Bargemusic (9/7/24)

Handel Sonata in D major, No. 4
Mozart Sonata in G major, KV 301(293a)
Beethoven Sonata in G major, Op. 30 No. 3
Schubert Rondo Brillant in B minor, D. 895

Mark Peskanov, violin; Maureen Volk, piano

This was  essentially a run-thru for the concert they played Saturday night, but you would need to pay $35. This was free on Saturday afternoon.

While pleasant, the concert was just a little much of the same style over and over again. The Handel (four movements) had a slow and sweet opening, with very spare piano writing, including a hint of sadness. The second movement was brisk and fun, with a robust ending. The third was slow and, again, a bit sad. The fourth was brisk again, feeling like a dance.

The Mozart, in two movements, was sunny with pops of dynamic changes, varied accents, and interesting phrases. Hello! ... Mozart. The second movement was gentler but still with pops of accents to liven things up.

Beethoven's sonata, in three movements, started more energetically than Mozart's, with a bit more of a flare of drama, though it had a soft ending. The second had a gentle minuet feel, though it was not necessarily something one would dance to. It had a dark side as well, and a somber section. It seemed to be the the true centerpiece of the work. The third movement was brisk-but-not-quite off to the races.

Mr. Peskanov asked whether we had some more time. We did. So they played the Schubert. It was quite tuneful; at times dark and energetic; at others dance-like; almost like it couldn't make up its mind and wanted to be all things at all times. They were all fun, but it dragged on a bit.

Am I glad I went? You bet! I'll go back. I urge my NY peeps to check out Bargemusic's admission free concerts.

ConcertMeister

Handel & Haydn Society (7/23/24)

Jonathan Cohen, Artistic Director; Aisslinn Nosky, Director, Violin; Joélle Harvey, Soprano; Ian Watson, Organ; Debra Nagy, Oboe

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Concerto grosso in D major, Op. 6 No. 1 – 1. Largo-Allegro, 2. Largo-Allegro, 3. Largo, 4. Allegro, 5. Allegro

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), from Giulio Cesare - Piangerό la sorte mia, featuring Joélle Harvey, soprano

G. F. Handel (1685-1759), From Semele - Endless Pleasure, featuring Joélle Harvey, soprano

G. F. Handel (1685-1759), Organ Concerto in F Major, HWV 295, featuring Ian Watson, organ – 1. Larghetto, 2. Allegro, 3. Larghetto, 4. Allegro

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C Minor, BWV 1060R, featuring Aisslinn Nosky, violin, Debra Nagy, oboe – 1. Allegro, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro

G. F. Handel (1685-1759), Silete venti, HWV 242, Symphonia & Recit: Silete venti, featuring Joélle Harvey, soprano – 1. Aria: Dulcis amor, 2. Recit: O fortunata anima, 3. Aria: Date serta, 4. Aria: Alleluja 

This was the fourth of five Naumburg Orchestral Concerts this season, held in Central Park. The small orchestra (strings, harpsichord/organ, oboe) played conductor-less, though the concertmaster and/or harpsichordist approximated that role quite well throughout the evening.

Corelli – (Strings and harpsichord) The first movement was slow but full, then quicker, switching back and forth. The second was similar, while also featuring two solo violins and solo cello playing along with the small orchestra. The third also featured three soloists, and was even gentler than the first two movements. The final two movements were both livelier. After retuning, the first of the three Handel works began with a harpsichord and soprano recitative with the orchestra joining in for the aria, which was a mix of calm and then dramatic quicker sections. The second piece was brisk from the very beginning, and featured English (as opposed to Italian) text. For the third, Mr. Watson moved from the harpsichord to the organ (a small reed organ), so the orchestra retuned to it. The first movement featured deeper and richer tone from the organ and the soprano, with the orchestra slightly subdued so as to not overpower the organ. The second movement sounded very familiar to me, bright and fun, and included an extended organ solo sounding like a cuckoo and other birds twittering. The third began with solo organ, subdued and calm before being joined by the orchestra, trading sections back and forth, leading directly (remember attacca?) into the fourth movement. It was lively again, but it seemed to me that the second movement was really the heart of the work. After intermission and retuning, the Bach began. The first movement was, once again, very familiar to me. I'm sure I've heard the work on the radio, but I think this was the first time I've heard it live. The interplay between the violin and oboe soloists and the orchestra was lively and fun. Bright tempo while not really being brisk. The second movement opened with solo oboe and orchestra that was then joined by the solo violin. There were lilting rhythms in a gentle not-quite-waltz followed by a slightly false ending (which also occurred in the first movement) before winding down to the end. The third movement was full, jolly, lively, charming, and familiar. Fun. The final Handel work was almost a mini-cantata. The first movement had an orchestral opening (with the harpsichord included again) followed by the soprano's recitative, setting the scene. The actual first movement was gentle, while the second movement was another brief recitative. The third movement was similar to the first, but with more vocal embellishments, including melismas (one vowel spread over many notes), in runs and scales. It was very brisk and somewhat celebratory, leading into the Alleluja, which was even more celebratory. Throughout the evening, all of the soloists were in fine form. One more Naumburg Orchestral Concert to go in this season's concert series.

ConcertMeister

A Far Cry (7/9/24)

Kareem Roustom (b. 1971) – Dabke (2014)
Kinan Azmeh (b. 1976) – Ibn Arabi Postlude (2005)
Dinuk Wijeratne (b. 1978) – Clarinet Concerto (2018) (co-commission by Rockport Music)
Part I – ‘Prologue: Foretelling’; Part II – ‘The Dance of Ancestral Ties’; Part III – ‘Flux’; Part IV – ‘Exile: The salt and bread of rhythm’; Part V – ‘Cadenza: Solitary Traveler’; Part VI – ‘Epilogue: Home in Motion’

Leoš Janáček (1854–1928)  – Idyll (1878)
I. Andante; II. Allegro; III. Moderato; IV. Allegro; V. Adagio; VI. Scherzo; VII. Moderato

The Roustom had an odd beginning that included stamping of feet, pizzicato strings (plucked) that then added bowing. The piece was all strings (violins, violas, cellos, and basses), rhythmic (but not in your face), and had hints of intrigue. It had a nice, punchy ending.

The Azmeh added clarinet and piano to the strings. The opening was solo piano playing calm chords. Melody was added, in a jazzy way that was almost New Age–ish. I think an electronic track was added, but I’m not quite certain. Clarinet and string bass were then added into the mix. Violins, cellos, and violas finally joined in, but they really didn’t improve the piece much, as far as I was concerned. It wasn’t bad—they played it beautifully—but it was long. And ended with a whimper.

The Wijeratne began with piano and strings, with an offstage clarinet. It seemed to be through composed, but wasn’t. That said, I couldn’t decipher the separate movements. And it sort of led me nowhere. But I did see fireflies again.

The Janacek was strings only. The first movement had a gentle opening, but with depth; a nice Neo-Romantic feel. The second was, indeed, dance-like without being excessive. The third was somber but not dismal, while the fourth was bold and almost lively. Strong and secure. The fifth was gentle and calm, but moving, then livelier without being overbearing. The sixth was bright, cheerful, and actually playful. The seventh was solid. Grounded. A lovely, full ending. This was the piece that I enjoyed the most, in an evening that also exposed me to three composers who were new to me.

I’m looking forward to the next three Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. Fingers crossed that the weather cooperates.

ConcertMeister

The Knights (6/25/24)

Eric Jacobsen, Conductor

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Le Nozze de Figaro, K.492 (1786)
Overture – in D major, (Presto)

Louise Farrenc* (1804-1875), Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36 (1847)
Adagio-Allegro, Adagio cantabile, Scherzo. Vivace, Finale. Allegro 

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), 'Pastoral' Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op.68 (1808)
Allegro ma non troppo, Andante molto mosso, Allegro, Allegro, Allegretto

Full disclosure. As some of you may know/remember, I am not a huge Mozart fan. That said, this well-known chestnut of an overture was just the right touch to begin an open-air concert on a summer evening in New York.

This was my first live exposure to hearing the music of Louise Farrenc. The first movement had solo woodwinds to open – adding strings – then tutti (all of the instruments together). It was fairly jaunty with a bit of drama, and a fiery ending. The second movement was calm and gentle, and indeed song-like, but with its own touches of drama, before leading to a calm and quiet ending. The third movement had intrigue from the get-go. Definitely a journey—but from where to where? Almost, but not quite, perpetual motion; always forward and never static. That sense of intrigue lasted all the way through the movement. The Finale was a little darker (hello, G minor) but still with some lightness and brightness added to the mix. It definitely ended strongly.

Oh my, Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony on a lovely summer evening in Central Park. The first  movement had a gentle opening, but with depth. Some forward movement followed, pleasant and easy to listen to. [Fireflies! firelies! Sorry, I got distracted a little.] The second movement was calm and charming, with a bit of grandeur. The third movement was bright, melodic, and a lot of fun, but then sort of blended in to the fourth and fifth movements, which was not really a bad thing at all. It was nice to just sit there and listen.

*Fun Farrenc facts (shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia). At the age of fifteen, she studied composition ... at the Conservatoire de Paris. However, she was taught through private lessons as women were forbidden to enroll in the traditional composition classes at that time. ... in 1842 she was appointed to the permanent position of Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatory ... In fact, Farrenc was the only woman to hold the esteemed position and rank at the Paris Conservatory throughout the 19th century. ... Farrenc was paid less than her male counterparts for nearly a decade. ... Only after the triumphant premiere of her nonet ... did she demand and receive equal pay. [CM: You go girl!]

ConcertMeister

 Make Music New York (6/21/24)

This event happens twice a year—summer solstice and winter solstice. Due to this year's excessive heat and the fact that I needed to conserve energy (the elevator in my building is not functioning, and I'm on the sixth floor), I set a modified schedule for myself. And I agreed with myself that I could bail at any time. Fortunately, bailing was not needed.

First stop was Tilted Axes: Strawberry Solstice. What the what? This was street music in Richard Tucker Park (a small triangle near Lincoln Center—who knew?). Eight electric guitars, one keytar (I'm not making this up, you know), three electric bass, and two percussionists. Not my normal fare, but it worked. They processed around the park, had some minimal choreography, similar to marching band stuff, but on the slow side, and performed for a relatively enthusiastic crowd. I was able to find shade and a chair, so I was a happy camper. At the end of their set pieces, they set off to Strawberry Fields in Central Park. I did not tag along.

I set off for my second of three planned stops, the ever-popular Sousapalooza. A spirited group of amateur musicians playing Sousa marches. Here's the back story. Players register for the event and are sent scores for the pieces on the program so that they can work on them at their own pace and at their own time. There are no Zoom rehearsals. There are no rehearsals. They just show up and play, though there is a conductor. I'd venture to say there were 50 musicians, though I'm notoriously bad at judging crowd counts. Here's what they played: El Capitan (which is from an operetta—news to me); The Fairest of the Fair (new to me); Hands Across the Sea; The High School Cadets (also new to me); In Memoriam (composed for John Garfield's funeral—I knew about this one and had heard it before); Liberty Bell; Manhattan Beach; Semper Fidelis; Sound Off; The Thunderer; Washington Post; and Stars and Stripes Forever. In a fun moment, between two of the marches, there was a fire engine blaring its horn for a minute or so. One of the musicians matched the pitch and then the entire ensemble retuned to the fire engine. A stroke of genius, encouraged by the conductor. Yeah, this was not a concert hall performance, but it was a real performance. Once again, I found a chair and was in the shade for ten of the twelve marches. This was at least my second Sousapalooza, and I'll be back for more.

I almost skipped the final stop, but I'm glad I didn't. This was Mass Cellos. Nine cellos. Again, amateurs signed up ahead of time, were sent the parts, chose what part they would study (all were four-part arrangements), and then assembled for the performance. Though it wasn't made perfectly clear, I think there might have been one rehearsal. But here's the thing—you never really know who's going to show up until they show up; in fact, one cellist showed up in the middle of the performance. As there was no printed program and no actual set list and no actual announcements, I had to glean as much info as I could as they discussed each selection. The first was something by Bach. The second was a Gavotte by Bach, appropriately dance-like with, appropriately, several themes. The third was an arrangement by one of the attending cellists. It was a little more lush than the Bach which preceded it. After the tenth cellist arrived, they played a pizzicato polka. Well, that was a crowd pleaser. They finished with a piece that was either a tango or a habanera. It will remain a mystery.

I'm already looking forward to December 21.

ConcertMeister

Alpha and Omega

6/11/24 and 6/13/24
Nosky's Baroque Band and The Academy Players – Running the Gamut

Alpha. Tuesday, June 11 was the first of this season's Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. Aislinn Nosky was the featured violin soloist. Here's the program:

Sinfonia in D Major, Op. 6, No. 12, (1735) – Evaristo Felice Dell'Abaco (1675–1742)
Concerto Grosso in A minor Op.6. No.4, HWV 322, (1732) – George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Concerto Grosso No.1 in G major, (1740) – Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer (1692–1766)
Concerto Grosso in E flat major, Op. 7 No. 6, "il Pianto d'Arianna" (1741) – Pietro Antonio Locatelli (1695–1764)
Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6 No. 3 (1712 or prior) – Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713)
Quintet (Sinfonia Spirituosa) in D Major, TWV 44:1 – Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)
Violin concerto in D major, RV 208 "il Grosso Mogul" (1720) – Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)

You may be asking why is the spacing of the works is all out of whack? I retyped them, as is, from the printed program. You may be asking what is a concerto grosso? It's a piece that pits a larger portion of the orchestra against a smaller portion, with the larger portion being grosso. Almost all of the concerti grosso had multiple movements, so I spared you (and me) from naming all of them.

The band had the usual four strings sections – violins, violas, cellos, and bass – but with added theorbo (does everyone remember what a theorbo is?) and harpsichord. A well-rounded ensemble. The concerti grosso were all played very nicely. The Vivaldi violin concerto was exceptional. Ms. Nosky was interrupted with applause at least three times, akin to what you would experience at a jazz performance. Yes, she was that good.

Omega. Midtown Concerts with Gotham Early Music Scene. Yes, Thursday, June 13 was their final concert until the series picks up again September 12, 2024. Here's the program:

La Gamme – En forme d'un petit Opéra (1723) – Marin Marais (1656–1728)

Marais is a composer whose name I know, but I can't recall ever hearing his music live before. The piece was essentially a through-composed work of many individual movements broken up into two parts. Confused yet? So was I.

Ut-Ré-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si-Ut-Si (Gravemont-Rondement)
Si (Un peu plus gay)-La-Sol-Fa-Mi-Ré-Ut

The trio was viola de gamba (pretty much a cello held above the gound by the player's legs), harpsichord, and violin. There were interesting sections where each individual instrument was highlighted, but they were few and far between. For the most part it was (for me, at least) what sounded a lot like what I had just heard for the last few minutes, without enough oomph to keep me overly interested. Am I glad I went? Definitely. Will I seek this work out again? Doubtful.

ConcertMeister

The Orchestra Now (5/19/24)

Chloé Van Soeterstède, conductor (début)

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun – Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Trombone Concerto – Realisation; Rumination; Illumination – Dani Howard (b. 1993); Peter Moore, trombone
Symphonic Dances – Non allegro; Andante con moto (Tempo di valse); Lento assai–Allegro vivace – Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)

Full disclosure—this was not a free concert. I spent a whopping $15 for a balcony seat (and the balcony was pretty much empty). I bought my ticket the day before the concert, since I'm having problems making commitments these days. That said, I'm really glad I went.

Here's the reason I went. I had never heard the Debussy live before. I danced to it in Virginia before moving to NYC. But the piece also means a lot to me for another reason. When Michael and I would go on vacation to one of our favorite Florida spots, we knew that the places we usually rented had a cassette player (remember them?). We always brought a cassette that had Faun on it. When we arrived, we'd put the cassette on, play Faun, and say, "Now we're really on vacation."

Well, The Orchestra Now did not disappoint. Their playing was ethereal, gossamer, and beautiful. I'm so glad I've now heard the composition live.

Now, on to another first. I had never heard a trombone concerto before. This was the U.S. premiere of the work, played by Peter Moore, for whom it was written, and who also had some input assisting the composer. Alas, I've misplaced my handwritten notes, but the three movements were interesting, and included some beautiful writing, some virtuoso writing, and some (for want of a better word) splazzando (pronounced splat-zon-doh) writing, for which lower brass instruments are well known. It was a tour de force played very well by both the soloist and the orchestra.

The Rachmaninoff, also in three movements, was quite an earful. Written late in his life (1940), it was much more modern than I associate with Rachmaninoff (late Romantic). The middle movement, Tempo di valse, was an almost intoxicating perpetual motion—the waltz was omnipresent, almost overpowering. The entire work was a joy to listen to, and I had a great time in the rafters of the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center. It was also my first time hearing anything at that venue.

A lot of firsts, hearing an ensemble that I know very well.

ConcertMeister