Okay, posting from the website (not my fave). Any bizarre things, I have very little control over.
Open House New York is, ostensibly, an architectural extravaganza. In reality, for me, it's a really cool way to see things I'd never otherwise get a chance to see in NYC.
As usual, I set an over-achievable agenda for myself. But here’s what I did accomplish.
Saturday, 10am – Brooklyn Academy of Music (1908 construction). A wonderful tour with a very knowledgeable guide. It was a little heavy on the ‘new music’ aspect of the resurgence of the hall, but it covered the basics as well as the more modern aspects. A+ in my book.
After a mad dash to the B38 bus (said dash shared with a couple from San Francisco who come back to NYC every year for OHNY!), we made our way to the Kings County Brewers Collective (381 Troutman Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn – highly recommended). The brewery is visible from the Tap Room. The Tap Room is visible from the street. They have $2.00, 5 oz. tasting glasses available. They have 12 brews available. Hello! They’ve only been in existence for three months. Go there, my NYC peeps.
But I digress. Also on Troutman Street (225) was a design firm which used its own building as an advertising work space. They converted a slim building into a showcase work space cum duplex living space cum apartment building cum green roof— quite a feat. The floors were generic poured concrete (not my favorite, though the designers said they really didn’t mind the cracks). The wood accents were really cool. They bought (cheaply) planks from the Coney Island boardwalk. They shaved off the wear and tear, then split the boards, and then oiled the Brazilian hardwood. Absolutely gorgeous. A little overdone but very effective.
Lift/Next Level was a bit of a bust—sensory deprivation pods making a comeback from the ’70s and ’80s. Not for me. I then went to the Black Lady Theater on Nostrand Avenue, which is being renovated and had some very interesting murals on display. Still, the very loud reggae music was so off-putting that I quickly left.
Sunday at noon found me in the Bronx, at CUNY Bronx Community College. Originally part of NYU, it transformed to BCC. However, one of the crown jewels of the campus—the Gould Library—dates from the early 1900s and is a stunning example of a Stanford White building. I believe that the campus was overwhelmed with the amount of visitors they received, and I’m certainly glad I got there early. The Gould Library tour was stunning. While I did not visit it this time around, I will go back to see the Hall of Fame of Great Americans (check times and availability, but it’s always free).
My next stop on the campus was a set of Marcel Breuer buildings, including (I kid you not!) Meister Hall, Begrisch Hall, and Polowyczk Hall. Very modern, very brash. The docent was extremely knowledgeable and extremely approachable. I followed this with a tour of the new library, built as part of a refurbishment of the quad on campus. It fits in perfectly.
I then went all the way back to Flatbush Avenue to see the newly renovated Kings Theatre—one of the huge movie palaces of the late 1920s. This $95 million restoration was phenomenal. In the lobby is the restored original theater organ console (alas, the pipework and organ itself are lost forever).
A year ago, I volunteered for OHNY, and it was a less-than-enjoyable experience. After seeing and chatting with this year’s volunteers, I may reconsider for October 2017.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Another Openin' (10/8/16)
My first concert of the season of the Carnegie Neighborhood Concerts (all five boroughs, some tailored to all age groups). Saturday found me at a vocal recital by Ryan Thorn, baritone, assisted by Andrew Sun, piano. I'll start out by saying that these two were collaborators, in the truest sense of the word, throughout the recital.
Selections from Gedichte von Eduard Mörike – Auf einer Wanderung, In der Frühe, Abschied – Hugo Wolf (1860–1903)
The Dream, Op. 8, No. 5; She is as lovely as midday, Op. 14, No. 9; I was with Her [their capitalization, not mine], Op. 14, No. 4 – Sergei Rachmaninoff
(1873–1943)
Lieder eines fahrended Gesellen [German's capitalization, not mine!] – Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht; Ging heut' morgens über Feld; Ich hab' ein glühend Messer; Die zwei blauen Augen [at last! one I can decipher] – Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)
Songs of Travel – Ralph Vaughan Williams – (1872–1958)
The first piece (Wolf) was an up tempo, bright song, with a contrasting second verse. The second was darker in tone. The third was pretty much a dramatic patter song that seemed to remind me of the darkness of Kurt Weill. Not a bad way to start a recital.
After a pause, the first Rachmaninoff song was very poignant. The second was calm, with a feeling of yearning, while the third, with a faster tempo, was a hymn to love. I'm not sure whether the four Mahler songs were were from the same work, performed in order, but thy certainly worked well together. The first projected a real feeling of loss. His love is lost – to another. The second was bright and patter-like, as in, all's right with the world. Until it's not. The third was dramatic and dark, even with the rushing tempo. The second verse was calmer, but just as dark; coming to terms with grief. The fourth projected, to me, that life is sometimes sad and unfair. It was straightforward though not maudlin. My take was that it was learning to come to terms with unhappiness.
These vocal recitals are a part of the Marilyn Horne legacy at Carnegie Hall, and in fact, Ms. Horne was there and briefly spoke after the intermission. It was sometimes hard to hear her, but you do not (as one woman behind me did), call out, "Louder!" to a well-established diva. Bad. Form. Anyhoo, the gist of
Ms. Horne's remarks were that recitals, as such, are falling out of favor. And that they should fall more in favor. I agree 100%.
The second half of the program was given over the Vaughan Williams' ten song cycle, and Mr. Thorn and Mr. Sun acquitted themselves quite well, as they had all afternoon/evening (5:00pm on a Saturday is an odd time for a concert/recital to my thinking).
I'm not sure I got a feel for the overarching tone of the song cycle (both performers are young, and will probably grow into various interpretations through the years), but the individual songs came off quite well. From the martial (but not quite military) opening to songs with harp-like accompaniment, from strophic with perpetual motion feelings to calmer, from splashy to then settling down, this was a nice rendition of a song cycle—and cycles aren't heard in their entirety very often (see Ms. Horne and recitals, above).
Both performers received very warm applause and some standing from the audience. In a first for me, the collaborators shook hands and then did a man-bro hug. Not a problem for me; I'd just never seen it before.
Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts. Check them out, my NYC peeps.
ConcertMeister
Selections from Gedichte von Eduard Mörike – Auf einer Wanderung, In der Frühe, Abschied – Hugo Wolf (1860–1903)
The Dream, Op. 8, No. 5; She is as lovely as midday, Op. 14, No. 9; I was with Her [their capitalization, not mine], Op. 14, No. 4 – Sergei Rachmaninoff
(1873–1943)
Lieder eines fahrended Gesellen [German's capitalization, not mine!] – Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht; Ging heut' morgens über Feld; Ich hab' ein glühend Messer; Die zwei blauen Augen [at last! one I can decipher] – Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)
Songs of Travel – Ralph Vaughan Williams – (1872–1958)
The first piece (Wolf) was an up tempo, bright song, with a contrasting second verse. The second was darker in tone. The third was pretty much a dramatic patter song that seemed to remind me of the darkness of Kurt Weill. Not a bad way to start a recital.
After a pause, the first Rachmaninoff song was very poignant. The second was calm, with a feeling of yearning, while the third, with a faster tempo, was a hymn to love. I'm not sure whether the four Mahler songs were were from the same work, performed in order, but thy certainly worked well together. The first projected a real feeling of loss. His love is lost – to another. The second was bright and patter-like, as in, all's right with the world. Until it's not. The third was dramatic and dark, even with the rushing tempo. The second verse was calmer, but just as dark; coming to terms with grief. The fourth projected, to me, that life is sometimes sad and unfair. It was straightforward though not maudlin. My take was that it was learning to come to terms with unhappiness.
These vocal recitals are a part of the Marilyn Horne legacy at Carnegie Hall, and in fact, Ms. Horne was there and briefly spoke after the intermission. It was sometimes hard to hear her, but you do not (as one woman behind me did), call out, "Louder!" to a well-established diva. Bad. Form. Anyhoo, the gist of
Ms. Horne's remarks were that recitals, as such, are falling out of favor. And that they should fall more in favor. I agree 100%.
The second half of the program was given over the Vaughan Williams' ten song cycle, and Mr. Thorn and Mr. Sun acquitted themselves quite well, as they had all afternoon/evening (5:00pm on a Saturday is an odd time for a concert/recital to my thinking).
I'm not sure I got a feel for the overarching tone of the song cycle (both performers are young, and will probably grow into various interpretations through the years), but the individual songs came off quite well. From the martial (but not quite military) opening to songs with harp-like accompaniment, from strophic with perpetual motion feelings to calmer, from splashy to then settling down, this was a nice rendition of a song cycle—and cycles aren't heard in their entirety very often (see Ms. Horne and recitals, above).
Both performers received very warm applause and some standing from the audience. In a first for me, the collaborators shook hands and then did a man-bro hug. Not a problem for me; I'd just never seen it before.
Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts. Check them out, my NYC peeps.
ConcertMeister
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Fall for Dance (9/29/16 & 10/6/16)
First off, not a freebie, but quite the bargain. Fall for Dance presents mixed bill performances at City Center (gorgeous theater with nice leg room in the mezzanine and balcony) with all seats priced at $15.00. You can buy tix in person at the box office or on line. As it turns out, tix went on sale at 11:00am on Sat., 9/10, and I was volunteering in Central Park on Sat., 9/10 from 6:00am(!) to 9:00am, so I decided to take a bus down Fifth Avenue and scope out the in-person situation. Well! When I got there at approximately 9:30am there was already a line. I figured that I was already there, so what they hey!
Unfortunately, it was a very hot morning. Fortunately, I had nice line mates who let me leave the line periodically to go across 55th Street to get out of the sun. One gal was there with her hubby (from South Africa) and one gal was a former dancer who lives in Manhattan with her Chinese husband. We talked food; we talked tourism; we talked (hello! we were there for more than two hours).
Anyhoo, I saw four dance troupes on the Sept. 29 bill (Richard Alston Dance Company, Aszure Barton & Artists, Wendy Whelan and Edward Watson, and Grupo Corpo). I enjoyed them all, but especially the Alston Company, as they danced Rejoice in the Lamb, performed to live accompaniment by Montclair State Vocal Accord, with Vincent Carr, organist. Rejoice in the Lamb, a setting of poetry by Christopher Smart, a mystical and most likely slightly crazy poet, was set to music by Benjamin Britten. But I really liked all four groups, and seeing powerhouses Wendy Whelan and Edward Watson was also pretty cool.
On Oct. 6, I saw four different troupes (Jessica Lang Dance, Royal Ballet Flanders, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and The Sarasota Ballet). It's hard to pick a favorite, but I think the nod goes to Royal Ballet, whose settings and scenery were the most interesting of the evening. The Ailey, Cry, a re-creation of a ballet from 1971, was certainly interesting, but to me more as a historic rendition. And the Sarasota's Marguerite and Armand was yet another retelling of Dumas' La Dame aux camélias, with the grand ballet tradition of having to suspend disbelief just a bit too much. The score, however, Franz Lizst's Piano Sonata in B Minor, played here by Matei Varga, was a big plus.
OK, I probably saved a few bucks by buying in person, and I was already out and about early that Saturday morning of Sept. 10. That said, if I go for Fall for Dance in the future, I just might bite the bullet and fight with online ordering. And pay more for the same cheap seats.
ConcertMeister
Unfortunately, it was a very hot morning. Fortunately, I had nice line mates who let me leave the line periodically to go across 55th Street to get out of the sun. One gal was there with her hubby (from South Africa) and one gal was a former dancer who lives in Manhattan with her Chinese husband. We talked food; we talked tourism; we talked (hello! we were there for more than two hours).
Anyhoo, I saw four dance troupes on the Sept. 29 bill (Richard Alston Dance Company, Aszure Barton & Artists, Wendy Whelan and Edward Watson, and Grupo Corpo). I enjoyed them all, but especially the Alston Company, as they danced Rejoice in the Lamb, performed to live accompaniment by Montclair State Vocal Accord, with Vincent Carr, organist. Rejoice in the Lamb, a setting of poetry by Christopher Smart, a mystical and most likely slightly crazy poet, was set to music by Benjamin Britten. But I really liked all four groups, and seeing powerhouses Wendy Whelan and Edward Watson was also pretty cool.
On Oct. 6, I saw four different troupes (Jessica Lang Dance, Royal Ballet Flanders, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and The Sarasota Ballet). It's hard to pick a favorite, but I think the nod goes to Royal Ballet, whose settings and scenery were the most interesting of the evening. The Ailey, Cry, a re-creation of a ballet from 1971, was certainly interesting, but to me more as a historic rendition. And the Sarasota's Marguerite and Armand was yet another retelling of Dumas' La Dame aux camélias, with the grand ballet tradition of having to suspend disbelief just a bit too much. The score, however, Franz Lizst's Piano Sonata in B Minor, played here by Matei Varga, was a big plus.
OK, I probably saved a few bucks by buying in person, and I was already out and about early that Saturday morning of Sept. 10. That said, if I go for Fall for Dance in the future, I just might bite the bullet and fight with online ordering. And pay more for the same cheap seats.
ConcertMeister
Friday, October 7, 2016
Frank Morelli and His All-Star Bassoon Quartet (10/2/16)
This one came about in a strange fashion. When I was at Songbook recently, one of the pieces incorporated a string quartet. When the string players were asked (the host always asks the performers) what they were up to, the cellist, Ben Larsen, said that he was busy with the running of Concerts on the Slope. That sounded familiar to me, so I checked out their website and, lo and behold, this concert popped up, so I decided to check it out. The Slope involved is Park Slope in Brooklyn, and the concerts take place (for the most part) in St. John’s Episcopal Church, one more new venue for me. The bassoonists were Joey Lavarias, Frank Morelli, Jorge Pacheco, Blair Shepperd, and Jacob Wellman.
Mr. Morelli teaches at the Juilliard School, and the other four are his students.
Highlights of the concert included a clever entrance—all five marching in to Marche funèbre d’une marionette, by Charles Gounod (1818–1893). For those of us of an age, it was instantly recognizable as the opening theme to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, from the 1950s and ’60s. Almost all of the music was presented in arrangements, but I’m not going to bother with naming names (or commenting on each work, for that matter). Two J.S. Bach (1685–1750) pieces followed—Fugue in c, BWV 537 and Air from 3rd Orchestral Suite in D, BWV 1068. The first, for the quintet, was nice, if a little bit muddy. I got most of the fugal entries but the internal themes sort of got lost. The second, for the student quartet, had a prominent theme accompanied by nicely done harmonies, including a bit of a jazz riff in one of the repeats.
The next piece, Thunder and Blazes, by Julius Fučik (1872–1916), would be recognized by all of you. Think of going to a circus and hearing the band play the always popular circus march—YA-da-dadada-YA-da-da-da—got it? This was for the quintet again, with each player at the forefront with different themes, from time to time. A Cantilena by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) didn’t quite cut it for me, though it obviously hits the spot for Mr. Morelli, in that he did the arrangement himself for solo bassoon and bassoon quartet and has recorded it at least once.
“Le Phénix,” by Michele Corrette (1707–1795), was the only piece that was not an arrangement, essentially a concerto for bassoon and continuo. Mr. Morelli played the continuo part for all three of the movements, with the solo part taken by three different students, while the other students acted as a small bassoon orchestra. My brief notes included (i) bright and energetic, (ii) chorale-style feeling to the opening, and (iii) more jaunty than the first movement, if a little long-winded (no pun intended).
After intermission, three arias from The Barber of Seville, Giacchino Rossini (1792–1868) followed. They also didn’t quite cut it for me. Lascia ch’io pianga, from Rinaldo, George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), fared a little better, with a good choral/organ sound that was simple yet effective in what was really a wonderful arrangement. A pseudo-medley from West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), consisting of Tonight, Maria, America, and Somewhere, was really quite pleasant. Alas, the same could not be said for
Mr. Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, where I found the scoring to be a little too muddy, again, for my taste. Having many of the individual tunes/phrases in the lower range of the bassoons made them difficult to distinguish.
That said, I liked bassoon quartets and quintets far better than the concert looked on paper. And I’ll probably go back to the Slope again. If you go, while it’s listed as a free concert, they also have a basket for a free-will offering and, as mentioned from the front of the church during intermission, all of the collected funds go directly to the performers. It seems like a bit of a guilt trip to me, and while I didn’t contribute on Sunday, I probably will in the future.
ConcertMeister
Mr. Morelli teaches at the Juilliard School, and the other four are his students.
Highlights of the concert included a clever entrance—all five marching in to Marche funèbre d’une marionette, by Charles Gounod (1818–1893). For those of us of an age, it was instantly recognizable as the opening theme to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, from the 1950s and ’60s. Almost all of the music was presented in arrangements, but I’m not going to bother with naming names (or commenting on each work, for that matter). Two J.S. Bach (1685–1750) pieces followed—Fugue in c, BWV 537 and Air from 3rd Orchestral Suite in D, BWV 1068. The first, for the quintet, was nice, if a little bit muddy. I got most of the fugal entries but the internal themes sort of got lost. The second, for the student quartet, had a prominent theme accompanied by nicely done harmonies, including a bit of a jazz riff in one of the repeats.
The next piece, Thunder and Blazes, by Julius Fučik (1872–1916), would be recognized by all of you. Think of going to a circus and hearing the band play the always popular circus march—YA-da-dadada-YA-da-da-da—got it? This was for the quintet again, with each player at the forefront with different themes, from time to time. A Cantilena by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) didn’t quite cut it for me, though it obviously hits the spot for Mr. Morelli, in that he did the arrangement himself for solo bassoon and bassoon quartet and has recorded it at least once.
“Le Phénix,” by Michele Corrette (1707–1795), was the only piece that was not an arrangement, essentially a concerto for bassoon and continuo. Mr. Morelli played the continuo part for all three of the movements, with the solo part taken by three different students, while the other students acted as a small bassoon orchestra. My brief notes included (i) bright and energetic, (ii) chorale-style feeling to the opening, and (iii) more jaunty than the first movement, if a little long-winded (no pun intended).
After intermission, three arias from The Barber of Seville, Giacchino Rossini (1792–1868) followed. They also didn’t quite cut it for me. Lascia ch’io pianga, from Rinaldo, George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), fared a little better, with a good choral/organ sound that was simple yet effective in what was really a wonderful arrangement. A pseudo-medley from West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), consisting of Tonight, Maria, America, and Somewhere, was really quite pleasant. Alas, the same could not be said for
Mr. Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, where I found the scoring to be a little too muddy, again, for my taste. Having many of the individual tunes/phrases in the lower range of the bassoons made them difficult to distinguish.
That said, I liked bassoon quartets and quintets far better than the concert looked on paper. And I’ll probably go back to the Slope again. If you go, while it’s listed as a free concert, they also have a basket for a free-will offering and, as mentioned from the front of the church during intermission, all of the collected funds go directly to the performers. It seems like a bit of a guilt trip to me, and while I didn’t contribute on Sunday, I probably will in the future.
ConcertMeister
Monday, October 3, 2016
New Season – Songbook (9/26/16)
I'm posting this directly online, which is not my favorite way to go. But ...
Will Aronson, composer and lyricist, was celebrated on Monday, Sept. 26 (appropriately the beginning of Songbook's 26th season).
I really liked his stuff, though I'm not sure I heard his lyrics (unless he collaborates with book writers and lyricists on his shows). And yes, I say shows. Several have been produced, though still works in process, and several have upcoming productions (most notably, in Korea!).
The format was great—we got songs from already written shows grouped together (with a few exceptions).
Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Günter
Mother, Me & the Monsters
Pete the Cat (split)
Wind-Up Girl
What I Learned from People
My first notes from hearing Come Home Safe (H & G & H & G) were, "Nicely complex composition that is totally believable and understandable." While this didn't hold true for the entire evening, it set a great tone. Dear Random Stranger was an effective story/patter song duet for Hansel & Gretl. The third piece from this segment also highlighted great harmony, both in the composition and singing.
Mother, Me & the Monsters, the opening number from its show, had shifting, overlapping rhythms and text that was a little cluttered, but it grew on me. Poem on My Pants had a rock flair with a touch of hip-hop. Sometimes Someone You Love was styled very successfully, with a light pop/rock feel.
The Sneezing Song, from Pete the Cat (currently on tour) was a cute novelty (ah-choo!) song.
The songs from Wind-Up Girl (Work in Progress, Clockwork World) were a little obvious—lots of clicking and clacking but pleasant.
We then revisited a song from H & G & H & G, Best. Meal. Ever. (sung by the witch) which was a bit over the top for me, but it may work in the context of the show.
The four songs from What I Learned from People seemed the weakest to me. It's going into production in Korea soon, and my guess is that there will be some fine tuning going on. Interestingly, a string quartet was involved in a 'mood piece' here, and the cellist (when asked what he was up to—John Znidarsic does this with everyone) commented that he was involved with a new concert series, Concerts on the Slope. I scoped them out and went to one of their concerts on October 2. How cool is that? But I digress.
The finale was VW Bus from Pete the Cat, which was an old-school rock 'n' roll number sung by three great performers, singing with a great vibe.
In fact, that was the tone of the entire evening—truly polished compositions from a composer/lyricist who really teamed well with other lyricists and book writers.
ConcertMeister
This was definitely one of the better Songbooks I've seen in a while.
Will Aronson, composer and lyricist, was celebrated on Monday, Sept. 26 (appropriately the beginning of Songbook's 26th season).
I really liked his stuff, though I'm not sure I heard his lyrics (unless he collaborates with book writers and lyricists on his shows). And yes, I say shows. Several have been produced, though still works in process, and several have upcoming productions (most notably, in Korea!).
The format was great—we got songs from already written shows grouped together (with a few exceptions).
Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Günter
Mother, Me & the Monsters
Pete the Cat (split)
Wind-Up Girl
What I Learned from People
My first notes from hearing Come Home Safe (H & G & H & G) were, "Nicely complex composition that is totally believable and understandable." While this didn't hold true for the entire evening, it set a great tone. Dear Random Stranger was an effective story/patter song duet for Hansel & Gretl. The third piece from this segment also highlighted great harmony, both in the composition and singing.
Mother, Me & the Monsters, the opening number from its show, had shifting, overlapping rhythms and text that was a little cluttered, but it grew on me. Poem on My Pants had a rock flair with a touch of hip-hop. Sometimes Someone You Love was styled very successfully, with a light pop/rock feel.
The Sneezing Song, from Pete the Cat (currently on tour) was a cute novelty (ah-choo!) song.
The songs from Wind-Up Girl (Work in Progress, Clockwork World) were a little obvious—lots of clicking and clacking but pleasant.
We then revisited a song from H & G & H & G, Best. Meal. Ever. (sung by the witch) which was a bit over the top for me, but it may work in the context of the show.
The four songs from What I Learned from People seemed the weakest to me. It's going into production in Korea soon, and my guess is that there will be some fine tuning going on. Interestingly, a string quartet was involved in a 'mood piece' here, and the cellist (when asked what he was up to—John Znidarsic does this with everyone) commented that he was involved with a new concert series, Concerts on the Slope. I scoped them out and went to one of their concerts on October 2. How cool is that? But I digress.
The finale was VW Bus from Pete the Cat, which was an old-school rock 'n' roll number sung by three great performers, singing with a great vibe.
In fact, that was the tone of the entire evening—truly polished compositions from a composer/lyricist who really teamed well with other lyricists and book writers.
ConcertMeister
This was definitely one of the better Songbooks I've seen in a while.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Late-Summer Update
9/15/16 – ICE at the Library – Collecting Anna Thorvaldsdottir
9/17/16 – Norman Dee, flute, Josephine Chan Yung, piano
9/19/16 – repco360 – Works in Progress
ICE (the International Contemporary Ensemble), at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, presented two works by Anna Thorvaldsdottir:
Transitions (2015), for solo cello, and Sequences (2016) world premiere, for bass flute, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, and contrabassoon (subtitled, by me, “How Low Can You Go?”).
Often, when I hear a contemporary piece, I’ll post, “But I wouldn’t seek it out again.” Well, ICE took that option off the table. After Transitions, which I rather enjoyed, the host had a brief conversation/Q&A with the cellist, who commented on the composer’s use of broad, sustained lines, with little secondary inputs within the overall framework. Then the cellist played it again!
A herky-jerky, recorded (via Sk- y -pe) interview with the com- po -ser, stated that her music had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework (hmm, sounds familiar). We then heard Sequences. It had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework. After the Q&A with the quartet, I left. I did not need a second hearing; I did not need a second hearing of the first piece, for that matter.
The Flute & Piano concert held a little bit more interest for me:
Sonata in E minor, for Flute and Continuo, BWV 1034 – Adagio ma non tanto, Allegro, Andante, Allegro – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Introduction and Rondo – Friedrich D. R. Kuhlau (1786–1832)
Kleine Suite für Flöte Allein – Improvisation (Ruhig), Tanz (Schnell), Theme mit Variationen (Mässig Langsam) – Hugo Kauder (1888–1972)
Sonate, Opus 36 pour Violon & Piano (Transcription pour Flute & Piano par l’auteur) – Allegretto, Allegretto tranquillo, Andante non troppo/Allegro un poco agitato – Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937)
Kuhlau and Kauder were new to me, while Pierné was vaguely familiar. The Bach opened quite gently, almost plaintive yet very pretty, with varied rhythms and ranges, especially for the flute. The second movement was jaunty and bright, with a hint of perpetual motion. The third was gentle again, with less of that plaintive quality. The final movement was brisk, to the point of almost frantic (as in I wasn’t quite sure they would make it to the end, but they did).
The Kuhlau had fuller writing for the piano (indeed it was used as continuo in the Bach—a drier, lighter sound and compositional style), with a nice back and forth between flute and piano. In the Rondo proper, there were many ripples in both the flute and the piano. Alas, there was a mini-train wreck, and after stopping, the players resumed without any further problems. It finished with lots of pyrotechnics.
The Kauder showed the solo flute to good advantage, with a combination of flowing phrases, repeated sections, lively in a folk tune way in the first two movements. My notes said that it was like a showpiece that’s not too showy. The last movement had a somber theme, and variations that were subtle and interesting.
The Pierné was reminiscent of Debussy to me, though the program notes cited Fauré. It opened with rippling accompaniment to a rather jaunty flute tune, with some added touches of dramatic writing, in style as well as rhythmically and with volume shifts, though the first movement was a bit on the lengthy side. The second movement had interesting dance-like figures in both piano and flute, like a modern-ish waltz. The final movement included an introductory phrase with a few mildly dissonant harmonies, followed by a quick-tempo section with driving rhythms—virtuosic for both flute and piano. After a slower section, it went back to brisk, and then headlong into a rush to the end.
The folks at 360repco offered up two readings of plays that were works in progress. In fact, both were not completely written, so we were the equivalent of human guinea pigs. Sherry Bokser's With the Best of Intentions, presents a fairly dysfunctional family dealing with family drama, obsessions and possible sexual abuse. I say possible, because the play has not yet been completed.
Thom Fogarty's patient lover friend is a new take on the response to the ever-present AIDS crisis—from various viewpoints. Both works had very strong writing, and the cast that doubled in both plays (after having only one table reading before Monday's public reading) performed quite well. There was a brief Q&A session after each reading that took a bit of time to get off the ground, but I get the feeling that both authors got some interesting feedback.
Well that's the summer roundup—let the fall season begin!
ConcertMeister
9/17/16 – Norman Dee, flute, Josephine Chan Yung, piano
9/19/16 – repco360 – Works in Progress
ICE (the International Contemporary Ensemble), at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, presented two works by Anna Thorvaldsdottir:
Transitions (2015), for solo cello, and Sequences (2016) world premiere, for bass flute, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, and contrabassoon (subtitled, by me, “How Low Can You Go?”).
Often, when I hear a contemporary piece, I’ll post, “But I wouldn’t seek it out again.” Well, ICE took that option off the table. After Transitions, which I rather enjoyed, the host had a brief conversation/Q&A with the cellist, who commented on the composer’s use of broad, sustained lines, with little secondary inputs within the overall framework. Then the cellist played it again!
A herky-jerky, recorded (via Sk- y -pe) interview with the com- po -ser, stated that her music had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework (hmm, sounds familiar). We then heard Sequences. It had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework. After the Q&A with the quartet, I left. I did not need a second hearing; I did not need a second hearing of the first piece, for that matter.
The Flute & Piano concert held a little bit more interest for me:
Sonata in E minor, for Flute and Continuo, BWV 1034 – Adagio ma non tanto, Allegro, Andante, Allegro – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Introduction and Rondo – Friedrich D. R. Kuhlau (1786–1832)
Kleine Suite für Flöte Allein – Improvisation (Ruhig), Tanz (Schnell), Theme mit Variationen (Mässig Langsam) – Hugo Kauder (1888–1972)
Sonate, Opus 36 pour Violon & Piano (Transcription pour Flute & Piano par l’auteur) – Allegretto, Allegretto tranquillo, Andante non troppo/Allegro un poco agitato – Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937)
Kuhlau and Kauder were new to me, while Pierné was vaguely familiar. The Bach opened quite gently, almost plaintive yet very pretty, with varied rhythms and ranges, especially for the flute. The second movement was jaunty and bright, with a hint of perpetual motion. The third was gentle again, with less of that plaintive quality. The final movement was brisk, to the point of almost frantic (as in I wasn’t quite sure they would make it to the end, but they did).
The Kuhlau had fuller writing for the piano (indeed it was used as continuo in the Bach—a drier, lighter sound and compositional style), with a nice back and forth between flute and piano. In the Rondo proper, there were many ripples in both the flute and the piano. Alas, there was a mini-train wreck, and after stopping, the players resumed without any further problems. It finished with lots of pyrotechnics.
The Kauder showed the solo flute to good advantage, with a combination of flowing phrases, repeated sections, lively in a folk tune way in the first two movements. My notes said that it was like a showpiece that’s not too showy. The last movement had a somber theme, and variations that were subtle and interesting.
The Pierné was reminiscent of Debussy to me, though the program notes cited Fauré. It opened with rippling accompaniment to a rather jaunty flute tune, with some added touches of dramatic writing, in style as well as rhythmically and with volume shifts, though the first movement was a bit on the lengthy side. The second movement had interesting dance-like figures in both piano and flute, like a modern-ish waltz. The final movement included an introductory phrase with a few mildly dissonant harmonies, followed by a quick-tempo section with driving rhythms—virtuosic for both flute and piano. After a slower section, it went back to brisk, and then headlong into a rush to the end.
The folks at 360repco offered up two readings of plays that were works in progress. In fact, both were not completely written, so we were the equivalent of human guinea pigs. Sherry Bokser's With the Best of Intentions, presents a fairly dysfunctional family dealing with family drama, obsessions and possible sexual abuse. I say possible, because the play has not yet been completed.
Thom Fogarty's patient lover friend is a new take on the response to the ever-present AIDS crisis—from various viewpoints. Both works had very strong writing, and the cast that doubled in both plays (after having only one table reading before Monday's public reading) performed quite well. There was a brief Q&A session after each reading that took a bit of time to get off the ground, but I get the feeling that both authors got some interesting feedback.
Well that's the summer roundup—let the fall season begin!
ConcertMeister
Thursday, September 8, 2016
When Sugar Hill Was Sweet (9/3/16)
This was an event that I heard about on WQXR—but only briefly. I eventually jotted down the web address they gave, and searched for it, unfortunately getting very little concrete information. Finally I learned that there was going to be an afternoon of panels, talks and a concert. The time was listed as 12:00pm–6:00pm. Not knowing what to expect, I managed to find Sugar Hill Park (it’s in Harlem), arriving a little before noon (I’m an early person). They were still in the middle of setting up and doing sound checks, so I spread out my towel on the (rather uneven) lawn to settle in and wait. I saw one gal who looked like she was probably in charge, and asked whether there was a printed program or a schedule of events. After receiving a program booklet, I learned that the event was properly titled Echoes of the Era: Music from 409 and 555 Edgecombe–Concert and Panel Discussion. So far, so good, but I still didn’t know when anything would be happening. So I just decided to wing it.
It turns out that 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue are large, somewhat ornate apartment buildings (both still there and still apartment buildings) that featured in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and ’30s. From my notes and memory, the names W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Billy Strayhorn, and Count Basie, among others, all featured in the music from 409 and 555. Alas, there was never a schedule presented of which events would be held when.
It turns out that the panel discussion was first, and that kicked into gear around 1:30pm. The moderator was Felipe Luciano, who hosted Herb Boyd and Terrance McKnight as panelists. It was interesting, and tied into the idea of “where are you from?” and how it related to those musical members of 409 and 555, and how it’s really the question for all of us. As the table for the discussion was cleared away, we moved into the concert portion.
Because of the lack of printed material, names of pieces and composers will be a little haphazard. The concert began with a couple of pieces played by the West Village Quartet, a string quartet. Both pieces were fairly modern but with pleasing melodies and harmonies. The quartet was then joined by Angela L. Owens (soprano) and Charles David Carter (bass-baritone) for a performance of the Gershwins’ Bess, You Is My Woman Now. They sang well, though the blend and balance with the string quartet was a little bit difficult, due to the outdoor setting, the microphones, and the somewhat windy day. Next, Ms. Owens, with
Roy Jennings (piano) and Wayne Smith (cello), sang a pair of songs by
André Previn with texts by Toni Morrison—from the lyrics, my best guess at titles is Stones in My Bed and In This Soft Place. They were also fairly modern settings and were pretty. Ms. Owens’ diction was quite good throughout the afternoon.
Mr. Carter and Mr. Jennings then presented We Shall Walk through the Valley in Peace, in Mr. Jennings’ (if I’m remembering correctly) arrangement, in modern-gospel style. It was very effective. Ms. Owens followed with The Paradox and Dawn, settings by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, also composed by
Mr. Jennings. Mr. Carter performed a Duke Ellington piece, In the Beginning, God, which has a choral arrangement as well as this solo version (information I gleaned from listening to snippets of a conversation in front of me on the lawn).
Ms. Owens then sang a Henry T. (“Harry”) Burleigh setting of Langston Hughes’ Lovely Dark and Lonely One and a setting of Hughes’ I Too Sing America.
Mr. Jennings then went to town on a rendition of (I think) Troubled Waters, to round out the section.
Next on the agenda was a set of jazz tunes played by Geri Allen, whose style reminded me of Mary Lou Williams. Indeed, via Wikipedia, Ms. Williams is one of Ms. Allen’s primary musical influences. I liked her compact style and technique. Though I can’t find a source (and I may be misremembering the title, or it might be a recent composition), Openhandedly was my favorite of her set, as it was a little less frantic and fractured than some of the other pieces she played. Her set finished with a rendition of an Erroll Garner piece (Moonlight? Moonglow?).
Melba Joyce was announced next (but then they said they were waiting for her to arrive), so they started setup for the Sugar Hill Quartet. That looked as though it would take a bit of time, and that’s when I went exploring Edgecombe Avenue and found 409 and 555. Once the quartet was set up (with a fifth player added, on trombone), Ms. Joyce kicked the set off with the unofficial Black American National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, in a nice arrangement, backed by the quar/quintet. I listened to the band play a couple of jazz tunes, and heard Ms. Joyce join them for a couple more, including Lover Come Back to Me. As it was approaching 4:30pm, and I had a bit of a trip back home, I didn’t see the need to stay till the very end.
So I learned a little bit more about Harlem and heard some varied music. Not a bad Saturday afternoon at all.
ConcertMeister
It turns out that 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue are large, somewhat ornate apartment buildings (both still there and still apartment buildings) that featured in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and ’30s. From my notes and memory, the names W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Billy Strayhorn, and Count Basie, among others, all featured in the music from 409 and 555. Alas, there was never a schedule presented of which events would be held when.
It turns out that the panel discussion was first, and that kicked into gear around 1:30pm. The moderator was Felipe Luciano, who hosted Herb Boyd and Terrance McKnight as panelists. It was interesting, and tied into the idea of “where are you from?” and how it related to those musical members of 409 and 555, and how it’s really the question for all of us. As the table for the discussion was cleared away, we moved into the concert portion.
Because of the lack of printed material, names of pieces and composers will be a little haphazard. The concert began with a couple of pieces played by the West Village Quartet, a string quartet. Both pieces were fairly modern but with pleasing melodies and harmonies. The quartet was then joined by Angela L. Owens (soprano) and Charles David Carter (bass-baritone) for a performance of the Gershwins’ Bess, You Is My Woman Now. They sang well, though the blend and balance with the string quartet was a little bit difficult, due to the outdoor setting, the microphones, and the somewhat windy day. Next, Ms. Owens, with
Roy Jennings (piano) and Wayne Smith (cello), sang a pair of songs by
André Previn with texts by Toni Morrison—from the lyrics, my best guess at titles is Stones in My Bed and In This Soft Place. They were also fairly modern settings and were pretty. Ms. Owens’ diction was quite good throughout the afternoon.
Mr. Carter and Mr. Jennings then presented We Shall Walk through the Valley in Peace, in Mr. Jennings’ (if I’m remembering correctly) arrangement, in modern-gospel style. It was very effective. Ms. Owens followed with The Paradox and Dawn, settings by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, also composed by
Mr. Jennings. Mr. Carter performed a Duke Ellington piece, In the Beginning, God, which has a choral arrangement as well as this solo version (information I gleaned from listening to snippets of a conversation in front of me on the lawn).
Ms. Owens then sang a Henry T. (“Harry”) Burleigh setting of Langston Hughes’ Lovely Dark and Lonely One and a setting of Hughes’ I Too Sing America.
Mr. Jennings then went to town on a rendition of (I think) Troubled Waters, to round out the section.
Next on the agenda was a set of jazz tunes played by Geri Allen, whose style reminded me of Mary Lou Williams. Indeed, via Wikipedia, Ms. Williams is one of Ms. Allen’s primary musical influences. I liked her compact style and technique. Though I can’t find a source (and I may be misremembering the title, or it might be a recent composition), Openhandedly was my favorite of her set, as it was a little less frantic and fractured than some of the other pieces she played. Her set finished with a rendition of an Erroll Garner piece (Moonlight? Moonglow?).
Melba Joyce was announced next (but then they said they were waiting for her to arrive), so they started setup for the Sugar Hill Quartet. That looked as though it would take a bit of time, and that’s when I went exploring Edgecombe Avenue and found 409 and 555. Once the quartet was set up (with a fifth player added, on trombone), Ms. Joyce kicked the set off with the unofficial Black American National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, in a nice arrangement, backed by the quar/quintet. I listened to the band play a couple of jazz tunes, and heard Ms. Joyce join them for a couple more, including Lover Come Back to Me. As it was approaching 4:30pm, and I had a bit of a trip back home, I didn’t see the need to stay till the very end.
So I learned a little bit more about Harlem and heard some varied music. Not a bad Saturday afternoon at all.
ConcertMeister
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