I interviewed composer Kenji Bunch about his new work, "Aspects of an Elephant," for an article that was published in The Oregonian online here. The print version should be available sometime this week.
Bunch's piece will be premiered this weekend by the Oregon Symphony, which commissioned the it.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Oscar Straus (1870-1954)
Julius Rudel (1921-2014)
Sarah Caldwell (1924-2006)
Wes Montgomery (1925-1968)
Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015)
Lorin Maazel (1930-2014)
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (1944)
Stephen Schwartz (1948)
Marielle Labèque (1952)
Mark Gresham (1956)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin (1975)
and
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
Ring Lardner (1885-1933)
Gabriel García Márquez (1928-2014)
Willie Mays (1931)
Dick Fosbury (1947)
Julius Rudel (1921-2014)
Sarah Caldwell (1924-2006)
Wes Montgomery (1925-1968)
Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015)
Lorin Maazel (1930-2014)
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (1944)
Stephen Schwartz (1948)
Marielle Labèque (1952)
Mark Gresham (1956)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin (1975)
and
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
Ring Lardner (1885-1933)
Gabriel García Márquez (1928-2014)
Willie Mays (1931)
Dick Fosbury (1947)
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Alphonse Hasselmans (1845-1912)
Arthur Foote (1853-1937)
Pauline Donalda (1882-1970)
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Anthony Hedges (1931)
Barry Tuckwell (1931)
Sheila Nelson (1936)
Richard Hickox (1948)
and
Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594)
Frank Norris (1870-1902)
Leslie Marmon Silko (1948)
From The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1750 that the first Shakespearean play was presented in America. Richard III was performed by the actors of Walter Murray and William Kean’s troupe from Philadelphia. Theater was still new in the colonies. And though it was popular in Philadelphia, that city still preferred to pride itself on its scientific and literary achievements, so Murray and Kean set out for New York City.
Through the 1700s, New York’s primary form of entertainment was drinking. By the time Murray and Kean arrived in February of 1750, there were 10,000 city residents and over 150 taverns. Murray and Kean set up shop in a two-story wooden structure on Nassau Street, slightly east of Broadway.
Arthur Foote (1853-1937)
Pauline Donalda (1882-1970)
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Anthony Hedges (1931)
Barry Tuckwell (1931)
Sheila Nelson (1936)
Richard Hickox (1948)
and
Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594)
Frank Norris (1870-1902)
Leslie Marmon Silko (1948)
From The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1750 that the first Shakespearean play was presented in America. Richard III was performed by the actors of Walter Murray and William Kean’s troupe from Philadelphia. Theater was still new in the colonies. And though it was popular in Philadelphia, that city still preferred to pride itself on its scientific and literary achievements, so Murray and Kean set out for New York City.
Through the 1700s, New York’s primary form of entertainment was drinking. By the time Murray and Kean arrived in February of 1750, there were 10,000 city residents and over 150 taverns. Murray and Kean set up shop in a two-story wooden structure on Nassau Street, slightly east of Broadway.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Pianist Kahane races through Schumann concerto with Oregon Symphony
I am not sure why Jeffrey Kahane rushed through Schumann’s Piano Concerto when he played it with the Oregon Symphony at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Monday evening (February 27), but rush he did. Maybe he was bored with the piece, had too many espressos, or was just in an odd state of mind. Whatever the reason, Kahane sped through the first movement so quickly, it seemed like he just wanted to get it over with asap. All of the notes were there, but he didn’t provide any dynamic nuances at all. It was really weird. The second movement was thankfully a little slower and Kahane did deliver some of the delicate moments with grace. He returned to his lightning fast technique in the final movement, which was appropriate since it is marked “Allegro vivace.” The audience responded to the joyous finale with great enthusiasm, enough applause to bring Kahane back to the stage three times. He reciprocated with variations on “America the Beautiful” that he improvised with great sensitivity – a stark contrast with the way that he handled the Schumann.
Despite the quick pace of the Schumann concerto, the orchestra still managed to shine under guest conductor Christoph König. Oboist Karin Wagner and clarinetist James Shields expressed their solos elegantly, and the cellos enhanced the melodic theme in the second movement with lush and robust playing.
The orchestra excelled with its performance of John Adam’s “Slonimsky’s Earbox,” a piece that the orchestra co-commissioned in 1996. The music wandered all over the place – a tribute to the wide-ranging mind of conductor/composer/writer Nicolas Slonimsky – sometimes careening from one section of the orchestra to the next. The punchy dialogue between the brass and swirl of sound from the rest of the orchestra had a galvanizing effect that led to a myriad of intriguing sonic combinations. One moment the flutes would concoct a phrase that bubbled up into the rest of the woodwinds. The next moment the orchestra would sync up into a tic toc segment that featured muted trumpets, and then everything seemed to dissolve into a slow, sonic melt. At one point the marimba, xylophone, and vibraphone were going like mad, and the strings created a chattering sound. Somewhere in the midst of the excitement things quieted down so that Joël Belgique’s lovely viola solos could be heard. König expertly led the orchestral concerto with a clear command of the constant changes in meter and the lively pace.
The last half of the concert was devoted to Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” which a finely honed performance from the orchestra. From the stately beginning through the many variations – which contain clue-like references to friends of the composer – to the grand finale, the many sections of the orchestra took over the spotlight with élan. Witty repartee between strings and woodwinds, robust and crisp brass, and hugely emotional crescendos and decrescendos were impressively executed and wonderfully conveyed the beauty of Elgar’s masterpiece. Solos by Belgique, Shields, cellist Nancy Ives, and subtle shading by timpanist Sergio Carreno highlighted the performance.
Despite the quick pace of the Schumann concerto, the orchestra still managed to shine under guest conductor Christoph König. Oboist Karin Wagner and clarinetist James Shields expressed their solos elegantly, and the cellos enhanced the melodic theme in the second movement with lush and robust playing.
The orchestra excelled with its performance of John Adam’s “Slonimsky’s Earbox,” a piece that the orchestra co-commissioned in 1996. The music wandered all over the place – a tribute to the wide-ranging mind of conductor/composer/writer Nicolas Slonimsky – sometimes careening from one section of the orchestra to the next. The punchy dialogue between the brass and swirl of sound from the rest of the orchestra had a galvanizing effect that led to a myriad of intriguing sonic combinations. One moment the flutes would concoct a phrase that bubbled up into the rest of the woodwinds. The next moment the orchestra would sync up into a tic toc segment that featured muted trumpets, and then everything seemed to dissolve into a slow, sonic melt. At one point the marimba, xylophone, and vibraphone were going like mad, and the strings created a chattering sound. Somewhere in the midst of the excitement things quieted down so that Joël Belgique’s lovely viola solos could be heard. König expertly led the orchestral concerto with a clear command of the constant changes in meter and the lively pace.
The last half of the concert was devoted to Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” which a finely honed performance from the orchestra. From the stately beginning through the many variations – which contain clue-like references to friends of the composer – to the grand finale, the many sections of the orchestra took over the spotlight with élan. Witty repartee between strings and woodwinds, robust and crisp brass, and hugely emotional crescendos and decrescendos were impressively executed and wonderfully conveyed the beauty of Elgar’s masterpiece. Solos by Belgique, Shields, cellist Nancy Ives, and subtle shading by timpanist Sergio Carreno highlighted the performance.
Today's Birthdays
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Carlos Surinach (1915-1997)
Cecil Aronowitz (1916-1978)
Samuel Adler (1928)
Bernard Haitink (1929)
Aribert Reimann (1936)
Ralph Kirshbaum (1946)
Leanna Primiani (1968)
and
Khaled Hosseini (1965)
and
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1801,the U.S. Marine Band performed for Thomas Jefferson's inaugural. Jefferson, an avid music lover and amateur violinist, gave the Marine Band the title "The President's Own." Since that time, the band has played for every presidential inaugural.
Carlos Surinach (1915-1997)
Cecil Aronowitz (1916-1978)
Samuel Adler (1928)
Bernard Haitink (1929)
Aribert Reimann (1936)
Ralph Kirshbaum (1946)
Leanna Primiani (1968)
and
Khaled Hosseini (1965)
and
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1801,the U.S. Marine Band performed for Thomas Jefferson's inaugural. Jefferson, an avid music lover and amateur violinist, gave the Marine Band the title "The President's Own." Since that time, the band has played for every presidential inaugural.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Oscars-Schmoscars - Large audience hears clarinetist Shifrin with the Vancouver Symphony
You’d think that competing in the same time slot as the annual Oscars ceremony would have severely diminished the attendance at Vancouver Symphony’s concert on Sunday night (February 26), but Skyview Concert Hall was fairly full with a large crowd. The strong turnout must have been due in part to the featured soloist, clarinetist David Shifrin, who is well-known for his work at Chamber Music Northwest, both as a performer and as its artistic director for the past 36 years. He didn’t disappoint the listeners, deftly playing the “Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra” by Carl Maria von Weber and Gioachino Rossini’s “Introduction, Theme, and Varations.” The orchestra, led by music director Salvador Brotons, rounded out the program with solid performances of works by Christoph Willibald Gluck and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
For the Weber and Rossini pieces, Shifrin brought out the cantabile style, make the melodic lines sing. His expressive artistry accented sharp contrasts in dynamics, easily diving into the softest pianissimos and ascending to bold fortes that were never too harsh. He executed wonderful tempo shifts – sometimes in mid phrase – and occasionally he would turn slightly from side to side so that everyone in the hall could hear him.
The operatic moments of each piece also include some mind boggling runs that went up and down very quickly. The Rossini piece offered the flashiest of these with a series that involved popping a high note in the midst of a run that was in the lower range. Using terrific breath control, Shifrin played all of the pianistic passages with gusto, crouching and almost bouncing lightly in a way that was fun to watch.
The orchestra accompanied Shifrin with great sensitivity. It was easy to hear every phrase and nuance from his clarinet. In much the same way, the orchestra also gave a fine performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. The combinations of light and airy sections contrasted very well against the turbulent and darker parts of the piece. The violins nicely tip-toed their way through the delicate areas of the second movement, including passages that featured a distant echo. There were some muffled notes in the French horns and a stray note here and there from other sections, but overall, the orchestra gave a satisfying performance.
The concert began with the Overture to Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Aulide,” which warmed up the audience with stately melodic lines that suggested slowly turning ocean waves mixed in with a little pomp. The orchestra excelled at creating the darker moods of the piece as well.
Brotons conducted the Gluck and Mozart from memory. His baton work and gestures showed expert command of the music and allowed him to engage the musicians freely. It’s an impressive thing to behold.
For the Weber and Rossini pieces, Shifrin brought out the cantabile style, make the melodic lines sing. His expressive artistry accented sharp contrasts in dynamics, easily diving into the softest pianissimos and ascending to bold fortes that were never too harsh. He executed wonderful tempo shifts – sometimes in mid phrase – and occasionally he would turn slightly from side to side so that everyone in the hall could hear him.
The operatic moments of each piece also include some mind boggling runs that went up and down very quickly. The Rossini piece offered the flashiest of these with a series that involved popping a high note in the midst of a run that was in the lower range. Using terrific breath control, Shifrin played all of the pianistic passages with gusto, crouching and almost bouncing lightly in a way that was fun to watch.
The orchestra accompanied Shifrin with great sensitivity. It was easy to hear every phrase and nuance from his clarinet. In much the same way, the orchestra also gave a fine performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. The combinations of light and airy sections contrasted very well against the turbulent and darker parts of the piece. The violins nicely tip-toed their way through the delicate areas of the second movement, including passages that featured a distant echo. There were some muffled notes in the French horns and a stray note here and there from other sections, but overall, the orchestra gave a satisfying performance.
The concert began with the Overture to Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Aulide,” which warmed up the audience with stately melodic lines that suggested slowly turning ocean waves mixed in with a little pomp. The orchestra excelled at creating the darker moods of the piece as well.
Brotons conducted the Gluck and Mozart from memory. His baton work and gestures showed expert command of the music and allowed him to engage the musicians freely. It’s an impressive thing to behold.
Today's Birthdays
Eugen d'Albert (1864-1932)
Henry Wood (1869-1944)
Federico Moreno Torroba (1891-1982)
Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)
Frank Wigglesworth (1918-1996)
Doc Watson (1923-2012)
Martin Lovett (1927)
Florence Quivar (1944)
Roberta Alexander (1949)
Katia Labèque (1950)
and
James Merrill (1926-1995)
Ira Glass (1959)
From the Writer's Almanac:
Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata was published on this date in 1802. Its real name is the slightly less evocative “Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Opus 27, No. 2,” and its Italian subtitle is translated as “almost a fantasy.” In 1832, five years after Beethoven’s death, a German critic compared the sonata to the effect of moonlight shining on Lake Lucerne, and the interpretation became so popular that, by the end of the century, the piece was universally known as the “Moonlight Sonata.” Beethoven himself had attributed the emotion of the piece to sitting at the bedside of a friend who had suffered an untimely death.
It was on this day in 1875 that the opera Carmen appeared on stage for the first time at the Opéra-Comique in France. When it premiered, the audience was shocked by the characters of Carmen, a gypsy girl, and her lover, Don José. The opera ran for 37 performances even though it came out late in the season, and it came back the next season, too.
Nietzsche heard Carmen 20 different times, and thought of it as a musical masterpiece. Tchaikovsky first heard Carmen in 1880. Bizet died of a heart attack just three months after the opera's debut.
It was on this day in 1931 that "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the official national anthem of the United States.
The lyrics come from a poem written by Francis Scott Key more than a century before, "Defence of Fort McHenry." He'd spent a night toward the end of the War of 1812 hearing the British navy bombard Baltimore, Maryland. The bombardment lasted 25 hours — and in the dawn's early light, Francis Scott Key emerged to see the U.S. flag still waving over Fort McHenry. He jotted the poem "Defence of Fort McHenry" on the back of an envelope. Then he went to his hotel and made another copy, which was printed in the Baltimore American a week later.
The tune for the Star-Spangled Banner comes from an old British drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven," which was very popular at men's social clubs in London during the 1700s. Francis Scott Key himself did the pairing of the tune to his poem. It was a big hit.
For the next century, a few different anthems were used at official U.S. ceremonies, including "My Country Tis of Thee" and "Hail Columbia." The U.S. Navy adopted "The Star-Spangled Banner" for its officialdom in 1889, and the presidency did in 1916. But it wasn't until this day in 1931 — just 80 years ago — that Congress passed a resolution and Hoover signed into law the decree that "The Star-Spangled Banner" was the official national anthem of the United States of America.
Henry Wood (1869-1944)
Federico Moreno Torroba (1891-1982)
Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)
Frank Wigglesworth (1918-1996)
Doc Watson (1923-2012)
Martin Lovett (1927)
Florence Quivar (1944)
Roberta Alexander (1949)
Katia Labèque (1950)
and
James Merrill (1926-1995)
Ira Glass (1959)
From the Writer's Almanac:
Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata was published on this date in 1802. Its real name is the slightly less evocative “Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Opus 27, No. 2,” and its Italian subtitle is translated as “almost a fantasy.” In 1832, five years after Beethoven’s death, a German critic compared the sonata to the effect of moonlight shining on Lake Lucerne, and the interpretation became so popular that, by the end of the century, the piece was universally known as the “Moonlight Sonata.” Beethoven himself had attributed the emotion of the piece to sitting at the bedside of a friend who had suffered an untimely death.
It was on this day in 1875 that the opera Carmen appeared on stage for the first time at the Opéra-Comique in France. When it premiered, the audience was shocked by the characters of Carmen, a gypsy girl, and her lover, Don José. The opera ran for 37 performances even though it came out late in the season, and it came back the next season, too.
Nietzsche heard Carmen 20 different times, and thought of it as a musical masterpiece. Tchaikovsky first heard Carmen in 1880. Bizet died of a heart attack just three months after the opera's debut.
It was on this day in 1931 that "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the official national anthem of the United States.
The lyrics come from a poem written by Francis Scott Key more than a century before, "Defence of Fort McHenry." He'd spent a night toward the end of the War of 1812 hearing the British navy bombard Baltimore, Maryland. The bombardment lasted 25 hours — and in the dawn's early light, Francis Scott Key emerged to see the U.S. flag still waving over Fort McHenry. He jotted the poem "Defence of Fort McHenry" on the back of an envelope. Then he went to his hotel and made another copy, which was printed in the Baltimore American a week later.
The tune for the Star-Spangled Banner comes from an old British drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven," which was very popular at men's social clubs in London during the 1700s. Francis Scott Key himself did the pairing of the tune to his poem. It was a big hit.
For the next century, a few different anthems were used at official U.S. ceremonies, including "My Country Tis of Thee" and "Hail Columbia." The U.S. Navy adopted "The Star-Spangled Banner" for its officialdom in 1889, and the presidency did in 1916. But it wasn't until this day in 1931 — just 80 years ago — that Congress passed a resolution and Hoover signed into law the decree that "The Star-Spangled Banner" was the official national anthem of the United States of America.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884)
Tom Burke (1890-1969)
Kurt Weill (1900-1950)
Marc Blitzstein (1905-1965)
John Gardner (1917-2011)
Robert Simpson (1921-1997)
Bernard Rands (1934)
Robert Lloyd (1940)
Lou Reed (1942)
and
Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) (1904-1991)
Mikhail S Gorbachev (1931)
Tom Wolfe (1931)
John Irving (1942)
and from the Composers Datebook:
Starting on this day in 1967 and continuing over the next two weeks, Russian cellist Mstsilav Rostropovich performed 26 works for cello and orchestra at 8 concerts with the London Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City -- including some world premieres!
Oh, and just to make it easier, he performed everything from memory.
We should also mention, I suppose, that, during those weeks in New York, Rostropovich was asked to leave his hotel because other guests there complained about his practicing all night!
Tom Burke (1890-1969)
Kurt Weill (1900-1950)
Marc Blitzstein (1905-1965)
John Gardner (1917-2011)
Robert Simpson (1921-1997)
Bernard Rands (1934)
Robert Lloyd (1940)
Lou Reed (1942)
and
Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) (1904-1991)
Mikhail S Gorbachev (1931)
Tom Wolfe (1931)
John Irving (1942)
and from the Composers Datebook:
Starting on this day in 1967 and continuing over the next two weeks, Russian cellist Mstsilav Rostropovich performed 26 works for cello and orchestra at 8 concerts with the London Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City -- including some world premieres!
Oh, and just to make it easier, he performed everything from memory.
We should also mention, I suppose, that, during those weeks in New York, Rostropovich was asked to leave his hotel because other guests there complained about his practicing all night!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Seattle Opera's unveils gripping "Katya Kabanova"
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| Melody Moore (Katya). Jacob Lucas photo |
Written by Leoš Janáček, “Katya Kabanova” tells the story of a lovely, young woman trapped by circumstances that she cannot overcome. Her domineering mother-in-law constantly belittles Katya and runs rough-shod over her husband, Tichon. Katya finds herself longing for another man, Boris, who is single but must tolerate his gruff and boorish uncle in order to get his inheritance. An evening liason between Katya and Boris pushes Katya into a heightened emotional state, and she confesses her adultery to the townspeople. Katya then runs off, causing the townspeople to search for her. She meets with Boris, but they don’t have a future together. Distraught yet strangely at peace with herself, Katya dies after falling into the river.
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| Joseph Dennis (Boris) and Melody Moore (Katya). Philip Newton photo |
Victoria Livengood excelled in every which way as Kabanicha, the evil mother-in-law, bully everyone around her with demands and proclamations. When yells at Katya that Tichon “is her husband, not her lover,” that pretty much summed up her view of marital relations. As Dikoj, Stefan Szkafarowsky spouted off like a crusty old teakettle – full of abrasiveness and a smidgeon of charm.
 |
| Jennifer Cross (Glasha), Victoria Livengood (Kabanicha) and Nicky Spence (Tichon). Philip Newton photo |
Patrick Nolan provided crisp stage directions that were easy to follow. One of the most symbolic moments came at the end when Katya fell backwards into the river. It seemed to be an acceptance of her fate.
Under the baton of Dohnányi, the orchestra sounded fantastic, delivering sounds that marvelously matched the text and expressed the emotional states of the characters. Lush moments, angry outbursts, ominous moods… the musicians terrifically conveyed it all. There was a solitary passage in the final scene when the clarinet (Benjamin Lulich) deftly conveyed what seemed to be the essence of Katya wandering in the woods. It was truly magical.
Today's Birthdays
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960)
Glenn Miller (1904-1944)
Leo Brouwer (1939)
Moray Welsh (1947)
Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006)
Galina Gorchakova (1962)
Thomas Adès (1971)
and
Oskar Kokoschka (1866-1980)
Ralph Ellison (1913-1994)
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)
Richard Wilbur (1921)
Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960)
Glenn Miller (1904-1944)
Leo Brouwer (1939)
Moray Welsh (1947)
Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006)
Galina Gorchakova (1962)
Thomas Adès (1971)
and
Oskar Kokoschka (1866-1980)
Ralph Ellison (1913-1994)
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)
Richard Wilbur (1921)
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Today's Birthdays
John Alden Carpenter (1876-1951)
Sergueï Bortkiewicz (1877-1952)
Guiomar Novaes (1895-1979)
Geraldine Farrar (1882-1967)
Roman Maciejewski (1910-1998)
George Malcolm (1917-1997)
Joseph Rouleau (1929)
Osmo Vänskä (1953)
Markus Stenz (1965)
and
Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
Linus Pauling (1901-1994)
Stephen Spender (1909-1995)
Zero Mostel (1915-1977)
Frank Gehry (1929)
John Fahey (1939-2001)
Stephen Chatman (1950)
Colum McCann (1965)
Daniel Handler (1970)
and from the Composers Datebook
On this date in 1882, the Royal College of Music is founded in London.
Sergueï Bortkiewicz (1877-1952)
Guiomar Novaes (1895-1979)
Geraldine Farrar (1882-1967)
Roman Maciejewski (1910-1998)
George Malcolm (1917-1997)
Joseph Rouleau (1929)
Osmo Vänskä (1953)
Markus Stenz (1965)
and
Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
Linus Pauling (1901-1994)
Stephen Spender (1909-1995)
Zero Mostel (1915-1977)
Frank Gehry (1929)
John Fahey (1939-2001)
Stephen Chatman (1950)
Colum McCann (1965)
Daniel Handler (1970)
and from the Composers Datebook
On this date in 1882, the Royal College of Music is founded in London.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Sir Hubert Parry (1848-1918)
Lotte Lehmann (1888-1976)
Marian Anderson (1897-1993)
Elizabeth Welch (1904-2003)
Mirella Freni (1935)
Morten Lauridsen (1943)
Gidon Kremer (1947)
Frank-Peter Zimmermann (1956)
and
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
John Steinbeck (1902-1968)
Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990)
Ralph Nadar (1934)
N. Scott Momaday (1934)
Lotte Lehmann (1888-1976)
Marian Anderson (1897-1993)
Elizabeth Welch (1904-2003)
Mirella Freni (1935)
Morten Lauridsen (1943)
Gidon Kremer (1947)
Frank-Peter Zimmermann (1956)
and
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
John Steinbeck (1902-1968)
Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990)
Ralph Nadar (1934)
N. Scott Momaday (1934)
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Anton (Antoine) Reicha (1770-1836)
Alfred Bachelet (1864-1944)
Emmy Destinn (1878-1930)
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Witold Rowicki (1914-1989)
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (1928)
Lazar Berman (1930-2005)
Johnny Cash (1932-2005)
David Thomas (1943)
Guy Klucevsek (1947)
Emma Kirkby (1949)
Richard Wargo (1957)
Carlos Kalmar (1958)
and
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
John George Nicolay (1832-1901)
Elisabeth George (1949)
and from the New Music Box:
On February 26, 1917, the Victor Company issues the earliest known jazz recording featuring the Livery Stable Blues and the Dixieland Jass Band One-Step performed by the Original Dixieland Jass (sic) Band.
Alfred Bachelet (1864-1944)
Emmy Destinn (1878-1930)
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Witold Rowicki (1914-1989)
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (1928)
Lazar Berman (1930-2005)
Johnny Cash (1932-2005)
David Thomas (1943)
Guy Klucevsek (1947)
Emma Kirkby (1949)
Richard Wargo (1957)
Carlos Kalmar (1958)
and
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
John George Nicolay (1832-1901)
Elisabeth George (1949)
and from the New Music Box:
On February 26, 1917, the Victor Company issues the earliest known jazz recording featuring the Livery Stable Blues and the Dixieland Jass Band One-Step performed by the Original Dixieland Jass (sic) Band.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Portland Opera kicks of its new winter series with passionate Monteverdi madrigals
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| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
From the age of 40 to the end of his life, Monteverdi wrote nine books of madrigals. “Songs of Love and War” featured eighteen selections from Books 7, 8, and 9 plus two songs from his “Scherzi Musicali.” The selections were grouped under an arc of themes, starting with “The Dance of Courtship and Seduction” and ending with “Acceptance with Pleasure – Whatever the Cost.” The three themes in the middle were “Sensual Pleasure and Fantasy,” “Unrequited and Forbidden Love,” and “Lessons Learned or Not.”
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| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
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| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
All of the action took place on top of and around an extremely large bed, which was placed in the center of the hall surrounded by the audience on all four sides. Sopranos Lindsay Ohse and Antonia Tamer, mezzo Kate Farrar, bass James Harrington, baritone Ryan Thorn, and tenor Aaron Short flirted, frolicked, fumed, and fought with élan. They impeccably expressed the content and emotion of each piece with ardent singing, and their ensemble numbers were remarkably well balanced.
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| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
The chamber orchestra, sequestered in one corner of the hall, sounded terrific. It consisted of Dylan Rieck (cello), Hideki Yamaya (theorbo and Baroque guitar), and Nicolas Fox, who conducted the entire enterprise from the harpsichord.
Because most of Portland Opera productions have been moved to the summer, the new Vino e Voce series marks a brave attempt by Mattaliano and company to redefine opera for the winter months. “Songs of Love and War” was a good start.
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| Photography by Cory Weaver | Courtesy Portland Opera |
Today's Birthdays
Armand-Louis Couperin (1727-1789)
Antoine Reicha (1770-1836)
Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)
Dame Myra Hess (1890-1965)
Victor Silvester (1900-1978)
Davide Wilde (1935)
Jesús López-Cobos (1940)
George Harrison (1943-2001)
Lucy Shelton (1944)
Denis O'Neill (1948)
Melinda Wagner (1957)
and
Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919)
Karl Friedrich May (1842–1874)
Anthony Burgess (1917-1993)
John C. Farrar (1896-1974)
And from the New Music Box:
On February 25, 1924, the first issue of the League of Composers Review was published. Under the editorial leadership of Minna Lederman, this publication—which soon thereafter changed its name to Modern Music (in April 1925)—was the leading journalistic voice for contemporary music in America for over 20 years and featured frequent contributions from important composers of the day including Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, John Cage, Marc Blitzstein, Henry Cowell, Lehman Engel, and Marion Bauer. Its final issue appeared in the Fall of 1946.
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1682,Italian composer Alessandro Stradella, age 37, is murdered in Genoa, apparently in retaliation for running off with a Venetian nobleman's mistress.
Antoine Reicha (1770-1836)
Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)
Dame Myra Hess (1890-1965)
Victor Silvester (1900-1978)
Davide Wilde (1935)
Jesús López-Cobos (1940)
George Harrison (1943-2001)
Lucy Shelton (1944)
Denis O'Neill (1948)
Melinda Wagner (1957)
and
Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919)
Karl Friedrich May (1842–1874)
Anthony Burgess (1917-1993)
John C. Farrar (1896-1974)
And from the New Music Box:
On February 25, 1924, the first issue of the League of Composers Review was published. Under the editorial leadership of Minna Lederman, this publication—which soon thereafter changed its name to Modern Music (in April 1925)—was the leading journalistic voice for contemporary music in America for over 20 years and featured frequent contributions from important composers of the day including Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, John Cage, Marc Blitzstein, Henry Cowell, Lehman Engel, and Marion Bauer. Its final issue appeared in the Fall of 1946.
And from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1682,Italian composer Alessandro Stradella, age 37, is murdered in Genoa, apparently in retaliation for running off with a Venetian nobleman's mistress.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Preview of Vancouver Symphony concerts with David Shifrin in today's Columbian
David Shifrin will play a couple of clarinet concertos with the Vancouver Symphony this weekend. My preview of the concert, including an interview with Shifrin about the music, is in today's issue of The Columbian newspaper.
Today's Birthdays
Antoine Boësset (1587-1643)
Samuel Wesley (1766-1837)
Arrigo Boito (1842-1918)
Luigi Denza (1846-1922)
Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940)
Michel Legrand (1932)
Renato Scotto (1934)
Jiří Bělohlávek (1946)
and
Wilhelm (Carl) Grimm (1786-1859)
Winslow Homer (1836-1910)
George Augustus Moore (1852-1933)
Mary Ellen Chase (1887-1973)
Weldon Kees (1914-1955)
Jane Hirshfield (1953)
Judith Butler (1956)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1955, Carlisle Floyd's opera "Susannah" received its premiere at Florida State University in Tallahassee. According to Opera America, this is one of the most frequently-produced American operas during the past decade.
Samuel Wesley (1766-1837)
Arrigo Boito (1842-1918)
Luigi Denza (1846-1922)
Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940)
Michel Legrand (1932)
Renato Scotto (1934)
Jiří Bělohlávek (1946)
and
Wilhelm (Carl) Grimm (1786-1859)
Winslow Homer (1836-1910)
George Augustus Moore (1852-1933)
Mary Ellen Chase (1887-1973)
Weldon Kees (1914-1955)
Jane Hirshfield (1953)
Judith Butler (1956)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1955, Carlisle Floyd's opera "Susannah" received its premiere at Florida State University in Tallahassee. According to Opera America, this is one of the most frequently-produced American operas during the past decade.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Portland Symphonic Choir on the hunt for a new Artistic Director
From the choir's web site:
For over 70 years, Portland Symphonic Choir has been creating beautiful music under the direction of just five artistic directors. Dr. Steven Zopfi joined Portland Symphonic Choir as artistic director in 2003 and we have enjoyed 14 great years under his baton, performing choral masterworks both old and new. As Carlos Kalmar of the Oregon Symphony once said of Dr. Zopfi, “…the Choir has made remarkable progress under your artistic leadership; it is a pleasure to collaborate with you.”
In addition to his work with PSC, Dr. Zopfi is an accomplished Director of Choral Activities at the University of Puget Sound (located 150 miles north of Portland). Recently, the university completed a major rescheduling effort which resulted in an unresolvable scheduling conflict with PSC’s rehearsal needs. While the university-wide change is being made for good reasons, it unfortunately will prevent Dr. Zopfi from continuing his position with PSC after this season. With this in mind, we are now activating our search for the next artistic director of Portland Symphonic Choir.
The Board of Directors is working diligently to ensure a successful search and transition process. As the great Robert Shaw once said, “as soon as we find each other, we invite the miracle to begin”—this sentiment will be at the heart of our search.
Click HERE to view the job posting.
For over 70 years, Portland Symphonic Choir has been creating beautiful music under the direction of just five artistic directors. Dr. Steven Zopfi joined Portland Symphonic Choir as artistic director in 2003 and we have enjoyed 14 great years under his baton, performing choral masterworks both old and new. As Carlos Kalmar of the Oregon Symphony once said of Dr. Zopfi, “…the Choir has made remarkable progress under your artistic leadership; it is a pleasure to collaborate with you.”
In addition to his work with PSC, Dr. Zopfi is an accomplished Director of Choral Activities at the University of Puget Sound (located 150 miles north of Portland). Recently, the university completed a major rescheduling effort which resulted in an unresolvable scheduling conflict with PSC’s rehearsal needs. While the university-wide change is being made for good reasons, it unfortunately will prevent Dr. Zopfi from continuing his position with PSC after this season. With this in mind, we are now activating our search for the next artistic director of Portland Symphonic Choir.
The Board of Directors is working diligently to ensure a successful search and transition process. As the great Robert Shaw once said, “as soon as we find each other, we invite the miracle to begin”—this sentiment will be at the heart of our search.
Click HERE to view the job posting.
Today's Birthdays
John Blow (1649-1708)
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Sir Hugh Roberton (1874-1952)
Albert Sammons (1886-1957)
Dave Apollon (1897-1972)
Elinor Remick Warren (1905-1991)
Martindale Sidwell (1916-1998)
Hall Overton (1920-1972)
Régine Crespin (1927-2007)
and
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) - blogger of the 17th Century
W. E B. Du Bois (1868-1963)
Karl Jaspers (1883-1969)
William L. Shirer (1904-1993)
John Camp (1944)
Tidbit from the New York Times obit: In the early 1930s, Shirer and his wife shared a house with the guitarist Andres Segovia.
From The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1940 that Woody Guthrie wrote the lyrics to “This Land Is Your Land."
The melody is to an old Baptist hymn. Guthrie wrote the song in response to the grandiose “God Bless America,” written by Irving Berlin and sung by Kate Smith. Guthrie didn’t think that the anthem represented his own or many other Americans’ experience with America. So he wrote a folk song as a response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” a song that was often accompanied by an orchestra. At first, Guthrie titled his own song “God Blessed America” — past tense. Later, he changed the title to “This Land Is Your Land,” which is the first line of the song.
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Sir Hugh Roberton (1874-1952)
Albert Sammons (1886-1957)
Dave Apollon (1897-1972)
Elinor Remick Warren (1905-1991)
Martindale Sidwell (1916-1998)
Hall Overton (1920-1972)
Régine Crespin (1927-2007)
and
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) - blogger of the 17th Century
W. E B. Du Bois (1868-1963)
Karl Jaspers (1883-1969)
William L. Shirer (1904-1993)
John Camp (1944)
Tidbit from the New York Times obit: In the early 1930s, Shirer and his wife shared a house with the guitarist Andres Segovia.
From The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1940 that Woody Guthrie wrote the lyrics to “This Land Is Your Land."
The melody is to an old Baptist hymn. Guthrie wrote the song in response to the grandiose “God Bless America,” written by Irving Berlin and sung by Kate Smith. Guthrie didn’t think that the anthem represented his own or many other Americans’ experience with America. So he wrote a folk song as a response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” a song that was often accompanied by an orchestra. At first, Guthrie titled his own song “God Blessed America” — past tense. Later, he changed the title to “This Land Is Your Land,” which is the first line of the song.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Niels Wilhelm Gade (1817-1890)
York Bowen (1884-1961)
Benno Moiseiwitsch (1890-1963)
Joseph Kerman (1924-2014)
George Zukerman (1927)
Steven Lubin (1942)
Lowell Liebermann (1961)
Rolando Villazón (1972)
and
George Washington (1732-1799) Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)
Edward Gorey (1925-2000)
Gerald Stern (1925)
Ishmael Reed (1938)
Terry Eagleton (1943)
York Bowen (1884-1961)
Benno Moiseiwitsch (1890-1963)
Joseph Kerman (1924-2014)
George Zukerman (1927)
Steven Lubin (1942)
Lowell Liebermann (1961)
Rolando Villazón (1972)
and
George Washington (1732-1799) Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)
Edward Gorey (1925-2000)
Gerald Stern (1925)
Ishmael Reed (1938)
Terry Eagleton (1943)
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Gould Piano Trio and clarinetist Robert Plane to perform at Grace Memorial Episcopal
From the press release:
The Gould Piano Trio and Robert Plane (clarinet) will give a concert at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church on Thursday March 30 at 7:30. They have soloed individually with orchestras all over the world, have 25 CDs as a trio, the pianist has made 17 solo recordings, and collectively they are pretty impressive.
They will play:
• Beethoven’s Kakadu Variations, op 121A (1824)
• Zemlinski’s Clarinet trio (1896)
• Bartok’s Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin and piano Sz. BB 116 (1938)
• Brahms Piano trio No 2 op 87 in C Major (1880)
Violinist Lucy Gould plays a Guanerius filius from 1703, and cellist Alice Neary an Alessandro Gagliano from 1710. Pianist Ben Frith, “achieved international recognition by sharing top prize in the 1986 Busoni International Piano Competition, and 1st prize in the 1989 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, making his debut at the Edinburgh Festival in 1992 with Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations.”
Plane's recording of Finzi’s Clarinet Concerto won Classic CD Magazine’s ‘Best Concerto Recording’ Award and was selected as BBC Radio 3’s recommended version in ‘Building a Library’, whilst his recording of Bax Sonatas was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award. His recording of Messiaen’s ‘Quartet for the End of Time’ with the Gould Trio was praised by BBC Music Magazine as the ‘best modern account’ of this monumental work.
The Gould Piano Trio is brilliant - played Wigmore Hall London, England (the UK’s chamber hall equivalent of Carnegie Hall)in February, and Portland in March!
Tickets, which are selling briskly, go for $30. You can get them online at Grace Memorial.
The Gould Piano Trio and Robert Plane (clarinet) will give a concert at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church on Thursday March 30 at 7:30. They have soloed individually with orchestras all over the world, have 25 CDs as a trio, the pianist has made 17 solo recordings, and collectively they are pretty impressive.
They will play:
• Beethoven’s Kakadu Variations, op 121A (1824)
• Zemlinski’s Clarinet trio (1896)
• Bartok’s Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin and piano Sz. BB 116 (1938)
• Brahms Piano trio No 2 op 87 in C Major (1880)
Violinist Lucy Gould plays a Guanerius filius from 1703, and cellist Alice Neary an Alessandro Gagliano from 1710. Pianist Ben Frith, “achieved international recognition by sharing top prize in the 1986 Busoni International Piano Competition, and 1st prize in the 1989 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, making his debut at the Edinburgh Festival in 1992 with Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations.”
Plane's recording of Finzi’s Clarinet Concerto won Classic CD Magazine’s ‘Best Concerto Recording’ Award and was selected as BBC Radio 3’s recommended version in ‘Building a Library’, whilst his recording of Bax Sonatas was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award. His recording of Messiaen’s ‘Quartet for the End of Time’ with the Gould Trio was praised by BBC Music Magazine as the ‘best modern account’ of this monumental work.
The Gould Piano Trio is brilliant - played Wigmore Hall London, England (the UK’s chamber hall equivalent of Carnegie Hall)in February, and Portland in March!
Tickets, which are selling briskly, go for $30. You can get them online at Grace Memorial.
Today's Birthdays
Carl Czerny (1791-1857)
Leo Delibes (1836-1891)
Charles Marie Widor (1844-1945)
Kenneth Alford (1881-1945)
Nina Simone (1933-2003)
Elena Duran (1949)
Simon Holt (1948)
and
Anaïs Nin (1903-1977)
W. H. Auden (1907-1973)
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
Ha Jin (1956)
Chuck Palahniuk (1962)
David Foster Wallace (1962-2008)
Leo Delibes (1836-1891)
Charles Marie Widor (1844-1945)
Kenneth Alford (1881-1945)
Nina Simone (1933-2003)
Elena Duran (1949)
Simon Holt (1948)
and
Anaïs Nin (1903-1977)
W. H. Auden (1907-1973)
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
Ha Jin (1956)
Chuck Palahniuk (1962)
David Foster Wallace (1962-2008)
Monday, February 20, 2017
Final concert of Arvo Pärt Festival sounds the search for the eternal
Although the fast pace of modern life and technology has made many people addicted to anything short and shocking, there are still those who search for things that are slower and deeper. They stuffed Kaul Auditorium to the brim last Sunday (February 12) for the final concert of the Arvo Pärt Festival and were rewarded with superb performances by Cappella Romana and the Third Angle New Music Ensemble. The program, led by Alexander Lingas, featured music by Pärt, James MacMillan, and John Tavener that drew inspiration from ancient hymns. Even the secular piece by Thanos Mikroutsikos shared a meditative sentiment that fit naturally with the others. It is too bad that Kaul Auditorium does not have some reverberation. A little bit of reverb would have warmed up the sound even more and added the extra bit of awe.
The twenty-five singers of Cappella Romana filled the hall with a gorgeous sound, starting with “Da pacem Domine” (“Give peace, Lord”), which Pärt wrote in response to the train bombings in Madrid in March of 2004. Divided into four parts, the men and women delivered the somber text with well-balanced, resonating, sustained yet bell-like tones (including some subterranean notes for the basses) that placed everyone in a meditative spell alongside the feeling of unending expansiveness.
Another hypnotic piece was MacMillan’s “Who are these angels?” Apparently, MacMilan wrote some of the music when he was 17 years old and then refashioned it in 2009. The men sang a Latin text attributed to Augustine that probes mankind’s mortality with a series of questions. The women responded with the refrain “Who are these angels and how shall I know them?,” singing with a purity of tone and zero vibrato that was absolutely ethereal and tranquil. The string quartet fluttered about, ascending to some very high notes and delicate, free-range glissandi that suggested an angelic response. An additional highlight was a brief, yet beautiful solo by violist Adam LaMotte.
Pärt’s“Alleluia-Tropus” (2008) received its U.S. premiere at this concert. Sung in Church Slavonic, the music featured a joyful refrain of “Alleluias.” Written as a dismissal hymn for St. Nicholas, the final “Alleluia” created a sense of suspension because it was sustained for a long time.
“Funeral Canticle,” composed by Tavener in 1996 in memory of his father, was used in Terrance Malick’s film “The Tree of Life.” The solos, sung in Byzantine Greek by John Boyer, featured microtonal adjustments that sounded very Middle Eastern. Each verse that the choir sang started with a simple melody that morphed into harmonically intertwined passages. Overall, the text gave me the sense of someone climbing stairs that went higher and higher.
Slowly descending and ascending lines were also expressed in Mikroutsikos “Slow Motion,” an orchestra-only piece. The music paralleled the austere and plaintive call of the other pieces on the program but without the religious context.
The final piece on the program, Pärt’s “Te Deum” (“Thee, O God, we praise”), began with an otherworldly drone from the wind harp, played from a recording. The choir sounded magnificent with excellent dynamics, including impressive double-fortes, for example, with the words “pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae” (“Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory”). Other highlights of the piece included crystalline lines from the women and a lovely solo by soprano Catherine van der Salm. The final “Sanctus” was light and feathery. The singers were supported with sensitively by the orchestra, which included the big chords from the prepared piano (Susan DeWitt Smith) that punctuated the end of a couple of passages.
For those who missed the concert, the good news is that the a cappella pieces from the program will be part of a new recording by Cappella Romana. Kudos to the ensemble and to producer Mark Powell for bringing such powerful music to Portland.
The twenty-five singers of Cappella Romana filled the hall with a gorgeous sound, starting with “Da pacem Domine” (“Give peace, Lord”), which Pärt wrote in response to the train bombings in Madrid in March of 2004. Divided into four parts, the men and women delivered the somber text with well-balanced, resonating, sustained yet bell-like tones (including some subterranean notes for the basses) that placed everyone in a meditative spell alongside the feeling of unending expansiveness.
Another hypnotic piece was MacMillan’s “Who are these angels?” Apparently, MacMilan wrote some of the music when he was 17 years old and then refashioned it in 2009. The men sang a Latin text attributed to Augustine that probes mankind’s mortality with a series of questions. The women responded with the refrain “Who are these angels and how shall I know them?,” singing with a purity of tone and zero vibrato that was absolutely ethereal and tranquil. The string quartet fluttered about, ascending to some very high notes and delicate, free-range glissandi that suggested an angelic response. An additional highlight was a brief, yet beautiful solo by violist Adam LaMotte.
Pärt’s“Alleluia-Tropus” (2008) received its U.S. premiere at this concert. Sung in Church Slavonic, the music featured a joyful refrain of “Alleluias.” Written as a dismissal hymn for St. Nicholas, the final “Alleluia” created a sense of suspension because it was sustained for a long time.
“Funeral Canticle,” composed by Tavener in 1996 in memory of his father, was used in Terrance Malick’s film “The Tree of Life.” The solos, sung in Byzantine Greek by John Boyer, featured microtonal adjustments that sounded very Middle Eastern. Each verse that the choir sang started with a simple melody that morphed into harmonically intertwined passages. Overall, the text gave me the sense of someone climbing stairs that went higher and higher.
Slowly descending and ascending lines were also expressed in Mikroutsikos “Slow Motion,” an orchestra-only piece. The music paralleled the austere and plaintive call of the other pieces on the program but without the religious context.
The final piece on the program, Pärt’s “Te Deum” (“Thee, O God, we praise”), began with an otherworldly drone from the wind harp, played from a recording. The choir sounded magnificent with excellent dynamics, including impressive double-fortes, for example, with the words “pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae” (“Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory”). Other highlights of the piece included crystalline lines from the women and a lovely solo by soprano Catherine van der Salm. The final “Sanctus” was light and feathery. The singers were supported with sensitively by the orchestra, which included the big chords from the prepared piano (Susan DeWitt Smith) that punctuated the end of a couple of passages.
For those who missed the concert, the good news is that the a cappella pieces from the program will be part of a new recording by Cappella Romana. Kudos to the ensemble and to producer Mark Powell for bringing such powerful music to Portland.
Today's Birthdays
Johann Peter Salomon (1749-1815)
Charles‑Auguste de Bériot (1802-1870)
Mary Garden (1874-1967)
Robert McBride (1911-2007)
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
Christoph Eschenbach (1940)
Barry Wordsworth (1948)
Cindy McTee (1953)
Riccardo Chailly (1953)
Chris Thile (1981)
and
Russel Crouse (1893-1966)
Louis Kahn (1901-1974)
Ansel Adams (1902-1984)
Robert Altman (1925-2006)
Richard Matheson (1926-2013)
Charles‑Auguste de Bériot (1802-1870)
Mary Garden (1874-1967)
Robert McBride (1911-2007)
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
Christoph Eschenbach (1940)
Barry Wordsworth (1948)
Cindy McTee (1953)
Riccardo Chailly (1953)
Chris Thile (1981)
and
Russel Crouse (1893-1966)
Louis Kahn (1901-1974)
Ansel Adams (1902-1984)
Robert Altman (1925-2006)
Richard Matheson (1926-2013)
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)
Louis Aubert (1877-1968)
Arthur Shepherd (1880-1958)
Grace Williams (1906-1977)
Stan Kenton (1912-1979)
Timothy Moore (1922-2003)
George Guest (1924-2002)
György Kurtág (1926)
Michael Kennedy (1926-2014)
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (1932-1988)
Smokey Robinson (1940)
Penelope Walmsley-Clark (1949)
Darryl Kubian (1966)
and
André Breton (1896-1966)
Carson McCullers (1917-1967)
Amy Tan (1952)
Siri Hustvedt (1955)
Jonathan Lethem (1964)
Louis Aubert (1877-1968)
Arthur Shepherd (1880-1958)
Grace Williams (1906-1977)
Stan Kenton (1912-1979)
Timothy Moore (1922-2003)
George Guest (1924-2002)
György Kurtág (1926)
Michael Kennedy (1926-2014)
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (1932-1988)
Smokey Robinson (1940)
Penelope Walmsley-Clark (1949)
Darryl Kubian (1966)
and
André Breton (1896-1966)
Carson McCullers (1917-1967)
Amy Tan (1952)
Siri Hustvedt (1955)
Jonathan Lethem (1964)
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Giovanni Battista Vitali (1632-1692)
Pietro Giovanni Guarneri (1655-1720)
Gustave Schirmer, Jr. (1864-1907)
Marchel Landowski (1915-1999)
Rolande Falcinelli (1920-2006)
Rita Gorr (1926-2012)
Yoko Ono (1933)
Marek Janowski (1939)
Marlos Nobre (1939)
Donald Crockett (1951)
and
Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916)
Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957)
Wallace Stegner (1909-1993)
Jack Gilbert (1925-2012)
Len Deighton (1929)
Toni Morrison (1931)
George Pelecanos (1957)
Pietro Giovanni Guarneri (1655-1720)
Gustave Schirmer, Jr. (1864-1907)
Marchel Landowski (1915-1999)
Rolande Falcinelli (1920-2006)
Rita Gorr (1926-2012)
Yoko Ono (1933)
Marek Janowski (1939)
Marlos Nobre (1939)
Donald Crockett (1951)
and
Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916)
Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957)
Wallace Stegner (1909-1993)
Jack Gilbert (1925-2012)
Len Deighton (1929)
Toni Morrison (1931)
George Pelecanos (1957)
Friday, February 17, 2017
New stellar violinist to give recital
From the press release:
Darrell Hanks Studio Concerts presents Tomas Cotik Solo Violin
February 18th, 2017 at 7:30 PM
Hailed by Michael Tilson Thomas as “an excellent violinist,” Tomas Cotik is internationally recognized as a soloist, chamber musician, and professor. A much sought after recording artist, Dr. Cotik is currently involved in more than fourteen CD recordings for Naxos and Centaur Records, which have received over a hundred reviews and the highest praises from some of the best-known publications. He forms a Duo with pianist Tao Lin and was a member of the acclaimed Amernet, Delray, and Harrington string quartets. Committed to passing on his passion for music, Dr. Cotik taught at the University of Miami, Florida International University, and West Texas A&M University. He was appointed assistant professor of Violin at Portland State University in 2016.
Tickets: *Reserved: $20 *highly recommended Door: $25
Telemann, Bach & Piazzolla
Darrell Hanks Studio Concerts presents Tomas Cotik Solo Violin
February 18th, 2017 at 7:30 PM
Hailed by Michael Tilson Thomas as “an excellent violinist,” Tomas Cotik is internationally recognized as a soloist, chamber musician, and professor. A much sought after recording artist, Dr. Cotik is currently involved in more than fourteen CD recordings for Naxos and Centaur Records, which have received over a hundred reviews and the highest praises from some of the best-known publications. He forms a Duo with pianist Tao Lin and was a member of the acclaimed Amernet, Delray, and Harrington string quartets. Committed to passing on his passion for music, Dr. Cotik taught at the University of Miami, Florida International University, and West Texas A&M University. He was appointed assistant professor of Violin at Portland State University in 2016.
Tickets: *Reserved: $20 *highly recommended Door: $25
Telemann, Bach & Piazzolla
Today's Birthdays
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881)
Sr. Edward German (1862-1936)
Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947)
Andres Segovia (1893-1987)
Marian Anderson (1893-1993)
Paul Fetler (1920)
Ron Goodwin (1925-2003)
Fredrich Cerha (1926)
Lee Hoiby (1926-2011)
Anner Bylsma (1944)
Karl Jenkins (1944)
and
Ronald Knox (1888-1957)
Jack Gilbert (1925-2012)
Chaim Potok (1929-2002)
Ruth Rendell (1930-2015)
Mo Yan (1955)
From the New Music Box:
On February 17, 1927, a sold-out audience attends the world premiere of The King's Henchman. an opera with music by composer, music critic and future radio commentator Deems Taylor and libretto by poet Edna St. Villay Millay, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The New York Times review by Olin Downes on the front page the next morning hailed it as the "best American opera." The opera closed with a profit of $45,000 and ran for three consecutive seasons. It has not been revived since and has yet to be recorded commercially.
Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881)
Sr. Edward German (1862-1936)
Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947)
Andres Segovia (1893-1987)
Marian Anderson (1893-1993)
Paul Fetler (1920)
Ron Goodwin (1925-2003)
Fredrich Cerha (1926)
Lee Hoiby (1926-2011)
Anner Bylsma (1944)
Karl Jenkins (1944)
and
Ronald Knox (1888-1957)
Jack Gilbert (1925-2012)
Chaim Potok (1929-2002)
Ruth Rendell (1930-2015)
Mo Yan (1955)
From the New Music Box:
On February 17, 1927, a sold-out audience attends the world premiere of The King's Henchman. an opera with music by composer, music critic and future radio commentator Deems Taylor and libretto by poet Edna St. Villay Millay, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The New York Times review by Olin Downes on the front page the next morning hailed it as the "best American opera." The opera closed with a profit of $45,000 and ran for three consecutive seasons. It has not been revived since and has yet to be recorded commercially.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Charles Avison (1709-1770)
Willem Kes (1856-1934)
Selim Palmgren (1878-1951)
Maria Korchinska (1895-1979)
Alec Wilder (1907-1980)
Machito (1908-1984)
Sir Geraint Evans (1922-1992)
Eliahu Inbal (1936)
John Corigliano (1938)
Sigiswald Kuiljken (1944)
and
Nikolai Leskov (1831-1895)
Henry Brooks Adams (1838-1918)
Van Wyck Brooks (1886-1963)
Richard Ford (1944)
Willem Kes (1856-1934)
Selim Palmgren (1878-1951)
Maria Korchinska (1895-1979)
Alec Wilder (1907-1980)
Machito (1908-1984)
Sir Geraint Evans (1922-1992)
Eliahu Inbal (1936)
John Corigliano (1938)
Sigiswald Kuiljken (1944)
and
Nikolai Leskov (1831-1895)
Henry Brooks Adams (1838-1918)
Van Wyck Brooks (1886-1963)
Richard Ford (1944)
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
Jean‑François Lesueur (1760-1837)
Friedrich Ernst Fesca (1789-1826)
Heinrich Engelhard Steinway (1797-1871)
Robert Fuchs (1847-1927)
Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935)
Walter Donaldson (1893-1947)
Georges Auric (1899-1983)
Harold Arlen (1905-1986)
Jean Langlais (1907-1991)
Norma Procter (1928)
John Adams (1947)
Christopher Rouse (1949)
Kathryn Harries (1951)
Christian Lindberg (1958)
and
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906)
Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)
Art Spiegelman (1948)
Matt Groening (1954)
Jean‑François Lesueur (1760-1837)
Friedrich Ernst Fesca (1789-1826)
Heinrich Engelhard Steinway (1797-1871)
Robert Fuchs (1847-1927)
Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935)
Walter Donaldson (1893-1947)
Georges Auric (1899-1983)
Harold Arlen (1905-1986)
Jean Langlais (1907-1991)
Norma Procter (1928)
John Adams (1947)
Christopher Rouse (1949)
Kathryn Harries (1951)
Christian Lindberg (1958)
and
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906)
Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)
Art Spiegelman (1948)
Matt Groening (1954)
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Seattle Symphony receives Grammy
The 2017 Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album for classical music went to the Seattle Symphony for its recent recording of music by Henri Dutilleux. For more information, read this report in The Seattle Times.
Today's Birthdays
Pietro Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676)
Alexander Dargomizhsky (1813-1869)
Ignaz Friedman (1882-1948)
Jack Benny (1894-1974)
Wyn Morris (1929-2010)
Steven Mackey (1956)
Renée Fleming (1959)
and
Frederick Douglass (1814-1895)
Carl Bernstein (1944)
And from the Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1895, Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest opened in London. He wrote the first draft in just 21 days, the fastest he’d ever written anything.
Alexander Dargomizhsky (1813-1869)
Ignaz Friedman (1882-1948)
Jack Benny (1894-1974)
Wyn Morris (1929-2010)
Steven Mackey (1956)
Renée Fleming (1959)
and
Frederick Douglass (1814-1895)
Carl Bernstein (1944)
And from the Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1895, Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest opened in London. He wrote the first draft in just 21 days, the fastest he’d ever written anything.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Third Angle traverses spiritual paths with Pärt-infused concert
 |
| Photo credit: Jacob Wade |
Pärt’s music often uses a style that he calls Tintinnabulation in which the notes of a triad are maintained in slow arpeggios or drones while other voices unfold melodies on the notes of the scale. One of his most famous pieces, “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Mirror in the Mirror”), as played by violinist Ron Blessinger and pianist Susan DeWitt Smith showed off this style perfectly, creating a slow moving yet almost weightless atmosphere with notes rising and falling around each other until they beautifully faded away.
Featuring the Tintinnabuli-style, “Fratres” (“Brethren”), was also given a mesmerizing performance by cellist Marilyn de Oliviera and pianist Smith. De Oliviera wonderfully negotiated a whipsaw series of notes while Smith evoked chime-like tones from the piano. The combination sounded ancient and contemporary at the same time and was breathtakingly serene.
 |
| Photo credit: Jacob Wade |
Pärt’s fame and influence is probably unavoidable for any young composer growing up in Estonia. “Kulgemine” (“Wending”), written in 2012 by Marianna Liik for piano and electronics was very atmospheric, tending away from warm colors to something cooler. Perhaps the bell-like tones that Smith created at the keyboard added to that effect. The electronically-generated sounds became loud and fairly threatening – as if a huge cloud had rolled into the room. By the time it dissipated the music acquired an hypnotic, timeless quality so that the end-effect was similar to Pärt’s.
To close the concert, Blessinger, de Oliviera, and Smith played Tõnu Kõrvits’s “Head ööd (“Good Night”). The piece had a melancholic undercurrent that slipped from sighs to anguished shudders. Sometimes the air would clear and the mood would lighten a bit – with feathery-light moments suggesting a pleasant journey ahead.
 |
| Photo credit: Jacob Wade |
All Classical's special V-day fundraiser
From the press release:
All Classical Portland brings you its first ever Love-Fest Fundraiser!
A full-on, “no holds barred” celebration of the music YOU love, the day promises to be thoroughly joyful and entertaining. All Classical Portland needs your financial support like never before, so tune in and consider re-upping your support of this service. Whatever extra you can afford to give to show your love on this day of appreciation is the right amount, whether it’s an extra $5 in the kitty, or $500. Just as you would give a gift to a loved one on Valentine’s Day, give to All Classical Portland in honor of love, music, cultural community, your partner, your parents, sister, brother or grandchild… make a dedication while you’re at it!
All day on Tuesday, February 14th you can contribute by calling 1-888-899-5722, or donate online at allclassical.org.
All Classical Portland brings you its first ever Love-Fest Fundraiser!
A full-on, “no holds barred” celebration of the music YOU love, the day promises to be thoroughly joyful and entertaining. All Classical Portland needs your financial support like never before, so tune in and consider re-upping your support of this service. Whatever extra you can afford to give to show your love on this day of appreciation is the right amount, whether it’s an extra $5 in the kitty, or $500. Just as you would give a gift to a loved one on Valentine’s Day, give to All Classical Portland in honor of love, music, cultural community, your partner, your parents, sister, brother or grandchild… make a dedication while you’re at it!
All day on Tuesday, February 14th you can contribute by calling 1-888-899-5722, or donate online at allclassical.org.
Today's Birthdays
Fernando Sor (1778-1839)
Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938)
Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938)
Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919-1991)
Eileen Farrell (1920-2002)
Yfrah Neaman (1923-2003)
Colin Matthews (1946)
Peter Gabriel (1950)
Raymond Wojcik (1957-2014)
Philippe Jaroussky (1978)
and
William Roughead (1870–1952)
Ricardo Güiraldes (1886-1927)
Grant Wood (1891-1942)
Georges Simenon (1903-1989)
Elaine Pagels (1943)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1914, ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is formally organized in New York City, with composer Victor Herbert as its first director.
Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938)
Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938)
Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919-1991)
Eileen Farrell (1920-2002)
Yfrah Neaman (1923-2003)
Colin Matthews (1946)
Peter Gabriel (1950)
Raymond Wojcik (1957-2014)
Philippe Jaroussky (1978)
and
William Roughead (1870–1952)
Ricardo Güiraldes (1886-1927)
Grant Wood (1891-1942)
Georges Simenon (1903-1989)
Elaine Pagels (1943)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1914, ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is formally organized in New York City, with composer Victor Herbert as its first director.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Thomas Campion (1567-1620)
Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812)
Roy Harris (1898-1979)
Franco Zeffirelli (1923)
Mel Powell (1923-1998)
Paata Burchuladze (1951)
and
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Max Beckmann (1884-1950)
Judy Bloom (1938)
And courtesy of the New Music Box:
On February 12, 1924 at New York's Aeolian Hall, self-named 'King of Jazz' Paul Whiteman presented An Experiment in Modern Music, a concert combining "high art" and "hot jazz." The concert featured newly commissioned works from Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern, Edward MacDowell, Irving Berlin, Ferde Grofé, and Rudolf Friml, but the highlight of the program was the world premiere performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812)
Roy Harris (1898-1979)
Franco Zeffirelli (1923)
Mel Powell (1923-1998)
Paata Burchuladze (1951)
and
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Max Beckmann (1884-1950)
Judy Bloom (1938)
And courtesy of the New Music Box:
On February 12, 1924 at New York's Aeolian Hall, self-named 'King of Jazz' Paul Whiteman presented An Experiment in Modern Music, a concert combining "high art" and "hot jazz." The concert featured newly commissioned works from Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern, Edward MacDowell, Irving Berlin, Ferde Grofé, and Rudolf Friml, but the highlight of the program was the world premiere performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Rudolf Firkušný (1912-1994)
Sir Alexander Gibson (1926-1995)
Michel Sénéchal (1927)
Cristopher Dearnley (1930-2000)
Jerome Lowenthal (1932)
Gene Vincent (1935-1971)
Edith Mathis (1938)
Alberto Lysy (1935-2009)
Christine Cairns (1959)
and
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
Philip Dunne (1908-1992)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909-1993)
Pico Iyer (1957)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1841, was given the first documented American performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 at the New York's Broadway Tabernacle, by the German Society of New York, Uri Corelli Hill conducting.
Sir Alexander Gibson (1926-1995)
Michel Sénéchal (1927)
Cristopher Dearnley (1930-2000)
Jerome Lowenthal (1932)
Gene Vincent (1935-1971)
Edith Mathis (1938)
Alberto Lysy (1935-2009)
Christine Cairns (1959)
and
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
Philip Dunne (1908-1992)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909-1993)
Pico Iyer (1957)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1841, was given the first documented American performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 at the New York's Broadway Tabernacle, by the German Society of New York, Uri Corelli Hill conducting.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Johann Melchior Molter (1696-1765)
Adelina Patti (1843-1919)
Jean Coulthard (1908-2000)
Joyce Grenfell (1914-2001)
Cesare Siepi (1923-2010)
Leontyne Price (1927)
Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004)
Roberta Flack (1937)
Barbara Kolb (1939)
and
Charles Lamb (1775-1834)
Boris Pasternak (1890-1960)
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
Åsne Seierstad (1970)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1921, Charles Ives hears Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird" Ballet Suite at an all-Russian program by the New York Symphony at Carnegie Hall. Also on the program were works of Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Rachmaninoff (with Rachmaninoff as piano soloist). Walter Damrosch conducted.
Adelina Patti (1843-1919)
Jean Coulthard (1908-2000)
Joyce Grenfell (1914-2001)
Cesare Siepi (1923-2010)
Leontyne Price (1927)
Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004)
Roberta Flack (1937)
Barbara Kolb (1939)
and
Charles Lamb (1775-1834)
Boris Pasternak (1890-1960)
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
Åsne Seierstad (1970)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1921, Charles Ives hears Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird" Ballet Suite at an all-Russian program by the New York Symphony at Carnegie Hall. Also on the program were works of Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Rachmaninoff (with Rachmaninoff as piano soloist). Walter Damrosch conducted.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841)
Franz Xaver Witt (1834-1888)
Alban Berg (1885-1935)
Harald Genzmer (1909-2007)
Hildegard Behrens (1937-2009)
Ryland Davies (1943)
Paul Hillier (1949)
Jay Reise 1950)
Marilyn Hill Smith (1952)
Amanda Roocroft (1966)
and
Amy Lowell (1874-1925)
James Stephens (1882-1950)
Brendan Behan (1923-1964)
J.M. (John Maxwell) Coetzee (1940)
Alice Walker (1944)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1893, Verdi's opera, "Falstaff," was first performed in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala. This was Verdi's last opera.
Franz Xaver Witt (1834-1888)
Alban Berg (1885-1935)
Harald Genzmer (1909-2007)
Hildegard Behrens (1937-2009)
Ryland Davies (1943)
Paul Hillier (1949)
Jay Reise 1950)
Marilyn Hill Smith (1952)
Amanda Roocroft (1966)
and
Amy Lowell (1874-1925)
James Stephens (1882-1950)
Brendan Behan (1923-1964)
J.M. (John Maxwell) Coetzee (1940)
Alice Walker (1944)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1893, Verdi's opera, "Falstaff," was first performed in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala. This was Verdi's last opera.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Jacob Praetorius (1586-1651)
André Grétry (1741-1813)
Osian Ellis (1928)
John Williams (1932)
Elly Ameling (1933)
Gundula Janowitz (1937)
Margaret Brouwer (1940)
Stephen Roberts (1948)
Irvine Arditti (1953)
and
Jules Verne (1828-1905)
Kate Chopin (1850-1904)
Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)
Neal Cassady (1926-1968)
John Grisham (1955)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this date in 1880, German opera composer Richard Wagner writes a letter to his American dentist, Dr. Newell Still Jenkins, stating "I do no regard it as impossible that I decide to emigrate forever to America with my latest work ["Parsifal"] and my entire family" if the Americans would subsidize him to the tune of one million dollars.
extra note: Dr. Jenkins moved to Dresden, Germany and practiced there most of his life. He invented porcelain enamel.
André Grétry (1741-1813)
Osian Ellis (1928)
John Williams (1932)
Elly Ameling (1933)
Gundula Janowitz (1937)
Margaret Brouwer (1940)
Stephen Roberts (1948)
Irvine Arditti (1953)
and
Jules Verne (1828-1905)
Kate Chopin (1850-1904)
Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)
Neal Cassady (1926-1968)
John Grisham (1955)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this date in 1880, German opera composer Richard Wagner writes a letter to his American dentist, Dr. Newell Still Jenkins, stating "I do no regard it as impossible that I decide to emigrate forever to America with my latest work ["Parsifal"] and my entire family" if the Americans would subsidize him to the tune of one million dollars.
extra note: Dr. Jenkins moved to Dresden, Germany and practiced there most of his life. He invented porcelain enamel.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Dvorak's New World Symphony is fresh and new in the hands of the Oregon Symphony
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| Yefim Bronfman |
Called Microsymph, an accurate title, Currier's work consisted of five short movements for a total of about 12 minutes. Short, expressive and engrossing, here is a sample of the impressions each movement left behind:
quickchange: Hectic, repercussive, tumltuous, like busy traffic that suddenly detoured into a mystic silent alleyway. minute waltz: Chuffing 'cuckoo, cuckoo,' discordant yet sweet horns. adagio: Elegiac, hypnotic--the ability--nay, necessity-- of drawing in the listeners' imagination in the shortest possible time was on display. nanoscherzo: Tootling, mechanical, tock-ticking. kaleidoscope: Brass squawking, imploring, cajoling, sighing unison chonking, secret whispering between sections. This piece was imaginative and bold, and the OSO handled it like champs.
Pianist Yefim Bronfman joined for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. in G Major. This much more quiet, subdued work seemed to be right in Bronfman's wheelhouse. The orchestral opening was suitably grandiose yet not overblown, and Bronfman's brilliant runs of thirds were shining and crisp at the outset. The delicacy of his touch was almost surprising--nothing was ever overstated. The orchestra succeeded at the incredibly difficult task of allowing the gentility of the pianist's touch to yet shine through the orchestral texture. Kalmar's sense of balance was superb, and the orchestra followed. The numerous trills needed to be kept fresh and varied in the latter movements, and Bronfman again did not disappoint, going on further to display an entirely different timbre for each individual voice within contrapuntal sections to a truly marvelous effect. This concerto, so different from some of Beethoven's more iconic works, was fresh and lively in Bronfman's hands.
The second half consisted of Dvorak's iconic symphony, labeled 'From the New World.' The genesis of what might be thought of as an 'American' sound for classical music, the OSO did not shy away from the bold statements to be found herein. The grandiose opening theme built in the brass until it was like towering thunderheads piling up over a far landscape. The strings sang a prairie lullaby with tenderness and rusticity, tossed gently between the strings and solo flute. In the second movement the woodwind choir played the tender theme with such warmth and care that it enfolded the listener in a womb of calm and repose. The explosive exposition of the fourth movement featured controlled power from the brass--pushing the absolute limit without going over the edge. The delicate tremolando from the violins, the saltando theme when violas were the only strings playing, the powerful, sawing theme from the low strings--all were executed to perfection.
The transportative nature of the music at this concert lay not in the compositions alone, but in the interpretation--superb execution by elite players is required to complete the effect. Kalmar's reading was as expansive and wide-ranging as the music required to bring its meaning to fruition. This is what the OSO can deliver when they are at their best--and Monday night they were indeed.
Today's Birthdays
Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871-1927)
Ossip Gabrilovich (1878-1936)
Eubie Blake (1883-1983)
Claudia Muzio (1889-1936)
Quincy Porter (1897-1966)
Lord Harewood (1923-2011)
Maruis Constant (1925-2004)
Stuart Burrows (1933)
Wolfgang van Schweintz (1953)
and
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957
Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951)
Gay Talese (1932)
Ossip Gabrilovich (1878-1936)
Eubie Blake (1883-1983)
Claudia Muzio (1889-1936)
Quincy Porter (1897-1966)
Lord Harewood (1923-2011)
Maruis Constant (1925-2004)
Stuart Burrows (1933)
Wolfgang van Schweintz (1953)
and
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957
Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951)
Gay Talese (1932)
Monday, February 6, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Henry Litolff (1818-1891)
Karl Weigl (1881-1949)
Andre Marchal (1894-1980)
Claudio Arrau (1903-1991)
Stephen Albert (1941-1992)
Paul Esswood (1942)
Bob Marley (1945-1981)
Bruce J. Taub (1948)
Matthew Best (1957)
Sean Hickey (1970)
and
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
Eric Partridge (1894-1979)
George Herman "Babe" Roth (1895-1948)
Mary Douglas Leakey (1913-1996)
Deborah Digges (1950-2009)
Michael Pollan (1955)
Karl Weigl (1881-1949)
Andre Marchal (1894-1980)
Claudio Arrau (1903-1991)
Stephen Albert (1941-1992)
Paul Esswood (1942)
Bob Marley (1945-1981)
Bruce J. Taub (1948)
Matthew Best (1957)
Sean Hickey (1970)
and
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
Eric Partridge (1894-1979)
George Herman "Babe" Roth (1895-1948)
Mary Douglas Leakey (1913-1996)
Deborah Digges (1950-2009)
Michael Pollan (1955)
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Oregon Symphony lineup for 2017-2018 season continues multimedia concerts and intriguing old/new and familiar/unfamiliar programs
from the press release:
MUSIC DIRECTOR CARLOS KALMAR AND THE OREGON SYMPHONY ANNOUNCE GROUNDBREAKING 2017/18 SEASON
New season highlights social and environmental issues; continues multi-media concerts;
explores new territory with four commissions/world premieres
and 14 other Oregon Symphony premieres; and delivers another major recording.
(PORTLAND,
Ore.) – Music Director Carlos Kalmar and President Scott Showalter have
announced the details of the Symphony’s 2017/18 Season. In the new
season,
titled “A New Dimension,” the Oregon Symphony focuses on three social themes: immigration, environment, and homelessness.
Scott Showalter,
for whom the new season marks his fourth
as Symphony President and CEO, highlighted the importance of the
just-announced season: “Our SoundSights series in 2016/17 has received
international attention, but we aren’t stopping there. We’re building
our programs unlike any other orchestra – artistically
thrilling, yet unique to our region.”
The Sounds of Home Series
The groundbreaking
Sounds of Home series, like its predecessor SoundSights series, is comprised of three subscription concerts, each with a visual component. But
Sounds of Home goes further – into a new dimension – focusing the
power of music on the subject of home. The series explores three
specific issues critical to our home community and the wider world:
immigration, the search for a home; the environment, our collective home; and
homelessness, the need for a home.
The
series will feature collaborations with other arts organizations and
also with social service and environmental agencies, whose work
addresses one or
more of the series’ themes. The Oregon Symphony aims to create a
citywide conversation around such timely societal issues and to use its
concerts to highlight its partner organizations and their work.
“The
goal,” Showalter continued, “is for people not only to enjoy great
music, but also to cause them to reconsider classical music and our
greater world
in new ways. Why should an arts organization address social issues? I
say that we must – especially in these uncertain times. This is the
future.”
Mayor Ted Wheeler, the Honorary Chair of the Sounds of Home
series, said, “The Oregon
Symphony is taking an impressive civic leadership position, drawing
attention to issues that all of us in Portland care about. I encourage
organizations and individuals to get involved. Their work will help our
city, already strong in the arts, to become even
stronger.”
The three
Sounds of Homes concerts are:
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
[Immigration]
November 4, 5, 6, 2017
*Kirill Gerstein, piano
*Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
*Schoenberg: Piano Concerto
Chris Rogerson: commissioned work
With a focus on immigration – the search for home – this program adds a powerful
theatrical element to the musical experience, with short plays by MacArthur
“Genius” Grant-winning playwright Luis Alfaro
and original, incidental music by Chris Rogerson. This concert
highlights the important role of immigrants in making the music we
enjoy today: Gershwin was a first-generation immigrant, and both
Schoenberg and Carlos Kalmar found new homes in America.
Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring
[Environment]
January 13, 14, 15, 2018
*Elina Vӓhӓlӓ, violin
Haydn: Symphony No. 70
*Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2
Stravinsky:
Rite of Spring
There’s
no place like home, as the emphasis shifts to the environment – our
collective home – with a concert that features commissioned video work
by New York-based
stage and multimedia designer Matthew Haber to accompany Stravinsky’s
monumental
Rite of Spring.
Joshua Bell
[Homelessness]
*Joshua Bell, violin
**Measha Brueggergosman, soprano
Hindemith:
News of the Day Overture
*Bernstein: Serenade
**Gabriel Kahane: commissioned work
The
world’s most famous violinist once performed in the subway, where he
was largely ignored and virtually anonymous. His social experiment is a
fitting backdrop for
a concert that explores the idea of homelessness – the need for a home –
with a commission by Gabriel Kahane.
Other Season Highlights
With
its music being shared ever more widely around the world, thanks to
American Public Media’s SymphonyCast and Performance Today, as well as
broadcasts
by All Classical Portland, and with the current 2016/17 season poised
to set another all-time high in ticket sales and contributions, the
Symphony will maintain the 20% increase in the number of classical
concerts established last season.
During the newly announced season, the Symphony will
record another CD on the PentaTone label, following the success
of its recent CDs which have garnered three Grammy Award nominations in
the last five years. The CD will focus on winners of the Pulitzer Prize
for Music and include Gould’s Stringmusic,
Piston’s Symphony No. 7, and Hanson’s Symphony No. 4 (Requiem).
Music Director
Carlos Kalmar, commenting on the season, which marks his 15th
at the artistic helm, said: “This is the most ambitious season I’ve
ever done in my career, bar none! It will appeal to classical music
lovers and, no doubt, to new audiences as
well. And, with the Sounds of Home series, we will have a bigger impact on our community than ever before.”
The
subscription series begins on September 23, 2017 and closes on May 21,
2018. It includes 48 performances of 16 Classical subscription concerts
(up from
40 performances in 2015/16), 8 performances of 4 Pops subscription
concerts, and 3 performances of 3 Kids subscription concerts, for a
total of 59 performances of 23 different subscription concerts.
The
season opens on September 16, 2017 with a Special Concert featuring
renowned social justice/media mega-star and former Star Trek castmember
George Takei, who will emcee the opening night concert and narrate Aaron Copland’s
Lincoln Portrait. The season also includes two other Special Concerts: the Oregon Symphony joins forces with
Pink Martini for a New Year’s Extravaganza, which includes the
final “Ode to Joy” movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on December
30 and 31, 2017; and pianist
Yuja Wang returns for a recital performance on May 3, 2018. The
three Special Concerts are now available only to renewing and new
subscribers.
Every
season, the Oregon Symphony performs between 20 and 30 concerts beyond
its subscription series. These Special Concerts – under the
Oregon Symphony Presents banner – span a wide range of genres. Patrons can expect the full slate of these Special Concerts to be announced in May.
2017/18 Classical Concerts:
Percussionist
Colin Currie returns for his third year as the Oregon Symphony’s Artist in Residence,
a position that involves performing onstage as well as working
around the community. Currie is an extraordinary classical music
ambassador, deploying an array of percussion instruments, including his
own body, to perform and teach in venues throughout
the region.
Audience Favorites
The season includes many classical favorites like
Beethoven’s Violin
Concerto, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue,
Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Brahms’ First Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s
“Pathetique,” Verdi’s Requiem,
and Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, among many others.
Premieres
In addition to those favorites, the season enjoys four commissioned works and their associated world premieres from
Andy Akiho, Marc-Anthony Turnage, Chris Rogerson, and Gabriel Kahane. In addition to those, the season is spiced with 14 other
Oregon Symphony premieres, including Balakirev’s
Islamey, da Ponte’s The Rising Sea, Adams’ Absolute Jest, Kokkonen’s
Symphonic Sketches, Glanert’s Concertgeblaas, Piston’s Symphony No. 7,
Hanson’s Symphony No. 4, Connesson’s Supernova,
and Hindemith’s News of the Day Overture, among others.
Returning Soloists
2017/18
audiences will enjoy the return of some of the world’s best-known
classical artists, performers who have won audiences’ favor for previous
appearances, including
pianists André Watts, Garrick Ohlsson, Kirill Gerstein, Natasha Paremski, and
Francesco Piemontesi; violinists Joshua Bell, Augustin Hadelich, Elina Vӓhӓlӓ, Vadim Gluzman, and Oregon Symphony concertmaster
Sarah Kwak; percussionist Colin Currie; and cellist Johannes Moser.
Debuting Soloists
Guest artists making their Oregon Symphony debuts include the
St. Lawrence String Quartet; Benjamin Beilman, violin; Measha Brueggergosman, soprano;
Lilli Paasikivi, mezzo-soprano; Dimitri Pittas, tenor; and Raymond Aceto, bass.
Debuting Conductors
Leading the orchestra for the very first time are conductors
Baldur Brönnimann, Johannes Debus, Leo Hussain, David Danzmayr, and Jérémie Rhorer.
2017/18 Pops Concerts:
The popular
Jeff Tyzik continues his tenth year as Principal Pops Conductor,
curating and conducting the Pops Series. The 2017/18 Pops Season
includes eight performances of four separate Pops concerts, spanning the
musical spectrum.
The Pops Season gets off to an entertaining start in October with the Magic Circle Theatre Company and
Phantoms of the Orchestra; A Pops Holiday concert with the Pacific Youth Choir and vocalist
Ashley Brown (Broadway’s Mary Poppins) celebrates the festive
season in November; in February, just before the 2018 Oscars, we
celebrate the man with the greatest number of statues to his name with
John Williams at the Oscars; and the Pops season concludes with The Hot Sardines in April.
2017/18 Kids Concerts:
Young audiences are an important part of the Oregon Symphony family. This year’s Kids Concerts, conducted by Associate Conductor
Norman Huynh, feature kid-favorite Pam Mahon as narrator and performer in programs designed especially for the young and the young at heart:
Star Wars Spectacular in November with the Pacific Youth Choir and Dance West;
Dinosaurs! in January; and Along the Oregon Trail in March, again with the Pacific Youth Choir and Dance West.
Subscription Details
Oregon Symphony subscribers will receive their
renewal packets beginning today and have until March 31 to renew
their seats or request seating changes. New subscribers may purchase
their season tickets beginning immediately.
Tickets to the
George Takei, Pink Martini, and Yuja Wang Special Concerts are available at this time only to patrons renewing their subscriptions or purchasing new subscriptions.
Tickets to all Oregon Symphony series concerts will go on sale to the general public in August.
Classical Series subscriptions are priced as follows:
8-concert series, beginning at $168
16-concert series, beginning at $320
Pops Series subscriptions begin as low as $84 for all four concerts.
Kids Concert Series subscriptions begin as low as $27 for all three concerts.
Subscriptions
may be renewed or purchased online at OrSymphony.org; by phone at
503-228-1353; or in person/by mail at 909 SW Washington, Portland.
For more information, go to www.orsymphony.org or call the Ticket Office at 503-228-1353.
Todays Birthdays
Ole Bull (1810-1880)
Christian Gottlob Neefe (1748-1798)
Ricardo Viñes (1875-1943)
Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Jussi Björling (1911-1960)
Sir John Pritchard (1921-1989)
Luc Ferrari (1929-2005)
John Poole (1934)
Ivan Tcherepnin (1943-1998)
Josef Protschka (1944)
Phylis Bryn-Julson (1945)
and
Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (1934)
John Guare (1938)
William S. Burroughs (1914-1997)
Christopher Guest (1948)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1887, Verd's: opera "Otello" premiered in Milan at the Teatro all Scala, with the composer conducting (and cellist Arturo Toscanini in the orchestra).
Christian Gottlob Neefe (1748-1798)
Ricardo Viñes (1875-1943)
Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Jussi Björling (1911-1960)
Sir John Pritchard (1921-1989)
Luc Ferrari (1929-2005)
John Poole (1934)
Ivan Tcherepnin (1943-1998)
Josef Protschka (1944)
Phylis Bryn-Julson (1945)
and
Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (1934)
John Guare (1938)
William S. Burroughs (1914-1997)
Christopher Guest (1948)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1887, Verd's: opera "Otello" premiered in Milan at the Teatro all Scala, with the composer conducting (and cellist Arturo Toscanini in the orchestra).
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Today's Birthdays
Eustache du Caurroy (1549-1609)
Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795)
Aristide Cavaillé‑Coll (1811-1899)
Yrjo Kilpinen (1892-1952)
Bernard Rogers (1893-1968)
Erich Leinsdorf (1912-1993)
Jutta Hipp (1925-2003)
Martti Talvela (1935-1989)
François Dumeaux (1978)
and also
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
Gavin Ewart (1916-1995)
Betty Friedan (1921-2006)
Robert Coover (1932)
Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795)
Aristide Cavaillé‑Coll (1811-1899)
Yrjo Kilpinen (1892-1952)
Bernard Rogers (1893-1968)
Erich Leinsdorf (1912-1993)
Jutta Hipp (1925-2003)
Martti Talvela (1935-1989)
François Dumeaux (1978)
and also
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
Gavin Ewart (1916-1995)
Betty Friedan (1921-2006)
Robert Coover (1932)
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