Note x Note: Musical Musings & Cultural Observations

Fitzgerald on Worrying

2012-02-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

As with the sheep of New Zealand, one might be forgiven for thinking that there are more blogs lurking about the internet than there are people. While a great many of them run the gamut from boring to incomprehensibly weird, for those with a penchant for historical arcana the blog Lists of Note is actually pretty good. I discovered this blog quite by accident (via a friend's Facebook post) and find it rather interesting. Lists of Note is authored by the same creative mind behind Letters of Note, a blog of even greater interest to history wonks!

The post that grabbed my attention is dated 19 January and is entitled "Things to Worry About". It is a retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1933 letter to his 11 year-old son Scottie advising him of all the things he should and should not worry about. Pithy and practical. I've copied it here, but please do visit Lists of Note and read some of their other amazing posts!

Things to worry about:

Worry about courage
Worry about cleanliness
Worry about efficiency
Worry about horsemanship

Things not to worry about:

Don’t worry about popular opinion
Don’t worry about dolls
Don’t worry about the past
Don’t worry about the future
Don’t worry about growing up
Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you
Don’t worry about triumph
Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault
Don’t worry about mosquitoes
Don’t worry about flies
Don’t worry about insects in general
Don’t worry about parents
Don’t worry about boys
Don’t worry about disappointments
Don’t worry about pleasures
Don’t worry about satisfactions

Things to think about:

What am I really aiming at?
How good am I really in comparison to my contemporaries in regard to:

(a) Scholarship
(b) Do I really understand about people and am I able to get along with them?
(c) Am I trying to make my body a useful instrument or am I neglecting it?

With dearest love,

Daddy

Memories of Gotham

2012-01-16T23:11:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from spending two weeks in New York, the greatest city in the world. My fourth time to the state, but my first time to the City. And what a city! I adored lobby, bar, and diner, every cab and horse-drawn carriage, every pushy vendor, every piss-soaked subway car, every sight, sound, and smell, some clearly less salubrious than others. My apologies to Tony Bennett, but I've left my heart in Manhattan. And now to indulge in a bit of musical nostalgia... Below are a few of my favourite songs about New York City. Enjoy.

Manhattan  | Ella Fitzgerald

New York State of Mind  | Billy Joel

Autumn in New York | Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

Empire State of Mind  | Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

Take the 'A' Train  | Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington

Chelsea Morning  | Joni Mitchell

The 59th Street Bridge Song  | Simon & Garfunkel

New York, New York  | Frank Sinatra

Stealing Youth?

2011-12-31T10:12:00.000-08:00

My friend and colleague Tim Page, the former Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic of the Washington Post, has just written an article (more accurately a review) of the 11 year-old singer Jackie Evancho who instantly shot to fame last year thanks to her appearance on America's Got Talent (see video below). Judging from some of the truly idiotic and mindlessly sycophantic comments being left on the Post's website by Miss Evancho's fiercely loyal fans, the article has clearly touched a nerve.

Reading it with an open mind leads one to see immediately the simple wisdom of what Tim is saying: talent, however prodigious, is no substitute for artistry. The crux of Tim's thesis is summed up rather nicely:

A sweet-faced child with a naturally pretty voice is being primed, packaged and promoted as though she were a finished artist. And she isn’t — not yet anyway. Right now she reminds me a lot more of JonBenet Ramsey than she does of Maria Callas.

I remember watching this girl's performance on television and being really very creeped out. NOT that the performance was necessarily bad. It was just, well, creepy... The exaggerated mannerisms, the weird, almost forced colour, shape, and timbre of her voice. There seemed nothing natural or organic about her tonal production at all.

This poor young thing, who it must be said seems to enjoy performing, is making someone very rich and is receiving the sorts of plaudits, praise, and acclaim that most performing artists struggle to attain for much of their performing careers. And at what cost? As the article points out, we all know the world of woe and tabloid scandal that awaited Charlotte Church, who was similarly thrust upon the international stage in part thanks to a very slick marketing machine. As Tim points out, there is a huge risk that unless this talented little girl receives proper vocal training, she runs the risk of not having much of a voice at all by the time she reaches full maturation as an adult.

Surely the world of classical music should be free of this kind of horrid forced maturation of promising young children, the kind that makes Toddlers & Tiaras so sickening to watch or even contemplate. Those savaging Tim Page for what was an honest, if uncomfortably accurate analysis, need to take a breath and perhaps step away from the keyboard.

Lloyd Webber Says There Will Be Blood

2011-12-30T23:03:00.000-08:00

Baron Lloyd Webber of Sydmonton (Andrew Lloyd Webber to the rest of us) has predicted that 2012 will be a "bloodbath" for London's theatres. The 63year-old composer best known for Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Evita, has forecast a rather dire summer for London's famous theatres as they will have to compete with the 2012 Olympics for, among other things, hotel rooms for their respective patrons. He may be right. Let's not forget 2012 will also large-scale celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. London will be positively awash with people this summer! Read more here...

Happy Birthday, Lenny

2011-08-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

© George S. Zimbel

Today marks what would have been the 93rd birthday of celebrated composer, pianist, conductor, and educator Leonard Bernstein. To celebrate, below is a clip of Bernstein leading the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus in the last few moments of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection"). I have Mahler on my mind given that his powerful Resurrection Symphony was recently performed during the final concert of the Aspen Music Festival and School, where I have been working since June. Incidentally, you can read a feature I wrote for the Week 7-8 edition of the AMFS program book entitled "Leonard Bernstein As Educator" via this link.

Aspen Diaries: Day 82 (The Finish Line)

2011-08-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday, 21 August 2011: There's a remarkable feeling abounding in the air - one of exhilaration tempered by exhaustion. It feels very like the morning of graduation. We did this. We put on this highly improbable, richly eclectic season of concerts. With our sweat, tears, and blood (I'm thinking paper cuts), we created beauty and shared that beauty with the rest of the world. It's a pretty heady thing to look back and see this wonderful thing one has had the chance to contribute to. This was truly a transformative summer for many of us and transformative in ways many of us I doubt yet fully appreciate. I am so grateful for this experience.

But, this is not a time for maudlin reflection. There is still one last, amazing concert left: Mahler's Resurrection Symphony. Then the goodbyes.

Aspen Diaries: Day 71 (Appalachian Spring in Summer)

2011-08-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 11 August: Just returned a short time ago from a wonderful chamber concert at Harris Concert Hall. The program for this sold-out concert included the Janáček Violin Sonata (with violinist David Halen and pianist Orli Shaham), Argento's uproariously funny Miss Manners on Music, and a concert performance of Copland's Appalachian Spring. Despite having to hear most of it from the lobby, the Janáček was exquisite. I was first introduced to that work at Meadowmount back in 2002 and was immediately struck by its poignancy and austerity. David Halen, concertmaster of the Saint Louis Symphony, acquitted himself admirably.

Dominick Argento's Miss Manners on Music is a work to behold (read the program notes here). If the title sounds familiar it's likely because "Miss Manners" was the nom de plume of Judith Martin, the well known author, columnist, and etiquette expert. The twenty-minute work is Argento's rather clever setting of excerpts of some of Martin's columns dealing with correct etiquette at concert venues. Mezzo-soprano Kiri Parker, a recent graduate of Mannes College of Music and a former choral scholar at The Queen's College, Oxford, brilliantly captured wit, sarcasm, and thoughtfulness of Miss Manners' replies to her "gentle readers".

The final work on the program was likely the reason for high turnout. Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring is familiar to most of us by way of performances employing large orchestral forces. The original score, however, calls for just thirteen instruments. It's this intimately-sized chamber orchestra that conductor David Robertson led in a rapturous and spell-binding performance of Copland's most famous composition. A lovely evening indeed.

Aspen Diaries: Day 43 (The Emersons and Me)

2011-07-14T21:35:00.001-07:00

Thursday, 14 July: I live for days like this! This evening's concert by the Emerson String Quartet was--it goes without saying--superb. They delivered an exquisitely turned and thoroughly compelling performance of Haydn's D minor Quartet (op. 103), Bartok's String Quartet No. 6, and Schubert's G major Quartet (op. posth. 161), the last quartet he wrote prior to his death. It was a well-chosen program which allowed them to showcase their expressive range and matchless ensemble. It is with good reason the Emerson are considered America's premier string quartet.

Click for larger image

But the best part of the evening came just after the concert when I joined some of my senior colleagues in venturing backstage to greet the artists. The backstage area was soon flooded with students and other adoring fans. I was soon amidst a rather boisterous throng of autograph-seekers and well-wishers, myself hoping for a quick word and, fingers crossed, a photo. While waiting for the rest of his colleagues to emerge from their dressing rooms, I struck up a conversation with violinist Philip Setzer. He's quite an affable fellow! We chatted about the Quartet, about Aspen, and, most interestingly, about the Emerson's memorable 2005 recording of the Mendelssohn Octet, which saw the Quartet essentially double itself in order to record all eight parts of the Octet. Read more about their fascinating project here.

I was bold enough to ask, and Mr. Setzer was kind enough to acquiesce and help round up his colleagues so we could have our group photo! One would think, given the fact I am pushing 30, that my days of behaving like a gushing, starstruck fanboy are well behind me. Think again. I hope to never become so jaded or cynical about the world of classical music and musicians as to lose interest in great artists and the great art they create.

Below is a the first of a two-part video chronicling the Emerson's Mendelssohn Octet project.

Aspen Diaries: Day 23 (They're Heeeeeeeeeere)

2011-06-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, students began arriving for registration for the 2011 Aspen Music Festival and School. They are a remarkably diverse lot, of various ages and ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Their presence here is helping transform the 23 acre campus from an irenic, though static, wilderness locale to a thriving, dynamic conservatory.

Aspen Diaries: Day 26 (It begins...)

2011-06-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

Monday, 27 June: Today marked the official start of the 2011 Aspen Music Festival and School. The morning began with an assembly of faculty and regular and seasonal staff on the stage of Harris Concert Hall (the smaller, more intimate of the Festival's venues). The meeting was a chance for faculty and staff to meet one another and for key administration figures to provide an overview of various logistical concerns as well as the season's artistic initiatives. Afterwards, I got to briefly chat with composer Christopher Rouse whose Requiem I had heard a few seasons ago in Los Angeles. Rouse is one of several composers-in-residence scheduled to teach at AMFS this summer.

Music Director-Designate Robert Spano
addresses students, faculty, and staff.

Later in the morning students, faculty, and staff all gathered next door at Benedict Music Tent (the Festival's iconic principal venue) for the annual Convocation ceremony. I didn't know what to expect but actually found the whole quite moving. The short program began with a rousing brass fanfare (Strauss, I think, but I could be wrong) performed by Festival students. AMFS president and CEO Alan Fletcher (who is also a respected composer) offered a few warm words of welcome before introducing the Festival's new music director-designate, Robert Spano. Maestro Spano proceeded to give what I consider one of the finest extemporaneous speeches I have ever heard. Rather than try to summarize his words, below is the full text of his speech, transcribed by me and reproduced here by kind permission of Mr. Spano.

Spano Convocation Speech

Following the speeches the entire assembly joined in singing a Convocation hymn, which was specially composed for the Festival Convocation by Alan Fletcher. And with that, we're off and running!

Get Your Glee On

2011-06-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow evening the Music Center (Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County) will host another of its Friday Night Sing-Alongs. From 6:30 to 8pm you can join dozens of other chorally-inclined Angelenos in the W.M. Keck Amphitheatre in the garden of Walt Disney Concert Hall downtown. The event is sponsored by Active Arts at the Music Center which presents "low or no-cost" community arts events.

The event is free, though tickets are required. Click here for more info.

Aspen Diaries: Day 20 (Getting Giddy)

2011-06-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, giddy! Why? Well, it's the prospect of the HUNDREDS of concerts and recitals that are scheduled to take place this season here at the Aspen Music Festival. In our first two weeks alone there will be performances by Philip Setzer, David Finckel, and Wu Han, Joseph Kalichstein, Nicholas McGegan, Wynton Marsalis, Robert Spano, Vladimir Feltsman, Gil Shaham, Anonymous 4, the Takacs Quartet, and Jaap van Zweden! It's like the Hollywood Bowl, but on steroids, and we're just days away...

I hope to do a bit more sightseeing this weekend and will hopefully have a few photos to share. Thankfully, my heart and lungs are finally adapting to the ridiculously high altitude here (just over 8,000 feet), so the prospect of having to be airlifted to a trauma center in Denver is much less likely... more anon.

Aspen Diaries: Day 19 (The Gang's All Here)

2011-06-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

It's now just nine days before the start of the Aspen Music Festival and School and just a couple of days before the first students arrive for registration. The majority of the summer staff have arrived and are settling in. Being here since 1 June has given me a little extra time to gather my bearings, but, as I'm beginning to notice, days are starting to run in to each other. Then again, I've always had a rather poor sense of time elapsed, so...

An endeavour as massive as the annual Aspen Music Festival requires the efforts of dozens of incredibly dedicated and diligent arts professionals, the majority of whom are busy year-round arranging every monumental and minor detail of this eight-week summer season. They are aided by well over 100 interns and seasonal staff (such as moi) with responsibilities for just about everything from tuning pianos to editing bios to managing orchestras to coordinating travel. To paraphrase the legendary Ron Burgundy, it's kind of a big deal.

Today, the staff - both full time and seasonal - were treated to an all-staff picnic, the purpose of which was to welcome us and introduce us to some of the AMFS leadership. And goodness, there are a lot of us. We are legion! Staffers from all over the U.S. and beyond, musicians and non-musicians, seasoned pros as well as those just starting their careers in the Arts. There is certainly a wealth of talent and experience here, and I very much hope to make at least a few professional contacts, if not friends.

Aspen Diaries: Days 4-9 (Jet-setting for Dummies)

2011-06-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

My first full week here was an abbreviated one. I had to briefly return home to Los Angeles at the weekend to fulfill a long-standing prior commitment, a charity fundraiser in honour of Queen Elizabeth's birthday. The visit was brief and the event was a success, but four turbulent flights in three days is not my idea of fun! Neither is paying $3.20 for a bottle of water. (Thank you, Aspen Airport.)

Before leaving, however, some of the boyish exuberance I initially felt at being here began to wane just slightly. I don't know if it was the isolation and loneliness, the fact I know absolutely no one here, or perhaps the effects of altitude sickness, but I began to feel physically uncomfortable and more than a little irritable. And I have yet to completely shake the feeling...

At least the week began well. I had by then become slightly more familiar with the lay of the land and began to go for extended walks in town. At the festival and school's main campus truck after truck after truck of pianos began to arrive. This is apparently an annual occurrence as most of the music school's premises are leased to the Aspen Country Day School during the fall and spring. It's quite an amazing act of logistical ballet to watch what is essentially a rural school campus transformed into an elite conservatory in the woods.

Then, of course, there is the work. Lots of it. The sheer volume of performances that take place every week at the Aspen Music Festival and School is mind-boggling. And they all require such diligent preparation on the part of the publications staff. There is, of course, the town itself. What a curious little place. Aspen, at first glance, seems to take itself far too seriously and seems also to regard itself as the center of a very peculiar universe. If not for the winter skiing and the summer music festival I think Aspen would be rather hard-pressed to define itself. All that said, it's still very pretty here, and I am quite a lucky lad!

Aspen Diaries: Day One (Bearings & Introductions)

2011-06-02T21:42:00.001-07:00

At last, I've arrived. Yesterday, in fact. Following a largely pleasant and uneventful flight from Los Angeles I arrived at Denver International Airport to await my shuttle to Aspen. The shuttle ride was quite long (just over four hours, in fact), but en route we passed by some of the most breathtaking wilderness and mountain scenery I've ever encoutered. Once finally in Aspen we managed to locate the condo to which I've been assigned. "Retro" doesn't even begin to describe it. See the photo below...

So following my first full day here, all is well. My biggest worry - altititude sickness - has so far not been an issue. (A minor miracle when you consider how woefully out of shape I am.) As the work I'll be doing is rather labourious and time-consuming I was asked to arrive several days well in advance of most of the other summer staff. My colleagues and supervisors all seem very cheerful, considerate, welcoming, and remarkably intelligent. The building which houses the offices was apparently at one time the office and bunkhouse of a nearby silver mine. It is, in a word, quaint. I'm really looking forward to working there.

So, the work. As a former program annotator and editor for two major arts organisations back in Los Angeles, it has been my experience that the printed program book is often given very little though or consideration by both performers and concert-goers until concert night itself. Yet, a well crafted program is so much more than just a mere listing of works and movement titles. A truly excellent program - as all programs should strive to be - is an invaluable wealth of musical information and historical background, a true educational resource. The program book published by the Aspen Music Festival and School is one such resource. Of particular interest to me are the essays which reflect this season's theme of "Art Inspires Art". (More on those later.)

For now, it looks to be a long, intense, yet musically and professionally rewarding summer. I'll try not to cover Aspen exclusively, but as the Aspen Festival is a behemoth of the classical music world prepare to hear a lot about the goings on here!

Aspen Bound!

2011-05-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

I have some very exciting news to share. I was recently offered and have accepted a position with the 2011 Aspen Music Festival & School in Aspen, Colorado! I will be joining the publications staff as an assistant editor, a job which will require a three-month residency in the lovely mountain town of Aspen - how ever will I cope?

The Aspen Music Festival and School is one of the country's premier summer music festivals and is also, in my opinion, on a par with such renowned international festivals as Verbier, Aldeburgh, Schleswig-Holstein, and Salzburg. The Aspen Festival has a remarkable cultural and intellectual pedigree with its origins in the 1949 Goethe Bicentennial Convocation. Here's an interesting bit of background taken from the Festival's website... "Elizabeth and Walter Paepcke of Chicago launched the two-week celebration in Aspen that brought figures such as Albert Schweitzer, Arthur Rubinstein, and many other noted individuals for lectures, symposia, and concerts. Uniting the intersecting worlds of ideas, art, and natural beauty, this event started something special: fostering the growth of the human spirit through the melding of art and nature."

The 2011 Festival, which runs from 29 June to 21 August, will feature over 300 performances and events with dozens of visiting guest artists, including Jeffrey Kahane, Robert McDuffie, David Finckel, Gil Shaham, Julia Fischer, Daniel Hope, Alisa Weilerstein, Simone Dinnerstein, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Wynton Marsalis, Patti LuPone, amongst many others. Performances by the Festival's four orchestras (Aspen Festival Orchestra, Aspen Chamber Symphony, Aspen Concert Orchestra, American Academy of Conducting Orchestra) as well as opera, chamber music, recitals, lectures, and master classes will also be offered. Listen below for a preview of the 2011 with the Alan Fletcher and Asadour Santourian.

Cellist Lynn Harrell, violinists Itzhak Perlman, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Joshua Bell, Cho-Liang Lin, Robert McDuffie, sopranos Dawn Upshaw and Renée Fleming, conductors James Levine, Leonard Slatkin, James Conlon, and composers Philip Glass and William Bolcom are just a few of Aspen's illustrious alumni. For 12 years conductor David Zinman was the Festival's music director. Beginning this year maestro Robert Spano of the Atlanta Symphony will fill that role.

I will, of course, keep blogging while in Aspen though I cannot predict how frequently. This blog will doubtless become a chronicle of the various artistic goings-on at the Aspen Festival and also part travelogue. If anyone would like to help keep tabs and report on the cultural happenings here in Los Angeles I would gladly welcome your submissions! Drop me a line at notexnote.artsblog@gmail with your L.A arts story ideas, tips, etc. For now, as I resume packing, check out this neat promo video for the Aspen Music Festival and School. More anon!

Remembering Bernard Greenhouse

2011-05-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Renowned American cellist Bernard Greenhouse has died at the age of 95 (story here). Mr. Greenhouse, who was for over three decades the cellist of the acclaimed Beaux Arts Trio which he helped found, died peacefully at his home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

I had the great fortune to chat with Maestro Greenhouse following a master class he offered for the Los Angeles Violoncello Society back in 2009. Despite having just turned 93 the month prior, Mr. Greenhouse impressed those of us in attendance with his energy and quick wit and was extremely generous with his time. It was remarkable that even at such an advanced age he still practised every day and continued to gain insights into the art of cello playing.

For much of his career Maestro Greenhouse performed on the storied 1707 "Countess of Stanlein/ex-Paganini" cello, one of only 63 still extant cellos (out of approximately 80) built by Antonio Stradivari. The cello's extensive 1998-2000 restoration was the subject of an exquisitely written book by Nicholas Delbanco, Greenhouse's son-in-law. For anyone fascinated by the history of musical instruments or by the unique, often intensely emotional relationship a musician can have with his instrument, The Countess of Stanlein Restored is a must read!

From their formation in 1955 to their disbandment in 2008, the Beaux Arts Trio was universally regarded as one of the world's preeminent chamber ensembles. Renowned not just for the beauty of its sound but also for the continuity of its personnel, the group offered over 6,000 performances and as well as dozens of recordings many of which are considered definitive interpretations. You can find a lot of their recordings via iTunes and via ArkivMusic.com.

You can hear the Beaux Arts Trio's final American performance from the Tanglewood Festival via NPR. You can read a 1998 interview with Mr. Greenhouse here. j

(There is meant to be video below. If you can't see it Blogger is still likely recovering from today's service interruptions, in which case you can find the video here.)

For Mothers

2011-05-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sings Dvořák's "Songs My Mother Taught Me" (from Gypsy Songs, Op. 55) during a 1978 Covent Garden recital.

Czech Original
Když mne stará matka zpívat, zpívat učívala,
podivno, že často, často slzívala.
A ted' také pláčem snědé líce mučím,
když cigánské děti hrát a zpívat učím!

English Translation

Songs my mother taught me,
In the days long vanished;
Seldom from her eyelids
Were the teardrops banished.

Now I teach my children,
Each melodious measure.
Oft the tears are flowing,
Oft they flow from my memory's treasure.

Of Poets and Poetry: Marianne Boruch

2011-05-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Marianne Boruch is one of this country's most celebrated and successful poets. She is also the mother of my best friend Will, himself a gifted writer. I've known that simple fact for as long as I've known Will - nearly eight years. But, owing to my friend's reticence in tooting the family horn, it wasn't until recently that I learned just how renowned his mother really is.

For those of you who are serious poets or students or connoisseurs of poetry, the name Marian Boruch is likely very familiar. For the rest of us whose knowledge of poetry and poets, especially of the American variety, is rudimentary at best, an introduction is in order. Educated at both the University of Illinois and the University of Massachusetts, Mrs. Boruch has been a professor of English at Purdue University since 1987. She has published six collections of poetry as well as two collections of essays. She has appeared in The Paris Review and The Yale Review (among others), was twice included in the anthology The Best American Poetry, and was published in the 8 November issue of The New Yorker.

I am ill-equipped to offer any sort of meaningful or insightful commentary about Prof. Boruch's work. I'll leave that to poet Claire Keyes...

"Marianne Boruch’s poetry embraces the art of surprise. While her poems celebrate the mundane (swimming with her son, appreciating the beauty of a flower), they transform the common and the everyday into the extraordinary and unreal... She opens up avenues between the real and worlds that exist just beyond the edges of consciousness."

Below is Boruch's very affecting poem My Son and I Go See Horses. Read more about her extraordinary poetry here.

My Son and I Go See Horses
by Marianne Boruch

Always shade in the cool dry barns
and flies in little hanging patches like glistening fruitcake.
One sad huge horse
follows us with her eye. She shakes
her great head, picks up one leg and puts it down
as if she suddenly dismissed the journey.

My son is in heaven, and these
the gods he wants to father
so they will save him. He demands I
lift him up. He strokes the old filly’s long face
and sings something that goes like butter
rounding the hard skillet, like some doctor
who loves his patients more
than science. He believes the horse

will love him, not eventually,
right now. He peers into the enormous eye
and says solemnly, I know you. And the horse
will not startle nor look away,
this horse the color of thick velvet drapes,
years and years of them behind the opera,
backdrop to ruin and treachery, all
innocence and its slow
doomed unwinding of rapture.

Of Poets and Poetry

2011-05-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've been lagging behind for much of this year, and I somehow managed to only fleetingly acknowledge that April was National Poetry Month. Mea culpa. So now, to atone, I offer the clips below of two extraordinary poems. They are The Applicant (one of my favourites) and The Stones, both by Sylvia Plath and read by the poet herself. More to come!

Music Fit for a Prince

2011-04-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Just hours before the much-awaited wedding of HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton in London and I've finally joined the rest of the world in getting excited about the events which will shortly unfold. One aspect of the Royal Wedding which should not be overlooked is the music! And, between the military bands, the choirs, the hymns, and orchestra, there's LOTS of it! Works by some of my favourite British composers will be featured, including Elgar, Britten, Finzi, Vaughan Williams, C.V. Stanford, Maxwell Davies, Delius, C.H.H. Parry, Rutter, and Walton. (You can find a complete breakdown of the music planned for the wedding here.) Some of my all-time favourite pieces to be performed included Farewell to Stromness by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Romance for String Orchestra by Gerald Finzi.

Among those groups contributing to the music of the Royal Wedding is the London Chamber Orchestra led by its music director Christopher Warren-Green, who is also music director of the Charlotte Symphony here in the U.S. You can watch a live video stream of the wedding via The Royal Channel on YouTube.

Below is a video of the centuries' old Choir of the Chapel Royal preparing for the upcoming ceremony.

A Bit of Resurrection

2011-04-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

Crazy busy this and last week. Lots to share, which I will shortly. Until then, chew on this tasty morsel...

10,000 and counting...

2011-03-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sometime yesterday this blog clocked its 10,000th visitor. Despite the paucity of fanfare this is a milestone, to be sure! What began in June 2009 as a result of boredom has quickly become a happy and enthusiastic vocation and a much needed creative outlet for me. Though not without the occasional misstep I have aimed to keep this blog as interesting, informative, entertaining, and varied as possible. I am extremely grateful to those of you - friend and stranger - who have supported Note x Note from its inception and the precious few of you who have materially contributed to its success. This has been fun, and I look forward to the next 10,000 visitors!

Sarah Vowell Discusses "Unfamiliar Fishes"

2011-03-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sarah Vowell, one of America's best-loved literary polymaths, turns her caustic wit and unique insights to the history of Hawaii in her latest book Unfamiliar Fishes. Vowell, who has gained widespread appeal as a journalist, essayist, author, and social commentator, will discuss and sign copies of her new book on Wednesday, 30 March at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena. The event, which begins at 7pm, is sponsored by Vroman's Bookstore (one of my favourites, and quite possibly SoCal's last honest book shop).

Here's Vowell's 21 March appearance on The Daily Show where she discusses Unfamiliar Fishes.

John Lennon: Songwriter

2011-03-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

The nascent Grammy Museum at L.A. Live is currently hosting an exhibit devoted to the songwriting legacy of the late John Lennon. John Lennon: Songwriter features Beatles and Lennon memorabilia, including one of John Lennon's early typewriters, guitars, his signature round glasses, hand-written lyrics, as well as rare and never-before-seen footage and photographs. Those interested in the exhibit should get over the to L.A. Live campus downtown. But hurry - the exhibit closes this Thursday, 31 March.

To commemorate what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday back on October 9, 2010, the Grammy Museum played host to Lennon's widow, musician/artist Yoko Ono in conversation with museum director Robert Santelli. The two discussed everything from the break-up of the Beatles to John Lennon as husband and father. You can find video excerpts of the event here.

Gaga for the Whiffenpoofs

2011-03-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

I really don't mind my chronic insomnia when it leads to things like this... While desperately longing for a visit from Morpheus I stumbled upon this video of the legendary Whiffenpoofs of Yale University (Class of 1980) performing during their 30th class reunion. If only the real Lady Gaga were this entertaining!

The Occasional Cellist

2011-03-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

While I am fortunate enough to be able to earn an occasional paycheck through my music and writing, these days I very rarely have the opportunity to perform solo or chamber music purely for fun. But, happily, this and next month I'll have two chances to perform for two very special groups. The first will be on Saturday, 26 March when I'll be performing excerpts from the Bach cello suites at the monthly gathering of a local music group. Next month I'll also be collaborating with actor/director/playwright Judyanne Elder in a very special performance on Easter Sunday. Judy and I will be revisiting a piece we first performed in March 2009 at a private spoken word salon in Beverly Hills. Judy, an acclaimed actress of stage and screen, will recite selected text from Khalil Gibran's Jesus, the Son of Man which I have set to music by Purcell, Bach, Handel, as well as traditional hymns. If you're interested in joining me for either of these performances drop me a line at notexnote.artsblog@gmail.com for further details. I'd be happy to have you there!

Why I Love Liz

2011-03-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

It's quite easy to overstate the degree to which certain prominent figures are beloved by the public at large. Only rarely are the plaudits and hagiographies heaped upon the myriad of the great and the good among us truly deserved. The steady stream of tributes and glowing memorials to the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor, however, ring true. (Read more on her death here.)

I ordinarily bristle at the maudlin, gushing way in which we tend to instantly beatify dead celebrities, many of whom in their lives and accomplishments were rather unremarkable. Of course, Elizabeth Taylor far transcended any notion of mere "celebrity". (Here is a thoughtful retrospective piece by BBC News.) I'm awfully fond of Elizabeth Taylor - and have been for a while - not because of her glittering celebrity, but because of the unapologetic and, dare I say, gutsy way in which she lived a not-entirely-easy life. She was vulnerable, she was beautiful, she was insecure, she was vibrant, she was bawdy, she was brash, she was honest, she was self-indulgent and profoundly compassionate. But she was completely and wonderfully human, not in spite of her many seeming contradictions but because of them.

Dame Elizabeth, who in 2001 was bestowed the female equivalent of a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II, was one of Hollywood's most remarkable creations. Her arsenal of complimentary traits - her breathtaking physical beauty coupled with the palpable earthiness of the characters she portrayed - instantly and irrevocably endeared her to countless millions the world over. Yet, despite her fantastic early successes and professional triumphs, hers was a life marked by great and frequent personal heartache. She was famously married no less than eight times, with all but one of her marriages resulting in divorce. She has the unique, if dubious, distinction of having had legislation introduced in the United States Congress which would have barred her from the country for reportedly "living in sin" with actor Richard Burton while the two were still married to other people. Later in life, she would face numerous public battles with depression, addiction, and obesity. Yet, despite her litany of personal sorrows, the strength of her spirit still drew countless others to her. And thanks to her many charitable endeavours, she'll be remembered not just for her films but also for her tireless efforts in the fight against AIDS.

As the world pauses to reflect on the close of an extraordinary life, here's a clip that will forever stand out in my mind as one of Elizabeth Taylor's finest on-screen moments. It's a scene from the acclaimed film adaptation of Edward Albee's play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the film which resulted in Taylor's second Academy Award for Best Actress.

UPDATE: Essential Elizabeth: An Appreciation via CBC Arts

The City vs. the Mural

2011-03-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Pardon my language, but this is just fucking daft. The grasping, grafting mandarins charged with the running of the City of Los Angeles have once again demonstrated their contempt for the people they ostensibly represent by demanding an elderly woman remove a mural she had painted on her own property. Valley Village resident Barbara Black recently invited ten local high school art students to paint a graffiti mural on a 50 foot section of wall surrounding her home. The City of Los Angeles was quick to slap Black with a $356 fine for allegedly violating City ordinances regulating advertising as the mural purportedly included text. Despite the subsequent removal of the offending text officials still insisted the mural be removed entirely as new wall murals within the City are no longer permitted. Should she refuse to comply, Mrs. Black's fine will increase to $1,925 by the end of this week. Thanks, guys. I feel so much safer now knowing that you're cracking down on this city's most dangerous criminals!

I'm all for adhering to just and reasonable laws, but in the course of sticking to their guns the City have made a criminal of an otherwise law-abiding, civic-minded citizen. Of course, art is subjective, but the impulse to create art is surely a good and benign thing and something behind which we can all unite. I love projects like this: grassroots and people-powered. We need more of this sort of thing, not less. And we need our civic leaders to support, not stilfe, the creative impulses of their fellow citizens.

According to NoHoArtsDistrict.com, you can lend your voice and help save Barbara Black's mural by contacting Councilman Paul Krekorian in whose district the mural is located. Here's the info:

Twitter: @paulkrekorian
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulKrekorian
Email: councilmember.krekorian@lacity.org
Call: (818) 755-7676
Fax: (818) 755-7862
6350 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Suite 201
North Hollywood, CA 91606

View more videos at: http://www.nbclosangeles.com.

Opportunities for Amateurs

2011-03-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Amateur musicians in Southern California are being given some high-profile performance opportunities this year thanks to the remarkably inventive community outreach initiatives of two of the region's premiere performing arts organisations.

The Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles Country (better known as the Music Center) will host another of its popular Public Practice events in April. These unique events, sponsored by Active Arts® at the Music Center, turn otherwise quiet corners of the sprawling Music Center campus into open-air practice rooms. Participation is open to any non-professional musician at least 18 years of age who is willing to practice (not perform) in public. (Seems a bit like musical masochism to me, but I suspect for most amateurs such exposure is a great way to help combat stage fright.) Registration for this event has closed, but watch this space for further details concerning when and where.

Further south, just behind the Orange Curtain, the nationally-acclaimed Pacific Symphony will throw open the doors of its Segerstrom Concert Hall home and invite amateur musicians to join them in what it calls OC Can You Play With Us?. According to the website, "Amateur musicians will have a chance to rehearse and perform with Pacific Symphony on the stage of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall under the baton of Music Director Carl St.Clair. Each hour-long session will consist of a short rehearsal followed by a mini-performance of movements from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Particpants must be at least 24 years-old, must be able to read music, and must play and provide their own standard orchestral instrument. The rehearsals and short performances will take place on Monday, 16 May beginning at 7:30pm. The cost to participate is $50. Visit the website for more information.

Muzak and the Master

2011-03-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of British composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies which is why I couldn't help but grin when I first learned of the following story. It seems that while dining last month at a popular Italian restaurant in Canterbury, Sir Peter, who in 2004 was appointed Master of the Queen's Music by Queen Elizabeth II, found the restaurant's choice of musical accompaniment rather difficult to bear.

"I asked the waitress if it could be turned down - and it was, but then it came back up again. It was idiotic pop music. You just couldn't hear yourself think, let alone order. It was deafening," said Sir Peter. "So I told the owner we were going elsewhere. We found a very nice Italian restaurant a few doors down. It too was playing muzak but agreed to turn it off. Nobody noticed - in fact the atmosphere noticeably improved. People were actually talking to each other and enjoying the art of conversation without the dulling, stupefying effects of muzak. I would urge more people to demand that piped music is turned off and vote with their feet if shops and restaurants don't comply. This is a protest movement that wants peace to be given a chance."

So, is this yet another case of cultural snobbery - elitism run amok, or is Sir Peter making a valid, timely criticism? I say yes to the latter. As a musician, I can well identify with his annoyance at the seeming ubiquity and mindless musicality of Muzak. And lest one think we're but two lone fuddy-duddies crying in the wilderness, behold Pipedown, the UK-based pressure group devoted to ridding the world of the deafening, noisome presence of piped music. You know, I think I just might join...

NOTE: An earlier version of this post referenced the "noisome presence of pipe music". That was a typo. Let it be known to all and sundry that I am an enthusiastic and unrepentant lover of the bagpipes.

So smooth it's almost criminal.

2011-03-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

Awful pun aside, you've got to see this amazing video. As with so many of these sorts of viral videos I've no idea what inspired it, but the raw technique and remarkable tone of these two cellists is rather extraordinary. (And, yes, those are carbon fibre cellos they're playing. You'd be mad to attempt those kind of cellistic fireworks on a traditional cello!)

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

And if the long-haired cellist looks familiar it may be due to yet another video which has gone viral... well, at least among classical musicians. He's 24 year-old Croation cellist Stjepan Hauser, a pupil of Bernard Greenhouse and one of the classical music world's brightest up-and-coming stars. Check out his irreverent homage to some cello greats, living and dead.

Blog Update: Thank You

2011-02-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

My sincerest thanks to those of you who have, via email and Twitter, sent well wishes and messages of concern over the past few weeks. My near complete hiatus from the blog during this month was not intended but was, in many ways, unavoidable. 2011 has gotten off to a rocky and frustrating start, though, happily, things are beginning to look up. I look forward to resuming regular blog posts over the weekend.

Dies Natalis, Yet Again

2011-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

As tempting as Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate" might be, I think I'd still rather start this day off with a bit of Gerald Finzi's sweetly sentimental Dies Natalis. Happy birthday to me!

Happy Birthday, Wolfie

2011-01-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Mozart's birthday today, I'd like to share five of my absolute favourite Mozart moments. Enjoy!

"Laudate Dominum" from Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339

Serenade for Winds No. 10 in B-flat major ("Gran Partita"), K. 361, Mvmt III

Le Nozze di Figaro (K. 492), Act IV Quartet & Finale

String Quintet No. 4 in G minor, K. 516

Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385, "Haffner"

Jacqueline du Pré, We Hardly Knew You

2011-01-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

Today marks what would have been the 66th birthday of famed English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, OBE. During her all-too-brief life du Pré was widely held as one of England's finest performing musicians. Her bold, fearless, utterly unselfconscious style of performance as well as her extraordinary virtuosity endeared her to countless people then and still does today. Her tone, while far from "pure", was wholly enthralling and had the remarkable ability to seduce and charm, to cajole and provoke. Sadly, she was diagnosed with a rather advanced form of Multiple Sclerosis at age 28 and spent the next 14 years in rapidly declining physical health. She died on 19 October 1987, Black Monday.

du Pré's recordings of the cello concertos of Elgar and Schumann are considered by many to be the definitive interpretations of those works. In 1998 the film Hilary and Jackie was released. It is beautifully acted though sadly based on an unfair, inaccurate, and hugely bitter memoir written by du Pré's siblings Hilary and Piers. It starred Emily Watson as du Pré and earned several Oscar nominations. Read more about Jackie's unforgettable life. Below is a the trailer from Chistopher Nupen's touching documentary Jacqueline du Pré: A Celebration of Her Unique and Enduring Gift.

Matisse Comes to Glendale

2011-01-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, 27 January at 6pm, Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale will host the opening reception for "Matisse: A Celebration of French Poets & Poetry". The exhibit features 63 etchings and lithographs by groundbreaking French artist and lithographer Henri Mattisse, all of which are inspired by the romantic poems of Pierre de Ronsard and Stephane Mallarme. The works are from the collection of famed Swiss art collector and book dealer Albert Skira; the exhibit runs until 8 May. For further details visit the Forest Lawn Museum website or email museum@forestlawn.com. Read more about Matisse and French poetry.

A Medal for Dame Emma

2011-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has awarded the 2010 Queen's Medal for Music to Dame Emma Kirkby. Dame Emma, who along with Kathleen Battle remains one of my absolute favourite singers, is an English soprano specialising in Baroque and early music and who is renowned for her the otherworldly, bell-like purity of her tone. Dame Emma, 61, is the sixth recipient of the prize which was inaugurated in 2005 and is awarded annually to those who have significantly contributed to the musical life of Britain.

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen's Music and chair of the Medal's nominating committee, said "I think it's marvellous that the world of early music has been recognised in this year's Queen's Medal for Music, particularly that the award is going to Dame Emma Kirkby, who has done more than anybody to put this music in the centre of our musical consciousness."

Among my favourite of her albums is her 2009 recording of Handel's Chandos Anthems. Below is a clip of her sining "Aus liebe will mein heiland sterben" from Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

Just because...

2011-01-09T16:47:00.001-08:00

Hodie Salvator Aparuit

2010-12-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

I wish everyone a very holy, happy, and joyful Christmas.

A Grief Observed

2010-12-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

First, an explanation: What I am about to share here is a departure from the sort of thing I typically share and discuss on this blog. It is one of those intensely personal things that, for several reasons, I feel compelled to write about. It has been suggested to me by people I both love and respect that perhaps the healthiest, best way to begin to address the profound grief which at various times over the past several weeks has threatened to consume me is simply to write about it. So, I have. Mind you, this weaves and meanders a bit, but it is not a purely self-indulgent exercise in pity. I've written this searching little essay because I sincerely believe that there is a place for art even during the darkest, most bewildering moments of human existence. In working - struggling, really - to find that place for myself whilst deep in the midst of my own "dark night" I am filled increasingly with the sort of hope and reassurance that mere words sometimes fail to impart. What better way can one confront and address the most unutterable of human emotions than by the silent, ineffable witness of art? If that is indeed the case I would do wrong not to open my heart to you and share what I have found...

A Friend and Father
On the evening of 8 November 2010, my mentor and dearest friend, Father E. B. Davis, passed away following a lengthy hospital stay and even longer battle with chronic illness. I have known Father Davis since 1998 when I first began attending the small parish at which he was a longtime member and of which he later became curate and, briefly, acting rector. Father Davis' priestly vocation came rather late in life; he was for several decades prior a seasoned medical professional ultimately retiring from clinical practise as a Physician Assistant in 1998. When our paths first crossed I was a shy, diffident, overly-sensitive teenager with incredibly thin skin and remarkably little self-confidence. Of the many things Father Davis did for me, the greatest was teaching me how not to take the world or myself quite so seriously. Simply put, I am the man I am today because of his guidance, his patience, and his love. He was, in every real and important sense of the word, my father.

My initial grief at his death, as with so many of my emotions, was controlled and deliberately measured. Yes, I wept bitterly at his bedside as he lay dying and was all at once overcome by a profound sense of sadness and loss, but also one of relief. After all, Father Davis was a man of science and knew all-too-well the state of his health, at times even better than his own physicians did. His complete awareness of and exhaustion with the limitations imposed by his gradually deteriorating health, joined with his profound Christian faith and irrepressible trust in the God who created him, served to free him from excessive worry over his life and the closing of it. For as long as I knew him he was remarkably clear-eyed about life and its inevitable end. Truth be told, I am amazed he lived as long as he did; there were at least two occasions in recent years when he very nearly died... But even in the midst of years of physical struggle and increasing weakness he never lost his sense of humour nor his dogged determination to seek out and enjoy the beauty the world still had to offer.

Death in Venice
One of the things which became a staple of the last two years of our friendship, and something I shall miss very much, were our weekly movie nights. These occasions, while they invariably centered around food, weak Scotch, and a film or two, were always about so much more. I suppose, in retrospect, they were our equivalent of the father-son walk in the woods or fishing trip to the lake... The very last film we saw together, just before Father Davis entered hospital, was Death in Venice starring Dirk Bogarde and based on Thomas Mann's eponymous 1912 novel. It was a film Father had seen just once shortly after its initial release in 1971 and one which I had only recently discovered. Of course, neither of us knew then that just weeks later we would ourselves be separated by death (had I known I'm sure I would have suggested a more cheerful film). Even so, the beauty of Thomas Mann's story - of von Aschenbach's startling death while in pursuit of unattainable beauty - captured both our imaginations. We chatted about life and about the necessity of reconciling oneself with the inevitability of death. It was a thoughtful conversation on a most impossible topic, the memory of which I shall carry with me for a very long time to come.

Wit
One film we never got around to watching, but which came to my mind shortly after Father's death, is the 2001 HBO television movie Wit based on Margaret Edson's extraordinary Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by the same name. The film stars Emma Thompson as 'Professor Vivian Bearing' in what I consider to be Thompson's finest screen role to date. It is the most remarkable film I have ever seen, my favourite, in fact. Anyone who has ever experienced firsthand the slow, quiet death of a loved one will be profoundly moved by this film. Wit explores several themes, not least of which is the spiritual inconsequence of physical death as demonstrated in the tenth of the Holy Sonnets of John Donne (1610), "Death be not proud, though some have called Thee mighty and dreadful, for Thou art not so..." We watch as Professor Bearing - a severe, emotionally reserved academic of profound intellect - is confronted with a diagnosis of terminal, late-stage ovarian cancer. Dr. Bearing, who thought that "being extremely smart would take care of it", is suddenly faced with the realisation that her extraordinary mind cannot this time provide her the answer. It is this realisation, and the emotional and spiritual awakening that follow, around which the story is centered.

I adore this film because it treats death in an emotionally, intellectually, and psychologically honest and accessible way as something universal and ultimately comprehensible. Seldom does one encounter a film so beautiful as a whole and in all its little moments and glances and pauses and whispers. For me, no scene is more beautiful, or more gut-wrenchingly painful, than the very last one. I have watched Wit a total of five times and never fail to be deeply moved by it. (If you intend to watch the whole of the film, as I very much hope you do, you may wish to skip over the clip below so as not to ruin the climax.)

A Grief Observed

It was Father Davis himself who, well over a year ago, recommended to me C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed. The book, first published in 1961, is comprised of brief thoughts and recollections Lewis recorded in a series of small journals he kept following the death of his wife, the poet Helen Joy Davidman. For those familiar with the Lewis of Narnia and Screwtape, A Grief Observed, while similar in matter to The Problem of Pain, is quite unlike anything else Lewis ever wrote; it is a remarkable exploration of the very nature, mathematics, and purpose of grief.

The beauty of this book - and it is exceedingly beautiful - is that Lewis, who for many years of his academic and literary career posited lofty theories on the nature and necessity of suffering, was now himself thrust headfirst into the most horrid kind of suffering imaginable. Lewis, a theologian and philosopher, falters and doubts and very nearly blasphemes, yet in grappling with these all-too-human responses to the bitter loss of a loved one he does not attempt to hide his faltering. By the end of the book Lewis emerges from his "dark night" of anguish and despair with a new found understanding and a faith restored. "Nothing will shake a man -- or at any rate a man like me -- out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself."

So there it is. I know both in my head and in my heart that pain and sorrow are the non-negotiable cost of love. There is simply no way round it; there is no clever calculus or formula we can devise in hopes of avoiding that cold, terrifying fact of human life. And the greater the love the more profound our anguish when we are separated from those whom we love. In the midst of grief, however, that "wallowing, self-indulgent kind of grief" of which Lewis speaks, it is all but impossible to see the proverbial forest for the trees. Yet, speaking as a passionately committed though deeply flawed Christian, I must ultimately accept that this life is transient -- an awful and wonderful trial through which we must all pass so that we may savour the life that is to come. Divergent as our individual beliefs may be, we must all agree that this life is at its fullest and most rewarding when one takes the bitter along with the sweet. Just as Lewis himself concluded, I too realise that is the only real hope.

Grief is not terminal - it need not cripple us or swallow us up. I am reminded of that very fact by those great artists whose response to their own grief was to create works of such aching beauty and unselfconscious emotional honesty as to lift us out of ourselves. Dvořák's Stabat Mater, Op. 58 (below) and Brahms' Violin Sonata in G, Op. 78 are extraordinary examples.

Dame Iris Murdoch, one of my favourite of 20th century philosophers, wrote that "Happiness is a matter of one's most ordinary everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self. To be damned is for one's ordinary everyday mode of consciousness to be unremitting agonising preoccupation with self." I take great comfort in that.

Tim Page in Storrs

2010-12-23T05:54:00.000-08:00

For all you New Englanders, a Christmas treat. The great and gifted Tim Page, Pulizter Prize-winning former music critic for the Washington Post, will be reading from and discussing his extraordinary memoir Parallel Play today at 6:30pm at the University of Connecticut Co-op Bookstore in Storrs, Connecticut. You can find more info on the event's Facebook page. (Hopefully, with any luck, we'll get him to do a reading here in Los Angeles too!)

Tim is now in his fourth year as a professor at both the USC Thornton School of Music and the USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism where he teaches both musicology and arts criticism. You can listen to Tim's August 2007 interview with NPR's Robert Siegel here. And be sure to look for video of my own recent interview with Tim to be posted here on this blog after the New Year!

E'en So, Lord Jesus Quickly Come

2010-12-22T06:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, enough of my self-indulgent carping. It took longer than usual - for understandable reasons - but I think I've finally entered into the spirit of this great and holy season! And, as usual, I have music to thank. Enjoy this clip of one of my favourite contemporary Advent anthems E'en So Lord Jesus Quickly Come written in 1953 by the late Paul Manz. It is sung here by the Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale. And happy Christmas. (Hat tip to Dr. Robert Llizo!)

My (Mostly) Musical Christmas Wishlist

2010-12-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

Much as my inner Grinch might grumble, it is 21 December, the first day of winter and four days until Christmas. Signs of the season abound, one of the most ubiquitous and inescapable being the cacophony of Christmas and other "holiday" music on television, radio, and now, seemingly, in my dreams. Some of it is good, grand even, though much of it isn't. Anyway... it's Christmas, and to make up for the inadvertent paucity of holiday-related content on this blog I have decided to share with you my Christmas wishlist. Santa, feel free to hit 'print'.

The 10 Things I Want for Christmas
1) Leonard Bernstein: The Symphony Edition released last month by Sony.
2) A regular gig. Ideally junior copy writer for BBC Music or Listen magazines, but I'd settle for that editorial assistant opening over at USC...
3) This 90-disc anthology of Yo-Yo Ma's complete recorded output.
4) The new(ish) J.S. Bach: Complete Edition from Brilliant Classics.
5) A steady increase in blog readership and Twitter followers. I feel like I'm on-stage and yet the audience are in the lobby...
6) A chance to meet and interview Andreas Scholl.
7) Another portrait by Melissa Lee. (She is ridiculously talented.)
8) Tickets to Bayreuth.
9) An better, darker sounding cello... and the talent to go with it.
10) The exhumation and reanimation of George Plimpton. The Paris Review just isn't the same.

Valentine's Day: The Flashmob

2010-12-19T23:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, one more post about flashmobs and I think I may risk losing what little credibility I have left. Hey, it's Sunday and I don't really feel like writing... Culture Monster is running something called "12 Days of Christmas Flashmobs". This one occurred in Belgium this past Valentine's Day. If this doesn't put a smile on your face then you probably don't deserve to have a face. Anyway, enjoy!

Flashmob Protest

2010-12-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

So... I gather we're all by now somewhat acquainted with that wacky social phenomenon known as the flashmob. For those needing further definition, this courtesy of Webster's New Millenium Dictionary of English - flashmob: "a group of people who organize on the Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse". That said, flashmobs can be fun (as in the case of this famous one at Antwerp Central Railway Station) yet they can also be a serious attempt at protest, as in the example of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, and the Metropole Orchestra. Members of the beleaguered Dutch orchestras recently staged a rather unique orchestral flashmob in the central station of The Hague to protest drastic cuts in funding proposed by the Dutch government (coverage by the BBC Music Magazine here). While the performance was hugely popular and exciting to watch, as you can tell from the video below, its primary aim was to draw the public's attention to the very serious threat facing orchestras and other arts organisations in the Netherlands. (The Guardian has written quite thoughtfully on their plight.) If you would like to lend your voice in support of our Dutch colleagues, visit the webpage of the Netherlands Broadcasting Music Centre and sign their petition today!

Los Angeles Philharmonic Young Artists Competition

2010-12-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is currently accepting applications for its 2011 Young Artists Competition. The winners will be invited to perform with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra on-stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The competition is open to violinists and cellists under the age of 18 and currently enrolled in a Los Angeles County public high school. Deadline for applications is 28 January 2011. You can download an application here. Further details and audition repertoire can be found here. Happy practising!

Is your instrument causing you pain?

2010-12-17T18:21:00.000-08:00

No, that's not the beginning of a viola joke but rather the subject of an upcoming injury prevention seminar at Metzler Violins in Glendale. On Monday, 20 December, Janet Horvath, Associate Principal Cello of the Minnesota Orchestra and author of the book Playing (Less) Hurt, will present a talk on the ins and outs of playing stringed instruments pain-free. This event will begin at 7pm. Admission is $20 which includes $10 for the book. To reserve your place e-mail shop@metzlerviolins.com or phone 818-246-0278. Click here for further details and click here for the Facebook event page.

LA Opera Performs @ City of Hope

2010-12-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Today at noon singers from the Los Angeles Opera will present a free concert of "holiday songs and Great American Songbook favorites" at the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte. The hour-long concert, entitled "Hope for the Holidays" is open to patients, families, and staff as well as the general public. Complimentary lunches will be provided for the first 300 attendees. Follow this link for further details.

The Greatest Stage Actor of All Time

2010-12-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

At last, proof that there is indeed fairness and justice in this sometimes dingy world of ours. One of my all-time favourite actors, Dame Judi Dench, has been named the "greatest stage actor of all time". This rather extraordinary distinction came about following a public poll that was conducted over a 10 week period by the noted theatrical publication The Stage, now in its 130th year. (More on this story from the BBC.)

Dame Judi, who received just over 21% of votes cast, beat out several other legendary actors for the top honour including Dame Maggie Smith (2nd place), Sir Laurence Olivier (5th place), Sir John Gielgud (7th place), and Vanessa Redgrave (9th place). The fact that most of the lists top 10 actors are still living is likely owed to people's relatively short attention spans, even though nominations could be from "any country and any period of history".

Dame Judith Olivia Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic. She went on to star in scores of stage productions as well as film and television. She is perhaps best known to American audiences for her role as "M" in the post-1995 James Bond films as well as "Jean Pargetter-Hardcastle" in the long-running British television comedy As Time Goes By which is rebroadcast often in the U.S. on PBS. She has won more Olivier Awards than any other in history as well as ten BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, two SAG Awards, a Tony, and an Emmy nomination. In 1998 she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love, an on-screen appearance which lasted all of seven minutes! And just this past summer Dame Judi made her debut at the much-vaunted BBC Proms singing Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" during a special concert to commemorate the composer's 80th birthday.

Some of my favourite Judi Dench films are... Langrishe, Go Down, Her Majesty Mrs. Brown, Iris, The Shipping News, Ladies in Lavender, and Notes on a Scandal. It's great to see such a lovely person with such extraordinary gifts be recognised and celebrated by so many.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for a good flash mob, espeically of the musical kind. This video should bring a smile to thine face...

The Shakespeare Project: Revisited

2010-12-01T09:05:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recall this past June when my best friend and I set for ourselves an ambitious task - to read all 37 of William Shakespeare's canonical plays within one year. The Shakespeare Project, despite our very best intentions, sadly never really got off the ground due to various other pressing matters then taking up much of our respective attentions. I am pleased to report, however, that on my recent trip New Hampshire to visit said best friend that the project was revived and is now well into its second week. As you will note from my previous post we do not plan to limit ourselves to just dry readings of the plays but will also make use of audio-books, films, commentaries, etc. to help widen our understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's extraordinary dramas and the contexts in which they occur. As we are proceeding in order of performance, albeit saving King Lear for last, we will have to slog our way through the dullest of the historical plays first which, as we've rediscovered, will be a bit of a challenge... Check back often for regular updates as Will and I diligently make our way through the wonderful world of William Shakespeare.

Oh, and a doff of the cap is again owed to the Canadian television series Slings & Arrows which is a shared passion of myself and my friend Will. (On my recent trip we indulged in a marathon viewing of all six episodes of the show's final season which centers around a seemingly ill-fated production King Lear. It was, in a word, spellbinding...) Incidentally, for those interested in Shakespeare or the threatre or in the ability of a group of highly dysfunctional artists to create extraordinary art you may be interested to know the entire series of Slings & Arrows is now available as a DVD boxed set. And just in time for Christmas!

Happy St. Andrew's Day!

2010-11-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

Today, 30 November, marks the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle, patron of Scotland. It's a day of celebration chiefly in Scotland, but also in Canada and parts of the United States. So, for all you fellow Scots or descendants of Scots, enjoy this gem of Scottish folk tunes as make popular by the inimitable Sir Harry Lauder...

Black in Boston

2010-11-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

Memorial to Colonel Shaw & the 54th Massachusetts Regiment

My recent sojourn to New England came as a much needed, though somewhat surreal, interlude in what have been a ghastly past few months. This otherwise short trip to visit friends did permit half a day’s sightseeing in one of my all-time favourite American cities, Boston. I made my first visit there this time last year. During that trip my hosts and I managed to take in most of the Freedom Trail which includes landmarks such as the Park Street Church, Old North Church, Paul Revere’s house, Granary Burying Ground, Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution, and Bunker Hill, among others. Though a much hoped for return visit to hear the Boston Symphony at historic Symphony Hall sadly was not possible, the trip still saw a great deal of cultural exploration. Of particular interest was the Museum of African American History housed on the site of the historic Abiel Smith School and African Meeting House on Beacon Hill’s famed Joy Street. While the south slope of Beacon Hill, just across from Boston Common, has long been home to the city’s wealthy White elite, the north slope, where the school and Meeting House are located, has an equally long and proud history as the epicenter of Boston’s Black community which dates back to before the Revolutionary War. An interesting side note: While the cultural and economic differences between the two communities were rather disparate, the architectural differences between the two sides of the hill are far more subtle which gorgeous, spacious Georgian townhomes on the south and more understated, somewhat cramped buildings on the north…

The museum's classroom and upstairs gallery

Sadly, the African Meeting House, which is ably administered by the National Park Service, was forced to shut its doors seven years ago due to lack of funding. But thanks to the government’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 the museum has received over $4 million in federal funding specifically for restoration and preservation. While we were there we could see crews hard at work excavating the garden and restoring the interiors of the Meeting House which is scheduled to reopen to the public in December 2011. The museum, which sits in the former Abiel Smith School, includes a basement gift shop, ground floor exhibition hall, and a classroom and additional exhibition space on the second floor. We were shown a short film on the history of Boston’s Black community and the city’s role the Abolitionist movement, after which we had the chance to explore the artworks and artifacts on display.

Boston's Black Heritage Trail

The Museum of African American History is also a starting point on Boston’s Black Heritage Trail, the lesser known but equally important counterpart to the Freedom Trail. The Black Heritage Trail includes the site of the African Meeting House as well as several homes and other buildings of particular importance to Boston’s historic Black community. Just west of Joy Street and further down Beacon Street on Boston Common itself sits Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ massive memorial tableau in memory of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the brave soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of a mere handful of all-Black regiments to fight for the Union during the Civil War. The sculpture, which took Saint-Gaudens nearly 14 years to complete, was erected across from the Massachusetts State House in 1897, some 34 years after the men of the 54^th marched off from that very spot and into history. Their story was immortalised in the 1989 film Glory starring Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Andre Braugher, and Matthew Broderick as Colonel Shaw. While the film is largely accurate and faithful to the historical record it does stray on one rather significant point. Most of the men of the 54^th were free Blacks, not slaves or even former slaves, which makes their sacrifice all the more remarkable given that they had so much more to lose.

Ryan, park ranger on duty, is a gifted historian

In 2008, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick reactivated the 54^th as a ceremonial honour guard. Troops from that regiment, as well as several historical re-enactors, will feature prominently during official celebrations planned for 2013 to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the Second Battle of Fort Wagner where most of the original members of the 54^th met their heroic end. I heartily encourage anyone who has the great fortune to live near or visit Boston to take time to stop by the Museum of African American History and to walk the Black Heritage Trail. My visit was easily one of the most moving and wholly engrossing experiences I’ve had in recent memory.

Blog Update: Enough already!

2010-11-29T22:17:00.000-08:00

I had very much hoped to have some better news to report by now as to the state of my poor, water-logged laptop. It has, after all, been several weeks since my ill-judged reach for the water glass resulted in a near-catastrophic loss of data and irreparable hardware damage. In short, the needed repairs will cost me several hundred more than I had first hoped or budgeted for which will, of course, mean a delay of several more weeks… Nevertheless, I have very kindly been provided a loaner computer, though it too is not without its problems. But, taking a cue from one of my favourite 20th century philosophers, Dame Iris Murdoch, I shall not bore you, dear reader, with an endless, tedious, and altogether maudlin litany of my own personal sorrows. Rather, to paraphrase Dame Iris, I fully recognise that happiness is not a matter of chance, it is one of choice. It is a matter of " ...one's most ordinary everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self..." So, despite the myriad setbacks and heartaches of these past several months – the greatest of which being the loss of my dear friend and mentor – I am determined to press on.

I have allowed my recent technological and logistical headaches to adversely affect Note x Note, and for that I have duly chastened myself. Regular, dare I say daily, posts will resume herewith. Thanks to the miracle that is the Blogger platform several articles that were in progress at the time of the recent meltdown have been safely retrieved and will be completed and posted in the next several days. The blog’s Twitter account is, as it as always been, updated each and every day with retweets as well as original tweets. (I still can’t get used to that word…)

Though it feels like ages, it has only been weeks since Note x Note experienced its rather sudden interruption. Come hell or high water, we’re back and ready to roll! Please do return often as I work feverishly to get the blog back up and running. And thanks, as ever, for your continued support!

Blog Update: Holy Crap!

2010-11-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Wow. So it's been a while since my last really substantive post. As regular readers doubtless know I've had more than my far share of rotten luck with computers over the past few weeks. The latest news is definitive though hardly encouraging. It seems the small problem I thought would take an afternoon to fix is actually a much larger problem that will take several weeks to fix. However, while my laptop awaits much needed repair I have been lent another laptop that will hopefully get me back up and running next week. In the meantime, while I am on holiday visiting friends I will endeavour to do some work on the blog. Look for some interesting articles over the weekend and do be sure to check back next week. As always be sure to check out the blog's Twitter feed which is updated regularly each day.

Blog Update: Computer Purgatory

2010-11-03T02:29:00.000-07:00

Finally, after 11 days of fearing the worst, I at last have some good news to report concerning the fate of my computer. The hard drive has apparently been spared which means all my data is still (fingers crossed) in tact. The unresponsive keyboard is due to be replaced sometime next week following which I plan to return immediately to daily blog posts!

Happily, my video interview with Pulitzer-winner Tim Page has been edited and will be posted to YouTube by the weekend. However, until my beloved pc is repaired posts will continue to be sporadic, at best. You can follow my tweets by visiting the blog's very active Twitter account at www.twitter.com/NotexNote. Once I'm back up and running for good I will send out an email to those readers interested in an update. If you'd like to be added to my email list drop me a line at notexnote.artsblog@gmail.com. Also, for those who feel so inclined, donations toward the swift resolution of my tech nightmare are, of course, welcome. Click on the PayPal link in the column on the right side of the page to make a secure donation.

As ever, many, many thanks to my loyal readers for your continued support. I'll be back shortly!

An Hour with Tim Page

2010-10-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

I just wrapped up a very exciting, wide-ranging interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic and professor Tim Page. More amiable chat than formal interview, we talked for nearly an hour on subjects as diverse as Glenn Gould, the cultural life of Los Angeles, the future of orchestras, and the art of criticism. It was easily one of the most interesting converstaions I've ever had. (Very special thanks goes to filmmaker Ted Owens and photographer Anneliese Varaldiev for their generous assistance and professional expertise!)

Now the editing process begins. You can look for the video of today's interview here on Note x Note sometime within the next week, give or take. In the meantime, I highly encourage anyone interested learning more about this remarkable man and his extraordinary mind to pick up a copy of his poignant memoir, Parallel Play. And look for Tim's new book, Carnegie Hall Treasures, which is due to be released later this year.

Blog Update: Technical Problems

2010-10-22T02:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again when I manage to inflict some costly damage upon my computer. Good news is the problem isn't nearly as horrid as I first feared. Bad news is I will still have to have the thing serviced and a few parts replaced which means that for the next few days new posts will be sporadic at best. (Blogging from one's iPhone is much more tedious than it sounds!) Please check back after the weekend when I will hopefully be back up and running. As always you can follow my tweets on the blog's Twitter page.

Eternal source of light Divine

2010-10-20T16:06:00.001-07:00

Here's to Kathy Battle, La Donna Divina. My all-time favourite soprano singing one of my all-time favourite Baroque arias, "Eternal Source of Light Divine" from Handel's Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, HWV 74. Enjoy.

Music for Music's Sake

2010-10-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

In a town known for having more than its fair per capita share of so-called celebrities - some of us Angelenos average a couple of "sightings" per week - it takes the presence of something rather remarkable for me to do a double-take when walking about an L.A. avenue. Tonight, jaded little me got an unexpected treat. I stumbled upon a very talented harpist busking on the lower level of the Vermont/Sunset Metro Station near Los Feliz. Being the slightly paranoid whackadoo I am, my guard is always up whenever I travel via public transport in this town... 'cuz, you know, stabbings... Fixated as I was on my desire not to be mugged I was inevitably startled by the sight and sound of a harp in such a seemingly incongruous milieu. And it was lovely, a glorious accompaniment to the urban symphony of steel and concrete and blinking lights. I don't see this sort of thing - classical buskers, that is - in or about Los Angeles much. Perhaps I am frequenting the wrong neighbourhoods. In any event, our subway virtuoso provided a very real public service, for a few minutes anyway. A moment's worth of beauty in a most unexpected place.

Tonight's brief encounter reminded me of the time a few years ago when violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, clad in jeans and a ball cap, busked at a busy Washington, D.C. metro station. Bell's was rather a different experience, and a bit of a disappointing one at that. For three quarters of an hour one of the world's most famous violinists played a string of solo works as an estimated 1,000 commuters streamed by. Only seven actually stopped to listen to the music. Begs the question: when the exigencies of our modern, digital lives make their din heard above the gentle singing of our souls, do we necessarily become immune to the beauty around us? (Read more about JB's social experiment, and watch the video below.)

Tokyo String Quartet at Colburn School

2010-10-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

Photo by Lois Siegel

The celebrated Tokyo String Quartet will perform at the Colburn School tomorrow, 17 October. They will be joined by Colburn students for performances of Tchaikovsky's String Sextet Souvenir de Florence and Mendelssohn's much-loved Octet, Op. 20. Concert begins at 3pm in the school's Zipper Concert Hall just across from Walt Disney Concert Hall. Admission is $10 with no charge for students with valid identification. Check here for further details.

The Tokyo String Quartet was founded in 1970 at the Juilliard School by former students of the Toho Gakuen Conservatory. The current iteration of the the quartet includes just one of the four original founding members, violist Kazuhide Isomura. The group have recorded over 30 albums and received seven Grammy nominations; they are widely regarded as one of the most important chamber ensembles performing today.

Boston's Symphony Hall Turns 110

2010-10-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 110th anniversary of the opening of Symphony Hall in Boston. Construction on the landmark concert hall, which is home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, and the Handel and Haydn Society, was completed in 1900 shortly after the BSO were forced to abandon their previous home, Boston Music Hall.

Symphony Hall is universally regarded as one of the finest, most acoustically superior concert halls in the world along with Vienna's Der Musikverein, Amsterdam's Het Concertgebouw, and the Berliner Philharmonie. Symphony Hall is also an architectural and aesthetic marvel. Its interior boasts the 4,800 pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ as well as 16 statutes of both mythical and historical figures from Greek and Roman Antiquity. Here's a bit more on the hall's amazing acoustics, and here's a link to archive footage of a BSO rehearsal from 1943 led by then-music director Serge Koussevitzky!

I had the chance to visit Symphony Hall for the first time last fall (that was also my first occasion to hear the Boston Symphony live... I could have wet myself in glee). I will pay another visit to Symphony Hall, Deo volente, when I return to New England later next month to visit friends. Stay tuned!

Hell hath no fury...

2010-10-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

I try to keep my personal politics off this blog as much as possible. And I'm certainly no fan of the shrieking polemicists who present ABC's The View. Yet I couldn't help smile a little after watching the clip below (read more on yesterday's fracas at The View). Bill O'Reilly and his ilk, to my mind, are emblematic of everything that is wrong with public discourse in this country today. Gone are the days of the eloquent, reasoned, quiet dispassion of William F. Buckely, Jr. and company. In today's news media landscape apparently he who shouts loudest and distorts the most wins. Exactly whom does that benefit? Gaah! Wake me when we've hit bottom...

Exclusive: Interview with Detroit Symphony Musicians' Rep

2010-10-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

This week I had the chance to speak with cellist Haden McKay, official spokesman for the musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, as he and his colleagues entered the second week of their strike. We had an in-depth discussion about the current labour dispute, the events leading up to it, as well as some of the gross misrepresentations made in the press concerning the musicians. We also discussed the furore surrounding violinist Sarah Chang's invitation by DSO management to cross the picket line and perform a "replacement concert". For further background on that particular episode I encourage you to read the article by Milwaukee Symphony concertmaster Frank Almond (here) as well as the piece by violist Robert Levine (here).

My interview with Mr. McKay has been embedded below and is also available as a PDF download. Please be sure to visit the musicians' website at www.detroitsymphonymusicians.org and consider making a donation while you're there. Follow Note x Note for further developments. I, along with the entire musical community, wish nothing but the best of luck to the men and women of the Detroit Symphony who are struggling to preserve not just their jobs but the value and artistic integrity of their remarkable orchestra as well!

Interview with Detroit Symphony Musicians' Rep

The Cambridge Greek Play

2010-10-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

The triennial Cambridge Greek Play, a dramaturgical fixture at the renowned British university for over 120 years, has returned. The tradition of studying and performing an ancient Greek drama began at Cambridge in 1882 when students and alumni of the university performed Sophocles' Ajax. Recent plays have included Medea by Euripides (2007) and Oedipus the King by Sophocles (2004). Here is a complete performance history. The Cambridge Greek Play has also witnessed major collaborations with composers, including Sir Hubert H. Parry and Ralph Vaughan Williams, both of whom wrote original incidental music for the productions. This year's play is the Agamemnon of Aeschylus which, per tradition, will be performed in its original Greek. The play runs from today until 16 October at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Further details may be found here.

For those interested in Greek drama but for whom a trip to England is unlikely, fear not. The Getty Villa in Malibu is currently hosting an exhibit entitled The Art of Ancient Greek Theater. From the Getty's website... "This exhibition explores the many ways Greek drama was interpreted by ancient Greek artists, whose works are frequently the only surviving evidence of the performing arts in antiquity. A wide variety of objects — including sculptures, painted vases, and a rare fragmentary papyrus — brings to life the rich history of ancient Greek theater." The exhibit runs until 3 January 2011. Admission is free, save for parking, and reservations are required. Find out more here. And click here for a preview of some of the works currently on display.

LA Phil Musicians Support Striking Detroit Symphony

2010-10-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've just concluded a lengthy and very informative interview with Detroit Symphony Orchestra cellist Haden McKay who is acting as official spokesman for his fellow striking musicians. Our interview, as well as the latest developments in the ongoing DSO strike, will appear on this blog tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, I'd like to share with you an open letter written and signed by several members of our very own Los Angeles Philharmonic to violinist Sarah Chang who had intended to perform a recital Monday night at Detroit's Orchestra Hall at the invitation of DSO management. Members of the LA Phil as well as other musicians around the country and even Chang's own fans urged her to show solidarity with her fellow musicians by not crossing their picket line and performing a replacement concert. She ultimately relented but not without a bit of controversy. The text of the letter is below and may also be found on the DSO musicians' website...

Dear Ms. Chang,

The musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic have always enjoyed our collaboration with you, both musically and personally, over the many years that we have played together here at home and on tour. We are dismayed to learn that you are planning to perform a recital next Monday night in Detroit, where our colleagues in the Detroit Symphony are fighting to preserve their great orchestra and their jobs. The DSO management has imposed a 33% pay cut and the elimination of tenure protections in addition to a two-tier pay scale that undermines new players to the orchestra. The musicians of the DSO have called a strike, which we in Los Angeles wholeheartedly support. We hope that you will reconsider crossing their picket line and cancel your recital. This would be a tremendous opportunity for you to show your solidarity with musicians everywhere and help the musicians of Detroit in their fight to save their Symphony.

In solidarity and friendship,

The Musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

(signed by individual members of the LA Philharmonic)

Classic Esa-Pekka

2010-10-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Blog Update: Sick Day

2010-10-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

I feel rather unwell. There will be no blogging today and possibly tomorrow, and no live tweeting of the Domingo/Dudamel roundtable this afternoon as I plan to crawl back to bed shortly. See you Tuesday.

KCET Dumps PBS

2010-10-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Like countless others, my youth was greatly enriched by the treasure trove of educational programs offered by public television. Alas, come 1 January, Sesame Street, NewsHour, Charlie Rose and several other iconic programs will have been sent packing, at least here in Los Angeles. In a move that was no real surprise for those familiar with KCET's years-long negotiations with PBS (but a real shock to the rest of us), it was yesterday announced that Los Angeles' long-time PBS affiliate KCET will be severing ties with the Public Broadcasting Service as of 1 January 2011. (Full story here.)

KCET president and CEO Al Jerome has indicated the high cost of PBS dues were the major factor in KCET's decision. The amount, which totals nearly $7 million, has reportedly remained unadjusted in light of the recent credit crunch and global recession. "We have been in discussions with PBS for over three years about the need to address challenges that are unique to our market as well as our station," Jerome said in a statement to the public.

The split will make KCET the largest independent television station in the country. Though the station has rearranged its fall lineup it plans to continue airing PBS programming until 31 December. After that, it will present specially created local programming as well as movies and documentaries from around the world. Though KCET is the largest it is not the sole PBS affiliate serving the Los Angeles area. The others are KOCE-TV, KVCR-TV, and KLCS. Speculation, however, has already commenced that this move by KCET could signal the death knell for public television. Time will tell. Be sure to follow this blog for the latest.

Los Angeles Philharmonic Inaugurates New Season

2010-10-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Philharmonic will this evening open its 2010/2011 season with a concert at its principal home, Walt Disney Concert Hall. Gustavo Dudamel, who begins his second season as the Phil's music director, will be joined by celebrated tenor and opera superstar Juan Diego Flórez for a program of arias and other opera favourites. This evening's concert, which begins at 7pm, will be followed by a black-tie gala dinner for donors and invited guests. You can listen to the concert live courtesy of NPR either via the web or the NPR music app for iPhone.

More Tickets Released for Domingo/Dudamel Roundtable!

2010-10-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

100 additional tickets have just been released to the public for the upcoming Los Angeles Times Roundtable with tenor and LA Opera general director Plácido Domingo and Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Gustavo Dudamel. This first-ever joint appearance by the two classical superstars will take place on Sunday, 10 October in the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. L.A. Times music critic Mark Swed will moderate the discussion, and attendees are invited to submit questions for the artists in advance.

This event is free but ticketed and pre-registration is required. Click here to reserve your seats, but act fast as this has become one of the hottest tickets in town! This offer will end tomorrow afternoon. Read more on the roundtable here.

Detroit Symphony In Crisis

2010-10-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

As many of you likely know the musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra have gone out on strike as of this Monday following a protracted, and at times rancorous, contract dispute with orchestra management. The DSO have subsequently been forced to cancel this weekend's scheduled concerts, and just this morning DSO management held a press conference to announce the latest developments. The situation is, at present, quite fluid. For the latest news and analysis I highly recommend you check out Drew McManus' excellent arts administration blog, Adaptistration. Drew is one of the country's leading orchestra insiders and arts admin experts. His coverage is always timely and exceedingly well informed. You can read my earlier coverage of the Detroit Symphony crisis here.

The Golden Twit

2010-10-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

The second annual Golden Twits is here! The Twits "is the award scheme that aims to celebrate the best in Twittering and those who use Twitter best". Unsurprisingly, Note x Note recently tossed its (rather grand) hat into the ring. The Golden Twits are centered primarily around the U.K., so British bloggers would naturally seem to have an advantage over the rest of us. But why should we let them have all the fun?!

You can show your support for Note x Note by voting for us on the Golden Twits website at this address. The blog's Twitter account is entered under several categories, including Best Writing and Best Information Service. If you're not already familiar with the blog's Twitter feed I encourage you to check it out here! You can also check out my recap of some of the blog's more interesting tweets. Be sure to read the Guardian's coverage of last year's winners. I hope I can count on your support.

Muti Departs, Levine Returns

2010-10-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday evening the Chicago Symphony and the Boston Symphony, two of the country's finest orchestras, inaugurated their respective 2010/2011 concert seasons. The CSO's 2,500 strong audience were in for a disappointment, however, as conductor Riccardo Muti, the orchestra's much-tauted new music director, decided against taking the podium at the last minute due to illness. Disaster was averted when, following a half hour delay, Muti and the CSO management decided the show would indeed go on, albeit with substitutions. Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter displayed another side to her extraordinary artistry as she not only performed but also conducted Beethoven's monumental Violin Concerto in D major. Other works on the program were led by CSO concertmaster Robert Chen from his chair at the first desk. For more be sure to read Andrew Patner's excellent coverage. Patner is also reporting that Maestro Muti, who has withdrawn from his remaining CSO appearances this year, will return to Milan for tests and possible treatment.

It was a much different story at historic Symphony Hall in Boston Saturday night. Maestro James Levine began his seventh season as music director of the Boston Symphony with a flourish. Literally! (Read the New York Times' review here.) The BSO's season began with an all-Wagner program and a Levine favourite, the prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Levine's energy and musical commitment while on the podium has lead some to wonder if the Levine "of old" is beginning to reemerge. It was indeed a triumphant return to the podium for the 67 year-old conductor who has been plagued with chronic ill health requiring several surgeries over the past few years. His poor health has often resulted in cancellations of his conducting appearances, but Maestro Levine now says that he is "virtually pain free". The only visible concession made was Levine's use of a chair from which he led the orchestra.

Join me in wishing both Messrs. Muti and Levine the very best of health!

Painting the Queen

2010-10-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

Back in December 2005 the BBC aired a very interesting behind-the-scenes look at the remarkable process of painting an official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Renowned Australian artist Rolf Harris was commissioned by Buckingham Palace to create a new portrait of the Queen in honour of Her Majesty's 80th birthday. Cameras were granted special permission to record the whole process from start to finish. I thought it rather interesting to see firsthand the manner in which a painter goes about transforming a bare white canvas into an extraordinary impressionistic rendering of one of the most recognisable faces in history. The first of six clips is below. Enjoy!

Down in the River to Pray

2010-10-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

I am far too tired and sullen today to write anything of substance. Instead, enjoy this performance by The King's Singers. Down in the River to Pray is a traditional Appalachian hymn with likely origins as a Negro Spiritual. It lends itself well to uncomplicated yet extremely satisfying basic harmonies which this much-acclaimed sextet of male voices sing beautifully. The hymn is one of my favourites (and a fine example of early shape note singing). Oh! Remind me to mention sometime the surprising connections betwixt early American Gospel music and Gaelic psalm singing native to the Hebrides in Scotland. Fascinating stuff! Anyhoo... enjoy.

Free Admission to LACMA's New Resnick Pavilion

2010-10-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's newest exhibition space is celebrating its opening by offering free admission to the public both 2 and 3 October. The 45,000 square foot, $54 billion Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion is LACMA's newest space and is being billed as a highly flexible and configurable showcase for different artistic genres and styles. It currently houses three richly varied exhibitions, including a collection of Mesoamerican sculpture and a survey of the past 200 years of European fashion. You can read the Los Angeles Times' somewhat ambivalent review of the new gallery and its inaugural exhibitions here. And here are some images from the recent celebrity-packed gala opening.

Orchestra Management Boot Camp

2010-10-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

The League of American Orchestras is still accepting applications for its Essentials of Orchestra Management program. The 10-day workshop will be held between 5 and 14 January 2011 at the League's offices in New York City. There are only 30 spots open, and applicants will be selected "based on leadership experience and potential, commitment to serving American orchestras..." A preview of the agenda may be found here. The cost of attendance is $1,900 which includes concert tickets. Attendees are responsible for providing their own transportation and lodging. Deadline to apply is 1 November. Further details here.

The LAO is the umbrella organisation that represents and promotes the interests of American orchestras. Its Orchestra Management Fellowship Program is widely regarded as one top arts administration fellowships in the country, and its alumni serve in key positions on the staff of several major orchestras.

Deborah Borda Staying Put (Not that we're surprised.)

2010-09-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Gustavo Dudamel & Deborah Borda

Deborah Borda, the much-esteemed president and CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, has indicated she has no desire to leave the Phil and return to her old gig - executive director of the New York Philharmonic (read more here). Speculation that Borda might be on the short list of potential replacements came about after it was announced Monday that the New York Philharmonic's chief Zarin Mehta (brother of Zubin) will step down following the 2011/2012 concert season.

Ms. Borda, who led the New York Phil from 1991 to 2000, is known as a tough and extremely savvy arts administrator and is widely regarded as the person chiefly responsible for the LA Phil's dramatic fiscal turnaround in the years following her arrival back in 2000. Borda's successful tenure as the Phil's chief executive was the recent subject of a case study by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. She is regarded by many as an ideal successor to the Phil's legendary longtime former general manager Ernest Fleischmann who died this past June.

Ms. Borda, who is herself a trained violist, has also previously led the San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. On Sunday the Los Angeles Times ran an excellent profile of Ms. Borda. Read it here. When asked if she had any plans to leave her post with the LA Phil in light of the news out of NYC she replied "I might just have the greatest orchestral job in the world".

Orchestral Life: A Quest for Harmony

2010-09-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Fellow orchestral musicians will especially identify with this. Jeremy Mastrangelo, the associate concertmaster of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, has written a rather candid account of life as a full-time member of a major symphony orchestra. Contrary to the suggestions of some, orchestral life is about far more than tailcoats and gala concerts. The demands placed on orchestral musicians are just as rigourous as those of any other profession. I found the article to be really quite insightful.

Several years ago, in the late '90s I think, a three-part documentary on the Philharmonia Orchestra was produced for British television and subsequently aired here in the U.S. on the Ovation channel. Sadly, I cannot find a recording of it anywhere. In 2008, German filmmaker Thomas Grube produced Trip to Asia: The Quest for Harmony which followed Sir Simon Rattle and the musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic as they made a concert tour of China. That film was truly revelatory and featured several moving and surprisingly frank admissions of self-doubt and feelings of terrible insecurity by some of the finest musicians in the world. Trip to Asia is now, happily, available on DVD. An extended trailer is below...

The Inconvenient Genius of Glenn Gould

2010-09-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

Today marks what should have been the 78th birthday of one of the greatest musicians of this or any other century. Sadly, Glenn Gould's brilliant and sometimes troubled career (ahem...) was prematurely ended in October 1982 when the gifted Canadian keyboardist died following a stroke. He was 50 years old. One of my earliest introductions to the magic of Glenn Gould came at the age of 13 when a family friend gave me a copy of Mr. Gould's legendary 1981 re-recording of the complete Goldberg Variations of Bach, hums and all. I have never been a huge fan of the piano repertoire, but, like so many others, I was hooked and quickly devoured every Gould recording I could find! They were, and continue to be, an inspired revelation. (An exhaustive guide to Mr. Gould's recordings can be found on ArkivMusic's website.)

And now filmmakers Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont have just released Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould. The film, which nobly attempts to paint a whole picture of an often inscrutable and complicated genius, is receiving much critical acclaim. (You can read the L.A. Times' review of the film here.) Locally, Genius Within is showing at Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, Laemmle's Royal Theatre in Brentwood, and Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino. The trailer is below.

San Francisco Peeps: Opera at the Ballpark Tonight!

2010-09-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Reminder: Tonight the San Francisco Symphony will simulcast this evening's production of Aida at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, at 8pm. The event is free though tickets are required. Read my earlier post for more details!

LA Opera Reshuffle: My Thoughts

2010-09-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Opera yesterday announced that it had restructured a number of key leadership positions within the organisation in advance of its 2010/2011 concert season which begins this week. The changes, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, include the appointment of Stephen Rountree as the company's CEO relieving Marc Stern of part of his dual role as the opera's board chair and CEO. (Rountree, incidentally, is also president of the L.A. County Music Center and has acted as the Opera's chief operating officer since 2008.) Other changes include the additional appointment of Vice President for Artistic Planning Christopher Koelsch as COO. Faith Raiguel, the Opera's chief financial officer since 2008, will retain her position. Superstar tenor Plácido Domingo will remain at the helm having just recently extended his contract as LA Opera's general director through 2013. (You can read the formal press release in full here.)

Perhaps most surprising, especially for those of us who have only recently come down from a post-Ring Cycle high, is the layoff of LA Opera's ultra-savvy marketing director Jean Oelrich. Ms. Oelrich, whose own position reportedly became duplicative following LAO's creation of other marketing-related posts, played a pivotal role in the development and execution of the opera company's highly effective marketing strategy in advance of its eagerly-awaited Wagner Ring cycles and concomitant Ring Festival LA. "We had duplicative people and we were trying to cut costs," CEO Rountree explained to the L.A. Times. "Jean did a good job... but we felt we could handle that without her salary and position." Among other budgetary burdens, LA Opera must repay a $14 million emergency loan it received from the County of Los Angeles in December of last year.

I would like to echo Mr. Rountree's sentiments and say publicly and quite enthusiastically that Jean Oelrich is hands-down one of the finest, most passionate, intelligent, dedicated, and talented professionals with whom I have had the privilege of working, in the Arts or anywhere else. This past April, at LA Opera's invitation, I began working closely with Ms. Oelrich and her marketing team in the run-up to and during the County's hugely successful Ring Festival LA. I covered a number of the educational and cultural events taking place, as requested, and utilised various key social media to help spread the word about the Ring Festival and about LA Opera's groundbreaking and hugely exciting production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. Both the Festival and LAO's three full cycles of the Ring were an unbridled success and a jewel in the crown of this city's already rich cultural history. I can say, without fear of hyperbole, that Jean Oelrich played a key and integral part in that achievement.

While I sincerely believe Ms. Oelrich's departure may ultimately be their loss, I have nothing but love for LA Opera as one will doubtless have discerned from my extensive (and largely positive) coverage of the company on this blog. I earnestly hope that this latest restructuring will help LA Opera bring about its much-desired fiscal recovery, especially as it enters what promises to be a glorious 25th anniversary season.

Nicholas Sparks Book Signing Tonight

2010-09-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Sparks, the celebrated, middle-aged author of romantic fiction, will be signing copies of his latest book Safe Haven this evening at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Pasadena. The signing, sponsored by Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, will begin at 7pm and will be preceded by a discussion with the author. Sparks, who has published some 16 novels, is likely best known as the author of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, and Message in a Bottle, all of which have been made into films.

Tonight's signing is a ticketed event. Tickets may be purchased from Vroman's for $25.95, which includes a copy of the book. Attendees are also advised that only copies of Safe Haven will be signed at this evening's event. See the Vroman's website for more information.

Francophone Film Festival Tonight!

2010-09-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Film buffs and aspirant Francophones, such as myself, will enjoy this... "FrancophoneFest Cinema, a francophone film festival in collaboration with the 13th Annual Arpa International Film Festival, will take place at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on September 23rd, 2010. This event is an opportunity to show the cultural diversity of Francophonie from countries related to France by a common language, history or culture; it will include many feature films, shorts, and documentaries from France, Armenia, Lebanon, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Vietnam."

This evening's event at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood begins at 6pm with a red carpet arrival. Special guests include Serge Avedikian, winner of the 2010 Palme D'or for short film at Cannes. Download the official flyer here. For additional information visit the Francophone Chamber of Commerce's film festival website.

'Cello Hereos' Now Available

2010-09-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Strad Magazine, the U.K.'s 120 year-old "monthly print magazine for bowed string players, teachers, students, makers and dealers", have just released their 2011 Cello Heroes Calendar. The calendar features 12 photos of some of the world's most famous instruments performed on by some of the world's most famous cellists. Highlights include: Jacqueline du Pré's 1712 'Davidov' Stradivari, Emanuel Feuermann's 1730 'De Munck' Stradivari, Pablo Casals' 1730 Carlo Tononi, and Yo-Yo Ma's 1733 'Mayes' Domenico Montagnana, among many others! Those ordering before 30 September will receive a 20% discount. (Order here.)

The Strad's online shop also features other items (books, videos, photos, etc.) of interest to string players, so be sure to have a look around. The Strad also maintain a listing of worldwide vacancies for orchestral musicians, professors/teachers, and luthiers. Check here for more.

KUSC Takes Requests!

2010-09-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who think the programming of repertoire on classical radio stations these days leaves a bit to be desired, this one's for you! 91.5fm Classical KUSC, SoCal's last bastion of classical radio, has recently starting taking listeners' requests. Every weekday at noon KUSC's Alan Chapman, musicologist/composer/DJ extraordinare, presents a playlist of works requested by listeners earlier in the morning. Go to the station's listener requests page and make your request before the 10am cutoff. Good luck!

The King's Speech

2010-09-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

A film chronicling Britain's King George VI and his near-crippling speech impediment is set to open later this year. The King's Speech boasts an all-star cast, including Colin Firth as King George VI, Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth (his wife), Geoffrey Rush as speech therapist Lionel Logue, and Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII. Though Firth bears very little physical resemblance to the actual George VI (father of the current monarch Queen Elizabeth II), he has received much critical acclaim for the role, and the film itself recently won the People's Choice Award at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. It will be released in U.S. theatres on 26 November.

King George VI

The film deals with the surprise accession to the British throne in 1936 of the then-Duke of York following the rather stunning abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII. George VI's accidental reign was especially burdensome for the shy, reserved king given the pronounced stammer which had plagued him since childhood and resulted in profoundly low self-esteem. Historians widely credit the efforts of his wife Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) and Lionel Logue, the famed Australian speech therapist, with helping Britain's wartime king successfully overcome his vocal impediment.

The film's illustrious cast is augmented by Sir Michael Gambon as King George V, Sir Derek Jacobi as Archbishop Cosmo Lang, and Anthony Andrews as Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, each of whom played pivotal roles in the 1936 Abdication Crisis and the eventual reign of George VI. As some of you may know, I have for the past few years been working intermittently on an historical novel which deals primarily with the abdication of Edward VIII. It is a subject which fascinates me greatly and one to which I have devoted considerable study. I will be quite keen to see if The King's Speech is faithful to the historical record or if excessive factual liberties are taken. For those similarly interested in the Abdication Crisis (wherein King Edward VIII gave up the throne for the woman he loved) I heartily commend to you the seven-part 1979 miniseries Edward & Mrs. Simpson. It is based on the biography Edward VIII by Frances Donaldson and stars the inimitable Edward Fox. Both the book and the mini-series are as true to the tragic events of 1936 as any account I have yet to find!

Volunteer & Help Support KUSC

2010-09-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

91.5 Classical KUSC, Southern California's sole remaining classical radio station, is gearing up for its Winter Membership Drive and is looking for a few enthusiastic supporters to help man the phones. Volunteers are needed between Monday, 4 October and Friday, 8 October to come to the station's shiny new Downtown L.A. studios and answer phones and take pledges. Two shifts are available: 8am to Noon and 2pm to 6pm. Training, parking, and snacks are provided. Click here to sign-up.

KUSC's quarterly membership drives generate more than 70% of the station's operating budget. Lend a hand and do your part to help keep classical radio on the air!

And miles to go before I sleep...

2010-09-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today is the fourth anniversary of the death of my father. I can think of no finer tribute than to share once again one of his favourite poems. Father, you are sorely missed.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Lee Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Jeffrey Kahane Ill

2010-09-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Things don't always go according to plan, even when you're one of the world's foremost and sought after soloists. The musicians and patrons of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra were reminded of that last week when pianist/conductor Jeffrey Kahane abruptly withdrew from the orchestra's gala season opening concert. Kahane, according to reports, was said to have had an problematic rehearsal of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 which led the orchestra's music director, Jaap van Zweden, to announce that Kahane was withdrawing from the program due to illness and that the scheduled concerto would be replaced with Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Despite the last-minute substitution the concert seems to have been a huge success. (Read the Dallas Morning News' review here.)

Now the Los Angeles Times are reporting that Maestro Kahane has withdrawn from the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's season opening concerts scheduled for 25 and 26 September, again due to illness. Kahane, who joined LACO in 1997, is the orchestra's fifth music director. He also frequently performs with the ensemble as a soloist. Mr. Kahane is reportedly suffering a prolonged bout of mononucleosis and has been advised by his physicians not to rehearse or perform until he is fully recovered. I know I am not alone in wishing Maestro Kahane the very best of health and a full and speedy recovery!

Barack Obama: Author

2010-09-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

President, professor, Nobel laureate, and now, children's author. President Barack Obama has written a children's book. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters was actually written before Mr. Obama's election as President. The book contains brief histories of and tributes to 13 great Americans. "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters celebrates the characteristics that unite all Americans — the potential to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths," said publisher Random House in a statement. The company are printing an initial 500,000 copies which will go on sale beginning 13 November.

Arts Education Forum @ Music Center

2010-09-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

The California Alliance for Arts Education will host a forum on the future of arts education entitled "Creativity, Education and California's Future" on Wednesday, 29 September in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion's Grand Hall. The forum will feature "celebrities, candidates and community leaders in conversation about the plight and promise of arts education in California schools." Panelists will include actors Jack Black, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Ben McKenzie, musicians Taylor Dayne and Wil-Dog Abers, as well as California school superintendent candidates Larry Aceves and Tom Torlakson, among others.

This free event is scheduled to begin at 10am, and pre-registration is required as space is limited. Click here to RSVP before 20 September. Be sure to check out the Alliance's blog for more. I hope to see you on the 29th!

Opera Stuff

2010-09-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Opera, Plácido Domingo, and Il Postino

LA Opera have just released video and photos of the Company’s rehearsals for the upcoming world premiere of Daniel Catán's Il Postino starring Plácido Domingo as Pablo Neruda. (More on Catán here.) The opera, based on the eponymous 1994 film, is generating quite a lot of buzz internationally. It will receive just six performances by LAO between 23 September and 16 October. Ticket info here.

In other LA Opera news, an essay competition for high school students was recently announced. Students are invited to submit a brief essay on the subject "I would like to attend the opera because...". The lucky winner will receive tickets to four of LAO's 2010/2011 productions including The Marriage of Figaro, Lohengrin, Rigoletto, and Il Turco in Italia. Deadline for submissions is 22 September. Details here.

Huge Opera Sale at Arkiv
ArkivMusic is discounting all opera CDs and DVDs for the month of September. This from a recent email: "ArkivMusic goes to the opera this month, with every complete opera on CD and every opera DVDon sale! Along with some terrific new releases and reissues, we have an exceptional list of specially discounted operas from EMI Classics that have just arrived." A few highlights included Valery Gergiev'sParsifal with René Pape and the Marinsky Orchestra, Glyndebourne's latest release (Rusalka conducted by Jiri Belohlávek), Handel's Radamisto with Joyce DiDonato, Cherubini's Medea with Bernstein and Maria Callas at La Scala, plus tonnes more! Be sure to check out their website.

6th Annual Opera News Awards Sweepstakes
The 2010 Opera News Awards will be presented on 17 April 2011 at a gala dinner in New York City and will honour the celebrated likes of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Riccardo Muti, Bryn Terfel, Jonas Kaufmann, and Patricia Racette. Opera News, a publication of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, have announced a sweepstakes to coincide with the NYC festivities. One lucky winner (and guest) will receive round-trip airfare to NYC, two nights at the city's famed St. Regis Hotel, and VIP tickets to the awards. No purchase required to enter or win. Sign-up here. The deadline for entrants is 1 December.

World's First Klingon Opera
I hesitate to include this item with the others, but Planet Earth has now had its very first staging of a Klingon opera. Yep, an honest-to-goodness, full length, plot-driven opera sung entirely in the Klingon language. Try not to laugh. Video here. Coverage by NPR here. It's been described as "basically a recreation of Klingon opera based on principles of musical combat". Musical combat? Dare one ask?

And now, a little sorbet...
Lastly, bask in the Wagner-y goodness that is the prelude to Act One of Lohengrin!

Renée Fleming Sings the Last Night of the Proms!

2010-09-13T11:34:00.001-07:00

Video excerpts of this year's Last Night of the Proms from the Royal Albert Hall have finally made their way to YouTube! (For those of us outside of the U.K. only the BBC Radio 3 broadcast was available.) The annual concert marks the end of the BBC Proms concert season which is arguably one of the best known summer music festivals in the world. Here's a great recap by the Financial Times. This year American soprano Renée Fleming was invited to perform on the Last Night program. She sang a number of works, including five gorgeous songs by Richard Strauss. Despite the unparalleled beauty of Ms. Fleming's performance there was the inevitable punditry concerning her dress, an extraordinary creation in violet by the celebrated Dame Vivienne Westwood. Meh. You be the judge... Below is a clip of her leading a stirring rendition of one of Britain's best loved patriotic tunes Rule, Brittania!, a Proms standard.

Other clips from this year's Last Night of the Proms are online as well, including this incredibly moving, goosebumps-inducing performance of You'll Never Walk Alone sung by the entire Royal Albert Hall audience as well as all the other Proms in the Park audiences throughout the U.K. linked up by satellite. (Skip to the 4:30 mark.)

One Musician's Back-to-School Blues

2010-09-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

It's the end of summer which means the start of orchestra and audition season. For many classical musicians September presents some of the same cringe-making, performance-related anxieties not entirely unknown to huge numbers of young students heading back to school. For some of us our summers can be just as musically rich, rewarding, and challenging as the regular concert season/academic year. Yet for those of us without benefit of summer music festivals, workshops, clinics, lessons, and rehearsals the summer invariably devolves into a sort of musical desert. Of course, it goes without saying that the best, most disciplined musicians can come out of a musically wanting summer with their technique still in tact. For the rest of us who instinctively balk at the prospect of dripping onto our instruments in hours-long practise sessions during the height of summer heat, the season leaves us (myself included) feeling just a tad rusty.

For me, daily practise is again the routine, but I find myself now devoting whole weekends in between orchestra rehearsals to incredibly intense, focused practise - the sort of practise I have skillfully and artfully avoided since my not-so-far off student days. So... in my quest to resurrect what modest talent I seem vaguely to recall possessing in past I've drawn up a list of musical short and mid-term goals for myself. I invite my fellow musicians, especially string players, to do the same...

My Cello Playing Wishlist
1) Well, talent. Duh.
2) New C and G strings. (This instrument's bass needs all the help it can get.)

3) Faster, cleaner, more accurate octave shifts.

4) A more secure bow hold and tidier bow economy.

5) Less hiding out in 4th position.

6) Scale back the vibrato. (Mine is akin to a bad cook overusing sauce to hide his mistakes!)

7) Finally make peace with playing closer to the bridge. (This advice came from no less than Lynn Harrell!)
8) Where, oh where has my thumb callous gone....?

9) Return to etudes. (The Popper preparatory book seems a safe starting point. And don't you dare laugh!)

10) Above all, a more nuanced dynamic range and consistency of tone. I know, very basic stuff!

Wow! That was cathartic. Now back to work!

Last Night of the Proms

2010-09-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

You may recall back in July I heralded the start of the 2010 BBC Proms concert season at London's Royal Albert Hall. Well, today the world's most famous classical music festival draws to a lamentable close with what is sure to be a memorable concert. In just a few hours (7:30pm GMT, to be exact) Czech conductor Jiří Bĕlohlávek will lead the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, and Singers in the grand finale of this year's truly excellent Proms season. They'll be joined by soloists violist Maxim Rysanov in a performance of Tchaikovsky's Roccoco Variations (originally for cello) and by famed soprano Renée Fleming who will sing songs by Strauss, Smetana, Dvorak, and Rogers & Hammerstein. The orchestra will round out the evening with perennial patriotic favourites Rule, Britannia!, Jerusalem, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 ("Land of Hope and Glory"), God Save the Queen, and Auld Lang Syne.

The complete concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3; you can launch the live stream here. The program will also be available via Radio 3 for several days after the concert, and no doubt some enterprising soul will post video of the evening on YouTube shortly thereafter.

Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine...

2010-09-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

On this tragic anniversary may we take a moment to pause, reflect, and mourn all those who this day nine years ago so violently and needlessly lost their lives. Below, the Lacrimosa from Verdi's Messa da Requiem (1874).

Sistine Chapel's Art Under Threat

2010-09-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

The director of the Vatican Museums, Professor Antonio Paolucci, said in a recent interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that new tools to control atmospheric temperature, dust, and humidity within the Vatican's historic Sistine Chapel would be needed in order to stave off further long-term damage to Michelangelo's peerless frescoes the Creation of Adam, Last Judgment, and all the other artworks that adorn the Sistine's wall, some by the likes of Raphael, Bernini, and Botticelli (full story here). The 500 year-old chapel receives a staggering 20,000 visitors each day - well over four million per year! Professor Paolucci is concerned that such numbers "emanate sweat, breath, carbon dioxide, all sorts of dust" which will ultimately destroy the centuries-old masterworks if not combated now. You can experience a 360 degree, high definition virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel via the Vatican website.