Composer Interview

It was great to catch up and pick the musical mind of Michael Torke on Saturday afternoon in Manhattan for WITF.
We had met previously in Las Vegas for an interview for 20/20 Hearing back in October 2003. Back then, he was in town on vacation and it happened to work out for him and I to do the interview at our studios - I interviewed and engineered from the booth and he was in the next room. Afterwards I dropped him off at the Bellagio. It was novel at the time because a) we had just debuted the all classical station that day; and b) all of the next two years of the show, only one other composer interview was in person, the rest were over the phone.

This time, we talked at Torke's apartment in the village - I know the neighborhood well as I eat and drink at Shopsin's and Mr. Dennehy's quite often - and it turns out Michael's apartment is just around the corner! It was also nice that we had an engineer so I could focus solely on the interview. Keep an eye for it on Composing Thoughts this spring!

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!

Small world

So another run in in front of Carnegie Hall - yes - in a city of 8.2 million, I suprisingly run into an old school chum.
John Hagstrom is the principal 2nd trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Turns out they (the CSO) were in the main hall while I was in Weill hearing Efe and Anna.
Out front I hear someone say "See you John." and I turn around and see a somewhat familiar silhoutte, so I say, "John Hagstrom?"
And he turns around. We exchanged quick greetings and biz cards.
Small world.

You'll no doubt remember this posting from the spring when I was recognized by a model...or this quite recent bump into a radio friend.

Waiting on a Saturday morning

Wonderful views on a Saturday morning in Manhattan.


I was happy with my hotel down in the Flatiron/Garment district...brought old memories from hanging out waiting for Daylene all those years ago. Some of these snaps were the view we had while playing chess in Madison Square park.

Here's the fairly recent Museum of Sex, and their title (ad) caught my attention, as well as a good snicker.
As I was walking down to the park to meet the audio engineer, I saw all of these tourists looking up...



this is what they were eyeing











- the great and ornate architecture.

Christmas Quiz

Legal departments can get out of hand with their political correctness, and here at ClassicallyHip, we think that the lawyers have gone too far this holiday season.

Can you name these Christmas Carols?


1. Move Hither The Entire Assembly Of Those Who Are Loyal In Their Belief
The answer: "O Come All Ye Faithful!"

2. Embellish Interior Passageways

3. Vertically Challenged Adolescent Percussionist

4. First Person Singular Experiencing An Hallucinatory Phenomenon Of A Natal Celebration Devoid Of Color

5. Soundless Nocturnal Period

6. Majestic Triplet Referred To In The First Person Plural

7. The Yuletide Occurence Preceding All Others

8. Precious Metal Musical Devices

9. Omnipotent Supreme Being Elicit Respite To Ecstatic Distinguished Males

10. Caribou With Vermillion Olfactory Appendage

11. Allow Crystalline Formations To Descend

12. Jovial Yuletide Desired For The Second Person Singular Or Plural By The First Person Plural

13. Commence Auditory Reception The Announcing Cherubs Vocalize

14. Kris Kringle Will Be Arriving In The City In The Not Too Distant Future

15. Bipedal Traveling Through An Amazing Acreage During The Period Between December 21st And March 21st In The Northern Hemisphere

16. Its Arrival Occurred At Twelve O'Clock During A Clement Nocturnal Period

17. Exclamatory Remark Concerning A Diminutive Municipality In Judea Southwest Of Jerusalem

18. Song of Mirth About the Seat of the Intellect of an Uncastrated Porcine Male

19. Primary Color Between Green and Violet In The Visible Spectrum Annual Festival of the Christian Church Commemorating the Birth of Jesus

20. Female Ancestor Came Against With An Impact And Knocked Down By Large Deer of the Genus Rangifer, of Northern and Arctic Regions of Europe, Asia, and North America

For the answers (the REAL CAROLS!), click here.

Although these titles would work better for Frank's comments...

Enjoy a great holiday tune recorded live in Las Vegas!

Flip flop

So I'm working nights the majority of this week. You won't hear me as you might normally in the afternoons on WITF.
It's different at night - should be fun with requests.

I'm also away Friday - to hear Anna Polonsky in Carnegie Hall (she's collaborating with a cellist in Zankel Hall) and then Saturday I'm interviewing two musicians for Composing Thoughts, Michael Torke and David Little. There's also a Christmas party thrown by a coworker that should be fun that night (yes I'll come back for that - hey, free beer, and what beer, Mad Elf!)

Heart

Hard to keep things "normal" when you get a call that your Mom has had a seizure. She's alright, but things have been better. It's hard to be far away when someone you love is in bad health. Things are rough sometimes and not easy on my Dad. I wish I was closer to be able to take care of them.
I'm slowly convincing my dad to visit this spring - with hopes that he will decide to move here. There's not much in Omaha for me, and professionally, I'll be moving further east, not west in the future. At least that's how I see things.
But right now, I just want them to be okay. I am really looking forward to spending a week with them and I know they'll appreciate having me around. Their Christmas gifts should arrive this week - they're travelling right now in Kansas and will be back to Nebraska later this week. Here's to their safety and all my love.

Coming Up

Don't miss guitarist Paul Zavinsky & friends (yes, I'm fiddlin') over at Cornerstone Coffeehouse Saturday, December 16th in Camp Hill.
We'll also be back at Eckel's Drug Store on Friday, January 19th in Mechanicsburg.
Then over to Millersville to George Street Cafe on Friday, February 23rd.

Of course there are other times we're playing, say at Al Med, so why don't you email me and ask? We also play weddings, parties, et al.

Connections?

So I ran into an old acquaintance this week at work. He stood there, as I was walking toward the radio master control room with a coworker, and we stopped - he tilted his head - as my coworker was still talking and I smiled.
He said, you don't remember - and I had a puzzled look for just a moment, because I couldn't believe that during the first week of our new building, here was another radio person I knew - but a decade ago! He had since worked in California (when I was in Texas & Nevada), and then to Florida (while I moved to Harrisburg.) I always enjoyed his work, and it seemed he was always covering something dangerous for NPR, so I never thought he'd just be standing in the hallway at my work. But there he was.
We shook hands and laughed. He got introduced to my coworker and we chatted for a few moments. Turns out he is AT NPR now, instead of reporting, he's a bureau chief. It's way cool, cause he's a real talent. He mentioned that he'd asked if I was around here - we always seemed to stay in touch, from his reports in Kansas at the State House and on tornadoes; to the Navy deployment in San Diego and then the hurricanes in Florida. I think I had emailed him when I got the Deems Taylor Award last year (who DIDN'T I email then, hahaha!) and we stayed in touch.
So it was nice to get an email a day later with his new contact info. It also brought back some great memories from Lawrence, when my date and I had run into him at dinner at this killer place. I emailed her (we're still in touch!) and it was sweet having all of this to share.

So of course, the guys at work had to give me a hard time about him asking about me: Do you know everyone?! Who don't you know?! God, how do people remember you?!

It's all apart of life. One, it's a small world, really. Two, always treat people fairly and respect talent. Three, why not have fun whenever you can?

I live life to the fullest and have lots of friends. Why not? If our paths cross, I'd just as soon have you remember me for this fun loving, classical geek who lives and loves as much as he can. And remember, you never know when you'll run into somebody!

5 things about Turtle Island String Quartet

The Turtle Island String Quartet is on tour and visited Central PA.

1. The quartet came to WITF and played in our studios live! Cary Burkett hosted - keep an eye out for a podcast soon.

2. Each member had at least one of their own arrangements on the program and sometimes that meant a solo performance - especially killer was a solo cello version of Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming.

3. Met lots of WITF listeners beforehand and at intermission. Most had heard the quartet that afternoon and loved the concert.

4. Seeing the quartet was fascinating, how they create percusive sounds and rhythms - to quote a certain credit card commercial - PRICELESS!

5. Their encore of "The Peanuts Theme" was charming and the audience wanted much more giving the ubiquitous standing o. The guys were gracious afterwards and signed cds and took pictures with audience and choir members. Keep an eye out for the TISQ's next album with music by John Coltrane!

[photos by John Clare]

New Studio View

My new view of the controls at WITF in Radio Master Control.

The week ahead

There's lots going on classically in the midstate this week. Don't miss out on these concerts - I'm certainly not!

Tuesday night, From the Top is in Mercersburg, PA for a radio taping. Host/pianist Christopher O'Riley is a hoot. Take a listen to talented young artists and see how radio is made!




Wednesday night, Market Square Concerts presents clarinetist David Schiffrin and pianist Andre Michel-Schub. World class artists in Harrisburg; Something on the program for everyone...















Friday night the Turtle Island String Quartet plays at HACC. They'll also play at the WITF studios on Friday afternoon! Keep an ear out...










Saturday night is the Waverly Consort at Gretna Music. A killer classical Christmas Experience. Also head back to hear 3 Trains Comin' at Suba that night!












And orchestra concerts as well as Nutcrackers are around the corner. I'm doing an ArtBeat about the Nutcracker on December 15th.

Movin' on up

This week has been busy with packing up the office and music library at WITF to move to the new PMC (Public Media Center) from our old office. Enjoy some pictures from the old to the new...more to come!

New Studio

New (empty) Library

Old Studio

A whole lot of London cds

Where's the tape?

Cary Packing

Al Med

Here are a few pics from Wednesday night.




The lighting wasn't very good so I had some fun with effects...I'll take more soon.