This one came about in a strange fashion. When I was at Songbook recently, one of the pieces incorporated a string quartet. When the string players were asked (the host always asks the performers) what they were up to, the cellist, Ben Larsen, said that he was busy with the running of Concerts on the Slope. That sounded familiar to me, so I checked out their website and, lo and behold, this concert popped up, so I decided to check it out. The Slope involved is Park Slope in Brooklyn, and the concerts take place (for the most part) in St. John’s Episcopal Church, one more new venue for me. The bassoonists were Joey Lavarias, Frank Morelli, Jorge Pacheco, Blair Shepperd, and Jacob Wellman.
Mr. Morelli teaches at the Juilliard School, and the other four are his students.
Highlights of the concert included a clever entrance—all five marching in to Marche funèbre d’une marionette, by Charles Gounod (1818–1893). For those of us of an age, it was instantly recognizable as the opening theme to Alfred Hitchcock Presents, from the 1950s and ’60s. Almost all of the music was presented in arrangements, but I’m not going to bother with naming names (or commenting on each work, for that matter). Two J.S. Bach (1685–1750) pieces followed—Fugue in c, BWV 537 and Air from 3rd Orchestral Suite in D, BWV 1068. The first, for the quintet, was nice, if a little bit muddy. I got most of the fugal entries but the internal themes sort of got lost. The second, for the student quartet, had a prominent theme accompanied by nicely done harmonies, including a bit of a jazz riff in one of the repeats.
The next piece, Thunder and Blazes, by Julius Fučik (1872–1916), would be recognized by all of you. Think of going to a circus and hearing the band play the always popular circus march—YA-da-dadada-YA-da-da-da—got it? This was for the quintet again, with each player at the forefront with different themes, from time to time. A Cantilena by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) didn’t quite cut it for me, though it obviously hits the spot for Mr. Morelli, in that he did the arrangement himself for solo bassoon and bassoon quartet and has recorded it at least once.
“Le Phénix,” by Michele Corrette (1707–1795), was the only piece that was not an arrangement, essentially a concerto for bassoon and continuo. Mr. Morelli played the continuo part for all three of the movements, with the solo part taken by three different students, while the other students acted as a small bassoon orchestra. My brief notes included (i) bright and energetic, (ii) chorale-style feeling to the opening, and (iii) more jaunty than the first movement, if a little long-winded (no pun intended).
After intermission, three arias from The Barber of Seville, Giacchino Rossini (1792–1868) followed. They also didn’t quite cut it for me. Lascia ch’io pianga, from Rinaldo, George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), fared a little better, with a good choral/organ sound that was simple yet effective in what was really a wonderful arrangement. A pseudo-medley from West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), consisting of Tonight, Maria, America, and Somewhere, was really quite pleasant. Alas, the same could not be said for
Mr. Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, where I found the scoring to be a little too muddy, again, for my taste. Having many of the individual tunes/phrases in the lower range of the bassoons made them difficult to distinguish.
That said, I liked bassoon quartets and quintets far better than the concert looked on paper. And I’ll probably go back to the Slope again. If you go, while it’s listed as a free concert, they also have a basket for a free-will offering and, as mentioned from the front of the church during intermission, all of the collected funds go directly to the performers. It seems like a bit of a guilt trip to me, and while I didn’t contribute on Sunday, I probably will in the future.
ConcertMeister
Friday, October 7, 2016
Monday, October 3, 2016
New Season – Songbook (9/26/16)
I'm posting this directly online, which is not my favorite way to go. But ...
Will Aronson, composer and lyricist, was celebrated on Monday, Sept. 26 (appropriately the beginning of Songbook's 26th season).
I really liked his stuff, though I'm not sure I heard his lyrics (unless he collaborates with book writers and lyricists on his shows). And yes, I say shows. Several have been produced, though still works in process, and several have upcoming productions (most notably, in Korea!).
The format was great—we got songs from already written shows grouped together (with a few exceptions).
Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Günter
Mother, Me & the Monsters
Pete the Cat (split)
Wind-Up Girl
What I Learned from People
My first notes from hearing Come Home Safe (H & G & H & G) were, "Nicely complex composition that is totally believable and understandable." While this didn't hold true for the entire evening, it set a great tone. Dear Random Stranger was an effective story/patter song duet for Hansel & Gretl. The third piece from this segment also highlighted great harmony, both in the composition and singing.
Mother, Me & the Monsters, the opening number from its show, had shifting, overlapping rhythms and text that was a little cluttered, but it grew on me. Poem on My Pants had a rock flair with a touch of hip-hop. Sometimes Someone You Love was styled very successfully, with a light pop/rock feel.
The Sneezing Song, from Pete the Cat (currently on tour) was a cute novelty (ah-choo!) song.
The songs from Wind-Up Girl (Work in Progress, Clockwork World) were a little obvious—lots of clicking and clacking but pleasant.
We then revisited a song from H & G & H & G, Best. Meal. Ever. (sung by the witch) which was a bit over the top for me, but it may work in the context of the show.
The four songs from What I Learned from People seemed the weakest to me. It's going into production in Korea soon, and my guess is that there will be some fine tuning going on. Interestingly, a string quartet was involved in a 'mood piece' here, and the cellist (when asked what he was up to—John Znidarsic does this with everyone) commented that he was involved with a new concert series, Concerts on the Slope. I scoped them out and went to one of their concerts on October 2. How cool is that? But I digress.
The finale was VW Bus from Pete the Cat, which was an old-school rock 'n' roll number sung by three great performers, singing with a great vibe.
In fact, that was the tone of the entire evening—truly polished compositions from a composer/lyricist who really teamed well with other lyricists and book writers.
ConcertMeister
This was definitely one of the better Songbooks I've seen in a while.
Will Aronson, composer and lyricist, was celebrated on Monday, Sept. 26 (appropriately the beginning of Songbook's 26th season).
I really liked his stuff, though I'm not sure I heard his lyrics (unless he collaborates with book writers and lyricists on his shows). And yes, I say shows. Several have been produced, though still works in process, and several have upcoming productions (most notably, in Korea!).
The format was great—we got songs from already written shows grouped together (with a few exceptions).
Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Günter
Mother, Me & the Monsters
Pete the Cat (split)
Wind-Up Girl
What I Learned from People
My first notes from hearing Come Home Safe (H & G & H & G) were, "Nicely complex composition that is totally believable and understandable." While this didn't hold true for the entire evening, it set a great tone. Dear Random Stranger was an effective story/patter song duet for Hansel & Gretl. The third piece from this segment also highlighted great harmony, both in the composition and singing.
Mother, Me & the Monsters, the opening number from its show, had shifting, overlapping rhythms and text that was a little cluttered, but it grew on me. Poem on My Pants had a rock flair with a touch of hip-hop. Sometimes Someone You Love was styled very successfully, with a light pop/rock feel.
The Sneezing Song, from Pete the Cat (currently on tour) was a cute novelty (ah-choo!) song.
The songs from Wind-Up Girl (Work in Progress, Clockwork World) were a little obvious—lots of clicking and clacking but pleasant.
We then revisited a song from H & G & H & G, Best. Meal. Ever. (sung by the witch) which was a bit over the top for me, but it may work in the context of the show.
The four songs from What I Learned from People seemed the weakest to me. It's going into production in Korea soon, and my guess is that there will be some fine tuning going on. Interestingly, a string quartet was involved in a 'mood piece' here, and the cellist (when asked what he was up to—John Znidarsic does this with everyone) commented that he was involved with a new concert series, Concerts on the Slope. I scoped them out and went to one of their concerts on October 2. How cool is that? But I digress.
The finale was VW Bus from Pete the Cat, which was an old-school rock 'n' roll number sung by three great performers, singing with a great vibe.
In fact, that was the tone of the entire evening—truly polished compositions from a composer/lyricist who really teamed well with other lyricists and book writers.
ConcertMeister
This was definitely one of the better Songbooks I've seen in a while.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Late-Summer Update
9/15/16 – ICE at the Library – Collecting Anna Thorvaldsdottir
9/17/16 – Norman Dee, flute, Josephine Chan Yung, piano
9/19/16 – repco360 – Works in Progress
ICE (the International Contemporary Ensemble), at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, presented two works by Anna Thorvaldsdottir:
Transitions (2015), for solo cello, and Sequences (2016) world premiere, for bass flute, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, and contrabassoon (subtitled, by me, “How Low Can You Go?”).
Often, when I hear a contemporary piece, I’ll post, “But I wouldn’t seek it out again.” Well, ICE took that option off the table. After Transitions, which I rather enjoyed, the host had a brief conversation/Q&A with the cellist, who commented on the composer’s use of broad, sustained lines, with little secondary inputs within the overall framework. Then the cellist played it again!
A herky-jerky, recorded (via Sk- y -pe) interview with the com- po -ser, stated that her music had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework (hmm, sounds familiar). We then heard Sequences. It had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework. After the Q&A with the quartet, I left. I did not need a second hearing; I did not need a second hearing of the first piece, for that matter.
The Flute & Piano concert held a little bit more interest for me:
Sonata in E minor, for Flute and Continuo, BWV 1034 – Adagio ma non tanto, Allegro, Andante, Allegro – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Introduction and Rondo – Friedrich D. R. Kuhlau (1786–1832)
Kleine Suite für Flöte Allein – Improvisation (Ruhig), Tanz (Schnell), Theme mit Variationen (Mässig Langsam) – Hugo Kauder (1888–1972)
Sonate, Opus 36 pour Violon & Piano (Transcription pour Flute & Piano par l’auteur) – Allegretto, Allegretto tranquillo, Andante non troppo/Allegro un poco agitato – Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937)
Kuhlau and Kauder were new to me, while Pierné was vaguely familiar. The Bach opened quite gently, almost plaintive yet very pretty, with varied rhythms and ranges, especially for the flute. The second movement was jaunty and bright, with a hint of perpetual motion. The third was gentle again, with less of that plaintive quality. The final movement was brisk, to the point of almost frantic (as in I wasn’t quite sure they would make it to the end, but they did).
The Kuhlau had fuller writing for the piano (indeed it was used as continuo in the Bach—a drier, lighter sound and compositional style), with a nice back and forth between flute and piano. In the Rondo proper, there were many ripples in both the flute and the piano. Alas, there was a mini-train wreck, and after stopping, the players resumed without any further problems. It finished with lots of pyrotechnics.
The Kauder showed the solo flute to good advantage, with a combination of flowing phrases, repeated sections, lively in a folk tune way in the first two movements. My notes said that it was like a showpiece that’s not too showy. The last movement had a somber theme, and variations that were subtle and interesting.
The Pierné was reminiscent of Debussy to me, though the program notes cited Fauré. It opened with rippling accompaniment to a rather jaunty flute tune, with some added touches of dramatic writing, in style as well as rhythmically and with volume shifts, though the first movement was a bit on the lengthy side. The second movement had interesting dance-like figures in both piano and flute, like a modern-ish waltz. The final movement included an introductory phrase with a few mildly dissonant harmonies, followed by a quick-tempo section with driving rhythms—virtuosic for both flute and piano. After a slower section, it went back to brisk, and then headlong into a rush to the end.
The folks at 360repco offered up two readings of plays that were works in progress. In fact, both were not completely written, so we were the equivalent of human guinea pigs. Sherry Bokser's With the Best of Intentions, presents a fairly dysfunctional family dealing with family drama, obsessions and possible sexual abuse. I say possible, because the play has not yet been completed.
Thom Fogarty's patient lover friend is a new take on the response to the ever-present AIDS crisis—from various viewpoints. Both works had very strong writing, and the cast that doubled in both plays (after having only one table reading before Monday's public reading) performed quite well. There was a brief Q&A session after each reading that took a bit of time to get off the ground, but I get the feeling that both authors got some interesting feedback.
Well that's the summer roundup—let the fall season begin!
ConcertMeister
9/17/16 – Norman Dee, flute, Josephine Chan Yung, piano
9/19/16 – repco360 – Works in Progress
ICE (the International Contemporary Ensemble), at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, presented two works by Anna Thorvaldsdottir:
Transitions (2015), for solo cello, and Sequences (2016) world premiere, for bass flute, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, and contrabassoon (subtitled, by me, “How Low Can You Go?”).
Often, when I hear a contemporary piece, I’ll post, “But I wouldn’t seek it out again.” Well, ICE took that option off the table. After Transitions, which I rather enjoyed, the host had a brief conversation/Q&A with the cellist, who commented on the composer’s use of broad, sustained lines, with little secondary inputs within the overall framework. Then the cellist played it again!
A herky-jerky, recorded (via Sk- y -pe) interview with the com- po -ser, stated that her music had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework (hmm, sounds familiar). We then heard Sequences. It had broad lines, with secondary inputs within the overall framework. After the Q&A with the quartet, I left. I did not need a second hearing; I did not need a second hearing of the first piece, for that matter.
The Flute & Piano concert held a little bit more interest for me:
Sonata in E minor, for Flute and Continuo, BWV 1034 – Adagio ma non tanto, Allegro, Andante, Allegro – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Introduction and Rondo – Friedrich D. R. Kuhlau (1786–1832)
Kleine Suite für Flöte Allein – Improvisation (Ruhig), Tanz (Schnell), Theme mit Variationen (Mässig Langsam) – Hugo Kauder (1888–1972)
Sonate, Opus 36 pour Violon & Piano (Transcription pour Flute & Piano par l’auteur) – Allegretto, Allegretto tranquillo, Andante non troppo/Allegro un poco agitato – Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937)
Kuhlau and Kauder were new to me, while Pierné was vaguely familiar. The Bach opened quite gently, almost plaintive yet very pretty, with varied rhythms and ranges, especially for the flute. The second movement was jaunty and bright, with a hint of perpetual motion. The third was gentle again, with less of that plaintive quality. The final movement was brisk, to the point of almost frantic (as in I wasn’t quite sure they would make it to the end, but they did).
The Kuhlau had fuller writing for the piano (indeed it was used as continuo in the Bach—a drier, lighter sound and compositional style), with a nice back and forth between flute and piano. In the Rondo proper, there were many ripples in both the flute and the piano. Alas, there was a mini-train wreck, and after stopping, the players resumed without any further problems. It finished with lots of pyrotechnics.
The Kauder showed the solo flute to good advantage, with a combination of flowing phrases, repeated sections, lively in a folk tune way in the first two movements. My notes said that it was like a showpiece that’s not too showy. The last movement had a somber theme, and variations that were subtle and interesting.
The Pierné was reminiscent of Debussy to me, though the program notes cited Fauré. It opened with rippling accompaniment to a rather jaunty flute tune, with some added touches of dramatic writing, in style as well as rhythmically and with volume shifts, though the first movement was a bit on the lengthy side. The second movement had interesting dance-like figures in both piano and flute, like a modern-ish waltz. The final movement included an introductory phrase with a few mildly dissonant harmonies, followed by a quick-tempo section with driving rhythms—virtuosic for both flute and piano. After a slower section, it went back to brisk, and then headlong into a rush to the end.
The folks at 360repco offered up two readings of plays that were works in progress. In fact, both were not completely written, so we were the equivalent of human guinea pigs. Sherry Bokser's With the Best of Intentions, presents a fairly dysfunctional family dealing with family drama, obsessions and possible sexual abuse. I say possible, because the play has not yet been completed.
Thom Fogarty's patient lover friend is a new take on the response to the ever-present AIDS crisis—from various viewpoints. Both works had very strong writing, and the cast that doubled in both plays (after having only one table reading before Monday's public reading) performed quite well. There was a brief Q&A session after each reading that took a bit of time to get off the ground, but I get the feeling that both authors got some interesting feedback.
Well that's the summer roundup—let the fall season begin!
ConcertMeister
Thursday, September 8, 2016
When Sugar Hill Was Sweet (9/3/16)
This was an event that I heard about on WQXR—but only briefly. I eventually jotted down the web address they gave, and searched for it, unfortunately getting very little concrete information. Finally I learned that there was going to be an afternoon of panels, talks and a concert. The time was listed as 12:00pm–6:00pm. Not knowing what to expect, I managed to find Sugar Hill Park (it’s in Harlem), arriving a little before noon (I’m an early person). They were still in the middle of setting up and doing sound checks, so I spread out my towel on the (rather uneven) lawn to settle in and wait. I saw one gal who looked like she was probably in charge, and asked whether there was a printed program or a schedule of events. After receiving a program booklet, I learned that the event was properly titled Echoes of the Era: Music from 409 and 555 Edgecombe–Concert and Panel Discussion. So far, so good, but I still didn’t know when anything would be happening. So I just decided to wing it.
It turns out that 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue are large, somewhat ornate apartment buildings (both still there and still apartment buildings) that featured in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and ’30s. From my notes and memory, the names W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Billy Strayhorn, and Count Basie, among others, all featured in the music from 409 and 555. Alas, there was never a schedule presented of which events would be held when.
It turns out that the panel discussion was first, and that kicked into gear around 1:30pm. The moderator was Felipe Luciano, who hosted Herb Boyd and Terrance McKnight as panelists. It was interesting, and tied into the idea of “where are you from?” and how it related to those musical members of 409 and 555, and how it’s really the question for all of us. As the table for the discussion was cleared away, we moved into the concert portion.
Because of the lack of printed material, names of pieces and composers will be a little haphazard. The concert began with a couple of pieces played by the West Village Quartet, a string quartet. Both pieces were fairly modern but with pleasing melodies and harmonies. The quartet was then joined by Angela L. Owens (soprano) and Charles David Carter (bass-baritone) for a performance of the Gershwins’ Bess, You Is My Woman Now. They sang well, though the blend and balance with the string quartet was a little bit difficult, due to the outdoor setting, the microphones, and the somewhat windy day. Next, Ms. Owens, with
Roy Jennings (piano) and Wayne Smith (cello), sang a pair of songs by
André Previn with texts by Toni Morrison—from the lyrics, my best guess at titles is Stones in My Bed and In This Soft Place. They were also fairly modern settings and were pretty. Ms. Owens’ diction was quite good throughout the afternoon.
Mr. Carter and Mr. Jennings then presented We Shall Walk through the Valley in Peace, in Mr. Jennings’ (if I’m remembering correctly) arrangement, in modern-gospel style. It was very effective. Ms. Owens followed with The Paradox and Dawn, settings by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, also composed by
Mr. Jennings. Mr. Carter performed a Duke Ellington piece, In the Beginning, God, which has a choral arrangement as well as this solo version (information I gleaned from listening to snippets of a conversation in front of me on the lawn).
Ms. Owens then sang a Henry T. (“Harry”) Burleigh setting of Langston Hughes’ Lovely Dark and Lonely One and a setting of Hughes’ I Too Sing America.
Mr. Jennings then went to town on a rendition of (I think) Troubled Waters, to round out the section.
Next on the agenda was a set of jazz tunes played by Geri Allen, whose style reminded me of Mary Lou Williams. Indeed, via Wikipedia, Ms. Williams is one of Ms. Allen’s primary musical influences. I liked her compact style and technique. Though I can’t find a source (and I may be misremembering the title, or it might be a recent composition), Openhandedly was my favorite of her set, as it was a little less frantic and fractured than some of the other pieces she played. Her set finished with a rendition of an Erroll Garner piece (Moonlight? Moonglow?).
Melba Joyce was announced next (but then they said they were waiting for her to arrive), so they started setup for the Sugar Hill Quartet. That looked as though it would take a bit of time, and that’s when I went exploring Edgecombe Avenue and found 409 and 555. Once the quartet was set up (with a fifth player added, on trombone), Ms. Joyce kicked the set off with the unofficial Black American National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, in a nice arrangement, backed by the quar/quintet. I listened to the band play a couple of jazz tunes, and heard Ms. Joyce join them for a couple more, including Lover Come Back to Me. As it was approaching 4:30pm, and I had a bit of a trip back home, I didn’t see the need to stay till the very end.
So I learned a little bit more about Harlem and heard some varied music. Not a bad Saturday afternoon at all.
ConcertMeister
It turns out that 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue are large, somewhat ornate apartment buildings (both still there and still apartment buildings) that featured in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and ’30s. From my notes and memory, the names W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Billy Strayhorn, and Count Basie, among others, all featured in the music from 409 and 555. Alas, there was never a schedule presented of which events would be held when.
It turns out that the panel discussion was first, and that kicked into gear around 1:30pm. The moderator was Felipe Luciano, who hosted Herb Boyd and Terrance McKnight as panelists. It was interesting, and tied into the idea of “where are you from?” and how it related to those musical members of 409 and 555, and how it’s really the question for all of us. As the table for the discussion was cleared away, we moved into the concert portion.
Because of the lack of printed material, names of pieces and composers will be a little haphazard. The concert began with a couple of pieces played by the West Village Quartet, a string quartet. Both pieces were fairly modern but with pleasing melodies and harmonies. The quartet was then joined by Angela L. Owens (soprano) and Charles David Carter (bass-baritone) for a performance of the Gershwins’ Bess, You Is My Woman Now. They sang well, though the blend and balance with the string quartet was a little bit difficult, due to the outdoor setting, the microphones, and the somewhat windy day. Next, Ms. Owens, with
Roy Jennings (piano) and Wayne Smith (cello), sang a pair of songs by
André Previn with texts by Toni Morrison—from the lyrics, my best guess at titles is Stones in My Bed and In This Soft Place. They were also fairly modern settings and were pretty. Ms. Owens’ diction was quite good throughout the afternoon.
Mr. Carter and Mr. Jennings then presented We Shall Walk through the Valley in Peace, in Mr. Jennings’ (if I’m remembering correctly) arrangement, in modern-gospel style. It was very effective. Ms. Owens followed with The Paradox and Dawn, settings by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, also composed by
Mr. Jennings. Mr. Carter performed a Duke Ellington piece, In the Beginning, God, which has a choral arrangement as well as this solo version (information I gleaned from listening to snippets of a conversation in front of me on the lawn).
Ms. Owens then sang a Henry T. (“Harry”) Burleigh setting of Langston Hughes’ Lovely Dark and Lonely One and a setting of Hughes’ I Too Sing America.
Mr. Jennings then went to town on a rendition of (I think) Troubled Waters, to round out the section.
Next on the agenda was a set of jazz tunes played by Geri Allen, whose style reminded me of Mary Lou Williams. Indeed, via Wikipedia, Ms. Williams is one of Ms. Allen’s primary musical influences. I liked her compact style and technique. Though I can’t find a source (and I may be misremembering the title, or it might be a recent composition), Openhandedly was my favorite of her set, as it was a little less frantic and fractured than some of the other pieces she played. Her set finished with a rendition of an Erroll Garner piece (Moonlight? Moonglow?).
Melba Joyce was announced next (but then they said they were waiting for her to arrive), so they started setup for the Sugar Hill Quartet. That looked as though it would take a bit of time, and that’s when I went exploring Edgecombe Avenue and found 409 and 555. Once the quartet was set up (with a fifth player added, on trombone), Ms. Joyce kicked the set off with the unofficial Black American National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, in a nice arrangement, backed by the quar/quintet. I listened to the band play a couple of jazz tunes, and heard Ms. Joyce join them for a couple more, including Lover Come Back to Me. As it was approaching 4:30pm, and I had a bit of a trip back home, I didn’t see the need to stay till the very end.
So I learned a little bit more about Harlem and heard some varied music. Not a bad Saturday afternoon at all.
ConcertMeister
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Strange Saturday (8/27/16)
11th Annual Great Harlem Community Garden Tour
Rite of Summer Music Festival
My first thought upon waking up Saturday morning was that another peak rose season had come and gone without me visiting the Harlem Rose Garden. I even have a post card on display at work and I still forgot! My next thought was that if it was the last Saturday in August, that probably meant that the Harlem Community Garden Tour was happening. A quick look online proved me right. So I got my rear in gear, ran a few errands and made it up to 122nd Street, which was the kickoff point for the tour. One of the cool things about this tour is that they feed you. I had my annual taste of gumbo, along with a little bit of breakfast casserole and half a bagel. (They feed you at the end of the tour, too, but I wasn’t there for that part—more about that later.)
This was the eleventh iteration of the tour, but I’ve only been going for three or four years. Some of the gardens were repeats of former tours, while some were new or so vastly different from last year that they seemed new. There were also more people attending this year—they had two school buses for those who didn’t want to walk, as opposed to only one last year. I was one of the walkers, and there was also a small contingent of cyclists. A note on community gardens in NYC—they are undeveloped land that groups of citizens take over, clean up, and put to use as gardens. Some are just for fun while others are sometimes set up with individual plots where people grow flowers and/or veggies. It’s always a treat for me to see people’s creativity on view.
So, after I realized that it was garden tour day, I had to make up my mind when to ditch the tour, since the third concert in the Rite of Summer series was that afternoon. Rite of Summer usually does two performances, one at 1:00pm and a repeat at 3:00pm. And I have always opted for the early performance in the past, but made an exception because of the garden tour. After skedaddling down to the Governors Island ferry terminal, I took the two o’clock ferry, thinking that I had plenty of time to make the three o’clock performance. Oopsie! Because of the nature of the piece being performed, there was only one concert that afternoon, and it began at two o’clock. Phooey. (And I wasn’t the only one caught off guard, but it was totally my fault for not checking their website.)
The piece I ended up hearing most of was John Luther Adams’s Inuksuit, featuring 70+ percussionists, led by music director Amy Garapic. This was one strange piece of music. The full complement of performers gather together and then begin collective controlled breathing. As individuals separate from the group, they begin making percussive sounds. Some had rattles (maracas, shells, etc.) while others had cones of paper, sort of like megaphones, that they breathed sounds through. The most interesting sound maker that I saw was a guy rubbing the tops of two terra cotta flowerpots together. One part I found a little strange (and off-putting) was that as the musicians broke away from the group, they walked in a very specific controlled way, gazing straight ahead. Not quite Stepford wife–like, but close. Oh, there were also large seashells to blow through and those skinny tubes you can whirl around to make various pitches.
So the deal was that we, the audience, were encouraged to also leave the gathering place and make our way to the pre-set percussion areas set up around the Hills section of the island. I found the whole thing rather silly. At one point, I saw an unattended music stand blow over. An audience member set it back up. I said, “Maybe that’s part of the performance.” He chuckled. Here’s the thing—the piece will never be performed the same way twice, since it was designed to be performed by nine to ninety-nine players. Well, this one was certainly going to be different, because at one point I saw a couple of kids playing some of the as-yet-unattended drums. So they actually contributed to the overall performance.
The piece eventually went from soft to loud to soft. That’s about it, except that I should probably mention that the soft/loud/soft structure was stretched out over seventy minutes! I stayed to the bitter end (I think) as the playing dwindled down to a few triangles and wind chimes. Of course, there was no way to acknowledge the players because at the end of the piece they were still dispersed all around the Hills area. I viewed the performance as successful, in that they brought it off, and unsuccessful, in that it had no real positive impact on me. This is one I will never, ever, ever seek out again. My horizons were broadened, but that’s about it. I almost wish that I’d stayed with the garden tour and attended the cookout at the end of it. Oh, well, there’s always the twelfth iteration next year. And maybe I’ll even remember to have gone to the Harlem Rose Garden during peak rose blossom time next year, as well.
ConcertMeister
Rite of Summer Music Festival
My first thought upon waking up Saturday morning was that another peak rose season had come and gone without me visiting the Harlem Rose Garden. I even have a post card on display at work and I still forgot! My next thought was that if it was the last Saturday in August, that probably meant that the Harlem Community Garden Tour was happening. A quick look online proved me right. So I got my rear in gear, ran a few errands and made it up to 122nd Street, which was the kickoff point for the tour. One of the cool things about this tour is that they feed you. I had my annual taste of gumbo, along with a little bit of breakfast casserole and half a bagel. (They feed you at the end of the tour, too, but I wasn’t there for that part—more about that later.)
This was the eleventh iteration of the tour, but I’ve only been going for three or four years. Some of the gardens were repeats of former tours, while some were new or so vastly different from last year that they seemed new. There were also more people attending this year—they had two school buses for those who didn’t want to walk, as opposed to only one last year. I was one of the walkers, and there was also a small contingent of cyclists. A note on community gardens in NYC—they are undeveloped land that groups of citizens take over, clean up, and put to use as gardens. Some are just for fun while others are sometimes set up with individual plots where people grow flowers and/or veggies. It’s always a treat for me to see people’s creativity on view.
So, after I realized that it was garden tour day, I had to make up my mind when to ditch the tour, since the third concert in the Rite of Summer series was that afternoon. Rite of Summer usually does two performances, one at 1:00pm and a repeat at 3:00pm. And I have always opted for the early performance in the past, but made an exception because of the garden tour. After skedaddling down to the Governors Island ferry terminal, I took the two o’clock ferry, thinking that I had plenty of time to make the three o’clock performance. Oopsie! Because of the nature of the piece being performed, there was only one concert that afternoon, and it began at two o’clock. Phooey. (And I wasn’t the only one caught off guard, but it was totally my fault for not checking their website.)
The piece I ended up hearing most of was John Luther Adams’s Inuksuit, featuring 70+ percussionists, led by music director Amy Garapic. This was one strange piece of music. The full complement of performers gather together and then begin collective controlled breathing. As individuals separate from the group, they begin making percussive sounds. Some had rattles (maracas, shells, etc.) while others had cones of paper, sort of like megaphones, that they breathed sounds through. The most interesting sound maker that I saw was a guy rubbing the tops of two terra cotta flowerpots together. One part I found a little strange (and off-putting) was that as the musicians broke away from the group, they walked in a very specific controlled way, gazing straight ahead. Not quite Stepford wife–like, but close. Oh, there were also large seashells to blow through and those skinny tubes you can whirl around to make various pitches.
So the deal was that we, the audience, were encouraged to also leave the gathering place and make our way to the pre-set percussion areas set up around the Hills section of the island. I found the whole thing rather silly. At one point, I saw an unattended music stand blow over. An audience member set it back up. I said, “Maybe that’s part of the performance.” He chuckled. Here’s the thing—the piece will never be performed the same way twice, since it was designed to be performed by nine to ninety-nine players. Well, this one was certainly going to be different, because at one point I saw a couple of kids playing some of the as-yet-unattended drums. So they actually contributed to the overall performance.
The piece eventually went from soft to loud to soft. That’s about it, except that I should probably mention that the soft/loud/soft structure was stretched out over seventy minutes! I stayed to the bitter end (I think) as the playing dwindled down to a few triangles and wind chimes. Of course, there was no way to acknowledge the players because at the end of the piece they were still dispersed all around the Hills area. I viewed the performance as successful, in that they brought it off, and unsuccessful, in that it had no real positive impact on me. This is one I will never, ever, ever seek out again. My horizons were broadened, but that’s about it. I almost wish that I’d stayed with the garden tour and attended the cookout at the end of it. Oh, well, there’s always the twelfth iteration next year. And maybe I’ll even remember to have gone to the Harlem Rose Garden during peak rose blossom time next year, as well.
ConcertMeister
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (V of V) – (8/2/16)
Woo-hoo! I made it to all five concerts this summer, the last of which was with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), in a well-played eclectic program.
La Oración del Torero, “The Bullfighter’s Prayer” (1925) –
Joaquín Turina (1882–1949)
Selection of Madrigals – Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
String Theory (written for ECCO) (2015) – Pierre Jalbert (1967–)
Five Folk Melodies (1952) – Witold Lutoslawski (1913–1994)
Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 (1875) – I. Moderato;
II. Menuetto: Allegro con moto; III. Scherzo: Vivace; IV. Larghetto; V. Finale: Allegro vivace – Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) [not b. 1983, as printed in the program!]
The Turina, new to me, was originally composed for four lutes and was a mood piece with a touch of Spanish flair. Not quite conductor free, it was led by a female leader in the first violin position. The leaders changed throughout the program. It was pleasant, if lacking the feeling of a solid arc, and it ended very quietly. Almost to the point that you weren’t really sure the piece was over.
A different female led the Monteverdi Madrigals. I liked the structure and dance-like rhythms of the first one, the more lyrical, chorale feel of the second, and after a layered introduction, the sprightly and solid feel of the third. One doesn’t usually hear that much Monteverdi, and I’m glad we did.
After retuning, there was a male leader for the Jalbert. It began (Partials) with a modern feel, including swoops and harmonics (different microtones played on individual strings), and had a mix of pizzicato and rhythmic, driving sections. The second movement (Timeless) was much more static, with some very pretty, if dissonant, sounds, plus a couple of dramatic, almost angry-sounding sections. And the third (Rhythmus) certainly lived up to its name, with the orchestra sometimes providing a pulsing feel, and sometimes with fingers flying over the strings. Overall, the work was fairly successful but I don’t think I’ll be searching out another hearing any time soon.
In the Lutoslawski, led by a female, the small individual melodies seemed to be more influenced by folk elements as opposed to actually being folk melodies. Each section was a little gem that included some richness in the middle.
The Dvořák is one of my most favorite pieces and it was a joy to hear it again. Led by a male (possibly the same as from the Jalbert), the opening was gentle and melodic, with a great fullness, compositionally, incorporating tunes that build complete movements. It was light and graceful, but still had its own heft. With nice segues between movements, the second was dance-like but without being too light. The first and second movements had very similar endings. The third was light and bright, with a contrasting middle section and then a great build to the end. The fourth was very lyrical, without being sappy—with each movement Dvořák builds on the opening to expand the movement, and this one closed with a quiet grandeur. The fifth was, well, just a romp. And why not?
All in all a most satisfying ending to a summer (or any) concert series. I’m already looking forward to Naumburg’s 112th season!
ConcertMeister
La Oración del Torero, “The Bullfighter’s Prayer” (1925) –
Joaquín Turina (1882–1949)
Selection of Madrigals – Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
String Theory (written for ECCO) (2015) – Pierre Jalbert (1967–)
Five Folk Melodies (1952) – Witold Lutoslawski (1913–1994)
Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 (1875) – I. Moderato;
II. Menuetto: Allegro con moto; III. Scherzo: Vivace; IV. Larghetto; V. Finale: Allegro vivace – Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) [not b. 1983, as printed in the program!]
The Turina, new to me, was originally composed for four lutes and was a mood piece with a touch of Spanish flair. Not quite conductor free, it was led by a female leader in the first violin position. The leaders changed throughout the program. It was pleasant, if lacking the feeling of a solid arc, and it ended very quietly. Almost to the point that you weren’t really sure the piece was over.
A different female led the Monteverdi Madrigals. I liked the structure and dance-like rhythms of the first one, the more lyrical, chorale feel of the second, and after a layered introduction, the sprightly and solid feel of the third. One doesn’t usually hear that much Monteverdi, and I’m glad we did.
After retuning, there was a male leader for the Jalbert. It began (Partials) with a modern feel, including swoops and harmonics (different microtones played on individual strings), and had a mix of pizzicato and rhythmic, driving sections. The second movement (Timeless) was much more static, with some very pretty, if dissonant, sounds, plus a couple of dramatic, almost angry-sounding sections. And the third (Rhythmus) certainly lived up to its name, with the orchestra sometimes providing a pulsing feel, and sometimes with fingers flying over the strings. Overall, the work was fairly successful but I don’t think I’ll be searching out another hearing any time soon.
In the Lutoslawski, led by a female, the small individual melodies seemed to be more influenced by folk elements as opposed to actually being folk melodies. Each section was a little gem that included some richness in the middle.
The Dvořák is one of my most favorite pieces and it was a joy to hear it again. Led by a male (possibly the same as from the Jalbert), the opening was gentle and melodic, with a great fullness, compositionally, incorporating tunes that build complete movements. It was light and graceful, but still had its own heft. With nice segues between movements, the second was dance-like but without being too light. The first and second movements had very similar endings. The third was light and bright, with a contrasting middle section and then a great build to the end. The fourth was very lyrical, without being sappy—with each movement Dvořák builds on the opening to expand the movement, and this one closed with a quiet grandeur. The fifth was, well, just a romp. And why not?
All in all a most satisfying ending to a summer (or any) concert series. I’m already looking forward to Naumburg’s 112th season!
ConcertMeister
Monday, August 1, 2016
Theater Odds ’n’ Ends (8/1/16)
7/16/16, 7/20/16, 7/24/16, 7/30/16
One was not a freebie. More on that later. On July 16, I attended a series of one acts/playlets at Equity Library Theater (my first visit there, though I auditioned for many productions there in the past). There were four linked short plays with a Staten Island ferry theme. The link was a bit iffy and the four plays were uneven, at best. In an odd twist, some of the plays had an offstage reader providing stage settings and stage directions. Best Title Award goes to Nass-Holes, a treatise on the faking of the 1969 moon landing. Best Presentation Award goes to Worthless, a powerful piece for five actors which was the most fully fleshed out performance. Very strong; very moving.
July 20 was a matinée splurge of Something Rotten. Big, splashy Broadway musical with fun, sophomoric humor, and energy, energy, energy! What’s not to like? [Note to self: Avoid matinées with young kids. I’m glad they’re experiencing Broadway; I don’t need to hear the squealing.]
Next was a one-woman show directed by a former co-worker, Ron Bashford. Presented at the Stella Adler Center for New Works in Movement and Dance Theater (MAD), this was a new venue to me. Seven Devils and a French Nun – A True Story. Very enjoyable, though it’s hard to figure out whether/when it’s OK to laugh at a nun. Still, this nun rang bells, imitated priests, and a played a bunch of other nuns. Carine Montbertrand, a co-creator, was the one woman in this one-woman show and did a bang-up job.
Last, but not least, was the Instant Shakespeare Company reading of As You Like It. It’s worth listing all of the performers, some of whom are Actors’ Equity Association members (though the program omits the apostrophe, a bugaboo of mine). Charles Osborne, David Wetter, Clinton Powell, Kelsie Jepsen, Nathanael Taylor, Laura Iris Hill, Abby Wilde, Drew Bolander, Elliot Nesterman, and Paul Battiato. These folks (who were the bulk of the audience, as well) all did a fabulous job. Mr. Bolander showed a very expressive singing voice in his two songs. There were probably only five or six non-actor audience members, myself included.
This semi-staged reading (book in hand) was very, very funny. Mini-pratfalls, cross-gender double casting, funny rendition of the text. I was surprised by the audience members who had the text in front of them. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the performers as opposed to watching the script and the performers. I know very little about this company, but they seem to be really interested in performing the works of the Bard. New York peeps, you might want to check out the rest of their season. http://shakespeareinc.com/instant-shakespeare-company.html Enjoy!
ConcertMeister
One was not a freebie. More on that later. On July 16, I attended a series of one acts/playlets at Equity Library Theater (my first visit there, though I auditioned for many productions there in the past). There were four linked short plays with a Staten Island ferry theme. The link was a bit iffy and the four plays were uneven, at best. In an odd twist, some of the plays had an offstage reader providing stage settings and stage directions. Best Title Award goes to Nass-Holes, a treatise on the faking of the 1969 moon landing. Best Presentation Award goes to Worthless, a powerful piece for five actors which was the most fully fleshed out performance. Very strong; very moving.
July 20 was a matinée splurge of Something Rotten. Big, splashy Broadway musical with fun, sophomoric humor, and energy, energy, energy! What’s not to like? [Note to self: Avoid matinées with young kids. I’m glad they’re experiencing Broadway; I don’t need to hear the squealing.]
Next was a one-woman show directed by a former co-worker, Ron Bashford. Presented at the Stella Adler Center for New Works in Movement and Dance Theater (MAD), this was a new venue to me. Seven Devils and a French Nun – A True Story. Very enjoyable, though it’s hard to figure out whether/when it’s OK to laugh at a nun. Still, this nun rang bells, imitated priests, and a played a bunch of other nuns. Carine Montbertrand, a co-creator, was the one woman in this one-woman show and did a bang-up job.
Last, but not least, was the Instant Shakespeare Company reading of As You Like It. It’s worth listing all of the performers, some of whom are Actors’ Equity Association members (though the program omits the apostrophe, a bugaboo of mine). Charles Osborne, David Wetter, Clinton Powell, Kelsie Jepsen, Nathanael Taylor, Laura Iris Hill, Abby Wilde, Drew Bolander, Elliot Nesterman, and Paul Battiato. These folks (who were the bulk of the audience, as well) all did a fabulous job. Mr. Bolander showed a very expressive singing voice in his two songs. There were probably only five or six non-actor audience members, myself included.
This semi-staged reading (book in hand) was very, very funny. Mini-pratfalls, cross-gender double casting, funny rendition of the text. I was surprised by the audience members who had the text in front of them. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the performers as opposed to watching the script and the performers. I know very little about this company, but they seem to be really interested in performing the works of the Bard. New York peeps, you might want to check out the rest of their season. http://shakespeareinc.com/instant-shakespeare-company.html Enjoy!
ConcertMeister
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)