It’s Tru! 3/12/23

Tru is a one-person show. I have never seen it on stage. I have seen the next best thing.

A Facebook friend of mine spent a couple of years with extended family on the west coast during the pandemic. During that time, he was in two productions of Tru, a one-man show based on a specific section of Truman Capote’s life. One of those (performed in Oregon) was preserved on film. A showing of that film was presented on the lower East Side on Sunday, March 12, 2023. I was one of the lucky attendees.

The showing of the film was stunning. What was more important was the closeness of the audience with the performer. And the director. And their dog. (I’m not making this up, you know.) 

The audience was close friends and a couple of not-so-close friends, of which I was one (I only knew him via Facebook). When I introduced myself to Charles Michel as Uncke David (I had included my real name in a separate email), he said, “You look exactly the way you write.” I took that as great praise. 

The performance of the theater piece was extraordinary. 

I also met Eric Millegan (the director) and Mrs. Malloy (the dog). Ask if you’re interested.

 ConcertMeister

New York Classical Players (3/11/23)

Alice Chenyang Xu, piano; Abi Fayette, violin; Maren Rothfritz, viola; Madeline Fayette, cello 

The All Beethoven Program
Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, “Archduke”
Viola and Cello Duet in E flat major, WoO 32, “Eyeglasses Duo”
Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70 No. 1, “Ghost”
(Please note, I have re-created the punctuation from the printed program.) 

A spokesperson (uncredited) from the Library for the Performing Arts, shared with us that LPA has some sketches from the first work on the program in its archives, and showed some on a screen. They were wild. Major chicken scratches. We were told that they meant something to the mind of Beethoven. We were also told that the work was composed in 1811. There was no listing of movements, so I did some searching. It was in four movements, with the second being a scherzo (quick/joke), and the third being a slower movement, before the finale. TMI? I liked the work, though I found the very beginning a little disjointed (writing? playing?). Once it settled in, it was quite enjoyable. 

On to the second work. What the heck is WoO? Well, I learned that it is nomenclature for Beethoven works (and some other composers) for “Works without Opus” numbers. Why the duet is WoO 32 is beyond my ken. AnyhoO, the one-movement piece for viola and cello, though it suffered from a little disconnect as in the first work, was slightly jaunty and a little playful, including a false ending. 

The “Ghost” trio (and once again, no one really knows where the nickname came from) had a boisterous first movement opening, with fuller writing (to me) than the “Archduke.” A very brisk tempo, a lovely contrasting section, and a boisterous ending rounded out the movement. The second movement was calm—almost eerie (ghost-like?). The third movement was bright and cheerful, with full sound, and full writing which was a little more formulaic, but I liked that. 

All in all, a wonderful afternoon of chamber music.

ConcertMeister

Silent Clowns Film Series (2/11/23)

 Fatty’s Plucky Pup (1915)
Tramp, Tramp Tramp (1926)

 Fatty’s Plucky Pup was … interesting. Fatty Arbuckle did the usual slapstick schtick. Oddly, the pup (Luke) didn’t enter the film until about halfway through. Interestingly, the writer of the Notes, Steve Massa, mentioned a few famous silent film dogs in his opening remarks, including Teddy, the Great Dane. Per Wikipedia: Teddy the Dog or Keystone Teddy (1910/11 – May 17, 1925) was the most famous animal actor associated with the Mack Sennett studios. The Great Dane was one of only three (with Mabel Normand and Roscoe Arbuckle) of the studio's stars whose name appeared in the title of a film (Teddy at the Throttle). 

Also mentioned was Pete the Pup. And, from Wikipedia: Pete the Pup (original, 1924 – June 1930; second Pete, September 9, 1929 – January 28, 1946) was a character in Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies (later known as The Little Rascals) during the 1930s, otherwise known as "Pete, the dog with the ring around his eye", or simply "Petey". 

Per Wikiwanda (who knew?): Luke the Dog (1913–1926) was a Staffordshire Terrier that performed as a recurring character in American silent comedy shorts between 1914 and 1920. He was also the personal pet of actress Minta Durfee and her husband, the comedian and director Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. 

The film was fun. The dog was great. 

I had never heard of Harry Langdon before attending this double bill. He was funny, but in a subdued way. Tramp, Tramp … referred to a walking contest/race from the East Coast to the West Coast. There were many holes in the plot, including the final two competitors running to the finish line. Of a walking race. Need I say more? Yes! The female love interest was Joan Crawford. 

I may watch other Harry Langdon films, but I’m not sure I’ll seek them out.

As always, Ben Model provided stellar (and lengthy!) live piano accompaniment.

ConcertMeister

Concordian Dawn – Order in Fours (1/12/23)

David Dickey ~ countertenor & recorder; Clifton Massey ~ countertenor; Thomas McCargar ~ baritone & percussion; Niccolo Seligmann ~ vielle; Nathaniel Adams ~ tenor; Christopher Preston Thompson ~ director, tenor & medieval harp

In virtute nominum / Decens carmen edere / Clamor meus – Philippe de Vitry (1291–1361)

Phebi claro nondum orto iubare (Alba of Fleury-sur-Loire) – I-Vb Vat. Lat. 1462, fol. 50v (11th c.)
Tunc me discussa (Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy, 1 m. 3) – CA Gg. V. 35, fol. 442r (11th c.)
La Septieme Estampie Real – F-Pn fr. 844, 104v (13th c.)
Tribum que / Quoniam secta / Merito hec patimur – Philippe de Vitry (Le Roman de Fauvel)

La Messe de Nostre Dame (Kyrie ~ Gloria) – Guillaume de Machaut (1300−1377)

Viderunt omnes – Pérotin (1160−1230)

Salterello – GB-Lbl MS Add. 29987, 63v-64r (14th c.)
Dame, de qui toute ma joye vient (Le Remede de Fortune) – Guillaume de Machaut (1300−1377)

If all of the gobbledygook above makes no sense to you, you’re not alone. A lot of it (especially the many short pieces in the second section) was very difficult for me to sort out, as to beginnings and endings. So I’ll just give a few nods to what I heard, with a few explanations along the way.

This was a very loose take on Order in Fours. Sometimes that meant three vocal lines with one instrumental line; sometimes three vocal lines with a fourth vocalist as a drone. Once, there were even five vocalists—go figure. Now, on to the instruments. The recorder is a type of vertical flute, usually made of wood, and fingered like that plastic flute you played (badly) in third grade. This one sounded a lot better, especially in the hands of this artist in the ensemble. The medieval harp is a hand-held instrument (no pedals or colored strings). Think of the White Rock gal, except this was a guy and the harp was a little larger. When I did a quick search on vielle, it pointed me toward something similar to a violin. The one I saw/heard was more like an early version of a cello.

OK, here’s a brief intro to medieval music. It sometimes sounds crude, as in unfinished. Lots of open chords (not filled in as happened in later years). But here’s the other thing—there are often interesting little dissonances thrown in here and there. And composers were toying with phrasing. In one of the works I heard, as a phrase came to an end, one voice continued through it and then the other voices joined in anew, so the phrase never really ended. This sounded so new to me, though obviously it wasn’t new. Check the dates of the composers listed above.

Is early music an acquired taste? Yes. Have I acquired it? Yes. I’ve even performed in in my long-ago past. Did I enjoy this concert? Yes.

ConcertMeister

Wreath Interpretations (12/14/22)

Okay, this is at least the second time I’ve attended/posted about this. The 40th annual exhibit at The Arsenal (Fifth Avenue/64th Street, just inside Central Park) is on display until December 30 (with holiday closings). 

This year’s display featured 30+ wreaths (sort of). Some were traditional; some were paintings implying a wreath. Some of my favorites included Bath Sponge Bubble Wreath (nylon-net scrubbies with transparent glass ornaments) and Abundance (very pretty, using acrylic yarn and various plastic snack bags fashioned into flowers). 

One wreath was created with Mardi Gras beads—it was colorful, shiny, and fun! I also liked Measure for Measure (I’m guessing it’s a reference to Shakespeare in the Park), which used wooden rulers arranged in a spherical shape. 

Christmas Beetle – Tierra Frági had knitted yarn bugs on a knitted yarn wreath, while Spotted Lantern Wreath had a striking combination of colors and patterns referencing the summer infestation of bugs here in NYC this past summer. 

Another favorite of mine was Silent Night, which used CPAP components in a clever red-and-green wreath motif. African Jewels by the Well featured handmade clay beads, etc., on an embossed copper background, while Party Animals had top-hatted collage animals inside a wreath of discarded mylar balloons found at Rockaway Beach. (I’m not making this up, you know.) 

How to Save a Life was a rather large wreath made of discarded/expired AED pads plus an AED machine. It was an oval wreath design. Next to it was a woven-straw wreath surrounding a bottle cap. Wreaths come in all shapes and sizes. 

Be Happy was a wreath of smiley faces. A smiley face in the center with sixteen smiley faces around it with a ‘thought bubble’ for each. A little too smiley for me. 

One more of my favorites was one that featured writing implements and notebooks, erasers, binder clips, index cards, etc., all placed on a bicycle wheel. In the center was a card that said, “DREAM BIG AND DARE TO FAIL.” That said it all for me.

 Oh, some (but not all) were for sale, ranging from $75.00 to $2,800. I'm happy to glimpse them for free.

Again, the exhibit is on display until December 30, though it is closed on holidays. I’m guessing Christmas, yes; not sure about Hanukkah. If you’re in the neighborhood, it’s a fun little side trip.

ConcertMeister

The Orchestra Now (12/11/22)

Schumann, Strauss & Sibelius

Good news, bad news. The concert was still free, and it was played very well. Alas, their usual cheat sheet (dates of composers, date of composition, premiere date, running time of each work, etc.) was not to be had. 

Schumann – Overture to Genoveva
Strauss (Richard) – Four Symphonic Interludes from Intermezzo
Sibelius – Symphony No. 2 

From the program notes (written by orchestra members), Schumann’s opera is not often performed. The overture, though, is in the symphonic repertoire as a concert-opener, which is how it was used here. It opened quietly and then slowly built in dynamics and power. It was pleasant to listen to but I was not overwhelmed. 

Because I had to do more digging than I usually do for the most part for these concerts, I learned that the opera Intermezzo is performed. Rarely. In fact, I don’t think it’s ever been performed at NYC’s Metropolitan Opera. The four Interludes are, however, regularly excerpted. The first three were relatively subdued, with quiet endings. The fourth had a little more oomph. The second (or third—or both) featured piano and harp, and the conductor had those players stand for a solo bow during the applause for the work. 

The Sibelius symphony was in four movements. I only know this because I read the program notes. It was not listed anywhere else in the program, which I would have expected. The first movement had a three-note motif that was fairly easy to follow in its repetitions and permutations. The second was calmer and quieter. The third, referred to as a Scherzo in the program notes, was indeed lively and fun to listen to. The fourth, Finale, had a grand, sweeping theme that was repeated several times, lifting us, indeed, to a lovely finale. 

As I said, the music (conducted by Zachary Schwartzman) was great to listen to. I just wish I had a little more basic information at my fingertips. Then again, maybe they really wanted to have me focus on the music. At any rate, I enjoyed the concert, and I look forward to The Orchestra Now’s return to Symphony Space in the spring.

ConcertMeister

Across a Crowded Room (11/19/22)

Okay, this is at least my second iteration of this event. If memory serves, this is essentially a summer writing series. The participants—composers, lyricists, book writers—are paired together randomly at the beginning of the writing seminar. Across a crowded room. The result should be a twenty-minute musical theater presentation—either a self-contained snippet, or part of a larger work—to be shown at the 11/19/22 performance I attended. 

First off, I had a blast watching nine separate snippets. Were they all hits? No. Were there any clunkers? No. This year’s chore was to adapt a work in the public domain that was also in the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. This criterion was (mostly) met. 

With nine works on display, I will not cover all of them (with myriad writers/composers/performers, etc.). 

Sing a Song of Six Pants was a riff on a Three Stooges episode, here with Mary, Mo, and Curly, all female. An all-female piece followed: It Ain’t Over ’Til the Bat Lady Sings. Trifles followed, which was slightly operatic (except for the men’s duet). Tomorrow was next, with a take on a Frances Hodgson Burnett short story/play, again with an all-female cast. The fifth work was based on a James Barrie play, The 12-Pound Look. It was one of my favorites. The sixth was also based on James Barrie—The Admirable Crichton. Is This Who We Are as Beavers? was a throwback to high school high-jinks. 

And now. A very-long-titled piece decided to throw operetta on its ear. Messrs. Christenfeld and Grunin present an operretic mistake in one act entitled "DOWN WITHTHE SCRIPT!": a musical fantasia on the most unfortunate death of  Mr. Justus Miles Forman aboard the RMS Lusitania. (I’m not making this up, you know.) This was hands-down the crowd pleaser. It had blue cloth representing the rising water—ankles. knees, waist, thorax, and finally … glub, glub. Funny stuff, with funny music. 

A ninth piece followed, but it was pretty much anti-climactic. 

All in all, I had a great time exploring new writing from new pairings of writers/composers/lyricists. This is something I will definitely seek out again.

Interestingly, there was also feedback from a panel of theater insiders. I agreed with almost every one of their comments.

ConcertMeister