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Archive for June, 2007

Painting and Jazz

Saturday, June 30th, 2007

Many major figures in modern art were fascinated by the relationship between visual art and music, especially those who followed in Van Gogh’s footsteps and experimented with colour in novel ways. Vincent himself took music lessons from an organist in Eindhoven, but they were not a success, because he constantly compared chords with pigments such [...]

Still Looking

Saturday, June 30th, 2007

So my quest for the right work continues. It’s not like I’m too picky … is it? I only need a chamber work written by and American composer. Oboe is a must, but there are different combinations that would work. Available for the recital are oboe (me), flute, clarinet, violin, piano. In addition we could [...]

Happy Day

Friday, June 29th, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DK!
Wishing one of the finest musicians I know a very wonderful year.
I do hope you have had a lovely day, and LET’S DO LUNCH!
Just say when … well, it has to work with my teaching schedule and all, of course … and we can have a nice yak and meal. Okay? :-)
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Slides?!

Friday, June 29th, 2007

Read at someone’s blog:

Even stranger are instruments like the oboe. Who looked at the various wind instruments and thought, “Y’know, what we need is one that’s about six feet long with slides and keys everywhere; that’ll be practical!”

Now the “six feet long” tells me he is not really thinking of an oboe. I would have [...]

A Real Ramble

Friday, June 29th, 2007

David, over at mixed meters had me laughing while reading today’s blog entry. (By the way David, I can’t send you an email because of your spam blocker. Just so you know.)
Well, okay, I was laughing on the inside. It’s just far too early to vocalize.
Oh. Wait. I’m not a vocalist. I can vocalize [...]

Beverly Sills

Thursday, June 28th, 2007

I just read that Beverly Sills is gravely ill. I didn’t know she had cancer earlier in her life, nor did I know she had it now.
Here she is 50. I am 50. I can’t sing. She can. Here she is in Traviata. This is fun, and this is mad. Danny Kaye [...]

Last Night

Thursday, June 28th, 2007

Dan, Jameson and I went to Der Rosenkavalier last night. When music is so wonderful time doesn’t mean anything any more, I guess. I was mesmerized. (Confession time: I’ve never heard all of DR before. Sad, but true.) What an incredible opera … I’m so glad we were able to go! I know I can’t [...]

These instruments …

Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

I’m thinking of switching to a different instrument. Nothing beats the sound of an oboe, oboe d’amore or English horn, but still …
You don’t have to make oboe reeds.
However the instruments sound, they sound just fine.
They don’t cost a lot.
They are easy to find.
They are easy to replace.
They are colorful!
You can make a wonderful soup [...]

MQOD

Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

Always treat artists with respect. Most of them know how to do something you can’t do.

Don’t be afraid to be wrong.

Don’t be afraid to be enthusiastic!

-Terry Teachout (This is the advice he gives when giving classes and seminars in criticism. RTWT)
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ppp!

Monday, June 25th, 2007

Orchestra and audience alike were back in a comfort zone for the Brahms Symphony No. 2 after intermission, at least until the sound of a sobbing woman cut through the orchestra in the second movement. Welser-Möst kept conducting but looked out into the audience, no doubt wondering what could possibly be next.
It’s really best to [...]

Not True

Monday, June 25th, 2007

Okay, so she is very, very cute. And she sings sweetly, although I could do without kiddo vibrato for some reason. (I’m not sure why, but when young children use vibrato it doesn’t sound right to me.) But she was not “pitch perfect”, which is what is said toward the end.
No, I really don’t [...]

New Sounds, New Sites

Monday, June 25th, 2007

Of course many of you have heard the sounds on the YouTube link below before, but I’m guessing they are new to some; I know some of my students still struggle with the “modern” sounds of the Hindemith! Many of us who studied oboe in a university setting at least attempted the Berio Sequenza if [...]

Music Quote

Monday, June 25th, 2007

If you develop an ear for sounds that are musical it is like developing an ego. You begin to refuse sounds that are not musical and that way cut yourself off from a good deal of experience.

-John Cage
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Great Fun!

Monday, June 25th, 2007

I’ve always enjoyed Imani Winds. I have several of their CDs, and if they get back to the Bay Area you can bet I’ll do my best to attend. Now you can hear an NPR segment about them. I especially love the “When Jeffrey Got His Groove Back” portion; this is something I’d love to [...]

Hah!

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

Ran across this at a site I landed on:

Harmonics! I want to punch anyone talking about harmonics. The double reed association (IDsomething something) is here for a while, and practicing in their rooms at odd hours, and making unrequested blatts in public, and . They know nothing of the Music building, and since they’re living [...]

Il Trittico …

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

… is on at this very moment on our local PBS station. Wonderful stuff! And I believe I just saw (and heard) Anne-Caroline Bird. (ACB, that is you, right? You, with the lovely voice? I was checking your site, but there are no pictures of you in costume … but it sure looks like you!) [...]

MQOD

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

When I wrote the last note I told myself, never again. But I am already working on something else, something light and bubbly. It is nearly a musical comedy. The critics will turn up their noses, but what does that matter?

-Lorin Maazel (Referring to his mostly panned opera, 1984.)
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Giving the A

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

Here’s one explanation:

The concertmaster then asks the principal oboist to play the note A, and the orchestra tunes up to that note. It is always the oboist who plays the tuning note, and it is always A. This is because the pitch of A is the note that is determined by international conventions √ it [...]

One Of Many Reasons

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

Why I ♥ Bobby McFerrin.
Want more of Bobby? He has a site that includes this radio.
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A Question & More

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

It?s a real challenge trying to update classical music into something palatable for the MTV generation.

-David Garrett (read more)

I don’t know the name, and I don’t know anything about his playing. The article, which is talking not only about his music but about his looks, shows a very attractive picture of the musician.
But what [...]

Tattoo Time?

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

So if you, as a classical musician, were to get a tattoo, just what would you get?
What would I choose? Gee, I honestly can’t think of anything. Music is definitely part of what I am, but it isn’t the all of me. I think getting a tattoo of something music related would imply that. [...]

MQOD

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

Classical music should be slow and serious.

-Donald Duck (heard here)
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Am I Awful or Just Out of Touch?

Friday, June 22nd, 2007

Is it awful that I don’t know the name William Orbit?
I just read that this man, who is connected to the name Madonna (not the one from centuries ago, but the one that sings like a virgin … heh … oh, wait … I mean sings Like a Virgin, has a few kids, adopted [...]

A Reminder

Friday, June 22nd, 2007

I happen to know the bassoonist … he’s quite good!

(Timothy Emerson just happens to be my brother. But even if he wasn’t my brother I’d say he’s a very top notch bassoonist. Expressive. Talented. Go listen.)

MQOD

Friday, June 22nd, 2007

If you love System of a Down, you’ll probably really dig Shostakovich’s 11th Symphony.

-Peter Oundjian (read here)
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