Open House New York 2022 – Day Two (10/23/22)

Here’s my official list: Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (11:00am tour); Lotus Garden (1pm); St. Michael’s Church (1pm–4:30pm); 1014 Fifth Ave. (4pm tour.)

The 11am tour was not a tour (and I was not the only one who asked about it). It was a very interesting 17-minute video about the history of the building in Central Park and the history of marionette performances in NYC from the ’40s and ’50s through to today. After the video, I asked about the scenery on display for a later performance in the afternoon. It was for (if I’m remembering correctly) “Waking Daisy”, an updated version of “Sleeping Beauty”. And, apparently, there is still a puppet-mobile that wends its way through the five boroughs offering free marionette performances.

Lotus Garden is a community garden atop a parking garage at Broadway and 97th Street. Even though OHNY was scheduled for 1pm, I managed to sneak into an early walk-through-talk-through before the rain sprinkles started to interfere. The OHNY gardener who was a part of this particular community garden was incredibly knowledgeable and gave us insights on the garden and her garden associates, even if she disagreed with their particular choices. It was great to hear perspectives about a joint venture.

My next stop (after a break for a beer at Dive Bar, since I was ahead of schedule and it was drizzling) was St. Michael’s Episcopal Church at 255 W. 99th Street. I know this venue very well, since I’ve heard multiple concerts there in the past. The self-guided tour was great, featuring a lot of history about the stained-glass windows. Many were Tiffany (and this was the third building on this particular site of land). One was of St. Faith, the second stained-glass window of St. Faith I saw in two days. They were very different. Even though today was a gray, drizzly day, I have seen most of these stained-glass windows in their full, sunny glory.

My final 2022 OHNY visit was 1014 Fifth Avenue. It has a history dating back to 1906; a six-story townhouse (one of twins, alas, one was demolished) that is squeezed in, mid-block (83rd/84th?), amid the newer co-ops that replaced many of the mansions on upper Fifth Avenue. After years as a private townhouse, for years it was the Goethe-Institut. It no longer is, but the building is still owned by the German government. And even though it’s going through a third/fourth renovation, it will still be a link between Germany and NY/USA, as it will host exhibits/lectures/performances when the renovation is completed.

ConcertMeister

Open House New York 2022 – Day One

Art Students’ League – 215 W. 57th St., Manhattan; The Church of the Transfiguration (The Little Church Around the Corner) – 1 E. 29th St., Manhattan; New York Print Center – 535 W. 24th St., Manhattan; Webster Hall @ Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan

My first stop was the American Fine Arts Society building on W. 57th Street. I barely made it in time for the 11:00am tour (thank you, MTA) (ß that was sarcasm). The building dates from 1892, and the AFAS initials were on a stained glass window and the mosaic tile floor on the first floor level. Our knowledgeable tour guide (also a student at the Art Students’ League) challenged us to find another AFAS rendition in the main foyer. We failed. AFAS was on every doorknob in the foyer. The things you learn on an OHNY tour! We saw an actual painting studio with artists/students at work, a sculpting studio (sans the life model), and various other locations. Well worth the trip. Oh did I mention that OHNY is free?

My second (and third, more on that later) stop was the Little Church Around the Corner. This is a space I have been in before, since it was used this past spring as a venue for Gotham Early Music Scene’s Midday Concerts that I attended with some regularity. OHNY offered an organ recital and a guided tour (at two different times, hence the second and third stop). The organ was installed in the church in the 1980s, though the church dates back at least a hundred years before that. The organ was made by the C.B. Fisk company and was made by hand in Massachusetts, disassembled and then reassembled on site in NYC. It is a mechanical organ, meaning that a lot of the work (not the bellows) is done by hand. The organist, in this case Claudia Dumschat, needs to pull individual stops as the registration for each of the three keyboards for each individual piece.

The program: Purcell: Trumpet Tune; J.S. Bach: Aria, transcribed by Virgil Fox; Handel: From Water Music; J.S. Bach: St. Anne Fugue; and Widor: Toccata from Symphony V. You’ve probably heard the Purcell at a wedding or three. It’s brash and fun. The first Bach had a softer sound (string stops from the organ) with the theme set off as a solo line in the second iteration, followed by a much fuller section (to be expected from a V. Fox transcription), though the piece never lost its contemplative nature. The Handel was gentle, and featured the oboe as a solo stop. The organ really can be a one-person symphony orchestra. The Bach fugue was quite majestic at the outset, and it was pretty easy to hear the main tune (O God, Our Help in Ages Past) jumping in and out. The Widor was bright, brisk, and loud! I saw two young girls literally sit up quickly and glance at each other as the piece began.

I should have liked the Print Center exhibit better than I did. It dealt with printed versions of the way sound made the artists react. Some were OK by me; some were a bit too abstract for me.

Webster Hall was a large installation with a lot of text about the history of urban planning in NYC. Too much text for me to wade through at the end of a fairly long day.

I have three stops planned for OHNY tomorrow, weather permitting. Wish me luck!
p.s. I volunteered this year, though I was on call on Friday, and never got called. It still counts as a year of volunteering, though.

ConcertMeister

Mr. Jones & The Engines of Destruction (10/6/22)

 This Easy and Agreeable Instrument: The English Guittar

Daniel Swenberg ~ English guittar & archlute; Andrew Rutherford ~ English guittar & theorbo; Marcia Young ~ soprano & harp; Leah Nelson ~ Baroque violin

Care Luci, Lesson III for 2 Guittars; Siciliano ~ Jigg ~ Minuet – Ann Ford (1737–1824)
Lesson XV, Duet in F Major – Frederic Schumann (fl. 1750–1770)
Mr. Handel’s Water Piece – G.F. Handel (1685–1759) (Arranged Robert Bremner)
The Bush Aboon Traquair; Instructions for the Guitar by Robert Bremner, 1758
Down the Burn Davie; Calliope, Volume 1 (First Printing), 1737
Grein grews ye rshes; The Ladies Pocket Guide or the Compleatt Tutor for the Guittar by David Rutherford, c. 1756
Up We’t Eli Eli; Instructions for the Guitar by Robert Bremner
Sonata II in F Major for Guittar and Violin; Largo ~ Allegro ~ Minuet ~ Gigue – Rudolf Straub (1717–1785)
Sonata for Guittar and Violin; Allegro ~ Andante ~ Gigue – J.C. Bach (1735–1782)
Sonata for Guittar and Continuo; Sonata in C minor for Violin and Continuo – Francesco Geminiani (1687–1762)
                           A letter from Miss F__d ~ Ann Ford vs. the Earl of Jersey
Se tutti gli Alberi, from Instructions and Lessons – Ann Ford, 1761
The Slighted Lover, from The Musical Entertainer – G. Bickham,
1740 A New Ballad To An Old Tune – from A Letter from Miss F__d, 1761

Well, that was a lot to wade through, eh? This was another concert sponsored by the Gotham Early Music Scene. The English guittar is a genteel instrument. As announced from the stage, there are two ‘t’-s because the name was based on the kithara/cittera, though I could not substantiate that. It’s sometimes hard working from the spoken word. 

At any rate, I will not be commenting on each work. The guittar duets were, for the most part, slow and gentle since the instrument does not have the capabilities of a loud, strong sound, though the second section of the second duet was fuller and more intricate. 

Mr. Handel’s piece was rhythmic, with a lot of forward motion. Indeed, it felt like we were floating along. One section reminded me of a harpsichord style, i.e., I was aware of more strongly plucked strings. After the piece, it was announced that the wire strings of the English guittar are quite similar to harpsichord strings. 

The pieces with guittar and harp were also rather genteel. The harp in question was a handheld harp, not the large orchestral harp with pedals. Sometimes it was harp alone and sometimes the harpist also sang in a few sections. 

The two sonatas for guittar and violin were similar in style and included sections that were gentle and dance-like, some lively and bright, some fuller, and some with a driving rhythm. Adding the violin somehow made the guittar sound a little stronger, but that could just be a trick of the ears. 

The sonatas that included continuo added a theorbo into the mix. Do we all remember the theorbo—a lute on steroids? It’s like a regular lute but it has a very long neck so that bass sounds can be added by virtue of the longer strings. Both were similar in style (quel surprise!) and both were enjoyable. 

The last three pieces were based on, and were commentary on, a somewhat convoluted lawsuit dealing with Miss F__d being paid 800 pounds for various services rendered (or expected to be rendered). I think she won the lawsuit, but it was all too convoluted for me. 

What’s that you’re asking? The Engines of Destruction? In 1605, an architect brought the newly developed theorbo from Italy to England. At Dover, customs impounded it, afraid that it was some engine from popish lands that was being brought in to destroy the king. I’m not making this up you know! 

ConcertMeister

The Faucon (10/1/22)

Anna Tonna, mezzo-soprano; Aram Tchobanian, tenor; 2Flutes, Laura Falzon & Pamela Sklar; Adam Kent, piano 

The Faucon; On the destruction of Walsingham Abbey – John Edmunds (1913–1986)
From The Holy Sonnets of John Donne – Juliana Hall (b. 1958)
From Wherewith I Strive – Sheree Clement (b. 1955)
The Falcon – Ramiro Cortés (1933–1984)
From Música Callada, Vol. IV; Impresiones Íntimas – Frederic Pompou (1893–1987)
Chains of Love – Pamela Sklar (b. 1953)
Six Songs – John Edmunds
At the Twilight
 (World Premiere) – Pamela Sklar
Corpus Christi Carol
 (World Premiere) – Alma Hamilton (b. 1948) 

First, a few notes from the copious program notes provided. The Faucon, also known as the Corpus Christi Carol dates back centuries, most likely before 1500, since the first written example of the text was recorded in the early 1500s. Here’s a snippet of that text (in modern English):
Lully. lullay, lully, lullay!
 The falcon has borne my mate away.
….
By that bedside kneels a may (maiden),
 And she weeps both night and day.
And by that bed’s head there stands a stone,
 “Corpus Christi” (the body of Christ) written thereon. 

Now that that’s out of the way, there was a variety of music, a variety of performers, and a variety of dates of composers. There was variety in the dates/style of the texts set to music—Middle English, 6th century, 11th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, dates not given. The variety of music included pieces that had a modern folk song feel as well as very many that had a similar feel—declaimed texts set against modern, angular, i.e., spiky, accompaniments. 

The concert opened with two songs by the mezzo followed by five movements (from a nine-movement work) sung by the tenor, all seven accompanied by piano. The mezzo was back for three of the four movements from Wherewith I Strive. The first and last had two flutes and piano. In between those two was a brief solo flute interlude. 

The tenor returned with the pianist for The Falcon. Four solo piano movements followed, but it was hard for me to distinguish between the four. My scribbled notes never got past three. 

Chains of Love was for mezzo, two flutes and piano. Based on a poem by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, it had hints of Spanish flair, was calm and pretty, and was interesting to me because it laid out the Spanish text and then included the English text as a sort of second verse. 

The six John Edmunds songs that followed—three for tenor, three for mezzo—had the feel of a solo madrigal (the first two), with the last being brisk and dramatic. The three mezzo offerings were chipper, quick and brief, and then slower with, again, more modern and angular phrases for both voice and piano. 

At the Twilight opened with solo flute, then joined by piccolo and piano, then the tenor, and then the mezzo. It was very modern and dramatic, if a little hard to follow, compositionally. The final work was modern but a little more pleasing to my ear. It paired the two vocalists, paired the two flutes, and used the piano to bind them all together. It actually sounded like a carol, with its gently rocking rhythms. 

I liked the concert. I would have enjoyed it better without the modern, angular phrases for voice, piano, and other instruments, that were so prevalent throughout the afternoon.

ConcertMeister

Midtown Concerts (9/15/22)

Shakespeare’s Songs|
Sarah Pillow, Soprano; Ronn McFarlane, Lute; Sorab Wadia, Actor/Tenor

New season, new space. St. Malachy's on W. 49th Street

Twelfth Night ~ O Mistress Mine – Thomas Morley (1507–1602); Merry Wives of Windsor ~ Greensleeves – Anonymous (Ballet Lute Book c. 1590), Francis Cutting (c. 1550–1595/1596), Anonymous (Thysius Lute Book c. 1600); Fortune My Foe – John Dowland (1563–1626);
The Tempest ~ Where the Bee Sucks – Robert Johnson (1583–1633), Full Fathom Five, Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home – John Dowland (1563–1626); Othello ~ The Willow Song – Anonymous
Pavana in F major No. 1 “Bray” – William Byrd (1543–1623); As You Like It ~ It Was A Lover and His Lass – Thomas Morley (First Book of Ayres, 1600)

Sonnet 65 ~ Since brass, nor stone; Sonnet 29 ~ When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes; Sonnet 99 ~ The forward violet thus did I chide; Sonnet 30 ~ When to the sessions of sweet; Sonnet 66 ~ Tired with all these, for restful death I cry; Sonnet 25 ~ Let those who are in for with their stars

The first song was for soprano and lute, and it had a sort of folk song flavor. The three versions of Greensleeves, for solo lute, were (i) straightforward, (ii) more varied, and (iii) slightly fancier, with more ornamentation. 

Fortune My Foe (soprano and lute) began with an a cappella verse by the soprano, then the lute was added. With its slow tempo, it was not quite a dirge—but it was awfully close. After a solo lute interlude, it concluded with soprano and lute.  

Also for soprano and lute, Where the Bee Sucks was bright and jolly. The soprano and lutenist continued with Full Fathom Five, which opened slowly, picked up tempo a little, and (from the other side of the performance space) included the tenor in a little duet section that featured a nice setting of the text “ding dong bell.” A lute solo followed that was gentle and dance-like. 

The Willow Song (soprano and lute) was slow, slightly sad, and somewhat lengthy. A lute solo was up next. It was mournful and lovely, then there was a section that somehow managed to sound hopeful before returning to mournful. 

The concert closed with the soprano and lute with It Was a Lover and His Lass which, with its bright tempo, was cheerful and jolly. The sonnets were interspersed between and among the musical selections. 

Interestingly, at the beginning of the performance the audience was asked to treat the afternoon as a one-act play and reserve all applause until the end. And they/we actually did!

ConcertMeister

Rite of Summer Music Festival (9/10/22)

Sybarite5 

Groove Machine – Marc Mellits; Movement & Location – Punch Brothers (arr. Paul Kim); Yann’s Flight – Shawn Conley; Revolve – Radiohead (arr. Paul Kim); Three Armenian folk songs – Komitas; Con un nudo en la garganta – Pedro Giraudo; Slow Burn – Jessica Meyer ; My Desert, My Rose – Aleksandra Vrebalov 

Sybarite5 is a string quintet—a regular string quartet with a bass added. The music was mostly modern jazz. The first piece had driving rhythms from the get-go, with a mix of bowing and pizzicato (plucking). As I said, quite modern sounding. The second piece was very similar in style to the first, though it had an interesting solo cello line that was then passed around to the other players. 

The third was a gentler version of jazz that included more actual tunes. A middle section was a little more boisterous before returning to gentle. It went on a bit long, with a couple of phrases that sounded like they could be endings but weren’t, until one finally was. Revolve had lots of pizzicato playing in a modern jazz style again. Words that came to my mind were scattered, fractured, almost frantic, and ... lengthy. 

The three Armenian folk songs were introduced by the cellist, who informed us that this concert was her first with the group, as she recently joined them. I only caught the names of the first two—Red Shawl and Spring. The first had a lovely and lilting opening that carried through the entire piece, even when it built in intensity and tempo. The second was mysterious and moody, a haunting not-quite-dirge. The third was cheery and bright even though it was set in a minor key. These were my favorites of the afternoon. 

The sixth piece had a title that translates into “With a Knot in Your Throat.” It was gently dance-like, but gentle in a strong way before veering into almost frantic and finishing that way. The seventh piece was composed for this group, and had modern sounds that didn’t quite do it for me. 

My Desert, My Rose opened with a bass solo, then added cello, viola, and violins (first, then second). Somber but not sad, it had a slow build in intensity, sort of like a single idea that stretched way out until it just stopped. 

The encore was Radiohead’s Weird Fishes, not that I recognized it at all. It also got the frantic modern jazz treatment. While not always my cup of tea, I’m still certainly glad that I attended the concert, the last of this season’s Rite of Summer. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be back next season as well.

ConcertMeister

Rite of Summer Music Festival (8/20/22)

The Westerlies – Riley Mulherkar, Trumpet; Chloe Rowlands, Trumpet; Andy Clausen, Trombone; Willem de Koch, Trombone 

Andy Clausen: Robert Henry; Duke Ellington: Echoes of Harlem; Duke Ellington: Where’s the Music; Charles Ives: In The Mornin’; William Walker: Louisiana; Woody Guthrie: Two Good Men; John Prine: Way Back Then; Judie Sill: The Kiss; (Traditional, Arr. Golden Gate Quartet): Do Unto Others; (Traditional, Arr. Sam Amidon): Saro

Since there is a major scarcity of music for two trumpets and two trombones, a lot of the pieces were either arrangements of existing music or written specifically for the Westerlies. It made for a varied, interesting, and enjoyable concert. 

The first work was composed by one of the quartet members, Andy Clausen. It was jazzy but with a modern vibe. A second section was very modern but with a jazzy vibe. At one point I thought I heard a child crying. It was a trumpet. It seems the piece was written with Andy’s two-year-old nephew in mind, and the players were urged to improvise on a two-year-old’s reaction. It really worked well. The second piece had a stately opening, laying out the tune nicely, at times sounding like a chorale that gets sassy every once in a while. 

A pair of Duke Ellington pieces followed. Echoes of Harlem was definitely Harlem-tinged jazz with a trumpet soaring and almost wailing. Where’s the Music was in a slower tempo, chorale like and a bit bluesy. It was a nice change of pace. The Woody Guthrie was not a tune that I recognized, though I did get a sense of the folk era. 

Way Back Then was arranged for the Westerlies as a tribute to John Prine (a composer whose name I did not know) who died during the pandemic. It also had a bit of that folk era feel, and was mostly laid back and mellow. Indeed, a lovely tribute. The next piece, Louisiana, was based on shape note singing, a term I'm only vaguely familiar with. It was to be played in a walking tempo, but the group said they would (and did) play it more like a New York walking tempo. It was lively and upbeat, rather simplistic by nature, yet also enjoyable. 

The Kiss, by Judie Sill, began rather moodily, then went into a slightly more energetic and fuller section, before returning to moody. My notes for the piece that followed included that it was brisk, featuring trumpets—a jazzy spiritual? The happy birthday tune even made an appearance. After it was done, it was announced as Do Unto Others, a gospel tune. My guess of a jazzy spiritual was pretty darn close. 

The concert ended with an arrangement of Saro, an Old English folk ballad. It opened with a serene trumpet duet, staying serene even when all four players were in the mix. A middle section added some verve and drive before the piece wound down and faded out. 

This year’s Rite of Summer Music Festival concludes on Sept. 10, with a concert at 1pm, to be repeated at 3pm. It’s a lot of fun hearing music in an outdoor setting like Governors Island.

ConcertMeister