What Allan is playing

[Bogey]

MENDELSSOHN A Midsummer Night's Dream: Suite

Wish I could catch this one Allan.  A favorite at this end.

[toledobass]

It's mighty fine music isn't it Bogey?

Dress rehearsal this morning was fine.  We worked on some balance and intonation issues, especially with the Mendelssohn.  The Mendelssohn will require some real concentration and adjustments for each acoustic.  It's unforgiving in the way that the group needs to feel the pulse as a whole.  Once a section is even a little off,  things get muddy quickly and the propulsive energy of the music deflates.

One major request for the Hatzis is exageration of all o the gestures.  While they are coming across to some extent,  the impact seems not to be at a level that it can reach.  I think it'll be there tonight, 10am rehearsals tend not to be all out like that 

Hitting the road for a few hours to get to Younstown, Oh for our opening night concert.

Allan

[bhodges]

Good luck tonight, Allan!  Another fan of that Mendelssohn here, which seems like it would be rather tricky to play.  Will also be interested in your comments on the Hatzis (a name I don't know), and great you are getting to work with the Pacifica group!

--Bruce

[toledobass]

Thanks Bruce,  I hope you've been well.  I don't know if you saw the info on the Hatzis piece posted previously.  Here is another article written by Rosenberg

Allan

[karlhenning]

Knock 'em daid, Allan!

[toledobass]

So far two good concerts.  Wednesday in Youngstown at the beautiful Stambaugh Auditorium.  An excellent venue for a group of our size with some of the best acoustics we will have a chance to play in throughout the year with this group.  Typically we find ourselves in churches rather than concert halls.  We had a sound check at 6 followed by dinner with some patrons.  It was nice being able to talk with some patrons before the concert.  While it seems Youngstown has a pretty vibrant arts scene happening there, everyone was still appreciative of the chance to see a chamber orchestra and just hear some more live music.

Yesterday found us in our 'home' of Fairmount Presbyterian Church. This is where all of our rehearsals take place so this acoustic is our baseline and where we build all of our adjustments from.  We had the more normal situation of an extended intermission/reception during the concert in this venue and it was a great pleasure to speak to some the audience here. 

One of my thoughts regarding this program is how bold of a move it is to start with the Hatzis. The piece is actually the entire first half.  During the intermission I heard much positive feedback on the performance.  It turns out people are enjoying the piece.....I heard from more than one person how the piece drew some pretty vivid imagery in their minds.  Also from more than one person was the thought that they were gonna have to sit through some god awful racket for the first half.  Racket? perhaps but I know we really are playing the heck out of the piece and fully commited to trying to get it across as best we can...that's been enjoyable for me and its nice to know our efforts are paying off. 

The Mozart has been beautiful both nights with some of the cadenzas in the final movement being improvised with great humor by some of the quartet members.  Great fun.

Mendehlssohn has been good but always a few very small details that leave just a little bit of an annoying feeling inside.  I have a feeling these little things are gonna be completely different spots each performance.  Keeps us on our toes I guess!!!

I also wanted to give and idea of the varying concert settings so here are the first two halls....hopefully I'll remember to snap pics the remainder of the week. 

Stambaugh Auditorium first then Fairmount Pres:

[toledobass]

Rosenberg review

[karlhenning]

Splendid encore, Allan!

[Bogey]

Ever any video coverage, Allan?

[toledobass]

AWESOME!!!! my browser crashed after typing up a post about last nights venue and todays recording session. 

For now just pics of the venue last night....St Noel Church in Willoughby Hills.


More on St Stanislaus recording session this morning and concert coming up this evening.

Allan

[karlhenning]

Rosenberg review

Linked this at henningmusick BTW

[toledobass]

Thanks Karl,  very kind of you.

Pacifica article from today's NYT arts section.

Allan

[toledobass]

Lagging a little here. The intense Citymusic week is over.  Many great performances that were well recieved.  I'll be sure to get photos of the last few venues posted soon.

Meanwhile, we start a nice program in Toledo with the guest conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn.  He'll be conducting and playing Mozart piano concerto 11 and conducting Rach 2.

Allan

[Cato]

Lagging a little here. The intense Citymusic week is over.  Many great performances that were well recieved.  I'll be sure to get photos of the last few venues posted soon.

Meanwhile, we start a nice program in Toledo with the guest conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn.  He'll be conducting and playing Mozart piano concerto 11 and conducting Rach 2.

Allan

Ignat has his own website: he's just a baby!   

See:

http://www.ignatsolzhenitsyn.com/welcome/home.html

And yes, he is a child of novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn.  Ignat must be almost more "American" than "Russian," since he would have been only 3 or 4 when his family was exiled to the U.S. 

On the other hand, with Solzhenitsyn as your father, maybe that assumption is not necessarily correct!   

[toledobass]

Pics from the last two venues of the CityMusic week.

St. Mary in Elyria:

[toledobass]

Rocky River United Methodist in Rocky River:

[toledobass]

Toledo concerts went pretty well this weekend.  Rach was musically pretty interesting with an interpretation that unearthed a very intimate contemplative voice.  I was frustrated by some sloppy ensemble that never really got addressed though.  In truth, I'm kinda glad that the week is over,  it wasn't a bad week and it's beautiful music for sure, but it can be chore to get through multiple performances of.

Blade review

Allan

[karlhenning]

Toledo concerts went pretty well this weekend.

Bravo, Allan!

[Cato]

Toledo concerts went pretty well this weekend.  Rach was musically pretty interesting with an interpretation that unearthed a very intimate contemplative voice.  I was frustrated by some sloppy ensemble that never really got addressed though.  In truth, I'm kinda glad that the week is over,  it wasn't a bad week and it's beautiful music for sure, but it can be chore to get through multiple performances of.

Blade review

Allan

YAY Team!

The review mentioned the Mozart concerto had the ensemble problems at the beginning.  Was the Rachmaninov better played?

Are you preparing for the Bruckner concert at the    0:)    cathedral yet? 

[toledobass]

Hi Cato,

The string were reduced on the Mozart so i didn't play.  Can't really say if it was better performe or not.  I will say that there were just a few things that would have been fine if properly attended to in rehearsal.  Also,  condutor as soloist is always a tricky proposition.



A replay of the opening Toledo Mahler 3 concert is available at wgte.org

Allan