I didn’t get home in time to see Alex’s spot on Charlie Rose last night, but I did manage to catch Marin Alsop. (And hey, look at that: I can already watch both segments online!)
Alsop’s description of one aspect of her inaugural season as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra sounds very much like my vision for The Bhakti Project! Her idea: pair each Beethoven symphony on a program with modern works, some conducted by their composers: Adams, Adés, MacMillan. Her hope: audiences who come to the Symphony for Beethoven will see how today’s “classical music” connects with “the classics,” and those who come for the new stuff will be reminded of the continued relevance (and awesomeness) of that which came before. It is all of a piece, yo.
She talked about elements of Christopher Rouse’s music that match “ the vocabulary that kids today hear:” “brutal, rock-based, and very driven.” I was reminded of sitting in The Shed at Tanglewood, hearing the TMC Orchestra play a Tchaikovsky violin concerto with Joshua Bell. At one point, I looked back to the double bassists, tall hipster looking guys to a one, and they were rocking! out! The sounds that come from an orchestra in some of the major symphonies are not unlike the sounds you hear on heavy metal records; amplification is the major difference, to my mind. S&M, anyone?
**Update: Ok, now I’ve watched Alex’s segment. More awesome stuff here, obviously; watch them both if you missed them last night. He acknowledges the blend that is happening, not just in programming, but in the compositions themselves. Pop and folk and jazz blending with Beethoven and Stravinsky and Schoenberg. What an exciting time to be a “classical musician!”
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Friday, October 12, 2007
Shimmering, Sparkling
What do Rachmaninoff, The National, and red skinny jeans have in common? They were all part of my night last night, making for a great NYC experience.
Looking again, I guess that opener should be more along the lines of “one of these things is not like the other,” since skinny jeans and indie rock go together like classical music recitals and formal gowns. Ummm…. wait a minute.
Last night I sang on another concert in the VIM series at a great little gallery in Tribeca. This series has always (in its now two seasons of existence) been about breaking the mold, so to speak, of chamber music and recital presentation. I talked with several people throughout the night about this, musicians and non-musicians alike, and we all seemed excited about this trend towards making chamber music intimate and familiar again. I’m sure people have been talking of the “rebirth of the salon” for a while now, but I know that among my peers, we’re doing our damndest to make it happen.
So, to that end… I looked at my schedule for the evening: sing Rachmaninoff songs in a recital in Tribeca at 7pm, then hoof it uptown to catch The National give the inaugural concert at Terminal 5, the new venue operated by The Bowery Presents. It was rainy and gross, so I wanted to carry as little as possible with me, which meant: no change of clothes. What could I wear that would be appropriate for both events?
I checked in with Kimball, the recital’s host, to see how he’d feel about something a little less than standard, and as I hoped, he was all for it. A few weeks ago, I picked up an amazing vintage sequined top at a church sidewalk sale: black and silver, a big butterfly design on the front and back, loose-fitting and fun. When I saw it, I thought, “That is either the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen, or the coolest!” Since it was $5, I bought it, immediately picturing it with skinny red jeans and black heels. Disco lives, babies! I found the jeans at Urban Outfitters, of course, and voila! Hipster recitalist.
I cannot tell you how much fun it was to perform in that venue, for those people, in those clothes. It was so relaxed, so comfortable, so intimate – but not a drop of professionalism or musicianship was lost at any moment, by any of the performers. Intimate doesn’t have to mean sloppy, relaxed doesn’t have to mean lazy. There were no program notes or translations, so I got to introduce each song, further breaking the wall of formality. (There were some Russians, in the house, incidentally, and they said they understood every word! Phew!!) I met some great new colleagues and friends, and discussions were begun about possible future performances (stay tuned for news of a possible Bhakti revival!).
It goes without saying that the concert uptown was awesome. I had no idea a violin could rock like that… And JD and I got to see the first champagne spilled on the stage at this fantastic new venue, which just happens to be five blocks from my house. I’ll see The Shins there in two weeks! A midnight snack at the diner up the street – where we were joined by a dear friend & colleague who had his own performance in Midtown that evening – and a brisk walk home through the October mist wrapped up what was an unforgettable night. Friends, Fashion, Food, indeed. Oh yeah, and music, too… Fabulous.
Oh, and? The evening was professionally videotaped (taped? what do we call this now?!), so stay tuned for some YouTube action. See the sequins in all their glory!!
**Disclaimer, NIB, etc: I'm not at all proposing that we do away with the formal concert gown! Far from it; you know I love me some Badgley Mischka. If I am ever lucky enough to present a recital in Weill or Alice Tully, you can bet I'll be glammed out to the max! But, every now and then, let's relax a bit; let's bring some rock star glamour to this fantastic art form.
Looking again, I guess that opener should be more along the lines of “one of these things is not like the other,” since skinny jeans and indie rock go together like classical music recitals and formal gowns. Ummm…. wait a minute.
Last night I sang on another concert in the VIM series at a great little gallery in Tribeca. This series has always (in its now two seasons of existence) been about breaking the mold, so to speak, of chamber music and recital presentation. I talked with several people throughout the night about this, musicians and non-musicians alike, and we all seemed excited about this trend towards making chamber music intimate and familiar again. I’m sure people have been talking of the “rebirth of the salon” for a while now, but I know that among my peers, we’re doing our damndest to make it happen.
So, to that end… I looked at my schedule for the evening: sing Rachmaninoff songs in a recital in Tribeca at 7pm, then hoof it uptown to catch The National give the inaugural concert at Terminal 5, the new venue operated by The Bowery Presents. It was rainy and gross, so I wanted to carry as little as possible with me, which meant: no change of clothes. What could I wear that would be appropriate for both events?
I checked in with Kimball, the recital’s host, to see how he’d feel about something a little less than standard, and as I hoped, he was all for it. A few weeks ago, I picked up an amazing vintage sequined top at a church sidewalk sale: black and silver, a big butterfly design on the front and back, loose-fitting and fun. When I saw it, I thought, “That is either the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen, or the coolest!” Since it was $5, I bought it, immediately picturing it with skinny red jeans and black heels. Disco lives, babies! I found the jeans at Urban Outfitters, of course, and voila! Hipster recitalist.
I cannot tell you how much fun it was to perform in that venue, for those people, in those clothes. It was so relaxed, so comfortable, so intimate – but not a drop of professionalism or musicianship was lost at any moment, by any of the performers. Intimate doesn’t have to mean sloppy, relaxed doesn’t have to mean lazy. There were no program notes or translations, so I got to introduce each song, further breaking the wall of formality. (There were some Russians, in the house, incidentally, and they said they understood every word! Phew!!) I met some great new colleagues and friends, and discussions were begun about possible future performances (stay tuned for news of a possible Bhakti revival!).
It goes without saying that the concert uptown was awesome. I had no idea a violin could rock like that… And JD and I got to see the first champagne spilled on the stage at this fantastic new venue, which just happens to be five blocks from my house. I’ll see The Shins there in two weeks! A midnight snack at the diner up the street – where we were joined by a dear friend & colleague who had his own performance in Midtown that evening – and a brisk walk home through the October mist wrapped up what was an unforgettable night. Friends, Fashion, Food, indeed. Oh yeah, and music, too… Fabulous.
Oh, and? The evening was professionally videotaped (taped? what do we call this now?!), so stay tuned for some YouTube action. See the sequins in all their glory!!
**Disclaimer, NIB, etc: I'm not at all proposing that we do away with the formal concert gown! Far from it; you know I love me some Badgley Mischka. If I am ever lucky enough to present a recital in Weill or Alice Tully, you can bet I'll be glammed out to the max! But, every now and then, let's relax a bit; let's bring some rock star glamour to this fantastic art form.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
FriPod: a few days late
I’ve been loving Scott Spiegelberg’s weekly “FriPod” posts, in which he comes up with a theme of sorts and then makes a playlist from his iTunes library. I asked if I could appropriate the idea as a meme of sorts, and he agreed, so here is my first “FriPod!” Whether or not I include commentary will depend on how much time I have, which tonight is not much…
This week’s theme was “The Four Emotions.” (A play upon “The Four Seasons,” perhaps? Since there are obviously more than four…) Here are mine:
1. “The Happy Birthday Song,” Andrew Bird, The Mysterious Production of Eggs
2. “She’s only happy in the sun,” Ben Harper, Diamonds on the Inside
3. “Happy, The End,” The Innocence Mission, Glow
4. “Make Someone Happy,” Comden and Green, performed by Jimmy Durante on the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack
5. “Happy With Myself?” Over the Rhine, Eve
6. “Happy Phantom,” Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes
7. “Why do I Feel So Sad,” Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor
8. “Sad Songs and Waltzes,” Cake, Fashion Nugget
9. “My Lonely Sad Eyes,” Maria McKee, You Gotta Sin to Get Saved
10. “Love and Anger,” Kate Bush, The Sensual World
11. “Atoms for Peace,” Thom Yorke, Eraser
12. “Love and Peace or Else,” U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
13. “All Good Naysayers, Speak Up or Forever Hold Your Peace,” Sufjan Stevens (who else would have a title that long?!), Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State
14. “Oh, Lead Me to some Peaceful Gloom,” from Purcell’s Bonduca, sung by Sylvia McNair on The Echoing Air
I’m happy to have more “happy” songs than “sad,” and I had to search for that “anger” song. SS used “angry,” and I didn’t have any songs with that word in the title. One classical selection, one jazz standard, and lots of indie rock. Seems about right… I wonder if I searched for these words in Italian, German, or French, what I’d come up with? Maybe tomorrow…
(Upon further consideration, I’m afraid this exercise might, over time, display how woefully under stocked my music library is! Maybe some new purchases will be in order, as holes are made obvious…)
This week’s theme was “The Four Emotions.” (A play upon “The Four Seasons,” perhaps? Since there are obviously more than four…) Here are mine:
1. “The Happy Birthday Song,” Andrew Bird, The Mysterious Production of Eggs
2. “She’s only happy in the sun,” Ben Harper, Diamonds on the Inside
3. “Happy, The End,” The Innocence Mission, Glow
4. “Make Someone Happy,” Comden and Green, performed by Jimmy Durante on the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack
5. “Happy With Myself?” Over the Rhine, Eve
6. “Happy Phantom,” Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes
7. “Why do I Feel So Sad,” Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor
8. “Sad Songs and Waltzes,” Cake, Fashion Nugget
9. “My Lonely Sad Eyes,” Maria McKee, You Gotta Sin to Get Saved
10. “Love and Anger,” Kate Bush, The Sensual World
11. “Atoms for Peace,” Thom Yorke, Eraser
12. “Love and Peace or Else,” U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
13. “All Good Naysayers, Speak Up or Forever Hold Your Peace,” Sufjan Stevens (who else would have a title that long?!), Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State
14. “Oh, Lead Me to some Peaceful Gloom,” from Purcell’s Bonduca, sung by Sylvia McNair on The Echoing Air
I’m happy to have more “happy” songs than “sad,” and I had to search for that “anger” song. SS used “angry,” and I didn’t have any songs with that word in the title. One classical selection, one jazz standard, and lots of indie rock. Seems about right… I wonder if I searched for these words in Italian, German, or French, what I’d come up with? Maybe tomorrow…
(Upon further consideration, I’m afraid this exercise might, over time, display how woefully under stocked my music library is! Maybe some new purchases will be in order, as holes are made obvious…)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Remedies
I set out with the best of intentions this evening, carrying my new yoga bag (a Christmas gift from my sister) through the snow flurries to my 6:30 yoga class. Only, guess what? The class started at 6:00. D’oh! “The best laid plans…”
Instead of asanas, I wandered a bit and found another blues-buster, one favored by at least two of my readers: CUPCAKES!!
Now, I’m no food pornographer, but those look pretty good, right? Devil’s Food and Raspberry… yummmmm. A clean house, some exercise, cupcakes, and free episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty on abc.com. Life’s not so blue after all. In another attempt to get out of my head, I also, per my mother’s suggestion, found a potential volunteer opportunity in my neighborhood; more on that as it develops.
Here are those bullet points I promised:
• I attended the Friday lunchtime concert of the New York Philharmonic last weekend. It was an interesting mix of a program: a Beethoven piano concerto, selections from Debussy’s “Impressions for Orchestra,” and the US Premiere of a work by Swedish composer Roger Börzt. The Börzt piece opened the concert, with a strident and seemingly endless chord, shimmering in the high strings. It was pushed the limit of uncomfortability (if that’s a word), and the much of the audience was obviously uncomfortable throughout most of the piece. I loved it, however, and I think I showed my age a bit when I grew quickly bored with the Beethoven! Obviously, I love Beethoven, but my tastes lean more and more toward what’s being written today.
• Also on Friday, I had a late lunch with Ariadne, who spent a long weekend taking in as much opera as she could cram into her schedule! It's always fun to meet other bloggers face to face, and this was no exception. Hope you had a wonderful NYC visit!
• Saturday night, KW and I sat in the company box to watch Judith Forst work her magic as Kostelnicka. With apologies to Sieglinde, this was our view:
Cool! The sound wasn’t as good there as elsewhere in the house, but the vantage point was worth it. And of course, Forst didn’t disappoint! Someone a few tiers above us ripped up their playbill to throw as confetti at her curtain call, which was totally cool. I turned toward the house to drink in the scene as the audience let the performers know how much they enjoyed the evening. It was one of those “pinch me” moments…
• Last night I went with some friends to watch our friend LC perform in Follies at City Center. She was SOOOO wonderful, and beautiful, and it was absolutely thrilling to see her onstage with stars like Donna Murphy, Christine Baranski, Victoria Clark, and Victor Garber. Remember my shattered illusions of Broadway a few months ago? Well, they’ve been restored. Across the board, the commitment and skill and talent on that stage was awe-inspiring. Victoria Clark’s vocal technique is a dream, and Donna Murphy is beyond sensational. It was a night full of goose bumps and gasps, truly thrilling. The thrills continued as we bumped into star after star backstage and at the cast party: SJP and Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Bernadette Peters, Joel Grey, Barbara Cook, Fred Willard, and the maestro himself: Stephen Sondheim. What a night!!
• (One more note about that: I totally geeked out on Donna Murphy. I told her that I belonged to what I imagined was a small cross-section of her fans who saw her as Fosca in Passion on Broadway and then wore out the CD original cast recording AND who own her Star Trek movie. Dork!!)
• Helena rehearsals started this week, and tomorrow I think I’ll get a chance to get up on my feet. I’m covering the same woman in this production that I did in Jenufa, and on days when she has a show in the evening, I’ll likely get to step in for her for at least part of the rehearsal. It sounds like the Elves are going to have a lot of blocking, which means lots of rehearsal… This is also a new production, rather than a revival (like Jenufa) in which the director is working from the blocking book he and the stage managers created when they built the show the first time. (I love that book. It’s an office supply-lover’s dream! Maybe I’ll get a picture…)
That’s all she wrote! Thanks for your words of encouragement; they meant a lot.
Instead of asanas, I wandered a bit and found another blues-buster, one favored by at least two of my readers: CUPCAKES!!
Now, I’m no food pornographer, but those look pretty good, right? Devil’s Food and Raspberry… yummmmm. A clean house, some exercise, cupcakes, and free episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty on abc.com. Life’s not so blue after all. In another attempt to get out of my head, I also, per my mother’s suggestion, found a potential volunteer opportunity in my neighborhood; more on that as it develops.
Here are those bullet points I promised:
• I attended the Friday lunchtime concert of the New York Philharmonic last weekend. It was an interesting mix of a program: a Beethoven piano concerto, selections from Debussy’s “Impressions for Orchestra,” and the US Premiere of a work by Swedish composer Roger Börzt. The Börzt piece opened the concert, with a strident and seemingly endless chord, shimmering in the high strings. It was pushed the limit of uncomfortability (if that’s a word), and the much of the audience was obviously uncomfortable throughout most of the piece. I loved it, however, and I think I showed my age a bit when I grew quickly bored with the Beethoven! Obviously, I love Beethoven, but my tastes lean more and more toward what’s being written today.
• Also on Friday, I had a late lunch with Ariadne, who spent a long weekend taking in as much opera as she could cram into her schedule! It's always fun to meet other bloggers face to face, and this was no exception. Hope you had a wonderful NYC visit!
• Saturday night, KW and I sat in the company box to watch Judith Forst work her magic as Kostelnicka. With apologies to Sieglinde, this was our view:
Cool! The sound wasn’t as good there as elsewhere in the house, but the vantage point was worth it. And of course, Forst didn’t disappoint! Someone a few tiers above us ripped up their playbill to throw as confetti at her curtain call, which was totally cool. I turned toward the house to drink in the scene as the audience let the performers know how much they enjoyed the evening. It was one of those “pinch me” moments…• Last night I went with some friends to watch our friend LC perform in Follies at City Center. She was SOOOO wonderful, and beautiful, and it was absolutely thrilling to see her onstage with stars like Donna Murphy, Christine Baranski, Victoria Clark, and Victor Garber. Remember my shattered illusions of Broadway a few months ago? Well, they’ve been restored. Across the board, the commitment and skill and talent on that stage was awe-inspiring. Victoria Clark’s vocal technique is a dream, and Donna Murphy is beyond sensational. It was a night full of goose bumps and gasps, truly thrilling. The thrills continued as we bumped into star after star backstage and at the cast party: SJP and Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Bernadette Peters, Joel Grey, Barbara Cook, Fred Willard, and the maestro himself: Stephen Sondheim. What a night!!
• (One more note about that: I totally geeked out on Donna Murphy. I told her that I belonged to what I imagined was a small cross-section of her fans who saw her as Fosca in Passion on Broadway and then wore out the CD original cast recording AND who own her Star Trek movie. Dork!!)
• Helena rehearsals started this week, and tomorrow I think I’ll get a chance to get up on my feet. I’m covering the same woman in this production that I did in Jenufa, and on days when she has a show in the evening, I’ll likely get to step in for her for at least part of the rehearsal. It sounds like the Elves are going to have a lot of blocking, which means lots of rehearsal… This is also a new production, rather than a revival (like Jenufa) in which the director is working from the blocking book he and the stage managers created when they built the show the first time. (I love that book. It’s an office supply-lover’s dream! Maybe I’ll get a picture…)
That’s all she wrote! Thanks for your words of encouragement; they meant a lot.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Friday, December 29, 2006
iTunes knows what’s up
Entertainment Weekly might have ignored classical music in their year-end review, but iTunes didn’t! I was impressed to see that the New Music Tuesday email from iTunes included “year’s best” lists for classical and jazz in addition to the usual suspects (twelve categories all told). The Staff Favorite lists in the iTunes Store also showed a wide range of genres, featuring Dvorak’s Serenades and Mozart Symphonies mixed in with Justin Timberlake and Neko Case (love!). I think it’s safe to say that a lot of young people prefer to mix it up a bit when it comes to their listening choices; I don’t know many people who only listen to one type of music. How boring would that be? As for me, I got an iTunes gift care for Christmas (didn’t we all?!), and I plan to buy Romeo et Juliette (Slatkin, Domingo, Swenson), Cold War Kids, and Stevie Wonder (still a toss up between Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life). I don’t know the numbers, but I’m guessing that most iTuners are on the younger side of the music-buyers’ spectrum, so this is yet another indicator of classical music’s continuing life. If we kids are still buying it, well, then, it must be doing alright!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
PBO notes
Before I get to anything else, here’s the answer to the “what’s up, Bach” question from last week. (Sorry for the pun; expect more, since I’m with my dad for a week…) I can’t find my source, so now I’m wondering if I made this up, but somewhere I read that the last third of the soprano-baritone duet in the E-flat Magnificat (Virga Jesse floruit) was completed by a student of Bach’s, from J.S.’s sketches. (Meaning, he wrote a sort of “outline” for the music and the student filled it in.) Stephen Stubbs seemed to know about it, too, so maybe I’m not totally off base. But regardless, the last two pages seem to be written in a different musical “language,” so much so that I had a hard time learning the notes!
I’ve gotten to the point with Bach where I can look at a melisma (long run of notes) and say, “Ok, this is that kind of Bach run; got it.” I know Bach’s language, and don’t have to think too much as I’m learning a new piece. Just like verbal language, musical languages have characteristics and qualities that are unique to individual composers. Mozart, Britten, Reich, Weill. These composers all have languages that are their own, easily recognizable and, once you’ve mastered them, easily read.
But this?! I was lost. I had to learn the final melisma note by note, analyzing the harmonic structure, playing around with the phrasing, trying anything to get the notes to stick. So strange! As Stephen put it, when he heard it for the first time, “Hmm, I’m not sure Bach would have done that.”
Can anyone verify that there’s some truth to this? I know that the E-flat Magnificat was written first (Bach later took out the more specific Nativity movements to make it less seasonal and transposed it down to D Major to create the version most often performed today); why would someone else have finished a movement at that point in Bach’s life? Of course, I know modern composers who have asked students/collaborators to finish compositions, so maybe this is more common practice than we think. Ideas?
Other Messiah blurbs:
In “The Trumpet Shall Sound,” there is a phrase that gets passed back and forth between the trumpet and the violins. I noticed at the dress rehearsal that the violins copied BB’s ornaments, and I thought they’d rehearsed and marked in what he was going to play. But then in the first performance, he played something different – and so did they! He mixed it up every night, and they were all right there with him, literally “playing” along. It was a moment I looked forward to every night: Stump the Violins, if you will!
I had one of those moments every singer dreads: I got lost! It was during the first full Messiah performance, and, of course, during “If God be for us,” the aria I know the least. I started to sing the end to the second melisma when I was in the middle of the first. I had about four measures of complete floundering! Ack!! I made eye contact with Stephen, as if to say “Help!” but what could he do? We had to keep going… I had to laugh, though, when I got to the end of the phrase and looked ahead to see what was next. The text? “Who is he that condemneth?” Ha! I sang that line a bit tongue in cheek, and I could have sworn I heard a small chuckle in the audience, too!
Ah, the joys of live performance…
I’ve gotten to the point with Bach where I can look at a melisma (long run of notes) and say, “Ok, this is that kind of Bach run; got it.” I know Bach’s language, and don’t have to think too much as I’m learning a new piece. Just like verbal language, musical languages have characteristics and qualities that are unique to individual composers. Mozart, Britten, Reich, Weill. These composers all have languages that are their own, easily recognizable and, once you’ve mastered them, easily read.
But this?! I was lost. I had to learn the final melisma note by note, analyzing the harmonic structure, playing around with the phrasing, trying anything to get the notes to stick. So strange! As Stephen put it, when he heard it for the first time, “Hmm, I’m not sure Bach would have done that.”
Can anyone verify that there’s some truth to this? I know that the E-flat Magnificat was written first (Bach later took out the more specific Nativity movements to make it less seasonal and transposed it down to D Major to create the version most often performed today); why would someone else have finished a movement at that point in Bach’s life? Of course, I know modern composers who have asked students/collaborators to finish compositions, so maybe this is more common practice than we think. Ideas?
Other Messiah blurbs:
In “The Trumpet Shall Sound,” there is a phrase that gets passed back and forth between the trumpet and the violins. I noticed at the dress rehearsal that the violins copied BB’s ornaments, and I thought they’d rehearsed and marked in what he was going to play. But then in the first performance, he played something different – and so did they! He mixed it up every night, and they were all right there with him, literally “playing” along. It was a moment I looked forward to every night: Stump the Violins, if you will!
I had one of those moments every singer dreads: I got lost! It was during the first full Messiah performance, and, of course, during “If God be for us,” the aria I know the least. I started to sing the end to the second melisma when I was in the middle of the first. I had about four measures of complete floundering! Ack!! I made eye contact with Stephen, as if to say “Help!” but what could he do? We had to keep going… I had to laugh, though, when I got to the end of the phrase and looked ahead to see what was next. The text? “Who is he that condemneth?” Ha! I sang that line a bit tongue in cheek, and I could have sworn I heard a small chuckle in the audience, too!
Ah, the joys of live performance…
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Wainwrights at Carnegie
If I were in NYC tonight, I would do my utmost to be here: Christmas Cabaret with the Wainwright Family!
If you're free and can find a ticket, go in my stead!
If you're free and can find a ticket, go in my stead!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Always good to double check
I was just reviewing the cut list* for my upcoming Messiah concerts. Turns out they are including a section that has always been cut in my experience, which means I have a new solo to learn! It is the beautiful “If God be for us, who can be against us,” and I will enjoy learning it – and singing it! Handel’s music fits my voice very well; I’m about to add one or two of Cleopatra’s arias to my audition repertoire, I think…
PBO will be performing two concerts of the complete Messiah and then two performances of highlights paired with the Bach Magnificat. I haven’t performed the Magnificat before, so for that piece I’m learning a solo aria, a gorgeous SSA trio, and, since we’re performing the E-flat version, a duet for soprano and baritone. Lots of new music, lots of wonderful music.
I’m starting to get very excited about these concerts, for several reasons. Mostly, I realized today that I haven’t performed in almost three months! I have enjoyed the break, and I needed it, certainly. I couldn’t have gotten as settled as I am here in NYC if I’d been scurrying about performing, and my voice needed a rest, too. I’ve been going through a bit of a growth spurt vocally, and I’ve needed these months to fine tune things with my teacher, get some new rep up on its feet, and gear up for the next phase. But I am ready to get back to work!
Another reason I’m excited is that Stephen Stubbs will be conducting. Mr. Stubbs is a very prominent member of the international early music community, running the Boston Early Music Festival for years and recently moving (back) to Seattle, where he’ll be involved with several of the areas early music groups. Digging around a bit, I found that bio linked above on the website of the new Seattle Academy of Baroque Opera, his latest endeavor, it seems. How exciting for Seattle!
I’m always looking to learn more about a specific style of singing (singing styles generally being based on a time period), and this will be a wonderful opportunity to learn from a master. I’ll be nervous when I sing for him the first time, afraid that I will do something stylistically that will make him run screaming from the room! Of course I realize that chance is small, but I am completely open to the likelihood that he’ll have an idea or two that will make my performances more accurate. Learning on the job, so to speak.
* With a large work like the Messiah, groups will often cut out one or more movements to keep the running time down. There are cuts that have become traditional over the years, but it’s always good to double check!
On another note, I had one of those auditions today, where the folks behind the table say really nice things to you that make you think you got the gig. I’ve learned by now that said comments mean no such thing, but they are indicators of making an impression. So, whether I’ll be cast in a really fun and exciting role in April 2008 is yet to be seen, but I know that I made a good impression with a good company. Not a bad day at work.
PBO will be performing two concerts of the complete Messiah and then two performances of highlights paired with the Bach Magnificat. I haven’t performed the Magnificat before, so for that piece I’m learning a solo aria, a gorgeous SSA trio, and, since we’re performing the E-flat version, a duet for soprano and baritone. Lots of new music, lots of wonderful music.
I’m starting to get very excited about these concerts, for several reasons. Mostly, I realized today that I haven’t performed in almost three months! I have enjoyed the break, and I needed it, certainly. I couldn’t have gotten as settled as I am here in NYC if I’d been scurrying about performing, and my voice needed a rest, too. I’ve been going through a bit of a growth spurt vocally, and I’ve needed these months to fine tune things with my teacher, get some new rep up on its feet, and gear up for the next phase. But I am ready to get back to work!
Another reason I’m excited is that Stephen Stubbs will be conducting. Mr. Stubbs is a very prominent member of the international early music community, running the Boston Early Music Festival for years and recently moving (back) to Seattle, where he’ll be involved with several of the areas early music groups. Digging around a bit, I found that bio linked above on the website of the new Seattle Academy of Baroque Opera, his latest endeavor, it seems. How exciting for Seattle!
I’m always looking to learn more about a specific style of singing (singing styles generally being based on a time period), and this will be a wonderful opportunity to learn from a master. I’ll be nervous when I sing for him the first time, afraid that I will do something stylistically that will make him run screaming from the room! Of course I realize that chance is small, but I am completely open to the likelihood that he’ll have an idea or two that will make my performances more accurate. Learning on the job, so to speak.
* With a large work like the Messiah, groups will often cut out one or more movements to keep the running time down. There are cuts that have become traditional over the years, but it’s always good to double check!
On another note, I had one of those auditions today, where the folks behind the table say really nice things to you that make you think you got the gig. I’ve learned by now that said comments mean no such thing, but they are indicators of making an impression. So, whether I’ll be cast in a really fun and exciting role in April 2008 is yet to be seen, but I know that I made a good impression with a good company. Not a bad day at work.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Giving Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, all! Hope you had a lovely day of food and football and family.
My parents are here in NYC for the week (the power of grandchildren!), and they braved the rain to take in the big parade while E and I worked on dinner. I did most of my cooking at my apartment in Manhattan on Wednesday night, then carried everything over to Brooklyn. Let me tell you, food is heavy!! I had a squash casserole (classic southern dish), veggie-sausage and apple dressing, a pecan pie, and a chocolate-pumpkin cheesecake – all still warm! – carefully set into a laundry basket. Then I had a bag full of cheeses, olives, other hors d’oeuvres, and two bottles of wine. All in all, I think it was about 50 pounds of stuff! I only had to walk two (Avenue) blocks to the subway, but my arms were aching the next day! Nothing got even slightly damaged in transit, though, and everything tasted as good as it looked. E made the turkey (her first!), a really yummy cranberry sauce, roasted winter veggies, Brussels sprouts, green beans, and a pumpkin pie. It was quite possibly a perfect Thanksgiving meal.
We all said our “thanks” before dishing up, and as always, family topped the list. We missed having S&S, my sister and bro-in-law, and sent them lots of love on the phone. In addition to family, I really am most thankful for music, that it is both my vocation and my avocation, something I would do passionately even if it were just a hobby.
I was reminded on Thanksgiving how much music is central to my family, both now and as I was growing up. What triggered the thought was putting on “The Sound of Music” LP (yes, a record!) during the last hour of dinner preparation and everybody singing along. It was awesome! Sylvia got out her marionette horse puppet during the lonely goatherd song, and even little 16-month-old James got in on the action. He went around all night and the next day singing the opening pitches of “Do, a Deer” in perfect intervals. A budding singer?
I might not have grown up in a “classical music” house, but I was surrounded by music. Simon & Garfunkel, Anne Murray, ABBA, John Denver, the list goes on. Lots of church music, of course, with a few chestnuts like the Brandenburg concerti and Amahl and the Night Visitors thrown in for good measure. The overarching theme to my musical upbringing, I suppose, is that music is for communicating; I credit my folk music background for my love of singing in English (and my good English diction! No supertitles at coffee shop openmikes..). Music is something to share, and it is joyful!
And for that, I am Thankful.
My parents are here in NYC for the week (the power of grandchildren!), and they braved the rain to take in the big parade while E and I worked on dinner. I did most of my cooking at my apartment in Manhattan on Wednesday night, then carried everything over to Brooklyn. Let me tell you, food is heavy!! I had a squash casserole (classic southern dish), veggie-sausage and apple dressing, a pecan pie, and a chocolate-pumpkin cheesecake – all still warm! – carefully set into a laundry basket. Then I had a bag full of cheeses, olives, other hors d’oeuvres, and two bottles of wine. All in all, I think it was about 50 pounds of stuff! I only had to walk two (Avenue) blocks to the subway, but my arms were aching the next day! Nothing got even slightly damaged in transit, though, and everything tasted as good as it looked. E made the turkey (her first!), a really yummy cranberry sauce, roasted winter veggies, Brussels sprouts, green beans, and a pumpkin pie. It was quite possibly a perfect Thanksgiving meal.
We all said our “thanks” before dishing up, and as always, family topped the list. We missed having S&S, my sister and bro-in-law, and sent them lots of love on the phone. In addition to family, I really am most thankful for music, that it is both my vocation and my avocation, something I would do passionately even if it were just a hobby.
I was reminded on Thanksgiving how much music is central to my family, both now and as I was growing up. What triggered the thought was putting on “The Sound of Music” LP (yes, a record!) during the last hour of dinner preparation and everybody singing along. It was awesome! Sylvia got out her marionette horse puppet during the lonely goatherd song, and even little 16-month-old James got in on the action. He went around all night and the next day singing the opening pitches of “Do, a Deer” in perfect intervals. A budding singer?
I might not have grown up in a “classical music” house, but I was surrounded by music. Simon & Garfunkel, Anne Murray, ABBA, John Denver, the list goes on. Lots of church music, of course, with a few chestnuts like the Brandenburg concerti and Amahl and the Night Visitors thrown in for good measure. The overarching theme to my musical upbringing, I suppose, is that music is for communicating; I credit my folk music background for my love of singing in English (and my good English diction! No supertitles at coffee shop openmikes..). Music is something to share, and it is joyful!
And for that, I am Thankful.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Well, that was disappointing
The scene: Intermission at the Broadhurst Theatre
MP: (wearing his coat, pulling his bag up onto his shoulder, obviously ready to leave) So, what do you think?
ACB: Well, ok, here’s what I think. While I think Eponine will have some lovely moments in the second half, and Marius and students most certainly will, and Javert and Valjean might, the rest of it seems awfully like a high school musical. And, well, since my dream of Broadway has pretty much been shattered…”
MP: (bursts into sad laughter) So... drinks?
Ok, so it didn’t quite go down like that, but it wasn’t far off. What a disappointment. The “new orchestrations?” Obviously a money-saving venture, as the pit was thin and far too electronic to have any of the power of the original version. The tempi were so strict, and so fast, obviously in an attempt to keep the running time under three hours and avoid union overtime fees. No flexibility, no room for any feeling, just rushing from one line to the next. I felt like I was listening to a highlights version on cd. Except with some really shameful singing.
I was amazed at the lack of support, breath control, and intonation. Even with mikes, the lack of vocal technique was incredible. It was like American Idol Does Broadway. And I know it wasn’t just my nostalgia talking. I know enough to let go of my aural impressions of the Original London Cast Recording that I listened to over and over again in junior high and try to make room for a new experience. Just not this one. And that doesn’t mean that I’m not currently downloading said Original London Cast Recording (with Patti LuPone! and Colm Wilkinson! And Rebecca Caine!) off iTunes. I imagine I’ll give it a good listen or five in order to restore this work in my mind’s ear.
Sigh. Maybe a better revival will show up in a few years?
(MP and his boyfriend assure me that there is better Broadway to be seen out there. I’m going to see how many shows I can get them to take me to to make up for this…)
MP: (wearing his coat, pulling his bag up onto his shoulder, obviously ready to leave) So, what do you think?
ACB: Well, ok, here’s what I think. While I think Eponine will have some lovely moments in the second half, and Marius and students most certainly will, and Javert and Valjean might, the rest of it seems awfully like a high school musical. And, well, since my dream of Broadway has pretty much been shattered…”
MP: (bursts into sad laughter) So... drinks?
Ok, so it didn’t quite go down like that, but it wasn’t far off. What a disappointment. The “new orchestrations?” Obviously a money-saving venture, as the pit was thin and far too electronic to have any of the power of the original version. The tempi were so strict, and so fast, obviously in an attempt to keep the running time under three hours and avoid union overtime fees. No flexibility, no room for any feeling, just rushing from one line to the next. I felt like I was listening to a highlights version on cd. Except with some really shameful singing.
I was amazed at the lack of support, breath control, and intonation. Even with mikes, the lack of vocal technique was incredible. It was like American Idol Does Broadway. And I know it wasn’t just my nostalgia talking. I know enough to let go of my aural impressions of the Original London Cast Recording that I listened to over and over again in junior high and try to make room for a new experience. Just not this one. And that doesn’t mean that I’m not currently downloading said Original London Cast Recording (with Patti LuPone! and Colm Wilkinson! And Rebecca Caine!) off iTunes. I imagine I’ll give it a good listen or five in order to restore this work in my mind’s ear.
Sigh. Maybe a better revival will show up in a few years?
(MP and his boyfriend assure me that there is better Broadway to be seen out there. I’m going to see how many shows I can get them to take me to to make up for this…)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Sting crosses over
Now this I like: Sting’s latest album is a collection of Dowland songs, performed in collaboration with lutist Edin Karamazov. Sting joins in on a few numbers on the archlute, as well. Hot.
I have a lot of respect for Sting as a musician, and I think this album could be quite good. The clips on the DG site and on iTunes (where I will likely purchase it) make it clear that Sting is singing these songs with his voice and not trying to sound all “early music” and period (whatever that means…). Probably best, don’t you think? Besides, what was Dowland if not a singer-songwriter? Makes perfect sense to me to have someone like Sting sing them.
I’ll be curious to hear what others think about it…
I have a lot of respect for Sting as a musician, and I think this album could be quite good. The clips on the DG site and on iTunes (where I will likely purchase it) make it clear that Sting is singing these songs with his voice and not trying to sound all “early music” and period (whatever that means…). Probably best, don’t you think? Besides, what was Dowland if not a singer-songwriter? Makes perfect sense to me to have someone like Sting sing them.
I’ll be curious to hear what others think about it…
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Variety is the Spice of a Road Trip
I thought the playlist from today’s leg of my road trip was notable:
Metallica, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Dixie Chicks, the original cast recording of Wicked, Christina Aguilera, part of The Cloud Atlas, and All Things Considered.
I covered heavy metal, indie rock, country, musical theatre, R&B, books, and NPR. Not bad! And not exactly what your average "guy on the street" would imagine an opera singers listens to, huh?!
Metallica, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Dixie Chicks, the original cast recording of Wicked, Christina Aguilera, part of The Cloud Atlas, and All Things Considered.
I covered heavy metal, indie rock, country, musical theatre, R&B, books, and NPR. Not bad! And not exactly what your average "guy on the street" would imagine an opera singers listens to, huh?!
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