Play List #2 – Concierto de Aranjuez

 The Concerto de Aranjuez is a concerto for Classical Guitar and Orchestra that was composed in Paris in 1939 by the Spanish composer  Joaquin Rodrigo. It is one of the few modern classical compositions to achieve widespread recognition and popularity. Just about every significant Classical Guitarist of the past fifty years has performed and recorded the piece. Although it is a three movement composition (Allegro con spirito, Adagio and Allegro gentile) it is the second movement with its slow pace, quiet melody and the interplay between the Guitar, Orchestra, Cor Anglias, Oboe and Bassoon that is the most recognized. Since its premier performance in 1940 the second movement has been re-interpreted in a number of non-classical context. The most famous non-classical interpretation is the 1960 Gil Evans / Miles Davis collaboration for the album Sketches of Spain. Over recent years the second movement has had many interpretation from the world of Rock, Jazz (including the Modern Jazz Quartet), Bluegrass (David Grisman Quintet) and Flamenco (Paco de Lucia). It has even been incorporated into film scores (the Grimthorpe Colliery Band in the movie Brassed Off). For me one of the most successful versions of the second movement is by the Jazz Guitarist Jim Hall. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at his studios in 1975 it featured three of the most lyrical jazz soloists of that era; Jim Hall on electric guitar, Chet Baker on Trumpet and Paul Desmond on Alto sax. The recording also featured the peerless rhythmic section of Roland Hanna on piano, Ron Carter on Bass and Steve Gadd on drums. Here is an audio YouTube clip.

The piece opens with a pizzicato bass tremolo followed by Jim Hall’s lyrical statement of the theme. Each of the soloists has ample opportunity to do justice to the magnificent melody before the rhythm section kicks in and they explore improvisational possibilities. Chet Baker’s initial statement of the theme confirms the Miles Davis comment: “That melody is so strong that the softer you play it, the stronger it gets, and the stronger you play it, the weaker it gets.” Chet Baker outdoes Miles Davis on this one. Not as well known as Miles, Chet Baker has been a Jazz icon since his early days with the ground breaking Gerry Mulligan Quartet way back in the fifties. Afflicted with a notorious heroin habit he survived many ups and down in his career including a brutal beating by drug thugs who broke all his teeth. This almost destroyed his career and his life. With incredible fortitude he rebuilt his embouchure and technique from scratch. His popularity underwent a resurgence in the 1980’s until his final demise at the hands of drug dealers. He was thrown out of an apartment window in Paris. He died May 13, 1988. Paul Desmond is best known for his contributions to the Dave Brubeck Quartet and the composition Take Five. This was pretty close to his last recording. He was in the final stages of Lung Cancer when he recorded this and he died shortly after in May 30, 1977. Despite his failing health this is an incredible chapter in a remarkable career. Jim Hall was unique in the music industry. Not only was he one of the premier Jazz Guitarists of his generation he was a very stable individual. No abuse problems; no personality problems; married to the same woman all his adult life. If one did no know of his accomplishments one would think he led a very unremarkable life. As this recording testifies that was far from the case. Jim died quietly last year still working and innovating right up to his death. One could write volumes about the rhythm section but the drummer Steve Gadd deserves special mention. Although I have been aware of his reputation for many years this is the first time I have heard him on record. When he enters the sonic landscape of this recording his subtle percussion lifts the recording to a whole new level.

Although this recording was originally released under Jim Hall’s name the release I have been listening to is Together – Chet Baker and Paul Desmond – The Complete Studio Recordings on an EPIC CD 472984 2. I highly recommend the recording for all the tracks that it contains.

A very significant after thought: Although there are many recordings of this composition by many prominent Classical Guitarists the one that has drawn special commendation by none other than the composer himself is the 1991 version by the Flamenco Guitarist Paco de Lucia. Check the YouTube version from the documentary Paco de Lucía-Light and Shade: A Portrait.

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A Breath of Fresh Air – the SOK Celtic Christmas Rehearsal

A Celtic Christmas –  A Winter’s Ramble with Harpist and Singer Keri Lynn Zwicker : The rehearsal at the Key City Theatre, Saturday December 6, 2014 12-1:30 pm. Orchestra plus guestsI have always felt that there was something missing from Christmas. In recent years my attendance at a Winter Solstice celebration in Vancouver gave me pause to think but I was still unable to arrive at a conclusion. At the Symphony of the Kootenays (SOK) rehearsal on Saturday it finally clicked. When the Bodhran (the Irish Frame drum) roared into life within a rousing Celtic tune I had an epiphany. What has been missing all these years is the essential pagan element of the season’s celebration. The season has been diluted and polluted with so much tinsel town garbage over the years that we have forgotten, that despite the Christian overlay, from the beginning of time the Winter Solstice (Christmas) is essentially  a pagan festival. The SOK, Harpist Keri Lynn Zwicker and the Bodhran player Nathan McCavana restored some of that essential pagan essence to the music of the season. Sure, it was Christmas music but with a primordial pagan pulse that gives new life and vitality to a musical landscape that,  over the years, has become kinda blah. After all, how many times can we listen to I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas and still be emotionally stirred? Here are some images from the rehearsal.

216. Keri Lynn Zwicker318. Nathan McCavanaWendy Herbison - Concert Master  Viola   Beth Thomson Jeff Faragher               Wendy Herbison - Concert MasterBeth Thomson       Liz Tremblay Keri Lynn Zwicker470a.   Sven Heyde   432. Jeff Faragher    Shirley Wright    Keri Lynn Zwicker Beth Thomson Percussion - Sven Heyde and Courtney Crawford  480.   Ben SmithThe Trio   Aurora SmithBass Bass Keri Lynn Zwicker    Jeff in the trio    Keri Lynn Zwicker

and now for the essential pagan element : THE BODHRAN – here is the wikipedia entry:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The bodhrán (/ˈbɔrɑːn/[1] or /ˈbrɑːn/; plural bodhráns) is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm (10″ to 26″) in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm (14″ to 18″). The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm (3½” to 8″) deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or other animal skins are sometimes used). The other side is open-ended for one hand to be placed against the inside of the drum head to control the pitch and timbre. One or two crossbars, sometimes removable, may be inside the frame, but this is increasingly rare on modern instruments. Some professional modern bodhráns integrate mechanical tuning systems similar to those used on drums found in drum kits. It is usually with a hex key that the bodhrán skins are tightened or loosened depending on the atmospheric conditions.” Frame drums are found all over the world and the wikipedia articles goes on to list around 40 different regional variations. Nathan’s Bodhran is a little different fron the traditional in that it is tear dropped shaped. Like a lot of modern players,  Nathan uses “bamboo bundles” as a beater. He also uses a small condenser clip-on microphone to re-enforce the sound (after all he is competing with a symphony orchestra). Also note the black “electrical tape” trim around the top. This is used to reduced unwanted overtones.

316. Nathan McCavana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final pagan bonus in the rehearsal and one that may not have made it to the actual concert was Nathan’s rousing rendition of THE POGUES  The Fairy Tale of New York with its classic line “And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day”   – a far cry from I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas:

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1685 was a very good year

Why? Well, first off that was the year that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was born. Then there was George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) born in that year. Also in that same year Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was born. In 1685 Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was 7 years old. There were probably other important individuals born around that time but in the world of Baroque Music these gentlemen became the musical giants of the era. All of these men were working musicians in the real sense of the word. Their role was to provide music for the church, the aristocracy, students and, to a lesser extent, for social events. The demands were intense and, as a result their output was prolific. To give some idea of the volume of music we are talking about here, Arkiv Music, the on-line source for classical music lists 7,840 Bach recordings, 3,314 Handel recordings, 658 Scarlatti recordings and 2,318 Vivaldi recordings. So collectively that is over 14,000 recordings. Of course there are duplicates in there but that is still a lot of music to digest. Bach wrote a lot of instrumental, vocal, choral and church music but my particular focus of interest has always been with his keyboard music. My first acquaintance was with the Rosalyn Tureck vinyl recordings of the “Keyboard Partitas”, my second brush with the inevitable was with Maria Tipo’s recordings of the same works. The knockout blow came with Glenn Gould’s recordings of “The Goldberg Variations”. Glenn has been described as “a nutcase” but there is no doubt his interpretations of the music of Bach may never be surpassed. Fortunately, a complete box set of the Columbia recordings; GLENN GOULD – THE COMPLETE BACH COLLECTION has recently been released. At a modest cost of $72 + shipping the 38 CDs, and 6 DVDs (less than $2 a disc) is a formidable body of music to enjoy. If that is too much for an average soul then maybe his recordings of the Goldberg Variations are worth a listen. He recorded it twice in his career. Technology (stereo and Dolby sound) overtook his landmark 1955 recording and he revisited the studio again in 1981 to re-interpret and re-record this masterpiece. This was an exercise that was well worth the effort. The session was recorded on video and the resulting DVD is spectacular. Here is a link to Glenn Gould performing the Goldberg Variations  (48 minutes – but well worth the time). “Quite possibly one of the best recordings ever made of any piece of music in the history of recording performances in the studio” – YouTube comment.

I am not overly familiar with the music of Handel. I would not be alone in that thought. The music of Bach and Mozart frequently over shadowed Handel’s achievements. Although, like Bach, he is a Germanic composer he is best known for his English Music. Particularly the “Hallelujah” chorus in “The Messiah” and the orchestral suites “The Water Music”. Further explorations of his music is on my bucket list.

Domenico Scarlatti was born in Naples and served Spanish Royalty for many years. He is best known for the over 500 Keyboard Sonatas that he originally composed for harpsichord. A significant number of these have migrated to the piano and these one movement sonatas are recognized as cornerstones of the keyboard repertoire. They demonstrate Scarlatti’s facility at adapting the rhythms of contemporary Iberian popular music to the keyboard. Or, if one likes to think of it in a particular way then it could be seen as a first taste of flamenco music. This may explain why transcriptions of the sonatas have found their way into the repertoire of just about every classical guitarist of the past 50 years. If one has an appetite for harpsichord music then the 555 sonatas are available in a landmark recording by Scott Ross – the ERATO 34 CD box set ($104) Scarlatti: The Complete Keyboard Sonatas. They were recorded by Scott Ross before he died in 1989 at the age of 38. I include this link to a harpsichord performance by Scott Ross while being fully aware that harpsichord music probably comes across as very harsh to modern ears  A Scarlatti Sonata on Harpsichord .   On the other hand when transcribed to guitar Scarlatti’s sonatas are very pleasing – here is a link to John Williams performing one of the most popular guitar transcriptions of  a different sonata –  The Scarlatti D minor Sonata .

Last, but not least, is the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi who is mostly famous for his “The Four Seasons”. This composition is probably one of the most recognizable pieces of music on the planet. It is forever on radio, TV, in films and concert performances. It is a shame in a way because Vivaldi’s focus in life was opera music and he would have probably preferred to have been remembered for that. But let’s not forget that the working musicians of that era were not writing for prosperity. They were very much in the moment, composing music for the immediate needs of their employers, patrons and students. As a composer he had an enormous influence on the baroque instrumental music of his day. The content and style of his sonatas and concertos were even emulated by Bach. In unkind moments critics have accused Vivaldi of writing the same sonata over 200 times. My first acquaintance with Vivaldi’s music  was with his concerto for mandolin. To this day it is still one of my favorite pieces of music. Despite the fact that there are over 2,000 recordings of Vivaldi’s music in the Arkiv catalogue my choice is the I MUSICI 19 CD box set of VIVALDI: CONCERTOS AND SONATAS Opp.1-12 (Newton Classics) . With the exception of one Oboe Concerto and one disc of Flute concertos this is predominantly violin music in many, many, configurations. From the first disc of Trio Sonatas right through to the end of the last disc in this 19 CD collection this music is a revelation. The music does not repeat it self. The only possible duplication I detected is a fragment of the mandolin concerto that showed up in one composition. Currently one of my favorite pastimes of the day is to make lunch and kick back for about an hour and let Vivaldi’s music fill my sonic space. At around $60 this boxed set is one of my best investments ever.

The time of their birth, 1685 or there about, is a long time ago. They were all dead by the time 1760 rolled around. That’s before the American War of Independence and the founding of the United States of America. That’s over 250 years ago and yet their music is still very much apart of modern cultural life. That’s a formidable achievement.

Here are some additional links with Rosalyn Tureck playing the Prelude from Bach’s Partita #1   (audio only) and Maria Tipo playing the same piece Prelude from Bach’s Partita #1  (audio only) .  Here is another version by Andras Schiff – he starts with the Prelude then follows through with the entire Partita #1 . If you are unfamiliar with Bach’s Keyboard music the Partitas are a great place to start.

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Slavic Strings at the Knox

Microsoft Word - DocumentLaCafamoreSpring2014.docx

Every spring and fall violinist Angela Snyder travels from her home base in Virginia to “play second fiddle” in the various configuration of the chamber ensemble La Cafamore.  At this time of year, in one form or other (Trio, Quartet, or Quintet), La Cafamore tours the Kootenays for a series of Chamber music concerts. Over the years they have presented programs that have included some of the best of the Baroque, Romantic and Modern repertoires. The ensemble is not adverse to taking risks with their programming. There are not many ensembles that would dare to tackle Steve Reich’s Different Trains and George Crumb’s Black Angels. Local patrons have been lucky enough to hear La Cafamore present these startlingly modern compositions at the Knox Presbyterian Church in Cranbrook. For this tour the “modern meat” in the sandwich was Serenade Op.12 by Zoltan Kodaly. This composer is a contemporary and fellow national of the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok. Both composers drew heavily on the folkloric heritage of their native country. While acknowledging the composers folkloric inspirations there is no mistaking the modernity of their compositions. Serenade is no exception. Kodaly’s composition may have been the meat in the sandwich but there was plenty of other “garnishes” on the menu. The program opened with Lionel Bart’s (1930-1999) Where is Love from the musical Oliver. From there it was a huge leap back in time to the Inventions #13, #14, and  #15 by Johann Sebastian Bach.The other “BIG B” in classical music (Ludwig von Beethoven) was represented by a series of 12 German Dances. The final hefty piece on the program was Antonin Dvorak’s Terzetto Op.74 (Introduction / Larghetto / Scherzo and Theme and Variations. Unfortunately La Cafamore’s concert clashed with the larger SoWeCa Chamber Music festival that was running concurrently at the Key City Theatre. Despite the small audience in this wonderful performance space La Cafamore did not let us down. The next tour of LaCafamore will be in the fall and every effort will be made to avoid any programming clashes in the future. As always I will be looking forward to whatever is pulled out of the Chamber Music hat.

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SoWeCa 2014 Chamber Music Festival – behind the scenes

Soweca_festIt is unfortunate, in a way, that the idea of “Classical Music” is so entwined with Symphony Orchestras and Symphonic Music when in actual fact there is so much more to “Classical Music” than what we normally associate with the term. Symphonic music is fine but it does imply a certain largeness of magnitude in the music, the organization and the means to bring it to an audience. It has introduced a distortion that implies that only truly good music can be produced by a symphonic orchestra. Case in point is the recent angst and anguish caused by the possible demise of the EK Symphony Orchestra. The possible demise of that orchestra was equated with the end of local “high” culture. Yet in actual fact over the past 4-5 years some very successful small scale efforts by local chamber musicians has introduced some very exciting and adventurous music to local audiences. The La Cafamore String Quartet, Trio and  Quintet, and Calgary’s Lily Quartet have performed concerts at the Knox Presbyterian Church (a wonderful chamber music venue) that included the music of Brahms, Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Schumann, Schubert and more importantly the modern works of Kodaly, Steve Reich (“Different Trains”) and George Crumb (“Black Angels”). These musicians have achieved a level of musical diversity and excellence without any significant financial or audience support from Symphony organizers. In the face of significant  adversity they should be commended. So, at the end of a very successful season the symphony orchestra is back on its feet and that is a good thing. And, with the expansion of the SoWeCa Chamber Music Festival  into the Kootenays,  things  are looking even better. SoWeCa has been around for a number years in Southern Alberta and this is the first year that Cranbrook has been added to the circuit. This week (Monday 19th to Friday 23rd) in May 2014 has marked a full schedule of rehearsals and performances in Cranbrook.

Act I – Cranbrook B.C

The Players: The musicians are from diverse backgrounds and geographic locations and are all major “players” in their own right.

  •  Deanna Oye – Piano. Deanna is the Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Lethbridge. Over the years she has performed at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook a number of times.
  • Gerard Gibbs – Oboe.
    Gerard is a professional oboist  who has studied and performed throughout the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. He is currently the manager of the Key City Theatre in Cranbrook and is one of the principal organizers of the SoWeCa Chamber Music Festival
  • John Lowry – Violin
    John has been the Associate Concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra since 1987. He has also performed as a guest Concertmaster in many Canadian orchestras as well as the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Australia.

       Gerard Gibbs - oboe        John Lowry

  • Andrew Brown – Viola.  Andrew is the Associate Principal Violist of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and has been a member of the CBC Radio Orchestra for over 18 years. Apart from his heavy involvement in the Vancouver music scene he has performed widely throughout North America, China and Korea.
  • Noam Buchman – Flute
    Is a highly-acclaimed flautist from Israel. He has performed in concert and recordings most of the existing repertoire for flute.Along with his extensive performing career he teaches flute at the Jerusalem Academy of Music.
  • Michael Hampton – Piano. Michael performs regularly on major stages around the world, including Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall, and broadcasts frequently on radio. He works both as a soloist and chamber musician.

 Andrew Brown        Noam Buchman - flute      Michael Hampton

  • Tadasuke Lijima – Violin
    Tadasuke was born in Japan and studied under the guidance of Hitoshi Maezawa, Boris Kuschnir, Toshiya Eto, Zakhar  Bron  and Mayumi Fukijawa. He is currently studying under the direction of Rivka Golani at Trinity Laban  Conservatoire of Music and Dance. He ha won many prizes and has appeared with a number of major symphony orchestras.
  • Vanessa Lucas-Smith – Cello
    Vanessa is a “Brit” who began her studies at the Royal College of Music. She is also a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music. She has a passion for chamber music, has won many prizes and is a founding member of the Brodowski Quartet.
  • Rivka Golani – Viola
    Rivka is recognized as one of the great violists of modern times and she is the Musical Director of this festival . She plays with passion and fire and, in the vernacular, she is “a rock star”. Be prepared to be swept away by her performances during the festival. What more can one say?

 Tadasuke Lijima  Vanesa Lucas Smith - cello   Rivka Golani

  • Peter Knapp – Narrator
    Essentially he is a vocalist who has performed though out the world (Frankfurt, Zurich, Bulgaria, St. Louis, Hong Kong, Venice, Australia and South America) with many companies including his own. I believe he will be doing some vocal coaching and teaching during the festival.
  • Benjamin Ellin – Composer and Conductor
    Benjamin is an award winning and critically acclaimed British conductor and composer. He is currently the Musical Director of Thursford Productions, Principal Conductor of the Strathwaite Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of Focus Opera and President of Pembroke Academy of Music, London. His composition for this Festival is entitled Baker Massacre and will be premiered at Heads Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Fort MacLeod, Alberta, Sunday May 25, 2014. Benjamin will be conducting the premier performance of David Jaeger’s Thunder and Raven.
  • David Jaeger – Composer (Thunder and Raven).
    On reading his extensive resume it is evident that David Jaeger has been in the fore front of modern music for many years. His composition Thunder and Raven for solo flute, viola and chamber ensemble is inspired by a Blackfoot legend and  will be premiered at the Key City Theatre in Cranbrook on Friday May 23, 2014.

              Narrator Peter Knapp - Thunder and Raven             Benjamin Ellin

  • Other players include Charles Heller – Composer Two Ravens (it will be premiered at Heads Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Fort MacLeod, Alberta, Sunday May 25, 2014); Fred Stenson (text for Baker Massacre); Jennifer Stirling Pierre – Narrator; Adam Mason – Percussion and Matthew Heller who must be playing  the largest Orchestral Bass on the planet.

Act I – Cranbrook Key City Theatre;

Scene I – Rehearsals in the foyer of the Key City Theatre

Here are some images from at least three days of rehearsals.

 Deanna Oye       John Lowry   Rivka Golani      Vanessa Lucas-Smith    Tadasuke Lijima  Michael Hampton      Deanna Oye     Rivka Golani   Vanessa Lucas-Smith   110. John Lowry  Tadasuke Lijima      Rivka Golani      John Lowry The Brahms Quartet  Deanna Oye and Gerard Gibbs    Deanna Oye and Gerard Gibbs Gerard Gibbs      Andrew Brown - viola    164. Noam Buchman - flute The Mozart Quartet

Scene 2 – Mozart at the Heid Out – A truly pleasant way to spend a lunch time.

At The Heid Out     At The Heid Out    At The Heid Out At The Heid Out   At The Heid Out

Scene 3 – Final Dress Rehearsal On Stage at the Key City Theatre.

First the piano technician: 

The Piano Tuner  The Piano Tuner  The Piano Tuner

Then the plot:

  • Mozart Quartet in D Major K285 for flute, violin, viola and cello –
    Allegro / Adagio / Rondo

Noam Buchman – Flute; Andrew Brown – Viola; Vanessa Lucas-Smith – Cello; John Lowry – Violin

208. Mozart Quartet

204. Mozart Quartet - Noam Buchman 210. Andrew Brown - Mozart Quartet   Vanessa Lucas-Smith - Mozart Quartet   John Lowry - Mozart Quartet Noam and John - Mozart QuartetMozart Quartet     Mozart Quartet Andrew and Vanessa

  • Robert Kahn (1856-1951) Serenade Op.73 for Oboe, Viola and Piano – Andante sostenuto / Vivace / Andante sosenuto

Gerard Gibbs – Oboe; Andrew Brown – Viola; Deanna Oye

314, Deanna , Andrew and Gerard - Robert Kahn's Serenade   Gerard Gibbs - Robert Kahn's Serenade  Gerard and Andrew - Robert Kahn's Serenade    Robert Kahn's Serenade

  • David Jaeger – Thunder and Raven for solo Flute, Viola, and String Quartet With Movement / Moderato / Interlude – Allegretto / Finale – Andante

Noam Buchman – Flute; Rivka Golani – Viola; Tadasuke Lijima – Violin; John Lowry – Violin; Andrew Brown – Viola; Vanessa Lucas-Smith – Cello; Peter Knapp – Narrator; Benjamin Ellin – Conductor

Peter Knapp - Thunder and Raven    Thunder and Raven Ensemble   Benjamin Ellin - Conductor - Thunder and Raven   Rivka Golani - Thunder and Raven   Benjamin Ellin - Thunder and Raven

  • Serge Rachmaninoff – Trio elegiaque No.1 Lento lugubre – piu vivo – Lento piu vivo – alla marci funebre

John Lowry – Violin; Vanessa Lucas-Smith – Cello; Deanna Oye – Piano

Trio elegiaque

  • Johannes BrahmsPiano Quartet Op. 25 in G minor Allegro / Intermezzo. Allegro /  Andante con Motto / Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto

Michael Hampton – Piano; Rivka Golani – Viola; Tadasuke Lijima – Violin; Vanessa Lucas-Smith – Cello.

Brahms Quartet   Brahms Quartet - Rivka Golani      Brahms Quartet - Michael Hampton    Brahms Quartet - Vanessa Lucas-Smith  Brahms Quartet - Tadsuke Lijima

024. Curtain

 

 

 

END OF ACT 1

The remaining acts in the Festival

  • Fernie Knox United Church, Saturday – May 24, 2014, 3pm
  • Head Smashed in Buffalo, Fort MacLeod, Sunday – May 25th, 2014 7:30pm
  • University of Lethbridge Recital Hall, Lethbridge – May 26, 2014 8pm

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It was unfortunate that prior commitments prevented me from taking in the actual concerts but what I saw and heard was enough to convince me that this had all the ingredients of a very successful event and one hopes that it will happen annually. It was a big deal and it could become even bigger. My favourite performances were Thunder and Raven and the Brahms Quartet. The first was so thoroughly modern that I could not help but enjoy it (I like all the “weird” sounds). As for the Brahms piano quartet, well normally I don’t care for the music of Brahms but this was a real “blood and guts” performance. So much so that later  I went through my CD collection and came up with performance by Murray Perahia and the Amadeus Quartet. I have played it almost continuously for the past week.

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Symphony of the Kootenays – Celebration of Excellence

Symphony of the Kootenays Season Finale

Open Rehearsal, Saturday April 12, 2014, 12-2pm: Key City Theatre, Cranbrook. Why? It is actually a rhetorical question. With around 100 musicians and 6 orchestral configurations in the performance it was an opportunity for the orchestra and its organizers to demonstrate the complexities of putting together the evening’s concert. Apart from the music it was a case of getting the logistics smoothed out. Judging from the smooth performance later in the evening it achieved its goal while connecting with potential audiences and patrons. Here are some images from the rehearsals.

353. Strings

 Evan Bueckert   Jeff Faragher   Martine denBok  MBSS Band   Catherine MacKinnon & Aura Pon  302.   Evan Bueckert   Anne Scott   300. Band     Robin Clegg and the Cleggetts Martine denBokCellos and Bass 360. Evan Bueckert Violins 362. Ruth Langevin    Aura Pon   Evan Bueckert  Jeff Faragher    Julian Bueckert   520.    Liz Tremblay                                               364. 404. Ruth Langevin, Catherine MacKinnon, Aura Pon & Amy Melnychuk     Barb Hume, Nicola Everton, Jonathan GreslMartine denBokRehearsals are over, it’s time for the boots to hit the pavement ……..

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Last Concert of the Season, Saturday April 12, 2014, 7:30:pm: Key City Theatre, Cranbrook with guest conductor Evan Bueckert and  the following program:

  • William Tell Overture – Gioachino Rossini
  • Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 – Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Caravan – Juan Tizol / Duke Ellington arr. Saucedo
  • Blue Rondo a la Turk – Dave Brubeck
  • Harry Potter Orchestral Suite – John Williams
  • Waltz #2 – Dimitri Shostakovich
  • Concerto for Cello in E minor – Edward Elgar : featuring Jeff Faragher

The common wisdom is to start a program with something strong and familiar and Rossini’s William Tell Overture certainly filled that bill. Every person who grew up in front of the Saturday morning TV cartoons would be familiar with the thunderous brass and percussion fanfare that is the signature of that piece. After the fanfare of the overture died away the logistics crew swung into action and reconfigured the orchestra for the  Bachstring ensemble of Martine denBok, Sanja Suplevska, Robin Grewcock (violins); Graham Tagg, Alexis Moore, Duarte Silva (violas); Jeff Faragher, Anne Scott, Liz Trembley (Cellos) and Alex Nichol (bass). The string ensemble, without the usual harpsichord continuo, was grouped on stage in a small semi-circle.  It achieved the ambience of a private performance in a some old country estate and was perfect for the Brandenburg Concerto. Earlier in the afternoon, during the rehearsals, Barry Coulter (editor of the Townsman) had entered the theater just as the concerto rehearsal started and he could barely contain his excitement. His response was justified;  the performance literally bounced and sang with a vibrancy that is such a characteristic of the music of Bach. This  Brandenburg concerto was written in 1721 and, here we are nearly 300 MBSS Bandyears later, and the music is still exciting to hear. Students from the MBSS music program kicked off the jazz and concert band portion of the program with Juan Tizol’s Jazz classic Caravan. Although often attributed to Duke Ellington the Puerto Rican valve trombonist Juan Tizol, a member of Duke’s orchestra for many years, wrote the piece in 1936. Not quite as long ago as the Brandenberg Concerto but still going strong after 78 the soloists MBSS bandyears in the standard jazz repertoire (click on the link for a taste of the original  Juan Tizol’s Caravan). A more recent composition is the 1959  Blue Rondo a la Turk by Dave Brubeck that is in 9/8 with a swing 4/4 feel. The piece was incorrectly thought to be based on Mozart’s Rondo alla Turca The piece was actually inspired by a street performance by a Turkish musician. Turkish music is very big on “eighth” rhythms such as 7/8, 9/8, 11/8. etc. The MBSS musicians finished off their selection with the film music from the Harry Potter series – Harry Potter Orchestral Suite. Once again the musicians of the MBSS music program, under the direction of Evan Bueckert, continued to amaze audiences with their level of musicianship and their ability to integrate into the symphony orchestra. Dimitri Shostakovich is a Russian composer of the Stalinist era so it was surprise (to me) to hear such a Germanic composition as Waltz#2 coming from such an unlikely source. With the tubas, bass drum and  Jeff Faragherpercussion it was Oomph-pa music of a superior quality. When I heard that Jeff Faragher was going to perform Edward Elgar”s Concerto in E Minor I deliberately refrained from revisiting the definitive recording by the late great Jacqueline du Pre. I wanted to approach the evening’s performance with a clear mind unclouded by any vivid memories of that recording. I was amply rewarded by the live freshness of Mr. Faragher’s performance. For the encore percussionist Robin Clegg reworked some Bach melodic motifs into an impromptu Celtic inspired romp for cello and orchestra. It was a fitting end of an evening’s “Celebration of Excellence”. Here are some more images of the evening’s performances.

 Evan Bueckert - Guest Conductor    Steen Jorgensen - President  Jeff Faragher - Musical Director  MBSS Band   Martine denBok - Concert Master   300.   flutes & oboes        The Bottom End Dwellers Evan Bueckert    Lena Ruiz  Anne Scott Jeff Faragher  435.   Robin Clegg   Evan Bueckert   MBSS Band        Evan Bueckert Sophie Smith    Band  Sophia Smith  Jeff Faragher    Jeff Faragher  Jeff Faragher  Jeff Faragher Martine denBok  Martine denBok  Liz Tremblay   Sanja Suplevska-Bioral   437.Robin Clegg      430.

So ends a Season of Excellence. The Symphony of the Kootenays is once again back on a solid musical and financial footing and the following program for the coming 2014-2015 season promises more of the same.

  •  Concert #1 – From Old Worlds to New : Finlandia (Jean Sibelius); Holberg Suite (Edvard Grieg); Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” (Antonin Dvorak).
  • Concert #2 – A Celtic Christmas featuring Harpist Keri Lynn Zwicker.
  • Concert #3 – A Night at the Movies
  • Concert #4 – Classical Greatness featuring pianist Susan Gould playing Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor (it is a pity we have to wait a whole year for this). Also on the program Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Beethoven’s Symphony No.7

So sign up and gear up for another exciting season.

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Symphony of the Kootenays: Sultans of String

Symphony of the KootenaysSymphony of the Kootenays and the Sultans of String rehearsals, Key City Theatre, February 1, 12 noon, February 1, 2014.

” And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone.
And says at last, just as the time bell rings,
“Goodnight, now it’s time to go home.”
And he makes it fast, with one more thing:
“We’re the Sultans,
“We are the Sultans of Swing.” Songwriter: KNOPFLER, MARK

Mind you there is no connection between the Dire Straight album and the Symphony of the Kootenays concert. There is just the resonance of the song title and the name of the The Sultans and SKOsymphony orchestra guests – THE SULTANS OF STRING – that has so much appeal. Dire Straights was a rock band singing about musicians from another era. The Sultans are not about rock music. Their musical arena is more about a whole mixed bag of World music, Latin, Gypsy, Swing etc. Chris' 6 string violinThe Sultans of String are Chris McKhool (6 string violin, mandolin), Drew Birston (electric bass),   Drew BirstonKevin Laliberte (carbon-fibre guitar) and Alberto Suarez (percussion). This rehearsal was the fore runner of what promised to be a very unique night of music. Unfortunately I was double booked (again) and not able to make the Saturday night concert. However, I did make the afternoon rehearsals and the Sunday Fiddle Fire (concert for kids). It was pretty exciting and entertaining stuff to hear the Symphony exploring a whole new approach to making music. The music is the brain child of Chris McKhool and Kevin Laliberte Kevin Lalibertewith orchestrations by Rebecca Pellett. Although the rehearsal didn’t present the music in a program coherent form there were enough snippets to entice the visiting rehearsal audience to maybe come back later that evening for the full concert. For me there were a number of outstanding moments. In the exploration of the mandolin the unexpected and joyous snippet from a Vivaldi mandolin concerto was so amazingly fresh and startling that it certainly made me sit  Alberto Suarezup. Kevin Laliberte’s guitar solos were some other high points. His Carbon-Fibre guitar, with it’s odd shape, looked way different from a conventional classical guitar yet, despite the on-board amplification, produced, when required,  a pure classical sound. It also appeared to be amendable to the sound manipulation that we associate with most electric guitars. His technique ran though the whole spectrum of guitar music – flat pick, finger picking, classical, jazz, flamenco etc. Drew Birston’s electric bass is, obviously, a central part of the Sultan’s Sound and added a different bass dimension (pizzicato bass melody) to the orchestrations. Being an amateur musician who tinkers with percussion I was completely captivated by the Cuban musician Alberto Suarez’s rhythmic excursions on the Peruvian Cojon (basically a wooden box), snare drum, brushes, cymbals, rattles and the middle eastern Darbuka (Turkish Goblet drum). His role in the music was re-enforced by the symphony percussionists  Robin Clegg, Sven Heyde and Bruce Hunter. Their arsenal of drums and percussion would be enough to fill your average basement. The Sultans of String were obviously having fun playing with a symphony and the orchestra pit was just a sea of smiling faces. I am sure the evening concert lived up to the promise of the rehearsals. Here are some more images from the rehearsal – enjoy:

Chris McKool    Kevin Lalberte  Alberto Suarez  Chris McKool   Kevin Laliberte  Jeff Faragher    Chris McKhool  Jeff Faragher  Sophia Smith  Lena Ruiz Anne Scott       French Horn - Dale Green  Alberto Suarez  Alberto Suarez Chris McKool  050.  Sophia Smith  Robin Clegg   Ruth Langevin and Catherine MacKinnon  Sven Heyde  Jeff Faragher Alberto Suarez   Ruth Sawatsky   Alberto Suarez Chris and Kevin      Kevin Laliberte Alberto Suarez   Wendy Herbison  Alberto Suarez  Chris and KevinChris McKhool’s Fiddle Fire, Key City Theatre Sunday February 2, 2014, 2pm.

The KidsKevin Laliberte  Chris McKhool  Alberto Suarez Sophia Smith  007.  Violins Jeff Faragher Kevin and Chris   Orchestra Chris McKhool  Anne Scott  410. Percussion  Brass   Woodwinds Bruce Hunter   Sophia Smith  Chris Mckhool Jeff Faragher  Kevin Laliberte  Alberto Suarez    Kevin and the kids    Jeff Faragher  Chris and the kids  Chris McKhool  Jeff Faragher  Chris McKhool  Jeff Faragher  Manuscript    Gong  700. The Kids@@@@@@@@@@

Symphony of the Kootenays: A World of Joy – rehearsals

Symphony of the Kootenays Rehearsal, Cranbrook Alliance Church Saturday November 30, 2013, 12md – 13:30.   

SOTK Nov 30 2013 poster Inviting patrons to the rehearsal, what a great idea. I think the Symphony has come up with a winner with this one and I think the patrons at the rehearsal would agree. There was a good crowd in this spectacular church for the snippets of what was promising to be an outstanding concert. The orchestra and choir look great and the lighting and sound was excellent (thanks to Dean Siewert and Len Palajak). I would go so far as to the say that the lighting, in particular, was more than a notch above similar efforts at the Key City Theatre. Visually the black backdrop with the lights on the musicians gave depth, contrast and definition to the scene. I know it is probably a lot more work to present the Symphony in the Alliance Church but I feel it is a more suitable venue than the Key City Theatre. I am sure I missed a great concert later that evening but, because of prior engagements,  unfortunately I was unable to attend. Definitely my loss. However, here are some images of the rehearsal that I would like to share with fellow patrons.  The Orchestra

and sharing his special brand of joy, the conductor Jeff Faragher.

114. Jeff Faragher Wendy Herbison   Anne Scott   440.   520. Trombones   Jeff Faragher    Liz Tremblay  Male Chorus              Roger Mitchell   220.          Chorus   454. Lena Ruiz Jeff Faragher   Sophia Smith   554.  222.    Graham Tagg   Sven Heyde  Wendy Herbison and              426.   Lena Ruiz              Sophia Smith and Anne Scott   Jeff Faragher          Jeff Faragher   Abstract       556. 422.       Liz Tremblay   Jeff Faragher      Jeff Faragher   Bronwyn LeBlanc      500.  The Orchestra

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