Keyboard Suite in D minor – I. Prelude; II. Allemande; III. Courante;
IV. Sarabande; V. Gigue – George Frederick Handel (1685–1759)
“Memories of That First Summer” – Wang Jie (b. 1980)
Two Pieces for Piano – “Dithyramb” (Andante appassionato); “Ode to the Past” (Lento) – Vladimir N. Drozdoff (1882–1960)
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 – I. Vivace ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo; II. Prestissimo; III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung (“Singingly, with the most inner feeling”) – Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo –
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
The Handel suite was an early work and was reminiscent of some of the J.S. Bach keyboard suites. I recall thinking, “This is not the Handel of Messiah fame.” The first movement had a lot of forward moving sound and energy, while the second had the feel of a two-part invention that then grew a bit. The third movement was gentle but still with a lot of motion. The fourth was slightly more rhythmic, including a little bit of tenderness, though there were hints of power, too. The fifth and final movement was bright and rhythmic, possibly theme and variations, and was explosive at times.
Ms. Jie’s piece was a wistful waltz that was tuneful, even with a few dissonances from time to time. A brighter, choppier section was next followed by a haunting section with added drama. It was continually pretty but wandered a bit—well, more than a bit, actually. Ms. Jie was in the audience and went on stage to take a bow with Ms. Levin.
The first of the Drozdoff pieces (a composer new to me) had a modern Romantic feel with big tunes and harmonies and a heart-warming quality. The second was gentler but still with rich harmonies, and pleasantly somber at times.
The first movement of the Beethoven was dramatic, expressive, and solid without being overwhelming. There were lots of musical ideas and you wanted to hear and enjoy every one of them. The second movement had a strong martial quality and then a calming response, and the third was a lovely song-like theme that was followed by several variations. I just sat back and enjoyed them.
All in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon of music.
ConcertMeister
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Dirty Music and Other Delights! (1/19/19)
A concert of music by Richard Pearson Thomas, featuring Amy Gluck,
Naho and Alberto Parrini, and Friends
Landscapes for Cello and Piano – Winter: Two Medicine; Perseid; Hi-Line – Alberto Parrini, cello; Richard Pearson Thomas, piano
the star to every wandering bark (theme and variations) – RPT, piano
Driving at Night – Naho Parrini, violin; Alberto Parrini, cello; RPT, piano
All Bets Are Off; Sonja; Winter Song (World Premiere) – Amy Gluck and
The Band
Dirty Music – Concerto for Amplified Violin and Burlesque Band –
Naho Parrini, violin, and The Band
Well. That’s a mouthful. Here’s the lowdown. The first half of the program was contemporary classical music composed by Mr. Thomas. All three of the classical pieces were interesting, if a little esoteric. A lot of it was blended, as in I couldn’t quite grasp the form and shape of the various phrases and their interrelations. My notes include things like very approachable and easy to listen to, and relatively simple theme, and a little atonal—a bit new age-y—and long. Not glowing, I’ll grant you, but at least it was listenable.
After a pause (no real intermission), Ms. Gluck arrived onstage with Mr. Thomas at the piano, and a six-piece band—clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, and drums—and we were off to the races.
All Bets Are Off was a fun, up tempo, jazzy song, Sonja had a subtle Latin beat, and Winter Song was wistful. While the first two were straightforward in the use of the band as accompaniment, though with moments to shine on their own, the third began with just piano and voice, and then the band slowly joined in, player by player. It was a subtle and effective technique that served the song very well.
Ms. Gluck was solid as a vocalist and the songs and sounds made me feel almost as if I were in an upscale cabaret. A cocktail would have been pleasant but, alas, there’s no eating or drinking allowed in the Bruno Walter auditorium at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts.
For Dirty Music, Ms. Parrini came onstage in a silvery flapper-style dress.
(Ms. Gluck had worn a tasteful off-the-shoulder black gown). No movement names or numbers were given for the concerto, so my take on the piece might not be ‘official’. For the record, the amplified violin was just that—electronics were attached to the violin that allowed the player to make some interesting, and almost eerie, sounds. The first movement was jazzy and had a fun section with pizzicato string playing backed up by muted trumpet and trombone. And there were also bluesy hints and some klezmer stuff. I likened it to listening to the all-girl band in Cabaret. The second movement was a quasi-lullaby, but for a jazzy baby! The third seemed to be a welcome to New Orleans. After a piano and band opening, the violin joins in and takes over, leading to a bona fide stomp, with a boop-boop-de-doop ending. Fun stuff. The final movement had the feel of a Charleston, and included really fleet fingers for piano, bass, and violin, and the piece ended with a real romp. So, even though the concert was called Dirty Music, if they’d led off with it, the other delights would probably have paled by comparison. This tale of two musical styles was a great way to start off the new year at LPA.
ConcertMeister
Naho and Alberto Parrini, and Friends
Landscapes for Cello and Piano – Winter: Two Medicine; Perseid; Hi-Line – Alberto Parrini, cello; Richard Pearson Thomas, piano
the star to every wandering bark (theme and variations) – RPT, piano
Driving at Night – Naho Parrini, violin; Alberto Parrini, cello; RPT, piano
All Bets Are Off; Sonja; Winter Song (World Premiere) – Amy Gluck and
The Band
Dirty Music – Concerto for Amplified Violin and Burlesque Band –
Naho Parrini, violin, and The Band
Well. That’s a mouthful. Here’s the lowdown. The first half of the program was contemporary classical music composed by Mr. Thomas. All three of the classical pieces were interesting, if a little esoteric. A lot of it was blended, as in I couldn’t quite grasp the form and shape of the various phrases and their interrelations. My notes include things like very approachable and easy to listen to, and relatively simple theme, and a little atonal—a bit new age-y—and long. Not glowing, I’ll grant you, but at least it was listenable.
After a pause (no real intermission), Ms. Gluck arrived onstage with Mr. Thomas at the piano, and a six-piece band—clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, and drums—and we were off to the races.
All Bets Are Off was a fun, up tempo, jazzy song, Sonja had a subtle Latin beat, and Winter Song was wistful. While the first two were straightforward in the use of the band as accompaniment, though with moments to shine on their own, the third began with just piano and voice, and then the band slowly joined in, player by player. It was a subtle and effective technique that served the song very well.
Ms. Gluck was solid as a vocalist and the songs and sounds made me feel almost as if I were in an upscale cabaret. A cocktail would have been pleasant but, alas, there’s no eating or drinking allowed in the Bruno Walter auditorium at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts.
For Dirty Music, Ms. Parrini came onstage in a silvery flapper-style dress.
(Ms. Gluck had worn a tasteful off-the-shoulder black gown). No movement names or numbers were given for the concerto, so my take on the piece might not be ‘official’. For the record, the amplified violin was just that—electronics were attached to the violin that allowed the player to make some interesting, and almost eerie, sounds. The first movement was jazzy and had a fun section with pizzicato string playing backed up by muted trumpet and trombone. And there were also bluesy hints and some klezmer stuff. I likened it to listening to the all-girl band in Cabaret. The second movement was a quasi-lullaby, but for a jazzy baby! The third seemed to be a welcome to New Orleans. After a piano and band opening, the violin joins in and takes over, leading to a bona fide stomp, with a boop-boop-de-doop ending. Fun stuff. The final movement had the feel of a Charleston, and included really fleet fingers for piano, bass, and violin, and the piece ended with a real romp. So, even though the concert was called Dirty Music, if they’d led off with it, the other delights would probably have paled by comparison. This tale of two musical styles was a great way to start off the new year at LPA.
ConcertMeister
Friday, January 18, 2019
Light Lines: The Art of Jan Groth, Inger Johanne Grytting, and Thomas Pihl (1/12/19)
This was a gallery talk on the last day of the exhibit at Scandinavia House. All three of the artists are Norwegian, and one of them, Mr. Groth, was unable to attend. So instead of a gallery talk (and apparently because many more people responded than expected), two of the artists gave their viewpoints on their work and the mentorship they both experienced with Mr. Groth. During this time, a few slides were shown that were representative of the three artists’ work that we would later see in the gallery itself, upstairs.
Both Mr. Pihl and Ms. Grytting seemed a little uncomfortable talking about their work and the processes involved. They both seemed better at discussing how Mr. Groth’s mentorship had affected them. While interesting, this ‘talk’ portion of the event was slightly awkward. The wine and sangria that were served helped a little, though.
Once in the gallery, Mr. Pihl’s contribution consisted of eight rather large paintings, each pretty much a solid block of color. His works were Untitled #1 through Untitled #8. I’m not making this up, you know.
Ms. Grytting had drawings and paintings on display. They were repetitive horizontal lines with a few verticals that sometimes created little rectangles. There were little white squares on the drawings, but I couldn’t make any sense of whether they were supposed to represent anything. It turns out that they did not. Whenever her pencil tip broke, she began the next line a little past where the previous line ended. So the squares were totally random. Her work was like a visual representation of a Philip Glass composition. I don’t particularly enjoy Philip Glass. Oh, and most (maybe all?) of her works were Untitled.
Mr. Groth had two bronze sculptures on display—and they actually had titles! A woven tapestry was an interesting study in black and white (mostly black with a white vertical section bisecting it). His other work was a site-specific black drawing (crayon, I think) on an otherwise bare white wall. Its size and scope gave it interest, to me. That was the piece I liked best.
Am I glad I went? Sort of. Will I seek out other shows at Scandinavia House? Possibly. I did enjoy conversation with my seatmate before the event began. And after I viewed the art on display, I had an interesting conversation with a writer for a Spanish-language newspaper. Maybe the second glass of red wine contributed to that. At least my horizons were slightly broadened.
NonConcertMeister
Both Mr. Pihl and Ms. Grytting seemed a little uncomfortable talking about their work and the processes involved. They both seemed better at discussing how Mr. Groth’s mentorship had affected them. While interesting, this ‘talk’ portion of the event was slightly awkward. The wine and sangria that were served helped a little, though.
Once in the gallery, Mr. Pihl’s contribution consisted of eight rather large paintings, each pretty much a solid block of color. His works were Untitled #1 through Untitled #8. I’m not making this up, you know.
Ms. Grytting had drawings and paintings on display. They were repetitive horizontal lines with a few verticals that sometimes created little rectangles. There were little white squares on the drawings, but I couldn’t make any sense of whether they were supposed to represent anything. It turns out that they did not. Whenever her pencil tip broke, she began the next line a little past where the previous line ended. So the squares were totally random. Her work was like a visual representation of a Philip Glass composition. I don’t particularly enjoy Philip Glass. Oh, and most (maybe all?) of her works were Untitled.
Mr. Groth had two bronze sculptures on display—and they actually had titles! A woven tapestry was an interesting study in black and white (mostly black with a white vertical section bisecting it). His other work was a site-specific black drawing (crayon, I think) on an otherwise bare white wall. Its size and scope gave it interest, to me. That was the piece I liked best.
Am I glad I went? Sort of. Will I seek out other shows at Scandinavia House? Possibly. I did enjoy conversation with my seatmate before the event began. And after I viewed the art on display, I had an interesting conversation with a writer for a Spanish-language newspaper. Maybe the second glass of red wine contributed to that. At least my horizons were slightly broadened.
NonConcertMeister
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Midday Masterpieces (1/9/19)
Juilliard Students and Faculty Members
String Quintet No. 6 in E-Flat major, K. 614 – One movement – W.A. Mozart
String Quartet in G major, Op. 76, No. 1 – F.J. Haydn
String Quintet in C major, D. 956 – One movement – F. Schubert
Wednesday’s concert was the first Midday Masterpieces of the new year. With twelve students playing in three separate ensembles and two faculty members added to two of the groups in order to make them quintets, names will not be listed.
Mozart’s string quintet was scored for two violins, viola, and cello (standard string quartet), with an added viola. In this case, the added violist was one of the faculty members. The work consists of four movements, of which only one was performed. It started out delicate and dance-like and included some bursts of added volume. For the most part, it was bouncy and bright. After a false ending, there was a little more drama and a little too much repetition for my taste. Still, it was a nice opening for the concert.
The Abeo quartet (all students, who formed this quartet only recently and will continue to play together for this school season, at least) played Haydn’s quartet straight through, including all four movements. An interesting note is that the first violinist has, on loan, a 1710 Stradivarius violin that he used for this performance. The first movement was fairly jolly, if in a sedate way. There were dramatic sections as well. The second movement was much calmer and truly sedate, warm, and enveloping. Haydn wrote very, very soft passages that then grew in volume—sometimes gradually and sometimes explosively. The movement had a lovely ending. The third was brisk and playful and had a really clever ending. The final movement had sort of a dramatic opening, with a mix of really rapid playing paired with some that was a little bit slower. There were a lot of playful sounds too, plus a bit of what seemed like teasing toward the very end. This entire work was fun to listen to.
Once again, I’m not exactly certain which of the four movements we heard from the Schubert quintet. In this instance, the Arte quartet (all students) was joined by a different faculty member playing cello. So the quintet was two violins, viola, cello, and cello. The movement had a sweet opening, but also had a certain depth and a certain amount of drama. A contrasting lyrical section was accompanied by pizzicato playing from the extra cello. The movement also had a nice range and interplay of volume. A few times, the dramatic aspects of the piece had a slight harshness, though it was still very moving. As was the entire afternoon.
As often happens with these concerts, I end up doing some online exploring after the fact, since there is no printed program. As it turns out, the Mozart was his last major chamber work, the Haydn was from (what I would call) his middle/late period—written when he was 65, and he lived to be 77 years old, and the Schubert was his final chamber work (in fact, completed in 1828, not played in public until 1850, and not published until 1853). Everybody please say, “Thank you,” to the internet.
The next MM is February 6, and I’ve already made my reservation. Thank you too to WQXR, for providing this wonderful opportunity.
ConcertMeister
String Quintet No. 6 in E-Flat major, K. 614 – One movement – W.A. Mozart
String Quartet in G major, Op. 76, No. 1 – F.J. Haydn
String Quintet in C major, D. 956 – One movement – F. Schubert
Wednesday’s concert was the first Midday Masterpieces of the new year. With twelve students playing in three separate ensembles and two faculty members added to two of the groups in order to make them quintets, names will not be listed.
Mozart’s string quintet was scored for two violins, viola, and cello (standard string quartet), with an added viola. In this case, the added violist was one of the faculty members. The work consists of four movements, of which only one was performed. It started out delicate and dance-like and included some bursts of added volume. For the most part, it was bouncy and bright. After a false ending, there was a little more drama and a little too much repetition for my taste. Still, it was a nice opening for the concert.
The Abeo quartet (all students, who formed this quartet only recently and will continue to play together for this school season, at least) played Haydn’s quartet straight through, including all four movements. An interesting note is that the first violinist has, on loan, a 1710 Stradivarius violin that he used for this performance. The first movement was fairly jolly, if in a sedate way. There were dramatic sections as well. The second movement was much calmer and truly sedate, warm, and enveloping. Haydn wrote very, very soft passages that then grew in volume—sometimes gradually and sometimes explosively. The movement had a lovely ending. The third was brisk and playful and had a really clever ending. The final movement had sort of a dramatic opening, with a mix of really rapid playing paired with some that was a little bit slower. There were a lot of playful sounds too, plus a bit of what seemed like teasing toward the very end. This entire work was fun to listen to.
Once again, I’m not exactly certain which of the four movements we heard from the Schubert quintet. In this instance, the Arte quartet (all students) was joined by a different faculty member playing cello. So the quintet was two violins, viola, cello, and cello. The movement had a sweet opening, but also had a certain depth and a certain amount of drama. A contrasting lyrical section was accompanied by pizzicato playing from the extra cello. The movement also had a nice range and interplay of volume. A few times, the dramatic aspects of the piece had a slight harshness, though it was still very moving. As was the entire afternoon.
As often happens with these concerts, I end up doing some online exploring after the fact, since there is no printed program. As it turns out, the Mozart was his last major chamber work, the Haydn was from (what I would call) his middle/late period—written when he was 65, and he lived to be 77 years old, and the Schubert was his final chamber work (in fact, completed in 1828, not played in public until 1850, and not published until 1853). Everybody please say, “Thank you,” to the internet.
The next MM is February 6, and I’ve already made my reservation. Thank you too to WQXR, for providing this wonderful opportunity.
ConcertMeister
Monday, December 31, 2018
Caroling, Caroling through the ... oh (12/22/18)
Oh, as in, we didn’t go anywhere; we stayed put in one place. This outing was sponsored by the Fulton Area Business Alliance and took place only about a block away from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where I went the very next day for a non-Meister performance of The Hard Nut. I wore my new Christmas hat with elf ears, although the wind wreaked havoc with it a few times.
This wasn’t the greatest caroling experience—the keys were set either too high or too low for comfortable amateur singing, but it was still a lot of fun. We sang a lot of the usual suspects, including Angels We Have Heard on High and Frosty the Snowman. We even managed a Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree!
Will I go again next year? Possibly. As always with outdoor caroling, a lot will depend on the weather. In fact, this event was supposed to have taken place on December 15, if memory serves, and that was the weekend with bad weather (I didn’t even try caroling in the Village on December 16).
And, of course, my ‘silver bell’ made the trek to Brooklyn as well as my red clown nose, for Rudolph. As I said, fun but not great. The organizers, however, did a very good job.
ConcertMeister
This wasn’t the greatest caroling experience—the keys were set either too high or too low for comfortable amateur singing, but it was still a lot of fun. We sang a lot of the usual suspects, including Angels We Have Heard on High and Frosty the Snowman. We even managed a Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree!
Will I go again next year? Possibly. As always with outdoor caroling, a lot will depend on the weather. In fact, this event was supposed to have taken place on December 15, if memory serves, and that was the weekend with bad weather (I didn’t even try caroling in the Village on December 16).
And, of course, my ‘silver bell’ made the trek to Brooklyn as well as my red clown nose, for Rudolph. As I said, fun but not great. The organizers, however, did a very good job.
ConcertMeister
Friday, December 21, 2018
Holiday Songbook II (12/17/18)
Okay, the full title was Broadway’s Future 2018, Holiday Songbook – All New Holiday Songs. Sixteen songs and thirty-one performers (not counting multiple pianists), so you know the drill. The evening kicked off with Cozy Time of Year, a charming, relatively simple song about someone who does not like the cold. It had a sort of Kander and Ebb vamp-style accompaniment.
The second song was a bit of a downer but it offered hope, as well. Next up was Judah Maccabee (A.K.A. That Thing with the Oil), a rap retelling of the Hanukkah oil miracle. A rapper with two back-up gals. Not my cup of tea, though the audience really enjoyed it.
When the Rain Falls in December had a nice way of weaving the main phrase from Do You Hear What I Hear? into a new song. And it happened the classic three times. A side note, here. While I was searching to make sure that I had the title correct, I learned that Do You Hear What I Hear? was written in 1962 as a plea for peace during the Cuban missile crisis. Underneath the Mistletoe was a classic pop-style duet, with real harmonies and a great feel-good vibe.
Then we got to Camel’s Lament, a song about those children’s Christmas pageants. A little girl was recounting who got cast as Mary, who got cast as angels, and who got cast as the camel. And it was her. But at least she was Camel #1. The next year she was Camel #2. And not the whole camel—just the rear half. It was very funny and very well performed (as were all of the songs presented).
One Last Christmas had a jazzy, almost country feel to it and was one of the few songs performed by the creators, in this case, the lyricist singing his own words. Also sung by the creators, A Very Snoopy Christmas was inspired by the Vince Guaraldi style of writing but also inspired by the lyricist’s real-life dog named Snoopy. Real-life Snoopy is getting quite old, and both dog and master are coming to terms with the fact that this will be the “last Christmas with you—probably.” It was sad yet also, surprisingly, funny. A great balance.
Wish commented on politics again slightly, including wishing for a moment of truth, no sarcasm, and a moment of honesty, among others. The Ones We Choose helped us to realize that family can be who we choose to spend time with—our hearts have found a home, and we are not alone.
Jewish Chinese Christmas touched on the classic Chinese food for Jews at Christmas scenario, though this one took place at a P.F. Chang’s in New Jersey. In each other’s eyes, the hottest gal and guy from Hebrew school are on a date, and slight mayhem ensues. Another interweaving took place here with the arrival of: Fortune cookies—pa rum pum pum pum.
Christmas Is for Everyone featured a female Santa and four reindeer who were at the Reindeer Training School. They were learning how they’d be helping Santa bring joy to all different types of people, even those who don’t believe. Because the reindeer are The Few, The Proud, The Furry!
I also liked This One’s for You, which was an anthem-like (secular, not sacred) sextet. It was quite enjoyable. Not all of the songs in the program hit the mark but there were also no clunkers either. And it’s good to explore newer music for the holidays. And both Songbook I and II were very well attended by two very appreciative audiences.
ConcertMeister
The second song was a bit of a downer but it offered hope, as well. Next up was Judah Maccabee (A.K.A. That Thing with the Oil), a rap retelling of the Hanukkah oil miracle. A rapper with two back-up gals. Not my cup of tea, though the audience really enjoyed it.
When the Rain Falls in December had a nice way of weaving the main phrase from Do You Hear What I Hear? into a new song. And it happened the classic three times. A side note, here. While I was searching to make sure that I had the title correct, I learned that Do You Hear What I Hear? was written in 1962 as a plea for peace during the Cuban missile crisis. Underneath the Mistletoe was a classic pop-style duet, with real harmonies and a great feel-good vibe.
Then we got to Camel’s Lament, a song about those children’s Christmas pageants. A little girl was recounting who got cast as Mary, who got cast as angels, and who got cast as the camel. And it was her. But at least she was Camel #1. The next year she was Camel #2. And not the whole camel—just the rear half. It was very funny and very well performed (as were all of the songs presented).
One Last Christmas had a jazzy, almost country feel to it and was one of the few songs performed by the creators, in this case, the lyricist singing his own words. Also sung by the creators, A Very Snoopy Christmas was inspired by the Vince Guaraldi style of writing but also inspired by the lyricist’s real-life dog named Snoopy. Real-life Snoopy is getting quite old, and both dog and master are coming to terms with the fact that this will be the “last Christmas with you—probably.” It was sad yet also, surprisingly, funny. A great balance.
Wish commented on politics again slightly, including wishing for a moment of truth, no sarcasm, and a moment of honesty, among others. The Ones We Choose helped us to realize that family can be who we choose to spend time with—our hearts have found a home, and we are not alone.
Jewish Chinese Christmas touched on the classic Chinese food for Jews at Christmas scenario, though this one took place at a P.F. Chang’s in New Jersey. In each other’s eyes, the hottest gal and guy from Hebrew school are on a date, and slight mayhem ensues. Another interweaving took place here with the arrival of: Fortune cookies—pa rum pum pum pum.
Christmas Is for Everyone featured a female Santa and four reindeer who were at the Reindeer Training School. They were learning how they’d be helping Santa bring joy to all different types of people, even those who don’t believe. Because the reindeer are The Few, The Proud, The Furry!
I also liked This One’s for You, which was an anthem-like (secular, not sacred) sextet. It was quite enjoyable. Not all of the songs in the program hit the mark but there were also no clunkers either. And it’s good to explore newer music for the holidays. And both Songbook I and II were very well attended by two very appreciative audiences.
ConcertMeister
Monday, December 17, 2018
Holiday Songbook I (12/15/18)
Okay, the full title is Broadway’s Future 2018, Marymount Manhattan College Holiday Songbook. And this one had a mix of traditional Christmas songs as well as some that were just recently composed, all performed by current students and alumni members. With eighteen songs performed (and two of those were medleys), not everything will get mentioned.
The afternoon opened with a fifteen-person a cappella group, On A Side Note, who sang White Winter Hymnal/Sleigh Ride. It looked better on paper than the execution turned out. Next up was a trio who sang I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and The Christmas Song. I enjoyed all three songs and performers (oh, and at fifty-two performers, names will not be mentioned, either).
A newly composed song followed that was okay, but not one of my favorites. And it was one of seven songs that had guitar accompaniment—at times the concert seemed like a coffee house from the ’60s or ’70s. Not a put-down, just an observation. New to me was Petite Papa Noel, which was Piaf-style gentle pop. Quite enjoyable.
O Holy Night was effective, but with a decidedly pop feel and (Everybody’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag had a fun, jazz feel.
Written just a couple of years ago, The Christmas Break-Up Song, performed by the composer/lyricist, had a very funny premise and a very, very funny performance. Easily the highlight of the concert, for me—it was also very popular with the audience.ConcertMeister
A touching yet troubling song followed that contained a bit of a political message. It was composed for this occasion, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it being included. Another newly composed song performed by the composer/lyricist (and four others) followed. Wishlist was interesting, with contemporary close harmony. Blanca Navidad was fun to hear—it’s somewhat odd to hear a favorite in a new way (a Spanish translation, here).
A new song, Aurora, was also fun, with a goal of wanting to see the Northern Lights for Christmas.
The concert closed with something that looked odd on paper but turned out to be pretty cool. Silent Night was sung by a trio, two of whom played guitar with the third playing the banjo. It definitely rounded out that coffee house feeling in a good way. It was quite effective.
The entire afternoon was also an effective way to mix some old chestnuts with some newer compositions. Marymount Manhattan College is turning out some talented students. I had a great time and so did they, and so did the audience.
ConcertMeister
The afternoon opened with a fifteen-person a cappella group, On A Side Note, who sang White Winter Hymnal/Sleigh Ride. It looked better on paper than the execution turned out. Next up was a trio who sang I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and The Christmas Song. I enjoyed all three songs and performers (oh, and at fifty-two performers, names will not be mentioned, either).
A newly composed song followed that was okay, but not one of my favorites. And it was one of seven songs that had guitar accompaniment—at times the concert seemed like a coffee house from the ’60s or ’70s. Not a put-down, just an observation. New to me was Petite Papa Noel, which was Piaf-style gentle pop. Quite enjoyable.
O Holy Night was effective, but with a decidedly pop feel and (Everybody’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag had a fun, jazz feel.
Written just a couple of years ago, The Christmas Break-Up Song, performed by the composer/lyricist, had a very funny premise and a very, very funny performance. Easily the highlight of the concert, for me—it was also very popular with the audience.ConcertMeister
A touching yet troubling song followed that contained a bit of a political message. It was composed for this occasion, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it being included. Another newly composed song performed by the composer/lyricist (and four others) followed. Wishlist was interesting, with contemporary close harmony. Blanca Navidad was fun to hear—it’s somewhat odd to hear a favorite in a new way (a Spanish translation, here).
A new song, Aurora, was also fun, with a goal of wanting to see the Northern Lights for Christmas.
The concert closed with something that looked odd on paper but turned out to be pretty cool. Silent Night was sung by a trio, two of whom played guitar with the third playing the banjo. It definitely rounded out that coffee house feeling in a good way. It was quite effective.
The entire afternoon was also an effective way to mix some old chestnuts with some newer compositions. Marymount Manhattan College is turning out some talented students. I had a great time and so did they, and so did the audience.
ConcertMeister
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