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[Update] January 2020: Recently surrounded by the myriad of global catastrophic events; in reflection, it is my decision to temporarily delay the tierce de Picardie award.
Thank You!
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Tierce de Picardie Award... [Update]!
[Update] January 2020: Recently surrounded by the myriad of global catastrophic events; in reflection, it is my decision to temporarily delay the tierce de Picardie award.
Thank You!
Friday, November 29, 2019
Holiday Traditions...
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| Image: via Wikimedia Commons |
Holiday Traditions...
El Mesias de Handel Mormon Tabernacle Choir 2018
(Genealogical Report, YouTube; March 27, 2018)
A Nutcracker History...
“The Nutcracker”
Денис Родькин о балете «Щелкунчик»/ Denis Rodkin talks about
“The Nutcracker” ballet
(Bolshoi Theatre, Youtube; April 11, 2020)
Nutcracker Bolshoi Ballet | Grand Ballet | Full HD
(Grand Ballet, YouTube; December 25, 2020)
Балет "Щелкунчик" / "The Nutcracker" ballet
(Bolshoi Theatre, YouTube; April 10, 2020)
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Science dances to Longfellow’s tune
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| Image: via Wikimedia Commons |
Science dances to Longfellow’s tune: Music categories share features across cultures, research suggests (G. S.MUDER, The Telegraph; 22.11.2019)
Human songs share universal patterns across world cultures
(News Release; EurekAlert!; 21 November 2019)
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/aaft-hss111819.php
Featured Research Article:
Universality and diversity in Human song
(MEHR et al., 2019)
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6468/eaax0868.full.pdf
More on Samuel MEHR...
Playing our song
(Peter REUELL, The Harvard Gazette; September 12, 2019)
Is music a shared language?
(Alexa LIM, Science Friday; January 26, 2018)
https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/is-music-a-shared-language/
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Rivinius and Friends
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| Photo ©Marco Borggreve |
Enjoy a concert with Pianist Paul Rivinius, as “Rivinius and Friends” presents a full programme of works for Piano trio, quartet and quintet.
Join them on Sunday, 24 November 2019 starting at 5:30pm at the Aula des Städt. Gymnasiums Hückelhoven, Doktor-Ruben-Straße, 41836 Hückelhoven, Germany
This performance is open to everyone.
Tickets are 15€!
To learn more about Pianist Paul Rivinius,
plus future concerts, click the link below.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Giovanni Sollima at the Festival Violoncellistico Internationale Alfredo Piatti
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| Image via alfredopiatti.it |
Concert:
Cellist and Composer Giovanni Sollima and Pianist Attilio Bergamelli will give the third Concert as part of the 14th Edition of the Festival Violoncellistico Internationale Alfredo Piatti 2019.
Works by Giovanni & Eliodoro Sollima, Dall’Abaco, Piatti, and Xenakis will be performed.
The Concert will take place at Bergamo Sala Piatti Via S, Salvatore 11, on Sunday, November 17, 2019 around 4:00 pm in Bergamo, Italy.
More:
Festival Violoncellistico Internationale Alfredo Piatti and Programmes
Associazione Alfredo Piatti
Festival Internationale Violoncellistico Alfredo Piatti 2019 | My Cello
Pricing and Maps
About Giovanni Sollima - Composer & Cellist:
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Trio Hielscher-Binder-Clemente at the Seeresidenz Alte Post
| Image via starbergersee-info.de |
The Trio Hielscher-Binder-Clemente,
also known as <<Trio Harmonic Brass>>
will be in concert at the Seeresidenz Alte Post
Friday, November 15, 2019
Seeshaupt, Germany
They will perform works by Mozart, Chopin and Brahms.
About The Artists
For information about time and ticket prices click here!
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Performance Protocol for Print Music: “Chicken or Egg”?
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| Image via Wikimedia Commons Speiseaufzug-centralbyggnad.JPG: *Ek-kopenhagen-2-horz.jpg: otto fickderivative work: Emma7stern (talk)derivative work: Hic et nunc [Public domain] |
Back in the day when Print Music Publishing Houses were “sacrosanct”, there were no such things as "personal use" copiers. Spinning the age old question of "which came first, the chicken or the egg"; the issue of performance protocol did not exist.
With all rights and attributes being acknowledged today, is it acceptable to use copied print music when performing?
The proverbial “chicken” in this case would be the Print Music Publishing Houses of yesteryear. Recalling my own experience with an arrival of a music book published in France; the size, texture, and tactile “feel”
of the paper - not to mention its “aroma” - thrilled my young heart. I had and held a secret... I was no longer sitting at the piano, but was rather a traveler voyaging to an exotic “far away” place. So..., with a great deal of stealth, I opened my Mother’s teaching school supplies cabinet, and chose heavy manila stock paper to enclose my precious secret and prized possession...
Today, with the ease of Internet, Computers, and Copiers, one has within reach music no longer in print. It is now accessible through Digital music libraries; and some scores are now “Public Domain”
worldwide. In this instance, copied music can be considered as the proverbial “egg”; being that it is a "product" of the original, historically recognized Print Music Publishing Houses.
Question: Is there actually a globally accepted print performance protocol in place?
For myself as both a Musician and an avowed “Foodie”, an “egg” with my noodles is delicious, as well as any “chicken” on the run...
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| photo by mrh 2019 |
Musically speaking... IT’S ALL GOOD!
Monday, October 28, 2019
Cello | Fresno International Cello Festival at CSU Fresno (October 31 - November 3, 2019)
Fresno State Brings World Renowned Musicians for International Cello Festival
(Benjamin KIRK, Fresno State News; October 23, 2019)
Cello | Fresno - The Annual Celebration of All Things Cello!
Cello | Fresno Final Concert
Sunday, August 4, 2019
The cellist Anner Bylsma has died | gramophone.co.uk
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| Photo via Grammaphone.co.uk |
The cellist Anner Bylsma has died | gramophone.co.uk
(Grammaphone - Monday 29 July 2019)
Thursday, July 25, 2019
"Preferment"...
Video via Wikimedia Commons: Scene from the elevator ascending Eiffel Tower
“Breaking the Glass Ceiling” is a description that has been used to define the effort required to breach religious, racial or gender biases faced within many fields. In this blog post, I am choosing to use the term “preferment” to describe the hurdle that we have all had to face at one time or another.
Case in point: Historically, males (XY chromosomes) have been “preferred” as Conductors, Organists, Musicians, etc. rather than females (XX chromosomes). To my knowledge, there is no specific evidence that points to a particular gender, race, or religion as being superior to another in Music.
Personally, my musical training in Piano and Violin allowed the development of an Orchestral “ear”. Habitually listening to Arturo Toscanini on the radio as a child gave me a
Classical orchestral foundation. When the time finally arrived to actually choose a career, though? You guessed it - for me, it was only Choral music. This meant rigorous Vocal training... (sigh) As my Voice teacher tried to “channel” herself and fashion me into a “true” Vocal person, I struggled with “Caro mio ben” because I was not, nor had I ever been, a singer. Sadly, there was no choice available for me at that time in history, so that was that! My options were reduced to “starve or not to starve...” Either become a Private Piano teacher with a bona fide Elementary Teaching Credential, or pursue a Choral Music position. Eventually, I acquiesced to the “preferred” path of Choral Music; bringing my musically trained Classical Piano/Orchestral “ear” with me as I entered into the work force after graduation
from College.
“Preferment”, in my humble opinion, has stifled many a gifted individual. Because of stereotypical paths that many have been forced to take, Musicians have been made to feel helpless or “weak” as they silently struggle to maintain their dignity within a field that was not of their own choosing.
No remedy is available today that might prohibit or lessen intrinsic traditional or cultural “preferment”. What there is, however, is the self-propelled Musician who moves forward by accepting that actual “preferment” is a state that exists within one’s own self. With this understanding, a musician can continue to proactively perform to the best of his or
her abilities.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Clemente Trio at Nymphenburg Castle Summer Chamber Music Festival
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| Photo: ©Peter Clemente via MünchenMusik |
The Clemente Trio will be performing on July 12, 2019 at the Schloss Nymphenburg - Hubertussaal, in participation with the "Nymphenburger Sommer das Kammermusikfest 2019."
For more information: www.muenchenmusik.de
Nymphenburger Sommer - das Kammermusikfest 2019 continues through July 18.
Update: Correction - The Clemente Trio Concert takes place at Hubertussaal which coincides with the "Nymphenburger Sommer das Kammermusikfest 2019", and may or may not be in direct participation with it.
Monday, July 8, 2019
The Indomitable János Starker...
Remembering Janos Starker 2019 (A. Baker, YouTube; July 5, 2019)
Janos Starker | Indiana Spotlight (Journey Indiana, YouTube; May 2, 2013)
János Starker on His Performance Anxiety
(CelloBello, YouTube; April 25, 2015)
Friday, May 31, 2019
“Because”... Celebrating Shirley VERRETT-LOMANCO’s Birthday
“Because”...
During the first of two (2) early 1960s wedding reception events for Soprano Shirley VERRETT and Artist Louis LOMONACO at the Griffith Park VERRETT family home in Los Angeles; a voice from the throng of guests rang out, “Shirley, sing ‘Because’”! She smiled and promptly agreed. Surprisingly, another voice shouted, “Ask Carol to accompany you on the piano”! I looked up and said, “What?” As the sheet music for the requested piece was presented and place on the piano for me to play, Shirley sang to her husband, Louis. Needless to say, there wasn’t a “dry eye” in the house...
Because there is no film at my fingertips recording this happy event, I present instead Enrico CARUSO’s 1912 rendition of “Because” (French: “Parce que”) with English lyrics below:
— For Francesca & her family
Monday, January 28, 2019
"Framers" - The Piano Accompanist
As with a frame in the Art World which enhances the works of Artists...
The human equivalent, also unknown and often overlooked without recognition or accolades, are Piano Accompanists.
Far from “second class” Musicians/performers, the emotional character preparations are hereby applauded. These are those found unobtrusively working in various places: Dance studios, Solo competitions, Choirs, Voice/Instrument classes, Churches, and the like.
There are many occasions where one is obligated to play on an “out of tune” instrument; whether it be a Grand Piano, Upright, Small Spinet, or fewer than an “88 keyed”
Electronic Instrument...
The character attributes an Accompanist demonstrates are self-effacing, yet of utmost importance. They are gifted with the innate ability to keep the “timing’ required or often
demanded, without regard to the age of the performer or group; a steady hand and enhanced hearing, which provides for modulating and transposing when necessary; and
an abundance of perseverance and patient quietness, remembering that their role is not the work of Art itself, but the frame with which the work is supported, promoted and illuminated...
Conclusion
Therefore, in appreciation of Piano Accompanists as “Framers”, my January 2019 “tierce de Picardie” Award goes to those who are often seen as “minor” in a performance. Yet, once the final chord is struck during the cadence of the piece, said “Framers” transform into “major” players, performers, and/or voices in our Musical society today; bringing a myriad of colours, intensities, and overtones of a musical palette to the forefront.
Illustration: Jacob GROSSMAN, Bucket Elevator, In: The Elements of Chemical Engineering, 1906. Public Domain via Wikimedia
Commons.
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N. B.: The continuation of this post may be found by clicking the link provided below:
"'Framers' II - The Accompanist"
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