Oh, as in, we didn’t go anywhere; we stayed put in one place. This outing was sponsored by the Fulton Area Business Alliance and took place only about a block away from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where I went the very next day for a non-Meister performance of The Hard Nut. I wore my new Christmas hat with elf ears, although the wind wreaked havoc with it a few times.
This wasn’t the greatest caroling experience—the keys were set either too high or too low for comfortable amateur singing, but it was still a lot of fun. We sang a lot of the usual suspects, including Angels We Have Heard on High and Frosty the Snowman. We even managed a Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree!
Will I go again next year? Possibly. As always with outdoor caroling, a lot will depend on the weather. In fact, this event was supposed to have taken place on December 15, if memory serves, and that was the weekend with bad weather (I didn’t even try caroling in the Village on December 16).
And, of course, my ‘silver bell’ made the trek to Brooklyn as well as my red clown nose, for Rudolph. As I said, fun but not great. The organizers, however, did a very good job.
ConcertMeister
Monday, December 31, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
Holiday Songbook II (12/17/18)
Okay, the full title was Broadway’s Future 2018, Holiday Songbook – All New Holiday Songs. Sixteen songs and thirty-one performers (not counting multiple pianists), so you know the drill. The evening kicked off with Cozy Time of Year, a charming, relatively simple song about someone who does not like the cold. It had a sort of Kander and Ebb vamp-style accompaniment.
The second song was a bit of a downer but it offered hope, as well. Next up was Judah Maccabee (A.K.A. That Thing with the Oil), a rap retelling of the Hanukkah oil miracle. A rapper with two back-up gals. Not my cup of tea, though the audience really enjoyed it.
When the Rain Falls in December had a nice way of weaving the main phrase from Do You Hear What I Hear? into a new song. And it happened the classic three times. A side note, here. While I was searching to make sure that I had the title correct, I learned that Do You Hear What I Hear? was written in 1962 as a plea for peace during the Cuban missile crisis. Underneath the Mistletoe was a classic pop-style duet, with real harmonies and a great feel-good vibe.
Then we got to Camel’s Lament, a song about those children’s Christmas pageants. A little girl was recounting who got cast as Mary, who got cast as angels, and who got cast as the camel. And it was her. But at least she was Camel #1. The next year she was Camel #2. And not the whole camel—just the rear half. It was very funny and very well performed (as were all of the songs presented).
One Last Christmas had a jazzy, almost country feel to it and was one of the few songs performed by the creators, in this case, the lyricist singing his own words. Also sung by the creators, A Very Snoopy Christmas was inspired by the Vince Guaraldi style of writing but also inspired by the lyricist’s real-life dog named Snoopy. Real-life Snoopy is getting quite old, and both dog and master are coming to terms with the fact that this will be the “last Christmas with you—probably.” It was sad yet also, surprisingly, funny. A great balance.
Wish commented on politics again slightly, including wishing for a moment of truth, no sarcasm, and a moment of honesty, among others. The Ones We Choose helped us to realize that family can be who we choose to spend time with—our hearts have found a home, and we are not alone.
Jewish Chinese Christmas touched on the classic Chinese food for Jews at Christmas scenario, though this one took place at a P.F. Chang’s in New Jersey. In each other’s eyes, the hottest gal and guy from Hebrew school are on a date, and slight mayhem ensues. Another interweaving took place here with the arrival of: Fortune cookies—pa rum pum pum pum.
Christmas Is for Everyone featured a female Santa and four reindeer who were at the Reindeer Training School. They were learning how they’d be helping Santa bring joy to all different types of people, even those who don’t believe. Because the reindeer are The Few, The Proud, The Furry!
I also liked This One’s for You, which was an anthem-like (secular, not sacred) sextet. It was quite enjoyable. Not all of the songs in the program hit the mark but there were also no clunkers either. And it’s good to explore newer music for the holidays. And both Songbook I and II were very well attended by two very appreciative audiences.
ConcertMeister
The second song was a bit of a downer but it offered hope, as well. Next up was Judah Maccabee (A.K.A. That Thing with the Oil), a rap retelling of the Hanukkah oil miracle. A rapper with two back-up gals. Not my cup of tea, though the audience really enjoyed it.
When the Rain Falls in December had a nice way of weaving the main phrase from Do You Hear What I Hear? into a new song. And it happened the classic three times. A side note, here. While I was searching to make sure that I had the title correct, I learned that Do You Hear What I Hear? was written in 1962 as a plea for peace during the Cuban missile crisis. Underneath the Mistletoe was a classic pop-style duet, with real harmonies and a great feel-good vibe.
Then we got to Camel’s Lament, a song about those children’s Christmas pageants. A little girl was recounting who got cast as Mary, who got cast as angels, and who got cast as the camel. And it was her. But at least she was Camel #1. The next year she was Camel #2. And not the whole camel—just the rear half. It was very funny and very well performed (as were all of the songs presented).
One Last Christmas had a jazzy, almost country feel to it and was one of the few songs performed by the creators, in this case, the lyricist singing his own words. Also sung by the creators, A Very Snoopy Christmas was inspired by the Vince Guaraldi style of writing but also inspired by the lyricist’s real-life dog named Snoopy. Real-life Snoopy is getting quite old, and both dog and master are coming to terms with the fact that this will be the “last Christmas with you—probably.” It was sad yet also, surprisingly, funny. A great balance.
Wish commented on politics again slightly, including wishing for a moment of truth, no sarcasm, and a moment of honesty, among others. The Ones We Choose helped us to realize that family can be who we choose to spend time with—our hearts have found a home, and we are not alone.
Jewish Chinese Christmas touched on the classic Chinese food for Jews at Christmas scenario, though this one took place at a P.F. Chang’s in New Jersey. In each other’s eyes, the hottest gal and guy from Hebrew school are on a date, and slight mayhem ensues. Another interweaving took place here with the arrival of: Fortune cookies—pa rum pum pum pum.
Christmas Is for Everyone featured a female Santa and four reindeer who were at the Reindeer Training School. They were learning how they’d be helping Santa bring joy to all different types of people, even those who don’t believe. Because the reindeer are The Few, The Proud, The Furry!
I also liked This One’s for You, which was an anthem-like (secular, not sacred) sextet. It was quite enjoyable. Not all of the songs in the program hit the mark but there were also no clunkers either. And it’s good to explore newer music for the holidays. And both Songbook I and II were very well attended by two very appreciative audiences.
ConcertMeister
Monday, December 17, 2018
Holiday Songbook I (12/15/18)
Okay, the full title is Broadway’s Future 2018, Marymount Manhattan College Holiday Songbook. And this one had a mix of traditional Christmas songs as well as some that were just recently composed, all performed by current students and alumni members. With eighteen songs performed (and two of those were medleys), not everything will get mentioned.
The afternoon opened with a fifteen-person a cappella group, On A Side Note, who sang White Winter Hymnal/Sleigh Ride. It looked better on paper than the execution turned out. Next up was a trio who sang I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and The Christmas Song. I enjoyed all three songs and performers (oh, and at fifty-two performers, names will not be mentioned, either).
A newly composed song followed that was okay, but not one of my favorites. And it was one of seven songs that had guitar accompaniment—at times the concert seemed like a coffee house from the ’60s or ’70s. Not a put-down, just an observation. New to me was Petite Papa Noel, which was Piaf-style gentle pop. Quite enjoyable.
O Holy Night was effective, but with a decidedly pop feel and (Everybody’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag had a fun, jazz feel.
Written just a couple of years ago, The Christmas Break-Up Song, performed by the composer/lyricist, had a very funny premise and a very, very funny performance. Easily the highlight of the concert, for me—it was also very popular with the audience.ConcertMeister
A touching yet troubling song followed that contained a bit of a political message. It was composed for this occasion, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it being included. Another newly composed song performed by the composer/lyricist (and four others) followed. Wishlist was interesting, with contemporary close harmony. Blanca Navidad was fun to hear—it’s somewhat odd to hear a favorite in a new way (a Spanish translation, here).
A new song, Aurora, was also fun, with a goal of wanting to see the Northern Lights for Christmas.
The concert closed with something that looked odd on paper but turned out to be pretty cool. Silent Night was sung by a trio, two of whom played guitar with the third playing the banjo. It definitely rounded out that coffee house feeling in a good way. It was quite effective.
The entire afternoon was also an effective way to mix some old chestnuts with some newer compositions. Marymount Manhattan College is turning out some talented students. I had a great time and so did they, and so did the audience.
ConcertMeister
The afternoon opened with a fifteen-person a cappella group, On A Side Note, who sang White Winter Hymnal/Sleigh Ride. It looked better on paper than the execution turned out. Next up was a trio who sang I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and The Christmas Song. I enjoyed all three songs and performers (oh, and at fifty-two performers, names will not be mentioned, either).
A newly composed song followed that was okay, but not one of my favorites. And it was one of seven songs that had guitar accompaniment—at times the concert seemed like a coffee house from the ’60s or ’70s. Not a put-down, just an observation. New to me was Petite Papa Noel, which was Piaf-style gentle pop. Quite enjoyable.
O Holy Night was effective, but with a decidedly pop feel and (Everybody’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag had a fun, jazz feel.
Written just a couple of years ago, The Christmas Break-Up Song, performed by the composer/lyricist, had a very funny premise and a very, very funny performance. Easily the highlight of the concert, for me—it was also very popular with the audience.ConcertMeister
A touching yet troubling song followed that contained a bit of a political message. It was composed for this occasion, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it being included. Another newly composed song performed by the composer/lyricist (and four others) followed. Wishlist was interesting, with contemporary close harmony. Blanca Navidad was fun to hear—it’s somewhat odd to hear a favorite in a new way (a Spanish translation, here).
A new song, Aurora, was also fun, with a goal of wanting to see the Northern Lights for Christmas.
The concert closed with something that looked odd on paper but turned out to be pretty cool. Silent Night was sung by a trio, two of whom played guitar with the third playing the banjo. It definitely rounded out that coffee house feeling in a good way. It was quite effective.
The entire afternoon was also an effective way to mix some old chestnuts with some newer compositions. Marymount Manhattan College is turning out some talented students. I had a great time and so did they, and so did the audience.
ConcertMeister
Monday, December 10, 2018
Midday Masterpieces (12/5/18)
Mackenzie Melemed, piano
Six Moments Musicaux – Sergei Rachmaninoff
Five Preludes, Op. 16 – Alexander Scriabin
Sonata Tragica – Nikolai Medtner
The six movements of the Rachmaninoff were all fairly similar. The first was slightly ethereal, but also had a building intensity and volume. The second had a bit more range from the piano keyboard and featured fancy finger work. A strange side note, during this movement we were treated to construction noise from the sidewalk directly outside of the Jerome L. Greene street-side performance space. Amazingly, a WQXR employee was able to convince the workers to hold off while the concert was going on. Mighty impressive, WQXR! At this point, it was a little difficult to figure out where one movement ended and another one began, so I’ll just combine my comments as though the piece was through composed. At times the piece came close to being amorphous but was still interesting. One movement was a lot quicker, with an almost perpetual motion feel—sort of an eerie dance. Denser, dark chords followed that were expressive but not sinister. This sounded a bit familiar to me and seemed to have a variation with the left hand being more rhythmic. A song-like section followed, mostly in the right hand while the left had had a constantly repeating rhythmic motif. The piece finished with a tour de force movement.
Scriabin’s preludes were also somewhat airy but still had substance and an odd beauty. They also included dissonances where you didn’t quite expect them. My notes simply concluded with ‘five little jewels.’
Medtner (a composer new to me) wrote his Sonata Tragica as a one movement sonata that was the fifth and final work in his Op. 39 “Forgotten Melodies”. It had a dramatic opening and then jumped right into virtuosic phrases in a type of a stream of consciousness composition. After a rather frenzied section, there were explosive phrases for the left hand leading right back to that stream of consciousness feel, with an extreme range of volume and an extreme range of power.
All of the music was new to me and very well played by Mr. Melemed. All in all, a great midday masterpieces concert. I’ve already reserved for the new year.
A word about Midday Masterpieces. It is a joint venture between WQXR and the Juilliard School. That said, these students are in the very advanced stages of their Juilliard studies—many, like Mr. Melemed, have won prestigious competitions, both at Juilliard and in the world in general. With any luck (because that is what a lot of this comes down to) these students will become world-class musicians.
ConcertMeister
Six Moments Musicaux – Sergei Rachmaninoff
Five Preludes, Op. 16 – Alexander Scriabin
Sonata Tragica – Nikolai Medtner
The six movements of the Rachmaninoff were all fairly similar. The first was slightly ethereal, but also had a building intensity and volume. The second had a bit more range from the piano keyboard and featured fancy finger work. A strange side note, during this movement we were treated to construction noise from the sidewalk directly outside of the Jerome L. Greene street-side performance space. Amazingly, a WQXR employee was able to convince the workers to hold off while the concert was going on. Mighty impressive, WQXR! At this point, it was a little difficult to figure out where one movement ended and another one began, so I’ll just combine my comments as though the piece was through composed. At times the piece came close to being amorphous but was still interesting. One movement was a lot quicker, with an almost perpetual motion feel—sort of an eerie dance. Denser, dark chords followed that were expressive but not sinister. This sounded a bit familiar to me and seemed to have a variation with the left hand being more rhythmic. A song-like section followed, mostly in the right hand while the left had had a constantly repeating rhythmic motif. The piece finished with a tour de force movement.
Scriabin’s preludes were also somewhat airy but still had substance and an odd beauty. They also included dissonances where you didn’t quite expect them. My notes simply concluded with ‘five little jewels.’
Medtner (a composer new to me) wrote his Sonata Tragica as a one movement sonata that was the fifth and final work in his Op. 39 “Forgotten Melodies”. It had a dramatic opening and then jumped right into virtuosic phrases in a type of a stream of consciousness composition. After a rather frenzied section, there were explosive phrases for the left hand leading right back to that stream of consciousness feel, with an extreme range of volume and an extreme range of power.
All of the music was new to me and very well played by Mr. Melemed. All in all, a great midday masterpieces concert. I’ve already reserved for the new year.
A word about Midday Masterpieces. It is a joint venture between WQXR and the Juilliard School. That said, these students are in the very advanced stages of their Juilliard studies—many, like Mr. Melemed, have won prestigious competitions, both at Juilliard and in the world in general. With any luck (because that is what a lot of this comes down to) these students will become world-class musicians.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Tuba Christmas (12/9/18)
First, I did not go early and stake a great spot—been there, done that. Second, I did not stay for the entire time because it was chilly (out of doors, at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree) and I've experienced this before. I stayed for about a half an hour. Third, I heard mostly hymns (O Little Town of Bethlehem, Angels We Have Heard on High, etc.) plus one secular song—Deck the Hall(s), yes, there is a controversy.
Along the way, I learned that the youngest tubist was ten years old (in fact there were three ten-year-olds this year), the oldest was seventy-eight, and the tubist who traveled farthest to attend was from Austin, TX.
As always, the sound blossoming up from the rink at Rockefeller Center was glorious. Will I go again? Maybe. Weather will play a big part. And as this was the 45th year, maybe a return in five years is in the cards. Oh, and my Dollar Tree elf hat with the pointy ears was a hit!
ConcertMeister
Along the way, I learned that the youngest tubist was ten years old (in fact there were three ten-year-olds this year), the oldest was seventy-eight, and the tubist who traveled farthest to attend was from Austin, TX.
As always, the sound blossoming up from the rink at Rockefeller Center was glorious. Will I go again? Maybe. Weather will play a big part. And as this was the 45th year, maybe a return in five years is in the cards. Oh, and my Dollar Tree elf hat with the pointy ears was a hit!
ConcertMeister
Saturday, December 8, 2018
The Orchestra Now – Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony (12/2/18)
España (1883) – Emmanuel Chabrier (1841–1894)
Les Illuminations (1939); Eric Carey, tenor – Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Symphony No. 6 (1880) – Antonin Dvořák (1841–1904)
James Bagwell, conductor
Sunday’s concert took place at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side. It’s sort of a cavernous place, but the sound is actually quite good. And I believe I’ve heard The Orchestra Now in this venue at least once before.
España was jaunty, bright, and rhythmic. After a brief introduction, there was a real explosion of sound. And interesting phrases seemed to pop out of nowhere. It was just about perfect as a curtain raiser.
The Britten is scored for string orchestra and soprano or tenor soloist—the texts are taken from verse and prose poems by Arthur Rimbaud. Sung in French, the printed program had translations, as well. The nine (well, ten, if you count IIIa and IIIb, but I digress) movements ranged from modern and angular to energetic yet lyric to calmer, then fuller, declarative, and lush. One of the movements had a lengthy orchestral section countered against a simple setting of text. Britten also made use of melismatic writing—one syllable set to many notes, often running up or down a scale. Interestingly, the brief, simple phrase that was the entire first movement was also the entire sixth movement (though set to different music, if memory serves), and as the last line of the eighth movement. It was a good way to anchor the texts. The ninth and final movement was calmer, with a real sense of resolution, an effective way to end the piece. Mr. Carey sang with clear effective tone throughout.
Much was made in the program notes, and the spoken notes from the stage, about the influence of Brahms on Dvořák, especially with this symphony. Maybe too much was made because I had the feeling that the piece was not truly original, as in maybe Dvořák was trying to impress Brahms? Or I could just be making all that up.
The first movement opened with horns and strings and was rather lush, especially after the sparseness of the Britten. It was unabashedly of the Romantic era, very full, almost spilling over into bombast. There were a lot of ideas and some really lovely tunes. The second movement was quieter, with some nice wind and brass solos that were sometimes only a brief phrase. In addition to the quiet sections, there were some volume and rhythm builds, including pushes and pulls back and forth. After a couple of false endings, the movement ultimately ended quietly. The third movement was lively and rhythmic, with several different dance-like sections. The fourth, and last, movement had a relatively fast tempo though it also had a feeling of heft to it as well. There was joy and a real sense of fun, with a little bit of drama thrown in for good measure. It finished with a fairly predictable bang-up ending.
Though there were a few empty seats, the crowd was large and enthusiastic. I’ll probably go back for more in the new year.
ConcertMeister
Les Illuminations (1939); Eric Carey, tenor – Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Symphony No. 6 (1880) – Antonin Dvořák (1841–1904)
James Bagwell, conductor
Sunday’s concert took place at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side. It’s sort of a cavernous place, but the sound is actually quite good. And I believe I’ve heard The Orchestra Now in this venue at least once before.
España was jaunty, bright, and rhythmic. After a brief introduction, there was a real explosion of sound. And interesting phrases seemed to pop out of nowhere. It was just about perfect as a curtain raiser.
The Britten is scored for string orchestra and soprano or tenor soloist—the texts are taken from verse and prose poems by Arthur Rimbaud. Sung in French, the printed program had translations, as well. The nine (well, ten, if you count IIIa and IIIb, but I digress) movements ranged from modern and angular to energetic yet lyric to calmer, then fuller, declarative, and lush. One of the movements had a lengthy orchestral section countered against a simple setting of text. Britten also made use of melismatic writing—one syllable set to many notes, often running up or down a scale. Interestingly, the brief, simple phrase that was the entire first movement was also the entire sixth movement (though set to different music, if memory serves), and as the last line of the eighth movement. It was a good way to anchor the texts. The ninth and final movement was calmer, with a real sense of resolution, an effective way to end the piece. Mr. Carey sang with clear effective tone throughout.
Much was made in the program notes, and the spoken notes from the stage, about the influence of Brahms on Dvořák, especially with this symphony. Maybe too much was made because I had the feeling that the piece was not truly original, as in maybe Dvořák was trying to impress Brahms? Or I could just be making all that up.
The first movement opened with horns and strings and was rather lush, especially after the sparseness of the Britten. It was unabashedly of the Romantic era, very full, almost spilling over into bombast. There were a lot of ideas and some really lovely tunes. The second movement was quieter, with some nice wind and brass solos that were sometimes only a brief phrase. In addition to the quiet sections, there were some volume and rhythm builds, including pushes and pulls back and forth. After a couple of false endings, the movement ultimately ended quietly. The third movement was lively and rhythmic, with several different dance-like sections. The fourth, and last, movement had a relatively fast tempo though it also had a feeling of heft to it as well. There was joy and a real sense of fun, with a little bit of drama thrown in for good measure. It finished with a fairly predictable bang-up ending.
Though there were a few empty seats, the crowd was large and enthusiastic. I’ll probably go back for more in the new year.
ConcertMeister
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Innovative Programming at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts (11/17/18 and 12/1/18)
On November 24, 1891, Ignacy Jan Paderewski played his debut concert at Madison Square Garden. On November 17, 2018, that concert was re-created (with a few slight variations).
Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 – Ludwig van Beethoven; Moment Musical in F minor, Op. 94, No. 3 – Franz Schubert; Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 – Robert Schumann; Etude, Mazurka, Op. 17, No. 4, and Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 – Frédéric Chopin; Barcarolle in A minor, Op. 93, No. 5 – Anton Rubinstein; Cracovienne Fantastique, Op. 14, No. 6 – Ignacy Jan Paderewski; Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 – Franz Liszt
That’s a lot of music. But Paderewski also included two more Schubert pieces, a Schubert-Liszt divertissement, and one more Chopin piece. The program listed above was played by two pianists—Jakub Kuszlik and Timothy Jones. Both were quite young and both played very well. It’s hard not to compare them to each other, but Mr. Kuszlik had a flashier style while Mr. Jones was a little more reserved. The concert was part of a multi-day conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Polish independence, as well as the 127th anniversary of the debut concert of Paderewski. It was a very enjoyable and enlightening afternoon. And I really can’t imagine one pianist playing all of that music in a single concert.
Innovative programming of a completely different type took place on December 1—Songs at a Gathering; A Sing-Along Show and Tell of Jerome Robbins’ Broadway Hits. The Library is home to Jerome Robbins’ papers, and some of them were on display during this fun afternoon. We, the audience, were encouraged to sing along, and the lyrics to seven songs were displayed on a big screen. Each song had a leader (names will be in parentheses) to get us going and keep us together, and Jonathon Lynch provided the crackerjack accompaniment. As with many sing-alongs, some of the songs were a little rangy and some fared better than others.
A Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing happened on the Way to the Forum, Stephen Sondheim, music and lyrics (Marc Castle, leader). What a great way to start off the afternoon. The leader and the audience were in good form for this one.
Lucky to Be Me from On the Town, Leonard Bernstein, music and Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics (Alex Goley). Pretty much unknown to me, this one never quite got off the ground, but it would have been difficult to top the first song, anyway.
Something Wonderful from The King and I, Richard Rodgers, music and Oscar Hammerstein II, lyrics (Misy Singson). This one suffered from rangy, especially toward the end.
Never Never Land from Peter Pan, Jule Styne, music and Comden & Green, lyrics (Alyse Alan Louis and Jillian Louis). This was a lot of fun, and the two young ladies made it even more enjoyable.
If Momma Was Married from Gypsy, Styne, music and Sondheim, lyrics (Alyse Alan Louis and Jillian Louis). A side note, here. Among Robbins’ papers there was a photo of Robbins, Styne, Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Gypsy Rose Lee. It was shown on screen before we actually sang. The Library also houses Gypsy Rose Lee’s papers, and one item from those was also displayed—a telegram sent to Ms. Lee for the opening. “May your bare ass always be shining.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. The audience howled with laughter. Then we sang the song and it was truly a delight.
Before we sang If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof, Jerry Bock, music and Sheldon Harnick, lyrics (Marc Castle), we were treated a tape of Mr. Bock singing the song with dummy lyrics that he then sent to Mr. Harnick. It was such fun to hear a bit of history in the making. My notes for this one were simply A++.
The afternoon concluded with Somewhere from West Side Story, Bernstein, music and Sondheim, lyrics (all five leaders). This was effective though also rangy. In fact, I took the very ending down an octave and was joined there by the guy sitting next to me. I even told him that switching octaves was totally acceptable—Mr. Sondheim approved of it for me when I did Sweeney Todd. I sang the very opening but took the ending of that one up an octave.
Along the way, we also heard from Amanda Vail, who has authored at least two books about Robbins and has another one coming out next year. We also heard from Julio Monge, who is involved with staging WSS in various places around the world. In fact, he had just returned from Australia the night before this program. He offered a lot of insight to how working with Robbins for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway used markings by dancers from the original WSS score for ‘named’ steps (one was ‘sailing’ and the other was ‘laughing’). A game volunteer tried to guess at the steps and then they were shown in their real form by Mr. Monge. You can learn a lot at the library! Can you guess that I had fun? And Eleanor Roosevelt might just have stolen the show.
ConcertMeister
Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 – Ludwig van Beethoven; Moment Musical in F minor, Op. 94, No. 3 – Franz Schubert; Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 – Robert Schumann; Etude, Mazurka, Op. 17, No. 4, and Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 – Frédéric Chopin; Barcarolle in A minor, Op. 93, No. 5 – Anton Rubinstein; Cracovienne Fantastique, Op. 14, No. 6 – Ignacy Jan Paderewski; Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 – Franz Liszt
That’s a lot of music. But Paderewski also included two more Schubert pieces, a Schubert-Liszt divertissement, and one more Chopin piece. The program listed above was played by two pianists—Jakub Kuszlik and Timothy Jones. Both were quite young and both played very well. It’s hard not to compare them to each other, but Mr. Kuszlik had a flashier style while Mr. Jones was a little more reserved. The concert was part of a multi-day conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Polish independence, as well as the 127th anniversary of the debut concert of Paderewski. It was a very enjoyable and enlightening afternoon. And I really can’t imagine one pianist playing all of that music in a single concert.
Innovative programming of a completely different type took place on December 1—Songs at a Gathering; A Sing-Along Show and Tell of Jerome Robbins’ Broadway Hits. The Library is home to Jerome Robbins’ papers, and some of them were on display during this fun afternoon. We, the audience, were encouraged to sing along, and the lyrics to seven songs were displayed on a big screen. Each song had a leader (names will be in parentheses) to get us going and keep us together, and Jonathon Lynch provided the crackerjack accompaniment. As with many sing-alongs, some of the songs were a little rangy and some fared better than others.
A Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing happened on the Way to the Forum, Stephen Sondheim, music and lyrics (Marc Castle, leader). What a great way to start off the afternoon. The leader and the audience were in good form for this one.
Lucky to Be Me from On the Town, Leonard Bernstein, music and Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics (Alex Goley). Pretty much unknown to me, this one never quite got off the ground, but it would have been difficult to top the first song, anyway.
Something Wonderful from The King and I, Richard Rodgers, music and Oscar Hammerstein II, lyrics (Misy Singson). This one suffered from rangy, especially toward the end.
Never Never Land from Peter Pan, Jule Styne, music and Comden & Green, lyrics (Alyse Alan Louis and Jillian Louis). This was a lot of fun, and the two young ladies made it even more enjoyable.
If Momma Was Married from Gypsy, Styne, music and Sondheim, lyrics (Alyse Alan Louis and Jillian Louis). A side note, here. Among Robbins’ papers there was a photo of Robbins, Styne, Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Gypsy Rose Lee. It was shown on screen before we actually sang. The Library also houses Gypsy Rose Lee’s papers, and one item from those was also displayed—a telegram sent to Ms. Lee for the opening. “May your bare ass always be shining.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. The audience howled with laughter. Then we sang the song and it was truly a delight.
Before we sang If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof, Jerry Bock, music and Sheldon Harnick, lyrics (Marc Castle), we were treated a tape of Mr. Bock singing the song with dummy lyrics that he then sent to Mr. Harnick. It was such fun to hear a bit of history in the making. My notes for this one were simply A++.
The afternoon concluded with Somewhere from West Side Story, Bernstein, music and Sondheim, lyrics (all five leaders). This was effective though also rangy. In fact, I took the very ending down an octave and was joined there by the guy sitting next to me. I even told him that switching octaves was totally acceptable—Mr. Sondheim approved of it for me when I did Sweeney Todd. I sang the very opening but took the ending of that one up an octave.
Along the way, we also heard from Amanda Vail, who has authored at least two books about Robbins and has another one coming out next year. We also heard from Julio Monge, who is involved with staging WSS in various places around the world. In fact, he had just returned from Australia the night before this program. He offered a lot of insight to how working with Robbins for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway used markings by dancers from the original WSS score for ‘named’ steps (one was ‘sailing’ and the other was ‘laughing’). A game volunteer tried to guess at the steps and then they were shown in their real form by Mr. Monge. You can learn a lot at the library! Can you guess that I had fun? And Eleanor Roosevelt might just have stolen the show.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Midday Masterpieces (11/7/18)
Hooray! The programming gods looked down on me that first Wednesday of November. When I entered The Greene Space, I saw a piece of paper on one of the seats. I didn’t give it too much tough other than the fact that I’d never seen anything like that there before. As usual, I staked out my usual seat (yes, I’m peculiar that way) and then sat in the window with my lunch and a book. As the concert time came closer, I moved back to my seat, and that piece of paper had made it to my spot. 11/7 WQXR Midday Masterpiece Program Order. My prayers had been answered. I knew what I was going to hear and who the performers would be.
Äneas Humm, baritone; Chris Reynolds, piano
Schumann: Myrthen: “Zwei Venetianische Lieder”
“Leis rudern hier, mein Gondolier”; “Wenn durch die Piazzetta die Abendluft weht”
Mendelssohn: “Schilflied”
Erik van Heyningen, bass-baritone; Bronwyn Schuman, piano
Schumann: Selections from Eichendorff Liederkreis
“In der Fremde”; “Intermezzo”; “Die Stille Zwielicht”; “Schöne Fremde”
Marie Engle, mezzo-soprano; Richard Fu, piano
Strauss: “Freundliche Vision”
Schubert: “Über alle Gipfeln ist Ruh”
Mahler: Rückert-Lieder, 5. “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen”
James Ley, tenor; Seoyon Macdonald, piano
Schubert: “Ständchen”; “Nacht und Träume”; “Der Musensohn”
All four vocalists and all four pianists performed very well. It got me to thinking, though, that vocalists seem to take a lot more time to mature and grow into their voices (and expressiveness) than do instrumentalists. Maybe it’s just the hardware of instruments versus the soft tissue of the voice? More for me to ponder about anon.
The first song had a gentle, rocking barcarolle-style accompaniment that was appropriate for Venetian lieder. The second piece was much brisker and very enjoyable. The third was slightly darker and definitely showed Mendelssohn’s affinity for lieder, and it had a nice, gentle ending.
The five Schumann songs that followed began with a piece in a minor mode and was troubled, rather than sad. The second was more energetic—my notes called it a nice little gem. The third was playful and fun while the fourth had an introspective piano introduction and was dark and brooding though it also had power. The last was brisk and bright; it also had hints of darker things.
In the third set, the Strauss was gentle for the most part and had a feeling of peace. The Schubert had a somber piano introduction and, in fact, was somber throughout. The Mahler had a rather lengthy piano introduction and was quite serious in tone. Some of the vocal lines were also lengthy and fairly dramatic.
The first Schubert song in the final set had a nice arc to it in a somewhat simple style. It was strophic but also included a bit of a coda-style ending. The second had an overall feeling of sadness and had pangs of anguish, as well. The final song was brisk, with bursts of power, although it did have a contrasting middle verse.
In the stage management department, it was great that they brought all four pairs, vocalists and pianists, onstage for a combined curtain call. Well done, indeed, as was the entire performance. Maybe I’ll try to check on these names in a couple of years, to see how they’ve progressed.
Äneas Humm, baritone; Chris Reynolds, piano
Schumann: Myrthen: “Zwei Venetianische Lieder”
“Leis rudern hier, mein Gondolier”; “Wenn durch die Piazzetta die Abendluft weht”
Mendelssohn: “Schilflied”
Erik van Heyningen, bass-baritone; Bronwyn Schuman, piano
Schumann: Selections from Eichendorff Liederkreis
“In der Fremde”; “Intermezzo”; “Die Stille Zwielicht”; “Schöne Fremde”
Marie Engle, mezzo-soprano; Richard Fu, piano
Strauss: “Freundliche Vision”
Schubert: “Über alle Gipfeln ist Ruh”
Mahler: Rückert-Lieder, 5. “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen”
James Ley, tenor; Seoyon Macdonald, piano
Schubert: “Ständchen”; “Nacht und Träume”; “Der Musensohn”
All four vocalists and all four pianists performed very well. It got me to thinking, though, that vocalists seem to take a lot more time to mature and grow into their voices (and expressiveness) than do instrumentalists. Maybe it’s just the hardware of instruments versus the soft tissue of the voice? More for me to ponder about anon.
The first song had a gentle, rocking barcarolle-style accompaniment that was appropriate for Venetian lieder. The second piece was much brisker and very enjoyable. The third was slightly darker and definitely showed Mendelssohn’s affinity for lieder, and it had a nice, gentle ending.
The five Schumann songs that followed began with a piece in a minor mode and was troubled, rather than sad. The second was more energetic—my notes called it a nice little gem. The third was playful and fun while the fourth had an introspective piano introduction and was dark and brooding though it also had power. The last was brisk and bright; it also had hints of darker things.
In the third set, the Strauss was gentle for the most part and had a feeling of peace. The Schubert had a somber piano introduction and, in fact, was somber throughout. The Mahler had a rather lengthy piano introduction and was quite serious in tone. Some of the vocal lines were also lengthy and fairly dramatic.
The first Schubert song in the final set had a nice arc to it in a somewhat simple style. It was strophic but also included a bit of a coda-style ending. The second had an overall feeling of sadness and had pangs of anguish, as well. The final song was brisk, with bursts of power, although it did have a contrasting middle verse.
In the stage management department, it was great that they brought all four pairs, vocalists and pianists, onstage for a combined curtain call. Well done, indeed, as was the entire performance. Maybe I’ll try to check on these names in a couple of years, to see how they’ve progressed.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
“Collages/Refaire” (11/3/18)
William Lewis, Pianist/Singer
When I first saw this one listed, I thought to myself, “Have I heard this guy before?” and the answer is yes. I’ve heard him as an accompanist as well as in a previous iteration of this concert—well, this type of concert. Clocking in at 19 numbers (with most of them being a mash-up of two and sometimes three songs), not everything will be covered.
The concert opened with It All Comes Out of a Piano/Let Me Sing and I’m Happy (Lazarus/Berlin). It was sort of a medley of ‘welcome/cheery’ songs along with a pastiche of classical piano pieces and phrases as well as ‘popular’ tunes (Shine Little Glow-Worm, Mairzy Doats, My Momma Done Told Me, Be It Ever So Humble …). It was a fun way to start.
There was an Americana section that included Simple Gifts, The Lass from the Low Countree/Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair (all Traditional); You’ve Got to Be Taught/Children Will Listen/Teach Your Children Well (R&H/Sondheim/Crosby, Stills and Nash); and Aquarius/Virgo, from Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs (P.D.Q. Bach). I love me some P.D.Q. Bach!
An Irish grouping of songs led up to intermission. My favorites were Lady of Knock (Rosemary Scallon), a piano solo that reminded me a bit of Shenandoah, and The Travelling Doctor Shop (arr. by the Wolfe Tones) that included the dreaded audience sing-along—but this one was actually fun (and we only had to learn one brief phrase).
The second half started with a Broadway set that included First You Dream (Kander/Ebb, from Steel Pier), Hangin’ Out the Window (Roger Lax, from The Weekend), and Where Is the Tribe for Me? (Walter Marks, from Bajour). The song from Bajour was my favorite of the afternoon—a novelty song with wacky animal sounds and a Latin beat. It was quite the showpiece. In fact, I heard
Mr. Lewis perform this piece at a concert four years ago and I remember loving it then, too.
The International set began strongly, with a mash-up of Chevaux de Bois/Carousel/Too Long at the Fair (Debussy/Brel/Barnes). A piano solo of a Chinese popular song did not fare as well; it seemed a little out of place. What followed was the accompaniment to Hotel (a Poulenc art song) with Lazy Afternoon (Moross) and Feeling Good (Newley) layered on top. It worked better with Lazy Afternoon but not so much with Feeling Good.
A catch-all section rounded out the afternoon. At This Moment (Billy Vera) was a country & western tune with snippets of the Tennessee Waltz thrown in for good measure. The last song of the afternoon was Nothing Left to Say (Martin/Angerman) which was simple and effective. Well, almost the last song—One More Beautiful Song (Ed Kleban) was a ‘feel-good’ song from the musical A Class Act, performed as an encore.
As noted at the beginning, Mr. Lewis is indeed more of a pianist than a singer. But his delivery and his knowledge of the material made this an enjoyable concert. After seeing him twice now, I’m not sure I’d jump at a third chance. But I just might change my mind about that in the future.
When I first saw this one listed, I thought to myself, “Have I heard this guy before?” and the answer is yes. I’ve heard him as an accompanist as well as in a previous iteration of this concert—well, this type of concert. Clocking in at 19 numbers (with most of them being a mash-up of two and sometimes three songs), not everything will be covered.
The concert opened with It All Comes Out of a Piano/Let Me Sing and I’m Happy (Lazarus/Berlin). It was sort of a medley of ‘welcome/cheery’ songs along with a pastiche of classical piano pieces and phrases as well as ‘popular’ tunes (Shine Little Glow-Worm, Mairzy Doats, My Momma Done Told Me, Be It Ever So Humble …). It was a fun way to start.
There was an Americana section that included Simple Gifts, The Lass from the Low Countree/Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair (all Traditional); You’ve Got to Be Taught/Children Will Listen/Teach Your Children Well (R&H/Sondheim/Crosby, Stills and Nash); and Aquarius/Virgo, from Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs (P.D.Q. Bach). I love me some P.D.Q. Bach!
An Irish grouping of songs led up to intermission. My favorites were Lady of Knock (Rosemary Scallon), a piano solo that reminded me a bit of Shenandoah, and The Travelling Doctor Shop (arr. by the Wolfe Tones) that included the dreaded audience sing-along—but this one was actually fun (and we only had to learn one brief phrase).
The second half started with a Broadway set that included First You Dream (Kander/Ebb, from Steel Pier), Hangin’ Out the Window (Roger Lax, from The Weekend), and Where Is the Tribe for Me? (Walter Marks, from Bajour). The song from Bajour was my favorite of the afternoon—a novelty song with wacky animal sounds and a Latin beat. It was quite the showpiece. In fact, I heard
Mr. Lewis perform this piece at a concert four years ago and I remember loving it then, too.
The International set began strongly, with a mash-up of Chevaux de Bois/Carousel/Too Long at the Fair (Debussy/Brel/Barnes). A piano solo of a Chinese popular song did not fare as well; it seemed a little out of place. What followed was the accompaniment to Hotel (a Poulenc art song) with Lazy Afternoon (Moross) and Feeling Good (Newley) layered on top. It worked better with Lazy Afternoon but not so much with Feeling Good.
A catch-all section rounded out the afternoon. At This Moment (Billy Vera) was a country & western tune with snippets of the Tennessee Waltz thrown in for good measure. The last song of the afternoon was Nothing Left to Say (Martin/Angerman) which was simple and effective. Well, almost the last song—One More Beautiful Song (Ed Kleban) was a ‘feel-good’ song from the musical A Class Act, performed as an encore.
As noted at the beginning, Mr. Lewis is indeed more of a pianist than a singer. But his delivery and his knowledge of the material made this an enjoyable concert. After seeing him twice now, I’m not sure I’d jump at a third chance. But I just might change my mind about that in the future.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Songbook (10/29/18)
Daniel Green, composer and lyricist, and book writer
This guy is a good composer. Great? I’m not certain. The program gave us songs from The Remarkable Journey of Prince Chen, The Museum of Broken Relationships, and Window Treatment. We may hear more from/about these musicals as we go along.
You Won’t was a stand-alone song that featured Mr. Green as pianist and singer, with two backup singers contributing niftily. I liked it.
Three songs from The Remarkable Journey of Prince Chen followed. I’m Gonna Stay with You was very wordy but had a ‘you’re stuck with me/I’m really effective’ vibe. It earned a + in my notes. Standing by Your Side had a rippling accompaniment and two views of unrequited feelings—can love be far behind? The last, I Will Never Give In, was a little more mysterious, in a searching (literally and figuratively) manner.
Perfect Day for Sailing was a stand-alone Sondheim-esque piece but in a good way, very sweet. After another stand-alone song, we moved on to The Museum of Broken Relationships, which is, apparently, a real museum in Croatia!
All four songs from this were interesting, if a little dark—not that there’s anything wrong with that. The theater (and musical theater) should probe deeper, darker feelings.
Window Treatment, from Window Treatment, was a hoot. A gal stalks her neighbor—not literally, but only visually. She imagines herself eating the meals she watches him prepare. She imagines herself in his relaxing evenings. She’s crazy! But really funny. Carly Kincannon learned this song just for this performance (though I’m sure it will be in her rep for a long time). It was a tour-de-force, both as a performance and as a composition (music by Daniel Green, lyrics by Deborah Zoe Laufer). We may be hearing from them again. (As a side note, I just finished reading a recounting of the eleven seasons of the Carol Burnett Show on CBS. In it, she calls out and congratulates the writers who were responsible for specialty material for their broadcasts—in retrospect, that’s what Window Treatment, the song, reminds me of.)
Reborn was a song from a new project. It had a dark accompaniment but was quite powerful. Hmm, more from new projects?
The finale to the concert was also the Act I finale of The Museum of Broken Relationships. In this iteration, the museum is in its Brooklyn guise, and people embrace the concept—and the cause—wholeheartedly.
Will this flourish into a full-fledged musical? I don’t know. I do know that this is a very talented composer who surrounds himself with terrific musicians. Is that a recipe for success?
Waiting around is so difficult. But hearing such great music while waiting around is a joy that I enjoy.
ConcertMeister
This guy is a good composer. Great? I’m not certain. The program gave us songs from The Remarkable Journey of Prince Chen, The Museum of Broken Relationships, and Window Treatment. We may hear more from/about these musicals as we go along.
You Won’t was a stand-alone song that featured Mr. Green as pianist and singer, with two backup singers contributing niftily. I liked it.
Three songs from The Remarkable Journey of Prince Chen followed. I’m Gonna Stay with You was very wordy but had a ‘you’re stuck with me/I’m really effective’ vibe. It earned a + in my notes. Standing by Your Side had a rippling accompaniment and two views of unrequited feelings—can love be far behind? The last, I Will Never Give In, was a little more mysterious, in a searching (literally and figuratively) manner.
Perfect Day for Sailing was a stand-alone Sondheim-esque piece but in a good way, very sweet. After another stand-alone song, we moved on to The Museum of Broken Relationships, which is, apparently, a real museum in Croatia!
All four songs from this were interesting, if a little dark—not that there’s anything wrong with that. The theater (and musical theater) should probe deeper, darker feelings.
Window Treatment, from Window Treatment, was a hoot. A gal stalks her neighbor—not literally, but only visually. She imagines herself eating the meals she watches him prepare. She imagines herself in his relaxing evenings. She’s crazy! But really funny. Carly Kincannon learned this song just for this performance (though I’m sure it will be in her rep for a long time). It was a tour-de-force, both as a performance and as a composition (music by Daniel Green, lyrics by Deborah Zoe Laufer). We may be hearing from them again. (As a side note, I just finished reading a recounting of the eleven seasons of the Carol Burnett Show on CBS. In it, she calls out and congratulates the writers who were responsible for specialty material for their broadcasts—in retrospect, that’s what Window Treatment, the song, reminds me of.)
Reborn was a song from a new project. It had a dark accompaniment but was quite powerful. Hmm, more from new projects?
The finale to the concert was also the Act I finale of The Museum of Broken Relationships. In this iteration, the museum is in its Brooklyn guise, and people embrace the concept—and the cause—wholeheartedly.
Will this flourish into a full-fledged musical? I don’t know. I do know that this is a very talented composer who surrounds himself with terrific musicians. Is that a recipe for success?
Waiting around is so difficult. But hearing such great music while waiting around is a joy that I enjoy.
ConcertMeister
Guest Post, from BrotherMeister
Please feel free to contact me with posts that you may find interesting. This is from my brother, and the tix were only $18.00, which counts as low-cost tix as far as ConcertMeister is concerned. From BrotherMeister:
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018
Place: Kent State University
Show: Children of Eden
Book by John Caird, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
I knew virtually nothing about the show going in except that it was a Stephen Schwartz show which was post-Godspell and pre-Wicked. My program was light on facts, but Wikipedia helped out.
Written in 1986, it had little commercial success, but remains popular with school and community theatres and is ranked in the top 20 of most frequently licensed musicals. I can see why both those facts are true. While we enjoyed it immensely, the music was good but not particularly memorable, and the production was extremely interesting, but not ‘easy’.
It’s a Two-Act show, with Act I focusing on the story of Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. Act II tells the story of Noah and the flood. Having memorized the Wicked cast album (and having seen the show four times) it was fascinating to hear some similar musical themes in a germ stage.
The production was intriguing, with a huge cast — 22 named players — and an additional 10 or so unnamed. They’d clearly pulled heavily from the School of Dance, to fantastic effect, and seemingly all the dancers could sing well, too. Even in the choral parts, of which there were many, no weak voices were apparent. Clearly the actors had been rehearsed heavily in dance as well ... it was nigh impossible to guess which were the Theatre students and which were Dance.
Staging was coolly minimal, with mobile scaffolding along with giant boxes with pictures on each of their six sides, which could be combined to create stairs or other scenic needs (apple tree, ark, etc.). Costuming was an eclectic mix of high-concept fashion — clearly influenced (created?) by the fashion school at Kent State — and streetwear, mostly monochromatic.
We were impressed with “Father” (Fred Rose), Eve (Merrie Drees), and most especially Adam (Devin Pfeiffer), a freshman(!) with the acting and singing chops of a seasoned Broadway pro. Noah’s wife (Montria Walker) stole Act II with her gospel-inspired “Ain’t It Good?”
Overall a very interesting night of theatre which could so easily have gone very wrong. It’s nice to see myriad forces coming together in such a successful fashion.
BrotherMeister
(I am ConcertMeister and I approve this post.)
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018
Place: Kent State University
Show: Children of Eden
Book by John Caird, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
I knew virtually nothing about the show going in except that it was a Stephen Schwartz show which was post-Godspell and pre-Wicked. My program was light on facts, but Wikipedia helped out.
Written in 1986, it had little commercial success, but remains popular with school and community theatres and is ranked in the top 20 of most frequently licensed musicals. I can see why both those facts are true. While we enjoyed it immensely, the music was good but not particularly memorable, and the production was extremely interesting, but not ‘easy’.
It’s a Two-Act show, with Act I focusing on the story of Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. Act II tells the story of Noah and the flood. Having memorized the Wicked cast album (and having seen the show four times) it was fascinating to hear some similar musical themes in a germ stage.
The production was intriguing, with a huge cast — 22 named players — and an additional 10 or so unnamed. They’d clearly pulled heavily from the School of Dance, to fantastic effect, and seemingly all the dancers could sing well, too. Even in the choral parts, of which there were many, no weak voices were apparent. Clearly the actors had been rehearsed heavily in dance as well ... it was nigh impossible to guess which were the Theatre students and which were Dance.
Staging was coolly minimal, with mobile scaffolding along with giant boxes with pictures on each of their six sides, which could be combined to create stairs or other scenic needs (apple tree, ark, etc.). Costuming was an eclectic mix of high-concept fashion — clearly influenced (created?) by the fashion school at Kent State — and streetwear, mostly monochromatic.
We were impressed with “Father” (Fred Rose), Eve (Merrie Drees), and most especially Adam (Devin Pfeiffer), a freshman(!) with the acting and singing chops of a seasoned Broadway pro. Noah’s wife (Montria Walker) stole Act II with her gospel-inspired “Ain’t It Good?”
Overall a very interesting night of theatre which could so easily have gone very wrong. It’s nice to see myriad forces coming together in such a successful fashion.
BrotherMeister
(I am ConcertMeister and I approve this post.)
Monday, November 12, 2018
Canstruction NYC (11/12/18)
Composing on the fly, here, so don't expect lots of fancy-schmancy. Canstruction is a cool event happening at Brookfield Place in lower Manhattan through Nov. 15. I went today and enjoyed myself. Here's their website – https://www.sdanyc.org/canstruction/.
The really cool thing about the 30 sculptures made up of food cans is that all of the canned goods are donated after the event to City Harvest, for distribution to food pantries. The event is free, but they do ask for a contribution of good-quality canned food. I donated Goya black beans.
There is public voting as well as voting by a blue-ribbon panel. One of the awards is for Most Cans; that went to WSP USA's Grand CANyon, which was created with a whopping 8,325 cans of food. Think about that. 8,325 cans of food that will be donated. Other entries that I saw had easily more that 1,000 cans each. Now multiply that by 30. And so on, and so on ... if you're old enough to get that reference.
I haven't cast my vote yet, but I'm leaning toward AFK Engineers' Gnome More Hunger (yes, I'm a sucker for nerdy-wordy humor). Others in the running are CAN-un-DRUM and My Kingdom for a CAN. There was also a 'whale' entry that incorporated water bottles at the base. I thought that was truly inspired.
ConcertMeister (in non-concert mode)
The really cool thing about the 30 sculptures made up of food cans is that all of the canned goods are donated after the event to City Harvest, for distribution to food pantries. The event is free, but they do ask for a contribution of good-quality canned food. I donated Goya black beans.
There is public voting as well as voting by a blue-ribbon panel. One of the awards is for Most Cans; that went to WSP USA's Grand CANyon, which was created with a whopping 8,325 cans of food. Think about that. 8,325 cans of food that will be donated. Other entries that I saw had easily more that 1,000 cans each. Now multiply that by 30. And so on, and so on ... if you're old enough to get that reference.
I haven't cast my vote yet, but I'm leaning toward AFK Engineers' Gnome More Hunger (yes, I'm a sucker for nerdy-wordy humor). Others in the running are CAN-un-DRUM and My Kingdom for a CAN. There was also a 'whale' entry that incorporated water bottles at the base. I thought that was truly inspired.
ConcertMeister (in non-concert mode)
Saturday, November 10, 2018
A Suite of Dances (10/27/18)
This was a very ambitious program by the New York Classical Players and the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. For the record, I did not attend all of the different portions. Here’s the deal. Three of Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied ’Cello (their title, not mine) were followed by a screening of Jerome Robbins’ A Suite of Dances (several movements from the Bach suites choreographed on, and performed by, Mikhail Baryshnikov). Heady programming. I know me, and I knew that three complete unaccompanied cello suites would swamp me. So I showed up at a time where I thought I would hear some cello music and see the screening. I lucked out.
When I arrived, they had just taken intermission after the first two suites had been played. As sometimes happens, a library representative speaks with the performers to get a little insight into the programming. In this case, Evan Leslie (from the library and who is also a cellist) spoke with cellists Julian Langford, Sujin Lee, and Julian Schwarz about how they approached this performance and, indeed, how each would approach the opening of Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G major. Each of the three played the opening of the first movement and it was ear opening for me. The notes were there, and the same—yet there were differences in interpretation. That’s understandable, but you don’t usually get to hear such differences that immediately.
After all three cellists had spoken and played, Mr. Schwarz played Suite No. 6 in D major (BWV 1012) – 1. Prélude; 2. Allemande; 3. Courante; 4. Sarabande;
5. Gavotte I; 6. Gavotte II; 7. Gigue. As in most Bach unaccompanied string works I’m familiar with, this one had a mix of austere, slightly unapproachable moments as well as more inviting moments. As the movement names imply, dance forms were involved or inferred, though dancing to them might be a little difficult. And that’s where the genius of Robbins shows up.
As with the earlier Robbins music/dance film program I saw at LPA, this included three separate film snippets—one with Robbins rehearsing Baryshnikov, and two performances, one from March 3, 1994 and one from May 29, 1994, both at New York State Theater at Lincoln Center. What can I say? It’s Baryshnikov, a solo cellist, and Bach. It’s interesting to see how the rehearsal moves translate (or don’t) into the final performances. But that’s what live theater is—whether it’s music, drama, dance, musical theater, or opera—it’s live and one of a kind. And that’s why I attend.
ConcertMeister
When I arrived, they had just taken intermission after the first two suites had been played. As sometimes happens, a library representative speaks with the performers to get a little insight into the programming. In this case, Evan Leslie (from the library and who is also a cellist) spoke with cellists Julian Langford, Sujin Lee, and Julian Schwarz about how they approached this performance and, indeed, how each would approach the opening of Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G major. Each of the three played the opening of the first movement and it was ear opening for me. The notes were there, and the same—yet there were differences in interpretation. That’s understandable, but you don’t usually get to hear such differences that immediately.
After all three cellists had spoken and played, Mr. Schwarz played Suite No. 6 in D major (BWV 1012) – 1. Prélude; 2. Allemande; 3. Courante; 4. Sarabande;
5. Gavotte I; 6. Gavotte II; 7. Gigue. As in most Bach unaccompanied string works I’m familiar with, this one had a mix of austere, slightly unapproachable moments as well as more inviting moments. As the movement names imply, dance forms were involved or inferred, though dancing to them might be a little difficult. And that’s where the genius of Robbins shows up.
As with the earlier Robbins music/dance film program I saw at LPA, this included three separate film snippets—one with Robbins rehearsing Baryshnikov, and two performances, one from March 3, 1994 and one from May 29, 1994, both at New York State Theater at Lincoln Center. What can I say? It’s Baryshnikov, a solo cellist, and Bach. It’s interesting to see how the rehearsal moves translate (or don’t) into the final performances. But that’s what live theater is—whether it’s music, drama, dance, musical theater, or opera—it’s live and one of a kind. And that’s why I attend.
ConcertMeister
Monday, November 5, 2018
Carnegie Hall Citywide (Hate the Name Change) (10/20/18)
Samantha Hankey, mezzo-soprano; Chris Reynolds, piano
This used to be called Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts—I miss the Neighborhood connection in the name. But I digress. Fourteen vocal selections, not named here.
Very interesting (and slightly strange) afternoon concert. Soprano Hannah Rose Kidwell withdrew due to an injury—apparently she sprained her ankle while en route to an audition. Ms. Hankey was wonderful as a replacement.
Two Franz Liszt songs began the program. The first was sad but not mournful and very beautiful. And Ms. Hankey sang exceedingly well in the room (a church with very reverberant acoustics). The second Liszt song had a dramatic piano introduction and then very rich and full accompaniment to the vocal lines. Sort of the epitome of the Romantic era. [And then a phone rang! Really, people?]
Four Richard Strauss songs were next, one with full, rippling accompaniment and silvery vocal lines that I associate with the composer. The second was darker in tone and form—dramatic without going overboard, just taking us right there to the edge. The third was slightly coquettish and a little off-putting. Maybe she was working too hard? The fourth was much quicker and dramatic and very effective.
A set of three Samuel Barber songs followed. The first was somewhat simple in style, though there was also some of the silvery quality of the Strauss. The next was fuller and solid, in both performance and technique. The third was clean and straightforward. Of note, her partner/accompanist was totally supportive (even when he was playing on his own)—they worked extremely well together, which brings up a slight quibble. He was quite adept at signaling when they were at the end of a grouping, which is not a bad thing. But their stage comportment was also just a little too slick for me. I understand that artists want to develop their own style, but her hand-over-heart gesture every time she bowed/acknowledged applause was a bit contrived and cloying. Yes, I’m quibbling, but it’s my blog.
An Henri DuParc song followed that was spiky and dramatic, somewhat martial in tone, and a type of a ballad, as in a story well told. An Alban Berg piece was next that was sweeter and more Romantic in style than I associate with Berg. A Schumann song was next that was solid—not sad but compelling nevertheless. It was serious, for want of a better word.
Two Manuel de Falla songs closed out the program. In the first, I thought ‘lullabye’ from the very beginning and was not wrong. There were some Latin/Spanish flourishes, however, that I really liked. The final work on the program had strong, rhythmic accompaniment, with fiery vocal lines, as though Ms. Hankey were channeling her pre-Carmen flair.
I was not far off the mark. As an encore, we heard the Habanera from Carmen!
ConcertMeister
This used to be called Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts—I miss the Neighborhood connection in the name. But I digress. Fourteen vocal selections, not named here.
Very interesting (and slightly strange) afternoon concert. Soprano Hannah Rose Kidwell withdrew due to an injury—apparently she sprained her ankle while en route to an audition. Ms. Hankey was wonderful as a replacement.
Two Franz Liszt songs began the program. The first was sad but not mournful and very beautiful. And Ms. Hankey sang exceedingly well in the room (a church with very reverberant acoustics). The second Liszt song had a dramatic piano introduction and then very rich and full accompaniment to the vocal lines. Sort of the epitome of the Romantic era. [And then a phone rang! Really, people?]
Four Richard Strauss songs were next, one with full, rippling accompaniment and silvery vocal lines that I associate with the composer. The second was darker in tone and form—dramatic without going overboard, just taking us right there to the edge. The third was slightly coquettish and a little off-putting. Maybe she was working too hard? The fourth was much quicker and dramatic and very effective.
A set of three Samuel Barber songs followed. The first was somewhat simple in style, though there was also some of the silvery quality of the Strauss. The next was fuller and solid, in both performance and technique. The third was clean and straightforward. Of note, her partner/accompanist was totally supportive (even when he was playing on his own)—they worked extremely well together, which brings up a slight quibble. He was quite adept at signaling when they were at the end of a grouping, which is not a bad thing. But their stage comportment was also just a little too slick for me. I understand that artists want to develop their own style, but her hand-over-heart gesture every time she bowed/acknowledged applause was a bit contrived and cloying. Yes, I’m quibbling, but it’s my blog.
An Henri DuParc song followed that was spiky and dramatic, somewhat martial in tone, and a type of a ballad, as in a story well told. An Alban Berg piece was next that was sweeter and more Romantic in style than I associate with Berg. A Schumann song was next that was solid—not sad but compelling nevertheless. It was serious, for want of a better word.
Two Manuel de Falla songs closed out the program. In the first, I thought ‘lullabye’ from the very beginning and was not wrong. There were some Latin/Spanish flourishes, however, that I really liked. The final work on the program had strong, rhythmic accompaniment, with fiery vocal lines, as though Ms. Hankey were channeling her pre-Carmen flair.
I was not far off the mark. As an encore, we heard the Habanera from Carmen!
ConcertMeister
Monday, October 29, 2018
Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla (10/28/18)
I promise you that I have been going to concerts, and I have a backlog of posts to write, but this was such a timely event that I didn’t want to sit on it.
It took place in the northern end of Central Park—Harlem Meer to be precise. The entire event ran from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Here’s a snippet from Central Park’s website: “Enjoy pumpkin carving, Halloween crafts, spooky stories, a costume parade, and most of all the Conservancy’s signature Pumpkin Flotilla, which sets sail across the Harlem Meer at twilight! This event is free and open to all ages. Tickets are not required.”
I did not partake of all of the events; I did, however, see the flotilla. More to the point, I saw one half of the flotilla. Here’s the deal. People create jack-o’-lanterns and donate them to the park, knowing full well that they will not get them back. I arrived and entered the park at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street, getting there around 6:25pm or so, when dusk was pretty much full upon us, and I found a convenient spot at the water’s edge. Suddenly a kayaker appeared traveling from west to east, towing—well, a flotilla (multiple platforms strung together?) of about two dozen jack-o’-lanterns (in two rows, not one long string of pumpkins). It was quite eerie yet intriguing. Then I saw in the distance, a second double-row flotilla along the south end of the meer.
I thought to myself, “How cool. They’ll probably pass each other so we can see the south flotilla and they can see the north flotilla.” Alas, that was not to be. We only got to see our half of the pumpkins. As I was leaving, I saw them unloading our flotilla and asked what would happen to the carved pumpkins now? They were going directly to be composted. I was a little disheartened by that, since I thought it would be cool if they could all be on display on terra firma at least until Halloween. I guess there was no easy way to display forty to fifty jack-o’-lanterns. Hey, at least they composted them.
I won’t exactly call this a ‘bucket list’ event but I’m glad I went (nice weather was definitely a deciding factor). It’s doubtful, though, that I’ll make a return visit to the flotilla in the future—this was pretty much a one-and-done.
PumpkinMeister
It took place in the northern end of Central Park—Harlem Meer to be precise. The entire event ran from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Here’s a snippet from Central Park’s website: “Enjoy pumpkin carving, Halloween crafts, spooky stories, a costume parade, and most of all the Conservancy’s signature Pumpkin Flotilla, which sets sail across the Harlem Meer at twilight! This event is free and open to all ages. Tickets are not required.”
I did not partake of all of the events; I did, however, see the flotilla. More to the point, I saw one half of the flotilla. Here’s the deal. People create jack-o’-lanterns and donate them to the park, knowing full well that they will not get them back. I arrived and entered the park at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street, getting there around 6:25pm or so, when dusk was pretty much full upon us, and I found a convenient spot at the water’s edge. Suddenly a kayaker appeared traveling from west to east, towing—well, a flotilla (multiple platforms strung together?) of about two dozen jack-o’-lanterns (in two rows, not one long string of pumpkins). It was quite eerie yet intriguing. Then I saw in the distance, a second double-row flotilla along the south end of the meer.
I thought to myself, “How cool. They’ll probably pass each other so we can see the south flotilla and they can see the north flotilla.” Alas, that was not to be. We only got to see our half of the pumpkins. As I was leaving, I saw them unloading our flotilla and asked what would happen to the carved pumpkins now? They were going directly to be composted. I was a little disheartened by that, since I thought it would be cool if they could all be on display on terra firma at least until Halloween. I guess there was no easy way to display forty to fifty jack-o’-lanterns. Hey, at least they composted them.
I won’t exactly call this a ‘bucket list’ event but I’m glad I went (nice weather was definitely a deciding factor). It’s doubtful, though, that I’ll make a return visit to the flotilla in the future—this was pretty much a one-and-done.
PumpkinMeister
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Food-Centric Volunteering (10/11–21/18)
OK, this is not concert oriented. But free things exist out there that are not performances. In a sense. Over the last week and a half I have participated in (in no particular order) a fundraiser, two New York City Wine and Food Festival events and one International Star Chefs event. Re ‘in a sense’ there was a whole lotta performing going on.
Also in no particular order, I saw Anne Burrell, Sunny Anderson, Marc Murphy, and Elizabeth Falkner. (Yes, I'm an ex-FoodTV junkie.) I had no real interaction with Ms. Burrell nor Ms. Falkner, but I did at least moderately interact with Chef Marc. And I did point Chef Sunny in the direction of Onion sorbet. (She liked it, and so did I.)
Organization for the four events was a bit iffy. At one, there was little to do, though I guarded a table of signed books diligently. At one, I had to force them to use me for more than the two-hour window that they set as my schedule. Two hours is really not worth my time, even as a volunteer. Especially when each portion of the round trip is about one hour. Fortunately, my shift ended up being longer than two hours—though the logistics and details were still a little wonky.
At one, I was told that I could not take part in sampling the items on display for the patrons. Fair enough; that’s sort of standard in volunteer world. When I was given a fifteen-minute break, I was told to feel free to sample the vendors’ wares. Huh?!? But no wine or booze.
At another, I was told that there would be no sampling but then I was told that sampling was OK on break, and sake, beer, and booze were OK in moderation. I understand the concept—they don’t want volunteers taking advantage of the event. But mixed signals are very strange, especially when the eventual situation boils down to “Enjoy yourself, in moderation.” I know that all volunteers are not like me, so there have to be some safeguards in place.
There also have to be better guidelines and better communication with volunteers in place. In one instance, I got an email at 8:14am asking how quickly I could be there. That is an extreme lack of organization.
There. Off my ’Meister soap box now.
Also in no particular order, I saw Anne Burrell, Sunny Anderson, Marc Murphy, and Elizabeth Falkner. (Yes, I'm an ex-FoodTV junkie.) I had no real interaction with Ms. Burrell nor Ms. Falkner, but I did at least moderately interact with Chef Marc. And I did point Chef Sunny in the direction of Onion sorbet. (She liked it, and so did I.)
Organization for the four events was a bit iffy. At one, there was little to do, though I guarded a table of signed books diligently. At one, I had to force them to use me for more than the two-hour window that they set as my schedule. Two hours is really not worth my time, even as a volunteer. Especially when each portion of the round trip is about one hour. Fortunately, my shift ended up being longer than two hours—though the logistics and details were still a little wonky.
At one, I was told that I could not take part in sampling the items on display for the patrons. Fair enough; that’s sort of standard in volunteer world. When I was given a fifteen-minute break, I was told to feel free to sample the vendors’ wares. Huh?!? But no wine or booze.
At another, I was told that there would be no sampling but then I was told that sampling was OK on break, and sake, beer, and booze were OK in moderation. I understand the concept—they don’t want volunteers taking advantage of the event. But mixed signals are very strange, especially when the eventual situation boils down to “Enjoy yourself, in moderation.” I know that all volunteers are not like me, so there have to be some safeguards in place.
There also have to be better guidelines and better communication with volunteers in place. In one instance, I got an email at 8:14am asking how quickly I could be there. That is an extreme lack of organization.
There. Off my ’Meister soap box now.
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Open House New York Weekend (OHNY) (10/12–14/18)
Here’s a little bit of back story about OHNY. There are two kinds of architectural site visits—Open Access (free) and Reservations Required (which charge a $5.00 fee, each). Me being me, I don’t do the reservation sites. From everything I’ve heard, unless you jump on reservations the very moment they become available you have an extremely rough (to impossible) time getting them.
Oct. 12 was Factory Friday. I did not participate because every site required a reservation. I also did not participate on Sunday due to a previously scheduled volunteer gig (bad planning on my part, but the volunteering was for a good cause). Which left Saturday.
As always, I created a very full agenda for myself knowing that, due to possible changes and due to sometimes unpredictable subway service, I might have to change directions or just skip something on my list. My planning paid off this time, though. I made it to all eight of the sites I plotted out.
I began with the Manhattan Borough President’s Map Display at 1 Centre St. They opened at 10am and I was there a few minutes early (which is par for the course for me); alas, they were not ready on time. When I did get up to the second floor, the thirty or so 1820 surveyors’ maps laying out most of Manhattan were just being tidied up on a series of tables pushed together. It was interesting to see how the contour of Manhattan changed (and didn’t) over the years. (McKim Mead & White, 1914)
Next was Blue School at 156 William St. It was an easy walk (in the drizzle) even if I did get turned around a couple of times. I was part of a tour led by a representative from the architectural firm. This just-opened school took an existing building, gutted it and created classrooms, and furniture, to make spaces that were easily adaptable to different groups of students. Down on the basement floor, we saw dance studios and a small gymnasium. I never learned the ins and outs of it, but the architects had to figure out how to remove a load-bearing steel beam that was in the exact center of what ended up as the basketball court. Cool stuff. (Rockwell Group, 2018)
Retracing my steps to the Civic Center area, I visited City Hall (Broadway and Murray St.). While waiting in line there for a 12 noon start, it became apparent that not everyone in line was there for OHNY. There was also some sort of real estate protest scheduled for the exact same time. The two groups eventually got sorted out. No real tour here, just wandering through some of the areas that aren’t usually open to the public. The city volunteers on hand were very knowledgeable and helpful. (Joseph Francois Mangin and John McComb Jr., 1812)
Next, nearby, was the Hall of Records tour at Surrogate’s Courthouse, located at 31 Chambers St. This was the one minor blemish, as the tour (that was only added recently before the event) was limited to fifteen people—but that information was not made available to us until there were more than fifty of us in the holding area. So, no tour for me but I was able to wander parts of the building. (John Rochester Thomas, 1907; Renovated 2018; in fact, great portions of the center of the building were off limits due to the ongoing renovations)
Leaving the Civic Center area, I went uptown to Grace Church New York, at Broadway and 10th St. I’ve been in the church before but I had never had a tour. The parishioner giving the tour focused a lot on the stained glass windows. While not Tiffany, she did point out that almost all of them were crafted by women. Apparently there were a lot of women stained glass artists. She also explained some of the symbolism of the reredos (relief stone structure behind the altar, at the very front of the church). One interesting thing about the pews at Grace is that they have these wooden latches on the inside of the doors, which is how you enter and exit. There was also mention made of the brass plates on some of the pews—in the past, parishioners had to pay for their own special pew, and then they were reserved for them (and family and guests, I presume). Though the pews are no longer reserved/owned, some of the hardware remains. (James Renwick, Jr., 1846)
I went back downtown a bit to 25 Park Pl. and the Hercules Art Studio Program. There were works by six (if I’m remembering correctly) artists who had been chosen from a much larger group, through a juried process. Most of the artwork was interesting and there certainly was a variety, although I sort of just glanced at the video installations. One artist was on site, and he took a short break from his work to discuss it with a couple who had dropped in. I sort of tagged along for the conversation. It was fun to hear someone discussing their work while you could see some of it in the middle of the creative process. (Claire Weisz, 2016)
Another retrace, this time to Grace Church for an organ meditation. For my NY peeps, these occur on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 4pm with some regularity. Simply search Grace Church New York and you’ll probably find them pretty easily. I heard Präludium in D-dur (Dietrich Buxtehude), Largo from Xerxes (G.F. Handel), and Partite diverse sopra: Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig, BWV 768 (J.S. Bach). Alas, due to time constraints, I missed the Widor and the Vierne. (Renwick, 1846)
I finished off the afternoon on the lower east side at 551 Grand St. and Paul Taylor American Modern Dance – The Taylor Studios. Located on the top floor of a three-story building, the space houses studios as well as in-house costume and lighting designing spaces. In my private tour with, I think, the Artistic Director (lucky me!), I was told that the requirements for finding this new space included ‘lots of natural light’ and ‘no columns’. When I recounted the ‘no columns’ feature that I had seen earlier in the day, my guide was duly impressed. Interestingly, the studios have just had mirrors installed; usually Mr. Taylor created his works on his dancers without them being able to see themselves. With this new space though, they sometimes rent it out to other companies, so mirrors were finally installed. The things you learn at OHNY! (James Dart, 2011)
Okay, I really finished off the afternoon (early evening at that point) with a cocktail at David Burke Kitchen (23 Grand St.). There’s not really an easy way to get from 551 to 23 on Grand St., so I hoofed it about fifteen to twenty minutes. After the long day and the long walk, a cocktail was definitely in order—and it benefited Chemo Comfort as part of their Cocktails for Comfort fundraising event. A win-win to cap off the day.
Oct. 12 was Factory Friday. I did not participate because every site required a reservation. I also did not participate on Sunday due to a previously scheduled volunteer gig (bad planning on my part, but the volunteering was for a good cause). Which left Saturday.
As always, I created a very full agenda for myself knowing that, due to possible changes and due to sometimes unpredictable subway service, I might have to change directions or just skip something on my list. My planning paid off this time, though. I made it to all eight of the sites I plotted out.
I began with the Manhattan Borough President’s Map Display at 1 Centre St. They opened at 10am and I was there a few minutes early (which is par for the course for me); alas, they were not ready on time. When I did get up to the second floor, the thirty or so 1820 surveyors’ maps laying out most of Manhattan were just being tidied up on a series of tables pushed together. It was interesting to see how the contour of Manhattan changed (and didn’t) over the years. (McKim Mead & White, 1914)
Next was Blue School at 156 William St. It was an easy walk (in the drizzle) even if I did get turned around a couple of times. I was part of a tour led by a representative from the architectural firm. This just-opened school took an existing building, gutted it and created classrooms, and furniture, to make spaces that were easily adaptable to different groups of students. Down on the basement floor, we saw dance studios and a small gymnasium. I never learned the ins and outs of it, but the architects had to figure out how to remove a load-bearing steel beam that was in the exact center of what ended up as the basketball court. Cool stuff. (Rockwell Group, 2018)
Retracing my steps to the Civic Center area, I visited City Hall (Broadway and Murray St.). While waiting in line there for a 12 noon start, it became apparent that not everyone in line was there for OHNY. There was also some sort of real estate protest scheduled for the exact same time. The two groups eventually got sorted out. No real tour here, just wandering through some of the areas that aren’t usually open to the public. The city volunteers on hand were very knowledgeable and helpful. (Joseph Francois Mangin and John McComb Jr., 1812)
Next, nearby, was the Hall of Records tour at Surrogate’s Courthouse, located at 31 Chambers St. This was the one minor blemish, as the tour (that was only added recently before the event) was limited to fifteen people—but that information was not made available to us until there were more than fifty of us in the holding area. So, no tour for me but I was able to wander parts of the building. (John Rochester Thomas, 1907; Renovated 2018; in fact, great portions of the center of the building were off limits due to the ongoing renovations)
Leaving the Civic Center area, I went uptown to Grace Church New York, at Broadway and 10th St. I’ve been in the church before but I had never had a tour. The parishioner giving the tour focused a lot on the stained glass windows. While not Tiffany, she did point out that almost all of them were crafted by women. Apparently there were a lot of women stained glass artists. She also explained some of the symbolism of the reredos (relief stone structure behind the altar, at the very front of the church). One interesting thing about the pews at Grace is that they have these wooden latches on the inside of the doors, which is how you enter and exit. There was also mention made of the brass plates on some of the pews—in the past, parishioners had to pay for their own special pew, and then they were reserved for them (and family and guests, I presume). Though the pews are no longer reserved/owned, some of the hardware remains. (James Renwick, Jr., 1846)
I went back downtown a bit to 25 Park Pl. and the Hercules Art Studio Program. There were works by six (if I’m remembering correctly) artists who had been chosen from a much larger group, through a juried process. Most of the artwork was interesting and there certainly was a variety, although I sort of just glanced at the video installations. One artist was on site, and he took a short break from his work to discuss it with a couple who had dropped in. I sort of tagged along for the conversation. It was fun to hear someone discussing their work while you could see some of it in the middle of the creative process. (Claire Weisz, 2016)
Another retrace, this time to Grace Church for an organ meditation. For my NY peeps, these occur on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 4pm with some regularity. Simply search Grace Church New York and you’ll probably find them pretty easily. I heard Präludium in D-dur (Dietrich Buxtehude), Largo from Xerxes (G.F. Handel), and Partite diverse sopra: Sei gegrüsset Jesu gütig, BWV 768 (J.S. Bach). Alas, due to time constraints, I missed the Widor and the Vierne. (Renwick, 1846)
I finished off the afternoon on the lower east side at 551 Grand St. and Paul Taylor American Modern Dance – The Taylor Studios. Located on the top floor of a three-story building, the space houses studios as well as in-house costume and lighting designing spaces. In my private tour with, I think, the Artistic Director (lucky me!), I was told that the requirements for finding this new space included ‘lots of natural light’ and ‘no columns’. When I recounted the ‘no columns’ feature that I had seen earlier in the day, my guide was duly impressed. Interestingly, the studios have just had mirrors installed; usually Mr. Taylor created his works on his dancers without them being able to see themselves. With this new space though, they sometimes rent it out to other companies, so mirrors were finally installed. The things you learn at OHNY! (James Dart, 2011)
Okay, I really finished off the afternoon (early evening at that point) with a cocktail at David Burke Kitchen (23 Grand St.). There’s not really an easy way to get from 551 to 23 on Grand St., so I hoofed it about fifteen to twenty minutes. After the long day and the long walk, a cocktail was definitely in order—and it benefited Chemo Comfort as part of their Cocktails for Comfort fundraising event. A win-win to cap off the day.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Classical Interludes with The Knights (10/7/18) (Sort of)
Colin Jacobsen, violin; Christina Courtin, violin; Margaret Dyer, viola; Andrea Lee, cello; Agnes Marchione, clarinet
Fantasias for Strings – No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 – Henry Purcell
Quartet No. 2, Op. 13 – I. Adagio – Allegro vivace; II. Adagio non lento; III. Intermezzo. Alegretto con moto – Allegro di molto; IV. Presto – Adagio non lento – Felix Mendelssohn
Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 – I. Allegro; II. Larghetto; III. Menuetto; IV. Allegretto con variazioni – W. A. Mozart
Selected Songs – Bouquet; Can’t Talk Me Out of Loving You – Christina Courtin
Well, I went to the Brooklyn Library thinking I would see a chamber orchestra, The Knights, and got a string quartet, instead. Not a huge problem, just a slight annoyance. The string quartet played very well, and they are all members of the chamber orchestra. The lighting was such that I was unable to take notes.
The three Purcell Fantasias were fairly similar to each other. Pleasant and a little bit basic. (Purcell’s dates are 1659–1695, while Mozart’s are 1756–1791, and Mendelssohn’s are 1809–1847; musical ideas, expressions, and techniques grew and evolved over the centuries.)
As a contrast, the Mendelssohn was more advanced and a little more complex. I found it quite enjoyable. The Mozart, I am sorry to say, I found a lot less enjoyable. The clarinetist did a fine job, as did the quartet, but I was sorry to hear them take every repeat of sections that had repeats. Diddle-diddle-dum with a neat finish to the phrase sounds just as diddle-diddle-dum-y the second time around. And with the fact that the last movement was a set of variations, the repeats were only more and more predictable. But I’m sure some of you aren’t too surprised at my reaction, right?
Ms. Courtin is a fine violinist. I did not particularly enjoy her compositions or vocal stylings though a lot of the audience did. I like the Dweck Auditorium at the Brooklyn Library, its space and comfort, so I see myself returning to this venue again as concerts come up. You win some, you lose some—and certainly not all was lost this time around.
ConcertMeister
Fantasias for Strings – No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 – Henry Purcell
Quartet No. 2, Op. 13 – I. Adagio – Allegro vivace; II. Adagio non lento; III. Intermezzo. Alegretto con moto – Allegro di molto; IV. Presto – Adagio non lento – Felix Mendelssohn
Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 – I. Allegro; II. Larghetto; III. Menuetto; IV. Allegretto con variazioni – W. A. Mozart
Selected Songs – Bouquet; Can’t Talk Me Out of Loving You – Christina Courtin
Well, I went to the Brooklyn Library thinking I would see a chamber orchestra, The Knights, and got a string quartet, instead. Not a huge problem, just a slight annoyance. The string quartet played very well, and they are all members of the chamber orchestra. The lighting was such that I was unable to take notes.
The three Purcell Fantasias were fairly similar to each other. Pleasant and a little bit basic. (Purcell’s dates are 1659–1695, while Mozart’s are 1756–1791, and Mendelssohn’s are 1809–1847; musical ideas, expressions, and techniques grew and evolved over the centuries.)
As a contrast, the Mendelssohn was more advanced and a little more complex. I found it quite enjoyable. The Mozart, I am sorry to say, I found a lot less enjoyable. The clarinetist did a fine job, as did the quartet, but I was sorry to hear them take every repeat of sections that had repeats. Diddle-diddle-dum with a neat finish to the phrase sounds just as diddle-diddle-dum-y the second time around. And with the fact that the last movement was a set of variations, the repeats were only more and more predictable. But I’m sure some of you aren’t too surprised at my reaction, right?
Ms. Courtin is a fine violinist. I did not particularly enjoy her compositions or vocal stylings though a lot of the audience did. I like the Dweck Auditorium at the Brooklyn Library, its space and comfort, so I see myself returning to this venue again as concerts come up. You win some, you lose some—and certainly not all was lost this time around.
ConcertMeister
Monday, October 15, 2018
Other Dances; Love of Chopin (10/6/18)
Evelyn Chen, piano
Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6 (1837) – Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Conversation with Robert Greskovic and Evelyn Chen
Selections from Other Dances – Mazurka, Op. 17, No. 4; Mazurka, Op. 41,
No. 3; Waltz, Op. 64, No. 3; Mazurka, Op. 63, No. 2; Mazurka, Op. 33, No. 2 – Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Variations on a theme of Bach “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen” (1862) – Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Other Dances (1976) (1980) – Jerome Robbins (1918–1998)
This was some very interesting immersive programming. Other Dances is a ballet by Jerome Robbins that was created for (and on) Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov. It premiered at a 1976 gala that was a benefit for the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, and took place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. Saturday’s concert and viewing of the filmed version of Other Dances took place at the Library for the Performing Arts, and Robert Greskovic, who spoke briefly just before the intermission, actually attended the premiere and was slightly involved in the 1980 filmed version for PBS’ Dance in America series.
The concert began with a lengthy Schumann work (nine movements in the first half and nine movements in the second half). Some of Schumann’s lengthier works probably need multiple hearings (or even studying) to make total sense of them. I’m not there yet. The movements were hard to distinguish, and even though some were given a character name of Florestan and others a character name of Eusebius, the distinctions were not always clear to me. I’d listen to Davidsbündlertänze (cool name!) again, but I wouldn’t seek it out.
The conversation portion of the afternoon was also interesting. Ms. Chen explained some of the information about the Schumann and the Liszt—apparently Chopin held Bach in high esteem, so Ms. Chen selected the Liszt for that reason. And, as previously mentioned, Mr. Greskovic filled us in about the creative processes of Other Dances.
So, on to the Chopin. In what I consider a programming coup, while Ms. Chen played the Chopin, there was video (sans sound) of Ms. Makarova and Mr. Baryshnikov from a rehearsal on the stage of the Met. The quality of the video was not tremendous, and Ms. Chen wasn’t really playing it as accompaniment to the dancing, i.e., it was not synchronized exactly, but that added to the ghost-like, ethereal effect. The playing was poignant, true, and totally enjoyable. The Liszt was also enjoyable though it didn’t make an overly strong impression on me, as I was looking forward more to the filmed version of Other Dances.
After another brief break, we saw footage of Mr. Robbins rehearsing Ms. Makarova and Mr. Baryshnikov (more of a touch-up rehearsal than a full rehearsal) in preparation for the filming in 1980—and Mr. Robbins insisted that it be recorded on film and not on videotape; we learned that courtesy of Mr. Greskovic. The filmed version of Other Dances was an absolute joy to behold. It was the perfect cap to a fairly long afternoon. And it had been an even longer day for some people because Mr. Greskovic gave an earlier lecture/discussion tour of the newly opened Voice of My City: Jerome Robbins and New York exhibit at the LPA, that I did not attend.
ConcertMeister
Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6 (1837) – Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Conversation with Robert Greskovic and Evelyn Chen
Selections from Other Dances – Mazurka, Op. 17, No. 4; Mazurka, Op. 41,
No. 3; Waltz, Op. 64, No. 3; Mazurka, Op. 63, No. 2; Mazurka, Op. 33, No. 2 – Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Variations on a theme of Bach “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen” (1862) – Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Other Dances (1976) (1980) – Jerome Robbins (1918–1998)
This was some very interesting immersive programming. Other Dances is a ballet by Jerome Robbins that was created for (and on) Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov. It premiered at a 1976 gala that was a benefit for the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, and took place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. Saturday’s concert and viewing of the filmed version of Other Dances took place at the Library for the Performing Arts, and Robert Greskovic, who spoke briefly just before the intermission, actually attended the premiere and was slightly involved in the 1980 filmed version for PBS’ Dance in America series.
The concert began with a lengthy Schumann work (nine movements in the first half and nine movements in the second half). Some of Schumann’s lengthier works probably need multiple hearings (or even studying) to make total sense of them. I’m not there yet. The movements were hard to distinguish, and even though some were given a character name of Florestan and others a character name of Eusebius, the distinctions were not always clear to me. I’d listen to Davidsbündlertänze (cool name!) again, but I wouldn’t seek it out.
The conversation portion of the afternoon was also interesting. Ms. Chen explained some of the information about the Schumann and the Liszt—apparently Chopin held Bach in high esteem, so Ms. Chen selected the Liszt for that reason. And, as previously mentioned, Mr. Greskovic filled us in about the creative processes of Other Dances.
So, on to the Chopin. In what I consider a programming coup, while Ms. Chen played the Chopin, there was video (sans sound) of Ms. Makarova and Mr. Baryshnikov from a rehearsal on the stage of the Met. The quality of the video was not tremendous, and Ms. Chen wasn’t really playing it as accompaniment to the dancing, i.e., it was not synchronized exactly, but that added to the ghost-like, ethereal effect. The playing was poignant, true, and totally enjoyable. The Liszt was also enjoyable though it didn’t make an overly strong impression on me, as I was looking forward more to the filmed version of Other Dances.
After another brief break, we saw footage of Mr. Robbins rehearsing Ms. Makarova and Mr. Baryshnikov (more of a touch-up rehearsal than a full rehearsal) in preparation for the filming in 1980—and Mr. Robbins insisted that it be recorded on film and not on videotape; we learned that courtesy of Mr. Greskovic. The filmed version of Other Dances was an absolute joy to behold. It was the perfect cap to a fairly long afternoon. And it had been an even longer day for some people because Mr. Greskovic gave an earlier lecture/discussion tour of the newly opened Voice of My City: Jerome Robbins and New York exhibit at the LPA, that I did not attend.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Midday Masterpieces (10/3/18)
Max Tan, violin; Chaeyoung Park, piano
Violin Sonata in A Major, K.305 – Mozart
Ciaccona from Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin in D minor – Bach
Sonata No. 2 in A Major – Brahms
As much as I like Midday Masterpieces at WQXR’s Jerome L. Greene performance space, a printed program would be nice. I was able to go to their website, though, and get the performers’ names and the pieces that were played. Hmm, maybe it was good that there wasn’t a printed program.
While listening to the first piece and taking notes, I found myself enjoying it and trying to guess the composer, and how many movements there actually were. I was right with the number of movements (two) but wrong with the composer (I don’t remember who I guessed). You see, sometimes if I see Mozart listed, I’m slightly prejudiced because Mozart is not always one of my favorites.
The first movement was bright, with a quick tempo, and there was totally charming interplay between the violin and the piano. A minor section followed, though it wasn’t ominous sounding at all, and then returned to some of the earlier themes. The second movement was slower and a little more relaxed but the charm was still there. A rather lengthy solo piano variation was next, then a playful duo section, continuing on with a nice mix of variations and tempos that eventually picked up speed and energy, taking us to the ending.
Unaccompanied Bach is always intriguing. The Ciaccona had a slight feeling of sadness but also an underlying sense of hope. Even though there was a bit of repetition, there was also a richness and there were additional techniques that added forward movement. As much as I was enjoying it, my attention did wander just a little—almost like meditation.
The Brahms had a lot going for it. The opening was Romantic from the (relatively subdued) introduction. The main theme arrived, full and with a continuing Romantic sweep of rich phrases and harmonies that were dramatic at times and quite touching at times, as well. The second movement was slower and more tender, with a hint of sweetness, and then became quicker and a bit more playful and dance-like. After a second slower section, a quicker one followed again, this time with pizzicato phrases that led to a really fun ending. The third and final movement had a gently strong opening, then a mysterious section that built up in intensity, leading to a dignified ending.
Maybe I’ll try to do my homework next time and learn the performers’ names and what pieces I can expect to hear before I go to the concert. Or maybe I’ll just be surprised again!
ConcertMeister
Violin Sonata in A Major, K.305 – Mozart
Ciaccona from Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin in D minor – Bach
Sonata No. 2 in A Major – Brahms
As much as I like Midday Masterpieces at WQXR’s Jerome L. Greene performance space, a printed program would be nice. I was able to go to their website, though, and get the performers’ names and the pieces that were played. Hmm, maybe it was good that there wasn’t a printed program.
While listening to the first piece and taking notes, I found myself enjoying it and trying to guess the composer, and how many movements there actually were. I was right with the number of movements (two) but wrong with the composer (I don’t remember who I guessed). You see, sometimes if I see Mozart listed, I’m slightly prejudiced because Mozart is not always one of my favorites.
The first movement was bright, with a quick tempo, and there was totally charming interplay between the violin and the piano. A minor section followed, though it wasn’t ominous sounding at all, and then returned to some of the earlier themes. The second movement was slower and a little more relaxed but the charm was still there. A rather lengthy solo piano variation was next, then a playful duo section, continuing on with a nice mix of variations and tempos that eventually picked up speed and energy, taking us to the ending.
Unaccompanied Bach is always intriguing. The Ciaccona had a slight feeling of sadness but also an underlying sense of hope. Even though there was a bit of repetition, there was also a richness and there were additional techniques that added forward movement. As much as I was enjoying it, my attention did wander just a little—almost like meditation.
The Brahms had a lot going for it. The opening was Romantic from the (relatively subdued) introduction. The main theme arrived, full and with a continuing Romantic sweep of rich phrases and harmonies that were dramatic at times and quite touching at times, as well. The second movement was slower and more tender, with a hint of sweetness, and then became quicker and a bit more playful and dance-like. After a second slower section, a quicker one followed again, this time with pizzicato phrases that led to a really fun ending. The third and final movement had a gently strong opening, then a mysterious section that built up in intensity, leading to a dignified ending.
Maybe I’ll try to do my homework next time and learn the performers’ names and what pieces I can expect to hear before I go to the concert. Or maybe I’ll just be surprised again!
ConcertMeister
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Across a Crowded Room, Part Deux (10/1/18)
A reminder, these twenty-minute musicals were written as part of a summer writing workshop sponsored by the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. The participants grouped up ‘across a crowded room’ and then bent to the task of preparing said twenty-minute musicals. Four were presented on Monday evening.
Handsome Weeping Boy had our heroine bemoaning the fact that her boyfriend/fiancé never cried—even while watching Marley & Me! (a reference lost on me for most of the piece). She hires the title character, who indeed gets the fiancé to break down into sobs (his dad/coach pulled him from the championship Little League game many years ago—I’m not making this up, you know). The music was OK but I didn’t go out the door humming any of it.
Descending had a v-e-r-y lengthy opening with lots of dialogue. Was this a musical? We finally got to a ‘Who Am I?’ song. Literally. One sister got her other sister a DNA kit as a birthday gift. Instead of a pity party, the birthday girl had a spitty party. I’m not … oh, never mind. In a rather awkward scene, the DNA girl’s ex-fiancé asked for his engagement ring back (it was his grandmother’s antique, and he needs it for a new fiancé). I’m not … The music didn’t make a huge impression. Oh, the girl and her sister turn out to be only half-sisters but that doesn’t matter because they’re really sisters in spirit. I’m …
At the Feet of the Master dealt with the situation of a cult—“You’ll find illumination, for a small donation.” There was once again a ‘Who Am I’ song, this one that I actually liked. As you can see, most of my comments have been about plot. That’s because for this iteration there was much more dialogue than music which was a slight problem for me.
Grand Larceny had three gals essentially doing the same thing—trying to put something over on at least one of the others. It was an interesting concept that needs a little more work. At one point, each of the three sang stuff that was similar to (or exactly the same as) the music of the others. While an interesting concept, it was a little confusing.
Over all, I didn’t like these four musicals as much as I liked any one of the four from the earlier September series. I look forward though, I think, to future iterations. Hey, it was free!
ConcertMeister
Handsome Weeping Boy had our heroine bemoaning the fact that her boyfriend/fiancé never cried—even while watching Marley & Me! (a reference lost on me for most of the piece). She hires the title character, who indeed gets the fiancé to break down into sobs (his dad/coach pulled him from the championship Little League game many years ago—I’m not making this up, you know). The music was OK but I didn’t go out the door humming any of it.
Descending had a v-e-r-y lengthy opening with lots of dialogue. Was this a musical? We finally got to a ‘Who Am I?’ song. Literally. One sister got her other sister a DNA kit as a birthday gift. Instead of a pity party, the birthday girl had a spitty party. I’m not … oh, never mind. In a rather awkward scene, the DNA girl’s ex-fiancé asked for his engagement ring back (it was his grandmother’s antique, and he needs it for a new fiancé). I’m not … The music didn’t make a huge impression. Oh, the girl and her sister turn out to be only half-sisters but that doesn’t matter because they’re really sisters in spirit. I’m …
At the Feet of the Master dealt with the situation of a cult—“You’ll find illumination, for a small donation.” There was once again a ‘Who Am I’ song, this one that I actually liked. As you can see, most of my comments have been about plot. That’s because for this iteration there was much more dialogue than music which was a slight problem for me.
Grand Larceny had three gals essentially doing the same thing—trying to put something over on at least one of the others. It was an interesting concept that needs a little more work. At one point, each of the three sang stuff that was similar to (or exactly the same as) the music of the others. While an interesting concept, it was a little confusing.
Over all, I didn’t like these four musicals as much as I liked any one of the four from the earlier September series. I look forward though, I think, to future iterations. Hey, it was free!
ConcertMeister
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Folk Songs and Lullabies (9/29/18)
Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, mezzo soprano; Margaret Kampmeier, piano
Dr. Horner-Kwiatek is a vocalist who specializes in early music as well as contemporary music. Her program on Saturday included 13th-century solo vocal works, arrangements of folk songs, and compositions in the style of folk songs.
Ms. Kampmeier also played two solos.
Clocking in at nineteen compositions, not every one will be commented on. I am a fan of early music (it’s an acquired taste), so I particularly enjoyed Qui Creavit and Lullay, Lullow, both from the 13th century. The first, which opened the concert, was chant-like and strophic, and relatively simple while the second, coming toward the end of the program, was more song-like.
As a little bit of folk song background, many composers strolled the countryside collecting them and writing them down so that the oral traditions would not be lost. That was the case with George Butterworth (1885–1916), who arranged Folk Songs from Sussex (1912). A Blacksmith Courted Me was quite somber, including, “And though I have lost my love, I will find no other.” Sowing the Seeds of Love was brighter in tempo, and sweet, with a nice running accompaniment. The Cuckoo was an odd little waltz that I enjoyed. The True Lover’s Farewell opened with solo piano, then an a cappella verse, before finishing as a duo.
Three Irish Songs followed, two of which were straight-on folk songs sung a cappella. The third, with piano, was an arrangement (Hamilton Harty (1879–1941)) of My Lagan Love, which was an interesting treatment—sort of an expansion of the folk song tradition.
The first piano solo was next, Prelude #2 by George Gershwin (1898–1937). As announced from the stage, and noted in the printed program, Gershwin actually referred to it as a ‘blues lullaby’. Indeed, it had a gently rocking bass line with a lovely melody above that was deceptively simple sounding. There was also a really bluesy middle section before returning to the rocking rhythms. The second piano solo, toward the end of the afternoon, was For My Daughter, Nina by Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990). It was also gentle, with touches of jazz harmonies, a little more elaborate than the Gershwin, but not boisterous at all.
Immediately after the Gershwin was A Charm of Lullabies, Op. 41 (1947) by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976). Britten being Britten, there were more and more dissonant harmonies in this set of five songs, though they never quite made it to harsh. Well, maybe with the exception of the fourth, A Charm, where the child is threatened with being tormented if it won’t finally go to sleep. Who knew that lullabies could be funny?
The final set of songs, after the Bernstein, were three pulled from the two sets of Old American Songs by Aaron Copland (1900–1990). I was familiar with all three, having studied them and sung them while in college. The Little Horses is indeed a lullaby, though it does have a couple of brisk sections. Simple Gifts is a Shaker song that does have a simple tune and a simple setting. I Bought Me a Cat is charming and funny—sort of a grown-up version of Old MacDonald. The singer buys a cat, a duck, a goose, a hen, a pig, a cow, a horse, and a wife! At the end the singer recounts the sound each makes, going from the wife all the way back to the cat. It’s a great way to end a concert.
Similar to the ‘songs for children’ concert I heard a few weeks ago (Concerts on the Slope), this was interesting programming but there were lots of gently rocking pieces. Not enough to put anyone to sleep, though. And the mix of solo piano pieces and a cappella songs worked in its favor. I had a good time.
ConcertMeister
Dr. Horner-Kwiatek is a vocalist who specializes in early music as well as contemporary music. Her program on Saturday included 13th-century solo vocal works, arrangements of folk songs, and compositions in the style of folk songs.
Ms. Kampmeier also played two solos.
Clocking in at nineteen compositions, not every one will be commented on. I am a fan of early music (it’s an acquired taste), so I particularly enjoyed Qui Creavit and Lullay, Lullow, both from the 13th century. The first, which opened the concert, was chant-like and strophic, and relatively simple while the second, coming toward the end of the program, was more song-like.
As a little bit of folk song background, many composers strolled the countryside collecting them and writing them down so that the oral traditions would not be lost. That was the case with George Butterworth (1885–1916), who arranged Folk Songs from Sussex (1912). A Blacksmith Courted Me was quite somber, including, “And though I have lost my love, I will find no other.” Sowing the Seeds of Love was brighter in tempo, and sweet, with a nice running accompaniment. The Cuckoo was an odd little waltz that I enjoyed. The True Lover’s Farewell opened with solo piano, then an a cappella verse, before finishing as a duo.
Three Irish Songs followed, two of which were straight-on folk songs sung a cappella. The third, with piano, was an arrangement (Hamilton Harty (1879–1941)) of My Lagan Love, which was an interesting treatment—sort of an expansion of the folk song tradition.
The first piano solo was next, Prelude #2 by George Gershwin (1898–1937). As announced from the stage, and noted in the printed program, Gershwin actually referred to it as a ‘blues lullaby’. Indeed, it had a gently rocking bass line with a lovely melody above that was deceptively simple sounding. There was also a really bluesy middle section before returning to the rocking rhythms. The second piano solo, toward the end of the afternoon, was For My Daughter, Nina by Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990). It was also gentle, with touches of jazz harmonies, a little more elaborate than the Gershwin, but not boisterous at all.
Immediately after the Gershwin was A Charm of Lullabies, Op. 41 (1947) by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976). Britten being Britten, there were more and more dissonant harmonies in this set of five songs, though they never quite made it to harsh. Well, maybe with the exception of the fourth, A Charm, where the child is threatened with being tormented if it won’t finally go to sleep. Who knew that lullabies could be funny?
The final set of songs, after the Bernstein, were three pulled from the two sets of Old American Songs by Aaron Copland (1900–1990). I was familiar with all three, having studied them and sung them while in college. The Little Horses is indeed a lullaby, though it does have a couple of brisk sections. Simple Gifts is a Shaker song that does have a simple tune and a simple setting. I Bought Me a Cat is charming and funny—sort of a grown-up version of Old MacDonald. The singer buys a cat, a duck, a goose, a hen, a pig, a cow, a horse, and a wife! At the end the singer recounts the sound each makes, going from the wife all the way back to the cat. It’s a great way to end a concert.
Similar to the ‘songs for children’ concert I heard a few weeks ago (Concerts on the Slope), this was interesting programming but there were lots of gently rocking pieces. Not enough to put anyone to sleep, though. And the mix of solo piano pieces and a cappella songs worked in its favor. I had a good time.
ConcertMeister
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Songbook (9/24/18)
Diversity – A Celebration of the Good in Everyone
Welcome to the new season of Songbook—the official name is Arts and Artists of Tomorrow – Broadway’s Future. The series presents songs written by up-and-coming composers, writers, and lyricists writing for the theater. In Diversity, producer/director John Znidarsic set out to present (in his words) “an evening of new songs written and performed by a variety of artists from all walks of life.”
And diversity was certainly represented. The music and lyrics to one song were written by the Australian Siri—she actually does all of the recording for Siri answering questions in Australia. Her song “Time to Say Goodbye” had a mellow opening but then picked up in tempo and power, and was very effective. That was the second song of the evening. The first, also mellow in a pop-lite way, was written and performed by the guy who acts as stage manager for these events. Who knew he was also a singer/songwriter? Well, now we do.
As usual, some (but not all) of the new songs are from new musicals. Two of these were from Shooting Star: A Revealing New Musical based on the pornography industry. The first was an interesting duet for two guys trying to find love amid all the random sex they’ve been exploring, while the second was an aging former porn star yearning for the pre-internet porn days. The vocalist here is also the Cowboy in the current iteration of the Village People.
After a stand-alone song written and performed by the composer, with guitar accompaniment, the next song was from Bradical and the Pink Socks, based on a children’s book of the same name. It was a lot of fun. “Running Out,” from Awakened, was a powerfully presented song with the kernel of truth that “Love don’t last forever.” As a side note, most of these musicals are in table reading, workshop, or pre-production stages.
Along the diversity trail, we next heard “I Fall in Love Too Easily” played by a jazz trumpeter. I’ve heard him before and really enjoyed his Harry Connick Jr.–like vibe. At one point, he played with a mute in his trumpet, producing a slightly echoing sound.
“The Shirt Song,” from SHE / THEY / HE was the tale of a young girl who saved one of her father’s shirts after he abandoned the family when she was just six years old. It was a touching memory song that also explored her feelings of wanting to be the son her dad always wanted. You want more diversity? A magic act followed—a rather amusing magician with a somewhat deadpan delivery. The requisite volunteers were brought onstage to assist him with the Magic Ropes. It was mildly interesting but almost seemed a little out of place.
After two stand-alone songs, one a duet with piano and cello accompaniment and the other a solo with piano and cello, we heard from the younger generation. “Not Afraid” was written and performed by a thirteen-year-old fellow who did a pretty bang-up job. And the concert ended with the song that actually ended the first concert of Songbook’s inaugural season twenty-seven years ago! The composer was there to play it and the vocalist was also from that first concert. Her pipes aren’t what they used to be, but it was a touching moment nonetheless.
So, rounding out the diversity program, we had black performers, Asian performers, female Asian composers, female lyricists and book writers, a female Australian composer, a transgender composer, a thirteen-year-old composer, a trumpeter, and a magician—am I leaving anyone out? Next month’s Songbook will be more traditional, featuring the songs of Dan Green. I plan on being there.
ConcertMeister
Welcome to the new season of Songbook—the official name is Arts and Artists of Tomorrow – Broadway’s Future. The series presents songs written by up-and-coming composers, writers, and lyricists writing for the theater. In Diversity, producer/director John Znidarsic set out to present (in his words) “an evening of new songs written and performed by a variety of artists from all walks of life.”
And diversity was certainly represented. The music and lyrics to one song were written by the Australian Siri—she actually does all of the recording for Siri answering questions in Australia. Her song “Time to Say Goodbye” had a mellow opening but then picked up in tempo and power, and was very effective. That was the second song of the evening. The first, also mellow in a pop-lite way, was written and performed by the guy who acts as stage manager for these events. Who knew he was also a singer/songwriter? Well, now we do.
As usual, some (but not all) of the new songs are from new musicals. Two of these were from Shooting Star: A Revealing New Musical based on the pornography industry. The first was an interesting duet for two guys trying to find love amid all the random sex they’ve been exploring, while the second was an aging former porn star yearning for the pre-internet porn days. The vocalist here is also the Cowboy in the current iteration of the Village People.
After a stand-alone song written and performed by the composer, with guitar accompaniment, the next song was from Bradical and the Pink Socks, based on a children’s book of the same name. It was a lot of fun. “Running Out,” from Awakened, was a powerfully presented song with the kernel of truth that “Love don’t last forever.” As a side note, most of these musicals are in table reading, workshop, or pre-production stages.
Along the diversity trail, we next heard “I Fall in Love Too Easily” played by a jazz trumpeter. I’ve heard him before and really enjoyed his Harry Connick Jr.–like vibe. At one point, he played with a mute in his trumpet, producing a slightly echoing sound.
“The Shirt Song,” from SHE / THEY / HE was the tale of a young girl who saved one of her father’s shirts after he abandoned the family when she was just six years old. It was a touching memory song that also explored her feelings of wanting to be the son her dad always wanted. You want more diversity? A magic act followed—a rather amusing magician with a somewhat deadpan delivery. The requisite volunteers were brought onstage to assist him with the Magic Ropes. It was mildly interesting but almost seemed a little out of place.
After two stand-alone songs, one a duet with piano and cello accompaniment and the other a solo with piano and cello, we heard from the younger generation. “Not Afraid” was written and performed by a thirteen-year-old fellow who did a pretty bang-up job. And the concert ended with the song that actually ended the first concert of Songbook’s inaugural season twenty-seven years ago! The composer was there to play it and the vocalist was also from that first concert. Her pipes aren’t what they used to be, but it was a touching moment nonetheless.
So, rounding out the diversity program, we had black performers, Asian performers, female Asian composers, female lyricists and book writers, a female Australian composer, a transgender composer, a thirteen-year-old composer, a trumpeter, and a magician—am I leaving anyone out? Next month’s Songbook will be more traditional, featuring the songs of Dan Green. I plan on being there.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Across a Crowded Room (9/20/18)
New Twenty-Minute Musicals
Blood Countess; Time Travel Makes Complete Sense; Someone Else;
My Robot Boyfriend
What an interesting concept and program. The Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts sponsored a series of master classes where teams of emerging theater writers, composers, and lyricists got together and brainstormed during the summer with the goal of creating twenty-minute musicals. On Monday evening, I saw four of the finished, or almost finished, products. These were not fully realized performances but rather readings with minimal staging. As such, there were a few rough patches but it was pretty cool to see these efforts. There was also a panel of judges, though this was not a competition.
Blood Countess was a capsulized version of the Elizabeth Báthory story. She was a late-16th-, early-17th-century Hungarian countess who was accused of murdering hundreds of young women, even going so far as to bathe in their blood. Touching on the vampire legends, it was a lot of history to squeeze into twenty minutes but it came off pretty well. I liked the music a lot. The vocal lines were fine and the level of composition was quite good.
That was not the case, in my opinion, with My Robot Boyfriend. Here, the melodies were a bit spikier (maybe because of the high-tech nature of the setting?) and, for the most part, the vocal lines were doubled in the piano part. It almost made me think that this was for guiding the singers, as this piece was the least fully formed (again, in my opinion). I loved the premise of a gal creating a robot and programming it to fall in love with her. But the plot line of the Mega Power Company and the parallel plot line of the dating app made things very confusing. The bright spot compositionally was the song “What Is the Algorithm of Love?” sung by Charlie, the robot.
A plot twist of body switching made Someone Else a rather interesting piece. That said, it helped to explain one part of the main love relationship, but it came a little too late. What seemed to be a mother/daughter relationship at the beginning of the show turned out to be an almost proposal of marriage. What made it even more interesting, as we learned during feedback from the judges, was that the role of what many of us perceived to be the daughter was actually written for a man, but had to be shifted to a woman at the last minute—everybody seemed to agree that the lesbian angle worked well and should maybe be kept, while trying to clear up or show better that the first scene was not actually mother/daughter.
About that feedback. The group of seven or eight judges gave thoughtful, mostly positive, and very helpful feedback to each of the four sets of writers/composers/
lyricists. All of the judges were very supportive of each project. It was enjoyable to listen to and to compare their reactions with my own.
Which brings us to Time Travel Makes Complete Sense. This piece was flat out funny. And had really good vocal harmonies, which is always a big plus in my book. Crystal and Sterling are on a first date. She’s not sure she wants to stay through it, so she takes a quick break by going to the ladies’ room. Unbeknownst to her, there is a woman in one of the stalls who overhears Crystal talking to herself and trying to decide what to do about the date. Unbeknownst to us, the other woman is Future Crystal. FC gets a big laugh when, trying to explain the future of Crystal to Crystal, she flings her arm in an arc over her head and says, “Flash of light!” Another really funny bit is where FC and Crystal, who are moving in unison, slap their faces while FC says something along the lines of, “Snap out of it.” And then they both say, “Ow!” When Crystal asks why it hurt FC, FC explains that they really are the same person. The slap is funny again when it occurs with FC2 and Crystal. Yes, all in all there are four Future Crystals plus one Future Sterling. And yes, at one point all five Crystals do ‘the slap’ and it’s just as funny all over again. And this is without even going into the parallel plot lines of a possibly successful (but possibly not) Ravioli Restaurant (Crystal’s idea), which may (or may not) feature a marinara fountain, and Nüfood (Sterling’s idea) which may (or may not) be a cure for world hunger. I’m telling you, this was funny stuff with fun songs and great harmonies. Can you tell that this one was my favorite?
And for those of you wondering about the title of the event, Across a Crowded Room refers to the original master class, where everyone was meeting for the first time and figuring how to team up and begin the creative process. As to the performances, most of you know that I do not approach this blog from a reviewer standpoint. That said, the performers were all good but a few of them really stood out by being virtual chameleons and appearing in multiple shows. Alina Gattrell, Alison J. Freeman, and Kate Leonard appeared in three of the four. Laura Cetti appeared in two of the four. And Ms. Freeman and Ms. Leonard were lyricist and book writer, respectively, for Blood Countess. There was a lot of talent on that stage, as well as a lot of experience coming from the judges. This is the type of thing I would gladly see again.
And I will! Another four twenty-minute musicals will be on display on Mon., Oct. 1, and I already have my reservation. Win-win.
ConcertMeister
Blood Countess; Time Travel Makes Complete Sense; Someone Else;
My Robot Boyfriend
What an interesting concept and program. The Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts sponsored a series of master classes where teams of emerging theater writers, composers, and lyricists got together and brainstormed during the summer with the goal of creating twenty-minute musicals. On Monday evening, I saw four of the finished, or almost finished, products. These were not fully realized performances but rather readings with minimal staging. As such, there were a few rough patches but it was pretty cool to see these efforts. There was also a panel of judges, though this was not a competition.
Blood Countess was a capsulized version of the Elizabeth Báthory story. She was a late-16th-, early-17th-century Hungarian countess who was accused of murdering hundreds of young women, even going so far as to bathe in their blood. Touching on the vampire legends, it was a lot of history to squeeze into twenty minutes but it came off pretty well. I liked the music a lot. The vocal lines were fine and the level of composition was quite good.
That was not the case, in my opinion, with My Robot Boyfriend. Here, the melodies were a bit spikier (maybe because of the high-tech nature of the setting?) and, for the most part, the vocal lines were doubled in the piano part. It almost made me think that this was for guiding the singers, as this piece was the least fully formed (again, in my opinion). I loved the premise of a gal creating a robot and programming it to fall in love with her. But the plot line of the Mega Power Company and the parallel plot line of the dating app made things very confusing. The bright spot compositionally was the song “What Is the Algorithm of Love?” sung by Charlie, the robot.
A plot twist of body switching made Someone Else a rather interesting piece. That said, it helped to explain one part of the main love relationship, but it came a little too late. What seemed to be a mother/daughter relationship at the beginning of the show turned out to be an almost proposal of marriage. What made it even more interesting, as we learned during feedback from the judges, was that the role of what many of us perceived to be the daughter was actually written for a man, but had to be shifted to a woman at the last minute—everybody seemed to agree that the lesbian angle worked well and should maybe be kept, while trying to clear up or show better that the first scene was not actually mother/daughter.
About that feedback. The group of seven or eight judges gave thoughtful, mostly positive, and very helpful feedback to each of the four sets of writers/composers/
lyricists. All of the judges were very supportive of each project. It was enjoyable to listen to and to compare their reactions with my own.
Which brings us to Time Travel Makes Complete Sense. This piece was flat out funny. And had really good vocal harmonies, which is always a big plus in my book. Crystal and Sterling are on a first date. She’s not sure she wants to stay through it, so she takes a quick break by going to the ladies’ room. Unbeknownst to her, there is a woman in one of the stalls who overhears Crystal talking to herself and trying to decide what to do about the date. Unbeknownst to us, the other woman is Future Crystal. FC gets a big laugh when, trying to explain the future of Crystal to Crystal, she flings her arm in an arc over her head and says, “Flash of light!” Another really funny bit is where FC and Crystal, who are moving in unison, slap their faces while FC says something along the lines of, “Snap out of it.” And then they both say, “Ow!” When Crystal asks why it hurt FC, FC explains that they really are the same person. The slap is funny again when it occurs with FC2 and Crystal. Yes, all in all there are four Future Crystals plus one Future Sterling. And yes, at one point all five Crystals do ‘the slap’ and it’s just as funny all over again. And this is without even going into the parallel plot lines of a possibly successful (but possibly not) Ravioli Restaurant (Crystal’s idea), which may (or may not) feature a marinara fountain, and Nüfood (Sterling’s idea) which may (or may not) be a cure for world hunger. I’m telling you, this was funny stuff with fun songs and great harmonies. Can you tell that this one was my favorite?
And for those of you wondering about the title of the event, Across a Crowded Room refers to the original master class, where everyone was meeting for the first time and figuring how to team up and begin the creative process. As to the performances, most of you know that I do not approach this blog from a reviewer standpoint. That said, the performers were all good but a few of them really stood out by being virtual chameleons and appearing in multiple shows. Alina Gattrell, Alison J. Freeman, and Kate Leonard appeared in three of the four. Laura Cetti appeared in two of the four. And Ms. Freeman and Ms. Leonard were lyricist and book writer, respectively, for Blood Countess. There was a lot of talent on that stage, as well as a lot of experience coming from the judges. This is the type of thing I would gladly see again.
And I will! Another four twenty-minute musicals will be on display on Mon., Oct. 1, and I already have my reservation. Win-win.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Gilbert & Sullivan (Sort Of) (9/15/18)
Cox and Box; Trial by Jury
These were studio performances by company members of the Delaware Valley Opera. Performed with modified staging and costumes, and performed to piano accompaniment, this was a fun romp on a Saturday evening. It was also the first meeting of the 83rd season of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of New York, so there were a lot of G&S aficionados in attendance. In addition, we the audience were encouraged to be part of the chorus in Trial by Jury. I dutifully joined in but almost wish I hadn’t; I was focusing so much on the score (lent to me for the occasion) that I didn’t get the full effect of seeing the show.
Cox and Box – F.C. Burnand & Sir Arthur Sullivan (1866) – James John Cox – Bryan Elsesser; John James Box – Nicholas Wuehrmann; Sergeant Bouncer – Ken Parks
Trial by Jury– Sir William S. Gilbert & Sir Arthur Sullivan (1875) – The Learned Judge – Nicholas Wuehrmann; The Plaintiff (Angelina) – Natalie Ballenger; The Defendant (Edwin) – Jack Tobey; Counsel for the Plaintiff – Janice Myerson; Usher – Ken Parks; Foreman of the Jury – Anthony Maida; Erica Rome, piano (for both)
The ‘Sort Of’ referred to above is because Burnand (and not Gilbert) wrote the libretto for Cox and Box. All right, that’s out of the way.
I’m not even going to bother with plot descriptions (hello! Victorian-era comic opera). Suffice it to say that there were many chuckles and groans. OK, just a couple. This, from Cox and Box (after discovering that the two may/might/june be long lost brothers (twins!)): “Do you have a strawberry mark on your left arm?” “No.” “Then it is he!” (I’m not making this up, you know.) Trial by Jury had this nugget that the Learned Judge sang (and the chorus dutifully repeated): “She may very well pass for forty-three in the dusk with the light behind her.” The shows were fun, well performed, and well worth attending.
Here’s the real ConcertMeister approach. I had the great pleasure of working with Ken Parks many years ago (1984, specifically) in the longest-titled-musicals in history—Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Jimmy Osmond; On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, starring Diana Canova; and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Ron Palillo, at Bucks County Playhouse. It was a great summer of summer stock.
Fast backward (as opposed to fast forward), here’s another real ConcertMeister approach. In 1977 (about six to eight months after moving to NYC), I sang the role of Box in a Light Opera of Manhattan studio performance. I was green but, hey! it was my Off-Broadway debut. I also performed in the ensemble of Trial. After seeing the DVO performances on Saturday night, I actually found a recording of my one-night-only performance. It was recorded on a tiny Walkman, so the sound quality was not great but it certainly brought back a lot of memories. Our version was performed with piano and organ accompaniment, and Michael was the organist. In fact, the Light Opera of Manhattan is where we met—and the rest, as they say, was history. Yes indeed, it truly did bring back a lot of memories.
I’m certainly glad that I heard and saw the DVO productions but I don’t think I’ll be running out to join the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of New York any time soon.
ConcertMeister
These were studio performances by company members of the Delaware Valley Opera. Performed with modified staging and costumes, and performed to piano accompaniment, this was a fun romp on a Saturday evening. It was also the first meeting of the 83rd season of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of New York, so there were a lot of G&S aficionados in attendance. In addition, we the audience were encouraged to be part of the chorus in Trial by Jury. I dutifully joined in but almost wish I hadn’t; I was focusing so much on the score (lent to me for the occasion) that I didn’t get the full effect of seeing the show.
Cox and Box – F.C. Burnand & Sir Arthur Sullivan (1866) – James John Cox – Bryan Elsesser; John James Box – Nicholas Wuehrmann; Sergeant Bouncer – Ken Parks
Trial by Jury– Sir William S. Gilbert & Sir Arthur Sullivan (1875) – The Learned Judge – Nicholas Wuehrmann; The Plaintiff (Angelina) – Natalie Ballenger; The Defendant (Edwin) – Jack Tobey; Counsel for the Plaintiff – Janice Myerson; Usher – Ken Parks; Foreman of the Jury – Anthony Maida; Erica Rome, piano (for both)
The ‘Sort Of’ referred to above is because Burnand (and not Gilbert) wrote the libretto for Cox and Box. All right, that’s out of the way.
I’m not even going to bother with plot descriptions (hello! Victorian-era comic opera). Suffice it to say that there were many chuckles and groans. OK, just a couple. This, from Cox and Box (after discovering that the two may/might/june be long lost brothers (twins!)): “Do you have a strawberry mark on your left arm?” “No.” “Then it is he!” (I’m not making this up, you know.) Trial by Jury had this nugget that the Learned Judge sang (and the chorus dutifully repeated): “She may very well pass for forty-three in the dusk with the light behind her.” The shows were fun, well performed, and well worth attending.
Here’s the real ConcertMeister approach. I had the great pleasure of working with Ken Parks many years ago (1984, specifically) in the longest-titled-musicals in history—Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Jimmy Osmond; On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, starring Diana Canova; and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Ron Palillo, at Bucks County Playhouse. It was a great summer of summer stock.
Fast backward (as opposed to fast forward), here’s another real ConcertMeister approach. In 1977 (about six to eight months after moving to NYC), I sang the role of Box in a Light Opera of Manhattan studio performance. I was green but, hey! it was my Off-Broadway debut. I also performed in the ensemble of Trial. After seeing the DVO performances on Saturday night, I actually found a recording of my one-night-only performance. It was recorded on a tiny Walkman, so the sound quality was not great but it certainly brought back a lot of memories. Our version was performed with piano and organ accompaniment, and Michael was the organist. In fact, the Light Opera of Manhattan is where we met—and the rest, as they say, was history. Yes indeed, it truly did bring back a lot of memories.
I’m certainly glad that I heard and saw the DVO productions but I don’t think I’ll be running out to join the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of New York any time soon.
ConcertMeister
Monday, September 17, 2018
Music from China – Erhu-Cello Duo (9/15/18)
Wang Guowei, erhu; Michael Katz, cello
Reflections (2018) – Wang Guowei
River Songs (2001) – I. The River Spirit; II. Da Shosho; III. To the Western Frontier – A Farewell Song – Yang Yong
Raindrops Falling on Palm Leaves (2018) – Arr. W. Guowei
Taiwan Song (2018) – Arr. W. Guowei
Songs from the Mountain (2018) – Arr. W. Guowei
Gobi Polyphony (2003) – Lei Liang
Taiping Drum (1983) – Zhou Long
Eh, what? Erhu? The erhu is a Chinese two-stringed instrument sometimes referred to as a stick fiddle. It dates back thousands of years, is long and skinny, with a small resonating sound box at its bottom, and is a bowed instrument, although it is also sometimes plucked, pizzicato style. It teamed very well with the cello on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Guowei played on three different erhus, though I’m not entirely sure what the differences were.
Reflections had elements of the folk music of China but it also reminded me a bit of southern country-style fiddling. It was interesting even though it meandered a bit. There were some very playful touches at the end.
The three movements of River Songs ended up more like two, since the second and third are played without a pause (the printed program even says so). The first two were a mix of avant-garde sounds mixed with folk-style tunes and phrases. The second was brisker than the first, and Mr. Guowei changed erhus in the middle, while the third was slightly mournful, perhaps highlighting the farewell. In general, the erhu and the cello were equal partners and matched each other in the style of playing—the erhu is just a little more exotic sounding.
OK, it’s slight-bone-to-pick time. The printed program had a brief description
of each piece. On Saturday, an Asian woman (the director of some program/
organization) came out before each piece and read the description—but she was soft spoken and did not use a microphone. It got very tedious very quickly, especially since I had already taken the time to read them before the concert began.
Raindrops was an arrangement of a Cantonese tune and reminded me of Irish or Scottish fiddling, but that’s pretty much the same the world over, right? The song, though, was a little easier to listen to than some of the others. After two interruptions (what sounded like a video interrupting someone’s web surfing—and a phone call, that a guy actually took!), the third time was the charm. Taiwan Song was gentle, almost hymn-like, and easily my favorite of the afternoon. Charming.
The rest of the program featured more of the same fiddling sounds, avant-garde sounds, folk song sounds, and some rather amusing representations of bird calls. But there was just too much sameness for me. I appreciated the techniques and talent. Not so much the music itself. I liked hearing the erhu, and it would be great to hear it again, in a program with a little more variety.
The very responsive audience brought the duo out for an encore that was more of the same. I high-tailed it out of there in case there was a second encore (there was not).
ConcertMeister
Reflections (2018) – Wang Guowei
River Songs (2001) – I. The River Spirit; II. Da Shosho; III. To the Western Frontier – A Farewell Song – Yang Yong
Raindrops Falling on Palm Leaves (2018) – Arr. W. Guowei
Taiwan Song (2018) – Arr. W. Guowei
Songs from the Mountain (2018) – Arr. W. Guowei
Gobi Polyphony (2003) – Lei Liang
Taiping Drum (1983) – Zhou Long
Eh, what? Erhu? The erhu is a Chinese two-stringed instrument sometimes referred to as a stick fiddle. It dates back thousands of years, is long and skinny, with a small resonating sound box at its bottom, and is a bowed instrument, although it is also sometimes plucked, pizzicato style. It teamed very well with the cello on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Guowei played on three different erhus, though I’m not entirely sure what the differences were.
Reflections had elements of the folk music of China but it also reminded me a bit of southern country-style fiddling. It was interesting even though it meandered a bit. There were some very playful touches at the end.
The three movements of River Songs ended up more like two, since the second and third are played without a pause (the printed program even says so). The first two were a mix of avant-garde sounds mixed with folk-style tunes and phrases. The second was brisker than the first, and Mr. Guowei changed erhus in the middle, while the third was slightly mournful, perhaps highlighting the farewell. In general, the erhu and the cello were equal partners and matched each other in the style of playing—the erhu is just a little more exotic sounding.
OK, it’s slight-bone-to-pick time. The printed program had a brief description
of each piece. On Saturday, an Asian woman (the director of some program/
organization) came out before each piece and read the description—but she was soft spoken and did not use a microphone. It got very tedious very quickly, especially since I had already taken the time to read them before the concert began.
Raindrops was an arrangement of a Cantonese tune and reminded me of Irish or Scottish fiddling, but that’s pretty much the same the world over, right? The song, though, was a little easier to listen to than some of the others. After two interruptions (what sounded like a video interrupting someone’s web surfing—and a phone call, that a guy actually took!), the third time was the charm. Taiwan Song was gentle, almost hymn-like, and easily my favorite of the afternoon. Charming.
The rest of the program featured more of the same fiddling sounds, avant-garde sounds, folk song sounds, and some rather amusing representations of bird calls. But there was just too much sameness for me. I appreciated the techniques and talent. Not so much the music itself. I liked hearing the erhu, and it would be great to hear it again, in a program with a little more variety.
The very responsive audience brought the duo out for an encore that was more of the same. I high-tailed it out of there in case there was a second encore (there was not).
ConcertMeister
Friday, September 14, 2018
Midday Masterpieces (9/12/18)
Jordan Bak, viola; Ji Yung Lee, piano
(And his last name is pronounced 'Bach' and I'm biting my tongue.)
Le Grand Tango (1982) – Astor Piazzolla
Fantasia No. 9 in B minor, TWV 40:22 (1735) – Georg Philipp Telemann
Viola Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 120, No. 2 (1894) – Johannes Brahms
This was the opening concert of season three of Midday Masterpieces. It is a series, sponsored by WQXR and the Jerome L. Green Foundation, featuring up-and-coming Juilliard students. The hour-long concerts make for a nice break in the day. Interestingly, the first piece on the program was originally written for violin and piano; the second was originally for solo cello; and the third was originally written for clarinet, though Brahms himself created this transcription for viola, with minor adjustments to suit the viola.
The Piazzolla, played from memory by Mr. Bak, was very energetic though it also had a sense of being subdued. A second section was slightly haunting, while a third was a mix, but mostly high energy with touches of jazz. It was a great way to start the concert.
The Telemann, also played from memory, is a solo work for viola (here). It had a rather simple opening, with a few double stops added—this is where the violist plays on two strings at once to add a touch of harmony to the solo instrument. The second movement was brisker, with pleasant dance rhythms. The last movement was also brisk and interesting for the most part. Mr. Bak played with style and grace, standing there dead center stage, all by himself.
The first movement of the Brahms, played here from the score by Mr. Bak, had a very pretty theme in the Romantic style, sweeping at times and introspective at others, and included a couple of phrases that sounded as though they wanted to become a song. The second movement was bold, with phrases bouncing back and forth between the viola and the piano, often with a sense of urgency. These were mingled with some tender phrases, a chorale-like piano section, a gentler section for both players, a return to a variation of the opening theme, and then a tender ending to the movement. The third movement began with a fairly simple theme that was also varied in smaller, contrasting sections. The theme itself somehow gave me a feeling of hope. Both players were very expressive and attentive to each other. That even carried over to the page turner—at times, I thought I was watching a miniature version of choreography, with all three moving, ever so slightly, in unison. It was a nice touch.
Mr. Bak spoke effectively from the stage in introducing and explaining each piece, and as each one finished you could tell that he was really having a good time. I was, too. I’ll be returning for more masterpieces throughout the season.
ConcertMeister
(And his last name is pronounced 'Bach' and I'm biting my tongue.)
Le Grand Tango (1982) – Astor Piazzolla
Fantasia No. 9 in B minor, TWV 40:22 (1735) – Georg Philipp Telemann
Viola Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 120, No. 2 (1894) – Johannes Brahms
This was the opening concert of season three of Midday Masterpieces. It is a series, sponsored by WQXR and the Jerome L. Green Foundation, featuring up-and-coming Juilliard students. The hour-long concerts make for a nice break in the day. Interestingly, the first piece on the program was originally written for violin and piano; the second was originally for solo cello; and the third was originally written for clarinet, though Brahms himself created this transcription for viola, with minor adjustments to suit the viola.
The Piazzolla, played from memory by Mr. Bak, was very energetic though it also had a sense of being subdued. A second section was slightly haunting, while a third was a mix, but mostly high energy with touches of jazz. It was a great way to start the concert.
The Telemann, also played from memory, is a solo work for viola (here). It had a rather simple opening, with a few double stops added—this is where the violist plays on two strings at once to add a touch of harmony to the solo instrument. The second movement was brisker, with pleasant dance rhythms. The last movement was also brisk and interesting for the most part. Mr. Bak played with style and grace, standing there dead center stage, all by himself.
The first movement of the Brahms, played here from the score by Mr. Bak, had a very pretty theme in the Romantic style, sweeping at times and introspective at others, and included a couple of phrases that sounded as though they wanted to become a song. The second movement was bold, with phrases bouncing back and forth between the viola and the piano, often with a sense of urgency. These were mingled with some tender phrases, a chorale-like piano section, a gentler section for both players, a return to a variation of the opening theme, and then a tender ending to the movement. The third movement began with a fairly simple theme that was also varied in smaller, contrasting sections. The theme itself somehow gave me a feeling of hope. Both players were very expressive and attentive to each other. That even carried over to the page turner—at times, I thought I was watching a miniature version of choreography, with all three moving, ever so slightly, in unison. It was a nice touch.
Mr. Bak spoke effectively from the stage in introducing and explaining each piece, and as each one finished you could tell that he was really having a good time. I was, too. I’ll be returning for more masterpieces throughout the season.
ConcertMeister
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Meister-Lite x Two
Shakespeare in the Park (9/1/18) and Sugar Hill Music Festival (9/8/18)
Yes, more Shakespeare in Bryant Park via The Drilling Company (known for their Shakespeare in the Parking Lot performances that I’ve never attended). I’m not making this up, you know. This was Mac—the Scottish play. I had never actually seen this, so was very entertained. Some of the plot was a bit convoluted (hello! Shakespeare tragedy) but I got the gist of it. Cool casting of a guy as one of the witches. Minimal sets, though costuming was pretty good. And a good mix of Equity and non-Equity actors there (hey, some of us non-Equity actors did good work before we finally got an Equity contract).
Bubbling cauldron? Check. Bloody hands? Check. Death and ghosts? Check. Worthwhile endeavor, and I’m glad I did it.
2018
When Sugar Hill Was Sweet (9/8/18)
Alas, less successful. I went last year and enjoyed it. Sort of. It was a combo of entertainment and history—the Harlem struggle and the rather Communist leanings of the fighters there, in the ’50s and ’60s. I don’t have a problem with that; I just prefer good music without the politics. This year, there was more of the politics. ’Nuff said. On to the music. The Regina Carter (violin)/Xavier Davis (piano) duo played some darned good stuff. When I Grow Too Old to Dream was cool, with a few riffs (English Country Gardens and Eleanor Rigby) thrown in for good measure. Higher Ground, by Stevie Wonder followed, but I did not recognize the tune. An arrangement of the Hoagy Carmichael tune Judy followed. An Ella Fitzgerald song/tune followed but I didn’t get the name (no printed program). Also not announced was the final song that sounded like a classic ‘good-bye’ piece.
A reading by MaryLouise Patterson followed that was OK but just.
The Uptown Brass Quintet was next and they had a nice mix of tunes—fanfare from Rocky; A Closer Walk with Thee (sort of a N’Orleans dirge that then bumps up to up tempo); then The Junkman Rag by C. Lucky Roberts (all announced from the stage and me frantically writing in the afternoon drizzle); then W.C. Handy’s appropriately plodding St. Louis Blues. Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ followed; William Grant Still’s El Marigate was next (music written for a puppet show in South America—I’m still not making this up, you know!); and then Tom Turpin’s The Harlem Rag. The educational aspect was great. The execution, not so much. Take the A Train and one other song were the obligatory encores.
The deteriorating weather and length of the afternoon led me to leave then, before hearing Sugar Hill Quartet with TC the 3rd and Firey String Sistas! Maybe next year. Maybe not, though.
ConcertMeister
Yes, more Shakespeare in Bryant Park via The Drilling Company (known for their Shakespeare in the Parking Lot performances that I’ve never attended). I’m not making this up, you know. This was Mac—the Scottish play. I had never actually seen this, so was very entertained. Some of the plot was a bit convoluted (hello! Shakespeare tragedy) but I got the gist of it. Cool casting of a guy as one of the witches. Minimal sets, though costuming was pretty good. And a good mix of Equity and non-Equity actors there (hey, some of us non-Equity actors did good work before we finally got an Equity contract).
Bubbling cauldron? Check. Bloody hands? Check. Death and ghosts? Check. Worthwhile endeavor, and I’m glad I did it.
2018
When Sugar Hill Was Sweet (9/8/18)
Alas, less successful. I went last year and enjoyed it. Sort of. It was a combo of entertainment and history—the Harlem struggle and the rather Communist leanings of the fighters there, in the ’50s and ’60s. I don’t have a problem with that; I just prefer good music without the politics. This year, there was more of the politics. ’Nuff said. On to the music. The Regina Carter (violin)/Xavier Davis (piano) duo played some darned good stuff. When I Grow Too Old to Dream was cool, with a few riffs (English Country Gardens and Eleanor Rigby) thrown in for good measure. Higher Ground, by Stevie Wonder followed, but I did not recognize the tune. An arrangement of the Hoagy Carmichael tune Judy followed. An Ella Fitzgerald song/tune followed but I didn’t get the name (no printed program). Also not announced was the final song that sounded like a classic ‘good-bye’ piece.
A reading by MaryLouise Patterson followed that was OK but just.
The Uptown Brass Quintet was next and they had a nice mix of tunes—fanfare from Rocky; A Closer Walk with Thee (sort of a N’Orleans dirge that then bumps up to up tempo); then The Junkman Rag by C. Lucky Roberts (all announced from the stage and me frantically writing in the afternoon drizzle); then W.C. Handy’s appropriately plodding St. Louis Blues. Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ followed; William Grant Still’s El Marigate was next (music written for a puppet show in South America—I’m still not making this up, you know!); and then Tom Turpin’s The Harlem Rag. The educational aspect was great. The execution, not so much. Take the A Train and one other song were the obligatory encores.
The deteriorating weather and length of the afternoon led me to leave then, before hearing Sugar Hill Quartet with TC the 3rd and Firey String Sistas! Maybe next year. Maybe not, though.
ConcertMeister
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Concerts on the Slope (8/26/18)
Songs for Our Children
Jin-Xiang Yu, soprano; Lucas Barkley, piano
~Children’s Poetry~
I Hate Music! – A Cycle of Five Kid Songs – L. Bernstein (1918–1990)
Der Sandmann, Op. 79 Liederalbum für die Jugend No. 12 – R. Schumann (1810–1856)
La courte paille – F. Poulenc (1899–1963)
~Lullabies~
Da unten im Tale, WoO 33 49 Deutsche Volklieder No. 6 – J. Brahms (1833–1897)
Wiegenlied, Op. 105/D. 867 Vier Lieder No. 2 – F. Schubert (1797–1828)
Meinem Kinde, Op. 37 Sechs Lieder No. 3 – R. Strauss (1864–1949)
Wiegenliedchen, Op. 49 Acht Lieder No. 3 – R. Strauss
Aludj, aludj, Op. Post. 3 Songs on Poems by Béla Bálazs No. 3 – Z. Kodály (1882–1967)
Leise, leise weht ihr Lüfte, Op. 97 Vier Lieder No. 2 – M. Reger (1873–1916)
Schwallbenmütterlein, Op. 142 Fünf neue Kinderlieder No. 2 – M. Reger
Kindeslächeln, Op. 76 Schlichte Weisen No. 27 – M. Reger
Die ihr schwebet, Spanisches Liederbuch: Geistliche Lieder No. 4 – H. Wolf (1860–1903)
Margretes Vuggesang, Op. 15 Romanser No. 1 – E. Grieg (1843–1907)
~Songs for Our Children~
Chants de Terre et Ciel – O. Messiaen (1908–1992)
What a difference a day makes—a classical collection compared to a Sinatra collection. Clocking in at fourteen selections, three of which have multiple movements, I will definitely not be commenting on each individual song. I do, however, want to add a little back story for the Bernstein. Apparently, “I hate music” was a phrase used by one of his roommates who got tired of hearing some of the same phrases and pieces over and over as Bernstein was coaching singers. The song cycle was written in 1943. I liked all five of the songs, although the text for the centerpiece, I Hate Music, got a little bit lost in the reverb in the church sanctuary where the concert took place. That happened a few more times during the afternoon, usually when the lyrics were rapid and the piano accompaniment was rapid as well.
The alternating vocal and piano phrases of Schumann’s Sandmann were very pleasant. This one got a + in my written notes. Two of the slower movements of the Poulenc were also quite good and effective. My note for the seventh (and final) movement was one word—lovely.
The Brahms lullaby was not the famous one. All of the lullabies were interesting to some degree but hearing ten lullabies in a row was a little too much for me. As announced by Ms. Yu, she could not find a score for the Kodaly, so she transcribed it from a recording. It was a nice, gentle setting.
The Messiaen was six movements of modern and esoteric music. There were some pretty sounds but also some weird sounds. Messiaen is somewhat of an acquired taste and one that I don’t quite have. Indeed, I footnoted the third movement as ‘least favorite’ only to end up footnoting the fifth movement as ‘new least favorite’—not quite a ringing endorsement.
I’m certainly glad I attended and I’ll most likely go back for additional Concerts on the Slope. And the songs for children program was quite fitting since Ms. Yu was obviously pregnant. Her child will definitely hear some beautiful music when trying to be lulled into slumber. Additionally, we were told that the artistic director of the organization, Benjamin Larsen, might need to leave the concert suddenly, as his wife was in labor for the birth of their first child.
ConcertMeister
Jin-Xiang Yu, soprano; Lucas Barkley, piano
~Children’s Poetry~
I Hate Music! – A Cycle of Five Kid Songs – L. Bernstein (1918–1990)
Der Sandmann, Op. 79 Liederalbum für die Jugend No. 12 – R. Schumann (1810–1856)
La courte paille – F. Poulenc (1899–1963)
~Lullabies~
Da unten im Tale, WoO 33 49 Deutsche Volklieder No. 6 – J. Brahms (1833–1897)
Wiegenlied, Op. 105/D. 867 Vier Lieder No. 2 – F. Schubert (1797–1828)
Meinem Kinde, Op. 37 Sechs Lieder No. 3 – R. Strauss (1864–1949)
Wiegenliedchen, Op. 49 Acht Lieder No. 3 – R. Strauss
Aludj, aludj, Op. Post. 3 Songs on Poems by Béla Bálazs No. 3 – Z. Kodály (1882–1967)
Leise, leise weht ihr Lüfte, Op. 97 Vier Lieder No. 2 – M. Reger (1873–1916)
Schwallbenmütterlein, Op. 142 Fünf neue Kinderlieder No. 2 – M. Reger
Kindeslächeln, Op. 76 Schlichte Weisen No. 27 – M. Reger
Die ihr schwebet, Spanisches Liederbuch: Geistliche Lieder No. 4 – H. Wolf (1860–1903)
Margretes Vuggesang, Op. 15 Romanser No. 1 – E. Grieg (1843–1907)
~Songs for Our Children~
Chants de Terre et Ciel – O. Messiaen (1908–1992)
What a difference a day makes—a classical collection compared to a Sinatra collection. Clocking in at fourteen selections, three of which have multiple movements, I will definitely not be commenting on each individual song. I do, however, want to add a little back story for the Bernstein. Apparently, “I hate music” was a phrase used by one of his roommates who got tired of hearing some of the same phrases and pieces over and over as Bernstein was coaching singers. The song cycle was written in 1943. I liked all five of the songs, although the text for the centerpiece, I Hate Music, got a little bit lost in the reverb in the church sanctuary where the concert took place. That happened a few more times during the afternoon, usually when the lyrics were rapid and the piano accompaniment was rapid as well.
The alternating vocal and piano phrases of Schumann’s Sandmann were very pleasant. This one got a + in my written notes. Two of the slower movements of the Poulenc were also quite good and effective. My note for the seventh (and final) movement was one word—lovely.
The Brahms lullaby was not the famous one. All of the lullabies were interesting to some degree but hearing ten lullabies in a row was a little too much for me. As announced by Ms. Yu, she could not find a score for the Kodaly, so she transcribed it from a recording. It was a nice, gentle setting.
The Messiaen was six movements of modern and esoteric music. There were some pretty sounds but also some weird sounds. Messiaen is somewhat of an acquired taste and one that I don’t quite have. Indeed, I footnoted the third movement as ‘least favorite’ only to end up footnoting the fifth movement as ‘new least favorite’—not quite a ringing endorsement.
I’m certainly glad I attended and I’ll most likely go back for additional Concerts on the Slope. And the songs for children program was quite fitting since Ms. Yu was obviously pregnant. Her child will definitely hear some beautiful music when trying to be lulled into slumber. Additionally, we were told that the artistic director of the organization, Benjamin Larsen, might need to leave the concert suddenly, as his wife was in labor for the birth of their first child.
ConcertMeister
Guest Post (8/31/18)
Hubby and I have a great love for the puppetry arts. When we found out about this show—via a full-page ad in the Beacon-Journal no less—we jumped on it.
Phillip Huber is a master puppeteer with awards worldwide. It’s unclear how long he’s been running this particular show, Suspended Animation, but most of the clips are available on YouTube. Still, nothing beats seeing an artist live—and Huber definitely qualifies.
The all-marionette show opens with a trapeze artist puppet, and the wow factor shows up immediately. Even though Mr. Huber is in full sight, the puppet commands all the attention as she floats and twirls in ways that defy expectations of how marionettes move.
Throughout the evening we’re treated to a gypsy dancer, a ballet dancer, and a golden gymnast figure. Musical acts include a German oom-pah accordionist, a violinist, an opera singer, and celebrity look-a-likes including Liza, Ella, and Natalie Cole. There was also a puppy, a snarky little girl, and a Chinese magician.
At one point, he showed a video—a behind-the-scenes of the workings of his marionettes, and another, later, showing the construction of Natalie Cole.
Fascinating stuff.
BrotherMeister
p.s. I approve this message. CM
Phillip Huber is a master puppeteer with awards worldwide. It’s unclear how long he’s been running this particular show, Suspended Animation, but most of the clips are available on YouTube. Still, nothing beats seeing an artist live—and Huber definitely qualifies.
The all-marionette show opens with a trapeze artist puppet, and the wow factor shows up immediately. Even though Mr. Huber is in full sight, the puppet commands all the attention as she floats and twirls in ways that defy expectations of how marionettes move.
Throughout the evening we’re treated to a gypsy dancer, a ballet dancer, and a golden gymnast figure. Musical acts include a German oom-pah accordionist, a violinist, an opera singer, and celebrity look-a-likes including Liza, Ella, and Natalie Cole. There was also a puppy, a snarky little girl, and a Chinese magician.
At one point, he showed a video—a behind-the-scenes of the workings of his marionettes, and another, later, showing the construction of Natalie Cole.
Fascinating stuff.
BrotherMeister
p.s. I approve this message. CM
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Songs Sinatra Sang (8/25/18)
Glendalys Sosa, vocals; Joe Sherman, clarinet and saxophone; John Austria, piano
Hmm, how best to describe this? It was sort of like the background music you might hear at a wedding reception. It wasn’t fine music making but it was fun music making. Ms. Sosa had a pleasant enough voice. Surprisingly, the clarinet and saxophone almost overpowered the performance space (an auditorium at the Bronx Library Center). Mr. Austria provided the perfect amount of support—at one point, I realized that he was playing really well but it was so unobtrusive that it didn’t register as really good playing.
There was no printed program. The songs were so recognizable, though, that I think I jotted them all down. In order, we heard All of Me, You Make Me Feel So Young, and That Old Feeling, all with piano, vocals, and sax. With a switch to clarinet, we heard I’ll Never Smile Again and You Do Something to Me before switching back to the sax for I’ve Got You Under My Skin, You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To, and You’d Be So Easy to Love, as a mini-Cole Porter set.
In some ways, this program was a labor of love on the part of Mr. Sherman, as he was the source of all of the Sinatra memorabilia (several record sleeves) and related back stories to some of the songs. From Sinatra’s Come Dance with Me LP, we heard a jazzed up version of I Could Have Danced All Night, with a phrase of Come Dance with Me inserted in the middle.
In a Count Basie arrangement, we heard Fly Me to the Moon. And along the way, we heard The Days of Wine and Roses and The Summer Wind, the latter sung by Mr. Sherman with Ms. Sosa as his ‘doo-be-doo-be-doo’ backup singer. Next up was a Billy May arrangement of Come Fly with Me, followed by a Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn ballad All the Way.
Rounding out the afternoon were Witchcraft and Young at Heart. The very appreciative audience of about fifty people also heard They Can’t Take That Away from Me as a well deserved encore. A fun afternoon in the Bronx.
ConcertMeister
Hmm, how best to describe this? It was sort of like the background music you might hear at a wedding reception. It wasn’t fine music making but it was fun music making. Ms. Sosa had a pleasant enough voice. Surprisingly, the clarinet and saxophone almost overpowered the performance space (an auditorium at the Bronx Library Center). Mr. Austria provided the perfect amount of support—at one point, I realized that he was playing really well but it was so unobtrusive that it didn’t register as really good playing.
There was no printed program. The songs were so recognizable, though, that I think I jotted them all down. In order, we heard All of Me, You Make Me Feel So Young, and That Old Feeling, all with piano, vocals, and sax. With a switch to clarinet, we heard I’ll Never Smile Again and You Do Something to Me before switching back to the sax for I’ve Got You Under My Skin, You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To, and You’d Be So Easy to Love, as a mini-Cole Porter set.
In some ways, this program was a labor of love on the part of Mr. Sherman, as he was the source of all of the Sinatra memorabilia (several record sleeves) and related back stories to some of the songs. From Sinatra’s Come Dance with Me LP, we heard a jazzed up version of I Could Have Danced All Night, with a phrase of Come Dance with Me inserted in the middle.
In a Count Basie arrangement, we heard Fly Me to the Moon. And along the way, we heard The Days of Wine and Roses and The Summer Wind, the latter sung by Mr. Sherman with Ms. Sosa as his ‘doo-be-doo-be-doo’ backup singer. Next up was a Billy May arrangement of Come Fly with Me, followed by a Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn ballad All the Way.
Rounding out the afternoon were Witchcraft and Young at Heart. The very appreciative audience of about fifty people also heard They Can’t Take That Away from Me as a well deserved encore. A fun afternoon in the Bronx.
ConcertMeister
Friday, August 24, 2018
Shakespeare in the Park (8/19/18)
Yes, the famous one. I finally decided to do the full-on Shakespeare in the Park experience, so I got to Central Park around 8:20am on Sunday. The line was not too long, so I plopped myself down under the overhang at the Delacorte Theater (a good thing, because it was drizzly and rainy) and took out my book to read. (Tickets are distributed beginning at noon and I came prepared with book, snacks, and water.) Some of the folks in line seemed to be regulars, and at one point someone mentioned that they were glad they weren’t in the other line. “Other line?” Oops, I actually asked it out loud. Apparently I was in the seniors line. Being a savvy New Yorker, I inquired as to what the Public Theater considered a senior. The answer was sixty-five and up, and they checked ID. Drat. Even though it was my birthday, I was only turning sixty-four. So after spending close to forty-five minutes in the wrong line, I joined the much longer ‘regular folks’ line. Long (really long) story short, I was in the select group that did get tickets, and I was out of the park by a little before 1pm.
I returned in the evening for my third al fresco Twelfth Night of this summer. Entering the amphitheater, I noticed a big crowd onstage already. And then I saw audience members joining them. It was closing night of the production so I thought maybe this was something special but I learned that this happened at every performance.
It seems that this Twelfth Night was a musical adaptation that had been presented a while back as part of the Public Works program that uses local community actors, dancers, and singers as parts of a very large ensemble. It’s a worthy project but I didn’t know about that aspect of this adaptation ahead of time.
And quite an adaptation it was. Most of the dialogue was Shakespeare’s but the music was all new, with lyrics that were decidedly not Shakespeare’s. Duke Orsino’s ‘If music be the food of love’ became an all-singing, all-dancing opening number. It was nice but it seemed out of place to me. All of the principals did a good job—although, oddly, the twins (Viola/Cesario and Sebastian) were nowhere near the same height. You’d think Olivia, or some of the others, might notice something like that when seeing ‘Sebastian’ a couple of times in quick succession. Malvolio had two or three nice music hall/vaudeville songs that were the hit of the evening, as far as I was concerned. Alas, the Playbill did not include a list of musical numbers, so I can’t give you any titles.
The plot was fairly clear, even with the addition of large crowd scenes, but the juxtaposition of Shakespeare versus non-Shakespeare sections was jarring pretty much every time. That and the lack of the iconic ending—‘That’s all one, our play is done’—were my most unhappy quibbles. However, my inaugural Shakespeare in the Park experience was a good one and I’ll most likely do it again in the future.
That’s all one, my post is done / and I’ll strive to please you every day! (Well, every post, at least.)
ConcertMeister
I returned in the evening for my third al fresco Twelfth Night of this summer. Entering the amphitheater, I noticed a big crowd onstage already. And then I saw audience members joining them. It was closing night of the production so I thought maybe this was something special but I learned that this happened at every performance.
It seems that this Twelfth Night was a musical adaptation that had been presented a while back as part of the Public Works program that uses local community actors, dancers, and singers as parts of a very large ensemble. It’s a worthy project but I didn’t know about that aspect of this adaptation ahead of time.
And quite an adaptation it was. Most of the dialogue was Shakespeare’s but the music was all new, with lyrics that were decidedly not Shakespeare’s. Duke Orsino’s ‘If music be the food of love’ became an all-singing, all-dancing opening number. It was nice but it seemed out of place to me. All of the principals did a good job—although, oddly, the twins (Viola/Cesario and Sebastian) were nowhere near the same height. You’d think Olivia, or some of the others, might notice something like that when seeing ‘Sebastian’ a couple of times in quick succession. Malvolio had two or three nice music hall/vaudeville songs that were the hit of the evening, as far as I was concerned. Alas, the Playbill did not include a list of musical numbers, so I can’t give you any titles.
The plot was fairly clear, even with the addition of large crowd scenes, but the juxtaposition of Shakespeare versus non-Shakespeare sections was jarring pretty much every time. That and the lack of the iconic ending—‘That’s all one, our play is done’—were my most unhappy quibbles. However, my inaugural Shakespeare in the Park experience was a good one and I’ll most likely do it again in the future.
That’s all one, my post is done / and I’ll strive to please you every day! (Well, every post, at least.)
ConcertMeister
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Rite of Summer Music Festival (8/18/18)
Collaborative Arts Ensemble
Jocelyn Zhu, violin; Matthew Maimone, piano; Thomas West, baritone, piano; Jasminn Johnson, vocals, dance
Letters from the American South
Shenandoah – Traditional
Excursions, Op. 20, No. 1 (Un Poco Allegro) – Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Four Souvenirs: For Violin and Piano – Movement I: Samba – Paul Schoenfield (b. 1947)
Memories (Part 1) – Charles Ives (1874–1954)
Grief – William Grant Still (1895–1978)
Orange Blossom Special – Johnny Cash (1932–2003)
Daybreak in Alabama – Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956)
American Lullaby – Gladys Rich (1904–1994)
Georgia on My Mind – Hoagy Carmichael (1899–1981)
Hard Times Come Again No More – Stephen Foster (1826–1864)
Texts for readings: Emma Lazarus (1849–1887); Harper Lee (1926–2016); Maya Angelou (1928–2014); Richard Grant (b. 1956); Brené Brown (b. 1956); Jasminn Johnson (b. 1993)
Collaborative Arts Ensemble (a new organization established in 2017) has a mission of involving text, music, and physical movement into an expansion of the typical concert. For the most part, it worked. As seen above, the musical selections were quite eclectic. The readings, while also eclectic, were not actually listed in the printed program, so we didn’t know whose words were being used or where, which was a little disappointing for me. The texts ranged from commentary about the obvious and still present racism in the south, with references to slavery, but also about the inherent ‘good neighbor’ feeling that also exists in the south. And the readings were sometimes solo affairs and sometimes group efforts, which proved a bit clunky at times.
With ten musical entries, I’ll hit the ones that were highlights for me. If you have any questions about others that I don’t get to here, feel free to contact me and I’ll expand. Shenandoah began with solo violin (Ms. Zhu) that was then joined by piano (Mr. Maimone). Pleasant enough, it eventually served as underscoring for a spoken introduction by Mr. West and Ms. Johnson that laid out the quest for the scope of the afternoon.
Excursions (for solo piano) was rapid, modern, very interesting, and intriguing, with jazzy rhythms. Some of the most enjoyable Barber I’ve heard in a long time. The Samba movement that followed a reading was also very modern, once again with driving rhythms, and hints of dance forms—hello! it’s called Samba!
Mr. West acquitted himself quite well with Memories, a sort of fun patter-like song that he sang while embedded in the audience. Orange Blossom Special was a little touch of country, very fast, almost (but not quite) making it into foot-stomping territory.
The rest of the second half of the program seemed to lack a bit of focus, and while a brief a cappella section of Hard Times Come Again No More was effective, the piece didn’t quite make it as a concert ender. One of the nice things about the Rite of Summer concerts, performed on Governors Island, is that the 1pm performance is repeated at 3pm. I considered sticking around for round two but ended up deciding on the 2:30pm ferry back to Manhattan. And a rain shower hit right around that time. I hope the performers had a successful second iteration of the program. This was the last of the Rite of Summer concerts for this season—alas, the only one I made it to this year. I’ll have to be more on the ball with scheduling next summer.
ConcertMeister
Jocelyn Zhu, violin; Matthew Maimone, piano; Thomas West, baritone, piano; Jasminn Johnson, vocals, dance
Letters from the American South
Shenandoah – Traditional
Excursions, Op. 20, No. 1 (Un Poco Allegro) – Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Four Souvenirs: For Violin and Piano – Movement I: Samba – Paul Schoenfield (b. 1947)
Memories (Part 1) – Charles Ives (1874–1954)
Grief – William Grant Still (1895–1978)
Orange Blossom Special – Johnny Cash (1932–2003)
Daybreak in Alabama – Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956)
American Lullaby – Gladys Rich (1904–1994)
Georgia on My Mind – Hoagy Carmichael (1899–1981)
Hard Times Come Again No More – Stephen Foster (1826–1864)
Texts for readings: Emma Lazarus (1849–1887); Harper Lee (1926–2016); Maya Angelou (1928–2014); Richard Grant (b. 1956); Brené Brown (b. 1956); Jasminn Johnson (b. 1993)
Collaborative Arts Ensemble (a new organization established in 2017) has a mission of involving text, music, and physical movement into an expansion of the typical concert. For the most part, it worked. As seen above, the musical selections were quite eclectic. The readings, while also eclectic, were not actually listed in the printed program, so we didn’t know whose words were being used or where, which was a little disappointing for me. The texts ranged from commentary about the obvious and still present racism in the south, with references to slavery, but also about the inherent ‘good neighbor’ feeling that also exists in the south. And the readings were sometimes solo affairs and sometimes group efforts, which proved a bit clunky at times.
With ten musical entries, I’ll hit the ones that were highlights for me. If you have any questions about others that I don’t get to here, feel free to contact me and I’ll expand. Shenandoah began with solo violin (Ms. Zhu) that was then joined by piano (Mr. Maimone). Pleasant enough, it eventually served as underscoring for a spoken introduction by Mr. West and Ms. Johnson that laid out the quest for the scope of the afternoon.
Excursions (for solo piano) was rapid, modern, very interesting, and intriguing, with jazzy rhythms. Some of the most enjoyable Barber I’ve heard in a long time. The Samba movement that followed a reading was also very modern, once again with driving rhythms, and hints of dance forms—hello! it’s called Samba!
Mr. West acquitted himself quite well with Memories, a sort of fun patter-like song that he sang while embedded in the audience. Orange Blossom Special was a little touch of country, very fast, almost (but not quite) making it into foot-stomping territory.
The rest of the second half of the program seemed to lack a bit of focus, and while a brief a cappella section of Hard Times Come Again No More was effective, the piece didn’t quite make it as a concert ender. One of the nice things about the Rite of Summer concerts, performed on Governors Island, is that the 1pm performance is repeated at 3pm. I considered sticking around for round two but ended up deciding on the 2:30pm ferry back to Manhattan. And a rain shower hit right around that time. I hope the performers had a successful second iteration of the program. This was the last of the Rite of Summer concerts for this season—alas, the only one I made it to this year. I’ll have to be more on the ball with scheduling next summer.
ConcertMeister
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