Live Music at TLU

Some cool concerts coming up in September in Seguin!
The Sum of All Delights: Vintage and Modern Love Songs
Featuring Tenor J.R. Fralick & Pianist Carla McElhaney
Tuesday, September 10, 2013 7:00 p.m.
Ayers Recital Hall, Schuech Fine Arts Building
Free Admission - Limited Seating Available

And do not miss -

Josh Roman (credit: Jeremy Sawatzky)

Joshua Roman Cello Recital
Described as: “A captivating look at the many sides of spiritual and secular love, from that first crush to that secret, steamy romance,” the program will include love songs by Rachmaninov, Strauss, Brahms, Mahler, Quilter and more.
Monday, September 30, 2013 7:00 p.m.
Ayers Recital Hall, Schuech Fine Arts Building
Free Admission – Limited Seating Available

“A cellist of extraordinary technical and musical gifts” (San Francisco Chronicle), Joshua Roman has earned national renown as a cellist for performing a wide range of repertoire with an absolute commitment to communicating the essence of the music at its most organic level. He is also recognized as an accomplished curator and programmer, particularly in his work as artistic director of Seattle Town Hall’s TownMusic series. For his ongoing creative initiatives on behalf of classical music, Roman was named a 2011 TED Fellow, joining a select group of next generation innovators who show potential to positively affect the world. Mr. Roman’s program at TLU will include Mason Bates’ "Town Hall Analog," Gabriella Lena Frank’s "Suite Peruana," Roman’s own composition, "Riding Light" and "Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012" by Johann Sebastian Bach.

R3s34ch

I've just had a breakthrough uncovering relatives of Johann Sebastian Bach. It turns out there were more children and relatives of the great master in the US.

Thanks to Elinor Frey for discovering:

L.O.L. Bach (Loretta Oprah Lorraine) "Laughing Daughter"

O.M.G. Bach (Otto Michael Gottfried) "Pious son"

W.T.F. Bach (Wilhelmine Trombette Friederica) "Inquisitive daughter"

There turns out other relatives included:

A.F.K. Bach (Alfred Friedrich Koppel) "Composed away from the clavier"

B.F.F. Bach (Bartholomew Friedemann Francis) "Trusted friend"

B.R.B. Bach (Brunnhilde Rachel Barbara) "The travelling sister"

B.W.V. Bach (Baptiste Wilhelm Viet) "Genealogical brother"

C.Y.A. Bach (Catharina Yetta Augusta) "Much adieu daughter"

N.O.O.B. Bach (Noah Oren Ornette Bernhard) "Unexperienced cousin"

D.0.0.D. Bach (Dietrich something something Donner) "City slicker whose middle initals appear to be zeros"

P.W.N. Bach (Phillip Wotan Nicholas) "Wealthier and arrogant uncle"

S.N.A.F.U. Bach (Sebastian Nibelung Altnikol Froh Ubung) "Always wrong bungling cousin"

T.E.H. Bach (Theodore Edward Hermann) "The dyslexic brother"

There is more advice here if you run across these or other composers in concert and want to txt someone! Also, Dr. Dick's out of sight car! And you can always have a laugh with our friend Peter Schickele at the PDQ Bach website!

Two Bs

I caught the second of Adele Anthony's Bach Sonatas and Partitas last night at Gretna Music in Elizabethtown. It was delightful with the G minor Sonata, B minor Partita and the C major Sonata. Anthony was much more in control than her November performance, and showed talent and musicality beyond her years. Especially dazzling were her tempos in the 1st Partita.
Also, major highlights for me were the fugues in both sonatas, both well thought out and melodic lines clearly and cleanly presented.
I had fun giving the preconcert talk, and laid out the scores for the audience to see across 12 stands at the back of the room - it was nice to see people take a look before, at intermission and after the performance.

Today, I heard the Orchestra of St. Luke's in music by Thomas Ades and Beethoven, with soloist Helene Grimaud and conductor Xian Zhang. It was also a breathtaking concert - with a perfect rendition of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. Grimaud performs with depth and conviction (and despite a cellphone ring in one of the most sensitive portions of the first movement) with incredible dynamics. I melted with the precision of the last movement, which was not only clean but touching. My friend and coworker Cary who came along said he could barely sit still hearing such awesome playing.
The Ades was disappointing, a tribute to Couperin that was unmoving and quite static. Beethoven's 4th Symphony was put through its paces and showed lots of flair and excitement. Again, a very precise and uptempo take on a true classic.

Another highlight was meeting up with friend and composer Steve Stucky for lunch at a good Thai restaurant beforehand. aLater, Cary and I caught a quick cup of coffee and tiramisu after the concert and had an easy trip home, hearing part of Superbowl XLII on am radio.

A super Sunday indeed.

A look at Bach

Take a look at Bach's solo violin Sonata and Partitas as a pdf file.

Quotable

While looking into Bach's violin music for my upcoming concert talk:

“Practicing Bach for me is like meditation, a daily prayer that connects me with higher spheres.” - Sigiswald Kuijken

Just in

It's official!

Read the article here: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/50221.html

Make your voice heard now and vote in another radio poll...Vote for your favorites now at WITF's 89.5 Classix! (Might I suggest to write in Jennifer Higdon, Augusta Read Thomas, Walter Mays, Joan Tower, Steven Stucky or Paul Moravec?)

5 Things about Cellist Efe Baltacigil

The "Distinctive Debut" at Carnegie Hall of Cellist Efe Baltacigil and Pianist Anna Polonsky was Friday night at Weill Recital Hall.


1. The program consisted of four sonatas ranging almost 200 years in music (1741 for the Bach and 1936 for the Saygun) and certainly each were treated with stylistic skill by both performers.


2. Efe uses the cello for a wide range of colors and emotions - I'm stunned as a fellow string player at his wide palette. I'm less thrilled with his way too audible breaths - mind you the audience was a bit noisy with coughing and sniffles too. But seriously at one point early on, I thought there was something wrong with his bow, when I realized, no that is his breath. (Some fine tennis players too make a bit too much noise when returning a serve [think Maria Sharapova] and you get over it...)



3. The choice of an encore - which the audience clearly wanted - was quite touching, the Andante movement of the Bach sonata in memory of a past professor at Curtis, Edward Aldwell. Aldwell was well respected for his scholarship of Bach and this was spot on.



4. Anna Polonsky was stunning and near perfect in the recital - especially moving was the Fantasia of Franck's sonata.



5. Most revealing was the musicality Baltacigil exuded in Ahmet Saygun's Sonata, opus 12. It's not a well known or great work, but in the hands of Efe and Anna, it sparkled like a diamond - with moments of pure joy and passion. I'd liken this particular work to a "Turkish" Debussy.



I'm looking forward to another recital this spring at Carnegie's Weill Hall when Joyce DiDonato makes her debut in Great Singers in Weill: Evenings of Song. You'll remember Joyce is a WSU grad and we had way too much fun in school. It's Thursday March 1st, 2007. One not to miss!