As the program notes say, NYRO is NYC’s leading all-volunteer orchestra, made up of professional and amateur musicians. I have always found their playing to be of a very high caliber and Saturday night was no exception. Also of interest to me is the fact that they play repertory that is not so well known. Here’s the program:
Památník Lidicím (Memorial to Lidice) (1943), Bohuslav Martinu
(1890–1959)
Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major (1783), I. Allegro moderato; II. Adagio;
III. Rondo: Allegro, Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Symphony No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 57 (1903), I. Exrêmement lent – Trés vif;
II. Modérément lent; III. Modéré; IV. Lent – Modéré et solennel – Assez vif, Vincent d’Indy (1851–1931)
The backstory on the Martinu is that on a night in 1942, as a result of a Nazi massacre, the village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, ceased to exist. Appropriately, the music was somber and bleak, yet still pretty. The bass drum and tympani were heard to good effect—not ominous, exactly—quietly commenting on what has passed.
The Haydn was a complete turnaround. The cello soloist, Kasja William-Olsson, played very well throughout. The opening was easygoing and light, but the acoustics in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin reverberate a great deal so as to create balance problems from time to time. I was aware of a couple of very minor intonation mismatches between the soloist and orchestra, which may have been due to the acoustics. The second movement had a gentle tempo and featured the cello front and center very well. Ms. Olsson had a nice way of sending the solo line back into the orchestra—this worked better in the second movement than in the first. While both movements had cadenzas (a showy solo for the featured player toward the end of the movement), I also preferred the second to the first. The closing Rondo was pleasant, though there were still minor balance and tempo issues, once again due to the acoustics.
In general, the d’Indy had a fresh, modern, and full style that seemed to give compositional nods to the music of César Franck and Camille Saint-Saëns. The first movement had an almost cinematic quality, with broad strokes. It meandered a bit, but had a strong finish. The second movement had slightly more open writing, with individual lines featured, still maintaining a feeling of fullness. While pleasant, it was not really compelling. Movement three had a lilting opening yet still failed to draw me in. And the fourth movement was well constructed, technically, unfortunately without a real payoff.
Hearing music of different composers is a good thing, and I’m glad I got to hear d’Indy. I think I’d rather hear something different next time. Some more Martinu would be nice, too. Papa Haydn I’m happy to hear any time. Thank you, NYRO, for broadening my (and NYC’s) horizons.
ConcertMeister
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Brooklyn, the Bronx and, yes, Queens—OHNY
October 12 and 13 were this year’s dates for Open House New York, and I was determined to be less Manhattan-centric. Open House New York is when various architectural gems and historic places are open to the public. Beginning with last year (I think that was the first), some sites required a reservation and a $5.00 fee. I avoided those.
My first site of the weekend was the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage in the Bronx. Built about 1812, Poe lived there from 1846 to 1849, and wrote Annabel Lee, Ulalume, and The Bells there. (Keeping time, time, time in a sort of Runic* rhyme that so musically wells from ... the bells ... .) According to the brief video I saw there, a large bell at what is now known as Fordham University was the inspiration for The Bells.
My next stop was the Fort Tryon Cottage in upper Manhattan. It was the gatekeeper’s cottage for the C.K.G. Billings estate. Billings had a very large stable on the estate, and managed to build a winding trail down to the Hudson River. The trail used bricks with beveled edges on all sides, in order to allow the horses to gain traction on the steep ascent. This cottage dated from 1903. Both cottages are quite small compared to housing in this day and age.
After an architectural respite, where I saw the 1925 version of the silent film The Phantom of the Opera, I zipped down to Greenwich Village to take in the Jefferson Market Library and its winding tower staircase. Alas, when I got there, they had just announced that the people who were already on the line would be the last ones to make the climb. Shoot. Well, maybe – next year!
Sunday’s adventure started in Brooklyn, with the City Reliquary—a small, quirky museum with lots of New York-iana, including different types of granite and schist that form the bedrock of NYC, plus lots of Statue of Liberty items, World’s Fair items, subway items (including a door!), etc. It was an OK experience, but I’m glad I got to see it for free.
A short subway ride took me to mid-Manhattan and a tour of Central Synagogue, at Lexington Avenue and 55th Street. It’s absolutely gorgeous inside—after a fire in 1998, the building was restored to its original 1872 glory, based on plans of Henry Fernbach, the original architect.
After a mini-battle trying to cross Fifth Avenue (yet another parade on Fifth, with limited access to crossing), I spent a few minutes strolling through Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. There was conflicting information about when a tour, including the organ, would be occurring, so I just did a cursory walkthrough.
A subway and bus combo (there was no #7 train service on the weekend) got me to the Lewis H. Latimer house in Flushing, Queens. This is an 1880s Queen Anne–style wooden house. Latimer was the son of slaves who fled Virginia (Norfolk, unfortunately) and ended up in the Boston area. Mr. Latimer was a self-taught mechanical draftsman and worked with Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. He was involved in the development of the telephone and inventing carbon filaments, to extend the useful life of incandescent bulbs. He was a highly celebrated African American electrical pioneer. He lived in the house, that is now an NYC landmark, from 1903 until his death in 1928.
On the way back to the bus, I caught a glimpse of a very nice looking building that turned out to be Flushing Town Hall, which is now a performing arts venue. And I caught the last day of an art exhibit there and saw a collage installation dealing with the life of Louis Armstrong.
So, no concerts, but definitely lots of culture during OHNY weekend.
ConcertMeister
*Info upon request
My first site of the weekend was the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage in the Bronx. Built about 1812, Poe lived there from 1846 to 1849, and wrote Annabel Lee, Ulalume, and The Bells there. (Keeping time, time, time in a sort of Runic* rhyme that so musically wells from ... the bells ... .) According to the brief video I saw there, a large bell at what is now known as Fordham University was the inspiration for The Bells.
My next stop was the Fort Tryon Cottage in upper Manhattan. It was the gatekeeper’s cottage for the C.K.G. Billings estate. Billings had a very large stable on the estate, and managed to build a winding trail down to the Hudson River. The trail used bricks with beveled edges on all sides, in order to allow the horses to gain traction on the steep ascent. This cottage dated from 1903. Both cottages are quite small compared to housing in this day and age.
After an architectural respite, where I saw the 1925 version of the silent film The Phantom of the Opera, I zipped down to Greenwich Village to take in the Jefferson Market Library and its winding tower staircase. Alas, when I got there, they had just announced that the people who were already on the line would be the last ones to make the climb. Shoot. Well, maybe – next year!
Sunday’s adventure started in Brooklyn, with the City Reliquary—a small, quirky museum with lots of New York-iana, including different types of granite and schist that form the bedrock of NYC, plus lots of Statue of Liberty items, World’s Fair items, subway items (including a door!), etc. It was an OK experience, but I’m glad I got to see it for free.
A short subway ride took me to mid-Manhattan and a tour of Central Synagogue, at Lexington Avenue and 55th Street. It’s absolutely gorgeous inside—after a fire in 1998, the building was restored to its original 1872 glory, based on plans of Henry Fernbach, the original architect.
After a mini-battle trying to cross Fifth Avenue (yet another parade on Fifth, with limited access to crossing), I spent a few minutes strolling through Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. There was conflicting information about when a tour, including the organ, would be occurring, so I just did a cursory walkthrough.
A subway and bus combo (there was no #7 train service on the weekend) got me to the Lewis H. Latimer house in Flushing, Queens. This is an 1880s Queen Anne–style wooden house. Latimer was the son of slaves who fled Virginia (Norfolk, unfortunately) and ended up in the Boston area. Mr. Latimer was a self-taught mechanical draftsman and worked with Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. He was involved in the development of the telephone and inventing carbon filaments, to extend the useful life of incandescent bulbs. He was a highly celebrated African American electrical pioneer. He lived in the house, that is now an NYC landmark, from 1903 until his death in 1928.
On the way back to the bus, I caught a glimpse of a very nice looking building that turned out to be Flushing Town Hall, which is now a performing arts venue. And I caught the last day of an art exhibit there and saw a collage installation dealing with the life of Louis Armstrong.
So, no concerts, but definitely lots of culture during OHNY weekend.
ConcertMeister
*Info upon request
Friday, October 11, 2013
Klezmer Quartet (10/6/13)
Golly, how to explain klezmer? It has its roots in Jewish folk music—Russian, Eastern European, etc. Think “Hava Nagila,” working up to a whirling-dervish tempo. This concert was titled David Krakauer’s Acoustic Klezmer Quartet, with David Krakauer, clarinet, Will Holshouser, accordion, Nicki Parrott, bass, and Michael Sarin, drums, and was part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert program. The songs were all announced from the stage, so I may not get them exactly right.
The opener was called “The Street Song,” and was a traditional piece. It started with the string bass (amplified) playing what could have seemed like a dirge, but then the piece built in intensity, volume, and complexity, with a structure similar to that in some jazz arrangements. This was followed by a piece that combined old and new—
a traditional tune that was then continued into a newer section composed by
Mr. Krakauer. The clarinet playing was very energetic and the bass player actually danced a bit with her instrument. Once again, similar to jazz, there was an extended bass solo.
“The Dusky Bulgar,” composed by Mr. Holshouer, dealt with identity exploration and was a bit darker and ever so slightly more downbeat, though still very enjoyable. This was followed by “The Gypsy Bulgar,” with a sort of walking ragtime feel, swinging into jazz, a short waltz/dance feel—the rhythms seemed very straightforward, but then you go, “Whoa! There are really intricate things going on here,” with lots of pitch bending, higher-range clarinet playing, and the audience clapping along. Sort of like a Jewish wedding.
While the music was interesting, there was also a sameness to it that didn’t quite appeal to me. “Moldavian Voyage” had the clarinet playing in a lower register that I found very pleasing. Another piece written by Mr. Krakauer was composed for his grandfather from Lemberg (now Lvov, Ukraine). To me, it seemed as though it shifted between a nice sweet situation, to a darker situation, brought on by a remembered history—then shifting to one last high-range shriek of the clarinet before returning to the remembered sweetness. That was the feeling it evoked in me.
Throughout, all four players were just great, and all of them were featured at one time or another, once again hearkening back to jazz traditions. And the audience response was very enthusiastic. An encore (no title announced) showcased a technique called “circular breathing,” where the clarinetist plays a continuous tone by breathing in through his nose while pushing air out through his mouth, using air that is stored in his cheeks. It’s an impressive thing to see and hear and the audience ate it up. I enjoyed the concert a lot, but just wished for a little more variety—maybe that’s just the nature of klezmer.
ConcertMeister
The opener was called “The Street Song,” and was a traditional piece. It started with the string bass (amplified) playing what could have seemed like a dirge, but then the piece built in intensity, volume, and complexity, with a structure similar to that in some jazz arrangements. This was followed by a piece that combined old and new—
a traditional tune that was then continued into a newer section composed by
Mr. Krakauer. The clarinet playing was very energetic and the bass player actually danced a bit with her instrument. Once again, similar to jazz, there was an extended bass solo.
“The Dusky Bulgar,” composed by Mr. Holshouer, dealt with identity exploration and was a bit darker and ever so slightly more downbeat, though still very enjoyable. This was followed by “The Gypsy Bulgar,” with a sort of walking ragtime feel, swinging into jazz, a short waltz/dance feel—the rhythms seemed very straightforward, but then you go, “Whoa! There are really intricate things going on here,” with lots of pitch bending, higher-range clarinet playing, and the audience clapping along. Sort of like a Jewish wedding.
While the music was interesting, there was also a sameness to it that didn’t quite appeal to me. “Moldavian Voyage” had the clarinet playing in a lower register that I found very pleasing. Another piece written by Mr. Krakauer was composed for his grandfather from Lemberg (now Lvov, Ukraine). To me, it seemed as though it shifted between a nice sweet situation, to a darker situation, brought on by a remembered history—then shifting to one last high-range shriek of the clarinet before returning to the remembered sweetness. That was the feeling it evoked in me.
Throughout, all four players were just great, and all of them were featured at one time or another, once again hearkening back to jazz traditions. And the audience response was very enthusiastic. An encore (no title announced) showcased a technique called “circular breathing,” where the clarinetist plays a continuous tone by breathing in through his nose while pushing air out through his mouth, using air that is stored in his cheeks. It’s an impressive thing to see and hear and the audience ate it up. I enjoyed the concert a lot, but just wished for a little more variety—maybe that’s just the nature of klezmer.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Songbook in a New Season (9/30/13)
Songbook, as I need to remind myself to remind you from time to time, is a program that highlights the work of up and coming composers and lyricists or, as in this particular case, new work from already established composers and lyricists. The featured duo on Monday evening was Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham, featuring selections from The Legend of New York. On hand were five principals and an ensemble of ten vocalists, with Mr. Cunningham (I hope I got that right) serving as narrator.
The gist of the plot of the morality play is that Abe, a disillusioned New Yorker, is saddled with the job of finding three worthy souls in order to save New York from destruction (haggling was involved). The Angel of the Waters, a wisecracking guardian angel, is the one who sets him on his quest. So Abe has to present the three worthies at the top of the city within a prescribed time frame. Oh, yeah. There will also be an Act of God thrown in as a monkey wrench. The Act of God turns out to be the 1977 New York City blackout. This is important, as it flavors some of the compositional styles. The opening number had real harmony! from the ensemble members, with the Angel laying out in no uncertain terms “That’s New York.”
We then hear “Heavenly House on a Hill,” sung by Abe (with his wife, Sarah). This was a wishful, seeing-the-positive-side-of-things song, with some nice humor and a good setting of sung speech. “Get Gone” and “Cloud 54” were set clearly in the rock genre, which makes perfect sense, since they’re set in and around Studio 54 in 1977. “Not for You” was a Disco Diva–style number that definitely channeled “I Will Survive.” And—end Act I.
Act II finds Abe trekking with the three worthy souls up to Inwood Park, the top of New York City. Then he learns that the Guardian Angel really meant the top of the World Trade Center. At that point, the blackout hits, and they need to get all the way downtown and to the top of the Towers. A rioter leads the ensemble in “Get a Load of This,” which neatly outlines the fears and unpredictability of the blackout. Between dealing with the rioters and a mysterious man, one of the worthies is shot and killed. With only two worthy souls delivered, the Angel says, “No deal.”
Sarah sings a rather pleasant ballad, “Him,” and Abe’s brother and the Disco Diva (the other two worthies) decide to back out and try their luck with NYC once the deal with the Guardian Angel is off. Abe is offered a chance to be swept up to heaven with Sarah, but he too decides to stick with NYC, in the power ballad “The Sun Rises Again.” And “Heaven Can Wait,” a slightly lightweight duet, in my consideration, has Abe and Sarah committed to New York, come what may.
As mentioned earlier, these writers are seasoned a bit more than some others I’ve seen and heard in this ongoing series. They’ve already had one Off-Broadway show produced, I Love You Because, and another musical, Next Thing You Know, has also been produced elsewhere. The music for The Legend of New York was, for the most part, very well conceived and performed. I can see this show having a future life.
A special shout out goes to John Znidarsic, Producer/Director of the series (Monday evening began the 23rd season) and another shout out to Cheryl D. Raymond, Manager Public Programs and Special Events at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
ConcertMeister
The gist of the plot of the morality play is that Abe, a disillusioned New Yorker, is saddled with the job of finding three worthy souls in order to save New York from destruction (haggling was involved). The Angel of the Waters, a wisecracking guardian angel, is the one who sets him on his quest. So Abe has to present the three worthies at the top of the city within a prescribed time frame. Oh, yeah. There will also be an Act of God thrown in as a monkey wrench. The Act of God turns out to be the 1977 New York City blackout. This is important, as it flavors some of the compositional styles. The opening number had real harmony! from the ensemble members, with the Angel laying out in no uncertain terms “That’s New York.”
We then hear “Heavenly House on a Hill,” sung by Abe (with his wife, Sarah). This was a wishful, seeing-the-positive-side-of-things song, with some nice humor and a good setting of sung speech. “Get Gone” and “Cloud 54” were set clearly in the rock genre, which makes perfect sense, since they’re set in and around Studio 54 in 1977. “Not for You” was a Disco Diva–style number that definitely channeled “I Will Survive.” And—end Act I.
Act II finds Abe trekking with the three worthy souls up to Inwood Park, the top of New York City. Then he learns that the Guardian Angel really meant the top of the World Trade Center. At that point, the blackout hits, and they need to get all the way downtown and to the top of the Towers. A rioter leads the ensemble in “Get a Load of This,” which neatly outlines the fears and unpredictability of the blackout. Between dealing with the rioters and a mysterious man, one of the worthies is shot and killed. With only two worthy souls delivered, the Angel says, “No deal.”
Sarah sings a rather pleasant ballad, “Him,” and Abe’s brother and the Disco Diva (the other two worthies) decide to back out and try their luck with NYC once the deal with the Guardian Angel is off. Abe is offered a chance to be swept up to heaven with Sarah, but he too decides to stick with NYC, in the power ballad “The Sun Rises Again.” And “Heaven Can Wait,” a slightly lightweight duet, in my consideration, has Abe and Sarah committed to New York, come what may.
As mentioned earlier, these writers are seasoned a bit more than some others I’ve seen and heard in this ongoing series. They’ve already had one Off-Broadway show produced, I Love You Because, and another musical, Next Thing You Know, has also been produced elsewhere. The music for The Legend of New York was, for the most part, very well conceived and performed. I can see this show having a future life.
A special shout out goes to John Znidarsic, Producer/Director of the series (Monday evening began the 23rd season) and another shout out to Cheryl D. Raymond, Manager Public Programs and Special Events at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
ConcertMeister
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