My review of Gabriel Kahane’s return to live performance at the University of Washington’s Meany Center with a preview of the new crop of songs from his internet hiatus:
SEATTLE — In November 2019,Gabriel Kahane embarked on a yearlong hiatus from the internet. He disengaged himself completely from social media and cut off the cell phone umbilical cord. But several months into this experiment, he was forced into further isolation by the pandemic. His appearance Nov. 6 at Meany Center, the University of Washington’s main performance venue, marked one of Kahane’s first occasions enjoying live contact with the public since lockdowns began. The singer-songwriter-pianist is one of four Meany Center Creative Research Fellows this season at the UW.
Nostalgic clip from October 2009, when Ludovic Morlot was rehearsing with the Seattle Symphony
Congratulations to Ludovic Morlot, Conductor Emeritus of Seattle Symphony, who has just been named music director of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. His tenure startsSeptember 2022 for an initial four seasons. He succeeds Kazushi Ono.
From the press release:
Morlot will conduct a minimum of eleven weeks a year. Ambitious plans together will include an increased digital presence, CD recordings, international residencies, talent development and youth programs, and a commitment to expand the permanent symphony orchestra size. His appointment is the culmination of a three-year search process, and follows conducting weeks with the orchestra in December 2020 and then again last month.
Robert Brufau, the Director of L’Auditori, stated that ‘with Ludovic Morlot at the helm, the OBC reaches an international level to defend the role that symphonic music has to play in the 21st century. Morlot has proven his capacity to promote the artistic growth of large groups that, thanks to his leadership, have achieved great success. Modernity and rigour are part of his DNA as an artist, and this is evident in everything he does, from management to the stage with full awareness of the challenges of modern society’.
Morlot remains Associate Artist of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and Conductor Emeritus of the Seattle Symphony – an honorary title bestowed on him for the extraordinary achievements of his eight years as the orchestra’s Music Director.
The public of Catalonia will next be able to enjoy Ludovic Morlot’s artistry in the week of 17 January at L’Auditori, conducting the Barcelona Symphony in works by Bach, Betsy Jolas, Schumann, Carter, and Mahler, with the pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard as guest soloist.
Next up from Byron Schenkman & Friends: on Sunday 14 November 2021at 7:00 PM, Pacific Time, Byron is joined by violinist Rachell Ellen Wong and violist Susan Gulkis Assadi for an all-Mozart program. You can watch the performance free on YouTube (you can donate here).
To get in the mood, tonight, Friday 5 November, Sean MacLean hosts all three musicians in a live studio performance on Classical KING FM 98.1at 8:00 PM. They will play Mozart’s “Kegelstatt” Trio in E-flat major from the upcoming concert and other musical gems Byron wants to share.
Program for 14 November Concert
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Sonata in G Major, K. 301, for violin and piano
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Sonata in C Major, K. 330 (300h), for piano
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Adagio in C Major, K. 356 (617a), for glass harmonica (or piano)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Trio in E-flat Major “Kegelstatt” K. 498 for violin, viola, and pian
On Tuesday 2 November, an online series delving into the life and music of Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942) will be launched. Titled Recovered Voices 2021: Schulhoff and More and presented by the Los Angeles-based Colburn School’s Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices, the series will explore this prolific and multi-faceted composer who drew on an enormous range of styles and influences.
From the press release:
The Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices was established in 2013 with the purpose of championing composers such as Schulhoff whose lives were disrupted—or even ended—during the years of the Nazi regime in Europe. In collaboration with Robert Elias and with the critical support of individual philanthropists, the Initiative continues to bring this important repertory back to life for generations to come through performances, classes, competitions, symposia, recordings, and more. For the past seven years, the Ziering-Conlon Initiative offered an annual semester-long course, “Recovered Voices: An Examination of Lesser-Known Composers and Works of the Early Twentieth Century,” with weekly lectures by Conlon, Elias, and other experts. Due to COVID, the annual in-person course was reimagined for digital platforms. This free series will consist of four 45-minute multimedia presentations by Conlon exploring the life and legacy of composer Erwin Schulhoff, including musical examples—most performed and recorded by Colburn musicians—in each installment.
Recovered Voices 2021: Schulhoff and MorePresented by James ConlonAll episodes premiere at 12pm PT Nov. 2, 2021Recovered Voices 101 Nov. 16, 2021Erwin Schulhoff’s Early Life and Music: Tradition Meets Dada Nov. 30, 2021Erwin Schulhoff: A Classical Music Jazz Prophet Dec. 14, 2021Erwin Schulhoff: The Twenties and a Turn Toward Socialist Realism
I wrote about the remarkable young violist Jésus Rodolfo for Musical America’s New Artist of the Month column:
At heart, Jesús Rodolfo is a storyteller who uses four strings and a bow to give voice to his restless imagination. The young Spanish violist constantly returns to the model of narrative—even when discussing music as formally abstract as Paul Hindemith’s sonatas for the instrument, which rank among his favorites. Two of his albums to date are devoted to the composer’s sonatas (those with piano accompaniment and the solo viola sonatas).
Here’s some music from “the other Halloween” that doesn’t get so much rotation (even though Walpurgisnacht is actually celebrated on 30 April). Mendelssohn set the Goethe poem Die erste Walpurgisnacht as a cantata, the first version of which premiered in early 1833, the year after Goethe’s death.
Mendelssohn described it as “a grand cantata with full orchestra. … [W]hen the watchmen make a ruckus with their prongs and pitchforks and owls, there is also the witches’ spookiness, and [you] know that I have a particular fondness for that … ”
Mendelssohn’s complete cantata consists of:
Ouvertüre: Das schlechte Wetter – Der Übergang zum Frühling (Overture: Bad weather – Transition to Spring)
“Es lacht der Mai” (May is in full bloom): tenor & chorus of Druids & people.
“Könnt ihr so verwegen handeln?” (Could you be so rash, so daring?): alto, old woman, & chorus of wives of the people.
“Wer Opfer heut zu bringen scheut” (Whoever fears to sacrifice): baritone, priest, & chorus of Druids.
“Verteilt euch, wackre Männer, hier” (Divide your forces, valiant men): chorus of Druid watchmen.
“Diese dummen Pfaffenchristen” (Christians and their priests are witless): bass, watchman, & chorus of watchmen.
“Kommt mit Zacken und mit Gabeln” (Come with prongs and pitchforks): chorus of Druids and people.
“So weit gebracht, dass wir bei Nacht” (It’s come so far that now by night): baritone, priest, & chorus of Druids and people.
“Hilf, ach hilf mir, Kriegsgeselle” (Help, oh help me, comrade): tenor & chorus of Christian watchmen.
“Die Flamme reinigt sich vom Rauch” (The flame cleanses itself of smoke): baritone, priest, & chorus of Druids and people
Goethe’s poem is as follows:
Die erste Walpurgisnacht
Ein Druide
Es lacht der Mai!
Der Wald ist frei
Von Eis und Reifgehänge.
Der Schnee ist fort;
Am grünen Ort
Erschallen Lustgesänge.
Ein reiner Schnee
Liegt auf der Höh';
Doch eilen wir nach oben,
Begehn den alten heil'gen Brauch,
Allvater dort zu loben.
Die Flamme lodre durch den Rauch!
So wird das Herz erhoben.
Die Druiden
Die Flamme lodre durch den Rauch!
Begeht den alten heil'gen Brauch,
Allvater dort zu loben!
Hinauf! Hinauf nach oben!
Einer aus dem Volke
Könnt ihr so verwegen handeln?
Wollt ihr denn zum Tode wandeln?
Kennet ihr nicht die Gesetze
Unsrer harten Überwinder?
Rings gestellt sind ihre Netze
Auf die Heiden, auf die Sünder.
Ach, sie schlachten auf dem Walle
Unsre Weiber, unsre Kinder,
Und wir alle
Nahen uns gewissem Falle.
Chor der Weiber
Auf des Lagers hohem Walle
Schlachten sie schon unsre Kinder.
Ach, die strengen Überwinder!
Und wir alle
Nahen uns gewissem Falle.
Ein Druide
Wer Opfer heut
Zu bringen scheut,
Verdient erst seine Bande.
Der Wald ist frei!
Das Holz herbei,
Und schichtet es zum Brande!
Doch bleiben wir
Im Buschrevier
Am Tage noch im Stillen,
Und Männer stellen wir zur Hut
Um eurer Sorge willen.
Dann aber lasst mit frischem Mut
Uns unsre Pflicht erfüllen!
Chor der Wächter
Verteilt euch, wackre Männer, hier
Durch dieses ganze Waldrevier
Und wachet hier im stillen,
Wenn sie die Pflicht erfüllen!
Ein Wächter
Diese dumpfen Pfaffenchristen,
Lasst uns keck sie überlisten!
Mit dem Teufel, den sie fabeln,
Wollen wir sie selbst erschrecken.
Kommt! Mit Zacken und mit Gabeln,
Und mit Glut und Klapperstöcken
Lärmen wir bei nächt'ger Weile
Durch die engen Felsenstrecken.
Kauz und Eule
Heul' in unser Rundgeheule!
Chor der Wächter
Kommt mit Zacken und mit Gabeln
Wie der Teufel, den sie fabeln,
Und mit wilden Klapperstöcken
Durch die leeren Felsenstrecken!
Kauz und Eule
Heul in unser Rundgeheule!
Ein Druide
So weit gebracht,
Dass wir bei Nacht
Allvater heimlich singen!
Doch ist es Tag,
Sobald man mag
Ein reines Herz dir bringen.
Du kannst zwar heut
Und manche Zeit
Dem Feinde viel erlauben.
Die Flamme reinigt sich vom Rauch:
So reinig' unsern Glauben!
Und raubt man uns den alten Brauch;
Dein Licht, wer will es rauben!
Ein christlicher Wächter
Hilf, ach hilf mir, Kriegsgeselle!
Ach, es kommt die ganze Hölle!
Sieh, wie die verhexten Leiber
Durch und durch von Flamme glühen!
Menschenwölf' und Drachenweiber,
Die im Flug vorüberziehen!
Welch entsetzliches Getöse!
Lasst uns, lasst uns alle fliehen!
Oben flammt und saust der Böse,
Aus dem Boden
Dampfet rings ein Höllenbroden.
Chor der christlichen Wächter
Schreckliche verhexte Leiber,
Menschenwölf' und Drachenweiber!
Welch entsetzliches Getöse!
Sieh, da flammt, da zieht der Böse!
Aus dem Boden
Dampfet rings ein Höllenbroden!
Chor der Druiden
Die Flamme reinigt sich vom Rauch:
So reinig' unsern Glauben!
Und raubt man uns den alten Brauch;
Dein Licht, wer kann es rauben!
The talented young conductor Christian Baldini conducts the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra on this newly released album — a challenging and fascinating collection of music by Lutosławski, Ligeti, Varèse, and Baldini himself. I was delighted to review it for the November issue of Gramophone:
Having proved himself an engaging Mozartian with his previous release (a collection of arias and overtures with Elizabeth Watts and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra – Linn, 7/15), Christian Baldini here displays his expertise in modernist and contemporary fare…
Bernard Haitink has died. The 92-year-old conductor passed away peacefully at home, according to his representatives.
I had the privilege of attending his very final concert, in the summer of 2019, when he led the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Lucerne Festival. He maintained a close association with Lucerne for many years, including a nearby residence. Haitink’s farewell song was Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 (without score), paired with Beethoven’s G major Piano Concerto, with Emanuel Ax as the soloist.
Christian Wildhagen penned an eloquent review: ““Hatte er zuvor bei Beethovens 4. Klavierkonzert vorrangig Emmanuel Ax, einem feinsinnigen Pianisten der alten Schule, in nobel-zurückhaltender Weise die Bühne bereitet, so kam bei Bruckner noch einmal der grosse Architekt, der überragende Formgestalter Haitink zur Geltung. Wie beim späten Günter Wand wird die Detailarbeit hier mitnichten zur Nebensache, sie bildet aber lediglich die Basis für eine viel weiter ausgreifende Gestaltung, in der Entwicklungen teilweise über drei, vier Minuten behutsam entfaltet werden (etwa in der magischen Rückführung zur Reprise im ersten Satz oder beim grossen Wagner-Epitaph im Adagio), während sich die Spannungsbögen sogar bruchlos über ganze Sätze wölben.”
That summer–the last before the pandemic–there was also a vernissage for the publication of Erich Singer and Peter Hagmann’s fine collection of essays and conversations with Haitink: Dirigieren ist ein Rätsel. An English translation has yet to be issued.
There was a lot of excitement in the air at the opening of San Francisco Opera’s new production of Fidelio, which had been delayed for a year for obvious reasons. Here’s my review for Musical America:
MEMETERIA by Thomas May 