St. Andrew Music Society: Music on Madison (11/1/20)

 Jorge Ávila, violin; Arthur Fiacco, cello; Andrew Henderson, organ

This is going to be slightly weird, because—hey, pandemic! There was no list of pieces and composers that I could find, so I had to scribble things down during the live streaming broadcast. First up were two movements of (I think) a J.S. Bach work for violin, cello, and continuo (organ was continuo throughout the concert). The first movement was gentle while the second was more brisk. As such, I enjoyed it a bit more. It had dance-like rhythms, though to be honest, the slower first movement also seemed dance-like.

The second piece was a solo cello movement, the Sarabande, from a J.S. Bach unaccompanied cello suite. A sarabande is a specific dance form (are we seeing a theme here?). This seemed rather somber to me, possibly because I was sitting in front of my computer on a gray and rainy day. It was mostly a solo line with a few double stops (the cellist playing two strings at one time, creating harmony on a solo instrument) thrown in.

Next was a movement, Andante, from a J.S. Bach Violin Concerto. It began with organ and cello, then the violin entered. A brief sound engineering note here (and I’m not a sound engineer at all), the levels of all three instruments seemed to have been adjusted. Earlier, I didn’t really hear the organ. Now, the balance was much better. Being slow in nature, the Andante was not really a downer though it could have been.

W.A. Mozart’s Adagio in E minor (I think?) followed, beginning with an organ solo followed by the violin. It was pleasant, if a bit subdued, and I liked the slightly more rhythmic touches and the nice violin cadenza.

Left field time. A cello/organ duet by Bourdon (?)—really, it went by too quickly in real time for me to write it down—had a hint of mournful cello sound with a touch of hopefulness as well.

The Meditation from Thaïs by Jules Massenet was next, arranged for violin and organ. It’s a pretty piece, almost approaching warhorse status, but not my cup of tea. Purely personal preference.

I think two movements of a Handel Violin Sonata followed. The first movement was gentle and dance-like (there it is again), and when the tempo picked up, I liked it a little better. The second movement opened slowly but with a little more intensity, in a good way, followed by a joyful section that was bright and chipper, though still somewhat restrained.

Is live streaming the new normal? I’m not quite sure yet. But live music makes me happy.

ConcertMeister

BookDetectiveMeister (10/19/2020)

Hey, it’s pandemic time. Things will be a little different. For the record, I love the New York Public Library. Even when it doesn’t work exactly right.

I give you A Tale of Three Holds.

NYPL allows you to place books on hold and then pick them up a grab-and-go (approx. 50 as of now) location. Great concept. I have three books on hold: Underfoot in Show Business (Helene Hanff); Death in Venice (Thomas Mann, new translation); and Dog on it (Spencer Quinn). I am, respectively, 1 of 1 holds, 2 of 3 holds, and 1 of 1 holds.

Unfortunately, the only copy of Underfoot is at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. I only learned that by calling NYPL after my book had been on hold for more than a month. LPA is not a grab-and-go location, so they’re not sending books out.

Death in Venice, I’m just holding my breath on. Hopefully not for too much longer. I don’t want someone to have to announce Death in Manhattan.

Here’s why I really love the NYPL. When I returned a book at 96th/Lex. on Friday, I asked the librarian about Dog on it. She told me that NYPL only has two copies. One is listed as ‘Missing’ and one is listed as ‘In Transit’. It has been ‘In Transit’ since Aug. 13 (before I turned 66!). She said that it might be at the Parkchester branch and gave me their phone number. I called Parkchester after work today. No dice.

Parkchester thought that the book might be at the E. 67th St. library (which is a grab-and-go location) or at 40th St/5th Ave. (which has a new name that I will never use; it will be the Midtown Library for me forever). Well I called both. No dice. But here’s the thing. The librarian at Midtown told me she’d check to see if it was on their shelf (this has happened to me once before at this branch in these pandemic times.). Even though I called her at 5:45pm (and the library closes at 6pm), she gave me a return call before she left for the day.

I spoke with three NYPL librarians today and got superb service, even if I didn’t get the result that I was looking for. I am a proud supporter of the New York Public Library. And I can’t wait to get back to live performances at LPA, and writing about them, just as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Concert/BookMeister

Another Try at Live Music (9/19/20)

 The Orchestra Now

Roque Cordero (1917–2008) – Adagio trágico (1955)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912) – Four Novelettes, Op. 52 (1903) – Allegro moderato; Larghetto; Andante con moto; Allegro molto
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) – Serenade for Strings, Op. 48 (1880) – Pezzo in forma di sonatina: Andante non troppo – Allegro moderato; Valse: Moderato – Tempo di Valse; Élégie: Larghetto elegiac; Finale (Tema Russo): Andante – Allegro con spirito

Such a joy. Especially the Tchaikovsky. This was a live onscreen broadcast(?) from the Fisher Center at Bard College. Still too much new-ness for me. No applause at the end of a work?
I must confess that I did not tune in for the entirety of the curtain-raiser. What I heard sounded OK.

Interesting tid-bit about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. His mother named him after the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was English, of African descent. The four movements of his work that I heard were quite pleasant though they didn’t blow me away.

The Tchaikovsky Serenade is near and dear to me. As a college student, it was choreographed and set on me (and others). I was quite surprised to realize how short the waltz movement is. All four movements brought back wonderful memories. I also just heard on WQXR today that the waltz movement was fitted out with lyrics that Kathryn Grayson sang in a film. More to explore. It’s always a joy to hear live performances of music that holds a special place in the memory.

Kudos to The Orchestra Now for creating live music that we can experience via computer. Still strange, but better than nothing. I especially enjoyed it when the string players applauded the concertmaster (duh!) for a job well done.

ConcertMeister

Live Music (9/12/2020)

This was a well-thought-out (if flawed) plan.

Ukrainian Institute of America
2 East 79th Street, NYC
Music on the Steps

Serenade for Strings in E Major. Op. 22 – I. Moderato; IV. Larghetto; V. Finale: Allegro vivace – Antonin Dvorak
Four Seasons of Buenos Aires: Inverno Porteno (Winter) – Astor Piazzolla
Melody in A Minor (arranged for solo violin and string orchestra) – Myroslav Skoryk
Concerto for Two Violins – J.S. Bach

The steps alluded to above are the steps of the Ukrainian Institute. Here’s the deal. The musicians (nine string players that I heard) played on the steps of the building (a mansion at Fifth Avenue and Seventy-ninth Street). We, the audience, stood on the sidewalk. The buses and street noise didn’t help, but we all made the most of it.

I adore the Dvorak Serenade. Here, the small ensemble played the first movement with a gentle and lovely style, though it did build nicely. The fourth movement was slow and sweet, poignant at times, with a slightly lively middle section before returning to the slow tempo. The Finale was lively from the get-go. It was a lot of fun, including bringing back themes from the opening movement and then finishing with a flourish.

The Piazzolla was written in a style that I’ve heard referred to as nuevo tango. Yes, there are the traditional tango rhythms, though expanded in style. This one opened with a slightly moody feel. Then the tempo picked up a bit, though still moody, bouncing back and forth.

I did not stay for the rest of the concert. The crowd had grown; there was no way to social distance; and the 100%-masked audience became less than 100%. That was not a risk I was willing to take. Even for live music.

As I said, a good (but flawed) experiment. If they do another one, I’ll watch the live streaming. I won’t like it as much but I’ll feel safer and healthier.

ConcertMeister

Commenting as FilmMeister (8/23/2020)

 The 39 Steps (1935)

Touted as a Hitchcockian masterpiece, this one was tough for me to navigate. I know that I tried to watch it Saturday night and failed miserably. I think I’ve tried watching it in the past but have never made it all the way through.

Huzzah! I finally made it through. I still had to visit my good friends IMDb and Wikipedia in order to wend my way through some of the more intricate plot twists and turns. Part of it, for me at least, is the whipcrack-rapid-fire dialogue so prevalent in ’30s cinema. If I can’t hear and understand you, I can’t get plot twists rushing by me at really, really fast speeds. (Not just with this film—I find that this is the case in other early talkies.)

While I enjoyed the performances (even though I was guessing at how they fit/furthered the plot), I was still behind the eight ball an awful lot of the time.

Once I actually saw the final music hall scene, all was revealed. I’m glad I finally lasted long enough to see it.

FilmMeister

Commenting as BookMeister (8/15/20)

The Road to Little Dribbling; Adventures of an American in Britain (© 2015)

What an enjoyable book. I’ve read Mr. Bryson before. He’s a very articulate writer, with the knowledge of just how much snark to throw in as well as just how often to repeat himself. This isn’t a book you can use as a guide for walking in the United Kingdom. Well, you could, just not all at once. Nor did he.

He created an imaginary ‘Bryson Line’ ranging from Bognor Regis in the southwest to Cape Wrath in the northeast. Along the way, he strayed from that line early and often. With wonderful results. He also commented on British railways, British parks, British roadways, British museums, British education, and British food. Oh, he also threw the USofA under the bus a few times too.

I especially liked his reminiscences of Durham Cathedral (which has its own staff architect—I’m not making this up, you know) as I celebrated my fourteenth birthday in Durham. A choir I was a member of assumed the duties of singing services in the cathedral while their choir was on tour in the US.

OK, one snarkism and then I’ll go. “I was immediately attracted to some shirts in the window, entirely because of their name: Seidensticker Splendestos. … I even thought of a slogan for the company: ‘Splendesto—when splendid isn’t good enough.’ … I had an excellent evening. When the waitress cleared my plate she asked me how my meal was. ‘Oh, splendesto,’ I said and meant it most sincerely.”

OK, two. How could I forget this one? “Cornwall ... isn’t a county at all but a duchy—a distinction the Cornish are very sensitive about. (You could say that it is a touchy duchy.)” For the record. Little Dribbling is not an actual place. Cornwall is.

I’m not a Goodreads person; I do not need to set up yet one more online persona/account/password. I do, however, recommend this book.

ConcertMeister

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (7/14/2020)

Sort of. Obviously, the performance was not ‘live’ in these Covid-19 times. That said, this program was originally scheduled for NYC on 7/14/2020, before all live concerts were canceled. As a result, all six performers gathered in Boston to stream this all-French program on Bastille Day. I normally don’t make comments like this, but I feel I must here. The audio broadcast left a little to be desired. There were audible ‘pops’ in the sound, akin to what you might hear on an older vinyl recording. There were two live video feeds—WGBH(?) and the Violin Channel—so it’s possible that one stream might have been better than the other. I’m not tech-savvy enough to have explored that. Anyhow, here’s the program:

Marc-André Hamelin, piano; Lara St. John, violin; and The Ulysses String Quartet

Claude Debussy – Sonata for violin and piano, L. 140
Allegro vivo; Intermède: Fantasque et léger; Finale: Très animé

Maurice Ravel – String Quartet in F major
Allegro moderato – très doux; Assez vif – très rythmé; Très lent; Vif et agité

Amédée-Ernest Chausson – Concert in D for violin, piano and string quartet, Op 21
Décidé; Sicilienne; Grave; Très animé

The Debussy was played from memory by Ms. St. John (in fact, she played from memory throughout) while Mr. Hamelin played from a paper score (throughout, sans page turner—social distancing does not allow for that). The first movement was sweet and lyrical with some more powerful and rapid phrases, as well. The second was a little more rhythmic and almost playful except that the music seemed very serious. The final movement was brisk but still serious, though not in a heavy way.

The first movement of the Ravel string quartet was tuneful, with harmonies that were almost harsh; it was also dramatic at times and had a quiet ending. The second movement opened with pizzicato (plucked strings) playing from all four. That was followed by a mix of bowed and pizzicato playing, a second section where all players (maybe not the cello?) muted their strings, followed by a section that was very similar to the opening. The third movement featured a slow theme in the viola that was then taken over by the cello and then passed on to the first violin. The movement was somber yet not mournful, and even included a brief, fun, dancelike section. The last movement was brisk though still fairly serious.

The Chausson began with a dramatic opening for solo piano, joined by the low strings of the quartet, then the entire quartet, and finally the violin soloist. The movement was dramatic throughout. The second movement had a gentle dance quality incorporating all six players from the very beginning—a lush quality followed soon after. The third movement took us back to a piano/solo violin duet followed by a piano string quartet section. It once again was serious in nature with a quiet ending. The last movement was much more brisk, not quite happy, but at least more hopeful, leading to a very dramatic conclusion.

Lest it seem as though this was an all-out serious, downer concert, the encore, Un Petit Denouement, was a delightful mash-up for all six players, arranged by Ms. St. John, that included Frères Jacques, La Vie en Rose, Saint-Saëns’ Swan, La Marseillaise, and Offenbach’s Barcarolle. Oh, and all six performers wore berets.

Bonus: Added information gleaned from interviews with the performers included that the Debussy was a later work in his canon and was considered a ‘salon sonata’. And Mr. Hamelin has a Boston connection and actually chose the Steinway piano (from the New York factory) that was used in the concert.

ConcertMeister

As You Like It (7/11/20)

I liked it. I didn’t love it. This was a black and white 1936 film version starring Laurence Olivier and Elisabeth Bergner. Oddly, she got top billing. Not oddly, she was married to the director of the film, Paul Czinner. More to the point, the score for the film was written by William Walton (1902–1983).

I liked the score. I am not a dyed-in-the-wool Shakespeare scholar but it seemed to me that Walton played a little fast and loose with some of the songs from the Shakespeare text. On at least one occasion, it seemed to me as though a song usually sung by Touchstone (the Fool) was reassigned to a different character, and it occurred much earlier in the film than it does in the play.

The story, of course, is filled with characters assuming other lives, characters assuming other genders, and characters behaving in a silly manner. Not quite Monty Python silly, but pretty darn close. Hey, it’s a Shakespeare comedy.

Not surprisingly, all ended well (but that’s another play/movie for another time). The music by William Walton, though, was totally on spot.

ConcertMeister

Great Performances – Gloria: A Life (6/26/20)

When I first saw this Great Performances listing, I almost blew it off. Gloria Estefan? Nah. Gloria Vanderbilt? Maybe. But really, what's in a name?
Oh! Gloria Steinem.

I'm glad I watched. I learned a lot. Christine Lahti starred in an all-female cast. Most of the production staff were female, as well. The presentation was expertly done. The theater production (and thus, this recording) was from 2019, so it was very relevant and up to date if a little heavy handed, politically—not that there's anything wrong with that.

I enjoyed the performances. Act II, the 'talking circle' after the theatrical performance, was also a little heavy handed. But that's to be expected. When the subject is inequality, the solution is obvious. No more inequality. Sometimes heavy handedness is the only way to make that point.

Kudos to PBS and Great Performances. (Off my soap box now.)

ConcertMeister (TV style)

Midday Masterpieces (6/3/20)

Kerson Leong, violin
Tu Mach, piano

Kudos to WQXR for providing a virtual Midday Masterpieces. (I know, I’m woefully late in reporting.)

Ysaÿe: Allemande from Violin Sonata No. 4
Bach: Andante from Violin Sonata No. 2
Kreisler: Liebesleid (with Tu Mach, piano)
Ysaÿe: Allegretto poco Scherzoso from Violin Sonata No. 1
Kreisler: Recitativo and Scherzo
Tarrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra (arr. Ricci)
Raff: Cavatina (with Tu Mach, piano)

With all of that, Mr. Leong played very well and his mother (Tu Mach) was a very generous supportive artist. With the exception of the two works accompanied by piano, these were solo violin pieces. The concert, though, was a little heavy on ‘down’-ish music. This is pretty much to be expected in these pandemic times. I’m not sure, though, what the correct balance should be between somber and uplifting.

In terms of a pre-recorded concert … um, it was pre-recorded. I would much prefer a live recording with at least some sort of audience, even if it couldn’t include me. And I know this sounds oxymoronic, but if there are costume changes (his shirt), then how much can we be convinced that it was ‘live’?

Also, it was presented in partnership with The Violin Channel. As a result, it sounded to me as though his living room recording studio was slightly enhanced in terms of sound editing (specifically a little reverb).

So I’m grateful that WQXR kept us in the virtual loop but less than impressed with the virtual result.

ConcertMeister

Great Performances (6/12/20)

An American in Paris

To my mind, this PBS presentation was a ballet with a few songs, a few lyrics, and even fewer bits of dialogue.

Please don’t get me wrong. The choreography and dancing were stunning. The music was S’Wonderful. The dancing was S’Marvelous. The storytelling left a little to be desired for my taste.

If you love, love, love ballet, this is your cup of tea. If you love, love, like Broadway musicals, this might float your boat.

I would have liked to have seen a more fleshed-out story. As always, this is my opinion only. In these troubled times of ours, I’m happy to see any and all productions, since our choices are limited. I just wish I’d liked this one better. But I just may be grumpy and longing for live performances. I also just may be a ’Meister downer.

ConcertMeister

Bach’s Solo Cello Suites (5/24/20)

Yo-Yo Ma
WXQR and other online venues

OK, the playing was absolutely wonderful. The lack of information ahead of time and during the performance was woefully sad. I understand that I’m going to need to do more exploring in this ‘new normal’ world. Still.

I’m guessing that Mr. Ma played the six J. S. Bach suites in numerical order, but I never really found that out. I’m guessing that each suite had several movements, but I never really found that out. While listening to the two-and-a-half-hour concert, I was never quite sure when one suite ended and another began. Maybe that’s on me; I have n0t studied the intricacies of the solo cello suites. A little guidance would have gone a long, long way.

I knew about the performance because it was announced ahead of time on WQXR (and BabyBro alerted me). I guessed that the live performance was not happening in NYC (and I was right), otherwise WQXR would have been promoting the venue much more strongly. It took place in Boston, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

After all was said and done (though little was said), I enjoyed the performance. The suites themselves are a little too similar for my taste, and they leave a little to be desired, for me, in terms of specific interest. One of the most interesting things to me was when Mr. Ma (after the fourth suite?) explained that he needed to reset the pin on his cello after the workout the instrument had been given.

Teaching moment: the pin is the metal piece at the bottom of the cello that links it to the floor. Some cellists will use a strap of some sort to connect to the leg of the cellist’s chair and has a hole that the pin can poke into for stability. Most cellists do not use one. I’m guessing that Mr. Ma did not. Since it was radio, I’ll never know unless I do a lot more online exploring, which I am not inclined to do.

Overall, it was a once in a lifetime listening experience. And though I’m glad I experienced it, I was not bowled over. I really would have appreciated an online program—order of suites, movements of each suite, etc. Yes, the music is aural. Knowing what to expect is visual. I like to experience both.

ConcertMeister

Serenade to Music (4/28/20)

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
WQXR (4/23/20)

Ralph (pronounced “Rafe”) Vaughan Williams wrote this work in 1938 for orchestra and sixteen vocal soloists. He later created versions for orchestra and chorus as well as for orchestra only, with solo violin. I was fortunate many moons ago to perform the orchestra-chorus version. The text is taken from portions of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Here’s the deal, though. I almost always hear the orchestra-only version on WQXR (New York City’s classical music station). Imagine my surprise and delight when I heard the orchestra-chorus version recently. I was moved to email the station:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This past Thursday was the first time I have heard the vocal version of RVW’s Serenade to Music on WQXR in a long, long time. I really appreciate it. I sang it years ago with an amateur choral society. Every time I see it on a WQXR playlist, I hope that it will be the vocal version.

This is a real pleasure.

David Mallard
DuckDeadeye
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a couple of misfires (OK, I’m not the most tech-savvy ’Meister), I got this response:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for this note, Mr. Mallard.
You and a couple of others are among the fierce listeners who want the full vocal version every time, and while I don't blame you a bit, I like the other version, too.
And if you haven't heard the “original cast” recording of the work, please enjoy it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq8sczVU5o8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, for the record, I don’t really want the vocal version every time. Once in a while would be nice though. Which is why I was so moved to email them in the first place.

Anyhoo, the piece is about fourteen minutes long, in case you’re inclined to listen. And also for the record, the on-air talent often says (of the orchestral version) that listeners respond with, “What is that? I love that; I want that.” And I agree. However, I also think that it’s important to hear the work as it was originally created as well as in other versions created by the composer himself.

ConcertMeister (aka RadioMeister)

America the Beautiful (4/11/20)

Hello, all. In this strange new world we're living in, I'm sending a link to a virtual performance. I may try to do a few more. (And a shout out to my cousin Lee.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAwiNNG3Fk&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2GunKF26E2mkG4kOm8DEMlcbebYFNgDJEmSWDjsEeXemjku1KVSwZfRAo

You may have to copy the link into your browser. Sorry, I'm new at this.

Stay safe and sane.
ConcertMeister

Songbook (1/27/20)

Featuring the music of Ben Caplan

Apparently Mr. Caplan is a composer/lyricist, since I saw no other names mentioned. And he was the musical director/pianist, backed by guitar, bass (electric), drums, reeds, strings and clarinet (if I recall, the clarinetist played in only one piece, hence was not part of reeds, above—why, yes, I am temping at a law firm).

Interestingly, five of the twelve pieces performed were from Mr. Caplan’s I Don’t Want to Talk About It. Wisely, they were dispersed throughout the concert.

The first piece was the name of the show, and it was described as ‘An Adult Schoolhouse Rock’—as a result, it was a little too ‘rock’ for my taste. Alas, I think this is where musical theater is headed. That said, it had clear lyrics and a nice orchestration. The second piece (also from the show named above) was I’m Afraid of Everything, which included planes, heights, really long words and love. Thunk! There it is. Aren’t we all really afraid of love?

The ninth song (also from I Don’t Want to Talk About It) was quite dark. It was performed very well, and dealt in a straightforward way with PTSD, which is at the heart of the musical. That said, the Act II opener of the show was one of my favorites of the evening. Called The Pill Song, it dealt with stimulants, mood levelers, anti-psychotics and caffeine. More to the point, it featured four guys singing in harmony—including a brief, a cappella barbershop segment. The final song of the performance was also from this show. It deserves, and will get, its due later.

There were two epic numbers in the evening, as far as I was concerned. The first dealt with a pair of guys who performed The Ballad of the Cheesecake Factory. These two set a goal for themselves to eat everything on the menu of the chain restaurant. When they realized that it was a 30-page! menu, they still decided to go for it. In a new experience for me, one of the guys went face-first down into a slice of cheesecake to finish the number. Funny, funny stuff. This was a stand-alone song.

The other epic song was also a stand-alone song. One Night in Tel Aviv recounts, vividly, a young man’s trip to Israel. He goes via Birthright, a legit free trip to Israel for young(!) people to tap into their Jewish heritage (I’m not making this up, you know). He not only learns about his heritage, he loses his virginity. Also, funny, funny stuff.

The final song of the evening was also from I Don’t Want to Talk About It. Days I Can had a gentle opening and then dealt, introspectively, with trying to explain the inexplicable about PTSD. Very moving. Maybe it could be a very moving musical?

I must give a shout out to John Znidarsic and his co-producer, Jen Sandler. These folks get all of the performers to volunteer their time for these performances. As an audience member, you never know who you’re going to see—an up-and-coming Broadway performer? A current Broadway performer? In this case, I saw a Fiero (current or former, I don’t remember which) from Wicked, and Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Genie). And all for free! (I generally put a few bucks in the contribution box from time to time at the Library for the Performing Arts.)

ConcertMeister

A Tale of Two Quartets (1/25/20 and 2/1/20)

The Manhattan Saxophone Quartet played seven pieces on Saturday, 1/25. All seven were played by all four members. Here’s the thing about a saxophone quartet—it’s interesting. At first. All seven of the pieces had a connection with French music. A lot of the composers set out to (or so it seemed to me) be as quirky as possible. As a result, there was not a huge variety in the afternoon.

All but one of the composers were new to me. I enjoyed the opening piece, the fourth movement of Jérôme Savari’s Quatuor pour saxophones – Allegro moderato (1861 or 1862). It was jaunty and, oddly, slightly jazzy, though that could have been the newness of hearing four saxophones all at once. The second piece, by Gabriel Pierné (the only composer I recognized) was Introduction et variations sur une ronde populaire (1934). It was slightly dark and somber. The variations began with a sprightly phrase and then were varied in tempo—slow/fast/slow and lilting/faster/really fast, and included modern harmonies that were not too jarring. Nuages (literally, clouds, in French) put me in the mood of a swirling snowstorm. The other multi-movement works didn’t quite do it for me.

The final work, Cache-cache (roughly translated as ‘Hide and Seek’ and written in 1930) was a fun, playful piece, and a very good way to end the concert.

On, now, to 1893.

The New York Classical Players – New Worlds; Dvorak and Debussy String Quartets.
Well, sort of. As it turned out, the program was:

Sonata for Violin and Cello (1922) – (dedicated to Claude Debussy) – Maurice Ravel (1835–1937)
String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 No. 12, “American” (1893) – Antonin Dvorak (1841–1904)
String Quartet in G minor, Op.10 (1893) – Claude Debussy (1862–1918)

Why in the world Ravel dedicated a work to a dead man is beyond me, but c’est la vie. “La vie.” (Always go for the cheap laugh, taught Mikey.)

There were four movements of the Ravel. The second was my favorite. There were pizzicato sections for both violin and cello, then a very dramatic section followed by a very lyrical section. The entire work was good. But that second movement was my favorite.

The Dvorak quartet was a joy. The first movement had a lovely motif to open with—very tonal and lightly joyful and lush, at times. It was charming and captivating. The second movement was a gently rocking accompaniment to a solo violin line. The solo violin line was then thrown to the cello in an absolutely lovely and poignant way. The third movement brought back one of the themes from the first movement but expanded on it—a perfect blend of charm, poignancy, drama, and fun. The final movement was almost, but not quite, off to the races. It was energetic and effervescent, even though there were contrasting slower sections. But it finished with energy and charm.

As a plus, these four performers knew how to take a bow—often, performers seem hesitant about how to acknowledge and thank their audience. Four people taking their cue from one, bowing together, and deciding whether to take a second bow; it’s not rocket science but it’s also messed up from time to time. These four knew what they were doing.

After intermission, they played the Debussy quartet from the same year—1893. It was pleasant and very different in terms of style. My notes for the fourth movement sort of summarize my feelings about the entire work. It was charming, in a slightly dark way, and it perked up, energetically and dramatically, in an interesting but not really compelling way. It’s not that it was bad; it’s just that it paled when paired with the Dvorak quartet. As always, your mileage may vary.

An Afternoon of Opera and Song—Sort of (1/18/20)

Manhattan Opera Association

There were five vocalists: Soprano; Mezzo-soprano; Contralto; Tenor; and Bass-baritone; plus Eric Sedgwick, pianist

My favorite of the afternoon was the pianist, and that says a lot. I will not list all of the pieces I heard in the first half of the concert but they were mostly unsuccessful to my ear, though there were “brava”s and “bravi”s from the audience. Sort of what you call papering the house. Asked and answered here: Bravo for a man, brava for a woman, and bravi for two or more people.

Offenbach’s Barcarolle (a lovely piece) from Tales of Hoffman opened the concert. It was not lovely. Two selections from Mozart’s Don Giovanni followed. One was really OK. One was not. Full disclosure, I’m not a huge Mozart fan and I’m not a huge opera fan. When amateur opera is on tap, I should have been (and was) prepared to bail. I did, after intermission.

I am a former vocalist. My pipes are not what they used to be. I would not attempt to perform works like these in public at my age unless I had very, very good feedback that my performances would be OK. I believe that two of these five were either convinced that they were still in the groove of their glory days or were being misled somehow. One was just squeaking through. (All of this is my opinion only.)

After hearing eight selections in the first half, including a disappointing The Sound of Music, I was convinced that I didn’t need to hear the eight in the second half.

At this particular venue, there is another amateur opera company that I have avoided after a couple of non-enjoyable programs. This company now joins that one, for me; your mileage may vary. If you enjoy all things opera, no matter what, this may fit your bill.

I’ll not be back.

ConcertMeister

Midday Masterpieces (1/8/2020)

Sorry, WQXR did not provide names of the Kila Quartet performers and my quick online search does not match what I saw onstage. That said, the quartet comported themselves very well—often, onstage bows are awkward; these were not.

Where do the years go? 2020.

String Quartet No. 19 in C Major (“Dissonance”) K. 465 – W. A. Mozart
String Quartet No. 3 – Bela Bartok

Oddly, when the quartet set up for the Mozart, they were not in ‘usual’ formation. From the house (left to right) we had violin, violin, viola, cello. More on that later.

The ‘Dissonance’ was a bit of a misnomer. Yes, the beginning of the piece had slow, rising and falling lines, creating dissonance (but in an enjoyable way). Then it turned into a regular, bubbly Mozart string quartet. The first movement, after the strange opening, was bubbly and very lengthy, leading to a quiet ending. The second movement was slow and slightly stately, though not somber. It picked up in energy, just barely. The third seemed to be a scherzo (which means joke). It was perky, with interruptions of louder and fuller phrases. The final movement was also fairly brisk and had interruptions that seemed a little more serious.

When setting up for the one-movement Bartok piece, the first and second violinists switched places. This is fairly common in quartets. In this case, though, the violist and cellist also switched places, giving a more standard quartet placement on stage. Why? I do not know.

As announced from the stage, this is/was the shortest of the six string quartets Bartok wrote. Interestingly, all four players re-tuned—I’m thinking maybe Bartok had specific tuning in mind? This is merely speculation on my part.

The piece was mysterious, with modern sounds, and dissonance (for real, this time).
Overall, I appreciate the difficulty and different techniques. I can’t say, however, that I really enjoyed it. I’m learning a lot here.

ConcertMeister

Songs of Gratitude (1/4/2020)

String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132 (1827) – I. Assai sostenuto – Allegro; II. Allegro ma non tanto; III. Molto adagio: Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart – “Neue Kraft fühlend”; IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace; V. Allegro appassionata – Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Happy New Year! I start with a quibble. Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts’ brochure only listed the title of the concert and the work being performed. As they say on late-night/cable TV commercials—but wait, there’s more! As a first act, there were readings, representing gratitude, by eight writers who are members of Read650 (look them up, it’s pretty interesting—1 Writer. 5 Minutes. 650 Words). Consequently, this LPA event was swamped, as in, people were turned away.

Long story short, I didn’t make it into the auditorium but I was able to view it on a live stream in an overflow room (that sat about thirty but I was still a standee). I only recognized a couple of names of the readers—Jamie Bernstein (daughter of Leonard) and Malachy McCourt (brother of Frank). Mr. McCourt got off the best zinger before he began reading: “As Donald Trump said to all three of his wives, I’ll be brief.”

A note about the third movement of the Beethoven quartet. He switched from Italian naming to his native German. And the translation is: Holy song of gratitude of a convalescent to the Deity in the Lydian mode; feeling new strength. So that provides the gratitude link to the title of the day, the readings, and the music.

On to the music. I was unable to take notes but my memory tells me that this was not your regular Beethoven string quartet. Written in the last year of his life, he was stretching the form and the format. Harmonies were bolder (and mind you, he was totally deaf when he wrote it), and the format was bolder and different, as well. The third movement (depending on tempo chosen by the quartet playing it) lasts fifteen to twenty minutes, which was unheard of in that era. I don’t presume to make a formal analysis of the form and format. That said, this was a beautiful performance by Brian Bak and Gergana Haralampieva, violins; Chieh-Fan Yiu, viola; and Madeline Fayette, cello; all members of the New York Classical Players, a collective of local, professional musicians.

Also, New York Classical Players, Lincoln Center LPA, and Read650 will be taking part in the broader Carnegie Hall’s Beethoven Celebration this year—250 years for LvB. Check your local area for LvB Celebrations.

ConcertMeister