One for the ages

Heggie and Clare

I heard Great Scott Sunday afternoon at Dallas Opera. Throughout the opera, I kept thinking, this is an aria that I'm going to hear in recital, that singers are going to take up (much like one hears Nessun Dorma or O Mio Babbino Caro from Turnadot or Gianni Schicchi) - but it wasn't just one tune, it was almost all of them! That's not a big surprise from a composer like Jake Heggie.
Great Scott is personal, and affable. The comedy has drama, and flair. Not only does this come from the original libretto by Terrance McNally, but from the music, and the stellar cast. It is also funny and witty. Stereotypes abound throughout the two acts, from the two male leads as bari-hunk and narcissistic tenor, to an overeager, young understudy who "would kill" to make it. There's also love: a star and her mentor, a conductor and stage manager, an old flame and the one that got away, as well as the heartstring pulling demonstration for the love of music/opera.
Joyce DiDonato goes beyond the role of Arden Scott. She is Great Scott. Here's a star that returned to her home town Symphony garnering national attention, and then a few years later sang at Game Seven of the World Series with her hometown team...and the singing? The role requires the juxtaposition of modern and Bel Canto opera singing - just two of her signature traits - seamlessly throughout the opera.
I mentioned Puccini as examples earlier, but the only real comparison I can make of Great Scott is with Richard Strauss. The opera within an opera, Rosa Dolorosa, Figlia di Pompeia isn't the first fictional work complete with a Composer role, that would be Ariadne auf Naxos. Here though, Heggie and McNally make use of a rehearsal, and then a performance of Rosa in the second act, to great use in both the story line and for DiDonato's impeccable singing. A final quartet also mirrors (in the best sense) the famous Trio in Der Rosenkavalier.
There is so much to love about Great Scott, and this performance was outstanding. It could be called a "perfect storm" of talent and accomplishment of the part of all. Go see it in Dallas now, or put it on your calendar for May in San Diego!
Hear an interview with John and Jake here: http://www.kmfa.org/pages/807-texas-grand-opera-composer-jake-heggie

When Milton Was Ninety Years Old

Milton Babbitt and John Clare

There was a time when I was interviewing two or three artists a day. Usually there was a composer involved but sometimes it was just a performer or artist for a feature. But more often than not, I would set up a morning interview, plan a meal break and do another interview in the afternoon, sometimes even another. Half the time artist interviews could be done on the phone, but I always tried to make composer interviews in person, in their studio or if need be, a "tape sync" where the composer was at another radio station and we would combine the tracks so the audio quality was the highest it could be.
My first in person interview at a composer's house was George Crumb. I know, what a start. He even performed what he composed that morning, and we played with his dog Yoda! (Read about that day here and here.)

Interviewing Milton

Later that year, in August 2006 after corresponding with Ed Matthew at G Schirmer, I set up an interview with Milton Babbitt in Princeton and also an interview in Manhattan with composer/conductor Jose Serebrier.  When I book an interview, I always read up on the subject and listen to everything I possibly can. Mind you, since high school I have been trying to learn and listen to everything I can get my hands on in new music, so often it is returning to works. On top of that, for years, my reading has been on industry related books and articles, so when a new record guide or composer biography comes out, I'm on it. It is just a passion.
I don't write down questions, but usually when I am nervous, or know I'm going to talk with a legend in the field, I consult friends and colleagues what they might ask.  At the time for these interviews, the "executive producer" and music director was Dick Strawser, an invaluable resource. I do try to ask some of the same questions, "How did you become a composer?" "What are you writing currently?" but always try to listen as we warm up so that it is a conversation, and that we explore great points and stories that the interviewees share.
Before I interviewed Milton, I made sure I read and talked with Frank Oteri who was also very helpful with his materials when he interviewed Babbitt; there was also the famous "article" which Milton passionately explained.
So Tuesday, August 15th, 2006 I left with Casey Houtz, the audio engineer, to drive to Princeton and then NYC. The trip was easy and in no time we were setup.
Our interview is here, unedited and complete, running 71 minutes. Milton was
After the interview, Milton walked us out and showed us how close we were to the RCA Studios he used to work at for so many years!


Later, we put together some outtakes that would not run in the radio show, but made us smile. Listen to the wav file here.
I originally blogged about the day I talked with Milton here.

Last weekend when I heard the news Milton had passed away, I was moved, and quite sad. I listened to Reflections and smoked a cuban cigar.  I was especially touched by Davey Rakowski's remembrance. Cheers, Milton!

(The title of this entry is inspired by Arvo Part's work, When Sarah Was Ninety)

Behind the Scenes: WBIMF 3

A look at this year's West Branch International Music Festival with founder and artistic director Odin Rathnam. Filmed at the Phoenix Hotel in Copenhagen, using pictures from the Royal Danish Opera House rehearsal, and from the West Branch 2009 Music Festival.

WBIMF: Odin Rathnam from John Clare on Vimeo.

Learn more at http://www.westbranchfestival.org/

Behind the Scenes: WBIMF

Coming up this July, the chamber music scene and orchestral world expands in New York with the West Branch International Music Festival. From July 18 to August 1, students and concertgoers will enjoy music with some of the world's greatest musicians including Anker Buch, Wendy Warner, Odin Rathnam and Anthony McGill!
One of the faculty for West Branch International Music Festival is Sir Lars Bjornkjaer, concertmaster of the Royal Danish Opera. I spoke with him recently about the upcoming festival:

While West Branch International Music Festival is accepting under 40 students, scholarships are available for many! Apply online and find out more information at: http://westbranchfestival.org/
Look for more interviews ahead with Odin Rathnam and Christian Hørbov-Meier!

Interview

I had a lovely chat with one of the great pianists of our day, Imogen Cooper. She has just released volume 2 of live performances of Schubert piano works, and later this year volume 3 will come out.

She took some time to talk about the project and Schubert.

MP3 File

This will be produced for TPR, but I wanted to share her brilliant manner with you unedited and raw. I came away energized and inspired.

Hélène in Houston

I spoke with piano phenom Hélène Grimaud yesterday afternoon in Houston. We talked about her new Bach album, Brahms and colors in music.

Listen to our conversation: mp3 file

(Photo by Ernie Villareal)

Don't foget our converation at Carnegie Hall, or over the phone in Las Vegas.

Extra audio

Here is my conversation with John Patitucci, I only edit out his phone number when we have audio connection problems, and boosted the low audio signal at times, otherwise, it is the raw tape - enjoy!

Interview

Patitucci performs Friday the 13th in San Antonio as part of the Redeemer Fine Arts Series.

Begin with a laugh

I thought I'd ring in the new year with a post that will make you laugh! Here is my unedited (raw if you will!) interview with Carlos Alazraqui (Officer James Garcia on Reno911) while he was in San Antonio.

MP3 file

Parts of this interview will air next week on Classical Spotlight, as UTSA prepares for its 4th International Conference on the Physiology and Acoustics of Singing.

Pretty happy

I like being able to share this with you...

Chris O'Riley at TPR from John Clare on Vimeo.

The next video is better technically with another Chris - Christopher Seaman conductor! There won't be a microphone in front of his face on the video...what can I say, I'm a radio guy...

CCSA Saturday morning

I went out to a rehearsal of the Children's Chorus of San Antonio this last weekend and taped part of their rehearsal for Texas Public Radio. It was a blast, keep an ear out for it on Classical Spotlight and Performance Today!

Amazing Anne-Sophie

It's no secret that one of my favorite violinists is Anne-Sophie Mutter. I first got an LP of her Mozart Concerti when I was a teenager, and was learning the G major Concerto. She was a real inspiration and I still talk to my friend who gave me the disc, and say thanks (you rock Elin!)

Much later down the road I would have every cd, laserdisc(!), dvd, download, and in the 90s, I even had a fan site about her with pictures and information (as well as the internet's only site for the music of Andzrej Panufnik at the time, see part of it here from the WayBack Machine, ah geocities!)
I've seen her several times perform live, from Beethoven to Berg, and it is always exciting.

I've also had tapes, cds and mp3s of interviews with her, from various radio stations and networks - one of my favorites is a discussion with Robert Siegel on NPR's All Things Considered. So when I was offered a chance by Amanda Ameer at Universal to talk with Anne-Sophie I jumped at it! It was afternoon in Germany and early one Wednesday morning in San Antonio when we spoke.

Take a listen to our phone conversation: mp3 file

The discussion is mostly around Sofia Gubaidulina, a composer who wrote In Tempus Praesens for Anne-Sophie last year. Of course, we also talked about the Bach that is on the new cd, as well as other composers.
The cd is out on October 7th, in a deluxe set, and as a regular release, as well as a download at DG Webshop. Get it in any version, you'll love it and be sure to see her on tour!

Latest project

So in July I started some big projects...and in part this came about: an interview with Chris Brubeck. See the opening of our interview at his home in Connecticut.

Brubeck on Classified from John Clare on Vimeo.

Sneak Peak

I talked with Leonard Slatkin yesterday for a KPAC project I think you'll like. Watch the new blog over there, http://kpac883.blogspot.com/ for updates and the entire coverage of Leroy Anderson's 100th birthday.

Here though, are a few questions I had a chance to ask the Maestro: about his move to Detroit, the new Made In America project, and Jennifer Higdon's Piano Concerto.

mp3 file

Happy 70th

Composer John Corigliano turns 70 on February 16th. Enjoy a portion of an interview we did...

Clare: How did you know you were a composer? How did it come about that you decided to write music?

Corigliano: Actually it was because I grew up with my father as a performer and I would go to the NY Philharmonic and hear him rehearse a piece. He was the concert master at the Philharmonic and played solos at least once a year and I would hear him rehearse a piece and I would see how tense he was and then go through rehearsals and the concert. I would actually sit in the green room of Carnegie Hall as a little boy listening on the speakers because I was too nervous to sit in the hall because I knew every note of the concertos and was hunched over until he was done. And then the next morning got the seven news papers and read what they said about him and the idea of standing on stage and performing was impossible for me because I grew up with my father doing it and it seemed over whelming. I loved music and improvised at the piano. My mother was a pianist, very fine pianist who never played in public but she taught, but not me because I had two lessons and we, you know, that didn’t work. So I picked up how to play more or less by myself. I improvised a lot and the way I felt I could go into music was in composing because it, I didn’t have to be on that stage at that moment doing that thing. I could be at home, I could solve the problems. I could write them down and then it would be on stage and someone would play it at that moment. So it really had to do with my childhood and how I grew up more than anything else.

Clare: It’s funny, I sometimes see patterns of musicians where the sons will be doctors and doctors’ sons will be musicians. Were they ever saying it’s hard to be in the classical world?

Corigliano: Oh, absolutely, in fact they were very discouraging, both of them, about my going into concert music or any music. My father wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor or something and of course, when you’re a kid that’s all the more the incentive to do it. So I didn’t take it as a discouraging thing, I took it as a kind of daring for me. But also that was the world I loved and I was fascinated by. When I was a kid in high school, the LP record had just been invented and the LP record really was a break through much more than stereo was to the LP, the LP to the seventy eight was a huge breakthrough in terms of sonic, the wideness...a kind of way to capture sound. When I was a little boy I had at time you know in high school a fifteen inch Klipsch speaker with a horn and a corner cabinet and my set and I started listening to Capitol full dimensional sound recordings. I specifically remember a demonstration disc in which the gun fight scene Billy the Kid was performed and of course I put it on at first because it had a bass drum that plays very prominently in it. And there was my fifteen inch woofer, you know shaking the walls and I was in my house and I thought that was thrilling. But then I kept listening to the way that Aaron Copland got these incredibly interesting and originally sounds by playing simple sound chords with new spacings. And so I started going over the piano and trying those spacings out and seeing how you could get a simple c-major cord to sound fresh just by spacing it differently. And then I went out and got the music to it. And then I started Stravinsky and Copland and all these composers and being fascinated very much through recordings and, my father’s live performances of course. But the recordings were very instrumental in my being fascinated with the contemporary composer because in those days you know it wasn’t like now; I mean you couldn’t go into a record store and get some twenty-five year-old composer’s recordings because only the big labels recorded. It was a tremendous amount of equipment necessary to record. And so you had Stravinsky, and you had Copland and you had Bernstein, Piston, and Hanson and Bill Schuman. But you didn’t have the kind of variety we have now. But it did give me a chance to hear a lot of music that I had never heard before, and about that time Columbia MasterWorks started issuing its’ American Music Series - which was extraordinary! Goddard Lieberson put this together, an extraordinary series of pieces like John Cage...things I would have never had an opportunity to hear before. And in hearing those I became so fascinated with one can do, today compared to the past, that I just wanted to compose and that’s very much why I became a composer.

Clare: Do you think the musicians at the caliber that they were, the Bernsteins that your dad was not just a section violinist or violist or accordion player, he was a concert master of the New York Philharmonic, do you think that had an effect also in your musical up bringing?

Corigliano: Well I think so, I remember meeting a lot of these people. I remember meeting Fritz Kreisler and Pierre Monteux as a little kid, so I certainly did meet them and get to know them. I remember we used to have lunch with Dmitri Mitropolis at La Scala Restaurant my father and I. He would bring bring fava beans and he would ask for tartar steak and he would mix in with this bottle of fava beans he had and eat it and he would talk. So one of the things it did was humanize the great musicians of our time because my father knew them personally. But I think the real thing that gave me was the idea of, especially in the concerto, was the idea of the soloist and the ensemble and the drama of the concerto - because there was my father with an eighteen inch piece of wood, there was a ninety-five to a hundred and four piece orchestra playing and he had to rise above that - and in some way because the composer wrote it so that he could do so; he had to surmount you know fifty other string players plus another forty brass wind and percussion players and I think the drama of that was something I grew up with. So writing concertos in particular I feel a kind of naturalness about engaging in that dialogue because I grew up with it. And the idea that he played, that he could dominate that by his musicianship, the sound and the passion of his playing was something that I took as a natural thing.

In person backstage and in rainbows

Last fall, Christopher O'Riley performed with the York Symphony Orchestra, French works by Ravel and Messiaen. I caught part of rehearsal, and then talked with Chris backstage at the Strand Capitol. Part of the interview will be aired on WITF Presents tonight, but I thought you might want to hear the entire talk, a nice 11 minutes or so of conversation ranging from returning to orchestras like York, to the new Radiohead album and his show From the Top.

Enjoy!

Interview [mp3 file]

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.

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.

Falletta First - ten years ago

In December 1997, the Wichita Symphony welcomed its first woman as guest conductor. Joann Falletta, Music Director of the Long Beach (CA) and Virginia Symphonies, took the podium. During her stay in Wichita, she took time from her schedule for an interview with KMUW-FM's John Clare. You'll have to imagine the music that was played, and the music in their voices as they discussed their mutual love of classical music. The live interview was originally broadcast on 12/3/97 during The Music Room on KMUW-FM 89.

JC: I'm John Clare. I'm joined today by Maestro - is it Maestro or is it Maestra Joann Falletta? We'll start off with a hard question. (laughter)
JF: Either one is ok, and I've been called both, and it doesn't matter. I've never exactly figured out myself which is really correct. (laughter)
JC: Maestro, Maestra, Concertmaster, Concertmistress. It's a hard question. Doesn't really matter except that you're here to lead the Wichita Symphony Orchestra this weekend. We picked the Hailstork to play because you've had some workings with him.
JF: Yes, I know Dolph very well because he lives with us in Virginia, and the Virginia Symphony has played a lot of his music, a lot of premieres of his music, and we're very proud of him. I was just delighted to hear that you knew of his music as well!
JC: Yeah, it's a work on the Albany-Troy label. They certainly put out a lot of contemporary music, especially American music. I wanted to ask you about Carnegie Hall. The Virginia Symphony, of which you're Music Director (as well as the Long Beach Symphony in California we'll talk about each a little later,) made their Carnegie Hall debut earlier this year. I have a quote here that says, " The New York Times says about Joann Falletta "She brought a lovely sweep to the Elgar and enlisted not only a rich, warm string sound but also superbly detailed wind and brass playing.'" Pretty high mark for the New York Times.
JF: We felt very lucky. (laughter)
JC: Why is Carnegie Hall such a mecca for classical music?
JF: Well, I think it's the history of the hall and you're right, it is a mecca because for us in Virginia, the idea that we'd go to Carnegie for the first time after being an orchestra for 75 years, was the very biggest arts news that we could have, going to Carnegie Hall. And I think the sense we had when we were on the stage was that we were joining the spirits of the great musicians who had been there before. And that was an incredible sense! To be on the same stage as Tchaikovsky, and Mahler, and Toscanini � it was fabulous. And for us it was a night I guess that we will never duplicate again. It was a wonderful night and very successful, especially in terms helping our community in Virginia realize where their orchestra had come and that's really why we went, not so much for the New York audiences but to let our hometown know about us.
JC: How about balancing two coasts and conducting two orchestras? California and Virginia obviously aren't close.
JF: They are so different. The communities are so different. Southern California and southern Virginia- they're polar opposites I guess! But I find it very stimulating, you know I've gotten used to the travel back and forth and it's not so bad. The stimulation of being in different communities has been wonderful, very challenging and I've learned a great deal. So I really love the mix of those two places.
JC: And guest conducting, is that something that fits into your schedule?
JF: I spend probably a quarter of my year guest conducting and I like it. It's something very refreshing in a way. Because when you're a music director you have in addition to the musical responsibilities, lots of other responsibilities to worry about: whether we're meeting payroll, and if the tickets are selling and all kinds of extraneous problems that come along with music directorship. When you guest conduct, you have a wonderful artistic week, you know you go in and for that week you're able to just concentrate on the music and not so much of the other problems that we deal with. Plus I find that every orchestra I work with, I learn a great deal and that's true with the Wichita Symphony. My being on the podium in front of an orchestra like that, helps me learn a lot. I don't know if the musicians are always aware of that, but listening to them play the Eroica Symphony is a wonderful experience and a very enriching one.
JC: I have friends who are music teachers and they'll substitute, and have kids who are on questionable behavior; does it ever happen that a guest conductor shows up and the musicians are on their best behavior, or they're trying to get away with something, or that there is a second violinist in the back, slacking off?
JF: You know, I always find that they're actually on their best behavior and I think its because you're someone new to them and they're new to you, and we all want to make a good impression. Frankly, I want to make a good impression with them and vice versa. So, it's usually a delightful experience and I certainly found that with the Wichita Symphony, they're superb and willing to work very, very hard.
JC: I found another quote. I'm a "web-head" and found this on one of the orchestra webpages. It says "One of my goals has been to have the orchestra achieve it's own unique personality. The Virginia Symphony has become the leading musical force in the region, acclaimed for drama, virtuosity, color and finesse. Our musicians play a wide variety of repertoire with flair, excitement and depth." Those are certainly striking words and how does one achieve a unique personality? I know with recordings you can say, "Oh, that's Cleveland and George Szell or that's Montreal and Charles Dutoit." How does one achieve that on the podium?
JF: Well, you need to spend a lot of time with the orchestra, and I think we don't always see that with music directors. But if you can spend time, you can help them really blossom into an orchestra with a unique personality and I think in Virginia they have. We have very talented musicians working together and encouraging risk taking, which for me is very important. Encouraging them always to go for it, you know, not to take the easy way but to try. But I think they've developed a very dramatic sense, they've expanded their dynamic parameters, where they can play great dynamic contrasts - they've become very flexible in tempo changes and rubato. All of this takes time. It takes trust on both of our parts, I have to trust them, they have to trust me, so that the wonderful thing about being music director, is that you really feel you can build something and that that you can create something and help something become better and better for your community and thats a tremendous satisfaction.
JC: You brought in a stack of recordings, and I had known of some. You had worked with the Women's Philharmonic, and not only were they critically acclaimed, but widely talked about. Where does one learn about women composers?
JF: You know, when I first started to work with the Women's Philharmonic I'm embarassed to say, I knew almost nothing about women composers because my training was traditional. You know, I studied at Juilliard and learned a great wealth of music, but none of women. Much of it is contemporary but also women of the past. I think the Women's Philharmonic has really tried to spread the word about that; tried to get the word out to other orchestras in the country because our hope is that they will learn about this repertory and play it. And the recordings have certainly helped that.
JC: I want to talk about a little about a scary topic, new music. Folks may not know, I consider Piazzola sort of a Vivaldi, there's a wealth of works: tangos, chamber works, and just all types. Can you talk about the piece you'll perform of his? [Tangazo]
JF: I'm so glad you asked about him, because I would hate for people to think that this was going to be one of the wild contemporary pieces that they don't want to hear, it's extraordinary tango music. Piazzola, who died in 1992, was in his time, the creator of the Neauvo Tango or the New Tango. He took the form of tango, which is the sort of quintessential Argentine music, and breathed new life into it, brought it into the 20th century with more complicated rhythms and some dissonances. It's still very much a tango and for him the tango was the poor people of Argentina. It was sad and tragic, music people who were disenfranchised, immigrants who had left South America, left their families and homes, and that sort of, kind of tenderness and sadness is what makes the tango so exquisite.
JC: It's sort of an elegant passion. I like to consider that it has that South American touch, it takes you back to the 1920's Paris.
JF: Yes, exactly! It's gorgeous. And of course, most of his music is not for symphony orchestra, rather including pieces for small ensembles, including the Bandeon, which was his instrument, a sort of accordion, which was so much the sound of the tango. But Tangazo, the piece we're playing, is the only one of his pieces for orchestra alone. So it's a little gem that we can now work into the orchestra repertoire, and most people wouldn't have heard it. I think they'll come away just delighted with, as you say, the "elegant passion" of his music.
JC: During the break we talked about Morton Gould and I wanted to talk about commissioning new works. Now you've commissioned Hailstork for the Piano Concerto?
JF: Yes, we took that to Carnegie Hall. But we've done a lot of commissioning, especially in Long Beach, where one of our missions there is to promote American music. So we've done a lot of new music and our audience has really come along with us, and I think they've become very sophisticated. Of course we do a lot of traditional music as well. But I like the mix of combining something new with something like Beethoven, because I think it gives a sense that the symphony is constantly evolving, it's not a musuem of the 18th and 19th century. It's an ongoing beautiful instrument that composers are writing great music for today.
JC: How does one get out of the overture, concerto, symphony mold?
JF: Well, it's hard, you know, but the mold isn't so bad, because...it works! There is something very good about tradition. But we must try to vary what we do, so that it's not always the same thing. And we've found our audiences have enjoyed that and they've come to listen to Piazzola, even if they haven't heard him before.
JC: I read that you're a guitarist and that you went to school at Juilliard. And recently you've made some transcriptions for guitar of some Schubert songs?
JF: It was just released, last week in fact - a guitar transcription of Schubert Winterreise. Schubert was a guitarist, I don't know how many people knew that, a pianist and guitarist. He did a lot of his composing, for the much suited instrument, since that was his inspiration. And so I brought them back, I think, to the guitar that might have been in his mind when he was composing Winterreise. It's a very intimate cycle as well. I think it works very well, Schubert songs are a very special kind of music and the closeness, the gentleness and intimacy of the guitar really gives them a different quality.
JC: Do you still perform guitar?
JF: I still do. Especially chamber music, and for me its a nice foil to conducting, which involves a lot more people and different repertoire.
JC: What about playing and conducting? Have you played the famous Rodrigo while on the podium?
JF: I haven't tried the Rodrigo that way, I've done Vivaldi that way. It seems a lot easier, you know, you can sort of conduct by nodding and body motion...(laughter)...but it's fun. We've got so many years of great music.
JC: While there are many women composers, women conductors are just starting to appear more frequently. What advice would you give to somebody, male or female, who would want to pursue conducting?
JF: Well, it's the kind of profession that requires a lot of study. I'd advise them to work on every other aspect: piano, analysis, score reading, ear training, music history; all of those are very critical. And conducting is the kind of profession that developes very slowly because you learn as a conductor when you practice your instrument - and that instrument is a very expensive instrument you don't always have. I think conductors learn as they go on. I myself am looking at Beethoven Three now, I feel very differently about it and hopefully see a lot more in it than I saw in it at school in Juilliard. So you learn more about a piece and in a way, you get closer to the core of what the piece means. But some people say a conductor isn't a full fledged conductor until he or she is fifty, because it takes that much life experience and musical experience to really come to understand what these pieces are about.
JC: I'd like to thank you very much for coming in today and spending a little time with us.
JF: Thank you. It was a pleasure, thank you!

This interview was broadcast at 2 p.m. Friday, March 13th, 1998 as part of Wichita In Performance, along with the selections Falletta conducted with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, on KMUW-Wichita, FM-89.

Interviewing a legend

I spent the weekend in Saratoga Springs and heard the Philadelphia Orchestra play Beethoven and Penderecki. Saturday morning I talked with Krzysztof Penderecki, my second chance to interview him, this time though, it was in person.

Here is a small portion of the interview, talking about the new Penderecki Center which starts construction this fall.

Interview excerpt [mp3 file]

It was a dream come true.

Gilbert Interview

I was happy to read about Alan Gilbert being named the next Music Director of the NY Philharmonic. So I went to the archives and found this interview from 2004, speaking with him about Santa Fe Opera and their then new Don Giovanni. Enjoy!

MP3 File