Knoxville Symphony Orchestra

Manhattan Transfer, Yoga, and Brass Quintets

2012-02-02T10:17:00.002-05:00

We are so excited to have Manhattan Transfer coming to Knoxville to perform with us! Ever since the late 70's, when tasty hits such as Birdland and Tuxedo Junction graced the airwaves, I have been a fan. Linking the jazz vocal ensembles of the past (The Pied Pipers, Brazil 66, The Four Freshmen) with those of today (Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra, The Bobs, The Nylons), there is no more iconic group in their genre that is still performing after all these years. The show will be Saturday, Feb. 4th at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, 8:00.

The inaugural Calvin Smith Brass Quintet Competition has been announced. While the Competition gets its own website up and running, the temporary link for this event is at the Knox Brassworx website. Pre-formed ensembles may compete in the Student Division or the Graduate/Professional Division. The competition will take place in “historic” Oak Ridge in early July. What an awesome way to memorialize our late colleague Calvin.

Yoga seems to be on the up-and-up these days, being a wonderful partner to music performance. I haven’t yet been (re-)bitten by the bug, but I have been known to bust out a shoulder stand every once in a while. Second flutist Jill Waguespack Allard has found a calling in yoga instruction, leading several types of yoga classes at the Glowing Body in Old North Knoxville and at The Practice Yoga in Western Plaza. She has pursued this endeavor with missionary zeal, which has in turn spurred several symphony players to take up this beneficial practice. Violinist Sara Matayoshi has proven to be a yogi, also leading classes at both of these venues.

Orchestra players attend classes that both Jill and Sara lead. At post-concert gatherings, Concertmaster Gabe Lefkowitz has been known to call it an early night, say “I have a 6:30 yoga class tomorrow morning,” leading to many a face-palm by those within earshot. Violinists Ilia Steinschneider and Diane Zelickman, violist Eunsoon Corliss and pianist Carol Zinavage have also been on board the yoga express with varying degrees of intensity.

6:30???? AM??????

Chamber Orchestra this Sunday, 2:30 at the Bijou!

2012-01-28T07:04:00.002-05:00

I am Baroque-ified. This concert, of all the past 10 seasons of Chamber Orchestra concerts most resembles what we used to call the “Concerto Gala.” No fewer than seven soloists will regale us, and you, with swirling counterpoint and crystalline melodies from 300 years ago.

Henry Purcell’s Chacony is the eldest work on the program, dating from Newton’s time. There is no certified composition or premiere date, but “they” say that it’s from around 1680. This is a very somber ground-bass work that may remind you of his Dido’s Lament.

Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins in B Minor is the gala piece on the program. New Associate Concertmaster Gordon Tsai, Principal Second violin Edward Pulgar, Ilia Steinschneider and Sean Claire are our Four Horsemen of the Appoggiatura. I’m giving away free broken bow hair to whoever can find the passage (in the last movement) that Schubert quotes in his Unfinished Symphony.

I’m just going to blurt it out here, violists Eunsoon Corliss and Katy Gawne sound amazing on the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. When the highest instrument on a work is the viola and there are 5 other players, you know the texture is going to be real bassy and thick. It’s a deep string showcase that hits heart-wrenching sonorities you will not hear anywhere else.

But the same could be said for Bach’s Suite No. 3 in B Minor, featuring our principal flutist Ebonee Thomas. Bach knew the language of B Minor very well, and this Suite represents the book of Genesis in that key. Ms Thomas’ tempi are brisk and refreshing. Like that dash of cold water the Army recommended you end your hot shower with. And as with the Vivaldi, you get to hear the orchestra play in F# major for a while. The Badinerie that the concert ends with will leave you (and her, I dare say) breathless.

If it Ain't Baroque, Don't Fix It!

2012-01-24T08:21:00.002-05:00

January 29th brings the next KSO Chamber Classics series concert to the Bijou, this time with Baroque music taking the stage in a well-balanced program that will feature Resident Conductor James Fellenbaum in a different role.

I’m remembering from school that the word “Baroque” originally had quite a different meaning from what we have come to accept these days. From Spanish, French or Portugese origins, it was derived from a word meaning “rough or imperfect pearl.” Initially it was a derogatory term that dealt with an artwork’s “eccentric redundancy and noisy abundance of details.” As a means of differentiating between music of the leaner and cleaner Renaissance and Classical periods that preceded and followed the Baroque, the term is apt in its description of the ornate melodic display and counterpoint that characterizes the music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and that crowd. The Classical period’s very streamlined, simplistic musical constructs (see last week’s Masterworks concert) were a reaction to the rampant ornamentation that was prevalent in the Baroque (and even more intensely so later in the Rococo). Baroque music was not called such until the 20th century, as late as 1940 in English. For the most part, the term is used simply to correlate the music to other disciplines’ time frames.

J. S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 is a piece that goes back a long way for me. As an 8th-grader I played it with some kids in my high school’s chamber orchestra. I always loved the syncopated finale rhythm; you know, Minnesota Public Radio uses a snippet of it for their jingle just before Prairie Home Companion comes on. Maestro Fellenbaum will be playing cello on this work, which is more of a septet than an orchestral work per se. Just a half-step away, Bach’s Orchestra Suite No. 2 in B Minor is about as excellent a piece there is in B Minor, with the Schubert Unfinished Symphony (coming up on our April Masterworks) and Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet being up there also. Additional works by Vivaldi, Handel and Purcell will alternately soothe and dazzle with their beautiful “noisy abundance of details.”

Speaking of Baroque, our principal trombonist Sam Chen spent this past weekend in Memphis where the U. of Memphis Low Brass Workshop took place. Sam has had a project of learning the Solo Cello Suites of J.S. Bach on the trombone. I have heard him play them and I can vouch for them as very listenable. Sam was a guest artist in Memphis and he performed several movements of Bach there, as well as leading a masterclass and panel discussion. Way to go, Sam!

Mozart Played Live? Who Wouldn’t Go?

2012-01-19T02:29:00.002-05:00

Guest conductors always present an opportunity to diversify our orchestral experience, and it’s been very engaging to have Maestro Edward Cumming guesting with us this week for an all-Mozart show that can’t be beat at the Tennessee Theatre tonight and tomorrow at 8. Mozart's 23rd and 40th Symphonies will be sandwiched around the Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major (aka Theme from Elvira Madigan).

I know some of you are thinking it. “I didn’t even know Mozart wrote a 23rd Symphony.” It’s a real gem of a piece, sometimes called Overture since there are no pauses between movements. Indeed, you might think it the Entracte to an 18th century Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Phyllis Secrist’s beautiful oboe solos carry the second movement, and the violins are in high gear.

No. Mozart did not write the music for the film Elvira Madigan. I resent the fact that his Piano Concerto No. 21's duly exalted status must be buoyed for the listening public by the movie soundtrack tag. I wonder what they used to call it. According to Wikipedia (which is thankfully back in view), only three of the 25 Mozart Piano Concerti have subtitles: K. 246, the Lutzow; K. 271, the Jeunhomme/Jenamy (very interesting story there); and K. 537, the Coronation. But even those titles don’t originate with the composer. Since they are basically written-out improvisations by Mozart with an orchestra accompanying, the piano concerti are the best glimpse into the world of Mozart the performer. Perhaps there is a movie for each one, that would help further the reputation of these gems. Anyways, it’s a old friend; Grout calls it “spacious and symphonic.” Pianist Yeol eum Son’s cadenzas are captivating, and if you KEEP CLAPPING, SHE’LL PLAY AN ENCORE.

Mozart’s 40th Symphony was written a year after a 16-year-old Beethoven played for Mozart. In the lineage of Germanic symphonists, Beethoven (and Schubert) would succeed both Haydn and Mozart, but the rigid constructs of the classical period that Beethoven rent asunder with his symphonies can be heard tearing at the seams in the outer movements of 40. Only two symphonies earlier, in the Prague (which we just played in the Bijou in November), Mozart stayed with the formulae that had brought him success since 10 and 28, but his final three symphonies are so different from each other and all his previous efforts that you just knew something was up over there.

Join us! And remember, Mozart did not write for the marimba.

Down for the Count

2012-01-14T23:30:00.002-05:00

This is it. The Cold of the Century. A difficult, busy month is infused with this head-in-a-vise condition that sends me bedward. My wife’s chicken and dumplings helps somewhat, but students, quartet members and band members are told to stay away on account of my misery. A couple lessons I’ve simply had to teach because the work load this month (many more daytime, weekday services) simply does not allow for a rescheduling. I’ve had to beg off of a Swingtet gig on the site of “Extreme Makeover” because of this... this.... thing. The fact that it was outdoors would have ensured the longevity of my ailment. Gabe Lefkowitz’s merry band of diners who have been eating their way across Knoxville have come within five blocks of my house, this time to Palavah Hut for Liberian food on Magnolia Ave, but alas and alack, I am cuckolded in this Kleenex castle for at least another day.

I can sort of do bowings in my state. There’s plenty of that– the Bach Brandenburg 6, Mahler 2 and Purcell’s Chacony. I’ll just spray the parts with Chloraseptic before I hand them in. Also surfing the web is pretty safe. In doing so, I have come across an interesting blog by Edward Cumming, who will take the podium for the next Masterworks concerts this coming Thursday and Friday at 8. Maestro Cumming speaks of two things I am very familiar with; classical music and the city of Hartford. Current Director of Orchestras at the Hartt School in Hartford and former director of the Hartford Symphony, he and I have literally trod a lot of common ground, although luckily for all, the podium was never under MY feet. (Just so you know, I started college 33 years ago at the Hartt School).

Knoxville and Hartford are intense rivals athletically, but pretty copasetic musically. They have Geno, we have Pat. “(But ah, they have the Pats!” you say). The UConn men’s basketball team will play at the Thompson-Boling Arena next Saturday. I wonder if Maestro Cumming will go...

Coming to a Theatre Near You...

2012-01-09T01:20:00.001-05:00

2012 will be a challenging year in that several pieces new to me are on the horizon. Some old favorites will also renew their acquaintance, and a Pops series that is up there with the best of them lay in store.

Our first performance this year, as in most recent years, will be the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert at the Bijou Theatre on Sunday, January 15. Michael Rodgers, the Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir and the MLK Celebration Choir will melt our faces with a mix of Gospel and inspiring classical selections.

Stepping to the plate later that week will be Mozart on the 19th and 20th. I haven’t played the “Elvira Madigan” piano concerto since my first season here, 1986, although I’d played it several times already in the 80's. The harmonies the muted violas create in the slow movement have appeared in dreams I’ve had, so aloof and moody. A new-to-me (no. 23) and a tried-and-true (no. 40) Mozart Symphony sandwich the concerto in this Masterworks production led by guest conductor Edward Cumming. Maestro Cumming is Orchestra Director at the Hartt School of Music, my alma mater.

Baroque music closes out the month with James Fellenbaum leading and playing works of Bach, Purcell, Handel and Vivaldi. The two Bach works, Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 and Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor are prime examples of works whose titles reveal very little of the caliber of perfection achieved in their composition.

Our Pops series is going to rock with Manhattan Transfer and Richard Marx topping the bill on Feb. 4th and March 16th, respectively. Works that shine in the advancing musical firmament are Mahler’s 2nd, Schoenberg’s Nacht, Holst’s Planets, Debussy’s Mer, and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G. In the chamber department Stravinsky’s Concerto in D, Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet, and Schubert’s Piano Trio in E-flat are all new pieces for me that invite me into their mystery. Wow. Better get to work.

People on the Move

2011-12-30T12:18:00.002-05:00

Hot on the heels of his Clayton Holiday Concert successes, Maestro Richman went directly to LA to rehearse with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra for its tour of China. The timing of this tour is cleverly designed to occur on the 40 year anniversary of President Nixon's historic China visit in 1972. What's more, the KSO's Director of Education and Community Partnerships, Jennifer Barnett, will be soprano soloist on the tour, which will feature eight performances in six cities over a 13-day run.

Another of our staff will be leaving us on January 13th. The KSO's Director of Communications, Stephanie Burdette, will be taking a position closer to her family in Richmond, VA. She will be a project manager for an advertising firm called the Martin Agency. One of her major successes in her nine years with the KSO is the establishment of this very blog, which is now well into its third year. We will miss her smiling face and wish her and her family all the best!

Speaking of Richmond, I can't help noticing from time to time that some in our community, and even in the orchestra, seem to think that our conductor's last name is pronounced the same as the city to which Stephanie is moving. I can only hope that these folks are being quaint and not unobservant.

The travelling bug has even hit my family. (This blog is being posted from Laconia New Hampshire, where my parents live). In a few short days, our son Thomas will be flying to Spain to spend his spring semester abroad in Madrid. A junior Art History major at Middlebury College in Vermont, Thomas is no stranger to Knoxville's classical audiences, having participated in the children's choir for Mahler's 3rd and for Knoxville Opera's production of Turandot. He claimed first prize in the Knoxville Choral Society's Young Classical Musician's Competition on piano in 2007, and in 2002 portrayed the title role in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors in a fine production at Westminster Presbyterian Church. We are devouring these last few days with him here stateside, and now I am off to kick his butt at pool.

On behalf of the KSO and all of its many faces, please have a happy and safe New Year!!!

Christmas Message

2011-12-24T21:42:00.002-05:00

Well, here we are in the shadow of Christmas Day. It will be the first Christmas/Hannukah for some of the members of the KSO family: Alexandra Bloch, Kiri Fellenbaum, Claudia Pulgar, Clare Burdette, Alex Kim (Nadine Hur’s son), and Elise Carlson (Lucie Novoveska’s daughter). I am sure that their parents’ hearts will be as full of wonder as their own.

The KSO family wishes all of you a joyous and restful holiday season! I will leave you with a little more humor.

Here is an unbelievably random collection of personnel rendering a medley of Christmas tunes comatose-- Sonny and Cher, Bernadette Peters and Captain Kangaroo (and one very homely looking child).

Now for something completely fowl... It's just too cute... I wonder how many of these are French hens?

This is about the extent of my knowledge of Christmas carol lyrics. All you need is the first line after all! It's so bad it's good.

And finally from the unblinking world of Facebook comes a list of titles of new reindeer operas. Thank you to my friend Lisa Ferrigno, whose status update got the ball rolling... (she led off with the first three, mine are the last two; duplicates have been eliminated and names have been left off to protect privacy, but about 40 people responded).

Top ten reindeer operas:

10. Vixen in China
9. Santa and Delilah
8. Turandoe

Adeste Fidelio
Donner and Aeneas
Castor et Prancer
Die Zaubersleigh
Die Rentiere ohne Schatten
Tanhoofer
Der Fliegende Reindeer
Gotterdancerung
The Flying Fatman
Das Reingeld.
Rudolph in the Underworld
Santa Boccanegra
Prancer Grimes.
Götterblitzerrung
Abduction from the North Pole
Whoa Zech!!!
Comet und Gretel
The Cunning Little Vixen (Janácek) DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CHANGED!!!
The Reindeer's Progress
Tails of Hoofmen.
Madam Blitzen Flies
Deer Fliedermoose.
Iphigénie en Cupid
Le nozze di Blitzen
Lucia de Lammermoose.
Der Frozenkavalier
Donner Quichotte
Porgy and Blitzen
Santa and the Night Visitors
The Bartered Hide
The Magic Fruitcake
Deer Sleighschutz
Euryantler

25 Years of Holiday Class

2011-12-19T01:28:00.005-05:00

Wow! The Clayton Holiday concerts this year were truly special, as witness the FULL HOUSE at today’s matinee. Logan Murrell’s smile and voice lit up the house, Jim Clayton displayed some serious talent and class, Hallerin Hilton Hill took us into new realms, Santa cracked us up, and Lucas Richman tied together the orchestra and Choral Society, Sound Company Children’s Choirs and Go! Contemporary Dance Works to give inspired and inspiring performances.

There are a couple people behind the scenes that you should know about. About one-fourth of the charts we played from this weekend were arrangements done by Warren Clark. With very little to go by, sometimes just a squeaky, jangly cassette tape, he can take a song and arrange it so that every player on stage has a part to play that is legible, correct, and playable but never boring. Tunes that Jim Clayton ("C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" and "Christmas in Dixie") and Hallerin Hilton Hill ("One Light" and "Light One Candle") sang were arrangements done by Mr. Clark. Often the deadline is in the middle of a rehearsal, yet he comes through time and time again. Oh, and I have learned a new word; the opposite of “swung” is “strate!”

The responsibility of getting those arrangements to our stands falls to our second clarinetist and librarian, Mark Tucker. NO music would be on our stand if not for this patient, patient man. And come to think of it, no one would be playing it either, because he is also the personnel manager. If anyone deserves a little time off, it’s Mark, who on top of all that lost his father on November 4th. Take five, Mark! No, make that twelve. You don’t seem like the type who goes for lords a-leaping or geese a-laying, but I hope at least three or four of your twelve days involve a beach and some barbecue.

This seems like a good place to recognize players who were at the first Clayton Concerts in 1987: violinists Mary Anne Fennell, Norris Dryer, John Fox, Liz Farr, Julie Swenson and Susan Thompson; violists Eunsoon Corliss, Bill Pierce and Carol Tucker, cellists Bruce Wilhite, Scot Williams, Alice Stuart and Don Grohman, bassist Herb Hall, flutist Cynthia D’Andrea, oboist Phyllis Secrist, clarinetist Gary Sperl, hornist Mark Harrell, trumpeters Cathy Leach and Marc Simpson, tympanist Mike Combs and pianist Carol Zinavage. We’ve come a long way, baby! And yet the joy of playing in the orchestra has been a constant.

Clayton Concerts' 25th Anniversary

2011-12-12T23:18:00.001-05:00

This year’s Clayton Holiday concerts are the 25th annual ones. The silver anniversary version, if you will. It seems there are more features to this year’s shows, given the momentousness of the occasion. Jim Clayton has been such a gracious benefactor for lo these many years, but this year he will have a somewhat different additional role, one that may surprise many. Hallerin Hill, the Sound Company children’s show choirs, Go Contemporary Dance Works and the fabulous Logan Murrell will join Clayton regulars the Knoxville Choral Society– as the song says, “a show with everything but Yul Brynner.”

The Clayton concerts are a perennially festive event for those in the orchestra, a chance to exchange gifts, cards, cookies and hugs. In previous years there have been wild dress code variations, sometimes involving reindeer antlers, electric earrings and bow and scroll tinsel. Santa and his elves always make an appearance.

Along with the usual wide variety of holiday music, a featured work on this program will be the Finale & Hope from the Symphony of Hope: The Haiti Project. This work is a collaborative effort among some 25 composers to bring attention to and help raise funds to rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake that struck on January 12, 2010. This is symbolic of the rebuilding efforts in that afflicted nation; to wit, many hands make light work. Our own Lucas Richman is not one of the composers, but his talents are evident on the recording that was conducted by him and released this past September.

We’ll be looking for you Dec. 16 & 17 at 7:30 (note earlier start time), with matinees on the 17th and 18th at 3:00 at the Civic Auditorium.

Dear Santa...

2011-12-05T20:47:00.003-05:00

Another Christmas is approaching, and even though I am just dreaming, there a few things that I want the music world to receive.

-A Brahms Octet for strings

-Mozart Cello Sonatas

-Beethoven’s 10th

-Brahms Cello Concerto

-a Wagner comedy

-Bartok Quintet for piano, violin, cello, oboe and trombone

-Schubert string quartet, “Death and the Taxman”

-Schubert Symphony # 20

-Copland “Fanfare for the Common Cold”

-a Fugue for Ten Horns

-A chalet overlooking Pachelbel Canyon

-a voice-operated page-turning mechanism

-Stravinsky “Camaro Suite”

-a Honda Fugue (to follow the Prelude)

-I really just generally want a ricercar

-I would like for those “Allegro” RVs to actually travel at least andante

-a Black and Decker variable speed reversible cello bow

-an atmospheric resubstantiator which could reconstruct all of the music that Brahms burned

-I would like for choral conductors to just say they are conducting in 8 instead of being so fancy-schmancy and telling us that they are conducting in a subdivided 4.

-a fugue for Texas Instruments

-a National Semi-conductor, so people in the back stands of violins can see better. (I know, big government, but it’s an idea whose time has come).

-a video of Ravel and Debussy racing through the wine list at Les Deux Magots in Paris

-I want to put some Crumbs in a Byrd Cage and watch the Byrds get Bizet

There. I guess that about Rhapsodup.

Nutcracker... Sweet!!!

2011-12-02T02:09:00.004-05:00

The Nutcracker is back! From the overture, which I’ve never played– no cellos!– to the final waltz, which we just played a couple of hours ago at LMU, every mood is broached. Joy, despair, fear, mischief, love, – it’s all there. It is a zone that we enter every December in which we lose ourselves in the music while the finest local dancers take the stage one floor above us. The Appalachian Ballet Company's production has some new twists this year, and it has been amusing to hear how the presence of so many new players affects the overall feel of the ballet.

My favorite part is the snow waltz. The nutcracker has just become a handsome prince, and he leads Clara to a piney forest where snowflakes are dancing around them. I could never understand why such a joyful sort of occasion is accompanied by such starkly luscious E-minor music. The contrary motion and the hemiola rhythm create a sense of urgency that is calmed when a B-Major scale picks us all up and drops us into the land of E Major. A women’s choir confirms the good mood, and then it’s time to take a break. My second favorite would have to be the Arabian Dance. The harmony is so soulful and the instrumentation color is so charming, I never notice that I have just played the same rhythmic figure 66 times.

Tchaikovsky’s music seems so perfect, so pre-determined. It is hands down my favorite composition of his. Well, along with the Rococo Variations. The overture is in B♭, and Act 1 ends in E Major, a key a tritone away from B♭– about as unrelated a key as could be. (See earlier post about intervals). Act 2 picks up in E Major, and the ballet ends in B♭. This is not a coincidence. How he maneuvers to arrive in these keys so seamlessly is yet another marvel. As in the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra we played last month, every instrument is put through its paces in tasteful ways. Even the chime– I would certainly find it challenging to hit the chime exactly the same way exactly 12 times. (And not 13)!

In the 90's, I was able to play the entire first act from memory. It made for a very transcendental experience. Back then there were two completely different productions of the Nutcracker– the City Ballet, which was based variously in Cincinnati, Tulsa or New Orleans, and this same Appalachian Ballet. This year the ABC is doing productions at the Civic Auditorium, Dec. 3rd at 8 p.m. and Dec. 4th at 2 p.m., and at the Clayton Center for the Arts at Maryville College, Dec. 10th at 2 and 8. It should be noted that out of the 28 or so ballet companies in the Southeast, the Appalachian Ballet is one of four that use live music. And believe me when I say, live music is best.

My Favorite Christmas Music

2011-11-28T12:02:00.004-05:00

Survivors from the days of vinyl, some Christmas albums have withstood the test of time, and the holiday season does not start for me until I choose to play my cassette of these lps that I grew up with.

Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians The Sounds of Christmas is not available in its original configuration, but selections of it are included on this assortment of Waring releases from the 50's and 60's. (Tracks 1, 4 and 8). The original lp featured a gorgeous picture of a snowed-in Vermont village (East Corinth)? and the tunes had a continuous flow with snippets of

common carols segueing between less-well-known tunes, such as Jesu Parvule, Go Where I Send Thee, Ring Those Christmas Bells, While By My Sheep and a host of others you have never heard, but will wish you had. Beautiful part-singing and peppy late-50's arrangements are both contemporary and nostalgic at the same time. It warms the cockles of my heart to read comments on Amazon to the effect that this is one of the best– if not THE best– Christmas record ever made.

Original vinyl editions of this recording START at $200 on Amazon.

Harry Belafonte’s To Wish You a Merry Christmas IS available digitally, and it’s a blessing. This ultra smooth, understated collection of Christmas favorites and rarities has less to do with Belafonte's calypso style and more to do with music to calm you down after being pepper-sprayed at Best Buy. One of the rarities is present on both the Waring and the Belafonte collections, Rise up Shepherd and Foller; both versions are unforgettable. Word has it that when I was not able to speak complete sentences or read yet, I kept asking to hear this record, but just kept saying “Gave to me! Gave to me!” No one understood what I was trying to say, but one day when The Twelve Days of Christmas came on the radio, I nodded my head, smiled and said “Gave to me!” and the mystery was solved. “(On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...)”

While still a high school senior, I was a member of the Hartford Community Orchestra. They tackled challenging repertoire in my two years with them, not the least of which was Vaughan Williams’ Christmas cantata Hodie. A 16-movement work scored for chorus, boys' choir, organ and orchestra, and featuring tenor, baritone, and soprano soloists, it is full of rich, gothic, chocolaty goodness. A truly spine-tingling moment is the segue from the March of the Three Kings, in D minor, into the hymn No Sad Thought, His Soul Affright, in D♭ major. I came to love this early London recording with Dame Janet Baker headlining.

This same community orchestra the following year played Berlioz’ oratorio L'Enfance du Christ. A more involved work than the Vaughan Williams, the centerpiece of it is L'adieu des bergers (The Shepherd’s Farewell). Both this and the Vaughan Williams No Sad Thought have been performed by the KSO on Clayton Holiday Concerts, although it was likely before some of you were born.

I have some strange Christmas traditions. One of them is to listen to Emerson Lake and Palmer’s Trilogy lp every Christmas Eve. Sure, it’s not Christmas music per se, but when this was first released in 1973, it seemed like a religious experience, and I never wanted to let go of that myth. Songs like From the Beginning, The Endless Enigma and Abaddon’s Bolero were a nice backdrop to my holiday preparations, and FTB was one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar.

There is very little to say about the Rachmaninov Vespers (also known as (All-night Vigil) that doesn’t say itself, once you start listening to it. Some have gone so far to say that this is Rachmaninov's crowning achievement. Although it also is not specifically Christmas music, what could go wrong with more than an hour of a capella Russian choir singing, with sometimes up to nine voices and bass parts that will make you involuntarily look skyward and close your eyes?

(insert Thanksgiving-oriented title here)

2011-11-24T01:09:00.003-05:00

As Thanksgiving descends upon us, it is tempting to get all sentimental and post a bunch of drippy, gooey testimony. So here it is! (JK)

My wife Helen, son Richard and I are joined by Helen’s parents, Mary and Tom Gover of Minneapolis this Thanksgiving. Our older son Thomas is a junior at Middlebury College (VT) and will be spending Thanksgiving with a friend in New York City. The Govers are big music lovers who have majorly supported Helen’s musical training since her childhood (she played for Dr. Suzuki in 1976- I’m working on getting a link to the vid), in college (at Smith, where she was Philipp Naegele’s teaching assistant and concertmaster of the Five College Orchestra), and throughout her professional career (as former concertmaster of the Oak Ridge and current concertmaster of the Johnson City Symphony).

Truly though, we KSO players have a lot to be thankful for. For the good breaks we’ve had in our careers that have allowed us to continue pursuing classical music despite warnings that it would be a tough row to hoe. For the wise management and munificent donor base that has kept the KSO in the black for five years in a row, and kept the music flowing through tougher times in the more distant past. For composers famous and otherwise who have supplied my colleagues and I with a seemingly endless stream of soulful, provocative and challenging music to perform. For those colleagues themselves, in all genres, who live for music and the good times that accompany it, and who would also give you the shirt off their back in time of need (like when you forget a shirt)! For city planners and entrepreneurs, who helped make Knoxville as intriguing as its orchestra. And for appreciative audiences, whose compliments help reinforce our conviction in making music.

I know the list should be a lot longer, but it sure is a good time to count our blessings in these all-too-often unblessable times. It's late. I'm going to bed. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

From Budapest (and Prague, and Bucharest) with Love

2011-11-16T10:33:00.002-05:00

The Thursday and Friday night KSO Masterworks concerts bring orchestral genius from Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Romania. The centerpiece is the Dvorak Cello Concerto, with cellist Zuill Bailey playing a beautiful Göfriller instrument from the 1690's. The evening opens with Enescu’s vivacious Romanian Rhapsody #1, and the Eastern European tour will end with Bartok’s fascinating Concerto for Orchestra, about as perfect a piece of music as has ever been written.

The Enescu (or Enesco, as he is spelled sometimes) work is a new one for me. I had heard of it for many years; there was one short bit in the excerpt book, but it wasn’t something to slave over like Beethoven 5 or Don Juan. The rhythm and drive remind me of Smetana and Khachaturyan, but this is pure gypsy music. The mood freely alternates between a gently lilting melody and a frenzied Bucharest two-step with the drums fueling the fire and the violins fanning it.

Zuill Bailey is no stranger to the area; he performed the Saint-Säens Cello Concerto with the Chamber Orchestra under George Hanson (during Hanson’s guest visit as a music director candidate in 2002). Some time in the 90's he performed with the Oak Ridge Symphony, perhaps the Elgar? Anyways, that’s all immaterial as he is here now, and his Dvorak Concerto is rich and effortless. This quintessential cello concerto is the last work Dvorak composed in the US, but its heart (like Dvorak’s after three years in America) is thinking of home.

The Bartok has been on my mind ever since I learned of it being programmed. Bartok had an incredible sense of what an orchestra could do, and a big ol’ bag of Hungarian folk songs from which to draw for melodies. Every player is put through his paces and the musical language is accessible. In the Elegia, the clarinets play a lick that can only be described as otherwordly. You will not forget it. Like the Dvorak, this work was composed in the United States, although under very different circumstances. Dvorak was the head of a vital Conservatory in New York in the 1890's, but Bartok had fled the Nazis during WWII and lived in relative obscurity in New York, where he died in 1945.

Happy Birthday, Robert J!

2011-11-15T08:41:00.003-05:00

I always listened to the radio growing up. We had to. Although we had (and still have- right Katy)? LPs, there was no YouTube, MP3's or Spotify. My mother and I listened to the weekly broadcasts of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on WDRC-AM, Hartford. That same station would carry Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 later that night. The Red Sox were on WTIC-AM, and the National Lampoon Radio Hour was on WHCN-FM. When I started college, Howard Stern was the morning drive DJ on WCCC-FM. By the time it mattered to me, a long-time classical station in Hartford, WTIC-FM, had sold out to bubble-gum pop and the only outlet for classical music was NPR.

Yesterday marked what would have been the 80th birthday of a voice from my past. Robert J. Lurtsema hosted a remarkable morning radio show called Morning Pro Musica, syndicated on NPR in the Northeast from 1971 until 2000. His own quirky package of news, classical programming and live guests greeted New Englanders thirsty for eclectic repertoire and a slow pace to begin their day. From 7 a.m to noon. Every. Day.

“Robert J.’s” voice was so reliably serene, his pronunciation of foreign names was flawless, and the range of his programming was jaw-dropping- cycles of Boyce Symphonies, the complete works-- good and bad-- of every major and minor composer that ever lived, and every Sunday morning a Bach Cantata. The Hartt School’s excellent music library had scores to a surprising number of these works and I seized many days and devoured whatever I could. Guest artists included Scottish singer Jean Redpath, Julia Child, John Cage and Aaron Copland.

Much to his (and his devotees') chagrin, NPR decided to introduce a talk element to their programming “(Morning Sedition with Bob Bedwards),” and when grad school rolled around I could only hear him from 9-11. Still, I would religiously make notes in the 24-PAGE program guide for WFCR in Amherst, MA of pieces to record (remember cassettes)?? and I still refer to some of these tapes today. It was thanks to him that I became aware of the music of David Van Vactor.

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes in September, 1979, I also had mono and things were not looking good; I spent a week in New Britain (CT) General Hospital, figuring out what I needed to do to combat this new peril. I missed my first week of college and the day after I was discharged, my brother got married. Little did I know Mr. Lurtsema had decided to program the complete Bach Cello Suites that week as performed by Maurice Gendron. After I slept through the first Suite, I decided to set my alarm to coincide with the first downbeat of any successive Suites. Gendron’s renditions of the Suites were so refulgent and pure, echoing down the hospital floor, I had no choice but to pursue this music until I owned it, while vowing to never let diabetes own me. Mr. Lurtsema, your timing was impeccable.

Youth Orchestras Take the Stage!

2011-11-13T10:09:00.002-05:00

The Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras will open their 38th season Monday evening, November 14th at the Tennessee Theatre. This FREE concert will start at 7 p.m. The bigger-than-ever Preludium Orchestra, led by Erin Archer, will start the evening off.

The Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of Katie Hutchinson, will delve into a fun arrangement by Ben Clinesmith of S’Vivon (Hebrew for “dreidel”), and Richard Stephan’s Variations on a Well-Known Sea Chantey.

Kathy Hart-Reilly’s Sinfonia group will be playing their most challenging concert ever, featuring a Halloween “Spook-tacular” which will mash up several different ghoulish classical tunes.

Wesley Baldwin’s Youth Chamber Orchestra will be busy bringing Mozart’s F Major Divertimento, K. 138, and then will be joined by KSO concertmaster Gabe Lefkowicz in Bach’s Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV 1042.

The Youth Orchestra proper will finish up the evening with the Marche Militaire Francaise from Suite Algerienne by Camille Saint-Saens (wow! A piece I’m not familiar with!) and Tschaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, a piece I am familiar with, not just from playing, but from having many furrowed-browed students approach me with suggestions for fingerings.

Many of these young talents are students of KSO musicians. Come see the fruits of much labor and support the young musicians of Knoxville!

Intervals and You (video at end)

2011-11-09T09:42:00.003-05:00

Intervals are the building blocks of music. Whether they are vertical (chords) or horizontal (melody), the ability to recognize intervals is a valuable skill for anyone wanting to become a better sightreader, composer or improviser.

The octave is the point at which the seven notes in a scale start to repeat themselves. E.g., if you start on a “c,” the next highest (or lowest) “c” is an octave away. The note that is five pitches away is called a fifth.

A fifth in its purest form is perfect; this is the interval that the strings on most bowed string instruments are tuned. (A bass is tuned in perfect 4ths, which is the inversion of a perfect fifth). Therefore, a perfect fifth + a perfect fourth = an octave. How can this be when 4+5 = 9?! It’s because the intervals are always measured inclusively of their start and end points. Fifths, even more than fourths, are the gold standard when defining what key you are in.

Other intervals, (seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths) cannot be perfect; only either major or minor. A third is a special interval in that it is the interval that defines whether a tonality is major or minor. A blue-note is a third that cannot decide whether it is major or minor; jazz could not exist without this vacillation. The inverse of a third is a sixth. Seconds, and their partners sevenths, are intervals that serve in a vertical sense to liven up a chord by making it a little “dirtier.” A major seventh or minor second is the dirtiest interval of all.

While dirty can also describe the tritone, a better word for it is shifty. A tritone is the interval between a fifth and a fourth, or exactly halfway between 2 notes an octave apart. Technically, it is called either an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth, depending on how it is spelled. It is a chameleon interval which is unstable and wants to resolve, but it can resolve outward (to a sixth) or inward (to a third). Movie music that is used to accompany dirty dealings, cliffhanging, mystery and shock is heavy with tritones, some of which are there for their own sake and aren’t about to give you the satisfaction of a resolution.

Here are some easily recognizable intervals that occur in everyday living and in standard music repertoire.

Für Elise by Beethoven starts with a minor 2nd, wavering up high in the right hand. (Insert viola joke here). The first six notes of “Chopsticks” are a major second apart, played simultaneously.

Pick up a phone (landline). You hear that dial tone? That’s a major third. Now drive very slowly in the left lane on I-40. You hear that car horn? A lot of 2-tone horns use this interval also.

Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is one of the most instantly recognizable tunes ever written. The first two notes are a fourth apart.

Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra starts with two perfect intervals in a row a fifth and then a fourth. This interval is also all over the opening of Beethoven’s Symphony N. 9, vertically in the bed of 16th notes laid down by the lower strings, and horizontally in the violin melody.

Still confused? Listen and learn.

Haydn-Seeking

2011-11-03T10:07:00.003-04:00

The upcoming Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra concert will feature the KSO’s own Ildar Khuziakhmetov playing Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D. As this concert was to have featured Calvin Smith playing a Mozart Horn Concerto, we are all indebted to Ildar for stepping in on pretty short notice to fill some very big shoes. Ildar is a major force on Knoxville’s cello scene, having been a member of the KSO since 2000. His teaching studio produces great students, one of whom was featured on a KSO Family Concert a few years back. We all also owe a debt of gratitude to his wife, violist Jennifer Bloch and their young daughter, Alexandra for allowing Ildar to pursue Haydn with abandon.

The Knoxville Symphony has three members with the initials I.K.– Ildar, Ikuko Koizumi, and Ihsan Kartal, from Uzbekistan, Japan and Turkey. Ildar’s last name is very hard to pronounce, but I think I can help you out with it. To hear him say it, it’s a 2-syllable word, but just to break the ice with him for you, say “khoo Jacques MADE of,” very fast. Kh is pronounced like the “ch” in “chutzpah.”

While Haydn’s life may have been a little more incident-free than Mozart’s– there is no movie about Haydn called “Josef”– when he hit a home run, he hit a home run, and “Haydn D” is way out of the yard. A concerto my college professor, David Wells called an “old man piece” (meaning I was too young), it exists in a couple of different renderings. The autographed score from which we are playing was discovered in a storage closet in 1954 at Breitkopf and Härtel in Leipzig.

I learned a lot tonight. The last soloist for the Haydn D was Janos Starker, in February of 2000 with the Chamber Orchestra. Well of course, I already knew that, but it turns out that the first time this work was played with the KSO was in 1949 with Raya Garbousova, under the direction of David Van Vactor. (The KSO webpage and program notes have it wrong; it is not “Kaya.” She was the other cello professor where I did my undergrad! She introduced me to Feuermann’s widow. That is a scary enough coincidence, but...) Raya's son is married to Miriam Fried, who was the soloist on the January 1989 KSO Masterworks concerts, on the Sibelius Concerto. Miriam Fried’s son, Jonathan Biss, is a fine pianist who soloed with the KCSO in April of 1997! Yikes.

Odds and Ends... and Opera!

2011-10-27T13:33:00.004-04:00

The KSO just finished a run of Young People’s Concerts at the Civic Auditorium. The theme for these shows was “Got Rhythm?” and the five audiences we played for all decidedly did. Dancers from Go Contemporary Danceworks were featured on a Quadrille from Offenbach’s Gaîté Parisienne and Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz. The shows were educational for the musicians also; I learned, through pictures on the Jumbotron, that Leroy Anderson was the splitting image of the Superintendent of Schools of many small towns in the fifties, and that Jacques Offenbach was a strange-looking dude.

The Knox County Schools’ 2011 Honors Orchestra concert will take place TONIGHT at Farragut High School at 7:00. This is a free concert featuring a middle school and a high school orchestra. Come support Knoxville’s talented young orchestra musicians!

Nadine Hur and her husband David Kim are proud parents of baby Alex!!! He was born on the 21st of October in St. Louis and weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. We miss ya Nadine, and hope to see Alex soon!

Opera is served next at the KSO’s banquet. A gem from Verdi’s "middle period," La Traviata will feature Joyce El-Khoury (who was heard here in Pagliacci in 2009) as Violetta, Zach Borichevsky as Alfredo, Mark Womack as Giorgio Germont, and Kevin Thompson as Dr. Grenvil. Verdi’s amazing party music is perky and quirky, and Ah, fors’è lui, Sempre libera, and Brindisi are vocal tours de force that sound young and fresh under the baton of Brian Salesky. Friday night at 8 and Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Tennessee Theatre.

Perpetuating a Memory

2011-10-26T01:57:00.006-04:00

Although you will be reading this a day late, I felt the need to note the birthday of a big influence in my musical cultivation.

Tom Nee brought a beautiful blend of dignity, benevolence and accuracy to the podium. He had been on the faculty of U-Cal San Diego's music department since 1967 and shaped that school’s innovative course. He served as music director of the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis (1953-67) and director and co-founder of the Minnesota Opera (1963-67). He was music director of the New Hampshire Music Festival from 1960 until 1992, the last 8 years of which I had the privilege of experiencing. His passing three years ago at age 87 marked the end of a truly genuine musical personality.

The NHMF is a dream festival that in actuality is a hiking jubilee set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, with music-making filling the weekdays and weekend nights. The venue back then was Plymouth State University, which my father had attended on the G.I. Bill after WWII. Imagine my delight when I learned of an opportunity to play classical music in what I can literally call the Fatherland! (My dad taught public school in the Lakes Region of NH and his Dad lived in Laconia, so as a child my summers were spent nearby). The festival was truly a family affair; one summer in the early 90's, participants traveled to Plymouth with 24 children collectively under age five. All of the musicians were housed year after year in the same dorm, which was famous for its unisex bathrooms and Thursday night kegs. Pemigewasset Dorm was a block away from a house my family lived in before I was born. I would marvel while pushing our son Thomas in a stroller late at night past this house, on the same sidewalks that my siblings had learned to walk on decades before.

I made an impression on Tom, and I joined the Festival in 1985. My first concert under him included 2 world premiers and a work by George Antheil, closing with Brahms Third- an adventure, to be sure. Future summers featured work with Ken Burns, Alexander Bernstein (son of Leonard) and Joanna Feidler (daughter of Arthur). Nee’s rehearsal technique was workman-like and civil, peppered with his own dry sense of humor, which was documented on many a folder. My favorite was while rehearsing a particularly gnarly contemporary work, things were iffy and he said, “if someone has a prayer wheel, you may want to give that thing a spin for us.” Another time, after a violin passage could not be made to sound good with either choice of bowings presented, he suggested that the violins play with the bowing that suited each individual player- and it sounded amazing!

His final concert with the New Hampshire Festival featured marches– including this Swedish gem– and Mahler’s 4th. On the chilly late-August nights in New Hampshire, the final concerts of the festival during my tenure there provided the soundtrack to my drive back to Knoxville, and fond memories of a more formative time in my musical past come swooping down on me during subsequent performances of works I played under Tom Nee.

Wait! The Weekend Is Not Over Yet!

2011-10-22T02:04:00.006-04:00

Awesome concerts! So many memories of previous performances flood my head when I play a piece as memorable as the New World Symphony. My high school orchestra played the last movement of it at a competition in Washington when I was a freshman in 1976. Or was it Ottawa in 1977? It’s getting pretty murky back there, my memory of the years of the Ford administration, but I do remember playing through it in my head back in the day, on long car trips when the radio was busted.

Here are Maestro Richman, composer Theodore Wiprud, and guest violin soloist for Katrina, Ittai Shapira at a post-concert gathering at Boyd's Jig and Reel.

Another awesome concert will happen Saturday, October 22 at 8 in UT’s Cox Memorial Auditorium. UT’s professor of viola and KSO violist Hillary Herndon is hosting a Viola Celebration at UT this weekend, and the public is invited to a performance of a rarely heard work, the Viola Concerto of William Walton. Special guest faculty for the festival, James Dunham, will be the soloist with the UT Symphony Orchestra under the baton of James Fellenbaum. The finale concert will be held Sunday at 4 in the same venue, featuring an all-viola orchestra! (Both concerts are free). Word has it that there were 93 violists on stage last year, will they make it to 100 this time?

American Connections: October 20 and 21, Tennessee Theater, 8:00

2011-10-19T10:51:00.004-04:00

All this time, I thought the Copland’s Corral Nocturne was really the “Chorale” Nocturne. It certainly is chorale-like. Just a play on words, I guess, by a composer who had made a name for himself by writing “plays on notes.” His humor can be heard via the trombone in the Buckaroo Holiday, in a melody full of more-than-pregnant pauses reminiscent of “I Bought Me a Cat.”And who can discount the charm of that same trombonist portraying the drunk and plum-tuckered-out-from-dancing cowpoke that finally passes out on the floor in the Hoedown. There is a definite lineage here; Copland’s composition teacher, Rubin Goldmark, was a student of Dvorak’s during the Czech composer’s tenure in New York.

Theodore Wiprud’s Violin Concerto, Katrina, evokes the Delta blues without falling into predictable blues constructs. The second movement will feature players of very traditional orchestral instruments playing on something you haven’t heard with the KSO since Robert Bonfiglio was here back in May of 1998- the harmonica. While this work is dedicated to the memory of pre-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, naming the work after the city’s downfall is a bit like naming the Harry Potter movies after Voldemort, but ultimately the concerto’s cathartic optimism allows us to embrace even the protagonist of this awful tragedy. Our soloist, Ittai Shapira, is playing on a Guadagnini violin that has to be heard to be believed. The lineage continues with this work; one of Copland's students, Jacob Druckman, was a composition teacher of Wiprud.

With all the talk about Dvorak visiting Iowa, it’s easy to forget that the Symphony From the New World was not written there. Dvorak arrived in New York in the fall of 1892 and assumed the directorship of the National Conservatory of Music on 17th St. and Irving Place in Manhattan. This attempt to establish a federally funded music conservatory tanked after the Stock Market Crash of 1929, but in Dvorak’s day, it had sufficient funds to lure him from Europe. His tenure there fostered the composition of such works as the Sonatina for violin and piano, the American String Quartet (duh), and a work that is performed far too infrequently around here, the String Quintet in E♭ Op. 97. To hear the last work that Dvorak composed in the USA, you’ll have to come to next month’s Masterworks concert.

This final symphony by Dvorak, whose earlier works were given later opus numbers by unscrupulous publishers in Europe bent on discrediting him, was premiered at Carnegie Hall on December 16, 1893 to “instant acclaim.” A pre-Lent Czech Carnival, called Masopust, had to have been celebrated by Dvorak in York City while composing this piece. In playing through the symphony, I am trying to picture where the influence of a Czech Mardi Gras might be heard. My guess is the second theme and trio of the Scherzo. It is some of the most “old country” writing in the work- giving new meaning to the term “Czech swing.”

A Milestone Approaches...

2011-10-15T11:49:00.007-04:00

As we gear up for this week’s Masterworks concerts, featuring Dvorak’s Symphony From the New World, a stage that is already full of new faces will temporarily be missing a familiar one. A person you won’t see on stage is violinist Norris Dryer, who will be off in Elkhart, IN to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday! Yep. I just typed a three-digit number. To give you some perspective, Dvorak’s New World was composed just 18 years before she was born, October 19th, 1911.

Bernice Dryer is a lifelong resident of Elkhart save for a year in school at Wittenberg College in Ohio, where she studied violin with Anton Bjorkland, a violinist in the Cincinnati Symphony. She played for 38 seasons with the Elkhart Symphony, from 1948-86- the first 38 years of that ensemble. She has a place in the annals of classical music history in the USA, having been the first piano teacher of Atlanta Symphony Music Director Robert Spano.

Norris performs in the KSO with the same violin she played in the Elkhart Symphony. Here she and it are pictured in a 1965 photo, sporting the usual attire that the women of the Elkhart Symphony wore at that time.

In this more recent picture she is seen on her 95th birthday. We wish Bernice the happiest of birthdays on this milestone day, and thank her for having such a terrific kid!

Bartok Talk

2011-10-10T11:54:00.003-04:00

The next Masterworks concert on Oct. 20th and 21st feature Dvorak’s Symphony From the New World, but the music on my stand to be bowed is Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. It is just barely not too late to start working on November’s featured work. Practicing Bartok is like playing tennis, doing Sudoku and gardening, all at once. Only Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring has comparable sonic breadth and splendor. Why isn’t it called a Symphony? A concerto for orchestra implies that more is demanded of each individual player, and that is certainly the case.

Sometimes you can predict where a passage is going to go, but when you miss an accidental or rhythmic shift, it’s ADVANTAGE, BARTOK! Since the tritone (e.g., C# to G♮) is an important interval in Bartok, and our strings are tuned in 5ths (e.g., C ♮ to G ♮), a lot of the scales- and there are many- can only use every other open string for pitch quality assurance, which on the violin is not too problematic because the intervals are smaller and easy to reach. On the cello, however the musical alphabet, in terms of reachable intervals, can only be written in a very large font which requires much more shifting. Would that we could get our “rackets” restrung!

I studied Bartok’s compositional technique in undergrad. His medium is the octotonic scale, where scale segments of first a whole-step and then a half-step pile up like Jenga blocks, starting over at every octave. This ensures adherence to the Fibonacci Sequence, which governs everything in Bartok from pitch selection to duration of movements. When you get it to all add up, you realize that you didn’t just learn how to play a passage. You became smarter, and your instrument did also.

Getting the Bartok Concerto to bloom and flourish– indeed, all playing we do– requires nurturing, cultivating and protection from the elements- the elements in this case being complacency, disbelief and preconceived notions of how a phrase should sound. Bartok was known to be very pleased when students brought the gift of a pine cone to his desk on which the spiraling arrangement of the scales are arranged in the Fibonacci series. Sunflower blooms also share this seed arrangement.

I learned a lot playing the third String Quartet of Bartok a couple seasons ago. I thought I had learned a lot when I first played it, in 1983 at the Yellow Barn Music Festival in Vermont. To be sure, it was an intense experience then; with only a couple weeks to master it, the somewhat random collection of personnel in the group needed to be quick adjustors, which always teaches. We performed it well and lived to tell about it. And quite frankly, the electronic devices we employ today– pitch generators, metronomes with subwoofers, tuner apps, and YouTube videos– didn’t exist. We had L.P.s. A dial-tone. And a Franz metronome that would scare the pants off of any TSA inspector. But the KSO principal quartet chose the work at least a year in advance, knew how to rehearse and knew each other very well, and there was a genuine thirst for knowledge about how to make sense of all those notes. The challenges of Bartok place the onus on us as individuals more than just about any other composer to make this whole add up to way more than the sum of its parts.

Coming Up This Weekend

2011-10-04T13:31:00.002-04:00

This coming Sunday will see the KSO going to church! (So to speak). The fall family concert this season will take place at 2:30 p.m. at Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 9908 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, 37922. Picardy Penguin will be his usual endearingly perky self, and soprano Katie Wolfe Zahn will bring her entourage of merry-making children, the Sound Company Children’s Choir, to light up the “stage.”

The theme for this concert is “Music, Music Everywhere,” with tunes by Gershwin, Vaughan Williams, Gong Chen, Beethoven and others. Hopefully Picardy, on his voyage from the land of Symphonia, will not have a snafu with his passport or have his shoes set off the alarm, subjecting him to a patdown. “Picardy’s Playground,” a musical petting zoo, will take place at “The Castle,” which is the old Sanctuary of Cokesbury that has been redecorated to look like, well, a castle.

This will also be the debut of our principal flutist for this season, Ebonee Thomas, who will be with us while Nadine Hur is on maternity leave. Ebonee comes to us fresh off of a run of performances of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess in Boston (hence the late arrival), and having spent the last three seasons with Florida Grand Opera. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in music from Southern Methodist University and a Master’s in Music from new England Conservatory.

Later that same day, the third annual "Knoxville Opera Goes to Church" will bring together soloists from the upcoming KO production of La Traviata and The Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir, featuring locally-based gospel singers, in an eclectic mix of repertoire. This will take place on Sunday at 4:30 at Greater Warner Tabernacle A.M.E. Zion Church, 3800 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, Knoxville, 37914. This concert is free and a quick drive across town will enable you to attend both shows.

To provide a smooth transition from last weekend’s Sinatra-fest to this coming weekend’s penguin follies, here is “Ol’ Blue-Eyes'” lovely rendition of “The Roses of Picardy.”

Real Music

2011-09-29T02:48:00.003-04:00

It’s never a bad time to hear songs from the Great American Songbook.

For years, I have had 5 radio station presets on my car radio. WUTK, 90.3 “The Rock,” WUOT,91.9; WNCW, 88.7 Spindale, NC (near Asheville); WKTI, 1040am (for years they played “Great American Songbook” tunes, but are now classic country- which ain’t a bad thing either) and CFZM-AM 740, Toronto, which after dark can often be heard playing music from the Big Band era. The two AM stations feed my hunger for the music that my parents grew up with- Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Les Brown; from a time when houses were white and cars were black. It’s as if these stations broadcast this music in the 40's and it went out into space and is only now just returning to Earth.

It was there in my car, listening to the radio while ferrying our boys hither and yon that I was introduced to Michael Feinstein and his interpretations of tunes from the “Great American Songbook.” Feinstein is a pedigreed descendant of the Greatest Generation of American songwriters, having endeared himself to Ira Gershwin while cataloguing Ira’s giant record collection. (Gershwin’s next-door neighbor, Rosemary Clooney, performed one of her last concerts in Knoxville in 2001). This latter-day Oscar Levant will perform a revue of Frank Sinatra essentials at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium this Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8. Come see why this music, some of which was written to make people happy “for the duration,” has endured way beyond. Until you do, here are a couple of fine recordings to get you In the Mood. I really like the Helen Forrest/Artie Shaw vid because it loads instantly! (don't be intimidated by the Russian). And this luscious recording of (not-so-)Old Blue-Eyes will bring a tear to your eye. Especially if you were there.

About Last Night... (and Last Weekend)... (and Tomorrow)...

2011-09-24T13:56:00.003-04:00

Attendees of the Sept. 22 and 23 KSO Masterworks concerts were treated to an encore by piano soloist Alon Goldstein. Often a soloist just launches into something and we are left to guess what it is he/she has played. Mr. Goldstein, however, saved us all a lot of investigative work by announcing his encore, Alberto Ginastera's Danza del gaucho matrero “(Dance of the Arrogant Cowboy).” Here is a performance of the piece with the score on display- watch the notes whiz by!

On another note, it is with great pleasure that I can announce a marriage. Trumpet player Marc Simpson and his wife, violist Julie, have 5 children. Their oldest, Valerie, and Steve Foulk were married on Sept. 17th at Berean Baptist Church. When I first moved to Knoxville, Valerie was about three; boy, it’s amazing how old I feel for having typed that. But enough about me. CONGRATULATIONS!!

A couple of events are happening on Sunday the 25th that will interest classical music fans. At 4:00 the UT Symphony led by James Fellenbaum will perform Mahler’s Symphony #1 (speaking of monster symphonies, this one is subtitled the Titan).”at the James R. Cox Auditorium in the Alumni Memorial Building on campus. This concert is FREE.

Later on tomorrow night, violinists Sean Claire and Ilia Steinschneider will perform on the ORCMA Coffee Concert at 7:30 at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, at the corner of the Turnpike and Robertsville Road in “the Ridge.” Sean will be playing the Franck Violin Sonata and Ilia will perform the “F.A.E. Sonata,” a collaborative work made up of contributions from Brahms, Schumann and Schumann’s pupil, Albert Dietrich. Sean described it to me over the phone, but I was driving and what stuck in my mind was the “FAO Schwartz Sonata.” Thank God for the internet which set me straight on that subject. They will perform a Telemann duet to wrap things up. Not only is this concert also FREE but you will come away with coffee (decaf) and treats afterwards.

Beethoven

2011-09-20T11:52:00.003-04:00

The storied repertoire of Beethoven will be represented well this week by the KSO- the Coriolan Overture, the Third Piano Concerto and the Eroica Symphony.

I personally have a relationship with each Beethoven piece I have ever performed. They are like Facebook friends, only more in tune. As a sophomore at Hartt College, the Coriolan Overture excerpt was on the orchestra’s audition. It is a note-y little gem with a lot of surprises. The doofuses at International Music Company published the excerpt book with some of the lines out of order and only people who went the extra mile and played off a REAL part placed high on the audition. I learned the value of score study through this experience.

Two years later, I found myself playing in the Hartford Symphony. (Bulletin: the preceding music director of the Hartford Symphony, Edward Cumming, will be leading an all-Mozart concert in January). Pianist Rudolf Serkin, age 80, was scheduled to play the Beethoven Third concerto with us, but the concert had to be postponed because Mr. Serkin had broken his hip. Luckily the recovery was fast and he was resilient enough not to be diminished by the experience. His Third was epic; the way the arpeggios after the first movement cadenza just seemed to waft from the piano will always stay with me. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of that concert was an exact duplicate of this week’s KSO repertoire. The KSO’s most recent performance of the first movement of this work featured our sons’ piano teacher, Mark Hussung, at Carson-Newman College in (I am totally guessing here) 2007. Our soloist this week, Alon Goldstein, can be seen on the KSO website playing Mozart; it is dynamic and sensitive.

To cap it all off is what is widely regarded as the first monster symphony, the Third (Eroica). As I mentioned before, this work also headlined the opening concerts of the 1988-89 season, and will soon be the first Beethoven Symphony that Maestro Richman has repeated. I have literally lost track of the number of times I have played the Eroica, but there is no losing track of the pathos, humor and majesty that Beethoven lavished on this work. There are some passages in Beethoven’s music that can only be described as Elysian; for me, it is the wind chorale deep into the finale after a grand fugue (poco andante between “E” and “F” if you have a score). Every time I get to this spot, I feel that if all of my life has come to this, then it has been a good life.

Remember: 7:00 start to this first pair of concerts!!!

Three Things KSO Musicians Do Well (Besides the Obvious)

2011-09-17T02:23:00.001-04:00

#1: Getting Around Town

KSO ensemble members log many miles playing in the Knox County schools and care facilities, and take pride in their knowledge of Knoxvilles’ sometimes vexing roads. I spent many Septembers playing in a quartet at every school there was, and some of them are pretty far-flung. New Hopewell, Gibbs and Corryton; all the way to Mount Olive, Karnes and Copper Ridge. Need an alternative route to just about anywhere in the 9-county area and beyond? Ask a core string player, but hey, give the new members just a few months to get their bearings. If you ask one of us old-timers, terms such as “where the Weigel’s used to be” will creep into our directions.

#2: Handling With Care

Every musician has an instrument in his hand that is worth anywhere from $500 to 6-½ or more figures. (No, the chime mallet is not worth $500. But the chimes? Forget it). It isn’t about the money that an instrument is worth, rather its value. Even a wedding band or a sweatshirt zipper can inflict harm on a string instrument. Harps and basses pose king-size challenges; just carrying a bass is a craft. Until we have children, we have instruments from which to learn a gentle touch.

#3: Being Quiet

This sort of derives from the previous skill. Silence is a really important part of music. Granted, tight ensemble playing is a fine trait in an orchestra, but each player knows that a rest means shut up. The ability to honor silence and count rests quietly is a sine qua non for all of us. Wind and percussion players have the added challenge of changing instruments; plenty of opportunities for sonic violation there. A chime mallet makes an interesting but perhaps unwelcome sound when dropped on a suspended cymbal, and horn parts have a distinct report when dropped. Rests are a welcome sight in a long show, but that doesn’t give a us license to open a bag of skittles or clip his nails. A musician can be counted on not to wake your kid up.

New Folks- and a Bulletin

2011-09-13T00:03:00.002-04:00

The results are in! With all precincts reporting, votes have been tabulated, and four new violinists and one new Principal horn have been welcomed into the KSO fold. Two days of violin auditions generated two one-year core appointments, one permanent section core position and a new Associate Concertmaster.

Coming in January to the Associate Concertmaster Chair from the Cleveland area is Gordon Tsai. He has a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oregon and a Master’s from the University of Nevada, Reno. In January he will be joining the KSO Principal String Quartet as first violinist and will sit with Gabe Lefkowitz on the front stand of firsts.

Our new full-time core violinist is Sara Matayoshi and she comes to us from the lively Boston freelance scene where she has played with the Juventas New Music Ensemble, the Atlantic Symphony and the Boston Philharmonic. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern U. and a G.P.D. from the Longy School in Boston.

Diane Zelickman will be with us for the 2011-2012 season in the First Violin section. She holds degrees from Indiana University and the University of Arizona, and spent the last season as a member of the Tucson Symphony. Ruth Bacon will join her in the firsts; she comes to us via the University of New Mexico and the Cleveland Institute- like Gordon, a disciple of William Preucil.

Our new Principal Hornist is Sevierville native Jeffrey Whaley. He currently is a faculty member at ETSU, and has been a member of symphony orchestras in Wichita and Omaha. He attended school at Tennessee Tech and Wichita State. He is currently Principal Hornist of a rival orchestra in Kingsport, the Symphony of the Mountains.

BULLETIN BULLETIN BULLETIN

It is not too early for me to remind y'all that the September 22 and 23 concerts uniquely start at 7 PM, not the usual 8 pm. Hope to see you there!!!

Off and Running... to Ijams!

2011-09-07T02:17:00.003-04:00

A concert tradition that started my first year here and has never had a rain-out keeps the ball rollin’. It is an important eco-musical event, bringing Beethoven, benevolent giving and bugs together in in a benefit concert for the most natural corner of Knoxville, Ijams Nature Center. Over the years, this concert has had some memorable performances by prominent Knoxville figures in guest roles. Here are a few that come to mind.

Pat Summitt led the KSO in an unforgettable rendition of The Tennessee Waltz in Sept. of ‘97. But before she gave a downbeat, she made a substitution. She called out then-principal flutist Rob Cronin and instructed second flutist Jennifer Regan to take over first flute, claiming that Rob was suffering from “loser’s limp.” Senator Lamar Alexander made an appearance in the late 80's; he did a fine rendition of Please Release Me, among other things. Some time in the mid-90's, a local businessman (whose name I forget) brought his accordion AND his sense of humor, playfully dissing a colleague before launching with impressive zest into Lady o’ Spain. UT sports announcer Bob Kesling, a former student of KSO cellist Bruce Wilhite, rocked in Vivaldi’s Cello Sonata in E Minor back in the day at some point. In more recent years, David Keith and Bruce Pearl’s daughter Jacqui have soloed with us.

This year, Chista di Cicco will be our special guest and her unique vocal stylings will be augmented by fiddler Seth Hopper, an accomplice of hers in Knoxville’s swing ambassadors, Cristabel and the Jons. Yours truly will take a ride on “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” having taken many such rides before AND having busked with Mr. Hopper this summer on the Square.

For more details, call Ijams at 577-4717 ext. 117. Don't worry. The bugs are only attracted to our stand lights, and it should stop raining by then.

And More Auditions...

2011-08-31T12:06:00.003-04:00

It might seem ideal, sitting in a beautiful theatre listening to extremely talented musicians play through short excerpts of music written by acknowledged geniuses of classical music composition. But it is a long process that isn't usually entertaining. Just about everyone deserves to be there. I wish for each to do well, even after a disqualifying gaffe renders the remainder of an unfortunate someone's audition moot. I am not so old and entrenched that I can’t remember a time when I was in their position, “sweatin’ to the oldies” in a different sort of way. Occasionally a candidate will appear who is in way over their head and our job is made easy.This is when I am thankful for the renovation of the Tennessee Theatre and gaze up at the ceiling with its big, beautiful, blue and gold omelet made of Fabergé eggs. I am also thankful for the screen that ensures anonymity for candidates and committee members alike.

Eighteen violinists have strutted their stuff on the stage and now it’s time to winnow the field down to a handful. Just about all of the committee is on the same page when it comes to strengths and weaknesses. Three players are deemed to stand head-and-shoulders above the rest, but that is a narrow field from which to choose, so we revisit some of the close calls. After a bit of discussion, the field is upped to five acceptable candidates. In the final round we are rid of the screen and can see what we are hearing. It is valuable to know what these players look like when they play; posture, demeanor and other somewhat intangible factors. Resumés are made available also, to learn of a player’s training and experience. We take note of gaps in employment and amount of experience.

In the end we have chosen three players who are a good fit according to sound, experience and attitude. It is difficult to say no to some who were close but not close enough. That long flight or drive home is somewhat poorly but surely tempered by the fact that merely being a finalist is resumé fodder.

Stay tuned for the official word on the new players.....

Two Different Types of Remembrance

2011-08-23T17:26:00.003-04:00

Another loss that Knoxville’s musical community sustained this past spring was the passing on Feb. 20th of Roger Stephens, the Director of the UT School of Music from 2001-2011. He was a crucial catalyst in the drive to get a new music building at UT, the groundbreaking for which was held on Nov. 9th, 2010. A tribute to Dr. Stephens will be held on September 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cox Memorial Auditorium in the Alumni Music Building on campus.

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We at the KSO are in the process of finding a new principal French horn, to replace the late Calvin Smith. This process, even more so than other auditions, is a labor of love.

Barry Tuckwell once likened playing the French horn to “driving a sports car very fast down a treacherous mountain road.” After hearing seven hours of horn auditions yesterday, I totally concur- and would have to say that there are some very good drivers out there. It is a versatile instrument that straddles the woodwind and brass families; brassy enough to hold its own with trumpets and trombones, but sensitive enough to blend with clarinets and flutes. As a string player, serving as an “at-large”audition committee member for wind instruments is a learning experience. Sometimes it is obvious what to look for, but a lot of subtleties are lost on me and I defer to the “experts” on such issues as blending ability, tone color shading, attack and breath.

As an ignorant young string player, my early opinion about French horn playing was that good horn playing was the kind you didn’t notice. I have been schooled on this and now know that there is so much more to it than that- especially when there are so many that play at a very high level.

To be continued....

A Blog That Got Away

2011-08-15T08:52:00.002-04:00

I think she did it just because I accidentally omitted it, but Sarah Chumney Fellenbaum brought to my attention via Facebook one salient blog that should have been included on the August 11 post. It is the "Fellenbaby" blog that Sarah and Resident Conductor James Fellenbaum have launched chronicling their child-raising experiences with little Kiri. This is an up-close look, with a multitude of photos, of their experiences bringing up baby. Both of them are working musicians in this area and each have their plates full of music, Sarah with KnoX Brass WorX and the Knoxville and Oak Ridge Symphonies, and James with the UT Orchestras and of course the KSO. Keep up with them... If you can.

Bowings, Bowings,

2011-08-14T21:03:00.003-04:00

Bowings... They’re up, they’re down; they’re slurred, they’re separate; they’re hooked, they’re “as it comes” (AIC). The “paper-pushing” part of my job is upon me, choreographing everything so that all of our section is moving in symmetry (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) with the other string sections of the orchestra. But... they’re here, which means that the 2011-2012 season is right around the corner!

The string principals, Katy Gawne, Edward Pulgar Steve Benne and I, get ahold of copies of parts that have been “bowed” by Gabe Lefkowitz. To the extent that is practical, we mark bowings that follow his lead and cause the sound to be shaped the way it should. There is a lot to consider. Will there be enough bow to get the right volume of sound in a particular phrase? Is everyone in my section capable of doing these bowings, if they are out of the ordinary? Have I put the same bowings at the end of the piece that match the analogous spot earlier in the movement? Does it really matter? (YEEESSSSS)!!!!! Will Katy, Steve and Edward guess the same way when it comes to things we have that Gabe doesn’t, or do we need a Skype date to figure it out?

When I sat in the section (rank-and-file), this wasn’t my responsibility, and I had no control over such matters. I would suggest things, but there’s a fine line between suggesting and pestering. As a section leader I am amenable to suggestions, as my predecessors were. Some changes are inevitable anyway; when we get to the first rehearsal and find that the tempo is much different than we thought, or just plain incorrect in the part, we are thankful that we can tweak things a bit to make our lives easier. By the final rehearsal though, everything needs to be just so for the next night’s show. YouTube videos help, as do memories of previous performances.

The Beethoven Eroica Symphony that anchors this season’s opening concert also opened the 1988-1989 season. Those concerts, some 23 years ago, represent the only KSO concerts that I have had to miss due to an injury, a woodworking mishap that involved stitches on my left hand. Luckily I can spare you the details because it was so long ago that I don’t even remember how it happened. Rest assured... I have no woodworking projects on the docket at this time.

The Blog Blog

2011-08-11T02:07:00.003-04:00

Principal Clarinetist Gary Sperl is going to be followable via blog, as he adjourns to Tanzania for the upcoming school year. And... a major congratulations to him for his completion of the Lake Placid Ironman competition!! A little over 15 ½ hours for a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon run. Good NIGHT! I’m just happy to be able to take the stairs two at a time any more. (Yes, I know followable is not a word, but I am petitioning to have it coined).

Other planets in the KSO blog solar system are ripping it up, too. Katy Gawne still has wonderful culinary and stitchery blogs, and her husband Tim is feeding Frank Munger’s News-Sentinel Atomic City Underground column with old documents from Back in The Day in Oak Ridge.

Violinist Samuel Thompson is going places; a real “musician of fortune.” I’m not sure but it seems he has been in Italy and maybe England this summer. His older posts are found here.

Clarinetist Erin Bray is a culinary lodestar whose Fear and Bloating in Knoxvegas blog runs the gamut of life with raising kids, caring for parents, making music with your husband and of course, food. I recently was under the spell of a Boston Butt pork roast she conjured up that made me whimper. Y'all should pay attention, now.

Well, Shut my Mouth!

2011-08-05T12:06:00.002-04:00

Ha! The minute I complain about not having enough live music around, an event pops up. On Sunday, August 14 at 3:30, cellist Bartholomew LaFollette and pianist Cathy Whitten will perform music of Bach, Brahms and Liszt at Concord United Methodist Church. Admission, as far as I can tell, is free.

Cellist Bartholomew LaFollette began playing the cello in Philadelphia at age 3, studying with Alicia Randizi-Hooker, who now resides in Knoxville and has played with the KSO. Now at age 27 he has fashioned an impressive career, having toured all over Europe and taught at prestigious venues.

Back in the dark ages (1986) when I was first hired to play with the KSO, one of our duties was to play with the Oak Ridge Symphony. Cathy Whitten was a high school student and played in the cello section of the ORSO, which was then under the direction of Robert Lyall. Years later, she resurfaced as a comrade of our son Thomas at American Guild of Organists’ local chapter events. She is a highly sought-after accompanist in the Nine-counties area.

Time for a Summertime Dream

2011-07-30T15:49:00.002-04:00

A recent MetroPulse article by Alan Sherrod decried the lack or severe dearth, anyway, of classical music performances in the Knoxville area, in fact in the entire state of Tennessee during the summer. I couldn’t agree with him more. Whether due to the stultifying heat, the lack of interest, whatever, outdoor classical music here in the summer is sadly limited to one giant blowout here on the 4th, and the occasional church performance. Fans of Americana, blues, rock, bluegrass and similar genres have a gaggle of opportunities to get their groove on in the area, but classical seems to get short shrift. The Sewanee Summer Music Festival is a prestigious organization that many KSO players’ students attend (violist Hillary Herndon is a faculty member), offering a mix of advanced student and faculty performances, but it is a 2 ½ hour-plus drive from here.

This summer other KSO members have traveled to California, Colorado, New York, Iowa, Massachusetts and Oregon to participate in established summer festivals. The cooler climate of these locales makes outdoor concerts an attractive entertainment option, instead of a sweaty slog.

Given the need for a cooler environment, few East Tennessee towns are qualified candidates for an appealing and profitable summer festival such as Tanglewood, Chatauqua, Crested Butte and Bear Valley. Other drawing cards include a picturesque natural setting, hopefully at a high altitude, plenty of restaurants and better-than-average lodging, easy access from Knoxville via interstates or major highways, historic interest, and plenty of parking. The presence of a college campus, with its lovely air conditioning and ready-made housing and other facilities for participants, is a plus.

I dream of a musical summer in East Tennessee. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the like are out of contention in my eyes, at least, due to the sheer volume of traffic and the unlikelihood of a classical festival being a “big fish” in that town’s small pond. I nominate the following towns for consideration for chamber or small symphonic festivals.

Townsend:

The KSO has played at the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center for a couple years now. There are scads of lodging and dining choices, and the audience demographic would be quite varied.

Jonesborough:

The oldest town in Tennessee has much to offer. Jonesborough is used to hosting high-quality events that draw a national audience, such as the National Storytelling Festival in October. About a dozen bed and breakfasts and plentiful motels are nearby, with a good variety of restaurants. The altitude is the highest of my choices, making for cool outdoor concert conditions.

Dandridge:

Tennessee’s second oldest town is also quaint and fairly well-endowed with restaurants and accommodations. It is just off the interstate, and the presence of Douglas Lake provides marine access.

Cumberland Gap:

Another quaint old town, it’s at virtually the same elevation as Knoxville despite being in the mountains. There are a few restaurants in the area, but not much within walking distance. Nearby Lincoln Memorial University would be a dandy place for indoor concerts.

Tellico Plains:

Not to be confused with Tellico Village, which is a few miles downstream, Tellico Plains is a well-kept secret that charms the pants of off me whenever I go hiking and camping in the nearby Cherokee National Forest/Indian Boundary Lake area. How this funky little hamlet has escaped development is beyond me. Like Cumberland Gap however, it is remote (about an hour from the nearest interstate), and despite its charm, basic needs for a festival are lacking, like a performance venue and upscale lodging and restaurants. A classical festival would put this town on the map for sure.

Greeneville:

A small city, but not too small, Greeneville would be a good place for a summer concert series. The General Morgan Inn is an elegant old-school hotel that serves as a hangout for KSO musicians when we play concerts at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. (NPAC seats about 1200). Just a couple doors down is the Capitol Theatre, where we performed before the Niswonger was completed a few years ago. Nearby Tusculum College has yet another performing venue that the KSO has used.

It’s just a dream. But dreams can come true. Don’t wake me up just yet.

New Kids in Town- and.... Your Kids on Stage! (Youth Orchestra Auditions)

2011-07-24T17:32:00.002-04:00

This summer our new concertmaster is participating in the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Musicians in Hancock, Maine. The Monteux School is an internationally acclaimed institution founded in 1943, with an impressive list of alumni including Lorin Maazel, David Zinman, Sir Neville Marriner and Erich Kunzel. According to Facebook, Gabe has conducted Siegfried’s Funeral March by Wagner and two movements from Prokofiev’s Cinderella. It’s awesome that our new concertmaster also brings some conducting skills to the table!

While Gary Sperl is off in Africa for the 2011-12 season, his seat will be occupied by Peter Cain, who was the winner of our May auditions for the one year principal clarinet vacancy. Peter did his undergrad at Vanderbilt, graduate studies at the Univ. of Minnesota, and is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Cincinnati. He is spending his summer in Colorado at the Aspen Music Festival and we look forward to having him!

In August there will be auditions for associate concertmaster, core section violin and principal horn. The horn auditions will be over two days! Interested musicians can learn more about the auditions by clicking here.

The Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra has announced dates for auditions for placement in its 5 branches. The auditions will be held at West Valley Middle School on August 26th - 29th. For more information on that including repertoire specifics, click here. Be aware that what used to be called the Junior Philharmonia is now called the Preludium Orchestra.

Ancient History: By the Numbers

2011-07-21T14:25:00.005-04:00

As an addendum to “How I spent my Summer Vacation,” I returned from the Northeast on July 10th, which was my birthday. Not just any birthday this time, but the big FIVE-OH. I also have just concluded my 25th season with the KSO. Which means that out of the KSO’s 75 seasons, I have played a third of them. Even if you only have a GED you know that I was 25 when I signed on. A day will come in November when I will have lived exactly half of my life in Knoxville and half of it in New England. The question is begged, will I still be playing here when I am 75, in the KSO’s centennial season, having played half of their seasons?

1986 was a busy year for me, I was finishing up a Master’s Degree in music at UMass, Amherst. I met my wife Helen there and we played in a graduate quartet-in-residence. Helen had enrolled at New England Conservatory for the 86-87 school year, and we spent one very hot July day in Boston looking for a place for us to live. As a default, I had enrolled in a D.M.A. program at Boston University. I was antsy about living in Boston; the freelance racket was going to take a long time to crack. Between Thanksgiving of 1985 and August of ‘86 I took eight auditions; Louisville Orchestra (runner-up), Chicago Symphony (bomb), Spoleto Festival (got the job), Charlotte Symphony (finalist), Columbus Symphony (bomb) New Jersey Symphony (semi-finals), Boston Symphony sub list (one never knows how one does in Boston until the phone rings), and on a very hot August 19th, Knoxville.

After the audition I flew back to western Massachusetts and we were married on the following Saturday. (Yes, it is our 25th anniversary this year)!! We spent our honeymoon on Prince Edward Island, and soon after that Helen began her studies at NEC while I drove a moving van with all my junk down here, ditching the D.M.A. at BU and wondering how fate had acquired such a good curve ball.

So we lived apart for a semester, until Helen decided to capitalize on UT’s then-excellent Suzuki Pedagogy program. (Kathy Hart-Reilly, director of the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra’s Sinfonia ensemble, was a classmate). Helen eventually would secure a per-service position with the KSO. We drove a moving van with all HER junk and a car down here in a driving snowstorm, arriving on New Year’s Day of 1987.

Here are some pictures from my birthday party at Norris Dryer’s place in the old city.

Helen lights the candles...

making a wish

I always wanted a new Bluetooth! (something about the frosting made a lasting impression).

left to right: me, Eunsoon Corliss, Lindsay Crawford, Any Bermudez

2011-07-17T11:26:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, July 18th, the November 2010 Chamber Classics concert will be rebroadcast at 8:00 on WUOT, 91.9 fm. You may recall this was the re-creation of the KSO’s first-ever concert, given in 1936 at Church St. United Methodist Church. I am going to suggest that you crank up that giant stereo system you have, invite some friends over, and make these recipes that have been shared by KSO players.

Bassist Dan Thompson is a lucky man. He is married to clarinetist Erin Bray, who is an award-winning cook and a devotee of (among other things) all things barbecue. (You also may remember her name from years ago when she was an announcer on WUOT while a UT student).

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My favorite summer asian bbq marinade:

5-10 cloves of garlic, peeled (depends on how much you like garlic)

2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and cut in half

1/2 of a yellow onion, roughly chopped

1/3 cup soy sauce (or more to taste)

juice & zest (grated) of one lime

1 cup of cola--not diet (or more to cover meat)

Place 1st four ingredients in the bowl of a food processor--process to a chunk-free paste. Remove contents to a large bowl or baking dish. Whisk in lime juice & cola.

This works supremely on pork butt, pork loin, chicken thighs or breasts.

For pork butts, marinate overnight in fridge. To cook, remove from marinade, wipe off excess (it can burn)--either in a 300 degree oven, uncovered for at least 3-4 hours, until meat reaches 190 degrees or grill--indirect heat for at least 5-7 hours, until meat reaches 190 degrees. I am sure you could do it in a slow cooker, but I have not tried it.

http://www.bbqu.net/direct4.html

For pork loin, wipe off the marinade & either roast in a 325 degree oven until meat reaches 150 degrees or grill over indirect heat until meat reaches 150 degrees.

For chicken, marinate 2-6 hours, bake or grill as desired.

To serve: it works great over rice, but is even BETTER cut into chunks and served in lettuce wraps. It is RIDONKULOUS in lettuce wraps with sushi rice & the following sauce:

1 clove chopped garlic, smashed into a fine paste

1/4 cup chopped scallion

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon coarse Korean hot red-pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Combine in a small bowl & whisk.

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While things are cooking, people are going to want drinks. English hornist Liz Telling found this recipe for an amazing, summery drink called an ad lib.

Ad lib:

Cocktail ice cubes for muddling and shaking

5-7 fresh cilantro leaves

2 ½ oz. vodka

1 oz. fresh lemon-lime juice

1 oz. simple syrup

lollipop rim

Fill a tempered pint glass with ice and add the cilantro. Muddle until the ice is slushy and the cilantro is evenly distributed throughout the ice. Add ice to fill the glass. Add vodka, lemon-lime juice and simple syrup. Cap the glass with a stainless steel cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a 10-oz. martini glass garnished with a lollipop rim.

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Tomatoes and basil go together like Tristan und Isolde. Especially when they are fresh out of your garden, or- even better- someone else’s. Violinist Liz Farr shared this recipe with my wife and I many years ago. It is difficult to serve perfectly wedge-shaped servings of this but who cares what it looks like, it is majorly delicious.

Tomato-basil torte:

1 pie crust

1 ½ c. shredded mozzarella (6 oz.) – divided 1 c. and ½ c.

5 Roma or 4 medium tomatoes

½ - 3/8 c. flour – optional

1 c. loosely packed fresh basil

4+ cloves garlic

½ c. mayo

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 t. pepper (white pepper if you have it)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Prick the pie crust with a fork and pre-bake the pie crust for 15-20 minutes. As soon as it comes out of the oven, while still hot, sprinkle the ½ c. of the mozzarella to coat the bottom of the crust. Allow to cool on a rack.

2) Cut the tomatoes into wedges and drain on a paper towel. Alternatively, mix the tomatoes with ½ - 3/8 cup of flour. If the tomatoes are quite juicy, it’s best to both drain them AND mix in the flour. (The tomatoes can be prepared ahead of time.)

3) Pre-heat the oven to 350. Arrange the tomato wedges in a single crowded layer on the bottom of the pie shell.

4) Using a food processor , coarsely chop the fresh basil and the garlic cloves. Sprinkle over the tomatoes in the pie shell.

5) Combine the remaining 1 c. mozzarella, mayo, Parmesan, and pepper. Spread as evenly as possible over the tomatoes + basil/garlic in the pie shell, aiming to cover the top.

6) Bake the pie at 350 for about 45 minutes, until the top shows golden and the tomato’s juices are bubbling.

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Violist Katy Gawne says of this dessert that it is “so worth running the oven in July...”

Blueberry Kuchen:

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 stick butter

1 Tablespoon vinegar

Filling/topping:

5 cups blueberries

2 Tablespoons flour

2/3 cup sugar

Combine 1 cup of flour, salt and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is the consistency of cornmeal. Sprinkle with the vinegar. Press into an 8 inch cake pan. Add 3 cups of blueberries. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour and 2/3 cup of sugar. Bake @ 400 for 45-60 minutes until the crust is brown and the filling bubbles. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 2 more cups of blueberries.

How I Spent my Summer Vacation, Part II

2011-07-15T08:10:00.006-04:00

I said I attended a 4th of July concert by the Hartford Symphony and I meant it. I know a wide variety of people read this so I will say to some of you, Hartford, Conn., not Hartford Tenn. (Or Wis.!) Enough Lady Vol fans read this so that some must surely be acquainted with the city where the UConn Huskies play some of their games. (UConn’s campus is about an hour east in Storrs).

I attended the U of Hartford for undergrad; back then Hartt was one of the “13 best music schools in the country.” There were a lot of opportunities and it was a half-hour drive from my parents’ house. Notable graduates of Hartt include Dionne Warwick, Richie Havens, and conductors Neal Gittleman (Dayton Philharmonic and a guest conductor here in the spring of 1999) and Apo Hsu. At the beginning of my junior year (see Feb. 25th blog re the maestro there), I was one of two cellists to win auditions with the Hartford Symphony, the other being a classmate and good friend of mine, Eric Dahlin from Minnesota. My tenure with the HSO was only three seasons, but they were jam-packed with new tunes and I effectively tripled my repertoire beyond what we played in the Hartt College Orchestra.

I visited Eric, his wife and two sons in rural Simsbury the day after their concert. I was astonished that he seemed not to have changed a bit, but he (and everyone I saw from the orchestra that I knew back in the day) seemed taller!! It was scary.

Simsbury figured prominently that day, because it is also the home to my first real cello teacher and high school orchestra director, Josef Treggor, and I got to see him and his wife also! He retired from teaching in 2001. There was a grand party for him, a la “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” Richard Dreyfuss, however, would not very aptly portray Joe. Think Jimmy Stewart meets Bill Murray with a beard.

Joe was a cellist, and had what my parents would call an “artistic temperament,” a term which was lost on me until I acquired one. Growing up he was friends with Peter Tork from the Monkees, and when I first started lessons with him he had (in order) a 1965 Saab, a 1967 VW bus, then a 1969 MGB. He was married to my piano teacher, so I had piano and cello lessons on alternate weeks.

Musically he was ambitious and our high school orchestra (Newington, Conn.) rocked. While I was there we went to DC, Ottawa, and New York on trips for contests, but more importantly, we achieved high levels of artistry and the concept of a chamber orchestra was brought home to me. In 6th grade we were tackling Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, in 8th grade Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 and Bach’s 6th Brandenburg Concerto, and through high school Beethoven’s 1st 3rd, 5th and 8th symphonies, Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Reformation Symphony, and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony.

Joe added a feather to his cap in the mid 70's, acquiring a marine biology degree. His love for oceanography took him to sea, and he eventually voyaged with Jacques Cousteau and spent a good deal of time at Woods Hole on Cape Cod. (Poor guy). He was instrumental (ouch) in protecting a small, but beautiful waterfall that was threatened by a road construction project in Newington. His second wife, Kumi, is a former classmate of mine and Eric’s at Hartt College. How’s that for ironic?

How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Part 1.

2011-07-11T23:35:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you just have to do it. Drive away and get back to where you once belonged, seeing a lot of people you haven’t seen in a great long time. I am not yet on the cutting edge of technology, but that is all on the up and up and soon I will be more forthcoming when on the road.

So I will honestly ‘fess up and say that I was not on hand for the 4th of July concert, although I did see the Hartford Symphony do a very similar concert on July 1st. There were interesting differences- their concert was out in a small town (Simsbury) but still drew about 7,000 people. They had a chorus accompanying the 1812 overture, but their fireworks display couldn’t hold a candle to Knoxville’s, and there were minimal fireworks during the overture. I had never attended a 4th of July concert like that; only performed them.

On this trip I stopped in Bethesda, MD at Potter Violin Shop for some badly needed bridge work and “body work.” My instrument, (allegedly) an anonymous English axe from around 1800, had been subject to 16 years of dings, divots and dimples since it was last massaged, and the bridge was warped in three different ways. Since it was a week in the shop, I continued on to New Hampshire, having not seen my parents since they each had had some fairly serious health issues this spring.

I trust the shop I go to because that is where I bought the instrument. The search for a new cello in 1995-96 was exhausting, taking me to Chicago, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor, New York and DC. Like many who are on a budget, (which is, everybody?) I was often told that my price range was “in an awkward area.” I was enticed by cellos from an Ann Arbor luthier named David Burgess, and may still buy one. I borrowed 2 of his for a couple months, people liked them, but I really wanted an older instrument- one that knew the Dvorak and Haydn D Major concertos already. Norris Dryer very generously donated his car and his ears for a tour of shops in Philly and New York in December of 1995 (I think).

On a snowy, messy day we visited famous Moennig’s (which, unbelievably, went out of business last January), where I was allowed to play for an hour and a half and instantly fell in love with several $90,000 instruments. Nothing near my $25,000 limit was intriguing, here or at any of the other 5 shops we visited in the next 2 days, so although we had a blast, I came away empty-handed. It was on a trip to the DC area in February, in fact after a Philadelphia Orchestra audition I took, that I visited Potter’s. I had a solo coming up, (actually a duo) the David Ott Concerto for Two Cellos, with the previously-blogged Phil Hansen and the Chamber Orchestra in March. Only after four trips looking at cellos did I realize that I should explore the price range below the one I had set, and I struck paydirt with this old English cello. I took it home to try out; it never went back. Phil tried it and said, “you better buy it, because if you don’t, I will!”

Now that I think about it, “Olde English 800" as I have come to call it, was not perfect right away. The bridge was too low, set up for a more careful player than I. So the frog of my bow crashed the C-string bout several times during the Ott, and these have only now been repaired. Other “memories” have been erased also- the place where about five years ago I dropped a metronome my son Thomas was handing me (he had actually faked throwing it to me a moment before, then carefully handed it to me but I dropped it anyway- I'm such a klutz lol), the divot where I dropped a stage clamp on it after a recent Chamber Orchestra concert, several dimples where the bow came loose inside the case, and 16 years of edge deterioration. The result is a tighter, more focused sound and the return of that resplendent maiden I have come to know and love.

More on the 4th- and a Summer's Tale

2011-06-28T22:40:00.004-04:00

A new feature at our 4th of July concert will be an online site that will allow patrons to log on and learn about pieces that are being played, as they are being played. The site address will be displayed on the screens at the concert site, and there will also be a code on the printed programs that will guide the way to that site. The big programs that are handed out at Masterworks concerts are not feasible for an outdoor show such as this, but with this new- and experimental- link, a great deal more information will be available to concertgoers than would be possible with the single sheet of paper that is ordinarily handed out at concerts like this.

Some of our players are heading out of town this summer to play and/or teach at summer festivals. Principal Second violinist Edward Pulgar and his wife and two children are off to Indianola, Iowa (just south of Des Moines) to play with the Des Moines Metro Opera. This is a festival that I have played off and on since 1990. When one thinks of fine opera companies, rural Iowa does not leap to mind as a likely venue, but I spent eight lovely seasons there playing critically acclaimed productions, including some rarely heard operas, with world-class singers and up-and-coming opera stars.

In 1991, I turned 30 there. There was a party, but missing from it was one violinist named Lisa Muci. As I recall she was on her first date with Herb Eckhoff, a fine opera singer who was featured on the KSO’s performance of Act 1 of Wagner’s Die Walküre in October of 2001. I have since forgiven Lisa for her absence that night. She made the right choice.

Rebroadcasts and Return Engagements

2011-06-24T12:34:00.002-04:00

The KSO’s 2010-11 season broadcasts on WUOT-FM will be starting up soon. I always enjoy reliving some of the great moments of the past year, whenever I am in town to hear them, and it’s always a treat to have people call me up and tell me how awesome it is to hear the orchestra (or quartet, or etc.) on the air. I don’t know what scheduling gods were at work to bring this coincidence about, but the first broadcast will occur on July 4th, and the music will be all-Tchaikovsky, ending with the 1812 Overture- which will be performed live at World’s Fair Park at the same time!!

The rest of the broadcasts will follow on successive Monday nights. I am especially looking forward to the Janacek Sinfonietta, which will be broadcast on Monday night July 25.

If you enjoyed hearing (then) ten-year-old Logan Murrell with the orchestra on the 2007 Clayton Holiday Concerts, then you will be delighted to know that she will be returning to that stage for the 2011 set of concerts. She performed at the Lucas Richman Society dinner on May 22, this time accompanying herself on the guitar, and believe me, she is a gifted performer you do not want to miss. Judging from the number and variety of YouTube videos featuring her, there are very few genres that Logan does not feel at home with. Knoxville is truly blessed to have this phenomenal talent gracing our stages.

4th of July Program Announced!

2011-06-20T12:59:00.002-04:00

The program for the KSO’s 4th of July concert has been announced! Starting at 8 on the South Lawn of World’s Fair Park, Maestro Richman will lead the orchestra in a wide variety of music, but the emphasis will of course be on patriotic themes. I will weigh in on some of the repertoire below. I will have to say that I won’t be performing on this concert, as I’ll be getting some badly needed quality time with my parents in New Hampshire and other family across New England.

Richard Chiaparra’s setting of the Gettysburg Address will be narrated by Hallerin Hill, who needs no introduction to Knoxville audiences, having appeared many times on Clayton, Ijams Park and other KSO events. (It also should be noted that his son, Hallerin II, is a veteran of the KSO Youth Orchestra and is a violin student at UT). Chiaparra is the music director of the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra, based in my old stomping grounds. Some people I went to high school with are in this group- some of whom I hope to see on my trip north.

KSO hornist Mark Harrell’s March from his opera The Stainless Banner will be reprised, as will the Hymn to the Fallen from John Williams’ score to Saving Private Ryan. The first half of the show will conclude with Holst’s ebullient Jupiter from The Planets, which will be presented in its entirety on the KSO’s Masterworks concerts on March 22 and 23, 2012.

The second half will feature a medley of tunes by Irving Berlin, who it seems could only play the piano in two keys: F# major and D# minor, but he had an instrument that could be changed to other keys with the flip of a lever. (He called it his "Buick"). Vol fans will rejoice to hear that we will be performing Rocky Top, in an arrangement by Mark Harrell. Then the piece de resistance: Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Fireworks shall be coordinated into the end of this work, which has crossed international borders to represent and inspire patriotism here and in many other countries.

2011-06-14T13:25:00.003-04:00

Well, Maestro Richman is a very busy man. Busy winning Grammies, busy having his picture put on billboards, busy having a day designated as “Lucas Richman Day”..... it’s no wonder that he hasn’t had time to do an interview about his Grammy. But I would definitely like to share this photo of the Maestro and his bling and comment about these other honors.

Imagine having a Grammy delivered to your door- by Fed-Ex!! When the delivery person realized what it was, Lucas had to wrestle it from her.

At the Knoxville Symphony League luncheon last month, Knoxville Mayor Dan Brown proclaimed May 18th “Lucas Richman Day, and County Mayor Tim Burchett named the next day as “Lucas Richman Day” in the county. Senator Lamar Alexander sent a representative to the luncheon to honor Lucas’ Grammy award. In a tender ceremony, 5-year-old Maggie Davis presented Lucas with a rose and a drawing she did depicting her attendance at a Family Concert which inspired her to want to start playing the violin. Congratulations Lucas!!!

Where They Went From Here

2011-06-08T12:15:00.004-04:00

I will be spending some of this bandwidth on catching up with former members of the KSO and some of their goings-on.

Former Principal cellist Phil Hansen was here just a brief time, 1992-1995, but he remains the only cellist who was a member of the KSO to perform the solo part to Strauss’ Don Quixote with the KSO. After spending some time in the Pacific Northwest, he was appointed principal cellist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. He recently performed in Vladivostok, Russia in concerts sponsored by Russia’s Bi-lateral Presidential Commission.

Bassist Dave Sickle was here in that same ‘92-‘95 time frame, but left to pursue a medical career at Case Western Reserve University. After a stint with the Army at Fort Bragg, he now lives with his wife Janice, two sons and a daughter in Jackson, Tennessee, where he is an Orthopedic Surgeon with the Jackson Clinic. In his spare time he plays in a 90's alternative band called Skin and Bones. It is an appropriate name, considering the day jobs of the band members. To quote his Facebook description:

We started out with 3 orthopaedic surgeons and a dermatologist. We traded in the skin doc for a cardiologist but the name stuck.

If you remember violist Wendy Mullen from the late 80's to the mid 90's at all, you remember that she was an extremely talented soprano. She left here to pursue a DMA at Arizona State and his now the vocal coordinator and voice professor at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, GA. One of my most treasured experiences in music came in 1992 when she, violinist Sean Claire, pianist Carol Zinavage and I gave the Tennessee premiere of Shostakovich’s song cycle Seven Poems after Alexander Blok on a Knoxville Symphony Chamber Players concert. (A repeat performance at Pellissippi State was snowed out by the blizzard of ‘93). She keeps her viola chops up as a core member of the Macon Symphony Orchestra.

Hmmm, I didn't mean for this to be all about string players. I'll try to hit some of the other families in a later post. Right now, I am fixing to spend a couple days camping at Indian Boundary Lake with my 16-year-old son Richard and 3 of his friends. Wish me luck.

Dabbling in Classical- from Youtube

2011-06-06T11:25:00.003-04:00

Summer's here and the time is right- for youtube in the streets!

~Here is Sir Paul and someone named Carlos bandying a Bach tune bach and forth. Paul says it became a Beatles song. Which one? Bach in the USSR? Get Bach? Bachbird? Paperbach Writer? Check it out.

~Here is that same tune in the capable hands and lips of a very talented flute player.

~This young man had a dream. To write and perform the weirdest music allowed by law. His dreams came more than true as soon (well, 15 years later) his lyrics would require warning labels.

Both Sides of the Fence

2011-06-03T19:23:00.005-04:00

As I have mentioned before, I along with some other KSO members are involved in other genres of music in addition to classical. It was a always a dream of mine to be able to play a classical concert, and then wind down the evening with a bit of jazz, rock or alternative music. I find it virtually impossible to come home from a KSO service and jump into bed. I am a night person and I might as well be playing music- and earning money. That dream started to come true about five years ago. At the risk of omitting some friends, I will try to give a bit of an overview of the KSO’s fence-straddlers.

Violinist Liz Farr has probably been at this the longest. A Celtic harpist as well as a member of our second violin section, she formed Farr Horizons in 1986 with cellist D. Scot Williams and flutist Rachel Schlafer-Parton. A few years back cellist Stacy Miller joined the group, replacing Scot. The emphasis is on traditional American and Celtic styles. One shining moment (among many) for them was performing at Alex Haley’s farm in Norris when he hosted Oprah Winfrey.

Flutist Jill Allard has found herself on a similar path as a member of Red-Haired Mary, a band specializing in traditional and contemporary Irish and Celtic music. Although I thought I knew Jill pretty well, I was very pleasantly surprised to hear that she sings, too! Joining her in RHM is violinist Erin Tipton Archer, who you may remember is the conductor of the KSO’s Junior Phiharmonia. Erin is no stranger to the alternative scene, having played with Erick Baker for many years, including Bonnaroo 2009.

If you’ve ever driven to a gig with her, you would know that oboist Ayca Yayman has very eclectic taste in music. It is no wonder then that she has gotten involved with an experimental fusion band called The Akashic Mysteries. This band is obviously influenced by the likes of Radiohead, Camper van Beethoven, and King Crimson, and Ayca’s occasional contributions add a very exotic touch.

As you might expect, a lot of the wind players cross over into the jazz realm. Trumpeter Stewart Cox, trombonists Brad MacDougall, Tom Lundberg, former principal trombonist Don Hough, and clarinetist Mark Tucker (saxophone) are all regulars with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. The KJO’s varied programing compliments the KSO’s “legit” offerings very nicely.

For myself, I am guilty of crossing the line into other realms also. It’s funny, but a friend of mine said I have been sounding a lot better in the last 3 or 4 years. This time-frame coincides with the time I have been playing swing and gypsy jazz with the Johnson Swingtet, the Space Heaters, and Kukuly and the Gypsy Curse. Coincidence? I don’t know. All I know is that I am playing more of it tonight, at 9:00 at the Bistro by the Bijou with Kukuly’s band. I’m glad we get a tab. Channeling Django Reinhardt and Pablo Casals works up quite an appetite.

End of Season Loose Ends

2011-05-30T03:19:00.005-04:00

You didn’t see clarinetist Mark Tucker or flutist Cynthia D’Andrea playing the May Masterworks concert because their children’s graduation ceremonies fell on the night of one of the concerts. Mark, who wears the most hats of any of us in the orchestra (he is our second clarinetist, librarian and personnel manager as well as being a local saxophone institution) and his wife, violist Carol Tucker have just graduated their daughter Katherine from Karnes High School. Cynthia’s daughter Allison Smith graduated from Knox Catholic High, where she was a standout with the volleyball team. Congrats to Allison and Katherine!!

You did see principal clarinetist Gary Sperl at these shows, but just barely. Fresh off his trip to China during spring break with the UT clarinet choir, he is now in Tanzania, on a “reconnaissance mission” which is a prelude to his year of teaching there during the 2011-2012 season. With time out for dodging cobras and monkeys he will be teaching at Makumira University College in Arusha. Gary is truly the KSO’s “international man of mystery” and we all wish him the best.

Congratulations are in order for principal bassoonist Ellen Connors, who recently won the principal bassoon position with Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, OH. She will be able to play the majority of concerts for both groups; this is what Jackson Browne would call “chasing songs from town to town.”

We said also have unfortunately said goodbye to core violinist Lee Sheehan who will be spending the foreseeable future at Indiana University. She will be studying with Alex Kerr, the former concertmaster of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra. Lee's smile was a welcome sight every day and we will miss her much.

Here is a pic from Kirk Trevor's recent visit to town.

left to right, Gary Sperl, Mary Ann Fennell, Jay Oberfeitinger, yours truly, Nadine Hur, Cathy Leach, Cynthia D'Andrea, Maestro Trevor, Phyllis Secrist, Andy Adzima, and Mark Tucker.

Summer Reading List

2011-05-26T12:27:00.002-04:00

I don’t read all that much, although the constant onslaught of music in my life (and the occasional plane trip) take their toll occasionally and I will resort to silence and a book. Here are some items I have read or will read that may make your summer more interesting. My list is short; I know better than to get my hopes up too high.

Arthur Fiedler: Papa, the Pops and Me, by Johanna Fiedler

As part of its release, Ms Fiedler did a book tour with orchestras. She appeared with the New Hampshire Music Festival orchestra back in the 90's in a show which mirrored a Boston Pops-style concert. Between numbers she spoke of her father’s life and times and it was very sweet and informative. What I remember most about Arthur Fiedler is that he died on my 18th birthday; July 10, 1979.

Twilight of the Wagners: The Unveiling of a Family’s Legacy, by Gottfried Wagner

No, I actually haven’t read this, but I’m pretty sure the Wagner freaks in the orchestra have; hornist Mark Harrell, for one. The hardcover sleeve pictures Wagner’s grandsons with Hitler; maybe I’ll remove it before going to the gate. A lot of mysteries to dig into in that book.

Drumming at the Edge of Magic: A Journey into the Spirit of Percussion, by Mickey Hart

If you like the music of the Grateful Dead, then you’ve probably already read this; if not, just know that this book is an enthralling biography of the percussive arts. Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart gave a seminar at UT about 10 years ago, his hearing was pretty bad. Little wonder. Well, his loss is our gain with this very personal memoire/overview of percussion in a universal sense.

A Smattering of Ignorance, by Oscar Levant

This one’s a little hard to find. My landlady at the Lake George Opera Festival had this on her shelf, right next to Dolly Parton’s autobiography. This is a fairly lightweight but delightful stroll through the early 40's Hollywood composers’ scene of the Gershwins, Schoenberg, the Marx Bros., etc. It may be of more interest to musicians, but it is a fast read and Levant is brilliant. Like the Glenn Gould and Boulanger books below, this can be read out of order.

Mademoiselle: Conversations with Nadia Boulanger, by Bruno Monsaingeon

This is a new one for me also. Boulanger is known as “the woman who taught the world how to write music in a French accent.” Her pupil list is staggering; Copland, Roy Harris, Virgil Thomson, Michel Legrand, Astor Piazzolla, Philip Glass, and Elliott Carter among others. I expect to learn a lot from this book.

The Glenn Gould Reader, Tim Page, ed.

Pianist Glenn Gould’s intellect and sarcasm are all over this collection of essays, with some critical looks at the nature of classical music from his high niche in the piano world. Music journal articles, radio show transcripts, LP liner notes and even an interview with himself are brought to life by one of the most controversial but brilliant musicians who has ever lived.

The Classical Kids Series, various artists

If you have kids, these audio books will help another hour on that long car trip back from the beach, and then another hour, and maybe another as the kids ask for more. These tales tend to bear repeating, with dramatic, historical looks at composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. The Vivaldi episode became known as “the Katerina tape” in our family with its vivid, soulful story of a girl searching for a missing strad during Carnival. Children under aged 5 will probably just fall asleep to the delightful soundtrack, but older kids will be drawn right into the drama and the music will stick with them forever.

A Goodbye and an Invitation

2011-05-21T19:48:00.005-04:00

With the end of the KSO’s 75th anniversary season, it is with bittersweet sentiment that we bid adieu to our assistant concertmaster, Miroslav Hristov. Miro has been with us since the 2000-2001 season, and has been acting concertmaster this past season while the concertmaster search has been taking place. A major force in Knoxville’s violin community, he will be turning his attention towards teaching at UT and well-deserved time with his family. I will always remember him as a gifted, optimistic and witty musician and a true friend with an infectious smile and a zest for life. In quartet rehearsals his seemingly infinite knowledge of the violin repertoire was often quoted when we came upon a phrase in a quartet that reminded him of another piece.

-***-

As a “coda” to our 75th season, a recital by harpist Cindy Hicks will take place on Sunday, May 22nd at 2:00 Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 Northshore Dr., at the foot of Lyons Bend Road. Music by Jolivet, Ibert, Koechlin and others will be performed; principal bassoonist Ellen Connors and principal flutist Nadine Hur will assist. If you heard our concerts on one of the past two evenings, you cannot have missed all three of these musicians’ powerful artistry, particularly on Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherezade. Come see and hear chamber music with harp in an amazing acoustical setting.

75th Season Finale!!

2011-05-16T11:29:00.002-04:00

This Thursday and Friday at 8:00 at the Tennessee Theatre, the KSO will present the finale to our 75th anniversary season, an all-Russian program featuring three works which all contain melodies that would surely make anyone’s list of “100 Greatest Melodies.” Programmed are Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherezade, Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini featuring pianist Joel Fan, and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.

As you may have heard through the grapevine, the KSO has announced that Gabriel Lefkowitz will be the new concertmaster and will be joining us for the May 19 and 20 Masterworks concerts. We are excited about this news and he sounds great on the solos in the Rimsky-Korsakov.

Preceding each concert, Maestro Richman will lead a discussion with our guest soloist starting at 7:00, and following each concert there will be a patron reception in the downstairs lobby of the Tennessee Theatre. This is an attractive scenario on Thursday especially, since the smart money is on an early arrival to beat the Sundown in the City traffic (which will be peaking around 8:00), and staying at the Tennessee past 10:15 will allow some of the after-Sundown traffic to disperse. The après-concert receptions will provide good opportunities to meet and greet Maestro Richman and some members of the orchestra to discuss the many twists and turns of our 75th season. Both pre- and post-concert events are FREE to ticket holders.

Note: by “patron reception,” I am referring to “a reception for patrons,” not “a reception where Patrón tequila will be served.” You will have to go down the street for that. Besides, with all of this Russian music, wouldn’t vodka be more fitting? Just sayin’....

Concerts in the Community- and a heads-up

2011-05-12T04:21:00.000-04:00

Tennyson said it best. In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of... FREE concerts in the park!!! Come see the KSO under the direction of resident conductor and NEW FATHER James Fellenbaum at the Maryville Greenbelt stage on Thursday the 12th at 7:30, or on Knoxville’s Market Square Friday evening at 7. Or both!

Baritone Kevin Richard Doherty will reprise his arias from Barber and Figaro from the March 6th Chamber Classics concert. Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Mel Brooks will also take the stage in this spring break from the ordinary. Bring a picnic supper, lawn chairs or blankets, and an appreciation for a classy start to your weekend. I’d have to say though, a blanket on Market Square might be a little uncomfortable, but it’s just the thing in Maryville.

Yes, you heard right! Jim and his wife, trumpeter Sarah Chumney Fellenbaum, are the proud parents of Kiri Jane, born Monday, May 9th! At our rehearsal Tuesday, Jim’s hospital wristband was an integral part of his beat, and he was in good shape for the shape he was in.

Please remember that the Thursday night Masterworks concert next week coincides with Umphrey’s McGee at Sundown in the City, so parking will be at a premium and extra time should be allowed. Look for restaurants before show time that are more removed from the throngs of people that are sure to show up, such as Chesapeake’s, the Bistro at the Bijou, or Old City institutions if you don’t mind a little walking.

Words cannot express...

2011-05-10T14:35:00.004-04:00

In the life of a symphony orchestra there is joy to celebrate and sadness to confront, just as in a family or a church. While the more recent past has provided us with joy in the birth of a baby girl, Sunday’s news of the sudden death of principal hornist Calvin Smith weighs heavily on all of our hearts today. The world has lost a fine musician.

A horn player’s horn player, Calvin moved here from Los Angeles to accept the professor of French horn position at UT, leaving a lucrative free-lance career in the early 90's while continuing to hold the principal horn position with the Long Beach Symphony. After perusing several biographies of him online and finding that no two of them had the same credentials, I believe it can safely be said that he had far and away the most extensive resume of any KSO member. The tag on his car read FECHOPS, (iron chops, if you’re not up on the table of elements), and to hear him play, you would know why. I have always admired horn players for their ability to tame a quirky and treacherous instrument, and Calvin made it look easy.

The irony of it all is that Chris Botti’s arrangement of Time to Say Goodbye which we performed Saturday night begins with a beautiful horn solo. If you heard it on Saturday night at the Civic, you heard the best. Prayers and thoughts go out to his wife Paula and sons Nathan and Jeremy. The memorial service will be held Wednesday, May 11 at 6:00 pm at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church.

Where I Was on April 31st

2011-05-07T17:27:00.002-04:00

To anyone who may not be aware, I perform with a local swing jazz group called the Johnson Swingtet. It’s a little sidetrip I decided to take a few years ago to broaden my musical horizon. The group is generally comprised of two guitars, cello, mandolin and harmonica, and is dedicated to the gypsy jazz tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stefan Grappelli with a smattering of Western Swing and Samba. This past Sunday night we were playing at Sapphire on Gay St., when between songs folks at the bar let out a big ol’ cheer (but definitely not AFTER a song, especially considering the fortitude of the cheering! lol). We played on, temporarily oblivious to the fact that Osama bin Laden had just been shot.

Meanwhile, back in 2001, I was an orchestra committee member and took part in the contract negotiations after the 2000-2001 season. The negotiations with Mark Hanson, in his sophomore year as General Manager, had reached an agreement without much gnashing of teeth. Just a couple small items needed to be ironed out, and we were settling in to a 9:00-ish meeting when Emily (Robertson) Vestal came rushing into the conference room saying that the World Trade Center had just been hit. Although I had never spoken to Emily, who had just joined the KSO staff as assistant stage manager and now works at Carnegie Hall, it was clear that she was not used to speaking so forcefully.

We finished up the meeting, aware that what we had spent months negotiating might have just gone up in flames also, but we were cautiously optimistic and posterity has long since allayed our fears. That week was to be the Gala concert, but the schedule was reconfigured to include an “emergency” concert on the Civic Auditorium lawn. People were shaken; loud noises from the parking garage made people jerk their heads around to see if they needed to run from something. The “C” garage had a loose expansion joint that has since been fixed, but in those days when driven over, it sounded as if Thor himself were hammering on the whole structure.

On Friday night the 14th, the Gala concert at the Civic Auditorium, featuring pianist Alexander Toradze playing a Rachmaninov concerto and concluding with Scheherazade, went on as planned, although as I recall there was some doubt as to whether Mr. Toradze would make a single rehearsal due to travel restrictions. Indeed, he had to be driven down from Bloomington, Indiana. My memory is fuzzy about this, but I believe this concert also included the dedication of the statue of Rachmaninov that now stands in World’s fair Park, commemorating his last performance here in 1943. Maybe someone out there can ascertain whether this is true, but regardless of when it happened, there is a bit of business to take care of. A forum on Rachmaninov.org includes a post by some bloke who is miffed that Rachmaninov’s last performance occurred in Knoxville. To wit...

....Somehow I feel a final performance there was not appropriate for

such a great artist....from St. Petersburg and other world capitals to Knoxville. Sad, but such is life!

Maybe one of you can tell this person where to go.

Double-header Weekend

2011-05-04T23:19:00.002-04:00

This weekend brings a duet of concerts that showcases two completely opposite hemispheres of the KSO’s musical world– the smooth jazz extravaganza of trumpeter Chris Botti on Saturday night, and a generous helping of Baroque string music on Sunday afternoon.

Saturday night at 8:00, jazz trumpet star Chris Botti will join the KSO Pops at 8:00 at the Civic Auditorium. His Youtube performances of When I Fall in Love, Time to Say Goodbye and The Look of Love are classy and moving. Mr. Botti will play three more shows in the states and one in Mexico City before touring Australia later in the spring.

Sunday afternoon at 2:30, the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra will present works of Purcell, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and Heinrich Biber at the Bijou Theatre. While the bulk of this concert’s repertoire explores a variety of Baroque counterpoint styles, a special feature will be Biber’s Battalia. Dating from 1673, the best way to describe this piece is as Charles Ives entertaining Louis XIV. Special effects not used again until the Bartok era are called for, such as snap pizzicato and the use of paper under the bass strings to create a snare drum effect. You can also hear Vivaldi at his most “emo” in his Sinfonia al Santo Sepulcro, a beautiful gem of baroque “passion music.”

2011-05-01T16:40:00.002-04:00

On Friday, April 29th, the KSO played a “runout” concert at the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in Townsend. Opened in February, 2006, and located on “the peaceful side of the Smokies,” the mission statement of the GSMHC....

is to preserve, protect and promote the unique history and rich culture of the residents and Native Americans who inhabited the East Tennessee mountain communities that were incorporated into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its surroundings.

The facility, a sort of “rich man’s Museum of Appalachia,” encompasses five acres, and includes several historic buildings that have been reconstructed on the grounds. There is a greater emphasis on Native American heritage compared to the Museum of Appalachia.

An outdoor venue always has some surprises, and the GSMHC is no exception. Since the gift shop was basically backstage, we got to rub elbows a bit more with our audience, mostly 40- to 70-something tourists. Last year’s inaugural concert there came with the challenge of the setting sun beaming directly on (part of) the orchestra. Tarps were hastily clipped up at the back of the house to block the sun, and damage to instruments and players’ eyes was avoided. This year there were more permanent sunscreens installed, and I thought, great, they’re thinking of us. Only trouble was the material they used was pretty sheer when all was said and done, and the sun was still a nuisance. While blindly imagining the notes in Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, resident conductor James Fellenbaum could be seen holding his hand up to block the sun from my eyes. Another potential challenge that did not end up being an issue were the several families of birds that had taken up roost in the rafters above the stage. It was a perfect evening for an outdoor concert, dipping down into the low 60's by evening’s end, and we were very well-received.

I was reminded of the concerts we used to play at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, toward the end of Kirk Trevor’s tenure. Founded in 1969, there are 35 structures on 63 acres. The performance venue there is a covered stage, but the audience, mostly Knoxville residents out for a late summer jaunt, was out in an open field. A Buddy’s Barbecue supper was served, and the concerts featured John Rice Irwin’s Museum of Appalachia Band. Mr. Irwin’s mandolin playing and irrepressible humor were supplemented by upright bass, mouth harp, country fiddle and guitar, and on the last concert we played there (2003?) one of the finest harmonica players I have ever heard. For MOST of the members of the KSO these concerts, which blended the traditions of classical and bluegrass, were real eye-openers. The Orange Blossom Special, which usually served as the finale, confounded some of the players who were not used to feeling the bluegrass aesthetic and protocol. I have returned to the Museum of Appalachia’s gift shop many times to find gifts for foreign visitors that we have hosted. I hope someday soon to return as a performer.

Watery Music

2011-04-29T01:29:00.003-04:00

Today I am grateful that three days of violent storms did little else to our home than savage our roses and clematis. And maybe the roof. (It’s a slate roof; we call it our rock collection). We, like throngs of people across the South were holed up in basements and closets and had hail damage to their cars. Flutist Jill Allard’s patio canopy was ripped into unrecognizable shreds and a fence panel was knocked down. Something massive must have hit violinist Lisa Muci’s car, because the windshield pretty much exploded. I’m glad she or Herb weren’t in it. Violinist Elizabeth Farr spoke of several broken windows in her home and much hail damage to Harpcar. This after Monday’s storm which downed power lines, made Kingston Pike through Sequoyah Hills impassible and caused uprooted trees to sever gas lines– THAT could be a problem to fix in a lightning storm. Tympanist Mike Combs just had his power turned back on TODAY after FIVE DAYS, and our streetlamps in Parkridge are still out since Monday.

Although the Symphony had no performances scheduled last night, the Principal Quartet did attempt to have a rehearsal chez Hristov, out near Dutchtown Rd. I had been teaching in Oak Ridge all day and his house was on my way home. Katy and Edward arrived at about 7:30, and violinist Any Bermudez and her husband Louis Diez were there, hanging out since 5:30 when the weather started to go, er, south. WBIR’s tireless team was on the tube, and Dutchtown was mentioned as a hail target. Miro’s kids were of course having a rave-up with all the attention and the electricity in the air, and we finally got started rehearsing about 8:30. We were choosing repertoire for an upcoming promotional gig and decided to check out something by this guy named Mozart. We got to about letter “B”and then the power went out.

After more socializing in the dark, (Miro’s 3 year old daughter Sophie taught me some of the finer points of running around and laughing, and his 8 year old son Danny and I discussed salmonella and its effects at great length) we decided that it was too dark to play and ventured out in the elements during a lull in the tornado warnings. Although I would have normally gone back to Pellissippi Parkway and then to I-40, I decided to stop at Weigel’s on Cedar Bluff to buy milk. (I swear! We were really out of milk). But when I tried to get on the highway, the ENTIRE Cedar Bluff interchange under the highway was under 5 feet of water. So, it was back to Pellissippi after all. The drive was one of the scarier ones I’ve done, lots of hydroplaning, and SUVs driving too fast. I returned home to find Helen and Richard in the basement watching the sump pump drain.

That first 32 bars of the Mozart are going to be darn good.

If Food Be the Music of Life...

2011-04-25T00:29:00.002-04:00

It’s rare to find someone who has no health issues that need management at one time or another. Principal quartet rehearsals are a case in point. We love music so much that these conditions, these restrictions we carry with us do not stop us.

Principal violist Katy Gawne recently dislocated her shoulder, and while the playing is not so painful (at least she doesn’t complain about it), it hurts when she laughs. Unfortunately for her, the other three of us are complete cut-ups and she is quite sore by the end of rehearsals. Venezuela native and second violinist Edward Pulgar is still adjusting to what’s in the air here in Knoxville and is prone to rather charming rapid-fire sneezing outbursts. Plus he, along with first violinist Miroslav Hristov, are father to very young children (see previous blog) and the attendant sleep-deprivation. Edward and his wife Mary having just had a child in February, and Miro and Nathalie with a daughter, Sofie (3) and a son, Danny (8). For myself, I would have to say that my diabetes poses a routine that is deceptively challenging.

While many players encrust themselves with cell phones at break, I am armed with an apple. This is not because I am fond of apples per se, but that they are just very convenient and travel well. (There are worse things to eat. Prunes, for one). The timing of my insulin regiment dictates that I eat something at break, and it is not something I can take lightly. Since the Tennessee Theatre reopened after its renovation, there has been a lovely vending machine in the basement, and there has always been one in the Civic Auditorium. There are a few good choices in them, and several bad ones. So when I run out of apples, or forget one, Doritos have got my back. It’s not that I crave this stuff, or that I’m even hungry, but the notion of food as medicine is a sad reality. The spread of chips, cookies, candy, etc. that the opera company puts out is almost too good to be true and I have to know when to say when.

Either low or high blood sugar can be just a few bites away. Both can cause drowsiness, especially in the afternoon when more sensible countries of the world are taking a siesta. It is imperative to know which way to correct. Is my blood sugar weird? Or am I just really tired? Morning and evening services are fairly predictable, but in the afternoon there are a lot more variables. I have to check my blood sugar with a meter before the service and during break to help determine what to do to stay on top of things. Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar makes me ornery and thirsty, but is not an immediate health threat unless it goes unchecked for days. Hypoglycemia, (low) is much more dangerous and CAN leave one unconscious in a matter of minutes (see: Steel Magnolias). Luckily, that has never happened to me. Effects of hypoglycemia are confusion, fatigue, and a case of the shakes. When in doubt, I err on the high side.

Once in a great while, low blood sugar brings on double vision. “Well, just close one eye,” you might say, but this is up-and-down double vision, not side-to-side. A staff which normally has five lines suddenly has seven or eight. This confounds me, because the last time I looked, my eyes were oriented horizontally, not vertically like a 28-gauge Winchester over-and-under. My only choice at this point is to lay out, as I have already done all I can do by eating or drinking something and just have to wait for the calories to do their trick.

Famous diabetics in music and showbiz are surprising, although some are more high-profile than others; Mary Tyler Moore, Halle Berry, Elvis, Andrew Lloyd Webber, but my favorite would have to be Giacomo Puccini. To cap off a wonderful Easter, here is a link to a beautiful performance, somewhat childishly recorded, of his Credo from the Messa di Gloria. (I’m left wondering, how could the flutist misinterpret the dress code SO badly? And do we really want to see that audience member picking his nose)?

If only I had stayed up until 5:30 Thursday night...

2011-04-23T09:41:00.003-04:00

...then I would have been awake when Jen Bloch and Ildar Khuziakhmetov said hello for the first time to Alexandra, aka Sasha. CONGRATULATIONS!!! WOO! HOO!!!

Bundles of Joy

2011-04-22T02:20:00.002-04:00

During this week off from performances, the KSO community anxiously awaits the arrival of its youngest member. Violist Jennifer Bloch and cellist Ildar Khuziakhmetov are expecting a girl any minute now! She will join a long, splendid list of “symphony kids” that have grown up hearing their mama and/or daddy practice and perform. It was barely two months ago that we welcomed Claudia Pulgar, daughter of violinists Edward and Mary Pulgar (and little sister of Ana Cristina). Former violinist with the KSO Lucie Novoveska and her hubby, composer James Carlson of Offtrail in the Smokies fame, became the proud parents of Elise Nadine this past fall. And bassist Dan Thompson and clarinetist Erin Bray had their third awesome child, Lainie, back in March of 2010.

The players aren’t the only players in this game. Our Director of Communications Stephanie Burdette and her husband Brandon welcomed Clare into the world on 1/11/11, and Jonathan Patrick Ford was born to Executive Director Rachel Ford and her husband Terry on August 18, 2010, joining older siblings Emily and Brenden.

The subculture of KSO kids is deep and diverse; from the shower that scores a bundle of baby stuff, to providing meals to a new family, playdates where our kids get to know each other, and older kids sitting for the younger ones. Back in the early 90's there was an “official maternity concert dress” that easily a dozen expecting symphony moms wore in turn over several years. As I recall, anyone wearing it looked like someone from that Seurat Grande Jatte painting.

Music plays a role in the lives of just about all of the children born to KSO players. Some even join in with the orchestra. Rachel Grubb (daughter of principal oboist Phyllis Secrist) is a proud member of the violin section, and Bonnie Farr (daughter of violinist Elizabeth Farr) plays oboe with us on occasion. Rachel and Bonnie won UT’s concerto competition last year playing Bach together. Both had played in the KSYO and Rachel founded the Oak Ridge Youth Symphony in 2009.

It’s a transforming experience to share the stage with your children. The question is begged, is it even possible to have THREE generations playing in one orchestra at the same time?

2011-04-17T02:08:00.002-04:00

This morning we board a bus that will follow the Trail of the Lonesome Pine up to Richlands, VA, for a Concert in the Community led by Cornelia Laemmli. It is a special day that features a lot of togetherness with fellow players, a beautiful spread of food by the folks at Southwest Virginia Community College, and a legendary fan in the audience who, without fail, will shout “YYEEAAAAAHHH!!!” after every number. It’s been happening for years now and it’s just the most charming thing!! There are soloists that come down from New York, Camerata Virtuosi, including one of the finest Russian soprani I have ever heard, Stefka Evstatieva. The focus of these concerts is on a different nation’s music every year; this year, it’s France, from whence originates another piece I have never played, Franck’s Symphonic Variations. You truly learn something every day. Like that I should sail a little closer to the wind when proofreading my blog.

Yikes!! I just caught my error in the last post. I don’t usually write things in duplicate. But then, my brother and sister just celebrated their 56th birthdays on the 14th, so it’s no wonder that I’m seeing double. My brother Mike is a trombonist, plays in some salsa bands in the Hartford area from whence we come. It is to him that I owe the privilege of being a fan of Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears. Imagine my delight then when in the course of musical events here in Knoxville I have gotten to play in the KSO with David Clayton Thomas and BS&T (spring of ‘95?) and Peter Cetera, a major force in Chicago (May 15, 2009). And for the record, yes, I do have a signed copy of the Chicago Transit Authority LP, that band’s first album dating from 1969.

My sister Martha (the youngest of three sisters) lives in W. Brookfield, MA, a picturesque New England village just west of Worcester on Route 9. She plays flute and handbells at her church. She and I and my wife, Helen played at my niece Crystal’s wedding last summer in Connecticut. Growing up though, she played clarinet. As an 8- or 9-year-old I marveled at the intricate metal riggings of the clarinet in its case but dared not try to figure it out. I was strictly a strings and percussion kid. I remember having a mangy old one-string guitar, sitting in our attic smacking it with a yardstick. That translated into the cello when it came time to choose an instrument– or have an instrument choose me– from the elementary school offerings.

I also had the coolest drum set; coffee cans with lids for drums, including one filled with Scrabble tiles as a snare, and a couple refrigerator racks with wire coat-hangers on them for cymbals. I was the next Ginger Baker, according to my sister Susie. She’s the oldest of us, and got caught up in the big rock-and-roll revolution of the late 50's and early 60's. I still have some of her old 45's.(Shhh! don't tell her). One of these bands, The Drifters, had a lead singer named Ben E. King. Some of you may remember us doing a pops show with him earlier in the 2000's. I remember him as being very personable and just a joy to work with.

My sister Jean is a bassoonist in the Portland, Maine area. She is bound to run into KSO second bassoonist Wren Saunders, who also lives there. It fell to Jean to be the one to turn me on to Stravinsky, Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell and the Beatles. It was a real thrill then to have played with Tom Scott, Joni Mitchell’s reed man, when he conducted and played on the KSO pops concert featuring “the singing cop,” Daniel Rodriguez, back in September of ‘02. And for the record, yes, I do have a signed (by Tom Scott) copy of Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark LP.

Byron and Schiller

2011-04-14T09:33:00.003-04:00

Well, you may have been wondering why I haven’t posted about our upcoming Beethoven 9th concert. I am wondering too. But what more can be said about it that most people, nay, most AMERICANS don’t already know? That the last movement alone has a huge chorus (in this case the Knoxville Choral Society), and four vocal soloists (Katherine Altobello, mezzo-soprano; Emily Douglass, soprano; Jonathon Subìa, tenor; Benjamin LeClaire, bass)? That the lyrics to this finale are based on an 18th-century poem by Schiller? That the scherzo uses the tympani as a melodic instrument in the theme? That the third movement is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written? I love playing music that sells itself. However, it doesn’t play itself and I have been shedding riffs all week so that I don’t fall flat on my face tonight or tomorrow.

The Beethoven is paired with a work which received its premiere in November of 2010, William Bolcom’s Prometheus. Conceived and commissioned as a companion piece to Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy (a work scored for chorus, piano and orchestra), it draws its lyrics from the poem of the same name by Lord Byron. Jeffrey Beigel’s piano playing is, as always, amazing, and if you like a large battery of percussion instruments, then this is the piece for you. Bolcom’s works have been performed by the KSO in the past; the Chamber Orchestra played his Commedia in February of 1990, and his charming Three Rags for String Orchestra November of 1995.

While the program notes on Prometheus are available on the KSO’s website, the LA Times review of the world premiere of this work a mere five months ago can be found here:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/11/music-review-william-bolcom-prometheus-premiere-by-the-pacific-symphony.html

Bellini at Rossini

2011-04-09T08:41:00.004-04:00

Vincenzo Bellini’s 1835 opera I Puritani will be featured work in the 2011 Rossini Festival. While his name may not be a household word among casual classical music buffs, his place (along with Rossini and Donizetti) in history is secured as a premiere composer in the bel canto style of early 19th century Italy. Casta Diva, an aria from his opera Norma, is a staple on music history listening lists in music schools worldwide. (And no, that opera is NOT about Marilyn Monroe). Puritani is, sadly, Bellini’s last opera; a love story set during the English Civil War. Think Lucia di Lammermoor with a happy ending. (Who better than the Italians to set English history to opera)?

The third act tenor aria Credeasi Misera is a workout in which the tenor sings a high F, if he feels he can reach it. It’s a high note for an alto, yet here is a tenor boldly going where very few men have gone before. It’s one of those moments that warrant a quick pit prayer. The soprano lead also hits a high “F,” and several high “E-flats.” I can’t help but feel shivers up and down my spine when a soprano hits a high note and holds it for a superhuman amount of time. Time is suspended while the audience stares wide-eyed at the stage. It gives me the same thrill as watching a gymnast’s difficult balance beam routine, a Kobe Bryant 360 slam dunk or a surfer’s best ride of the day on the pipeline. For as well as requiring musical, dramatic and linguistic skill, opera singing is an athletic activity that brooks little margin for error. Pacing and stamina – and luck– are just as necessary here as on the basketball court or football field. The ability to make oneself heard above the pit orchestra is a skill that is years in the making– as is, frankly, the ability to play in a pit orchestra without drowning out the singers.

Here are some pictures of festivities at the Rossini Festival, compliments of the festival’s Facebook page.

This is a painting of the two leads in Puritani, Rachele Gilmore and Yeghishe Manucharyan, donated by artist Dale Moore.

Here is Mr. Rossini drooling over the dessert counter at Gondolier at Cedar Bluff.

While you slept last night, a crew was hard at work turning Gay St. into the street fair you know and love.

Springtime for Rossini in Knoxville

2011-04-06T09:54:00.003-04:00

It’s been so cold recently that it hardly seems like it’s time yet, but the tenth annual Rossini Festival is just days away!!

Unless you have been living in a cave for the past 9 years, you know that the Knoxville Opera Company’s Rossini Festival is a celebration of Italian and opera culture taking place in downtown Knoxville. The street fair is a one-day event held on (closed-off, thankfully) Gay Street. The flagship productions of this year’s Festival are Bellini’s I Puritani featuring the Knoxville Opera Company and the KSO (Friday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 2:30, Tennessee Theatre), and Britten’s Albert Herring, produced by UT Opera Theatre (Saturday 2:30 and 8; Sunday and Monday at 7:30, Bijou Theatre)

It looks as if the four different al fresco performing stages are geared each towards a certain discipline. The South Stage, on the Bijou Theatre block of Gay St., will mainly be home to choral performers, among them groups from Maryville College, Pellissippi State and Central High, as well as a couple of Barbershop outfits.

The Market Square Stage will be home to mainly dance events; through the course of the day, Swing Dancers, Middle Eastern dancers, Go! Contemporary and Circle Modern Dance, and the incomparable Austin-East African Dancers and Drummers (among others) will grace the stage.

The North Stage, roughly in front of Mast General Store, will feature mostly instrumental ensembles; jazz, klezmer, brass choirs and a Suzuki violin ensemble led by Kathy Hart-Reilly, the fearless leader of the Sinfonia contingent of the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra.

The Opera Stage, about even with Krutch Park on the east side of Gay St., is where the most operatic of music will take place. Several vocalists who have shared the stage with the KSO and Knoxville Opera will be performing, including Karen Nickell, Joey DiMenno and the husband and wife team of Jami Rodgers and Kevin Anderson. Another husband and wife team, the Cricket and Snail, will delight and entertain. This unique duo is made up of KSO violinist Lucie (Novoveska) Carlson and Jim Carlson on accordion. You may remember that a work on the November Masterworks concert, Offtrail in the Smokies, was written by Jim.

Here is a link to the Knoxville Opera Rossini Festival with maps, schedules and other pertinent information.

http://www.knoxvilleopera.com/rossini/

Except for last year’s virtual washout, the Festival has traditionally been blessed with great weather. So far it looks like a good day is in the forecast, but you may want to keep an umbrella handy. In an effort to perhaps see if anyone is paying attention out there, I would like feedback as to what readers thought the best-SMELLING spot at the Festival was. Plus a big smile to anyone who gets the reference in the title of this blog. : )

Remembering a Legend: Bill Scarlett

2011-04-04T00:17:00.003-04:00

With the echoes of a Middle Beethoven quartet reminding me of my afternoon, my inner jazz musician would be remiss not to note with sadness the passing of a major force- "force majeur"- on the Knoxville jazz scene AND a longtime member of the KSO, Bill Scarlett. He was principal clarinetist with the KSO from 1957 until 1977, when current principal Gary Sperl came to town. He also taught at UT for at least twice as long as that.

Bill and I shared the stage occasionally, usually on Pops concerts: Dionne Warwick, Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, Byron Stripling and many more. I was struck by his bio for the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra’s website: “After 40 years of teaching at the University of Tennessee, Bill has taught almost every single member of the band in some capacity.” A 2008 inductee into the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame, he was responsible for founding the UT Jazz Giants, which grew to be the UT Jazz Ensemble.

Billy (at far left) is pictured here with jazz pianist Donald Brown, who is flanked by local saxophonists Rocky Winder and Lance Owens in a photo from a cd put together by Brown called Tenors and Satin: The Knoxville Jazz Session.

There will be a memorial celebrating Bill's life and legacy on Sunday, April 10 from 7 to 9pm at the Foundry on the World's Fair Site. All are welcome to attend. Please spread the word about the memorial to anyone who you think might be interested. Hope to see you there.

What's in store for 2011-2012

2011-03-31T09:38:00.002-04:00

It is that time of year when we musicians take a look at what is coming up next season to keep us entertained and on our toes.

On September 22nd and 23rd, we will be presenting an all-Beethoven show, featuring Alon Goldstein performing the dark and stormy Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor and culminating in the Eroica Symphony. October brings Dvorak's New World Symphony to town, and a Pops concert featuring Michael Feinstein and the Sinatra Project.

On November 17 and 18 one of my favorite concerts ever will occur. This will feature a standard I have never played (yes, there still are some-- this season it was Les Preludes; next season, the Enesco Rumanian Rhapsody), a work I (and most cellists) love dearly (the Dvorak Cello Concerto featuring cellist Zuill Bailey), and a major 20th-century masterpiece (Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra).

On January 19 and 20, 2012, we welcome guest conductor Edward Cumming to Knoxville, where he will lead an all-Mozart concert which ends with the iconic Symphony No. 40 in G minor. Then for something completely different, we bring out the big guns in February with Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, (No. 2), a spectacular work with chorus which needs no overture or concerto to bolster it.

The concentration of music in March is very thick. The Chamber Classics concert on March 4th will feature Stravinsky’s L’histoire du Soldat and his Concerto in D, and will finish with Schoenberg’s dreamy Transfigured Night. All this happens one day after a Pops concert dubbed a “Celtic Celebration.” At the end of March, we go interplanetary, presenting Holst’s The Planets.

On April 19 and 20, 2012, writer Jack Prelutski (of Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant fame) will narrate Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals; Schubert’s awesome Unfinished Symphony will open the show. The season finishes in May with a Pops concert tribute to the Carpenters on the 12th and the Masterworks finale on the following weekend will be an all-French show featuring Ravel’s perky Piano Concerto in G and Debussy’s classic La Mer.

Personally, (and I might add, as usual), there is a lot to look forward to here. The Ravel piano concerto is a desert-island piece for me. A gorgeous slow movement with a luscious English horn solo with mile-long phrases is framed by two somewhat crazy outer movements that have jazz written all over them. Transfigured Night (or Verklaerte Nacht) is an early work of Schoenberg’s, originally composed as a sextet but arranged here for string orchestra. It is a landmark work that bungee-jumps off of the cliff of traditional harmony into the abyss of atonality. The Planets, Mahler 2 and the Bartok Concerto are all giant, fascinating works that represent live classical music at its best.

IF YOU LIKE CHAMBER MUSIC...

2011-03-28T03:24:00.001-04:00

...then you must attend the KSO Chamber Classics concert on April 3rd at 2:30 at the Bijou Theatre.

Henry Cowell’s groundbreaking Mosaic Quartet, written in the KSO’s inaugural year of 19 and 35 opens the program and will include an aleatoric sequence referendum, aka the audience will determine in which order the five texture chorale movements are to be performed.

The Knoxville Symphony Woodwind Quintet will then play Samuel Barber’s 1956 work Summer Music for woodwind quintet. If it stays cold, we are going to need summer music bad. If not, then it will be the perfect mood music for a spring day. Sadly, this is Barber’s only chamber work for winds.

I have known principal oboist Phyllis Secrist and principal clarinetist Gary Sperl since before me days here in Knoxville; we all played the Spoleto Festival of Two Words on Charleston SC and Spoleto Italy in 1985. Gary played bass clarinet in Puccini’s Fanciulla del West under Christian Badea, and Phyllis and I drank way too much café latte. Phyllis had the distinct pleasure of having her ridiculously talented daughter Rachel return to Knoxville (on spring break from Northwestern) to play violin on the Prokofiev 5 concert with Kirk Trevor this past weekend.

The remaining two works are prime examples of the phenomenon of a work’s glory not hinted at in its title. The Quartet will join clarinetist Gary, flutist Nadine Hur and harpist Cindy Hicks in the Introduction and Allegro by Ravel. Three words here should be all you need to know- flute, harp, and Ravel. After this wave of impressionism has subsided, the Principal Quartet will play Beethoven’s op. 59 #1 quartet, the first Razumovsky quartet as it is known to some. Classical music insiders say “59 number 1" and there’s nothing more needs to be said. The joyous opening movement, the quirky scherzo second movement, the tragic third movement and rowdy finale are standards of the quartet literature. Come find out why.

Maestro Trevor's return- and how some of us spent Spring Break

2011-03-24T11:34:00.002-04:00

Conductor Emeritus Kirk Trevor’s return to the KSO podium after a few years absence has been very satisfying and inspiring. Since Sunday evening he has been shepherding the KSO through Prokofiev’s masterful Symphony No. 5, Sir Arnold Bax’s Overture to Adventure and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with verve and attention to detail.

Completing the family affair, his daughter Chloe has been playing brilliantly in the Beethoven. She has clearly come into her own as a soloistic force and it is unfair to her to hang the moniker of “Kirk Trevor’s daughter” after her name.

The Bax overture we are performing has my vote for the “sleeper of the year.” Composed during the KSO’s first season, one has to wonder upon hearing it why it is not performed more often and why the parts, which must have been printed in the 40's or 50's, were completely clean of markings. Maestro Trevor said of the work, “it has somehow slipped unfairly into obscurity, even by English standards.” But it is full of shimmering, thick brass writing and memorable tunes.

Prokofiev 5 is a work no one who enjoys the symphonist’s craft should miss, firmly entrenched in the canon of other great “Fifths:” Beethoven, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler. Prokofiev’s wit and soul are in fine fettle and unlike some of his other symphonies, there is no “language barrier” here. The first movement is sweeping and upbeat, the second movement Scherzo cooks along like a train that is on the verge of derailing (to paraphrase Kirk). The final two movements are showcases for Prokofiev’s mastery of symphonic colors.

Some of us were wondering where the clarinets were the other night at Maestro Trevor’s first rehearsal. There were holes in the texture, the fabric of the music and I’d almost forgotten why. We were even treated to the Maestro’s own dulcet tones, singing the missing clarinet part in the Prokofiev 5th. Gary Sperl, our principal clarinetist, was finishing up a tour of the People’s Republic of China with the UT Clarinet Choir! Their travels took them to Beijing, Xi-an and Chengdu in a tour that started March 10th and ended (gulp) Monday. It was good in many ways to hear jet-lagged Gary and bass clarinetist Ben Gessel at Tuesday’s rehearsals; not just their playing, but their mere presence, given the volatility of the world these days.

See more about it here:
http://www.music.utk.edu/clarinet/china.html

2011-03-21T02:06:00.002-04:00

I stand corrected. I was under the impression that the Prokofiev 5th Symphony we are preparing was written during the KSO’s first season. WRONG! Maestro Trevor described the work as dedicated to the triumphant human spirit when said spirit was being tried severely during WWII. The actual composition year is 1944, but in 1935 Prokofiev composed his 2nd violin concerto (that’s Violin Concerto No. 2, not Concerto for second violin, all you smarty-pants musicians), the Romeo and Juliet ballet, and Peter and the Wolf. Not a bad year for him!

Here is a taste of Chloe Trevor performing the Beethoven Concerto with the Astoria Symphony, in Queens, NY, with Maestro Trevor directing. Chloe has graced our stage many times before, and brilliantly; in the late 90's she performed Fritz Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro on a series of Young People’s Concerts and runouts, and performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto on the final Chamber Orchestra concert of the 2001-2002 season.

I gained a new perspective on the Beethoven Concerto in music history class in college. The professor played an LP that was popular in the 50's, a music appreciation record that was narrated by a famous musicologist of the day (Wow. Famous musicologist... now there’s an oxymoron. No wonder I’ve forgotten his name). His description of the opening of the concerto– “...five taps on the tympani...” was so 50's that I immediately knew I was born in the wrong decade. But it brought home to me the idea that the tympani could function as a melodic instrument. It’s astonishing, though; the motif is so simple yet so versatile. I don't need to tell you that Beethoven is astonishing, though; you know it. However, if you need to be reminded about why, please join is this Thursday or Friday (or both!) at the Tennessee Theatre at 8.

2011-03-17T02:39:00.002-04:00

The KSO is excited to welcome back Conductor Emeritus Kirk Trevor to the KSO podium. He was the sixth conductor in the 75-year history of the KSO, directing from 1985-2003. Kirk was responsible for, among way more things, initiating the Clayton Holiday Concerts, for “Mahlerizing” the KSO, (he completed the cycle of all nine Mahler symphonies, of which until his tenure the KSO had taken 49 seasons to perform only numbers 1, 2 and 4), and for gambling-- and winning-- on a powerful production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that sold out 8 performances at the Civic Auditorium in March of 2000. And last but not least, he is the man who hired me.

We will also be welcoming back his daughter, Chloe, who will solo in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto at the KSO’s Masterworks concert next Thursday and Friday at the Tennessee Theatre. A third and very special guest is Serge Prokofiev’s engaging 5th Symphony, (with the scherzo that seems to be based on Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home), composed during the KSO’s inaugural season and last heard here in January of ‘89. Arnold Bax’s Overture to Adventure completes the program that will surely be a shining star in the firmament of the KSO’s 75th season.

I don’t know how many concerts over the years I played under the baton of Maestro Trevor, but it is surely in the hundreds. My first concert here included Sibelius 2nd and Walton’s Cello Concerto, two pieces I’d never played. It was the first time through much of the repertoire for me and I loved every minute of it. The early Pops concerts were interesting, to say the least. Former Vols and Dallas Cowboys star Bill Bates narrated a piece called Freddy the Football at a concert in the OLD Knoxville Convention Center; on another, the late, great Chet Atkins had a dude come out and lip-synch Ray Stevens’ The Streak. Some fine Pops artists came through town back then, though; Emmy-Lou Harris, Ray Charles, Judy Collins, Lou Rawls, The Kingston Trio...

Classically speaking, Kirk took some pretty heady chances. Not too many are still in town who remember the Korngold, Vorisek or Elgar symphonies we did, the David Ott Viola Concerto, Murray Schaeffer’s East, or 13-year-old Dalit Paz Warshaw’s Ruth. The following link is a treasure to see, as it can lead you to the program for every single concert Kirk conducted here.

http://www.lib.utk.edu/music/kso/1-5.html

more later...

A Great Day to Hear a Spring Quartet

2011-03-12T17:53:00.002-05:00

The Principal String Quartet of the KSO will be performing at Borders Books Store in the Deane Hill Shopping Center, Sunday, March 13th at 4:00. This “Sunday with the Symphony” concert will feature the quartet in a preview of the April 3rd Chamber Classics concert at the Bijou. Beethoven’s Op. string quartet 59 No.1 will be played in the coffee shop performance space at Borders.

The quartet has been hard at work on this piece (and others) for several months now. In the bible of string quartet playing, Beethoven’s three quartets, Op. 59, would surely be the book of Psalms. They are at the same time intimate and powerful, and the first, in F Major, runs the gamut of musical emotions, from puckish verve in the scherzo second movement to tender melancholy in the third, to outright mayhem in the finale, which is based on a Russian folk theme.

Working through the piece with my comrades (Miro Hristov and Edward Pulgar, violins; Katy Gawne, viola and former bloggist) is a joy. Ask just about any string player and they will tell you that working on the quartet literature is not just a learning experience, but a bonding experience, too. The beautiful thing about the Symphony is that the four of us have been put together fortuitously and have a great camaraderie.

Morning rehearsals often happen at my house, where the coffee flows freely. Evening rehearsals, often at Miro’s house, are open-ended affairs where only an attack of narcolepsy can end the rehearsal. In the spirit of chamber music reading parties of yore, wine is often featured. Miro’s son Danny often serenades us at the piano before we get down to brass tacks, while his daughter Sophie lets us know in no uncertain terms that the purple stand is hers! Rehearsals at Katy’s abode are fun because there are almost ALWAYS cookies and her 6-year-old daughter Alice ALWAYS has a tale tell, as well as some constructive criticism.

So come on out- get a cup of Joe, curl up with a good book (how about the score to the Op. 59 #1 quartet??) and support chamber music in Knoxville. BUT.... don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight, or you will see us shopping for books instead of playing music. We shan’t be gone long.... you come, too.

2011-03-10T01:16:00.002-05:00

The KSO’s Pops series will showcase the talents of Jim Curry, who channels John Denver with his smooth voice and tasteful arrangements. John Denver’s songs will seem to sing themselves on Saturday night at the Civic Auditorium at 8.

A visit to Wikipedia to learn about John Denver can be truly enlightening. I was struck by the variety of pursuits he endeavored. As well as being a fine singer/songwriter and the Poet Laureate of the state of Colorado, he was an avid flyer, skier, photographer and writer. His death in 1997 in an experimental plane off the California coast shocked the world, but ironically he was a finalist to be the first civilian to fly on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Christa MacAuliffe was chosen. I had forgotten this, but he was also a skiing commentator for ABC at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, for which he also composed and sang the theme song, entitled The Gold and Beyond. AND, His first wife hails from St. Peter, Minn., which is my wife’s home town.

I best remember John Denver in the movie Oh, God! wherein George Burns (as God) enlists him to tell the world that He is not dead. I never would have thought of him as an actor, but I saw it and it’s one of those movies that you might want to see. It’s dated-ness would be very charming, but when all is said and done you can’t go wrong with George Burns. Back in the day I liked a couple of his songs very much; Sunshine and Thank God I’m a Country Boy. When I was growing up there was a huge rivalry between fans of his and fans of Jim Croce, who had a very different voice but whose music was quite similar. There was no bridging that gap; you were either with or “agin” Mr. Denver.

Regretfully, I must sign off here. I am off early with the KSO to play Young People’s Concerts at Greeneville’s Niswonger Performing Arts Center. REALLY early.

2011-03-06T07:12:00.001-05:00

If you are captivated by high notes and the witty interplay of comic opera, then today’s Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra concert, featuring arias and duets from Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, is just the ticket for you. Soprano Katy Williams and Baritone Kevin Richard Doherty will combine with the KCSO to brighten up what promises to be a dreary day here in Knoxville.

As a follow-up to the KSO’s production of Amadeus! earlier this season, the overture and five set pieces from Figaro will be performed. This is the “silly farce” that the Court Chamberlain, so bent on having Mozart stick to “elevated themes,” so disdained in the play.

Although there is no play entitled “Giaochino” dedicated to the life and times of Rossini, his music is no less legendary. The baritone aria “Largo al factotum” is immortalized in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. You know, the one where the singer’s head shrinks in the middle of the performance. The soprano aria Una voce poco fa is the quintessential Italian opera buffa coloratura workout, and Ms Williams does not disappoint.

Also on the program will be the Overture to the Pirates of Penzance, by Arthur Sullivan, the overture to a rival production of the Barber of Seville by Giovanni Paisiello, and Lucas Richman’s own Salutation No. 8.

So bring your swim fins, (or at least an umbrella), hoist the anchor and set sail to the Bijou Theater today at 2:30 for a trip through the land of comic opera.

The (other) Soloist

2011-03-03T11:20:00.003-05:00

Last May, The Volunteer Ministry Center hosted a luncheon featuring Steve Lopez, author of the 2008 best-selling book The Soloist. The luncheon was a fundraiser for the VMC and also featured performances by the cellists of the Knoxville Symphony orchestra. The Soloist, as you may know, is the story of the struggles of a homeless classical musician who catches the eye of LA Times reporter Steve Lopez. It was made into a movie, released in 2009, starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers, the Juilliard drop-out who has become homeless.

The book has been on my list for a while, but after the luncheon I felt I had become very knowledgeable on the book’s main points, so colorful and descriptive were Mr. Lopez’s anecdotes. I was surprised to learn of the subject of the book since I had become acquainted with another book by the same title written by Mark Salzman, published and nominated for a Pulitzer in 1994. Although the cello also figures prominently in Salzman’s book, music is not the main focus. The novel centers around Renne Sundheimer, a former cello prodigy who is now professor of cello at a University in southern California. While “legal thriller” is too dramatic a term for this novel, it is an intriguing fictional tale of Sundheimer’s experiences with jury duty in the trial of a Zen master’s bizarre murder. There is a love interest with a fellow juror, although Sundheimer’s character is laughably self-conscious when push comes to shove.

Some interesting parallels exist between Lopez’s protagonist and Salzman’s. Both are child prodigies who, for whatever reason, have shunned (due to mental breakdowns of differing types) the obvious career paths to which they have been affianced. Experiences in their late teens alter their respective world views. Sundheimer, having risen perhaps too quickly to stardom as a solo cellist, has found his way despite meeting, at age 18, an artistic roadblock that renders him unable to play in tune. A major boost comes for him when he accepts as a student a 9-year-old Korean boy who shows a great deal of promise and reminds him of himself. Ayers has no trouble whatsoever playing either the violin or the cello in tune, but it is his inability to be in tune with his surroundings, which surfaced while an undergrad at Juilliard, that makes his character so tragic.

Mark Salzman’s The Soloist is laced with many spiritual insights into the world of classical music, particularly the solo cello, while weaving an absorbing tale of an experience in the realm of due process.

Surfing the Classical Coast: Youtube

2011-02-28T01:05:00.005-05:00

Surfing the Classical Coast

Here are links to some videos of a classical persuasion that are wacky and/or astonishing.

-Amusing incident involving a man on a cell phone during a string quintet “performance.”

-Amazing Spanish guitar duet on ONE GUITAR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcsSPzr7ays
sorry, you'll have to drag and drop this one.

- A Grammy-related number by the Breaking Winds bassoon quartet. This is a scream! A lot of this stuff is. Get used to it.

-And the incomparable Victor Borge. This is from the early 50's at the White House, Mr. Borge does not disappoint.

Of Grammys and Grade School

2011-02-25T00:52:00.002-05:00

Playing the KSO’s family concerts this morning reminded me of my experiences on the other side of the stage, as a child attending such concerts in Hartford, Conn. We would trundle off in a school bus (I walked to school, so this alone was a big deal to me) to Bushnell Memorial Hall to see the Hartford Symphony play under the baton of Arthur Winograd. The Bushnell, a stunning building that outseats the Tennessee Theatre by about 1,200, was the venue for a 1996 presidential debate between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. It was a chance to get away from school (YAY!) and if there was an orchestra on stage, I really didn’t notice because the ceiling of the hall was so awesomely adorned with stars and cherubim that I would just lean back and stare upwards all morning. I played the cello then, after a fashion (I was 8 or 9), so I knew what was happening on stage but not really why. And I had little clue that in about ten years I would be joining the musicians on stage to be the “watched” instead of the “watcher.”

I got my chance to join the Hartford Symphony in August of 1981. It was my first audition and there was only one round. I didn’t think I had played all that well, but I must have done something right, because Mr. Winograd said at the end of it, “Where have you been?” For the next three years I supplemented my college orchestra’s repertoire playing a schedule similar to the KSO’s Masterworks series – monthly pairs of concerts with AMAZING repertoire and AMAZING soloists – Perlman, Serkin, Andre Watts and Barry Tuckwell, to name but a few.

His rehearsals were fast-paced and he had a dry sense of humor, which I appreciated. Also a pretty quick temper when things were going south – which I appreciated not incurring. His tempi in standard repertoire were FAST. It was my first time playing a lot of these works and I learned them cold, only to learn later that most other conductors had a much slower musical metabolism than he. Mr. Winograd was a well-respected interpreter of Mahler and Strauss, and the high point of my tenure there was performing Mahler’s 7th at Carnegie Hall. When I left for graduate school in 1984, I wasn’t sure I would ever be in an orchestra of that quality again, but two years later I found myself here.

Last winter my wife Helen and I were hitting the junk stores in town, looking for some patio furniture. We found just what we needed at the corner of Central and Broadway– wrought iron chairs and table with a cool, retro “Coca-Cola” umbrella. A couple days later I enlisted the aid of my good friend Sean Claire, a long-time violinist with the KSO who has an awesome trailer, to haul the set home. (I know you’re wondering where I am going with this.) Before we left, Sean and I decided to peruse the collection of old vinyl at the store. I happened upon an off-label record from the early ‘60's of a string orchestra arrangement of the Mendelssohn Octet performed by a group called “The Arthur Winograd Orchestra!!” You can’t make stuff like this up.

Some Hartford Symphony friends of mine from back in the day told me on Facebook that Mr. Winograd was still alive and communicated with them via e-mail, although at 89 his conducting days were well over. I got his e-mail address and sent him a few lines, but alas, they were never returned. He passed away on April 22, 2010, his 90th birthday. I wonder what he would have said. I guess I will never know.

In addition to Maestro Richman’s outrageous good fortune at the Grammy’s, a Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the Juilliard String Quartet, of which Arthur Winograd was the founding cellist. So even though one of the awards was indirect and posthumous, the Grammy angel looked down favorably last week on two of my favorite conductors.

Youth Orchestra Winter Concerts

2011-02-21T09:39:00.002-05:00

On Monday, February 21st (That’s TONIGHT) at 7:00, four of the five groups that make up the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra will be presenting their Winter Concert at the Tennessee Theatre. The Junior Philharmonia, led by Erin Tipton Archer, The Philharmonia directed by Kate Hutchinson, the Sinfonia led by Kathy Hart-Reilly, and the Youth Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Wesley Baldwin will perform a wide variety of music sure to delight.

Erin Archer’s Junior Philharmonia performance will feature music by Kiko Yamada’s Zou San, which is Japanese for “little elephant,” and an arrangement of a Canadian folk song, Chumbara, by Deborah Baker Monday. The Philharmonia will present Alan Lee Silva’s Blue Ridge Run and Sacagawea by Brent D. Smith. Kathy Hart-Reilly’s Sinfonia forces will perform Canzone (based on an aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto), Jugglers by John O’Neill, and Iditarod by Soon Hee Newbold. Wesley Baldwin will lead the Youth Chamber Orchestra in Vivaldi’s Concerto Grosso in D minor.

This concert is free, as is the concertmaster candidate violin recital by Joseph Meyer tonight at Pellissippi State. Enterprising concert-goers might actually be able to attend (some of) both concerts! Stay for a bit of the youth ensembles at the Tennessee, then hightail it over to Pellissippi State for the second half of Mr. Meyer’s recital. Hey! It could happen. (Keep in mind as per the previous post, that reservations are required for the violin recital). Need I add that this is a busy week for the KSO!!??

While I’m at it, I may as well mention that the Youth Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of James Fellenbaum, will be performing Sunday, Feb. 27th, also at the Tennessee Theatre. Winners of the Concerto Competition will be performing with the group. Pianist Jerry Feng will perform the stormy first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #3 in C Minor. Violinist Cameron Lugo will play the passionate first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

Our youth orchestras are full of dedicated, enthusiastic young musicians that are thrilled to be playing on the big stage. Come share in their joy tonight!

This week: Picardy and the White Swan

2011-02-18T08:10:00.000-05:00

As part of the KSO’s search for a new concertmaster, the three finalists for the position have been asked to perform solo recitals at Pellissippi State. About a month ago, we heard our first candidate, Gabriel Lefkowicz, give a fine recital, performing works of Bach, Beethoven, Wieniawski and Ravel, accompanied by pianist Kevin Class. On Monday, Feb. 21 our second candidate, Joseph Meyer, will present works by Chopin, Beethoven, Bach, Messiaen and Alard at the same location, Pellissippi State’s Clayton Performing Arts Center. Mr. Meyer is currently concertmaster of the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans, and assistant concertmaster of the Colorado Music Festival (Boulder) in the summer. The recital is free, but it is necessary to reserve a seat. Here is a link to the KSO site with more particulars.

http://www.knoxvillesymphony.com/kso.asp?id=179&evt=1185]

The series of recitals by concertmaster candidates is a wonderful opportunity to experience the raw artistry of the candidates in a setting that is different from the usual concertmaster roles, “unplugged,” as it were, from the orchestra. On Thursday and Friday nights next week, we will be able to see and hear Mr. Meyer’s rendition of the solos from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite. The February Masterworks concert will also feature Mozart’s Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Chopin’s Piano Concerto #2 in F Minor with guest soloist Orli Shaham, and Liszt’s monumental Les Préludes.

In more ways than one, this will be an exciting stage in the quest to discover who will become first mate for our ship of sound. The amount of violin talent out there is staggering. All three of the candidates are already making their respective marks in an international way.

Also next week, Picardy Penguin will be landing Thursday morning the 24th to great fanfare with a delightful Picardy-esque look at the building blocks of music: melody, rhythm, and harmony. Soprano Katy Wolfe Zahn will join in a show aimed at the 3- to 8-year-olds in our fan base (and their parents!) that will feature music of Offenbach, Glière, Beethoven, Bizet, Lucas Richman and Johann Strauss. Here’s a link to those concerts at the Tennessee Theater- tickets are available for the 11:00 am performance, which has been added since the 9:30 show has been sold out...

http://www.knoxvillesymphony.com/kso.asp?id=168#Tower_of_Music

Man, oh Manon!

2011-02-12T18:28:00.004-05:00

Every weekend sees the KSO in a different role in the local arts scene, and this weekend it’s a collaboration with the Knoxville Opera Company in Jules Massenet’s Manon.

Knoxville was visited by another woman named Manon in the early 90's. Those who follow local ice hockey will remember a goalie named Manon Rheaume, a trailblazer who sought to break the gender barrier (the ice ceiling?) in men’s pro hockey. (I have faith that some Symphony-goers are also fans of Knoxville Ice Bears, formerly the Cherokees. If not, work with me). She is known as the “First Lady of Hockey,” but for all intents and purposes read that as “the Only Woman of Hockey.” Her early career reads like a tour of the South; perhaps her Quebecois childhood made her long for the warm southern clime.

-1992 Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
-1992–93 Atlanta Knights (IHL)
-1993 Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
-1993-1994 Knoxville Cherokees (ECHL)
-1993–1994 Nashville Knights (ECHL)
-1994 Tallahassee Tiger Sharks (ECHL)

In the KOC’s production of Manon, the goal-oriented heroine covers some ground, too- although in a different kind of game. You can guess that since Monday is Valentine’s Day, the game is love.

-Act One: Manon withstands the advances of an aging rake, Guillot.
Manon shuns life in a convent and falls in love with Chevalier Des Grieux.
-Act Two: Manon chooses a secure life with wealthy landowner Bretigny.
Manon withstands the advances of Guillot. Again.
-Act Three: Manon longs for Des Grieux, who has entered seminary school, and leaves
Bretigny to dissuade Des Grieux from the priesthood. They run off together.
Manon withstands the advances of Guillot. Again.
-Act Four: You’ll have to find this out for yourself!

Massenet’s score is rich and romantic, soprano Talise Trevigne’s portrayal of the title role caps off a brilliant cast, and the grandeur of the Tennessee Theatre itself proves to be a character in this drama. The remaining show is Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2:30. Hope to see you there!

Side-by-side: Back to School

2011-02-08T10:10:00.001-05:00

Private students of mine have mentioned the upcoming “Side-by-side” concerts in which the KSO core strings will pair up with high school orchestras from Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley. The repertoire is challenging and I have had lessons with many kids who were scratching their heads. Britten’s Simple Symphony, an arrangement by Lucas Richman of Kol Nidre, an movement from an early Mendelssohn string symphony will be performed. The performances will be Thursday March 3, at Hardin Valley Academy and Tuesday March 6 at Oak Ridge High School. Both shows start at 7 pm.

Both Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley’s high school orchestras are led by longtime dear friends. Jenifer van Tol in Oak Ridge was the concertmaster of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra when I moved here in 1986, and Peggy Jones is at Hardin Valley; my wife and I have known her via Westminster Presbyterian Church since the late 80's.

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra (ORSO) when Jenifer van Tol was concertmaster was conducted by Robert Lyall. It still boasted several charter members, dating back to its founding during WWII; Herb Pomerance, Waldo Cohn, Meyer and Dorothy Silvermann, Jacinta Howard, just to name a few. These were great people with many stories to tell. Jenifer’s sons Stefan and Jonathan also played low strings in the orchestra, were stage managers and generally just a joy to have around.

Fast forward a bit to 1994 (or so- forgive my senior moment). Ms van Tol has stepped down as concertmaster and my wife Helen now holds that position. We weren’t initially aware of Peggy Jones’ musical talent until we played some string music with her at Westminster Church and she soon was invited to become a member of the ORSO, as a violist. I was surprised to learn that she was studying music education at UT and aspired to be a high school orchestra director. Whereas many musicians study in other fields- to get “real jobs”- and continue to play on the side, here was somebody who already had a “real job” and was hoping to break into music! It was a dream-come-true for her. Her children have been active with the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra; Ian on cello and Megan on bass, and also are generally just a joy to have around.

We are looking forward to this musical mentoring and would like to thank the National endowment for the Arts, the City of Knoxville, Knox County and the Tennessee Arts Commission for their generous funding for this project.

Changing of the Guard

2011-02-03T09:41:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! I get a kick out of reading the entries that Katy has been posting so diligently for the last two years. Thanks to the thoroughness of electronic media in bestowing me with the title of author of every previous entry, I must now provide the disclaimer that no, I am not responsible for the awesomeness which preceded me. I have big shoes to fill.

There’s a lot to talk about. Luckily, I like to talk. The music: a vast menagerie of styles, nationalities and personalities. Involving groups ranging in size from soloist to a cast of hundreds. Moments which are best experienced LIVE. Those CDs- they’re just not the same. The KSO’s output is but the tip of the musical iceberg, but what a glorious tip it is!

I really enjoyed Katy’s interviews with orchestra members and will try to keep up that good work. Although most of us are content to be adored onstage as classical music idols with superhuman musical powers, it may come as a pleasant surprise to you’uns that we require and desire the same things as “normal” people; e.g. food, clothing, shelter, chocolate and the beach.

It was a full week last week, with the violin doing most of the filling. Guest Concertmaster candidate Gabe Lefkowicz blazed through a well-balanced recital at Pellissippi State on Monday. Then on Thursday and Friday’s Masterworks concerts Midori set fire to Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Gabe volleyed back on solos in Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben with impressive zest. Saturday the 5th brings romantic tunes from Broadway and Hollywood on the Clayton Valentines Pops, and next weekend Massenet’s Manon takes the stage with the Knoxville Opera Company. Plenty to do indoors in this cold weather.

Stay tuned....

Farewell!

2010-09-30T09:12:00.003-04:00

This is my last post as blogger for the KSO. I've enjoyed writing about music and the symphony and I hope you've enjoyed reading. Keep an eye on this blog for a new mystery blogger....

Mitzi Hall, a horn player who often plays with us, posted this clip on facebook. It made me laugh - I hope you enjoy it too!

Deals and Steals

2010-09-27T08:48:00.003-04:00

When I talk to people who aren't regular concert attenders, the things I hear over and over again are, "We used to be go to the symphony all the time, but we just can't afford it now." and, "I'd love to come to a concert, but it's simply not in my budget right now." I empathize because, once you pay for a sitter and the ticket it starts to really add up.

This season, though, there are some great deals that make attending concerts a whole lot more affordable for families.

I have mentioned the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's Penny Performance initiative before on this blog. I was excited to see more students at our Masterworks concert last week. This is a wonderful program and I strongly urge you to take advantage of it. A full list of events can be found on the Penny Performance website. This week alone there are four events including a concert by the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, an artist demonstration, a performance by the Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble, and an open dress rehearsal for the Knoxville Opera's production of Madame Butterfly.

The other deal I wanted to tell you about is the KSO's Family Concert subscription packages. The package includes three concerts: our two family concerts at the Tennessee Theater in October (next Sunday, in fact!) and February, and our Clayton Holiday Concert in December. The pricing for this series includes one adult ticket and one child ticket for each concert. The packages range from $41 to $59. This works out to $6.83 to $9.83 per person, per concert! That is less than a ticket to see a movie! My family plans to subscribe to this series. As a musician, I get a discount on ticket prices, but I think this deal even beats my discount!

Tchaikovsky Gala

2010-09-23T09:53:00.004-04:00

I looked at the calendar today and am shocked that it is already the end of September. Things have been so hectic with rehearsals and performances that the days have started to run together. Although we finished performances of Amadeus on Sunday, this week has been just as busy. On Tuesday the KSO went "home" to the Tennessee Theater to begin rehearsals for the opening concert of our 75th anniversary season.

It's been a wonderful week. It's nice to be back in our own space. At the first rehearsal it was interesting to note the difference in acoustics compared to the stage at the Clarence Brown Theatre. The sound in the hall at the Tennessee is something that always takes me by surprise at the first rehearsal back from break, but it was even more pronounced this time. I'm also happy to be sitting in a traditional arrangement again with the winds and brass behind the strings.

This week has also been exciting because we had two guests attending rehearsals. Rudy Ennis is a long time champion of the symphony. Although he now lives in Texas, he still writes all our program notes. Also, Doc Severinsen is in town visiting our principal trumpet player Cathy Leach and stopped in to listen to a few rehearsals.

Tonight and tomorrow night the KSO will present our opening gala concert. The concert is an all Tchaikovsky program and features violinist Dylana Jenson performing the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Ms. Jenson is a superb violinist, and she has also been great to work with. It's strange - the Tchaikovsky violin concerto is a cornerstone of the violin literature, but I think this is the first time in my ten years with the KSO that we have performed the piece.

The other pieces on the program are the 1812 Overture, Coronation March, and Capriccio Italien. It is a brass heavy concert and they are sounding awesome! More information about this concert can be found here.

There It Was...

2010-09-20T08:04:00.003-04:00

Last night was the final performance of Amadeus. It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I was involved. I have a few final observations about the production.

* The people at the Clarence Brown Theatre are wonderful - any problems that we had (and there were very few!) were dealt with immediately and thoroughly. It was a pleasure to work in their space; I hope we have an opportunity to collaborate with them again soon.

* Last night there was a reception after the performance. After seeing the actors in period dress and wigs for two weeks, it was really odd to see them in jeans and flip flops.

* The most difficult thing about the show was watching Mozart self-destruct every single night. During the scene where Salieri asks Mozart for forgiveness I could only bring myself to fully pay attention a few times. It was too intense for me to watch night after night. I can completely understand why Constanze took off for the spa in Bonn - and I was ready to go with her.

* This was an incredible way to kick off the KSO's 75th anniversary season. I expect people will be talking about this production for years.

More Amadeus Observations

2010-09-14T16:06:00.002-04:00

* After seeing the show 8 times, the orchestra is still laughing at the jokes.

* The schedule is just as difficult as I thought it would be. My hand hasn't been a problem, but I am not used to sitting still for that long! Not sure how you prepare for that. Andy, our principal cellist, suggested perhaps taking a job as a bus driver in the off season.

* Several people in the orchestra have plotted to swipe some Nipples of Venus candy off the stage. Sadly, most are inedible props.

* One of my favorite parts is during the Abduction from the Seraglio scene. Mozart is conducting by jumping up and down and back and forth while waving his arms in circles. THAT is some serious energy coming from a conductor!

* I predict the phrases "Ta very much" and "There it is" will be a part of our collective vocabulary for a very long time.

Antonio Salieri

2010-09-09T11:37:00.003-04:00

Subject: Antonio Salieri

Born: August 18th, 1750

Died: May 7th, 1825

Known for: Hmmm... This is tricky, because Salieri is known for very little aside from the rumor that he poisoned Mozart. In his time he was a very popular composer and enjoyed a high degree of success. These days his music is seldom performed. For our production of Amadeus, some of the music was impossible to find and ultimately needed to be transcribed and arranged from a recording.

Contribution to music: Salieri taught composition to several pupils including Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt.

Did he poison Mozart? Highly unlikely. The two composers were in competition for the same posts, but they were friendly.

So, what DID kill Mozart? The current thinking is that Mozart died from kidney failure brought on by complications from strep.

Amadeus Observations

2010-09-06T15:12:00.003-04:00

* The costumes are stunning. I still have wig envy, but they can keep their hip bustles.

* The stage setup is amazing. I had a very hard time picturing how it was going to work until we were actually on the stage. I thought being in the middle of the orchestra was exciting, but being in the middle of the orchestra in the middle of a play is something else entirely.

* I have never seen someone give birth so gracefully, with their clothes on, and on stage, too.

* I have sat here for a good ten minutes trying to come up with a way to describe the acting to you. Mozart is Mozart, Salieri is Salieri, Constanze is Constanze... The people playing the parts have disappeared. I know this is what good acting does, but I have played in orchestras for many shows and I have never been drawn in to the characters as much as I have in Amadeus. There were times in the dress rehearsal where I almost forgot where I was - the fear of missing a musical cue was the only thing that kept me with one foot in the present.

* This is a rare production of Amadeus because of the live music. Most productions use a recording. Live music is better, if I do say so myself.....

* I love the music. Not too much of a shocker because it's MOZART (and a little bit of Salieri). The funny thing about Mozart's music is that he wrote so many great pieces of music that its easy (for me, anyway) to forget about pieces that I love. I've been listening to a lot of Mozart at home lately, which is unusual for me because I generally get so saturated with whatever we're rehearsing that I like to listen to something different at home. I think I could listen to Mozart for weeks and not get tired of it.

* This is definitely going to be a production that is talked about for many, many years.

Amadeus!

2010-09-02T08:10:00.004-04:00

Tuesday we had our first Amadeus rehearsal.

Oh my. This is going to be even cooler than I expected.

It was just an orchestral rehearsal, so I can't give you much of a scoop yet. (Check back tomorrow - I think we rehearse with the cast tonight.) The music is incredible, but that is no surprise. I knew that the orchestra was going to be on stage, but I had a really hard time picturing how that was going to work. What I was picturing was basically a set up that is typically used when opera is presented in concert format- an orchestra on stage with the singers and actors in front. This is not at all how the stage is set up for Amadeus. The orchestra is in the middle of the stage. We are on various risers and are not sitting as we typically sit. The winds and brass are in front, the strings are on risers toward the back. We are slightly lower than the main stages that surround us, but it is not at all like an orchestra pit.

If I can get permission to take some pictures of the set I will post them here. Meanwhile, you can see renderings of some costumes, actual actors IN their costumes, and a short clip of Tuesday's rehearsal if you go to the KSO's facebook page.

Prodigy

2010-08-26T10:56:00.004-04:00

Mozart was a child prodigy. He gave his first public concert very early and was composing music at an age when most children are just beginning to read. These days we have musical prodigies who excel at performing, but it is quite rare to find a child who is both an extraordinary performer and composer.

Emily Bear is eight years old and has only been playing the piano for three years, yet she has a longer and more impressive biography than most adult musicians I know. She is a remarkable musician and has an impressive talent for composition, too. Watching her perform gives one a glimpse of what it must have been like for audiences watching Mozart as a child.

Opera and IBS

2010-08-23T15:49:00.003-04:00

Opera can have some pretty bizarre plots. Giants, Bird-men, curses, and women masquerading as men masquerading as women all have a home on the opera stage. I recently read of an plot that, even for opera, is a stretch. A playwright in London has written his first opera, a 30 minute work entitled Intolerance. The opera is about one woman's quest to cure her irritable bowel syndrome. Hmmmm.

Intolerance will not be a part of Knoxville Opera Company's 2010 - 2011 season. Sorry! Never fear, though, because you can quell your disappointment with productions of Madame Butterfly, Manon, and I Puritani. More information about KOC's upcoming season can be found on their website.

Coming Soon!

2010-08-19T14:04:00.003-04:00

The beginning of the season is rapidly approaching. In no particular order, here are some things I'm most looking forward to next season:

Amadeus!

Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant, our first Family Concert of the season which will feature the wonderful poetry of Jack Prelutzky.

October's all Gershwin Masterworks concert. Norman Krieger, Danisha Ballew, Michael Rodgers, great music --- bliss!

November's 75th Anniversary celebration concert. I'm particularly looking forward to this because I will be playing the viola that belonged to KSO founder Bertha Walburn Clark! (More on this later!)

The 24th Annual Clayton Holiday Concert.

Midori!

Beethoven 9!

All the concertmaster search happenings - the Masterworks rehearsals and performances and the recitals.

What are you looking forward to this coming season?

Penny Performances

2010-08-15T22:14:00.005-04:00

As a performing artist and a mother, I strongly believe in and support arts education. I also have a first-hand understanding that, financially speaking, exposing children to live performances can be difficult. For our family, and I expect for many other families, the cost to see a live performance is often a little bit more than the budget will bear. Thanks to a new program, we will be able to enjoy live performances on a regular basis.

This year the Knoxville Symphony is one of 28 local arts groups to offer "Penny Performances." This is a new initiative by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Greater Knoxville. According to the Penny 4 Arts website, the purpose of this program is

"(To) give every child in Knox County, including home-schooled and private-schooled students, an opportunity to attend arts and culture events/activities at the maximum cost of ONE PENNY when accompanied by an adult during the 2010/2011 academic school year. The Penny Performances program meets the local arts community’s long-term goal of serving and educating East Tennessee's children."

I looked at the calendar of events currently scheduled for Penny Performances and I'm floored. There are so many performances listed, you could take your child to something different just about every single week from now through May. Symphony concerts, artist exhibits, dance performances, opera performances, plays... the variety is enormous. I'm looking forward to taking my daughter to many of these events and I'm also looking forward to seeing some young people in the audience at the symphony this season.

In The Black Again

2010-08-12T07:35:00.003-04:00

2009 - 2010 was a rough season for orchestras around the country. Several closed their doors, many others were forced to made some serious cuts. Large organizations are not immune to the difficult economic climate: musicians in the Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and Philadelphia Orchestra among others have all taken salary cuts in the past few years. Ending the season in the red has become the norm for groups that are managing to stay open. The New York Philharmonic ended the 08 - 09 season with a deficit of 4.6 million dollars and was predicting a similar shortfall for this past season.

What about Knoxville? Well, Knoxville is a pretty extraordinary place (but you already knew that...).

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra ended the 2009-2010 season IN THE BLACK!!!!!! That is an amazing achievement in itself, but it also marks the fourth consecutive season we've managed to end with a surplus!

So, how did this happen? The short answer is that it was possible with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work. Everyone in the organization - management and musician alike - has worked their tail off to make this work. In particular, KSO Director of Development Judith Folz deserves a prize for the work she's done. Every time I see Judith she has a big smile on her face, which is amazing to me because her job has been incredibly difficult the past few years. Thank you, Judith!

We at the KSO also owe a thank you to you, the patrons of the orchestra. By coming to concerts and making donations however large or small, you have helped keep us in the black. We are your symphony, Knoxville.

Glass Harp

2010-08-09T07:54:00.002-04:00

Preparations

2010-08-04T23:57:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned before, I've been using my time off this summer to rehab from a hand injury I suffered last February. Until now this has meant taking it easy playing-wise. I've played this summer but not nearly as much as I do during the season. I even took three weeks completely off from playing. I can't remember the last time I took that long of a break. I'm sure it was more than 10 years ago. It was refreshing.

I recently received the symphony schedule for next season. I started to panic a little bit when I looked over the month of September. This September the KSO schedule is crazier than any I have been around for. Don't get me wrong - it's great to be busy! I'm nervous because right now my hand is working really well. I'm pain free and I want to keep it that way. Going back to a rigorous schedule like we have in September could be disastrous without careful preparation.

To get ready for the upcoming season, I've switched back to the viola (from violin) and have started to systematically increase the length of my practice sessions. It's similar to a couch to 5K approach. Right now I'm playing for a little over an hour a day. By the time the season starts I should be back to playing roughly four hours a day - two in the morning and two in the afternoon. On days that we have two rehearsals (aka a double) this is approximately what is required of us.

In my quest to come back strong and healthy, I have found the work of Janet Horvath invaluable. She is the Associate Principal Cellist of the Minnesota Orchestra. She has written a book for musicians called Playing (Less) Hurt and has an extremely informative website. I encourage anyone with even a twinge of playing-related pain to investigate her site.