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Classical Music
Janelle Gelfand on the classical music scene


Janelle's pen has taken her to Japan, China, Carnegie Hall, Europe (twice), East and West Coasts, and Florida. In fact, Janelle was the first Enquirer reporter to report from Europe via e-mail -- in 1995.

Janelle began writing for the Cincinnati Enquirer as a stringer in 1991 while writing a Ph.D. dissertation in musicology at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She joined the Enquirer staff in 1993.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she graduated from Stanford University, Janelle has lived in Cincinnati for more than 30 years. In her free time, this pianist plays chamber music with her circle of musical friends in Cincinnati.

She covers the Cincinnati Symphony, May Festival and Cincinnati Opera, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, chamber music ensembles, and as many recitals and events at CCM and NKU as possible.

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Friday, December 30, 2005

Janelle's Top Concerts of 2005


The New Year offers us a moment to reflect on the rich musical offerings we have in our city. This year, I feel privileged to have observed the strides made by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under Paavo Järvi, one of the most exciting conductors on the international music scene. I traveled to China with the Cincinnati Pops, an unforgettable experience that showed a country just beginning to emerge as a huge force in the classical music industry, as well as a daunting world power. And I was lucky enough to see three opera premieres in an impressive season of new operas, nationwide.

Here are my favorites, in no particular order, by genre:

Chamber music: For me, the most rewarding and moving chamber music performance came in October, when the Beaux Arts Trio, now in its 51st season, made another visit to Chamber Music Cincinnati. A reviewer could write about how flawlessly they performed trios by Martinu, Beethoven and Schubert (the E-flat). But the real joy was observing octogenarian and founding member Menahem Pressler, who propelled the ensemble from the piano with affection, energy and spark. The effortless communication between these trio members, who included British violinist Daniel Hope and Brazilian cellist Antonio Meneses, was something to behold.

Piano: This year I was deeply impressed by two CCM faculty members – one celebrating a 25th anniversary and the other brand new – who gave piano recitals to packed houses in Werner Recital Hall on the CCM campus. In October, Eugene Pridonoff performed a spectacular recital for his 25th that included a breathtaking performance of Liszt’s B Minor Sonata, a feat of monumental power, architecture, majesty and knuckle-breaking virtuosity.

In December, Awadagin Pratt brought a kind of fierce passion to his blockbuster program that introduced him as a new faculty member. What an introduction it was! His Beethoven sonatas - the E Major, Op. 14, No. 1 and A-flat Major, Op. 110 - were probing and dramatically explosive, yet delivered with such clarity that the listener discovered elements one never knew existed. In particular, Beethoven's great Op. 110, with its thundering climaxes and rapt soft passages, was a revelation of color and emotion.

Opera: It's no accident that Osvaldo Golijov was just named Composer of the Year by Musical America. In August, I traveled to Santa Fe to see "Ainadamar," a stunning new opera by the Argentinean composer and author David Henry Hwang. Powerful, moving and exquisitely crafted, it deals with the violent death of Spanish author Federico Garcia Lorca, as seen through the eyes of his principal interpreter, actress Margarita Xirgu. "Ainadamar" means "Fountain of Tears," the place where Lorca was executed.

Just 75 minutes in length, the opera was a mesmerizing intersection of true history, the fantastic imagination of Hwang and the musical genius of Golijov, who is known for weaving Latin melodies and rhythms and Eastern European Klezmer music into his scores. His muse was the magnificent Dawn Upshaw, who was riveting as Margarita. Then there was the surreal set design by Gronk – Guernica-like painted murals covering three walls and the stage floor. Talk about inspired collaboration!

(Watch for concert performances of "Ainadamar" at Lincoln Center next month.)

"Doctor Atomic": In October, on my way to China, I stopped in San Francisco to see the world premiere production of "Doctor Atomic" by John Adams and Peter Sellars (who also directed) in the War Memorial Opera House. Although lengthy and in need of a few editorial decisions (why do composers all seem to have this problem??), I found it an opera of moving and disturbing relevance, and I was absolutely captivated. The "Doctor," of course, is J. Robert Oppenheimer, who with Edward Teller and others developed the atom bomb in what was called the "Manhattan Project." In particular, I think it is Adams' finest, most sophisticated score.

Here's something I'll bet the opera creators didn’t know: I once escorted Edward Teller around Cincinnati for a day. He had a wooden leg, and told me he used to ski on it when he was at Los Alamos!

"Margaret Garner": Nothing can describe the impact of this opera, that I felt privileged to observe from early in its creation, through workshops and the world premiere in Detroit, to its Cincinnati premiere, just blocks from where the actual story took place. When I saw it again in Cincinnati in July, I was truly surprised at how deeply moved I felt by this emotional story of courage and hope, told so beautifully by Toni Morrison, with spellbinding music crafted by Richard Danielpour.

Cincinnati May Festival: In May, the return of Cincinnati's native son James Levine to conduct May Festival forces for the first time in 25 years was simply an extraordinary event. He led Berlioz’s "Requiem," and the spectacle alone was something rarely seen in America: Nearly 340 performers onstage included the May Festival Chorus, Chamber Choir and Chorale from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and an expanded Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra - including 16 timpani and four brass bands.

Yet for all its massive, sometimes raucous sound, there was a remarkable clarity to this performance, given in one unbroken, 85-minute span. Levine's view was warmly expansive, clear and at times, mystical.

Just a night earlier, Two of the world's greatest Wagnerian singers, soprano Deborah Voigt and tenor Ben Heppner, came together for the first time in Act II of "Tristan und Isolde," a concert performance under the baton of James Conlon in Music Hall. It was one of those rare moments of music making that one feels lucky to witness, and the hall erupted in cheers for nearly 10 minutes at its conclusion. What a season!

(Yes, that's the newly slim Voigt, above.)

Symphony: It would be difficult to choose just one performance under the baton of Paavo Järvi. How many times have you heard Dvorak's New World Symphony? It could have been a ho-hum evening last March, but it was a voyage of discovery, as Järvi found something new to say in every measure. Where many performances are full of tension, his view was warmer, more spontaneous and often slower than one usually hears. That pulling back in the lyrical themes brought to the fore the nostalgic, folk-like quality.

In January, getting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to Carnegie Hall involved more than "practice, practice practice" - in the wake of a record-setting East Coast snowstorm that dumped nearly 14 inches of snow on New York. But Monday morning, a day after the symphony's flight had been canceled, Delta found a plane to get the orchestra to the Big Apple in time for its 45th concert in the fabled hall.
The big question remained: Would anyone come? New Yorkers were still digging out from "The Blizzard of 2005."

Come they did – along with no fewer than 15 music writers -- for a memorable performance of Sibelius' Fifth. The great climactic buildups in the Sibelius had visceral power; the opening had a compelling sense of mystery as it unfolded with tremolos in the strings and mournful calls in the bassoon (William Winstead). Järvi, who led without a score, gauged the work's power in steady increments, urging his players to the finale's craggy theme with whole-body, sweeping gestures. As they reached their goal, the arresting sound of cracking, "ricochet" effects by the string basses added power to the moment.

For the encore, Sibelius' "Valse triste," Carnegie Hall was as quiet as I’ve ever heard it.

Happy New Year!


Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Music 'Til Dawn

Reader Vern Jacobs of Lakewood, Ohio, called me last week with a burning question: What was the theme music used on 'Music 'til Dawn,' a show he listened to in the '60s while student at Miami University? Jacobs (who sang me a sort of monotone excerpt over the phone) thinks it was by Fritz Kreisler.

It's obviously driving Vern crazy.

So, I contacted the experts at WGUC-FM and Naomi Lewin responded with the possible answer. It was "That's All" performed by Nick Acquaviva and his Orchestra.

Ring a bell? Click this to hear the song.

Calling all insomniacs from the 60s: Let me know if that's the one!


Friday, December 23, 2005

Interesting factoid about the listening public

On the same wavelength, I received an interesting survey in my e-mail box today from RRadio Network. It seems that most of you listen to radio on the Internet. They asked:

"What do you listen to most?"

December 2005
Internet Radio 57.3%
Broadcast Radio 25.1
Portable MP3 Player 8.5
Satellite Radio 3.2
Cable Music Channels 0.9
Other 4.2

It's kind of interesting that between March and December, Broadcast radio listening actually went up, and iPod and Satellite Radio listening went down...

How do you listen? Let me know ... and have a Happy Holiday!


Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Controversy at Classical Radio

So, I opened my e-mail the other day and boy, did I get a tirade from longtime opera fan Eugene Saenger over WGUC's Christmas Eve programming. It seems WGUC-FM (90.9), our beloved all-classical, all-the-time radio station, is NOT broadcasting the world premiere of "An American Tragedy" at the Metropolitan Opera at 1:30 p.m. this Saturday, conducted by Cincinnati May Festival music director James Conlon.

WGUC.org says the Met broadcast that day won't take place here due to holiday programming (although other stations are airing the premiere).

"This is just an example of more of our cultural exclusion, not inclusion," says Saenger.

He says the station told him to listen to the live internet streaming from WQXR in New York.

"Which raises the question, why would I ever send another $$$ to WGUC when I can listen to WQXR?" Saenger poses.

Good point. Not to mention the sound quality off ones computer leaves something to be desired.

Saenger wants to know why WGUC doesn't air the opera on its other station, WVXU, which it purchased earlier this year, you recall, and which is now all talk radio.

"Why, with two bands of FM, can they not put this on the other station like WLW did in the past (to 550) when they had a Bengals game and a Reds game to broadcast at the same time on a Sunday, or when UC and XU both had basketball games at the same time? It's done all the time in radio."

Hmmm. Interesting point. Got answers? Let me know!!


Monday, December 19, 2005

They idolize the opera

Thanks for all your messages about the opera auditions story that ran Friday, "They idolize the opera." It was amazing that anyone turned out at all in that snowstorm. (Our photographer, Craig Ruttle, was giving me a street-by-street snow report as I slipped and slid out to Xavier University for the story...)

Unfortunately, because of space constraints, one of my sidebars didn't make the print edition. So here it is!

"What the Judges are looking for"

What's running through the judges' heads as they listen to opera auditions? We asked the Cincinnati Opera judges what they're looking for:

Evans Mirageas (artistic director) – "This is not like a reality show. This is much more like matchmaking. She may not be the most beautiful girl at the ball, but she's the one who's going to make a lasting impression.

"The profession of singing is survival of the fittest. When a singer comes on a stage with particular promise and just does something so wrong (he grimaces) – makes an inappropriate choice, either in an aria or the way they’re presenting themselves – I do say something.

"The screening process is sometimes useless. Someone can come to you with this amazing CV, and they can't sing. On the other hand, we had a mezzo in New York, who's completely green but a wonderful talent. That voice is a major instrument, if she keeps growing. I feel that it’s important to give her encouragement, though we will not hire her."

Marcus Küchle (director of artistic operations) – "You peel it like an onion. You go first on vocal qualities, then the level of technique; does the voice have an even range? Do you hear register changes too much? What about diction? Is it clear? Is the language understandable? Is it correct? Is the intonation correct?

"Then comes the tricky issue – what roles are you looking to fill? Because you’re not looking for the best singer of the evening. You’re looking for the right person for the right role."

Henry Venanzi (chorus master) – "I think how they'll work in a section. I put in what I call blenders, voices that are sweet, mellow voices that blend the whole sound together. If I had a chorus of big individual voices, it would sound horrible, especially the soprano section. I have a few honker ones, and the rest are sweet and lyrical.

"We require a lot of repertoire in different languages at once. I listen for how linguistically astute they are. Can they keep up?

"It takes a few times of being in the opera chorus to get into the swing of it. You feel quite a bit more naked and isolated than you know. You’re up there with these world famous principal singers. People from choral groups are used to standing and singing on risers, but these are singing actors. … You can't have chorus trees standing around."

Naomi Hoyt (director of education) – "We're hiring singers who go into schools and community venues. They do four months of shows for ages pre-kindergarten through adults. We look for an ability to communicate with their audience, what they are able to do with facial expressions, how well they move and how comfortable they are in their own skin.

"It's tough to perform two shows a day for four months, five days a week, moving sets in and out and interacting with children, teachers, donors, board members, community members. They need a broad range of experience."


Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Small arts groups say what they want from Santa

With most arts groups enduring tough times – largely through budget cuts by foundations and government funders – it would be nice to remember your local small choruses, orchestras, chamber groups and arts centers with a holiday gift of money or time. Here are some ideas:

Lick 6,000 postage stamps – Ten hours of volunteer work will get 6000 envelopes labeled for a donor mailing at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center.

"Not so glamorous, but very needed and important," says director Alvin MacWilliams.

They'll take cash too: $100 would be used to tune a studio piano for the year. Another $250 will pay to print and bulk mail each of the concerts of their Artist Series. (513) 948-1900 or e-mail finearts@fuse.net.

Your name here – At the Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, $500 could sponsor a chair in the orchestra for an entire season. The donor's name will be attached to the chair and mentioned in the program. 513) 232-0949 or e-mail LSPace@cinci.rr.com.

Give the musicians a raise – "My wish is for finding one new donor for each concert," says Dave Jackson of the Linton Chamber Jazz Series, in its 13th year at the First Unitarian Church in Avondale. He is brimming with ideas of what he'd do with $100 to $500.

With a few extra dollars, "I'd buy a few more stamps and flyers or upgrade the reception wine by a buck or two per bottle," he says.

Larger donors, such as $300 to $500, would help him give the musicians a raise. They still earn $100 per concert – the same payment they made 12 years ago, he says. "That’s too little for a two-hour concert, and even though they don't complain, I want to increase that."

Since Jackson is Minister of Music Emeritus at the church, the group gets a break on rent. "I hope to recitfy that, too," he says.

Finally, a few extra dollars would mean "we can print programs again. Or have actual tickets!" he enthuses. Call (513) 729-4183 or e-mail jax@fuse.net.

Rent the Hall – "So many times small donors think they can't make much of a difference. Not true!" says Jennifer Nagel, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra.

A $500 donor at the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra can:
1. Pay for the printing and mailing of a postcard for a performance
2. Defray the cost of hall rental
3. Cover the cost of a guest pre-concert lecturer
4. Underwrite sheet music for a concert
5. Cover one month's office rent
To donate: call (513) 723-1182.

Close a budget gap – The folks at "Challenging Performances," a small, struggling concert series in Springfield Township, says any extra cash would be welcome to help them showcase CCM students working on graduate degrees.

A gift of $500 would pay four performers and toss in a piano tuning, too.

"Many (soloists) are international students who are not allowed by law to enter the American workforce, so cash is all too often in short supply for them," says volunteer Joan Wolking. "We pay $100 to each student, whether soloist, accompanist, or member of a chamber group."

The series also must pay a token rental to the church where concerts are held, Northern Hills Unitarian Fellowship. A few dollars would help the series reimburse its volunteers for small expenses.

And finally, a donation of several hundred dollars would help balance the books, in a season of disappointing ticket sales. (Concert tickets are just $10, and children and music students are free.) To donate, call (513) 825-6052 or (513) 861-8181.

Sheet music bill for guest choirs – The Vocal Arts Ensemble this season is using small donations to support the partnerships with 300 children and youth in various greater Cincinnati, says Earl Rivers, director.

Gifts of $25, $50, $100 will go toward purchasing the music for youngsters from all four children's and high school choirs joining the Vocal Arts in its three December holiday concerts this year.

The Vocal Arts Ensemble can put volunteers to work donating professional services, such as consulting on marketing and business practices, or ushering, mailing concert announcements and hand addressing thank-you letters. Call (513) 559-0000 or visit vaecincinnati.org to donate.

Sponsor a Chamber "Rave" – Chamber Music Cincinnati says a $500 donor could sponsor an outreach performance in a school, or other options of their choice, such as:

1. A post-concert reception with bartender
2. Publicity for a concert
3. A Chamber Rave – chamber music concerts in unexpected places around town
4. Housing for a guest string quartet
5. Rent for Corbett Auditorium for an entire season
To donate, call (859) 781-5340 or (513) 550-1037.

Pay for a harpist – "As with all groups, our funding has been cut,” says Cincinnati Boychoir board member Jeffrey Deaton. "Any gift is welcome."

A donation of $60 would buy a Boychoir member a new performance blazer.
A $250 gift would buy small musical instruments for the first and second-graders' program, "Music Magic."

Or, a donor could sponsor a singer by paying for tuition for a year ($280 to $370, depending upon whether they're in a training, resident or tour choir).

A $450 gift would pay for a harpist for two performances in the Boychoir's "Ceremony of Carols." Another $450 would pay for the Miami University Percussion Ensemble when they perform the "African Missa Luba" in the choir's spring concert. Call (513) 396-7664 or e-mail cincinnatiboychoir@fuse.net to donate.

Be an usher – Kentucky Symphony Orchestra: Between preparing for his January concerts, "Unfinished Business," music director/founder James R. Cassidy dreams of receiving a gift of $100, which would pay to tune a piano or print tickets for one subscription program.

Another $250 would covers the cost of a equipment truck rental for a free concert that thousands attend each summer in Covington's Devou Park. And a $500 gift would cover the live performance license fees of the sheet music. Yes Virginia, orchestras need to pay hefty licensing fees for every piece they play.

And volunteers willing to give 10 hours could perform duties such as stuffing envelopes for the Kentucky Symphony's annual gala invitations or ushering for three subscription concerts. (859) 431-6216 or e-mail mweathers@kyso.org.

Pay for an orchestra – Check out the sliding scale for this all-volunteer chorus named Musica Sacra led by Helmut Roehrig:

$100 would pay the stipend to the church in which we perform.
$120 pays the bulk mail postage for our postcards advertising our concert.
$125 pays the mailing service we use.
$150 pays people to transport our risers.
$175 pays for the printing of the postcards.
$250 pays for the printing of our concert programs.
$300 pays for the facility we use for rehearsals.
$480 would pay our accompanist for 10 rehearsals.
$500 pays for three to four soloists.
$1,500 to $2,000 would pay for the orchestra musicians.
To make a donation, call (513) 385-5583 or visit www.musica-sacra.org.

Host a Website – A gift of $100 could pay to host a website for a year for Catacoustic Consort, a unique Glendale-based early music ensemble led by Annalisa Pappano. Here are some other gift ideas from Annalisa:

$500 could pay for food for musicians for a week of rehearsals and concerts.

"In order to foster the kind of bonding that ensures a tight and energetic performance, we not only house musicians, but also provide three hot meals a day for the entire cast," she says. "This communal atmosphere of music creation and personal interaction over meals creates a special energy that leads to great music making."

"Or, $250-500 could pay for travel for a musician. Catacoustic uses the best early music performers from around the country and the world, so we bring musicians in for a week of intense rehearsals and two performances. Round trip airfare from San Francisco, Portland, or New York can range from $250 to $500.

"A $500 gift could pay to have a weekend of concerts recorded and edited for radio broadcast on WGUC for people who have difficulty attending concerts in person.

Or, a $500 gift will pay for concert publicity or chamber organ rental and tuning.
For a $250 gift, you could rent a church for them for a concert, provide staff training for a year or underwrite programs for a concert. To donate, call: (513)772-3242 or e-mail appapano@yahoo.com.

Got more ideas? Let me know at jgelfand@enquirer.com


Scenes from the season


I love this photo submitted by Earl Rivers from the Vocal Arts Ensemble holiday concerts last weekend. Sunday's show at St. Peter in Chains had nearly 700 listeners, he says.

If you missed it. WGUC-FM (90.9) will broadcast the VAE's Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 22.

Got holiday concert photos? E-mail them in a jpeg to me at jgelfand@enquirer.com and I'll post them here!


A heartwarming Chanticleer story


Those of you who attended the glowing Chanticleer concert last week didn't see what went on behind the scenes later at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. First the background: Dave and Sally Ricci of Los Altos, Calif., had attended a Chanticleer concert in Santa Clara, and read that the newest member, William Sauerland, was a graduate of Miami University.

It seems that Sally's mother, Virginia Pearce Glick, a 1930 MU grad, funded the opera program at Miami, of which Billy was a beneficiary. She also underwrote MU's Virginia Pearce Glick Music Education Scholarship. In Cincy for Thanksgiving, they arranged for her to be at the concert.

So after the concert, Billy had the chance to meet his 97-year-old patron.


Saturday, December 10, 2005

What small arts groups want under their tree

I hope you're all having a good holiday season and are not too stressed with all those holiday concerts out there. Here's a question for those of you working in the classical music trenches for very small bucks. If you are a small arts organization -- ie, not the symphony with a $32 million budget -- what would you do with small donations?

The amounts are donations of $100, $250 or $500, or 10 hours of volunteer time.

What would you do with these small donations and/or volunteer hours? Let me know!


Monday, December 05, 2005

Ideas for filling Music Hall

"If you feed them, they will come" seems to be the mantra of many orchestras seeking to fill their halls lately. It's working on Thursday nights at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, whose "banquet" concerts bring out a good crowd. But on Fridays, the music just echoes off of all of those empty seats.

OK, so here's an idea. How about Happy Hour Fridays? It's something the Indianapolis Symphony will be trying in January. The theater-cum-Internet cafe will open at 5 p.m., with free food, drinks from a wine bar, Corazon Tequila and Jagermeister, and yes, Internet. A funky pop musician will perform in the lobby.

Then, you can chill out in a one-hour concert of mostly Mozart. The three-concert series will include a show of waltzes and polkas, and another one called "The Beat Goes On: Music of Baby Boomers."

For info, click here.

What are YOUR ideas for getting people to go to the symphony? Let me know!


Friday, December 02, 2005

If you missed Awadagin Pratt's recital


...you missed a huge event in Cincinnati's musical life. Folks were still buzzing about it today, at the CSO concert in Music Hall. To read the full review about Awadagin Pratt's debut at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Thursday, click here.(An abbreviated version will run Sunday in the Enquirer.)


Thursday, December 01, 2005

Jazz for the holidays

Have you had enough Christmas carols yet? Here's an alternative: Check out Cincinnati's unique jazz scene. The Blue Wisp Jazz Club, 318 E. Eight Street, downtown, is presenting saxophone talent for the month of December.

First up is CCM Prof Rick Van Matre, making a rare visit this weekend, with trumpeter Al Nori, a soloist with the Blue Wisp Big Band. Sets begin at 9:30 p.m. Cover charges (usually $6) vary.

Vist www.bluewispjazzclub.com for a full schedule.

There's another place that I haven't checked out yet: Schwartz's Point, where you can hear Pam Ross, Ed Moss and Steve Flora play this weekend and have a free buffet dinner, to boot.

Here's the description: "Schwartz's Point is a historic flatiron building located at 1901 Vine Street in Cincinnati's Brewery District at the confluence of Vine Street and McMicken Avenue on the northern edge of Over-the-Rhine. Green lights on either side of the doors on the Vine Street side indicate that the room is open. Just push hard on the right hand door to enter."

There's a $10 suggested "gratuity for the musicians" or if you're feeling flush, $20 for patrons. Reservations needed: (513) 651-2236 or e-mail fashionette2001@yahoo.com.



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