Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (7/22/25)

Nosky's Baroque Band
Aissslinn Nosky, Director & Violin Soloist

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), Concerto Grosso in D major, Op. 6, No. 5, HWV 323, (1739) 1. Allegro, 2. Presto, 3. Largo, 4. Allegro, 5. Minuet 

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), Sonata a 5 in B flat major, HWV 288, (1707) 1. Andante, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), Concerto for Organ and Violin in F major, Hob. XVIII:6, (1766)  1. Allegro Moderato, 2. Largo, 3. Presto

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), Concerto in D minor, Op. 3, No. 11, RV 565, (1711)
1. Allegro, 2. Adagio e Spiccato, 3. Allegro, Largo e Spiccato, 4. Allegro

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), Violin Concerto in G major, Hob. VIIa:4, (1769)  1. Allegro Moderato, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro Encore – Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), Concerto per Violino in Bb, RV 372a, (1716 to 1740) 1. Andante

The audience was quite large, probably because of the picture-perfect weather. The first movement of the Handel concerto grosso was a rather stately Allegro that got a little more energetic (but not too much) followed by a lightly brisk Presto (second movement). The third movement was calm, subdued, and almost haunting that led into a pseudo-segue fourth movement, a bright, cheerful Allegro that was a lot of fun. Fittingly, to match the first movement, there was a stately Minuet to finish.

After tuning, which happened often at the beginning of works, the Handel sonata had a solid opening, workmanlike, but not in a bad way. The second movement was also solid, almost-but-not-quite somber. The third was brisk and lively – a baroque version of off to the races, especially for the concertmaster (Ms. Nosky).

While the organ played in all of the pieces, it was prominent in the Haydn concerto. The first movement was cheerful, nicely featuring the organ and then the solo violin. It was a rather extensive movement, with a bit of an organ/violin cadenza. The second was gentle and calm, though still full bodied. There were fun violin and organ solos with the rest of the band providing pizzicato accompaniment, and there was another duet cadenza. My notes for the third were simple – bright, happy Haydn.

The Vivaldi concerto pitted two violins and one cello versus the rest of the band (I'm using band since the total number of players was ten). The first movement was almost perpetual motion, which is sort of a Vivaldi hallmark. Take a look at the names of movements two and three – I had to look up spiccato. Here's what Wikipedia has to say: spiccato [spik'ka:to] is a bowing technique for string instruments in which the bow appears to bounce lightly upon the string. The term comes from the past participle of the Italian verb spiccare, meaning "to separate". Now, back to the music. The second movement was slower but with a dance-like feel, while the third was still subdued, even though it was a bit quicker in tempo. It segued nicely into the fourth movement which was pleasant all the way around.

The second Haydn piece's first movement was bright, both in key and in tempo, a little lengthy (Haydn expanding the baroque?) including a violin cadenza that was more full than the others and not at the end of the movement. The second movement was slow and solid and really featured the solo violin, including another interior cadenza. The third was jaunty and fun, just the way this concert should have ended.

But wait, there's more! We got an encore. I didn't take any notes, as I had already started packing up. It was brief and enjoyable, and I think it's the first encore I've experienced at a Naumbug bandshell concert. 

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Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (7/8/25)

Orchestra of St. Luke's

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) String Symphony no. 10 in B minor, MWV N 10, (1823) 1. Adagio – Allegro – più presto 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), Divertimento in D major, K 136, (1772) 1. Allegro, 2. Andante, 3. Presto 

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904), Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22, (1875) 1. Moderato, 2. Menuetto, 3. Scherzo, 4. Larghetto, 5. Finale

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) String Symphony No.12 in G minor, MWV N 12, (1823)
1. Fuga (Grave), 2. Andante, 3. Allegro molto – più allegro

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K 525, (1787) 1. Allegro, 2. Romance: Andante, 3. Menuetto: Allegretto, 4. Finale: Rondo Allegro 

The program looked good on paper, and I was really looking forward the Dvořák.  It's a piece I danced to when I was in college, paired with a Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings. (Oh, the things that are stuck in these old gray cells.) Alas, the weather did not cooperate. We heard the first Mendelssohn work and the first movement of the Mozart as well as a portion of the second movement.

Even though there were a few sprinkles, the concert began as scheduled. Sort of. The program listed above was not the order of the works in the printed program. The Naumburg website was updated, so I did a copy/paste.

The Mendelssohn began in a slightly foreboding way, neither dour nor dire, just pensive. A quick tempo change followed that was pleasant and upbeat. And then it was off to the races for the finish.

I'm not a key person per se (some people have visceral reactions to the key a piece is in), but after the B minor Mendelssohn, the D major Mozart was definitely bright from the get-go, bright and fun. The second movement was gentle and almost song-like. Then the rain came down harder. Then there was lightning, which is always a no-no. The concert was paused and then canceled. And I've still never heard the Dvořák live. I'll have to keep my eyes and ears on the lookout for other live performances.

Fortunately, the Naumburg concert on July 22 had perfect weather, so you'll hear more about that one later.

ConcertMeister

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (6/24/25)

 A Far Cry

A Far Cry is a Boston-based collective of musicians—there is no director, each musician has equal input. That's their story and I'm sticking with it.

The program:
Overture & Chorale (2020) – Andrea Casarrubios (b. 1988)

Say for String Orchestra, arr. Washington (2016) – Shelley Washington (b. 1991) 

“La Follia” Variations for String Orchestra (2011) – Francesco Geminiani (1687–1762) / Michi Wiancko (b. 1976) 

Metamorphosen (1945) – Richard Strauss (1864–1949)

It's interesting hearing new, or newer, music. Unfortunately, it's not easy knowing when to applaud. More about that later. The Casarrubios was scored for seven strings*. It had a lovely, subdued opening with three cellos, almost bordering on, but not quite getting to, somber. A short piece, it sort of left us in a lurch. [Yes, I led the applause.]

After tuning, we had the sing?/chant?/speak? features of Say for String Orchestra. There was body percussion. There were stomps/claps/singing/chanting/humming as well as actually playing the instruments. [I decided to not lead the applause. It took a little longer to begin.]

After tuning again, the Geminiani/Wiancko, with a larger group, had a fuller sound which I really liked. It was definitely my favorite piece on the first half of the concert. I also liked the shifting dynamics and tempi of the variations. The tapping of instruments (plus a tambourine), while welcome, tended to wear out the welcome.

With twenty-three strings, the Strauss was the closest we got to an orchestra. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The low strings, slightly ominous, turned a little more hopeful. But only a little. I wanted to be more moved by the work than I was. [I led the applause again.]

All in all, an enjoyable evening of music.

*plus chirping birds

ConcertMeister

Law and DISorder (6/19/25)

Marc Bellassai – Harpsichord

The Inns of Court – Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)

Lincoln’s Inn Mask; Mask: The Fairest Nymph 

The German Virginal in a Time of Pietism  

Ein guter Wein ist lobenswerdt – Bernard Schmidt the Elder (1535–1592); Fantasia [on Rowland] from Uppsala Ihre Ms. 285 – Franz Tunder (1614–1667); Lucidor einst hüt’t der Schaf from Lynar A1 – ‘M.W.’; Præambulum (10 Jan 1637) – Heinrich Scheidemann (1595–1663); Betrubet ist zu diese Frist (1630); Christ lag in Todesbanden – Georg Böhm (1661–1733)

Dei delitti e delle pene

 from Sonata in C minor: Moderato ~ Allegretto – Baldassare Galuppi (1706–1785)

Sopra la Ribellione di Ungheria (1671) – Alessandro Polietti (d. 1683)

 Toccatina: Galop ~ Sarabande la Sentence ~ La Decapitation – avec Discretion ~ Les Kloches – Requiem eternam dona eis Domine

from Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080 – J.S. Bach (1685–1750)

Contrapunktus VI in stile francese [untitled in ca. 1742–1746 holograph]  

Whew! If a lot of those names are new to you, join the club.

Mr. Bellassai played quite well. Alas, the eleven pieces were very similar, and with the slowing tempo toward the ends of the works, it was hard to tell whether one piece segued into another or whether it was actually the end of the piece.

At one point, when a musical line went all the way down to the lower end of the harpsichord keyboard, he almost fell off the bench PDQ Bach–style (or was it Victor Borge?) before dramatically turning the page. It garnered a few chuckles. Emphasis on few. 

We finally got to the Law and DISorder portion of the concert during the Polietti. In between the Sarabande la Sentence and La Decapitation – avec Discretion, we were asked to All Rise. We did. We were asked to judge – Guilty or Not Guilty?

We had no idea. He pronounced Guilty and proceeded to play the rest of the piece. Why, yes, it was slightly schlocky. But the piece was interesting, as was the Bach that ended the program.

Of course, there was the requisite cell phone that went off before the Bach. It was not mine. 

ConcertMeister

(p.s. I never learned who 'M.W.' was.)

Make Music New York, 6/21/25

Semi-successful. I decided to try for four events. Only two worked out.

I revisited Sousapalooza and had a blast again. The all-volunteer band was great, and the conductor was also very good. The marches we heard, in order, were: El Capitan (which, per the conductor, is from a Sousa operetta titled El Capitan!); Fairest of the Fair (backstory is a Boston food court, but I didn't get the whole backstory); Hands across the Sea; High School Cadets; In Memoriam: President Garfield's Funeral March (though it was also played at Sousa's funeral); Liberty Bell; Manhattan Beach; Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (written in 1923, this was the first Sousapalooza hearing, and it had a tambourine in the percussion section); Semper Fideles; The Thunderer; The Washington Post; and—wait for it—The Stars and Stripes Forever. One of the clarinetists played a shortened clarinet. I asked him about it and he said it was an E-flat clarinet. I'd heard of them (and probably have heard one before), but this was the first time I can recall ever seeing one.

My next stop was at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space. I had been there once before for an Open House New York tour. Alas, the Make Music performances were canceled by the police. I never really found out why.

Having time to kill, I took the M8 bus (my first time on this particular route) over to 511 LaGuardia Place to hear the Nevermind Orchestra. I found 505 LaGuardia but not 511. Well, it turns out that 511 is an outdoor garden. Sheesh! They could have put that in the description of the event. Oh, and my schedule had it as 3:30pm. It was really 4p–6p, and they started late. So I ended up deciding to skip my 5p–6p event. The Nevermind Orchestra is trumpet, trombone, tuba, saxophone (tenor, I think) and drums. They play Nirvana tunes. I lasted through four and was out of there.

As I said at the beginning, semi-successful. Oh well. There's always December 21, 2025 and next year on June 21.

ConcertMeister

The Knights – Naumburg Orchestral Concerts 2025 – 6/10/25

Colin & Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Directors

Concerto Grosso from L’Estro Armonico for Two Violins, Cello, and Strings in G minor, Op. 3, No. 2 (RV 578), (1711) – Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
1. Adagio e spiccato, 2. Allegro, 3. Larghetto, 4. Allegro
Colin Jacobsen and Nanae Iwata, violins, Alex Greenbaum, cello

Summerland: for Flute, Harp, and String Trio, (1935) – William Grant Still (1895–1978)
Alex Sopp, flute, Megan Conley, harp

Trio Sonata in G Major, BWV 1038, (1732–35) – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
1. Largo, 2. Vivace, 3. Adagio, 4. Presto
Colin Jacobsen, violin, Alex Sopp, flute, Eric Jacobsen, cello, Steven Beck, harpsichord

Gran Duo for Clarinet and Double Bass – Giovanni Bottesini (1821–1889)
1. Allegro - Andante 2. Allegro vivace - Moderato
Agnes Marchione, clarinet, Zachary Cohen, double bass

Danses sacrée et profane, (1904) – Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Megan Conley, harp

Sound of the Five (arranged for marimba and strings), (2001) – Chen Yi (b. 1953)
3. Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in, 4. Flower Drums in Dance
Joseph Gramley, marimba

Traditional, arr. Danish String Quartet (from Last Leaf)
Polska from Dorotea, Unst Boat Song, The Dromer

Alas, I ended up in Central Park without a pen. As a result, you'll be pelted with more generalizations than usual.

The four movements of the Vivaldi were a textbook example of a Concerto Grosso—a small group (three) of players versus a large (grosso) group of players. In this case, the grosso was still pretty small, but you get my drift. It was Vivaldi. It was fairly predictable. It was enjoyable. It was a great kickoff to a great season of a great concert season.

The William Grant Still work was lovely. The chamber players were tucked away in a corner of the Naumburg bandshell, but that's logistics for you. Now I'm going to be the bad guy. There is very little classical music played or broadcast written by African-American composers. I am glad The Knights took this step.

The Bach Trio Sonata was another lovely chamber work performed from the Naumburg stage. It's great to know that small works and larger works can be presented there. 

The Gran Duo for Clarinet and Double Bass was a surprise to me. I have never before heard a double bass in that high a register. I love learning new things.

Debussy and harp, what can I say? Even the profane were as lovely as the sacrée.

Believe it or not, I'd heard some of the Chen Yi music earlier this spring, at an Orchestra of St. Luke's Chamber Orchestra concert on Staten Island (yes, I do get around!). Dr. Chen was at the Staten Island concert but not at the Naumburg concert. I liked the marimba version, which was very different from what I had heard earlier. New things can be interesting.

Danish music was new to me (thank you, Greenland). The folk tunes were a lot of fun to hear. Hey, I warned you that there would be a lot of generalizations. (I have since bought four pens at Dollar Tree, so I'll keep two in my murse.)

ConcertMeister

BALAM Dance Theatre – 6/5/25

Baroque Dance Fantasies about England, France & Spain 

Dongmyung Ahn, Teresa Salomon ~ violins; Andrea Andros ~ viola; Lisa Terry ~ violoncello; Gabe Shuford ~ harpsichord; Ryan Closs ~ guitar
Yumiko Niimi, Robin Gilbert & Carlos Fittante ~ dancers    

The Olde Batchelor, Z. 607 – Henry Purcell (1659‒1695)
Overture: While the Swans Come Forward ~ “Swan Boat” Hornpipe ~ Slow Air/Sarabande ~      Hornpipe ~ Rondeau ~ Minuet ~ Bourrée ~ March ~ Jig 

Concerts Royaux No. 1 – Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632‒1687)
Prélude ~ Sarabande ~ Gigue ~ Menuet en Trio       

Harlequin Goes Bird Watching –
Chaconne des scaramouches from Trivelins et Arlequins – Lully
Gavotte & Allemande from Concerts Royaux – François Couperin (1668‒1733) 
Tambourins I & II from Les Indes Galantes – Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683‒1764) 

Première Livre de Pièces de Clavecin in D minor (Paris, 1702) – Louis Marchand (1669‒1732)
Prélude ~ Chaconne en rondeau 

La Folia (arr. Lewis Baratz of La Fiocco) – Antonio Vivaldi (1678‒1741)

This was a very balanced program. A mix of orchestral movements and pieces combined with dances accompanied by the onstage instrumentalists.

The Purcell had an instrumental overture that then led into two dancers arriving with swan heads attached at their waists. Very clever, for the “Swan Boat” Hornpipe. The other seven movements included a male dance solo, a female solo (with tambourine), a duet Minuet, and a male solo Bourée. A note on the stylized dancing. For the most part, it was courtly—genteel, small arm movements, small leg movements, only one twirling seated lift (repeated twice). There was minor use of props—a rose, a fan, a notebook, a frond of leaves, a garland of flowers, etc. Simple, yet effective.

The second work was an instrumental interlude, ostensibly allowing for costume changes for the dancers. But the music (by Lully) stood well on its own. The Prélude, Sarabande, and Gigue were scored for solo violin, guitar, harpsichord, and cello. The Sarabande (in keeping with the dance theme) was gentle, while the Gigue was livelier. The Menuet added an additional violin and was gentle, but with verve.

The next three works were pretty much taken as one group. First, a solo male masked Harlequin entertained us. The second was a masked female solo dancing as a bird. The third featured the masked Harlequin watching the masked bird through a telescope. Fanciful, it included props of flowers and a butterfly. Flights of fancy, indeed.

The Marchand composition was for harpsichord solo, allowing for additional costume changes. But the two-movement work also stood on its own very well. Calm, then livelier, then livelier still.

After retuning, and with the string players standing (except, of course, the cello), the finale was all you'd expect it to be. The guitarist seemed to disappear, but I suspect he provided drum beats and castanet sounds, while the female of the dance duet provided finger-cymbal percussion that accompanied the stylized dance movements, again including hops, arm movements, leg movements, and gentle spins.

This was an interesting change from the usual (and very good) instrumental/vocal concerts. Kudos, Gotham Early Music Scene.

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