Friday, April 27, 2018

The Orchestra Now (4/20/18)

Jan Latham-Koenig, conductor

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished) D. 759 (1822) – Allegro Moderato; Andante con moto – Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Selections from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64 (1935–36) – Montagues and Capulets; Romeo and Juliet; Death of Tybalt; Romeo and Juliet before Parting; Romeo at Juliet’s Grave; The Death of Juliet – Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)

As a side note, I attended this concert with a former work colleague who lives near the venue (Aaron Davis Hall at CUNY in upper Manhattan). It was nice to have a companion at a concert. I sort of caught myself up short when the concertmaster (not me) tuned the orchestra for the first piece. Then the penny dropped. It was composed for string orchestra. It’s a lovely piece, with gentle tunes and swells of volume and power from time to time. For you church-y types out there, you might recognize the tune of “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say.” On second thought, an online search turned up mostly a Celtic version, which was not what I was thinking of. Will this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLk2vsAl-fo work? [Phooey. You may need to copy/paste.]

The performance was lovely, with a nice ebb and flow of tempo and dynamics. It was a great way to start a concert. Let’s hope that the link works (hey, I’m new at this).

Schubert’s symphonic movements were extremely listenable—the first movement had a very recognizable, hummable main theme (you’re on your own for a link). The second was interesting in that it took snippets of the first movement as themes to be developed in the second. They weren’t exact copies but you were aware that they were familiar. If only he’d completed it.

An interesting feature of these The Orchestra Now concerts is the ideal of interaction of musicians and audience. At intermission, members of the orchestra are in the lobby, available to answer one-on-one questions—about themselves, players in general, or the works on the program. Also, a member of the orchestra introduces the next piece to be played. Such was the case with the Prokofiev. As given from the stage, we learned that the full ballet score was rejected by the powers that be/dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet who determined it to be ‘impossible for dancing’. Who knew? The six movements (from Suites 2, 1, and 3, respectively) were appropriately dark and dramatic as necessary for the characters.

A great concert in a new venue—what’s not to like? I may try to alert my NY peeps of upcoming concerts in the future. Thoughts?

ConcertMeister


Saturday, April 21, 2018

Quartetto Testosterone (4/17/18)

Sondre Fjose Sandberg, violin; Daniel Lyngstad, violin; Jakob Dingstad, viola; Sverre Barratt-Due, cello

String Quartet No. 2 in F Major – Sostenuto – Allegro vivace e grazioso; Allegro scherzando –Più vivo – Edvard Grieg
“er også me borne / are also we carried”Magnar Åm
String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor – Un poco andante – Allegro molto ed agitato; Andantino – Allegro agitato; Allegro molto marcato – Più vivo e scherzando; Lento – Presto al saltarello – Grieg

Really? Testosterone? After intermission, the violist addressed the group’s name. They are celebrating their tenth year, and as he told us, “We were very young.” Apparently there were many string players in Norway at the time but they were mostly female. “We guys had to stick together.” And since the rage at that time was to coin Italianate names, they chose (remember, they were very young) Testosterone. Now on to the music.

The first work on the program was two movements only because that’s all Grieg had completed at the time of his death. He’d been working on it for many years, but just never found the time and gumption to finish it. It opened with rich, Romantic sounds and had a great mix of tunes, chords, and pizzicato playing, and was wonderfully easy to listen to. I heard hints of Dvořák and Tchaikovsky, but it was defintely Grieg’s own voice. I loved the way ideas and phrases were tossed back and forth between the players. After a bit of retuning, the second movement was lightly rollicking and somewhat playful. There was a very folk-song-like section, including what seemed like fiddle tunes and dances, and the piece had strong, folk dance rhythms. I wish he had completed it. The two movements, though, were great to hear.

Magnar Åm’s piece was quiet, not quite calm, mood music with dissonant harmonies. Not severely so, and sort of new age-y. It was effective if a little iffy, more of a wash of sound than a clear, complete arc.

The first movement of the G minor quartet was full, dark, and contained rapid rhythms, dramatic without going overboard, and had an interesting mix of both grand gestures and smaller ones. The second movement was slower and lyrical to begin with and then had a tuneful song that was passed from instrument to instrument. A quick section with a folk/gypsy feel followed that also included a little waltz variation. The third was quicker and, surprisingly, a little darker—more thoughtful than pensive. There was a mix of heft and a light touch in a folk tune that was introduced, with each player getting a shot at the tune. The fourth movement, also folk oriented, was quite brisk after a subdued opening. Even when it was brisk it also had hints of darkness. There was a lot going on, almost as though it was trying to be too many things at one time, although they were all interesting. All in all, it was a solid piece that was very enjoyable to hear, played quite well by this group.

The venue was one I have been to at least once before—Victor Borge Hall at Scandinavia House, located at Park Avenue and 38th Street. It’s a nice place that includes gallery space and hosts other (non-free) events. There is also a restaurant on the ground level.

ConcertMeister

Monday, April 16, 2018

Allegro (4/15/18)

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
An In-Concert Reading (their hyphenation, not mine*)
Presented by The Musical Theater Project and
Kent State University Theatre Program

*Note: This is a guest post by BrotherMeister, ConcertMeister's real-life brother.

The show was introduced by Bill Rudman of The Musical Theater Project,
Terri Kent of KSU Theatre and Nancy Maier of KSU Theatre, who also accompanied on piano. Terri Kent directed the show.

Much interesting information was imparted before the concert/reading.

While the show is seldom revived—it was experimental in 1947, with snippets of songs and an on-stage chorus which not only sings, but speaks while occasionally breaking the fourth wall—there was a (Lincoln Center?) production in 2016. However, in 1960 Hammerstein was working on a teleplay version and this performance was the first ever production of that version—sanctioned by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. Stephen Sondheim, who was Hammerstein’s protégé at the time, is on record saying his entire career is based on the experimentation of this show.

This concert was staged rather nicely, with most players doing double duty in both chorus and as featured roles. To accomplish this, all performers—approx. 30 total (the program lists some Ensemble players in the Named Character section as well, and I didn’t think to count actual bodies)—would stand and rotate in and out of the five ‘featured’ chairs in front. At those chairs (and others on stage) were adjustable music stands which actors would raise as they stood to perform, and lower as they sat. This created a decent visual excitement, while simultaneously cueing the audience where to look.

While there were no costumes per se, all the women wore dresses—many of which felt indicative of the period—and certain men wore items (think ties for dads, vests for students, etc.) which helped them feel costumed. One particularly effective piece of business occurred twice when female characters died (not a common occurrence in musical theatre of the time): two chorus members unfolded sheer scarves and draped them over their heads. Those characters—who continue to interact with the story (remember: experimental) wore those scarves around their shoulders to signify their spiritual-ness.

The story concerns Joseph Taylor, Jr. and chronicles his life from birth through toddlerhood, childhood, university, and to the brink of his second-stage career path. At its core, it’s about the perils of losing one’s way. Some (many?) of the pitfalls are terribly dated and border on misogynistic (girlfriend Jennie all but murders Joe’s mother in attempts to ‘steal him away from her’) and keep the story from feeling relevant, though the mantra of holding onto your core beliefs certainly rings as true now as then.

The only ‘hit’ song from this show is “The Gentleman Is A Dope”—made famous by Lisa Kirk, and in turn, the song made her famous in the process. One other song, “So Far,” had a life beyond the show, recorded by Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and Margaret Whiting, but more a footnote than a hit. Several of the ‘snippets’ carry the unmistakable R&H sound.

The talent pool was terrific and while it might’ve been nice to have more accompaniment than a lonely upright piano, the show didn’t suffer because of it.

Overall a very rewarding and enjoyable event.

BrotherMeister

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Opus Two (4/7/18)

A Centenary Celebration of Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990)
William Terwilliger, violin
Andrew Cooperstock, piano

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano – Grazioso – Un poco più mosso; Andantino – Vivace e leggiero (1941–42/2008) – Leonard Bernstein (arr. William Terwilliger)
For Aaron Copland (1942) – Leonard Bernstein
Duo for Violin and Piano – I. Flowing; II. Poetic, somewhat mournful; III. Lively, with bounce (1971/1977) – Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Violin Sonata – I. Moderato assai; II. Variation on Movement I (1939–40) – Leonard Bernstein
Touches: Chorale, Eight Variations and Coda (1980) – Leonard Bernstein
Four Moments from Candide – I. Moderato (“I Am Easily Assimilated”);
II. Andantino cantabile (“You Were Dead, You Know”); III. Aria (“Glitter and Be Gay”); IV. Andante Moderato (“Make Our Garden Grow”) (1956/2008) – Leonard Bernstein (arr. Eric Stern)

For those of you reading closely, you’ll wonder why a violin and a piano played
a piece written for clarinet and piano. This is a fairly frequent substitution,
and if you’re reading very closely, you’ll see that the work was arranged by
Mr. Terwilliger, the violinist of Opus Two. The first movement seemed very modern for Bernstein but melodic and rhythmic in a good way. The second was gentle to begin with, followed by a quicker, rhythmically driving section. A return to gentleness was lovely in certain places. The next quick section mixed some harsh sounds with some nice tunes. It was a good opening to a good concert.

For Aaron Copland is one of a set of Anniversaries for Piano—a series that Bernstein did from time to time in homage of favorite people in his life. It was calm and pretty for the most part though it still included some modern harmonies. And it was appropriate here, as Bernstein and Copland had a lifelong friendship.

The Duo by Copland began with solo violin before being joined by the piano and was lyrical but also mixed in some rapid sections as well. The second movement was also gentle at the beginning, leading to a tuneful section with more modern harmonies; it was rather moody at times. The final movement was bright, almost harsh, yet with a certain charm.

The first movement of Bernstein’s sonata opened with a wandering violin tune above an insistent slow rhythm in the piano. A somewhat amorphous section followed; a lot of it was interesting though it didn’t make a lot of sense to me. The first variation had a piano introduction with harsh chords and rhythms joined by the violin with a calmer tune, and then the piano took over again in harsh mode joined by an equally harsh violin, with lots of noise and lots of notes. Next we had a calmer piano introduction and a calm violin tune when it came in. It was a lot easier to listen to, for me. A contrasting section was louder and more rhythmic. In what seemed to me to be a third variation, it was lyrical to begin with, followed by a section with a sustained low violin note against a rippling piano accompaniment. This was followed by a subdued, abrupt, calm ending. As explained from the stage, this was a student composition and it sort of showed. There was a lot there but it needed to be harnessed a little better. All of this is my opinion only, of course.

An interesting note about the solo piano piece Touches is that it was composed as a required piece for all contestants in the sixth Van Cliburn International Competition. The Chorale had lots of open chords and wide ranges in the phrases. I had trouble distinguishing the eight separate variations, but they ranged from choppy, with touches of jazz, to darker and heavier, though still with jazz influences, to more rhythmic, without being too brash, to choppy phrases again, to clanging, bell-like chords, to gentler. It was a nice piece even through all of the rambling.

I was familiar with three of the four Candide tunes. (As an aside, I worked with the arranger, Eric Stern, in 1980 when he was musical director of an Equity showcase production of Anyone Can Whistle that I was cast in. But enough about me.) The first Candide tune had a distinct Spanish/Latin flair which makes sense because the character who sings it in the show has been transported to South America. There was a lovely lyrical middle part, almost swooning and swaying, before returning to the fiery opening. The second movement, originally a love duet between Cunegonde and Candide was my unfamiliar one. It was gentle, tuneful, and quite charming, just what you want in a love duet. Next was Glitter and Be Gay. I didn’t even bother taking notes—I sat back and listened. If you don’t know it, do an online search and treat yourself. I was of two minds about the fourth movement, which is also the finale of Candide. Even though it’s eventually uplifting, it has an inherently haunting feel to it that weighs down on me.

I was also of two minds about the encore played by the duo. Somewhere, from West Side Story, was relatively straightforward, with a few frills thrown in for good measure, but it seemed like a bit of a downer to me, especially right after Make Our Garden Grow. Once again, my opinion only. But, hey, that’s why they pay me the big—oh. Never mind.

ConcertMeister

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Midday Masterpieces (4/4/18)

Juilliard415

Quintet in D major for flute, oboe, violin, cello and obbligato harpsichord, Op. 22, No. 1 – Johann Christian Bach
Trio Sonata on Scots Tunes – James Oswald
Trio Sonata No. 8 in E-flat major – William Boyce
Symphony No. 104 in D major, “London” – Andante & Allegro – Franz Joseph Haydn (arranged by Johann Salomon, 1798)

First things first. The name of the group comes from the fact that this ensemble of musicians tunes to A = 415hz instead of A = 440, the norm for most classical music ensembles. This is in keeping with the practices in use during the Baroque era—and the pieces on Wednesday were played on period instruments. Whether they were actual or replicas, I’m not sure. We heard harpsichord, baroque violins, viola, cello, wooden flutes, wooden oboe, bassoon (though I’m not sure whether it differed from a modern bassoon), and theorbo (whose player also doubled on guitar). And the tuning had a strange, to me, hierarchy—the cello tuned to the harpsichord and then the other string players tuned to the cello. I’m not sure whether that is stylistic either. So much unknown!

Johann Christian Bach was the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. The first movement of the quintet was gentle and pleasant, with touches of humor at times. Each instrument had a moment or two to shine, pair off in duets, and play tutti. The second movement began with the flute that was then joined by pizzicato playing from the violin and cello, and then by the oboe. The strings eventually went back to bowing. The third movement was much quicker, with a fuller sound and slightly more virtuosic playing for each instrument, though not always at the same time.

The Oswald (a composer new to me) was in five movements and was scored for two violins, flute, cello, theorbo, and harpsichord. It began with a solo flute introduction followed by all of the musicians in a lilting, evocative tune that had a nice nix of repetitions. The second featured the violin, then the cello joining in, and the second violin, and finally the flute. The third movement was lively and folk-like with an overlay of formality. The fourth was calmer and very pleasant. The final movement was a lively dance in which the theorbo was swapped out for a guitar and the flutist switched over to a piccolo of sorts which was reminiscent of a tin whistle.

The Boyce was scored for two violins, cello, and harpsichord only and had a slow but rich sounding first movement with a bit of a mournful quality. The second was bright and brisk, with some spare writing that somehow also managed to feel a little restrained. The third movement was slower but rhythmically interesting, and the fourth was jolly and fun.

As explained from the stage, in the era of Haydn there weren’t always enough musicians around to play a symphony, so the works were often arranged for smaller chamber groups, which was what we had here. As done by Johann Salomon, the two movements that were excerpted were scored for an octet of two violins, viola, cello, bass, flute, bassoon, and harpsichord. The Andante, in fact, featured the strings only and harpsichord in a gentle but dance-like tune that, when joined by the two winds, led into a very full section. The Allegro was just that, with a drone sound that featured a tune above it that then moved into a dance-like section that was quite brisk. Not frantic, but almost there. With the continued drone, it had a Scottish flair.

Considering the crowd of musicians for the afternoon (different violinists played in different pieces and there were at least two different flutists), no names were provided. Suffice it to say, though, that all of these Juilliard students put on a well-polished and very interesting program. There are two more live Midday Masterpieces to go, and I’ve already made my reservation for the next one.

ConcertMeister

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

OKLAHOMA! (3/31/18)

Sing Along Show and Tell: 75th Anniversary Celebration
Music and Lyrics of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Matt Gibson, Laura Darrell, Misy Singson, Jan Horvath, and Aram Tchobanian, with Jonathon Lynch, Music Director

This. Was. Fun. First off it occurred on the actual 75th anniversary of Oklahoma!’s opening Broadway performance—March 31, 1943 (and no, I was not there). We sang Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, I Cain’t Say No!, and People Will Say We’re in Love, as well as My Favorite Things (Sound of Music), Getting to Know You (The King and I), Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific), You’ll Never Walk Alone (Carousel), and Oklahoma. D’oh! As they say on TV, though, but wait—there’s more.

The above-named performers were song leaders, though that wasn’t really explained beforehand. Were we supposed to just listen and then join in on the chorus? If so, that did not happen. We’re New Yorkers. We jumped in, feet first, from the get go. The first three went well, quickly, one right after the other. Then we got to the ‘Show and Tell’ portion. One of the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts’ calling cards is their vast holdings of ephemera—letters, opening night telegrams, collected papers, handwritten scores (including scratch-outs and edits); some of these were on display.

After the first three sing alongs, our host for the afternoon introduced a library theater historian who graciously accepted the challenge of a party game, against a trio of audience volunteers. The game was A-YIP-I-O -or- I Cain’t Say (that I K)No(w). Trite? Yes. Funny? Yes. Using an archived Theater Guild program, the audience volunteers were asked to name a musical based on Green Grow the Lilacs, with characters named Curly, Laurey, and Aunt Eller. Ding! They got it. The theater historian was asked to define obscure references from ‘Theater Glossary’ from the same Theater Guild program. Of course he couldn’t, but we were treated to some obscure theater history when the actual answers were revealed. There were two more rounds, with equally skewed results. You get the drift.

Then back to the singing with songs from Sound of Music, King and I, South Pacific, and Carousel. These had wider ranges and were a little less successful, but I sang out like the trouper that I used to be. In reality, the only Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals I ever performed in were Carousel and The King and I. The former at a now-defunct non-Equity dinner theater and the latter at a now-defunct Equity dinner theater. Yep, I had a string of defuncting (is so a word!) theaters in the 1980s—but I also helped reopen Paper Mill Playhouse (sorry, I digressed there).

The second game of the afternoon was Yall’s Favorite Things, which was a game that featured the theater historian (good sport that he was) guessing titles of songs while audience members called out clues or hummed the tune of the song. It was fun. There was also a segment where an audience member did the same, with really, really easy questions/answers. Lots of fun. Of note, Gerard Alessandrini (of Forbidden Broadway) was in the audience as was the daughter of the original Ali Hakim from Oklahoma, in 1943. All backed up, of course, with archival material from LPA’s vast resources. We also learned that Oklahoma! was awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize. Who knew? Not me but now we all do.

What could top all of that? We sang Oklahoma, including O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, Ok-la-ho-o-o-ma! Yeow!!

ConcertMeister