Classical Music Matters

Classical Music Radio Making a Comeback?

2010-04-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well, probably not in our region. At least not yet. The gist of this article is that while commercial classical FM is dwindling, public stations are picking up the slack.

Monterey Bay listeners have just a few choices. Our two primary listener-supported stations play NPR feed for part of the day, and often play the same feed at the same time. Another local FM station is merely a repeater for BBC news. Yadda yadda. I love the news, but where is classical music, with no commercial interruptions?

Read the full story here =>

Deconstructing J. S. Bach

2010-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Soprano Takes Cab From Poland To Royal Opera House

2010-04-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Aleksandra Kurzak is one of many musicians whose ability to travel has been challenged by the volcanic ash cloud. "Last heard, the Dutch Nieuw Ensemble was stuck in Hong Kong, the Asko Ensemble wasn't leaving New York anytime soon, the Ensemble Modern was still in Istanbul and the Dresden Philharmonic was stranded on the Spanish island of Mallorca...."
Bloomberg 04/20/10

Read the article here =>

Beethoven Visits Cleveland

2010-04-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

In 1958, the Colossus speaks to an 11-year-old boy

by Harvey Sachs

an article in American Scholar Magazine

Harvey Sachs is a writer, lecturer, music historian, translator, and arts administrator. This essay is adapted from his book The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824, which will be published in June by Random House.

Red the full article here ==>

At Leipzig's Bach Museum, Research Is In The Forefront

2010-04-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Visitors learn about Bach's penmanship, as well as the paper and ink he used. The display even explains how to date a Bach manuscript. But what makes this [newly renovated and expanded] museum unique is the interactive approach it takes to the teaching of its subject matter.
(Wall Street Journal)

Read more ==>

Yow! A Symphonic Weekend!

2010-03-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was filled with chamber music and singing voices, and this weekend features treats for lovers of symphony repertoire.

Thanks and many bravos to Max Bragado-Darman and John Larry Granger—and the orchestras they lead—for continuing to bring great orchestral music and first–rate soloists to our region. This weekend: music by Barber, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Elgar, Gershwin, Turina, and Ginastera!

The two soloists featured this weekend are particularly dazzling. Visit their fascinating websites (see below for the web addresses).

(You also can read details of both concerts in tomorrow's "Intermezzo" column by Barbara Rose Shuler here.)

Monterey Symphony Orchestra
Max Bragado-Darman, conductor
Sara Buechner, piano

Sat. March 27 (2 pm)
Dress Rehearsal, Sherwood Hall, Salinas
Sat. March 27 (7 pm)
Concert, Sherwood Hall, Salinas
(Note new Salinas start times)

Sun. March 28 (3 pm)
and Mon. March 29 (8 pm)
Sunset Theater, Carmel

Elgar: Cockaigne Overture, Op.40 (Wiki)
Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F major (Wiki)
Turina: Rapsodia sinfónica (about Joachin Turina)
Ginastera: Estancia Suite (Alberto Ginastera on Wiki)

Symphony website: www.montereysymphony.org/

Sara Buechner website: www.sarabuechner.com

And across the Bay:

ROMANTIC RHAPSODIES
Santa Cruz County Symphony
John Larry Granger, Conductor
Tessa Lark, violin

Sat. March 27 (8 pm)
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium

Sun. March 28 (2 pm)
Henry J Mello Center, Watsonville

Barber: Adagio for Strings (Wiki)
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto (Wiki)
with Tessa Lark, Violinist
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 ("Scottish") (Mendelssohn on Wiki)

Symphony website: www.santacruzsymphony.com/

Tessa Lark website: www.violinium.com

Two events for lovers of choral singing!

2010-03-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

The New Choir and the Santa Cruz Chorale
Music from around the globe, performed by two premiere choral ensembles.

Saturday, March 20, 2010 - 8:00pm
Holy Cross Church
126 High Street, Santa Cruz

Get Directions: Location Map

The New Choir – composed of about twenty five singers from the greater San Francisco Bay Area – is an auditioned chamber choir performing choral works from all genres. The members of the New Choir have been brought together by their common love for the making of beautiful music. The New Choir is dedicated to the study and performance of quality choral literature and sharing the joy and the spiritual enhancement inherent in the making of music.

Join Director Eileen Chang and the New Choir to hear Renaissance masters Monteverdi, Des Prez, Guerrero and Sweelinck, Romantic pieces by Delius, Stanford, Grieg, Rhienberger and Brahms, and Hebrew Love Songs by contemporary California composer, Eric Whitacre; Spirituals and folk songs from Haiti, the Phillipines, India and Korea, including the dramatic story of valiant Koreans defending their homeland from invasion in a powerful setting by California Korean composer, Nah-kum Paik.

The New Choir will be joined by the Santa Cruz Chorale under their director, Christian Grube, for a performance of Heinrich Schütz Psalm 100 for double choir.

Celebrate the Spring Equinox with the delightful, fresh sound of the New Choir.

More concert and ticket information, visit the Santa Cruz Chorale website

Hart to Heart: Variations on Psalm 42

A workshop for choral singers with Dr. Andrew Megill

March 21, 2010 (Sunday) from 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Monterey Peninsula College Choral Room (MAP)

This is an event all singers should know about.

Andrew Megill is recognized as one of the leading choral conductors of his generation, known for his passionate artistry and unusually wide-ranging repertoire, extending from early music to newly-composed works. He is also Associate Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival and Director of the Festival Chorale.

Dr. Megill will be presenting four works on the Psalm 42 text “Like as the hart”. He will examine how composers from different centuries and different musical styles compose music around a similar text. In the process Dr. Megill will help participants explore the changes in singing style that each new century brings. Scores will be provided at the workshop.

    Palestrina (1525-1594): Sicut cervus
    Handel (~1720): Chandos Anthem
    Mendelssohn (1837): Wie der Hirsch schreit
    Howells (1941): Like as the hart

Admission:
$15 if signed up before March 19
Register and pay online by clicking here (no surcharge) or call 644-8012.
$25 at door (with no prior sign-up).
21 years and under free.
Participants may attend as singers or observers.

For more information visit the I Cantori website.

Chamber Music Delights

2010-03-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

For lovers of instrumental chamber music, great concerts are taking place in Monterey and Santa Cruz this weekend.

Imaginary Intersections: Raga And Raj
Saturday, March 20, 7:30pm
Part of the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival
First Congregational Church, Santa Cruz

In the mysterious Kingdom of Oudh near Calcutta, the fashion of the 1780s turned toward the 'Hindostannie Air', leading British musicians to perform amorous melodies and dance tunes of North India on European instruments.

Barry Phillips, a Ravi Shankar trained composer/performer of classical Indian music, has created a new work for early instruments which re-imagines this historical East-West encounter (world premiere).

Read our previous post about this concert here==>

Or visit the updated Santa Cruz Baroque Festival website www.scbaroque.com/

Light-Hearted Winds
Ensemble Monterey
Mozart, Jacob, Hummel and Beethoven
John Anderson, Conductor and Music Director (photo)

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 8 PM
Golden State Theatre, Monterey
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 7 PM
First Congregational Church, Santa Cruz

“Light-Hearted Winds” is a concert of classic delights featuring the wind section of the orchestra in compositions designed for pleasure and enjoyment. Come enjoy Mozart’s spirited overture from The Magic Flute, Beethoven’s lovely Rondino, Hummel’s early romantic-era Octet, Jacob’s Divertimento for Winds and one of Mozart’s most joyful compositions Serenade in E Flat Major.

More information on the Ensemble Monterey Website

Camerata Singers Concert Review!

2010-03-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Surprises sometimes happen in the nicest way!

Only after attending yesterday's concert by the Camerata Singers did I receive the message from Lyn Bronson asking me to review the concert for his Peninsula Reviews Website. I was delighted to oblige!

Read my review of the Camerata Singers concert here ==>

For the Masses!

2010-03-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

Camerata Singers and their music director John Koza would be worthy of high praise simply for their wonderful singing and Mr. Koza's wonderful repertoire programming.

But they get a very special extra star in their crown for their "Camerata Futures" program which each spring puts a group of auditioned high school students in the choir for Camerata's March concerts.

This weekend don't miss this wonderful ensemble in their latest outing "For the Masses!"

The first half of the program includes Mozart’s exciting Missa brevis in D major along with his exquisite Ave verum corpus. The second half features two short gospel pieces by Grayson W. Brown and Robert Ray’s thrilling Gospel Mass.

Friday 8pm St/ Pauls Epicopal Church, Salinas
Saturday 8pm, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Monterey
Sunday 3pm, First United Methodist Church, Pacific Grove

More information on the Camerata Singers website

Why We Make Music

2010-03-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I read a wonderful speech given to parents of incoming students at Boston Conservatory by Dr. Karl Paulnack, Director of the Conservatory's Music Division. Among other things, he says:

I have come to understand that music is not part of "arts and entertainment" as the newspaper section would have us believe. It's not a luxury, a lavish thing that we fund from leftovers of our budgets, not a plaything or an amusement or a pass time.

Music is a basic need of human survival. Music is one of the ways we make sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelings when we have no words, a way for us to understand things with our hearts when we can't with our minds.

These words are even more important for us now than they were six years ago when Dr. Paulnack uttered them.

It takes five minutes to read the entire speech. Here is the complete text, on the Boston Conservatory website

And here is the career bio of this amazing musician.

Click here to download a formatted three-page printable copy (pdf).

‘Hindostannie Air’ - East Meets West in the Kingdom of Oudh

2010-03-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

In its next concert on March 20 -- "Imaginary Intersections: Raga & Raj" -- the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival plans to take its audience on an imaginary journey back to late 18th-century India.

In the mysterious Kingdom of Oudh near Calcutta, the fashion of the 1780s turned toward the ‘Hindostannie Air’, leading British musicians to perform amorous melodies and dance tunes of North India on European instruments.

Barry Phillips, a Ravi Shankar trained composer/performer of classical Indian music, has created a new work for early instruments which re-imagines this historical East-West encounter (world premiere). The fruits of this unique project will be premiered by the Baroque Festival's resident ensemble Lux Musica on early European instruments (flute, violin, viola da gamba, harpsichord), together with Barry Phillips on cello, accompanied by tabla (traditional Hindustani drums), tambourine, and finger cymbals.

The development and presentation of this project has been made possible by a grant from the Creative Work Fund of San Francisco, jointly awarded to the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival and Barry Phillips as collaborating artist.

Barry Phillips has written this Artist Statement: "In the past 13 years of assisting Ravi Shankar compose and notate Indian classical music for western instruments in western and Indian notation, I have been personally trained by Mr. Shankar in Hindustani music, both in composition and performance. This eastern musical experience mixes with other musical experiences including my life-long love of the European Baroque — in particular, harpsichord music.
I see this project as an experiment in overlapping time frames, in particular the modern, the experience of mixing Indian and western music by Ravi Shankar and his teacher, Baba Alauddin Khan in the 1940's-50's, and the well-documented musical encounters of eighteenth century Europeans in India with their harpsichords, flutes and fiddles with Indian musicians. This would make the new work more than an historical recreation of an imaginary mixing of east and west in music in eighteenth century India (though this was surely a reality to some extent). From the current musical point of view, it will also be as if all of the above moments can exist freely together."

WHEN: Saturday, March 20, at 7:30pm
WHERE: First Congregational Church (900 High Street, Santa Cruz) map
More info at www.scbaroque.org

Photo Credit: Lars Johannesson

FREE CONCERT to benefit Shelter Outreach Plus

2010-02-20T06:49:00.000-08:00

“Music of the Ages”
This event is a great example of the way musicians and music lovers can come together to create a better, stronger community.

Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 3:00 pm
First United Methodist Church
Pacific Grove (Click here for Google Maps)

An afternoon of great music with something for everyone. More than 40 musicians will come together for this free musical event, and 100% of all donations will go to help provide safe housing and compassionate support for homeless people in our community.

The concert of talented musicians features the well-known Kevin Jordan Wild Coast Brass Quintet, and organist Barbara Vella, performing great classical music by Mussorgsky, Monteverdi, Strauss, and contemporary composers.

The diverse program ranges from an upbeat arrangement of “La Bamba” with organ and jazz percussion, to high energy gospel choral arrangements from local composer Peter Williams. The amazing grand finale will be the stirring “Gloria” by Popular British composer John Rutter, accompanied by organ, brass ensemble, choir, handbells, and percussion. This work, comissioned by an American choir and first performed in 1974, has become a beloved choral favorite.

By bringing musicians and community together to help end the cycle of homelessness and domestic violence, the participants and organizers of this concert seek to serve a very real, very immediate need. Shelter Outreach Plus offers emergency shelter, transitional housing and other supportive services for men, women and children.

Help support Shelter Outreach Plus with your tax-deductible gifts, all of which will be put to work in our community. Join us for great music performed by gifted and big-hearted musicians, support your friends and your community, and then enjoy a reception following the concert!

Visit the Shelter Outreach Plus website: www.shelteroutreachplus.org

For concert information, contact:
Kathryn Abbott KathrynJAbbott@sbcglobal.net
Phone: (831) 917-3528

Location Details
First United Methodist Church (Click here for Google Maps)
915 Sunset Pacific Grove CA 93950 US
Church website: www.butterflychurch.org

Shakespeare's London - the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival

2010-02-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Santa Cruz Baroque Festival continues its Grand Tour of Early Music Worlds with a concert featuring renowned early music soprano Julianne Baird.

Shakespeare's London
Saturday, February 20, 7:30pm
UCSC Music Center Recital Hall

Julianne Baird (soprano), Richard Savino (lutes), Linda Burman-Hall (virginals) and Audrey Stanley (Shakespearean reader)

Julianne Baird has been hailed as "one of the most extraordinary voices in the service of early music that this generation has produced. She possesses a natural musicianship which engenders singing of supreme expressive beauty."

This concert will recreate the London of Shakespeare's times with music by Elizabethan composers such as Thomas Morley and Robert Johnson, who worked with Shakespeare to produce their settings, and music of Baroque composers such as Matthew Locke and Thomas Arne.

Julianne Baird is joined by lutenist Richard Savino, and Linda Burman-Hall on virginals, together with poetic Shakespearean interludes by Audrey Stanley (founding Artistic Director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz).

Accompanying this event is a Locavore Artist Dinner with Julianne Baird and Audrey Stanley the following day on Sunday, February 21, at 5:30pm.

For more details visit the SCBF website: www.scbaroque.org

Visit Julianne Baird's website here>>>

The Monterey Symphony Uncovers Hidden Russian Treasures

2010-02-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

Monterey Symphony Orchestra Concert IV

HIDDEN RUSSIAN TREASURES

Saturday February 20
2:00 pm final rehearsal (Note new start time)
7:00 pm - Concert (Note new start time)
Sherwood Hall, Salinas

Sunday February 21, 3:00 pm
Monday February 22, 8:00 pm
Sunset Theater, Carmel

Dmitry Yablonsky, guest conductor

Returning to conduct the Monterey Symphony eleven years after his debut with us, Dmitry Yablonsky has led prestigious orchestras throughout Europe and Asia including the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Last year, Dmitry won a Grammy nomination for his recording of the Miklos Rosza Violin Concerto. His discography is extensive and popular. He is also one of the finest cellists of his generation performing the great concertos, chamber music, and recitals.

Glinka: Waltz-Fantasie
Shostakovich: Jazz Suite No.2
Shostakovich: Tahiti Trot
Scriabin: Symphony No.2 in C minor, Op.29

More info on the Monterey Symphony Website

Music For Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

There are some lovely concerts of romantic music
on both sides of the Monterey Bay this weekend.

Exotic Chamber Music

Saturday night and Sunday afternoon in Aptos the Santa Cruz Chamber Players present "Tales of Love and Exotic Places."

Lars Johannesson, artistic director, flute and piccolo
Kathleen Kasdorf, soprano
Amy Brodo, cello
Susan Bruckner, piano

Saturday, February 13, 8:00PM
Sunday, February 14, 3:00PM
Christ Lutheran Church, Aptos (Click here for Google Maps)

Flute, Cello, Piano, and Soprano weave an atmosphere of romance; tropical, historical and fairytale… Exotic scenes of faraway places.

This program centers around the sensual and evocative Songs of Madagascar by Ravel and the lyrical, late-romantic style love songs by America’s Amy Beach.

Scenes of hummingbirds, an evocation to Brahma, and Sephardic melodies are united with other exotic instrumental elements to delight the senses.

From the real to the imaginative, the concert culminates with Elizabeth Raum’s beautiful setting and narrative of Cinderella’s fairytale love story.

More info at www.scchamberplayers.org

Romantic Piano

On Sunday afternoon in Carmel's Sunset Center the amazing pianist Gustavo Romero plays an all-Chopin program.

Romero is a spectacular performer and Chopin is one of his specialties. Just look at this great program!

Prelude in C sharp minor, Op.45
Nocturne in B major, Op.62 (No.1)
Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op.60
Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op.44
Scherzo in B flat minor, Op.31
Intermission:
Ballade in A flat major, Op.47
Ballade in F major, Op.38
Ballade in F minor, Op.52
Ballade in G minor, Op.23

Sunday, February 14, at 3:0opm
Sunset Center, Carmel

Special ticket prices are available for students.

More info at www.carmelmusic.org

Visit the Gustavo Romero Website

"The Next Great Baritone": A Chat With Plácido Domingo

2010-01-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

Now in his fifth decade at the Met, Plácido Domingo refuses to consider retirement.

His repertoire of 128 opera roles ( along with the fact that he once received 101 curtain-calls after an "Otello" performance in Vienna) has earned him a place in The Guinness Book of Records.

This month, the tenor adds two more firsts to his Met career, conducting Verdi’s Stiffelio and singing the (baritone) title role of Simon Boccanegra.

Read a recent interview here...

From PlaybillArts.com

The Met Opera will broadcast a performance of Simon Boccanegra in HDTV on Saturday morning, Feb 6, and a repeat broadcast on Wednesday evening Feb 24. This is a unique opportunity for music lovers in our region to hear this amazing singer as a baritone. For more information visit the ClassicalMusicMatters.com Online Calendar.

Brahms and Beethoven in Santa Cruz

2010-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL

BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 4

BRAHMS
Piano Concerto
Jon Nakamatsu, Pianist (read his bio here)

Santa Cruz County Symphony
John Larry Granger, Conductor

No two composers reflect the heart and soul of symphonic music more than Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms. With his own stamp of dramatic human energy, Beethoven from the first movement moves us with carefree abandon from the restraints of the Classical era to the delights of newly found Romanticism. Brahms expands Beethoven’s harmonic and rhythmic language in his profound First Piano Concerto, performed for us by Van Cliburn winner, Jon Nakamatsu.

Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, January 30, 8pm
Mello Center, Watsonville, January 31, 2pm

Santa Cruz County Symphony Website: www.santacruzsymphony.com/

MORE CALENDAR DETAILS: www.classicalmusicmatters.com

A Grand Tour of Early Music Worlds

2010-01-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Santa Cruz Baroque Festival begins on February 6!

The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival's 2010 season of "Musical Voyages" makes its first stop in 19th-century Wales, where Concert I, Holiday in Wales commemorates a fascinating event in English history.

In 1889, while a guest at the Palé Mansion in North Wales, Queen Victoria found herself transported by the music of famous Welsh gypsy and harpist John Roberts and his 9 sons, playing Welsh triple harps and English pedal harps.

Acclaimed harpist Cheryl Ann Fulton will recreate this magical atmosphere in an evening of Welsh airs and dances. In her own words: "Strike the Harp and Let's Be Merry!"

Fulton is recognized as an imaginative and engaging performer, and is a leading pioneer in the study and performance of historical harps.

This performance takes place at the UCSC Music Center Recital Hall on February 6, and begins at 7:30 pm. (Campus directions here)

Download a press release with more fascinating details of this concert, plus information and photos for each concert of the 2010 series.

For tickets visit the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival website or phone 831-457-9693.

Concert and venue details can also be found in our February Online Calendar

Some Enchanted Evening

2010-01-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

An Elegant Evening
with Marcus Nance

Tuesday, January 26

Golden Bough Theater
Carmel-by-the-Sea

Marcus Nance is an extraordinary artist with a fabulous bass-baritone voice and amazing broadway credits.

Hear him Tuesday January 26, and enjoy a pre–concert wine reception at 7:00pm, the show at 7:30pm, and a dessert reception and a mini LIVE auction afterward.

This event benefits Pac Rep, Monterey Bay Symphony, and Monterey Bay Links, Inc.

For more information, click here

Our region is alive with singing

2010-01-22T04:15:00.000-08:00

Music lovers in the Monterey Bay region are lucky to be able to hear so many wonderful singing ensembles.

To kick off the 2010 choral season Cantus Monterey, a 13 voice ensemble under the direction of Robert Ramon,

presents

An Evening at Colton Hall

Thursday, January 28, 2010

7:30 pm

Cantus Monterey was founded in 2007 by Robert Ramon and Thomas Barber and is devoted to performing, promoting and advancing the art of choral singing in our Monterey/Salinas community.

More Info: www.cantusmonterey.org

Colton Hall, Monterey (Mapquest)
570 Pacific Street
Monterey CA 93940 US

Argument to Beethoven's 5th - TV Classic

2010-01-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Beethoven (baptised on this day, 1770)

Here is a wierd and unexpected tribute: No cue cards, no teleprompters, and no second takes — legendary funnyman Sid Caesar pioneered live television sketch comedy with his 1950s TV show "Your Show of Shows."

In this classic sketch, "Argument to Beethoven's 5th," Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray play a couple in an argument with pantomimed action and dialogue. Enjoy!

Want to see more Sid Caesar? Visit YouTube.

Kickoff the Year with Classical Music!

2010-01-13T07:25:00.000-08:00

This is the first weekend of the 2010 Classical music Season, and there is lots of great music to enjoy. For complete details and contact information, visit the CMM online Calendar.

Friday January 15

Night of the Emerging Composers
Presented by New Music Works
UC Santa Cruz Recital Hall, Santa Cruz, 7:30pm

Peter Toth, pianist
All Saints Church, Carmel, 8:00pm

Saturday January 16

Carmel - Met Opera Live Broadcast
Del Monte Center, Monterey, 10:ooam

Borromeo Quartet with Richard Stoltzman
Sunset Center, Carmel, 8:00pm

Santa Cruz Chamber Players
Christ Lutheran Church, Aptos, 8:00pm

Sunday January 17

Schubert’s “Die Winterreise”
Jos Milton, Tenor; Melinda Coffey, piano
Church in the Forest, Pebble Beach, 3:00pm

Santa Cruz Chamber Players
Christ Lutheran Church, Aptos, 3:00pm

Why we all need to sing, no matter our age

2010-01-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Songs We Don’t Sing

"Singing is one of the first things that parents do with babies when they are born, and parents are constantly singing to toddlers: wordless ditties, choruses and refrains, made-up rhyming songs, anything to comfort them or engage with them. Parents sing, sing, sing in the early years of children’s lives—and then it stops."

Read more in Utne Reader Online...

Arts Education Promotes Emotional Intelligence

2010-01-08T09:29:00.000-08:00

As arts education is pushed further to the margins by the emphasis on standardized testing, a tool for nurturing children's social and emotional development is being lost.

From www.miller-mccune.com

Read More....

How Classical Music Looks Different In 2010

2009-12-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Ten best events of the decade

By Anne Midgette

Washington Post, Sunday, December 27, 2009

"Downloads brought the classical recording industry to its knees... Institutions learned to sell tickets on their Web sites, and the Metropolitan Opera broke ground with its live HD broadcasts... YouTube made a treasure-trove of great recordings available to a young audience..."

Another thoughtful article by Anne Midgette

(photo: Juan Diego Florez, tenor)

Read the whole article here.....

The baritone who forgot his pants, and other crazy classical music stories of 2009

2009-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

News of the weird, from the classical music world: Conductor David Ott fell into an orchestra pit; composer Curtis Hughes wrote an opera about Sarah Palin; and baritone Bryn Terfel forgot his pants in 2009.

Read more in the Seattle Times...

In Issuing Visas, 'Culturally Unique' Is Subjective

2009-12-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

"[I]mmigration law gives an anonymous group of government bureaucrats a lot of cultural clout: They can decide which foreign ballerinas, musicians and artists qualify as 'outstanding,' or special enough to deserve a visa to enter the U.S. Ultimately, most applications are approved," but some complain "that official judgments of artistic merit are often arbitrary."

Read the full article in the Wall Street Journal 12/10/09.....

Voices at Christmas Time

2009-12-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

The Monterey Bay region has a wealth of fine singing ensembles. Bravi to Camerata Singers (review), I Cantori di Carmel (review), Cantiamo, the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus, the Monterey Peninsula Choral Society (review), and several MPC-related choirs for their music-making in the past two weeks.

And there's more, December 18 – 21!

Friday and Saturday at 8pm:
Monterey Symphony Holiday Concerts at Carmel Mission. (map)

Saturday and Sunday at 8pm:
Santa Cruz Chorale at Holy Cross Church. (map)

Sunday at 2:30pm:
Harnell Community Chorus at the Unitarian Church on Aguajito Road,
just north of Carmel. (map)

Monday at 6pm and 8:30pm:
Chanticleer at Carmel Mission. (map)

Visit the CMM calendar for more details of venue locations and contact info.

"Happy Christmas to all...."

The Music Class

2009-12-14T22:27:00.000-08:00

With school funding slashed from coast to coast, a new program is aiming to do for music education what the Peace Corps did for international service. Good Magazine visited New Orleans to see how the experiment is going.

"A lot of social justice work is addressing problems associated with exclusion: poverty, injustice, racism. And music is about connecting people and bringing people together."

Read the full article here...

GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward. Learn more about GOOD at their website www.good.is, a wonderful online source for uplifting news and information that is helpful, forward-moving, and inspiring.

Meet the New Carmel Bach Festival Music Director!

2009-12-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

It's official: the Carmel Bach Festival has announced its new Music Director.

British conductor Paul Goodwin will step onto the podium at the 2011 Festival.

Visit Paul's website here.

Here is today's press release on the Carmel Bach Festival website.

Wonderful Film About El Sistema

2009-12-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

“Originally art was made by a minority for a minority. Then it became art by a minority for the majority, and now we are at the beginning of a new era, where art is intended by the majority for the majority.”

José Antonio Abreu

Here is a trailer for the recent film "El Sistema."

External links related to this post:

• Official El Sistema website • Official El Sistema Film website

• An interesting YouTube playlist of El Sistema and Gustavo Dudamel

"Bolero" for Cello solo, eight hands!

2009-12-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

The four members of the avant-garde quartet "String Fever" play Ravel's Bolero on one instrument. It must get crowded in there...

How to Write a Fugue!

2009-11-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Daniel Pi's wonderfully clever and whimsical explanation of how to write counterpoint, using as a theme the Brittney Spears hit song "Oops, I did it again."

If you're really interested, you can even find the sheet music here.

Daniel's channel on YouTube has some other interesting videos. Visit him here.

Susan Graham Interview

2009-11-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

Barbara Rose Shuler had a conversation with mezzo-soprano Susan Graham a few days ago. Ms. Graham was on the Amtrak Metroliner from D.C. to NYC, after singing in a special concert for the Supreme Court justices.

You can read Barbara Rose's article in yesterday's GO! Magazine (Monterey Herald) or read it online here (The Monterey Herald now requires registration to access articles more than a day or two old. It's free and takes just a moment.)

Ms. Graham sings a fabulous recital of French songs at 3:00pm on Sunday at Sunset Center in Carmel. Tickets available via Carmel Music Society or at the door. David Gordon gives a pre-concert talk at 2:00pm onstage.

Susan Graham is singing in Carmel on Nov 29!

2009-11-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano, will be singing a fabulous recital of French songs at Sunset Center in Carmel on November 29. It's an innovative concert of 24 songs by 22 different 19th and 20th century French composers.

Ms. Graham is one of our current vocal stars, a real gem. Met-at-the-Movies fans saw her host the Metropolitan Opera's TV broadcast of Puccini's Tosca. She will sing the title role in the Met's TV broadcast of Der Rosenkavalier in January.

Here is a video clip to whet your appetite: "Parto parto" by Mozart, sung at a Met Opera Gala. If you'd like to see more of Susan Graham, just follow this link to visit a YouTube listing of Susan Graham videos.

Would you like to hear more of this fabulous American singer? Come to her recital this Sunday afternoon at 3:00 in Carmel's Sunset Center. You'll find details on the Carmel Music Society website.

The Healing Powers of Music

2009-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

In the 1990s I began studying the powers of music and sound to heal and transform. My workshop partner in those years was Don Campbell, author of "The Mozart Effect" and much of our work was during the time he was writing the book. In our seminars across the country we taught – and and witnessed – the ability of music to strengthen the mind, energize the body, and heal the spirit.

Listening to music can also help stimulate seemingly lost memories and even help restore some cognitive function. As neuroscientists begin to understand how that happens, they are starting to work hand in hand with music therapists to develop new therapeutic programs.

Read more in this article from the Wall Street Journal===>

~David

Opera at the Movies

2009-11-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

Two thoughts after seeing “Turandot” at the movies last night.

1. The Met Opera has created what can surely be called a “new art form” with fabulous camerawork, high quality sound, high-definition video, and fascinating intermission features. Frankly, it’s more fun that actually going to the real opera!

2. We are at the mercy of whichever employee in the theater happens to be in control of lights and extraneous stuff.

Example 1. Last night (Turandot) instead of the Met Opera visuals for 20-30 minutes before the performance, we were treated to a 2-minute endlessly repeating series of ads for something called “FathomEvents” publicizing, among other things, Glen Beck. Spare me.

Example 2. Immediately after the performance of Turandot, a huge DirectDish logo appeared on the screen and pop music started to boom.

Sigh.

If you were there, and were bothered by these things, drop a line to the theater manager

Century Cinemas
1700 Del Monte Center
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 373-8051

Despite all this, don't miss this wonderful opera series: there are more Met broadcasts scheduled. Live broadcasts on Saturday mornings, and “encore” rebroadcasts a week or two later on Wednesday evening. View the schedule on the CMM Calendar page.

~David

Carmel Bach Festival Youth Chorus 2009

2009-11-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

.."a really great awesome free thing."

In only five years, Carmel Bach Festival Chorus Master John Koza has established a high school-age a cappella vocal group with an impressive track record and reputation.

Click here to view Doug Mueller's 8-minute video vignette of the 2009 Youth Chorus....

Since its debut season as an SATB ensemble in 2005, the Carmel Bach Festival Youth Chorus has become a beloved part of the Bach Festival. Each summer they present their own a capella concerts, perform on stage in Sunset Center with the professional Festival Orchestra and Chorale, and take part in our Community Concerts in Salinas, Santa Cruz and King City.

The two dozen singers are 19 years old or under, and in most cases, once they have tasted the excitement of the Bach Festival, they re-audition annually until they have reached the age limit.
Bravi tutti to the Youth Chorus and their tireless and creative Director, John Koza!

Doug Mueller is a filmmaker and theater professional. In the summers he serves as Production Manager for the Carmel Bach Festival. His website is www.douglasmueller.net

The classical music season is just warming up!

2009-11-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

Monterey Herald's weekly "GO!" Magazine features Barbara Rose Shuler's column "Intermezzo".

In the November 12 column she gives a great plug for this blog and the ClassicalMusicMatters website!

Read the entire column here.....

Thank you, Barbara Rose, for being such a wonderful cheerleader for local classical music events!

Piano Master Class at Sunset Center

2009-11-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

On Sunday November 8, the Carmel Music Society presented a piano master class in the backstage rehearsal room at Sunset Center in Carmel.

The presiding master teacher was the distinguished pianist, Hans Boepple, Professor of Music at Santa Clara University.

Read the full review on PeninsulaReviews.com

Bravo to Carmel Music Society for sponsoring this wonderful event.

Visit the Carmel Music Society Website

An Interview With Susan Graham: The Intimate Singer

2009-11-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Classical Voice, November 3, 2009

by Jason Victor Serinus

Texas-born mezzo-soprano Susan Graham is one of today's true stars, a fascinating and wonderful artist. She will give a recital at Sunset Center on Sunday November 29 at 3:00pm.

In this conversation she discusses her life and career.

Read the interview on SFCV »

For information about the Susan Graham recital in Carmel on November 29, visit the Carmel Music Society website.

We will post a video clip of Ms Graham in the week before her recital.

Music and Video - a fascinating short film

2009-11-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Koh's video scores, via Oberlin Conservatory

Local Students Win Prizes in Piano Competition

2009-11-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Paderewski Youth Festival Piano Competition took place in Paso Robles on October 24. Out of the 24 finalists, four out of the seven cash awards were won by students of Monterey County music teachers.
Congratulations to the hard-working students and their (hard working!) teachers!
Senior Division
    • Kevin Chen, 17, 2nd Prize, pupil of Lyn Bronson
Junior Division
    • Hyun-Jee Kim, 13, 1st Prize, pupil of Ha-Yung Rhee
    • Jordan Adams, 14, 2nd Prize, pupil of Lyn Bronson
    • Madeline Anderson, 13, 4th Prize, pupil of Lyn Bronson
Awards Concert
On November 14th the seven winners will be heard during the 2009 Paderewski Festival in an awards concert in the Grand Ballroom of the Paso Robles Inn (designed by the great architect Stanford White in 1891).

Read the entire online press release here

Addendum:
Reader Jeff D. writes:
"Fantastic! Paderewski owned property in Paso Robles, and there is a museum of sorts at the Paso Robles Inn. Well worth seeing. Local artist Jesse Corsaut did a life size bronze of the Polish patriot and pianist for the people who currently own that ranch."

Concert Pitch Through the Ages

2009-10-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of an orchestral concert the oboist usually plays a "Concert A". In North America this note is standardized (440 Hz, or cycles per second), the result of a nation-wide agreement in 1939. But we should not take this pitch for granted! It has not always been so.

David Gordon has created a chart that gives an overview of the variations in frequency of "Concert A" over the centuries.

Click here to download the pdf chart. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, of course.)

(From David Gordon's website)

The Mystery of Music: What about it has such power over human beings?

2009-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

The ever-fascinating writer Terry Teachout discusses a new study on the power of music.

A paper published by two researchers at the University of London claims to prove that music affects our responses to visual images. People who look at a picture of a human face can be influenced in how they evaluate the emotion shown by that face if they listen to a 15-second snippet of music before viewing it. If the music is "happy," then the subject is more likely to judge the facial expression shown in the picture as happy—even if the expression is neutral—and vice versa.

Music - What's It All Mean? - The Wall Street Journal 10/17/09

El Sistema USA Launches At New England Conservatory

2009-10-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

This is the famed Venezuelan music education program championed by Gustavo Dudamel, the new conductor of the LA Phil.

The plan is for the conservatory to train at least 50 people, starting with the first class of 10, over five years to open music educational centers in parts of the United States where children couldn't normally afford instruments.

Read more, from the Boston Globe 10/23/09

Attention, Auditioners: Go First Or Last

2009-10-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

"For actors at auditions, musicians at competitions or anyone else whose work is sequentially judged against that of others, a nagging question often arises: Would I rather be the first person to be evaluated, or the last? New research suggests both have their advantages, and either is far preferable than being stuck in the middle." Read more....

Miller-McCune 10/20/09

Silence Is Golden

2009-10-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

How a pause can be the most devastating effect in music.

by Jan Swafford

A fascinating discussion of the importance of silence in music, with recorded examples.

Read more.......

(posted on Slate online, Monday Aug 31)

Musicophilia: Six Questions for Oliver Sacks

2009-10-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Columbia University Professor Oliver Sacks is probably the country’s best known neurologist. But his greatest talent may be his ability to make the complexities of neurological disorders understandable to laymen while portraying the afflictions of his patients in a compelling and compassionate way.Harper's Magazine put six questions to Dr. Sacks about his remarkable study of music and the human brain.

Read more...

Classical Music: Transformative, Not Tranquilizing

2009-10-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

Henry Fogel on why classical music is meant to be listened to.

"Those of us in the business of presenting and promoting music need to do a better job of explaining and clarifying the transformational qualities, the deeply moving potential, of our music."

Read more....

Is classical music trying to be fashionable?

2009-10-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

Andrew Clark in the Financial Times writes:

"There is a lot of noise in classical music today. It’s not the noise we associate with the louder forms of pop and rock. Nor is it the noise of percussive or electronic effects that have become a significant part of the classical composer’s armoury over the past 50 years.

"It’s a different kind of noise – call it “noises off” – that, in the eyes and ears of hard-core classical aficionados, is threatening to drown the music. It’s the sound of classical music trying to be fashionable..."

Read more...

Alt-Classical Music Is Reshaping The Classical Landscape

2009-10-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

"Once upon a time, young conservatory musicians wanted to grow up to play as soloists with major orchestras. Today, many of them are forming bands instead. The ensembles of the new alt-classical world are poised somewhere within the Venn-diagram intersection of traditional classical music and contemporary culture."

Washington Post 10/14/09 Read more...

Program Notes - the funny version

2009-10-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

From the New Yorker Magazine

A hilarious sendup of symphony program notes. Subtle and funny.

Read it here...

The Best Cure For Morning Sickness? Sing Puccini!

2009-09-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Soprano Antionette Halloran: "I'd be lying in bed with buckets and towels, feeling so sick … But then I'd go on stage and feel great. The best time of that whole first trimester was the hours I spent on stage. The nausea just goes away.''

Read more....

Farewell Emile Norman

2009-09-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

On Thursday afternoon Emile Norman passed away. A long-time Carmel resident and patron of the arts, he was especially devoted to the Carmel Bach Festival. He and his purple sneakers will be sorely missed.

Read more in the Monterey Herald

2008 Slideshow of Emil's works, with his narration

The Genetic Mystery of Music

2009-09-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Does a mother's lullaby give an infant a better chance for survival?�

Evidence suggests that humans did not invent music: It may predate us by tens of millions of years, and it may stimulate deep, primitive parts of the brain - the source, perhaps, of its deep, emotional pull. "Sound production has been part of animal repertoires forever and ever," says Jelle Atema, a flute-playing marine biologist who studies animal signaling at the Boston University Marine Program. "If that represents music for those animals, then we are the latecomers."�

An article from Discover Magazine

Why Mozart didn't get tenure...

2009-09-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has ever taught in the music department of a large university will see the irony and humor in this fake letter...

Read it here....

New Transposition Service in NYC

2009-09-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

Dana Haynes is a conductor, singer and music arranger.

His newest service is QuickTranspositions.com.

More information on the QT website

(Disclaimer: this blog and its contributors are not associated with Dana Haynes in any way. THis posting is intended as a friendly tip.)

How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition--From the Dana Foundation

2009-09-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

If there were a surefire way to improve your brain, would you try it? Read this fascinating new article from the Dana Foundations's current online issue of Cerebrum.

Does education in the arts transfer to seemingly unrelated cognitive abilities? Researchers are finding evidence that it does. Michael Posner argues that when children find an art form that sustains their interest, the subsequent strengthening of their brains' attention networks can improve cognition more broadly.

Read more....

David's Free PDFs!

2009-09-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

During this lull in the performing schedule, I've been collecting some of the handouts I have recently used at the Carmel Bach Festival and my own workshops.

I've created a new page on my site with links to all the pdf documents for reading or downloading.

There are several new documents recently completed: 1) the "Degrees of Separation" chart I posted last week, and 2) a four-page document called "Three Choral Masterpieces," about the Beethoven "Choral Fantasy" and Brahms' "Alto Rhapdody" and "Song of Destiny." This document includes my new English translations of all three works.

Here is the page on my site with links to the free pdfs.

Enjoy.

David Gordon
Dramaturge, Carmel Bach Festival

Happy Birthday Joseph Haydn!

2009-09-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

On this day in 1732, Franz Joseph Haydn was born in the little village of Rohrau, near Vienna.

Info about Haydn on the City of Vienna website.....

Calendar of Events North of the Monterey Area

2009-09-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

Not classical music exclusively, but a wonderful entertainment guide for people in the Gilroy/Morgan Hill/San Juan Bautista area. Published by Paul and Sylvia Myrvold.

Out & About Magazine is a resource guide, aimed at helping established residents and newcomers to the area get the most out of their time without spending too much time in their cars.

Articles in Out & About Magazine are written by local residents. All the columnists either work or participate in the activity they write about. Out & About Magazine does not do profiles of businesses or people, except for restaurant or theatre reviews.

Current columns running on a monthly basis include:

Film (Paul Myrvold), Running (Bill Flodberg), Walking Woman (Rosemary Rideout), Cycling (Curt Hentschke), Music (Alex Myrvold), Theatre (Paul Myrvold) and Pets (Friends of the San Martin Animal Shelter). They also have a monthly Kids Calendar, What’s Up at Gavilan College and Community Events Calendar as well as 2 or 3 special features and programs to events like the Home, Garden and Gourmet Show.

In the fall they publish their yearly Restaurant Guide which is distributed to the hotels and motels in the area throughout the entire year. March, April and May are the annual Camps feature and the Home, Garden and Gourmet Show is in May and September. They always have a big feature for the California Rodeo in Salinas and a guide to 4th of July activities. Columns in the Spring include articles on Elder Care and Careers.

Visit their website...

Great Musicians on Sound, Spirit, and Heart

2009-09-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Beautiful thoughts, collected by David Gordon

Music is truly love itself, the purest, most ethereal language of the emotions, embodying all their changing colors in every variety of shading and nuance.
- Carl Maria von Weber

The goods of this world are most dear to me, but much dearer are peace of mind and my own honor.
- Claudio Monteverdi

The marvels of God are not brought forth from one's self.
Rather, it is more like a chord, a sound that is played.
The tone does not come out of the chord itself,
but rather, through the touch of the musician.
I am, of course, the lyre and harp of God's kindness.
- Hildegard of Bingen

That which draws us by its mystical force; what every created thing, even the very stones, feels with absolute certainty as the center of its being... is the force of love. Christians call this "eternal blessedness." It is a necessity of man for growth and joy.
- Gustav Mahler

Our music, whose eternal being is forever bound up in its temporal sounds, is not merely an art, enriching beyond measure our cultural life, but also a message from higher worlds, raising and urging us on by its reminders of our own eternal origins.
- Bruno Walter

Music, being identical with Heaven, isn't a thing of momentary thrills, or even hourly ones: it's a condition of eternity.
- Gustav Holst

Healing happens between the notes. I had to allow the space and not be afraid, and to know that things happen in space. You have to let the space settle. If you let go, you transcend and experience the stillness, and that is the healing. One ingredient of health is rest. Activity comes from inactivity. The basis of sound is silence. Stillness is basic to health.
- Paul Horn

We are living in a world where the individual must learn to command the raw materials of expression. He must not be dependent all the time on the ready-made, the finished product. It's the transferring, the changing of the raw into what is the expression of your own self - the whole joy and satisfaction and frustration of life is built into this.
- Yehudi Menuhin

I shall go forth, against all sorts of things, towards bright, strong and righteous aims, towards a genuine art that loves mankind, lives with his joys, his grief and his sufferings.
- Modest Mussorgsky

We are one of the leaves of the tree. The tree is all of humanity. We cannot live without the other leaves of the tree. We need intelligence, and when there is intelligence, there is love.
- Pablo Casals

Music can be all things to all persons. It is like a great dynamic sun in the center of a solar system which sends out its rays and inspiration in every direction.... Music makes us feel that the heavens open and a divine voice calls. Something in our souls responds and understands.
- Leopold Stokowski

Almost unconsciously, the very old memory of a ringing of bells came to me when, in evening during my childhood, this sound wafted across from the west, from a village called Gadirac. Musing on this, I began to dream. But it would be difficult to describe this vagueness in words. Isn't it often that an exterior event fills us with these kinds of thoughts, so imprecise that in reality they are not thoughts but something in which we take pleasure. Perhaps the desire for things that do not exist. And that is really the domain of music.
- Gabriel Faure

Every second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and never will be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that two and two make four and that Paris is the capital of France. We should say to each of them, "Do you know who you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In the millions of years that have passed, there has never been another child like you."
- Pablo Casals

It seemed impossible to leave the world until I had produced all that I felt called upon to produce, and so I endured this wretched existence - an excitable body which a sudden change can throw from the best into the worst state. Patience I must now choose for my guide, and I have done so. Divine One, thou lookest into my inmost soul, thou knowest it, thou knowest that love of man and desire to do good live therein.
- Beethoven

Music possesses much richer means of expression and it is a more subtle medium for translating the 1000 shifting moments of the feelings of the soul.
- Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky

I believe in a passionately strong feeling for the poetry of life - for the beautiful, the mysterious, the romantic, the ecstatic - the loveliness of Nature, the lovability of people, everything that excites us, everything that starts our imagination working, LAUGHTER, gaiety, strength, heroism, love, tenderness, every time we see - however dimly - the godlike that is in everyone - and want to kneel in reverence.
- Leopold Stokowski

To strip human nature until its divine attributes are made clear, to inform ordinary activities with spiritual fervor, to give wings of eternity to that which is most ephemeral; to make divine things human and human things divine: to reach the heart of every noble thought...
- Pablo Casals, speaking of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach

I stand face to face with the Eternal Energy from which all life flows, and I draw upon that infinite power. To contact this Eternal Energy, I must conform to certain laws, two of the most important being SOLITUDE and CONCENTRATION. A composer must sit in the silence and wait for the direction from a force that is superior to the intellect.
- Max Bruch

More collections like this on the SpiritSound website....

Health and Consequences: the unethical audience member

2009-09-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

By RANDY COHEN
NY Times Magazine, Sunday Sept 6

"Making disruptive noises at a concert is certainly rude, but if you are sitting close enough to distract the performers, does it rise to unethical?"

Read more....

Vocal Vibrato: teachable?

2009-09-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

Q. Why do some people’s singing voices have more vibrato than others?

Q. Can it be taught?

Answers: 1. It happens, and 2. Yes.

Brief article from the NY Times

Read more....

Happy Birthday

2009-08-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

August 28, 1913

Richard Tucker, [Reuben Ticker], born in Brooklyn, New York, Tenor, New York Met Opera

Article about Richard Tucker on Wikipedia

Review of Soles4Orphans benefit concert

2009-08-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

The amazing Paulina Nguyen, 17, a senior at Santa Catalina School and a piano pupil of Carmel pianist Barbara Ruzicka, created a benefit concert at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel on August 23 featuring some of the finest young student musicians on the Monterey Peninsula.

We are lucky to have fine young people like Paulina in our community.

Follow this link to read Lyn Bronson's review of this great event.

http://www.peninsulareviews.com/

Even Better Booklist

2009-08-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

Since its founding in 1935, the Carmel Bach Festival has always presented its music within a context of ideas and discussions. The development of all the arts in the 18th century mirrors and parallels the social, cultural and political developments of that century, and by placing the music into the continuum of human existence we can deepen our connection to it.

One of my happiest duties at the Carmel Bach Festival is researching and presenting the pre-concert lectures. In my informal talks I try to evoke a stronger sense of context and create a deeper understanding the human being who wrote the notes. What were the circumstances in which he lived and worked, who was he a person, and what brought about the creation of the music?

A few weeks ago I posted a short list of books that I used during the 2009 Bach Festival. Here is a longer list!

Download David's 3-Page Bibliography in pdf format

This downloadable 3-page pdf document lists 23 books that have been helpful to me in recent years and also books I’m currently using to prepare for the 2010 Festival. I must emphasize that this is a very personal list. It is by definition not broad in scope, and is primarily related to recent and upcoming repertoire at the Carmel Bach Festival. These are books which in recent years have helped me find a human connection to the personalities who created the music, and to the cultural, historical, and social context in which they lived and worked.

~ David Gordon

2009 Bach Festival Reading List

2009-08-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

by David Gordon

The 2009 Carmel Bach Festival is over! It was an exhausting and deeply satisfying experience. Great audiences, responsive and appreciative. An ensemble working hard, and overtime.

I do lots of different things at the Carmel Bach Festival (most of us do), but this summer my principal activities included 1) twelve Festival lectures, 2) writing and narrating the “Haydn Seek!” concert, 3) translating and reading the Vivaldi sonnets on the Thursday concert, and 4) creating more than 600 new supertitle slides (for Haydn’s Creation, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Brahms’ Nänie, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42, the “Haydn Seek!” concert, and Best of the Fest).

Lots of people asked me about a reading list. Here are some of the books that helped me this summer!

UPDATE AUGUST 18: since an expanded version of this list is now available for download as a pdf document, I have removed some of the details from this post.

Click this link to download the 3-page pdf bibliography.

IN PRINT Patronize your local bookseller!

The New Grove Haydn
by Jens Peter Larson
WW Norton, New York, 1983

Haydn: The Creation
by Nicholas Temperley
Cambridge University Press, 1991

Haydn Chronicle and Works
Volume III: Haydn in England 1791-1795
H. C. Robbins Landon
Indiana University Press, 1976

The Cambridge Companion to Haydn
by Caryl Clark (Editor)
Cambridge University Press, 2005, 340 pages

Four Seasons, The: A Novel of Vivaldi's Venice
by Laurel Corona
Voice Press, 2008, 400 pages

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons and Other Concertos, Op. 8
by Paul Everett
Cambridge University Press, 1996

OUT OF PRINT BUT AVAILABLE ONLINE

The Girl in Rose
Peter Hobday
Orion Books, London, 2004

A Social History of Music: Middle Ages to Beethoven
Music and Society: since 1815
Henry Raynor
Taplinger Publishing, New York, 1976

London Life in the Eighteenth Century
M. Dorothy George
Harper, New York, 1964

INTERNET RESOURCES

The Collected Correspondence and London Notebooks of Joseph Haydn
A selection of Haydn letters
200 Anniversary of Haydn’s Death
Blog and assorted Links
The Website of Beethoven-Haus, Bonn
Coming soon: suggested reading for the 2010 Carmel Bach Festival!

New Mozart Works Discovered

2009-08-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

Yesterday’s Best of the Fest brought the festival to a dazzling close, as usual, with Bruno’s charming, humorous, knowledgeable and deep-spirited narrative. More about that in the next blog but here is a newsflash of interest that appeared in my e-box from my friend Ger under the title Not Quite Bach.

“No doubt these early Mozartean fragments will be presented as soon as possible in our musically eager and sophisticated region--perhaps even a Bach Festival offering with David Breitman performing. The article comes from the Associated Press:

Researchers unveil Mozart piano pieces in Austria

SALZBURG, Austria – Mozart's momentous legacy grew still larger Sunday as researchers unveiled two piano pieces recently identified as childhood creations by the revered composer.

The works — an extensive concerto movement and a fragmentary prelude — are part of "Nannerl's Music Book," a well-known manuscript that contains the Austrian master's earliest compositions, the International Mozarteum Foundation revealed while presenting the pieces in Mozart's native Salzburg.

"We have here the first orchestral movement by the young Mozart — even though the orchestral parts are missing — and therefore it's an extremely important missing link in our understanding of Mozart's development as a young composer," Mozarteum's research leader, Ulrich Leisinger, said.

Mozart, who was born in 1756, began playing the keyboard at age 3 and composing at 5. By the time he died of rheumatic fever on Dec. 5, 1791, he had written more than 600 pieces.

Leisinger said Mozart likely wrote the two newly attributed pieces when he was 7 or 8 years old, with his father, Leopold, transcribing the notes as his son played them at the keyboard.

A series of analyses confirmed the writing as Leopold's, and at the time Mozart was not yet versed in musical notation. But Leopold himself was ruled out as the author of the pieces based on stylistic scrutiny, the Mozarteum said in a statement.

"There are obvious discrepancies between the technical virtuosity and a certain lack of compositional experience," it said.

At Sunday's presentation at the Mozart residence, Austrian musician Florian Birsak, an expert on early keyboard music, played the two pieces on the maestro's own fortepiano for a throng of reporters, photographers and camera crews.

Both works were identified as part of a larger investigation of the foundation's Mozart-related materials, including letters, documents and more than 100 music manuscripts — some in the hand of the composer, others transcribed by contemporaries.

While "Nannerl's Music Book" has been in the foundation's hands for more than a century, the pieces were considered anonymous creations until Leisinger and his team took a closer look.

"These two pieces struck us because they were so extravagant," Leisinger said, adding that the two works share a number of similarities but that the prelude — believed to have been written after the concerto movement — was "much more refined."

"One could almost get the impression that Leopold said to his son, 'look, you've written this crazy concerto movement, try to do it better, a little bit more concise,' and as a result we ended up with this prelude-like movement," he said.

Posthumous discoveries of Mozart pieces are rare but not unheard of.

In September, Leisinger announced that a French library had found a previously unknown piece handwritten by Mozart.

That work, described as the preliminary draft of a musical composition, was found in Nantes, in western France, as library staff members went through its archives. Leisinger said the library contacted his foundation for help authenticating the work.

The latest finds add "important details" to what we know about the young Mozart's work, said Christoph Wolff, professor of music history at Harvard University, who is also director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, Germany.

"The Salzburg discovery offers significant insight into the earliest accomplishments of Mozart," Wolff said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

The Salzburg-based foundation, established in 1880 and a prime source for Mozart-related matters, seeks to preserve the composer's heritage and find new approaches for analyzing him.”

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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Nearing the final Performance

2009-07-31T00:46:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

Back again after a break for deferred maintenance on home, family and non-Bach work. Every summer the usual rhythms and tasks of life are set aside for weeks, including time with my patient but neglected husband. By 12 days into the festival, I usually take a short break to buff up the house and garden, prepare for August work and spend time with family. The 12-day timing habit is apparently so ingrained that it took over even though it makes sense this year to push to the finish.

This week David Gordon forwarded to me a revealing time-lapse video showing the activity of the stage crew on a single busy Bach Festival day. There is no question, everyone works extremely hard during the festival including the musicians, artistic and admin staff, board members, volunteers and even patrons, many of whom try to fit as much as possible into their time.

So, it wouldn’t be fair to say the stage crew works harder than the fully immersed artists, staff and volunteers. However, these women and men do work hard and provide an essential ingredient that ironically goes unseen if done well—and their work is very rarely not done well—so most people don’t think about this behind-the-scenes work much or understand its importance to the smooth functioning of the festival.

Precise choreography takes place each day setting stages at the various venues, making sure every chair, music stand, keyboard, etc. is placed exactly where it needs to be followed by quick exact changes between sections of a concert or recital. Members of the production staff, led by longtime stage manager and festival treasure Michael Becker, undertake this complex scheduling and organizing.

Doug Mueller, who has been producing videos of the festival, created this time-lapse film of Saturday, July 25, the busiest day for the stage crew. It is posted on You Tube and worth a couple of clicks to get the idea of the quick changes and precision of the efforts to keep performances on the Sunset stage alone running smoothly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDuLHnUXGk0

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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Bachanalia (Commercial Break)

2009-07-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

And now for a look at tickets, raffles, auction, stuff to buy, videos, and more!

Main concert tickets are still available for Thursday's Vivaldi "Four Seasons'" program and the Haydn "Creation Oratorio" Friday evening and for Saturday's Best of the Fest concert.

You should still be able to purchase seats for the remaining daytime concerts: Heroic Beethoven recital on Thursday, Passing the Mantle on Friday, Viennese Matinee Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon’s Vocal Fireworks celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Adams Vocal Master Class.

Executive director Camille Kolles says raffle tickets are selling well but you’ll want to get yours for a chance to win from among 100 artworks — watercolors, prints, oils and acrylics and three-dimensional artworks inspired by the natural beauty of Carmel and the Bach Festival experience. Raffle tickets are $5 each or seven for $30. Winners will be picked on Aug.2.

The silent auction is under way for bids on jewelry, fine art, travel experiences, dinners, wines and special tours. Bidders can bid online or in the lobby of the Sunset Center Theater during the Festival.

Don’t forget to visit the new Bach Boutique at Sunset Center featuring new T-shirts, new fleece pullovers, new mug design, music, books and much, much more.

From David Gordon, Esteemed Bach Festival Dramaturge

Just a reminder, for people who can't make it to the lectures: visit the unofficial Bach Festival video web page at:

http://www.dailymotion.com/carmelbach

The site also includes videos from previous years (which are also on the CBF site)

Of course these 2009 videos are also available on the Festival website as of yesterday.

www.bachfestival.org/index.cfm/education_video.htm

Sunset box office is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sat. 10a.m.-4p.m. and 6p.m.-8p.m., Wed. 10a.m.-4p.m. and Sun. 12:30-:30p.m.

The Bach Festival office will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. now through Friday.

Contact the festival at: www.bachfestival.org or call 624-1521.

Sue Mudge and Tower Music

2009-07-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

Trombonist Suzanne Mudge--who now lives in Bend, Oregon--has been made her imprint on the Carmel Bach Festival as a superb architect of the outdoor Tower Music brass serenades. This cherished festival institution is inspired by the medieval tradition of announcing a special event with brass music from the tower of a castle or church.

In 1984, when Mudge came to the festival at the invitation of maestro Sandor Salgo, Tower Music used to be done “on the fly” with the brass players working their way through a stack of music and making decisions after they arrived in Carmel.

“It wasn’t last minute but it was never planned in advance,” she says.

A few years later, maestro Salgo asked Mudge to take part in the leadership of Tower Music.

“One of the things I wanted was to put some thought and care into planning Tower Music,” she says. “I really believe that it is a wonderful tradition. It’s so important for people. I take it very seriously. I am trying to expand our repertoire and plan for really interesting works like Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite or the Procession of the Nobles by Rimsky-Korsakov that we did last year.”

Mudge says she thinks the original tradition of having four trombones play Tower Music started before maestro Salgo was hired in 1956.

“Tower Music took place in the second story of Sunset in a tower of sorts and was played over the parking lot,” she says.“It went from a trombone ensemble to a brass ensemble back in the 70’s.” .

In preparing the repertoire for the serenades, Mudge must first determine what night the individual players will be available. For instance, if the Bach’s B Minor Mass is being presented on a certain day, she won’t ask the trumpets to join the ensemble because they are going to be too tired. So she schedules trombones for that concert.

“Some years I try to think up themes on which to base programs,” she says. “A few years ago I did `Music: Ancient, Old and New.’ And, I have done more transcriptions of late to enlarge the repertoire.”

In her program notes this year, Mudge describes this process for the 2009 festival:

“Inspiration can come upon us in the most unpredictable ways. I usually seize on an idea during hard exercise or sometimes upon waking at 2am, but it was during an instant chat on Facebook with a local Carmel writer that inspired this year’s overall theme. She loves music from the Baroque era and is also a Tower Music groupie, so I threw a few titles at her as possible choices for this year. Two of those titles from Handel’s repertoire set me to thinking about the four elements.

“Suites from Handel’s Water Music and Fireworks Music will be featured as part of our repertory theme of the Four Elements — Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. In fact, we will have a bit of fun connecting these four elements with our repertoire choices and we hope you will enjoy the ride.”

An ideal evening to see the trombone section in action is Wednesday nights before the traditional concert at the Carmel Mission--a magnificent old world setting for the festival brass. Remember these delightful open air courtyard serenades, not only feature the innovative programming and musical direction of Suzanne Mudge, but they are free!

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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Secrets of Classical Trombonists

2009-07-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the article in from Herald, referred to earlier in this blog, which can now be release for Classical Music Matters readers. It is written by Loel B. Shuler, who attended the festival main concerts with me and helped with the coverage:

Having been down that path myself I know that to become a trombone player is to join a heavily male dominated club. When a young girl is choosing an instrument to be her primary musical focus, the slide trombone is far down the list of possibilities--ahead of the tuba but not much else.

So all the years that I, with thousands of others, have been a fan of the Carmel Bach Festival’s gorgeous Tower Music and its delightful director Suzanne Mudge, I have suspected that there are many fascinating stories connected with her life as a “girl” trombonist. We are a rare breed. And to have carried musicality as far as she has is uncommon for one of us

So I jumped at the opportunity to join Barbara for a sit down conversation with Mudge in a corner of the Sunset Center Lobby. By the way, being in the stillness of that beautiful, spacious milieu with no one else around is a special experience all by itself.

My first question: When, where, how, and why did she decide to take up this unlikely instrument?

“In the fourth grade I played a violin. The violin didn’t seem suit my personality although my Mother recalls the teacher telling her that I had near perfect pitch. I don’t remember what I did in fifth grade. Musical activities in her Laguna Beach elementary school were mostly after-school enrichment.

“In the sixth grade I switched to percussion.,” she says. “In Junior High, seventh and eighth grades, I started out with percussion and then my little circle of friends began talking about different instruments in the band and they decided that girls can’t play trombone, ‘of course not, that’s a boy’s instrument’.

Mudge said that really ruffled her feathers. She describes herself as a tomboy into athletics and sports.

“I had a great arm. I could throw a football as far as any boy,” she says. “`I said ‘of course girls can play trombone.’ I blew them off, went to the band director and asked to play trombone in the band.

“The band director sort of went ‘Oh! Okay!’ My parents didn’t bat an eye. They just went down town to the music store and rented an instrument for $10 a month. I made the switch. And by the eighth grade I was playing in the band.

“And I’m not sure yet if the joke is on them or me.”

That long, strong arm was significant. In order to play a slide trombone one must at a minimum be able to reach 6th and 7th positions. When you think about it, this makes it an impractical instrument for small short-armed people and very young children.

It turns out, however, that once hooked one can find the trombone a versatile, fascinating, and demanding instrument. It’s curious historical origins as a sacred instrument, oddly named “sackbut,”with only a few exceptions kept it out of ensemble and symphonic repertoire until Beethoven introduced it into his 5th symphony.

The trombone section of any symphony orchestra spends a lot of time listening enviously to composers such as Mozart from the warm-up room yearning to join their compatriots even if it only means counting endless measures. The satisfaction of being in the music is addictive, a high to which only musicians are privy.

Even while band playing in high school, Suzanne’s major interest was classical and symphonic music.

“When I started hearing things like Stravinsky, the Bruckner symphonies, the Mahler symphonies this really entranced me,” says Mudge.

She was not keen about the marching band and dropped out until a new director came along with the promise of more and better concert work in exchange for doing the football games, etc.

I wonder if there’s a trombone player anywhere today, in this country at any rate, who didn’t run the gamut of the marching band and the football game. Some of us loved it and some of us didn’t.

Mudge knew some musicians look down on female brass players.

“I always had this feeling that I had to play twice as good to get the job,” she says. “I was never a sensational player, not a prodigy. I was never a star. But I was a good player.”

Her biggest challenge with gender prejudice was in Los Angeles playing with a group called Bones West run by bass trombone player George Roberts.

“He would often bring into rehearsals players who were trombone legends,” she said. “And there were a couple of them who would come in and look at me and say, ‘What are you doing here? You should be home raising a family!’

“I did go through some stuff. One teacher, when I suggested I’d like to conduct, exploded ‘Don’t even think about it. Women will never be conductors!”

Today along with performing in numerous groups and teaching privately, Mudge also teaches beginning band in two elementary schools.

“As a teacher I have to be careful who plays trombone because if you don’t have a really fine ear it’s not going to be a good experience for anyone.,” she says. “With most instruments you strike or press the right combination of keys or valves and out pops the note. With the trombone you have to be able to hear the note to be and then put the slide pretty close to pitch.”

It can be nerve-wracking in an orchestra to sit through long stretches sometimes whole movements and then come in on cue, unwarmed –up, with a soft and beautifully toned perfect sound.

“It’s scary!” Mudge observes.

About teaching beginners she says, “I had to learn really fast how to teach all the instruments. Flutes, reeds, brass players I’m pretty comfortable with because I’ve grown up with them, but the woodwinds I‘ve had to work at.

“I always pooh-poohed teaching when I was younger. But, you know? Teaching rocks! It’s cool. I can’t imagine not teaching anymore. I love working with kids.”

Once they graduate from band to orchestra trombone players have to learn to play in tenor and even alto clefs as well as bass. And for their own edification they usually add treble.

“In graduate school” says Mudge, “I had a good friend who was a horn player. She was playing some really cool etudes and I wanted to play them myself. So I went into a practice room with her and learned how to transpose them.”

This is what a trombone player with a strong classical bent does. To play the wonderful music written for other instruments, you must adapt the score. This quickly becomes a passion. You might call it the secret life of a classical trombonist.

It’s this passion that brought Mudge to the Carmel Bach Festival during the tenure of beloved former music director and conductor Sandor Salgo almost a quarter of a century ago.

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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Eroica Reveries

2009-07-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

Last night, I attended the Beethoven concert again, the Eroica symphony and his 4th piano concerto with the fabulous virtuoso playing of David Breitman. When I first heard this concert, during the funeral march of the Eroica, a flood of sensations and realizations swept through me that seemed to reduce into a brief moment 18 years of intensive coverage of the festival for print and broadcast media. Hard to describe but it was something like drinking warm spicy spirits that distilled the essence/legacy of the Bruno Weil years at the Bach Festival.

Something similar happened to me in Venice a few years ago during a performance of a Vivaldi cello concerto. My inner field of awareness altered suddenly and the city of Venice seemed to be opening up her Soul in a whirl of images, recognitions and feelings that I tried to write about later.

These are interesting but quite disorienting experiences.

These inner whirlings during the funeral march led, among other things, to a realization of how quietly heroic Bruno has been at the Bach Festival--in that way Beethoven seems to be describing in his third symphony – of a person serving the purposes of truth, freedom, beauty and high human virtues. No Napoleonic grandiosity; just a steady, compelling motion toward greater excellence under a lamp held high shining with the light of these aspirations.

Sandor Salgo left a legacy of heroic greatness as well over his 36 years, lifting the Bach Festival to a first-rate event while cultivating its vibrant connection to the local community. When the torch passed to Bruno 18 years ago, he faithfully built on the Salgo inheritance drawing upon a new generation of 18th century scholarship and historical instrument virtuosos to take the ensemble to the next levels. He not only understood and treasured the unique spirit of Carmel Bach but he founded a festival in Europe in its image – the Klang and Raum Festival of Bavaria.

Looking back 18 years through a time lapse lens, you also could say Bruno conducted our new hall into being.
He certainly gave the downbeat when he said he had taken the music of the festival as far as it could go without an acoustically excellent space in which to play it and hear it--adding that he would not stay on at the Bach Festival unless a commitment to a new hall were made.

With the rallying call, “Acoustics! Acoustics! Acoustics!” consensus was built for the project, money raised, expert designers hired and in a few short years, we had a new jewel of a facility.

That and much more surged through me as Eroica played. I had planned a different piece about opening weekend for a Monterey Herald article. I was intending to emphasize schedule details, free stuff, the new format for the program book, the raffles, ticket sales issues, etc. More light and practical than thoughtful. But the Beethoven reveries altered my tone.

Here is a shortened version of that article, which has received positive comments:

Patrons gathered at dusk last Friday evening to celebrate the opening of the Carmel Bach Festival on the spacious terrace of Sunset Center. Brass Tower Music warmed the open air with courtly dances of John Adson and Peter Warlock while celebrants sipped champagne or Bellini cocktails and nibbled tasty bites.

Like an elf from a magical otherworld, a tiny young girl materialized under a camellia tree near the steps to the upper patio transfixed by the music leaning into it from her secret bower.

Friends greeted one another happily and basked in the harmony of the evening. The festival youth chorus sang a short set of works, directed by John Koza, sweet pure voices to delight the heart. These opening moments of music and greeting that come every summer touch into a tradition that reaches back 72 years.

As music director and conductor Weil says, the festival is unique in the world, a musicians dream come true. “It's the real friendships that grow that make it so special,” he says. “Nowhere else in the world I have I found this.” The secret of the great performances here, according to Weil, is that everyone pours themselves fully – heart, soul and spirit – into the music.

Poignantly, Weil, who cherishes the Bach Festival as the most personally rewarding work of his musical career, will be leaving at the end of the 2010 festival, making this year’s programs the beginning of the conclusion of his tenure of almost two decades. It is wise to leave at the height of accomplishment, he says, not the downturn.

So as the beautiful brass melodies caressed the breeze causing the little elf child to hug herself with delight beneath the camellia tree, a sense of change also filled in the air. Weil will have only one more opening night in Carmel as will his concertmaster Libby Wallfisch, mega-star of Baroque string playing. We don’t yet know who Weil’s replacement will be, though the search committee has narrowed the candidates down to a handful from which to choose.

Weil’s trajectory has always been towards greater perfection of the music. He has guided and improved the quality of the ensemble each year so that now he truly offers the best of all his years in Carmel. Friday and Saturday evenings were luminous musically, especially the Haydn Creation Oratorio. Weil seems to be reaching for the firmament to give us something deeper and more inspiring than ever on the eve of his departure.

It’s a precious experience we have here with the Carmel Bach Festival, a rarity in the world that even many local music lovers don’t realize. And it is about to change. These are among the last concerts of the Bruno Weil years and, sadly, due to the economically necessary decrease of performance weeks from three to two this season-- and next we are told--the opportunities to hear recitals and concerts are fewer than before.

Though the Bach Festival will continue building on the new excellence it has attained, Weil and Wallfisch will be with us for only a few short weeks this summer and next, As my Midwestern grandmother used to say, “It’s the last day in the afternoon.”

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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The Singing Revolution

2009-07-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

The Bach Festival’s film presentations this year included the heart-touching French movie The Chorus and the stunning 2006 documentary called “The Singing Revolution” about the Estonian struggle for independence from the Soviets.

In spite of some techno-glitches, which necessitated skipping some important sections of the film, the presentation was a gripping revelation about the power of song and the will and tenacity of the Estonian people.

“This singing together was our power,” says one man.

Estonia is a small country on the Baltic Sea and for thousands of years has endured invaders greedy for the strategic advantages of its gateway location to the inland regions.

The forces of Hitler, Stalin and the Soviets almost annihilated this tiny republic during the brutal 20th century. Locked behind the Soviet curtain of silence, most people outside of Estonia had no idea about the monstrous violence the Estonians suffered for over 50 years.

The Estonian Song Festival, “Laulupidu”, founded in 1869, became a unifying force for the nation entire. Forbidden to sing anything but Soviet propaganda songs, one hundred years later in 1969, 30,000 singers took the stage to sing one song in an astonishing act of non-violent resistance. Estonia led the way with its singing revolution, inspiring the oppressed of other republics to throw off the yoke of the Soviets, ending its hideous era of aggression.

This is a film about hope, freedom and the might of music to change the world. Produced by James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty with narrated by Linda Hunt, the film was released in 2006 and in my view should be seen by any human who loves freedom and certainly everyone who loves music.

I just found the film on Netflix and noticed that you can purchase it on Amazon as well.

Thank you, Bach Festival for showing this film!

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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The Colorful 4 Seasons!

2009-07-25T12:52:00.001-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

Thursday night conductor Andrew Arthur and members of the festival orchestra teamed up with David Gordon and the tech crew for a gentle multimedia presentation of the Four Seasons by Vivaldi spiced with works by Bach.

Gordon read aloud from the sonnets that supplied the basis of these musical portraits of the seasons. Not the most impressive poetry ever penned but full of vivid images that Vivaldi scored into musical masterpieces.

Here, as an example, is Gordon’s “adaptation” of the sonnet for the first concerto "Spring":

Allegro
Springtime is upon us
and the birds salute her with festive song!
The breath of the West Wind
caresses the sweetly murmuring streams.
Thunder and lightning, the chosen heralds of Spring,
spread a dark mantle over the heavens.
And then, when the storms fall silent, the little birds
return once more to their lovely songs.

Largo
On the flower-strewn meadow,
with leafy branches rustling overhead,
the goat-herd dozes, his faithful dog by his side

Allegro
To the merry sound of rustic bagpipes,
nymphs and shepherds dance
beneath the brilliant canopy of spring.

Projected onto backdrops were color splashes for each season along with the name and image of the lead violinist for each season concerto: Spring Evan Few, Summer Gabrielle Wunsch, Autumn Emlyn Ngai and Winter Edwin Huizinga.

The overall effect was appealing and festive. Nice touch to allow these brilliant festival violinists to be showcased in this way. Arthur displayed his virtuoso abilities in the Bach harpsichord solos.

The cycle of repeat concerts began last night (Friday) with the second performance of the magnificent Haydn Creation Oratorio, which will be presented one more time July 31. Tonight the sold out Beethoven program takes place. Hard to get tickets this late in the cycle with a two-week festival.

I am really missing that third week! I know the musicians are as well and it is sad to hear that next year looks to be a two week festival again.

Music—another casualty of the economy crash!
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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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King Arthur’s Feast and The Mission Concert

2009-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

King Arthur’s Feast for the Virgin Mary - The Mission Concert
by Barbara Rose Shuler

Yesterday evening my mother and I made our way to the Old World setting of the Carmel Mission for the traditional Wednesday night choral concert with its magnificent pageantry and cathedral-like acoustics. The festival hosts a delightful Mission Dinner each summer, this year boasting an Arthurian feast. Rima Mazzeo Crow, a friend from days of youth, catered the event with such distinctions as Pomme Dorys, Buds of Sallet, Fragisie of Fowle with Citron and Slit Sop. Very tasty indeed finished off with a Sweete Fruit Pye.

Events coordinator Ginna B.B. Gordon looked radiant and reasonably relaxed. This was good to see as we encountered each other earlier in the day, both frazzled to distraction. I was trying to deliver a time-sensitive phone number to an editor in order to get a photographer to the Mission for the story on trombonist Suzanne Mudge and Ginna was no doubt wrestling King Arthur into shape.

Bach Festival dinners have been without exception in my experience fun, delicious and educational. We sat at a table full of writers including San Jose Mercury News music critic Richard Scheinin and a lovely woman from Sacramento who turns out to be a sponsor, along with her husband, of Mudge’s Tower Music work at the festival.
It was a lively conversation as it usually is, touching on Bach, Alaska, the demise of the newspaper biz, economics, writing, festival stories, travel and more.

The Bach Festival’s Associate Conductor Andrew Megill spoke briefly and eloquently about the musical fare for the evening, a program of sacred settings to the Virgin Mary called Ave Maria culminating in a glorious version of Bach’s Magnificat.

After dinner we went to the courtyard of the Mission and listened to the trombones serenading. My mother had autographed a copy of her book “Alaska: In the Wake of the North Star” to Sue from a “recovering trombonist,” referring to a funny moment in their conversation for the Herald article, which will come out tomorrow in two sections, each with a different Shuler by-line.

Andrew Megill is a brilliant choral conductor. A few days ago a woman came up to me and said a patron wanted to know the name of a great American choral conductor and I said without missing a beat, “Andrew Megill” and meant it. When she looked a bit taken aback, I added, “Robert Shaw.”

Megill has lifted the choral sound of the festival to an impressive new level as last night’s concert showed. Unfortunately, due to the popularity of the mission concert and the shorter festival length this year, this concert is sold out.
Here’s an interesting related news flash from the festival PR department: “Public Radio International producer Malcolm Bruno from Wales and NYC is flying to Carmel to record Andrew Megill’s Mission concert centered on the Marian theme (Mark LeMaire, recording engineer from SF, will be joining him).

“This will be broadcast during the 2009 holiday season on 150 stations nationwide. Program host is Bill McGlaughlin. Carmel Bach Festival violinist and early music expert Cynthia Roberts will be adding solo violin to this broadcast. She will begin teaching in Juilliard’s new Historical Performance program in the fall of 2009.”

I hope we will have an opportunity to hear this recording. It’ll be a beauty!

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Insider's Tip: For those of you who have tickets to the Mission concert Wednesday or other recitals at the Mission, remember the seats are fashioned in a style that former Bach Festival associate conductor Bruce Lamott used to call “Vatican ergonomics.” In other words, bring pads to sit on if you want a more comfortable experience. The Wednesday concert especially may merit padding for some of you.
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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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"Haydn Seek!" with Bruno Weil & David Gordon

2009-07-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

The hit combo of David Gordon and Bruno Weil in the Aha! programs of recent vintage is a tasty part of festival. These concerts are fun, informative, and surprising.

David – who provides narrative delivered with the panache of a gifted professional stage performer – writes: “In Carmel, Bruno and I have “schemed” together for several years to create a special Haydn concert highlighting the innovative and sometimes surprising aspects of “Papa” Haydn’s musical and personal character: jokester, ladies’ man, pioneer, superstar and deeply spiritual artist.”

Last night proved delightful, revealing and musically flawless with an lively sampling ranging from chamber works to full-scale choral and orchestral movements.

Haydn served as court musician at the remote Esterházy estate isolated from other centers of musical ferment until later in his wonderfully long life. He was "forced to become original" as he said.

We learned intriguing facts about Haydn’s life such as his marriage to the sister of his beloved (who went into a monastery), a liaison that proved disastrous due to the extremely disagreeable personality of his wife. She tore up his scores to curl her hair, and line pans etc. That’s up there with the wife of the explorer Richard Burton burning his 40 years of diaries and journals. Argh!

Despite this and other hardships, Haydn sustained a remarkable joy of being throughout his life, a joy reflected in his music.

The orchestra was joined by the festival orchestra, chorale, youth chorus (yes!!) and soloists including pianist David Breitman who played his early instrument in Trio No. 39 for Fortepiano, Violin and Cello in G Major with Libby Wallfisch, and Allen Whear.

The gorgeous voices of soprano Kendra Colton, tenor Alan Bennett and baritone Sanford Sylvan were showcased.

After he left Esterhazy, Haydn went to England, crossing the channel during a fierce storm, which inspired his Madrigal: Der Sturm (The Storm--a work rarely been performed, perhaps never in this country. Wonderful dynamics in this piece!

Lots more to say about this splendid Tuesday evening but time waits for no one and I must be off for now. Haydn Aha! will be reprised next week.
Word from the box office is that tickets are still available.

Cheers!
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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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Après Bach, Baking Bread

2009-07-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

It’s late…still reverberating from Monday night’s filigree brilliance of Libby Walfisch’s evening of Bach and Mendelssohn, who wrote his magnificent octet at the age of 16. Fiery & scintillating playing by the ensemble. A treat to see these Baroque specialists tackle the octet with such enthusiasm and panache.

It takes awhile to wind down from these long days and evenings of the Bach Festival even though it is silly to stay up late because I must rise early and start writing. Today prepared two loaves of bread to bake (a really cool recipe that is easy to prepare and produces a crust like the pros using a smart Dutch oven technique)…only trouble is that long rises timed out wrong and the loaves must be baked now as the clock nears midnight. They are an offering to my family that doesn’t see much of me at this time. What is it they say? Food is love?

I missed the keyboard delights today, except for Yuko Tanaka’s shimmering harpsichord playing in the Bach selections tonight. Yuko’s keyboard music-making is a dream, smooth as silk and vibrant as starlight.

Hey! David Gordon--attracter of large crowds and willing standers packed in close to hear his splendid lectures-- is now available in real-time transmitted video in the lobby. It’s not the Jumbotron at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance but it stopped me in my tracks to hear David talk via monitor about the young Mendelssohn and his remarkable accomplishments with the octet. Sometimes it is hard to get to the lectures by start time and with the Dramaturge speaking to standing room only, coming late isn’t much of an option…so until the crowds gather so thickly you can’t see the lobby screen, check out that option over by the refreshment booth. Frankly, I think these lectures should take place in the main theater as they do at the San Francisco Opera so everyone gets a seat who wants one.

My bread’s almost finished baking but I wanted to share an audience moment. I had spotted a woman in an attractive orange jacket with an unusual purse to match during the aforementioned live video before the performance. Afterwards, she and the man with her were talking elatedly about the hall and how beautiful it is, obviously stunned by what they had stumbled upon in Carmel.

Perhaps even those of us who love our new hall and spend a lot of time there may forget how truly magnificent the design is inside and out. What a gift! Its Bruno’s doing. He called for this hall so we could hear the music better. People responded with incredible dedication, money, skill and love for the arts. Kind of a miracle wouldn’t you say? And that is beautiful too.

Bedtime.
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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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"Even Beauty will die!" - Sunday Main Concert

2009-07-20T20:32:00.001-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

It’s Monday and I have just sent over a piece to the Herald, which will appear in tomorrow’s paper—thoughts on opening night of the 72nd Carmel Bach Festival. Sometimes the words take a different track than planned. It was my intent to do a lightweight essay on opening night activities with a few words about the three weekend concerts, and fold in some information about the program book, the silent auction, the great free stuff in the Discover Series, etc.

Instead, what emerged was a reflection on impermanence, catalyzed by the changing of the guard that will happen in 2010 when a new conductor receives the baton from Bruno. This is a huge change, as it was a huge change when Bruno took over from Sandor Salgo. An era is ending right now. Each concert and recital, each talk and special event brings us closer to an unknown Carmel Bach era that will begin with a new music director in 2011.

Dramaturge David Gordon has again distilled the texts for the choral works brilliantly. He takes the supertitles to a new level of elegance and directness in his translations from German to English. Some phrases remain for awhile on the screen as appropriate for the singing and occasionally you find yourself reflecting on profound aspects of existence.

Sunday afternoon the first line in Brahms Nänie “Even Beauty will die” provoked contemplation about the fleetingness of things.

Later that same day…

My mother, who as I mention once played the trombone in bands and symphony orchestras, is a particular fan of Suzanne Mudge, the director of Tower Music and a trombone player. This afternoon, she and Suzanne sat down and talked for over an hour about “girl trombonists,” Tower Music, the creativity of a musical life and the rewards of teaching.

The story will probably come out in Friday’s paper.

Time to go hear Libby play Bach!
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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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“Wow! THAT’S what he meant!” - Beethoven & Bruno

2009-07-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

Over the last two decades it has made sense to bring in an astute colleague to help me with the coverage of the festival. Writer/editors Marilyn Power Scott of Santa Barbara and Gaila MacKenzie of Carmel and Europe have assisted me at different times. This year my mother, Loel B. Shuler, is attending the evening concerts with me and serving as collaborator. She is a writer and educator, whose writings have appeared recently in the journal of general semantics, “Etc.” She also published a book about an extraordinary travel adventure she made called: “Alaska: In the Wake of the Northstar.” She has a background in music, and has played the trombone. More about that later.

Bruno’s Bach Festival magic seems more luminous than ever this season and the ensemble likewise tuned to a higher frequency of excellence. Last night’s Heroic Beethoven concert was powerful, utterly fresh and revelatory.

Here are some comments she wrote for this blog on last night’s Beethoven experience:
“To be one of the fortunate ones to have the privilege of attending the stunning performances of the first two nights of Carmel’s Bach Festival makes one experience regret and sorrow that they are not filmed and recorded so that music lovers the world over might share the transporting emotional experience of these favored audiences. Saturday night’s Beethoven treasures, the Piano Concerto # 4 and the Eroica Symphony elicited a kind of “Wow! THAT’S what he meant!”

Not only does the audience experience a sense of reveling in new understanding but one sees the individual performing musicians reveling in the same awe-filled experience. As I overheard in the dazzled crowd leaving the Sunset Auditorium last night, “watching the body language of the musicians is like watching a ballet.” The sheer evident joy in their sharing of this musical high with each other becomes magic.

This music speaks to all the senses and is the most sublime of human language. Somehow Bruno Weil seems able to conjure that actual person who was Ludwig Van Beethoven and bring him into living presence. Amazing!

There was not a vacant seat in Sunset last night nor will there be next Saturday. As I say, how sad that we cannot share these moments with more than the fortunate few.

Perhaps the transcendent joy of creating with others who are the best of your profession is something of an everyday experience for the likes of Bruno Weil, Elizabeth Wallfisch and David Brietman. But for most of the musicians privileged to participate in the Fest it must represent an incredible gift. Being on the organic inside of such music is food for the soul.

Even just watching Wallfisch, who was nearest to him, as well as other orchestra members focusing on the virtuosity of David Brietman communicated a sense of what it is to be an active part of such moments.”
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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.
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It's About Connecting! - interlude with Edwin Huizinga

2009-07-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

by Barbara Rose Shuler

Last year, violinist Edwin Huizinga agreed to speak with me about his experience of the Bach Festival. Edwin is easy to spot in the orchestra. He's tall with shoulder-length red hair and is an impressive figure on stage, especially as a soloist in Baroque concertos and chamber works, where it is traditional to stand while playing. Here is an adapted version for this blog of the article I wrote after our time together, which gives a younger person's perspective of the importance of the Bach Festival.

This evening Bruno will conduct his Heroic Beethoven concert of Symphony No.3 in E-flat Major, "Eroica" and Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major with acclaimed pianist David Breitman. Festival Dramaturge David Gordon and maestro of this website will be giving a talk on this concert at 6:45 at Sunset Center. The talk is free and will be excellent. See you there!

Here's Edwin's story:

The Carmel Bach Festival is not just about making glorious music each summer; it's about people. It's about connecting with friends and strangers who share a love for the festival, the music and a certain ineffable quality unique to this event in this place.

The musicians also look forward to returning each summer to Carmel. The festival is as special for them as it is for patrons. A relative newcomer to the festival ensemble is violinist Edwin Huizinga, age 26, who fell in love with the Carmel Bach experience when he joined the orchestra.

A prodigy who has been playing since the age of 5, Huizinga attracted the attention of concertmaster Elizabeth Wallfisch. She immediately brought him to Carmel after identifying his talent during a master class she taught.

Sitting down with Huizinga for a conversation was a pleasure, not just because of his love of music and the festival, but also because of his deep commitment to making a positive difference in people's lives.

"There is such torment all over the world," he says. "Classical music can bring you together and open you so that you can let your emotions flow and react to beauty. Or it can allow sadness from a Requiem that's happening and you respond can to how you feel. I think if people could respond this way more to their emotions then it wouldn't be possible to have such aggressively terrible things going on all the time."

Huizinga is especially concerned that young people be touched by the liberating affects of music.

"I just think there are so many issues with emotions being shut down with children, not being allowed to show themselves, or to cry," he says. "Music lets us know when it's ok to dance, to relax, to feel.

"I love to play for kids. I tell them how fun it is. I often give them free tickets and they enjoy it. I think classical music can help our society so much."

Huizinga says Pop music mostly doesn't give you a chance to be honest with yourself.

"It's like three minutes and often a loud beat and decibel level, and its commercial," he says. "They are spending a lot of money to drill something out of you. And classical music, through a few geniuses in the universe, really touches you. It touches everyone if you let it. And if you play right for children they want it and are hungry for it. Even young adults that are troubled, if you can get through to them, also love it."

At the Bach Festival, Huizinga soaks in everything he can, especially from Wallfisch.

"I learn from her every day," he says. "She is one with her violin, such a natural player. She's so open to where music can take her. She gets incredible sounds out of the violin."
He also appreciates his time with Weil.

"All year I look forward to working with Bruno," he says. "He's incredible. I don't think I have even told him that but we have such a good time together on stage. He has such unbelievably playful musical enthusiasm. I receive it and I give it back as much as I know how. He is also incredibly knowledgeable."

"I think it is really important that the festival exists and that it is here," he says. "There are all kinds of things that every single individual brings to the festival in the audience and on stage. That is just in the air. You feel it. They feel it. That's why I am here. That's why they come back."

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.

The Bach blitz begins! (with Haydn's "Creation")

2009-07-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

By Barbara Rose Shuler
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Hello everyone!

It’s a pleasure to dive into blogging the Carmel Bach Festival.

A little background about me. Most of my professional life has been spent in the arts and media—writing, public and commercial radio broadcasting, voice-over work and related enterprises. Though I attended Bach Festival events before Bruno’s tenure as music director, I began covering the festival as a print and broadcast journalist the year he arrived, 1992.

It has been my privilege to cover the festival over the years for various media concerns but most prominently for the Monterey Herald, which has provided the most extensive coverage of the Carmel Bach experience of any media. And, bless them, in spite of their shrinking budgets and space, the paper still considers the festival important enough to cover well, though in a more condensed way.

Each year, I mark the calendar for the week after the 4th of July as the beginning of the “Bach blitz” as I call it, when musicians gather from all over to begin rehearsing. The editors and I decide on how the coverage will look-- how much space for reviews, advances, features, etc.

I become familiar with the program schedule and get a sense of the themes and focuses as well as the fun and interesting stuff that readers will enjoy.

Then, I set up interviews with principal members of the artistic and executive staff (a favorite part of my job!) to learn more about the music and intentions of the festival creators. After that, two intense waves of writing occur: the advances the week before opening and then the coverage itself.

This blog posting represents the first moment of the second wave, which becomes a two-week total immersion in the festival, attending daytime and evening recitals and concerts and writing, writing, writing.

Last night was incredible! When Bruno first conducted The Creation Oratorio 18 years ago, his first year, I remember being stunned by the experience, unforgettable. For me all these years, that one evening watching him lead the ensemble through this Haydn masterpiece stands out as the most powerful imprint of this conductor on my soul. Though every year, he has touched me deeply in his approach to the music here at the festival.

Last night was a moment of rare musical perfection, art at a higher turn of the spiral, an transmission of what it means to strive and create with the highest aspiration over time, refining and distilling like a patient alchemist tuned to the divine. This is what the Creation Oratorio was for Haydn, his “opus summum” as Bruno calls it.

On opening night, Bruno offered his own “opus summum” in this work he cherishes--refined further during this Haydn anniversary year through a cycle of conducting the work internationally-- to finally come, full circle, to his beloved Bach Festival with the brilliant ensemble he has built and perfected over two decades in a great hall (the renovated Sunset Center) that he called into being so we could hear the music as it was meant to be heard.

It was a very good opening night!

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Barbara Rose Shuler writes Intermezzo, which chronicles classical music, in the Monterey Herald's Go! Magazine each week. She can be contacted at wordways@comcast.net.

The Downbeat is Here!

2009-07-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Friday evening, 8:20pm

After consuming quantities of delicious food on the patio outside the Sunset Center lobby, the 700 audience members are now sitting in the auditorium hearing part one of Haydn's Creation. And so begins the 72nd Carmel Bach Festival.

Were you in the audience or onstage tonight? Send an email to us with your thoughts, opinions, or musings!

Meanwhile we will have new postings daily through August 2.

Final Prep for opening night

2009-07-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening, July 15

After a week of really intense rehearsals, we are nearing opening night. Last night was the final Creation working rehearsao on stage. Tomorrow evening (Thursday) is the dress rehearsal for Creation. Meanwhile the rehearsals continue for the Sunday Bach/Mendelssohn/Brahms concert, and the countless recital and chamber music rehearsals.

Tonight was a working run-through of the Sunday program. The choral ensemble - Chorale and Chorus - sounds absolutely spectacular.

The artistic team had its second planning meeting today, already beginning to create the 2010 Bach Festival. Lots of exciting plans, none of which I can talk about yet!

Everyone seemed to hit a wall of fatigue today. Tomorrow things will pick up. The silent auction display is set up in the lobby, the boutique opens on Friday.

There is an old theater saying that "The definition of opening night is: the night before you are ready to open." I don't think that's the case here, but we are working hard to get things ready.

We'll have more updates and more frequently now that things are getting up to speed.

If you'd like to write a few words on this blog, send them in an email to me, David Gordon at moderator@classicalmusicmatters.com

Let the Festivities Begin!

2009-07-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

The 72nd Carmel Bach Festival has begun! All the out of town musicians and crew have gathered to get ready to produce nearly 100 events between July 9 and August 1.

I spent an hour with Bruno Weil this morning going over the script for the Tuesday night concert "Haydn Seek". He conducts, I narrate. We delve into the comic, romantic, and idealistic Haydn in this concert.

The stage is mostly set up, the acoustic shell is in place. Most of the stage lighting is in place but still needs to be focussed.

Rehearsals started this afternoon and continued until 9:30 this evening. The company had a great welcoming party 5-7pm, at Sunset Center. Chorale and Chorus rehearsed with Andrew Megill for the Friday and Sunday concert programs. The orchestra's first rehearsal with Bruno is tomorrow.

While Andrew Arthur led a rehearsal of Vivaldi's Four Seasons onstage this evening, Doug Mueller and I discussed our plans for creatively lighting the concert. We're hoping to create some subtle eye candy that will enhance the tone painting in the music.

More details from other contributors and from me as life becomes more interesting and we enter into the fulness of the event.

David
david@classicalmusicmatters.com
David Gordon is Dramaturge of the Carmel Bach Festival. This is his 21st season with the Festival. For the first nine of those years he was principal tenor soloist.

The birth of a blog

2009-05-21T21:36:00.001-07:00

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The CMM Team