NOT re-ducks (if you get my drift). Picture it – Monday, 10/31/11 (wavy picture/ahhh, ahhh, music)
Now – Monday, 11/28/11 – saw the November Songbook program featuring Drew Fornarola (http://www.drewfornarola.com/). Am I the only person without my own website? But I digress.
Mr. Fornarola is a composer/lyricist and playwright. In addition, he collaborates with others (a good thing). He seems to have some good ideas. Some are in the – gosh, how do I say it – nascent stage. The writing is a little on the young side – not that there's anything wrong with that. I believe that we're seeing a talent that will only continue to grow.
First off, he writes harmony. Really – honest-to-goodness two-, three-, and four-part harmony. Big plus in my book. The opening number was actually written for last year's Christmas Songbook (more about that later) – a nice duet titled "Prayer for Faith". This was followed by a stand-alone song, "All of My Friends", including a patter section and a recurring lyric "All of my friends are whores." Gotta laugh.
Then two numbers from Super Claudio Bros.*, a video game musical, and two from Vote for Me: A Musical Debate – "The Global Warming Song" (There's no global warming on FOX) and "Middle East Policy" (the cure-all is a Disney park). Why, yes, Mr. Fornarola did study political science at Princeton!
From COLLEGE The Musical, we had "Generation Meh" – I'd comment on it, but really I can't be bothered. Oh, wait, I just did.
"Eight and Five" was one song from a song cycle. Unfortunately, the only one. Let's hope he revisits the cycle.
The program was rounded out with four pieces from Tiananmen, described as a theatrical opera. We shall see. There are some nuggets worth exploring, though the last stand-and-sing anthem "They Will Hear Us" was a little predictable, both compositionally (style-wise) and harmonically (a little bit rudimentary and cliché).
Still, it's great to hear a new theater composer actually using real vocal harmonies and clever lyrics. With a little more seasoning, this fellow can go a long way. IMHO.
ConcertMeister
*co-written with Marshall Pailet
Christmas Songbook 2011 on 12/11 and 12/12. ('Tis the season, yanno?)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Post-Turkey Day Piano Concert
This is a pianist I have heard before—Benjamin Bradham. The program today was a bit difficult, for me. It started with a Beethoven piano sonata, Op. 110, A-flat major. I found the composition a little bit rambling and non-cohesive. As well, there may have been some memory slips. (Note: I did not know any of the works on the program, and all were played from memory.)
Next up was a contemporary work (composed in 1956), Sonata No. 2 by George Walker (b. 1922), a composer I don't know. I found it very difficult to follow (movement one had nine variations—I couldn't keep track of them). There were a few interesting ideas, but I found it fairly scattered.
The first half finished with Johannes Brahms' Rhapsody in b minor. This worked for me. More lush, more of an arc, with definite sections linked together pretty well.
Second half—big improvement. Ravel, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. The Ravel (Sonatine, Modéré) had washes of color, reminiscent of Impressionism, though with definite melodies—not just wispy, nebulous nothingness. This was followed by Funérailles* (Liszt). There were many shifting moods—angst, martial, hope, melodies over ostinatos, etc.
The concert finished with Four Preludes of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Op. 23, No. 7 (c minor); Op. 32, No. 12 (g-sharp minor), No. 6 (f minor), and No. 13 (D-flat major). These were four jewels. The first two were similar—rippling arpeggios, with overall structure. The f minor was a bit more robust and the D-flat major was expansive, major (duh!) and a positive way to end the concert.
There was one encore that sounded suspiciously like Bach.
*Composed as homage to those killed in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-49 (program notes, not me.)
ConcertMeister
Next up was a contemporary work (composed in 1956), Sonata No. 2 by George Walker (b. 1922), a composer I don't know. I found it very difficult to follow (movement one had nine variations—I couldn't keep track of them). There were a few interesting ideas, but I found it fairly scattered.
The first half finished with Johannes Brahms' Rhapsody in b minor. This worked for me. More lush, more of an arc, with definite sections linked together pretty well.
Second half—big improvement. Ravel, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff. The Ravel (Sonatine, Modéré) had washes of color, reminiscent of Impressionism, though with definite melodies—not just wispy, nebulous nothingness. This was followed by Funérailles* (Liszt). There were many shifting moods—angst, martial, hope, melodies over ostinatos, etc.
The concert finished with Four Preludes of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Op. 23, No. 7 (c minor); Op. 32, No. 12 (g-sharp minor), No. 6 (f minor), and No. 13 (D-flat major). These were four jewels. The first two were similar—rippling arpeggios, with overall structure. The f minor was a bit more robust and the D-flat major was expansive, major (duh!) and a positive way to end the concert.
There was one encore that sounded suspiciously like Bach.
*Composed as homage to those killed in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-49 (program notes, not me.)
ConcertMeister
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Pairings
The "Lecture/Recital" is something that doesn't come along very often. And today's was not, strictly speaking, a Lecture/Recital, but the pianist Alexander A. Wu did give some spoken insights into the pieces on the program. The program's title was Bach to the Future: Classical and Jazz Piano. I probably won't mention every piece, as some were just single movements of larger pieces.
The curtain raiser was L'Union (1862), Louis Moreau Gottschalk, (Concert Paraphrase on the National Airs). Gottschalk was of British/Creole parentage and supported the North in the Civil War. This was not the ragtime Gottschalk—more the classicist. The Star Spangled Banner and Yankee Doodle made appearances; it was an effective curtain raiser.
Here's where the pairings began:
I. Italian Concerto BWV 971, First Movement (1735), J.S. Bach; Concerto for Cootie (1940), Edward "Duke" Ellington.
After a brief explanantion of the concerto format, both pieces were played/contrasted. And both were very well played. So, now we have the format.
II. Two Chopin Etudes were followed by two Earl Wild (1915–2010) Etudes based on George Gershwin songs – Somebody Loves Me and Fascinatin' Rhythm (both 1924). The first Chopin featured the study (étude) of legato, while the second featured molto allegro/presto even-handed control. So did the Earl Wild pieces—it was like listening to a technically brillant cabaret pianist.
III. Spanish nationalistic/territorial pieces—one movement from Isaac Albéniz' 1896 Cantos de España, followed by "Chick" Corea's 1972 La Fiesta. La Fiesta was my least favorite piece on the program—just a little too formulaic and repetitive for me.
IV. Evocatory pieces contrasted—Debussy's Clair de Lune (1890) and Bill Evans's B minor Waltz (for Ellaine, 1962). Hel-lo-o-o-o! Look up Clair de Lune in the dictionary and you'll see "evocative piano piece suggesting impressionistic moonlight." Evans was a jazz pianist who changed the shape of jazz piano trios, equalizing the forces and letting each shine individually, as well as forming a real group sound. His piece was quite ethereal—a loving tribute to his common-law wife.
V. (Gotta Dance! Gotta Dance!) A spiky (1918) Gavotte frome Sergei Prokofiev was paired with "Cool" from West Side Story (1957), Leonard Bernstein. Interestingly, Mr. Bernstein was born in 1918, the same year as the Gavotte's composition. The Gavotte was spiky and dissonant; "Cool" (in an arrangement by jazz pianist Frank Ponzio) was slightly spiky and more jazzy.
VI. A la Turk (the happening thing in Mozart's time)—Mozart's Sonata no. 11 in A minor, K. 331, Third Movement (1783) is something you'd recognize. Dave Brubeck's (b. 1920) Blue Rondo A la Turk probably less so. Brubeck's was a riff on middle Eastern rhythms (specifically the base rhythm of belly dancing) in a Ravel-like (think Bolero) rondo with a blues-y middle section thrown in.
Throughout, Mr. Wu's playing was just great, and his commentary/stage demeanor are to be commended. An encore of The Girl from Ipanema (also arranged by Mr. Ponzio) rounded out the afternoon. I now see more clearly how current jazz themes are closely connected to the past.
ConcertMeister
The curtain raiser was L'Union (1862), Louis Moreau Gottschalk, (Concert Paraphrase on the National Airs). Gottschalk was of British/Creole parentage and supported the North in the Civil War. This was not the ragtime Gottschalk—more the classicist. The Star Spangled Banner and Yankee Doodle made appearances; it was an effective curtain raiser.
Here's where the pairings began:
I. Italian Concerto BWV 971, First Movement (1735), J.S. Bach; Concerto for Cootie (1940), Edward "Duke" Ellington.
After a brief explanantion of the concerto format, both pieces were played/contrasted. And both were very well played. So, now we have the format.
II. Two Chopin Etudes were followed by two Earl Wild (1915–2010) Etudes based on George Gershwin songs – Somebody Loves Me and Fascinatin' Rhythm (both 1924). The first Chopin featured the study (étude) of legato, while the second featured molto allegro/presto even-handed control. So did the Earl Wild pieces—it was like listening to a technically brillant cabaret pianist.
III. Spanish nationalistic/territorial pieces—one movement from Isaac Albéniz' 1896 Cantos de España, followed by "Chick" Corea's 1972 La Fiesta. La Fiesta was my least favorite piece on the program—just a little too formulaic and repetitive for me.
IV. Evocatory pieces contrasted—Debussy's Clair de Lune (1890) and Bill Evans's B minor Waltz (for Ellaine, 1962). Hel-lo-o-o-o! Look up Clair de Lune in the dictionary and you'll see "evocative piano piece suggesting impressionistic moonlight." Evans was a jazz pianist who changed the shape of jazz piano trios, equalizing the forces and letting each shine individually, as well as forming a real group sound. His piece was quite ethereal—a loving tribute to his common-law wife.
V. (Gotta Dance! Gotta Dance!) A spiky (1918) Gavotte frome Sergei Prokofiev was paired with "Cool" from West Side Story (1957), Leonard Bernstein. Interestingly, Mr. Bernstein was born in 1918, the same year as the Gavotte's composition. The Gavotte was spiky and dissonant; "Cool" (in an arrangement by jazz pianist Frank Ponzio) was slightly spiky and more jazzy.
VI. A la Turk (the happening thing in Mozart's time)—Mozart's Sonata no. 11 in A minor, K. 331, Third Movement (1783) is something you'd recognize. Dave Brubeck's (b. 1920) Blue Rondo A la Turk probably less so. Brubeck's was a riff on middle Eastern rhythms (specifically the base rhythm of belly dancing) in a Ravel-like (think Bolero) rondo with a blues-y middle section thrown in.
Throughout, Mr. Wu's playing was just great, and his commentary/stage demeanor are to be commended. An encore of The Girl from Ipanema (also arranged by Mr. Ponzio) rounded out the afternoon. I now see more clearly how current jazz themes are closely connected to the past.
ConcertMeister
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Silent Films and Sacred Music
Actually, two different programs/venues. Silent films—The Loopy Legacy of Lupino Lane (their title, not mine), and The 5th Festival of Universal Sacred Music.
Names get a little dicey here with the films—Lupino Lane (star billing) is the brother of Wallace Lupino (who also appeared in all five silents I saw this afternoon). With me so far? According to progam notes, sans genealogy, "Lane was part of the Lupino family – a famous theatrical clan ... in the 1600s. Stanley and Barry Lupino ... were cousins, and Stanley's daughter Ida Lupino became a big movie star in America."
Anyhoo, Lupino Lane (a trained vaudevillian) was a comedic actor/dancer/acrobat—as a result, some of the stunts in his films were astonishing. Seeing five in a row, though, was a bit of overkill. Maid in Morocco (1925) (my favorite); Hello Sailor (1927); Roaming Romeo (1928); Be My King (1928); Good Night Nurse (1929). The films were funny; the piano accompaniment superb—just a little too much same ol', same ol'.
The Sacred Music Festival was a Wall-to-Wall–style Symphony Space extravaganza. Started at 2pm (I wasn't there; I was watching silent movies) and ran 'til I-don't-know-when; I left around 8:15pm.
I heard the Brahms Four Serious Songs (Thomas McCargar, baritone; Brent Funderburk, piano); multiple selections sung by The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble; and part of a set by Anonymous 4.
Mr. McCargar sang well, though the audience noise was pretty atrocious. Western Wind (two sopranos, countertenor, two tenors, baritone) started out with a little bit of a balance problem—I found the tenor sound a little less blended and a little too pronounced (been there, done that). Things settled down after that. I still would have preferred a real bass presence, though the baritone of the group also composed/arranged several of the works on the program.
Anonymous 4. Nice vocal sound. Less blend than I would have liked, but then, their schtick (for this concert, at least) was Americana folk/sacred/religious tunes. Just a bit too much "authentic" twang and scooped pitches for me. And verse after verse after verse wears thin, thin, thin for me.
Hey! I'm opinionated.
ConcertMeister
Names get a little dicey here with the films—Lupino Lane (star billing) is the brother of Wallace Lupino (who also appeared in all five silents I saw this afternoon). With me so far? According to progam notes, sans genealogy, "Lane was part of the Lupino family – a famous theatrical clan ... in the 1600s. Stanley and Barry Lupino ... were cousins, and Stanley's daughter Ida Lupino became a big movie star in America."
Anyhoo, Lupino Lane (a trained vaudevillian) was a comedic actor/dancer/acrobat—as a result, some of the stunts in his films were astonishing. Seeing five in a row, though, was a bit of overkill. Maid in Morocco (1925) (my favorite); Hello Sailor (1927); Roaming Romeo (1928); Be My King (1928); Good Night Nurse (1929). The films were funny; the piano accompaniment superb—just a little too much same ol', same ol'.
The Sacred Music Festival was a Wall-to-Wall–style Symphony Space extravaganza. Started at 2pm (I wasn't there; I was watching silent movies) and ran 'til I-don't-know-when; I left around 8:15pm.
I heard the Brahms Four Serious Songs (Thomas McCargar, baritone; Brent Funderburk, piano); multiple selections sung by The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble; and part of a set by Anonymous 4.
Mr. McCargar sang well, though the audience noise was pretty atrocious. Western Wind (two sopranos, countertenor, two tenors, baritone) started out with a little bit of a balance problem—I found the tenor sound a little less blended and a little too pronounced (been there, done that). Things settled down after that. I still would have preferred a real bass presence, though the baritone of the group also composed/arranged several of the works on the program.
Anonymous 4. Nice vocal sound. Less blend than I would have liked, but then, their schtick (for this concert, at least) was Americana folk/sacred/religious tunes. Just a bit too much "authentic" twang and scooped pitches for me. And verse after verse after verse wears thin, thin, thin for me.
Hey! I'm opinionated.
ConcertMeister
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Mixed Bag from Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011
First off, this was a Carnegie Community Concert—a great program (sponsored by Carnegie Hall, underwritten by Target) that brings classical/jazz/community sings concerts to all five boroughs for free. Props to all! Sunday's concert was at the Brooklyn library branch right near Prospect Park.
Mixed bag because the "heart" was in the right place while the execution didn't quite live up to the promise. The performing group was Manhattan Brass, a quintet (two trumpets, French horn, trombone, bass trombone) that has been around for the past 20 years. They pointed out that Sunday was their first concert of the new season; I hope that explains some of the errant performances I experienced.
Highlight: Stuffy Turkey (Thelonius Monk)—this was the last piece on the program and a great finish. The opening, not so great. The Prologue and Tonight from Bernstein's West Side Story suffered from an arrangement that hinted at what should have been there but wasn't.
Two J.S. Bach transcriptions (by the group's bass trombonist—hmm, alto flute and bass trombone in one weekend!) were interesting, especially for their adherence to form.
I found form to be a little less apparent in Vincent Persichetti's Parable II for Brass Quintet, Op. 108 (1968). It had the loud, splashy outbursts I associate with compositions of that era, along with an aleatoric section (characterized by chance or indeterminate elements: <aleatoric music> first known use: 1961)—everybody plays their own little snippets in their own way for a specified portion of the piece—and a generally rambling quality that left me a little, how do I say? meh.
Two Madrigals (Carlo Gesualdo) displayed his penchant for exploring/expanding the boundaries of harmony in the 16th century; three contemporary works (Jan Bach, Peter Maxwell Davies, Kitty Brazelton—a commission) were a bit of a mixed bag as well.
The playing was pretty good (one trumpeter seemed to be having an off day with his instrument as well as his technique and breath control), but over all I was a little underimpressed. Still, the commitment from the Carnegie Hall group is to be commended, and I hope to attend at least one Carnegie Community Concert in each borough this season.
Kudos to Carnegie and Target!
ConcertMeister
Mixed bag because the "heart" was in the right place while the execution didn't quite live up to the promise. The performing group was Manhattan Brass, a quintet (two trumpets, French horn, trombone, bass trombone) that has been around for the past 20 years. They pointed out that Sunday was their first concert of the new season; I hope that explains some of the errant performances I experienced.
Highlight: Stuffy Turkey (Thelonius Monk)—this was the last piece on the program and a great finish. The opening, not so great. The Prologue and Tonight from Bernstein's West Side Story suffered from an arrangement that hinted at what should have been there but wasn't.
Two J.S. Bach transcriptions (by the group's bass trombonist—hmm, alto flute and bass trombone in one weekend!) were interesting, especially for their adherence to form.
I found form to be a little less apparent in Vincent Persichetti's Parable II for Brass Quintet, Op. 108 (1968). It had the loud, splashy outbursts I associate with compositions of that era, along with an aleatoric section (characterized by chance or indeterminate elements: <aleatoric music> first known use: 1961)—everybody plays their own little snippets in their own way for a specified portion of the piece—and a generally rambling quality that left me a little, how do I say? meh.
Two Madrigals (Carlo Gesualdo) displayed his penchant for exploring/expanding the boundaries of harmony in the 16th century; three contemporary works (Jan Bach, Peter Maxwell Davies, Kitty Brazelton—a commission) were a bit of a mixed bag as well.
The playing was pretty good (one trumpeter seemed to be having an off day with his instrument as well as his technique and breath control), but over all I was a little underimpressed. Still, the commitment from the Carnegie Hall group is to be commended, and I hope to attend at least one Carnegie Community Concert in each borough this season.
Kudos to Carnegie and Target!
ConcertMeister
Sunday, November 6, 2011
11/5/11: Bargemusic
Literally. A barge, moored in the DUMBO region of Brooklyn, with music. Most Saturday afternoons there is a free neighborhood concert. Okay, I stretched the concept of neighborhood, but I'm also stretching my neighborhood of venues—specifically being less Manhatan-centric.
Saturday afternoon's performers were Brandon George (flute), Yuki Numata (violin) and Paul Dwyer (cello), in a program of Haydn and Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960).
The opener was Haydn's Divertimento No. 2 in G Major, Op. 100, a delightful piece. Divertimento indeed! A perfect title (from the Italian divertire—to amuse) for a truly fun, yet not trivial, piece. It opened strongly, with a very transparent and delicate (yet clean) second movement that simply dissolved into nothingness. The brief Finale capped the divertimento perfectly.
Mr. Kernis' Delicate Songs was up next. This three-movement work used harmonics from the strings, the de rigeur pizzicato plucked strings, and a nice switch that included the alto flute (used in contemporary composing, but dating back to the musical impressionists—think Ravel), but the piece rambled a bit for my taste. Nice musical ideas—just a bit too many, too widely cast about. The first movement, Floating Dreamsong, was aptly titled for a Bargemusic concert.
Rounding out the program was Haydn's London Trio in C major, Hob IV No. 1. I wanted to like this more than I did. In a Q&A session after the performance, the players said that they felt as though they could just let loose with a more familiar work after the contemporary Kernis piece, but I didn't quite get this. I found the sense of ensemble not quite as strong—a slightly less cohesive performance. Not bad by any means, just not quite divertimento-like. (Did I mention that I really liked the Divertimento?)
ConcertMeister
Saturday afternoon's performers were Brandon George (flute), Yuki Numata (violin) and Paul Dwyer (cello), in a program of Haydn and Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960).
The opener was Haydn's Divertimento No. 2 in G Major, Op. 100, a delightful piece. Divertimento indeed! A perfect title (from the Italian divertire—to amuse) for a truly fun, yet not trivial, piece. It opened strongly, with a very transparent and delicate (yet clean) second movement that simply dissolved into nothingness. The brief Finale capped the divertimento perfectly.
Mr. Kernis' Delicate Songs was up next. This three-movement work used harmonics from the strings, the de rigeur pizzicato plucked strings, and a nice switch that included the alto flute (used in contemporary composing, but dating back to the musical impressionists—think Ravel), but the piece rambled a bit for my taste. Nice musical ideas—just a bit too many, too widely cast about. The first movement, Floating Dreamsong, was aptly titled for a Bargemusic concert.
Rounding out the program was Haydn's London Trio in C major, Hob IV No. 1. I wanted to like this more than I did. In a Q&A session after the performance, the players said that they felt as though they could just let loose with a more familiar work after the contemporary Kernis piece, but I didn't quite get this. I found the sense of ensemble not quite as strong—a slightly less cohesive performance. Not bad by any means, just not quite divertimento-like. (Did I mention that I really liked the Divertimento?)
ConcertMeister
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Got a Little Back Blogged
This entry is from a concert on Nov. 2, 2011—violinist Daniel Auner with pianist Robin Green, at the Austrian Cultural Forum. The program:
Fritz Kreisler: Präludium and Allegro (1910)
Katharina Schenk: Transformation (2010, US Premiere)
Richard Strauss: Violin Sonata in E Flat Major, Op. 18 (1888)
Eugène Ysaÿe: Rêve d'enfant Op. 14 (1913)
Alan Ridout: Ferdinand the Bull (1935)
The Kreisler was a good opener—(violin/piano) bright and engaging, though not full-out Kreisler pyrotechnics. Very good playing from both musicians throughout the evening. The Schenk (solo violin) was, once again, the type of "new" composition that seemed more geared toward technique/presentation than musical ideas presented clearly (this is just my take—your mileage may vary).
The centerpiece of the concert was the Strauss, which I enjoyed, though with a few caveats. I found some of the pianissimo violin playing a little on the dry-to-parched end of the listening spectrum; slight intonation bobbles; and the noise from Mr. Green turning his own pages was a bit distracting.
The Ysaÿe was a lovely violin/piano composition and a nice contrast to the Strauss. Which brings us to Ferdinand.
Solo violin with narrator (both, in this case, Mr. Auner). This is a very charming piece relating the story of Ferdinand the Bull who would prefer to sit and smell the flowers rather than fight in the bullring. Of course, on the day the men came to choose the bulls for the ring, Ferdinand (also charming in Mr. Auner's Austrian-accented English—"Fair-deen-and") had managed to sit on (foreshadowed in the violin—bzz! bzzz! bzzz!) a bumblebee. He jumped. He ran. He snorted ferociously.
Well, he was chosen for the ring, but when he got there, he just sat—because the señoritas were all wearing flowers behind their ears!
A very enjoyable concert at a great venue.
ConcertMeister
Fritz Kreisler: Präludium and Allegro (1910)
Katharina Schenk: Transformation (2010, US Premiere)
Richard Strauss: Violin Sonata in E Flat Major, Op. 18 (1888)
Eugène Ysaÿe: Rêve d'enfant Op. 14 (1913)
Alan Ridout: Ferdinand the Bull (1935)
The Kreisler was a good opener—(violin/piano) bright and engaging, though not full-out Kreisler pyrotechnics. Very good playing from both musicians throughout the evening. The Schenk (solo violin) was, once again, the type of "new" composition that seemed more geared toward technique/presentation than musical ideas presented clearly (this is just my take—your mileage may vary).
The centerpiece of the concert was the Strauss, which I enjoyed, though with a few caveats. I found some of the pianissimo violin playing a little on the dry-to-parched end of the listening spectrum; slight intonation bobbles; and the noise from Mr. Green turning his own pages was a bit distracting.
The Ysaÿe was a lovely violin/piano composition and a nice contrast to the Strauss. Which brings us to Ferdinand.
Solo violin with narrator (both, in this case, Mr. Auner). This is a very charming piece relating the story of Ferdinand the Bull who would prefer to sit and smell the flowers rather than fight in the bullring. Of course, on the day the men came to choose the bulls for the ring, Ferdinand (also charming in Mr. Auner's Austrian-accented English—"Fair-deen-and") had managed to sit on (foreshadowed in the violin—bzz! bzzz! bzzz!) a bumblebee. He jumped. He ran. He snorted ferociously.
Well, he was chosen for the ring, but when he got there, he just sat—because the señoritas were all wearing flowers behind their ears!
A very enjoyable concert at a great venue.
ConcertMeister
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