In case you haven’t heard the fifth symphony, below is the work (please note that I haven’t had time to watch and listen yet, so I can’t say anything about this performance). Better than YouTube, of course, is for you to go to the concert. Prokofiev 5 is a mighty great work!
So I guess I only read part of the article I quoted in my earlier blog entry (and forgot to post a link to the article too … my apologies!). There was more to the story. I just didn’t scroll down. (I’m gonna blame my illness and the layout of the article, okay?)
Regarding Ms. Garanca, Mr. Gockley commented, “It pains me greatly to announce that Ms. Garanca has chosen not to appear in next season’s Werther as promised. She is a glamorous young star who has created a stir in Europe and at the Metropolitan Opera, and I was looking forward to presenting her West Coast debut. However, after extensive discussions with her management and having filed a grievance through the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), I am satisfied that the financial settlement we have reached disposes of the matter.” A series of European concerts has been recently announced on Ms. Garanca’s website during the Werther performance schedule.
And HERE is the link I neglected earlier. Sorry!
San Francisco Opera today announced prominent British mezzo-soprano Alice Coote will now star as Charlotte opposite celebrated Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas in next season’s new production of Jules Massenet’s French opera, Werther. Ms. Coote replaces previously announced Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca, who was to have made her Company debut but cited personal reasons for her withdrawal from the San Francisco Opera engagement.
Elina has performed live for the worldwide broadcasts by the Met recently in the title roles for La Cenerentola and Carmen, the latter with Roberto Alagna.
I think I’d rather make something rather than cite personal reasons. The minute someone says ‐ or writes — “personal reasons” I think readers play the guessing game about the why of it all. (I mostly worry about someone’s health.)
Or is that just my problem?
Of course if one says, “Scheduling Conflict” we think, “How stupid can his/her manager be?”
Guess it’s a lose-lose, eh?
I went to San Francisco Opera’s Werther page and the change isn’t mentioned there, but Alice Coote’s name is already up. IIRC, I missed her in something this past season, so I’ll happily hear her next year! I can’t remember what she was supposed to sing, but I seem to recall she was ill.
Gee … illness. It does strike, doesn’t it? As in right now for yours truly. I have some sort of a cold. And I’m not happy about it. But chicken soup is heating up, so I’m about to have at it. (My first real meal of the day, actually; when I feel crummy I don’t like to eat much.)
Playing oboe is a good way to procrastinate
Gee, I never thought of it that way!
Gabriela Montero is a concert pianist with a special calling card. She devotes much of her time to an activity that classical pianists pretty much abandoned a couple of centuries ago: improvising.
Typically, she will ask her audience to suggest a theme; someone might shout out “Star Wars” or “La Cucaracha” or a well-known melody by Bach. Then, Montero will begin one of her “free-falls,” as she puts it, letting her fingers spin freewheeling improvisations on the theme, adding new harmonies, building a flowing fantasia that veers far from its source.
If you see Montero in performance with Symphony Silicon Valley this week — Thursday, Saturday or Sunday at the California Theatre — there’s a good chance that you will hear one of these improvised excursions.
First, she will perform Rachmaninoff’s gleaming Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor with the orchestra; that’s the main event. But then, assuming the audience cheers loudly enough, she may just decide to sit back down for an improvised, jazz-inflected solo encore, as she often does.
I had read about Ms. Montero before, and had visited here website. I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing her live.
Now don’t you want to hear what she’ll do in San Jose? Huh? Go here so you, too, can hear!
I blogged earlier about a device I saw on the web. As I wrote, Robert Morgan, of Chicago Reed Company offered to send it to me just to give it a go … and he doesn’t even know me! So here I am, with this $250 invention of his. I guess he knows where to find me, but still, that was incredibly generous of him!
So now you all deserve an update, don’tcha think?
The W.R.I.S.T is pretty darn amazing! While I don’t often have hand or arm issues, I can still see the benefit of it. I’m nearly sold on it. Like 99.99% sold. (Like thinking, “I should just send the darn check,” kind of sold.) When I’m not playing but have only a few measures of rest, I just let it rest there. When I am playing, my right hand has absolutely no weight to hold at all. I think, too, that it allows me to have more relaxed fingers, and it makes the instrument feel very stable.
If you are using a peg, this is better. If you are using a neck strap, this is much better. If you are using nothing at all, you’ll probably need or want this eventually.
So there you go. My update. Pretty positive, eh?
Go here and you can listen to a radio interview and some oboe playing too. Enjoy!
The oboist below recently won the principal oboe position of Pacific Symphony. And yes, there are a few “oops!” moments. It’s live music, folks. “Oops!” happens!
We had two kiddie concerts this morning. The house looked nearly full, and the kids were incredibly well behaved. I’m sure some of that is due to teachers (please, take the time to thank teachers; they are overworked, underpaid, and currently getting pink slips), some due to parenting, and much of it is due to the conductor Peter Jaffe. He just knows how to get and keep their attention. Today were learned about the fugue and theme and variations and sonata form, along with more. (But you don’t need the complete lesson … or do you?)
Now I’m sitting at Caffe Trieste, enjoying a light lunch and the very necessary double non-fat latté. And then it’s back to the California Theatre (if you’ve not been there you really should try to get there. Check out these great photos!) for the second rehearsal for the upcoming Symphony Silicon Valley set.
Double service days (“DSDs) don’t happen very often for me. They are the norm for those who are working for a group full time, but the groups I’m in are far from full time gigs. Unfortunately for me, these DSDs have one service during the afternoon, and this means I had to cancel a total of six students. I actually take a bit of a monetary loss. But that’s life in the music world. Sometimes this happens. It’s not all about the money … mostly I just miss my students!
Okay … time to get back on stage. Glière (not exactly my fave) and Prokofiev (always a fave) await!
… is very big. It’s grandiose, don’t get too close …”
So, speaking of kiddie concerts, this looks like fun!
… it’s such a problem to shampoo!
Having no young children, this is new to me, but I have a feeling you with younger children are probably well aware of this stuff. And one family makes videos to the this and other songs from the same guy. Too darn cute!
Here’s a bit of Carmen for you:
Schubert’s Trout:
Okay. I’ll stop now. :-)
Oo seal’s kissed by a rose just came on the radio! Best pop-rock oboe solo everrr…
(Yeah, I went to YouTube and listened. Um. No comment.)
I only wish they had not used the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as a real-world example of fine interaction, as opposed to the isolation of mental illness. It makes a nice story that there is a conductorless orchestra. But still one should ask, what has the result been all these years? The Orpheus’ conductorless gimmick has produced, to my ears, really nothing but colorless, contourless performances. The sad, unavoidable truth of life is that someone has to be in charge. Hopefully the person in charge has lots of talent and leadership charisma which commands respect. and having people skills is great too. But the Orpheus Orchestra only shows the folly of having no leader in a group beyond a few souls. It produces superficial, bland results.
So … any thoughts from musicians out there who have recordings of Orpheus, or have heard them live? I have certainly enjoyed their recording of Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances. It didn’t sound superficial or bland to me. Obviously the anonymous blogger quoted above disagrees. (I still say if you’re going to blog don’t do it anonymously. I prefer that bloggers be accountable. But of course I’m just an oboist. What do I know?)
We are doing kiddie concerts this morning. I think the children are in third grade or close to it. I enjoy these, although the noise is sometimes a bit much (I have my earplugs at the ready). BUT …
It’s not over ‘til the fat baby sings. Scottish Opera is attempting to reach beyond its normal audiences of middle-aged music buffs by launching a series of concerts aimed at infants, aged between six and 18 months.
The experimental performances, to be staged at venues across the country, will feature no lyrics, narrative or plot. Instead, classically trained singers will create baby-friendly noises, such as Wellington boots splashing in puddles, buzzing bees, quacking ducks and the fluttering of feathers.
Um. Okay then. 6 and 18 months, eh? That’s one stinkin’ concert, if you ask me. ;-)
I’ll be wanting this DVD:
(Is today his actual birthday?)
Sorry this is so tiny … this is the code they supply and I’m not smart enough to know how to change it.
