October 2008
Trick AND Treat
The trick – conductor becomes soloist, composer becomes conductor. The treat – licorice stick, klezmer-style. If you are in Iowa come experience one of the area's most unique concerts of the year, featuring the music, words and conducting of Sam Adler and my first appearance as clarinet soloist with the WCFSO.
LA heart EP
With what has to be the slickest conductor website ever, the LA Phil pays fitting tribute to its outgoing music director-dynamo Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Beethoven the Maverick
I've doubted that the political 'discussion' this fall would include any discourse on the arts. Jeremy Denk, however, proves that there is indeed much meaningful discourse to be had.
Previewing Cowboys
Here is my interview previewing this weekend's Cowboys of the Americas program at the WCFSO. [Thanks to Jacqueline Halbloom and Phil Maas at KUNI/KHKE–Iowa Public Radio; if you enjoy this interview consider supporting IPR during their current fund drive.]
Interview with Jacqueline Hallbloom
KHKE–Iowa Public Radio, October 15, 2008
Bernstein on Vimeo
Bernstein – West Side Story, Symphonic Dances [Finale]
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, October 4, 2008
More excerpts and HD at Vimeo
Bernstein – West Side Story, Symphonic Dances [Mambo]
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, October 4, 2008
More excerpts and HD at Vimeo
Best of all possible overtures
'Bugles, fifes, oboes, drums, and salvoes of artillery produced such a harmony...'
Voltaire – Candide, Chapter III
Bernstein – Candide, Overture
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, October 4, 2008
Previewing Lenny
Many thanks to Jacqueline Halbloom and Phil Maas at KUNI/KHKE–Iowa Public Radio for the opportunity to share part of my interview previewing this weekend's Leonard Bernstein program at the WCFSO.
Interview with Jacqueline Hallbloom
KHKE–Iowa Public Radio, October 3, 2008
American icon
This weekend the WCFSO joins with New York musical institutions and other orchestras around the world in celebrating the life and work of Leonard Bernstein, who would have been 90 this fall. A highlight of our program is the Symphonic Dances from his most iconic composition, West Side Story, a work that has been thrilling audiences for more than half a century.
Here choreographer Jerome Robbins demonstrates a trademark move for the 1961 film. Learn more about the stage and film versions in a series of articles at NPR and NPR Music from last year's 50th anniversary of the piece. Preluge, Fugue and Riffs, the official periodical of the Leonard Bernstein Office, also published an anniversary issue devoted to West Side Story [pdf].
Mahler Grooves
The opening page of Leonard Bernstein's 1960s-era score of the Sixth Symphony by Gustav Mahler, from the New York Philharmonic archives. [Photo by Don Hogan Charles, New York Times] More ties between these two composer-conductors this weekend at the WCFSO.
Meet Simone
Simone Dinnerstein has made a splash in classical music circles recently with her elegant playing and her intriguing path through the biz. Get to know her better ahead of her appearance with the WCFSO this weekend.
Simone Dinnerstein | Recording Goldberg from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.
The Front Page
I frequently put up links to individual posts at the following classical music blogs – as I reconsitute the blogroll into a more complete list of links I figure it's about time to point to their respective front pages. [Other great sites already linked here.]
The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross
The Rambler by Tim Rutherford-Johnson
Soho the Dog by Matthew Guerrieri
Tom Service on Classical by Tom Service
So I've Heard by Alan Rich
On an Overgrown Path by Bob Shingleton
Arts Journal music blogs by various