I had the pleasure today of sitting down with Gilbert Kalish, and Jeffery Meyer for another Sound Post interview. Topics on the table were: Kalish’s residency at Ithaca College, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, his entry into the professional world of classical music, and what it is like to play under the baton of his former student, Jeffery Meyer.
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Exclusive Interview with Gilbert Kalish
Sting and Trudie Styler Star in Schumann Romance Film
Premiers Tonight on WQXR and WNYC
Twin Spirits, a film about the romance between Robert Schumann and his wife-to-be Clara Wieck, will premier tonight, December 3, at an event hosted by WNYC’s The Greene Space, WQXR 105.9, and Music Unites—a New York based music education charity. The event is a benefit for both Music Unites, and the Royal Opera House Education programs.
The film chronicles the romance between Robert and Clara Schumann with an amalgam of narration, music, and acting. While Sting and Trudie Styler read from the letters exchanged between Robert and Clara, musicians will embody the spirit of the composers by performing their music. The film will also be narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi.
Finally, those who are not able to attend the premier can watch the film online starting at 6:30pm today at www.wnyc.org/thegreenespace and www.wqxr.org, followed by an audio stream of Elliot Forrest’s conversation with Sting and Trudie Styler.
For more information, check the event page here.
Perlman to Play Polio Benefit Concert With NY Phil
World renown violinist Itzhak Perlman will give a one-night-only performance with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall this evening to raise money for Rotary International’s campaign against polio. Perlman, who lost the ability to walk to polio, will play a selection of works including Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, and John Williams’ Theme from Schindler’s List.
Tickets start between $70.00 and $90.00, with a special premium package available for $500.00. These premium tickets grant concertgoers prime seat location as well as admittance to a private reception with Mr. Perlman following the event. As stated on the NY Phil website, “Net ticket proceeds will benefit Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.” For info and tickets, see the event’s page at nyphil.com.
Classical Newcomer Writes Book On Bach Cello Suites
Head Yet To Implode
Eric Siblin, a pop music critic whose classical education is wanting at best, shares his take on Bach’s six cello suites in his book “The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece.” The book is the result of Siblin’s pseudo-obsessive exploration into the six suites, despite an overall unfamiliarity with Bach and classical music in general.
Siblin was inspired by the same Casals recording that brought the suites into the spotlight of cello literature, and he begins the book with an attempt to shed light on what NY Times writer Janet Maslin identifies as the suites’ “elusiveness.” Bach’s intentions are still murky, as the alternate tuning required by some movements suggests the works may not have been written for cello. Or if they were, that the outliers among the suites do not belong in the same collection that modern musicians have come to accept as an indisputable volume.
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Exclusive Interview With Bridgid Bibbens
Here We Go Again
WOW! What a fun interview. I have got to say that it was truly a blast to shoot this one! As soon as I walked into the Wood Violin workshop and saw Bridgid sporting a Whitesnake t-shirt, and a spiked belt with a Viper axe under her arm, I knew this was going to be a trip.
In this Sound Post exclusive interview, “Go-To-Girl” of Wood Violins, Bridgid Bibbens, sits down with Ian to talk about how she transformed from being a school strings teacher to violin-rockstar and spokesperson for the Electrify Your Strings program. EYS is a string education initiative founded by Mark Wood, and it is quickly sweeping the nation.
Bridgid also details the process of making one of Mark Wood’s famous Viper instruments (and then proceeds to rock out with a familiar tune from Liverpool, England).
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Pianist Pascal Roge Is Definition Of Classy
Class Act of the Day
It’s good to see that some people are already getting into the holiday spirit!
When Scott Freck, the general manager of the North Carolina Symphony made the call to virtuoso pianist, Pascal Rogé, to inform him of their inability to honor his contract for a performance of the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos because of financial constraints, he was more than likely ready for a verbal beat-down, or at the least a serious case of embarrassment.
What he didn’t expect, was Rogé offering not only to play the concert for free, but also to bring his wife, Ami Rogé, to play alongside him.
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Unfinished Debussy Operas Based On Poe Stories are Premiered
Opera comany Opéra Français de New York, in conjunction with the French Institute Alliance Française, presented two single-act operas that were left unfinished by French composer Claude Debussy. The two works are based on the Edgar Allan Poe stories “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Devil in the Belfry.”
According to NY Times writer Anthony Tommasini, the existing music for both operas, incomplete sketches included, was not enough to fill even an hour. So, the program was fleshed out with four songs and a piano prelude. Tommasini says that the show, called “Debussy and Poe,” still captured the dark, macabre exploration that Debussy intended for the works. Of course, listeners were probably unable to avoid the obvious question: what if Debussy had completed them?
For the complete performance review read the NY times here.
SOB Of The Day: Cameron Poole
Wife kicks him out of house
File this one under the SOB of the day…
Cameron Poole, now the former financial director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra is facing charges of embezzling £560,000 (roughly $936,000) from the ensemble to fund his rock-star lifestyle for the last four years.
It is thought that the money has gone towards everything from holiday vacations, clothing, antiques (including a set of £4,000 candlesticks… really?), to upgrades to his £900,000 home outside of London.
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