Lovely Yorkshire

It was a good eventful week around here:
Tuesday was my first graduate recital (I’ve got to do 3). It was all music of the "new-Broadway" composers that I was studying last term. It was a tough program because it demanded a lot of things vocally that were a bit different for me. Plus, it is sometimes hard to do a recital of mainly theatre music, because it can become tiring. Still, it was an enjoyable experience and I think I accomplished most of what I set out to do. If nothing else, at least some of this music was able to be heard by a wider audience...

I celebrated Mozart’s big 250 with a lovely concert of violin sonatas on Wednesday. They were done with fortepiano which added to the sonic experience. I didn’t know these pieces before and it was a treat to hear them done well. My particular favourite was the G major K.379. It had a gorgeous and expansive slow first movement which suggested (to me anyway) Beethoven. Mozart is balm for the soul. It’s too bad a lot of young musicians I know find him boring...

Yesterday I went on a hike in the Yorkshire Dales (see picture above). It was a perfect day for hiking, even if it did get a bit warm with the steep climb and brilliant sun. This was through the outdoor society at the University, to whom you can pay a small fee to be bussed to lovely Yorkshire spots for a day of hiking. We had a good turnout today and everyone was a good sport despite it being icy and slippery in spots. I thoroughly enjoyed getting out of York and seeing a bit more of the English countryside. Hope I’ll get out a few more times before the year’s out...

Interesting article in yesterday’s Guardian about a recent move by the Association of British Orchestras to launch a Healthy Orchestra Charter. Wonder if something like this is on the way in the U.S. or if the orchestra unions have more power over work conditions there. Now if only we could do something about the sometimes appalling conditions that choirs are forced to deal with...

Death Cab

Greg Sandow has been writing at Arts Journal much more eloquently and in-depth about brainy "pop" music. He mentions one of the loveliest pop songs I know, "Passenger Seat" by Death Cab for Cutie. The combination of the simple piano melody unfolding over a subtle wash of electronics and Ben Gibbard's direct and heartfelt lyrics is, I think, quite moving. Death Cab for Cutie has to be one of my favourite bands right now. The song construction is often quite simple, but the lyrics, production and subtle instrumental flourishes really make them top-notch. Of course, in many ways it's emo-indie rock for teenagers...and 25 year olds.

With a name like Esa-Pekka Salonen, it has to be good

"...And having once told a radio audience that pop music was rubbish, he now praises Bjork and Radiohead, arguing that "the thinking behind their music is not so far removed from how a contemporary classical composers thinks." He also listens to Shakira on his iPod when he exercises, and plays hard rock in his car on the drive home after concerts. "
-Allan Kozinn on Esa-Pekka Salonen in Sunday's New York Times

This seems to be a trend lately, classical musicians really getting into Radiohead and Bjork. And why not? These two "pop" entities have been producing interesting, high-quality music for over ten years now. And they're popular all over the world. This is what "classical" music needs to be aware of to move forward. And hopefully Radiohead and Bjork (among others) will continue to produce viable music that's enjoyed on a large scale. This article was also interesting for showing just how much cooler the LA Phil is than the NY Phil. New Yorkers wake up, you're not the center of the classical music world anymore!

Did I mention I may be doing my next essay on Bjork? Either that or Gluck. At least they kind of rhyme...

Molsons for all!

Yesterday I was mistaken for a Canadian! I feel like I'm moving up in the world!

Close Encounters

I caught some of the Met’s Elixir of Love broadcast on the BBC Radio 3 yesterday (Yes, I’m back in the U.K. after a lovely, but short trip back to the States). Listening reminded me of my geeky high school years where I spent each Saturday faithfully listening to the Met broadcasts. It’s really a wonderful way to hear a large amount of opera and the intermission features are often quite informative and enjoyable. I was also reminded of the often close miking the Met uses for these broadcasts which can make even the best singers sound shrill and wobbly. I suppose in a cavern like the Met, there is not much choice in where the mics can be placed where orchestra and singers are picked up clearly. This relates to what Anne Midgette wrote in the Times a few days ago about how seating location can affect one’s perception of a concert. I fully agree with this hypothesis, though as a musician I occasionally like sitting very close to see the inner workings of a performance. I once saw a performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto (the two hand one) from the very front and enjoyed hearing the soloist breathe, sing and physicalize the phrases. It’s true I missed some of the orchestra/solo balance, but it was great to see this artist work. Similarly, I learned a great deal about singing from an up-close-and-personal performance of the B-Minor Mass a few years back. I could hear how each soloist made small adjustments to shape Bach’s difficult phrases. There are others I could relate, but the basic idea that the hall and where you sit in it have a large affect on performance perception.

On another note, I recently acquired a DVD of Fischer-Dieskau and Brendel performing Winterreise in 1979. It includes a bonus feature of the two of them rehearsing for the performance (Unfortunately, I’ve not had time to watch this part yet). If you have any interest in seeing two magnificent artists at work, I suggest you buy this. Immediately. To see Fischer-Dieskau in performance mode is worth the price alone for those of us who came of age after the Fischer-Dieskau era. Not only is the performance sung beautifully, but it is also acted in quite a realized manner, with subtle facial expressions adding layers of depth to the music. Truly a revelation.