Saturday afternoon found me at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts for a concert Celebrating Samuel Barber’s 105th Anniversary. Interestingly, earlier in the day I celebrated “Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland” at the Morgan Library & Museum. The Barber concert featured Maxim Anikushin, piano, carillon, and organ; Eric Silberger, violin; and Thelma Ithier-Sterling, soprano.
All of the music was composed by Samuel Barber (1910–1981), but most of the featured works were from his early years, including one that was written when he was seven years old. The first piece on the program was Souvenirs, Op. 28 (1952), a suite of six dances for solo piano. Waltz had a bright opening, and was modern but easy to listen to. Schottische was lively, and still had modern harmonies and rhythms. Pas de deux, gentler in tone and tempo, had a slightly ethereal ending. Two-step showed a bit of Latin flair and rhythm, while Hesitation-Tango gave us the full Latin treatment of a tango, but without being in-your-face aggressive. Galop was a return to bright, energetic rhythms that put me in the mind of fractured, modernist carousel music.
Much of the early piano solo music—Three Themes (1923), “Petite Berceuse”
(1923), and Essay II (1926)—gave insight into the budding mind of a young composer, but seemed a bit too repetitive in style and theme. Essay II was my favorite of this bunch, with its hints of imitating Stravinsky and Debussy. Still, it was more of a compositional character study as opposed to music for music’s sake. A pair of very simplistic childhood compositions followed. They could easily have been omitted, in my opinion.
Videos of Mr. Anikushin playing on two different carillons followed, and they were quite interesting. Who knew that you play a carillon by hitting batons. The three carillon pieces were written by Barber between 1930 and 1933. Four more videos followed after intermission, including Mr. Anikushin playing piano, organ, harpsichord and, again, carillon. The works were from 1926, 1927, and 1930 to 1933.
Live music returned with the Violin Sonata in F minor (1928), Allegro Agitato (movement III) performed by Mr. Silberger and Mr. Anikushin. It was pretty modern, for music of an 18-year-old composer—very dramatic, interesting, though not my favorite style, and included a more lyrical middle section that I liked better. That said, it was played extremely well by both performers. Messrs. Silberger and Anikushin followed this with Gypsy Dance from the opera The Rose Tree (1922), which was quite the showpiece, written at the age of 12! Parts of it were a bit cliché, so I just sat back and enjoyed it.
Of the six Early Songs performed by Ms. Ithier-Sterling, “The Daisies,” from Three Songs, Op. 2 (1927) and “The Slumber Song of the Madonna” (1925) were my favorites. Some earlier songs from 1917 and 1919 were included, possibly to show Barber’s growth in compositional techniques of Art Songs. Ms. Ithier-Sterling sang nicely, but didn’t really showcase these songs very well. The song Why Not? closed out the concert. It was a bit of a novelty song, and was quite amusing and—why not? It was from the pen and mind of a seven-year-old composer.
Sunday afternoon turned into a sort of history tour of the blues, courtesy of
The Overlook Concerts’ presenting the French Cookin’ Blues Band—Dave “Doc” French, guitar and vocals; Glen Bob Allen, drums; Margey Peters, bass; and Josh Goldberg, harmonica, guitar and vocals. Luckily it was a perfect afternoon for an outdoor concert. Ms. Peters was subbing for the quartet’s regular bass player, and she did a fine job. First things first, the amplification was just too loud. I was not the only person to pick up my plastic chair and move farther away from the speakers. The music itself was well performed, and “Doc” walked us through the history lesson part with charm and not a bit of school teacher–type stuff.
How Happy Am I (“Doc” French) was slow blues, with the harmonica featured quite prominently, in the style of delta blues. With its quicker tempo, Daytime Blues (D. French) had more of a country music feel, and included a nicely composed closing section. Without naming every name, we moved through to Chicago blues, with more of a driving rhythm and raw vocals. After adding a touch of R&B, Goldberg (“Brother G”) took over vocals from “Doc” in a nice rendition of Willie Dixon’s You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover. Marie, by Dave Alvin, and Bo Diddley, by Ellis McDaniels, roared us firmly into blues/rock before returning to a slower blues feel (with a classic walking bass line) with Old Sun Blues (D. French). The concert closed out with an instrumental version of French’s Waggin’—and there were some dogs in attendance, and their tails were a-waggin’.
There are two more Overlook Concerts (2pm on Oct. 4 and 11 at the Overlook in Riverside Park, near 116th Street) in case you’re interested. Oct. 4 is The Manhattan School of Music Brass Quintet, while the Oct. 11 is the Columbia University Bluegrass Band. Weather permitting, I’ll probably give both a try.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Open House Times Two (9/12-13/15)
No, not Open House New York, yet. Saturday found me at the Mark Morris Dance Center Open House, for a three o’clock concert. It’s a great building, with ample, clean, bright studio space and a flexible performance area on the fifth floor. In addition to the concert, there were free dance classes throughout the day, though I didn’t take any. They also had small servings of baked ziti, baby carrots (which aren’t really baby carrots, you know) and dip, and some salty chip-style snacks later on.
Oh, right, the performance. In addition to dance, they also have singing classes, and a small group of youngsters started off the program with “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” from Annie. They did a pretty darn good job, and I was tickled to hear one of my all-time favorite forced musical theater rhymes—“No one cares for you a smidge / When you’re in an or-pha-nage.” The songsters were followed by a pair of break dancing brothers who performed with lots of style and who really got the crowd going. I’m not good at guessing ages, but I’d put the older brother at about nine or ten, with the younger one at about six or seven.
The performance then moved on to two youth companies from the dance program. Student Company II performed The Vault, choreographed by Mireille Obert, which was a nice performance in the modern ballet style. It was mostly upbeat, and the eleven young ladies performed with grace and energy. Student Company I was slightly more advanced, and they performed excerpts from Words, choreographed by Mark Morris. With somber music to begin with, the piece advanced into a brighter tempo, and the twelve ladies performed with style and wit.
Oh, you want style and wit? The performance culminated with “Flowers” from The Hard Nut, also choreographed by Mr. Morris. Clara’s mother oversaw the antics of the flowers—and in this case the flowers were both male and female, all costumed alike in flowing floral dresses while on their heads they wore what looked like flower buds. Actually, they looked more like bathing caps, which was quite appropriate as some of the choreography was reminiscent of a Busby Berkeley, Esther Williams routine! Oh, and they all had on gold lame dance pants. I know this because at some point or another they all had their legs over their heads while lying on their backs. Did I mention that this was humorous? Oh yes, it was most definitely humorous. And yes, the Mark Morris Dance Group is performing The Hard Nut at Brooklyn Academy of Music this upcoming holiday season.
Sunday found me at the Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Long Island City, just across the East River from Manhattan, in Queens. Go. There. I went on a family Open House day (free), but this museum is worth the price of admission. I went because of the Open House and the free cello concert, but the museum won me over. OK, the concert. Ashley Bathgate, a Bang on a Can Music member, played Stories for Ocean Shells by Australian composer Kate Moore. The music was lovely; the treatment of it, not so much. The cello sounds were beautiful but the electronic sounds and amplification (and loops, loops, loops) did the compositions a disservice. At one point, I just left the concert proper (um, sitting on a concrete floor or a little bamboo mat) and wandered, looking at Isamu Noguchi’s sculptures while listening to essentially background music. I don't usually do background music at concerts. Noguchi’s (1904–1988) sculptures on display were created in granite, basalt, raw marble, and polished marble. Alas, the museum’s sculpture garden is under renovation—I’ll probably go back to see it in its full glory.
That said, both Open Houses were well worth spending time at, and I may seek both out again. I might even take a class or two at the Mark Morris Dance Center next year.
ConcertMeister
Oh, right, the performance. In addition to dance, they also have singing classes, and a small group of youngsters started off the program with “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” from Annie. They did a pretty darn good job, and I was tickled to hear one of my all-time favorite forced musical theater rhymes—“No one cares for you a smidge / When you’re in an or-pha-nage.” The songsters were followed by a pair of break dancing brothers who performed with lots of style and who really got the crowd going. I’m not good at guessing ages, but I’d put the older brother at about nine or ten, with the younger one at about six or seven.
The performance then moved on to two youth companies from the dance program. Student Company II performed The Vault, choreographed by Mireille Obert, which was a nice performance in the modern ballet style. It was mostly upbeat, and the eleven young ladies performed with grace and energy. Student Company I was slightly more advanced, and they performed excerpts from Words, choreographed by Mark Morris. With somber music to begin with, the piece advanced into a brighter tempo, and the twelve ladies performed with style and wit.
Oh, you want style and wit? The performance culminated with “Flowers” from The Hard Nut, also choreographed by Mr. Morris. Clara’s mother oversaw the antics of the flowers—and in this case the flowers were both male and female, all costumed alike in flowing floral dresses while on their heads they wore what looked like flower buds. Actually, they looked more like bathing caps, which was quite appropriate as some of the choreography was reminiscent of a Busby Berkeley, Esther Williams routine! Oh, and they all had on gold lame dance pants. I know this because at some point or another they all had their legs over their heads while lying on their backs. Did I mention that this was humorous? Oh yes, it was most definitely humorous. And yes, the Mark Morris Dance Group is performing The Hard Nut at Brooklyn Academy of Music this upcoming holiday season.
Sunday found me at the Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Long Island City, just across the East River from Manhattan, in Queens. Go. There. I went on a family Open House day (free), but this museum is worth the price of admission. I went because of the Open House and the free cello concert, but the museum won me over. OK, the concert. Ashley Bathgate, a Bang on a Can Music member, played Stories for Ocean Shells by Australian composer Kate Moore. The music was lovely; the treatment of it, not so much. The cello sounds were beautiful but the electronic sounds and amplification (and loops, loops, loops) did the compositions a disservice. At one point, I just left the concert proper (um, sitting on a concrete floor or a little bamboo mat) and wandered, looking at Isamu Noguchi’s sculptures while listening to essentially background music. I don't usually do background music at concerts. Noguchi’s (1904–1988) sculptures on display were created in granite, basalt, raw marble, and polished marble. Alas, the museum’s sculpture garden is under renovation—I’ll probably go back to see it in its full glory.
That said, both Open Houses were well worth spending time at, and I may seek both out again. I might even take a class or two at the Mark Morris Dance Center next year.
ConcertMeister
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
10th-Anniversary Harlem Garden Tour (8/29/15)
This was year three for me. And only year two for the full tour. The first year I attended, I joined mid-tour; last year, I did the whole she-bang—including breakfast and a Harlem cookout! Last year, I had gumbo for breakfast for the first time, so this year I had to add ratatouille to the gumbo for breakfast. (Yes, I did make a donation to this free event.)
Many of the gardens—and they are all community gardens—were repeats this year. I happened to know about the cotton and peanuts, planted in a public space, from last year. That information was not presented this year, partially due to the much larger turnout. See 10th-anniversary, above. Repeat standouts for me were the Joseph Daniel Wilson Memorial Garden (W. 122nd St.), Clayton Williams Garden and PCB William B. Washington Garden (both on W. 126th St.), Linnette C. Williamson/Unity Garden (W. 128th St.) (though they had some condition issues because of a condemned building next door and the re-seeding of their Harlem Village Green space), and the always stunning and educational Success Garden/Harlem Grown space (W. 134th St.). Success Garden/Harlem Grown works in conjunction with the school across the street; the students do the gardening, and all of the produce goes home with them or is donated to the community. How cool is that?
The first stop this year was new to the tour—Chenchita's Garden, at 112th St. and Madison Ave. This is a large, beautiful spot that incorporates teaching, yarn projects, and sharing produce (for a slight fee) with the community. This place made a huge impression on me. At the end of the tour, I celebrated with rotisserie chicken, cole slaw, pasta salad, and yellow rice. Oh, also along the way they provided water, and some of the individual gardens provided tea, snacks, and infused waters. Did I mention that this was free?
This year, there were two yellow school buses for patrons who needed transportation, a bicycling contingent, and a walking contingent. I was part of that one, though I didn't make the trek from W. 134th St. to W. 162nd St. and then back down to 151st St. Instead, I sought out an Ethiopian restaurant and had a 'Renaissance Wit' beer, brewed by the Harlem Brewing Co., based out of Saratoga, NY. Lest I forget, though I forgot to go there during rose season, the tour also had a stop at the Harlem Rose Garden on E. 129th St.
Ah, the gardens. I saw the following growing: collards, cabbage, thyme, basil, sage, corn, okra, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, hard squash (butternut, I think), broccoli, chard, kale, pea plants, sunflowers, marigolds, and snapdragons. As for trees, I saw (and many with fruit) apple, crabapple, peach, pear, blueberry, weeping willow, Rose of Sharon, crape myrtle, and bamboo (technically, a grass).
As for other interesting tidbits, the Success Garden/Harlem Grown also has a hydroponic greenhouse (alas, it may have to be dismantled because the plot of land it sits on has been sold). Oh, duh! Community gardens are undeveloped land that the city owns, but that citizens have reclaimed. Some operate under contracts with the city, while others are technically squatters. Also of note, the Linnette C. Williamson Garden is celebrating its 50th! year in 2015, and is presumed to be the first vest-pocket park in the nation.
I feel compelled to note that these gardens are not always open to the public. In fact, because most of them are run by volunteers, they might not even be open during the hours that are posted as "open." Still, even viewed from behind a fence, many of them are interesting and quite beautiful.
Did I mention that they fed me? Twice! Yeah, I'll check them out again next year.
ConcertMeister
Many of the gardens—and they are all community gardens—were repeats this year. I happened to know about the cotton and peanuts, planted in a public space, from last year. That information was not presented this year, partially due to the much larger turnout. See 10th-anniversary, above. Repeat standouts for me were the Joseph Daniel Wilson Memorial Garden (W. 122nd St.), Clayton Williams Garden and PCB William B. Washington Garden (both on W. 126th St.), Linnette C. Williamson/Unity Garden (W. 128th St.) (though they had some condition issues because of a condemned building next door and the re-seeding of their Harlem Village Green space), and the always stunning and educational Success Garden/Harlem Grown space (W. 134th St.). Success Garden/Harlem Grown works in conjunction with the school across the street; the students do the gardening, and all of the produce goes home with them or is donated to the community. How cool is that?
The first stop this year was new to the tour—Chenchita's Garden, at 112th St. and Madison Ave. This is a large, beautiful spot that incorporates teaching, yarn projects, and sharing produce (for a slight fee) with the community. This place made a huge impression on me. At the end of the tour, I celebrated with rotisserie chicken, cole slaw, pasta salad, and yellow rice. Oh, also along the way they provided water, and some of the individual gardens provided tea, snacks, and infused waters. Did I mention that this was free?
This year, there were two yellow school buses for patrons who needed transportation, a bicycling contingent, and a walking contingent. I was part of that one, though I didn't make the trek from W. 134th St. to W. 162nd St. and then back down to 151st St. Instead, I sought out an Ethiopian restaurant and had a 'Renaissance Wit' beer, brewed by the Harlem Brewing Co., based out of Saratoga, NY. Lest I forget, though I forgot to go there during rose season, the tour also had a stop at the Harlem Rose Garden on E. 129th St.
Ah, the gardens. I saw the following growing: collards, cabbage, thyme, basil, sage, corn, okra, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, hard squash (butternut, I think), broccoli, chard, kale, pea plants, sunflowers, marigolds, and snapdragons. As for trees, I saw (and many with fruit) apple, crabapple, peach, pear, blueberry, weeping willow, Rose of Sharon, crape myrtle, and bamboo (technically, a grass).
As for other interesting tidbits, the Success Garden/Harlem Grown also has a hydroponic greenhouse (alas, it may have to be dismantled because the plot of land it sits on has been sold). Oh, duh! Community gardens are undeveloped land that the city owns, but that citizens have reclaimed. Some operate under contracts with the city, while others are technically squatters. Also of note, the Linnette C. Williamson Garden is celebrating its 50th! year in 2015, and is presumed to be the first vest-pocket park in the nation.
I feel compelled to note that these gardens are not always open to the public. In fact, because most of them are run by volunteers, they might not even be open during the hours that are posted as "open." Still, even viewed from behind a fence, many of them are interesting and quite beautiful.
Did I mention that they fed me? Twice! Yeah, I'll check them out again next year.
ConcertMeister
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