WQXR's 2021 Classical Countdown

Hey, it's free music on the radio. That counts, right? (Full disclosure, I donate a modest amount each year to WQXR.) OK, the rules are a little weird. Listeners vote for their five favorite compositions. The station counts them down to midnight on Dec. 31. Sort of.

The countdown started at 9am today (12/27) and will go (I think?) to midnight; it will then pick up again at 9am (12/28); lather, rinse, repeat.

They (usually) play entire works, except for operas (selections from Porgy and Bess, selections from La Bohème). Also, they played six Chopin Nocturnes as #101: Chopin: Nocturnes. <<--- see what they did there?

Anyhoo, two of my five choices have already made the list – Ralph Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music (#107), and Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings (#100).

Oh, did I mention that they change the number of pieces for the countdown from year to year? Sometimes it's been 96 (when their signal was 96.3 on the FM dial), or 105 (when their signal (and it's current)) is 105.9. Why it's 125 this year, I have no clue.

Don't ask about the G&S brouhaha. (Unless you really want to know.)

Two more of my five will probably make the cut; one probably never will. ConcertMeister

The Orchestra Now (12/19/2021)

Roman Carnival Overture – Hector Berlioz (1803–1869)
Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes – Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Symphonic Poem of 3 Notes – Tan Dun (b. 1957)
Symphony No. 5 – Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)

First off, TON, thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing live music back to live audiences (with protections in place).

At nine minutes (thank you for such interesting and helpful notes), the Berlioz was a great curtain raiser (even though there was no curtain). It was bright, and incorporated themes from his opera Benvenuto Cellini. A nice mix of tempos, phrases, and orchestration.

The Britten was adapted from his opera Peter Grimes. The opera premiered on 6/7/1945; the Interludes premiered just six days later. I found some of the writing in the first Interlude rather spare, which is OK, since they were written as pieces to bridge the opera from one scene to the next, while trying to set the scene, as well. The third, Morning, was appropriately brooding, while the fourth, Storm, was appropriately stormy.

The Tan Dun, while it had an interesting back story, didn’t quite work for me. The three notes were “la-si-do”—the top three notes of a major scale—and the piece was written for the 70th birthday of Placido Domingo. Get it? La-si-do? Pla-ci-do? It was cute the first time. Not so much after iteration after reiteration. Again and again. Get it? Yes, the piece worked as a legit composition, but for me, it couldn’t shake its baggage.

Sibelius’ symphony, in three movements, had some interesting background (and baggage) as well. He tinkered with it (specifically regarding pacing) even after it had premiered. Using the full palette of orchestral colors, it was a very effective (if not affecting) work. I liked it well enough—but just.

A note on the orchestra—they are what is known as a training orchestra. They commit to a three-year training program associated with Bard College. They practice and train with world-class professionals, and the training shows up in these performances.

Did I mention that this concert was free? And that all audience members were screened for full vaccination? There are some good things in NYC. Was I concerned? Yes. Did I take maximum precautions? Yes.

ConcertMeister

 

2021 Caroling in Greenwich Village

Unfortunately, caroling was cancelled due to breakthrough Covid cases.
This is what I would have worn if it had actually occurred. I also had a red foam nose and a 'silver' bell.
Alas, they'll have to wait for 2022.

ConcertMeister

Tuba Christmas (12/12/21)

For those of you asking, “What the heck is Tuba Christmas?”, it’s a concert where many (sometimes many, many) tuba players (baritones, Sousaphones, and orchestral tubas) gather together and share Christmas songs with the general public. Concerts take place in several states (and internationally, I believe). Sunday’s NYC performance was a bit different from others I’ve seen. First things first, there was no Rockefeller Center Tuba Christmas performance last December (damn you, Covid!). Also different this year was where the tubists performed. They were still on the plaza, but not on a platform built out over the ice rink. And there were fewer tubists than in years past; still, there were slightly more than two hundred this year. So, the sound wasn’t quite as impressive (though those two hundred gave it their all). When they are on a platform over the ice, the sound really rings out as though it’s coming from a canyon (well, duh, because it is). That said, I really enjoyed it, and the assembled crowd/audience did too.

The old-chestnut songs and hymns were well represented—Adeste Fideles; We Three Kings; Good King Wenceslaus Looked Out; Silent Night; Angels We Have Heard on High; God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen, etc. (I’m probably forgetting some; I didn’t take notes.) And while I didn’t stay all the way through, the up tempo Jingle Bells was high on my list of fun favorites. As always, the audience was encouraged to sing along after the brass had played through each song the first time. As always, it was hit or miss. As always, it was still fun.

From some running commentary, we gleaned that this was the 48th NYC Tuba Christmas (not 48th Annual—see “damn you, Covid!” above). The youngest tubist was twelve; the oldest was seventy-four. The one who traveled the farthest came from (I think) Seattle, WA—definitely a west-coaster.

Will I go again? Possibly. At least the weather was very pleasant this year, though my feet did start getting a little chilly. Am I glad I went this year? You bet! Any return to a sense of normalcy after the hell that was 2020 is something to be celebrated. Go, ye, and celebrate too!

ConcertMeister

(p.s. Did I mention the tree?)

Gotham Early Music Series (12/9/2021)

Washington Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble
Festive Music from the German Kingdoms

OK, this will not be a history lesson, but I do need to lay out a few things first. The ensemble played cornettos and sackbuts, both of which are frequently used in early-music ensembles. I do not know why the group chose alternate spellings. The instruments are precursors to (or earlier variants of) later brass instruments—cornets and trombones, though the cornettos are not brass at all, except for the mouthpieces. End of history lesson (do your own searches if you want more info).

There were twelve pieces on the program (two with multiple movements), so I will not name them all. I will, however, list the composers and their dates, should you wish to explore them more.

Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654); Thomas Stoltzer (1480–1526); Ludwig Senfl (1486–1543); Piae Cantiones (1582), Arr. Michael Holmes; Michael Praetorious (1571–1621); Hans Leo Hassler (1564–1612); Daniel Speer (1636–1701); and Johann Walther (1496–1570). I’ve sung about half of them; the others were new to me.

The cornettos were often bright and brash, while the sackbuts were generally more mellow. Both, however, could be a bit ‘in your face’ from time to time. Listed in the program was a harpsichordist/organist. I really only heard organ as continuo (a sort of underscoring and support for the other instruments).

The individual pieces ranged from dance-like, with interesting phrases and rhythms, to slightly somber from time to time. One of the sackbut players also used a hand drum for one piece as well as a larger over-the-shoulder drum (think 1776 images) for a couple of the pieces. The drum was actually used as a divider/intro for a few of the multiple movement pieces.

The ensemble also had a guest soprano who joined them and sang quite well on a few holiday-themed pieces including “Joseph lieber, Joseph mein” and “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” (“Joseph dearest, Joseph mine” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”).

The concert (brief, at approximately forty-five minutes) concluded with a Samuel Scheidt bright up tempo piece for both cornettos, all three sackbuts, and the continuo player.

I’ll keep my eye out for Gotham Early Music Scene. It may not be everyone’s scene, but it’s one that I enjoy from time to time.

ConcertMeister