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

Gotham Early Music Scene (10/2/25)

Edson Scheid, violin
J.S. Bach’s Unaccompanied Violin

Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685‒1750) 
Adagio
Fuga (Allegro)
Siciliana Presto  

Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002
Allemanda; Double
Corrente; Double (Presto)
Sarabande; Double
Tempo di Borea; Double 

Interesting info from the violinist. The Sonata No. 1 was written in 1720. The first performance was in 1840, with piano accompaniment written and played by Felix Mendelssohn. The first recording, as a solo work, was in 1933, by Yehudi Menuhin. 

The first movement of the sonata was tuneful in a slightly sad way. It was mostly a single line, though there were some double stops. That’s where the violinist plays two strings at the same time, creating a two-toned chord. For the record, there were no electronic score problems since he played both pieces from memory. The second movement was livelier and fuller, with the opening motif repeated fairly often but in varied ways. More on that later. It was the longest of the four movements. The third was slower and lovely while the fourth was off to the races, fiery and fast-fingered. 

A note about the doubles in the partita. Also as announced by the violinist, the partita is really four movements. The double portion is the previous movement played a second time with the notes in a different style/order. Are you confused yet? I was.

The Allamanda was energetic in a subdued way, possibly an effect of the B minor key. The double (repeat) was not really clear to me. The Corrente was similar to the first movement, though more fluid—lots of running notes. I liked it a lot. Just as I was writing 'too long?' the movement ended. So the answer was no. The double was a lot faster, a tour de force, (Presto) indeed! The Sarabande was slower and somewhat fuller. The word thoughtful came to mind. The last movement was Tempo di Borea, which sort of stumped me.

I recognized the first three movements as dance names (though they didn’t really strike me as dance-like). It turns out that Borea is a synonym for Gigue, so that made sense. It was more sprightly than the Sarabande, and somewhat cheerful, in a minor-key way. The double for the final movement was much livelier, and a great way to end the concert. 

ConcertMeister

Gotham Early Music Scene Opening Concert 2025–2026 Season (9/18/25)

Philippe Leroy, harpsichord
Music of Froberger, J.S. Bach & W.F. Bach  

Allemande faitte sur le subjet d’un chemin montaigneux la quelle se joüe à discrétion – Johann Jakob Froberger (1616–1667)

Partite Auff die Maÿerin
Prima Partita ~ Seconda Partita ~ Terza Partita ~ Quarta Partita ~ Sexta Partita – Crommatica ~ Courante – sopra Maÿerin ~ Double ~ Saraband – sopra Maÿerin  

Concerto nach Italiænischen Gusto [Italian Concerto], BWV 971 – J.S. Bach (1685–1750)
[Without tempo indication] ~ Andante ~ Presto 

Four Polonaises – W.F. Bach (1710–1784)
E minor – Andante – Falck 12, No. 8
C Major – Allegretto – Falck 12, No. 1
F minor – Adagio – Falck 12, No. 10
D Major – Allegretto – Falck 12, No. 3

A little about the harpsichord. I sat where I could see the keyboard, and there were two of them. He played the main keyboard and switched to the second one (slightly softer sound—different set of strings?). At one point, he must have used a coupler, a device that connects the two keyboards together, since he was playing the main keyboard, but the keys were also going down on the second one as well. It was pretty cool to see. As to the Bach boys, J.S. is Johann Sebastian (as I'm sure most of you know) while W.F. is Wilhelm Friedemann (Sebastian's second child but first son; don't ask about the rest of the children).

The first Froberger piece was gentle and slow, but a little brighter on the second keyboard, though still at a slow tempo. The word that came to mind was contemplative. The second piece was livelier, but just a bit. It was difficult to determine where the seven movements started and ended. The writing was richer and more dense, probably because the coupler was used a few times.

The J.S. Bach was very familiar to me from hearing it on the radio, where the recordings I've heard are on piano. This was my first time hearing it live and my first time hearing it on a harpsichord. The opening movement was brisk and bright, and I felt as if I was greeting an old friend. It was joyful. (There was a minor flub that I think was due to the foot pedal used to turn pages on the electronic score. Ask, if you're interested.) The second movement was slow and wistful, almost leaning toward somber. The third was back to bright, with fleet-fingered phrases—presto, indeed. Alas, another score flub resulted in him beginning the movement a second time. This was also a first for me, but it ended well.

F.W. Bach was next. The first Polonaise was slow and gentle, and it sounded to me as though there were brief hesitations built into the score, but that could be part of the artist's interpretation. The second was quick and seemed more like a dance, while the third was slow and pretty though it did go on for a while. The harpsichordist made some type of adjustment to the instrument that sounded like a way to increase the volume, making it sound almost like a small organ. The fourth Polonaise was also bright and playful. I was hard pressed to decide whether the third or fourth was my favorite; the edge went to the third.

An encore (not announced) was played. It was gentle, almost like a bookend to the first Froberger piece—contemplative. A nice way to end the concert.

ConcertMeister

Open Stages (9/13/25)

Brooklyn Conservatory of Music

This was more of a "happening" (yes, I'm dating myself) than a concert per se. Open Stages is Brooklyn Conservatory of Music's way of bringing music to the people. This was a mini-street fair with musical performances on the stoop of a Brooklyn townhouse. There were hot dogs and hamburgers (free) with water/sodas/chips. There was a bouncy castle. There were soccer balls and skateboards. Oh, did I mention there were kids?

The MTA gave me convoluted directions, but I eventually found Rutland Road. Of course, I was early because I always build in time for getting lost. While eating my hot dog, I chit-chatted with a gal who flew in from San Diego to surprise her family because her grandchildren would be performing. Hi, Ellen!

Um, 'Meister, let's get to the concert? The afternoon started with a jazz trio—sax, electric guitar, drums—playing On the Sunny Side of the Street. After a brief equipment boo-boo, the trio played another jazzy number that I did not recognize, with a nice Latin flavor. After a third trio number, the drummer was replaced by a student drummer. I'm not good with ages, though he was probably about seven. He acquitted himself very well. A second guest drummer (nine?) replaced him and also did a great job. Then the drum teacher joined the second guest drummer for two drum duets.

Next on the program were two young cellists who are part of the Suzuki program at BCoM. I don't know a lot about the Suzuki method of string teaching, but it was interesting to see two different sized miniaturized cellos. Each cellist played two brief solos and then the two brothers played a duet. The cellists were my new friend Ellen's grandchildren.

Following that was a young lady playing the piano and singing It's a Better Place Since You Came Along. Indeed, with these programs for young music students it is a better place. And Ellen even pointed me to my beloved Q train for an easy ride home.

I got on the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music's mailing list after joining them for caroling in December 2024. There's a lot to explore out there.

ConcertMeister

Orchestra of St. Luke's: A Sunset Celebration (9/3/25)

This was interesting. It took place in Bella Abzug Park, a place I'd never been to. The performers were from three generations: Youth Orchestra, Grad students from Mannes School of Music and Manhattan School of Music, and OSL players. I heard, in order, the grad school woodwind quintet, the OSL players brass quintet, and the youth orchestra.

The woodwind quintet consisted of flute, oboe, bassoon, French horn, and clarinet. Pay no attention to the fact that the flute is metal and so is the horn—just go with the flow. They played six pieces, but I don't know what they were. There was no running order for the event other than a QR code. I have no idea whether the QR code listed the pieces and composers. As most woodwind quintet pieces are bubbly to some extent, all six pieces were bubbly. The first piece was jolly though it also had a few subdued phrases. There was a good mix of phrases, a good mix of volumes, and a gentle ending. The second was bubbly while the third had subdued bubbling. The fourth had a calm opening and then the tempo picked up, quicker but not frantic. The fifth was in a slower, gentle tempo that was sort of a relaxed dance. The sixth opened with a brief bassoon solo, then it was quickly tutti (all five playing together), with relatively perky bubbling. I left early since the first set started at 4:00-ish, and the next group I wanted to hear started at 4:30.

Hello, brass quintet! The five here were French horn, trombone, tuba (the regular kind, not a Sousaphone), and two trumpets. The first piece sounded like a fanfare and was pretty modern. After they finished, it was announced that it was a fanfare written by Paul Dukas. My ear was pretty good. Some pieces were announced while some weren't. Next up was Puttin' on the Ritz. My notes say—pure fun! The third was a jazz tune that I didn't recognize, upbeat, with an almost ragtime feel. A Gershwin medley followed consisting of Fascinatin' Rhythm, Summertime, and I Got Rhythm. I was tempted to sing out like Merman but I restrained myself. West Side Story's Maria was next, and it opened with a horn/trombone duet, then tutti, then closed out with a lovely horn to finish. It was paired with Tonight—trumpet, horn, trombone to open, then tutti. It was fairly straightforward with a bright button ending. Not quite a medley, I Feel Pretty closed out the grouping in a bright and fun fashion. Mississippi Rag, written by William Krell, began with a short tuba solo and then they all joined in. It had a definite ragtime feel and format. Gershwin's Love Is Here to Stay was given a gentle treatment and arrangement, then going up tempo for the repeat, before returning to a gentle, jazzy ending. (Side note: I always thought the title was Our Love Is Here to Stay. Wikipedia disabused me of that. I also include this from Wikipedia as I found it interesting: "Love Is Here to Stay" was the last musical composition George Gershwin completed before his death on July 11, 1937. Ira Gershwin wrote the lyrics after George's death as a tribute to his brother. Originally titled "It's Here to Stay" and then "Our Love Is Here to Stay," the song was finally published as "Love Is Here to Stay.") Tiger Rag, by anonymous? it has a bit of a checkered history, was a fairly typical rag, bright and brisk. A Dixieland one-step closed out the set, with built-in humor in the arrangement—think slide trombone with the trumpets gettin' in on the slidin'.

The youth orchestra grouping began with two movements of a Mozart string quartet (with one of the mentors playing viola). In the outdoor setting, it was a little difficult to hear. The whole group played Bruno Mars (I think) followed by the first movement of Eine kleine Nachtmusik. I packed it in after that. But the afternoon/evening was a lot of fun, and Puttin' on the Ritz was my hands-down favorite.

ConcertMeister

Broadway by the Boardwalk at Hudson River Park (8/11/25)

 Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal

These two guys put on a great show and there was quite a crowd on hand for this final concert in a summer series. Having the show Rent as part of each performer's history, it featured in parts of the program. Not having ever seen/heard Rent, some of that was lost on me. But they have performed this style of a set over the past several years and it came off very well Monday evening.

Without a printed program, I can't really tell you what songs were performed and which vocalist sang solo in the solos. The set opened with (I think) If It Makes You Happy. This was followed by a song from Spring Awakening (another show I've never seen/heard). The third incorporated "blah-blah-blah" (literally) and "totally fucked" as lyrics. The latter might actually be the title.

Some Rent trivia followed, with one of the guys saying that he always had a problem remembering the lyrics to One Song Glory. So, he taped the lyrics on orange poster cards to the top of a desk, and the blocking was created so that he could get back to the desk periodically. That worked fine when the show played Off Broadway, but when the show transferred to Broadway, the stage manager said that the orange cards could be seen from the balcony, so they had to go. I think he got all the lyrics right Monday night.

Next up was a Peter Gabriel song I didn't know, followed by a Radiohead song I didn't know. Four more songs I didn't know were next, a combination of solos and duets. One of the vocalists also played guitar, and backup included electric guitar and keyboard.

As announced from the stage (and their banter was very easygoing and easy to follow), Billy Joel's I've Loved These Days was next, then David Bowie's Starman.

Living in America followed, and the concert closed out with Seasons of Love (Five thousand-twenty-five ... even I sort-of knew that one!) [“Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred”] and the crowd loved it. Am I glad I went? Yes. Was it my cup of tea? Not exactly. But it was a real joy seeing so many people enjoying live music. And the crowd knew a lot more of the songs than I did. Kudos to BrotherMeister for letting me know about the concert.

ConcertMeister

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (8/5/25)

ECCO: East Coast Chamber Orchestra

J.S. Bach/arr. Michi Wiancko (1685–1750)/(b. 1976), Chaconne, from Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004, (1717–1720) 

George Gershwin (1898–1937), Lullaby for Strings, (1919)  

David Ludwig (b. 1974), Virtuosity – Five Microludes for a String Orchestra, (2013)** 
1. Concerto for Two Violins, 2. Concerto for Viola, 3. Concerto for Cello, 4. Concerto for Contrabass, 5. Concerto for Orchestra

Jennifer Higdon (b.1962), String, (2002) 

John Adams (b.1947), Shaker Loops, (1983)
1. Shaking and Trembling, 2. Hymning Slews, 3. Loops and Verses, 4. A Final Shaking

** commissioned by ECCO

The Bach started calmly for the most part, opening with a solid tutti (all of the fourteen string players) though later there were sections where smaller groups were featured. There was a nice mix of volumes, tempi, and rhythms. [Barking dog! This dog had been rambunctious leading up to the concert, so much so that another patron who was already there with her dog decided to give up her seat and move somewhere else. Bad form. The human, not the rambunctious dog.] 

The Gershwin was new to me and seemed fairly modern at the beginning, especially for Gershwin in 1919. It then settled into a gentle, rhythmic feel—restful indeed, with a slightly Latin flavor to it.  

The composer, David Serkin Ludwig, was at the concert and spoke before his piece was performed, including the fact that the movements sort of blended together. I’m glad he told us because I couldn’t tell where one left off and the next began. The first movement (featuring two violin soloists) was modern, with some dissonances but not harshly atonal. The second (viola) was brisk, almost frenetic, then gentler and calmer. The third went back to frantic and then slightly mournful (hello! it's a cello). The fourth movement (bass) had the bass providing strong rhythm before settling into a tune followed by more frantic sounds. At times, the bass was used for percussion and at times the writing sounded like very low growling. The fifth was brisk but not frantic and had a section where all five soloists played together before we had a full tutti again. There were some nice aural effects, for example, orchestral glissandos. During the applause, the composer came back onstage to join the orchestra for a bow. 

A note about some modern music. It’s not the cup of tea for some people. In fact, the audience was smaller by about one-fourth after the intermission. And some people left during the final two pieces on the program. 

The Higdon work had a pizzicato opening (plucked strings, not bowed) and was bright, fun, and modern. Once again, there were dissonances but not overly harsh ones. It had driving rhythms leading to a button at the end. Yes, some more audience members left. 

The Adams was very modern, and I could not tell where any of the movements ended, except for the fourth, when the orchestra stopped playing. So, my notes are sort of stream of consciousness, since the names of the movements also didn’t really give much of a clue to what I should be listening for. The piece started with quick back-and-forth bowing that stretched on quite a bit. The volume varied from time to time. Then it was quieter for a bit. I’m not sure what it was trying to achieve nor whether it achieved it, and audience members were leaving with some regularity. I was tempted but I stayed. During a very pretty solo cello line four people sat down in the empty row in front of me—go figure. I don’t even remember how the piece ended, as I had stopped taking notes by then. 

The modern stuff was not exactly my cup of tea either, but I stayed all the way through. Would I hear any of the three modern pieces again? Maybe. But only if only one of them was on the program and there was something else on the program that I really wanted to hear. 

A note about the scores the musicians play from. More and more, they are not physical paper scores, they’re electronic (I’m assuming iPad, but I could be wrong). At one point, the first violin’s electronic device malfunctioned. She had to physically walk back two rows to see another violinist’s device in order to cue her own back up. I’d never seen that happen before. What a world.

ConcertMeister

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (7/22/25)

Nosky's Baroque Band
Aissslinn Nosky, Director & Violin Soloist

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), Concerto Grosso in D major, Op. 6, No. 5, HWV 323, (1739) 1. Allegro, 2. Presto, 3. Largo, 4. Allegro, 5. Minuet 

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), Sonata a 5 in B flat major, HWV 288, (1707) 1. Andante, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), Concerto for Organ and Violin in F major, Hob. XVIII:6, (1766)  1. Allegro Moderato, 2. Largo, 3. Presto

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), Concerto in D minor, Op. 3, No. 11, RV 565, (1711)
1. Allegro, 2. Adagio e Spiccato, 3. Allegro, Largo e Spiccato, 4. Allegro

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), Violin Concerto in G major, Hob. VIIa:4, (1769)  1. Allegro Moderato, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro Encore – Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), Concerto per Violino in Bb, RV 372a, (1716 to 1740) 1. Andante

The audience was quite large, probably because of the picture-perfect weather. The first movement of the Handel concerto grosso was a rather stately Allegro that got a little more energetic (but not too much) followed by a lightly brisk Presto (second movement). The third movement was calm, subdued, and almost haunting that led into a pseudo-segue fourth movement, a bright, cheerful Allegro that was a lot of fun. Fittingly, to match the first movement, there was a stately Minuet to finish.

After tuning, which happened often at the beginning of works, the Handel sonata had a solid opening, workmanlike, but not in a bad way. The second movement was also solid, almost-but-not-quite somber. The third was brisk and lively – a baroque version of off to the races, especially for the concertmaster (Ms. Nosky).

While the organ played in all of the pieces, it was prominent in the Haydn concerto. The first movement was cheerful, nicely featuring the organ and then the solo violin. It was a rather extensive movement, with a bit of an organ/violin cadenza. The second was gentle and calm, though still full bodied. There were fun violin and organ solos with the rest of the band providing pizzicato accompaniment, and there was another duet cadenza. My notes for the third were simple – bright, happy Haydn.

The Vivaldi concerto pitted two violins and one cello versus the rest of the band (I'm using band since the total number of players was ten). The first movement was almost perpetual motion, which is sort of a Vivaldi hallmark. Take a look at the names of movements two and three – I had to look up spiccato. Here's what Wikipedia has to say: spiccato [spik'ka:to] is a bowing technique for string instruments in which the bow appears to bounce lightly upon the string. The term comes from the past participle of the Italian verb spiccare, meaning "to separate". Now, back to the music. The second movement was slower but with a dance-like feel, while the third was still subdued, even though it was a bit quicker in tempo. It segued nicely into the fourth movement which was pleasant all the way around.

The second Haydn piece's first movement was bright, both in key and in tempo, a little lengthy (Haydn expanding the baroque?) including a violin cadenza that was more full than the others and not at the end of the movement. The second movement was slow and solid and really featured the solo violin, including another interior cadenza. The third was jaunty and fun, just the way this concert should have ended.

But wait, there's more! We got an encore. I didn't take any notes, as I had already started packing up. It was brief and enjoyable, and I think it's the first encore I've experienced at a Naumbug bandshell concert. 

ConcertMeister

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (7/8/25)

Orchestra of St. Luke's

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) String Symphony no. 10 in B minor, MWV N 10, (1823) 1. Adagio – Allegro – più presto 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), Divertimento in D major, K 136, (1772) 1. Allegro, 2. Andante, 3. Presto 

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904), Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22, (1875) 1. Moderato, 2. Menuetto, 3. Scherzo, 4. Larghetto, 5. Finale

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) String Symphony No.12 in G minor, MWV N 12, (1823)
1. Fuga (Grave), 2. Andante, 3. Allegro molto – più allegro

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K 525, (1787) 1. Allegro, 2. Romance: Andante, 3. Menuetto: Allegretto, 4. Finale: Rondo Allegro 

The program looked good on paper, and I was really looking forward the Dvořák.  It's a piece I danced to when I was in college, paired with a Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings. (Oh, the things that are stuck in these old gray cells.) Alas, the weather did not cooperate. We heard the first Mendelssohn work and the first movement of the Mozart as well as a portion of the second movement.

Even though there were a few sprinkles, the concert began as scheduled. Sort of. The program listed above was not the order of the works in the printed program. The Naumburg website was updated, so I did a copy/paste.

The Mendelssohn began in a slightly foreboding way, neither dour nor dire, just pensive. A quick tempo change followed that was pleasant and upbeat. And then it was off to the races for the finish.

I'm not a key person per se (some people have visceral reactions to the key a piece is in), but after the B minor Mendelssohn, the D major Mozart was definitely bright from the get-go, bright and fun. The second movement was gentle and almost song-like. Then the rain came down harder. Then there was lightning, which is always a no-no. The concert was paused and then canceled. And I've still never heard the Dvořák live. I'll have to keep my eyes and ears on the lookout for other live performances.

Fortunately, the Naumburg concert on July 22 had perfect weather, so you'll hear more about that one later.

ConcertMeister

Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (6/24/25)

 A Far Cry

A Far Cry is a Boston-based collective of musicians—there is no director, each musician has equal input. That's their story and I'm sticking with it.

The program:
Overture & Chorale (2020) – Andrea Casarrubios (b. 1988)

Say for String Orchestra, arr. Washington (2016) – Shelley Washington (b. 1991) 

“La Follia” Variations for String Orchestra (2011) – Francesco Geminiani (1687–1762) / Michi Wiancko (b. 1976) 

Metamorphosen (1945) – Richard Strauss (1864–1949)

It's interesting hearing new, or newer, music. Unfortunately, it's not easy knowing when to applaud. More about that later. The Casarrubios was scored for seven strings*. It had a lovely, subdued opening with three cellos, almost bordering on, but not quite getting to, somber. A short piece, it sort of left us in a lurch. [Yes, I led the applause.]

After tuning, we had the sing?/chant?/speak? features of Say for String Orchestra. There was body percussion. There were stomps/claps/singing/chanting/humming as well as actually playing the instruments. [I decided to not lead the applause. It took a little longer to begin.]

After tuning again, the Geminiani/Wiancko, with a larger group, had a fuller sound which I really liked. It was definitely my favorite piece on the first half of the concert. I also liked the shifting dynamics and tempi of the variations. The tapping of instruments (plus a tambourine), while welcome, tended to wear out the welcome.

With twenty-three strings, the Strauss was the closest we got to an orchestra. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The low strings, slightly ominous, turned a little more hopeful. But only a little. I wanted to be more moved by the work than I was. [I led the applause again.]

All in all, an enjoyable evening of music.

*plus chirping birds

ConcertMeister

Law and DISorder (6/19/25)

Marc Bellassai – Harpsichord

The Inns of Court – Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)

Lincoln’s Inn Mask; Mask: The Fairest Nymph 

The German Virginal in a Time of Pietism  

Ein guter Wein ist lobenswerdt – Bernard Schmidt the Elder (1535–1592); Fantasia [on Rowland] from Uppsala Ihre Ms. 285 – Franz Tunder (1614–1667); Lucidor einst hüt’t der Schaf from Lynar A1 – ‘M.W.’; Præambulum (10 Jan 1637) – Heinrich Scheidemann (1595–1663); Betrubet ist zu diese Frist (1630); Christ lag in Todesbanden – Georg Böhm (1661–1733)

Dei delitti e delle pene

 from Sonata in C minor: Moderato ~ Allegretto – Baldassare Galuppi (1706–1785)

Sopra la Ribellione di Ungheria (1671) – Alessandro Polietti (d. 1683)

 Toccatina: Galop ~ Sarabande la Sentence ~ La Decapitation – avec Discretion ~ Les Kloches – Requiem eternam dona eis Domine

from Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080 – J.S. Bach (1685–1750)

Contrapunktus VI in stile francese [untitled in ca. 1742–1746 holograph]  

Whew! If a lot of those names are new to you, join the club.

Mr. Bellassai played quite well. Alas, the eleven pieces were very similar, and with the slowing tempo toward the ends of the works, it was hard to tell whether one piece segued into another or whether it was actually the end of the piece.

At one point, when a musical line went all the way down to the lower end of the harpsichord keyboard, he almost fell off the bench PDQ Bach–style (or was it Victor Borge?) before dramatically turning the page. It garnered a few chuckles. Emphasis on few. 

We finally got to the Law and DISorder portion of the concert during the Polietti. In between the Sarabande la Sentence and La Decapitation – avec Discretion, we were asked to All Rise. We did. We were asked to judge – Guilty or Not Guilty?

We had no idea. He pronounced Guilty and proceeded to play the rest of the piece. Why, yes, it was slightly schlocky. But the piece was interesting, as was the Bach that ended the program.

Of course, there was the requisite cell phone that went off before the Bach. It was not mine. 

ConcertMeister

(p.s. I never learned who 'M.W.' was.)