Monday, September 30, 2024
Preview of Portland Opera's "Shizue: An American Story" published in The Oregonian
Today's Birthdays
Johann Svendsen (1840-1911)
Sir Charles V. Stanford (1852-1924)
Václav Smetáček (1906-1986)
David Oistrakh (1908-1974)
Dame Julie Andrews (1935)
Johnny Mathis (1935)
Alan Hacker (1938-2012)
Jonathan Lloyd (1948)
Andrew Rindfleisch (1963)
David Danzmayr (1980)
and
W.S. Merwin (1927-2019)
Truman Capote (1924-1984)
Elie Wiesel (1928-2016)
Sir Charles V. Stanford (1852-1924)
Václav Smetáček (1906-1986)
David Oistrakh (1908-1974)
Dame Julie Andrews (1935)
Johnny Mathis (1935)
Alan Hacker (1938-2012)
Jonathan Lloyd (1948)
Andrew Rindfleisch (1963)
David Danzmayr (1980)
and
W.S. Merwin (1927-2019)
Truman Capote (1924-1984)
Elie Wiesel (1928-2016)
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Jacques-Martin Hottetere (1674-1763)
Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska (1829/1834–1861)
Joaquin Nin (y Castellanos) (1879-1949)
Gene Autry (1907-1998)
Richard Bonynge (1930)
Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022)
Jean-Luc Ponty (1942)
and
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865)
Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936)
Enrico Fermi (1901-1954)
Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska (1829/1834–1861)
Joaquin Nin (y Castellanos) (1879-1949)
Gene Autry (1907-1998)
Richard Bonynge (1930)
Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022)
Jean-Luc Ponty (1942)
and
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865)
Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936)
Enrico Fermi (1901-1954)
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Review: Oregon Symphony splendid with Ohlsson in Chopin - majestic with Alpine Symphony
An air of optimism swept into the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall when the Oregon Symphony came on stage for its season opener (September 21). The audience seemed larger than what I recall from last year’s gala event. Perhaps the return appearance of ever-popular pianist Garrick Ohlsson and the orchestra’s undertaking of Richard Strauss’s “Alpine Symphony” that drew the large crowd. Or perhaps it was just that Covid has finally slipped far enough into the background, making people more adventurous again. Whatever the reason, the overall effect of seeing a fairly full-house at the Schnitz helped to lift everyone’s spirits and put a buzz into the atmosphere.
Ohlsson was back in town to play Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1,” which is a piece that he has probably done a million times. No matter. In Ohlsson’s hands it sounded fresher than ever. Chopin’s music rolled effortlessly off of his fingertips, and with all sorts of nuances that make the piece so interesting. For example, he would play a passage strongly the first time through and softly the second time. He could linger over a note just a tad longer and change the emphasis. His duet with Principal Bassoonist Carin Miller in the second movement was wonderfully cantabile and conversational – one of the highlights of the piece. With his impeccable technique, Ohlsson created a luminous soundscape and wrapped it up exquisitely in the finale.
The audience erupted with unrelenting enthusiasm, which brought Ohlsson back to the Steinway several times. He responded with Chopin’s “Grande Valse Brillante Op.18” and again applied wonderful dynamic contrasts that weren’t flashy, but very thoughtful so that the piece sounded refreshingly new.
When the Schnitz was acoustically refurbished a couple of years ago with the sophisticated Constellation Acoustic System (see my article in The Oregonian here), the amount of real estate on the stage of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall was slightly reduced (the sides were brought in a tad). Ergo, the 100+ musicians needed for Richard Strauss’s “An Alpine Symphony” were packed a bit like sardines – especially the tubas crammed behind the brass section – even with the stage extended over a couple rows into the main seating area. No matter. With Music Director David Danzmayr on the podium, Strauss’s 50-minute tone poem received an inspired performance.
The atmosphere at the outset, depicting nighttime vanishing before as a group of hikers get ready to ascend one of the Alps, was splendidly murky and mysterious. Then came the outburst of a glorious sunrise with the entire orchestra creating a full sonic bloom. As the ascent began, it was easy to imagine how the hiking group absorbed nature in all its glory – with the woodwinds evoking a waterfall and the majestic vistas along the way. The triumphant music at the summit generated a feeling of elation before heading back down the mountain. Another highlight of the piece was the huge thunderstorm with the percussion battery cranking the wind machine. The brass and organ created a muffled chorale of sorts as the hikers returned home – well past sunset and in the gathering gloom of night.
I loved the huge sonic contrasts in this performance. “An Alpine Symphony” demands not only a lot from the musicians but also a lot from the listeners. It’s a work that I would have liked to have heard on Sunday and Monday at the Schnitz, because there is so much going on. It is easy to hone in on the brass and forget the upper strings, and then realize that the lower strings are sawing pell-mell. There’s off stage ensembles and two sets of timpani and two harps too. And with Danzmayr being a native of Salzburg, Austria, where there are lots of mountains, he must have a special affinity for this work. Alas, my schedule allowed me to hear only one performance. Dang!
Ohlsson was back in town to play Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1,” which is a piece that he has probably done a million times. No matter. In Ohlsson’s hands it sounded fresher than ever. Chopin’s music rolled effortlessly off of his fingertips, and with all sorts of nuances that make the piece so interesting. For example, he would play a passage strongly the first time through and softly the second time. He could linger over a note just a tad longer and change the emphasis. His duet with Principal Bassoonist Carin Miller in the second movement was wonderfully cantabile and conversational – one of the highlights of the piece. With his impeccable technique, Ohlsson created a luminous soundscape and wrapped it up exquisitely in the finale.
The audience erupted with unrelenting enthusiasm, which brought Ohlsson back to the Steinway several times. He responded with Chopin’s “Grande Valse Brillante Op.18” and again applied wonderful dynamic contrasts that weren’t flashy, but very thoughtful so that the piece sounded refreshingly new.
When the Schnitz was acoustically refurbished a couple of years ago with the sophisticated Constellation Acoustic System (see my article in The Oregonian here), the amount of real estate on the stage of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall was slightly reduced (the sides were brought in a tad). Ergo, the 100+ musicians needed for Richard Strauss’s “An Alpine Symphony” were packed a bit like sardines – especially the tubas crammed behind the brass section – even with the stage extended over a couple rows into the main seating area. No matter. With Music Director David Danzmayr on the podium, Strauss’s 50-minute tone poem received an inspired performance.
The atmosphere at the outset, depicting nighttime vanishing before as a group of hikers get ready to ascend one of the Alps, was splendidly murky and mysterious. Then came the outburst of a glorious sunrise with the entire orchestra creating a full sonic bloom. As the ascent began, it was easy to imagine how the hiking group absorbed nature in all its glory – with the woodwinds evoking a waterfall and the majestic vistas along the way. The triumphant music at the summit generated a feeling of elation before heading back down the mountain. Another highlight of the piece was the huge thunderstorm with the percussion battery cranking the wind machine. The brass and organ created a muffled chorale of sorts as the hikers returned home – well past sunset and in the gathering gloom of night.
I loved the huge sonic contrasts in this performance. “An Alpine Symphony” demands not only a lot from the musicians but also a lot from the listeners. It’s a work that I would have liked to have heard on Sunday and Monday at the Schnitz, because there is so much going on. It is easy to hone in on the brass and forget the upper strings, and then realize that the lower strings are sawing pell-mell. There’s off stage ensembles and two sets of timpani and two harps too. And with Danzmayr being a native of Salzburg, Austria, where there are lots of mountains, he must have a special affinity for this work. Alas, my schedule allowed me to hear only one performance. Dang!
Today's Birthdays
Johann Mattheson (1681-1764)
Florent Schmitt (1870-1958)
Vivian Fine (1913-2000)
Rudolf Barshai (1924-2010)
Edward Applebaum (1937-2020)
Catherine Robbin (1950)
Michaela Comberti (1952-2003)
and
Confusius (551 BCE - 479 BCE)
Caravaggio (1571-1610)
Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856-1923)
Edith Pargeter (1913-1995)
Simon Winchester (1944)
and
from the Composers Datebook
On this day in 1951, the Sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still" opens in theaters across America, featuring memorable score by Bernard Herrmann that included eerie, other-worldly sounds imitating the electronic instrument known as a "Theremin" (after its Russian-born inventor, Leon Theremin). In the movie, actress Patricia Neal's rendition of the space alien command "Gort: Klaatu barada nikto" prevents Earth's destruction by a death-ray robot from outer space.
Florent Schmitt (1870-1958)
Vivian Fine (1913-2000)
Rudolf Barshai (1924-2010)
Edward Applebaum (1937-2020)
Catherine Robbin (1950)
Michaela Comberti (1952-2003)
and
Confusius (551 BCE - 479 BCE)
Caravaggio (1571-1610)
Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856-1923)
Edith Pargeter (1913-1995)
Simon Winchester (1944)
and
from the Composers Datebook
On this day in 1951, the Sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still" opens in theaters across America, featuring memorable score by Bernard Herrmann that included eerie, other-worldly sounds imitating the electronic instrument known as a "Theremin" (after its Russian-born inventor, Leon Theremin). In the movie, actress Patricia Neal's rendition of the space alien command "Gort: Klaatu barada nikto" prevents Earth's destruction by a death-ray robot from outer space.
Friday, September 27, 2024
Preview of Vancouver Symphony season opener in The Columbian
Today's Birthdays
Cyril Scott (1879-1970)
Vincent Youmans (1898-1946)
Jean Berger (1909-2002)
James Wilson (1922-2005)
Igor Kipnis (1930-2002)
Dame Josephine Barstow (1940)
Misha Dichter (1945)
Chris Merritt (1952)
Dimitry Sitkovetsky (1954)
Peter Sellers (1957)
and
Sir William Empson (1906-1984)
Joyce Johnson (1935)
Kay Ryan (1945)
Vincent Youmans (1898-1946)
Jean Berger (1909-2002)
James Wilson (1922-2005)
Igor Kipnis (1930-2002)
Dame Josephine Barstow (1940)
Misha Dichter (1945)
Chris Merritt (1952)
Dimitry Sitkovetsky (1954)
Peter Sellers (1957)
and
Sir William Empson (1906-1984)
Joyce Johnson (1935)
Kay Ryan (1945)
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Alfred Cortot (1877-1962)
Charles Munch (1891-1968)
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Yvonne Levering (1905-2006)
Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966)
Salvatore Accardo (1941)
Dale Duesing (1947)
and
T. S. Eliot (1888-1965)
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
Jane Smiley (1949)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1957, 20 years after George Gershwin died, Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. It was not immediately successful. It only became famous when it was turned into a film in 1961 and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It’s based on the story of Romeo and Juliet, but it is set in the gang-ridden streets of New York.
During the weeks leading up to the opening of West Side Story, the news was full of stories of gang violence and racial confrontations. At the end of August, Strom Thurmond filibustered for more than 24 hours to try to prevent passage of the Voting Rights Act. The day before the show’s opening, federal troops forcibly integrated Little Rock High School.
In general, critics responded favorably to West Side Story, but all the major Tony Awards went instead to The Music Man, a bubbly, nostalgic musical about a small town in Iowa.
Charles Munch (1891-1968)
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Yvonne Levering (1905-2006)
Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966)
Salvatore Accardo (1941)
Dale Duesing (1947)
and
T. S. Eliot (1888-1965)
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
Jane Smiley (1949)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
On this day in 1957, 20 years after George Gershwin died, Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. It was not immediately successful. It only became famous when it was turned into a film in 1961 and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It’s based on the story of Romeo and Juliet, but it is set in the gang-ridden streets of New York.
During the weeks leading up to the opening of West Side Story, the news was full of stories of gang violence and racial confrontations. At the end of August, Strom Thurmond filibustered for more than 24 hours to try to prevent passage of the Voting Rights Act. The day before the show’s opening, federal troops forcibly integrated Little Rock High School.
In general, critics responded favorably to West Side Story, but all the major Tony Awards went instead to The Music Man, a bubbly, nostalgic musical about a small town in Iowa.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Johann Nikolaus Hanff (1663-1711)
Jean-Phillippe Rameau (1683-1764)
Léon Boëllmann (1862-1897)
Roberto Gerhard (1896-1970)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Sir Colin Davis (1927-2013)
Glenn Gould (1932-1982)
Stella Sung (1959)
and
William Faulkner (1897-1962)
Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)
Jean-Phillippe Rameau (1683-1764)
Léon Boëllmann (1862-1897)
Roberto Gerhard (1896-1970)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Sir Colin Davis (1927-2013)
Glenn Gould (1932-1982)
Stella Sung (1959)
and
William Faulkner (1897-1962)
Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Blind Lemon Jefferson (1893-1929)
Sir Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991)
Vaclav Nelhybel (1919-1996)
Cornell MacNeil (1922-2011)
John Rutter (1945)
Marc Neikrug (1946)
and
Horace Walpole (1717-1797)
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
Eavan Boland (1944)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1947, German-born composer Hanns Eisler is questioned about his former membership in the Communist Party by the House Committee on Un-American activities. Eisler had been a member of the Party in the 1920s, left Germany when Hitler came to power in 1933, and had been working in Hollywood on film scores and as the musical assistant to Charlie Chaplin. He left the U.S. in 1948 and settled in East Germany - where he composed that country's national anthem.
Sir Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991)
Vaclav Nelhybel (1919-1996)
Cornell MacNeil (1922-2011)
John Rutter (1945)
Marc Neikrug (1946)
and
Horace Walpole (1717-1797)
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
Eavan Boland (1944)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1947, German-born composer Hanns Eisler is questioned about his former membership in the Communist Party by the House Committee on Un-American activities. Eisler had been a member of the Party in the 1920s, left Germany when Hitler came to power in 1933, and had been working in Hollywood on film scores and as the musical assistant to Charlie Chaplin. He left the U.S. in 1948 and settled in East Germany - where he composed that country's national anthem.
Monday, September 23, 2024
Article about Oregon International Ballet Academy in The Oregonian
My story about this amazing ballet academy has been published in Oregonlive here. It should be in the print edition this weekend.
Today's Birthdays
Jacques Féréol Mazas (1782-1849)
William Levi Dawson (1899-1990)
Jarmila Novotná (1907-1994)
Soulima Stravinsky (1910-1994)
Alexander Arutiunian (1920-2012)
Ray Charles (1930-2004)
John Coltrane (1926-1967)
Robert Helps (1928-2001)
Bruce Springsteen (1949)
William Shimell (1952)
and
Euripides (ca 480 BC - 406 BC) - today is the traditional day for Greeks to celebrate his birthday.
Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927)
Baroness Emmuska Orczy (1865-1947)
Walter Lippmann (1899-1974)
Jaroslav Seifert (1901-1986)
William Levi Dawson (1899-1990)
Jarmila Novotná (1907-1994)
Soulima Stravinsky (1910-1994)
Alexander Arutiunian (1920-2012)
Ray Charles (1930-2004)
John Coltrane (1926-1967)
Robert Helps (1928-2001)
Bruce Springsteen (1949)
William Shimell (1952)
and
Euripides (ca 480 BC - 406 BC) - today is the traditional day for Greeks to celebrate his birthday.
Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927)
Baroness Emmuska Orczy (1865-1947)
Walter Lippmann (1899-1974)
Jaroslav Seifert (1901-1986)
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Arthur Pryor (1870-1942)
Mikolajus Ciurlionis (1875-1911)
Henryk Szeryng (1918-1988)
William O. Smith (1926-2020)
Hugh Bean (1929-2003)
Leonardo Balada (1933)
Anna Tomowa-Sintow (1941)
John Tomlinson (1946)
Vladmir Ghernov (1953)
Michael Torke (1961)
and
Fay Weldon (1931-2023)
Mikolajus Ciurlionis (1875-1911)
Henryk Szeryng (1918-1988)
William O. Smith (1926-2020)
Hugh Bean (1929-2003)
Leonardo Balada (1933)
Anna Tomowa-Sintow (1941)
John Tomlinson (1946)
Vladmir Ghernov (1953)
Michael Torke (1961)
and
Fay Weldon (1931-2023)
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Today's Birthdays
François Francoeur (1698-1787)
Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791)
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
Meinrad Schütter (1910-2006)
Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
Jill Gomez (1942)
Andrei Gavrilov (1955)
Nina Rautio (1957)
and
Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498)
Sir Edmund Gosse (1849-1928)
H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells (1866-1946)
Sir Allen Lane (1902-1970)
Stephen King (1941)
Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791)
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
Meinrad Schütter (1910-2006)
Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
Jill Gomez (1942)
Andrei Gavrilov (1955)
Nina Rautio (1957)
and
Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498)
Sir Edmund Gosse (1849-1928)
H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells (1866-1946)
Sir Allen Lane (1902-1970)
Stephen King (1941)
Friday, September 20, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968)
Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton (1885-1941)
Uuno Klami (1900-1961)
David Sheinfeld (1906-2001)
John Dankworth (1927-2010)
Jane Manning (1938-2021)
Laurie Spiegel (1945)
John Harle (1956)
and
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968)
Maxwell Perkins (1884-1947)
Stevie Smith (1902-1971)
Donald Hall (1928-2018)
Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton (1885-1941)
Uuno Klami (1900-1961)
David Sheinfeld (1906-2001)
John Dankworth (1927-2010)
Jane Manning (1938-2021)
Laurie Spiegel (1945)
John Harle (1956)
and
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968)
Maxwell Perkins (1884-1947)
Stevie Smith (1902-1971)
Donald Hall (1928-2018)
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Gustav Schirmer (1829-1893)
Allan Pettersson (1911-1980)
Kurt Sanderling (1912-2011)
Blanche Thebom (1918-2010)
Arthur Wills (1926-2020)
Bonaventura Bottone (1950)
and
William Golding (1911-1993)
Amalia Hernández (1917-2000)
Roger Angell (1920-2022)
Allan Pettersson (1911-1980)
Kurt Sanderling (1912-2011)
Blanche Thebom (1918-2010)
Arthur Wills (1926-2020)
Bonaventura Bottone (1950)
and
William Golding (1911-1993)
Amalia Hernández (1917-2000)
Roger Angell (1920-2022)
Review of Orchestra Nova Northwest - inaugural concert - on OAW
There's a new orchestra in town. Well, actually its a veteran orchestra with a new name. I went to their season opener and reviewed it for Oregon ArtsWatch here.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Francesca Caccini (1587-1640)
Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)
Lord Berners (1883-1950)
Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960)
Josef Tal (1910-2008)
Norman Dinerstein (1937-1982)
Thomas Fulton (1949-1994)
John McGlinn (1953-2009)
Anna Netrebko (1971)
and
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
Jean-Bernard-Léon Foucault (1819-1868)
Paul Zimmer (1934)
Alberto Ríos (1952)
Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)
Lord Berners (1883-1950)
Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960)
Josef Tal (1910-2008)
Norman Dinerstein (1937-1982)
Thomas Fulton (1949-1994)
John McGlinn (1953-2009)
Anna Netrebko (1971)
and
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
Jean-Bernard-Léon Foucault (1819-1868)
Paul Zimmer (1934)
Alberto Ríos (1952)
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Oregon Symphony opener will feature Garrick Ohlsson and massive Alpine Symphony
The Oregon Symphony will open its season this weekend with Garrick Ohlsson playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 and over 100 musicians undertaking Richard Strauss's "Alpine Symphony."
Today's Birthdays
Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870)
Vincenzo Tommasini (1878-1950)
Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884-1920)
Isang Yun (1917-1995)
Hank Williams (1923-1953)
Vincent La Selva (1929-2017)
Jubilant Sykes (1954)
and
William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)
Frank O'Connor (1903-1966)
Ken Kesey (1935-2001)
Vincenzo Tommasini (1878-1950)
Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884-1920)
Isang Yun (1917-1995)
Hank Williams (1923-1953)
Vincent La Selva (1929-2017)
Jubilant Sykes (1954)
and
William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)
Frank O'Connor (1903-1966)
Ken Kesey (1935-2001)
Monday, September 16, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Paul Taffanel (1844-1908)
Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979)
Hans Swarowsky (1899-1975)
B. B. King (1925-2015)
and
John Gay (1685-1732)
Henry Louis Gates Jr. (1950)
Elizabeth McCracken (1966)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1920, Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his last records (selections by Meyerbeer, Lully, Bartlett, and Rossini) for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey. He would make his last operatic appearance at the old Metropolitan Opera House on Christmas Eve in 1920 (an evening performance of Halevy's "La Juive"), and die the following summer in Naples.
On this day in 1977, opera diva Maria Callas dies of a heart attack, age 53, in Paris.
Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979)
Hans Swarowsky (1899-1975)
B. B. King (1925-2015)
and
John Gay (1685-1732)
Henry Louis Gates Jr. (1950)
Elizabeth McCracken (1966)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1920, Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his last records (selections by Meyerbeer, Lully, Bartlett, and Rossini) for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey. He would make his last operatic appearance at the old Metropolitan Opera House on Christmas Eve in 1920 (an evening performance of Halevy's "La Juive"), and die the following summer in Naples.
On this day in 1977, opera diva Maria Callas dies of a heart attack, age 53, in Paris.
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Horatio William Parker (1863-1919)
Bruno Walter (1876-1962)
Frank Martin (1890-1974)
Henry Brant (1913-2008)
Richard Arnell (1917-2009)
Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975)
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1933-2014)
Jessye Norman (1945-2019)
Richard Suart (1951)
and
James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)
Robert Benchley (1899-1945)
Bruno Walter (1876-1962)
Frank Martin (1890-1974)
Henry Brant (1913-2008)
Richard Arnell (1917-2009)
Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975)
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1933-2014)
Jessye Norman (1945-2019)
Richard Suart (1951)
and
James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)
Robert Benchley (1899-1945)
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Michael Haydn (1737-1806)
Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842)
Vittorio Gui (1885-1972)
Alice Tully (1902-1993)
Lehman Engel (1910-1982)
Rolf Liebermann (1910-1999)
Martyn Hill (1944)
Raul Gimenez (1950)
and
Eric Bentley (1916-2020)
Ivan Klíma (1931)
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934-2002)
Renzo Piano (1937)
Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842)
Vittorio Gui (1885-1972)
Alice Tully (1902-1993)
Lehman Engel (1910-1982)
Rolf Liebermann (1910-1999)
Martyn Hill (1944)
Raul Gimenez (1950)
and
Eric Bentley (1916-2020)
Ivan Klíma (1931)
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934-2002)
Renzo Piano (1937)
Friday, September 13, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Bill Monroe (1911-1996)
Robert Ward (1917-2013)
Maurice Jarre (1924-2009)
Mel Tormé (1925-1999)
Nicolai Ghiaruv (1929-2004)
Werner Hollweg (1936-2007)
Arleen Auger (1939-1993)
Steve Kilbey (1954)
Andreas Staier (1955)
and
Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941)
J.B. Priestley (1894-1984)
Roald Dahl (1916-1990)
Linda Colley (1949)
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Bill Monroe (1911-1996)
Robert Ward (1917-2013)
Maurice Jarre (1924-2009)
Mel Tormé (1925-1999)
Nicolai Ghiaruv (1929-2004)
Werner Hollweg (1936-2007)
Arleen Auger (1939-1993)
Steve Kilbey (1954)
Andreas Staier (1955)
and
Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941)
J.B. Priestley (1894-1984)
Roald Dahl (1916-1990)
Linda Colley (1949)
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Karl Doppler (1825-1900)
Herbert Lincoln Clarke (1867-1945)
Ernst Pepping (1901-1981)
Gideon Waldrop (1919-2000)
Tatiana Troyanos (1938-1993)
Phillip Ramey (1939)
Barry White (1944-2003)
John Mauceri (1945)
Vladimir Spivakov (1946)
Leslie Cheung (1956-2003)
and
H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)
Alfred A. Knopf Sr. (1892-1984)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1910, Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") received its premiere in Munich, with the composer conducting.
Herbert Lincoln Clarke (1867-1945)
Ernst Pepping (1901-1981)
Gideon Waldrop (1919-2000)
Tatiana Troyanos (1938-1993)
Phillip Ramey (1939)
Barry White (1944-2003)
John Mauceri (1945)
Vladimir Spivakov (1946)
Leslie Cheung (1956-2003)
and
H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)
Alfred A. Knopf Sr. (1892-1984)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1910, Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") received its premiere in Munich, with the composer conducting.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Today's Birthdays
William Boyce (1711-1779)
Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832)
Eduard Hanslick (1825-1904)
Vally Weigl (1894-1982)
Harry Somers (1925-1999)
Arvo Pärt (1935)
Catherine Bott (1952)
Aaron Dworkin (1970)
and
O. Henry (1862-1910)
D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930)
Reed Whittemore (1919-2012)
Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832)
Eduard Hanslick (1825-1904)
Vally Weigl (1894-1982)
Harry Somers (1925-1999)
Arvo Pärt (1935)
Catherine Bott (1952)
Aaron Dworkin (1970)
and
O. Henry (1862-1910)
D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930)
Reed Whittemore (1919-2012)
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Review of Siletz Bay Music Festival - final concert - in OAW
My review of the last concert of the Siletz Bay Music Festival - with Deanna Tham conducting the SBMF orchestra is now published in Oregon ArtsWatch here.
Today's Birthdays
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Niccolò Jommelli (1714-1774)
Tor Aulin (1866-1914)
Mikolajus Ciurlionis (1875-1911)
Judith Nelson (1939-2012)
Christopher Hogwood (1941-2014)
Sir Thomas Allen (1944)
Michael Schønwandt (1953)
and
Hanna Webster Foster (1758-1840)
Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961)
Franz Werfel (1890-1945)
Cyril Connolly (1903-1974)
Mary Oliver (1935-2019)
Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002)
Niccolò Jommelli (1714-1774)
Tor Aulin (1866-1914)
Mikolajus Ciurlionis (1875-1911)
Judith Nelson (1939-2012)
Christopher Hogwood (1941-2014)
Sir Thomas Allen (1944)
Michael Schønwandt (1953)
and
Hanna Webster Foster (1758-1840)
Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961)
Franz Werfel (1890-1945)
Cyril Connolly (1903-1974)
Mary Oliver (1935-2019)
Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002)
Monday, September 9, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Joan Cererols (1618-1680)
Edwin Lemare (1865-1934)
Edward Burlingame Hill (1872-1960)
James Blades (1901-1999)
Otis Redding (1941-1967)
Miriam Fried (1946)
David Rosenboom (1947)
Adam Fischer (1949)
Rachel Masters (1958)
and
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)
Paul Goodman (1911-1972)
Edwin Lemare (1865-1934)
Edward Burlingame Hill (1872-1960)
James Blades (1901-1999)
Otis Redding (1941-1967)
Miriam Fried (1946)
David Rosenboom (1947)
Adam Fischer (1949)
Rachel Masters (1958)
and
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)
Paul Goodman (1911-1972)
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Nicolas de Grigny (1672-1703)
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Ninon Vallin (1886-1961)
Lionel Salter (1914-2000)
Christoph von Dohnányi (1929)
Eric Salzman (1933-2017)
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016)
Dezső Ránki (1951)
Ilan Volkov (1976)
and
Wilhelm Raabe (1931-1910)
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)
Grace Metalious (1924-1964)
Ann Beattie (1947)
Michael Schermer (1954)
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Ninon Vallin (1886-1961)
Lionel Salter (1914-2000)
Christoph von Dohnányi (1929)
Eric Salzman (1933-2017)
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016)
Dezső Ránki (1951)
Ilan Volkov (1976)
and
Wilhelm Raabe (1931-1910)
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)
Grace Metalious (1924-1964)
Ann Beattie (1947)
Michael Schermer (1954)
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Today's Birthdays
François Philidor (1726-1794)
Joan Cross (1900-1993)
Sir Harry Secombe (1921-2001)
Arthur Ferrante (1921-2009)
Madeleine Dring (1923-1977)
Leonard Rosenman (1924-2008)
Hugh Aitken (1924-2012)
Sonny Rollins (1930)
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
Olly Wilson (1937-2018)
Jean-Yves Thibaudet (1961)
Angela Gheorghiu (1965)
and
Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951)
Edith Sitwell (1887-1964)
Joe Klein (1946)
Jennifer Egan (1962)
Joan Cross (1900-1993)
Sir Harry Secombe (1921-2001)
Arthur Ferrante (1921-2009)
Madeleine Dring (1923-1977)
Leonard Rosenman (1924-2008)
Hugh Aitken (1924-2012)
Sonny Rollins (1930)
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
Olly Wilson (1937-2018)
Jean-Yves Thibaudet (1961)
Angela Gheorghiu (1965)
and
Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951)
Edith Sitwell (1887-1964)
Joe Klein (1946)
Jennifer Egan (1962)
Friday, September 6, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Anton Diabelli (1781-1858)
Sir Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941)
William Kraft (1923-2022)
Arthur Oldham (1926-2003)
Evgeny Svetlanov (1928-2002)
Joan Tower (1938)
Cynthia Haymon (1958)
Nigel Westlake (1958)
Detlev Glanert (1960)
Shih-Hui Chen (1962)
and
Fanny Wright (1795-1852)
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Robert Pirsig (1928-2017)
Alice Sebold (1963)
Sir Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941)
William Kraft (1923-2022)
Arthur Oldham (1926-2003)
Evgeny Svetlanov (1928-2002)
Joan Tower (1938)
Cynthia Haymon (1958)
Nigel Westlake (1958)
Detlev Glanert (1960)
Shih-Hui Chen (1962)
and
Fanny Wright (1795-1852)
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Robert Pirsig (1928-2017)
Alice Sebold (1963)
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
John Cage (1912-1993)
Peter Racine Fricker (1920-1990)
Karita Mattila (1960)
Marc-André Hamelin (1961)
Lars Vogt (1970)
and
Frank Yerby (1916-1991)
Justin Kaplan (1925-2014)
Ward Just (1935-2019)
Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
John Cage (1912-1993)
Peter Racine Fricker (1920-1990)
Karita Mattila (1960)
Marc-André Hamelin (1961)
Lars Vogt (1970)
and
Frank Yerby (1916-1991)
Justin Kaplan (1925-2014)
Ward Just (1935-2019)
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Pathways Program at OrpheusPDX gives young professionals on-the-job training
Today's Birthdays
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Frederic Curzon (1899-1973)
Rudolf Schock (1915-1986)
Irwin Gage (1939-2018)
René Pape (1964)
and
Mary Renault (1905-1983)
Richard Wright (1908-1960)
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Frederic Curzon (1899-1973)
Rudolf Schock (1915-1986)
Irwin Gage (1939-2018)
René Pape (1964)
and
Mary Renault (1905-1983)
Richard Wright (1908-1960)
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Adriano Banchieri (1568-1634)
Pietro Locatelli (1695-1764)
Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975)
Francesco Mignon (1897-1986)
Robert Thurston Dart (1921-1971)
Rudolf Kelterborn (1931-2021)
Valerie Coleman (1970)
and
Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909)
Louis H. Sullivan (1852-1924)
Sally Benson (1897-1972)
Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)
Alison Lurie (1926-2020)
Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)
Malcolm Gladwell (1963)
Kiran Desai (1971)
Pietro Locatelli (1695-1764)
Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975)
Francesco Mignon (1897-1986)
Robert Thurston Dart (1921-1971)
Rudolf Kelterborn (1931-2021)
Valerie Coleman (1970)
and
Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909)
Louis H. Sullivan (1852-1924)
Sally Benson (1897-1972)
Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)
Alison Lurie (1926-2020)
Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)
Malcolm Gladwell (1963)
Kiran Desai (1971)
Monday, September 2, 2024
Profile of Nancy Ives as new artist of the month in Musical America
My profile of Nancy Ives, with a focus on her burgeoning composing career, has been published in Musical Ameria here. Since MA requires a subscription, it might not be available to all.
Today's Birthdays
George Böhm (1661-1733)
Alphons Diepenbrock (1862-1921)
Laurindo Almeida (1917-1995)
David Blake (1936)
Greg A. Steinke (1942)
John Zorn (1953)
Paul Goodwin (1956)
and
Eugene Field (1850-1895)
Joseph Roth (1894-1939)
Grady Nutt (1934-1982)
Alphons Diepenbrock (1862-1921)
Laurindo Almeida (1917-1995)
David Blake (1936)
Greg A. Steinke (1942)
John Zorn (1953)
Paul Goodwin (1956)
and
Eugene Field (1850-1895)
Joseph Roth (1894-1939)
Grady Nutt (1934-1982)
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Emanuel Schikaneder (1751-1812)
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)
Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957)
Conway Twitty (1933-1993)
Seiji Ozawa (1935-2024)
Júlia Várady (1941)
Leonard Slatkin (1944)
Reza Vali (1952)
and
Annie Ernaux (1940)
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)
Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957)
Conway Twitty (1933-1993)
Seiji Ozawa (1935-2024)
Júlia Várady (1941)
Leonard Slatkin (1944)
Reza Vali (1952)
and
Annie Ernaux (1940)
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Amicare Ponchielli (1834-1886)
Alma Mahler (1879-1964)
Everett Lee (1916)
Ifor James (1931-2004)
Wieland Kuijken (1938)
Itzak Perlman (1945)
Daniel Harding (1975)
and
Maria Montessori (1870-1952)
William Shawn (1907-1992)
William Saroyan (1908-1981)
Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986)
Alma Mahler (1879-1964)
Everett Lee (1916)
Ifor James (1931-2004)
Wieland Kuijken (1938)
Itzak Perlman (1945)
Daniel Harding (1975)
and
Maria Montessori (1870-1952)
William Shawn (1907-1992)
William Saroyan (1908-1981)
Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986)
Friday, August 30, 2024
Review: Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival creates an excellent buzz in season-ending concert
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| Leo Eguchi, Megumi Stohs Lewis, Greg Ewer, Sasha Callahan, and Charles Noble |
Founded in 2015 by violinist Sasha Callahan and her husband, cellist Leo Eguchi, the WVCMF engages top-notch chamber musicians in programs that vary widely. They often include world-premieres of works by a composer-in-residence, and the participating composers have been stellar – Gabriela Lena Frank, Joan Tower, Jessie Montgomery, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Osvaldo Golijov, Reena Esmail, and Kareem Roustom.
Composer Kevin Day joined the starry cast for this year’s edition of the WVCMF (August 3-18), which took place at in the bucolic confines of Sokol Blosser Winery, Appassionata Vineyards, and Archery Summit. Because I had other commitments (like the Sun Valley Music Festival), I missed the first two weekends of the WVCMF, but I did make it to the final concert at Archery Summit, which is located just a handful of miles west of Dundee.
Upon arrival at Archery Summit, I was greeted with a glass of 2023 Vireton Pinot Gris and bowled over by the winery’s brand-new, upscale, tasting room. The ringing of a hand-held bell signaled the concert goers to move down the hallway and settle in for the concert with a glass of 2022 Chardonnay.
The program began with Kevin Day’s “The Essence of Being” (String Quartet No. 5), which was commissioned and premiered by Callahan and Eguchi’s other group, the Sheffield Chamber Players, a couple years ago. The first movement of the piece, Tranquillo, had a lovely warm and reflective quality. In the second movement, Con Moto, the musicians (violinists Calahan and Megumi Stohs Lewis, violist Charles Noble, and cellist Eguchi) gradually picked up the pace – sometimes finishing each other’s phrases. A forceful rhythmic drive and brief ascending lines brought the piece to an optimistic and fun close that put a smile of everyone’s face.
Christine Southworth’s “Honey Fliers,” (2007) commissioned by the Carlsbad Music Festival for the Calder Quartet, benefited from the composer being in attendance. She told how her attempt to raise honey bees influenced the music, and she mentioned that happy bees create a buzz that is a Concert A, but unhappy bees emit a buzz with higher tones.
The quartet (with Callahan and Lewis trading first and second violin posts) really got into the hum of things, transitioning between the calmer, happier bees and the distressed, angrier bees. Sometimes it seemed that the bees were on the loose, zinging around the room. The third, and final, movement, slowed down a bit with stutter steps between the viola and cello before going into a propulsive section in which each player executed impromptu-like riffs – as if they were jazzy bees. The piece concluded with a low, rumbling cello at the end – perhaps the bees found some rest back in the hive.
A glass of 2021 Pinot Noir proved to be an excellently paired with Schubert’s “String Quartet No. 13” (aka “Rosamunde”). For this well-loved, albeit bittersweet gem, Greg Ewer took the first violin post with Callahan on second, and violist Noble and cellist Eguchi. The ensemble expertly conveyed the wistful yearning of the first movement. They also plumbed the subtlety of the two middle movements, going back and forth between warmth and anguish. The final movement expressed a bit of uplifting happiness but tinged with a poignant resignation – especially in the quick upward runs that Ewer deftly slowed down a tad.
Today's Birthdays
Ernesto Cavallini (1807-1874)
George Frederick Root (1820-1895)
Buddy Rich (1917-1987)
Regina Resnik (1922-2013)
David Maslanka (1943-1917)
David Schiff (1945)
Simon Bainbridge (1952)
Dimitris Sgouros (1969)
and
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851)
Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)
R Crumb (1943)
Molly Ivins (1944-2007)
George Frederick Root (1820-1895)
Buddy Rich (1917-1987)
Regina Resnik (1922-2013)
David Maslanka (1943-1917)
David Schiff (1945)
Simon Bainbridge (1952)
Dimitris Sgouros (1969)
and
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851)
Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)
R Crumb (1943)
Molly Ivins (1944-2007)
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Oregon Symphony Principal Flutist goes to the Baltimore Symphony
Long has done terrific work with the Oregon Symphony. She will be missed! We wish her the best with the BSO. She will see another former OSO musician there - Principal Trombonist Aaron LaVere.
Today's Birthdays
Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
Helge Rosvaenge (1897-1972)
Charlie Parker (1920-1955)
Norman Platt (1920-2004)
Gilbert Amy (1936)
Anne Collins (1943-2009)
Lucia Valentini Terrani (1946-1998)
Michael Jackson (1958-2009)
Kevin Walczyk (1964)
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (1986)
and
John Locke (1632-1704)
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894)
Karen Hesse (1952)
Helge Rosvaenge (1897-1972)
Charlie Parker (1920-1955)
Norman Platt (1920-2004)
Gilbert Amy (1936)
Anne Collins (1943-2009)
Lucia Valentini Terrani (1946-1998)
Michael Jackson (1958-2009)
Kevin Walczyk (1964)
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (1986)
and
John Locke (1632-1704)
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894)
Karen Hesse (1952)
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Review of concerts at the Sun Valley Music Festival plus a visit to the Hemingway House
Today's Birthdays
Umberto Giordano (1867-1948)
Alfred Baldwin Sloane (1872-1925)
Ivor Gurney (1890-1937)
Karl Böhm (1894-1981)
Paul Henry Lang (1901-1991)
Richard Tucker (1913-1975)
John Shirley-Quirk (1931-2014)
Imogen Cooper (1949)
and
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
John Betjeman (1906-1984)
Rita Dove (1952)
Alfred Baldwin Sloane (1872-1925)
Ivor Gurney (1890-1937)
Karl Böhm (1894-1981)
Paul Henry Lang (1901-1991)
Richard Tucker (1913-1975)
John Shirley-Quirk (1931-2014)
Imogen Cooper (1949)
and
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
John Betjeman (1906-1984)
Rita Dove (1952)
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
Eric Coates (1886-1957)
Lester Young (1909-1959)
Maria Curcio (1918-2009)
Barry Conyngham (1944)
Ann Murray (1949)
Sian Edwards (1959)
and
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831)
Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
C. S. Forester (1899-1966)
Ira Levin (1929-2007)
William Least Heat-Moon (1939)
Eric Coates (1886-1957)
Lester Young (1909-1959)
Maria Curcio (1918-2009)
Barry Conyngham (1944)
Ann Murray (1949)
Sian Edwards (1959)
and
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831)
Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
C. S. Forester (1899-1966)
Ira Levin (1929-2007)
William Least Heat-Moon (1939)
Monday, August 26, 2024
Review: OrpheusPDX adds color to Hertzberg's darkly scented The Rose Elf
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| Lisa Marie Rogali in the rose blossom | Photo credit: Owen Carey |
One would hope that in an age that is far, far removed from the time of fairy tales, that an opera based on a fairytale can still resonate. Using a combination of poetic language and lush music, David Hertzberg’s “The Rose Elf,” presented by OrpheusPDX at Lincoln Performance Hall (August 17) retold one of Hans Christian Andersen’s lesser-known stories in which an elf is confronted with the heightened emotions and awfulness of the human world but learns to have empathy.
Even with a slightly different ending from the original tale, Hertzberg’s music and libretto (he wrote both) gave “The Rose Elf” a magical quality that was enhanced by the stage direction of Jerry Mouawad. Well-known as the co-artistic director of Imago Theatre, Mouawad has expanded his director chops into the world of opera over the last several years. The OrpheusPDX production of “The Rose Elf” showed off his imaginative storytelling skill, which were highlighted by an evocative set design created by Alex Meyer, Sumi Wu, and Mouawad with costumes by Sumi Wu, and lighting by Solomon Weisbard.
In this story, the Elf lives in an idyllic world, flitting around a garden and resting in the lushness of a rose bush. But that world is disturbed when the rose is plucked and given to by the Girl to her beau (the Beloved). His beating heart throws the Elf into a tizzy. But things worsen when the Beloved is murdered by the girl’s brother and then decapitates him. The Elf tells the girl where her beau is buried. She digs up the severed head of the Beloved and places it in a flowerpot. Obsessed with the flowerpot, she is stricken with grief, and dies. The Brother is left to ponder what he had wrought.
To frame the story, Hertzberg begins with a Prelude in which the Girl is costumed as the Roman goddess Luna and the Beloved as the Egyptian god Horus. For the Epilogue, they return in the afterlife, but they do not touch or give an indication affection other than to sing a duetted “Ah.” Meanwhile, the Brother kneels by the pot, and the Elf settles to sleep inside the rose blossom. It’s an unsettling and odd ending that differs from Andersen’s original story in which the Elf tells the bees, who intend to sting the wicked Brother to death the next morning but discover him already dead by the time they arrive.
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| Rogali and Madeline Ross | Photo credit: Owen Carey |
Mezzo soprano Lisa Marie Rogali wonderfully evoked the otherworldly nature of the Elf with her superb vocal agility and with periodic twitchy gestures. She radiated warmth when the Elf was in its happy place, nestled within the petals of the rose blossom. Soprano Madeline Ross embodied the love and the anguish of the Girl, which meshed well with the upright and firm persona of the Beloved as conveyed by tenor Brendon Tuohy. Clad in a dark trench coat hat, Zachary Lenox created the dark and forbidding role of the Brother effectively with his brief time onstage.
Deanna Tham, who is the Associate Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, outstandingly led a chamber orchestra that consisted for nine instruments, yet often sounded much larger. The music was slightly dissonant and effectively painted the text. Tinkling bells, for example accompanied the Elf now and then. Passionate scenes were expressed with swelling tones. Reflective moments were quieter. Several well-placed pauses between the accusations flung by the Brother against the Girl added an ominous quality that was palpable.
Especially skillful was the use of shadowy silhouettes (behind the scrim at the back) and the huge pink rose blossom that could open and close. It had a star power all its own. The entire opera took just a bit over an hour, making it very compact for today’s audiences, but the emotional impact of the story lost some traction as it transitioned to the afterlife, despite the terrific music, acting, and colorful scenery. The Egyptian/Roman deities seemed a bit too incongruous with the Elf and other characters.
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| Photo credit: Owen Carey |
Today's Birthdays
Willem de Fesch (1687-1761)
Luis Delgadillio (1887-1961)
Arthur Loesser (1894-1969)
Humphrey Searle (1915-1981)
Wolfgang Sawallisch (1923-2013)
Nicholas Braithwaite (1939)
Sally Beamish (1956)
Branford Marsalis (1960)
and
Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)
Lee de Forest (1873-1961)
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Julio Cortázar (1914-1984)
Barbara Ehrenreich (1941)
Luis Delgadillio (1887-1961)
Arthur Loesser (1894-1969)
Humphrey Searle (1915-1981)
Wolfgang Sawallisch (1923-2013)
Nicholas Braithwaite (1939)
Sally Beamish (1956)
Branford Marsalis (1960)
and
Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)
Lee de Forest (1873-1961)
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Julio Cortázar (1914-1984)
Barbara Ehrenreich (1941)
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Robert Stolz (1880-1975)
Stefan Wolpe (1902-1972)
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
José Van Dam (1940)
Keith Tippett (1947)
Elvis Costello (1954)
and
Brian Moore (1921-1999)
Charles Wright (1935)
Martin Amis (1949-2023)
Stefan Wolpe (1902-1972)
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
José Van Dam (1940)
Keith Tippett (1947)
Elvis Costello (1954)
and
Brian Moore (1921-1999)
Charles Wright (1935)
Martin Amis (1949-2023)
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Alessandro Marcello (1669-1747)
Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Bernhard Heiden (1910-2000)
Niels Viggo Bentzon (1919-2000)
Stephen Paulus (1949-2014)
Carlo Curley (1952-2012)
and
Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Max Beerbohm (1872-1956)
Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)
Oscar Hijuelos (1951-2013)
John Green (1977)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1456 that the first edition of the Gutenberg Bible was bound and completed in Mainz, Germany. The Gutenberg Bible was the first complete book printed with movable type. The press produced 180 copies of the Bible. Books had been printed on presses before, in China and Korea, with wood and bronze type; but Gutenberg used metal type, and made a press that could print many versions of the same text quickly. His contributions to printing were huge: he created an oil-based printing ink, he figured out how to cast individual pieces of type in metal so that they could be reused, and he designed a functioning printing press. But others before him had come up with similar ideas. Probably the most important thing that Gutenberg did was to develop the entire process of printing — he streamlined a system for assembling the type into a full book and then folding the pages into folios, which were then bound into an entire volume — and to do it all quickly. The techniques that Gutenberg refined were used for hundreds of years, and the publication of the Gutenberg Bible marked a turning point in the availability of knowledge to regular people.
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1968, Czech conductor and composer Rafael Kubelik launches an appeal to world musicians to boycott performances in the five nations which invaded Czechoslovakia on August 20-21 until their military forces evacuate the country. The appeal was joined by Igor Stravinsky, Arthur Rubinstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Otto Klemperer, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Arrau, and others.
Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Bernhard Heiden (1910-2000)
Niels Viggo Bentzon (1919-2000)
Stephen Paulus (1949-2014)
Carlo Curley (1952-2012)
and
Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Max Beerbohm (1872-1956)
Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)
Oscar Hijuelos (1951-2013)
John Green (1977)
and from The Writer's Almanac:
It was on this day in 1456 that the first edition of the Gutenberg Bible was bound and completed in Mainz, Germany. The Gutenberg Bible was the first complete book printed with movable type. The press produced 180 copies of the Bible. Books had been printed on presses before, in China and Korea, with wood and bronze type; but Gutenberg used metal type, and made a press that could print many versions of the same text quickly. His contributions to printing were huge: he created an oil-based printing ink, he figured out how to cast individual pieces of type in metal so that they could be reused, and he designed a functioning printing press. But others before him had come up with similar ideas. Probably the most important thing that Gutenberg did was to develop the entire process of printing — he streamlined a system for assembling the type into a full book and then folding the pages into folios, which were then bound into an entire volume — and to do it all quickly. The techniques that Gutenberg refined were used for hundreds of years, and the publication of the Gutenberg Bible marked a turning point in the availability of knowledge to regular people.
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1968, Czech conductor and composer Rafael Kubelik launches an appeal to world musicians to boycott performances in the five nations which invaded Czechoslovakia on August 20-21 until their military forces evacuate the country. The appeal was joined by Igor Stravinsky, Arthur Rubinstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Otto Klemperer, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Arrau, and others.
Friday, August 23, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925)
Ernst Krenek (1900-1991)
William Primrose (1903-1982)
Constant Lambert (1905-1951)
Carl Dolmetsch (1911-1977)
Mark Russell (1932-2023)
Antônio Meneses (1957)
Brad Mehldau (1970)
and
William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)
Edgar Lee Masters (1869-1950)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1934, the Berkshire Symphonic Festival in was founded in Stockbridge, Mass., by American composer and conductor Henry Hadley, with the participation of the New York Philharmonic. The Festival later became associated with the Boston Symphony under Serge Koussevitzky.
PS from James: in 1936 this festival moved to Lenox, Mass. where it was renamed the Tangelwood Festival.
Ernst Krenek (1900-1991)
William Primrose (1903-1982)
Constant Lambert (1905-1951)
Carl Dolmetsch (1911-1977)
Mark Russell (1932-2023)
Antônio Meneses (1957)
Brad Mehldau (1970)
and
William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)
Edgar Lee Masters (1869-1950)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1934, the Berkshire Symphonic Festival in was founded in Stockbridge, Mass., by American composer and conductor Henry Hadley, with the participation of the New York Philharmonic. The Festival later became associated with the Boston Symphony under Serge Koussevitzky.
PS from James: in 1936 this festival moved to Lenox, Mass. where it was renamed the Tangelwood Festival.
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Josef Strauss (1827-1870)
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Maud Powell (1867-1920)
John Lee Hooker (1917-2001)
Ivry Gitlis (1922-2020)
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007)
Peter Hoffmann (1944-2010)
Tori Amos (1963)
and
Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004)
Ray Bradbury (1920-2012)
Annie Proulx (1935)
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Maud Powell (1867-1920)
John Lee Hooker (1917-2001)
Ivry Gitlis (1922-2020)
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007)
Peter Hoffmann (1944-2010)
Tori Amos (1963)
and
Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004)
Ray Bradbury (1920-2012)
Annie Proulx (1935)
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
Count (William) Basie (1904-1984)
Tommy Reilly (1919-2000)
Willhelm Killmayer (1927-2017)
Gregg Smith (1931-2016)
Dame Janet Baker (1933)
and
X. J. Kennedy (1929)
Robert Stone (1937-2015)
Ellen Hinsey (1960)
Count (William) Basie (1904-1984)
Tommy Reilly (1919-2000)
Willhelm Killmayer (1927-2017)
Gregg Smith (1931-2016)
Dame Janet Baker (1933)
and
X. J. Kennedy (1929)
Robert Stone (1937-2015)
Ellen Hinsey (1960)
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Jacopo Peri (1561-1633)
Mario Bernardi (1930-2013)
Dame Anne Evans (1941)
Maxim Vengerov (1974)
and
Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950)
Paul Tillich (1886-1965)
H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937)
Eero Saarinen (1910-1961)
Jacqueline Susann (1918-1974)
Heather McHugh (1948)
Mario Bernardi (1930-2013)
Dame Anne Evans (1941)
Maxim Vengerov (1974)
and
Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950)
Paul Tillich (1886-1965)
H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937)
Eero Saarinen (1910-1961)
Jacqueline Susann (1918-1974)
Heather McHugh (1948)
Monday, August 19, 2024
Today's Birthdays
William Henry Fry (1881-1864)
Georges Enescu (1881-1955)
Allan Monk (1942)
Gerard Schwarz (1947)
Rebecca Evans (1963)
and
Samuel Richardson (1689-1761)
Ogden Nash (1902-1971)
Frank McCourt (1930-2009)
Joe Frank (Langemann) (1938-2018)
Georges Enescu (1881-1955)
Allan Monk (1942)
Gerard Schwarz (1947)
Rebecca Evans (1963)
and
Samuel Richardson (1689-1761)
Ogden Nash (1902-1971)
Frank McCourt (1930-2009)
Joe Frank (Langemann) (1938-2018)
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
Benjamin Godard (1849-1895)
Basil Cameron (1884-1975)
Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973)
Dame Moura Lympany (1916-2005)
Goff Richards (1944-2011)
Tan Dun (1957)
and
Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809)
Margaret Murie (1902 -2003)
Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922-2008)
and from The Writer's Almanac
Italian-born Viennese composer Antonio Salieri was born in Legnago, in the Republic of Venice (1750). Although he was quite popular in the 18th century, he probably wouldn't be well known today were it not for the movie Amadeus (1984). The movie was based on Peter Shaffer's play by the same name (1979), which was in turn based on a short play by Aleksandr Pushkin, which was called Mozart and Salieri (1830). These stories all present Salieri as a mediocre and uninspired composer who was jealous of Mozart's musical genius; Salieri tried to discredit Mozart at every turn, and some versions of the story even accuse him of poisoning his rival.
But Salieri was a talented and successful composer, writing the scores for several popular operas. He had a happy home life with his wife and eight children. And because he had received free voice and composition lessons from a generous mentor as a young man, he also gave most of his students the benefit of free instruction. Some of his pupils included Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and Franz Schubert. He was the Kapellmeister — the person in charge of music — for the Austrian emperor for 36 years. He and Mozart were competitors, but their rivalry was usually a friendly one; Salieri visited Mozart when he was dying, and was one of the few people to attend his funeral.
After the turn of the 19th century, Salieri's music began to fall out of fashion. "I realized that musical taste was gradually changing in a manner completely contrary to that of my own times," he wrote. "Eccentricity and confusion of genres replaced reasoned and masterful simplicity." He stopped composing operas and began to produce more and more religious pieces. He suffered from dementia late in his life and died in 1825. He had composed his own requiem 20 years earlier, and it was performed for the first time at his funeral.
Benjamin Godard (1849-1895)
Basil Cameron (1884-1975)
Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973)
Dame Moura Lympany (1916-2005)
Goff Richards (1944-2011)
Tan Dun (1957)
and
Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809)
Margaret Murie (1902 -2003)
Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922-2008)
and from The Writer's Almanac
Italian-born Viennese composer Antonio Salieri was born in Legnago, in the Republic of Venice (1750). Although he was quite popular in the 18th century, he probably wouldn't be well known today were it not for the movie Amadeus (1984). The movie was based on Peter Shaffer's play by the same name (1979), which was in turn based on a short play by Aleksandr Pushkin, which was called Mozart and Salieri (1830). These stories all present Salieri as a mediocre and uninspired composer who was jealous of Mozart's musical genius; Salieri tried to discredit Mozart at every turn, and some versions of the story even accuse him of poisoning his rival.
But Salieri was a talented and successful composer, writing the scores for several popular operas. He had a happy home life with his wife and eight children. And because he had received free voice and composition lessons from a generous mentor as a young man, he also gave most of his students the benefit of free instruction. Some of his pupils included Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and Franz Schubert. He was the Kapellmeister — the person in charge of music — for the Austrian emperor for 36 years. He and Mozart were competitors, but their rivalry was usually a friendly one; Salieri visited Mozart when he was dying, and was one of the few people to attend his funeral.
After the turn of the 19th century, Salieri's music began to fall out of fashion. "I realized that musical taste was gradually changing in a manner completely contrary to that of my own times," he wrote. "Eccentricity and confusion of genres replaced reasoned and masterful simplicity." He stopped composing operas and began to produce more and more religious pieces. He suffered from dementia late in his life and died in 1825. He had composed his own requiem 20 years earlier, and it was performed for the first time at his funeral.
Saturday, August 17, 2024
Review: OrpheusPDX production of Handel's Acis, Galatea, and Polyphemus in Opera Canada
My review of the OrpheusPDX season opener of Handel's "Acis, Galatea, and Polyphemus, featuring Canadian soprano Katherine Whyte, has just been published by Opera Canada here.
Today's Birthdays
Henri Tomasi (1901-1971)
Abram Chasins (1903-1987)
George Melly (1926-2007)
T.J. (Thomas Jefferson) Anderson (1928)
Edward Cowie (1943)
Jean-Bernard Pommier (1944)
Heiner Goebbels (1952)
Artur Pizarro (1968)
and
Oliver St. John Gogarty (1878-1957)
Mae West (1893-1980)
Evan S. Connell (1924-2013)
Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
V. S. Naipaul (1932-2018)
Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
Jonathan Franzen (1959)
and from the Writer's Almanac:
On this date in 1982, the first compact discs for commercial release were manufactured in Germany. CDs were originally designed to store and play back sound recordings, but later were modified to store data. The first test disc, which was pressed near Hannover, Germany, contained a recording of Richard Strauss's An Alpine Symphony, played by the Berlin Philharmonic. The first CD commercially produced at the new factory and sold on this date was ABBA's 1981 album The Visitors; the first new album to be released on CD was Billy Joel's 52nd Street, which hit the stores in Japan — alongside the new Sony CD player — on October 1. The event is known as the "Big Bang of digital audio."
Abram Chasins (1903-1987)
George Melly (1926-2007)
T.J. (Thomas Jefferson) Anderson (1928)
Edward Cowie (1943)
Jean-Bernard Pommier (1944)
Heiner Goebbels (1952)
Artur Pizarro (1968)
and
Oliver St. John Gogarty (1878-1957)
Mae West (1893-1980)
Evan S. Connell (1924-2013)
Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
V. S. Naipaul (1932-2018)
Ted Hughes (1930-1998)
Jonathan Franzen (1959)
and from the Writer's Almanac:
On this date in 1982, the first compact discs for commercial release were manufactured in Germany. CDs were originally designed to store and play back sound recordings, but later were modified to store data. The first test disc, which was pressed near Hannover, Germany, contained a recording of Richard Strauss's An Alpine Symphony, played by the Berlin Philharmonic. The first CD commercially produced at the new factory and sold on this date was ABBA's 1981 album The Visitors; the first new album to be released on CD was Billy Joel's 52nd Street, which hit the stores in Japan — alongside the new Sony CD player — on October 1. The event is known as the "Big Bang of digital audio."
Friday, August 16, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Heinrich Marschner (1795-1861
Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937)
Jacinto Guerrero (1895-1951)
Ralph Downes (1904-1993)
Bill Evans (1929-1980)
Franz Welser-Möst (1960)
and
Catharine Trotter Cockburn (1679-1749)
William Maxwell (1908-2000)
Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)
Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937)
Jacinto Guerrero (1895-1951)
Ralph Downes (1904-1993)
Bill Evans (1929-1980)
Franz Welser-Möst (1960)
and
Catharine Trotter Cockburn (1679-1749)
William Maxwell (1908-2000)
Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
Albert Spalding (1888-1953)
Jaques Ibert (1890-1952)
Leon Theremin (1896-1993)
Lukas Foss (1922-2009)
Aldo Ciccolini (1925-2015)
Oscar Peterson (1925-2007)
Rita Hunter (1933-2001)
Anne Marie Owens (1955)
James O'Donnell (1961)
and
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859)
Edna Ferber (1885-1968)
T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935)
Julia Child (1912-2004)
Benedict Kiely (1919-2007)
Denise Chávez (1948)
Stieg Larsson (1954)
and
The Woodstock music festival began on this day in 1969.
Albert Spalding (1888-1953)
Jaques Ibert (1890-1952)
Leon Theremin (1896-1993)
Lukas Foss (1922-2009)
Aldo Ciccolini (1925-2015)
Oscar Peterson (1925-2007)
Rita Hunter (1933-2001)
Anne Marie Owens (1955)
James O'Donnell (1961)
and
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
Thomas De Quincey (1785-1859)
Edna Ferber (1885-1968)
T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935)
Julia Child (1912-2004)
Benedict Kiely (1919-2007)
Denise Chávez (1948)
Stieg Larsson (1954)
and
The Woodstock music festival began on this day in 1969.
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Preview of Siletz Bay Music Festival in OAW
If you are heading to the coast this weekend or sometime next week, you might want to attend the Siletz Bay Music Festival. My preview of their upcoming concerts is now published in Oregon ArtsWatch here.
Today's Birthdays
Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988)
Pierre Schaeffer (1910-1955)
Jan Koetsier (1911-2006)
Ferruccio Tagliavini (1913-1995)
Georges Prêtre (1924-2017)
Yuri Kholopov (1932-2003)
Sarah Brightman (1960)
Cecilia Gasdia (1960)
Beata Moon (1969)
and
Ernest Thayer (1863-1940)
John Galsworthy (1867-1933)
Russell Baker (1925-2019)
Danielle Steel (1947)
Gary Larson (1950)
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988)
Pierre Schaeffer (1910-1955)
Jan Koetsier (1911-2006)
Ferruccio Tagliavini (1913-1995)
Georges Prêtre (1924-2017)
Yuri Kholopov (1932-2003)
Sarah Brightman (1960)
Cecilia Gasdia (1960)
Beata Moon (1969)
and
Ernest Thayer (1863-1940)
John Galsworthy (1867-1933)
Russell Baker (1925-2019)
Danielle Steel (1947)
Gary Larson (1950)
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Good news at All Classical Radio - rising star Rebecca Richardson
The Radio trade publication, Current, has named Rebecca Richardson as one of the nation's rising stars. Here's the press release:
Rebecca Richardson, a music researcher and digital producer at All Classical Radio, has been named a 2024 "Rising Star" by Current. The trade publication for public media launched the honor to celebrate younger employees who are making a difference in public media. Rebecca was recognized for her work as All Classical Radio's music researcher and digital producer.
"Rebecca's leadership and hard work have furthered All Classical Radio's transformation into a comprehensive media arts network," says Suzanne Nance, president and CEO of All Classical Radio, who nominated Rebecca for the honor.
"Rebecca continues to build an incredible research database, spanning eras from Medieval to Modernism, and every composer she can find in between, which has deepened the information available to our on-air hosts and in-turn our audiences. She helped lead the creation of All Classical Radio’s Artist Anthology: 40 Creatives of the Pacific Northwest, a groundbreaking multimedia initiative to uplift artists. In addition, her blogs posts and articles about classical music on the All Classical’s website spark curiosity and enthusiasm for the artform. She's dedicated, generous, and creative, and we are so lucky to have her on our team," Nance adds.
Current's press release announcing the 2024 Rising Stars is here.
"Rebecca's leadership and hard work have furthered All Classical Radio's transformation into a comprehensive media arts network," says Suzanne Nance, president and CEO of All Classical Radio, who nominated Rebecca for the honor.
"Rebecca continues to build an incredible research database, spanning eras from Medieval to Modernism, and every composer she can find in between, which has deepened the information available to our on-air hosts and in-turn our audiences. She helped lead the creation of All Classical Radio’s Artist Anthology: 40 Creatives of the Pacific Northwest, a groundbreaking multimedia initiative to uplift artists. In addition, her blogs posts and articles about classical music on the All Classical’s website spark curiosity and enthusiasm for the artform. She's dedicated, generous, and creative, and we are so lucky to have her on our team," Nance adds.
Current's press release announcing the 2024 Rising Stars is here.
Today's Birthdays
Sir George Grove (1820-1900)
John Ireland (1879-1962)
Luis Mariano (1914-1970)
George Shearing (1919-2011)
Louis Frémaux (1921-2017)
Don Ho (1930-2007)
Sheila Armstrong (1942)
Kathleen Battle (1948)
Gregory Vajda (1973)
and
Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850)
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980)
John Ireland (1879-1962)
Luis Mariano (1914-1970)
George Shearing (1919-2011)
Louis Frémaux (1921-2017)
Don Ho (1930-2007)
Sheila Armstrong (1942)
Kathleen Battle (1948)
Gregory Vajda (1973)
and
Nikolaus Lenau (1802-1850)
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980)
Monday, August 12, 2024
Another wrinkle at the University of Oregon
Mark Mandel point out this news item from Norman Lebrecht's Slipped Disc:
If you search slippedisc.com for ‘Oregon’ you will find a catalogue of musical incompetence unmatched in a ny other US uinversity. Things have gone a bit quiet since they fired the excellent Matthew Halls as Artistic Director of the Oregon Bach Festival. So it’s reassuring to report that the hopeless Oregonians have just struck again.
A local mole informs us:
It seems the university has struck again by somehow forcing out a prominent musician and broadcaster, Peter Van de Graff. In 2016, when Van de Graff came from WFMT to KWAX, which operates under a license owned by the university, the local classical audience was charmed by his enthusiasm for the community and grateful for his professional and artistic contributions to the local classical music scene. KWAX is a community supported station but, as I understand it, the funds are administered by the university. During Van de Graff’s tenure as Music Director, the fund drives were shortened from weeks to just one or two days due his enthusiasm and to timely and generous giving. Many pledges came from internet listeners, some even from abroad.
Today's Birthdays
Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690)
Heinrich Biber (1644-1704)
Katherine Lee Bates (1859-1929)
Porter Wagoner (1927-2007)
Buck Owens (1929-2006)
Huguette Tourangeau (1940)
David Munrow (1942-1976)
Pat Metheny (1954)
Stuart MacRae (1976)
and
Robert Southey (1773-1843)
Edith Hamilton (1867-1963)
Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959)
Donald Justice (1925-2004)
William Goldman (1931-2018)
Anthony Swofford (1970)
Heinrich Biber (1644-1704)
Katherine Lee Bates (1859-1929)
Porter Wagoner (1927-2007)
Buck Owens (1929-2006)
Huguette Tourangeau (1940)
David Munrow (1942-1976)
Pat Metheny (1954)
Stuart MacRae (1976)
and
Robert Southey (1773-1843)
Edith Hamilton (1867-1963)
Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959)
Donald Justice (1925-2004)
William Goldman (1931-2018)
Anthony Swofford (1970)
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Today's Birthdays
J. Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954)
Ginette Neveu (1919-1949)
Raymond Leppard (1927-2019)
Alun Hoddinott (1929-2008)
Tamás Vásáry (1933)
and
Louise Brogan (1897-1970)
Alex Haley (1921-1992)
Mavis Gallant (1922-2014)
Andre Dubus (1936-1999)
Ginette Neveu (1919-1949)
Raymond Leppard (1927-2019)
Alun Hoddinott (1929-2008)
Tamás Vásáry (1933)
and
Louise Brogan (1897-1970)
Alex Haley (1921-1992)
Mavis Gallant (1922-2014)
Andre Dubus (1936-1999)
Saturday, August 10, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)
Douglas Moore (1893-1969)
Leo Fender (1909-1991)
Marie-Claire Alain (1926-2013)
Edwin Carr (1926-2003)
John Aldis (1929-2010)
Alexander Goehr (1932)
Giya Kancheli (1935-2019)
Bobby Hatfield (1940-2003)
Dmitri Alexeev (1947)
Eliot Fisk (1954)
and
Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)
Joyce Sutphen (1949)
Mark Doty (1953)
Suzanne Collins (1962)
Douglas Moore (1893-1969)
Leo Fender (1909-1991)
Marie-Claire Alain (1926-2013)
Edwin Carr (1926-2003)
John Aldis (1929-2010)
Alexander Goehr (1932)
Giya Kancheli (1935-2019)
Bobby Hatfield (1940-2003)
Dmitri Alexeev (1947)
Eliot Fisk (1954)
and
Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)
Joyce Sutphen (1949)
Mark Doty (1953)
Suzanne Collins (1962)
Friday, August 9, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Michael Umlauff (1781-1842)
Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947)
Albert William Ketèlbey (1875-1959)
Solomon Cutner (1902-1988)
Ann Brown (1912-2009)
and
Izaak Walton (1593-1683)
John Dryden (1631-1700)
P. L. Travers (1899-1966)
Philip Larkin (1922-1985)
and from The Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1928, Australian-born American composer Percy Grainger marries Swedish poet and painter Ella Viola Strom at the Hollywood Bowl in front of an audience of 22,000 concert-goers. Grainger conducted the LA Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of his "To a Nordic Princess," dedicated to his bride.
Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947)
Albert William Ketèlbey (1875-1959)
Solomon Cutner (1902-1988)
Ann Brown (1912-2009)
and
Izaak Walton (1593-1683)
John Dryden (1631-1700)
P. L. Travers (1899-1966)
Philip Larkin (1922-1985)
and from The Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1928, Australian-born American composer Percy Grainger marries Swedish poet and painter Ella Viola Strom at the Hollywood Bowl in front of an audience of 22,000 concert-goers. Grainger conducted the LA Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of his "To a Nordic Princess," dedicated to his bride.
Thursday, August 8, 2024
Vancouver Arts and Music Festival brings thousands downtown in cultural celebration
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| Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
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| Representative Marie Gluesnkamp Perez and Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
'To top things off, the entire festival was free! That’s right! Igor Shakhman, CEO and Principal Clarinetist of the Vancouver Symphony secured over $600,000 from the Murdock Charitable Trust and other foundations to make the VAMF a reality with no entry fees. According to the City of Vancouver, last year’s inaugural edition of the festival drew more than 30,000 visitors. This year the total swelled to over 40,000. Warm, weelcoming statements were made by the the Mayor of Vancouver, Anne McEnerny-Ogle, and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. So the VAMF, supported by the City of Vancouver, the Columbia Arts Network (CAN), Vancouver Downtown Association, Visit Vancouver, Vancouver AC Hotel on the Waterfront, Vancouver Hilton, the Oliva Family Fund, Gravitate, and others, is on an upswing.
An overflow crowed blanketed the lawn in front of the main stage with camping chairs and picnic baskets. Cellphone cameras were also at the ready for Brotons and the orchestra, which kicked off the concert (August 2) with the 'Waltz' from Tchaikovsky’s opera “Eugene Onegin.”
Coty Raven Morris, All Classical Radio program host and music professor at Portland State University, enthusiastically introduced Grammy-award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey, who delivered an outstanding performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme.” Wonderful articulation of the quicksilver passages, sensitive treatment of the ultra-high notes, and soulful probing of the phrases in the basement register made Bailey’s performance memorable. I loved how he could sting a note as needed, which heightened the many contrasts of the piece. An occasional jet flying overhead (pursuant the flight path from Portland International Airport), barking dogs, and the afterburn of a Harley didn’t phase Bailey one bit. The audience responded with a standing ovation – quite a compliment considering that people had to get out of their low-slung chairs.
Bailey followed the Tchaikovsky with a haunting rendition of John Williams’ “Schindler’s List.” It was brief, but very evocative of the main theme from the 1993 famous movie-epic-drama.
After intermission, Brotons conducted a robust interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italian” from memory. Actually, he conducted the entire program without a score, and he did it in way that looks natural and easy peasy – although it is really hard. Sometimes, it seemed that the sound became a bit too heavy at times, which may have had to do with the amplification.
Brotons told the audience that “You ain’t seen nothing yet” before launching the orchestra into Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” It was fun to see people moving back and forth as they listened to the famous melody at the end of the piece. A better placement of the microphones for the bass drum would have created a more crackling wallop. But the total effect of the piece resonated with the listeners, who responded with a standing ovation.
For Saturday evening’s concert (August 3), All Classical Radio's Warren Black introduced Gerard Schwarz, Music Director of the All-Star Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony, and piano virtuoso Olga Kern, winner of the 2001 Van Cliburn International Competition, to the stage. Schwarz and Kern created an outstanding performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, aka the “Emperor Concerto.” Kern had a field day with the piece, generating exciting lines in the first movement, dialing it back for the lovely and elegant second movement, and surging into the finale. The microphones, unfortunately accented the notes in the upper register of the piano too much. Consequently, some of the dynamic contrast was lost. Also, it was difficult to hear the woodwinds – especially the bassoon. But in the end, the dazzling virtuosity of Kern won over the concertgoers, who immediately sprang to their feet with boisterous cheering.
Kern responded with a mesmerizing encore, Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No 10.” She sailed through an outrageous assortment of fanciful filigree, delightful glissandos, and knuckle-crunching keyboard wizardry with elan. Well, it took your breath away and caused an outpouring of applause.
During intermission, LA-based ensemble Astral Mixtape (violinists Misha Vayman and Michael Siess, cellist Juan-Salvador Carrasco, and keyboardist Nathan Ben-Yehuda) performed their arrangements of Astor Piazzolla and Aaron Copeland pieces with a chamber orchestra that consisted of students form Evergreen High School and Vancouver High School. The collaboration incorporated spontaneity and passionate intensity that resonated incredibly well with the crowd.
The concert finished up with Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony. The amplification needed to be adjusted for the woodwinds, which could barely be heard, and for the double basses, which dominated some passages. That didn’t matter to the audience which ate up the performance, rewarding it with applause between each movement and a standing ovation at the end.
I was unable to attend the final concert on Sunday afternoon (August 4). Schwarz led the orchestra in performances of the first movement from Mahler’s Second Symphony, “Three Dance Episodes” from Bernstein’s “On the Town,” the “Symphony Dances” from Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” and “Concert Suite No. 1” from Bernstein’s “West Side Story” with soprano Cecilia Violetta López and tenor Ben Gulley. During intermission, All Classial Radio's President and CEO Suzanne Nance interviewed Schwarz on the main stage.
Overall, the VSO at the VAMF would benefit from two things. First, close off all streets that surround Esther Short Park so that no motorcycles or loud cars can interrupt the music. That can be done 30 minutes before the music begins. Second, rehearse at Esther Short Park in the morning in order to get a better placement of the microphones. That will help to correct the sonic balance.
But even with those quibbles, the second year of the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival was an overwhelming success. The weather cooperated, and a huge number of people experienced live, classical music with the local band. It doesn’t get any better than that.
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| Brotons and orchestra on the main stage | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
An overflow crowed blanketed the lawn in front of the main stage with camping chairs and picnic baskets. Cellphone cameras were also at the ready for Brotons and the orchestra, which kicked off the concert (August 2) with the 'Waltz' from Tchaikovsky’s opera “Eugene Onegin.”
Coty Raven Morris, All Classical Radio program host and music professor at Portland State University, enthusiastically introduced Grammy-award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey, who delivered an outstanding performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme.” Wonderful articulation of the quicksilver passages, sensitive treatment of the ultra-high notes, and soulful probing of the phrases in the basement register made Bailey’s performance memorable. I loved how he could sting a note as needed, which heightened the many contrasts of the piece. An occasional jet flying overhead (pursuant the flight path from Portland International Airport), barking dogs, and the afterburn of a Harley didn’t phase Bailey one bit. The audience responded with a standing ovation – quite a compliment considering that people had to get out of their low-slung chairs.
Bailey followed the Tchaikovsky with a haunting rendition of John Williams’ “Schindler’s List.” It was brief, but very evocative of the main theme from the 1993 famous movie-epic-drama.
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| Zuill Bailey and the orchestra | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
After intermission, Brotons conducted a robust interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italian” from memory. Actually, he conducted the entire program without a score, and he did it in way that looks natural and easy peasy – although it is really hard. Sometimes, it seemed that the sound became a bit too heavy at times, which may have had to do with the amplification.
Brotons told the audience that “You ain’t seen nothing yet” before launching the orchestra into Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” It was fun to see people moving back and forth as they listened to the famous melody at the end of the piece. A better placement of the microphones for the bass drum would have created a more crackling wallop. But the total effect of the piece resonated with the listeners, who responded with a standing ovation.
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| Gerard Schwarz with the VSO | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
For Saturday evening’s concert (August 3), All Classical Radio's Warren Black introduced Gerard Schwarz, Music Director of the All-Star Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony, and piano virtuoso Olga Kern, winner of the 2001 Van Cliburn International Competition, to the stage. Schwarz and Kern created an outstanding performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, aka the “Emperor Concerto.” Kern had a field day with the piece, generating exciting lines in the first movement, dialing it back for the lovely and elegant second movement, and surging into the finale. The microphones, unfortunately accented the notes in the upper register of the piano too much. Consequently, some of the dynamic contrast was lost. Also, it was difficult to hear the woodwinds – especially the bassoon. But in the end, the dazzling virtuosity of Kern won over the concertgoers, who immediately sprang to their feet with boisterous cheering.
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| Olga Kern | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
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| Astral Mixtape with Vancouver H. S. and Evergreen H. S. orchestra | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
The concert finished up with Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony. The amplification needed to be adjusted for the woodwinds, which could barely be heard, and for the double basses, which dominated some passages. That didn’t matter to the audience which ate up the performance, rewarding it with applause between each movement and a standing ovation at the end.
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| Ben Gulley and Cecilia Violetta López | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
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| Gerard Schwarz and Suzanne Nance | Photo credit: Windows on Life Photography |
Overall, the VSO at the VAMF would benefit from two things. First, close off all streets that surround Esther Short Park so that no motorcycles or loud cars can interrupt the music. That can be done 30 minutes before the music begins. Second, rehearse at Esther Short Park in the morning in order to get a better placement of the microphones. That will help to correct the sonic balance.
But even with those quibbles, the second year of the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival was an overwhelming success. The weather cooperated, and a huge number of people experienced live, classical music with the local band. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Today's Birthdays
Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
Adolf Busch (1891-1952)
André Jolivet (1905-1974)
Benny Carter (1907-2003)
Josef Suk (1929-2011) - violinist
Jacques Hétu (1938-2010)
and
Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953)
Valerie Sayers (1952)
Elizabeth Tallent (1954)
Adolf Busch (1891-1952)
André Jolivet (1905-1974)
Benny Carter (1907-2003)
Josef Suk (1929-2011) - violinist
Jacques Hétu (1938-2010)
and
Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953)
Valerie Sayers (1952)
Elizabeth Tallent (1954)
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Story on Young Musicians and Artists final shows available in Oregon ArtsWatch
My follow up story about YMA is now published in Oregon ArtsWatch here. It was a blast to watch these kids perform and interview them, parents, and staff. What a great program!
Today's Birthdays
Henry Litolff (1818-1891)
Sir Granville Bantock (1868-1946)
Karel Husa (1921-1916)
Felice Bryant (1925-2003)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1936-1977)
Garrison Keillor (1942)
Ian Hobson (1952)
Sharon Isbin (1956)
Christian Altenburger (1957)
Sir Granville Bantock (1868-1946)
Karel Husa (1921-1916)
Felice Bryant (1925-2003)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1936-1977)
Garrison Keillor (1942)
Ian Hobson (1952)
Sharon Isbin (1956)
Christian Altenburger (1957)
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677)
Mary Carr Moore (1873-1957)
Karl Ulrich Schnabel (1909-2001)
Udo Reinemann (1942-2013)
and
Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
Mary Carr Moore (1873-1957)
Karl Ulrich Schnabel (1909-2001)
Udo Reinemann (1942-2013)
and
Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
Monday, August 5, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Marc Antonio Cesti (1623-1669)
Leonardo Leo (1694-1744)
Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896)
Hans Gál (1890-1987)
Erich Kleiber (1890-1956)
Betsy Jolas (1926)
Stoika Milanova (1945)
Mark O'Connor (1961)
and
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893)
Conrad Aiken (1889-1973)
Wendell Berry (1934)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1978, the citizens of Patowan, Utah, decided to name a local mountain Mr. Messiaen, in honor of the French composer, Olivier Messiaen, who spent a month in Utah in 1973 an composed a symphonic work, "Des canyons aux etoiles" (From the canyons to the stars), which glorified the natural beauty of the region
Leonardo Leo (1694-1744)
Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896)
Hans Gál (1890-1987)
Erich Kleiber (1890-1956)
Betsy Jolas (1926)
Stoika Milanova (1945)
Mark O'Connor (1961)
and
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893)
Conrad Aiken (1889-1973)
Wendell Berry (1934)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1978, the citizens of Patowan, Utah, decided to name a local mountain Mr. Messiaen, in honor of the French composer, Olivier Messiaen, who spent a month in Utah in 1973 an composed a symphonic work, "Des canyons aux etoiles" (From the canyons to the stars), which glorified the natural beauty of the region
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Henry Berger (1844-1929)
Italo Montemezzi (1875-1952)
Albert W. Ketèlbey (1875-1959)
Louie "Satchmo" Armstrong (1901-1971)
William Schuman (1910-1992)
David Raksin (1912-2004)
Arthur Butterworth (1923-2014)
Jess Thomas (1927-1993)
David Bedford (1937-2011)
Simon Preston (1938-2022)
Deborah Voigt (1960)
Olga Neuwirth (1968)
and
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
Raoul Wallenberg (1912-1947?)
Robert Hayden (1913-1980)
Helen Thomas (1920-2013)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1705, in Arnstadt, J.S. Bach and a bassoonist named Johann Heinrich Geyersbach cross paths late a night and an argument ensues. Geyerbach threatens Bach with a stick and Bach draws his sword. Both are hauled up before the city magistrate and reprimanded for their behavior.
Italo Montemezzi (1875-1952)
Albert W. Ketèlbey (1875-1959)
Louie "Satchmo" Armstrong (1901-1971)
William Schuman (1910-1992)
David Raksin (1912-2004)
Arthur Butterworth (1923-2014)
Jess Thomas (1927-1993)
David Bedford (1937-2011)
Simon Preston (1938-2022)
Deborah Voigt (1960)
Olga Neuwirth (1968)
and
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
Raoul Wallenberg (1912-1947?)
Robert Hayden (1913-1980)
Helen Thomas (1920-2013)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this day in 1705, in Arnstadt, J.S. Bach and a bassoonist named Johann Heinrich Geyersbach cross paths late a night and an argument ensues. Geyerbach threatens Bach with a stick and Bach draws his sword. Both are hauled up before the city magistrate and reprimanded for their behavior.
Saturday, August 3, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Louis Gruenberg (1884-1964)
Antonio Lauro (1917-1986)
Tony Bennett (1926-2023)
James Tyler (1940-2010)
Simon Keenlyside (1959)
and
Juliana Horatia Ewing (1841-1885)
Ernie Pyle (1900-1944)
P. D. James (1920-2014)
Hayden Carruth (1921-2008)
Marvin Bell (1937-2020)
Diane Wakoski (1937)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this date in 1668, German composer Dietrich Buxtehude marries the daughter of Franz Tunder, retiring organist at St. Mary's Church in Lübeck, as a condition to succeed Tunder in his position at St. Mary's. Years later, Buxtehude offered his position in Lübeck with a similar caveat that the new organist must marry his daughter. It is thought that both Handel and J.S. Bach were both interested in the position - but not in Buxtehude's daughter.
Antonio Lauro (1917-1986)
Tony Bennett (1926-2023)
James Tyler (1940-2010)
Simon Keenlyside (1959)
and
Juliana Horatia Ewing (1841-1885)
Ernie Pyle (1900-1944)
P. D. James (1920-2014)
Hayden Carruth (1921-2008)
Marvin Bell (1937-2020)
Diane Wakoski (1937)
and from the Composers Datebook:
On this date in 1668, German composer Dietrich Buxtehude marries the daughter of Franz Tunder, retiring organist at St. Mary's Church in Lübeck, as a condition to succeed Tunder in his position at St. Mary's. Years later, Buxtehude offered his position in Lübeck with a similar caveat that the new organist must marry his daughter. It is thought that both Handel and J.S. Bach were both interested in the position - but not in Buxtehude's daughter.
Friday, August 2, 2024
James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation to open new grants for Oregon Artists
From the press release:
Dear Friend,
The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation is pleased to announce the Spark Award for Oregon Artists, a three-year pilot program to fund individual artists at a midpoint of their career. The Foundation will award grants of $25,000 each to 60 individual artists in total (20 grants per year) across artistic disciplines. The goal of this program is to sustain and advance the practice of working artists in Oregon. We consider this an important investment in both artists and the communities throughout our state who will continue to be enriched by these artists’ work into the future.
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Today's Birthdays
Arthur Bliss (1891-1975)
Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905-1963)
Marvin David Levy (1932-2015)
Anthony Payne (1936-2021)
Gundula Janowitz (1937)
Richard Einhorn (1952)
Angel Lam (1978)
and
Irving Babbitt (1865-1933)
James Baldwin (1924-1987)
Isabel Allende (1942)
Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905-1963)
Marvin David Levy (1932-2015)
Anthony Payne (1936-2021)
Gundula Janowitz (1937)
Richard Einhorn (1952)
Angel Lam (1978)
and
Irving Babbitt (1865-1933)
James Baldwin (1924-1987)
Isabel Allende (1942)
Thursday, August 1, 2024
Today's Birthdays
Francis Scott Key (1779-1843)
Hans Rott (1858-1884)
Morris Stoloff (1898-1980)
William Steinberg (1899-1978)
Jerome Moross (1913-1983)
Lionel Bart (1930-1999)
Nico Castel (1931-2015)
Ramblin' Jack Elliott (1931)
Jordi Savall (1941)
André Gagnon (1942)
Jerry Garcia (1942-1995)
and
Maria Mitchell (1818-1889)
Herman Melville (1819-1891)
Ernst Jandl (1925-2000)
Madison Smartt Bell (1957)
Hans Rott (1858-1884)
Morris Stoloff (1898-1980)
William Steinberg (1899-1978)
Jerome Moross (1913-1983)
Lionel Bart (1930-1999)
Nico Castel (1931-2015)
Ramblin' Jack Elliott (1931)
Jordi Savall (1941)
André Gagnon (1942)
Jerry Garcia (1942-1995)
and
Maria Mitchell (1818-1889)
Herman Melville (1819-1891)
Ernst Jandl (1925-2000)
Madison Smartt Bell (1957)
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Kyle Rivera – moving boldly with sound
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| Photo by Shawnte Sims |
One of the rising stars among the constellation of young American composers is Kyle Rivera, whose "Grimoire I, Laplace’s Demon" received its world premiere by Chamber Music Northwest at The Old Church (July 17). And as part of CMNW’s Summer Festival, Rivera gave a masterclass at Portland State University (July 18) to a select group of nascent composers from Fear No Music’s Young Composers Project. I also saw him in the audience at The Reser for the Preeminent Piano concert (July 18), which featured works by Stewart Goodyear, György Ligeti, and Beethoven. So he kept a busy schedule while in Portland.
Born in Boston (1996), Rivera and his family lived in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. They moved to Houston, where Rivera began viola lessons and became interested in the symphony. While in high school, he began composing, matriculating to the University of Houston for his bachelors and then to the Yale School of Music for his masters, which he received this year. In the meantime, Rivera’s works have been performed at many classical music festivals across the nation as well as Russia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and China. His music has also been played by the Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, Yale Philharmonia, Albany Symphony, Musiqa Houston and other orchestras.
Rivera likes to make bold moves in music, including esoteric ideas like the casual determinism of Laplace’s Demon, chaos theory, and a grimoire, which is a book of magical spells. Those concepts collided in a fanciful way in Grimore I: Laplace’s Demon, which was featured in CMNW’s New@Night series. It should be noted that according to determinism (from Wikipedia) “if someone (the demon) knows the precise location and momentum of every atom in the universe, their past and future values for any given time are entailed; they can be calculated from the laws of classical mechanics.” So, if I understood Rivera’s opening remarks correctly, in the music, the randomness of chaos theory dukes it out with the calculating demon so that demon is finally banished. Along the way, words would be spoken in a jumbled way that would make sense at the end.
Played by members of Opus13 (violinist Edvard Erdal, violist Albin Uusijärvi, and cellist Daniel Thorell), pianists and electric keyboardist Stewart Goodyear, and percussionist Ji Hye Jung, "Grimore I: Laplace’s Demon" generated sounds that ricocheted all over the hall. The first movement, “Phase Space,” began with a wham on a large gong and featured extended pizzicato-ing strings. In the second movement, “Traveling an Infinite Curve in a Finite Space” the violist stood up, perhaps symbolizing the top of a hierarchy, and led the strings in motifs that were angular and wild glissandos while the percussionist tapped an assortment of wood blocks and other items. The third movement, “Fractals, Free Will, and the Future,” offered a lot of fragmentary sounds and coordinating yelling of “deliver” and “us up.” With the fourth movement, “The Demon Knows, The Butterfly Dreams,” came repeated exclamations of “Ah” followed by sustained notes, then percussive sounds from all instruments, including crumpled paper bags, and finally feathery tones from the strings. In the final movement, “Weird Densities of Ancient Orbits.” I noticed that Goodyear had one hand on the piano keyboard and the other on the electronic keyboard. Ji Hye Jung rang everything in her arsenal. The strings went bananas. Then came a sequence of quiet sounds. It may have been in this movement that the phrase “deliver us up from evil” jelled. At any rate, the demon was banished and the audience responded with a standing ovation.
Somewhere during the piece, the violist and the violinist switched places, and that might have been part of the hierarchy that Rivera mentioned earlier. It may be that chaos and randomness entered into the equation; so that you would never hear the piece played the same way. In any case, a bit of trimming to tighten things up a bit might make "Grimore I: Laplace’s Demon" more relatable.
Born in Boston (1996), Rivera and his family lived in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. They moved to Houston, where Rivera began viola lessons and became interested in the symphony. While in high school, he began composing, matriculating to the University of Houston for his bachelors and then to the Yale School of Music for his masters, which he received this year. In the meantime, Rivera’s works have been performed at many classical music festivals across the nation as well as Russia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and China. His music has also been played by the Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, Yale Philharmonia, Albany Symphony, Musiqa Houston and other orchestras.
Rivera likes to make bold moves in music, including esoteric ideas like the casual determinism of Laplace’s Demon, chaos theory, and a grimoire, which is a book of magical spells. Those concepts collided in a fanciful way in Grimore I: Laplace’s Demon, which was featured in CMNW’s New@Night series. It should be noted that according to determinism (from Wikipedia) “if someone (the demon) knows the precise location and momentum of every atom in the universe, their past and future values for any given time are entailed; they can be calculated from the laws of classical mechanics.” So, if I understood Rivera’s opening remarks correctly, in the music, the randomness of chaos theory dukes it out with the calculating demon so that demon is finally banished. Along the way, words would be spoken in a jumbled way that would make sense at the end.
Played by members of Opus13 (violinist Edvard Erdal, violist Albin Uusijärvi, and cellist Daniel Thorell), pianists and electric keyboardist Stewart Goodyear, and percussionist Ji Hye Jung, "Grimore I: Laplace’s Demon" generated sounds that ricocheted all over the hall. The first movement, “Phase Space,” began with a wham on a large gong and featured extended pizzicato-ing strings. In the second movement, “Traveling an Infinite Curve in a Finite Space” the violist stood up, perhaps symbolizing the top of a hierarchy, and led the strings in motifs that were angular and wild glissandos while the percussionist tapped an assortment of wood blocks and other items. The third movement, “Fractals, Free Will, and the Future,” offered a lot of fragmentary sounds and coordinating yelling of “deliver” and “us up.” With the fourth movement, “The Demon Knows, The Butterfly Dreams,” came repeated exclamations of “Ah” followed by sustained notes, then percussive sounds from all instruments, including crumpled paper bags, and finally feathery tones from the strings. In the final movement, “Weird Densities of Ancient Orbits.” I noticed that Goodyear had one hand on the piano keyboard and the other on the electronic keyboard. Ji Hye Jung rang everything in her arsenal. The strings went bananas. Then came a sequence of quiet sounds. It may have been in this movement that the phrase “deliver us up from evil” jelled. At any rate, the demon was banished and the audience responded with a standing ovation.
Somewhere during the piece, the violist and the violinist switched places, and that might have been part of the hierarchy that Rivera mentioned earlier. It may be that chaos and randomness entered into the equation; so that you would never hear the piece played the same way. In any case, a bit of trimming to tighten things up a bit might make "Grimore I: Laplace’s Demon" more relatable.
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| Kyle River and James Lee | Photo by James Bash |
Rivera began the masterclass - held in Room 225 in Lincoln Hall on the Portland State University campus - with a bit of information about himself and how he came to compose music.
“When I was really young, I liked to imagine myself writing music and doing other creative things like doing visual art and writing” Rivera said. “It took me a while to realize that composers were real thing because you always associate composers with the dead guys like Beethoven and Brahms. In high school, I started writing music after my school borrowed a harp from another school, I want to sit down and play it, and after messing around with it, I decided that I should write something so that I can learn how to play this instrument. Then my orchestra instructor suggested that I should just start simply writing music.”
“I’ve had a snaking journey writing composing,” he continued, “because I have a lot of interests. I left music and for a while was working in therapy for a few years. Then I got drawn back into this world and realized how meaningful it is to explore ideas in music. I kept going with it and got a lot of opportunities with groups that trusted me and were okay with my abstract and experimental ideas.”
For the masterclass (shepherded by Fear No Music’s Jeff Payne), Rivera and the audience heard four pieces from four participants in the Young Composers Project. As the recording of each piece was played, its score was projected onto a very large screen. I only was able to stay for the first number, “Time Out” by James Lee, who will be a junior at Wilsonville High School. I was extremely impressed by how Rivera encouraged Lee to talk about his music, and how Rivera deftly pointed out things that could be changed or improved upon without sounding intimidating or condescending. He has a natural talent for teaching with the Socratic method and genuine enthusiasm that is infectious.
I have to admit that that I learned a lot during the first hour and wanted to stay to hear Rivera’s comments on the other pieces by Elishiya Crain-Keddie, Charles A. Martin, and Alejandro Belgique, but I had other commitments. Suffice it to say, any young composer would benefit greatly from a class with Rivera. Even a jaded music critic like yours truly would benefit greatly. He is that terrific!
“When I was really young, I liked to imagine myself writing music and doing other creative things like doing visual art and writing” Rivera said. “It took me a while to realize that composers were real thing because you always associate composers with the dead guys like Beethoven and Brahms. In high school, I started writing music after my school borrowed a harp from another school, I want to sit down and play it, and after messing around with it, I decided that I should write something so that I can learn how to play this instrument. Then my orchestra instructor suggested that I should just start simply writing music.”
“I’ve had a snaking journey writing composing,” he continued, “because I have a lot of interests. I left music and for a while was working in therapy for a few years. Then I got drawn back into this world and realized how meaningful it is to explore ideas in music. I kept going with it and got a lot of opportunities with groups that trusted me and were okay with my abstract and experimental ideas.”
For the masterclass (shepherded by Fear No Music’s Jeff Payne), Rivera and the audience heard four pieces from four participants in the Young Composers Project. As the recording of each piece was played, its score was projected onto a very large screen. I only was able to stay for the first number, “Time Out” by James Lee, who will be a junior at Wilsonville High School. I was extremely impressed by how Rivera encouraged Lee to talk about his music, and how Rivera deftly pointed out things that could be changed or improved upon without sounding intimidating or condescending. He has a natural talent for teaching with the Socratic method and genuine enthusiasm that is infectious.
I have to admit that that I learned a lot during the first hour and wanted to stay to hear Rivera’s comments on the other pieces by Elishiya Crain-Keddie, Charles A. Martin, and Alejandro Belgique, but I had other commitments. Suffice it to say, any young composer would benefit greatly from a class with Rivera. Even a jaded music critic like yours truly would benefit greatly. He is that terrific!
Today's Birthdays
Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739)
Robert Planquette (1848-1903)
Ada Clement (1878-1952)
Norman Del Mar (1919-1994)
Walter Arlen (1920-1924)
Steuart Bedford (1939-2021)
Reinhard Goebel (1952)
Randall Davidson (1953)
and
Mary Harris Jones, or "Mother Jones" (1837-1930)
Primo Levi (1919-1987)
Kim Addonizio (1954)
J. K. Rowling (1965)
Robert Planquette (1848-1903)
Ada Clement (1878-1952)
Norman Del Mar (1919-1994)
Walter Arlen (1920-1924)
Steuart Bedford (1939-2021)
Reinhard Goebel (1952)
Randall Davidson (1953)
and
Mary Harris Jones, or "Mother Jones" (1837-1930)
Primo Levi (1919-1987)
Kim Addonizio (1954)
J. K. Rowling (1965)
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Preview of OrpheusPDX season in The Oregonian
My preview of this summer's opera productions from OrpheusPDX is now available in Oregonlive here. It will be in the print edition this Friday.
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