Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (6/29/21)

 Ulysses and Emerson Quartets

Sort of. It was neither orchestral nor was it double quartets.

Richard Strauss (1864-1949), Sextet from Capriccio, Op. 85, (1942) (performed by the Ulysses Quartet with Lawrence Dutton, viola and Paul Watkins, cello)
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896), String Quintet in F major, WAB 112, (1878-79)III. Adagio, G-flat major, common time (performed by the Emerson String Quartet with Colin Brookes, viola)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11, (1924-25)
1. Adagio; 2. Allegro molto
(performed with the Ulysses Quartet playing the first parts)
Felix Mendelssohn, (1809-1847), Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20, (1825)
1. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco (E-flat major); 2. Andante (C minor); 3. Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo (G minor); 4. Presto (E-flat major)

(For the record, I copied the program from their website. The key signatures for the Octet mean very little to me. But I liked the work a lot.)

Here’s the deal. This was a program featuring two string quartets. But we never heard two string quartets. The first work was a sextet—the Ulysses quartet with two guests. To me, it was airy but with a rich sound. It added drama by way of increased energy. It was rather moody, and somewhat subdued as a (metaphorical) curtain raiser.

The second work was one movement of a string quintet, played by the Emerson quartet plus a guest. Seeing a pattern yet? The work was slow and sweet, while also a bit somber. The harmonies were on the dense side, deeper and fuller (though the real-life chirping birds—hey, it was an outdoor concert), were a nice touch. It was pleasant, if somewhat staid.

The first movement of Shostakovich’s first piece for octet had an energetic opening before settling down. There were a few dissonances, but nothing at all harsh, with an interesting mix of slower and faster tempos. The second movement was very energetic, after a brief opening, leaning toward more modern harmonies (though nothing overly dramatic). The movement ended with a nice flourish.

The Mendelssohn octet. Ah! It was written when he was sixteen. (Yes, it was edited later, but the exuberance of a sixteen-year-old fills the piece.) Daylight was fading during this last work of an outdoor concert, so scribblings will ensue.

(i) Bubbly, youthful exuberance, while also being nuanced. There were several returns to the opening motifs, which were developed along the way.
(ii) (After a quick re-tuning) A lovely and slightly tugging-at-the-heartstrings (in a good way) feeling, plus some drama involved, as well, and hope, too, was followed by a subtle ending.
(iii) Lots of energy! Even though it was in a minor key, the feeling of hope just can’t be tamped down, especially including the clever ending to the movement.
(iv) Even more energetic, with a brisk cello opening; then everyone is pretty much off to the races. They were having a great time of it—oh, sure, they took the occasional breather—but the energy never flagged.

ConcertMeister

The Knights (6/19/21)

Antonio Vivaldi: Il Gardellino, Flute Concerto in D – flute, strings; Heitor Villa-Lobos: Song of the Black Swan – cello, harp; Joaquin Rodrigo, arr. Bridget Kibbey and The Knights: De los álamos vengo, madre – full ensemble; João Gilberto, arr. C. Jacobsen: Undiu – flute/voice, clarinet, harp, strings; Jessie Montgomery: Source Code – strings; Maurice Ravel: Introduction and Allegro – full ensemble; Paco De Lucía, arr. C. Jacobsen: Zyryab – flute, clarinet, harp, strings; Lili Boulanger: Nocturne – flute, harp; Tommy Potts, arr. C. Jacobsen: The Butterfly – full ensemble; American Traditional, arr. Jacobsen: Little Birdie – flute/vocals, clarinet, harp, strings

Yes, this was my second hearing of The Knights in less than a week. Even though they’re primarily a chamber orchestra, this (only seven players) was more of a chamber ensemble than an orchestra. I know that looks like a daunting program, but some of the pieces were fairly short (some, though, I wish had been shorter than they were). This was an outdoor concert at Governors Island under the aegis of the Rite of Summer Music Series. I’m a fan. I even wore my Rite of Summer t-shirt today and was recognized by the two founders.

Enough about me—on to the music. The first piece, in three movements, was scored here for two violins, viola, cello, and flute. The first movement was slightly jaunty, and it was perfect music for an outdoor setting, sounding sort of airy (discounting the annoying helicopters). The second was slower, featuring flute, pizzicato (plucked) violin strings, and cello. The final movement was brisk and cheerful.

The second work was cello and harp, a lovely combination to my mind. It was slow and gentle—sort of mournful without being maudlin.

The third had a gentle opening followed by a quicker, dance-like section, with shifting moods, all of which were fun. If you’re sensing a gentle/quicker theme here, the program was focused on birds and other fauna. Also, it was supposed to be played last year at this time, so …

Next up was not really a lullaby, just a gentle interlude, then a lush middle section, with vocals, cello, and harp to round it out.

Fifth was a string quartet as a Juneteenth tribute. Described in the composer’s words as a single-movement dirge based on themes from American spirituals, that pretty much summed it up.

The Ravel is a somewhat famous work, and I was glad to be hearing it in person for my first time ever. It had a calm opening and lovely tunes that were tossed about from instrument to instrument. Even when the tempo was brisker, it still had a calm feeling. Maybe the harp just does that.

The seventh work was dance-like, based on flamenco rhythms. Nice enough, it seemed to ramble on a bit. A little more on that later.

Maybe you know the name Nadia Boulanger? (No, she was not a French baker.) She was a formidable (and please pronounce that with a French accent) composer and teacher in Paris. As it turns out, her sister was also a composer. This Nocturne was almost a lullaby, although it had a few bursts of energy.

The ninth and tenth pieces were fairly similar—one with an Irish lilt and one with an American folk tune feel. The repetitive quality of both reminded me of the rambling, as I mentioned above. Repetitive can work, with enough variation. Without variation, I tend to zone out.

That said, I loved hearing The Knights again; I loved hearing live music with an audience again; and I will return for Rite of Summer’s next (and, unfortunately, final for the season) concert in September.

ConcertMeister

We're Back! – The Knights (6/15/21)

 Lyric for Strings, (1946) – George T. Walker (1922–2018)
America, Come featuring (and composed by) Aoife O’Donovan (1982–), vocals (New York Premiere)
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61, (1806), Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), arr. Michael P. Atkinson (b. 1978), featuring Gil Shaham, violin
1. Allegro ma non troppo; 2. Larghetto; 3. Rondo: Allegro

George T. Walker is a composer who is new to me. He was American and Black, and (apparently) this piece was a favorite of his mother and/or grandmother (it was announced from the stage but I didn’t write it down—it’s rough getting back in the groove of taking notes at concerts!).

Oh, but first the orchestra played a little hors d’oeuvre titled Ascending Bird. It was rhythmic, with a hint of New Age music, and it sounded as though it could (maybe will?) be used in a film score. An unexpected treat.

Back to Lyric for Strings. It was slow, with a feeling of serenity, though it did pick up the tempo a bit. It was interesting, pleasant and moody.

America, Come was written in the spirit of celebrating the support of women’s suffrage. Using the words of suffragettes and also elected officials of the era (1914–1920), it had an appropriate folk music feel—Ms. O’Donovan played guitar and sang, ably accompanied by an electric bass and the orchestra. An interesting take on a real American style, if slightly rambling.

Leaving America behind (and performing without intermission, probably COVID related), we moved on to the Beethoven. An odd program listing was (arr. Michael P. Atkinson). Once again, announced from the stage, was the information that The Knights have recorded this piece with Gil Shaham. My guess is that this arrangement scales it down to chamber orchestra size. Mr. Shaham seemed to be delighted to be there, and he interacted with the orchestra throughout, even when he wasn’t playing. On to the music.

The first movement had a fun introduction by the orchestra that was a bit playful before adding some real drama. When the solo violin entered, it was also playful yet dramatic. There was a nice interplay back and forth between soloist and orchestra. During the first-movement cadenza, the violinist was sharing the outdoors aural world with a helicopter. Hey, that’s a part of free outdoor concerts.

The second movement had a short orchestral intro followed by a poignant theme from the solo violin, which was also energetic in its way. Then there was a very delicate section that also provided quiet drama, leading to a short violin cadenza that led right into …

The third movement. You’d recognize the theme. The orchestra and soloist threw it back and forth. They varied it—major/minor, soft/loud—they took it and ran. The third-movement violin cadenza included a whole bunch of double stops (where the violinist plays on more than one string at a time) and very fleet finger work that led to a bang-up finish. Why, yes, there was a standing ovation. Very well deserved. But at the first Naumburg concert in more than a year, it was a gimme. I’m so glad live concerts are back!

ConcertMeister

Ballerina Boys – 6/4/21

OK, it wasn’t live; it was an American Masters presentation on PBS. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. They're a male ballet company. All of the ballerinas are male. Well worth the watch. It will most likely make the rounds of your various PBS stations during gay pride June. And, OK, I’ve never seen a full-length Trocks (as they’re affectionately known) presentation, but I did see them perform at at City Center during one of their Fall for Dance programs (not free, but definitely worth the splurge).

Anyhoo, the documentary touched on their formation, their response to the Stonewall riots, their dealing with the 1980s AIDS crisis, and their terrific tribute to real ballet, although with a wicked nod to humor. It touched on learning how to perform in drag (something with which I’m pretty familiar) while remaining true to the art of classical ballet.

If you get a chance to see Ballerina Boys in a rebroadcast, I highly recommend it. If you get a chance to the Trocks live – jump on it!

Concert, er, DanceMeister