Well, that’s the good news and the bad news. CMS is a great organization. Chamber music out of doors is not such a great idea, in my opinion. Here’s the program:
Quartet in D Major for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 285 (1778),
1. Allegro, 2. Adagio, 3. Rondo, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91); Serenade in D Major for Flute, Violin, and Viola, Op. 25 (1801), 1. Entrata: Allegro, 2. Tempo ordinario d’un menuetto, 3. Allegro molto, 4. Andante con variazioni, 5. Allegro scherzando e vivace, 6. Adagio—Allegro vivace e disinvolto, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827); and Quintet in A Major for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, B. 155, Op. 81 (1887), 1. Allegro, ma non tanto, 2. Dumka: Andante con moto, 3. Scherzo: Furiant, molto vivace, Finale: Allegro, Antonín Dvorák (1841–1904).
The players were Wu Han, piano; Kristin Lee, violin; Sean Lee, violin; Daniel Phillips, viola; David Finckel, cello; and Tara Helen O’Connor, flute. For those of you keeping score, it was announced from the stage that Ms. Han and Mr. Finckel are married to each other, Ms. O’Connor and Mr. Phillips are married to each other, and Ms. Lee and Mr. Lee are not married to each other. Whew!
The Mozart began with pleasant banter back and forth, with certain phrases repeated. The second movement featured the flute line playing against pizzicato (plucked) strings from the violin and viola. The ending movement was fuller in sound, with a quicker tempo. It was typical Mozart, to my ears—almost the equivalent of Classical easy-listening music. I acknowledge Mozart’s genius; I’m just not convinced that every note is genius.
The Beethoven began with a jaunty flavor, with the second movement feeling like a gentle dance, punctuated every once in a while with percussive phrases, then back to the dance. The third movement was very brief, with a driving rhythm, though not frantic. The fourth movement was calm, with brighter tempos for the variations—and each player got a chance to shine. The fifth movement was very brief, but very bright. The last movement finished very strongly.
After intermission, jotting down anything was impossible in the dark. From memory, the Dvorák was richer, fuller, and really worthwhile to be hearing. The fact that that there was piano plus four stringed instruments really helped with volume, in terms of chamber music being played out of doors. On the good side, we learned from the stage that there will be five Naumburg concerts next year. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will be part of the series for the next three years. My suggestion would be for quintets or larger groups—trios and quartets are a little thin, from an audience standpoint.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Bargemusic Again (8/17/13)
On Saturday, I attended a Bargemusic concert of solo piano music played by
Olga Vinokur. As always, the program was announced from the stage. Ms. Vinokur is rather soft spoken, so I may have missed, or misheard, some of the works. She began with a Sonata in D Major, by Domenico Scarlatti, which was followed by three pieces by Frédéric Chopin—a Nocturne, an Impromptu, and a Mazurka. Or was it a Fantaisie? I’m just not sure. Next up were movements #3 and #4 from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux and his Etude in g minor. Rounding out the program were Earl Wild’s transcriptions of Gershwin’s The Man I Love and I Got Rhythm.
I have heard Ms. Vinokur on several occasions and it is always a pleasure to hear her perform. The Scarlatti sonata was bright and charming, with clean lines and clean, crisp playing. Chopin’s Nocturne, while gentle, still had some build to it in terms of both volume and intensity. The Impromptu featured flying fingers, but with a controlled energy. There was a contrasting section, as well, that still featured very busy fingerwork. The Mazurka (Fantaisie?) had a bit of a martial feel to it. With all of the filigree musical lines, it was definitely Chopin, and it was more extensive than the first two of his pieces.
Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux had thicker, denser chords with a darker mood for the opening, followed by a marching bass line. There was a feeling of expansive expression that made me think of angst, or maybe ardor? There were darkly pretty musical lines and ideas conveyed through the musical lines. Moment #4 was energized but still with an undertone of bleakness, almost. Maybe a sense of loss? This was a very moving composition and performance. The Etude continued in a dark manner but it made me think more of a sense of longing.
The Earl Wild transcriptions of Gershwin were, if I’m remembering correctly, improvisations that he was well known for—dazzling, in the style of Liszt—that he would play as entertainments. Once again, if I’m remembering correctly, he was urged to write them down, and he eventually did. It’s not quite jazz, though it certainly has jazz elements. It’s not really parody, since it’s an intriguing, classical-flavored metamorphosis of the familiar Gershwin tunes. It’s fun music, and it capped off a great afternoon of piano performance at Bargemusic once again.
This might have been my first August concert at the Barge, as I’m usually too tuckered out after volunteering for Summer Streets*. I did volunteer for full shifts the first two Saturdays this year, but only for the morning shift on the 17th. The concert attendance was higher than others I’ve been to at tha Barge. It’s a great freebie in NYC—one that I’m glad to attend whenever I can.
ConcertMeister
*Just ask.
Olga Vinokur. As always, the program was announced from the stage. Ms. Vinokur is rather soft spoken, so I may have missed, or misheard, some of the works. She began with a Sonata in D Major, by Domenico Scarlatti, which was followed by three pieces by Frédéric Chopin—a Nocturne, an Impromptu, and a Mazurka. Or was it a Fantaisie? I’m just not sure. Next up were movements #3 and #4 from Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux and his Etude in g minor. Rounding out the program were Earl Wild’s transcriptions of Gershwin’s The Man I Love and I Got Rhythm.
I have heard Ms. Vinokur on several occasions and it is always a pleasure to hear her perform. The Scarlatti sonata was bright and charming, with clean lines and clean, crisp playing. Chopin’s Nocturne, while gentle, still had some build to it in terms of both volume and intensity. The Impromptu featured flying fingers, but with a controlled energy. There was a contrasting section, as well, that still featured very busy fingerwork. The Mazurka (Fantaisie?) had a bit of a martial feel to it. With all of the filigree musical lines, it was definitely Chopin, and it was more extensive than the first two of his pieces.
Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux had thicker, denser chords with a darker mood for the opening, followed by a marching bass line. There was a feeling of expansive expression that made me think of angst, or maybe ardor? There were darkly pretty musical lines and ideas conveyed through the musical lines. Moment #4 was energized but still with an undertone of bleakness, almost. Maybe a sense of loss? This was a very moving composition and performance. The Etude continued in a dark manner but it made me think more of a sense of longing.
The Earl Wild transcriptions of Gershwin were, if I’m remembering correctly, improvisations that he was well known for—dazzling, in the style of Liszt—that he would play as entertainments. Once again, if I’m remembering correctly, he was urged to write them down, and he eventually did. It’s not quite jazz, though it certainly has jazz elements. It’s not really parody, since it’s an intriguing, classical-flavored metamorphosis of the familiar Gershwin tunes. It’s fun music, and it capped off a great afternoon of piano performance at Bargemusic once again.
This might have been my first August concert at the Barge, as I’m usually too tuckered out after volunteering for Summer Streets*. I did volunteer for full shifts the first two Saturdays this year, but only for the morning shift on the 17th. The concert attendance was higher than others I’ve been to at tha Barge. It’s a great freebie in NYC—one that I’m glad to attend whenever I can.
ConcertMeister
*Just ask.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
The Knights (7/30/13)
Here is the program for the third concert in the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts series in Central Park. Sinfonia in C Major, Wq. 182, No. 3 (1773), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788); Concerto in D (1946), 1. Vivace, 2. Arioso: Andantino, 3. Rondo: Allegro, Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971); Concerto for Oboe & Violin in C minor, BWV 1060 (1733), 1. Allegro, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750); Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (1943), Benjamin Britten
(1913–1976); and Chaconne (World Premiere) 2013), The Knights. As you can see, this was a very varied program.
The program was celebrating the concerto grosso form—a soloist (or small group) contrasted with a larger group of players—according to an announcement from the stage. This was certainly the case for the J. S. Bach and the Britten but I didn’t see it as much in the C. P. E. Bach or the Stravinsky. And Chaconne was its own format altogether.
The C. P. E. Bach, played without a conductor (the only piece with a conductor (Eric Jacobsen) was the Britten), had a lively opening, a contrasting calm section, a dance-like section with variations, and a somewhat abrupt ending. The Stravinsky had spiky rhythms but they weren’t over the top. There was a sweetness to the musical lines and, toward the end, a rocking chair–type rhythm. All in all, extremely accessible Stravinsky. Papa Bach’s concerto had a nicely played first movement that includes a very familiar opening.
http://tinyurl.com/lhkoyz3 (Well, phooey. Link doesn't work. Yahoo/Google it on your own.)
The soloists, Adam Hollander, oboe, and Johnny Gandelsman, violin, were showcased quite well as they opened the second movement, which was perfect for the sylvan setting of the park. The third movement had a forward-moving rhythm and a quite brisk tempo. Almost as an exclamation point, as the concerto came to an end, the streetlamps in the park popped on.
Britten’s Serenade, with Nicholas Phan, tenor, and Michael P. Atkinson, French horn, began the second half of the concert. This was a slightly odd choice for such an open air setting, but it worked pretty well. Mr. Phan sang well and his diction was very good but the texts (including poetry by Tennyson, Blake, Keats, and Jonson) are a little hard follow. I had an advantage, as I had studied this work in college. There are some fiendish intervals written for the horn; even when they’re played well, the ear goes, “Huh?” There were, alas, a few bobbles. For me, the highlight of the piece was the “Dirge,” a four line repetitive stanza that builds in intensity from quiet to forceful to quiet again. The arc built by the two soloists and the orchestra was exactly what was called for.
The idea behind Chaconne, also called The Ground Beneath My Feet if I jotted that down correctly when it was announced from the stage, took a chaconne rhythm and was then built on by several members of the orchestra, all compiled into one piece. As a result, there were various styles juxtaposed rather incoherently. At one point, there was a Latin flair followed by a pseudo folk song-cum-hoedown where the audience was encouraged to clap along. That was just a little too much kitsch, even at a somewhat informal concert. Maybe it was just me.
At any rate, I’m awfully glad I got a second live hearing of the Britten on a perfect evening in New York City. (The previous Naumburg concert ended mid-concert due to a huge downpour.) One more concert to go in the series—let’s hope for good weather on August 21.
ConcertMeister
(1913–1976); and Chaconne (World Premiere) 2013), The Knights. As you can see, this was a very varied program.
The program was celebrating the concerto grosso form—a soloist (or small group) contrasted with a larger group of players—according to an announcement from the stage. This was certainly the case for the J. S. Bach and the Britten but I didn’t see it as much in the C. P. E. Bach or the Stravinsky. And Chaconne was its own format altogether.
The C. P. E. Bach, played without a conductor (the only piece with a conductor (Eric Jacobsen) was the Britten), had a lively opening, a contrasting calm section, a dance-like section with variations, and a somewhat abrupt ending. The Stravinsky had spiky rhythms but they weren’t over the top. There was a sweetness to the musical lines and, toward the end, a rocking chair–type rhythm. All in all, extremely accessible Stravinsky. Papa Bach’s concerto had a nicely played first movement that includes a very familiar opening.
http://tinyurl.com/lhkoyz3 (Well, phooey. Link doesn't work. Yahoo/Google it on your own.)
The soloists, Adam Hollander, oboe, and Johnny Gandelsman, violin, were showcased quite well as they opened the second movement, which was perfect for the sylvan setting of the park. The third movement had a forward-moving rhythm and a quite brisk tempo. Almost as an exclamation point, as the concerto came to an end, the streetlamps in the park popped on.
Britten’s Serenade, with Nicholas Phan, tenor, and Michael P. Atkinson, French horn, began the second half of the concert. This was a slightly odd choice for such an open air setting, but it worked pretty well. Mr. Phan sang well and his diction was very good but the texts (including poetry by Tennyson, Blake, Keats, and Jonson) are a little hard follow. I had an advantage, as I had studied this work in college. There are some fiendish intervals written for the horn; even when they’re played well, the ear goes, “Huh?” There were, alas, a few bobbles. For me, the highlight of the piece was the “Dirge,” a four line repetitive stanza that builds in intensity from quiet to forceful to quiet again. The arc built by the two soloists and the orchestra was exactly what was called for.
The idea behind Chaconne, also called The Ground Beneath My Feet if I jotted that down correctly when it was announced from the stage, took a chaconne rhythm and was then built on by several members of the orchestra, all compiled into one piece. As a result, there were various styles juxtaposed rather incoherently. At one point, there was a Latin flair followed by a pseudo folk song-cum-hoedown where the audience was encouraged to clap along. That was just a little too much kitsch, even at a somewhat informal concert. Maybe it was just me.
At any rate, I’m awfully glad I got a second live hearing of the Britten on a perfect evening in New York City. (The previous Naumburg concert ended mid-concert due to a huge downpour.) One more concert to go in the series—let’s hope for good weather on August 21.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Young Dancemakers Company (7/27/13)
This was a performance of choreography by and for teen dancers. The 18 dancers (well, 17 actually, one young lady was injured, but her choreography was still part of the show) were introduced via a Prologue performed to live percussion. Percussion featured strongly in the music for the other 11 pieces, as well.
The pieces were contemporary dance, with nods to classical ballet but with more emphasis on theater/street/hip-hop dance. All of the teens performed well, with high energy and a sense of style throughout the entire afternoon. There were several small group dances—two, three, or four dancers—with a couple of larger ensemble pieces, and the final work (excerpts from the Doug Elkins Repertory Project’s Scott Queen of Marys) used all 17 to round out the program.
A couple of the early works were somewhat predictable. Flow (to water sounds) had three dancers, well, flowing onto and off of the stage. And The Chase had three couples chasing each other, with (if I’m remembering correctly) the couples separating and morphing into different couples in the chase.
I especially liked The Kitchen Drawer, where a young lady straightened out a jumble of six dancers and got them lined up as two forks, two spoons, and two knives. Of course, they were quite happy to jumble themselves again and taunt and thwart her from time to time. Very enjoyable.
On a slightly more somber note, Justice Dream, in the printed program, but announced from the stage as Waiting for Change, recounted the death of Trayvon Martin. When the lights came up again after a brief blackout, there were five or six teens all wearing red hoodies. As the hoodies were removed one by one, we saw a fellow in jacket and tie, a couple of girls in nice, sensible dresses, another fellow in casual but nice clothes, and finally a teen in a T-shirt that read STUDENT BODY LEADER. These teens raised Trayvon and carried him offstage and this was followed by a keening duet representing, at least to me, Trayvon’s parents. It was an effective piece.
This five-week, intensive enrichment program for NYC high school students produced a fun afternoon of high-energy choreography and performances. All told, there have been and will be nine performances (I’m not sure if all performances have all the works that I saw), including a Gala Final Concert and Reception at Ailey Citigroup Theater on Saturday evening, Aug. 3. Congratulations to all!
ConcertMeister
The pieces were contemporary dance, with nods to classical ballet but with more emphasis on theater/street/hip-hop dance. All of the teens performed well, with high energy and a sense of style throughout the entire afternoon. There were several small group dances—two, three, or four dancers—with a couple of larger ensemble pieces, and the final work (excerpts from the Doug Elkins Repertory Project’s Scott Queen of Marys) used all 17 to round out the program.
A couple of the early works were somewhat predictable. Flow (to water sounds) had three dancers, well, flowing onto and off of the stage. And The Chase had three couples chasing each other, with (if I’m remembering correctly) the couples separating and morphing into different couples in the chase.
I especially liked The Kitchen Drawer, where a young lady straightened out a jumble of six dancers and got them lined up as two forks, two spoons, and two knives. Of course, they were quite happy to jumble themselves again and taunt and thwart her from time to time. Very enjoyable.
On a slightly more somber note, Justice Dream, in the printed program, but announced from the stage as Waiting for Change, recounted the death of Trayvon Martin. When the lights came up again after a brief blackout, there were five or six teens all wearing red hoodies. As the hoodies were removed one by one, we saw a fellow in jacket and tie, a couple of girls in nice, sensible dresses, another fellow in casual but nice clothes, and finally a teen in a T-shirt that read STUDENT BODY LEADER. These teens raised Trayvon and carried him offstage and this was followed by a keening duet representing, at least to me, Trayvon’s parents. It was an effective piece.
This five-week, intensive enrichment program for NYC high school students produced a fun afternoon of high-energy choreography and performances. All told, there have been and will be nine performances (I’m not sure if all performances have all the works that I saw), including a Gala Final Concert and Reception at Ailey Citigroup Theater on Saturday evening, Aug. 3. Congratulations to all!
ConcertMeister
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