Jacques Lacombe enjoyed a warm public reception after his first weekend of performances with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. In fact, the new music director “could hardly have made a stronger impression” according to The Star Ledger.
Lacombe succeeded Neeme Järvi as the NJSO’s conductor, and was considered the perfect candidate to revitalize and polish the orchestra. It seems he did just that. Ronni Reich wrote for the Ledger that the orchestra’s new sound was “fittingly earthy and surprisingly refined,” noting that the ensemble’s tone was “full of depth without ever feeling heavy, thick or unwieldy.” View Full Article »
Lacombe Invigorates NJSO
Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff
Does Not Cause Blindness
While Rachmaninoff’s legacy lives in the rich, dark melodies he inscribed into a lifetime of compositions, knowledge of his prowess as a performer still remains limited to historical accounts and crackly recordings. Recording technology was just beginning to bud during his career, so the sound quality of even remastered recordings is passable at best. But because there is an inexorable authenticity to his performances, and because these remaining vestiges of his pianism prove that Rachmaninoff’s big hands were contrarily delicate, these recordings remain among my favorites despite their dustiness.
Until recently, the closest modern listeners could come to hearing Rachmaninoff perform was by listening to a recording of a piano roll performance. While Rachmaninoff himself was impressed with the accuracy a piano roll contained in reproducing dynamics, rubato, and other musical elements, he only created 35 in his lifetime. It is reported that upon hearing one for the first time, he exclaimed “Gentlemen — I, Sergei Rachmaninoff, have just heard myself play!”
But with the advent of Zenph Studios’ “re-performance” technology, computer software can analyze old recordings and translate them into “high definition MIDI” data. View Full Article »
Gergiev Accepts Role as Dean
Despite his already taxing schedule, conductor Valery Gergiev has accepted the position of Dean of arts faculty at St. Petersburg State University. In addition to his commitments at the Mariinsky theater as well as his post at the London Symphony Orchestra, Gergiev will assume leadership of the arts faculty that was formed last month when the school’s academic council voted to separate the arts and philology faculties. View Full Article »
Levine Returns to BSO After Spinal Surgery
Conducting Still Pain in the Neck
James Levine led the Boston Symphony Orchestra last week for the first time since his back surgery in the Fall. While Levine has been in New York for assorted performances at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera, his leadership at the BSO was absent for most of the season’s Fall performances. He presented his returning program, featuring works by Berlioz, Ravel, and Carter, in both Boston and New York. Perhaps fortuitously, the night before the BSO’s Carnegie Hall performance, Levine and the BSO won a Grammy for their recording of Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé.” For a complete review of the performance and a clip of the Grammy winning recording, see the NYT article here.
Praise Continues For “Music I-LXXIV”
David Yearsley, of Cornell University, has written a delightful piece on The Sound Post’s favorite poet, August Kleinzahler.
In an article on counterpunch.org, Yearsley praises the fresh, “catholic and quirky” humor of Kleinzahler’s latest publication, Music I-LXXIV. He describes some of the more eclectic tales from the collection of musical essays, and admires the ways in which subjects such as criticism, nostalgia, and dedication are presented by the award-winning poet.
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Montclair State University Music School Enters New Era
Montclair State University’s new $35 million dollar music school is presenting a chamber music concert this weekend as part of its inaugural year. The Cali School of Music, named after $5 million donor John J. Cali, opened this Fall and brings a host of world renowned faculty to the college.
As the music program continues to increase in size, $4 million of Cali’s $5 million dollar donation will go to paying full-scholarships for deserving students. To commemorate the new school, MSU is presenting two chamber music events this weekend at the newly constructed Jed Leshowitz Recital Hall. The concerts will be at 8:00pm on Saturday, and 3:00pm on Sunday.
For more information check the article link here or visit montclair.edu/music.
Mark O’Connor Crosses Over
Again
Violinist Mark O’Connor will team up with bassist John Patitucci and guitarist Julian Lage at New York City’s Blue Note next weekend, bringing his classical, folk, and flamenco backgrounds to a new, jazzier venture. The trio will debut at the Blue Note on January 7, 8, and 9, with each member contributing his individual background, style, and compositional elements.
Widely known for his folk performances and compositions, O’Connor is a classically trained musician whose influences have led him through many genres, including jazz. More recently, he has generated buzz for his new violin method, The Mark O’Connor Violin Method. The method bears ideological similarities to the time-tested Suzuki Method, but guides its students through a repertoire of American folk music.
As O’Connor begins his foray with the trio, listeners can probably count on him crossing into the jazz realm regularly, even as he continues to release more installments of his folk-based method book.
Tovey And VSO Do Not Fake It
On stage
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has been making some headlines the last few days.
On Saturday, the CBC News reported that the ensemble had backed out of the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics. According to conductor Bramwell Tovey, the organizing committee for the event—known as VANOC—demanded the music be prerecorded so that another conductor could mime the performance during the opening celebration.
Say what?! Yes, you read correctly. They wanted Tovey to record it, and then have an actor step in and pretend he was conducting at the actual ceremony.
I understand that the opening night tends to be, well, over-the-top. And perhaps having an actor at the podium would aid that. But did they really expect Tovey to forfeit his position during an internationally-televised broadcast? In a time when appreciation for the arts seems to be declining, this would be the ultimate swift kick below the belt for one of the country’s top orchestras.
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