happy new year, I guess. i’ve never understood what the big deal was, to be honest. I just have to remember a new number when I write checks. And I write checks infrequently these days. My real year begins when the new opera and symphony seasons begin and the schools start up, to be honest. [...]
Archive of entries posted on December 2007
More Tales From The Pit
Kim Witman brings us some more pit stories. Silly brass players. ;-)
Updating
So I’m going to be reorganizing my blog links. It’s time. Some folks haven’t been writing for months. If that’s you, and you still wish to be included, please let me know. Otherwise, it’s curtains for you. So take a bow if you’d like. If you are a blogger as well as a reader of [...]
Saw It, Finally
I went to see Sweeney Todd today. I’m not going to put up a huge review. It’s not my style. But I’ll write a wee bit here. I wasn’t blown away. I guess I was expecting—or hoping—to be. It was fine. It was disturbing, as it should be. But there were just a few things [...]
Good For Those Anchorage Double Reeds!
Read here: WANNA SEE: The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra has excellent double reed players. Some pieces featuring oboe, bassoon and English horn would be wonderful — maybe some Sibelius or Shostakovich? And I’d love to see Ralph Vaughn Williams on next season’s program.
“Are you ready?”
The above is a mini-quote by Leonard Bernstein, read in this article by Anthony Tommasini. Check it out. (By the way … I loved the illustration, by Koren Shadmi, at the top of the article. You can read the illustrator’s blog here. He does really great work.)
Batch? In Cleveland?
So … is Bach really pronounced “Batch” by some? That’s what it sounds like in this podcast by “audio newsstand”, whatever that is. (New to me, anyway.) And Prokofiev as “Procofeeve” (or something like that, with the accent on the first syllable). The British sounding voice sounds computerized, with no expression whatsoever. Of course a [...]
“It Is Neither English Nor A Horn”
How many times have you read that (title of this entry) in a review or article (or on wikipedia) about the English horn? Yeah. too many times. Several years ago I found an article that I clearly just skimmed, because I sure hadn’t noticed this: There isn’t really anything “English” about the English horn: The [...]
Sing!
If you’re not vocalizing, something’s missing. -Kim Kashkashian (violist, read here) I try to get my students to sing on occasion. They fight that. I can’t imagine not singing, and of course as some around here will tell you, I tend to whistle along with music when I’m in the car. I like silence. I [...]
Saying No
I did a gig recently that I have sworn I will never do again. I was freezing the entire time. I was so cold that my body ached from being so tense. One player was so sharp and one so flat there was nothing to do about pitch. (They didn’t seem to notice any problem.) [...]
“Tired.”
I have a habit of asking my students how they are when they walk into the studio. Actually, the conversation usually goes like this: Me: “Well hello there! And how are you today?” Student: “Tired.” Me: “Well, that’s nothing new. And how’s the oboe?” Student: “Okay.” I hereby announce that I am not going to [...]
Weirdest Music News of All
Daily Observations blogger Charles Noble writes about and has a link to “weird classical music news” in the Seattle Times. I’m with him; the weirdest news of all is that the Seattle Times’ writer, Melinda Bargreen, omitted anything about their very own symphony orchestra. To these ears that speaks volumes.
Too Funny
Okay, I’ll admit it: I like weird things, and I like funny shows, and I like parodies. And I have a strange sense of humor in some people’s minds. So when Jameson brought home a DVD of Flight of the Conchords I was drawn in pretty darn fast. Especially with I’m not cryin’.
Huh?
Sibelius gave the call of the swan to a rarely-encountered instrument, the English horn – which is actually a variant of the oboe. The choice is perfect, as the calls of the swan are stark and chilly. Um. I don’t understand. Is the writer suggesting that the English horn is stark and chilly? Do tell! [...]
Oooh, Baby
I was looking up the Bach Cantata #82. Lo and behold, one movement is listed as “Ich babe genug” by both iTunes and emusic.com. Yes. I laughed. So do we translate that as “I’m enough babe”, ya think?