’Tis the Season, Parts IV and V (12/20/14)

New season repeats of the PhilHallmonics and Christmas Caroling in Greenwich Village. The good news is that I had a lot of fun again. The bad news is that I wanted the PhilHallmonics to be better than it was. First, the cast, who all did a good to great to serviceable job: Karen Arlington, Lynette Baiocco, Linda Moshier, John DiBartolo, Elizabeth Saunders, Lenore Fuerstman, Becca Yure, Dolly Ellen Friedman, Ross Hewitt, Conor McGee, Mandy Brown, Tara Palsha, Bruce Rebold, and Phil Hall as music director and arranger (including special material). Ms. Moshier’s solos were not included, so I’m guessing she was under the weather (this ain’t the Met or Broadway—no announcements/covers/
standbys/understudies). This was a bit of a problem, as it put the brunt of  the “story” line on
Ms. Arlington, who performed like the trouper that she is.

The inclusion of four guys into the mix looked good on paper, but it detracted from my enjoyment of these productions as “the Ladies” strutting their stuff. The guys were OK, but just. On to the show.

Ms. Arlington started strong with Hostess with the Mostes’, with a touch of bawdy, and updated, lyrics. The Ladies delivered the goods with Christmas in New York, which included sweet tunes with real harmonies sung well by the female octet. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree slipped in a nice bridge from Jingle Bell Rock—nicely done! Obviously, I won’t comment on all 25 to 30 songs on the program.

You’re All I Want for Christmas included the verse ahead of the chorus; I believe it’s the first time I’ve ever heard it. Ms. Saunders had good microphone technique. Which brings me to one of my problems with the afternoon. While the movement of props and furniture was handled pretty well, the same cannot be said of the sound system. Body (hair) microphones fought with handheld mics and standing mics, including ‘pops’ and ‘squeals’. It detracted from the enjoyment.

Ms. Feurstman did a bang-up job of The Twelve Days After Christmas. Google it if you’d like some laughs. When She Loved Me was a poignant take on growing up, as the soloist sang and there was a dance interpretation of a doll being left behind. It could have been cloying, but Sharon Halley’s staging set just the right tone, as it did throughout the entire afternoon.

Mandy Brown’s performance of They Don’t Let You In The Opera (If You’re A Country Star) was a tour de force. It was funny and incredibly well performed. Favorite lyrics included, “It’s like Opry with an ‘A’,” and (to her child, who was born in the house of the Met), “If they say, ‘no’ don’t be upset—it just means ‘not yet.’” Powerful stuff beautifully performed.

The finale of Maxim’s and The Night They Invented Champagne was OK but didn’t create the bang I wanted. I’ve seen at least three or four PhilHallmonics holiday programs. This one didn’t thrill me, though I enjoyed it a great deal And, yes, Merry Christmas Darling brought tears to my eyes (and probably will forever—“I’ve just one wish on this Christmas Eve—I wish I were with you”). Not for me, unfortunately.

Now for the upbeat! Christmas caroling in the Village was fun, if cold. This was the fortieth iteration! How could I have not known this? This was my third attendance. When we arrived, we got a group # and a lyrics sheet. I was in Group 3. (See perky young ladies, below.) Here’s the thing—your group leader makes all the difference in the world. This year’s, for me, were a perky pair of young ladies. They walked fast. I walk fast. The rest of the group had to catch up. The leaders didn’t get it. They should have. Still, the singing (mostly unison) was fun. I added some harmony. Last year I jingled my keys during Jingle Bells. This year, I brought a real ‘Thelma Bell’* plus a foam red nose for Rudolph. The ‘Thelma Bell’ also worked well for Silver Bells. When we returned from our shift, they were just sending out Group 12! I had already turned in my lyrics booklet (de rigeur, so they’ll be set for next year). I just glommed onto Group 12. Appropriately, their first song was The Twelve Days of Christmas. Can you sing, ‘Five Golden Rings’ really loud and long? We could. After I had joined Group 12, I was out-Rudolphed! There was a young fellow with a blinking red nose! But we played nice and shared. I then sheared off of Group 12 and made my way home to leftovers for dinner. Whew! Loads of Christmas fun!

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*Info upon request.

’Tis the Season, Part III (12/15/14)

The Nutcracker and I

Billed as ‘A New Holiday Musical Comedy’ (on the handout that included cast bios and the list of musical numbers) and ‘A NEW Madcap Holiday Musical Comedy Spoof’ (on the cover of the generic handout at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts), The Nutcracker and I is an amusing take on the Nutcracker story, updated to the present time and given the comedy touches of Gerard Alessandrini, he of Forbidden Broadway notoriety.

The piece was conceived and created by Mr. Alessandrini and Peter Brash, with nifty musical direction here by Richard Danley, who played the bulk of Tchaikovsky’s ballet score (arranged) on the piano. The winning cast included Benjamin Barham-Wiese, Haley Carlucci, Amy Griffin, Herndon Lackey, Charles Osborne, and Joseph Spitali, with most of them doubling (or more) roles.

The slightly convoluted story was used as a vehicle for Mr. Alessandrini’s lyrics set to Tchaikovsky’s score. That was a plus and a minus; while they were witty (and sometimes downright funny, as was the book) there were lots of lyrics. Lots and lots of lyrics that often flew by at a rapid pace. There were many references to “that certain ballet” that was infrequently named. Song titles included Song of the Sugar Rush Fairy, The Nuttiest Nutcracker, Is There a Ball Tonight?, March of the Toy Police, The Nutcracker Rocks, and (to me, the most enjoyable sequence) NYC Multi-Culture Tour Medley: Navidad in Spanish Harlem, Hindu Cabbie’s Christmas, A Little Little Italy, and A Jewish Chinese Christmas.

Though the semi-staged performance was presented without an intermission, the first act takes place in Pawchusett, a New England mill town, while the second act takes place in Snow Globe City, a version of NYC inside a snow globe. Partially because of the rapid-fire patter of patter songs and dialogue, I took very few notes. In general, the first act was a bit of a slow go, mostly because the first act’s ballet music is less familiar to me. Perhaps die-hard Nutcracker aficionados had a different result. The divertissements of the second act came off better.

March of the Toy Police was a crackerjack patter song. Another patter song was The Department Store Trepak, reminiscent of a Danny Kaye routine. In the poking-fun-at-everyone-under-the-sun department, we had a Hispanic-accented bodega owner (Navidad), an Indian-accented cab driver (Hindu Cabbie’s Christmas), an Italian-accented pizza boy (... Little Italy), and the always-popular Jewish/Yiddish-accented Chinese restaurant diner on Christmas day (A Jewish Chinese Christmas). The Nutcracker Rocks showed us another side of the uptight toy, busting out some James Brown and Chubby Checker moves while referring to himself as “the cracker Nutcracker.” A couple of quips included, “In a magic snow globe, Christmas tree bulbs never burn out,” and, in a poke to the muscle-bound jock who says, “I’m a snowboarder!” the retort was, “I’m bored already.”

One lyric that did stick in my head was from Is There a Ball Tonight? set to the tune of The Waltz of the Flowers: “Waltzes by Tchaikovsky (la-la-la-la-la), Not Steve Sondhiem-offsky (la-la-la-la-la).”

This was more of a reading than a full-out production but that was OK, and even provided some self-effacing humor from the performers. It was, at times, slightly awkward since all of the performers were using standing microphones, so they and their script/score had to move from music stand to music stand. I got a good overall sense of the piece, while wishing I could have grasped more of the ‘in’ jokes. The piece premiered in 2011, so I guess it’s been knocking around for a while. Will it become a holiday classic? Time will tell.

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’Tis the Season, Parts I and II (12/12–13/14)

Friday night found me at a concert by the New Amsterdam Singers, Clara Longstreth, Music Director. This was not a freebie, but I was gifted a ticket as an early Christmas present (thank you, Uncle Mark!) The venue was totally new to me, even though it’s a church in my neighborhood. The mostly amateur singers (my best guess) turned in an impressive performance of a variety of music.
 

Jubilate Deo; Giovanni Gabrieli (1557–1612)
And the Song Am I; Abbie Betinis (b. 1980)
Quatre Petite prières de St. François d’Assise; Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)
Sing with the Spirit, from The Garment of Praise; Randall Thompson (1899–1984)
Singet dem Herr nein neues Lied; J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
 – Intermission. –
O Lieber Gott; Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672)
Irish Lullaby for the Christ Child; Gaelic, arr. Steven Sametz (b. 1954)
Nova, nova, ave fit ex Eva; Williametta Spencer (b. 1932)
Seven Joys of Christmas; Kirke Mechem (b. 1925)
Jubilemus deo salutori nostro; Jaako Mäntylärvi (b. 1963)
Christmas Cantata; Quem vidistis pastores, O magnum mysterium, Gloria in excelsis Deo; Daniel Pinkham (1923–2006)

Do NOT expect in-depth commentary on every piece. In addition to the choir, there was an organist (playing a small, portable organ), a harpist, and a brass quintet—a mixed presentation throughout the evening.

The choir sang very well throughout (and there was a smaller chamber choir that performed a few pieces). Soloists were drawn from the choir, and all of them performed well, too. Jubilate Deo was a good opener, exploiting the back and forth of contrapuntal (one group against the other) choir and brass. The brass almost overshadowed, but that’s the norm in these situations—brass sound travels really well; voices (even a group, and this was 60 to 70) not so much. But balances were generally good all evening.

Additional highlights of the first half included the New York premiere of And the Song Am I, mostly a cappella with the brass quintet as commentary/accompaniment, a good choral blend, brief but effective. I liked the Poulenc (for men’s voices), with its French Romantic/Neo-Classical harmonies, as well as being prayer-like without being wishy-washy, plus the full sound of the final movement, even though it was not my favorite. Sing with the Spirit (also the title of the concert) was brief, with a truly American sensibility, though still just as effective as the Poulenc. The Bach, as a finale to the first half, fell a bit short to my ears. The textures were a little bit dense, though the solo quartet (centrally located within the choir) did a fine job.

On to Act II—The Irish Lullaby, for women’s voices and harp, was pleasant and well performed. I particularly liked Nova, nova, since I was familiar with the text, and I enjoyed the re-setting of it. That was my reaction to the Seven Joys, as well, since it included updated re-settings of
Din don! Merrily on high; Joseph dearest, Joseph mine; Patapan; and Fum, fum, fum! The inclusion of a Japanese traditional song/carol was an added bonus. The Pinkham Cantata seemed very familiar to me, especially movements two and three. I suspect it’s because I’ve sung them at one point or another, but they’re not familiar enough that they would have been multiple performances. Thank you, Uncle Mark; and thank you New Amsterdam Singers.

Saturday found me at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts’ Holiday Songbook. Songbook is a series that features new and up and coming Broadway/theater composers and lyricists. Holiday Songbook takes that a step further by creating new holiday songs, in this case mostly composed for this concert. This year’s version had eleven songs; I enjoyed each, on some level.

Evicted for Christmas had a bit of a country/rock feel and a touch of humor. The title sort of says it all—a New Yorker ends up {gasp} having to move back in with his parents. The First Time was upbeat, in terms of lyrics, and really positive without being sappy.

One Lucky Guy was a very funny presentation of the eternal Christian/Jewish dichotomy of a family holiday. The Streets was a ‘what-if’ song about a person in search of the ideal Christmas. It was a little bit static and a little bit sad, but a little bit of sadness at this time of year is also OK—it happens, and we have to work through it. Just Ain’t Christmas was an unabashedly black comment on the perceived white Christmas. It was a Motown soul duet summed up by, “I don’t get along with you most of the time, but … it Just Ain’t Christmas … without you here.” Here was a lovely ‘you complete me’ duet.

Holiday Zombie took us in a totally new direction—it had humor (and choreography!) and was written by a deaf composer. Yep, you heard me right. Jay Alan Zimmerman progressively lost his hearing beginning (or from) 2004 yet he continues to write theater music, including this very funny piece.

A Christmas Pageant. Oh my, where to start? It’s not your normal Christmas pageant, with kids in bathrobes portraying Mary, Joseph, the Magi, et al. Oh no, this is your host, Dick Blizzard (backed up by two comely chorines), presenting Santa, Frosty, Jesus, Christmas Tree (with flashing lights for the ‘talent’ competition), and Billy Zimmerman, all competing in A Christmas Pageant. When Billy, a child of wonder, is declared the winner, he turns the tables by declaring that we are all the winners, “So celebrate us all!”

Twas the Night Before Christmas was a very effective contemporary pop setting of the traditional text. A Child’s Dream will Light the Way proved to be a great ‘11 o’clock’ number, powerfully performed by Tony Award–winner Lillias White (even with a slight lyrics flub). Celebrate Christmas (With Me) was a pop romp with piano, a (single) maraca, sleigh bells, kazoo, guitar, one of those air-powered-keyboard-thingies, and a mini-glockenspiel. Does that say Christmas or what? It did to me!

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Whirlwind Weekend (12/6–7/14)

Peter Pan (Not Live), New York Repertory Orchestra, Tree Lighting/Community Caroling

Saturday afternoon found me at the silent movies again, seeing the 1924 version of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Interesting backstory in that when Disney decided to do their Peter Pan, they locked up the rights and essentially mothballed this 1924 version for decades. It was “found” in 1971. As a result the print itself was in very-good-to-excellent condition. The plot was fairly straightforward, and included many aspects of the original 1904 play, even having one actor play both Nana and the Crocodile in animal suits. Betty Bronson was Peter Pan, with
Ernest Torrence as Captain Hook. The lighting effects for Tinkerbell were quite advanced for 1924 (and yes, we all clapped for her and brought her back from the brink of death). The swordplay between the Lost Boys and the Pirates veered slightly into slapstick apropos of the silent era. All in all, a very enjoyable afternoon, and once again Ben Model’s improvisational-style score was a highlight of the afternoon. I especially liked how he included tunes of the day (for instance when Mrs. Darling was at the keyboard) and “Home, Sweet Home” toward the end. Oddly, the screenplay was very USA centric, with references to growing up to be president and the boys wanting to fight for the USA.

Changing gears for the evening found me at a New York Repertory Orchestra concert,
David Leibowitz, Music Director/Conductor, performed at the church of St. Mary the Virgin (affectionately known as “Smoky Mary’s”). On tap were:

Overture to Aroldo; Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra – I. Maestoso, II. Aria: Adagietto, III. Allegro brioso; Vernon Duke (1903–1969) with soloist Sam Magill, Cello
Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 7 – I. Allegro orgolioso, II. Andante, III. Allegro comodo – Andante sostenuto, Finale: Allegro con fuoco; Carl Nielsen (1865–1931)

First off, the acoustics in this church can be somewhat difficult as there is so much natural reverb. In fact, spoken comments at the beginning, and then again after intermission, were somewhat garbled. The balance of the orchestra, however, was quite good, with the exception of the flutes/piccolo being somewhat shrill periodically. It probably couldn’t be helped.

Verdi’s opera overture was nice as a curtain raiser—it had a very soft opening that was more gentle than mysterious, followed by a trumpet melody (played very well), leading to the full orchestra playing. The piece was a bit workmanlike but pleasant, with individual tunes (three or four) laid out pretty clearly. As I said, a pleasant opener.

The first movement of the cello concerto opened with a solo cadenza. The entire movement had a nice Romantic feel to it but with modern touches (harmonies and dissonances). It also closed with a solo cadenza. The second was pleasant and pleasantly played, yet didn’t really strike me as distinctive. The third opened with a bang-up orchestral introduction that then led to a back and forth between the soloist and the orchestra. As a piece, it was enjoyable if not overly interesting (to me).

The first movement of the Nielsen symphony had the full orchestra playing from the very beginning, with pleasing melodies and orchestration. The second was slower, and seemed like one long through-composed feeling of tension, with small resolutions here and there. The third movement rolled along nicely, pleasant again but not really saying a lot. The last movement was bright and full, and then turned slightly introspective. There were several interesting themes that I wish had been linked together better. Over all, it was a generally pleasing work and a nice orchestral concert to hear and experience.

Sunday’s event was a small-scale Christmas Tree Lighting in Carl Schurz Park, a couple of blocks away from my apartment. This year’s version once again featured Cantori, Mark Shapiro, director, singing four a cappella pieces, a countdown to the ta-da! moment, and then community caroling led by Cantori accompanied by the Orbital Brass. It was fun but cold, so I bowed out early but kept singing along as I walked back home. Well, for a bit—not all the way home. That would have made me a CrazyMeister. So, quite a jam-packed, fun, free weekend in NYC.

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Piano Masterpieces (11/22/14)

Mohamed Shams played an ambitious program on Saturday afternoon (a few Saturdays ago, now). In general, he played quite well, if with a sense of restrained control. 

Songs without words, Op. 67; Six short movements – Felix Bartholdy-Mendelssohn
Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14, “Concerto without orchestra”; Allegro, Quasi Variazione: Andantino di Clara Wieck, Prestissimo possibile – Robert Schumann
Preludes (selection); Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest, La fille aux cheveux de lin, Général Lavine – eccentric: Dans le style et le mouvement d’un Cakewalk – Claude Debussy
Mephisto-waltz No. 1 – Franz Liszt 

The Songs without words were just that—nice, songlike pieces that you could just imagine should have words. The first was gentle while the second had a jaunty accompaniment, in a minor key, but with a positive spin to it. It also had a fuller piano sound and a nice use of rubato (a sort of stretching the tempo/rhythm from time to time so that it’s not totally steady—tick-tock, tick-tock). It was my favorite of the six short movements. The third had a slower pace, settling down yet still with a nice sense of an arc to it. The fourth started out mysteriously and had a hint of sadness. The fifth was a waltz with a slight Viennese feel to it, and the sixth had lots of fast finger work, sort of bumblebee-esque.

Schumann’s sonata had quite a bit of heft to it. The Allegro was very full and very rich, with clean lines (and playing), and had lots of big themes balanced by gentle, contrasting sections. It finished with a bang. The Variazioni had a slight feel of a dirge that then grew into a gentle section with a real feel of warmth. It was introspective, even in the fuller sections, ending with dramatic chords. I was really looking forward to Prestissimo possible (hello! as fast as possible?), and it had a lot of sound and fury, but I didn’t really sense where it was going. The sonata is a piece I wouldn’t mind hearing again, just because it’s so daunting upon first hearing.

The first of the Debussy pieces was quite modern sounding, with Stravinsky-like rhythms. The piece did evoke the wind (le vent d’ouest) at times. The second piece was gentle to begin with—not exactly wispy, more like a substantial wispy, if that makes sense. The tune might be familiar to you, “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.” It’s worth a YouTube search. The third piece (which did not really remind me of a cakewalk) was stronger and fuller, with a very good display of technique, yet still fully musical.

The Liszt was a fragmented waltz with a rhythmic introduction that then morphed into very fast finger work and octaves in both hands. There was a lot of compositional bravura, executed very well. The sheer number of notes was astounding.

As mentioned before, I sensed a slight feeling of controlled restraint. Perhaps as Mr. Shams continues as an artist, there will be some occasions to give in a bit to a sense of abandon. I liked the entire program; I just was waiting for a little more oomph. Once again, though, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing works that were new to me.

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Four Hand Band – Broadway to Classical (11/15/14)

Sasha Papernik and Alexander Wu, pianists, put on a terrific show—piano, four hands, plus a solo turn for each during the intermission-less concert. The program was more Classical to Broadway but that’s a minor quibble.

Sonata for Four Hand Piano; 1. Prelude, 2. Rustique, 3. Final – F. Poulenc (1899–1963)
Waltz & Tarantella from Sketches vol. 2 (Four-Hand) – V. Gavrilin (1939–1999)
‘A Gershwin Melody’ for piano duet – The Gershwins, Arr. by G. Haydon & J. Lyke
Etudes based on Gershwin Songs; 1. The Man I Love, 2. Fascinatin’ Rhythm – G. Gershwin (1898–1937), Arr. by E. Wild
Ma mere l’Oye for piano four hands – M. Ravel (1875–1937)
Fantasy on Themes from Carmen (Four-Hand) – G. Bizet (1838–1875),
Arr. by O. Singer
Russian Lullaby – I. Berlin (1888–1989), Arr. by S. Papernik
Bandoneón no. 1 from Suite Troileana (Four-Hand) – A. Piazzolla (1921–1992),
Arr. by M. Horn
Selections from West Side Story (Four-Hand); 1. I Feel Pretty, 2. Cool, 3. Maria, 4. Tonight, 5. America – L. Bernstein (1918–1990), Arr. by C. Klose

In addition to the music, we were also treated to commentary on the pieces as well as on the history of four-hand piano, itself. Piano, four hands, was often used by families playing together and also by pupils and teachers playing together. While it dates back at least to the 16th century, it had a renaissance of sorts in the 18th century as pianos became more readily available in homes and were used as family entertainment (a precursor, if you will, to radio/TV/internet).

The first piece was written when Poulenc was a youthful 19, and it showed in a couple of instances. It started with strong rhythms and tuneful phrases, followed by a slower second movement that expanded a bit and had Asian influences, finishing brightly and briskly—almost too energetic (see “youthful,” above).

Gavrilin’s waltz started slowly and had a heavy, lush, Russian feel to it, with a haunting main theme that came back several times. The tarantella had a minor key main theme presented as a straightforward dance form with some dissonances tossed into the mix. It was a real crowd pleaser because of the form and the very brisk tempos.

The Gershwin medley combined Stairway to Paradise, Do It Again, and Swanee in an arrangement that had a real Tin Pan Alley flair. It was a celebration of popular music, but it felt almost like a throwaway, though the arrangements were far beyond my meager pianistic abilities, and were played beautifully by both artists.

The Etudes were originally improvisations by the arranger, Earl Wild, that he was encouraged to write down. Boy, are we glad he did. Technically very different from the previous medley,
The Man I Love was absolutely lovely, while Fascinatin’ Rhythm was obviously rhythmic, with some really off the wall flights of fancy, I’ve heard Mr. Wu play these before (this was his solo offering) and they’re always a joy to hear. I think I liked Fascinatin’ Rhythm even more this time around.

Ma mére was Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite” for four-hand piano. It was veering into the Impressionistic piano style, with washes of tonal color, yet also included some writing in the extreme upper range of the piano that created a music-box feeling.

The Carmen themes were presented in a very straightforward manner and were the least favorite of mine. I understand the concept of bringing different genres to the piano literature but it didn’t quite do it for me. The same can be said for the West Side Story pieces that came later in the concert. Still, the audience enjoyed them, and there is that nice feeling of familiarity.

Ms. Papernik’s arrangement (her solo moment) of Berlin’s lullaby was interesting in that it combined a Russian folk song, as an introduction, with the lullaby proper, before springing into a stride piano version of the lullaby.

Piazzolla was a proponent of “nuevo tango,” stretching the traditional tango rhythms and forms in new ways. This piece was a prime example of that in terms of rhythms, harmonies, and depth of style, including several mood shifts within the piece.

After the WSS medley, the duo played a movement of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik as an encore. It was the perfect exclamation point to a delightful afternoon. Many of these pieces are on the duo’s debut CD, Four Hand Band, which comes out very shortly (or came out very recently, depending on when you read this). I probably won’t purchase it, but if you want to take a crack at a ConcertMeister experience, you might want to scope it out for yourself.

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Lovesong (11/10/14)

This was a semi-staged musical written by Michael Valenti. The cast and crew included Christine Cornell, Eddie Egan, Mamie Parris, and Jacob Smith as actors/vocalists, with Bill Cox as musical director/pianist, and Bill Ellison playing bass, and with projections by Ron Spivak.

It’s sort of hard to call this a musical, as there was no real extended dialogue, no choreography, and no real staging. It was more of a pastiche or a musical revue, with Love as its theme. All four singers were good (with one slightly weaker than the rest), but here’s the real plus, in my book. They all sang without amplification! Shocking, in this day and age. And we could actually hear them—the pianist and bassist shaded their dynamics so that the unamplified voices were (for the most part) balanced quite well.

The work began its life at the Top of the Village Gate in 1976, which may account for the revue style of writing. Interestingly, the texts come from such diverse authors as A. E. Houseman, Christina Rossetti, Sir Walter Raleigh, Anne Bradstreet, James Agee, Dorothy Parker, and Mr. Valenti, himself, etc., plus the ever-present, prolific Anonymous. This worked well, as it kept the songs interesting from a textual standpoint. Mr. Valenti’s composition style was also varied, including pop, rock lite, standard ballads, a power ballad or two, and such. With thirty-two songs in the show, I will not attempt to cover them all.

Bid Me Love was a sort of long intro to the next song, A Birthday, nicely performed by Ms. Cornell. When We’re Married featured all four, as a pair of married couples, in an Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better sort of piece that was also done well.
To My Dear and Loving Husband had old-fashioned lyrics and was quite tender.
My Husband No. 1 introduced a running gag—one woman commenting on her husband to the other. Her husband is a jockey; he rides horses, and rides them and rides them, “and then he comes home ... and rides me!” Toward the end of the first act, we got My Husband No. 2. He’s a butcher and stuffs sausage all day, and stuffs them and stuffs them, “and then he comes home ... and stuffs me!” The act ended with a fun drinking-song waltz performed by all four.

Act two began with a brief reprise of Let the Toast Pass, the aforementioned drinking song, followed by Echo, a sweet little madrigal. A Rondelay was another madrigal-like song that I really enjoyed—it’s great to hear real harmony in theater songs. Ms. Parris scored a hit with Unhappy Bella, which was very funny. Mr. Egan got a chance to shine in Jenny Kissed Me, and Mr. Smith was very strong in Blood Red Roses, with the other three as backup singers. Act two also brought us
My Husband No. 3. He’s a drummer and bangs cymbals all day, and bangs them and bangs them, “and then he comes home ... and is so tired from banging, he just falls asleep!” The Company was featured in the last two songs, So We’ll Go No More A Roving, and An Epitaph, which closed out the show nicely.

So, a very pleasant Monday evening was had by me. I love the fact that I’m able to explore free and low-cost performances with such regularity. That’s it for now—

ConcertMeister

Lots of Sax (11/1/14)

Manhattan Saxophone Quartet | Adolphe Sax 200th Birthday Celebration

Dr. Jordan P. Smith, Andrew Steinberg, Daniel Kochersberger,
Jay Rattman

Premiere Quatuor (1857), IV. Allegretto – Jean-Baptiste Singelée (1812–1875)
Quartette (1879), I. Andante, II. Allegro – Caryl Florio (1843–1920)
Ragtime Suite (arr. 1974), I. Pan-Am Rag, Tom Turpin (c.1914), III. The Cascades, Scott Joplin (c.1904) – Arthur Frackenpohl (b. 1924)
Saxophone Quartet (1932), II. Canzona Variée Variation – Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936)
Andante et Scherzo (1938) – Eugene Bozza (1905–1991)
Rondo (1970) – Zdeněk Lukáš (1928–2007)
Saxophone Quartet (1995), IV. – Philip Glass (b. 1937)
The Revivalist (2012) – Alex Burtzos (b. 1985)

As we can see, the pieces were played in chronological order (by composition date, with the exception of the two rags). And this program was, in nature, a sampler—only selected movements from larger works—giving us a broad overview of the oeuvre for saxophone quartet. My notes for the first piece include, “Haydn-like but with a fuller, richer sound. Quite jaunty, classical but slightly oddly so.” And that can pretty much be said of all of the pieces, to some extent. Four saxes can create a powerful sound, especially when the chords are set to “ringing,” similar to ringing chords of a barbershop quartet (I know whereof I speak).

In the saxophone history department, the Florio was the first American quartet. In addition to its rich, fluid sound, it also introduced higher pitches (very pleasant) from the soprano sax. The rags were pure fun, creating a nice bridge from the classical era to the jazz era. They made me think of an old-time, outdoor bandstand or music gazebo. The Glazunov was, indeed, variations on a tune that was laid out chorale style and then embellished in different ways.

After intermission, the Bozza was more modern, with obvious nods to Debussy; it also included some of those creepy-crawly-French chords so often found in music coming out of the Paris Conservatory. And it took us into the realm of more modern woodwind writing, with rippling accompaniments and rhythmic burbles.

The jump to the Lukáš (1970) was extremely noticeable. It was solidly modern, with strikingly dissonant harmonies and intervals. The composition had harsh qualities and almost an “in your face” sensibility. The Glass that followed was minimalist, as expected. At first I thought it would be a toss-up between Lukáš and Glass, but I actually liked the Glass better—slightly more structure, and it was shorter.

Before the final piece (and the composer was in the house), we were thanked for coming to the concert, and, more so, for coming back for the second half. Not everyone did. The Revivalist’s seven movements were supposed to be representative of episodes in the life of an organist/choirmaster. Some of that came through, but not as fully as I would have wanted. There were some interesting ideas, still it was hard to take seriously (and maybe it wasn’t supposed to be?).

The playing all afternoon was really quite good, though a saxophone quartet is a bit of an acquired taste. This sampler-style concert made a lot of sense and gave us a view of the saxophone’s 200-year history. This may have been my maiden voyage with the Manhattan Saxophone Quartet (or the second time I’ve heard them). I’d probably attend again, especially if I had an opportunity to know a little bit more about what would be on the program. Once again, though, I’m glad I had this experience.

ConcertMeister

String Sextets (10/25/14)

Saturday (10/25/14) saw my second visit to the Chamber Music at Rodeph Sholom series. This one was interesting because of the juxtaposition of a pair of string sextets—one a New York premiere and one an established piece (though it was new to me). The program began with a flute solo.

Syrinx, L. 129 (1913) – Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Saratoga Sextet (2014) A Day in the Life of an Artist – Eliot Bailen (1955–)
Souvenir de Florence (1890) Sextet in D minor for strings, Op. 70 – Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Susan Rotholz, (flute); Jill Levy and Doori Na (violin); Sarah Adams and Michael Roth (viola); Eliot Bailen and Lindy Clark (cello)

Syrinx was a very good choice for a curtain raiser—brief, at times haunting, and beautiful. It brings to mind the opening of L’après midi d’un faun, and it set a nice mood of anticipation.
Mr. Bailen took a few moments to talk about his composition before the piece and after, as well. The three movements were: I. Beginnings; II. Inspiration; and III. Drive. Even after the explanation that the second movement segued directly into the third, I was unable to distinguish the transition. According to audience comments afterward, I was not alone.

The first movement was serene and slightly amorphous to begin with. There were modern harmonies, but not necessarily sharp dissonances, that soon flowed into a dance-like section—a jig or a reel, slightly off track. There were harmonies that recalled Aaron Copland, and the music petered away into nothingness. The second began with very pretty chords, chorale like over an ostinato bass line. (My notes actually said “heartbeat.”) Once again, there were dissonances, but they made sense, eventually (third movement?) leading to different sections and episodes, finishing strongly. It was a pleasant and interesting piece and, as always, it’s worthwhile to hear new compositions, and to have some insight from the composer. Fun stuff.

The Tchaikovsky sextet’s first movement (Allegro con spirito) jumped right into what sounded like a very rhythmic, oddly strident Slavic dance, but I think that was the intent, then a very pretty violin solo led to a warm section and a dramatic section, slightly lengthy but definitely listenable. Adagio cantabile e con moto had a lush opening—violin solo against pizzicato accompaniment—followed by melodies passed back and forth to the cellos and violas that were lush and romantic throughout. (I actually wrote an aside in my notes at this point to check the dates of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings because I was hearing either paraphrases from it, or the Serenade borrowed from this score. It turns out that the Serenade is a good ten years younger.) The second movement continued (and it was lengthy, approximately twice as long as the opening movement) with a mysterious mood, with bursts of power and musical phrases, and various solos woven together into a true chamber music feel. I also felt that I was hearing more echoes of the Serenade, haunting and almost mournful. Both the Allegro moderato and the Allegro con brio e vivace featured strong dance rhythms, strong tutti writing, and while the third movement’s minor key was predominant, it couldn’t quite drown out the exuberance of the writing. The fourth movement, along with the third, seemed to be heavily influenced by folk tunes and folk dances, and finished quite strongly. I’m very glad that I got to hear this work, as it reminded me so much of the Serenade, which is one of my favorite works.

The playing was top notch for the entire concert—I’ll keep on the lookout for more of this series, and I’ll keep you posted as I can.

ConcertMeister

Violin/Piano Duo (10/23/14)

I spent another very nice evening at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, with performances by Shkëlzen Doli, violin, and Gottlieb Wallisch, piano, playing music by Mozart, Kreisler, Brahms, and Strauss. Mr. Doli’s bio focused on his training in the Russian school of violin, and that was evident to me in the muscularity of his playing. He was certainly capable of quiet playing as well, but there was a muscular quality throughout.

Sonata for Piano and Violin in B flat, K. 454 – W. A. Mozart
Präludium & Allegro – Fritz Kreisler
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 – Johannes Brahms
Rosen aus dem Süden (‘Roses from the South’), Op. 388, and Wiener Blut (‘Viennese Spirit’), Op. 354 – Johann Strauss

The first movement of the Mozart (Largo – Allegro) began with a muscular strength and tone, followed, in the Allegro, with more of the filigree that I associate with Mozart. The second movement (Andante) had very pretty melodies that were also very strong compositionally, as demonstrated in the playing of both artists. The final movement (Allegretto) was closer to the predictable Mozart I’m used to (sometimes described by me as ‘bibbity-bobbity-boo-in-B-flat’) but was still saved by the strength of the writing (ideas) and the execution. This time around, I liked Mozart more than I usually do.

Fritz Kreisler was a brilliant violinist and composer. Präludium & Allegro demonstrated the latter, and Mr. Doli was quite brilliant himself. (Mr. Wallisch was no slouch, either, throughout the entire evening.) Over block chords in the piano, we heard a marching violin melody of equal-length notes that seemed to end up being an introduction plus an introduction before launching into the fireworks of the Allegro. Those fireworks were moderate to begin with, building in speed, intensity, and virtuosity, leading to a nice pedal point in the piano with flying fingers above, in the string playing, ending with a solid major chord.

After intermission, the Allegro of Brahms’ sonata opened with a sweeter tone from the violin, continuing into more flowing tunes and lines for both players, also with more varied dynamics. The sections struck me as though they were shifting emotions. The Adagio was song-like, with a hint of a somber hymn. This movement, especially, showed the excellent rapport between the two players, even matching the sense of moods. The third movement, Un poco presto e con sentiment, was brisker and brighter—almost playful—but still with a serious undertone. The Finale: Presto agitato had a very strong opening and demonstrated technically difficult writing for both instruments, incredibly well executed.

The Strauss waltzes were played straight, including pauses in the waltz rhythms and a playful sense, though never veering into kitsch or camp. The ‘Roses’ just put a smile on my face. And if the ‘Viennese Spirit’ tempted me to clap along as if it were New Year’s Day, I was able to resist, precisely because they played it straight. After well-deserved applause, there was an encore—Meditation, from Thaïs (Massenet).

Thank you, ACFNY, Mr. Doli, and Mr. Wallisch!

ConcertMeister

More and More (9/18/14)

Actually, the entire title is “The More You Love Music, the More Music You Love” with William Lewis, Pianist/Singer. It was quite an ambitious program of 20 songs (many of which were combinations of more than one song). Some of them worked well, others not so much. First off, Pianist/Singer is the correct description; though he sang a lot, his singing is not the greatest, and he even said as much from the stage. And that was my main difficulty with the afternoon.

In the guise of a classical cabaret performer, he gave serious thought to the five different sets, ranging from Dreams, and Classical, to the Gay Nineties in the first half, and Irish, closing with Other Songs that Don’t Fit into Categories.

First You Dream (from Steel Pier), Libestraum, and On the Seashore of Endless Worlds (from Gitanjali) got the afternoon off on the right foot, especially his piano accompaniments and Liszt’s Libestraum. An Italian aria, Nel cor piu non mi sento (from Paisiello’s L’Amor contrasto), fared poorly in the vocals department but Beethoven’s Six Variations on ‘Nel cor piu non mi sento’ were right on the money. Some film score music followed, pairing a Francesco Durante setting of a prayer to the Virgin with the main theme from The Godfather, written by Nino Rota. This sort of worked, but not as well as the Paisiello/Beethoven. Two pieces from The Legend of 1900, scored by Ennio Morricone, were next—they didn’t make a strong impression on me. From the Gay Nineties we had She Is More to Be Pitied than Censured, nicely done; And the Golden Hair Was Hanging Down Her Back, okay; In the Baggage Coach Ahead, a mournfully moving ballad; and K-K-K-Katy/You’d Be Surprised, a delightful mash-up of novelty numbers (the latter by Irving Berlin).

After intermission (and there were quite a few fewer people in attendance for the second act), the Irish set began with two traditional songs, though neither was familiar to me. Manx Lullaby was a sweet take on a traditional song while A Young Maid Stood in Her Father’s Garden was rather touching. They were followed by what seemed to me to be a modern take on traditional songs; they didn’t really resonate with me.

The Others set began with a Spanish song that was sad yet powerful and had a terrific piano interlude. Mr. Lewis’ playing was superb throughout the afternoon. A triple mash-up of It’s a Lazy Afternoon, Feeling Good, and Hotel (a French art song) was the least successful combination in that it seemed slightly forced. Where is the Tribe for me? (from Bajour) was a tour de force composition that was given a bang-up performance. Literally. Between playing the piano, singing, slapping tsetse flies, imitating animals, and dodging poison darts, Mr. Lewis managed to dislodge his eyeglasses (they went flying off behind him), making for a really humorous search for lyrics on the pretty-much-unseen-by-him page. But he gamely carried on and it was well worth it. If I Sing (from Closer than Ever) was a touching tribute to the performer’s mother, and a fitting way to end the concert.

So, pianistically, it was a great success; less so vocally. And some of the musical ideas worked really, really well, with others not quite cutting it. But it was programmed and planned quite well. I’m not sure I’d take in future concerts, though I might be intrigued enough to give another try.

ConcertMeister

Harlem Garden Tour Update

So, I decided to check out the cotton, planted near the Harriet Tubman statue. I actually did some shopping on West 116th Street and then decided to walk up to West 122nd. My West Side geography is a bit sketchy, but I thought I was near where I wanted to be, walking up Adam Clayton Powell Blvd..

On the way, I stopped to look at a community garden that I thought I recognized. Indeed, it was the garden where the Girl Scouts plant sunflowers every year..

An "Auntie," (meant in a very nice way for an elderly black woman) saw me and told me that it was a great community garden. I pointed out the flyer on the fence about this past August's Garden Tour and told her that I was there, for the second year in a row, and that she should check it out next summer. She thanked me for teaching her about her neighborhood!

Anyhoo, I made it up to 122nd Street and saw the cotton plants. Some blossoms were spent, some were still tightly closed, but some were in full bloom! One blossom had fallen to the ground, so I harvested it to take to work to show to others whom I had already told about the tour. Win, win!

ConcertMeister

Open House New York (10/11–12/2014)

What fun I had this past weekend! Open House New York is a weekend where different buildings, and types of buildings, are open to the public. There are two types of events—freebies and $5.00-a-pop, reservation-only events. I opted for the freebies.

On Saturday, I visited eight spots and then another four on Sunday. I started in Brooklyn, with the BRIC Arts | Media House, followed by the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew. Both were very interesting, and the church had printed material that allowed a self-guided tour. A big plus, as far as I’m concerned.

On to Manhattan and two architecture firms in Chelsea—EOA / Elmslie Osler Architect, and parallel design (their choice of all lower case letters). EOA has designed several Anthologie stores, as well as some high-end residences (e.g., the Hamptons). Ali Tayar was the architect-in-residence at parallel, and I had a one-on-one, as he demonstrated some of his designs.

My next stop was one I was bound and determined to do this year, as I missed out on it last year. The Jefferson Market Library on West 10th Street has a 149-step circular staircase up into the tower. Some of you may have seen this iconic building—it looks like a little castle in the heart of Greenwich Village. The staircase is so narrow that it’s one-way only. As a result, it’s somewhat time consuming if you have to wait for other folks to come down (or go up). But it was worth it. The views are fun; it’s something that I’d recommend to anyone at future OHNYs.

Next on my list was the Rubin Museum of Art, which was free for the day if you mentioned OHNY. I did, of course. The exhibition currently on display is Himalayan art—not necessarily my favorite—however, the design of the building was a real treat to experience. I followed this with a walk of the full length of the High Line, which was not really an OHNY event, but I wanted to see the new extension up to 34th Street. It’s a lot of fun; the trail eases gently down to street level, with no stairs to navigate.

My final Saturday stop was the Bronx Library Center, a building I have been to before for a concert. It was a bit of a bust on Saturday, as I had missed the tours earlier on in the day. Whew!

Starting over on Sunday, I went down to the Lower East Side and caught a really cool experience at the Bullet Space (ask about the name some time). The building is one of the only ten left where the squatters who moved in during the ’70s and ’80s are still (legally) running the building. The ground floor is an art gallery and there are artifacts on display down in the basement. The gal giving us the tour was a blast, and she added a lot of in-the-know information. Unfortunately, when I got to General Theological Seminary I was greeted by a sign that said they were not able to participate this year. It goes on the list for 2015, I guess.

The (rather crowded) tour of the Frick Art Reference Library more than made up for missing out on the seminary. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, and provided a great deal of information on the architects involved and the history of the building, including info on its symbiotic relationship with the Frick Museum. A beautiful place to visit (and it’s free and open to the public year ’round), and we got a special treat by visiting the penthouse and the outdoor terrace, areas not usually open to the public, with beautiful views of Central Park and the West Side.

Upper Manhattan beckoned for the last two sites that I went to. Highbridge Park and Recreation Center had the design work of high school students on display—they designed new changing areas for an outdoor pool (built originally as part of the WPA in the ’30s). The indoor space that was reclaimed was turned into a computer lab and a mixed-use room for the students. This was followed by a Solar Roofpod visit as part of the Architecture department of City University of New York. As part of a design competition, the college students designed and built an 800-square-foot, solar-powered area that includes a resting space (a Murphy Bed®), a compact mechanical room, an open kitchen, and a living room. The unit was designed and built in NYC, then dismantled and shipped to Washington, DC, mantled there (opposite of dismantled doncha know!), then reversed back to NYC. Very interesting, indeed.

As was Open House New York, which will be on my watch list for 2015 and beyond.

ArchitectureMeister

NYCB (10/3/14)

Friday evening found me at Lincoln Center courtesy of WQXR—I managed to win a giveaway to an all-Stravinsky/Balanchine program by New York City Ballet. Maybe a wee too much Stravinsky and Balanchine, but more on that later. 

Apollo, Monumentum pro Gesualdo, Movements for Piano and Orchestra, Duo Concertant, and Agon were the ballets on display, and all were danced quite well as seen by this semi-trained eye. And the orchestra (and instrumental soloists) played very well. From a musical standpoint, I really enjoyed hearing music from the pit without the pit being mostly covered, as is the case with opera and theater performances. While the Stravinsky scores were varied, there was less variation in the Balanchine choreography. This is not to say that the choreography was unvaried, just that the choreographic language developed by Mr. B (as he is known in-house—and I hope I’m not being too presumptuous here) lends itself to more observable repetition than Stravinsky’s compositional styles. And there was certainly variation in the makeup of the casts of the separate ballets.

Apollo was for one male and three females. There were minimal props used (lute, lyre, mask, etc.), and I’m not a big fan of that because the dancers need to set them down on the stage and, to me, they pull too much focus. It’s not that they were in the way of the dancers, they just looked somewhat out of place.

After intermission the next three ballets were performed as a group, with a pause between each. Monumentum had a lead couple plus a corps of six females and six males while Movements had a (different) lead couple and a corps of six (different) females. A note from the program informed me that though these two ballets were composed/choreographed separately, Balanchine paired them at one point, and they have been performed that way since 1966. The piano soloist for Movements was
Alan Moverman. Duo Concertant rounded out this section of the performance, with Arturo Delmoni (violin), Nancy McDill (piano), and Ashley Bouder and Robert Fairchild all sharing the stage and, at times, interacting with each other.

After the second intermission, Agon was presented, with four couples (one featured in the Pas de Deux) and four additional females forming a corps. As noted in the program, there were variations for Four Boys; Eight Girls; Eight Girls, Four Boys; as well as a pair of Pas de Trois movements; the aforementioned Pas de Deux; and finishing with Four Duos, Four Trios, and Four Boys (as a Coda, mirroring the Four Boys from the beginning of the work).

So while there was a variety of groupings, it was the choreographic language that, while unifying, became slightly repetitive. The music for Apollo and Monumentum was fairly mild for Stravinsky; we got the more angular and rhythmic Stravinsky beginning with Movements and Duo Concertant.

As with opera curtain calls, ballet curtain calls have a hierarchy of their own. The assembled company for each ballet bows as the curtain is lowered. Then there’s usually one more company bow, followed by the curtain being pulled back for solo (in this case, mostly duos and small ensemble) bows, *lather, rinse, repeat*. I understand the formality of it; it goes on too long in my opinion. Hey, my blog, my opinion!

It was a very enjoyable evening at the ballet. Thank you, NYCB and WQXR.

ConcertMeister

Songbook, September 2014 (9/29/14)

As a reminder, Songbook is a series of performances of music written by up and coming Broadway/theater composers and lyricists. Monday evening was the opening concert of its 24th season. I’ve only been aware of it for the last five or six years; it is a series that I try to keep my eye on, however.

The songs of Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar were on display here. Compositionally, I liked what I heard, with a few caveats. The musical ideas I found very appealing. Not so much the vocal writing/performing style. It was heavily jazz/rock/R&B tinged which, to me, leads to a lot of distortion of the texts. And if the texts aren’t coming through loud and clear, the message is not making it. Some of this could just be me, as the audience ate up the entire concert.

Mr. Lyons, a musical actor, is currently in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Mr. Pakchar is, I believe, currently a pit musician (guitar), but I’m not sure of which show. Mr. Lyons writes both music and lyrics while Mr. Pakchar crafts the music and orchestrations, though I’d bet there’s more teamwork than those brief descriptions let on.

Monday night we heard songs from their debut CD #Love (Live), Unexpected Bliss (a musical currently being worked on), and Five Points (also a musical currently being worked on).

I started by taking notes on each song but then just gave over to listening. Not Meant to Be in Love, from Unexpected Bliss, had a Latin rhythm and was almost patter song–like in style. There were a lot of words crammed in there. Also from Unexpected Bliss, Gold seemed totally original to me, beginning as a slow tempo jazz ballad and then building.

Two songs from #Love (Live) were next, with Let Go having, according to my notes, really good music. The Sexy Song reminded me of a coffee house cum jazz lounge feel and included real backup harmonies.

Favorite Song, from Five Points, purposely had a Billie Holiday/Eartha Kitt style. Beginning with the sixth song I was beginning to lose more and more lyrics, and that seemed to hold true throughout the rest of the show. One more song from Five Points had “the Bordellas” as a Greek chorus behind a Madame from a bordello—a cute idea that worked well. And that’s really the extent of my note taking.

The duo rounded up a great deal of talent for the performances of their songs, including Lillias White, Christine Dwyer, Ashley Blanchet, and others currently on the boards, or recently involved in other theater projects. There was a lot of talent—writing, playing, singing—I just wish I could have heard, understood, and, well, ‘gotten’ more of it.

But as I said, the audience thoroughly enjoyed it, especially because of the powerhouse performances. You’ll be hearing more about Songbook from me in the new season.

ConcertMeister

A Real Twofer (9/27/14)

Thanks to the Smithsonian Institution’s Free Museum Day, I spent a very enjoyable few hours at the Museum of Arts and Design on Saturday morning/afternoon, in the Columbus Circle area. This was my first visit, and it was a real pleasure. I lucked into a docent tour, so I got a good overview of the space and the exhibitions, and then I spent some time revisiting certain areas on my own for more in-depth viewing.

Currently on display are NYC Makers – The MAD Biennial; Maryland to Murano – Neckpieces and Sculptures by Joyce J. Scott; and What Would Mrs. Webb Do? – A Founder’s Vision. The first, NYC Makers, specifically refers to artists as makers, since their creations include functional items as well as pieces designed for display. Makers from all five boroughs are represented. An added bonus gleaned from the docent tour is that some of the displays—the way the pieces are actually laid out—are designed for specific pieces, or are site specific for the Biennial.

The neckpieces display includes beaded items, glass and metals, feathers, etc. There are display cases as well as a multitude of pullout drawers, where additional items are on view.

Mrs. Webb, Aileen Osborn Webb, focused on craftsmanship—she founded the American Craft Council, the School of American Craftsmen, and the World Craft Council. The exhibition also focuses on collected oral histories of American craftsmen (and, of course, women are implied/included in all of these titles) and gold medal award-winning pieces from juried competitions across the years.

One of the things I liked about the museum is its use of light and space. There are also performance venues as well as (and I’m not making this up, you know!) red, green, and blue scratch ’n’ sniff decal-like decorations in the stairwells.

After a quick bite to eat, my next stop was at one of my mainstays, the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. In the Bruno Walter auditorium I heard a program titled The Sylvan Winds Celebrate Georges Barrère. The base quintet—flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and French horn—was augmented with an additional flute, clarinet, bassoon, and oboe.

Georges Barrère was a French flutist who came to New York, played with the New York Symphony Orchestra (later merged with the New York Philharmonic), and was an influential teacher here in America. He was represented on the program as the arranger of the first piece presented, Suite Miniature, by Poldowski (1879–1932). Poldowski, it seems, was the pseudonym of Belgian-born composer Régine Wieniawski.

The rest of the program included many composers and works that were new to me, but then, wind ensembles are not my strong point. The pieces: Second Suite for wind octet – Theodore Dubois (1837–1924); Fantasia con Fuga, Op. 28 (1908) for flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, 2 bassoons & horn – Edouard Flament (1880–1958); Miniatures – William Grant Still (1895–1978); Suite for wind quintet (1933) – Henry Cowell (1897–1965); a trio, announced from the stage; and Second Suite for winds, Op. 122 – Charles-Édouard Lefebvre (1843–1917).

The general level of playing was fine, with only one bit of out of tune sustained octaves between the flute and horn—a note here, as I’ve mentioned before, the horn in a wind quintet is a French horn; the English horn referred to above is actually a woodwind with a timbre slightly darker than an oboe, though it is very closely related.

The program went on a bit too long, especially as the last piece had a more formidable structure with larger, longer movements. All in all, though, a nice concert as the end of a real twofer.

ConcertMeister

Pierrot Throughout the World (9/22/14)

At the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, this diverse program was performed
with only tenuous connections to Pierrot. The last work on the program was
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912) of Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951). This was preceded by L’après-midi d’un Schoenberg (2012) by Richard Brooks (b. 1942) with libretto by Nancy Bogen (b. 1932) (World Premiere). And the concert opened with Danzón No. 2 (1994) by Arturo Márquez (b. 1950), (arr. by
Bobby Lapinski (b. 1989)). Whew! I think I’m done with diacriticals and parentheses. The entire concert was conducted by Dr. Arturo Ortega.

The tenuous connection is the “Pierrot” Consort—four singers, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano—essentially the forces for the Brooks work. And most of the performers of the Brooks work have connections to the University of North Texas College of Music. The only connection I made with the Márquez is that Mr. Lapinski was the clarinetist in the “Pierrot” Consort. Clear as mud? Now, on to the music.

Danzón had a light tango feel, starting with piano and clarinet, then adding violin and cello, and then the flute. With all instruments playing, there was a full sound that picked up in tempo and volume. At one point the flutist doubled on piccolo, adding to the intensity. I was reminded of the tangos of Astor Piazzolla.

L’après-midi d’un Schoenberg had an interesting concept in that it took four photographs of Schoenberg and others (wife, child, two students, two unknown females) and superimposed a “what-if” scenario. The photos were presumably taken by Schoenberg’s brother, so we now have a cast of eight. As a result, our four singers represented two people each, one with props (hats, lorgnette, hair bow) and one without. An interesting concept that eventually fell a bit flat. The mix of English and German texts was OK, and the material was presented in a way that made it relatively understandable. The singing was uniformly good throughout. Overall, an OK work that I would probably not seek out again.

The same can pretty much be said for Pierrot Lunaire, a Sprechstimme song cycle of three sets of seven songs each. The singer/actress here used a more fluid (i.e., less jagged) interpretation of moving from pitch to pitch, which I found to be an improvement over other interpretations of the style that I’ve heard. I wasn’t overly impressed, but neither did I feel like sprinting from the room. Once again, I’m glad I went. I wouldn’t seek these out again, and will look more closely at ACFNY offerings before committing to attend. Hey, you can teach old ’Meisters new tricks.

ConcertMeister