Neither Rain, nor sleet, nor snow...

Tuesday night I heard the Central Dauphin Middle School Choir and Orchestra, as I teach a co-worker's daughter violin, and it was their winter concert. It was fun to see her and her sister sing, and then to hear her play quite well with the orchestra. Just an hour and a half before the concert, she showed up with her mom, having broken her e string. I just happened to have a spare string at work, and put it on for her, and played a few scales to attempt to stretch it a bit before hand.
Wednesday night I was in Philadelphia, for a song recital with Network for New Music, part of the Bernstein Festival. There was a charming pre-program by Settlement School students in the lobby, where listening I was recognized by new music fans/composers that read this blog and the Composing Thoughts blog. (Indeed the world is getting smaller and smaller, I get recognized and run into friends in NYC these days!)
It was delightful to hear this group play new works by students as well as Jennifer Higdon's Bentley Roses, and David Rakowski's Sex Songs. Network was joined by two excellent singers, Susan Narucki and Randall Scarlatta, who were both stellar. To top it off, Network also had the poets on hand to read their works before the compositions. The entire recital was inspirational, and really fed my creative soul. I left wanting to write and express myself. These sort of recitals are very special and Narucki, Scarlatta, and the ensemble did a great service besides very high art for the community.
Notable was Melissa Dunphy's Black Thunder. Not only is she a friend, it turns out she is a delightful composer, writing very idoimatic for piano trio and baritone, but also with great sensitivity for the words and music.
Last night I was back in Philly to hear the world premiere of The Singing Rooms with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Unfortunately there was a snow storm and despite everything, Dick Strawser and I went - taking our time on the roads to get there. We had a quick bite of Italian food right next to the Kimmel and caught the first half of the concert, before braving the elements to get back to Harrisburg. I'll post a review later today, but the short of it is: I died last night hearing Jennifer Koh playing Jennifer Higdon's Singing Rooms - It was heavenly.
This weekend I'm in NYC to hear more music and see friends, as well as next weekend. Oh and I'm travelling next Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday for some exciting projects - stay tuned!

Inside scoop!

I've heard from a good source about a concert coming up in Sellersville with a wellknown mandolin player. It seems the recent name change his group has gone through, has now decided to change nationalities as well!

Welcome the Punchsky Brothers!

They are going to play a new set based on Borodin's Polvetsian Dances from Prince Igor, which works well translating balalaika to mandolin.

The band says, "You haven't heard Stranger in Paradise until you've heard it on mandolin."

On the big screen

Handel is gonna hit the silver screen!

I'll have what he's having

Friday we had a night out with Andrew, who is leaving for UMass Amherst.

Doh.

A good time was had by all, and all were had by the good time.
Left is Andrew and Linda, after a few drinks (Andrew that is!)

Right we have Andrew and Scott the relatively new ATC host.

It's been years since I've learned a "new shot" but I may have tasted, yes just tasted a "left hook," an Andrew favorite. We also bought many other delicous drinks for Andrew...

Five Things about Concerto 4 3

I heard the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Concerto 4 3 Thursday night in Philadelphia. Part of the Bernstein Festival continuing through February 2nd.

1. I was interviewing Jennifer during the first half (watch this space for updates and a posting of it!) so I only heard the first half of Tchaikovsky and Bernstein via speakers, and left after the concerto because I had worked that morning and had to go to work the next day as well. But the program was well varied and it didn't seem that anyone left the second half, which had the world premiere with Time For Three and Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini. Bassist Ranaan Meyer introduced the work briefly, giving the background of how the work came into being.

[The picture above left is at intermission, when we came into the hall - Jennifer was recognized by patrons, students and audience members, but we snapped this quick picture.]

2. The first movement of Concerto 4 3 is short, sweet and busy. It features the Trio prominently, with lots of extended blugrass techniques. Zachary DePue was stellar with his bow scraping in the right hand and bold leaps with his left. I was a little surprised that they didn't have stands or music, the trio played it from memory with flair, panache and let you know they were having fun. Maestro Eschenbach also seemed to be watching them alot and smiling.

3. The central slow movement is the longer of the concerto and certainly lets the orchestra blend with the trio, especially haunting and beautiful is a section with the oboes who melt your heart. Lines come and go, from the trio to the orchestra and back. The whole movement was seemless with the first and featured the trio in a cadenza that blew your mind. Meyer's bass was stunning in melodies, although often his movement seemed over the top.

4. The finale is wonderous and toe tapping. Again, Higdon's brilliant orchestration shines and allowed Time for Three to jam, where percussion leads to brass to the winds and strings, all while the soloists play the perfect mix of classical and bluegrass. Nick Kendall fiddled and swayed with timing just right with his comrades, often melding in unison lines.

5. The audience was on its feet, and shouts of "Bravo" echoed in the hall - you probably heard me whistle and hoot. While I thought perhaps "The Singing Rooms" will make the history books for its unique orchestration of Violin, Chorus and Orchetsra, I think Concerto 4 3 will long be remembered for its groundbreaking freedom of styles. I've never experienced such quality of music in varied styles, and with such tasteful, miraculous execution. Simply a masterpiece.

Stay tuned for a review of "The Singing Rooms" this next week and an interview to be posted at Composing Thoughts!

Read my previous posting about more of Jennifer's concerts here. Learn about her upcoming Composing Thoughts Live here.

Da bears

Federal officials say they need more time to decide whether to add polar bears to the threatened species list.
The deadline was January 1st, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it hopes to offer a recommendation to the Interior Secretary in time for him to make a decision within the next month. Dirk Kempthorne had suggested listing polar bears in 2007, giving him a one-year deadline.
Environmental groups argue polar bears need protection because global warming is melting their habitat. If the animals make the list, it could impose limits on man-made developments in the polar bears' territory.
Last September, the U.S. Geological Survey concluded two-thirds of the world's polar bears, including the entire population in Alaska, will be killed off by 2050 because of thinning sea ice from global warming in the Arctic.

So cool

I would do this if I were closer to St. Louis...hey NYP, PO, NSO, etc - do something like this!
$99 orchestra pass

Fab Friday

Great day, slightly warmer in the city. Interviews were lovely and the day was good, even fairly relaxing.

Here I am in upstate Manhattan, enjoying a cigar along Broadway and 215th.

Cold and busy

Great Thursday here in Manhattan, filled with music and friends.

I started out having lunch with radio folks, Stu and Lauren (with me right). While Lauren and I know each other's work, we had never met. It was a fun time had by all at Max Brenner's around Union Square!

Then my car was almost towed, due to a vandalized sign I had not seen. doh. Craziness and coldness ensued, but I have my car, and it is parked legally. whew.

Next was an interview (my first for 2008, huzzah!) with Alex Shapiro (seen left with a single malt), another charming friend whose music and writing I have known but never met, at the Westin Times Square. Nice combo of chat, laughter, scotch and music. On the way out, we ran into another radio dude, Sylvester Vivic who runs PT. Nice to see him.

Finally off to hang with my friend Elinor (right), who is preparing for auditions. I heard her Elgar concerto, and music from Verdi and Mozart.

Turns out her friend/collaboriting pianist Chris (left with Eli in Elgar) lives a block from where I am staying so I gave him a ride home.

Fun, exciting, tiring day all in all. Off to a similar one today, but hopefully not quite as chilly!

Happy NEW MUSIC year to you

Here's to a great 2008. More to come.
Had an amazing meal at 809 in Inwood. Yum-o!
For your listening pleasure, enjoy an interview with the New Yorker writer and author/blogger Alex Ross. And go pick up a copy for yourself of the Rest is Noise.

History

Thanks for visiting! There have been visitors lately from Kansas City (family in Independence- hi there!), Reno (friends - hello!), Las Vegas (more friends - hey hey!), and all over the world, including Spain, Netherlands, UK, and more. Popular still are my Christmas quiz, Chris Thile review, and Janine Jansen interview. I can also recommend my Helene Grimaud interview here.

Here's something very interesting, before Facebook was a social network, the website url was a business, About Face. Here though is their first college site. Wild and wacky. Thank you Wayback Machine!

Sing along

The words are "Ah!"

A spoof for Christmas

An unpublished story from the “Tales of Joan at Bard” from the final spoof, Harry Partch and the Deadly Hockets: Der Leiermann seht die beiden Loreleiamfernsehermensch (The Organ Grinder who watched Gilmore Girls)

At the edge of Hollywood Bowl village near Hogwoods, Grant-Lee Phillips plays a hurdy gurdy. None of the students pay attention, jinx him, and even Serious Gerard Schwarz in canine form, barks at him. But he continues to perform, and our Harry Partch decides he too, might do well with some improv. The parallel fifths and awful quodlibets pair well with the poor online sales of Phillips, and concludes the cycle with an eerily unfinished feel perfectly in character with the lonely wandering of the musician.

Der Leiermann seht die beiden Loreleiamfernsehermensch (The Organ Grinder who watched Gilmore Girls
Over beyond the Hollywood Bowl village
Stands an organ-grinder,
And with numb fingers
He plays as best he can.

Barefoot on the ice,
He totters here and there,
And his little plate
Is always empty.

No one listens to him,
No one notices him,
And Serious growls
Around the young man.

And he just lets it happen,
As it will,
Plays, and his hurdy-gurdy
Is never still.

Strange man,
Shall I go with you?
Will you play your organ
To my baton with a tail feather from Drumandbuglecorps's firebird, Igor?

For another fine edition of Danse Macabre

2007 numbers

In the spirit of last year's numbers, here are some stats for 2007:

Seven
The number of interviews I've already done for the next season of Composing Thoughts, starting March 23rd, 2008.

Vistor #25,911 (please no Guiliani jokes please about 911)
Dec 24 2007 8:51:31 am Hastings on Hudson, NY from http://www.therestisnoise.com/2004/11/music_blogs.html

Ninety-seven
The number of personalities interviewed in 2007

Composers (43)

John Harbison
Roxanna Panufnik
Lisa Bielawa
Libby Larsen
Robert Pound
Tigran Mansurian
Ralph Lehman
Peter Schickele
Jennifer Higdon
Derek Bermel
Eric Ewazen
James Brody
David Little
Richard Danielpour
Victoria Bond
David Chesky
Sebastian Currier
BJ Liederman
Daniel Asia
James Primosch
Robert Capanna
Daron Aric Hagen
Steven Stucky (seen right)
Scott McAllister
Mark O'Connor
Robert Beaser
Karel Husa
Andrew Bishop
Lukas Ligeti
Avner Dorman
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)
Yehudi Wyner
Krzysztof Penderecki
Pero Šiša
Peter Boyer
Buzz Jones
Chris Whittaker
John Orfe
Pierre Jalbert
Jeremy Gill
Augusta Read Thomas
Mark Hayes
Scott Eggert

Conductors (11)
Donald Runnicles
Gerard Schwarz
JoAnn Falletta
Jose Serebrier
Rossen Milanov
Shizuo Kuwahara
Zlatan Sržić
Norman Nunamaker
Lewes Pedell
Robert Natter
Stuart Malina

Musicians (38, 41 if you count multiple interviews)
Janine Jansen
Helene Grimaud (below left)

Lisa Batiashvili
Christopher O'Riley
Karen Gomyo
Andrew Russo
Paul Neubauer
Andre-Michel Schub
Andrew Janss
Daniel Matsukawa
Elvira Galioulline
Elinor Frey
Neva Pilgrim
Chee Yun
student Alexander Englert
Ara Gregorian
Harold Robinson
Clipper Erickson
Claremont Trio (twice!)
Alison Balsom
Joshua Bell (twice!)
Quartetto Gelato
Arnold Steinhardt
Rolf Smedvig
Lucy Parham
Fry Street String Quartet
Gerard Reuter
Ernesto Tamayo (twice! on air and onstage!)
Lincoln & Shari Mayorga
Nathan Gunn
Simone Dinnerstein
Daniel Phillips
Jennifer Frautschi
Newstead Trio
Audobon Quartet
Five Browns
Wu Han
Kings Singers

Other personalities (5)
Alex Ross
Klaus Heymann
Paula Poundstone
poet Deborah Larsen
Sensei Tony Stultz

Seven Musical Questions

Derek tagged "musicians" who read his blog, so here goes...

1. What inspired you to play your instrument?

See number three, it was the sound of hearing Perlman playing that made me want to play violin.

2. What was your first instrument?

A Sears and Roebuck student model from Senseney Music. Basically a box with strings.

3. Were you inspired by any particular musician?

Itzhak Perlman, who came and played a recital at Century II.

4. What was the first song you learned how to play?

Something out of Muller-Rucsh book I...other memorable solos include the Russian Fantasia #1 in a minor by Leo Portnoff and Accolay's Concerto.

5. Do you remember your first gig?

Hehehe, it was for the officer's club at McConnell Air Force Base with a string quartet. We played Dvorak, Mozart, Bach and the Beatles.

6. What was your most memorable performance?

There are many. One of the most moving was playing viola in Brahms' German Requiem. Most recently a pop gig at Harrisburg's ArtsFest was especially memorable and fun. Paul Zavinsky and friends were spot on for a full 50 minutes, ending with "Can't You See?"

7. What advice do you have for someone who wants to begin playing your chosen instrument?

Practice. Have Fun.

DinDin

A good time was had by all and all were had by the good time last night at ZaZa's Cucina.

Steve, Izzy, Jann and I started with drinks and snacks at Steve's apartment and then went to dinner. The wines were notable, especially the Newton 2002 Chardonnay, and the red Sassicaia from Esa-Pekka. Unfortunately the Barolo was past its due, but was great in its day.

Food and service were excellent, and afterwards we had some single malts and Preferidos from La Aurora.

Read about my previous adventure at Zaza's here.

Soaking up relaxation

I'm enjoying some time off in upstate NY. (Yes, not only do I love Manhattan, but the other regions of NY as well! Read about some of them here.)

Yesterday I had a good morning doing a few errands and then took a casual drive up to Ithaca. I didn't take the highway this time, rather a leisurely roadtrip straight north through PA and NY. I'll follow a similar route home.

So I met up with friends for drinks, dinner and afterwards, scotch and cigars. It was spectacular (pictures to come soon) to say the least.

I'm currently at the Inn on Columbia, where I'd stayed previously. The couple who own it are charming and have a wonderful place/great eye for decor. I always seem to get an upgrade at no extra charge and its close to everything I want to do in Ithaca.

If you get a chance, hang out there sometime. Its mondo relaxing.

Nose for the arts

It's been many years since I've enjoyed theater on Broadway. I was once actually a firemarshall for an off-broadway show, Ram in the Thicket, and lived in NYC for six weeks in my youth. But no doubt, you've read about the numerous concerts I hear in NY and around the east coast - so it is not too wild that I went and saw Cyrano de Bergerac. Call it a Christmas present to myself.
You also may remember me hearing ads about Cyrano on the radio while in awful traffic in October. So I was excited when the strike ended and Cyrano would be running again. But then I was panicked, because it became THE show to see, and very popular. I was lucky to find a ticket though, and actually plan to go again with some friends before it closes.
You see, live theater is just like live music, very special - very breathing - and something that should be savored. Cyrano is no exception, especially with this cast.
I originally was excited because Jennifer Garner was Roxanne. And getting her autograph and speaking with her briefly outside the stagedoor left me so euphoric that I ended up driving back to Harrisburg because I knew I couldn't sleep - I was very hyped and wired and happy, and drove back that night instead of staying at a friend's apartment.
Truth be told, Kevin Kline is the true star of Cyrano, not that Jennifer wasn't good, because she was stunning. The play though is after all called Kevin's character Cyrano. I should say that the whole cast is special and just right. But Kline delivers the lines with depth, humor, sadness and a plethora of emotions. And his staging is magnificent: swashbuckling, pratfalling from the moon, and heartbreaking in his death.
Garner portrays innocence, beauty, strength, and love with her smile, voice and natural abilities. Signing my playbill, I asked how she was doing. She replied, "I'm wiped! That final scene is so much!" I replied it was emotional and I cried. [uh, that is during the last scene, not while she was signing my program. ;) ] She is perhaps more beautiful in person than she is on screen if that can be believed, and her voice is such a hoot. I had been in the second row of fans, and she had been by once on our side and three of us moved up to the barrier to get autographs, as she was signing at the end (pictured on the right), she was about to go to the other side, the new folks at the barrier called out "Jen!" I said pleadingly, "One more?" She replied, "Oh, did I miss some?" She was sweet and came back over. She then went over to the other side for her fans and I went to drive back home.
At intermission, I had asked one of the ushers about autographs, and he directed me where to go, and I also asked if the cast was good about signing, and he smiled and nodded. I marvel at Jennifer who has family, just performed a 2 hour play, and then spends time talking and signing programs for fans on a cool NYC winter night - what a sweetheart.
Anyway, the production is stellar and I recommend it highly.

For the new year

When the Saints go Marchin' in (via Felsenmusik)

Top concerts of 2007

These for me are the most memorable concerts for me over the last year...

10. Orchestra of St. Luke's Chamber Players @ Chelsea Art Museum.
6/9
An amazing festival from Joan Tower with the composers in attendance and the audience on their feet applauding, in a captivating space - who could ask for anything more?!
9. Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk @ Verizon Hall.
2/7
Wonderful, dazzling recital with new music by Edgar Meyer.
8. Claremont Trio @ Gettysburg College.
9/30
All out playing by a vibrant ensemble!
7. Soprano Vira Slywotzky and composer Yehudi Wyner @ Songs of Innocence and Experience in Christ & St. Stephens Church.
4/24
Charm, humor and great communication set this performance in my mind.
6. Blair McMillen @ Italian Academy, Columbia University.
4/4
Technique was an afterthought, and musicality at the forefront with impeccable virtuosity in a completely modern program. Almost every composer on the program was in attendance, and in awe!
5. Kiri TeKanawa Farewell Recital @ Verizon Hall.
10/24
Hearing Kiri live, and in some of the most beautiful Strauss songs ever is hard to beat. Her encores were to die for!
4. Maria Bachmann & Jon Klibonoff play the Red Violin cd release party @ Merkin Hall.
4/26
Awesome playing, stellar interpretations and live composers, h00t!
3. Cellist Elinor Frey @ Casanovia Counterpoint premiering Steven Stucky's Dialoghi.
7/14
Charming, riveting solo work with touching, expressive lines.
2. Christian Tetzlaff, James Levine and the Boston Symphony @ Symphony Hall.
11/10
Perfect concert.
1. Helene Grimaud and NY Philharmonic members @ the Metropolitan Museum.
12/16
Stunning, passionate performances with flair, playing Brahms and Schumann chamber works.