Comments for The Boston Musical Intelligencer

Comment on Silence, Random Sound and Other Cagisms by Alan Levitan

Alan Levitan — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:54:39 +0000

The number of people “who read it and got it” was exactly the number of people who read and got the New Yorker cartoon around Christmas that showed an age-varied group of carollers standing stock still with their mouths closed, over the caption “The John Cage Carollers.”

Comment on Silence, Random Sound and Other Cagisms by Laurence Glavin

Laurence Glavin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:54:11 +0000

At some political websites, after Rick Perry’s “ooops” stumble, I wrote that the pause took so long, his campaign had to cut a partial royalty check to the John Cage Estate. I wonder how many people who read it got it?

Comment on BSO Rediscovers a Masterwork by Joe Whipple

Joe Whipple — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:51:03 +0000

I was there last Thursday, and the tune for “Alles, was Odem hat, lobe den Herrn,” is still popping into my mind from time to time. “Lobgesang” was definitely worth programming.

Comment on BSO Rediscovers a Masterwork by Joe Turbessi

Joe Turbessi — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:51:52 +0000

Just wanted to say that I attended this concert tonight (Tuesday) based solely on the strength of this review- was not planning on seeing this work. Am I glad I went! It’s an utterly delightful piece of music, and the TFC sounded FAB!! Actually, what with a number of sloppy string entrances, they practically put the BSO to shame (almost!)
On the commute home I reflected on Mendelssohn in general and why this work gets such a bad rap- I suppose this has a lot to do with this modern idea that all concerts need to be made up only of masterpieces. I don’t think this work qualifies as a masterpiece- it’s certainly good, but not great music: by the time I got home I’d almost forgotten I’d even been to a concert. But it’s nice once in a while to go to a concert that doesn’t strive to make me see the world in a different way, or reevaluate the VERY NATURE OF MUSIC ITSELF, etc. There should be a place in concert life for good “lighter” music like this.

Comment on Stainer’s Crucifixion Honored the Late Rev. Gomes by Vance Koven

Vance Koven — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:47:46 +0000

Ed Jones is definitely Welsh, as one can immediately tell from his euphonious cadence.

Comment on Tanglewood’s Triumphant 75th Year by Don Drewecki

Don Drewecki — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:15:26 +0000

Romy writes: “In my view any performance of Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra has to be in a watch list…”

I am definitely watching for Dutoit’s performance with them of Stravinsky’s Les Noces. Dutoit turned pages for Lukas Foss at the recording session for this at Columbia Records that Stravinsky conducted in the early 1960s, so that will be exciting.

BTW, let me mark the death of Paavo Berglund a few days ago by noting that I attended his BSO debut five or six years ago, and it was a wonderful concert: Britten Violin Concerto (with Frank Peter Zimmerman) and the Sibelius 6 and 7. Tremendous. What a shame the BSO waited so long to bring him here, at the end of his career.

Comment on Tanglewood’s Triumphant 75th Year by Romy the Cat

Romy the Cat — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:19:28 +0000

*** I’m saddened that most of the programs are exceedingly ordinary. There are a few exceptions, but this pretty much Classical Top 40 stuff.

I kind of agree - exceedingly anticlimactic.

The proximity to Classical Top 40 is more complicated subject. In a way the Tanglewood has to be this way as what else might attract the hotdogs-chewing audiences to crowd the Shed? Any programming would be “divisive” as it’ll always aggravate one or person or another. That is case of a strong orchestra with firm sense of play and direction. In case of our BSO is not so clear where they are and where they are going, so the program kind of reflects it. You need to be gratefully that BSO did not schedule for this summer another rendition of “Miraculous not-dead-yet Mongolian” or commissioned somebody to compose the part 4 of Daphnis et Chloé…

I did not see any concert in the program that would encourage me “certainly go” but it means nothing. If the stars come together then ANY CONCERT might turn to be a phenomenal event and even the last few summer seasons also “exceedingly ordinary” they did featured some remarkable concerts. In my view any performance of Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra has to be in a watch list and any event with Tanglewood Festival Chorus has a strong potential to be truly great. I remember 2 years back they played the Bach’s “Jesu meine freude” at the closing of the summer season and it was (from my perspective) one of the greatest BSO events over the last decade.

I personally would like to see in Tanglewood the type of the music that might be specifically benefited by open space that Tanglewood offers. How about Bruckner 8 Symphony or Ormandy’s orchestral transcriptions or Bach’s toccatas and fugues? THAT would make me want to drive …

Comment on de la Salle’s Interpretations Questionable by Leon Golub

Leon Golub — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:04:57 +0000

She also did a bit of Prokofiev as an encore, from Romeo and Juliet – nicely played I thought.
I agree that some parts of this concert worked better than others. The Debussy felt exhilarating, really, though less refined than what we heard from Angela Hewitt a few weeks ago, while as you say, the Ravel benefited from being a bit rough at the edges. You are right on about the Bach encore; there does seem to be a general movement toward this velocity fixation. The Les Adieux probably needs a bit more thought to bring out its deeper meaning, and it was a good idea to move the Moonlight to be last on the program.

Comment on Tanglewood’s Triumphant 75th Year by Don Drewecki

Don Drewecki — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:42:38 +0000

I’m saddened that most of the programs are exceedingly ordinary. There are a few exceptions, but this pretty much Classical Top 40 stuff.

Plus, I am increasingly alienated by the indoor video screens at the back of the Shed. There was a time when you could sit at the back of the lawn near the visitor center and see right into the stage — now, you have a videoscreen blocking the view, to say nothing of the three large screens outside and on top of the Shed. It’s become a three-ring electronic circus.

dd

Comment on Dearth of Superlatives for Exsultemus by Alan Levitan

Alan Levitan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:21:16 +0000

Yes, yes, yes! One of the finest concerts I’ve heard in the past 12 months. The program book noted that Canavin had sung (still sings?) with Paul O’Dette. Would that she had been the soprano the night before, at the otherwise excellent Stubbs/O’Dette/Bezuidenhout/Williams concert at First Church in Cambridge. Canavin’s voice is vibrato-less, accurate, never “bleating,” and can cut through two sackbuts with ease.

Comment on Roving with Music and Art by susan miron

susan miron — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:35:37 +0000

Dear Sarah,

My abashed apologies. This must have been my inner bimbo screaming to get out. I even thanked Mr. Berger at the reception. Silly me. Great concert, everything so well done! Brava again.

Comment on Roving with Music and Art by Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:39:05 +0000

What an honor! Thank you for attending the most recent New Gallery Concert Series event and for writing about your experience! Just to be fair to the composer, I wanted to clarify that the world premiere piece “really pleasurable to hear” (so glad!) was by Mr. Berger (and not Mr. Trent.)
Again, a most sincere thank you.
-sab

Comment on Helios’s Elegant Expression in Charpentier by Zoe Weiss

Zoe Weiss — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:30:31 +0000

I’d like to thank Ms. Wanée for her thoughtful and intelligent review of our show. I’d also like to clarify that much of the work attributed only to me was done by both Mr. Sauerwald and I or by him alone. We crafted the edition together. The added appoggiaturas, for example, were his idea and such a good one, I wouldn’t want to accidentally claim credit.

Comment on Acoustics Vs Performance: Claremont Trio at ISGM by Romy the Cat

Romy the Cat — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:54:15 +0000

Joel, so was told about Trofim Lysenko and bout an army of “scientists” that tobacco establishment kept on leash for years. I personally have no problems with what Griesinger express. I his former article I pointed out some specific inaccuracies of his but in a larger scale I have practically no personal interest in Griesinger’s points of view or his concussions as I feel that he strategically wrong in his methods to deal with sound reproduction. Annoying in thread is not Griesinger’s right or wrong but attitude of the above-posted Moron who “read wrong books in his childhood” and now he is pissed about it.

Certainly, no one blame what Gardner Museum did: they had space and they need to use it in the best way they could we all lived in city and we know how it works. For sure somebody likes when musicians sound (and look!!!) like cockroaches on cutting board. I do not but I also presume that majority people out there will not recognize any difference if music inCalderwood Hallwas played for them with Bose radios. This is what Griesinger-people do for leaving – inventing and selling barbaric methods of sound reproduction that would make ordinary people to be “content” with sonic surrogates. I am sure that the people who invented to sell in our supermarkets chicken made from gasoline,MSG and used toiler paper have double PhD and I am sure that somebody feels that those people have the “best tang” in the industry.

Comment on Stainer’s Crucifixion Honored the Late Rev. Gomes by Paul Lovell

Paul Lovell — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:36:00 +0000

Found all this about John Stainer so very interesting. My Maternal Grandfather used to refer to his works often. I have sung in choirs some of his works with great admiration. Parts of the crucifixion are very moving emotionally. Among other things I teach most types of singing, it’s thrilling when a student has natural gift to perform some of this great music. I find it sad that so many churches now know nothing of these great works, even many of the alternate hymn tunes are unknown and people have no desire to learn them. I notice with interest that Edward Elwyn Jones is the director at Harvard, could he be of Welsh desent? I am of Lovell-Lewis desent, South Wales, U.K. but was born in Australia.

Comment on Acoustics Vs Performance: Claremont Trio at ISGM by Joel Cohen

Joel Cohen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:57:48 +0000

I think Griesinger has two of the best ears for sound and acoustics to be found in Boston, or perhaps anywhere. So whatever he writes on the subject retains my attention.

Comment on Tanglewood’s Triumphant 75th Year by George Nelson

George Nelson — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:04:43 +0000

I am highly motivated to see Tanglewood after reading this article. It is amazing how much world class musicianship will be collected in one place. This article makes me realize the incredibly high standard of excellence that Tanglewood has come to represent. Kudos to Tanglewood!

Comment on Acoustics Vs Performance: Claremont Trio at ISGM by Lee Eiseman

Lee Eiseman — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:36:14 +0000

calm down please- this thread is about acoustics and music

Comment on Acoustics Vs Performance: Claremont Trio at ISGM by Romy the Cat

Romy the Cat — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:24:59 +0000

To david moran: I do not “defame actual experts” but rather to deflate the satiated from self-pomposity Morons. I do not need to go “elsewhere“ as I am very accustomed that your level cretins are following me. Good luck with your wasted DNA.

Comment on BSO Rediscovers a Masterwork by Ed Burke

Ed Burke — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:28:14 +0000

Yes, Mr. Ehrlich, this concert should not be missed.
Last night’s performance was thrilling in every way.

Having experienced Ozawa’s performance live back in 1988, I fell in love with the work, but repeated
hearings on the radio and cd by other conductors dampened my enthusiasm because the score’s short-comings
were revealed.

How wonderful to see and hear a performance which successfully removes these shortcomings and makes the listener
concentrate on the many great pages of an unjustly neglected near masterwork.

Let us hope that Maestro Tovey returns to the BSO often.

The audience, only a bit more than half capacity, was quiet and raptly enthralled. The immediate standing ovation and enthusiastic bravos were prolonged.

Comment on Acoustics Vs Performance: Claremont Trio at ISGM by david moran

david moran — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:57:18 +0000

Reading Roman Bessnow elsewhere online — the nonstop gratuitous insult, the intractable stupidity (quite apart from his comical English) — makes me see how foolish I was to engage in any form, much less to ask for toning it down when he defames actual experts. Apologies for wasting space and electrons here.

Comment on BSO Premieres Harbison’s Sixth by Sam

Sam — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:34:31 +0000

Dan Farber: 1
Vance Koven: 0

Comment on Blowing Dust off Outcast Composers by mary jane rupert

mary jane rupert — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:35:13 +0000

Very interesting and informative review. How great to have a whole concert of not-so-often-played music! Your review made me wish I had been attending!

Comment on Explicating, Playing Electroacoustic by Steve Greene

Steve Greene — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:46:10 +0000

Romy The Cat raises several interesting points – historical context, cultural relevance, personal sensibilities.

I attended the same concert Romy did. Yes, I agree with the point about how this concert affected his own musical sensibilities. The revolutionary aspects (to the American ear) of this concert series and its effects on Mr Cat is analogous to historical events wherein listeners where unable to internalize the art that they were exposed to. Further, a cursory look at the history of performance spaces themselves reveals just how habituated listeners are to certain norms. The repudiation of Stravinsky’s ”The Rite Of Spring” is just as telling as the repudiation of the acoustical treatment of Lincoln Center by Bolt Beranek and Newman in the last century.

For my own part, I was inspired, amazed, transfixed and motivated by my listening experience. For me it was a new beginning of my musical experience. And that is after a lifetime of composing and performing live and recorded works.

I intend to help push this new frontier forward.

Comment on Acoustics Vs Performance: Claremont Trio at ISGM by Clark Johnsen

Clark Johnsen — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:14 +0000

“Impugn” — to call in question; to oppose or challenge as false. Sounds to me like that’s exactly what Romy was doing.

“Bad faith” — (This one’s harder, but it carries the distinct implication that the Architectural/Acoustical Imperium are as gods.)

Criticism is futile!