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August 2006

Gilligan Redux

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Bob Dylan refashioned an old California Pioneer tune for his "Days of 49" — but it's probably more famous as the melody of the "Gilligan's Island" theme song. "Gilligan" composer Jack Marshall recycled that tune once again (in classical mode) for his "Goldrush Suite"; we'll hear it tonight from the Capitol Saxophone Quartet.

Another Suite on the menu tonight is Sibelius's folksy pageant suite, the "Karelia" (Herbert von Karajan conducts the Berlin Philharmonic). Maurizio Pollini plays Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto; later on we'll hear Leon Fleischer in an excerpt from Mozart's Piano Concerto in A. Igor Stravinsky conducts his own neo-classical Symphony in C, followed by a birthday tribute to violinist/conductor Itzhak Perlman: André Previn leads the Pittsburgh Symphony as Perlman returns us to Sibelius with the Violin Concerto in D Minor.


A Dark and Stormy Night

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Tonight, some dark and stormy works, starting with Robert Schumann's "Fantasy Pieces" for piano. While he was writing the piece, Schumann decided that he was depicting the doomed romance (via Greek myth) of Hero and Leander — who were thwarted by nature itself; we'll hear a suitably passionate performance tonight from pianist Martha Argerich.

Seiji Ozawa conducts the Boston Symphony in Tchaikovsky's rather gloomy — yet strangely triumphant — final symphony, the "Pathétique." And for a little icing on the cake, we'll hear Richard Strauss's musical lament for a nearly destroyed Germany at the end of the second World War: members of the Vienna Philharmonic perform "Metamorphosen"; Herbert von Karajan conducts.


Yo Quiero Pachelbel

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D has held its own for over 300 years, being imitated (and recycled) countless times. Tonight we'll celebrate the composer's birth as Gustave Leonhardt performs one of Pachelbel's less-heard themes, the Toccata and Fugue in B-flat.

Later in the Evening, we'll take a musical sidetrip to Scotland with Mendelssohn's "Hebrides" Overture (Roy Goodman and the Hanover Band); guitarist David Russell plays Fernando Sor's "Fantasy on a Scottish Air," followed by Benjamin Britten's "Scottish Ballad" with the Pierce and Jonas Piano Duo. Also, Mark O'Connor's "The American Seasons" — O'Connor performs in the "Musicians for Harmony" September 11th benefit memorial concert at Merkin Hall (which also features the Orion Quartet and pianist Leon Fleischer).

» Musicians for Harmony at Merkin Concert Hall, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.


Prelude to a Liszt

Monday, August 28, 2006

Not only did Franz Liszt bring orchestral music (and operas) to the masses through his piano transcriptions (inventing the piano recital in the process), he also invented the orchestral "Tone Poem" — later taken up famously by composers such as Richard Strauss. We'll hear Liszt's "Les Preludes" for orchestra, based on the writings of early French Romantic Alphonse de Lamartine.

Fate knocks on the door of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Fritz Reiner in Beethoven's Symphony No. 5; pianist Alicia de Larrocha provides remedy with the "Romantic Scenes" by Enrique Granados. Later on, we'll hear one of those famous Strauss Tone Poems: Kurt Masur leads the New York Phil in "Death and Transfiguration."


The Sacred Minimalist

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt began as a serialist in the manner of Schoenberg, but found his true voice as a "sacred minimalist" — illuminating religious themes and/or texts through uncomplicated (and hauntingly beautiful) music. Tonight we'll hear "Fratres" (Brothers) in a version featuring guitarist Manuel Barrueco.

The guitar of Goran Söllscher is featured in an arrangement of Schubert's first Violin Sonata with Gil Shaham; Eduardo Mata leads Venezuala's Simon Bolivar Symphony in "Three Symphonic Variations" by Cuban composer Julián Orbón. We'll wrap things up with Johann Sebastian Bach: pianist Angela Hewitt, violinist Richard Tognetti, and flutist Alison Mitchell are featured in the Triple Concerto in A Minor.


Spotlight on: The Miller Theatre

Saturday, August 26, 2006

The doors open on another adventurous season of programming at Columbia University's Miller Theatre next month; Executive Director George Steel joins David tonight to offer a comprehensive preview.

One of the series being offered at the Miller Theatre this season is an examination of Johann Sebastian Bach's music, "Bach in Context." We'll provide a little "Bachanalia" of our own this evening with J.S.B.'s Suite of Dances; also, soloists Robert Hill and Leon Berben duke it out in C.P.E. Bach's Concerto for Harpsichord and Fortepiano. Later in the evening, we'll hear from American composer Eric Ewazen as the American Brass Quintet (and guests) explore the many different sounds of the trumpet in Ewazen's "Fantasia for Seven Trumpets."


Musical Factotum

Friday, August 25, 2006

Nobody dominated the music world like Leonard Bernstein; his legacy continues through his countless students who dominate the world of classical and broadway music today. We'll celebrate the Maestro's birthday (on this date in 1918) with selections from "West Side Story" and "Peter Pan"; also, his "Kaddish" Symphony and "Prelude, Fugue and Riffs."

We'll also note the birthday anniversary of German-born composer Stefan Wolpe (Elliot Carter described his music as having "breathtaking adventurousness and originality"). The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble performs Wolpe's Quartet for Trumpet, Sax, Piano and Percussion. On a more classical note, the Takacs Quartet serves up Beethoven's String Quartet No. 7, which uses Russian folk themes in honor of the prince who commissioned it, Count Andreas Razumovsky.


The Musical Suffragette

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Dame Ethyl Smith cemented her compositional reputation with "The March of the Women" in 1911. A leader of the Women's Suffrage movement in Britain, she was also notable for her romantic relationships with many well-known women of the day, including Virginia Woolf. Tonight we'll hear an example from Dame Ethyl's classical oeuvre, the Suite in E major, featuring pianist Liana Serbescu.

Eugene Ormandy leads the Philadelphia Orchestra in Prokofieff's delightful "Classical" Symphony; we'll also hear Debussy's incidental music for the mystery play "The Martyr of St. Sébastien" (James Conlon conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra). Later in the evening, Steven Isserlis performs Schumann's Cello Concerto, a masterful work which arose from a fit of inspiration in 1850 — but remained unperformed during Schumann's lifetime.


The American Impressionist

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

As we celebrate the music of Claude Debussy this week, we'll take a look at one of Debussy's ardent admirers and the foremost "impressionist" of American music, Charles Tomlinson Griffes. Poul Rosenbaum performs Griffes' freewheeling "Fantasy Pieces" for piano.

Music by Debussy follows, of course, with the Juilliard String Quartet in the Quartet in G Minor; we'll also hear Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel" (Mirror in the mirror), featuring saxophonist Simon Haram. Music by Ibert, Vivaldi and Brahms fill out the latter hour; also, Dvorak's famous Violin Concerto with Kyung Wa Chung (Riccardo Muti leads the Philadelphia Orchestra).


The Reluctant Impressionist

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Claude Debussy — born on this date in 1862 — hated the label "impressionist"; in fact, he had his own word to describe critics who used the term: "imbeciles." Evening Music celebrates the maverick composer all week long; tonight brings us pianist Paul Jacobs and the second set of Debussy's "Images."

Later in the evening, it's Anton Bruckner's ode to Wagner, his Symphony No. 3 (George Szell conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden). Martha Argerich brings her piano chops to Manuel De Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" with the Paris Orchestra; we'll also hear spanish-themed works by Gaspar Cassadó, Isaac Albeniz, and that most popular of medieval composers, Anonymous.


Trio Settecento

Monday, August 21, 2006

Rachel Barton Pine, John Mark Rozendaal and David Schrader formed the Trio Settecento (Trio of the 17th Century) in 1996, specifically to record Handel's violin sonatas. Now a performing and touring group, they're making their New York Debut this Thursday at the Frick Museum (we'll open our evening with a little Handelian preview).

Later on, we'll hear Ralph Vaughan Williams's light-hearted take on Aristophanes as Sir Adrian Boult leads the London Philharmonic Orchestra in incidental music for "The Wasps." Also, today marks the birthday of the great British mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker (b. 1933). We'll celebrate with Mahler's "Liebst du um Schönheit" and Sir Edward Elgar's cantata "The Music Makers" (again with Sir Adrian Boult and the London Phil).

» Trio Settecento at the Frick Museum this Thursday


The Flourishing Arts

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The ensemble Les Arts Florissants (The Flourishing Arts) has created quite a name for itself in the world of Baroque music; they've also staked a claim to some of Mozart's works. Next week, they perform Mozart's grand opera seria "Idomeneo" at the Mostly Mozart Festival. We'll hear them in action tonight with Mozart's Mass in C Minor; William Christie conducts.

Also on the plate: Handel and Haydn with the Academy of Ancient Music and the Haydn-Ensemble Berlin (you can guess which group performs which). Flutist Eugenia Zuckerman and the Shanghai String Quartet evoke the northern Andes with Alberto Ginastera's "Impresiones de la Puna"; we'll also hear music from Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra as guitarist Manuel Barrueco solos in the "Concierto Barroco."

» Les Arts Florissants at Mostly Mozart, Wednesday, August 23rd


Spotlight On: 92nd Street Y's "Days of Awe"

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Next month, the 92nd Street Y presents "Days of Awe: Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die" — which explores the theme of repentance through musical and dramatic performances. Tonight David is joined by Dr. Hanna Arie-Gaifman, director of the 92nd Street Y's Tisch Center for the Arts, to talk about the role of music and art in religious culture.

Later in the evening we'll enjoy a birthday salute to Romanian composer George Enescu (b. 1881): Miklos Rozsa leads the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in the first of Enescu's popular "Romanian Rhapsodies." Two Baroque suites fill out the program, J.S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 and the "Royall Consort" Suite (No. 8) by William Lawes.


Mostly Joshua

Friday, August 18, 2006

Violinist Joshua Bell performs at the Mostly Mozart Festival this Sunday with music by Mozart and Mendelssohn; the program also features a New York Premiere from Edgar Meyer. We'll hear Bell in a snippet arranged from Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 — and a little Edgar Meyer to boot.

Also, today marks the anniversary of Antonio Salieri's birth in 1750(incidently, there's no evidence to support the idea that Salieri poisoned Mozart!). Concerto Köln perform Salieri's Piano Concerto in B-flat with soloist Andreas Staier in our second hour. One other (slightly more recent) birthday occurs today: composer Tan Dun turns 49. We'll finish out the evening with his Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, featuring Sharon Isbin and the Gulbenkian Foundation Orchestra.

» Joshua Bell and Friends at Avery Fisher Hall


Haydn in Paris

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Franz Joseph Haydn's music was published and performed throughout Europe during his lifetime — for which he usually received no fee, due to lackadaisical copyright laws. So, Haydn was quite gratified to finally receive a commission from Paris in 1784 to write six new symphonies; we'll hear the fourth of these, nicknamed "The Queen" Symphony in honor of its admirer, Marie Antoinette.

Sir Charles Mackerras and the London Symphony Orchestra head over to Spain (sort of) with Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio espagnole"; guitarist Massimo Felici follows with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's suite of Spanish Dances, "Escarraman." We'll focus on the mostly Baroque in our last hour, as Glenn Gould takes on J.S. Bach's first Keyboard Concerto (Leonard Bernstein conducts the Columbia Symphony Orchestra).


Gone Fishing

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Franz Schubert quoted some of his popular songs in his chamber music; none more famously than in the "Trout" Piano Quintet — which invokes (and plays around with) his song of the same name. Tonight, L'Archibudelli goes fishing with Schubert's delightful and beloved work.

Also, some other large works featuring pianos: we'll hear the Engerer/Meisenberg duo in Rachmaninoff's first suite for two pianos, his "Fantasie-tableux." Returning to the Piano Quintet is the Ensemble Musique Oblique in Saint-Saëns' Op. 14 in A minor.


Musical Potpourri

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

It's pot luck night on Evening Music, with gems by Schubert, Debussy, Joaquin Rodrigo, Arvo Pärt, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Mozart (to name a few). And that's only in the first hour!

Later on, some chamber music by Schubert; Yo-yo Ma shows off his Silk Road Ensemble in Kayhan Kalhor's "Blue as the Torquoise Night of Neyshabur." Pianist Joseph Kalichstein essays Bartok's lively Rondos on Folk Tunes while Sarah Chang tunes her violin to Eduard Lalo's Symphonie espagnole, joined by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Charles Dutoit.


Symphonic Schubert

Monday, August 14, 2006

Franz Schubert never got to hear any of his later symphonies performed; it wasn't until years after his death that symphonic masterworks like the "Unfinished" and the "Great" would see the light of day. His earlier works, however, usually did recieve some sort of amateur reading; we'll hear one such work tonight as Riccardo Muti leads the (decidedly non-amateur) Vienna Philharmonic through the bubbly Symphony No. 5, written while Schubert was still a teenager.

Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 3 figures heavily in the latter hours, alongside some interesting offerings such as Peter Sacco's "Flying Saucer" Overture and Rahul Dev Burman's Bollywood anthem "Beloved, Beloved" with the Kronos Quartet. Speaking of the Kronos Quartet, you won't want to miss their very cool re-mastered version of Charles Ives's wartime song "They Are There!" — featuring the composer himself.


Shades of Darkness

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Stefania de Kenessey's "Shades of Darkness" explores the somber colors of clarinet and string quartet — a rare combination in classical chamber music. The Andiamo Chamber Ensemble performs this rich and moody piece, with evocatively-titled movements such as "Midnight Blue" and "Tawny Rose."

Some Anonymous Spanish Dances from the 17th century open the evening, however, courtesy of Andrew Lawrence-King and the Harp Consort. Also, some interesting duets from Richard Strauss (clarinet and bassoon) and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (flute and oboe); we'll hear Mozart's Bassoon and Cello Sonata, in a very subterranean arrangement for two contrabassoons.


Spotlight On: Americas Society

Saturday, August 12, 2006

We're joined by Argentinian-born composer Sebastián Zubieta, Music Director of the Americas Society (Council of the Americas). Created to promote the music of South and Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, "Music of the Americas" presents concerts, lectures and other programs featuring classical, modern and traditional music being produced in the region.

Speaking of music of the Americas, we'll hear music by, well, Americans in our latter hour. Gerard Schwarz conducts the Seattle Symphony in Alan Hovhaness's Second Symphony, "The Mysterious Mountain." Also, Philip Glass's "The Windcatcher," written for a group of very American-sounding instruments, the saxophone family.


Enchanted Dawn

Friday, August 11, 2006

Tonight, the husband (guitar) and wife (flute) duo of Benjamin Verdery and Rie Schmidt perform Ravi Shankar's mesmerizing "L'Aube Énchantée" (The Enchanted Dawn). Also, Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays music by eclectic jazz stylist Bill Evans; we'll hear "Peace Piece" (the title explains itself).

A bit later, it's Darius Milhaud's "Globetrotter" Suite for saxophone and orchestra (which has nothing to do with basketball, so we're told). The Brazilian Guitar Quartet take on Heitor Villa-Lobos's salute to the music of Bach, his "Bachianas brasilieras" No. 1; pianist Garrick Ohlsson fills out a major portion of the evening with Bach's own "Goldberg Variations."


Beethoven's Grand Fantasy

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Ludwig van Beethoven decided at the last minute that he needed a grand finale for one of his concerts, combining all the forces at hand. He dashed off the "Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra" so quickly that he didn't have time to write down the piano part — he simply improvised it himself during the performance. We'll hear the written-down version with pianist Robert Levin; John Eliot Gardiner leads the Orchestra Révolutionnaire et Romantique with the Monteverdi Choir.

Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic bring out the lush harmonies in Debussy's "Pelleas and Melisande" Suite; we'll also hear a rare snippet of musical history with Schubert's sly "Erlkönig," sung by legendary contralto Marian Anderson. Members of the Marlboro Festival Ensemble bring the evening to a close with Johannes Brahms's String Sextet No. 2 in G.


Hello Dolly

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Gabriel Fauré wrote his "Dolly" Suite as a birthday present for the young daughter of his mistress, Emma Bardac. While the affair didn't last (Emma ended up marrying Claude Debussy!), this lovely suite for piano duet has entertained generations. We'll hear it tonight from the nimble fingers of pianists Kathryn Stott and Martin Roscoe.

We'll also hear a tidbit from Emma Bardac's other love, Claude Debussy, with the orchestral version of his nocturne, "Clouds." Later on, it's Mozart's Sinfonia concertante in E-flat with the London Chamber Orchestra; the London Symphony takes up Maurice Ravel's "Rapsodie espagnol" directly after. Filling out the evening is Camille Saint-Saëns's Piano Trio No. 1 in F and Beethoven's second "Rasumovsky" String Quartet.


Mr. Softee

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Tonight we'll serve up Jed Distler's irreverent and witty "Mr. Softee Variations" (yes, THAT Mr. Softee — as if New Yorkers can't get enough of the famous ice cream truck jingle as it is!). You can hear more Distler this week during the Composers Collaborative Festival at the Cornelia Street Café.

No less catchy is Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" variations, which we'll hear from Erich Kunzel and the Cincinatti Pops. Also, two substantial works from Jean Sibelius: Bryden Thomson and the Scottish National Orchestra illuminate the "Four Lyrical Pieces"; later on, it's Sibelius's Piano Quintet in G Minor (Anthony Goldstone and the Gabrielli String Quartet).

» More information on the Composers Collaborative Festival at the Cornelia Street Café


The Faithful Shepherd

Monday, August 07, 2006

In the wake of Romanticism it was popular to re-arrange pieces from earlier eras for full-blown modern orchestras — Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor, for example. Another example is the Handelian suite we'll hear tonight, "The Faithful Shepherd." Sir Yehudi Menuhin leads the Royal Philharmonic in this delightful work, created by Thomas Beecham from Handel's opera of the same name.

Also tonight, Daniel Barenboim multi-tasks his way through Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 16 as pianist and conductor with the English Chamber Orchestra. We'll hear Dvorak's marvelous Sixth Symphony from the St. Louis Symphony under Leonard Slatkin, and a birthday tribute to Estonian composer Veljo Tormis: the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir performs "Votic Wedding Songs."


Eve's Redemption

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Brooklyn-born composer Jerome Moross described his 1953 ballet "The Last Judgement" as "all Women's Lib twenty years before that became fashionable." Never actually performed on the stage, the ballet deals with the exoneration of Eve from original sin and her triumphal entry into Heaven. Jo-Ann Falletta leads the London Symphony Orchestra in the World-Premiere recording of this dramatic score.

Also tonight, a sneak peek at next week's Composers Collaborative concerts at the Cornelia Street Café. Cellist/singer/composer Jody Redhage performs music from her upcoming CD release on August 8th; tonight we'll a piece written for her by Judd Greenstein, called "Corrupted."

» More info on Composers Collaborative at the Cornelia Street Café, August 8-12.


Spotlight on: Orchestra of St. Luke's

Saturday, August 05, 2006

One of New York City's true musical gems, the Orchestra of St. Luke's closes the Caramoor Festival's season next weekend with music by John Adams and Mozart. Tonight, we'll hear from principal French horn player Stewart Rose, who shares his own recordings as well as those of the acclaimed ensemble.

We'll bring an ebullient end to the evening with two Rhapsodies by Brahms (featuring pianist Emanuel Axe) and George Gershwin's Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra (Michael Tilson Thomas plays and conducts the San Francisco Symphony). Also, Estonian composer Peeter Vähi's flute concerto, "Chant of the Celestial Lake," based on Asian legend. Featured is Flutist Maarika Järvi; brother Kristjan Järvi leads the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra.


Of Kings and Queens

Friday, August 04, 2006

Music written for and inspired by royalty dominates the evening, including excerpts from Henry Purcell's "King Arthur." Harpist Andrew Lawrence-King and keyboardist Skip Sempe give equal time to "The Queen's Maske" and "Queen Elizabeth's Pavane."

The action shifts to Italy later in the evening with Paganini's "Carnival of Venice"; we'll also hear Sir Arthur Sullivan's "Merchant of Venice" suite. Two popular works from different eras round out the program: Bach's second "Brandenberg" concerto and Manuel Ponce's "Concierto del sur."


Stravinsky's Scherzo

Thursday, August 03, 2006

A young Igor Stravinsky described the brash musical language in his Scherzo fantastique as "fierce, like a toothache, but [alternating] with agreeable harmony, like cocaine." It also marked the beginning of his professional relationship with ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who was at the first performance. We'll hear it in our first hour tonight with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly.

Another musical relationship that went down in music history is that of Felix Mendelssohn and Johann Sebastian Bach — albeit some 80 years after Bach's death. Mendelssohn almost single-handedly brought Bach's music back into the public eye through his performances in the 1830's. We'll hear one of Bach's famous tunes, his harmonization of Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." We'll also hear Mendelssohn's "Reformation" Symphony, which pays tribute to Bach by incorporating the famous melody.


O'Connor's Trail of Tears

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Mark O'Connor says he "felt a crushing emptiness" while writing his "Trail of Tears" for violin and orchestra, about the infamous forced migration of the Cherokee in the late 1830's. Steven Mercurio conducts the London Philharmonic with soloist O'Connor in this elegaic piece, which weaves European themes with Native American elements to moving effect.

Beethoven notwithstanding, Leos Janacek wrote his own "Kreutzer Sonata" late in life (responding to a request from the famed Bohemian String Quartet). Rather than Beethoven, however, Janacek took his inspiration from Tolstoy's novel about adultery, jealousy and murder (all coming to blows during a performance of Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata — which gave Tolstoy his title for his book). Tonight, the Medici Quartet takes on Janacek's vivid musical exploration of Tolstoy's tortured characters.


Mozart's Clarinet

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

It's so commonplace nowadays, it's easy to forget that the clarinet had a late start as far as instruments go. In fact, it might be very different today if it hadn't been for Mozart, who liked the instrument and wrote plenty of beautiful music for it (thereby enhancing its popularity). Tonight we'll hear Mozart's Clarinet Quintet in A, featuring Sabine Meyer and the Hagen Quartet.

Roy Goodman and the Hanover Band serve up Mendelssohn's musical travelogue, the "Scottish" Symphony (No. 3). Another symphony in the qeue tonight is Johannes Brahms's first offering in the genre, which he took years to complete in the wake of Beethoven's monumental Ninth. Conductor William Steinberg leads the stalwart Pittsburg Symphony in Brahms's Symphony No. 1 in C Minor.