Classical Notes

There really is Free Lunch...

2012-02-09T18:40:56Z

Well, what I mean to say is...the free concert given last night by the excellent young Parker Quartet (Mendelssohn, Kirchner, Dvorak) at the UofMN's Ted Mann Concert Hall surely should qualify as something extraordinarily nourishing. I attended the Accordo concert (Strauss, Schoenberg, Tchaikovsky sextets) at Christ Church Lutheran on Monday...vivid performances in an architecturally interesting Eliel Saarinen-designed church (National Landmark) with crisp, clear, if somewhat edgy acoustics (not particularly warm). I compare these two because of the impressive 'support network' that Accordo marshaled for their season: Schubert Club, Northrop Auditorium Concerts and Lectures, and Kate Nordstrum Projects. The related networking and publicity paid off, with the church nearly full (I'd estimate at 400+). As MPR folks should know, the Parker Quartet does not suffer in comparison with any other group...they are, despite their real and obvious youth (such kids!), fantastic, and the enhancement of the Ted Mann acoustics (and the excellence of the auditorium's sound system, employed in Leon Kirchner's Pulitzer Prize-winning Quartet No. 3) only added to one's appreciation of their unanimity of of musicianship and elegance of tone. Audience? Perhaps 175, at least half of them students. The place should have been packed.... Is it all about PR? Or are all Twin Cities chamber music lovers also church choristers (Wednesday, traditionally, is Choir Night)? Monday night I ate at the nearby Subway on Lake Street (convenient, inexpensive, OK). Wednesday night I "discovered" the Afro Deli on Riverside and enjoyed an excellent Beef and Veggie Stew...yum! We forget the incredible array of musical activities (guest and faculty and ensemble concerts, undergrad and graduate student recitals...nearly every day) available, largely free (the Wind Ensemble premieres a new score by Judiay Lang Zaimont tonight). Keep attuned! And keep tabs on the Parker Quartet. They are presenting additional intimate performances ("All Hearst Listen") at the SPCO Room (Hamm Building) and elsewhere in the coming weeks/months. Don't miss them!

Saying Something Through Music

2012-02-08T19:09:00Z

What do I enjoy most about performing? The fact that I get to give a gift to the audience every time I take the stage. To me, nothing feels better than being on the stage. I love being able to express myself just the way I want to through music. Furthermore, every time I perform, I get a special feeling because I have the opportunity to evoke the feelings that the composer might have felt while writing a particular work. Lastly, I love to collaborate. In my mind, music is all about expressing your self. Saying something through music might just be the most important thing. My favorite violinists? Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, Michael Rabin, Fritz Kreisler, and Yehudi Menuhin. They are among the MANY musicians, artists, and conductors I admire. Of course, classical music is one of my favorites to listen to. On one hand, you can relax while listening to the simplicity and profoundness of Beethoven. On the other hand, you can rock out to the intensity of a Mahler Symphony. Classical music is so diverse. In addition to classical, I love listening to Pop, Hip Hop/Rap, and R&B. I call it "pump you up" music. The only downfall to this is if I'm listening to it while driving, I tend to go faster than I should... Whoops. Till next time...

Happy Birthday John Williams!

2012-02-07T21:53:35Z

February 8 is the birthday of one of the most famous and widely acclaimed film score composers of all time, John Williams, who turns 80 years old today. Perhaps best known for writing the instantly recognizable Star Wars theme (see above), he also composed the music for the Harry Potter films, the Indiana Jones films, E.T., Jurassic Park, Jaws and many, many more (dating back to 1958!). Take a look at this list of his compositions, and share your favorites in the comments section below!

On the Air This Week

2012-02-07T20:54:42Z

Highlights from Feb. 7 to 14 Wednesday, noon: Music with Minnesotans:Reid McLean, development officer at Macalester Thursday, 3 pm hour: Regional Spotlight: Performances from the Young Artist Solo Competition of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra Friday, 8 pm: Minnesota Orchestra plays Russian music; with conductor James Gaffigan and cellist Anthony Ross Saturday, 11 am: Metropolitan Opera: Wagner's Gotterdammerung Sunday, 6 am: Pipedreams: Old Is New Sunday, noon: From the Top, from Kalamazoo, Michigan Sunday, 1 pm: SymphonyCast: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, with oboist Albrecht Mayer Monday, 7 pm: Roll Credits Monday, 8 pm: Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra: Oliver Knussen conducts 20th-century works, including Berg's Chamber Concerto

Simply Stupendous!

2012-02-07T19:36:47Z

Since November of 1969 the children's program Sesame Street has brought the world educational television that uses the addictive powers of television to promote good — to be cliché — while preparing and educating children about school, morals and social practice. A vast number of guests have graced the show's set, a list whose Wikipedia article requires its own alphabetical listing page. These visits typically will consist of some particular moral, grammatical, biological or social concept — I remember seeing Robin Williams explain what it means to be alive as he filled his own shoe with a banana, peanuts, confetti, water and dog food; in the end, the conclusion was that the shoe was not alive! Recently — February 6, 2011 to be exact — world-renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel paid a visit to Sesame Street to help Elmo explain the word "Stupendous," which is taught to be something "very, very great and amazing!" Something Dudamel is most certainly aware of. In this segment, Dudamel conducts three small chamber groups: a sheep playing a violin, an octopus playing percussion (pretty impressive section created by all its limbs), and finally a penguin choir singing the "Ode to Joy" theme from Beethoven's 9th Symphony, a fairly significant piece to Dudamel if you keep up with his El Sistema efforts and his film "Let the Children Play." If you look closely, I believe Dudamel is mouthing the words: Freude, schöner Götterfunken Tochter aus Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!

Benjamin Zander on music and passion

2012-02-07T18:39:46Z

In this TED (Technology, Education, Design) Talk, Benjamin Zander discusses leadership, passion and classical music.

"I made up my mind... that classical music is for everyone... The music profession says that 3% of people like classical music. If we could only move it to 4%, our problems would be over... I say, how would you walk, how would you talk, how would you be if you thought [that] everybody loves classical music? They just haven't found out about it yet."

A powerful statement and a powerful presentation.

Roll Credits: 02/06/2012

2012-02-07T17:29:45Z

Playlist

Williams: Theme from Schindler's List Cincinnati Popos/Kunzel Telarc 80495 Karas: Third Man Theme Andre Riu Philips 312522933 Alexandre Desplat: Remembering Marilyn from "My Week with Marilyn" Lang Lang, piano Sony 88697983672 Howard Shore: The Chase from "Hugo" Howe Records HWR 1007 Francois Parisi: Ballade du Paris from Midnight in Paris Madison Gate Records Bernard Herrmann: Citizen Kane National Philharmonic/Charles Gerhardt Elmer Bernstein: To Kill a Mockingbird Royal Philharmonic Pops/Bernstein Denon 75288 Henry Mancini: Charade Royal Philharmonic Pops/Mancini Denon 2320

The Short Version: The Blue Train

2012-02-06T23:07:40Z

The men who did the fighting in France — 1914-1918 — may have been glad enough to escape the Continent. But among civilians, the four-year war-quarantine on the British home front created a mania for travel, preferably to hot places.

Lara Downes Goldberg Reimagined CD Giveaway

2012-02-06T12:00:00Z

Thirteen new "re-imaginings" of Bach's Goldberg Variations, including works by Jennifer Higdon, Lukas Foss, David del Tredici, William Bolcom, Fred Hersch and Derek Bermel. These brilliant contemporary voices invoke the Goldbergs in broadly different ways, celebrating both the eternal beauty of Bach's music and the musical evolutions of the past 250 years. In this wonderfully imaginative musical journey, Lara interprets brilliant variations that range in mood from lyrical to tempestuous, traveling from neo-romanticism to jazz and back again to a Bachian contrapuntalism. Classical MPR is thrilled to be able to give away five (5) copies of this new disc. Enter below and be sure to read the rules. We also have the pleasure of offering a free download of Track 12 from this release, David Del Tredici's My Goldberg. Official Rules »

Awesome review in the Times for the Minn Orch

2012-02-02T15:15:08Z

Maybe it's like asking Sir Edmund Hilary why he climbed Everest? "Because it is there!" Vanska recorded Sibelius on the same label a number of years ago in Finland and now he does it again - and was it worth it? Well, The New York Times sure thinks so. "All of Mr. Vanska's prior experience with the pieces tells eloquently,...beautifully played...everything emerges with wonderful ease." Way to go!

Brooklyn Rider and Beethoven

2012-02-01T16:14:19Z

Brooklyn Rider will be releasing a new recording (date TBD) with Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131, a monumental composition that has been revered by composers, string players and audiences since its completion in 1826. Here's a look inside the recording process: Learn more about the recording here.

On the Air This Week

2012-01-31T21:20:50Z

Highlights from Feb. 1 to 7 Wednesday, noon: Music with Minnesotans: Writer and director Joan Potter Thursday, 3 pm hour: Regional Spotlight Friday, 8 pm: Minnesota Orchestra plays Beethoven and Sibelius Saturday, 11 am ~~noon~~: Metropolitan Opera: Donizetti's Anna Bolena Sunday, 6 am: Pipedreams: Concertos Sunday, noon: From the Top, from Opelika, Alabama Sunday, 1 pm: SymphonyCast: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, with Gil Shaham Monday, 7 pm: Roll Credits Monday, 8 pm: Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra: American chamber music, and a string symphony of Mendelssohn

Roll Credits: 01/30/2012

2012-01-31T20:35:25Z

Listen

Playlist: Rachel Portman - Emma Prague Philharmonic - Silva 6018 Elmer Bernstein - The Great Escape -Royal Philharmonic Pops - Denon 75288 Paul Anka - The Longest Day: March -Cincinnati Pops - Telarc 80175 John Williams - The Adventures of Tintin: selections - Studio Orchestra - Sony 97588 Charles Williams - The Apartment: Main Theme - Boston Pops Orchestra - RCA 60393 Ludovic Bourse - The Artist: selections - Brussels Philharmonic - Sony 97895 Frank Loesser - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: I Believe In You - Original Broadway Cast Miklos Rozsa - Madame Bovary: Waltz - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra - Philips 438685 Mychael Danna - Moneyball: selections - Studio Orchestra]]> Roll Credits homepage

The Short Version: Self Assessment

2012-01-27T20:16:29Z

Any prolific composer could surprise us with how they rank their own works. Perhaps it's as simple and as compelling as "What have I done lately?" This 19th century Titan might have dismissed one of our favorites with, "That's so 1808."

Paavo Berglund, 1929-2012: Bravo, Paavo!

2012-01-27T15:12:47Z

Paavo Berglund died Wednesday, age 82. He was one of Finland's most important conductors. Berglund was internationally known for his Sibelius recordings. He recorded the complete Sibelius symphonies -- three times! Another great Finnish conductor just embarked on his second cycle of Sibelius Symphony recordings, here in Minnesota. Osmo Vanska's new CD with the Minnesota Orchestra includes Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5. You can hear No. 2 in it's entirety, in its broadcast premiere tonight at 7pm here on Classical MPR. And get a guided tour right now from Julie Amacher's New Classical Tracks. Meanwhile, in memoriam Paavo Berglund, conducting Sibelius' Symphony No. 5: