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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 28, 2007

2007: The Year in Review











Looking back at the past 12 months, 2007 was a crossroads, a year in which the region’s music scene became poised for big change.

First, the dazzlers. My "Glammy Award" this year for Best Classical Music Performance is a three-way tie, going to Cincinnati Opera's "Aida," the May Festival's "Il Trovatore" and Valery Gergiev conducting the Cincinnati Symphony.

In July, Cincinnati Opera broke attendance records with "Aida," the most sensational, gold-encrusted production the city has ever seen. The splendor of the Act II Triumphal Scene was almost blinding, with gold seemingly everywhere, and American soprano Lisa Daltirus was radiant in the title role.

The company announced big plans for coming seasons, too, including the news that native son James Levine is to conduct "Die Meistersinger" with a dream cast for the 90th anniversary in 2010.

In May, the May Festival's James Conlon assembled an all-star cast that included soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in her festival debut for Verdi's "Il Trovatore," an operatic spectacle, reviving the tradition of an Italian opera night at the May Festival.

In February, Russian maestro Valery Gergiev, one of the most renowned conductors on the planet, made an electrifying debut with an all-Russian program with the Cincinnati Symphony in Music Hall.

Here are the stories that made this a year in transition:

The symphony struggles and Music Hall readies for a facelift: While the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra struggled for an audience for its weekly concerts in Music Hall, a task force began to study renovations of the historic hall, built in 1878. If it happens, it will be the Over-the-Rhine landmark’s first major overhaul in more than 35 years.

The task force – consisting of Music Hall tenants, owners (the city) and managers (CAA) – aim to make the grande dame a more glamorous destination. Officials are brainstorming a menu of ideas, including a restaurant, bar, gift shop or donor lounge; fixing up aging symphony offices; and improving backstage technology. (There's also talk of an attached parking garage, built by 3CDC.)

More controversial than paint and spackle, though, are schemes to somehow reduce the auditorium's seating for symphony concerts. It’s a tricky proposition. But Paavo Järvi says nothing will be done that will damage the hall’s widely-praised acoustics.
The team is top-notch: Theater and acoustical consultants Jaffe Holden Acoustics Inc. of Norwalk, Conn.; Fisher Dachs Associates Theatre Planning and Design of New York; and local firm GBBN Architects.

But there are stumbling blocks, such as – where will the orchestra play while Music Hall is a hard-hat area for up to two years?

Meanwhile, how can the orchestra build back its audience, after its attendance, subscription and single ticket sales plunged by double digits last year? Can the new marketing director, Sherri Prentiss, ignite a turn-around?

There was good news, too: In an historic first, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra awarded Paavo Järvi an evergreen contract. After renewing his contract to the 2010-11 season, it will automatically renew annually ever after – but here’s the clincher – by mutual agreement.

And the orchestra announced it is preparing its third international tour with Järvi, April 4-18, 2008. It will play 12 concerts in five European countries, including the cities of Vienna, Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt and Madrid, and the symphony's first performance at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.

And in October, the CSO marched in to help Lakota West's Marching Firebirds march in the Tournament of Roses Parade -- Southwest Ohio's first high school band to march in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. It was an unprecedented gesture to benefit a public school band program. The concert was standing room only. They sold 800 tickets and CSO trustees said they could have sold triple that. So, what have we learned here?

What is going on at CCM? A lot of CCM patrons, faculty members and students were scratching their heads over sudden vacancies and program cuts in one of the top music schools in the nation, which is housed in a glorious, new $93 million campus.

But last February, CCM opera chair Sandra Bernhard announced she was leaving to take a post with Houston Grand Opera, starting a chain reaction of empty chairs at the famous arts and media school, including the head of theater and the dean.

In October, struggling to close a deficit while grappling with a permanent cut of university allocations, CCM pared down its summertime calendar, including the prestigious Lucca Festival, effective in summer 2009. The move surprised and even angered some students and faculty members.

Now, CCM is pondering a possible reorganization into three separate colleges, each with potential naming rights, as its searches for a new dean to replace Douglas Lowry, who departed to head the Eastman School of Music.

The job description is daunting: Someone who can raise CCM's profile while raising millions of dollars for critical endowment money, and then raise tens of millions more for the university campaign; who can keep program quality high during a stringent cost-cutting period; fill up to nine key faculty posts; incorporate new technologies; and guide a possible major reorganization of the college for the first time since 1962.

In November, CCM announced four finalists for the opera post, and two of them have CCM ties. One, Nicholas Muni, is former artistic director of Cincinnati Opera. The university plans to announce finalists for a new dean by January and make a hire by February.

It's not just Music Hall any more: New and refurbished arts centers are gaining steam around the region, from the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington to a planned arts and conference center in Blue Ash – and a new theater in Anderson Township. The latter is being eyed as a venue for Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. In early December, leaders in Warren County voiced a dream for their own venue that would be a home for the county’s rapidly growing arts - including dance, theater, classical music and visual art.

White elephants: Capitalizing on the trend that huge outdoor venues are vanishing, Riverbend announced it will break ground on a new, $7 million pavilion of 4,000 seats. The amphitheatre will offer "niche" acts, alongside the bigger summer tours in the large, 20,000-seat amphitheater.

Pop music news:

Jazzing up the Blue Wisp: In early December, with its future in jeopardy following the death of owner Marjean Wisby, the Blue Wisp Jazz Club downtown was assured survival when a quartet of local businessmen bought the joint and pledged to keep jazz alive. Now, its new owners hope, the club is poised to become a premier destination for jazz.

Who Dey: Following in the footsteps of rocker Peter Frampton, Bootsy Collins made his Cincinnati Pops debut at Riverbend.

A high school dream: Pop music mogul L.A. Reid said his Cincinnati background made him the success that he is today. When he heard that musical facilities at his high school, Hughes, are in poor shape, he promised to do something about it. If Reid, chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group, who has discovered talents such as Usher, Avril Lavigne and OutKast, makes a major donation to his alma mater, it will be a lasting legacy to a musical career that is one of the most powerful in the country – and possibly the world.

And, there was news south of the river: In March, Peter (Frampton) and the Wolf captivated a young audience in Kenton County Library. James Cassidy and the KSO performed Prokofiev’s score to Frampton’s expressive narration.

Cincinnati Opera premiered a new opera based on the story of John P. Parker, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, in Ripley, Ohio. In a symbolic gesture, the company invited the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra under James Cassidy, to make its debut in the opera pit, on this side of the river.

In November, the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center announced its first-ever chamber music series, a diverse mix that will include jazz. The news adds to a growing list of interesting classical music options on the south side of the Ohio. And Northern Kentucky University's music department is in transition, too. In September, NKU appointed a new chair of the music department, Kurt Sander.

Saving an opera company: In October, a small group of arts patrons rescued Sorg Opera, naming a new executive director and launching a sort-of season after two years in limbo. However, Sorg may not return to its old home at Sorg Opera House, now under new ownership, because it's inhabited by Goths and Rocky Horror Picture Show fans.

Saving an organ: The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, homeless since leaving the Emery Theater, finally found a home, and is being refurbished to move into its new digs in Music Hall's Ballroom.

Opera for everyone: A snow and sleet storm Dec. 15 didn't keep 150 opera lovers from risking icy roads to get to Springdale 18 Cinema DeLux for the region's first High Definition broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera to a movie theater. The verdict of most of those who attended: It was enthralling. Ticket sales placed "Romeo et Juliette" at No.11 at the movie box office.

Milestones: In July, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir appeared for the first time in our region with the Cincinnati Pops, and thousands of fans flooded the gates of Riverbend for what many called a once-in-a lifetime experience.

In April, the Walnut Hills Wind Ensemble went to Carnegie Hall – and as they boarded their buses the morning after the story broke, financier Carl Lindner sent a courier over with cash for every student to spend in the Big Apple.

Erich Kunzel reflected upon 50 years of conducting, since making his opera debut at Santa Fe Opera, and belatedly picked up his Medal of Arts at the White House. Miami University Men's Glee Club celebrated 100 years of harmonizing. CSO principal trumpeter Phil Collins retired from the CSO, and Earl Rivers announced he is stepping down as music director of the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, the region's elite professional vocal ensemble.

Passings: Arts patron Joni Herschede; CCM faculty member and former May Festival director of choruses John Leman; longtime chamber music supporter Philip Gottling; CCM voice faculty member, co-founder of the Lucca Festival and opera singer Lorenzo Malfatti; Luciano Pavarotti, Jerry Hadley, Colin Graham, Beverly Sills, Mstislav "Slava" Rostropovich, and just this month, the great Oscar Peterson.

What, to you, were the big stories in 2007?


Thursday, December 27, 2007

A crown for the Queen City



OK, it's a little off of my music beat, but architecture can be inspiring, too.

Do you think the design by architects at HOK for Cincinnati's proposed 40-story office tower being built by Western & Southern Financial Group is inspired or dated? Do you like/hate the tiara, inspired by a photo of Princess Diana? Do you think, as one person remarked, that "The Big O" would represent Cincinnati better? (Hm, a giant basketball hoop on top?)

Check out the comments on the message board.

Chrysler Building photo by David Shankbone, Wikipedia


Thursday, December 20, 2007

In the news



Cincinnati Pops' annual Holiday Show, featuring Manhattan Transfer, surpassed single ticket goals, with 10,595 attending four performances. And that was during a weekend of snow, sleet, rain...

Rising star conductor Xian Zhang, who trained and served on the faculty of CCM, will make her professional Carnegie Hall orchestral debut on Feb. 3, when she leads the Orchestra of St. Luke's in the New York premiere of Thomas Ades' "Three Studies from Couperin for Chamber Orchestra." She is also conducting Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 and Piano Concerto No. 4, with pianist Helene Grimaud. Xian Zhang is currently associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic. For tickets and more info, visit www.carnegiehall.org.


Here's the buzz


Did you see Team Nick last night on "Clash of the Choirs" and their performance of "Flight of the Bumblebee"? I was not only impressed, I was blown away. This was a top-notch performance by any standard -- musicianship, precision, ensemble, arrangement and not least, their genuine joy while singing it. And here's what else impressed me -- Nick Lachey chose a piece by a CLASSICAL composer. Ten points if you can name who it was.

Now, if they win and they go sing a live performance at CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL over the holidays, he'll be Saint Nick in my book.

What did you think?


Nutcracker waltzes into the Aronoff


Here's David Lyman's review. Did you go to the Nutcracker? What were your impressions about having it there, versus Music Hall?


Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Dancing around the issue


If you have opinions about the Nutcracker moving to the Aronoff Center, as discussed in David Lyman's story today, please post them here.

Also, comments about the move began last month on this blog and have continued this month, on the post below.


Monday, December 17, 2007

Romeo et Juliette in Springdale


It wasn't well publicized, and the weather outside was frightful. But on Saturday afternoon, as the season's worst snowstorm (so far) was transforming into driving sleet, more than 150 opera lovers risked icy roads to get to Springdale 18 Cinema DeLux for our region's first-ever High Definition broadcast LIVE from the Metropolitan Opera to a movie theater.

The verdict of most of those who attended: It was enthralling.

Carolyn and Tom Hieber of Price Hill-Covedale, brought their niece, an aspiring singer, and student at Our Lady of the Visitation: "I thought it was wonderful," said a starry-eyed Holly Reckers, 14.

The opera was Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette," with in the title roles, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna (one of about five Romeos this season after Rolando Villazon inexplicably and sadly bowed out of everything he is singing this year), and the extraordinary Placido Domingo in the pit.

For many in the audience, from familiar opera fans to first-timers, it was an adventure. "I'm just an opera buff from way back," said Ilse Van der Bent, of Springfield Township, who attends the Met in New York and was excited to have it right in her own backyard.

We were immediately transported via the Big Screen to the Met's theater, as the noisy New Yorkers settled down for the three-and-a-half hour opera.

"Your movie theater is no longer just a movie theater," announced the Met's Peter Gelb, a wizard of new media, as he introduced the satellite transmission. The show was airing simultaneously around the world in 600 theaters, from London's Piccadilly Circus to the Arctic Circle in Norway.

It was fantastic to see Domingo's face as he conducted in the pit, as viewed from the perspective of a musician. He is not just a superstar -- he is superhuman. (He had sung "Iphigenie en Tauride" the night before.) During his richly dramatic introduction, the cast was introduced to viewers in pre-filmed clips, movie-style. Overall, the picture was remarkably vivid and realistic. The brilliant colors of the masked ball were stunning, and one could see every sequin and brocade pattern of the opulent costumes. It helped, too, that the cast looked like movie stars.

Cameras angles ranged from close-ups of singers' faces to dazzling views filmed from above. Some of the crowd scenes got to be a little dizzying, noted Janice Cook of Mount Lookout.

The sound quality, at first a bit off-balance, improved as the opera progressed and was clear and quite good. People who had attended last year's HD performances outside of town complained that the sound in those theaters had not been as good.

And so, we were swept away as the doomed lovers met, fell in love and journeyed to their inevitable fate. This cast, perhaps of necessity, consisted of singing actors. You couldn't take your eyes off of Anna Netrebko, who girlishly romped, blew out her candles and twirled in her pink gown. Her lightheartedness came to a crashing halt when she learned that her lover was a Montague.

Netrebko sang in glowing ribbons of sound, only experiencing a glitch in her opening waltz. Her love duets were rapturous (if her French was a bit murky), and as she began to grasp the tragedy of her situation, her portrayal became dark and even almost mad as she took Frere Laurent's potion.

Alagna, though perhaps not the steamy love interest that Villazon might have been, projected with ease, naturalness and an agreeable character (though not always on pitch). He sang his "Ah! lève-toi, soleil!" against a night-time galaxy that seemed to evoke the vastness of time and space, in a moment that was simply stunning.

There was another standout in this cast. The young mezzo singing Stephano the page -- Isabel Leonard, a recent Juilliard grad in her first season at the Met -- was graceful, confident and wonderfully expressive.

Some elements of the Guy Joosten production were breathtaking, such as the Act 4 wedding night scene. Filmed from above, the lovers, on a suspended bed, appeared to be floating in a starry sky, as they sang in a tangle of legs and silken sheets. Johannes Leiacker's design involved a circular, rotating astronomical (or maybe, astrological) clock for a stage, backed by a large porthole through which we saw swirling galaxies and sunrises. It was as if we were looking, as operagoer Frank Pendle remarked, through the Hubble telescope.

The fight between the Capulets and Montagues took place against a solar eclipse.
It got one thinking about how mysterious the universe must have seemed to those in 14th-century Verona -- but I found myself wondering about that contraption that rotated more than I wanted to.

During scene changes, we were taken backstage for interviews (Renee Fleming with the cast and Domingo), and we saw stage crew springing into action as the stage manager led the countdown to curtain.

The theater was welcoming, selling desserts and wine at intermission (a la Met), although most opted for cokes and popcorn. Springdale presented an "Encore" show on Sunday, and they will do so for each of the 8 productions.

Next one: A 1 p.m. matinee, New Year's Day, of Hansel and Gretel Live from the Met, with an Encore show at 3 p.m. Jan. 6.

Tickets to Springdale's HD Met presentations can be purchased at www.movietickets.com, by calling 513-699-1500 or in person at the theater. Or call 513-671-0140 for more info.

Did you attend the Deerfield showing? Let us know how it went.


Saturday, December 15, 2007

A bluesy, schmoozy Christmas


Two dozen clogging Santas, school choristers, sparkle lights and a nearly sold-out Music Hall – it could only be Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops' holiday show. Manhattan Transfer made this an especially warm and fuzzy holiday, as the vocal quartet crooned, swayed and snapped their fingers through an appealing mix of their classic hits and holiday favorites.

With more than three decades of touring, dozens of recordings and as many Grammy Awards to their credit, Manhattan Transfer is known for their close harmonization, seamless blend and sophisticated arrangements that merge jazz and pop. On Friday, they delivered their most energized performances in their two biggest tunes, "Route 66" and a hip "Birdland," the latter featuring an ageless Janis Siegel.

But the evening got off to a bumpy start in "Let it Snow," where the singers – Tim Hauser, Cheryl Bentyne, Siegel and Alan Paul – and maestro Kunzel took a few bars to find the same tempo. "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie," that they’ve recorded with the Pops, was fun and upbeat, but "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," performed with choruses from the School for Creative & Performing Arts, suffered from an off-balance sound system.

It wasn't until "Christmas Love Song," after intermission, that the singers hit their stride in a bluesy, warm Johnny Mandel arrangement, backed by glowing strings. "Snowfall" drifted beautifully to a soft jazz beat and a mellifluous vocal sound, and Mel Torme's "Christmas Song" was given one of the most breathtaking renditions I've ever heard.

Kunzel and the Pops unwrapped a festive package in a glowing Music Hall, joined by the Chorale and Children's Choir from SCPA. The choristers, directed by Laurie Wyant, performed well as backup singers and in their own solos.

But it was their "Medley for Peace in the World" that brought the audience to its feet – and offered a hint of a major Pops announcement in the works. The piece, arranged by the Pops' Julie Spangler and Steven Reineke for a performance "in an important location," said Kunzel, was a medley of pop hits, including "Lean on Me" and "What a Wonderful World." As the audience joined in on "Let There Be Peace on Earth," an Olympic-like parade of international flagbearers came up the aisles.

Shari Poff's electric Cincinnati Studio Cloggers brought down the house in fur-trimmed costumes and Rockette-style choreography to "We Need a Little Christmas," and later as mini-Santas.

The Pops repeats at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. today; and 3 p.m. Sunday in Music Hall. 513-381-3300, or click the link to the right.


Friday, December 14, 2007

Opera in HD


Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor anything else predicted to hit our fair city tomorrow will keep opera lovers from trekking to the Deerfield Towne Center movie theater in Mason and the Springdale Showcase Cinemas for the 1 p.m. live HD simulcast from the Met of Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette," starring Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna and conducted by Placido Domingo.

Tickets: $22 adults; $20 seniors; $15 children. 1-800-638-6737. Get the whole schedule, see a trailer, read about the cast and production and purchase tickets at www.metopera.org.

Nota bene: Going online to buy tickets is easiest -- but clearly more trouble for those of you who are not computer-savvy (and are probably not reading this...)

After some investigation, I got this suggestion: You may purchase tickets at the theater box offices in person or you can call and listen to their phone tree (not fun). Here are direct lines to local box offices to see if any tickets are left:

Springdale Showcase Cinema: 513-671-6917

Deerfield Towne Center: 513-770-0964

Photo: Ken Howard, Metropolitan Opera


Thursday, December 13, 2007

Chamber Orchestra could use new Anderson arts center


The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra has expressed interest in performing at the new Anderson Center that will open next month, say Anderson officials.

One of the major components of the center is a 225-seat theater, with state-of-the-art facilities that include an orchestra pit, dressing rooms, curtains, rigging and a sound system.

The Beechmont Players will be moving back to Anderson after a decade of playing at Clermont College in Batavia. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is slated for late February. Other groups to use the new hall include the Forest Aires, Anderson Community Band and the SW Ohio Music Teachers Association.


A Celebration of Cincinnati Opera


Opera aficionado and critic Charles Parsons presents his new book, "A Celebration of Cincinnati Opera," in an Opera Rap, 7 p.m. today in Corbett Tower at Music Hall. The book draws upon Parsons' personal memories and impressions as an avid opera attendee for 55 years of the 87-year-old company's existence.

The 500-plus page book is $45, but will be specially priced tonight at $40. Call 513-241-2742 to RSVP for this free event. For information on where to purchase the book, call 513-768-5500.


CSO musicians, Linton Series on Grammy-nominated disc

Little did Linton audiences know last March, but they were present for the recording of the world premiere of a piece by Frank Proto that in December, it would receive a Grammy nomination for Small Ensemble Performance.

"Bridges - Eddie Daniels Plays The Music Of Frank Proto" - Frank Proto, conductor with Eddie Daniels and Ensemble Sans Frontiere, was released on the Red Mark label.

Among the selections is Frank Proto's "Sextet for Clarinet and Strings," recorded at the March 4 Linton Chamber Music performance. To make this even more interesting, Ensemble Sans Frontiere consists of current and former Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra artists Michael Chertock, piano; Larrie Howard, violin and viola; Laura McLellan, cello; Sylvia Mitchell, violin; Paul Patterson, violin and viola; Susan Marshall Peterson, cello and Frank Proto, Double Bass.


Monday, December 10, 2007

Fundraiser tries to save teachers at SCPA


Their future home, a glamorous new K-12 performing arts school, is already in the works at the corner of Elm and Central Parkway. But the talented kids at the School for Creative and Performing Arts are struggling because of massive district-wide cuts.

A total of $2 million has been cut from SCPA's budget in the past three years -- $1.1 million in the past year alone.

The school has lost three artistic programs in the past three years: photography, sound engineering and modern dance.

District cuts have erased 20 teachers at SCPA in the past four years.

SCPA predicts an artistic budget shortfall of $200,000 this year.

Here's what might be eliminated: private music lesson scholarships, community performances and desperately-needed equipment such as MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

And more cuts could be coming soon.

Alvin F. Roehr Jr., president of Schiff Kreidler-Shell Inc., wants to do something about it. He and others have organized "A Winter Wonderland" event, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. tomorrow night. The evening begins at Herman Miller Gallery, 222 E. 14th Street. There's valet parking, a holiday trolley and a "Grand Nutcracker Performance."

Tickets: $150 per couple, payable to Friends of SCPA. Or feel free to just make a donation. All proceeds go directly to academic and artistic teachers severely affected by CPS budget cuts. 513-977-8714, e-mail Tracey Spracklen tspracklen@sksins.com.

Photo by Gary Landers, the Junior High Choirs, with teachers Rick Hand and Laurie Wyant.

P.S. If you want to read the lengthy post that a composer posted below, a satire on "It's a wonderful life," click here.


An American in Pyongyang

The New York Philharmonic announced today in the New York Times that it will be giving a concert in North Korea on February 26. The concert, in Pyongyang, the capital, comes at the end of the orchestra's upcoming tour of east Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. Could this be, like Isaac Stern's trip to China just after the dismantling of the Cultural Revolution, a gesture of friendship and possibly "warmer ties" with the U.S.?

Is it appropriate considering, the article notes, North Korea's policies that have resulted, partly, in the famine-related starvation of two million people and hundreds of thousands of people in labor camps?

There's another summary of the news at playbillarts.com


Cincinnati Pops Nutcracker at #3 on Billboard


The Pops' Nutcracker album is inching up the Billboard Chart, this week at No. 3. Here's a link to my review.

Ahead of the Pops, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's latest holiday recording, "Spirit of the Season" at No. 1, and crossover violinist André Rieu's "Radio City Music Hall: Live in New York," at No. 2.


Saturday, December 08, 2007

Concerto electrifies audience


Here's the review:

During its 113-year lifespan, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has developed relationships with many famed composers. On Friday, modern icon Krzysztof Penderecki, 74, led the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the premiere of his Piano Concerto, a spectacular tour-de-force for piano and orchestra that is destined to become one of the important concertos of our time.

The program included the Polish composer's most well-known work, "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima" (1960) and Beethoven's Symphony No. 4.

Both of Penderecki's pieces were inspired by cataclysmic world events. In the first half of the concert, "Threnody," scored for 52 strings, began like a cry and evolved through an unearthly soundscape. Some moments were frenzied, with tones that wailed like sirens; others were serene, but the effect of this piece never fails to move. The work is not conducted in measures, but in events, and the creator led his 10-minute "Threnody" with gripping authority.

For his Piano Concerto, subtitled "Resurrection," Penderecki was inspired by the events of 9/11. Irish pianist Barry Douglas was the CSO’s soloist for the world premiere of the composer's 2007 revision of this work.

The 40-minute concerto unfolded in one unbroken span through a universe of moods, stunning orchestral colors and diverse events. Basically tonal, its sometimes chaotic events are tied together by a chorale that appears in the trombones, and returns atmospherically in treble piano, harp and celesta.

Scored in bold colors, the concerto included a solo for English horn, temple bells, gongs, chimes and trumpets blazing from the balcony.

It often seemed more symphony than concerto, with the piano a partner in the orchestral texture. Douglas put his superb technique to work, punctuating the drama with electrifying cascades, trills and fistfuls of percussive chords, and did it decisively and without a score.

The orchestra performed superbly and with conviction. The final apotheosis unfolded in a dynamic burst of energy, and the crowd was instantly on its feet.

Penderecki, who is also an excellent conductor, opened the evening with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. He wonderfully contrasted darkness and light, leading with clarity, depth and brisk tempos. He drew an earthy sound from the strings and warmth from the wind solos. If the scherzo was a bit too breathless, the finale was played with sheer virtuosity and drive.

The concert repeats at 8 p.m. today in Music Hall. 513-381-3300, www.cincinnatisymphony.org. What did you think? Review and rate this concert at cincinnati.com/entertainment.

Footnote:
Some people at the symphony were surprised or upset that "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima" was programmed on Pearl Harbor Day. Do you think that was inappropriate?


Friday, December 07, 2007

Things to do this weekend



Take time out to go hear some great music LIVE this weekend. Your choices are immense -- from jazz to Christmas carols to Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" at the CSO.

Besides our massive calendar at cincinnati.com and the Barry Douglas interview in today's weekend section, check these out:

Pianist Ed Moss (pictured) joins Sandy Suskind on flute and alto sax with the Sandy Suskind Quartet tonight and Saturday at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sandy and Ed have been "musical and philosophical colleagues since 1975," Sandy tells me. (And I hear that Ed is Paavo's favorite local jazz pianist.) By all means, check out the Blue Wisp, which is under new management, and stay tuned for a New Wisp story running in Sunday's Enquirer.

Canterbury Brass joins the Vocal Arts Ensemble (pictured above) in its annual holiday concerts, today through Sunday. The program will include a cappella works of American composers such as Eric Whitacre and Aaron Jay Kernis; music from Renaissance and Baroque periods and a Canadian Brass arrangement of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Earl Rivers, who is in his final season as music director, conducts.

Concerts are 8 p.m. today, St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Anderson Township (with guest choir the Anderson High School Mixed Chorus); 8 p.m. Saturday, St. Boniface Catholic church, Northside, with the Kettering Children's Choir-Chorale; and 8 p.m. Sunday in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, downtown, with the Cincinnati Children's Choir: Jubilate and Lyric Choirs. Tickets are $20; $10 students and Enjoy the Arts/Start members. 513-559-0000 or click here.

And don't forget the Azmari Quartet, pictured on this blog, below, tonight at NKU.


American Classical Music Hall of Fame inductees


There are four this year. Click here to read the story. Incidentally, there's a Cincinnati tie with the Cleveland Orchestra, too. Robert Porco, director of choruses for Cincinnati May Festival, also directs the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.


Thursday, December 06, 2007

50th Grammy Award Nominations


The Nominations are in, and they seem a little quirky to me. (Do Grammys matter anymore in a declining recording industry?)

Once you get past Beyonce, the Foo Fighters and Kanye West -- incidentally Cincinnati native LA Reid's Island Def Jam label and its subsidiaries are doing very well, thank you -- I don't see any of the usual Cincinnati-related nominees. There's no CSO, Paavo Jarvi, Kunzel and the Pops -- and Telarc producers, who record the CSO and Pops, were recognized for their work with other bands.

But there are a few nominations with Cincinnati ties. Perhaps the biggest deal is eighth blackbird, that hip, superb ensemble that studied at CCM and continues to return annually for MusicX (oops, that has been canceled after next year...)

There's also Cincinnati composer and retired bass of the CSO, Frank Proto, who conducts a disc of his own music with clarinetist Eddie Daniels.

Also appearing are conductors James Levine with his Boston Symphony Orchestra and Michael Gielen, former CSO music director in the '80s.

And Ed Stern can continue dancing a jig when he sees this:

For Best Musical Show Album -- "Company" (the production originated at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Tommy Krasker, producer (Stephen Sondheim,composer/lyricist) 2006 Cast Recording With Raúl Esparza & Others; Nonesuch Records/PS Classics.

Best Classical Album, and Best Classical Vocal Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition -- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson; Dirk Sobotka, producer (James Levine; Boston Symphony Orchestra), Nonesuch Records.

(By the way, the following, which also got THREE nominations, including Best Album -- is interesting because of what Nashville is accomplishing with its new concert hall and Naxos record contract: "Tower: Made In America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Tim Handley, producer (Nashville Symphony)Naxos.)

Best Choral Performance -- Schoenberg's "Gurrelieder," Michael Gielen, conductor; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks & MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig; SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden Und Freiburg, Haenssler Classic

Also note: Penderecki's Symphony No. 7 "Seven Gates Of Jerusalem"
Antoni Wit, conductor; soloists and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir; Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Naxos. (Penderecki, a composer and conductor, leads his own Piano Concerto with the CSO this weekend.)

Best Chamber Music Performance -- "Strange Imaginary Animals," Eighth Blackbird, Cedille Records... Also, for Best Classical Contemporary Composition -- Jennifer Higdon's "Zaka" on a track from: Eighth Blackbird's "Strange Imaginary Animals"

Best Small Ensemble Performance -- "Bridges - Eddie Daniels Plays The Music Of Frank Proto," Frank Proto, conductor; Eddie Daniels; Ensemble Sans Frontière, Red Mark

Winners to be announced February 10, 2008.

Did we miss any other local stars? Click here to see the whole list and let us know if you see more.


Wednesday, December 05, 2007

The return of the Amernet Quartet


A snow warning Tuesday night didn't keep hundreds of fans from coming out to see the Amernet String Quartet in Corbett Auditorium at CCM. (Most impressive: the long student line at the box office.) The ensemble, formerly in residence at Northern Kentucky University and CCM, now holds a residency at Florida International University in Miami.

For their debut with Chamber Music Cincinnati, they brought a superb and varied program, which included local soprano Audrey Luna in Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2.

Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 in F-sharp Minor of 1907-08 is one of his first forays into atonality, but its sonorities often lean to post-romanticism. What is most striking is the use of soprano voice in the third and fourth movements, settings of evocative German-language poems by Stefan George, translated as "Litany" and "Rapture: I feel the air of other planets."

The players -- Misha Vitenson, Marcia Littley de Arias, Michael Klotz and Javier Arias -- were at home in Schoenberg, despite the music's chromatic, angular themes. They projected intensity in the angst-ridden first movement, that ended on a note of unexpected serenity. The second movement, "Sehr rasch," which includes an improbable quote from "Ach du lieber Augustin," was disjunct, agitated and fragmented, yet the ensemble showed amazing unity of attack and mood.

The effect of Luna's vocal color against sometimes-austere string counterpoint was arresting. Luna, a faculty member at Miami University, delivered a riveting performance and projected beauty of sound despite the challenges of the vocal line. The finale was an otherworldly combination of strings creating a spectacular canvas with high harmonics and swirling figures, while the singer's evocation was rapturous.

Also on the program: Haydn's Quartet in G Minor, Op. 74, No. 3, "The Rider," and Beethoven's Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132. The Beethoven, especially, was rich-toned and expressive. The heart of the work, "Heiliger Dankgesang," was sublime for the organ-like sonority and purity of tone achieved by the players.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: By the way, one of the nice things Chamber Music Cincinnati does is to provide free snacks to concertgoers at intermission. This time it was cookies and coffee, courtesy of The Rohs Street Cafe on W. McMillan. It's a nice touch, and gives people a chance to socialize...

The Chamber Orchestra does a free reception after each concert and CSO has a free dinner buffet on Thursdays.

DO YOU THINK WE NEED FOOD AT CONCERTS, OR NOT?


Monday, December 03, 2007

Performing Arts Centers in the burbs

What did you think of Sunday's story about the push in Warren County for a new arts center? Besides Blue Ash, Anderson Township is planning a grand opening in January of its new facility for township offices, community television, and a performing arts theater for the Beechmont Players, Forest-Aires and other groups...

Do all of these new arts centers present more opportunity (as venues for regional touring; creating more awareness for arts) or do they just create more competition for Music Hall and its tenants such as the CSO and opera?


Joni Herschede in memoriam


Joni, who died unexpectedly on Saturday, was a big booster of the arts and also UC. She was one of the first people who shook my hand, as a then-trustee, when I received my Ph.D. diploma. Joni will be missed.



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