Wreath Interpretations (through Jan. 2, 2026)

The Arsenal Gallery, Central Park 
Fifth Avenue at 64th Street, Third Floor
Monday–Friday, 9a–5p 

These are literally wreaths but not necessarily your run-of-the mill holiday wreaths. This year’s show (I’ve been to several in the past) had a whopping 30 wreaths on display. Some are for sale, ranging from $75 to $1,500. Two were priced Upon Request and one was priced Negotiable. Most, though, were $500 or lower. My photo skills are getting a little better, so I’ll try to post some on Facebook. My handle there is Uncke David (don’t ask). 

I think my favorite was Appaloosa, a horsy-Western-style wreath that included natural grasses and rope. Another interesting one was I’m at a Loss for Words, whose description materials include paper, acrylic, metal, banned books and elbow grease. Most of the wreaths were circular, a couple were ovals, and one was shaped like Staten Island, The Forgotten Borough’s Unforgettable Wreath. (I’m not making this up, you know.) 

Another whimsical one was A Wee Bit of Joy, made from cardboard and plastic inserts from animal waste pick up bags (collected over a year’s time), cardboard toilet paper roll. Clever, indeed. Others that caught my eye and I deemed worthy of photographing were Baroque for the Holidays, Triskelion Star, “Sliding” Through Time (made of a recycled Kodak slide carousel, and images of OMNY and MetroCards), Shellter (Shell-ter) (razor clam shells, acrylic paint, glue and wire), and Gingerbread Baking Co. 

It sounds like a lot, but it only took about forty-five minutes (partially because I had to reshoot a couple of photos). In a way, it’s unfortunate that there are no weekend hours, but if you have time on a weekday, it’s time well spent. And it’s a nice way to do the holidays in a slightly offbeat way. 

ConcertMeister

A Tale of Two Choral Ensembles (11/10/25) and (11/16/25)

Oratorio Society of New York – 11/10/25
Saint Andrew Music Society – Chorale and Orchestra – 11/16/25

A friend of mine is a member of the Theater Development Fund and had two $5 TDF vouchers for the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall. Of course I wanted to join her. We heard Fern Hill (1961, arr. 1999), written by John Corigliano and Mass in C Minor, K. 427 (1782–1783) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. One of the composers was in the house. Do you want to hazard a guess? 

The Corigliano was fairly modern in terms of harmonies. It is a setting of Dylan Thomas’ poem of the same name. As always, understanding the text of choral settings is a little difficult, especially if you’re hearing them for the first time, which I was. Fortunately, the text was included in the Carnegie Hall Playbill, as was the text of the Mass, with which I was much more familiar. I’m not great with estimating numbers, but the Oratorio Society chorus was about 200 strong. An octet of soloists from within the group acquitted themselves quite well, as did the entire group. I glanced through the names, but none caught my eye. Not so when I glanced through the orchestra names. Lo and behold, I knew the organist, Andrew Henderson. 

There was also a quartet of soloists for the Mass who also acquitted themselves quite well. The Bass-Baritone had precious little to do, but he did it with aplomb. A day or so after the concert, I emailed Mr. Henderson, who answered with a note about his upcoming concert, and asked if I would be interested in a comp ticket. Yes, indeedy. 

The Saint Andrew concert consisted of Vesperae Solenelles de Confessore, K. 339 (1780) by the aforementioned W.A. Mozart and Saint Nicolas Op. 42 (1948) by Benjamin Britten – Introduction; The Birth of Nicolas; Nicolas Devotes Himself to God; He Journeys to Palestine; Nicolas Comes to Myra and Is Chosen Bishop; Nicolas from Prison; Nicolas and the Pickled Boys; His Piety and Marvellous Works; The Death of Nicolas. I enjoyed the Mozart, but I was taken aback by the Britten. First off, there was a third vocal ensemble—the New York City Children’s Chorus – Mary Huff, Artistic Director. Soloists in the work included Saint Nicolas (tenor), The Boy Nicolas (treble), and Three Pickled Boys (trebles). Logistically, the performance was a tour-de-force. Soloists entered from stage right and sang in front of the conductor, who was in front of the orchestra, which was in front of the Chorale vocalists. Confused yet? The Boy Nicolas was the first soloist followed by Saint Nicolas and then the Three Pickled Boys who made their way down from the gallery, where the youthful choristers were seated, and then entered down the center aisle of the sanctuary for their brief shining moments, before exiting to the stage right area and somehow making their way back to the gallery. In a somewhat more modern take, the New York City Children’s Chorus treats trebles equally*—in fact, two of The Pickled Boys were female. The work is essentially a cantata in two parts with a hymn for the choirs and the congregation at the end of the first half and a concluding hymn for the choirs and the congregation to end the work. This was my first time hearing the work and I was mightily impressed. I would love to hear it again sometime. The tenor solo part was written for Peter Pears, which makes perfect sense; Mr. Molomot was well up to the task.

All in all, a great week of listening for me.

ConcertMeister

*My first paid choir gig was as an alto in a choir of Men and Boys. Many choirs maintain that distinction, but female trebles are making inroads.

Y415 – Gotham Early Music Scene (11/13/25)

Au pied du Parnasse

Maya Ito Johnson & Josh Liu ~ violins   Cat Slowik ~ viola da gamba   Henry Burnam ~ harpsichord 

Trio Sonata in F Major, Op. 1, No. 1 – Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713)
Grave ~ Allegro ~ Adagio ~ Allegro 

Le Parnasse ou L’Apothéose de Corelli – François Couperin (1668–1733)
I. Corelli, at the foot of Mount Parnassus, asks the Muses to welcome him amongst them.
II. Charmed by his favorable reception at Mount Parnassus, Corelli expresses his joy and proceeds with his followers.
III. Corelli drinks the waters of the Hippocrene. His followers proceed.
IV. Corelli’s enthusiasm, caused by the waters of the Hippocrene.
V. After his exultation, Corelli falls asleep. His followers attend him with quiet music.
VI. The Muses wake Corelli and place him next to Apollo.
VII. Corelli’s gratitude. 

Sonata in C Major, Op. 5, No. 3 – Arcangelo Corelli
Adagio ~ Allegro ~ Adagio ~ Allegro ~ Allegro 

Sonata L’Impériale – François Couperin
Gravement ~ Vivement ~ Gravement et marqué ~ Rondeau: Légérement ~ Rondement ~ Vivement

Oddly, the Trio Sonata was two violins, viola da gamba and harpsichord. I guess they didn't count the harpsichord continuo as an instrument. The first movement was soothing, while the second was brighter and quicker though in a sedate way. It moved attacca (no break between the movements) into the third movement which was calmer yet still pretty. The fourth movement was bright again—maybe quicker than the second movement (both Allegros)—but it also had a contrasting slower section before a brief, jaunty ending.

[Tuning] – This happened before each work because even though these instruments are relatively recently constructed, they're being played in a historic, i.e., early music, style. And the 415 refers to tuning (most current tuning tunes to A=440, here A=415), while the Y of the group's name refers to Yale where they all have studied or are studying. Enough history?

The second piece on the program was truly programmatic music. The seven movements were announced from the stage before each movement was played. The only exception was that the fourth and fifth movements were announced together and played pretty much as one movement.
I. was a relatively calm introduction to the work. Sort of a "Getting to Know You" vibe. II. was in a quicker tempo, bright and pleasant. III. was slower and gentler and also fairly lengthy. IV./V. was faster, befitting Corelli's enthusiasm and then relaxing the tempo a bit (see Corelli falls asleep). VI. was refreshingly quick and bright. VII. opened with solo violin joined by the other violin then tutti—a happy ending to Corelli's journey. It made sense to announce each movement's name, and the music reflected the name fairly well.

The second Corelli sonata was solo violin, viola da gamba, and harpsichord. Its first movement was slow but not somber, and it was solid and full sounding. The second movement was much quicker with some fancy fingering from the violinist. And it seemed that there was a brief coda from the violinist to end the movement. The third was slower and featured the violin playing in its lower range before moving back up to where I'm used to hearing it. The fourth was quite brisk with fast fingering from the violin again with a brief slower section before returning (fifth) to brisk—pretty much off to the races with a cute ending.

The final sonata (all four players) began with a relatively slow tempo, more towards somber but also full at times. The second movement was faster though not by much. The third was gentler and soothing while the fourth was very sweet and pleasant, relaxing and it had a sedate feeling to it. The final movement was fuller and quicker, with all three strings following each other in similar phrases, almost like a small fugue.

This was a very nice program very well played.

ConcertMeister

NY Classical Theatre (11/9/25) – Non Concert

“Hecuba and Polyxena”, a haunting, surreal adaptation inspired by Euripides and the American eugenics movement, follows two women as they navigate grief, survival, and sacrifice. (Their words, not mine.)

From the company’s website – Thank you for attending our presentation of Hecuba and Polyxena by Amanda Andrei as part of New York Classical’s New Visions New Play Development program.

I attended. I enjoyed it. Alas, there was no program (not even a QR code, which would probably have done me no good, anyway). This was a workshop reading performance. There were three unnamed performers playing (I think) five roles. (See no program, no QR code, above.)

There was a reader of stage directions who also provided a few sound effects.

The play took place in two different time frames. The one I remember best was the 1970s, since that part of the narrative focused on abortion (and only the male’s support of it, not the female’s). Also, one female character was a baker and one female character was an archivist. Their bond was that they were both Filipina and confused.

The male playing two characters played the husband of the baker and the doctor of the baker. Oh! The baker was probably an illegal immigrant wanting to have an anchor baby.

The three performers played the five roles very well, using bankers’ boxes and lids as makeshift props (mixing bowls, archived documents, steaming soup (shredded paper, used to good effect), baking trays, etc.) and a folding table that was shifted by the actors from horizontal to vertical a few times.

Would I recommend it? No. Not until it’s workshopped a bit more. Was I glad I went? Sort of. Broadening my horizons can be worthwhile. And I saw this company do a free Shakespeare in the park (Carl Schurz Park) performance earlier this summer that I enjoyed. I'm guessing that's why I'm on their mailing list.

ConcertMeister

Invitation to Élisabeth’s Salon – Gotham Early Music Scene (11/6/25)

Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor – Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729)
[untitled] ~ Presto ~ Adagio ~ Presto ~ Presto ~ Aria ~ Presto     

La Ménetou, from Pièces de Clavecin, Second Livre, Ordres 7 – François Couperin (1668–1733)  

Three Airs sérieux – Charlotte Françoise de Ménethoud (1679–1745)
E ne fuis qu’un bergère with words by Monsieur de Mesange
Louis fuel attaqué with words by Monsieur Le Président de Montbrun
Plus jeun qu’Alexandre with words by Monsieur de Fieubet  

Prélude and Passacaille in A minor – Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre  

Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 5, No. 6 – Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713)
Grave ~ Allegro ~ Allegro ~ Adagio ~ Allegro 

The first movement of the violin sonata was slow and gentle, then picked up a little in volume; it seemed like an introduction to the work, though a fairly long introduction. The second movement was bright and jaunty. The third was slower and somber, with the violin playing in its lower register. It led directly (attacca) into the fourth, which went back to jaunty with a calm section that followed and led right into the fifth movement which was bright, if not quite as jaunty as the earlier presto movements. The sixth movement had lines in the violin that actually sounded like singing—duh! it’s an aria—somber and almost plaintive. Just as I wrote the words ‘quite lengthy’ it ended. The final movement was brisk and almost happy, except for being in a minor key. 

As announced from the stage, François Couperin was Françoise de Ménethoud’s teacher, and his piece seemed to be written for his young pupil. It was a harpsichord solo that was fairly calm throughout the entire work, and was presented as an introduction to the next three pieces. Mlle. Ménethoud was about eleven years old when she wrote them. If I’m remembering correctly, they were probably meant to be sung—here, the violin acted as voice again. The first had a harpsichord phrase as a brief prelude to the violin being added. It was quite pretty. The second was also pretty while the third was quicker and bright and gave a feeling of being a strophic song. 

The fourth work on the program was another harpsichord solo that opened with an introduction leading to a mostly somber dance (minor key again), but there were also flashes of briskness, as well. 

After retuning the violin, the first movement of the final sonata was sedate and pleasing—ah, a major key! The second movement had a brief violin opening before the harpsichord joined in. It was bright and upbeat and had a fun ending. The third was also brisk with a feeling of perpetual motion. [PHONE!]* The fourth movement was slower, and the harpsichord had an almost plunking sound, as if it wanted to be a dampened pizzicato. And before the final movement, I saw the harpsichordist make some physical adjustment that restored the keyboard to its usual plinking sound. The movement opened with a solo violin phrase before the harpsichord joined in (just as in the second movement). It was brisk again and fun-sounding. Indeed, a fun ending to a fine concert. 

ConcertMeister

* I've been attending this concert series for several years. At every concert, it is announced from the performance area that if you have an electronic device that makes a noise that was never heard in the 15th/16th/17th (depending on that day’s composers) century, please make sure that it does not make that sound for the next 45 or 50 minutes or so. (<--- That is close to verbatim.)

Midnight Viols – Gotham Early Music Scene (10/23/25)

England’s Glory: Country Dances, Songs and Consorts of the Golden Age 

Caroline Nicolas ~ treble viol; Charlie Reed & Lisa Terry ~ tenor viol; Patricia Neely & Sarah Stone ~ bass viol; Gene Murrow ~ concertina & recorders; Ruth Cunningham ~ voice, flute & recorders  

English Country Dances – Musical Arrangements by Marshall Barron from The Dancing Master, John Playford
Indian Queen (1701) ~ Beggar Boy (1651) ~ Beaux of Oak Hill – Traditional  

Fantasia a 6, No. 2 – William Byrd (1540‒1623) 

Come Again – John Dowland (1563‒1626)  

Fantasia a 6, No. 2 – Orlando Gibbons (1583‒1625)  

From Pavans, Galliards, Almains and other short Aeirs – (1599) Anthony Holborne (ca.1550‒1602)
The Cradle ~ The Honie-suckle ~ The Widowes myte  

Pavan Passamezzo a 6 – Peter Philips (1560‒1628)  

Awake Sweet Love – John Dowland

English Ballads and Country Dances – John Playford
Greensleeves ~ Greensleeves and Yellow Lace (1721); Broom of the Cowdenknows ~ Broom, the Bonny, Bonny Broom (1651); The Joviall Broom Man ~ Jamaica (1670)

What is a viol? At this concert, I learned that it is a viola da gamba, a six-stringed, bowed instrument with frets on the fingerboard; hence, it is in the guitar family, not the cello family, even though it is played vertically, like a cello.

On to the music. First up was a set of three dances. The first was jolly and included the concertina and a recorder. The concertina is a free-reed and bellows instrument similar to, but smaller than, an accordion and plays in the range of the violin. The second dance was slightly subdued and had a flute introduction, then all five viols joined in. The third dance had two recorders, five viols, and it was slightly sprightly. 

The Byrd Fantasia seemed strophic and fugue-like, sort of like an instrumental song. The first Dowland piece, Come Again, was very familiar to me, and was scored for viols (two or three, I couldn’t see the hands of some of the viol players) and soprano. Vocal verse, instrumental repeat, second vocal verse, instrumental repeat with a bit of vocals added to round out the piece. 

The Gibbons Fantasia had very dense writing for the viols, richly textured, and then had the concertina join in. The Holborne was another set of three dances—a somber, but not a downer, Pavan for four viols and concertina, then an Almain that was jaunty and dance-like in a sedate way, with a recorder added into the mix, while the third was a Galliard that was also jaunty with interesting shifting rhythms. 

The Pavan Passamezzo a 6 was essentially several sections that were all tied together by a repetitive bass line. The bass line was played solo before the piece as a demo, but with the richly textured writing for the five viols, I wasn’t as aware of the bass line as I thought I would be. 

Awake Sweet Love (Dowland) was scored for soprano and four viols and was sweet and almost simple, though not truly simple. 

The last piece looked like six pieces but wasn’t. It was a set of three songs, each in two parts. Each tune was introduced, and then the piece that followed was based on its preceding tune. For instance, Greensleeves was performed by the soprano and a single viol; Greensleeves and Yellow Lace began with concertina with two viols and then the other viols joined in. The same format was followed for the Broom pair of songs, though the first tune was not familiar to me. The final pair started with soprano, concertina and three viols. The second version was tutti—jolly and full bodied, with a recorder added to the fun. It was a great ending to the concert.   

ConcertMeister

I hope to add a photo; that may need to wait for my Facebook posts.

Mexamorphosis (10/9/25)

Chamber 

Guadalupe Peraza ~ director, mezzo-soprano; Sinuhe Padilla-Isunza ~ jarana, voice, percussion & dance; Jae Lee ~ harpsichord; Baba Moussa ~ talking drum; Hsei-Mei Tracy Chang ~ soprano; Papa Classima ~ voice   

Les Barricades mystérieuses from Second Livre de pièces de clavecin, Sixième Ordre – François Couperin (1668‒1733)
El Buscapiés – Traditional Mexican, Son Jarocho (Veracruz)  

Così mi disprezzate (Aria di passacaglia) – Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583‒1643)
Las poblanas – Traditional, Son Jarocho 

Jarabi (Love) – Traditional, West African  

Accenti Queruli – Giovanni Felice Sances (ca. 1600–1679) 

Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti, SV 251 – Claudio Monteverdi (1567‒1643)
Guacamalla – Traditional, Son Jarocho 

This was another Gotham Early Music Scene concert.

First things first, what is a jarana? I won't saddle you down with a lot of technical info, but it's similar to a guitar, with eight strings, and a complicated layout of those strings. What is a talking drum? A West African hourglass-shaped drum that is said to mimic human speech. I did not experience the simulation of human speech. What is Son Jarocho? It is a style of Mexican folk music.

While I enjoyed the concert, the application of the Son Jarocho style of playing to François Couperin, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Giovanni Felice Sances, and Claudio Monteverdi made everything sound a lot like the same thing over and over. Lots of rhythmic strumming, harpsichord present but usually overpowered, and the mezzo-soprano and the male vocalist doing pretty much the same thing over and over. That said, the mezzo-soprano did some operatic-style vocalizing in the Frescobaldi, as did the soprano in the Monteverdi. But since those pieces were often grouped with the folk-style pieces, and some of the folk-style playing was included in the pieces that preceded, the effect was a lot of the same stuff we just heard.

Jarabi (Traditional West African) had a little more energy and the vocalist was quite charismatic. But it ended in the "same stuff" category, even with the addition of two different styles of hand-held drums.

The jarana player also added percussion a few times and added a bit of rhythmic flamenco-style dancing. In Guacamalla, all six of the performers seemed to be enacting a jam session in the Traditional Son Jarocho style. They were then joined by four other instrumentalists (I think I saw a rebec – a round-backed pseudo-violin, and three jarana players – apparently the jarana comes in various sizes). It was a great finale.

I doubt that I would seek this group out again, though. They did what they do; they knew what they were doing; it was all too similar for my taste.

ConcertMeister