What Allan is playing

[toledobass]

That's the one Karl.


Allan

[Cato]

Two CityMusic Cleveland concerts finished.  4 more to go.  Tonights venue was the acoustic opposite of oppening night but proper adjustments were made in a preconcert soundcheck.

Here's a review of sorts:
Plain Dealer Review


Allan

So Anton Kuerti's son is now a conductor!

I had a vinyl record decades ago with Anton Kuerti slam-dunking some Scriabin piano sonatas!  I had no idea Kuerti is a "former Clevelander"!  I thought he was born in Vienna or in Central Europe.

Or does that simply mean he lived in Cleveland, maybe as a visiting professor at e.g. Oberlin?

[toledobass]

Well my winter vacation is quickly coming to a close.  I jump right back in next week over in Toledo with a program I'm looking forward to.  I can already hear the grumbling from some of the orchestra..."what's with this program"....."great....waltzes and "  etc...but I think it will be a good challenge to see what we can do in this repertoire.  I've wanted to play the Von Suppe with Toledo and Stefan ever since seeing the Cleveland O play the hell out of it a few years ago.  I like the program with it's mutiple intermissions and variety of works. 

I haven't played my bass since the day before Xmas as it's been in Albequerque, NM having some work done.  Mainly just a tune up but I'm also getting a C extension put on and I'll try to put up some pics once the bass gets sent back to me and I get it back home. 

Here's the program (scroll down):

Toledo New Year Begins concert

A lot of cool stuff will be coming up in the near future: some work with James Gaffigan leading CityMusic Cleveland and Ben Zander conducting Mahler 2 in what is being called 'Zander Week' with the Akron Symhony.  That week will also feature a performance in Severence Hall, the premier of the ensemble in that venue.

Allan

[karlhenning]

Zanderphanalia?

[toledobass]

palooza

[bhodges]

I've wanted to play the Von Suppe with Toledo and Stefan ever since seeing the Cleveland O play the hell out of it a few years ago. 

I heard Cleveland do that piece here, and enjoyed it tremendously.  It's one of those works that you think, "Oh this has been played to death, and is sort of kitschy," but then you realize that you actually haven't heard it live in decades, and that there is a reason it's popular.  I thought it was great fun.

--Bruce

[toledobass]

Exactly what we were talking about at lunch.  If you play it well enough there's no reason for them not to like it.


Allan

[toledobass]

Well,  looks like I'll be showing up to work pretty rusty.  My bass was supposed to be shipped back to me yesterday and somehow it didn't get shipped out untill today.  My bass got to Cleveland at 5:45 but that desn't help me at all seeing as air cargo here closes for the weekend at 5:00 and doesn't open till Monday morning. 

Nothing I can do,  but I'm a little pissed,

Allan

[toledobass]

This is turning out to be a cake week for me.  The Haydn and Mozart are reduced string sections so I haven't had double rehearsals and when I'm actually at rehearsal the longest I've been there is an hour and a half.  I don't know what to do with all this free time I didn't know I'd have!!!!

The rehearsals have been fine.  I had hoped for some sort of insight into the waltz style but he only made a passing comment on a compressed second beat and hanging third beat......I don't think anyone heard it because things sound more or less strictly in time and more or less stiff. 

Allan

[Sergeant Rock]

Well my winter vacation is quickly coming to a close.  I jump right back in next week over in Toledo with a program I'm looking forward to.  I can already hear the grumbling from some of the orchestra..."what's with this program"....."great....waltzes and "  etc...but I think it will be a good challenge to see what we can do in this repertoire.  I've wanted to play the Von Suppe with Toledo and Stefan ever since seeing the Cleveland O play the hell out of it a few years ago.  I like the program with it's mutiple intermissions and variety of works.

Once again I wish I could get "home" to see one of your concerts, Allan. The Light Cavalry Overture was a piece I loved in my youth, and still do. I was a cavalry trooper, at least for part of my military career, and the music still gives me a rush.

I heard Cleveland do that piece here, and enjoyed it tremendously.  It's one of those works that you think, "Oh this has been played to death, and is sort of kitschy," but then you realize that you actually haven't heard it live in decades, and that there is a reason it's popular.  I thought it was great fun.

I've never heard the piece live...or any Suppé for that matter. Those once popular overtures were already out-of-fashion by the time I was old enough to begin attending concerts. Occasionally a Rossini overture will be programmed and when it is, I'm always stunned by how inventive, and yes, fun, it is.

Sarge

[karlhenning]

Free time! Embrace it! :-)

[toledobass]

The TSO concerts were quite fun.  I don't think we fully 'got' the pacing of how these waltzes go.  There can be tremendous pushing forward in just a few measures and I felt like we were constantly a few clicks slower than the target tempo.  Sanderling mentioned this to us, commenting that the style of a Viennese waltz is a fast dance. The Haydn and Mozart were nice performances though.  Very vibrant music making. 

This week in Akron,  the music director Christopher Wilkins is conducting this program:

Barber - Music for a Scene From Shelley
Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique

Rehearsals begin tomorrow:

Tuesday: Dukas,  Berlioz 4 and 5
Wed: Berlioz 1,2,3  Dukas Barber
Thursday Dukas,  Berlioz, Barber
Friday: Dress rehearsal Barber, Dukas, Berlioz


Allan

[karlhenning]

What a good program, Allan!  At least, while I don't yet know the Barber, I am guessing it will repay the trust.  Both the Dukas and Berlioz have held up very well by me over the years, and I am sure they must be fun pieces to play, too.

Keep on keepin' on, and report!

[toledobass]

A little rough going last night but good work was accomplished.  Rhythimcally things were not lining up well at first reading.  Dukas is full of little traps and odd phrase structures and Berlioz just has some tricky rhythmic things that are layered over other tricky rhythmic things.  Listening closely is needed and while we are struggling to get our ensemble chops back on the same page after the holiday break, we also have a new riser set up that we're getting used to.  Things shaped up though and while not crystal clear we're headed in a good direction.  I hope he touches on some dynamic and color ideas in the upcoming rehearsals,  especially in the Berlioz.

Karl,  you never got to play the Berlioz?  That's too bad.  It is a fun piece.  Great times to play your part and realize all the craziness happening throughout the orchestra.  I will admit over the few times I've played it,  it never made much sense to me.  More because I didn't quite understand what Berlioz' language was about.  Playing the Requiem, a few years ago, has helped 'scratch the surface' and I'm understanding a little more. 

Allan

[karlhenning]

Strange to say, the only bit from the Fantastique that I've played, was a symphonic band transcription of the Marche au supplice.

Are you guys using the cornet in the Bal, Allan?

[toledobass]

The bass players usually don't double except for maybe one of us playing electric bass in pops shows .

All dumb jokes aside, we rehearse that mvmt tonight.  I'll check.


Allan

[toledobass]

Are you guys using the cornet in the Bal, Allan?

OK what am I missing here?

Allan

[Bogey]

Strange to say, the only bit from the Fantastique that I've played, was a symphonic band transcription of the Marche au supplice.

Are you guys using the cornet in the Bal, Allan?

I am not sure if my Dutoit recording has this, but it seems that this Gardiner one may Karl:


http://www.amazon.com/Berlioz-Symphonie-fantastique-ORR-Gardiner/dp/B00000414P

Just Find on this page "cornet" Allan.  One of the reviewers refer to it.  This interests me being an huge Louis Armstrong fan.

[karlhenning]

It's a while since I read the accompanying text, so I cannot forward the explanation, Allan;  however, in the Norton Critical Edition of the Symphonie fantastique score, there is a slightly reduced line in the Bal for an obbligato cornet.

So if this remains a mystery to you, your conductor has either chosen to omit it, or may possibly not be aware of it.

[karlhenning]

Offhand, of the various recordings I have of the Fantastique, the only recording which in memory I am certain includes the cornet, is Davis/LSO.