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Sir William Herschel (1738-1822)
Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980)
Petula Clark (1932)
Peter Dickinson (1934)
Daniel Barenboim (1942
Pierre Jalbert (1967)
and
Gerhart Hauptmann (1862-1946)
Franklin Pierce Adams (1881-1960)
Georgia O'Keefe (1887-1986)
Marianne Moore (1887-1972)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1926, the first broadcast of a music program took place on the NBC radio network, featuring the New York Symphony conducted by Walter Damrosch, the New York Oratorio Society, and the Goldman Band, with vocal soloists Mary Garden and Tito Ruffo, and pianist Harold Bauer.
Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980)
Petula Clark (1932)
Peter Dickinson (1934)
Daniel Barenboim (1942
Pierre Jalbert (1967)
and
Gerhart Hauptmann (1862-1946)
Franklin Pierce Adams (1881-1960)
Georgia O'Keefe (1887-1986)
Marianne Moore (1887-1972)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1926, the first broadcast of a music program took place on the NBC radio network, featuring the New York Symphony conducted by Walter Damrosch, the New York Oratorio Society, and the Goldman Band, with vocal soloists Mary Garden and Tito Ruffo, and pianist Harold Bauer.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Danzmayr rescues Oregon Symphony program and Bronfman stars in Rachmaninoff concerto
Oregon Symphony’s new maestro, David Danzmayr, saved the day in last weekend’s series of concerts. The scheduled conductor, Jun Märkl, experienced visa problems and could not make it to this side of the pond. Danzmayr, who happened to be in town, stepped up and showed a lot of savvy on the podium at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on November 6, teaming up with Yefim Bronfman to dazzle the audience with Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3. Danzmayr and the orchestra topped that with finely honed interpretations of works by Modest Mussorgsky, Anna Clyne, and Richard Strauss
Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is considered one of the most difficult in the repertoire with very few pauses for the soloist. Bronfman started the piece quietly and shaped each phrase with care, which invited the listeners into the fantastic soundworld of the composer. His articulation, even while racing up and down the keyboard, was amazing. He demonstrated terrific control, especially exposed in the cadenzas, where he could accelerate into bravura, splashier passages and then shift effortlessly into slow and gentle ones that were as delicate as a daisy.
The orchestra supported Bronfman’s playing deftly. The brief, muted horns in the first movement were just perfect. Kudos to all of the musicians for making the concerto a hit. The patrons in the hall cheered with gusto after the grand finale, calling Bronfman back to the stage several times. He calmed things down by offering a tender Chopin nocturne as an encore. That was wonderful.
The program opened with the Introduction (“Dawn on the Moskva River”) to Mussorgsky’s opera “Khovantchina.” Evoking the tranquility of a morning along the water’s edge, the orchestra created hushed and lovely hues that included bell-like chords from the horns and a touching sense of longing from the flute and clarinet solos.
Anna Clyne’s “This Midnight Hour” opened with a furious, rhythmic rush from the lower strings that seesawed to the brass and back to the lower strings – setting the stage for more sonic turbulence that spread into every section of the orchestra, developing into a chaotic swirl. From this point, a melodic line emerged, and gradually a sense of relaxed order settled in – with two trumpets, stationed in the choir loft behind the orchestra, playing repetitive descending lines that differed slightly. Everything quieted down to a pianissimo until a very loud strike from the timpani marked the end of the piece.
Clyne’s piece seemed to suggest the state of someone who was dealing with a mental episode. In any case, it was an appropriate segue to Strauss’ “Til Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” which received a splendid performance from the orchestra. Principal French horn, Jeff Garza led the way in creating the jocular tune of the legendary prankster. The musicians expertly conveyed his shenanigans all the way to the gallows.
It was terrific to see Danzmayr rescue the program with top-notch conducting. The orchestra is in good hands.
Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is considered one of the most difficult in the repertoire with very few pauses for the soloist. Bronfman started the piece quietly and shaped each phrase with care, which invited the listeners into the fantastic soundworld of the composer. His articulation, even while racing up and down the keyboard, was amazing. He demonstrated terrific control, especially exposed in the cadenzas, where he could accelerate into bravura, splashier passages and then shift effortlessly into slow and gentle ones that were as delicate as a daisy.
The orchestra supported Bronfman’s playing deftly. The brief, muted horns in the first movement were just perfect. Kudos to all of the musicians for making the concerto a hit. The patrons in the hall cheered with gusto after the grand finale, calling Bronfman back to the stage several times. He calmed things down by offering a tender Chopin nocturne as an encore. That was wonderful.
The program opened with the Introduction (“Dawn on the Moskva River”) to Mussorgsky’s opera “Khovantchina.” Evoking the tranquility of a morning along the water’s edge, the orchestra created hushed and lovely hues that included bell-like chords from the horns and a touching sense of longing from the flute and clarinet solos.
Anna Clyne’s “This Midnight Hour” opened with a furious, rhythmic rush from the lower strings that seesawed to the brass and back to the lower strings – setting the stage for more sonic turbulence that spread into every section of the orchestra, developing into a chaotic swirl. From this point, a melodic line emerged, and gradually a sense of relaxed order settled in – with two trumpets, stationed in the choir loft behind the orchestra, playing repetitive descending lines that differed slightly. Everything quieted down to a pianissimo until a very loud strike from the timpani marked the end of the piece.
Clyne’s piece seemed to suggest the state of someone who was dealing with a mental episode. In any case, it was an appropriate segue to Strauss’ “Til Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” which received a splendid performance from the orchestra. Principal French horn, Jeff Garza led the way in creating the jocular tune of the legendary prankster. The musicians expertly conveyed his shenanigans all the way to the gallows.
It was terrific to see Danzmayr rescue the program with top-notch conducting. The orchestra is in good hands.
Labels:
David Danzmayr,
Oregon Symphony,
Yefim Bronfman
Today's Birthdays
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)
Fanny Hensel (1805-1847)
Rev. John Curwen (1816-1880)
Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Leonie Rysanek (1926-1998)
Jorge Bolet (1914-1990)
Narciso Yepes (1927-1997)
Robert Lurtsema (1931-2000)
Peter Katin (1930-2015)
Ellis Marsalis (1934-2020)
William Averitt (1948)
and
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002)
William Steig (1907-2003)
Fanny Hensel (1805-1847)
Rev. John Curwen (1816-1880)
Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Leonie Rysanek (1926-1998)
Jorge Bolet (1914-1990)
Narciso Yepes (1927-1997)
Robert Lurtsema (1931-2000)
Peter Katin (1930-2015)
Ellis Marsalis (1934-2020)
William Averitt (1948)
and
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002)
William Steig (1907-2003)
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Jan Zach (1699-1773)
Louis Lefébure-Wély (1817-1870)
Brinley Richards (1817-1885)
George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931)
Marguerite Long (1874-1966)
Joonas Kokkoken (1921-1996)
Lothar Zagrosek (1942)
Martin Bresnick (1946)
and
St. Augustine (354-430)
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
George V. Higgins (1939-1999)
Eamon Grennan (1941)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1937, the first "official" radio broadcast by the NBC Symphony Orchestra took place with Pierre Monteux conducting. Arthur Rodzinski had conducted a "dress rehearsal" broadcast on Nov. 2, 1937. Arturo Toscanini's debut broadcast with the NBC Symphony would occur on Christmas Day, 1937.
Louis Lefébure-Wély (1817-1870)
Brinley Richards (1817-1885)
George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931)
Marguerite Long (1874-1966)
Joonas Kokkoken (1921-1996)
Lothar Zagrosek (1942)
Martin Bresnick (1946)
and
St. Augustine (354-430)
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
George V. Higgins (1939-1999)
Eamon Grennan (1941)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1937, the first "official" radio broadcast by the NBC Symphony Orchestra took place with Pierre Monteux conducting. Arthur Rodzinski had conducted a "dress rehearsal" broadcast on Nov. 2, 1937. Arturo Toscanini's debut broadcast with the NBC Symphony would occur on Christmas Day, 1937.
Friday, November 12, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)
Jean Papineau-Couture (1916-2000)
Michael Langdon (1920-1991)
Lucia Popp (1939-1993)
Neil Young (1945)
and
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
Roland Barthes (1915-1980)
Michael Ende (1929-1995)
Tracy Kidder (1945)
Katherine Weber (1955)
From the New Music Box:
On November 12, 1925, cornetist Louis Armstrong made the first recordings with a group under his own name for Okeh Records in Chicago, Illinois. The group, called Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, recorded his original compositions, "Gut Bucket Blues" and "Yes! I'm In The Barrel" (Okeh 8261) as well as "My Heart" composed by his wife Lil Hardin who was the pianist in the band. (The flipside of the 78 rpm record on which the latter was issued, Okeh 8320, was "Armstrong's composition "Cornet Chop Suey" recorded three months later on February 26, 1926.) Armstrong's Hot Five and subsequent Hot Seven recordings are widely considered to be the earliest masterpieces of recorded jazz.
Jean Papineau-Couture (1916-2000)
Michael Langdon (1920-1991)
Lucia Popp (1939-1993)
Neil Young (1945)
and
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
Roland Barthes (1915-1980)
Michael Ende (1929-1995)
Tracy Kidder (1945)
Katherine Weber (1955)
From the New Music Box:
On November 12, 1925, cornetist Louis Armstrong made the first recordings with a group under his own name for Okeh Records in Chicago, Illinois. The group, called Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, recorded his original compositions, "Gut Bucket Blues" and "Yes! I'm In The Barrel" (Okeh 8261) as well as "My Heart" composed by his wife Lil Hardin who was the pianist in the band. (The flipside of the 78 rpm record on which the latter was issued, Okeh 8320, was "Armstrong's composition "Cornet Chop Suey" recorded three months later on February 26, 1926.) Armstrong's Hot Five and subsequent Hot Seven recordings are widely considered to be the earliest masterpieces of recorded jazz.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Noah Stewart's ringing tenor highlights Portland Opera's "Tosca"
Alexandra LoBianco and Noah Stewart | Photo by Cory Weaver |
Noah Stewart stole the show on opening night (October 29) of Portland Opera’s recent production of Puccini’s “Tosca.” His portrayal of Tosca’s lover Cavaradossi, replete with ringing top notes, was stunning. His “Vittoria! Vittoria!” practically blew the roof off of Keller Auditorium, which is hard to do, given the size of the place. But he wasn’t a tenor with only double-fortes in his holster. He captivated the audience with a soul-searching “E lucevan le stelle” and easily scaled his voice down to soft pianissimos that evoked passion and sensitivity.
Alexandra LoBianco, in the title role, displayed a gorgeous timbre from the tip-top notes to the depths of the soprano register. Her singing of “Vissi d’arte” was convincing, but she needed more volume to match up with Stewart. LoBianco’s portrayal of a jealous and somewhat shallow woman who turns into a heroine was spot on, and at one point in the second act, she became so deeply involved in her character that, when trying to evade the clutches of the chief of police, Scarpia, she forcefully banged into the stage scenery.
In creating a thoroughly despicable Scarpia, Gordon Hawkins exuded an unhurried, powerful, and menacing presence – all of which was lubricated by his polished baritone. Katherine Goforth’s Spoletta deftly showed fearlessness and fearfulness while helping to carry out Scarpia’s designs. This contrasted well with the Zachary Lenox’s Sciarrone, who aided and abetted Scarpia without hesitation. Deac Guidi fashioned a buffo Sacristan with a duo nature – pious on the outside yet not above taking money from the church’s coffers. As the escaped political prisoner, Angelotti, Damien Geter could have been more desperate, but his role as the bored jailer worked well.
Gordon Hawkins | Photo by Cory Weaver |
Linda Brovsky, in her Portland Opera debut as stage director, paced the story crisply, providing a nuance here and there, such as Spoletta surreptitiously making the sign of the cross when he had to oversee one of Scarpia’s nasty requests. Traditional costumes by Christine A. Richardson were perfectly attuned to the scenery of the Stivanello Costume Company, which showed a tired and worn-out Rome. All was expertly presented by Connie Yun’s lighting.
Deac Guidi | Photo by Cory Weaver |
Although they had not played in twenty months because of the pandemic, the orchestra was fully revved up and charged into the music with gusto. Conductor Tiffany Chang, making her company debut on the podium, elicited a robust sound from the musicians. Nicholas Fox prepared the chorus, which sang with gusto
The evening began with general director Sue Dixon and artistic director Priti Gandhi extending a warm welcome to the audience before the curtain went up. If you missed this production, I can heartily recommend that you view it via Portland Opera Onscreen, which will be available from November 16 to December 31st. You will catch Stewart in a stellar performance, and that may be the harbinger of a pretty fantastic future for him.
Today's Birthdays
Bernhard Romberg (1767-1841)
Frederick Stock (1872-1942)
Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969)
Jan Simons (1925-2006)
Arthur Cunningham (1928-1997)
Vernon Handley (1930-2008)
Harry Bramma (1936)
Jennifer Bate (1944)
Fang Man (1977)
and
Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881)
Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)
Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012)
Mary Gaitskill (1955)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1898, shortly after it was finished, the painting “Nevermore” by Gaugin is purchased by the English composer Frederick Delius. The painting was inspired by Poe’s famous poem and is now in the collection of London’s Cortland Gallery.
Frederick Stock (1872-1942)
Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969)
Jan Simons (1925-2006)
Arthur Cunningham (1928-1997)
Vernon Handley (1930-2008)
Harry Bramma (1936)
Jennifer Bate (1944)
Fang Man (1977)
and
Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881)
Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)
Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012)
Mary Gaitskill (1955)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1898, shortly after it was finished, the painting “Nevermore” by Gaugin is purchased by the English composer Frederick Delius. The painting was inspired by Poe’s famous poem and is now in the collection of London’s Cortland Gallery.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
François Couperin (1668-1733)
John Phillips Marquand (1873-1949)
Carl Stalling (1891-1972)
Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)
Graham Clark (1941)
Sir Tim Rice (1944)
Andreas Scholl (1967)
and
Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774)
Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805)
Vachel Lindsey (1879-1931)
John Phillips Marquand (1893-1960)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1900, Russian pianist Ossip Gabrilowitsch makes his Carnegie Hall debut in New York City during his first American tour. In 1909 he married contralto Clara Clemens, the daughter of the American writer Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain.
François Couperin (1668-1733)
John Phillips Marquand (1873-1949)
Carl Stalling (1891-1972)
Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)
Graham Clark (1941)
Sir Tim Rice (1944)
Andreas Scholl (1967)
and
Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774)
Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805)
Vachel Lindsey (1879-1931)
John Phillips Marquand (1893-1960)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1900, Russian pianist Ossip Gabrilowitsch makes his Carnegie Hall debut in New York City during his first American tour. In 1909 he married contralto Clara Clemens, the daughter of the American writer Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain.
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Burrill Phillips (1907-1988)
Pierrette Alarie (1921-2011)
Piero Cappuccilli (1929-2005)
Ivan Moravec (1930-2015)
William Thomas McKinley (1938-2015)
Thomas Quasthoff (1959)
Bryn Terfel (1965)
and
Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883)
Hugh Leonard (1926-2009)
Anne Sexton (1928-1974)
Carl Sagan (1934-1996)
Pierrette Alarie (1921-2011)
Piero Cappuccilli (1929-2005)
Ivan Moravec (1930-2015)
William Thomas McKinley (1938-2015)
Thomas Quasthoff (1959)
Bryn Terfel (1965)
and
Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883)
Hugh Leonard (1926-2009)
Anne Sexton (1928-1974)
Carl Sagan (1934-1996)
Monday, November 8, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Friedrich Witt (1770-1836)
Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953)
Lamberto Gardelli (1915-1938)
Jerome Hines (1921-2003)
Richard Stoker (1938)
Simon Standage (1941)
Judith Zaimont (1945)
Tadaaki Otaka (1947)
Elizabeth Gale (1948)
Bonnie Raitt (1949)
Ana Vidović (1980)
and
Dorothy Day (1897-1980)
Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949)
Raja Rao (1908-2006)
Kazuo Ishiguro (1954)
Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953)
Lamberto Gardelli (1915-1938)
Jerome Hines (1921-2003)
Richard Stoker (1938)
Simon Standage (1941)
Judith Zaimont (1945)
Tadaaki Otaka (1947)
Elizabeth Gale (1948)
Bonnie Raitt (1949)
Ana Vidović (1980)
and
Dorothy Day (1897-1980)
Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949)
Raja Rao (1908-2006)
Kazuo Ishiguro (1954)
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Ferenc (Franz) Erkel (1810-1893)
Efrem Kurtz (1900-1995)
William Alwyn (1905-1985)
Al Hirt (1922-1999)
Dame Joan Sutherland (1926-2010)
Dame Gwyneth Jones (1937)
Joni Mitchell (1943)
Judith Forst (1943)
Christina Viola Oorebeek (1944)
and
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Albert Camus (1913-1960)
Benny Andersen (1929-2018)
Stephen Greenblatt (1943)
Efrem Kurtz (1900-1995)
William Alwyn (1905-1985)
Al Hirt (1922-1999)
Dame Joan Sutherland (1926-2010)
Dame Gwyneth Jones (1937)
Joni Mitchell (1943)
Judith Forst (1943)
Christina Viola Oorebeek (1944)
and
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Albert Camus (1913-1960)
Benny Andersen (1929-2018)
Stephen Greenblatt (1943)
Saturday, November 6, 2021
HK Guber's eccentric Frankenstein!! highlights Oregon Symphony concert
It was a mixed bag sort of evening at the Oregon Symphony’s concert on October 30 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The program, led by the orchestra’s new music director, David Danzmayr, offered a musical sampler of German and Austrian nougats that ranged from the high Baroque to contemporary music. But no piece topped the uniqueness of HK Gruber’s “Frankenstein!!” with the composer himself as soloist.
Laced with sardonic humor that bordered at times on the macabre, “Frankenstein!!,” (subtitled “A Pan-demonium for Baritone Chansonnier and Ensemble after Children’s Rhymes”) used text by Hans Carl Artmann to warn against monsters, vampires, werewolves, and the like. That fell in the tradition of “Max and Moritz” and Grimm’s “Fairy Tales.” Gruber’s Sprechstimme – from falsetto highs to basement-basso lows – terrifically conveyed the teasing, cheeky text that caused some chuckles from the audience. He skillfully commanded an array of toy instruments that included a slide whistle and a tiny bugle.
The orchestra supported Gruber with glee from the get-go with timpanist Jonathan Greeney blowing up, popping, and tossing paper bags into the horn section. The musicians doubled the fun with melodicas and colorful whirligigs. At one point they stood up – with the strings using their bows to make the sign of the cross – and sang a ditty about stopping an attack by a baby vampire. Overall, “Frankenstein!!” created some mirth in a nod to Halloween, but, as the program notes mentioned, it may have some subtext that questions who the real monsters are.
Another highlight of the evening should have been Bach’s Concerto in C minor for Oboe, Violin and String Orchestra, but it was difficult to hear the soloists, Martin Hébert and Sarah Kwak. It seemed that the new Constellation Sound System was turned off or that the accompanying string section was just too large. Hébert’s elegant and rich tone and Kwak’s silky lines came through best during the pianissimo sections, and it was impossible to hear the harpsichord except for the very last chord at the end of a phrase. One of the coolest moments in the piece came when Hébert reached over to Kwak’s music stand to turn a page of her score while he was holding at note. I’ve never seen that before!
Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”) received a superb performance by the orchestra, replete with dynamic contrasts that made each passage in the piece intriguing and delicious to hear. The beautiful duet in the third movement was outstandingly played by flutist Martha Long and oboist Karen Wagner. Danzmayr’s dazzling conducting contributed to the stellar effort by his colleagues. Dipping, stretching, crouching – you name it - every gesture was distinct and perfect for the each phrase and never repeated. Amazing!
The concert concluded with an impressive rendition of Johann Strauss Jr’s “Kaiser Walzer” (“Emperor Waltzes”). Again, the orchestra excelled with dynamics, delivering dramatically bold statements and delicate diminuendos among many other nuances that sent the audience out the door with a smile.
Laced with sardonic humor that bordered at times on the macabre, “Frankenstein!!,” (subtitled “A Pan-demonium for Baritone Chansonnier and Ensemble after Children’s Rhymes”) used text by Hans Carl Artmann to warn against monsters, vampires, werewolves, and the like. That fell in the tradition of “Max and Moritz” and Grimm’s “Fairy Tales.” Gruber’s Sprechstimme – from falsetto highs to basement-basso lows – terrifically conveyed the teasing, cheeky text that caused some chuckles from the audience. He skillfully commanded an array of toy instruments that included a slide whistle and a tiny bugle.
The orchestra supported Gruber with glee from the get-go with timpanist Jonathan Greeney blowing up, popping, and tossing paper bags into the horn section. The musicians doubled the fun with melodicas and colorful whirligigs. At one point they stood up – with the strings using their bows to make the sign of the cross – and sang a ditty about stopping an attack by a baby vampire. Overall, “Frankenstein!!” created some mirth in a nod to Halloween, but, as the program notes mentioned, it may have some subtext that questions who the real monsters are.
Another highlight of the evening should have been Bach’s Concerto in C minor for Oboe, Violin and String Orchestra, but it was difficult to hear the soloists, Martin Hébert and Sarah Kwak. It seemed that the new Constellation Sound System was turned off or that the accompanying string section was just too large. Hébert’s elegant and rich tone and Kwak’s silky lines came through best during the pianissimo sections, and it was impossible to hear the harpsichord except for the very last chord at the end of a phrase. One of the coolest moments in the piece came when Hébert reached over to Kwak’s music stand to turn a page of her score while he was holding at note. I’ve never seen that before!
Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”) received a superb performance by the orchestra, replete with dynamic contrasts that made each passage in the piece intriguing and delicious to hear. The beautiful duet in the third movement was outstandingly played by flutist Martha Long and oboist Karen Wagner. Danzmayr’s dazzling conducting contributed to the stellar effort by his colleagues. Dipping, stretching, crouching – you name it - every gesture was distinct and perfect for the each phrase and never repeated. Amazing!
The concert concluded with an impressive rendition of Johann Strauss Jr’s “Kaiser Walzer” (“Emperor Waltzes”). Again, the orchestra excelled with dynamics, delivering dramatically bold statements and delicate diminuendos among many other nuances that sent the audience out the door with a smile.
Labels:
David Danzmayr,
HK Gruber,
Martin Hébert,
Oregon Symphony,
Sarah Kwak
Today's Birthdays
Adolphe Sax (1814-1894)
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
Don Lusher (1923-2006)
James Bowman (1941)
Arturo Sandoval (1949)
Daniele Gatti (1961)
and
Robert Musil (1880-1942)
Harold Ross (1892-1951)
Ann Porter (1911-2011)
James Jones (1921-1977)
Michael Cunningham (1952)
From The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the birthday of the March King, John Philip Sousa, born in Washington, D.C. (1854). His father was a U.S. Marine Band trombonist, and he signed John up as an apprentice to the band after the boy tried to run away from home to join the circus. By the time he was 13 years old, Sousa could play violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone, trombone, and was a pretty good singer too. At 26, he was leading the Marine Band and writing the first of his 136 marches, including “Semper Fidelis,” which became the official march of the Corps, and “The Washington Post March.” In addition to those marches, he wrote nearly a dozen light operas, and as many waltzes too; and he wrote three novels. But he’s best known for “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
Don Lusher (1923-2006)
James Bowman (1941)
Arturo Sandoval (1949)
Daniele Gatti (1961)
and
Robert Musil (1880-1942)
Harold Ross (1892-1951)
Ann Porter (1911-2011)
James Jones (1921-1977)
Michael Cunningham (1952)
From The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the birthday of the March King, John Philip Sousa, born in Washington, D.C. (1854). His father was a U.S. Marine Band trombonist, and he signed John up as an apprentice to the band after the boy tried to run away from home to join the circus. By the time he was 13 years old, Sousa could play violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone, trombone, and was a pretty good singer too. At 26, he was leading the Marine Band and writing the first of his 136 marches, including “Semper Fidelis,” which became the official march of the Corps, and “The Washington Post March.” In addition to those marches, he wrote nearly a dozen light operas, and as many waltzes too; and he wrote three novels. But he’s best known for “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Friday, November 5, 2021
Portland Baroque Orchestra reignites with Aisslinn Nosky
The vibrancy of the music-making was in no small part due to Nosky, who also made her debut as one of the orchestra’s artistic advisors (there is a quartet of them). Her artistry, technical wizardry, and charismatic personality are an infectious concoction. She also gave brief and informative introductions to the pieces on the programming, adding a bit of personal flavor, which gave us a bit of insight into her relationship with the music.
Straight away in the opening bars of Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in D Major (Opus 6, No.4), you could practically feel the sonic breeze in the hall. The playful exchange of lines between Nosky and principal second violinist Rob Diggins highlighted the first movement. The second settled into a soothing, balm-like melody before transitioning to a sprightly, upbeat ending that featured dueling lines for Nosky and Diggins.
Handel’s Concerto Grosso in F Major (Opus 6, No. 9) began with expansive, stately tones that transitioned superbly to the spirited discourse between Nosky and the orchestra. The lovely duet between Nosky and Diggins created a terrific sense of longing.
Next came a mesmerizing Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A minor from “L’estro armónico” (Opus 3, No. 6) featured Nosky’s fleet fingers and deft articulation that contrasted perfectly with the beautifully shaped Largo. After the piece ended, sustained, enthusiastic applause brought her back to center stage a second time.
The orchestra delivered wonderfully lyrical passages in Handel’s Concerto Grosso in G Minor (Opus 6, No. 6) and matched them with polished and silky tones in the fast sections. The concert finished with an exciting Corelli Concerto Grosso in B-flat Major, (Opus 6, No. 11) that was crowned with blazingly deft lines by the violincello. The audience loved it all and responded immediately with a loud, standing ovation.
A snafu with livestreaming caused the concert to begin ten minutes late, but that was the only glitch. Whether you heard this PBO performance in the concert hall or in the comfort of your living room, it was outstanding and bodes well for the future of this ensemble.
Today's Birthdays
Hans Sachs (1494-1576)
Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961)
Walter Gieselking (1895-1956)
Claus Adam (1917-1983)
György Cziffra (1921-1994)
Nicholas Maw (1935-2009)
Anthony Rolfe Johnson (1940-2010)
Art Garfunkel (1941)
Gram Parsons (1946-1973)
Orli Shaham (1975)
and
Ida M. Tarbell (1867-1944)
Raymond Duchamp-Villon (1876-1918)
Thomas Flanagan (1923-2002)
Sam Shephard (1943)
Vandana Shiva (1952)
Diana Abu-Jabar (1960)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1955, Karl Böhm conducts a performance of Beethoven's "Fidelio" at the gala re-opening of Vienna Opera House (damaged by Allied bombs on March 12, 1945). During the rebuilding of the Opera House, performances had continued in two nearby Viennese halls: the Theatre and der Wien and the Volksoper.
Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961)
Walter Gieselking (1895-1956)
Claus Adam (1917-1983)
György Cziffra (1921-1994)
Nicholas Maw (1935-2009)
Anthony Rolfe Johnson (1940-2010)
Art Garfunkel (1941)
Gram Parsons (1946-1973)
Orli Shaham (1975)
and
Ida M. Tarbell (1867-1944)
Raymond Duchamp-Villon (1876-1918)
Thomas Flanagan (1923-2002)
Sam Shephard (1943)
Vandana Shiva (1952)
Diana Abu-Jabar (1960)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1955, Karl Böhm conducts a performance of Beethoven's "Fidelio" at the gala re-opening of Vienna Opera House (damaged by Allied bombs on March 12, 1945). During the rebuilding of the Opera House, performances had continued in two nearby Viennese halls: the Theatre and der Wien and the Volksoper.
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Carl Tausig (1841-1871)
Arnold Cooke (1906-2005)
Elgar Howarth (1935)
Joan Rodgers (1956)
Elena Kats-Chernin (1957)
Daron Hagen (1961)
and
Will Rogers (1879-1935)
C. K. Williams (1936-2015)
Charles Frazier (1950))
Arnold Cooke (1906-2005)
Elgar Howarth (1935)
Joan Rodgers (1956)
Elena Kats-Chernin (1957)
Daron Hagen (1961)
and
Will Rogers (1879-1935)
C. K. Williams (1936-2015)
Charles Frazier (1950))
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654)
Vincenzio Bellini (1801-1835)
Vladimir Ussachevsky (1911-1990)
and
Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571)
William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878)
Ignatius Donnelly (1831-1901)
Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879-1962)
Walker Evans (1903-1975)
Terrence McNally (1939)
Martin Cruz Smith (1942)
Joe Queenan (1950)
Vincenzio Bellini (1801-1835)
Vladimir Ussachevsky (1911-1990)
and
Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571)
William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878)
Ignatius Donnelly (1831-1901)
Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879-1962)
Walker Evans (1903-1975)
Terrence McNally (1939)
Martin Cruz Smith (1942)
Joe Queenan (1950)
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer (1692-1766)
Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799)
Count Andrey Razumovsky (1752-1836)
John Foulds (1880-1939)
Luchino Visconti (1906-1976)
Douglas Lilburn (1915-2001)
Harold Farberman (1929-2018)
Guiseppe Sinopoli (1946-2001)
Jeremy Menuhin (1951)
Marie McLaughlin (1954)
Paul Moravec (1957)
and
George Boole (1815-1864)
C.K. Williams (1936-2015)
Thomas Mallon (1951)
Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799)
Count Andrey Razumovsky (1752-1836)
John Foulds (1880-1939)
Luchino Visconti (1906-1976)
Douglas Lilburn (1915-2001)
Harold Farberman (1929-2018)
Guiseppe Sinopoli (1946-2001)
Jeremy Menuhin (1951)
Marie McLaughlin (1954)
Paul Moravec (1957)
and
George Boole (1815-1864)
C.K. Williams (1936-2015)
Thomas Mallon (1951)
Monday, November 1, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Roger Quilter (1877-1953)
Eugen Jochum (1902-1987)
Bruno Bjelinski (1909-1992)
Victoria de Los Angeles (1923-2005)
William Mathias (1934-1992)
Lyle Lovett (1957)
and
Stephen Crane (1871-1900)
Grantland Rice (1880-1954)
A. R. Gurney (1930-2017)
Edward Said (1935-2003)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1830, Chopin’s friends in Warsaw throw a festival “bon voyage” dinner for the composer-pianist on the eve of his departure for Paris. As it turned out, he would never return to his native land.
Eugen Jochum (1902-1987)
Bruno Bjelinski (1909-1992)
Victoria de Los Angeles (1923-2005)
William Mathias (1934-1992)
Lyle Lovett (1957)
and
Stephen Crane (1871-1900)
Grantland Rice (1880-1954)
A. R. Gurney (1930-2017)
Edward Said (1935-2003)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1830, Chopin’s friends in Warsaw throw a festival “bon voyage” dinner for the composer-pianist on the eve of his departure for Paris. As it turned out, he would never return to his native land.
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Vancouver Symphony concert overcomes acoustically challenged venue
Since the beginning of this season, the Vancouver Symphony has been on the move. Literally. The orchestra has been unable to use its regular venue at Skyview Concert Hall because the school district has forbidden rentals of its facilities to outsiders due to COVID. This decision caused the plucky ensemble to scramble for another performance space, which resulted in the downtown Portland’s Newmark Theatre as the only option for the first concert series of the season. For its second set, the musicians travelled a few miles north of Vancouver and played at the ilani Casino where I heard them play on last Saturday (October 23) evening.
You might not think of a gaming palace as a place for a classical music event, but once you got past the gauntlet of glitzy machines, roulette wheels, card games, huge screens projecting football, baseball, basketball, food courts, fancy bars, and swanky restaurants, you could enjoy sitting in the darkened and hushed space of the Cowlitz Ballroom. The hustle and bustle of gamers winning and losing seemed far away.
However, the orchestra was surrounded on three sides by heavy curtains, and the drapery diminished the amount of sound from the musicians. So crescendo and decrescendos were subdued, and the volume confined to the soft to medium-loud range.
The setting meant that Ravel’s “Pavane for a dead princess,” a mellow number, became mellower. The lovely and clear tone from the French horn of Charles Crabtree was a highlight of the piece, but I didn’t hear it swell or diminish. The orchestra, under music director Salvador Brotons, delivered a stately and somber “Pavane,” with the acoustics of the ballroom reducing the music’s impact.
The Suite from Stravinsky’s ballet “Pulcinella” faired a little better through its shifting between movements are sprightly and those that are solemn. The woodwinds showed fine work with various combinations, including trio involving the flute, French horn, and bassoon. Concertmaster Eva Richey excelled in her brief solos. The brass delivered several good licks and the trombone and bass duet had a wonderful lopsided charm.
Even with the acoustical challenges, Debussy’s “Petite Suite” received a sensitive interpretation. The flutes (principal Rachel Rencher and Corrie Cook) started the gentle motion of drifting along in a boat on summer day. The second movement evoked a carefree stroll, and the courtly dance of the third had a light step, and the last movement ended robustly.
Urged on by Brotons, the orchestra convincingly swept the audience into the melodies in Kodály’s “Dances of Galánta.” Following the extended solo by principal clarinetist Igor Shakhman, each section of the orchestra had a moment to shine. The fortes finally came through and the orchestra caught the spirit of the piece, including the whirlwind passages the end of the piece, and that inspired the audience to a standing ovation.
But the “Dances of Galánta” would have been much more thrilling at Skyview Concert Hall, which has much better acoustics. The good news, announced at the beginning of the concert, is that the orchestra will return to its home base for the next concert with Broadway star Liz Callaway. That should prove to be an exciting homecoming, a superior treat for the ears.
You might not think of a gaming palace as a place for a classical music event, but once you got past the gauntlet of glitzy machines, roulette wheels, card games, huge screens projecting football, baseball, basketball, food courts, fancy bars, and swanky restaurants, you could enjoy sitting in the darkened and hushed space of the Cowlitz Ballroom. The hustle and bustle of gamers winning and losing seemed far away.
However, the orchestra was surrounded on three sides by heavy curtains, and the drapery diminished the amount of sound from the musicians. So crescendo and decrescendos were subdued, and the volume confined to the soft to medium-loud range.
The setting meant that Ravel’s “Pavane for a dead princess,” a mellow number, became mellower. The lovely and clear tone from the French horn of Charles Crabtree was a highlight of the piece, but I didn’t hear it swell or diminish. The orchestra, under music director Salvador Brotons, delivered a stately and somber “Pavane,” with the acoustics of the ballroom reducing the music’s impact.
The Suite from Stravinsky’s ballet “Pulcinella” faired a little better through its shifting between movements are sprightly and those that are solemn. The woodwinds showed fine work with various combinations, including trio involving the flute, French horn, and bassoon. Concertmaster Eva Richey excelled in her brief solos. The brass delivered several good licks and the trombone and bass duet had a wonderful lopsided charm.
Even with the acoustical challenges, Debussy’s “Petite Suite” received a sensitive interpretation. The flutes (principal Rachel Rencher and Corrie Cook) started the gentle motion of drifting along in a boat on summer day. The second movement evoked a carefree stroll, and the courtly dance of the third had a light step, and the last movement ended robustly.
Urged on by Brotons, the orchestra convincingly swept the audience into the melodies in Kodály’s “Dances of Galánta.” Following the extended solo by principal clarinetist Igor Shakhman, each section of the orchestra had a moment to shine. The fortes finally came through and the orchestra caught the spirit of the piece, including the whirlwind passages the end of the piece, and that inspired the audience to a standing ovation.
But the “Dances of Galánta” would have been much more thrilling at Skyview Concert Hall, which has much better acoustics. The good news, announced at the beginning of the concert, is that the orchestra will return to its home base for the next concert with Broadway star Liz Callaway. That should prove to be an exciting homecoming, a superior treat for the ears.
Today's Birthdays
Louise Talma (1906-1996)
August Everding (1928-1999)
Colin Tilney (1933)
Odaline de la Martinez (1949)
Naji Hakim (1955)
and
Jan Vermeer (1632-1675)
John Keats (1795-1821)
Susan Orlean (1955)
from The New Music Box
On October 31, 1896, the Boston Symphony premiered the Gaelic" Symphony in E Minor by Mrs. H.H.A. Beach (Amy Marcy Cheney Beach), the first symphony by an American woman ever publicly performed.
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this date in 1933, Arnold Schoenberg, accompanied by his wife, baby daughter, and family pet terrier "Witz," arrives in New York on the liner Isle de Franc
August Everding (1928-1999)
Colin Tilney (1933)
Odaline de la Martinez (1949)
Naji Hakim (1955)
and
Jan Vermeer (1632-1675)
John Keats (1795-1821)
Susan Orlean (1955)
from The New Music Box
On October 31, 1896, the Boston Symphony premiered the Gaelic" Symphony in E Minor by Mrs. H.H.A. Beach (Amy Marcy Cheney Beach), the first symphony by an American woman ever publicly performed.
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this date in 1933, Arnold Schoenberg, accompanied by his wife, baby daughter, and family pet terrier "Witz," arrives in New York on the liner Isle de Franc
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Peter Warlock (Philip Arnold Heseltine) (1894-1930)
Stanley Sadie (1930-2005)
Frans Brüggen (1934-2014)
Grace Slick (1939)
René Jacobs (1946)
James Judd (1949)
Shlomo Mintz (1957)
and
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)
André Chénier (1762-1794)
Ezra Pound (1885-1972)
Robert Caro (1935)
Stanley Sadie (1930-2005)
Frans Brüggen (1934-2014)
Grace Slick (1939)
René Jacobs (1946)
James Judd (1949)
Shlomo Mintz (1957)
and
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)
André Chénier (1762-1794)
Ezra Pound (1885-1972)
Robert Caro (1935)
Friday, October 29, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Harold Darke (1888-1976)
Vivian Ellis (1904-1996)
Václav Neumann (1920-1995)
Jon Vickers (1926-2015)
James Dillon (1950)
Lee Actor (1952)
James Primosch (1956)
and
James Boswell (1740-1795)
Harriet Powers (1837-1910)
Henry Green (1905-1973)
David Remnick (1958)
Vivian Ellis (1904-1996)
Václav Neumann (1920-1995)
Jon Vickers (1926-2015)
James Dillon (1950)
Lee Actor (1952)
James Primosch (1956)
and
James Boswell (1740-1795)
Harriet Powers (1837-1910)
Henry Green (1905-1973)
David Remnick (1958)
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Giuditta Pasta (1797-1865)
Howard Hanson (1896-1981)
Dame Cleo Laine (1927)
Carl Davis (1936)
Howard Blake (1938)
Kenneth Montgomery (1943)
Naida Cole (1974)
and
Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966)
John Harold Hewitt (1907-1987)
Francis Bacon (1909-1992)
John Hollander (1929-2013)
Anne Perry (1938)
Howard Hanson (1896-1981)
Dame Cleo Laine (1927)
Carl Davis (1936)
Howard Blake (1938)
Kenneth Montgomery (1943)
Naida Cole (1974)
and
Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966)
John Harold Hewitt (1907-1987)
Francis Bacon (1909-1992)
John Hollander (1929-2013)
Anne Perry (1938)
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840)
Helmut Walcha (1907-1991)
Conlon Nancarrow (1912-1997)
Dominick Argento (1927-2019)
Julius Eastman (1940-1990)
Håkan Hardenberger (1961)
c (1978)
and
Lee Krasner (1908-1994)
Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)
Zadie Smith (1975)
Helmut Walcha (1907-1991)
Conlon Nancarrow (1912-1997)
Dominick Argento (1927-2019)
Julius Eastman (1940-1990)
Håkan Hardenberger (1961)
c (1978)
and
Lee Krasner (1908-1994)
Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)
Zadie Smith (1975)
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612)
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758)
Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972)
György Pauk (1936)
Christine Brewer (1955)
Natalie Merchant (1963)
Sakari Oramo (1965)
and
Andrei Bely (1880-1934)
Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
John Arden (1930-2012)
Andrew Motion (1952)
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758)
Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972)
György Pauk (1936)
Christine Brewer (1955)
Natalie Merchant (1963)
Sakari Oramo (1965)
and
Andrei Bely (1880-1934)
Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
John Arden (1930-2012)
Andrew Motion (1952)
Monday, October 25, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623)
Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Don Banks (1923-1980)
Galina Vishnevskaya (1926-2012)
Peter Lieberson (1946)
Diana Burrell (1948)
Colin Carr (1957)
Midori (1971)
and
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
John Berryman (1914-1972)
Anne Tyler (1941)
Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Don Banks (1923-1980)
Galina Vishnevskaya (1926-2012)
Peter Lieberson (1946)
Diana Burrell (1948)
Colin Carr (1957)
Midori (1971)
and
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
John Berryman (1914-1972)
Anne Tyler (1941)
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885)
Imre [Emmerich] Kálman (1882-1953)
Conrad Leonard (1898-2003)
Paul Csonka (1905-1995)
Tito Gobbi (1913-1984)
Luciano Berio (1925-2003)
George Crumb (1929)
Sofia Gubaidulina (1931)
Malcolm Bilson (1935)
Bill Wyman (1936)
George Tsontakis (1951)
Cheryl Studer (1955)
and
Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879)
Moss Hart (1904-1961)
Denise Levertov (1923-1997)
Norman Rush (1933)
Imre [Emmerich] Kálman (1882-1953)
Conrad Leonard (1898-2003)
Paul Csonka (1905-1995)
Tito Gobbi (1913-1984)
Luciano Berio (1925-2003)
George Crumb (1929)
Sofia Gubaidulina (1931)
Malcolm Bilson (1935)
Bill Wyman (1936)
George Tsontakis (1951)
Cheryl Studer (1955)
and
Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879)
Moss Hart (1904-1961)
Denise Levertov (1923-1997)
Norman Rush (1933)
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Vancouver Symphony plays at the casino - preview in The Columbian
My preview of the concert appeared in The Columbian here.
Today's Birthdays
Albert Lortzing (1801-1851)
Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923)
Miriam Gideon (1906-1996)
Denise Duval (1921-2016)
Ned Rorem (1923)
Lawrence Foster (1941)
Toshio Hosokawa (1955)
"Weird Al" Yankovic (1959)
Brett Dean (1961)
and
Robert Bridges (1844-1930)
Johnny Carson (1925-2005)
Nick Tosches (1949)
Laurie Halse Anderson (1961)
Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923)
Miriam Gideon (1906-1996)
Denise Duval (1921-2016)
Ned Rorem (1923)
Lawrence Foster (1941)
Toshio Hosokawa (1955)
"Weird Al" Yankovic (1959)
Brett Dean (1961)
and
Robert Bridges (1844-1930)
Johnny Carson (1925-2005)
Nick Tosches (1949)
Laurie Halse Anderson (1961)
Friday, October 22, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Sir Donald McIntyre (1934)
Elizabeth Connell (1946)
andv
John Reed (1887-1920)
John Gould (1908-2003)
Doris Lessing (1919-2013)
In 1883, the grand opening of the original Metropolitan Opera House in New York City with performance of Gounod's "Faust" with Auguste Vianesi, conducting.
Sir Donald McIntyre (1934)
Elizabeth Connell (1946)
andv
John Reed (1887-1920)
John Gould (1908-2003)
Doris Lessing (1919-2013)
In 1883, the grand opening of the original Metropolitan Opera House in New York City with performance of Gounod's "Faust" with Auguste Vianesi, conducting.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Zinman and Trpčeski and Oregon Symphony create memorable concert
The Oregon Symphony delivered a stellar concert (October 16) with guest conductor David Zinman and pianist Simon Trpčeski at the newly revamped Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. It was my first time to see Zinman, who has a storied career that includes five Grammys. Now at 85, he used a cane to get to the podium and directed from a chair. But once seated, he synced up with Trpčeski for a brilliant Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, and topped that off by collaborating with the orchestra to in marvelous interpretations of works by Sibelius and George Walker.
Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto is a beloved piece that could sound old and stale, but in the hands of Trpčeski, it was amazingly fresh and inspired. With an impeccable technique and pianism, the music sparkled with outstanding dynamic contrasts. During the cadenza in the first movement, he perfectly balanced the notes in the upper register with those in the lower register. The lyrical themes in the second movement had just a hint of playfulness, and the lighthearted third movement was just plain fun to hear. In addition to impressing everyone with his artistry. Trpčeski made it all look effortless.
The audience brought Trpčeski back to center stage several times, and before engaging the keyboard once more, he said that he had performed in Portland 17 years ago. The encore that he played was not nearly as engaging as his Tchaikovsky, but it would be great to hear him again with the orchestra some day in the near future.
Although Sibelius did not intend for his Third Symphony to depict a particular landscape or story, it was easy to close one’s eyes and imagine a forest or a scene from the far North. Some of the passages evoked a rustic, almost brawny sound while others were more sinewy and refined. High notes from the violins contrasted wonderfully with low tones from the basses. The woodwinds had a field day creating all sorts of magical moments – especially the bird-like phrases in the second movement. The rich, full chorus of cellos and violas in the third – joined by the entire ensemble – brought the piece to a satisfying conclusion.
The concert opened with George Walker’s delicate and somber “Lyric for String.” Sans baton, Zinman guided the ensemble with great sensitivity, so that the tenderness and gentleness of the piece filled the hall with warmth. It was as if a band of murmuring angels wafted about for a few exquisite minutes. Perhaps the orchestra would consider recording more of Walker's music someday.
Overall, from my perch in the upper mezzanine, the voices of the lower instruments could be heard more clearly than ever before. So the new sonic treatment in the hall does give listeners a fuller musical experience. Ergo, the orchestra is sounding better than ever.
Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto is a beloved piece that could sound old and stale, but in the hands of Trpčeski, it was amazingly fresh and inspired. With an impeccable technique and pianism, the music sparkled with outstanding dynamic contrasts. During the cadenza in the first movement, he perfectly balanced the notes in the upper register with those in the lower register. The lyrical themes in the second movement had just a hint of playfulness, and the lighthearted third movement was just plain fun to hear. In addition to impressing everyone with his artistry. Trpčeski made it all look effortless.
The audience brought Trpčeski back to center stage several times, and before engaging the keyboard once more, he said that he had performed in Portland 17 years ago. The encore that he played was not nearly as engaging as his Tchaikovsky, but it would be great to hear him again with the orchestra some day in the near future.
Although Sibelius did not intend for his Third Symphony to depict a particular landscape or story, it was easy to close one’s eyes and imagine a forest or a scene from the far North. Some of the passages evoked a rustic, almost brawny sound while others were more sinewy and refined. High notes from the violins contrasted wonderfully with low tones from the basses. The woodwinds had a field day creating all sorts of magical moments – especially the bird-like phrases in the second movement. The rich, full chorus of cellos and violas in the third – joined by the entire ensemble – brought the piece to a satisfying conclusion.
The concert opened with George Walker’s delicate and somber “Lyric for String.” Sans baton, Zinman guided the ensemble with great sensitivity, so that the tenderness and gentleness of the piece filled the hall with warmth. It was as if a band of murmuring angels wafted about for a few exquisite minutes. Perhaps the orchestra would consider recording more of Walker's music someday.
Overall, from my perch in the upper mezzanine, the voices of the lower instruments could be heard more clearly than ever before. So the new sonic treatment in the hall does give listeners a fuller musical experience. Ergo, the orchestra is sounding better than ever.
Today's Birthdays
Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957)
Egon Wellesz (1885-1974)
Howard Ferguson (1908-1999)
Alexander Schneider (1908-1993)
Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997)
Dizzy (John Birks) Gillespie (1917-1993)
Sir Malcom Arnold (1921-2006)
Marga Richter (1926-2020)
Shulamit Ran (1949)
Hugh Wolff (1953)
and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Alfred Nobel (1833-1896)
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)
Egon Wellesz (1885-1974)
Howard Ferguson (1908-1999)
Alexander Schneider (1908-1993)
Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997)
Dizzy (John Birks) Gillespie (1917-1993)
Sir Malcom Arnold (1921-2006)
Marga Richter (1926-2020)
Shulamit Ran (1949)
Hugh Wolff (1953)
and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Alfred Nobel (1833-1896)
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018)
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941)
Adelaide Hall (1901-1993)
Alfredo Campoli (1906-1991)
Adelaide Hall (1909-1993)
Robert Craft (1923-2015)
Jacques Loussier (1934)
William Albright (1944-1998)
Ivo Pogorelich (1958)
Leila Josefowicz (1977)
and
Christopher Wren (1632-1723)
Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891
John Dewey(1859-1952)
Robert Pinsky (1940)
Elfriede Jelinek (1946)
Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941)
Adelaide Hall (1901-1993)
Alfredo Campoli (1906-1991)
Adelaide Hall (1909-1993)
Robert Craft (1923-2015)
Jacques Loussier (1934)
William Albright (1944-1998)
Ivo Pogorelich (1958)
Leila Josefowicz (1977)
and
Christopher Wren (1632-1723)
Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891
John Dewey(1859-1952)
Robert Pinsky (1940)
Elfriede Jelinek (1946)
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Sidonie Goossens (1899-2004)
Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966)
Karl-Birger Blomdahl (1916-1968)
Emil Gilels (1916-1985)
Robin Holloway (1943)
Robert Morris (1943)
and
Leigh Hunt (1784-1859)
Auguste Lumière (1862-1954)
Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899-1974)
Jack Anderson (1922-2005)
John le Carré (David John Moore Cornwell) (1931)
Philip Pullman (1946)
Tracy Chevalier (1962)
Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966)
Karl-Birger Blomdahl (1916-1968)
Emil Gilels (1916-1985)
Robin Holloway (1943)
Robert Morris (1943)
and
Leigh Hunt (1784-1859)
Auguste Lumière (1862-1954)
Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899-1974)
Jack Anderson (1922-2005)
John le Carré (David John Moore Cornwell) (1931)
Philip Pullman (1946)
Tracy Chevalier (1962)
Monday, October 18, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Luca Marenzio (1553-1599)
Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785)
Lotte Lenya (1898-1981)
Alexander Young (1920-2000)
Egil Hovland (1924-2013)
Chuck Berry (1926-2017)
Wynton Marsalis (1961)
and
Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811)
Henri Bergson (1859-1941)
A. J. Liebling (1904-1963)
Ntozake Shange (1948)
Rick Moody (1961)
Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785)
Lotte Lenya (1898-1981)
Alexander Young (1920-2000)
Egil Hovland (1924-2013)
Chuck Berry (1926-2017)
Wynton Marsalis (1961)
and
Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811)
Henri Bergson (1859-1941)
A. J. Liebling (1904-1963)
Ntozake Shange (1948)
Rick Moody (1961)
Sunday, October 17, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998)
Rolando Panerai (1924-2019)
Reiner Goldberg (1939)
Stephen Kovacevich (1940)
and
Georg Büchner (1813-1837)
Nathanael West (1903-1940)
Arthur Miller (1915-2005)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1978, President Jimmy Carter presents the Congressional Medal of Honor to singer Marian Anderson.
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1933 that Albert Einstein officially moved to the United States to teach at Princeton University. He had been in California working as a visiting professor when Hitler took over as chancellor of Germany. Einstein’s apartment in Berlin and his summer cottage in the country were raided, his papers confiscated, and his bank accounts closed. He returned to Europe and handed in his German passport, renouncing his citizenship. He considered offers from all over the world, including Paris, Turkey, and Oxford. Einstein eventually decided on Princeton, which offered him an attractive package teaching at its Institute for Advanced Study — but he had his hesitations about the university. For one thing, it had a clandestine quota system in place that only allowed a small percentage of the incoming class to be Jewish. The Institute’s director, Abraham Flexner, was worried that Einstein would be too directly involved in Jewish refugee causes, so he micromanaged Einstein’s public appearances, keeping him out of the public eye when possible. He even declined an invitation for Einstein to see President Roosevelt at the White House without telling the scientist. When Einstein found out, he personally called Eleanor Roosevelt and arranged for a visit anyway, and then complained about the incident in a letter to a rabbi friend of his, giving the return address as “Concentration Camp, Princeton.” In 1938, incoming freshmen at Princeton ranked Einstein as the second-greatest living person; first place went to Adolf Hitler.
Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998)
Rolando Panerai (1924-2019)
Reiner Goldberg (1939)
Stephen Kovacevich (1940)
and
Georg Büchner (1813-1837)
Nathanael West (1903-1940)
Arthur Miller (1915-2005)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1978, President Jimmy Carter presents the Congressional Medal of Honor to singer Marian Anderson.
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1933 that Albert Einstein officially moved to the United States to teach at Princeton University. He had been in California working as a visiting professor when Hitler took over as chancellor of Germany. Einstein’s apartment in Berlin and his summer cottage in the country were raided, his papers confiscated, and his bank accounts closed. He returned to Europe and handed in his German passport, renouncing his citizenship. He considered offers from all over the world, including Paris, Turkey, and Oxford. Einstein eventually decided on Princeton, which offered him an attractive package teaching at its Institute for Advanced Study — but he had his hesitations about the university. For one thing, it had a clandestine quota system in place that only allowed a small percentage of the incoming class to be Jewish. The Institute’s director, Abraham Flexner, was worried that Einstein would be too directly involved in Jewish refugee causes, so he micromanaged Einstein’s public appearances, keeping him out of the public eye when possible. He even declined an invitation for Einstein to see President Roosevelt at the White House without telling the scientist. When Einstein found out, he personally called Eleanor Roosevelt and arranged for a visit anyway, and then complained about the incident in a letter to a rabbi friend of his, giving the return address as “Concentration Camp, Princeton.” In 1938, incoming freshmen at Princeton ranked Einstein as the second-greatest living person; first place went to Adolf Hitler.
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745)
Franz [Ferenc] Doppler (1821-1883)
James Lockhart (1930)
Derek Bourgeois (1941)
Marin Alsop (1956)
Erkki-Sven Tüür (1959)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky (1962-2017)
and
Noah Webster (1758-1843)
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)
Günter Grass (1927-2015)
Thomas Lynch (1948)v
And from the Writer's Almanac:
In 1882, during a tour across the US, Oscar Wilde lectured to coal miners in Leadville, Colorado, where he saw a sign on a saloon that said, "Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best," and called it "the only rational method of art criticism I have ever come across."
Franz [Ferenc] Doppler (1821-1883)
James Lockhart (1930)
Derek Bourgeois (1941)
Marin Alsop (1956)
Erkki-Sven Tüür (1959)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky (1962-2017)
and
Noah Webster (1758-1843)
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)
Günter Grass (1927-2015)
Thomas Lynch (1948)v
And from the Writer's Almanac:
In 1882, during a tour across the US, Oscar Wilde lectured to coal miners in Leadville, Colorado, where he saw a sign on a saloon that said, "Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best," and called it "the only rational method of art criticism I have ever come across."
Friday, October 15, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Bernhard Crusell (1775-1838)
Dag Wirén (1905-1985)
Harold Blumenfeld (1923-2014)
Karl Richter (1926-1981)
Barry McGuire (1935)
Suzanne Murphy (1941)
Peter Phillips (1953)
and
Virgil (70 B.C.E.- 19 B.C.E.)
Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)
Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844-1900)
P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975)
Varian Fry (1907-1967)
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006)
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (1917-2007)
Italo Calvino (1923-1985)
Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
Dag Wirén (1905-1985)
Harold Blumenfeld (1923-2014)
Karl Richter (1926-1981)
Barry McGuire (1935)
Suzanne Murphy (1941)
Peter Phillips (1953)
and
Virgil (70 B.C.E.- 19 B.C.E.)
Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)
Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844-1900)
P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975)
Varian Fry (1907-1967)
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006)
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (1917-2007)
Italo Calvino (1923-1985)
Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Alexander Zimlinsky (1871-1942)
Gary Graffman (1928)
Rafael Puyana (1931-2013)
Enrico di Giuseppe (1932-2005)
La Monte (Thorton) Young (1935)
Sir Cliff Richard (1940)
Kaija Saariaho (1952)
and
Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)
E. E. Cummings (1894-1962)
Hannah Arendt (1906-1975)
Katha Pollitt (1949)
Gary Graffman (1928)
Rafael Puyana (1931-2013)
Enrico di Giuseppe (1932-2005)
La Monte (Thorton) Young (1935)
Sir Cliff Richard (1940)
Kaija Saariaho (1952)
and
Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)
E. E. Cummings (1894-1962)
Hannah Arendt (1906-1975)
Katha Pollitt (1949)
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Art Tatum (1910-1956)
Hugo Weisgall (1912-1997)
Gustav Winckler (1925-1979)
Paul Simon (1941)
Leona Mitchell (1949)
Kristine Ciesinski (1950
Melvyn Tan (1956)
Mark Applebaum (1967)
and
Conrad Richter (1890-1968)
Arna Bontemps (1902-1973)
Hugo Weisgall (1912-1997)
Gustav Winckler (1925-1979)
Paul Simon (1941)
Leona Mitchell (1949)
Kristine Ciesinski (1950
Melvyn Tan (1956)
Mark Applebaum (1967)
and
Conrad Richter (1890-1968)
Arna Bontemps (1902-1973)
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1686-1750)
Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780)
Arthur Nikisch (1855-1922)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Healey Willan (1880-1968)
Carlos López Buchardo (1881-1948)
Gilda Dalla Rizza (1892-1975)
Erich Gruenberg (1924-2020)
Pilar Lorengar (1938-1996)
Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)
Daryl Runswick (1946)
Penelope Walker (1956)
Chris Botti (1962)
and
Robert Fitzgerald (1910-1985)
Alice Childress (1916-1994)
Robert Coles (1929)
Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780)
Arthur Nikisch (1855-1922)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Healey Willan (1880-1968)
Carlos López Buchardo (1881-1948)
Gilda Dalla Rizza (1892-1975)
Erich Gruenberg (1924-2020)
Pilar Lorengar (1938-1996)
Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)
Daryl Runswick (1946)
Penelope Walker (1956)
Chris Botti (1962)
and
Robert Fitzgerald (1910-1985)
Alice Childress (1916-1994)
Robert Coles (1929)
Monday, October 11, 2021
Today's Birthdays
George Bridgetower (1780-1860)
Fernando De Lucia (1860-1925)
R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943)
Albert Stoessel (1894-1943)
Eugene Weigel (1910-1998)
Art Blakey (1919-1990)
Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)
David Rendall (1948)
and
Mason Locke Weems (1759-1825)
Eleanor Roosevelt (1883-1962)
Elmore Leonard (1925-2013)
Thich Nhat Hanh (1926)
Fernando De Lucia (1860-1925)
R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943)
Albert Stoessel (1894-1943)
Eugene Weigel (1910-1998)
Art Blakey (1919-1990)
Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)
David Rendall (1948)
and
Mason Locke Weems (1759-1825)
Eleanor Roosevelt (1883-1962)
Elmore Leonard (1925-2013)
Thich Nhat Hanh (1926)
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Vernon Duke (1903-1969)
Paul Creston (1906-1985)
Thelonious Monk (1917-1982)
Gloria Coates (1938)
Sir Willard White (1946)
John Prine (1946)
Steve Martland (1959)
Evgeny Kissin (1971)
and
Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721)
Harold Pinter (1930-2008)
And from The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the birthday of the composer Vernon Duke, born Vladimir Dukelsky, in Parafianovo, Belarus (1903). He was a talented classical musician, educated at an elite conservatory, but his family fled Russia after the revolution and he wound up playing piano in cafés in Constantinople (now Istanbul). From there, his family rode steerage class on a ship to America, went through Ellis Island, and ended up in New York in 1921. There the teenage Dukelsky met George Gershwin, who was only a few years older, and the two became good friends. Dukelsky played Gershwin what he described as “an extremely cerebral piano sonata,” and Gershwin, who was also trained in classical music, suggested this: “There’s no money in that kind of stuff, and no heart in it, either. Try to write some real popular tunes — and don’t be scared about going low-brow. They will open you up.” He also suggested that Dukelsky shorten his name, as he himself had done — Gershowitz to Gershwin. So Vladimir Dukelsky came up with the name Vernon Duke, but he didn’t use it for a while.
First, he went to Paris. There, he met and impressed the great ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev. Dukelsky wrote later about their first meeting — that Diaghilev had drawled: “‘Ah, a good-looking boy. That in itself is most unusual. Composers are seldom good-looking; neither Stravinsky nor Prokofiev ever won any beauty prizes. How old are you?’ I told him I was 20. ‘That’s encouraging, too. I don’t like young men over 25.’” And so Diaghilev commissioned him to write a ballet, and he wrote Zephire et Flore, with sets by Georges Braque, choreography by Léonide Massine, and costumes by Coco Chanel. It got a great reception, and Dukelsky was taken in by the not-quite-as-good-looking Stravinsky and Prokofiev. For a few years he divided his time between Paris, where he continued to write classical music, and London, where he wrote show tunes and used the name Vernon Duke. Then in 1929, he decided to go back to America, and he wrote some of the biggest hits of the 1930s — “April in Paris” (1932), “Autumn in New York” (1934), “I Can’t Get Started” (1936), and “Taking a Chance on Love” (1940). And he wrote the music for the Broadway show and film Cabin in the Sky (1940). By that time, he had become an American citizen and officially changed his name to Vernon Duke.
Vernon Duke (1903-1969)
Paul Creston (1906-1985)
Thelonious Monk (1917-1982)
Gloria Coates (1938)
Sir Willard White (1946)
John Prine (1946)
Steve Martland (1959)
Evgeny Kissin (1971)
and
Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721)
Harold Pinter (1930-2008)
And from The Writer's Almanac:
It’s the birthday of the composer Vernon Duke, born Vladimir Dukelsky, in Parafianovo, Belarus (1903). He was a talented classical musician, educated at an elite conservatory, but his family fled Russia after the revolution and he wound up playing piano in cafés in Constantinople (now Istanbul). From there, his family rode steerage class on a ship to America, went through Ellis Island, and ended up in New York in 1921. There the teenage Dukelsky met George Gershwin, who was only a few years older, and the two became good friends. Dukelsky played Gershwin what he described as “an extremely cerebral piano sonata,” and Gershwin, who was also trained in classical music, suggested this: “There’s no money in that kind of stuff, and no heart in it, either. Try to write some real popular tunes — and don’t be scared about going low-brow. They will open you up.” He also suggested that Dukelsky shorten his name, as he himself had done — Gershowitz to Gershwin. So Vladimir Dukelsky came up with the name Vernon Duke, but he didn’t use it for a while.
First, he went to Paris. There, he met and impressed the great ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev. Dukelsky wrote later about their first meeting — that Diaghilev had drawled: “‘Ah, a good-looking boy. That in itself is most unusual. Composers are seldom good-looking; neither Stravinsky nor Prokofiev ever won any beauty prizes. How old are you?’ I told him I was 20. ‘That’s encouraging, too. I don’t like young men over 25.’” And so Diaghilev commissioned him to write a ballet, and he wrote Zephire et Flore, with sets by Georges Braque, choreography by Léonide Massine, and costumes by Coco Chanel. It got a great reception, and Dukelsky was taken in by the not-quite-as-good-looking Stravinsky and Prokofiev. For a few years he divided his time between Paris, where he continued to write classical music, and London, where he wrote show tunes and used the name Vernon Duke. Then in 1929, he decided to go back to America, and he wrote some of the biggest hits of the 1930s — “April in Paris” (1932), “Autumn in New York” (1934), “I Can’t Get Started” (1936), and “Taking a Chance on Love” (1940). And he wrote the music for the Broadway show and film Cabin in the Sky (1940). By that time, he had become an American citizen and officially changed his name to Vernon Duke.
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Alexander Siloti (1863-1945)
Harry Lawrence Freeman (1869-1954)
Carl Flesch (1873-1944)
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Roger Goeb (1914-1997)
Einojuhani Routavaara (1928-2016)
Alfons Kontarsky (1932-2010)
John Lennon (1940-1980)
Jackson Browne (1948)
Sally Burgess (1953)
Roberto Sierra (1953)
and
Ivo Andrić (1892-1975)
Bruce Catton (1899-1978)
Léopold (Sédar) Senghor (1906-2001)
Belva Plain (1915-2010)
Jill Ker Conway (1934)
James Howe McClure (1939-2006)
Harry Lawrence Freeman (1869-1954)
Carl Flesch (1873-1944)
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Roger Goeb (1914-1997)
Einojuhani Routavaara (1928-2016)
Alfons Kontarsky (1932-2010)
John Lennon (1940-1980)
Jackson Browne (1948)
Sally Burgess (1953)
Roberto Sierra (1953)
and
Ivo Andrić (1892-1975)
Bruce Catton (1899-1978)
Léopold (Sédar) Senghor (1906-2001)
Belva Plain (1915-2010)
Jill Ker Conway (1934)
James Howe McClure (1939-2006)
Friday, October 8, 2021
Today's Birthdays
Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672)
Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785)
Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Will Vodery (1885-1951)
Paul V. Yoder (1908-1990)
James Sample (1910-1995)
Kurt Redel (1918-2013)
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996)
Johnny Ramone (1948-2004)
Robert Saxton (1953)
Carl Vine (1954)
Tabea Zimmermann (1968)
Bruno Mantovani (1974)
and
John Cowper Powys (1872-1963)
Walter Lord (1917-2002)
Philip Booth (1925-2007)
R.L. Stine (1943)
Elizabeth Tallent (1954)
Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785)
Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Will Vodery (1885-1951)
Paul V. Yoder (1908-1990)
James Sample (1910-1995)
Kurt Redel (1918-2013)
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996)
Johnny Ramone (1948-2004)
Robert Saxton (1953)
Carl Vine (1954)
Tabea Zimmermann (1968)
Bruno Mantovani (1974)
and
John Cowper Powys (1872-1963)
Walter Lord (1917-2002)
Philip Booth (1925-2007)
R.L. Stine (1943)
Elizabeth Tallent (1954)
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Review of Oregon Symphony opener published in Classical Voice North America
Today's Birthdays
William Billings (1746-1800)
Joe Hill (1879-1915)
Alfred Wallenstein (1898-1983)
Shura Cherkassky (1911-1995)
Charles Dutoit (1936)
John Mellencamp (1951)
Yo-Yo Ma (1955)
Li Yundi (1982)
and
James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)
Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
Helen Clark MacInnes (1907-1985)
Desmond Tutu (1931)
Amiri Baraka (aka LeRoi Jones) (1934-2014)
Thomas Keneally (1935)
Dianne Ackerman (1948)
Sherman Alexie (1966)
Joe Hill (1879-1915)
Alfred Wallenstein (1898-1983)
Shura Cherkassky (1911-1995)
Charles Dutoit (1936)
John Mellencamp (1951)
Yo-Yo Ma (1955)
Li Yundi (1982)
and
James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)
Niels Bohr (1885-1962)
Helen Clark MacInnes (1907-1985)
Desmond Tutu (1931)
Amiri Baraka (aka LeRoi Jones) (1934-2014)
Thomas Keneally (1935)
Dianne Ackerman (1948)
Sherman Alexie (1966)
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