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.)