Kansas City Symphony: Kahane Conducts Mozart and Rachmaninoff

Presumably, when a concert featured a piano or violin concerto in, let's say, 1760, the soloist was the composer and had written the piece for himself. Very likely, the composer/soloist would also conduct the orchestra. Such was the case of Mozart who wrote most of his early concerti (1-13) for himself. After the 13th, written in 1783, Mozart began to compose piano concerti for others to perform while a conductor led the orchestra.

One of the reasons for the change was that the concerto was growing in stature and complexity. No longer a sweet trifle created to amuse, the concerto was assuming its role as a major musical form, second only to the symphony in importance. Earlier concerti started with an orchestral introduction followed by the solo’s entrance. This was either alone or with minimal accompaniment. The orchestra would sometimes echo a theme or close a phrase and then bring the movement with a final tutti. The orchestra was usually a small chamber ensemble of strings and maybe a few winds. By 1780, the era of Mozart’s later piano concerti (and certainly by this concert’s featured work his 25th Piano Concerto in C major K 503), the concerto had reached symphonic proportions. The orchestra had grown too with brass, expanded winds and strings plus tympani.

It takes a coordinated, yes even gutsy, pianist to solo and also conduct such a symphonic concerto. This evening’s Kansas City Symphony guest conductor, Jeffrey Kahane, is not only a superb pianist (a Van Cliburn Competition finalist) but also a skilled conductor of orchestras large and small (Colorado Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra) and thus well equipped for the challenge. Kahane conducts with economy of motion, using fingers, nods and eyes to get what he wants out his forces, allowing him to equally concentrate on the demanding solo part.

Kahane’s Mozart 25th was a bit on the leisurely side yet a smooth, romantic reading befitting this most majestic of concerti. Not a spectacularly flashy concerto, Kahane highlighted the heroic nature of the work, especially in the dramatic opening Allegro maestoso. The long lined central Andante was poetic but could have used a bit more contrast from the first movement; attributed to the slower tempo of the opening movement. There was no doubt of the conviction of the performers, however, with the Kansas City Symphony winds in their usual fine form.

Instead of a skittering, lightweight Rondo, Mozart treats us to a most symphonic finale. Although still discernable as a rondo form, the movement has all the organic elements of a tightly argued sonata. Kahane relished the more brilliant writing for the solo in this movement as much as he milked the long, flowing lines of the Andante. A well balanced and powerful conclusion to this marvelous work.

Throughout the concerto, Kahane’s pianism was more expressive than precise (fine with me) perhaps owing to his split attention to the largish forces and demanding score. A most fine performance, with nary a missed entrance or miscue from the orchestra, good balance but marred by some weak string passages, a minor flaw in a sparkling jewel of a performance.

Although I had my heart set on the previously announced program with Asher Fisch conducting the Mahler “Blumine” movement and the Brahms/Schoenberg Quartet in g, I am sure the capacity audience better enjoyed the big and lush Rachmaninoff Symphony # 2 than the more unfamiliar works.

Again Kahane led a tad leisurely performance, but not to the point where the work became a bloated barge. It is fitting to remember that for many years this work was performed in a radically cut version of about 35 minutes. The first complete recording was not made until 1968. 

Kahane and the orchestra were at their best in the brooding, mysterious and oh-so-Russian first movement, emphasizing the soaring themes and Orthodox chant inspired moods. The subtle shifts in meter and tempo kept the long movement moving, permitting us to luxuriate in the bounty of melody and passionate passages just long enough.

The vigorous scherzo must have woke a few snoozers; the big cymbal and bass drum crash that signals the entrance of the second theme and central part of the movement caused quite a burst of chatter and murmuring among the audience. The end of the scherzo, with its reference to the Latin Dies Irae (day of wrath) chorale could have been a bit more chilling, which is about the only little quibble I have here.

The big adagio is a feast of romantic melody; one can almost see the torrid images of lovers straight from the cover of Harlequin Romances. Song writers love to pluck themes from Rachmaninoff’s works for popular songs, and the main theme of this movement is no exception. Kahane’s slower tempo worked against him here and the movement became a bit slack with some weak sister climaxes. The English horn, violin and clarinet reveries were certainly highlights of the movement as was the lovely string passage with horn obbligato (how the horns have improved over the last 5 years) about ¾ through the movement, ending in a transcendent chord with soft and sweet flute and viola figures floating above. This was a movement made up of some fine moments, but just not jelling to a perfect whole.

As if dispelling all the Russian gloom and soulful passion, the finale is an Allegro Vivace Italian tarantella. The movement certainly has no shortage of fine melodies, but now they all spring from sun and light. The motives from previous movements make a final appearance to sum the big symphony up nicely. Kahane and the orchestra brought the work and the demanding program to a vibrant and exciting close.

A Fragment

This weekend’s Kansas City Symphony concerts were supposed to be conducted by guest conductor Asher Fisch who for reasons unknown to me did not make it. Thus Jeffery Kahane filled in an changed the program. Instead of Mahler’s Blumine Movement from the Symphony # 1, Mozart Piano Concerto # 17 and the Brahms/Schoenberg Piano Quartet in g, we got a different Mozart Piano Concerto (#25) with Kahane as solo and conductor and the Rachmaninoff Second Symphony.

Somewhat like the orphan “Blumine”, I was preparing a second “must hear” essay about it to go along with the earlier one about the Brahms/Schoenberg Quartet. Seeing it was now a moot point, I went no further than what you see below. Although the Kahane performances were quite good, I have a pang of regret that the KC audiences were not able to experience two rarely heard and wonderful works. The Brahms/Schoenberg essay was published earlier here but not on the KC Symphony Blog.

Thus, as it is,  I submit my “Blumine”; a bit disjointed and unpolished, much like the work it honors.

The Mahler’s first symphonic essay took a circuitous route in both form and performance venue before emerging as the familiar and popular Symphony # 1 in D major. The “Blumine”, to be performed by the KCS along with the Brahms/Schoenberg Piano Quartet, was once a part of this symphony but was discarded by Mahler after a few performances. After its rediscovery in 1966, it has occasionally been performed as a part of the Symphony but more frequently as a separate piece, as in this case. A little history lesson is in order so as to understand how this movement disappeared for 70 years.

Mahler first conceived of this work as “A Symphonic Poem in Two Parts” when it was premiered in Budapest in 1889. “Blumine” (although not yet labeled as such) was the second movement of this early form which is recognizable as the First Symphony but with many differences in orchestration and some formal reorganization. This performance was not well received and thus Mahler made some extensive revisions for a second performance, this time in Hamburg in 1893. Now titled “Titan, a Tone Poem in Symphonic Form”, the movement gained the title “Blumine” (Flowers, or Flower Chapter) and remained as the second movement. Mahler prepared an elaborate program for the piece; the first part (current first movement, “Blumine” and the Scherzo) was called “From the Days of Youth: Youth, Fruit and Thorns”. The second part “Commedia Umana” consisted of the current “Funeral March” movement and the Finale.

Only a couple of performances were given of this version before a 4^th performance in Berlin in 1896 where Blumine was formally struck from the score, all traces of the program and  the name “Titan” were removed. The work was published in its current form in 1899 titled Symphony # 1 in D Major.

Blumine remained unperformed and lost until it was discovered in a copy of an early manuscript donated to Yale University. Benjamin Britten performed it soon after and the enterprising New Haven Symphony under conductor Frank Brieff performed and recorded it, interpolated into the definitive score as the second movement. Since then, several performances have been given and recorded of the early Budapest and Hamburg versions.

So what of the music? Mahler biographer Henry-Louis de La Grange was not too kind:

“There can be no doubt as to the authorship of ‘Blumine,’ and yet few other arguments can be stated in its favor. It is the music of a late-nineteenth-century Mendelssohn, pretty, charming, lightweight, urbane, and repetitious, just what Mahler’s music never is.”

Frankly, I kind of like the early versions with Blumine. Performing much the same services as the Adagietto of the 5^th, the short interlude comes as a quiet, simple respite in the hothouse charged atmosphere of the symphony. I do agree with de La Grange, it is a bit like Mendelssohn scored with a decidedly late century palate. However it looks forward to Mahler’s grander creations such as the aforementioned 5^th and the 3^rd’s posthorn serenade.

Several fine recordings of the Symphony with Blumine are available, mostly including Blumine as an appendix, notably Zinman/Zurich Tonhalle on RCA and Neeme Jarvi/Royal Scottish Orchestra on Chandos. The 1883 Hamburg “Symphonic Poem in Two Movements: Titan” is easiest to find in a Challenge Classics recording with Jan Willem de Vriend conducting the Netherlands SO. Haydn House, an LP to CD reissue source has the original Frank Brieff/New Haven recording.

We Three Pugs 2011

Although The Dowager Empress, HM Puggles has passed on to the Rainbow Bridge, I was reminded of her favorite Christmas Carol that we published every year around this time. So, in honor of a great lady and Queen I give you this one more time. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from HRH Olive, The Princess Royal and staff:

HM Puggles, 1999-2011

We Three Pugs

(to the tune of We Three Kings)

We three Pugs of Orient are

Snuffling low we can not go far

Bellies dragging, tails a'wagging

Hounding the Milk Bone Jar

Oh! Oh!

We love treats and we love hugs

We love all 'cause we are pugs

Licking, sneezing, snoring, wheezing

Guide us to the warmest rugs!

Merry Christmas

Happy New Year

From Puggingham Palace

D & O

Baker's Dozen Best Recordings 2011

My annual Baker's Dozen best recordings of the year is here. Since it is my list, I set the rules which are frequently broken. Most of these are new recordings or releases for the year. Some may be new to me or simply old wine in new skins. Whatever the case, here is what I have enjoyed and noted for the year in no particular order:

1) MAHLER: SYMPHONY # 10. ILLUSTRATED LECTURE BY COOKE, BERTHOLD GOLDSCHMIDT LONDON SO (1964) AND PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA (1960) TESTAMENT 1457

This 3 disc set was the Grammophone Magazine winner for Best Historic recording, and deservedly so.  Includes the 1960 BBC broadcast lecture by Deryck Cooke, illustrated with piano and orchestral examples, the full 1960 broadcast performance of the sketches as they had been compiled at that time by Cooke and finally the 1964 World Premiere of the 10^th by Berthold Goldschmidt and the London SO. All are recorded in decent mono and both orchestra performances exhibit somewhat scrappy playing, but what an incredible historical document.

2) IVES/BRANT: CONCORD SYMPHONY. COPLAND: ORGAN SYMPHONY. MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS SAN FRANCISCO SO  SFO 38

I first heard of Canadian Henry Brant (1913-2008) as a classical music crazed teen. I confess I wanted to write a piece for my High School auditorium based on his spatial music concepts. The high brass would sound out of the projector box, the tubas and trombones out of the vents in the floor, the strings on the stage, the winds in the isles.. the percussion in the hallway outside.. yeah I was nuts. His rendition of Ives’ Concord Sonata as a Symphony is all wrong; too modern and craggy for Ives, but an incredible and addictive listening experience. A bonus is a fine recording of Copland’s first symphony with the original organ part.

3) BRUCKNER: 9 SYMPHONIES. GUNTER WAND COLOGNE RADIO ORCHESTRA RCA/SONY 7776582

Budget priced reissue of these fine recordings of Bruckner’s major Symphonies, but does not include “Die Nulte” or the Symphony in F if you have to have those. Skrowaczweski/Saarbrucken is my standard, but for the price these can not be beat.

4) JOYCE DI DONATO: DIVA/DIVO. VIRGIN CLASSICS 41986   

Home town girl (I have a picture of me with Joyce to prove it) makes good in this wonderful collection of arias exploring gender bending trouser roles from Gluck to Richard Strauss.

5) CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: PIANO CONCERTO # 1 OP 39, PIANO CONCERTO # 2 OP 77, FANTASIE, OP 62. MARKUS BECKER, PIANO. THIERRY FISCHER BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES  HYPERION CDA 67817. ROMANTIC PIANO CONCERTO SERIES # 55

A recording for those who think C-M. Widor only wrote a famous Toccata for Organ to be used at Easter or weddings. These two bravura concerti and the brilliant “Fantasie” are simply fabulous music. A second set has appeared on Dutton/Epoch but seems to be hard to find. With great sound and easy availability, this is the one to have for sure.

6) HAVERGAL BRIAN: SYMPHONY # 1 “GOTHIC”. BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES, BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA, SOLOISTS AND CHOIRS HYPERION CDA679712

Renowned for its listing in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest symphony, the Gothic is, of course, rarely performed. But on July 17 2011, over 800 musicians under the direction of Martyn Brabbins performed this monster at a Royal Albert Hall Proms Concert. This is a live recording in fine sound and likely the best performance we’ll hear in a lifetime. 

7) HAVERGAL BRIAN: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC VOL. 1. BURLESQUE VARIATIONS ON AN ORIGINAL THEME, ENGLISH SUITE NO. 5, RUSTIC SCENES, ELEGY, LEGEND: “AVE ATQUE VALE”. GARRY WALKER BBC SCOTTISH  SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 00110

Every few years, Toccata Classics gives us some gems from the vast oeuvre of Havergal Brian, he of 32 symphonies and tons of unperformed and even lost works. In 2005 a recital of songs was well received and a welcome addition. This year Toccata seems to be embarking on an orchestral series, hopefully to include the symphonies, since the Naxos series seems to be abandoned. Volume 1 contains premiere recordings, first studio or professional recordings of works ranging from 1903 to 1968.

8)  HAVERGAL BRIAN: ORCHESTRAL MUSIC VOL. 2 MUSIC FROM THE OPERAS.  SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS ON ‘HAS ANYBODY HERE SEEN KELLY?’, THREE PIECES FROM ‘TURANDOT’, FAUST: NIGHT RIDE OF FAUST AND MEPHISTOPHELES, THE CENCI: PRELUDIO TRAGICO,  A TURANDOT SUITE (ARR. MALCOLM MACDONALD). GARRY WALKER BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC 00113

Long neglected Havergal Brian (1876–1972) is having a banner year. His music is interesting and always colorful, albeit frequently clunky and not always structurally sound. This disc features orchestral excerpts from some of his 5 unperformed operas.

9) MARTINU SYMPHONY # 4, TRE RICERCARI, PIANO CONCERTO # 4

TURNOVSKY CZECH PHIL APEX 0927498222

Almost everyone first heard this wonderful Symphony via this old Turnabout LP that has seen several iterations over the years. Now available in a budget CD with great sound and couplings.

10)  MICHELLE BREEDT, SOPRANO NINA SCHUMANN, PIANO: “SHAKESPEARE INSPIRED”  TWO PIANISTS RECORDS 1039077

South African-born Michelle Breedt is featured in this innovative Shakespeare-in-song collection from Two Pianists Records, also from South Africa. Just about every English composer of note from Arne through Coates, Parry, Delius, Vaughan Williams and on to Britten and Rubbra is included. Most entertaining and enlightening.

11) ANDRZEJ PANUFNIK: SYMPHONIE ELEGIACA (NO. 2), SINFONIA SACRA (NO. 3), SYMPHONY NO. 10.  KONZERTHAUSORCHESTER BERLIN. LUKASZ BOROWICZ CPO-777 683-2

These works have all received fine performances before, especially the popular Sinfonia Sacra. But this finely played and recorded disc from the Polish Radio Symphony is especially sweet since Panufnik was exiled from and his music banned in his native Poland for so long. Volume 4 of an ongoing series of his symphonic works.

12) ALLAN PETTERSSON: SYMPHONIES NOS. 1 (ARR. LINDBERG) SYMPHONY #  2 NORRKÖPING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHRISTIAN LINDBERG BIS-1860 (PLUS DVD)

When I am depressed and ready to jump off a bridge, I listen to the music of Pettersson and suddenly I realize I am not as bad off as I thought. Pettersson’s music, from his first symphony to his last works, is relentlessly gloomy, dark, mysterious and angry; much like the man himself. Yet it is sincere and well written which is what makes it so interesting. The early, incomplete first Symphony is a performing edition by Lindberg receiving its first recording.

13) IVES: 4 VIOLIN SONATAS HILARY HAHN VIOLIN, VALENTINA LISITSA, PIANO DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON  001608202

Amazing that an Ives recording has been at the top of the Classical Music charts for a good part of the year, displacing the usual “crossover” glorp. Maybe the boys are buying the album because of the two pretty ladies on the cover. Whatever the motive, finest performances we can expect in a long time of these quirky and even fun pieces.

Russian Muse

Alexander Ringer, my most influential music history professor at the University of Illinois, felt strongly that one must study the educational pedigree, so to speak, of a composer to really understand their music. Who were their teachers? Who were their teachers’ teachers? For example, one of Bohuslav Martinu’s favorite students was songwriter Burt Bacharach. I don’t know about you, but I can hear the same quirky, rhythms, shifting meter and bright colors in Bacharach’s “Promises, Promises” as I can in Martinu’s charming works.

Thus in the Thanksgiving weekend’s “Russian Spectacular” concert led by guest conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto we get a rare chance to hear this concept illustrated by three works from composers who were students and mentors to each other. I challenge you to listen to the works as they progress from mentor to student across three generations. So, let’s look a bit at these three Russian giants and see how a Russian Imperial Navy officer influenced a child prodigy who then mentored one of the 20^th century’s most important composers.

Born in 1844, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov strove to develop a characteristic Russian nationalist style of classical music. This involved frequent use of Russian folk melodies and folklore tinged with the harmonies and rhythms of Asia rather than the traditional Western European forms and harmonies. Eventually Rimsky-Korsakov settled into a career as a professor at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory (where Glazunov later mentored Shostakovich) and began infusing Western forms and conventions with a characteristic, yet almost indescribable Russian “soul”.

And what better example of that than the opening work in this concert; Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Overture. Here is a work written for a typical western orchestra and in a common western form that literally lives and breathes the unique Russian Orthodox musical tradition. Many of the melodies used in the overture are from the Orthodox liturgy and Rimsky-Korsakov even includes several biblical quotations in his manuscript. While in a recognizable western form, Rimsky-Korsakov used some unusual time signatures to capture the melismatic flow and improvisation of the Orthodox chant. Opening in 5/2 (5 beats to a measure and each beat is a half note long), the work closes in a flowing 2/1, something you do not hear often for sure. But listen to how perfectly these “stretched” time signatures recreate the passionate call and response liturgy straight from a candle lit St Basil’s Cathedral.

Rimsky-Korsakov opened up this Russian soul to new and bright orchestral colors. Since Orthodox churches usually do not use any instruments in their music, Russian music tended to be dark and big, like the basses in the choir. Rimsky-Korsakov, trained as a military band leader used his skill with winds and percussion to expand and brighten the palate. Hear the touches of color from the harp and percussion, the clanging bells, the chanting trombone, exuberant brass fanfares as the faithful celebrate the Easter feast.

By the last quarter of the 19^th century, Rimsky-Korsakov was Czar as far as Russian music was concerned. Since he devoted a lot of time to teaching, his influence was deeply felt.

Enter the son of a wealthy St Petersburg publisher, Alexander Glazunov. From all accounts a child prodigy, Glazunov was introduced to Rimsky-Korsakov in his teens, around 1882. Given a score for a symphony (his Symphony #1) Rimsky-Korsakov recognized his obvious talent and arranged a performance. The audience, composer Alexander Borodin among them, was astounded when a 16 year old school boy took his bows on stage. Rimsky-Korsakov took Glazunov as a student shortly thereafter.

Young Glazunov absorbed all the influences his sudden fame afforded him. From Rimsky-Korsakov he learned to skillfully orchestrate; his admiration of Tchaikovsky led to his romantic lyricism, combined with a sense of counterpoint hitherto not realized in Russian music. When he was elected director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1905, he was at the height of his international fame. His best works came from this period as well, including the Violin Concerto in A minor of 1904.

Listen to the very beginning of this one movement work, with everyone in their lower or middle ranges, and you will hear the Russian Soul that Rimsky-Korsakov nourished. Yet Glazunov took that “soul” and stretched it into a technically brilliant concerto, full of double stops, skittering runs and luscious melodies. Glazunov is often dismissed as being solely a conservative academician, yet in the Violin Concerto he uses a one continuous movement form, which is unique for the period. The orchestration, while not as brassy and bright as Rimsky-Korsakov, is colorful and evocative. Nowhere in this charming and perfectly proportioned work does one encounter the dry academicism which often sapped inspiration from his music.

If Glazunov did not advance Russian music, his students certainly did. Living well into the 1930’s, Glazunov had to cultivate and maintain his conservative style so he could make a living in Revolutionary Russia. A revered composer, pedagogue and a stabilizing force as director of the conservatory in St Petersburg, Glazunov was a musical father to a generation of grateful Russian musicians, who tended to dismiss his music but revere him for his service.

Dmitri Shostakovich came along, total child of the revolution, and built a musical legacy on the firm foundation of Rimsky and Glazunov. His command of orchestral color, while not brilliantly flashy as Rimsky, perfectly fit his often dark and moody music. Like Glazunov, he felt at ease with the familiar and frequently strict forms of the sonata, symphony and concerto, even when he stretched the forms into new shapes.

Shostakovich’s Russian soul was a wounded one. Struggling to maintain his soul, he often hid his thoughts and emotions deep in the music. Many feel his work culminated in the magnificent Symphony # 10 Op. 93 of 1953. Shostakovich said the work “portrayed human emotions and passions”, but one soon realized these human emotions and passions are really the soul of a nation and of its people trapped in misery and darkness. Stalin may have been dead, but his ghost lived on in a country still reeling from war and political oppression. The sardonic and frenetic scherzo, all of 3-4 minutes long, can only represent a monster.. Stalin? It is said that was the composer’s intentions. Yet, in the subdued, dark hued mood of the Symphony, one can hear echoes of Russian and ethnic dances and even some hollow rejoicing.

The 10^th Symphony is Shostakovich’s most personal symphonic utterance. Possibly written before 1953, it was held back until Stalin was dead and his oppression of musical ideas relaxed somewhat.  To further personalize the symphony, he uses the notes D Eb C B which roughly recreates his monogram of D SCH.

This was the first use of this monogram which the composer used from time to time to mark his work in a faceless, soul-less society. Listen for it especially in the 3^rd movement, a Mahler-like nocturne.

From the glory of the Czars to keeping traditions alive in a revolutionary time to surviving and hiding ones emotions in an oppressive society,  we have progressed through three generations of Russian masters, each cultivating the soul of a vast and complex nation in their music. The “Russian Spectacular” theme for this concert is no mere marketing tool: these three works are spectacular examples of the long and glorious Russian muse.

HRH Olive, The Princess Royal

Royal Announcement

Puggingham Palace

From the Lord Great Chamberlain:

We joyously announce the arrival of The Princess Olive at Puggingham Palace on 11/5/11

The Princess arrived in the Royal limo around 7:30PM and immediately toured the Palace Garden. After greeting Palace staff, HRH settled in to her new Royal Apartment soon after.

HRH has received greetings from King Pip in which HM Pip has proclaimed that she shall immediately be Styled and Titled HRH Olive, the Princess Royal and is to receive all the benefits and honours due her.

HM King Pip further decreed 3 days of Festival Celebrations beginning Sunday November 5^th and continuing through Tuesday November 8^th.  He has commanded treats for all, plus parties and fireworks are ordered.

Her First Royal Portrait:

Did This Performance Make me a Brahmsian???

After a strictly instrumental opening weekend concert that inaugurated Helzberg Hall, Music Director Michael Stern and company focused on vocal/choral selections for the second concert. Anticipation was high as to how the Kansas City Symphony Chorus and vocal soloists would sound in the new hall. In my, and many other’s opinion, anything had to be an improvement over the Lyric Theatre, which usually rendered the chorus to mush and tended to obscure all but the most commanding of soloists. To show what the new space could or could not do, Stern chose two choral works, Beethoven’s rarely heard “Elegischer Gesang” in its chorus and strings version (original was  for 4 voices and string quartet) and the grand Brahms “Ein Deutsches Requiem”. For some orchestral contrast, yet still keeping with the requiem theme fitting for All Saints/All Souls Week, Stern selected Messiaen’s orchestral “Les Offrandes Oubliées” as an interlude.

Beethoven’s sweet, short and sadly all but forgotten “Elegischer Gesang” (“Elegiac Song” written in 1814 originally for 4 voices and string quartet here arranged for chorus and string orchestra) quickly demonstrated how the newly augmented chorus could sound. The verdict: much clearer and focused, neatly balanced with the orchestra and certainly cleaner diction. However, the sheer size of the forces frequently made their voices a sound texture rather than clearly defined text, most often noted in climactic passages. Yet the Elegiac Song received a most heartfelt and “elegiac” performance, the chorus well balanced with the strong, always elegant strings.

As a bonus, the chorus performed an a capella piece written for the center’s opening gala by local composer Mark Hayes, titled “This Moment”. Having worked with Mark Hayes and having sang many of his compositions over the years, it was instantly recognizable as his fine work. The soft, frequently whispered piece came off well in the hall and did not detract from the overall theme of the evening.

Stern has been successfully insinuating the atmospheric music of 20^th century French composer Oliver Messiaen in his concerts the last few seasons. This season we are treated to Les Offrandes Oubliées (The Forgotten Offerings) written in 1930 for two pianos and later orchestrated by the composer. This fervently religious interlude made for a most fitting contrast to the contemplative Beethoven and the cooler Brahms to come.

The piece is cast in a single movement divided into three clearly delineated sections representing Christ suffering on the Cross, the decent of man into sin and finally salvation offered through the Holy Eucharist.

The opening section marked “fairly slow, sorrowful and profoundly sad” continued Beethoven’s elegiac, reverent mood. The strings and winds were admirable in their clear intonation in high registers, perfect for Messiaen’s characteristic modal sound.  Stern and his forces milked the cataclysmic burst of sound that announces the central “Lively, fierce, desperate, gasping for breath” section, representing human kind’s sinful ways. The orchestra relished the Bacchanalian passion while Stern kept the violence neatly in control. The brass and percussion were commanding and snarling, certainly not overly loud as I have heard from one complaint.

Heavenly calm, resembling much of the opening section, marks the final “Slow, with great pity and great love”,  celebrating the mystery and redemption of the Eucharist. Even in this early work, one hears the characteristic sound world of the masterpieces (Turangalila-Symphonie, Des canyons aux étoiles, Oiseaux exotiques, etc.) to come.

Having explored the white hot religious ardor of Messiaen’s faith, Brahms’ almost secular requiem comes into clearer focus.

Despite a text assembled by the composer mostly from Biblical passages, “Ein Deutsches Requiem” is actually a humanist rather than an overtly Christian work. Brahms recognized this and it is even suggested that he considered calling his magnum choral opus “A Human Requiem”. Thus Brahms’ classic coolness and restrained emotion suits this service for the dead well. This is a requiem for the living, a time of comfort and reflection rather than a sublime (In Paradisium in the Latin Mass) or anguished (Dies Irae) vision of what is to come.

To make this piece really work, it needs a bit of guts along with the grandeur, remembering that this is that “Human Requiem” and not a glacial Papal funeral mass. Slack tempos, little dynamic energy, unfocused chorus and coldly mechanical solos can quickly slip this monster into sonic drudgery. Unfortunately the traditional and all too common view of this work heads straight into such a wreck. Stern and company led a vital and well paced performance, steering clear of the tendency to sink into an interminable morass, providing the requisite good dose of guts to go with the glory.

Most impressive was baritone Christopher Feigum in his solos in Parts III and VI. Singing with style and with incredible diction, his two lengthy contributions provided a fine dose of the dramatic guts as mentioned above. So did the chorus’ earth moving “Death where is thy sting?” section in Part VI, well serving as the aural and dramatic climax of the work. Finally, with the spectacular sonics of Helzberg Hall, the power of the talented voices could be unleashed, really speak to the audience and not be buried in a haze.

Soprano Layla Claire’s contributions were equally fine yet more ethereal rather than overtly dramatic, perfectly fitting their role.

Brahms’ Requiem, as some of my readers may know since I sort of can not keep it a secret, is not on my top 10 (or even top 1000) list of favorites. I own nary a recording of it and have heard it live only once before, a previous Kansas City Symphony performance from sometime in the mid to early 90’s. Stern, Chorus Director Charles Bruffy and their forces can be proud of a fine performance of a work that many find inspiring and glorious and challenged this skeptics’ preconceived notions.

Kansas City Lyric Opera: Turandot

It is a bit of a moot point to review a final performance of a production; by now it is history. But, I felt a bit of an obligation to my 2 fans to record my impressions of the first  Lyric Opera of Kansas City production  in the new Muriel Kauffman Theatre, Puccini's final opus "Turandot".  This new from the ground up Lyric production featured soprano Lise Lindstrom in the title role, (fine performance, but a bit screechy on top and tended to channel Joan Crawford's haughty demeanor rather than Maria Callas') tenor Arnold Rawls as Prince Calaf, (superb "Nessun Dorma") soprano Elizabeth Caballero as the tragic slave girl Liu, (all around wonderful in this most demanding role) and, in his Lyric Opera debut (about time) Colby, Kansas native Samuel Ramey as the exiled King Timur (perfectly powerful and tragic).

The sets by Lyric Opera designer R. Keith Brumley were functional and evocative of ancient China without being stereotypical. The colorful costumes caught and reflected the sets reds and yellows, especially Turandot's icy white gowns. Ping, Pang and Pong's (wonderful, cynically comic performances by Michael Chioldi, Scott Wichael and Doug Jones) pastel gowns, almost clownish make up and whipping fans provided bursts of color and comic relief among the white and gold of the royalty and the drab browns of the peasants. The extras were numerous but never in the way in the finely choreographed performance. A fine children's chorus and powerful adult chorus that could press you back into your seat filled the stage to capacity.

Music Director Ward Holmquist led the orchestra in a finely paced and nuanced performance; the new pit and acoustics meant we could actually hear even the most delicate phrases. Also noticeable were fewer instances where the orchestra drowned out the singers.

The acoustics and line of sight from my perch in the Parterre section, straight back from dead center stage were fabulous. Not sure I really like the glitzy, bright colors and the huge lighted transparent panels that line the boxes, but it does make for a more welcoming atmosphere than the dark Lyric Theatre space. The new "Figaro" individualized subtitle system worked well, but in my row was down to low due to no seat backs in front of us.

The old Lyric Theatre simply did not have the space on stage or in the pit for really grand opera. That has certainly changed.

On tap for the season: Cosi Fan Tutte, Nixon in China and Barber of Seville.

Kansas City Symphony: Music Revolutionized

Admittedly I faced the opening night of the Kansas City Symphony's new season with a bit of trepidation. Going to the new Kauffman Center was a bold change of routine. How do we get to the new  parking garage? Where are our seats? How do we get to them? What door do we use?  Where are the restrooms? The place is so big; will it be a daunting task or a walk in the park? My Symphony partner Gerry and I decided to get there an hour early so we would not get lost in the shufflle.

Turns out it is quite easy. Parking was a snap and is just a few steps to an elevator and then an escalator to get from the garage to the spacious Brandmeyer Great Hall. We had time to explore, enjoy a beverage and see all the assembled humanity. Finding our entrance and seats was easy and not intimidating at all. When we found our entrance we were so pleased to see the same usher that had greeted us for the last few seasons at the Lyric, a serendipitous touch of "home" in the new surroundings. He was as thrilled to be in the new setting as we were.

Our seats in the Grand Tier row AAA (I mean what could be better than Triple-A?) although smack in the middle of a long row, had an amazing high view and were so much more comfortable than the old Lyric Theatre's Balcony Row G  we had occupied for so long.

As for the sound... perfectly balanced, never tricky or harsh. When Maestro Stern, Frank Byrne and Shirley Helzberg spoke without microphones at the beginning of the evening it was as if we were in a room 1/8th the size. The orchestra percussion, which in the Lyric could easily overpower the orchestra, was blended yet totally audible. The pounding bass drum in "The Pines" would have driven me to the street in the Lyric, but in Helzberg Hall it was a powerful texture and presence just as it should be. Every detail is captured; the ppp pizzicati in the Emperor, the harmonics of the piano and harp (with my compromised hearing for me to hear high pitched harmonics is a miracle) and even the middle voices (viola, clarinets, bassoons, etc) were clear instead of a muddy stew. Is it auspicious that we sat in the same row as the renowned acoutician Yashuhisa Toyota, who was here to witness the opening weekend of his creation?  I mean, he has to know where all the good spots are. Unfortunately he was swept up in the sea of people as we left and I could not ask.

And among all this was a concert.

Music Director Michael Stern conducted a program that was tailor made for the inauguration of a new hall and season:  "Fireworks" by Igor Stravinsky, Piano Concerto # 5 "Emperor" by Beethoven with Emanuel Ax as solo, a new commission by Chen Yi  "Fountains of KC" and the "Pines of Rome" by Respighi. We all stood and sang the National Anthem as a start to the festive evening.

Fireworks, as befitting its name, was perfectly festive, incendiary and ephemeral. An early work from 1908, its sparkling orchestration so impressed Serge Diaghilev that he commissioned Stravinsky to compose a ballet for him, the ever popular Firebird. A short and almost fanfare like opener, Fireworks immediately demonstrated to the packed hall that we were now in a new world.

For a grand hall and edifice... a grand and powerful concerto. Of all the sometimes superfluous names given to compositions, "Titan", "Jupiter", "Great", Beethoven's Piano Concerto # 5 truly deserves the moniker "Emperor" no matter how it gained it. Ax and Stern assuredly gave it a most imperial performance; full of fastidious detail (the acoustics helped to illuminate even the most delicate of passages, showing the Emperor was also a kind and subtle monarch) yet demonstrating the potent sonority and energy that makes this a most thrilling and virtuosic concerto. Stern and the hall (both taking advantage of each other) highlighted the often blurred woodwind and brass allowing each note and figure to sound as it should. The subtle contrabass and cello pizzicati were breathtaking as they supported Ax's often delicate lines. The orchestra could quietly support and alternatively boldly declaim as necessary. This somewhat cool and detailed performance was no less valid than a more splashy performance, Ax's command of his gifts was displayed in his restraint and obvious reverence for this masterpiece.

Befitting a new hall and season we were treated to a new work as well. University of Missouri Kansas City professor and renowned composer Chen Yi brought us the first of several works commissioned to celebrate the Kauffman Center and Kansas City's fame as a "City of Fountains" (Kansas City has more public fountains than any other city in the world except for Rome), the imaginative "Fountains of KC". The "KC" can be interpreted as Kansas City or Kauffman Center, whichever you prefer.

This is a piece that deserves to be called "splashy". Evoking fountains, water and liquid in all its forms, "Fountains" is a major addition to Chen Yi's impressive catalogue. (One has to hear her "Si Ji" (Four Seasons) whenever it is recorded or played in your area, a most impressive piece). Spurting water, flowing streams, liquid tempests and palpable excitement permeate the piece. Despite being bi-tonal and even microtonal, Chen Yi's vibrant and imaginative orchestration brings the tone clusters and dissonances to life much as Schoenberg does in his 12 tone works. In her most informative notes, Professor Chen reveals that the style of  Chinese music that inspired "Fountains" is from Xi'an, a Sister City to Kansas City, a most thoughtful touch.

How to demonstrate what a new hall can do? Play Respighi's brash and brassy "Pines of Rome". For all who wish to detract this work, you have to admit it is a showpiece and thus has its place from time to time. Showing off has been a human trait since the cave man days... so who is to argue? Delicate melodies (Principal Clarinet Raymond Santos was beyond superb as was Kristina Goettler's oboe and Kenneth Lawrence's English horn solos), commanding brass, pounding percussion (as noted above wonderfully integrated into the whole texture) and evocative moods... what is not to like? Never descending into total Hollywood (the piece is halfway there as it is) Stern let the sound and power take us away, blowing us all literally away in a tide of sound and color.

Stern and the orchestra gave us a festive recessional, the "Racoczy March" from the Damnation of Faust (please Maestro.. do this piece sometime....) by Berlioz, as we descended the grand staircases for a champagne toast to this most magnificent hall which has revolutionized music in Kansas City forever.

St Louis Symphony: Three Stravinsky Masterpieces

With the gala grand opening of the new Kauffman Center for the Arts in full swing, September 16th, 2011 was probably the most important day for classical music in this town since some early settler took his or her fiddle and eked out a Schubert tune or maybe a bit of Bach. So what did I do to celebrate? I left town.

I was not invited nor had the mega bucks to attend so Dunbar the faithful Buick and I headed across the state to hear the more affordable (even with the price of gas) opening performance of the St Louis Symphony. In a concert that New Yorker Magazine critic Alex Ross called a "humdinger", Music Director David Robertson led the orchestra and chorus in three Stravinsky masterpieces, "Petrushka", "Les Noces" and "Le Sacre de Printemps". Stravinsky's arrangement of the "Star Spangled Banner" opened the eve, Robertson invited the audience to sing along.

Of course I went for "Les Noces", a vocal/choral tour-de-force ballet-cantata for 4 solo voices (a fine line up of Dominique Labelle, Kelly O'Connor, Thomas Cooley and Richard Paul Fink), 4 pianos and percussion. It took me a long time to warm up to and appreciate this unique work. Written in the early 1920s and premiered in June 1923, Les Noces  (The Wedding) is an earthy, vibrant and ultimately rewarding evocation of a Russian peasant wedding. It has to be a royal bitch to sing for all involved with its declamatory chant, high tessitura, and fast, complex rthythms. The relentless chiming of the dry, high pianos and frequent use of metallic percussion makes for a dramatic, driving texture and makes balancing the ensemble critical.

Last night's performance was nothing short of unforgettable. The 4 soloists were incredible, special note to Dominique Labelle who negotiated the soprano's (Bride) throat killing lines with ease and musicality. It can easily descend into shouting and screaming. O'Connor and Labelle were magnificent in the almost tear jerking mother and bride duet. Cooley and Thomas both could conjure a deep Russian sound but a couple times got swallowed up in the sound in some of the more thick scored passages with the whole ensemble and chorus. Their duet in "The Bridegroom's House", evoking God and the Saints to bless the union, was also a highlight. Cooley's final serenade to the Bride, an exhortation of earthly lust, assumption of primacy in the marriage and tender feelings for his bride was one of those goose bump raising moments in music.

I can not say enough about the St Louis Symphony Chorus who precisely and clearly whispered, shouted, chanted and chugged along, never just a backdrop but an integral part of the drama. The percussion and pianos were well in tune and together, dry as Stravinsky wanted. The final ringing chords were incredible, allowing the subtle harmonies and overtones present to bring the work to a satisfying close.

After listening to it again, maybe it was multiple attempts to like Stravinsky's English language, languid recording that delayed my admiration of this piece. His version never clicked and the English took away all the deep sonorous Russian soul. Ancerl's on Supraphon is the one to have.. or tune in to KWMU and listen to the live broadcast on Saturday.

It is hard to imagine masterworks like Petrushka and Le Sacre taking a back seat, but for me they were just icing on the cake. The demanding program made for an opera length evening as two intermissions were required to clear the whole orchestra from Petrushka, set up the pianos for Les Noces and then set up the huge forces for Le Sacre. It made for good sales at the concessions I am sure.

Sadly, the evening's disappointment was an under-rehearsed, slack Petrushka. Plagued with ensemble issues, iffy intonation, horn bobbles and a general lack of propulsion, it never quite jelled. The performance was video narrated with scenes and drawings from the original production, but were sometimes hard to see with the microphone wires in front and the general glare of the orchestra lighting.

I could point out all the disappointing moments but that is pedantic. Principal flute Mark Sparks' solo in the first Tableau could truly have brought a puppet to life with its sincere and deep expression and perfect phrasing. Peter Henderson handled the extensive piano part with grace and propulsive force, until Stravinsky just seems to forget about it in the 3rd and 4th tableaux. Not a total write off, but the piece never danced.

Maybe after the electrical Les Noces, Robertson and the whole orchestra got energized as Le Sacre received a most exciting and technically excellent reading. Scenes from the ballet and drawings from the original choreography were also projected on the screen. Right from the misty, primeval opening, Robertson and company dug into this complex and colorful score. The Dance of the Adolescents was appropriately clumsy and knock-kneed. The round dance was trance like and ritualistic, perfectly realized. The Sages emerged from the depths with frightening power and swaggering violence, you could see them knocking the children and animals out of the way of their sacred procession. The violent awaking of the earth was simply shattering, but the famous frosty chord before the awakening of the earth was a bit weak and not together.  The final Danse Sacrale was the epitome of controlled fury. Even conductor Robertson was propelled by the power of the music as he danced his way to a most satisfying and terrifying conclusion, which in some performances comes off more like an accident rather than an exhausted collapse.

I am sure the orchestra did an exhausted collapse as well after this demanding yet satisfying program. Kudos to all and to Maestro Robertson for the courage to do it!

HM

Puggles Duchess Windsor, Dowager Empress, Queen of Pugs, Supreme Ruler of Alaska, Princess Royal of Baltimore Place, Grand Duchess of Missouri, Grand Duchess of Kansas City and St Louis, Duchess of Illinois, Duchess of Clinton, Duchess of Caddo Parish, Baroness Pugtona, Royal Order of the Greenie and Treat, Grand Order of the Scrunchie, Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Kibble, Patroness of the Royal Pugharmonic Orchestra.

 April 30,1999-September 14th, 2011

Spiritual Journey: A Look Back

Looking through the "dashboard" of my blog I found this in the draft files, never having been published. I do not know why... maybe I just forgot or wanted to revise it. Anyhow, after reading it I felt it to be a pretty good summary of my thinking back in April 2010. Since then, I have reconciled somewhat with the United Methodist Church (my local one, not the evil Mother Church) and found particular meaning and enrichment in the stately, high church Eucharist of  St Mary's Episcopal. So much so that I am going to take some classes offered by St Mary's to learn more and perhaps join the church.

I did not want to waste this piece, looking back it was kind of a straight from the heart thing, so I am posting it today, a year and a half after it was penned. ~ Pato


So, inquiring minds want to know, where am I on this "spiritual journey" of mine?

De-railed, grounded, floundering, if you must ask.

As you may know, nasty and saddening events at the last two churches I attended left me cold, bitter and wondering if it was all worth it. Back in March, I went back to the last church I attended and still hold membership therein. As I reported it left me cold, and I have been back once since then. I have not been motivated to return. I remember my grandmother Clark telling my parents that exposure to church was good for a kid, that is where they learn how to be proper ladies and gentlemen. (She hated my guts so I am sure this was a backhanded slap at me directed at my parents who were very lax in taking me to church while my sister practically lived at hers at the time. Ironically, the roles reversed as the years passed.) Now I see church as a place to learn bigotry, hate, distrust, political infighting, greed and power.

Writer John Shore sums it up so nicely in his essay "10 Ways Christians Fail at Being Christian."

Easter, the big holy day of Christianity was spent at a beautiful, glittery, sensuous (not in the dirty minded sense, but one that fills all the senses) ritualized service. Gold and incense, flags, banners, robes and fine new dresses were on display. Any sense of excitement?? Not much. I confess I was sitting waiting patiently for the service to end so we could all head to Amy's for Bloody Marys which she assured me were chilling as we sat. I guess the point of the old style ritualistic services like this one at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and those of Catholics is that if you repeat the same thing over and over, you soon will believe it.

About 3/4 through the 1 hour and 45 minute service, someone read all the prayers. We were to ask for blessings on everyone from the church high and mighty to the little old lady in the nursing home. The reader came to a point where she read the names of soldiers killed in the silly and pathetic wars Bush started and Obama has not the balls to finish.

Ok... where is god or God or Yahweh, or G-d or whatever in all this? Why do wars and killing persist and we glorify it; all in the name of whatever god or prophet we are hooked on at the time? Makes no sense. So again I was in the middle of a church service and thought again "what hooey....". I glanced at my watch to see how long it was before Bloody Mary time.

My friends Amy and Megan are on a similar journey, but instead of throwing in the towel, they seem to persist in finding a church to meet their needs and wants; one like we had and was dismantled. Of the two, Megan is closer to me in her thoughts. It was one of her blogs (you must read 10 Churches) in which she mused:

"Of course, I’ve tried to contemporize the story. I’ve studied it academically and come up with a logical answer: it’s all one giant metaphor. After a couple days of mourning, the disciples asked themselves, “What would Jesus do?” and headed out to spread the good news. His ideas were resurrected. His body, however, was not."

I think she is on to something. Christianity is absorbed, possessed and verily controlled by a desire to ensure its existence by perpetuating a myth. Thus the message is lost in a cloud of incense scented ritual or rigid dogma. Look what churches are debating: who to let in or kick out, who to ordain or not, money, sex, buildings, structure, scandal, politics, growth, oh yes.. and money again. Where is peace, love, love all, care for the poor... the things that the person that was Jesus obviously taught and very likely died for? If one reads the Bible with a critical mind, you'll find more contradictions, missing chapters, inaccuracies and implausible events than a 5th grader's attempt at a novel.

So why do I even bother, why am I even considering still being a church goer? For me, it has been a wonderful social outlet. I have met my dearest and most wonderful friends at churches I have attended for any length of time. I am not one of those folks who enters a room and immediately knows everyone or glad hands all he sees. I tend to keep my distance and people do the same to me. But for some reason in a church setting, I feel more comfortable and I feel a connection to the people there. "The fellowship of kindred minds" as the old hymn goes rings true. So I have this fear that if I abandon church all together, I will be left in the cold.

That is worse than being left in hell.

Must Hear Concerts # 1 Brahms-Schoenberg Piano Quartet

Just a short two weeks away (give or take a few days), the Kansas City Symphony will open its 2011-2012 season in its new home, The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. This astounding edifice will literally put Kansas City on the musical map. Some coastal snorts probably think it is just a new boondoggle built by us locals to keep some workers employed and to make our town look like we are in the big leagues. But not so the Kauffman (please DO NOT start calling it "The K" like the stadium), which is truly a top rank performing arts venue. The new season is chock full of favorites and crowd pleasers to ensure the capacity crowds (just try to get a decent ticket for some concerts) come back for more but also features some more interesting and rarely heard  pieces that I will not want to miss. This is the first of a couple two or three posts on what I think are some of this season's more off beat "must hear" works.

I am not a big fan of Brahms. Yes, it is true...and I know 99.9873% of those who read this are. But I just have never warmed to the big, heavy, foursquare, unadventurous, monotone works that Johannes produced. However, there are a couple that intrigue me mainly because they are the antithesis of the above. Someone must have been listening to me whine, since one was on last season's Kansas City Symphony calendar, the charming and delicate "Alto Rhapsody" for Alto, Men's Chorus and Orchestra. This January, frequent guest Asher Fisch will present Brahms' Piano Quartet op 25 as orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg (who thought Brahms was a progressive genius by being regressive... or something like that) along with a future off-beat must hear selection, the discarded "Blumine" movement from Mahler's Symphony # 1 in a concert that will probably not pack in the crowds like October's German Requiem (don't ask my opinion) will.

Brahms composed his first Piano Quartet in 1861. Compared to what Liszt, Wagner, Berlioz were doing (and even some of the late chamber works of Beethoven), it was positively old fashioned. Brahms did succeed in writing a grand piece, symphonic in scope and length but hampered by the restrictions of his ensemble.

Schoenberg argued that Brahms was progressive since he tended to make use of frequently limited and tightly controlled thematic material, much like Schoenberg's 12 tone system. However, in his orchestral works, Brahms was far from a colorful or delicate orchestrator and therein lies the tale. The constricted material needs some color and contrast to effectively show off how brilliant it really can be. Unlike the dour Johannes, Schoenberg could take a 3 or 4 note cell (his student Webern could too) and with his masterful orchestration and tight control over dynamics and texture make it seem like an unchained melody. Schoenberg liked the Op 25 Quartet, heard the symphony hiding within that Brahms could or would not hear (Brahms famously took a while to get up the nerve to actually write a full orchestral symphony) and set to work orchestrating it for full orchestra in 1937.

Schoenberg did not change a single note of the original score, but he sometimes radically altered Brahms' compositional style. Far from just adding splashy color, Schoenberg's orchestration illustrates Brahms' finely wrought melodies and motives and emphasizes the symphonic scope of Brahms' original work. Relying less on a typical Brahmsian string dominated texture, Schoenberg used brass (including some pretty raucous trombones and trumpets) to double the whole melodic line rather than simply introduce them to reinforce a climax . Winds are more prominent as well. Schoenberg's used the definitely non-Brahmsian xylophone in his recasting of the "Rondo alla Zingarese" fourth movement to great effect. Like seeing a cleaned fresco or a colorized film, new details emerge that not only changes the appearance but gives a fresh perspective to the art.

The work is in four movements, again another example of  its symphonic yearnings. The opening Allegro is a study in contrasting themes (5 of them) that benefit greatly from the expanded palate. The second movement is a gentle Intermezzo; Schoenberg uses extensive pizzicato in this movement to bring out some usually hidden rhythmic details. The slow movement's march section comes to full life with the full brass and percussion, giving it some gravitas that the quartet can never match. Using contrasting string techniques of Schoenberg's inventive use of strings and winds brings highlights the powerful forward motion mixed easily with quiet delicacy in the final pages of this movement, missing in the more monochrome original.  In the style of his Hungarian Dances, the finale dances and sings with bright percussion, braying brass, skittering winds and clashing cymbals, you almost want to shout "Huzzah!" at the end , caught up in the colorful, propulsive dance.

Those who love Brahms and the few of us that do not will love this arrangement. Like a jailer with a key, Schoenberg unlocked the gates, giving the imprisoned notes their freedom to dance and soar for a time.

Mahler "Blumine" from Symphony # 1
Mozart Concerto for Piano # 17 (Asher Fisch Conductor and Soloist)
Brahms-Schoenberg Piano Quintet # 1 op 25

January 13, 14 and 15 Helzberg Hall

Summerfest KC: Finale

The last day of July, another 100 degree day, brings the SummerFest concert series to a close. Three short contrasting works comprised the first half, the Muzio Clementi Trio in D op 31 # 2 for Piano, Violin and Cello, "Three Character Pieces" for viola and bassoon by Tunsian born Iraqi-American Karim Al-Zand and "Petroushskates" by Joan Tower. The last half consisted of a grand finale of sorts, using many of the Summerfest instrumentalists in a single work, the Brahms Serenade # 1 op 11 in the original chamber version.

Fitting Clementi's title of "father of the piano", his trio was dominated by the piano with the strings as accompaniment, almost a piano concerto with a tiny orchestra. Charming, bubbly and full of skittering melodies, the piece was a delightful and audience pleasing opener. Pianist Dan Velicer chose to emulate a period pianoforte with his crisp and somewhat brittle tone, perfect for the piece. The string parts were a bit thankless, but Mary Grant, violin and Susie Yang, Cello made the best of it, contributing to a finely wrought performance.

I was prepared to not like the Al-Zand work, written in 2006 apparently for two friends, since I could not imagine a more unappealing paring of viola and bassoon. I didn't hate it, but it just didn't quite always work. The composer describes the work as "short vignettes mostly light-hearted and cheerful". The first vignette fared best with the two instruments, similar in tone and range, weaving a wandering melodic line between them. It went nowhere, but that was part of the point. The second piece "Moderate Groove" was more like "Moderate Dyspepsia". The bassoon's burping leaps from belch to squeek accompanied by groans and moans from the viola just left me queasy. The brisk last piece "Buoyant, lively" skittered along merrily to a comic end, eliciting twitters (non-electronic) from the audience.

Joan Tower's music has often left me feeling it is more contrived than genuine, relying on catchy titles or programs to disguise some rather ordinary music. "Petroushskates" fit that bill nicely. A realization of Stravinsky's harlequin tale on ice skates scored for violin, cello, flute, clarinet and piano, the piece vaguely takes the chords from the Shrovetide Fair scene and creates a manic perpetuum mobile of sliding chords and phrases. Probably fun to play but, as was my only attempt at ice skating, more of an ordeal than a pleasure to hear.

The origins of Brahms' Serenade #1 are shrouded in a bit of mystery and musicological controversy. Some say it began as an octet, then a nonet, or for small orchestra before emerging in the orchestral version most known today. It may have began as a 5 or maybe 4 movement work before Brahms added a second scherzo to make it a 6 movement symphonic serenade; we don't know for sure since Brahms apparently discarded the original chamber manuscripts. Several arrangements and reconstructions exist; this afternoon's was a 6 movement version for 10 players (basically the nonet with a second violin: violins, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn). Regardless of all the details, the end really justifies the means, for the music is delightful in this reduced scoring, lightening the texture and bringing out (as reduced scorings do) the inner voices and harmonies. When the playing is as precise and enthusiastic as this performance, it is doubly satisfying.

Especially noteworthy was the outstanding horn of Kelly Cornell, which never overwhelmed but took every advantage of Brahms' prominent use of the insrument for both melodic and harmonic effect. The ensemble was usually spot on and well rehearsed yet flowing and flexible. The tempi were a bit on the quick side, not a bad thing at all with Brahms in my opinion. The central adagio worked well in the quicker mode (it is an Adagio non troppo after all) but the two interlocked Minuetti could have been more graceful. The short second scherzo and following Rondo didn't outlast their welcome in a rather long piece and brought the work to a fitting and joyous close.

Yes, I actually said something nice about Brahms. I have made a habit of telling prominent music figures here in KC and elsewhere that I do not care for Brahms. In return I usually receive looks of pity and bewilderment. I tend to like my Brahms in the more obscure forms, such as the wonderful Alto Rhapsody and the Schoenberg arrangement of the Piano Quartet, so this chamber-ized Serenade worked just fine for me.

Again great thanks to the musicians, Summerfest staff and St Mary's for the venue and the fabulous reception afterwards.

Summerfest KC: Transformations

A bit of a different format for my review of the 3rd Kansas City Summerfest concert on Sunday at the wonderful St Mary's Episcopal Church venue. While the opening Haydn Quartet Op #9, one of his earliest yet one that set the stage for the many quartet masterpieces to come, was well played, charming and a perfect opener and the Lowell Liebermann Fantasy on a Fugue by Bach was clever, witty, interesting and equally as well played, two works in this evening's concert and their composers merit a more in depth review.

Carlos Chavez was one of the most influential Mexican composers for a generation. Born in 1899, his six symphonies, colorful ballets and stints as director and or founder of many Mexican musical institutions made an indelible impression in his native land and abroad. But as the most interesting and intelligent program notes by Andrew Granade point out, even those who influence and become masters feel the need to pay homage to their teachers and mentors. Thus Chavez took two works by Debussy and two by Spanish master Manuel de Falla and transformed them into his Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp.

Debussy's popular "Snow is Dancing" comprises the first movement of the trio. The expansion from the piano only original turns the gentle snowflakes into a darker, more menacing and wind whipped snow shower. More than just sound and color, with Chavez's expanded palate the work took on a more profound tone; more of a tone poem than piano prelude. The haunting bell like sounds in the piece were inspired by Indonesian gamelan music and in Chavez's arrangement, the harp is most effective in emulating the soft, snow shrouded bells.

In the second movement, a transformation of "Asturiana" a song for voice and piano from the Siete canciones populaires espanolas by de Falla, the harp takes on not only the piano part but strums in imitation of a guitar. The viola and flute, in their lowest breathiest registers sing the melismatic and haunting melody so effectively and colorfully one does not even miss the voice singing of inconsolable loss that makes even the pine tree weep. The short agitated "Polo" again from the Siete canciones populaires espanolas, became a dramatic, rough and edgy scherzo in between the more lyrical "Asturiana" and the final "Golliwog's Cakewalk" movements.

The Cakewalk, familiar to many, also expands from a short piano prelude to a compact almost symphonic statement. Assigning the viola the Wagner quote from Tristan and Isolde gives the out of nowhere quotation even more pungency and absurdity. The harp and flute giggle haughtily at the off-the-wall, quotation. The ensemble had a nice, jazzy feel for the work and certainly communicated the fun they had in presenting Chavez's loving tribute to his mentors.

I never cease to be amazed at the music of Bohuslav Martinů. From many influences, Czech songs, French impressionism, jazz, music of the classical and baroque eras, Martinů nonetheless possessed a most distinctive voice. The characteristics of infectious rhythm, bright and often brittle sonority combine with jaunty folk like melodies, jazzy riffs and an unfailing ear for orchestration gracing every work of his I have ever heard, so what is not to love? Besides, the music looks like is as much fun to play as it is to hear.

Thus a fitting ending for the evening was one of his last works, the Musique de Chambre #1 from 1959, imaginatively scored for violin, viola, cello, clarinet, harp and piano. Out of the depths of an ambiguous introduction come the Gypsy/Romani melodies and figures over harp and piano ostinati. You would be correct in even tasting a bit of the blues here and here, as Martinů turns this brief opening movement into a nostalgic travelogue.

The slow second movement could have been from the pen of Ravel or Debussy with its misty meditative mood and chiaroscuro harmonies. Prominent Harp and viola lent a melancholy atmosphere to this most beguiling movement. The finale would have you to believe it is more of the same with its contemplative opening, but the ghosts are dispelled and the motoric rhythms and dance return, propelling the work to a dancing conclusion.

Please, Kansas City music groups, program more Martinů. The KC Symphony did the 4th Symphony, but there are 5 others. The incredible "The Frescoes of Piero della Francesca" would be nice too. The Kansas City Chamber Orchestra would be a natural to do some of his chamber works and concerti and Summerfest programmers should note the rousing applause given this evening's performance.

Thanks so much to St Mary's Episcopal Church for a lovely venue and a bountiful reception and to Rev. Lauren Lyon for her special kindness this evening!

Summerfest KC: Scarlatti and Blackbirds

Giving us music lovers a welcome respite from the summer drought of classical music, a dedicated group of local and guest musicians mount the annual Summerfest Chamber Series in Kansas City. The series of 4 concerts is a casual affair for the most part, performed Saturday evenings at the UMKC White Recital Hall and Sunday afternoons at St Mary's Episcopal Church. I am a bit prejudiced since I attend services at St Mary's but the ambiance of the ancient brick church with the polished but well worn wood floors, creaky seats and the hint of incense in the air makes for a most pleasant listening environment.

True to their formula, Sunday's concert combined the new and old, familiar and rarely heard. The Sonata # 2 for Flute, Violin and continuo by Alessandro Scarlatti opened the concert. 20th century composer Jean Francaix took 5 of Alessandro's son Domenico's sonatas and orchestrated them for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello and Harp. The first half concluded with Vivaldi's Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra. The second half consisted of a single work, the atmospheric and delightful "13 Ways" by American Thomas Albert, a setting of Wallace Stevens' "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird".

The Alessandro Scarlatti was a fitting opener, but suffered a bit from some iffy intonation and a too soft harpsichord. I don't like the harpsichord banging and chattering too loud (like two skeletons copulating on a tin roof in a thunderstorm according to Sir Thomas Beecham) but it should also be heard as at least part of the texture and harmony.

Francaix, via his skillful orchestration, took the more familiar Domenico's sonatas and made them into something new and fresh. Once could be excused if it seemed these were originally written in the early 20th century; characteristic they are of neo-classic Stravinsky or members of Les Six. As with Schoenberg and Webern's orchestrations of older works, Francaix's quintessentially sec French orchestration makes meaningful melody and motives out of what seem like common baroque ornaments. Giving melody and prominence to the cello, the liquid softness of the harp plus the mellow darkness of the viola adds some unexpected color as well. As one of my friends who attended the concert quipped, "I liked the redone Scarlatti better than the real Scarlatti." Scarlatti's sonatas are masterpieces on their own, but Francaix took them out of their shell and led them through a jaunty tour of France.

In the short and sweet Vivaldi (with an orchestra of a couple of strings and continuo), Soloist Joshua Hood reminded us that the bassoon is in all aspects a bass oboe with all that instrument's color and expressiveness.

Thomas Albert's 13 Ways (1997) is a most charming and approachable piece and was well received by the large audience. Each of the 13 sections is prefaced by some lines from Wallace's poem, read by various members of the ensemble (flute, clarinet, string trio, piano and percussion, with various doublings from the winds). Certainly atmospheric and quite descriptive of everything from the chattering and flocking of the ubiquitous birds, frosty mornings and languid evenings. The 5th look (..the blackbird whistling or just after) had the ensemble striking metal triangles and then dipping them in buckets of water for a most otherworldly effect, all while a piccolo chattered away. The faster or more dramatic sections used a breezy John Adams minimalist style while the 12th look (the river if flowing, the blackbird must be flying) had echoes of Bernard Hermann's imaginative film scores with its alto flute, bass marimba and slowly undulating strings.

The ensemble clearly had fun with the piece, which not only included the aforementioned water percussion and the narration but also involved the players moving occasionally around the room. Well played and presented, and compared well with the recording on Cedille records by the Eighth Blackbird ensemble, for whom the work was composed.

I missed the first concert last weekend but will be present at the next featuring a rarely heard trio for Flute, Viola and Harp by Carlos Chavez and the wonderful Musique de Chambre # 1 by Martinu.

Art of the Car 2011

The annual Art of the Car Concours was held this weekend on the grounds of the Kansas City Art Institute. Celebrating the style and power of the automobile as a work of art, 180 cars graced the lawn on a hot, but cloudy Sunday. Rain threatened but thankfully held off allowing nearly 5,000 people to enjoy some wonderful, rare and beautiful machines.

We were greeted by the toothy grin of Dunbar the Buick's Great Great Uncle, a 1941 Super Convertible.

Greg relaxed and watched the crowd mingle. In center is a 1932 Cord 812 Beverly sedan.

A close up of the futuristic Cord, one of the most influential designs from the 30's. Front wheel drive too.

A massive and rare 1928 Cunningham V5. Picture does not do justice to the size of this classic. Cunningham was a hand built car from an old line carriage company in Rochester, NY. Ceasing production in 1931, they built hand made wooden hearse bodies for a few more years. V5 did not mean a V shaped 5 cylinder engine, but was a series name.

A jaunty 1920 Kissel Gold Bug Speedster. Amelia Earhart owned one.

A relic from the steam age. 1910 Stanley Model 62.

A one off show car by Nash from 1956. The Palm Beach was pure Nash underneath but sported a Pinninfarina body. If only... (sorry no back half of car, there was a crowd around it)

1953 saw the debut of 3 limited production super-luxo tourers from almighty GM as well as the similar Packard Caribbean. This one of them, a Buick Skylark. Greg noted the similarity in the side sculpture on today's Buicks, probably not a co-incidence.

The big, distinctive grille work of the Skylark

The luxurious hand made leather interior of the Skylark



A lucky survivor, 1974 Buick Le Sabre Luxus Convertible. Convertibles were on their way out by 1974, Buick built its last big convertible in 1975. One of 3,827 built, all original with 8,000 miles.

A big honking toothy 1948 Buick Super Convertible

A Chrysler Town and Country convertible from 1946. Lots of real wood work on this handsome machine.

A classy Mercedes 250 SEC from 1966

1947 Bentley, I always preferred the more rakish Bentley grille over the upright Rolls.

The air cooled Franklin 4 door sedan from 1926. Amelia Earhart had one of these too. She was a car nut.

Cadillac style from 1941 Fleetwood 60 Special

A rare visitor from Great Britain, a swoopy 1948 Diamler Green Goddess.

Stylish art deco steering wheel of a top of the line Studebaker President. 1938

Yep A Doozie! 1929 LeBaron bodied J

Even a Duesenburg engine is a work of art

Packards were out in force, a 1948 Packard Custom Eight.

Ask The Man Who Owns One 1934 Packard 1105 Super Eight 7 passenger sedan

The 7 passenger sedan was a loooooong piece of work!

Another Packard Convertible a 1932 902 Eight Coupe Roadster.

Minty fresh Packard 903 Deluxe Eight Convertible.

The imposing visage of a 1932 Packard 903 Deluxe Eight Sport Phaeton.

The interior of the Deluxe Eight oozed luxury and hand crafted style.

A Ford Flathead V8, but where is it at??....

...in the rear of a very rare (9 built) 1936 Stout Scarab. Art Deco in looks but way ahead of its time inside; almost a minivan in concept with a center folding table and swiveling chairs. This one came from North Carolina.

NASCAR inspired Ford Torino Talladega, built for speed on the super speedways of the day.