Born on Feb. 2nd

Here are some famous people who were born on February 2nd:

Martina Arroyo (1937)
Sir Andrew Davis (1944)
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
Louis Marchand (1669-1732)
Stan Getz (1927-1991)
Ursula Oppens (1944)

Also

James Joyce (1882-1941)

St. Olaf Choir in town - concert sold out

The highly esteemed St. Olaf Choir will give a concert at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. According to the choir's national tour web site, the concert is sold out. However, I have heard that you might be able to purchase tickets at the door. The cost per ticket is $35 - although it might be a little higher since they weren't purchased ahead of time.
The choir's famous conductor, Anton Armstrong, will direct all of the pieces. Here's where you can find the program. Note that Armstrong works with choirs at the Oregon Bach Festival every summer, so if you miss this program (or are impressed with Armstrong), you might try to catch him in Eugene this summer.

Review of Tashi in Asymmetry Magazine

I attend last Friday's Tashi concert (sponsored by Chamber Music Northwest) and wrote a review for Asymmetry Magazine. You can read it here.

Would you like an aria with those fries? - learn about Portland Opera's "Rodelinda"

Portland Opera's brown bag lunch presentation on the upcoming opera "Rodelinda" will take place at noon today at the Multnomah County Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave) in the U.S. Bank room. Chorus Master Robert Ainsley discusses the music and history behind Hanel's "Rodelinda." Portland Opera Studio Artists will be on hand to perform selections from the opera.

I have found Ainsley and the singers to be excellent. This brown bag lunch is a great way to learn more about this opera. And it's free!

First anniversary of Northwest Reverb

A year ago today, I started Northwest Reverb in order to record my thoughts about the classical music scene in Portland and elsewhere. This has been a very rewarding experience. The blog has grown to attract over 1,350 visits per month from over 750 different visitors. Thank you for visiting!

I would like to spend more time gathering information, interviewing artists, writing previews and reviews, but I have to keep my day job.

For this second year of Northwest Reverb, I'll add a birthday list (courtesy of "The music diary 2008" from Boosey & Hawkes) of famous people in musicland. Here's the first list:

Born on February 1

Francesco Stradivari 1671-1743
Victor Herbert 1859-1924
Renata Tebaldi 1922-2004

Discount Special with the Oregon Symphony

The Oregon Symphony has announced that starting on Friday, Feb. 1 until Feb 8, you can purchase tickets at $20 or $50 depending on the location for most remaining Classical, Pops and Inside the Score concerts.

This ticket discount applies to the following concerts:

• Feb 2, 3, 4: Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 (classical)
• Feb 10: The Classical Symphony (Inside the Score)
• Feb 16, 17, 18: Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 (classical)
• Feb 23, 24, 25: Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (Pops)
• Mar 2: Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony (Inside the Score)
• Mar 8, 9, 10: Tchaikovsky’s Fourth (classical)
• Mar 15, 16, 17: Women in Blues (Pops)
• Mar 29, 30, 31: Classical Elegance (classical)
• April 12, 13, 14: Mozart Clarinet Concerto (classical)
• Apr 19, 20, 21: A Sentimental Journey with Norman Leyden (Pops)
• Apr 26, 27, 28: Mahler Symphony No. 9 (classical)
• May 4: Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony (Inside the Score)
• May 17, 18, 19: Carmina Burana (classical)

The $20 and $50 tickets are available at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office, 923 SW Washington St. in downtown Portland, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets may also be purchased by phone at (503) 228-1353 or (800) 228-7343 during the same hours, or online at any time from the orchestra’s web site, www.orsymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster.

Oregon Symphony cellist wins position with Boston Symphony

Charles Noble has the scoop on OSO and FearNoMusic cellist, Adam Ebensen, winning a position with the Boston Symphony. Congratulations to Ebensen! Not only will he be playing with a world-famous orchestra, but he will get a major boost in pay. I think that the starting salary with the Boston Symphony is something like $105,000 a year.

On a more somber note, Seattle Symphony's principal cellist, Josh Roman, is leaving the SSO to pursue an independent career. You can read about it in Classical in Seattle or catch this article in The Seattle Times.

Oregon Symphony numbers are going up!

The Oregon Symphony has released wonderful news that the attendance figures and ticket sales are way up so far this season. We're talking an increase of 20.5% with an average paid attendance has been 1,662, which is 283 people per concert more than last season at the same time. This has translated into total ticket sales of over $5 million so far this season and it represents an increase of more than $461,000 in ticket sales when compared to the same time last season.

Anyone who has attended concerts the past few seasons knows that the orchestra is playing better than ever. Even composers such as Robert Kyr have stated how impressed they are. (See this report in my blog on May 29th, 2007.) I hope that this upward trend continues, because Kalmar and the orchestra have earned it. Even when the attendance has been down, the musicians give it their all. Kudos also to Gregory Vajda, who is doing a stellar job as resident conductor.

Make it a SuperBach Sunday!

Portland’s Bach Cantata Choir will present a concert this Sunday afternoon (2 pm) at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church (NE 44th and Sandy). The program consists of Christoph Graupner’s Oboe d’amore Concerto and J. S. Bach’s Cantatas 19 and 41. Ralph Nelson will conduct the concert, and the oboe concerto features Paul Pitkin as the soloist.

Bach’s Cantata 19 is “Es erhub sich ein Streit” (“A battle arose”) and is based on the story of war in heaven in Revelation.

Canata 41 is “Jesu, nun sei gepreiset” (“Jesu, now let us praise Thee”) and is considered one of the most difficult of Bach’s cantatas.

In the Bach Cantata Choir’s newsletter (called “Bach Beat”), Pitkin writes this about the oboe d’amore:

The oboe d’amore was invented in the 18th century, and the Bach cantatas showcase the instrument at the apex of its popularity. Interestingly enough, the first composer to write specifically for the instrument was Christoph Graupner, whose Concerto for Oboe d’Amore will be heard in the BCC’s next concert. In terms of performance, the oboe d’amore is probably the most difficult instrument to play in a family of difficult instruments. This is due in large part to the fact that it has an unstable pitch and a scale that is very out of tune with itself, requiring a great ear and extreme flexibility of embouchure (use of facial muscles and lip placement) on the part of the performer.
Its darker, warmer tone is used to great effect in the cantatas, and you’ll most often find it paired with solo alto; the lush sound of both alto and oboe d’amore work beautifully together. This instrument gradually fell out of favor with the advent of the clarinet, which has a larger range and is much easier to play. Very little music has been composed for the oboe d’amore since the end of the Baroque. The most notable examples are to be found in Ravel’s “Bolero,” Richard Strauss’ “Sinfonia Domestica” and Mahler’s “Ruckert-Lieder.”

There is no admission charge for the concert, but donations will be accepted.

Gentleman, grow your beards!

Peter Schickele, aka PDQ Bach, is coming to our fair city as the very special guest of Portland Symphonic Choir for its concert on March 12th. The program includes "Oedipus Tex" and "The Seasonings" and a Schickele look-alike-contest. So let your stubble grow and don't forget to get a ticket via the PSC web site.

Classical in Seattle summarizes the Seattle Symphony situation

Classical in Seattle gathers all of the latest chatter about the Seattle Symphony, including recent comments by Alex Ross (who was in Seattle for a symposium on new music).

Case against Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony dismissed

You can read about it here in the Seattle P-I.

Latest scribblings...

I wrote a piece about Bravo! Vancouver's next concert (this Sunday afternoon) in The Columbian.

Seen and Heard International has posted my review of last weekend's terrific Oregon Symphony concert.

Henry Fogel in his blog has posted a listing of programs for the Berlin Philharmonic from a tour they did in 1951. Almost every day they played a demanding concert (one time they gave two concerts in a day). Wow!

Review: Ian Bostridge wows Portland

Probably the most difficult thing any singer can do is to perform two hours of German lieder and win over the audience to your viewpoint. You only have your voice and a pianist at your disposal. The poetry you must convey is often of a melancholy nature, and German can sound harsh when it’s done wrongly. But when an artist of the caliber of Ian Bostridge, gets a hold of such songs like he did on Thursday in an evening of Schubert lieder, then the effect goes beyond the beyonds.

Sponsored by the Friends of Chamber Music, this concert took place at Kaul Auditorium and about 500 people (many in the choral and opera community) were present. After the tall and lanky Bostridge took the stage with pianist Julius Drake, they immediately drew us into a pensive world view in which birds, brooks, blossoms, and the air itself has a surface meaning and an underlying meaning. The poetry often told us how wonderful life is and lament that it is far too short.

Bostridge has a terrific array of idiosyncratic postures, which some might find affected or off-putting. He might sing to the piano for a while and then suddenly turn to the audience to finish the phrase. He might strike a debonair pose as if he going to pull out a pack of cigarettes or he might cock his head and sing out the side of his mouth. Well, he could stand on his head and sing that way if he liked, because the beauty of his tone was absolutely perfect for these songs. He could alter the volume at will, change the emotion drastically, change the emphasis of the story, break the pace of the song. It didn’t matter because the tone was always beautiful. Bostridge also avoided over pronouncing the German. The consonants didn't splatter all over the place or sound forced.

I thought that the most stunning performance was “Sei mir gegrüsst” (Schubert’s setting of a poem by Friedrich Rückert). Each stanza has a phrase that repeats at the end, and Bostridge could make it sound like a plaintive echo, fading into the stillness of time. It was unforgettable.

Drake’s playing was equally superb. He added texture to every piece. He never overstated his case or understated it. His playing was perfectly suited to Bostridge’s voice.

At the end of the concert, and a standing ovatio, Bostridge sang two encores. The first was “Röslein auf der Heiden,” and the second was another Schubert lied. Both were done impeccably.

Although the concert was well attended, I think that it would’ve sold out if it had not taken place on a Thursday night. Most church choirs in Portland rehearse on Thursday evening. Of course, there are restrictions with available nights for Bostridge (I understand that he left Portland early on Friday morning), and there are restrictions on the availability of Kaul Auditorium (Chamber Music Northwest has it booked for Friday and Saturday evenings). There’s only so much that the staff at the Friends of Chamber Music can do. Let’s hope that they bring Bostridge back again!

Matt Haimovitz plays Schumann Cello Concerto with PSU Symphony

The Portland State University Orchestra moves downtown to present its winter concert at the Newmark Theater. Besides the Schumann Cello Concerto, the program includes the U.S. premiere of Wolfgang Rihm's "Ricercare in memoriam Luigi Nono," the U.S. premiere of Bryan Johanson's "Quick as a Wink," and Johannes Brahms' Double Concerto with violinist Andy Simionescu and cellist Matt Haimovitz.

Entitled "Juxtapositions" this concert continues the vision of conductor (and professor) Ken Selden, who programs a mixture of contemporary music and beloved works. Last year was Selden's first with the PSU Symphony, and his fearless leadership into new repertoire caused the PSU Symphony to win First Prize in Adventurous Programming from ASCAP and the American Symphony Orchestra League (beating out the nation's music conservatories and top-rated music schools).

Haimovitz is known for his performances around town in unorthodox places like coffee shops, outdoor music festivals, and clubs. But he has had an international career since he first soloed at the ripe age of 13 with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. Since then, Haimovitz has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra among others.

The concert starts at 8 pm on Saturday. Don't miss it!

Tickets prices are $15 for adults; $10 for seniors; $8 for students; and PSU faculty, staff and students are admitted free with PSU ID. Tickets are available at the PSU Box Office (1825 SW Broadway), by calling 503-725-3307 or at Antoinette Hatfield Hall (1111 SW Broadway).

You can find more about the PSU Symphony on MySpace.

Chamber music concerts at the Washington State Governor’s Mansion

Since 1989, the Governor’s mansion in Olympia has been the focal point of the Governor’s Chamber Music Festival. This is a chamber music series that offers three chamber music concerts every year at several venues, one of which is the Governor’s mansion.

Judith Cohen, an award-winning pianist from Seattle, Washington, is the director of the Governor’s Chamber Music Festival, which is a non-profit group with a small budget of around $15,000.

“We do our own fundraising, get donations, and apply for grants,” says Cohen. “Because it is state property, we can’t take money at the door. We have an invitation list and get the money beforehand. The concerts can’t have the appearance of collecting money for the state.”

The Washington State Governor’s mansion is not a ceremonial home. Governor Gregoire does live there and does attend the concerts unless she is out of town. According to Cohen each performance draws an audience of 125 people.

There’s a concert coming up this Monday evening (January 28th) at the Governor’s mansion. The concert features Judith Cohen, an award-winning professional pianist from Seattle and Jackson Berkey (the keyboard artist with Mannheim Steamroller). They are playing the Northwest premiere of Berkey’s piece for two pianos and wind chimes.

“It’s a fun piece,” remarks Cohen “There’s a lot of piano sonority in the piece. The wind chimes bring some meditative and reflective quality into the piece, which is about 20 minutes long.”

They will also perform Berkey’s Elegy for Cello and Piano with Seattle Symphony cellist and Kronos Quartet founder Walter Grey.

“Jackson Berkey has a second home on the Olympic Peninsula,” notes Cohen. “He went to Julliard and is a trained pianist. I met Jackson because my youngest stepdaughter was in the Seattle Girlschoir and one of his kids one in it also. He wrote some stunning pieces for that group. He found out that I am a pianist, and we’ve kept in touch. I’m really looking forward to the concert.”

Maybe this is a concert series that should be done in Oregon as well! Mahonia Hall in Salem has a ballroom on the third floor and a pipe organ. It would be great to get our best musicians in Govenor Kulongoski home. Politics and Music!

Monday, January 28th, 2008, 6-8 PM,Governor's Mansion, Olympia, Washington. Music of Jackson Berkey. For more information, call 206-281-8292.

Have keyboard, will travel: Review of the Valentina Lisitsa piano recital

Valentina Lisitsa again arrived in Portland on short notice to rescue a concert series. Last September, Lisitsa replaced an ailing Horacio Gutierrez in Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto in the Oregon Symphony season opener. This time, the Ukrainian-born, Miami-based artist filled in for the young phenom Rachel Cheung, whose parents apparently didn’t want to jump through all of the hoops required in order to get their daughter an artist’s visa.

Lisitsa’s appearance was the second concert in a series sponsored by Portland Piano International, and her performance on Monday evening at the Newmark Theatre didn’t disappoint those who love the Romantic repertoire. Lisitsa opened the program with a gripping interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s “Études-Tableaux,” Op. 39, No 6, in A minor. Her fingers flew up and down the keyboard in every imaginable direction, and she made the virtuosic passages look effortless. Her style was nearly the same as she shows in her youtube video, so you can see for yourself.

More Rachmaninoff followed. From his 13 Preludes, Op. 32, we heard the No. 12 in G-sharp minor, No. 5 in G major, and No 10 in B minor. Lisitsa gave each prelude its own flavor. With No. 12, she created a dreamy, impressionistic mood that drifted with the clouds. No. 5 continued in the same manner but ended magically. No. 10 had a somber and thoughtful attitude that seemed to hint at a Russian hymn.

Lisitsa rounded out the Rachmaninoff set with the Prelude No. 5 in G minor from his 10 Preludes, Op. 23. I think that Lisitsa could have slowed down a bit during the middle section. She seemed to hurry it along a bit too much. Still, by the end of the piece, she won everyone over to her interpretation, which was rich and melodic.

The first half of the program ended with Beethoven’s Sonata in F min, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”). I loved Lisitsa’s opening statement in the first movement, because she varied the dynamics and tempi very well. She continued to show a fine understanding of nuances in the second movement, but her playing of the third movement started out somewhat rushed. Somehow she relaxed the pace enough to gather us into the whirlwind that marked the end of this piece. Wild applause from the audience erupted from all over the hall.

The second half of the program began with Schumann’s “Kinderszenen” (“Scenes of Childhood”), Op. 15. Lisitsa brought each scene to us lovingly and with complete understanding of every nuance. Her performance was impeccable, full of wonderful feeling, and went straight to the heart. I cannot image a better interpretation.

Next, Lisitsa played Thalberg’s Fantasy on “The Barber of Seville,” Op 63. This piece was garnished with so much ornamentation that I could barely make out a few of the melodies from Rossini’s famous opera. After reading the program notes, I found out that that was the point. Lisitsa made this piece look a lot easier than it is, yet I wish that Thalberg had brought some of Rossini’s themes to the forefront.

The final piece on the printed program was Liszt’s “Totentaz” (“Dance of Death”). Lisitsa had this virtuosic piece nailed – from the demonstrative beginning to the final burnout at the end. Lisitsa exhibited remarkable control, and the numerous glissandi looked brutal, but she played it all with gusto.

After a thunderous ovation by the audience, Lisitsa returned to the piano, a huge Bösendorfer grand, to play five encores. She didn’t announce them from the stage, but all of them were tough pieces and the last one was a Liszt knucklecruncher. Lisitsa played each one impeccably and with great feeling. With each piece she seemed to become more and more energized, and I think that she might have continued playing until midnight, but, alas, the audience was ready to go home.

Review: Oregon Symphony performs MacMillan and Mendelssohn

In 1662 Isobel Gowdie was accused of witchcraft and killed by the authorities after she had confessed to all sorts of incredible assignations with the devil and stated that she could fly, turn herself into a rabbit, and had killed a ploughman with elf-arrows the devil gave her. Witch trials in Scotland during this time caused the deaths of some 4,500 people and remain a black mark in the history of that country. The discovery of this dark period inspired James MacMillan to write “The Confession of Isobel Gowdie,” a symphonic piece that unearths the tragedy of Gowdie’s death and provides a requiem in her memory and the memory of others who died under similar circumstances.

The Oregon Symphony under the direction of Carlos Kalmar, unleashed the entire spectrum of MacMillan’s work. The piece starts very calmly, starting with the woodwinds and gradually spreading to the strings. It was difficult to detect the liturgical chants and church-like music that are woven into this opening passage, but the music did seem to look back into the misty past. The next theme emerged with a myriad of glissandi from all sections of the orchestra, with the cello section getting the most opportunities. Then came an extended crescendo that ended sharply and an intricate mesh of sound that was punctuated by the percussion. This was followed by thirteen (or more) incredibly piercing attacks, like the lashing of a whip, which could make the sweat break out on your forehead. Then a ruthless thread of sound – led by the trombone section – erupted. Finally, an overall cacophony slowly guided us to still waters with the strings ascending higher and higher – perhaps to depict the soul of Gowdie entering heaven.

Overall, the performance of “The Confession of Isobel Gowdie” was riveting, and its subject matter makes me reflect on my own government, which has advocated the use of torture at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and excused the excesses at Abu Ghraib. Will 300 years pass before a composer writes a work that depicts water boarding and other atrocities?

After intermission, the orchestra performed Mendelssohn’s Incidental Music to Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” With actors, soloists, and women’s choir, this concert drama created a full-meal deal to the delight of an audience in need of a lighter, fairy-tale story about witches and otherworldly things.

The orchestra and forces didn’t disappoint, delivering an enchanting and thoroughly engaging performance of this gem (which was its long-overdue, first-time performance by the orchestra). Actor Ted deChatelet marvelously alternated his voice to convey the mischievous Puck and stately Oberon. Maureen Porter was equally effective in her role as Titania, queen of the fairies. Sopranos Sharin Apostolou and Amy Jo Arrington sang beautifully, as did the women of the Portland Symphonic Choir. The strings were impeccable. The brass played with sensitivity, and principal flutist David Buck again displayed remarkable breath control, playing extended, exposed passages that flowed like a clear stream.

Attendance was down on Sunday night with too many empty seats for such an excellent program. Was this because of Martin Luther King weekend or did folks have problems prying themselves away from the Packers-Giants game. You’d think that Portland’s wicca followers would make a showing or that perhaps Shakespeare lovers, many of whom make yearly treks to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland would’ve been more curious about this show, but alas that was not to be.

PS: My review of last week's Oregon Symphony concert is now posted on Seen and Heard International.

Updates on scribbling and Northwest Reverb stats

I've published an article in winter issue of MUSO magazine on some of the best vocal training programs in the US and Canada. I was able to get in a plugs for Portland State University's opera program with a quote from head honcho Christine Meadows and for my alma mater Pacific Lutheran University.

Also, for the past week or so, Northwest Reverb has crossed the 1,000 visits per month threshold. And the latest analysis states that it's at an all-time high with 1,137 visits from 633 different visitors (in the jargon "absolutely unique visitors) over the last 31 days.

Talking with Carlos Kalmar about the upcoming Oregon Symphony concerts and more

On Tuesday afternoon, I chatted with Oregon Symphony's music director Carlos Kalmar about his recent work in The Hague, Netherlands and about Oregon Symphony’s classical music concerts through the end of the season.

How did things go with the Residente Orkestre in The Hauge?

Kalmar: Everything went very well. That was my second time with the Residente Orkester. The first encounter two years ago was difficult. I went in there being my usual self, which means start rehearsing right away. They didn’t want to do that. They wanted to settle down a little bit and be themselves and feel the music. That was fine. But the real problem arose when I decided to fire my soloist. It was an unusual thing. Only the second time in 21 years of doing this business. But that was two years ago. I'm happy that they invited me back and the concerts with the Shostakovich 5 went really well.

What out-of-town gigs do you have coming up?

Kalmar: I’ll be returning to Dublin to direct the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra on the 25th of this month. We'll be doing the Szymanowski Violin Concerto No. 1, Bartók's Dance Suite, and Dvorák Symphony No. 8. Then I travel to Lahti, Finland to conduct the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. That was Osmo Vänskä’s orchestra. We'll perform the entire Romeo and Juliet symphony by Berlioz in Lahti. That will be fun.

This weekend you'll be conducting the Oregon Symphony in a concert of Mendelssohn" "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and MacMillan's "The Confessions of Isobel Gowdie." That's an interesting combo.

Kalmar: James MacMillan is a contemporary Scottish composer, about my age. Isobel Gowdie was an average woman from about 1640 in Scotland. MacMillan is a very Catholic person and a proud Scotsman. He studied Scottish history and found this very dark spot – which happened all over Europe – people were burnt to death because they were accused of being a witch. Isobel Gowdie was tortured and confessed to all sort of things: that she could fly, that she had met the devil. So she was strangled at the stake and burnt to death.

MacMillan wrote this piece to commemorate that tragedy. It’s kind of a requiem. The musical language at the beginning is modern, but you can hear the links to ancient history, ancient church songs, etc. This is not program music, but when it comes to torture and killing, the music becomes very intense, screaming, and quite in your face. After she is dead, there is a sense of reconciliation. MacMillian refers to the 4,000 who were killed in Scotland during this time under similar circumstances.

We want to link this piece with Mendelssohn’s "A Midsommer Night’s Dream," which looks at fairies and the supernatural from a completely different angle. Because this music is pleasant, funny, and very lyrical. We’ve got the choir part, the actors, and we do some of some of the Shakespeare play. It will be a great way to lift your spirits.

As a side note -- Mendelssohn wrote the overture when he was 17 years old and the rest of it later. That's amazing!

In early February Gregory Vajda will conduct Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Kirill Gerstein.

Kalmar: Kirill Gerstein was here two years ago and did the Ravel G major Piano Concerto with us and Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue" and both pieces were unbelievable! He is Russian and has a degree in piano and in jazz playing. You can real feel that he knows how to do jazz. I think that for Kirill you can give him anything. He’s that great! Gregory will do well with John Adams' "Chamber Symphony" and Schumann's 4th Symphony. A great program.

In the middle of February, you return to conduct two pieces by Liszt, including his second piano concerto with guest pianist Arnaldo Cohen.

Kalmar: Cohen is a wonderful Brazilian artist with whom I’ve already worked, so I'm looking forward to bring him here. Also on the program is Liszt’s "Les Préludes,” an excellent ballet piece. "Les Préludes" is one of Liszt’s best pieces but at the centerpiece of the music there’s a great majestic and brassy section. The music has nothing to do with military things, but the Nazi’s used it as a signature tune for their special radio announcements. So the piece wasn’t played in German-speaking countries for 40 years after the WWII ended because of the memories. So, the good news is that we in America can appreciate this music for what it is.

This is my first time to do “Fanfare for the Common Man” as a separate piece. I've conducted it several times because it's in the fourth movement of Copland's Third Symphony. Also on this progrma is Bizet’s "Symphony in C," which is a cute, little thing. And Barber’s "Sourvenirs" is to die for – a very intelligent piece of music.

On March 8 through the 10th Finland is coming to Portland in the form of a conductor and a soloist with the orchestra.

Kalmar: Yes, Pietari Inkinen will conduct and the concert will feature Pekka Kuusisto, who is probably the leading young Finish violin soloist, playing Stravinsky's "Violin Concerto." Pekka's brother is the concertmaster of the Lahti Symphony and a very fine player too. This is a well suited concert. The Stravinsky piece requires a really intelligent musician who can pull it off and get the audience to understand it. Pekka will do that. And the Tchaikovsky 4th is also on the program. With that piece you can’t go wrong. It's great music that is beloved by audiences everywhere.

We've got another guest conductor coming to direct the orchestra in late March.

Kalmar: Juanjo Mena is a young Spanish conductor. He must be in his 30s. He is one of the more upcoming conductors I saw him in Spain a couple of years ago and was impressed. He also works with the Baltimore Symphony. So, I’m happy that we can present a concert that is wide-ranging. We’ve paired the well-known Beethoven Sympohny No. 2 and Wagner's Overture to "Tannhäuser" with two lesser-know works: Johann Christian Bach’s Symphony and Martinu’s "The Frescoes of Piero della Francesca," which will be played here for the first time. Martinu’s piece is a great piece of music.

You are back in town to conduct in the middle of April a concert of Bartók and Strauss, and the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with Sharon Kam.

Kalmar: I’ve worked a couple of times with Sharon Kam in Vienna and Dessau. Sharon is one of the top clarinetists in the world. This will be exciting, and the Mozart Clarinet Concerto has been done here in a while.

I’m excited to do Bartók's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste." It’s very important piece of 20th Century music that any really good orchestra has to play. This again may be the first time that this piece has been done in Portland.

Then comes the Mahler 9 on April 26, 27, and 28.

Kalmar: Mahler 9 - that’s no big deal! A tiny symphony! (Laughs) Maybe an hour and a quarter in length. We decided not to pair it with anything else is because it is such a substantial work. We all know that Mahler pieces have more too it, background, irony, sadness, desperation, some humorous things. It’s a great piece, but it is challenging in the most positive way. It’s long and you have to pay attention. If you look at the length of Mahler’s first symphony – around 51 minutes – with the 9th and all of the things he is trying to say at the end of his life, then you know how incredible this work is.

Alright! I'm going to be ready to hear it at least twice. I don't know that it's ever been done by the Oregon Symphony before. And this is just whetting my appetite, because I’m waiting for you to do a Bruckner.

Kalmar: You won’t have to wait long.

Yay! (Fireworks explode inside my head.) Wow I’m psyched!

The final concert of the season offers Messiaen's "The Ascension" ("L'Ascension") and Carmina Burana with the Portland Symphonic Choir, the Pacific Youth Choir, and soloists.

Kalmar: We are so proud to contrast the earthy and the ethereal. The Carmina Burana has lots of drinking, lots of love. We all like that. Messiaen's “L’Ascension" is very religious and heavenly.
“L’Ascension" is 20 minutes long and requires a very good orchestra with strong players. The first and last movements are very slow, the players must have the ability to breathe through the music, breathe through the rests, and build this cathedral of sound. A huge difference with the Carmina which involves rhythm, fun, and some weird moments like the high, high tenor in the roasted swan piece.

Let's not forget the remaining concerts in the Inside the Score series. Gregory Vajda will be giving you the inside picture on several great works. He'll talk about two classical symphonys - one by Haydn and the other by Prokofiev, which looks by at the Haydn. That's on February 10th. Then Gregory will talk about Shostakovitch's Fifth Symphony and all the complexity with Stalin's government. That takes place on March 2nd. And Gregory winds up with Beethoven's Seventh Symphony on May 4th. That's a great series and you get a lot of useful information about music, people, and history.

Thanks Carlos!

Kalmar: My pleasure!

Baltimore Symphony ends year in the black

The Baltimore Symphony was able to changing course and post a balanced budget for the first time in five years, according to this article in the Baltimore Sun. Credit goes to some fortuitous planning by the BSO organization, which is led by President Paul Meecham, who used to be the executive director of the Seattle Symphony. Meecham lasted two years in Seattle before running into problems with maestro Gerard Schwarz. Meecham took over a difficult job at Baltimore, which was saddled with a $19 million deficit. In the meantime, the Seattle Symphony keeps plugging ahead with Schwarz and is posting a record year according to this article in crosscut.

Conversation with Yaacov Bergman about the upcoming Portland Chamber Orchestra concert

This coming Saturday, the Portland Chamber Orchestra will play the music of William Walton, Leonard Bernstein, and Joseph Haydn in a program that combines playfulness and philosophy. The featured work is William Walton’s “Façade,” which uses the puppetry of the Tears of Joy Theatre, two actors, and a chamber ensemble to convey the whimsical poetry of Edith Sitwell. The program also includes Bernstein’s “Serenade” with the young and talented violinist Tai Murray as the soloist and Haydn’s Symphony No. 22 (aka “The Philosopher”).

This should be a very engaging program, so I talked with PCO's conductor and music director Yaacov Bergman about it.

Tell us more about Walton’s “Façade.”

Bergman: “It’s a wonderful piece in which Sitwell’s poetry is part of the musical text. In other words, the music rhythmically reflects Sitwell’s poetry. Walton started writing the music when he was just 21 years old. It’s a tricky piece – to articulate the poetry with the music.

The piece requires only 16 instrumentalists – a chamber orchestra kind of piece - and the poems are read while the music plays. Walton wrote the music with a jazzy approach. Sitwell herself was interested in jazz and worked with rhythm in her poetry.

We’ll be working with two actors, Mary McDonald Lewis and KBPS’s Edmund Stone, who will recite the poetry. They are terrific people

The titles of each poem seem to be whimsical.

Bergman: “Yes, they are quite meaningless. There is no story thread from point A to point B. It’s all very abstract. The main challenge is balance. We have to make sure that everyone can be heard correctly. We are using additional monitors in the audience area. Audience has to hear everything clearly.

And we are collaborating with the Tears of Joy Theatre for this piece. This is a new thing. We will build a little extension in front of the stage to bring the puppetry to the audience.

“Façade” is a fantastic work that provides for artistic expression of sophisticated ideas. It has many moods and is very abstract. We can use an imaginative approach that fits the mission of the Portland Chamber Orchestra. We are trying to bring the arts together with music. The future of classical music may have a departure a little bit from the traditional way of presenting classical music. Today there is so much new technology to present music and with which to compose music. It’s an exciting time.”

Tell us about Bernstein’s Serenade

Bergman: “Bernstein’s “Serenade” is a very difficult piece. It has five movements each with its own personality and based on Plato’s “Symposium.” The dialogues in “The Symposium” deal with the nature and meaning of love so the music explores those same themes.”

In some ways “Serenade” is like a tone poem. This piece is very tricky for the soloist and the orchestra, good rhythm and jazz, too.”

What about violin soloist Tai Murray?

Bergman: “Tai Murray is a brilliant young American violinist from Chicago. She has performed this piece with the Chicago Symphony in Atlanta. She has an artist diploma in music performance from Indiana University and is currently studying on scholarship at Juilliard in New York City.”

The concert concludes with Haydn’s “Philosopher.”

Bergman: “Haydn is always wonderful, and this is a delightful piece. Haydn’s works are more classical in structure. He gives us a sense of balance. The title links us back to Plato, and it was given to this piece because of the distinctive character of the first movement. You can see the philosopher in front of you.

The Portland Chamber Orchestra is cutting edge, futuristic. With every concert we are collaborating with other groups in town. It’s a vision that will help to keep classical music alive.

In May we will do Beethoven’s "Creatures of Prometheus" with an all new multimedia look so stay tuned!

Portland Chamber Orchestra plays the music of Walton, Bernstein, and Haydn in a program entitled “Rhymes and Rhythms,” which takes place this Saturday (January 19th) at 7:30 pm at Kaul Auditorium (located on the campus of Reed College).

For tickets call 503-771-3250 or buy online at www.portlandchamberorchestra.org. You can also purchase tickets at the door. If you have the promotion card, you can get $5 off the price of admission.

PS: Congratulations to Bergman for his work fine work with the Walla Walla Symphony. This was noted by Henry Fogel, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, in his blog "On the Record."

Charles Noble reflects in Oregon Symphony program notes

A month or so ago, an article in Crosscut about the Oregon Symphony's financial picture and how to "fix" it caused a lot of chatter on the internet. Charles Noble, assistant principal violist of the Oregon Symphony and blogger extrodinaire (NobleViola) wrote a piece about the subject, and it was printed on the back page of the latest Oregon Symphony program.

I thought that Noble had lots of great things to say, and he challenged the Oregon Symphony audience to enter into the discussion. Noble advocates "a wide-ranging discussion of possible solutions—with frank discussions of the problems included. I’d like to see a range of current and potential donors engage in a forum to talk about what their impressions of the symphony’s problems are, what they see as possible solutions and what they see already being done right."

A forum sounds like a good starting place, and I hope that it gets started soon.

From brutality to serenity and magic: Oregon Symphony with conductor Vajda and pianist Fliter traverse a wide soundscape

The Oregon Symphony opened its first concert of the new year with a bang, presenting a wide-ranging program of music by Bela Bartók, Claude Debussy, Frederic Chopin, and Paul Dukas. Resident Conductor Gregory Vajda directed the concert superbly, using a baton rather than his hands, which I had never seen him do before. Argentinean pianist Ingrid Fliter, the 2006 Gilmore Artist Award winner, was outstanding as the featured soloist.

The concert began with Bartók’s “The Miraculous Mandarin,” which marked this orchestra’s first-ever performance of this challenging piece. Supertitles gave the audience the gist of the story, which tells how three thugs use a girl to lure men in order to rob them. The final victim is Mandarin who is suffocated, stabbed, and hanged, but doesn’t die until the girl embraces him. In a way, this piece is Bartók’s meditation on love and death, except that the love part of the story gets shortchanged.

Vajda guided the orchestra expertly through the turbulent waters of this piece and its myriad of changes in meter. All of the nasty sounds and the thrashing about gave the impression that the instruments were playing against each other at least half the time, yet the brutality of the music matched the story perfectly. The snarling trombones, the furious strings, the wailing woodwinds, and the merciless percussion were impressive. The smeared piano roll captured the ghostly suspension of the Mandarin’s body from a light fixture. After the piece ended I wanted to knock back some absinth or take a plunge in a swimming pool, but alas I couldn’t find either in the lobby.

The orchestra and audience regrouped after intermission for Debussay’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.” The languid and almost serene mood conveyed by the orchestra did a lot to help soothe the nerves after the Bartók. Principal flutist David Buck and principal oboist Martin Hebert played marvelously. The only time that the overall sonic impression seemed to flatten out and go nowhere occurred during an exposed section for the lower strings, and that may have been due to the acoustical shortcomings of the hall, which are well known.

Chopin’s second piano concerto brought in another breath of fresh air. Fliter appeared a bit fidgety during the long orchestral introduction, but once her fingers touched the keys, she showed all of the artistry of a truly great pianist. Her sound was well-balanced, her sense of pacing and contours within passages was amazing. Fliter created an assortment of moods that welcomed us to her view of Chopin’s music and kept us mesmerized until the very end.

The program ended with a Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”. Vajda and the orchestra gave the piece a lot of dramatic flair, reveling in the wit of this whimsical nature of the music. I loved the pauses, which Vajda masterfully controlled and envied the bassoon section, which had a lot of fun in performing this piece.

Post Script: The hall was fairly full; so that continues an upward trend for the orchestra. A very good sign!

A glimpse of Seattle Opera's "Pagliacci"

Seattle Opera has made a special video of their production of "Pagliacci" and given Northwest Reverb (and other media) permission to use it. So, here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Preview and Review of Vancouver Symphony (WA) concert

The Vancouver Symphony (Washington) is offering an unusual program of jazz-inspired music and regular-flavored classical fare. The concert features a jazzy-baroque work by guest conductor and pianist Yaron Gottfried. I published a preview of this concert in The Columbian on Friday. Today I attended the afternoon concert, and the paper has already put my review on their web site. I hope that you enjoy reading both pieces and can attend the Sunday concert.

I'll be attending the Oregon Symphony concert (Gregory Vajda, conductor and Ingrid Fliter, pianist) on Sunday evening.

P-town Pick-up Choir needs you!

A new underground/overground, intensive/subversive choir is being called into existence and resistance by Stephen Marc Beaudoin, singer, writer, man-about-town, and raconteur. If you have a pair of vocal chords and want to commit yourself to audacious sonic actions, then consider Beaudoin's Portland Pick-up Choir. Contact Beaudoin at pickupchoir@yahoo.com. For the entire scoop, read his posting at his web site, From Every Corner.

I hope to hear this choir soon!

Whereabouts of Kalmar and Schwarz

Both Carlos Kalmar and Gerard Schwarz are conducting in Europe right now. Kalmar is conducting the Residentie Orchestra of the Hague (tonight and tomorrow night) in a program that features Debussy's "Prélude to the Afternoon of a Faun," Brahms' Concerto for viola, cello and orchestra, and Shostakovitch's Symphony No. 5.

According to Melinda Bargreen of the Seattle Times, Schwarz is leading the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in their current tour of Germany. Schwarz is filling for Neville Marriner in programs that include works by Beethoven, Dvorak, Mendelssohn and Mozart. Pianist Johnathan Biss is the featured soloist in these concerts. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields web site gives the schedule but hasn't been updated to mention Schwarz.

Mahler's 6th - the correct order of movements?!

I found this article by Larry Lash in Musical America (December 28th - "RSO-Wien Settle the Score with Mahler 6"), but I think that it is only available to those who subscribe. Apparently, most of us have heard Mahler's 6th Symphony in the wrong order. Here's an extended excerpt from the article:

"VIENNA -- The program book for the Dec. 14 performance of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony by Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien (Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra) at Konzerthaus lists the movements as follows:

I. Allegro energico
II. Scherzo
III. Andante moderato
IV. Finale

An apologetic but urgent insert advised a program change based on new evidence: for almost a century, the movements have been played in the wrong order.

The most-quoted source of the mistake came from Mahler’s widow, Alma: “First Scherzo, then Andante” she instructed Wilhelm Mengelberg when he conducted the work in 1919.

Among personal recollections, Mahler’s own marked-up scores, Alma’s less-than-accurate testimony and printers’ errors, the correct order remained unresolved. The International Gustav Mahler Gesellschaft’s first edition of the Sixth, published in 1963, maintained the Scherzo-Andante order.

John Barbirolli long felt the Andante should come first; when he recorded the Sixth with the New Philharmonia Orchestra in 1968, EMI insisted on issuing the LP with the Scherzo first. Only with the 1996 CD reissue did the label acknowledge that Barbirolli had been correct, accordingly reordering the movements.

Also unresolved was the number of hammer blows in the Finale. Mahler composed three, but later felt their devastating impact too great, too close to tragic events in his life. I once saw his copy of the score, the third blow deleted with the bold stroke of a red marker. Fate would have its way despite the editing pencil: after receiving the blows of his dismissal from Wiener Staatsoper and the death of his daughter, Mahler’s recently-diagnosed heart condition lead to his death at the height of his powers at age 50. For decades, some conductors used three hammer blows, others two.

It’s enough of a mystery to fill a book – which it has, actually, published in 2004 by the Kaplan Foundation, edited by Mahler scholar Gilbert Kaplan and titled “The Correct Movement Order in Mahler’s Sixth Symphony.” A great deal of the material in its 72 pages also was provided by Reinhold Kubik, an IMGM vice-president and editor of the critical edition of Mahler’s complete works.

This performance was the first I’ve heard live in Andante-Scherzo order. The difference is astounding. Rather than proceed from the joyous, wild ride of the closing pages of the Allegro directly into the apocalyptic Scherzo, the insertion of the Andante gives the piece a more logical, theatrical flow. And two of those hammer blows – gut-wrenching no matter how prepared you think you may be for them – are quite enough to make the point."

Profile of LeaAnne DenBeste

I published a profile of LeaAnne DenBeste, one of Portland's best sopranos and voice teachers, in the Hollywood Star newspaper. Although the Star is unavailable online, you can pick it up gratis at many locations in NE Portland. The Star publishes about 25,000 copies for each monthly issue, so it's considered one of the larger neighborhood newspapers.

DenBeste will be singing with Cappella Romana in its next concert on January 11th. The program consists of Finnish Orthodox music, most of which has probably been rarely performed outside of Finland. So, if you want to hear some really unusual vocal music, check out this concert.

The picture shows LeaAnne with Clare Marie.

Speculation about Schwarz and the Utah Symphony

If you visit the Classical in Seattle blog, you'll find out that Gerard Schwarz's name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Keith Lockhart at the Utah Symphony. Lockhart's contract expires after the 2008-2009 season. Zach Carstensen (the blog author) refers to the original mention of this possibility in the Desert Morning News and to some musings by Seattle Weekly's Gavin Borchert

In the meantime, let's hope that Utah keeps their paws off of Carlos Kalmar.

Photo of Bob Priest at the piano between George Benjamin and Olivier Messiaen

A publicity shot from the Southbank Centre in London shows local composer Bob Priest sitting between composers Benjamin and Messiaen. Priest is the wild looking guy with the beard. He looks like a serious composer or a budding anarchist. To enlarge the picture, just click on it.

For the birds!

Linda Magee, executive director of Chamber Music Northwest, and husband Craig Fisk have a Quaker parrot named Sparky who has made a name for himself on YouTube. You can watch Sparky construct his very large next in the Magee-Fisk dining room. I think that there's a bookcase behind the nest.

Year end thoughts...

I've really enjoyed writing Northwest Reverb since my first posting in February. I'm happy to report that the blog is now attracting just a hair under 900 visits a month.

I'd love to devote more time to the blog, because there's so much superb music-making underway in Portland and the Pacific Northwest, but I have to be careful about how much time I spend blogging.

Besides all of the wonderful concerts by established groups, it's really great when people like Charles Noble and Bob Priest put together their own concerts, because these kind of under-the-radar events energize very lively, responsive audiences. I hope to attend more of these performances in 2008.

With best wishes for a Happy New Year!

- James

Willamette University flute instructor Molly Barth nominated for Grammy Award

Willamette University flute instructor Molly Barth was a member of Eighth Blackbird, whose recording Strange Imaginary Animals has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Chamber Music Category (Category 104). I briefly talked with Barth, and she confirmed that her playing is in this recording, which was completed before she took the job a Willamette University.

Barth has impressive credentials, including 4 CDs with Cedille Records, the 2000 Naumburg Chamber Music Award, the 1998, 2000 and 2002 CMA/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, first prize at the 1998 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the 1998 Coleman Chamber Music Competition, and 1996 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. You can read more about this on her Willamette University faculty page. I heard Barth play with the Fear No Music ensemble in their November concert, and her performance was excellent.

Overall, eight blackbird has been nominated for 3 Grammys:

Category 104: Best Chamber Music Performance - strange imaginary animals
Category 107: Best Classical Contemporary Composition - Jennifer Higdon, Zaka
Category 97: Best Producer of the Year, Classical - Judith Sherman

The Grammy winners will be announced on February 10th. We'll see if Eighth Blackbird makes a sweep!

What's in a name?

On Friday evening, I heard the Portland Baroque Orchestra's concert with Cappella Romana as the chorus. But only LeaAnne DenBeste and a couple other people in the chorus normally sing with Cappella Romana. In fact, none of the core Cappella Romana men (including Mark Powell who also serves on the administrative staff of Cappella Romana and on the staff of PBO) sang in this concert or the concert series (four performances). So why bother to call the vocal ensemble Cappella Romana?

Bob Priest's letter regarding Elliott Carter in New York Times

Composer Bob Priest has been on a letter-writing spree lately. His letter about Elliott Carter's music appeared on page 40 of Sunday's New York Times Arts and Leisure section. BP has allowed me to reprint it here:

From: Bob Priest
Date: December 10, 2007 4:01:27 PM PST
To: artsleisure@nytimes.com
Subject: Elliott Carter

I am thrilled that Elliott Carter is still alive and continuing to compose. I have admired and learned much from his scores over the past 35 years. His craft is impeccable. Unfortunately, I generally can't bear listening to his actual music. I have struggled mightily in the past with this dichotomy. Now, I've made peace with the fact that Carter's music "speaks" to me through my mind - not my ear.

Bob Priest
Portland, Oregon

Composer Bob Priest registers his thoughts about Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony

Portland-based composer Bob Priest wrote the following letter to the New York Times regarding the turmoil with Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony. He has allowed me to print his letter in Northwest Reverb. So here it is:

From: Bob Priest
Date: December 17, 2007 12:54:08 AM PST
To: artsleisure@nytimes.com
Subject: "Gerry's" Seattle Symphony

I lived in Seattle for 11 years and worked with the Seattle Symphony on several projects ( "Penderecki Week" - 1988, and the Seattle Spring Festival of New Music and World Arts - 1992 with Toru Takemitsu as composer-in-residence). During this time, I established some fleeting "friendships" with a few key symphony principle players. While these fine artists rarely had anything positive to say about Schwarz, my personal experience with the "maestro" was relatively problem free. He was quite kind and supportive of my/our new music projects in a distant sort of way.

However, after reading your recent article about the intense bickering, politics and divisive gamesmanship surrounding Gerry's ongoing tenure with the band, it is abundantly clear that "The Ger" (as some have appelled him) should step down and move on . . . What I experienced first-hand and have recently read underlines the FACT that the present situation is far from being optimally conducive to trusting, sympathetic and forward driving music making. When "politics" assert their nastiness to this degree, anything other than a "regime change" merely prolongs the death throes of what is essentially the rotting corpse of a done deal.

Bob Priest
Marzena Performance Ensemble

Assistant conductor shines in Wintersong concerts

I thought that Anna Song did a terrific job, conducting the Portland Symphonic Choir in its Wintersong! concerts over the weekend. She seemed to be a little wound up for the first concert on Saturday evening, but she really looked relaxed and very expressive during the concert on Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed singing in both concerts and will look forward to singing under Anna's direction again.

Kudos also to the women of the choir and accompanist Douglas Schneider in an Caldwell/Ivory arrangement of "Go Where I Send Thee." Ace soprano Cameron Griffith Herbert took over direction for this piece and led a Lights Out performance!

Also, a wonderful highlight was Gretchen Corbett's superb narration. Corbett put everything into her delivery. I especially liked her rendition of Barbara Robinson's "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."

Seattle Symphony commentary

The Seattle P-I ran the entire New York Times article about the Seattle Symphony's problems on its front page yesterday. And you can read a lively commentary from readers here.

Anna Song to the rescue!

Steven Zopfi, artistic director of the Portland Symphonic Choir, won't be able to conduct the choir's concerts this weekend. Zopfi is attending to family matters on the East Coast because his father just passed away. Fortunately for the choir (of which I am a member), we have a very talented assistant director, Anna Song, who will direct the pieces (except for a couple of them). Song has a BA in composition from UCLA and an MM in conducting from the School of Music and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University. She has conducted the choir in several pieces before, but this will be her first time to lead an entire program. So that will add a bit more excitement to the concert.

The program includes traditional Christmas carols, a Hanukah piece entitled “Aleih Neiri” (“Rise Up, My Light”), a Kwanzaa song called “Harambee” (“Call to Unity”), and the Ukranian folksong “Shcedrik,” which is popularly known as the “Carol of the Bells.” The choir will also perform a suite of songs called “Native American Ambiances,” which was written by Jackson Berkey, one of the members of Mannheim Steamroller. Berkey combined texts from American Indians with flute, pre-recorded percussion and environmental sounds (wolves, rivers and other nature sounds) to create a thought-provoking atmosphere. On the humorous side, we'll sing PDQ Bach's "Good King Kong Looked Out," and in a nod to the gospel genre, the women of the choir will perform "Go Where I Send Thee." That's not all of the numbers, but that's all that I have time now to mention. For more information about the concert, see http://www.pschoir.org/. See you at the concert!

Carl Herko - new PR guy at the Oregon Symphony

It's not often that the new PR person at the Oregon Symphony is greeted with fanfare, but that's what it feels like from my perspective. I received an email announcement from Elaine Calder that Herko is the point person for the Symphony's publicity. Herko has a strong background in journalism (as David Stabler notes in his blog), and it will be very interesting to see what Herko will do to help advance the cause of the orchestra.

Herko's official title is Vice President, Media & Public Relations or VPMPR for short. He has lived in Buffalo, NY for decades, but he moved to the Northwest a couple of years ago. I'm looking forward to meeting him and finding out his perspective on the orchestra.

As an additional note, I like how Elaine Calder comes out before the orchestra concerts begin to welcome everyone and introduce the orchestra. Calder's personality comes across as genuine and likable, and I've heard good comments in the audience.

Suggestion for next year's Comfort and Joy

KBPS has put together a fine holiday CD called "Comfort and Joy" that has been a popular gift for listeners who have donated to the station over the past month or so. Staff members made the selections, which number 20 and begin and end with two from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker." Next year, KBPS should look into making selections from local groups. I would think that the Oregon Repertory Singers, the Portland Symphonic Choir, the David York Ensemble, the Columbia Symphony, and many other ensembles in town would love to donate the performance of at least one seasonal tune to a recording that would be very appreciated by KBPS's listeners and would generate interest in the concerts for those groups during the holidays and beyond.

PR changes at the Oregon Symphony

Besides Michael Kosmala's exit, I received news that Allison Griffin, public relations associate at the Oregon Symphony, has recently left the mother ship. In her email, Griffin didn't say that she was laid off, but that's the way it looks. When I find out who the new PR people at the Symphony will be, I'll post it here.

Great coffee deal

Caffe D'arte is offer a pound of coffee free with every pound that you purchase at their new store in NE Portland. I just tasted their Velletri blend, and it's fantastic - very smooth and rich tasting. So, for $14, you can get another pound of coffee for free! I think that this deal extend only through the end of the month.

Caffe D'arte has taken over the spot where Torrefazione used to be in NE 15th between Weidler and Broadway. Try it out! Here's the company's main web site.

Reviews now also in Seen and Heard

Many of my reviews will now be published also on MusicWeb International's "Seen and Heard." You can find recent Oregon Symphony review here.

Review of the Oregon Symphony's Italian concert

The Oregon Symphony transported us to Italy, performing Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” Edward Elgar’s “In the South,” and Hector Berlioz’s “Roman Carnival Overture.” I attended the concert on Sunday night (December 2nd), and was treated to an outstanding concert by the orchestra and its guest soloist Eilina Vähälä. Here's my take on what I heard.

Pared down to a lean chamber ensemble of 21, the orchestra delivered a remarkably expressive and crisp rendition of Vivaldi's gem with the beautiful, Finnish violinist Eilina Vähälä as the soloist. Vähälä performed with impeccable, breath-taking control and dynamics that made this piece come alive as if it had never been played before. Accompanying her with the utmost attention to subtle nuances, the orchestra blended perfectly in support of Vähälä artistry, and together they created convincing tableaux of bucolic landscapes in their seasonal guises.

Artistic director Carlos Kalmar led with his hand rather than with a baton, which worked to keep the music soft, such as when the shepherd slept and a dog barked in the background. The slashing rainfall during the summer thunderstorm and the icy winter storm was thrilling as the sound raked the stage. Vähälä and the ensemble wonderfully evoked the peasant’s dance, hunting scene, and other summer pleasures before slipping away into the bitter chill of winter. Harpsichordist Sue Jensen and principal cellist Nancy Ives played superbly throughout.

Vähälä made a terrific case for herself as a violinist to be reckoned with. I hope that she will return to Portland to inspire us again.

I didn’t care for Les Sarnoff’s style of narration of the accompanying sonnets. His voice was pleasant but too avuncular, so all of the words seemed to be coated with sugar.

The second half of the program began with a brilliant sweep of sound that introduces Elgar’s "In the South." Sometimes this part of the piece makes me think that it had been written by Richard Strauss, but Elgar takes us down a path that is entirely his own. The orchestra wielded a generous palate of colors and painted a rich and varried soundscape.

At one point, melancholic and lyrical passages faded away before the orchestra threw itself into big blocks of sound. I thought of a giant walking across a valley floor, but apparently Elgar meant this passage to convey ancient, warlike, Roman troops as described in a poem by Tennyson. In any case, the masculine theme rumbled off into the distance, and we are left to wander in a daze until the strings picked us up and escorted us onward.

Principal violist Joël Belgique’s solo in the third section was exquisite, and the violins added a nice layer of sweetness. Overall, this piece showed a lot of exciting energy and drive. The woodwind and brass, especially principal French horn John Cox and principal clarinetist Yoshinori Nakao, played outstandingly from beginning to end.

I would normally think of opening the concert with the “Roman Carnival Overture” by Berlioz, but by concluding the program with this piece, Kalmar and company convincingly capped off the evening with a shower of sonic fireworks. Harris Orem played the English horn solo with pure, plaintive beauty. I also enjoyed how principal flutist David Buck and principal oboist Martin Hebert finished each other's conversations seamlessly. Also, contrasts between the quiet, thoughtful passages and the festive eruptions were marvelous. The audience in the Schnitz, which seemed to be close to 90 percent full, soaked up the final chords with gusto.

Nordstrom pianists moving onward...

Earlier today I talked with Dave Lee the fellow pictured in the Oregonian article about the termination of pianists in their stores. That's an old photo. Two years have passed since the last time Lee played in Nordstrom. He's gone onto other, more lucrative gigs. (The $15 an hour at Nordy's was a pretty sad wage.) The archived picture photo that The Oregonian used has created wonderful publicity for Lee. In the meantime, he said that we should watch for another department store that is going to feature pianists. Would that be the store that starts with M...?

Financial restrictions mean no subs for the Oregon Symphony

One of the ways that the Oregon Symphony is conserving money involves restricting how many substitutes can be hired. One of the orchestra members told me that no subs could be hired for the last few concerts and for the near future. For the upcoming Vivaldi concert, no subs will be required because a chamber orchestra will probably be used for the "Four Seasons." But I have noticed that for the last several concerts, the orchestra (in terms on numbers on stage) looked pretty lean. On the one hand, no subs means that the orchestra members will play a little louder in the passages that require more volume. On the other had, I have to admit the some of the pianissimos in the last concerts were whisper-like quiet. I really liked that because the contrasts with the fortissimos were really large and more interesting that ever.

So, it seems that the no subs ruling is working. The orchestra is saving money and the sound hasn't been compromised. Of course, for the Mahler in April and the Orff in May, some subs are going to be needed.

Christmas concert roundup

I published a piece about upcoming Christmas concerts in the Portland-metro area on livePDX here. It's doesn't cover all of the concerts, but if you haven't already planned which concerts you want to attend then this is a good place to start.

Oregon Symphony - Sibelius, Haydn, and Beethoven review

On Sunday evening, I attended the Oregon Symphony concert that offered Sibelius' Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Haydn's Concerto for Cello No. 2 in D major, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 and F major. The Schnitz seemed to be about 85 percent full; so Portland audience really responded well to this program selection or Ralph Kirshbaum, the featured cellist for the Haydn, really pulled in some of the Chamber Music Northwest crowd. (Kirshbaum has been a regular artist at CMNW's concerts for many years.)

Yet despite the strong program (with the first OSO performance of the Sibelius 6th) and the wonderful guest soloist, I thought that the very guest conductor, Hannu Lintu, stole the show with his very animated and unusual conducting style. (Read Charles Noble's blog for an explanation of the poetic conducting style vs. the scientific conducting style.)

Lintu is a very tall, lanky fellow with (at least on the surface) a dry, typically Finnish speaking style (business-like). He spoke to the audience and told us how everyone thinks that Sibelius' 6th Symphony deals with nature. Yet Sibelius never took walks in the forest or hugged trees. He did occasionally pace around his house while wearing a dark suit. Instead, Lintu said that this symphony is a portrait of "Sibelius' inner landscape" which was full of conflict at a time when he wanted to continue writing Romantic music despite the brusque treatment he was receiving from Schoenberg-influenced composers.

The first movement of the symphony was filled with a buoyant feelings of hope and cheerfulness. I heard lots of great woodwind combinations that are so common in Sibelius' music and there were swells in the sound that are uniquely his style. But that all shifted in the second movement when we heard all sorts of interesting combinations of sounds yet it ended like an incomplete thought. The third movement brought back some of the exiting exchanges in volume. Sometimes the strings would begin an agitated passage that would then fall back to a more relaxed and expansive idea. I recall hearing some terrific articulation in the lower strings. I didn't grasp the final movement well at all except to note that it ended quietly.

Throughout the piece the orchestra played really well. I was watching Lintu alternate between a clear beat to some very expansive, atypical gestures, like sweeping from side to side. I sort of remembered that the last time he directed the symphony (in 2004), he did some of the same thing.

Ralph Kirshbaum gave the Haydn Second Cello Concerto a beautiful interpretation. His tone was lovely and he made the difficult stuff look easy. The gorgeous second movement was wonderfully supported by the orchestra, which played as quietly as I have ever heard. I can also say that the audience really paid attention during this time. I heard no coughing or other kinds of disturbances in the balcony during the entire movement. Everyone seemed to enjoy the rich, warm, and playful nature of the third movement and responded to the piece with great appreciation.

After intermission, the orchestra returned to play Beethoven's 8th Symphony, and this is when the reserved Finn became something more akin to a poet or a wild man. After starting everyone at the beginning of each movement he seemed to abandon any type of beat that you could discern and instead went for the emotive, impassioned, expansive style of stick work in which you do anything you can to get the sound you want. I saw Lintu shaking the baton for several bars at the violas. I saw him swish around from side to side. He showed all sorts of exaggerated gestures that would be hard to catalog unless you watched on a video replay several times. And what he did got great results. The starts and stops were impeccable. The humor in the second movement was whimsical. The cellos, clarinets, and horns in the third movement were outstanding. The con brio tempo, sharp attacks, and crisp entrances in the fourth movement was scintillating! Wow! It was a memorable concert.

PS: I recall seeing Klaus Tennstedt conduct the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood many years ago in Beethoven's 5th. Tennstedt rarely raised the baton to a high enough level for the orchestra to see. Instead, he would sort of lunge at the orchestra as if he was going to skewer them. Whatever he did got tremendous results from the players and the audience ate it up.

Fear No Folk Song

Fear No Music, an intrepid group of musicians who date to inject contemporary works into Portland’s musical consciousness, presented its first concert of the season on Sunday afternoon. The crowd inside The Old Church numbered around 75 or so, but everyone eagerly anticipated new sounds that most had probably never heard before.

The program, entitled, “Folk Song” started with Mathew Burtner’s “Mists,” a piece for computer generated noise and a “stone trio.” The electronic sounds made me think of a misty ocean and waves of water splashing on the shore, spraying everyone with a fine mist. The “stone trio” consisted of three players who held stones and smacked them next to microphones position at three stations around the audience. As the mist condensed it would cause droplets of water to randomly fall. (The stone trio consitsted of Inés Voglar, Phillip Patti, and Joel Bluestone.)

The piece had a meditative quality, but I’m not sure what it had to do with folk songs. Because it was drizzling rain outside, it felt at times as if we had brought the rain inside. Joël Belgique directed the timing of this piece by looking at something on a computer screen and another set of information written on paper. He would use his hands to signal the players at a certain junctures in the score. In a way, he was like a semaphore, and that gave this tranquil piece a bit of suspense.

In any case, “Mists” segued nicely to the next piece entitled “Kuyas” by Harry Somers, a Canadian composer who used a Canadian Amateur Hockey Association scholarship to study composition with Darius Milhaud in Paris (from 1949 to 1950).

“Kuyas” consists of texts taken from an Indian tribe in British Columbia. This music lamented the life of hunting and a way of life that this tribe had to give up. Soprano Janice Johnson sang ardently and filled the room with anguish. Some of the sounds she made mimicked the howl of a wolf. Flutist Molly Barth and percussionists Patti and Bluestone added to the plaintive atmosphere with their accompaniment.

Next came Reza Vali's "Folk Songs Set No. 11b" for string quartet in two movements: Lament and Folk Dance. Vali is from Iran and now teaches music at Carnegie Mellon University. His Lament was very heartrending. Cellist Adam Esbensen played outstandingly. The cello part is extremely emotive and technically difficult, requiring the soloist to negotiate a minefield of leaps and filigree. Esbensen wrung out every last drop with artistry, connecting us with a wail of despair and regret. I thought that if the concert ended right here, I was satisfied. I had truth and beauty even if it's a sad truth and beauty. Well, the second movement, Folk Dance, moved everyone ahead with rhythmic drive that reminded me of a barn dance. Violinists Erin Furbee and Inés Voglar, and violist Belgique teamed up with Esbensen to get our toes tapping again.

The FNM string quartet (Furbee, Voglar, Belgique, and Esbensen) followed this piece with four excerpts from Adam's "John's Book of Alleged Dances." The four excerpts were "Judah to Ocean," "Dogjam," "Habanera," and "Toot Nipple." I thought the recorded percussion track overwhelmed the strings in the "Habanera," especially when they performed the pizzicati passages. I enjoyed the singsong style of "Judah to Ocean" and the rock and roll undercurrent of "Dogjam," and though they are brief dances I wanted to hear more.

The last work on the program was Luciano Berio's "Folk Songs" in the version that he set for voice and seven instruments. Janice Johnson expressed the eleven different songs wonderfully. She easily negotiated the eight different languages/dialects that Berio used in this piece. It always strikes me how fierce and almost angry the Sicilian song "A la femminisca" ("May the Lord Send Fine Weather...") sounds every time I hear it, and the "Azerbaijani Love Song" was full of joy.

Berio wrote a lot of unusual instrumentation for these songs. I loved how "I wonder as I wander" ended with flute and clarinet making a melancholy statement (played superbly by Barth and clarinetist Todd Kuhns). The ensemble (Barth, Kuhns, Belgique, Esbensen, Bluestone, Patti, and harpist Jennifer Craig) played at a very high level, but, with only seven instruments, the overall sound was very spare when compared to the full orchestra version that I heard the Oregon Symphony do a month or so ago.

Aside: Janice Johnson and Joel Bluestone wore identical-looking footbraces, and it made me wonder if they were snowboarding at the same time or what?

Egarr lights up Portland Baroque’s Haydn and Mozart

I’ve heard that Richard Egarr is good, but that’s an understatement. He’s fantastic! I got to see and hear him direct the Portland Baroque Orchestra in a concert of music by Mozart and Haydn at the First Baptist Church on Saturday evening, and it was amazing. Actually, Egarr took on the player/coach role, directing the orchestra and playing the fortepiano at the same time. How he weaves and bobs while hunched over the keyboard in order to direct was entertaining in itself. But the way he arches his eyebrows and stares at the violin one moment and the cellos at the next was even more impressive, because he seemed to be challenging the orchestra to stay up with him.

In introducing Mozart’s Symphony No. 1, which the Wolfgang wrote when he was 8 years old, Egarr said, “Put yourself in his father’s shoes.” He left us musing over how we would handle a son who was genius, when he and the orchestra launched into the music. The strings were fleet and the tempi very brisk. The presto of the third movement danced marvelously, and Egarr’s directions were crisp.

Haydn’s Piano Concerto was also a delight to hear. The sound from Egarr and the orchestra was lively and engaging. They also excelled at decrescendos and changing the pace of music. In the second movement, Egarr and forces and a great way of almost staggering the rhythm – slowing down and speeding up and then slowing down again – all of which kept me on edge, wondering what would happen next.

I could say much the same kind of thing for the orchestra’s playing of Mozart’s Quintet for Fortepiano and Winds. However, with so few instrumentalists, the sound of the fortepiano had more presence. Egarr showed a superb touch throughout the piece, dazzling us with fine nuances. The four winds instrumentalists were splendid, but oboist Gonzalo Ruiz went the extra mile in a terrific performance.

The concert ended with Haydn’s Symphony No. 44 (“Trauer”), and it was filled with all sorts of sudden variations in volume and tempi. The violins really got into the fast lane at one point, but they had no problem transitioning into a slower tempo, showing great control the entire way. Egarr placed a micro copy of the score on the fortepiano, and it was a wonder that he could see the itty-bitty notation, but it seems as if nothing can stop this fellow from making great music. I should add that the orchestra was outstanding when they went from a jagged and jarring sound to a sudden liquid smooth sound.

Egarr sat on a couple of cushions while playing, so that his knees could reach the pedals (or levers). The fortepiano had two pedals (one for sustaining and the other to soften the sound, I think) located just under the keyboard, so he would raise one knee or the other to activate the pedal he wanted. The fortepiano was a 1986 creation based on an 1805 instrument, and it looked like a toy piano because it was so small in comparison to today’s concert grand.

Columbia Symphony performs Mozart and Elgar

I enjoyed seeing the large audience at Columbia Symphony's second concert of the season on Friday evening at First United Methodist Church. In particular, Portland's Asian community (including a lot of kids) made up a hefty portion of an audience that appeared to be well over 500. The strong Asian turnout was due to Mighten Yip, a teenager who is consider one of the best young pianists in the Pacific Northwest. Yip played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9. in the first half of the program. Elgar's Symphony No. 1 filled the second half.

Playing from memory, the 14-year-old Yip gave an technically accurate performance of the piano concerto that Mozart wrote in 1777 at the ripe age of 21. Yip kept the phrasing elegant throughout the concerto and he was especially graceful in his transitions to softer and lighter passages, but he needed some more flair to make the piece more exciting. Everything was in the medium to very soft range. More variation in loudness and tempi would have helped a lot.

The orchestra supported Yip very well and were careful not to overwhelm him. There seemed to be some intonation problems in the first and second movements, but they were minor. It was impressive to watch this young fellow play the entire concerto, and it will be interesting to see how his career develops. Since Yip has taken master classes from Benedetto Lupo, Paul Roberts, and other outstanding pianists, we will be hearing him again.

The audience thinned out a little bit after intermission, but I was impressed that the vast majority stayed to hear the rarely performed symphony by Elgar. I liked the stately beginning (the "nobilmente" theme), which made me imagine walking and surveying the English country-side and making a grand gesture now and then in a regal sort of way. The orchestra displayed some terrific swells in volume that were impressive. I also enjoyed several excellent, sudden diminuendos from the orchestra in general in the first movement as well as a lyrical lightness in the violins during the second theme of the first movement.

The contrast between brusque, agitated marches contrasted well with more lyrical themes throughout the piece. The principal clarinetist Carolyn Arnquist had many fine moments, and the brass shone with a very polished tone. Concertmster Dawn Carter also put a lot of expression into several brief solos. Huw Edwards directed the work from memory, and the orchestra made sure that the crescendos near the finale crashed mightily like waves against a rocky cliff. The piece concluded with a demonstrative slap, and the audience reacted with enthusiasm.

More on the Cascade Music Festival announcement

I thought it curious that The Oregonian ran an article announcing that James DePreist would take over the Cascade Festival of Music, a popular 7-day music festival that occurs every August. But the article didn't have a byline. I looked at the Cascade Festival web site and at James DePreist's web site to find some kind of confirmation of this announcement, but I found nothing at all. A quick conversation with Kathleen Cody, executive director of the Cascade Festival of Music, revealed that The Oregonian account was a reprint of an article that first ran in the Bend Bulletin on November 10th. Cody said that the festival and DePreist's agent are engaged in discussions. I asked what happened to Murry Sidlin. She replied that he has run the festival for 13 years and has really built it up. Since she is new to the festival, she said she didn't know why Sidlin wanted to retire from it. In any case, everyone is excited to have DePreist in the wings.

Since DePreist uses a special wheelchair to conduct, I wondered how he would get to the stage. Cody replied that DePreist has a special podium that they may use, and if it isn't available, they will build a special one for him. She also noted that this would get the festival to be ADA compliant for the stage and they will upgrade the restrooms as well.

Sharing artists and audiences

This weekend Ralph Kirshbaum will be performing for the first time with the Oregon Symphony. Kirshbaum has been a regular at Chamber Music Northwest for a number of years, and I would think that a number of Chamber Music Northwest subscribers might want to hear the Oregon Symphony this weekend because of Kirshbaum.

It's terrific to see major-league artists appearing in concerts that are sponsored by different organizations. Once in a while I've seen this happen with pianists who play on the series with Portland Piano International and also with the Oregon Symphony. Usually, this doesn't happen during the same season.

Of course, I don't want the same people to circulate among these organizations all the time, but some crossover or sharing among the groups is a good way to get stimulate audiences.

I have also enjoyed how Portland Opera has promoted hometown talents. Christine Meadows, who graduated from Portland State University was a regular at NY City opera and at Portland Opera for many years. We've also seen PSU grads like Kelly Nassief and Angela Niederloh star in recent productions. I just took a look at Clayton Brainerd's web site (he also graduated from PSU) and noticed that he will be appearing next year in Portland Opera's production of Fidelio. A great move by Portland Opera.

Northwest Reverb stats

You may be wondering how many people actually take a look at Northwest Reverb. I've been running some analytics on the site (free software from Google) and have found out that Northwest Reverb has been getting an average of 800 visits a month from 500 different visitors (from around the world though the majority are from Oregon and Washington). I think that these are pretty good numbers for a blog that started in February and hasn't advertised anywhere.

Vancouver Symphony (WA) announces scholarships for winners of young adult competition

Winners of the the Vancouver Symphony's young adult competition can now take home $1,500 and receive the opportunity of performing with this symphony. VSO president Ceila Gesting announced the new scholarships (for three categories) at the VSO concerts this weekend. I mentioned announcement in my review of the concert for The Columbian newspaper. Because of these new monetary awards, I suspect that the competition will be pretty fierce this year. Contact the Vancouver Symphony for the details.

Gregory Vajda conducts the Santa Rosa Symphony

This weekend, Gregory Vajda, the resident conductor of the Oregon Symphony, is leading the Santa Rosa Symphony in a program that features the music of Pierre Jalbert, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein. Here's a link to the concert.

Empty seats at LA Phil concerts, too

In the San Francisco Classical Voice, reviewer Lisa Hirsch writes of some recent Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts that centered on the music of Sibelius. The concert series was entitled "Sibelius Unbound," and Esa-Pekka Salonen led the orchestra. At the end of the review, Hirsch states:

"I wish I could report that this great series sold out, but I saw a surprising number of empty seats at each of the “Sibelius Unbound” concerts. A top-notch orchestra and conductor, beautiful music performed in a great concert hall — what more could an audience want?"

So, even the vaunted LA Phil, with an outstanding, popular conductor, and a celebrated new hall has trouble selling tickets.

For the complete article, click here.

Some more ideas for the Oregon Symphony

I'm late in getting to the table regarding the discussion about Oregon Symphony that was ignited by the article in Crosscut. I would've commented earlier, but I've been ultra-busy lately. I have a regular job (technical writing in the software industry) and a number of other obligations that get in the way of my blogging.

One of the good ides that has bubbled up involves getting the orchestra members out into the neighborhoods. Chamber music ensembles from the Symphony could perform concerts at churches and other venues. One of my friends recently received a season brochure from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, announcing that the BSO musicians are doing just that. I know that some of the OSO musicians have discussed this topic, so it's time to act. These kinds of concerts would give a people a chance to talk with orchestra members after the concert and a chance for the musicians to personally invite people to attend concerts at the Schnitz. I know that not all musicians are the meet and greet types, but you only need a couple in the group to make it a smooth effort.

I wrote profiles of four OSO musicians for a local newspaper last February. It would've been better if I could've mentioned an upcoming concert at neighborhood church where the foursome would be playing, but that wasn't the case.

To shake down some big bucks, the OSO could approach people like Phil Knight with the idea of creating and performing a new theme song for Nike. That is, the orchestra would hire a composer to write some kind of light fanfare music for the company and perform it. This theme music could then be used by the company at their events, marketing stuff, etc. It could also be reduced down to a simple phrase to be used as a ringtone (for cell phones). Company issued cell phones and employees who want the company ring tone on their phones could then use the company theme. This could also be done for universities like the U of O, OSU, or PSU. I don't know how much a company would pay for this, but maybe the orchestra could get $200,000 for each theme song. Universities might want to cut a deal in which they would offer one of their faculty to compose the piece...

Under James DePreist the orchestra got to do the theme song for the Bill Cosby show and that caused a big splash locally. So a company or university theme song (let's say for commencement) might work well.

Regarding Carlos Kalmar and how much time he spends here. If you go back to the period of 1925 to 1938, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (as the Oregon Symphony was known then) was led by Willem van Hoogstraten, a Dutch violinist and conductor with an international reputation who really elevated the orchestra. In fact, the orchestra was featured on several national broadcasts during his tenure here.

According to Glenn Reeves, a retired principal violist of the OSO, Hoogstraten never bought a home in Portland. When Hoogstraten was in town, he rented rooms at the Congress Hotel (the Congress Center office tower now occupies that site). Reeves, as an 18 year old, auditioned at Hoogstraten's residence in the Congress Hotel (and won the job). Portland audiences in the days of yore were very happy with its globe-trotting conductor, because he added prestige. And like Kalmar in Chicago, Hoogstraten conducted the New York Symphony-Philharmonic during its summer series at Lewisohn Stadium on the campus of the City College of New York.

When DePreist arrived on the scene he kept his gig at the Quebec Symphony for a short while, but he did make his home base in Portland. It didn't take long for DePreist to develop an international reputation, and each time he conducted a European orchestra or a major league American orchestra, that fact was celebrated locally. He was counted as own of Portland's own. It's not too late to make the same happen for Kalmar. Kalmar is a thoughtful and engaging personality, and he can resonate with Portlanders. I interviewed him (for this blog) at the beginning of this season, and I hope to interview him after the new year.

PS: I interviewed Reeves (at his home in Tacoma) several years ago about his time with the Oregon Symphony. He is the only person to have played for all of the conductors of the orchestra up to and including DePreist. Reeves didn't play for Denton when Denton conducted the Portland Symphony. He played for Denton because Denton taught orchestra in the Portland Public School system.