Ji Won Song, violin; Richard Fu, piano
Schumann: “F-A-E” Sonata – II. Intermezzo
Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major
Brahms: “F-A-E” Sonata – III. Scherzo
Sibelius: Mazurka, Op. 81, No. 1
OK, I’m hopelessly behind and out of order, but I did work backwards for a week or so. For those of you reading closely, you’re probably going, “What is an ‘F-A-E’ Sonata, and how did two people write it?” Well three people wrote it! It’s worth a Google/Yahoo! search.
The first work on the program had a slowly rippling piano introduction followed by a song-like violin tune, all in a minor key. It really was not sad and was quite beautiful with its Romantic (rich, lush, easy to listen to) harmonies.
The first movement of the Schumann sonata also had a strong Romantic feel—full and deep, leading into a few pyrotechnics from both players but very enjoyable to listen to. There was drama, though it was a controlled drama. The second movement was calmer yet still full bodied in both writing and playing. It was also easy on the ears and some of the sections had an almost Hungarian/Gypsy feel to them, ending with a lovely, light pizzicato. The third movement was brisk with an almost perpetual motion feel to it. All three movements featured motifs of short, dramatic bursts, with the third closing out with a bang-up finish.
The Brahms sonata opened with lyrical and richly Romantic sections balanced with sections that had more speed and more volume that bounced back and forth between lyrical and forceful. The second movement was calmer and quieter to begin with, moving into slightly jaunty, with lots of musical ideas jumbled together in a pleasant way. The last movement was solid and relatively straightforward while adding a mix of styles and phrases, followed by a surprisingly subdued ending.
The “F-A-E” scherzo by Brahms was brisk and dynamic, with pushed rhythmic phrases that were quite dramatic at times. Hmm, maybe I should seek out a recording (or a live performance) of the entire “F-A-E” sonata.
The Sibelius mazurka that closed out the program had a Gypsy flavor and also had sweet, dance-like phrases and tunes, with swoops, sweeps and plucks—all utterly charming! Both players were strong and charming throughout the hour-long concert. Thank you, WQXR and Juilliard for teaming up with this great performance series. I’ll be back for more.
ConcertMeister
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Bell by Bell (12/21/17)
This was a blast! Part of Make Music Winter, a program that actually takes place on both solstices, winter and summer, this was run-of-the-mill, regular folks ringing bells based on signals by flag-waving leaders. I’m not making this up you know.
Even kids could do it. People arrived, chose colored bells and then played them as directed by colored flags. Well, it wasn’t quite that simple. There were some logistical problems at the beginning—duh—not everyone had a bell and some people had two. Once that was settled, we were ready to begin. Also, the five (for each song) leaders had to sync and start their hand-held devices at the top of each piece. There were at least three false starts. So much for technology.
There was a sound check before each piece (not every bell was used in every piece), and that was quite helpful. When your leader raised his (I’m not being sexist here, they were all guys) flag, you rang your bell. It created a wash of sound. Were there tunes? For the most part, no.
We started in Tompkins Square Park then, after playing two tunes, we walked to Avenue B and Fifth Street, playing two more tunes there (we were encouraged to ring our bells while walking—and got pleasant responses from passersby) before ending up at Avenue A and Third Street.
The last piece was (if I’m remembering correctly) composed by a member of So Percussion. It was a bell riff on Silent Night. It worked pretty well. We got the tune but it was bent just a bit. Definitely a cool yule.
This is one event I’m pretty sure I’ll do again and maybe even invite friends to attend with me.
ConcertMeister
Even kids could do it. People arrived, chose colored bells and then played them as directed by colored flags. Well, it wasn’t quite that simple. There were some logistical problems at the beginning—duh—not everyone had a bell and some people had two. Once that was settled, we were ready to begin. Also, the five (for each song) leaders had to sync and start their hand-held devices at the top of each piece. There were at least three false starts. So much for technology.
There was a sound check before each piece (not every bell was used in every piece), and that was quite helpful. When your leader raised his (I’m not being sexist here, they were all guys) flag, you rang your bell. It created a wash of sound. Were there tunes? For the most part, no.
We started in Tompkins Square Park then, after playing two tunes, we walked to Avenue B and Fifth Street, playing two more tunes there (we were encouraged to ring our bells while walking—and got pleasant responses from passersby) before ending up at Avenue A and Third Street.
The last piece was (if I’m remembering correctly) composed by a member of So Percussion. It was a bell riff on Silent Night. It worked pretty well. We got the tune but it was bent just a bit. Definitely a cool yule.
This is one event I’m pretty sure I’ll do again and maybe even invite friends to attend with me.
ConcertMeister
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Holiday Songbook (12/16/17)
Yes, I'm still working backwards.
Classic Holiday Hits featuring Jazz Trumpet Sensation Jonathan Dely and Band
Jonathan Dely, trumpet; Holger Marjamaa, piano; Ben Eunson, guitar; Raphael Pannier, percussion; Nicolas Hetko, keyboard; Josh Allen, bass; and Julia Biedry, guest vocalist
First things first. Really? My first Songbook of the season on December 16?!? Well, yeah. Songbook (new songs by up-and-coming theater composers) is usually the last Monday evening of each month. Due to renovations at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, there was no September Songbook. On the evening of October’s Songbook, I was attending a crackerjack reading/presentation of the book Spotless, by Sherman Yellen, at the York Theatre. I even got him to sign my copy. That’s another story—just ask! The last Monday in November found me decorating BabyBro’s house in Ohio and flying back to NYC. So December it is.
Unfortunately, it was not new music. And also unfortunately, the December new music evening was an evening that I was attending (on freebie tickets that I won in a raffle) a dynamite concert at Carnegie Hall, in the smaller Zankel Hall. But I digress.
So, on to Saturday’s concert. Mr. Dely is a very talented trumpeter. He and his band are mostly guys he met and hooked up with at Manhattan School of Music. They were a pretty much together jazz band, if a little green. Yes they threw melodies and solos back and forth but it was slightly studied and stilted—sort of textbook style. Not bad, just not loose and easy.
And the Holiday Classics were more of a mix of Classics and Holiday. When I Fall in Love was the opener and it had a nice swing to it (including a brief interpolation of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town). That type of interpolation is almost always a given when it comes to holiday concerts—I’m pretty much convinced that Jingle Bells can be added as a holiday fillip or tag to just about any song in December. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas followed. While featuring Mr. Dely, he was also generous with sharing the spotlight with the rest of the band members.
Ms. Biedry entered from the back of the house (with the requisite hand-held microphone) singing Baby It’s Cold Outside. It was sort of an odd duet, with vocalist and trumpeter. Still, it was relatively effective. Soapbox time. There really is no reason to have, in a 250-person house, all six instrumentalists and one vocalist amplified. Unless, of course, you’re relying on a sound engineer to give you the perfect blend. But that should be saved for the recording studio. One of the joys of hearing live music is hearing really live, as it sounds in the room, music. OK, off my soapbox now. I just felt as though I had to give it a try.
Winter Wonderland was followed with La Vie en Rose. The omnipresent and trending Hallelujah was followed with Mr. Dely’s own new age-y arrangement of My Favorite Things. Ms. Biedry was back with an in-the-house version of The Very Thought of You (once again duet style, with Mr. Dely also in the house). This was the rather low key finale. After some very supportive words from John Znidarsic, the brains behind all of the Songbook programming, Mr. Dely and Mr. Marjamaa presented an encore, My Funny Valentine.
Mr. Dely and all of his bandmates here have a pretty good feel for jazz, though they’re also more than happy to add their own twists and turns. An interesting concert, just not the Songbook that I was hoping for. To paraphrase Mr. Sondheim, well, maybe next month.
ConcertMeister
Classic Holiday Hits featuring Jazz Trumpet Sensation Jonathan Dely and Band
Jonathan Dely, trumpet; Holger Marjamaa, piano; Ben Eunson, guitar; Raphael Pannier, percussion; Nicolas Hetko, keyboard; Josh Allen, bass; and Julia Biedry, guest vocalist
First things first. Really? My first Songbook of the season on December 16?!? Well, yeah. Songbook (new songs by up-and-coming theater composers) is usually the last Monday evening of each month. Due to renovations at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, there was no September Songbook. On the evening of October’s Songbook, I was attending a crackerjack reading/presentation of the book Spotless, by Sherman Yellen, at the York Theatre. I even got him to sign my copy. That’s another story—just ask! The last Monday in November found me decorating BabyBro’s house in Ohio and flying back to NYC. So December it is.
Unfortunately, it was not new music. And also unfortunately, the December new music evening was an evening that I was attending (on freebie tickets that I won in a raffle) a dynamite concert at Carnegie Hall, in the smaller Zankel Hall. But I digress.
So, on to Saturday’s concert. Mr. Dely is a very talented trumpeter. He and his band are mostly guys he met and hooked up with at Manhattan School of Music. They were a pretty much together jazz band, if a little green. Yes they threw melodies and solos back and forth but it was slightly studied and stilted—sort of textbook style. Not bad, just not loose and easy.
And the Holiday Classics were more of a mix of Classics and Holiday. When I Fall in Love was the opener and it had a nice swing to it (including a brief interpolation of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town). That type of interpolation is almost always a given when it comes to holiday concerts—I’m pretty much convinced that Jingle Bells can be added as a holiday fillip or tag to just about any song in December. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas followed. While featuring Mr. Dely, he was also generous with sharing the spotlight with the rest of the band members.
Ms. Biedry entered from the back of the house (with the requisite hand-held microphone) singing Baby It’s Cold Outside. It was sort of an odd duet, with vocalist and trumpeter. Still, it was relatively effective. Soapbox time. There really is no reason to have, in a 250-person house, all six instrumentalists and one vocalist amplified. Unless, of course, you’re relying on a sound engineer to give you the perfect blend. But that should be saved for the recording studio. One of the joys of hearing live music is hearing really live, as it sounds in the room, music. OK, off my soapbox now. I just felt as though I had to give it a try.
Winter Wonderland was followed with La Vie en Rose. The omnipresent and trending Hallelujah was followed with Mr. Dely’s own new age-y arrangement of My Favorite Things. Ms. Biedry was back with an in-the-house version of The Very Thought of You (once again duet style, with Mr. Dely also in the house). This was the rather low key finale. After some very supportive words from John Znidarsic, the brains behind all of the Songbook programming, Mr. Dely and Mr. Marjamaa presented an encore, My Funny Valentine.
Mr. Dely and all of his bandmates here have a pretty good feel for jazz, though they’re also more than happy to add their own twists and turns. An interesting concert, just not the Songbook that I was hoping for. To paraphrase Mr. Sondheim, well, maybe next month.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Christmas Caroling (12/17/17)
Okay folks, I'm working backwards here, only become some posts need less commentary than others. I attended today's West Village Chorale's 43rd Annual Carol Walk. It was ... enjoyable. Having done this several years in a row, I know that the group leaders make all the difference. Today's were ... not quite enjoyable. After asking for input—standing in place and singing or strolling and singing—we pretty much did what the group leader wanted. Until it didn't work. Walking and singing did not work. One group leader walked really fast while one didn't really try to keep up. So a lot was out of sync.
We hit most of the usuals—Silent Night, We Three Kings, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, Hark the Herald, We Wish You ... with even a White Christmas thrown in. But they were lackluster. My props were appreciated—tinkling bell for Jingle Bells and Silver Bells, plus the requisite red nose for ... well, you know. The group had lots of followers (in our group—we never really drew much of an audience, though we did get some nice feedback from passers-by). Every time I added a bit of harmony, the folks near me seemed to not know the tune any more. I didn't try that very often. One restaurant invited us in for a couple of songs and that went pretty well.
Will I try it again? Sure. You never know who you'll get as group leaders. And I had a good time singing, the weather was cooperative, and everyone seemed to have, at least, a good time.
ConcertMeister
We hit most of the usuals—Silent Night, We Three Kings, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, Hark the Herald, We Wish You ... with even a White Christmas thrown in. But they were lackluster. My props were appreciated—tinkling bell for Jingle Bells and Silver Bells, plus the requisite red nose for ... well, you know. The group had lots of followers (in our group—we never really drew much of an audience, though we did get some nice feedback from passers-by). Every time I added a bit of harmony, the folks near me seemed to not know the tune any more. I didn't try that very often. One restaurant invited us in for a couple of songs and that went pretty well.
Will I try it again? Sure. You never know who you'll get as group leaders. And I had a good time singing, the weather was cooperative, and everyone seemed to have, at least, a good time.
ConcertMeister
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
New York Classical Players (12/2/17)
Chamber Music by Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland
Rachel Kudo, piano; Alice Woo, cello; Paul Won Jin Cho, clarinet;
Siwoo Kim, violin; Brian Bak, violin; Cong Wu, viola
Ballade for piano, op. 46 (1977) – Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Cello Sonata in C minor, op. 6 (1932) – I. Allegro ma non troppo; II. Adagio; III. Allegro appassionato – Barber
Sonata for clarinet and piano (1943, arr. 1980) – I. Andante semplice;
II. Lento; III. Allegretto giusto – Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Sextet for clarinet, piano, and string quartet (1937) – I. Allegro vivace;
II. Lento; III. Finale. Precise and rhythmic – Copland
Barber’s ballade began rather calmly and then turned louder, with a mix of dissonances as well as more traditional harmonies. It was at times mysterious and at others rambunctious, presenting quite a few different musical ideas and sounds, with silence being used often and effectively. Still, it didn’t really come together for me.
The sonata had a very dramatic opening and was fairly dissonant, in general, though there were some parts with nice tunes that were easier to listen to. A false ending led to a more energetic section. After wandering a lot, musically, with some very lovely lines along the way, the first movement ended very gently. The second movement was song-like and soulful, followed by a rapid, contrasting section before returning to the soulful feel. The final movement had a dramatic opening for the piano and was soon joined by the cello. It was passionate, as reflected in the movement’s title. Once again, it also had a mix of ideas and styles that were a bit of a jumble. It had a strong ending, though slightly unsettling.
Copland’s sonata began with calm, open space chords from the piano paired with calm, slightly dissonant lines from the clarinet, with both then branching out in tempo and energy. It was very pleasant to listen to, even with the dissonances. The second movement also opened with solo piano that was then joined by the clarinet. There were simple, slow, calm lines for both, then an oddly disjointed section that was still interesting before leading into a slightly eerie ending. After a jaunty, perky, and fun start, the third movement settled into a slightly smoother section, still with a fun feeling. Following a lot of rapid-fire playing from both instruments, the ending was rather subdued.
The sextet has an interesting history. It was conceived as a short symphony in 1933. The technical and rhythmic intricacies made it, according to the conductor of the Boston Symphony, unplayable. The symphony did get a performance in 1934 by the Orquestra Sinfónica de México under maestro Carlos Chávez, but the piece pretty much languished in obscurity. Copland himself pared it down to the sextet version I heard on Saturday. The first movement was very energetic, very modern, and somewhat dissonant, with shifting time signatures adding to the unsettled feeling. It was angular, and even the calmer sections had an underlying frantic feeling. The movements all ran together, with the second being slower, smooth and quiet, but with tension. At times it was even mildly harsh, yet there were also phrases of real beauty. The finale was rhythmic, driving, and slightly biting. While the piece was very interesting as a whole, I really didn’t come away liking it all that much. Am I glad I heard it? Sure. And I certainly liked learning the history behind it.
All of the players were quite good and seemed to work well with each other, which is definitely a big help. All in all, a very interesting afternoon, even though I probably wouldn’t seek out additional performances of any of the four works. Maybe the clarinet and piano sonata. Ah, ha! I just did some sleuthing about the Copland sonata after wondering about the ‘arr. 1980’ reference above. This is also a reworking of other music, in this case his sonata for violin and piano. But it actually is Copland’s own transcription. Always more things to learn!
ConcertMeister
Rachel Kudo, piano; Alice Woo, cello; Paul Won Jin Cho, clarinet;
Siwoo Kim, violin; Brian Bak, violin; Cong Wu, viola
Ballade for piano, op. 46 (1977) – Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Cello Sonata in C minor, op. 6 (1932) – I. Allegro ma non troppo; II. Adagio; III. Allegro appassionato – Barber
Sonata for clarinet and piano (1943, arr. 1980) – I. Andante semplice;
II. Lento; III. Allegretto giusto – Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Sextet for clarinet, piano, and string quartet (1937) – I. Allegro vivace;
II. Lento; III. Finale. Precise and rhythmic – Copland
Barber’s ballade began rather calmly and then turned louder, with a mix of dissonances as well as more traditional harmonies. It was at times mysterious and at others rambunctious, presenting quite a few different musical ideas and sounds, with silence being used often and effectively. Still, it didn’t really come together for me.
The sonata had a very dramatic opening and was fairly dissonant, in general, though there were some parts with nice tunes that were easier to listen to. A false ending led to a more energetic section. After wandering a lot, musically, with some very lovely lines along the way, the first movement ended very gently. The second movement was song-like and soulful, followed by a rapid, contrasting section before returning to the soulful feel. The final movement had a dramatic opening for the piano and was soon joined by the cello. It was passionate, as reflected in the movement’s title. Once again, it also had a mix of ideas and styles that were a bit of a jumble. It had a strong ending, though slightly unsettling.
Copland’s sonata began with calm, open space chords from the piano paired with calm, slightly dissonant lines from the clarinet, with both then branching out in tempo and energy. It was very pleasant to listen to, even with the dissonances. The second movement also opened with solo piano that was then joined by the clarinet. There were simple, slow, calm lines for both, then an oddly disjointed section that was still interesting before leading into a slightly eerie ending. After a jaunty, perky, and fun start, the third movement settled into a slightly smoother section, still with a fun feeling. Following a lot of rapid-fire playing from both instruments, the ending was rather subdued.
The sextet has an interesting history. It was conceived as a short symphony in 1933. The technical and rhythmic intricacies made it, according to the conductor of the Boston Symphony, unplayable. The symphony did get a performance in 1934 by the Orquestra Sinfónica de México under maestro Carlos Chávez, but the piece pretty much languished in obscurity. Copland himself pared it down to the sextet version I heard on Saturday. The first movement was very energetic, very modern, and somewhat dissonant, with shifting time signatures adding to the unsettled feeling. It was angular, and even the calmer sections had an underlying frantic feeling. The movements all ran together, with the second being slower, smooth and quiet, but with tension. At times it was even mildly harsh, yet there were also phrases of real beauty. The finale was rhythmic, driving, and slightly biting. While the piece was very interesting as a whole, I really didn’t come away liking it all that much. Am I glad I heard it? Sure. And I certainly liked learning the history behind it.
All of the players were quite good and seemed to work well with each other, which is definitely a big help. All in all, a very interesting afternoon, even though I probably wouldn’t seek out additional performances of any of the four works. Maybe the clarinet and piano sonata. Ah, ha! I just did some sleuthing about the Copland sonata after wondering about the ‘arr. 1980’ reference above. This is also a reworking of other music, in this case his sonata for violin and piano. But it actually is Copland’s own transcription. Always more things to learn!
ConcertMeister
Friday, December 8, 2017
Monteverdi Anniversary Concert (11/29/17)
Molly Quinn, soprano; Timothy Parsons, countertenor; Johanna Novom, violin; Charles Weaver, lute and vocals; Adam Cockerham, theorbo
Chiome d’oro; Ardo e scoprir – Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
Prologue to Orfeo; Et è pur dunque vero; Si dolce è il tormento – Monteverdi
Bel pastor; Damigella tutta bella – Monteverdi
Tempro la cetra; Lamento della ninfa – Monteverdi
Fuge anima mea mundum; Pur ti miro – Monteverdi
This concert was at a new venue for me, Istituto Italiano di Cultura New York, and was suggested to me by my supervisor at work (thanks, Lena!). Since I know a lot of you are curious, a theorbo is an early-music stringed instrument—think of a lute on steroids. It has (at least the one I saw at this concert) a double set of strings, one of them on a neck about four feet long. Do an image search and you’ll see that they vary quite a bit.
Chiome d’oro had a dance-like opening from the violin, lute, and theorbo; they were then joined by both vocalists. It was lively throughout. After some tuning (early-music instruments are notorious for needing frequent retuning), Ardo e scoprir, for lute, theorbo, soprano and tenor (maybe baritone? Mr. Parsons displayed an extremely large range throughout the performances), was much more dramatic.
Prologue to Orfeo, for three instruments only, was gentle and slow but not quite sad. It moved easily into Et è pur dunque vero, which added the soprano and added more drama, as well. It was much livelier for part of the time and Ms. Quinn showed a nice mix and control of a fast vibrato alternating with a basically straight tone (very minimal vibrato). After tuning again, Si dolce è il tormento had an instrumental beginning, joined by Mr. Parsons in his baritenor range in a strophic song that alternated text and instrumental interludes. There were interesting techniques on display by all, all the more so since they were carefully kept in the background.
Bel pastor, a soprano/tenor duet accompanied by lute and theorbo, had both a hint of jollity plus a touch of drama at times. Damigella tutta bella was a madrigal for all five performers which was very brisk and included the lutenist contributing to the vocals.
Tempro la cetra began with all three instruments, joined by Mr. Parsons in his baritenor range again, with more overt vocal techniques on display. Lamento della ninfa seemed to have stereo vocals, with Mr. Parsons and Mr. Weaver bending pitches into a sort of forced dissonance. Ms. Quinn joined in, at which point it truly sounded like a lament.
Fuge anima mea mundum was a motet for soprano, countertenor, and violin, and was brisk and fun, with contrasting slower sections—there was a bouncing back and forth of tempos—and also nice imitative sections that were quite humorous. Pur ti miro, for soprano, countertenor, lute, and theorbo, had gentle strings as an intro followed by the vocal duet, accompanied by the strings, that was also mostly gentle but then picked up tempo after a brief instrumental section.
Early music is not everybody’s cup of tea but I enjoy it quite a bit. It helps that I have performed some of it and have a slightly deeper understanding of the conventions involved—both instrumental and vocal. These five performers gave a most winning performance of a nice range of Monteverdi’s music. Oh, and the anniversary part? The 450th anniversary of Monteverdi’s birth.
Chiome d’oro; Ardo e scoprir – Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
Prologue to Orfeo; Et è pur dunque vero; Si dolce è il tormento – Monteverdi
Bel pastor; Damigella tutta bella – Monteverdi
Tempro la cetra; Lamento della ninfa – Monteverdi
Fuge anima mea mundum; Pur ti miro – Monteverdi
This concert was at a new venue for me, Istituto Italiano di Cultura New York, and was suggested to me by my supervisor at work (thanks, Lena!). Since I know a lot of you are curious, a theorbo is an early-music stringed instrument—think of a lute on steroids. It has (at least the one I saw at this concert) a double set of strings, one of them on a neck about four feet long. Do an image search and you’ll see that they vary quite a bit.
Chiome d’oro had a dance-like opening from the violin, lute, and theorbo; they were then joined by both vocalists. It was lively throughout. After some tuning (early-music instruments are notorious for needing frequent retuning), Ardo e scoprir, for lute, theorbo, soprano and tenor (maybe baritone? Mr. Parsons displayed an extremely large range throughout the performances), was much more dramatic.
Prologue to Orfeo, for three instruments only, was gentle and slow but not quite sad. It moved easily into Et è pur dunque vero, which added the soprano and added more drama, as well. It was much livelier for part of the time and Ms. Quinn showed a nice mix and control of a fast vibrato alternating with a basically straight tone (very minimal vibrato). After tuning again, Si dolce è il tormento had an instrumental beginning, joined by Mr. Parsons in his baritenor range in a strophic song that alternated text and instrumental interludes. There were interesting techniques on display by all, all the more so since they were carefully kept in the background.
Bel pastor, a soprano/tenor duet accompanied by lute and theorbo, had both a hint of jollity plus a touch of drama at times. Damigella tutta bella was a madrigal for all five performers which was very brisk and included the lutenist contributing to the vocals.
Tempro la cetra began with all three instruments, joined by Mr. Parsons in his baritenor range again, with more overt vocal techniques on display. Lamento della ninfa seemed to have stereo vocals, with Mr. Parsons and Mr. Weaver bending pitches into a sort of forced dissonance. Ms. Quinn joined in, at which point it truly sounded like a lament.
Fuge anima mea mundum was a motet for soprano, countertenor, and violin, and was brisk and fun, with contrasting slower sections—there was a bouncing back and forth of tempos—and also nice imitative sections that were quite humorous. Pur ti miro, for soprano, countertenor, lute, and theorbo, had gentle strings as an intro followed by the vocal duet, accompanied by the strings, that was also mostly gentle but then picked up tempo after a brief instrumental section.
Early music is not everybody’s cup of tea but I enjoy it quite a bit. It helps that I have performed some of it and have a slightly deeper understanding of the conventions involved—both instrumental and vocal. These five performers gave a most winning performance of a nice range of Monteverdi’s music. Oh, and the anniversary part? The 450th anniversary of Monteverdi’s birth.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
The Orchestra Now (11/19/17)
Symphony Space, Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Jubilee Variations (1944) New York Premiere – Eugene Goossens
(1893–1962)
Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, Romantic – (1874, rev. 1878/1880) – Bewegt, nicht zu schnell; Andante quasi Allegretto; Scherzo: Bewegt—Trio: Nicht zu schnell, Keinesfalls schleppend; Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell – Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
Well, that’s a mouthful! And I didn’t even list the movements of the Goossens, since there were ten Variations preceded by a Theme and end bracketed by a Finale. Goossens wrote the Theme and Finale but commissioned the ten Variations. I can’t quite find the info on how the variations came to be organized, but here they were by (in order) Paul Creston, Aaron Copland, Deems Taylor, Howard Hanson, William Schuman, Walter Piston, Roy Harris, Anis Fuleihan, Bernard Rogers, and Ernest Bloch. Many names I knew and some that were brand new.
OK, stream of consciousness here. The Goossens Theme was slightly modern/dissonant but bold. Variation (“V”) 1. Richer, lush, but still modern in feel; V. 2. More brash, with ‘open’ Copland writing style—very American; V. 3. Gentle. Harp and strings with added instruments (jeez, it’s hard writing in the dark!), calm and rich, and lengthier than some; V. 4. Muted brass, closer to Copland style, but still distinct—could be part of a film score; V. 5. Muted strings and very calm;
V. 6. Brisk, in your face, rhythmic and jaunty; V. 7. Sweet, lush string writing with that Americana sound again; V. 8. Film score sound from the get-go, lush and symphonic; V. 9, Slightly mystical with an oriental cast to the sound but an American feel; V. 10. Broad, full sound, more abstract feel, modern but accessible. The Finale was tympani and running strings, with the winds brought in and then the brass and percussion, with a more spiky feel—it synthesized many styles, essentially into kitchen sink time, but it worked!
The Bruckner opened with quiet strings followed by a rather lengthy horn solo—a spare opening in general though the full orchestra expounded on the opening with a tuneful and pleasant mix of themes, volume and tempos that were enjoyable, finishing with a flourish. The second movement also had a quiet opening, sort of like walking along on a journey, slightly somber yet purposeful. The third movement had a chorus of horns and other brass, fanfare-esque, then perking along quite nicely, at times sweeping and romantic, full of joy, with many contrasting sections, a few false endings, and finally a real one. The final movement had a fairly mysterious opening/intro followed by a very dramatic section with, once again, contrasting sections that, unfortunately, began to feel arbitrary. In fact, the interesting and pretty sounds that followed didn’t quite mesh together for me, so I didn’t enjoy the piece as a whole as much as I enjoyed the individual parts. Not a huge problem, and I’d be interested in hearing the entire work again sometime, to see whether or not my initial reactions change.
ConcertMeister
Jubilee Variations (1944) New York Premiere – Eugene Goossens
(1893–1962)
Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, Romantic – (1874, rev. 1878/1880) – Bewegt, nicht zu schnell; Andante quasi Allegretto; Scherzo: Bewegt—Trio: Nicht zu schnell, Keinesfalls schleppend; Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell – Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
Well, that’s a mouthful! And I didn’t even list the movements of the Goossens, since there were ten Variations preceded by a Theme and end bracketed by a Finale. Goossens wrote the Theme and Finale but commissioned the ten Variations. I can’t quite find the info on how the variations came to be organized, but here they were by (in order) Paul Creston, Aaron Copland, Deems Taylor, Howard Hanson, William Schuman, Walter Piston, Roy Harris, Anis Fuleihan, Bernard Rogers, and Ernest Bloch. Many names I knew and some that were brand new.
OK, stream of consciousness here. The Goossens Theme was slightly modern/dissonant but bold. Variation (“V”) 1. Richer, lush, but still modern in feel; V. 2. More brash, with ‘open’ Copland writing style—very American; V. 3. Gentle. Harp and strings with added instruments (jeez, it’s hard writing in the dark!), calm and rich, and lengthier than some; V. 4. Muted brass, closer to Copland style, but still distinct—could be part of a film score; V. 5. Muted strings and very calm;
V. 6. Brisk, in your face, rhythmic and jaunty; V. 7. Sweet, lush string writing with that Americana sound again; V. 8. Film score sound from the get-go, lush and symphonic; V. 9, Slightly mystical with an oriental cast to the sound but an American feel; V. 10. Broad, full sound, more abstract feel, modern but accessible. The Finale was tympani and running strings, with the winds brought in and then the brass and percussion, with a more spiky feel—it synthesized many styles, essentially into kitchen sink time, but it worked!
The Bruckner opened with quiet strings followed by a rather lengthy horn solo—a spare opening in general though the full orchestra expounded on the opening with a tuneful and pleasant mix of themes, volume and tempos that were enjoyable, finishing with a flourish. The second movement also had a quiet opening, sort of like walking along on a journey, slightly somber yet purposeful. The third movement had a chorus of horns and other brass, fanfare-esque, then perking along quite nicely, at times sweeping and romantic, full of joy, with many contrasting sections, a few false endings, and finally a real one. The final movement had a fairly mysterious opening/intro followed by a very dramatic section with, once again, contrasting sections that, unfortunately, began to feel arbitrary. In fact, the interesting and pretty sounds that followed didn’t quite mesh together for me, so I didn’t enjoy the piece as a whole as much as I enjoyed the individual parts. Not a huge problem, and I’d be interested in hearing the entire work again sometime, to see whether or not my initial reactions change.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Joshua Blue, tenor; Chris Reynolds, piano (11/18/17)
Yes, I’m woefully behind. Right to it then.
Three Poems of Fiona MacLeod, Op. 11 (1918) – The Lament of Ian the
Proud; Thy Dark Eyes to Mine; The Rose of the Night –
Charles T. Griffes (1884–1920)
Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, Op. 61 (1958) – Menschenbeifall; Die Heimat; Sokrates und Alcibiades; Die Jugend; Hälfte des Lebens; Die Linien des Lebens – Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Three Early Songs (1947) – Night; Let It Be Forgotten; Wind Elegy –
George Crumb (b. 1929)
Poema en forma de canciones, Op. 19 (1923) – Dedicatoria; Nunca olvida; Cantares; Los dos miedos; Las locas por amor – Joaquín Turina (1882–1949)
Traditional Spirituals (arr. Moses Hogan) – Deep River; My Good Lord’s Done Been Here; Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child; Walk Together Children
This was another of the Carnegie Neighborhood Concerts series, a great, free cultural scene here in NYC. OK, first thing right off the bat. All 20th century—not sure that’s the best programming for a debut New York recital. The concert also included American composers. But just too many. The first Griffes piece was moody, with a wispy accompaniment. It was not my favorite of the group. The second had a setting that I didn’t really care for, as it made the lyrics difficult to decipher and understand. Often printed lyrics are included in this vocal series—they would have been helpful here. The third piece was relatively static (there’s that setting thing again). Even though there were fuller, louder sections, they didn’t signify much to me.
The Britten pieces, sung from a score, were performed in German (but no translations, alas). The first benefited from a nice setting. The second was gentler and pretty, then quite dramatic, leading to a calm ending. The third had a calmer accompaniment that worked a lot better for the balance between voice and piano, which is always a little difficult in this performance space. The fourth was faster and brighter while the fifth was calmer, and better for balance again, even with building up of tempo and volume. The sixth seemed to be the reason for the cycle. I liked it and the third song the best of this grouping.
The first Crumb song had an odd setting again and seemed a little bit nebulous to me. The second was better in the setting department but was somewhat on the artsy side, instead of having a more solid feeling. The third was a little more dramatic but really not all that effective.
After beginning with a solo piano section, the first Turina piece was pretty much feathery and quasi impressionistic, with the second being more of the same. The third had long vocal melismas (basically just vowel sounds) to start, and worked into a fairly dramatic setting once the lyrics actually began, providing a little more Spanish flavor, and a bang-up ending. The fourth piece was effectively presented. The fifth was bright and had a lot more character. And Mr. Blue seemed to be playing a character—the cad. I found myself wondering whether this was one of his ‘go-to’ signature pieces.
The first of the spirituals seemed to lie low in his vocal register but was relatively straightforward, vocally, with the ending in more of his higher register. New to me, the second, My Good Lord’s Done Been Here, was up tempo, and the patter-style text made it a little difficult to both hear and understand. The third was very similar to the first, and the fourth, also new to me, was very similar to the second, possibly a problem of doing all four by the same arranger.
I’m certainly glad I went and heard the songs, even if the programming was a little offbeat. Mr. Blue is a young performer who will perhaps grow into his voice and choice of repertoire. It seems to be a given to bring back artists for an encore, and Mr. Blue sang Serenade from Sigmund Romberg’s The Student Prince fairly effectively. I’m not totally convinced that an encore was warranted but, hey, it was his first NYC recital and there were a lot of supportive members in the audience, so I’m glad he went for it.
ConcertMeister
Three Poems of Fiona MacLeod, Op. 11 (1918) – The Lament of Ian the
Proud; Thy Dark Eyes to Mine; The Rose of the Night –
Charles T. Griffes (1884–1920)
Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, Op. 61 (1958) – Menschenbeifall; Die Heimat; Sokrates und Alcibiades; Die Jugend; Hälfte des Lebens; Die Linien des Lebens – Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Three Early Songs (1947) – Night; Let It Be Forgotten; Wind Elegy –
George Crumb (b. 1929)
Poema en forma de canciones, Op. 19 (1923) – Dedicatoria; Nunca olvida; Cantares; Los dos miedos; Las locas por amor – Joaquín Turina (1882–1949)
Traditional Spirituals (arr. Moses Hogan) – Deep River; My Good Lord’s Done Been Here; Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child; Walk Together Children
This was another of the Carnegie Neighborhood Concerts series, a great, free cultural scene here in NYC. OK, first thing right off the bat. All 20th century—not sure that’s the best programming for a debut New York recital. The concert also included American composers. But just too many. The first Griffes piece was moody, with a wispy accompaniment. It was not my favorite of the group. The second had a setting that I didn’t really care for, as it made the lyrics difficult to decipher and understand. Often printed lyrics are included in this vocal series—they would have been helpful here. The third piece was relatively static (there’s that setting thing again). Even though there were fuller, louder sections, they didn’t signify much to me.
The Britten pieces, sung from a score, were performed in German (but no translations, alas). The first benefited from a nice setting. The second was gentler and pretty, then quite dramatic, leading to a calm ending. The third had a calmer accompaniment that worked a lot better for the balance between voice and piano, which is always a little difficult in this performance space. The fourth was faster and brighter while the fifth was calmer, and better for balance again, even with building up of tempo and volume. The sixth seemed to be the reason for the cycle. I liked it and the third song the best of this grouping.
The first Crumb song had an odd setting again and seemed a little bit nebulous to me. The second was better in the setting department but was somewhat on the artsy side, instead of having a more solid feeling. The third was a little more dramatic but really not all that effective.
After beginning with a solo piano section, the first Turina piece was pretty much feathery and quasi impressionistic, with the second being more of the same. The third had long vocal melismas (basically just vowel sounds) to start, and worked into a fairly dramatic setting once the lyrics actually began, providing a little more Spanish flavor, and a bang-up ending. The fourth piece was effectively presented. The fifth was bright and had a lot more character. And Mr. Blue seemed to be playing a character—the cad. I found myself wondering whether this was one of his ‘go-to’ signature pieces.
The first of the spirituals seemed to lie low in his vocal register but was relatively straightforward, vocally, with the ending in more of his higher register. New to me, the second, My Good Lord’s Done Been Here, was up tempo, and the patter-style text made it a little difficult to both hear and understand. The third was very similar to the first, and the fourth, also new to me, was very similar to the second, possibly a problem of doing all four by the same arranger.
I’m certainly glad I went and heard the songs, even if the programming was a little offbeat. Mr. Blue is a young performer who will perhaps grow into his voice and choice of repertoire. It seems to be a given to bring back artists for an encore, and Mr. Blue sang Serenade from Sigmund Romberg’s The Student Prince fairly effectively. I’m not totally convinced that an encore was warranted but, hey, it was his first NYC recital and there were a lot of supportive members in the audience, so I’m glad he went for it.
ConcertMeister
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