Blog Archives

Spanking the Culture

1/28/2013

Some things are too big to spank.

If you know your Star Trek, you’ll probably know a line made famous by DeForest Kelley, who played the role of Dr. McCoy. (See here.)

Mr. Spock suggested that “V-ger” – a massive, out-of-control space station hurtling towards Earth on a mission to destroy the planet – was behaving like a child.

“Spock,” McCoy replied, “this ‘child’ is about to wipe out every living thing on Earth. Now, what do you suggest we do? Spank it?”

I mention this here because every now and then someone takes the modern world to task for its lack of interest in classical music. Often, this ardent supporter will scold the culture at large, declaring that society today ought to be more respectful of the grand musical tradition is has inherited. And often such arguments take a judgmental tone: the public should educate itself about classical music, and failure to do so is somehow unjust, or a neglect of duty.

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New Music I Like (No. 8): Joan Tower

1/26/2013

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Joan Tower.

Now here’s a piece of contemporary music I can unequivocally get behind: Tambor, by Joan Tower.

Tower is an American composer, pianist and conductor. She was born near New York in 1938, but grew up in Bolivia. She was also a founding member of the Da Capo Chamber Players, but left the ensemble in 1984 to concentrate on her composing. (For more information on Joan Tower, see here.)

Tambor was written in 1988, on a commission from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The title means “drum” in Spanish – so it’s not surprising that the percussion section is featured prominently. But all sections of the orchestra are treated idiomatically and to colourful effect.

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Marc-André Hamelin Plays in Toronto

1/23/2013

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Hamelin:a virtuoso when he needs to be.

At the age of 51, Marc-André Hamelin is a man with a reputation – for brilliant pianism and obscure repertoire. So it was no surprise that his Music Toronto recital at the St. Lawrence Centre last night opened with the power chords of Theodore Szántó’s rarely heard transcription of Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor BWV 542.

But if the Fantasia was grand and imposing, the Fugue began with a delicate, almost understated, simplicity. And with this study in contrasts, Hamelin signaled his modus operandi for the evening: his playing would be virtuosic when it needed to be, but it would be many other things as well. Those other things were sweet, solemn, effervescent, shimmering, subtle, quirky, and much else. Yet there was also a consistent foundation to his playing: a clarity of foreground that illuminated a path for the listener, no matter how complex the music became.

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Interview with Trevor Pinnock

1/22/2013

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Trevor Pinnock makes his HGO debut.

Last week I interviewed Trevor Pinnock for the Houston Chronicle. He’s currently conducting the Houston Grand Opera’s production of Don Giovanni.

For four decades, the name “Trevor Pinnock” has been almost synonymous with the early-music movement.

A major interest for the 67-year-old English conductor and keyboard player has been Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the 1990s, he immersed himself in Mozart’s orchestral music, recording almost all of it for the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label.

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New Music I Like (No. 7): Michael van der Aa

1/15/2013

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Michael van der Aa.

We arrive today at the seventh installment of my irregular series, “New Music I Like.” Thus far, I’ve highlighted works by Marjan Mozetich, Valentin Silvestrov, Pawel Szymanski, Michael Torke, Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich. And in all cases, the musical works I selected were pieces that I feel I can unequivocally endorse. But this post will be a little different.

The astute reader may suspect that I have a preference for new music that is essentially tonal. And it’s true. I’m inclined believe that modernism is a candle that has pretty much burnt itself out. Generally speaking, the new music that interests me most is by composers who are taking a fresh look at tonality. (I’m less fond of composers who are taking a stale look at tonality – but that’s a subject for another blog.)

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YNS in the NYT

1/11/2013

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YNS impresses people everywhere.

Today there’s a nice piece in the New York Times about Yannick Nézet-Séguin. (See here.) I just love the way the NY Times helpfully informs its readers how to pronounce foreign names (“nay-ZAY say-GHEN”). It’s so sophisticated.

But seriously, folks, it’s nice to see the Times credit the musical culture Nézet-Séguin emerged from – Quebec and, more specifically, Montreal – for the training and development he received in his formative years. It’s a refreshing change from the “miraculously springing from nowhere” narrative that sometimes attaches itself to Canadian musicians when they make a splash in other countries.

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Jan Lisiecki Records Chopin

1/10/2013

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Pianist Jan Lisiecki.

I caught up with Jan Lisiecki at Koerner Hall, at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, on Sunday. He’d just finished recording his third CD – a disc of Chopin Études, for Deutsche Grammophon. (The disc is scheduled for release in July.)

For those who may not know, Lisiecki is a 17-year-old Toronto pianist who burst upon the scene a couple of years ago. Even though he’s still studying (at the RCM), he’s already a full-blown concert pianist with an international career. Last month he made his New York Philharmonic debut – and he has upcoming engagements in Rotterdam, Tokyo, Berlin, Athens, and several Canadian cities.

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The BLCMB Hits 600

1/8/2013

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The BLCMB, at www.classical-music-blogs.weebly.com

Back in November 2011, I launched the Big List of Classical Music Blogs. At the time, it had just over 300 links to blogs and other websites about classical music. (See here.) I proudly boasted that it was the largest such directory in the world.

As of yesterday, the BLCMB hit the 600 mark – virtually doubling the number of links it provides. Some of this growth has been due to my own tireless scouring of the internet, and some has been the result of people sending me links to sites they feel should be included.

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Who Owns (the Word) Music?

1/7/2013

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Whtney Houston counts; Elliott Carter doesn`t.

I do like a good dust-up. And there’s one underway right now, between two heavyweights of the New York media: Alex Ross, (classical) music critic of The New Yorker, and William Ferguson, who writes about (popular) music for The New York Times magazine.

It all began when Ferguson created an audio-visual collage called “The Music They Made.” (See here.) It’s a clever compendium of musicians who passed away in 2012 – including Whitney Houston, Earl Scruggs and Ravi Shankar.

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Glenn Gould on KUHA

1/3/2013

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National Public Radio in Houston.

I was in Houston, Texas, in October, which gave me the pleasant opportunity to visit the studios of KUHA (Houston’s NPR station) and record an interview. In it, I speak with KHUA host Chris Johnson about my recent book, Remembering Glenn Gould. (See here.)

At the time the interview was recorded, I didn’t realize that it would form the basis of a substantial hour-long radio documentary. But Chris did a brilliant job of editing my comments, and filling them out with appropriate recorded excerpts.

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Spanking the Culture

New Music I Like (No. 8): Joan Tower

Marc-André Hamelin Plays in Toronto

Interview with Trevor Pinnock

New Music I Like (No. 7): Michael van der Aa

YNS in the NYT

Jan Lisiecki Records Chopin

The BLCMB Hits 600

Who Owns (the Word) Music?

Glenn Gould on KUHA

Eatock Daily

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