November 2009 Archives

It doesn't seem as though it were all that long ago that I was sitting in Miss Saigon, in University City, having lunch with David Halen and asking him questions about the Barber Violin Concerto. He performs it this weekend with Peter Oundjian conducting. Brahms Symphony No. 2 is on the program as well.

The Times of London listed its top classical CDs of the decade--not just the year, the decade--or as those oh so clever Brits say, "the Noughties." No. 1: The SLSO's Doctor Atomic Symphony CD. Read what our friends across the pond have to say here.

SLSO Resident Conductor Ward Stare invited me to his downtown loft to shoot some video footage of him discussing his SLSO subscription debut, the Thanksgiving Weekend program that includes Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," and selections from Prokofiev's music to the ballet Romeo and Juliet. Ward is the most congenial host, serving lots of black coffee and offering great views of the city, which we embellish with the Statue of Liberty. But we begin with Jack. Watch.

I was back in the Hall Saturday evening to serve as intermission escort for Nic McGegan. My colleague Adam Crane and I employ a system of transporting musician(s), after their final first-half bows, from backstage to the makeshift KFUO studio on the seventh floor for the interview segment of the live Saturday-night broadcasts.

Nic McGegan was on his toes throughout the Friday morning Coffee Concert. Since his own bio uses the "Energizer Bunny" description that a Cleveland Plain Dealer critic bestowed on him, I feel confidant in using it here. Especially as my Friday morning Coffee Concert companion had such a good time watching Nic move as nimbly as Muhammad Ali at his finest. "I love McGegan," my friend said.

This morning backstage I spied a SpongeBob SquarePants lunch pack with our masterful principal timpanist Richard Holmes name on it.

I love watching rehearsals of just about anything--theater, dance, music. I even get a special thrill  out of watching artwork being installed. Maybe it's because that what I've done most my life--write--isn't a very interesting activity to observe. Also, the making of things--figuring out stage blocking, a sequence of dance steps, who gives the cue in a chamber ensemble, hanging an 18th-century painting--these are activities of the mind and body that are nearly unfathomable to me. I've been very lucky to have worked at jobs where observing such activity, and writing about it, has been part of my occupation.

So another sincere thank you to the Pulitzer for inviting me over to guest blog, and to Jen Nitchman, Nicolas Del Grazia, Andy Gott, Phil Ross and Roger Kaza for letting me in on their scene. Now, over to the Pulitzer blog. Click.

At this moment there are about 18 tickets still available to the Wednesday evening performance. And the Pulitzer now furnishes custom-made cushions for sitting on the stairs. Comfy.

I'm guest blogging for the Pulitzer Foundation today, so I am going to send you over to their site as soon as it's up.

November 4, 2009 was a big date on the SLSO calendar. The orchestra played Carnegie Hall for the Ancient Paths/Modern Voices China Festival, and SLSO President and Executive Director Fred Bronstein made a trip to the White House, where he had been invited to Classical Music Day, the most recent in a series of cultural events hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. So far the White House has celebrated country, jazz, and Latin music, and on November 4, Josh Bell, Sharon Isbin, Alisa Weilerstein, and Awadagin Pratt gave afternoon masterclasses to students and an evening concert to 120 invited guests for classical music's turn on the White House stage.

Fred took the time to talk to me about his impressions of his day at the White House. Watch.

At the Saturday night concert, guest soloist Robert Levin announced from the stage that not only were the cadenzas he was about to play in the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 of his own creation, as it said in the Playbill, but he would be improvising them at the moment--as he would most of the concerto itself, he added with a laugh.

Thursday the Symphony Volunteer Association served up an "appreciation" coffee break for orchestra and staff. We met in the foyer at the first rehearsal break and gobbled up all sorts of cookies and breads. I was reminded of Andy Warhol's line: "All I ever really want is sugar."

Long after the orchestra rehearsal was over, guest pianist Robert Levin was on the Powell Hall stage, still practicing into the late afternoon.

I checked out Tony Renner's website Wednesday morning and found he was still creating images inspired by the Bloggers' Night concert. So as Ward Stare and the SLSO entertain schoolchildren with music from The Nutcracker at Powell Hall--which is what I'm listening to now--here are Tony's latest. Click. I believe it was Bob Dylan who said one of the responsibilities of the artist is to inspire. And if he didn't, somebody did.

I had the privilege to interview Jessica Cheng for the December Playbill "Meet the Musician" page on Tuesday afternoon. Jessica is the newest member of the first violin section. She grew up in Arlington, Texas and did her ungrad and graduate work at USC. It was at USC that she studied with Alice Schoenfeld, which Jessica described as a "really old school" educational experience.

The Movie Music of John Williams concerts this past weekend were an intergalactic success. Two full houses at Powell Hall, with David Robertson and the SLSO giving the preeminent film composer of our time his due in out-of-this-world style.

David Robertson gave the downbeat and the orchestra leapt into John Williams' famous Olympic fanfare--and then Robertson abruptly stopped them.

A colleague said, "Oops. The skater must have fallen."

I just got this message from Adam Crane: "I'm w/ a large part of the orchestra headed home. Pilot made an announcement welcoming the SLSO on-board & congrats on successful Carnegie concert. We applauded."

Ray's is a bastion of culture too, and of a culture that intersects with Carnegie. Not only stage hands but folks in tux and tails, baseball caps and baggy pants, folks who get their drugs on the street and folks who get them by prescription--everybody needs a slice now and then.

I made the call to Ray's, the venerable 24-hour pizza joint down the street from Carnegie Hall--that's one of the marvels of NYC, the bastion of culture a few steps from pizza-by-the-slice. Ray's is where the Henchmen go after the truck is loaded for the journey home from Manhattan.

Stephen Lange has had his Charlie Manuel contact, but sorry, no autographs.

However, even better, Stephen sent in this pic of David Halen tuning the orchestra at the start of the afternoon rehearsal at Carnegie.


David Halen and orchestra get in tune at Carnegie Hall rehearsal, Wednesday, November 4, about 1:30pm.

OK, now I'm starting to get envious. The Harrises see the Kandinsky show at the Guggenheim. Everybody's eating fabulous food in wonderful restaurants. Now Bjorn sends in this pic of a beautiful autumn day in Central Park.

Adam Crane called during breakfast with Principal Cello Daniel Lee and Assistant Concertmaster Erin Schreiber. Erin was attempting to teach Danny how to eat a soft-boiled egg at Le Pain Quotidien. They had already done some necessary shopping for Danny, who had forgotten to pack a belt. Keeping your pants on at Carnegie is very important.

In the midst of his call, Adam looked around the table and noticed that all three of them were on their cell phones. A New York state of mind, indeed.

As I reported in the last post, the Philadelphia Phillies are staying in the same hotel as the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Sightings have included relievers Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson--spotted by Special Ops Forces Commando Maggie Bailey--and Manager Charlie Manuel, whom Adam Crane, of Crane Watch, talked with in an elevator. I'm sure he reminded the Phils skipper to tell Ryan Howard (University City native) and company to be more disciplined and lay off Pettitte's junk and force him back into the strike zone.

The SLSO has landed. Perhaps the most amazing news is that the orchestra is staying at the same hotel as the Phillies. So if the Phils pull off a win tomorrow night and the SLSO blows them away at Carnegie--that joint is gonna be jumpin'.

Cellist Bjorn Ranheim made it from Louisville to La Guardia to meet his bandmates. He says: "Just got to La Guardia in time to meet up with the band and head into the city on the shuttle buses. Everyone seems good. A bunch of people came into town early. [Violinist] Shawn Weil got in on Sunday and is out in Brooklyn with his bro, sister-in-law and their kids. [Double bassist] Sarah Hogan got in yesterday and is going to the Met tonight. I'm heading out with my best friend who works in the film industry. All in all, people are scattering into the wind to do NY in their own ways before coming back together for our rehearsal tomorrow afternoon on the big stage." 

Now the SLSO takes the show to Carnegie Hall as part of the China Festival: Ancient Paths, Modern Voices. I'm holding the Powell Hall fort, so I've asked a few folks to keep me updated.

Melissa didn't receive an invitation to Bloggers' Night, an oversight that will be corrected next time--so many bloggers, so little time. But she graciously sent in her post to us anyway. She makes note of a certain quality that makes Colin Currie so appealing, and puts in a mention of Susan Slaughter's lovely, lyrical, heart-wrenching solo at the end of Song of the Nightingale. Thanks for reminding us, Melissa. Click.

Kelli of South City Confidential arrives with memories of the violin, the marvels of water music, and a solid endorsement for a night at the symphony: Click.

And Tony gives us the first of a series of paintings inspired by Friday night. Check in on the gallery throughout the week. Click for the artwork.

Amy of A Chase after Wind discovers that there is more than one way to make it to Carnegie Hall, loves the marimba, likes the concert so much that she decides to check out the Movie Music of John Williams this weekend, and offers up other bloggy goodness: Click.

Jen from Euclid Records blogs in talking about the value of fresh ears, hearing Africa in Chinese music, and the special inside scoop on Colin Currie's backstage T-shirt: Click.

Next up, Chris at Confluence City gives us Miro, and spends time in Stravinsky's dreamscape. Click.

Julie gets the first blog post in from Friday night's Bloggers' Night. She checks out the Midtown scene, wonders how Colin Currie can play marimba with the wrinkly hands he must have had from the Water Concerto, and gets a little teary-eyed from the hugs: Click.