Rite of Spring audio demo (finally!)

Igor Stravinsky

Well, finally I have an actual musical example to post on my blog since the Columbus Symphony's Rite of Spring has finally been uploaded onto InstantEncore.  I wrote about preparing Stravinsky's Rite of Spring a couple of months ago, but at that time I had no audio clips of my own playing to include.  (I did attempt to record a YouTube video for that post, but I rejected each video as being flawed in some way.  All was not lost, however, because that effort was extremely beneficial in my preparation for playing the solos in the orchestra....) 

If you happen to listen to this recording beyond the opening bassoon solos, you will hear strange extraneous noises which almost sound like musicians tapping their feet.  In fact, those are the sounds of the dancers of BalletMet Columbus who performed with us.  The orchestra was on stage, not in the pit, and the dancers were in front of us.  (Unfortunately, the musicians were way too busy to be able to observe the excellent dancing......)  If it seems odd that we performed the Rite with dancers, bear in mind that it was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballet Russes.  

Ballet Russes by August Macke, 1912

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Berg Violin Concerto "To the memory of an angel"

portrait of Alban Berg by Arnold Schoenberg, 1910

The backstory

The ultra fascinating Berg Violin Concerto stands out in the orchestral literature as a stunning example of an instrumental requiem.  Berg was resistant at first when the American violinist Louis Krasner approached him in 1935 about writing a violin concerto.  Berg apparently thought that violin writing was just not his thing.  Krasner persisted, finally convincing Berg that this would be his golden opportunity to show that the violin could be effective in twelve-tone music.

At that time Berg, age 50, was composing his opera Lulu.  Suddenly on Easter Sunday of 1935 he received the tragic news of the death from polio of Manon Gropius, the 18-year-old daughter of Alma Mahler (who had re-married twice after her first husband Gustav Mahler died). According to Alma, Berg was so moved that he “could not finish his opera Lulu . He composed the Violin Concerto and dedicated it to the memory of Manon.”

The concerto ended up being a requiem for Berg himself as well.  Lulu was never completed, but he did compose the entire violin concerto in four months, a record for Berg.  He died later that year (1935) from a bee sting. Berg's wife had been alarmed that he was writing the violin concerto with such a sense of urgency, but when she begged him to slow down, he replied that he couldn't because he didn't have much time left.....as if he somehow knew his own days were numbered.

And speaking of numbers,  Berg was known to have used numerology to refer to his beloved mistress Hanna Fuchs-Robettin in his earlier Lyric Suite for strings.  Rumor has it that he did the same in his violin concerto.  Once musicologists figured out the numerology in the Lyric Suite they searched the concerto for examples of the numbers Berg associated with Hannah and indeed found many examples of 10s and 23s (which refer to Hanna).

Berg uses a yodeling Austrian Carinthian folk song in both parts of the concerto.  Musicologists figured out that the original melody had some interesting lyrics:  "A bird on a plum tree has wakened me, Otherwise I would have overslept in Mizzi's bed. If everyone wants a rich and handsome girl, Where ought the devil take the ugly one? The girl is Catholic and I am Protestant. She will surely put away the rosary in bed!" And it turns out that Berg accidentally fathered a child at age 17 with the young daughter (nicknamed "Mitzi") of his family's kitchen servant at their Carinthian summer house.  (Due to social customs of the era, Berg was not permitted to have a relationship with his daughter born to Mitzi.)  Hmmmm..........Berg took it upon himself to fill this concerto with personally meaningful references, apparently. 

The concerto is famous for its use of the Bach chorale “Es ist genug” which features the following text:

It is enough: Lord, if it please Thee,
Do Thou unshackle me.
My Jesus comes; I bid the world farewell,
And go in peace to dwell.
In Heaven's house I then will find me,
My cares and troubles all behind me.
It is enough, it is enough.

As stated earlier, the concerto stands out in the orchestral reperoire as an instrumental requiem.  Might I suggest that it also stands out as an instrumental autobiography........

Relevance of the backstory

Is is important to know this information which is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of the backround of this concerto?  Does the orchestral bassoonist play any better, or any differently when armed with this knowledge?

In my experience, the answer is yes.  Even if it's all in my head (and so much of playing an instrument is!) I feel more in command when I know the backstory.  And it really seems as though the story I know about the work helps determine the "tone of voice" I seek from the bassoon to use in exposed passages. 

The first bassoon part

There are numerous passages which are exposed and in general, special care must be taken to play with smoothness and accurate intonation.  The most important exposed bassooon part leads into the Bach chorale:

It's a good idea to attempt to match the contrabassoon upon entering, since the 1st bassoon is continuing the contra line.  The D above middle C (in the first full measure of the passage above) is one of the hardest notes to control the pitch of on my 15,000 series Heckel, especially when approached from below as it is here.  I prefer not to add keys to try to stabilize the note, although adding the B flat key is an option.  Some reeds cooperate better than others, but the major factor is embouchure.  If my embouchure is tired, it is far more difficult to get that D up to pitch.  I tried to be careful not to practice much before performing the Berg mainly because of wanting to be able to play that D up to pitch.  Left to its own devices, that note would come out way below pitch, and I mean WAY below.........on my particular bassoon.

Many bassoons are also a bit wild on the open F, especially in this passage where it occurs shortly after that D which had to be coaxed up to pitch.  If your embouchure has not fully recovered from the D, then the F is sure to be sharp.  (The D flat tends to be a more stable note and is less affected by embouchure, although it is indeed affected somewhat.)  Someone who played this part wrote instructions to add the pancake to the F.  That is a common solution to a sharp F, but I don't like it because it changes the sound too much for using in a solo passage.  I just sought to be sure that my embouchure had opened up enough to accommodate the F.

Below is another example from the first bassoon part.  The passage from measure 35 to the end of the excerpt is a unison passage for 2 bassoons and other woodwinds.  As you might imagine, intonation must be carefully attended to.

The Columbus Symphony performed this work at the end of our winter season, along with Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, under the direction of music director Jean-Marie Zeitouni 
with violin soloist Vadim Gluzman.  As soon as a recording of our performance is uploaded onto InstantEncore I will add the link to this post.

The rather good-looking Alban Berg dreaming up ways to conceal secrets in his violin concerto........

An unusual collaboration

 

Last week members of the Columbus Symphony joined forces with members of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra for a gala performance for the University of Dubuque.  I have never before heard of two orchestras collaborating this way.  In my prior experience such collaborations have occurred only between a professional orchestra and a student orchestra, and are typically referred to as "side by side" concerts or rehearsals.

What a glorious occasion - it was the grand opening of the University of Dubuque's brand new Heritage Center concert hall.  World-renowned violinist Gil Shaham performed as soloist in the Brahms Violin Concerto conducted by Columbus Symphony Associate Conductor Peter Stafford Wilson.  The program also included Beethoven Symphony No. 7 conducted by Dubuque Symphony Orchestra's Music Director William Intriligator.

The acoustics of the new concert hall were absolutely amazing.  The hall looked enormous on the inside, but it seats only 1,000.  Perhaps that is the ideal size for a concert hall, especially considering audience trends.  To me the best way to test a  hall is to listen carefully during exposed or solo passages, when I can hear what the hall is doing to my individual sound.  In the case of the Ohio Theatre where I normally perform, the hall does nothing but deaden the sound.  Who needs that!?  But in the Heritage Center, when I tapered a note at the end of an exposed passage in the Brahms, the hall continued the taper after I stopped.  It resonated! And the entire passage had sounded as though there had been several bassoons playing in perfect unison, not just one.  The hall actually enhanced my sound - and that's ideal.  (And now I'm spoiled.)

the joint viola section, which sounded AWESOME

The Columbus musicians had a great time exploring Dubuque and meeting the Dubuque Symphony musicians.   I especially enjoyed getting to know Dubuque's principal bassoonist Dr. Barry Ellis who also teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Dubuque's principal clarinetist Corey Mackey whose resume, seemingly growing by the day, is also impressive.

The spirit of cooperation, collaboration and camaraderie was palpable that week, and I doubt that any of us will ever forget our pioneering joint performance.

view of the Mississippi River from my hotel room in Dubuque

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Marching metronomes

I'm not even sure of what to say about this other than to observe that this is a video of 32 metronomes placed on a flexible surface.  Each metronome is turned on, and multiple tempos conflict.  But after a couple of minutes of magical adjustment, the metronomes end up perfectly synchronized. Even the unusually defiant red metronome in the far right row, second from the front, ends up giving in at around 2'40''.

This would not happen if the metronomes were placed on a solid surface, because the communication among the metronomes requires a flexible medium.

Flexibility is the name of the game.... in life, in music, and in magical marching metronomes.


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WHY we do what we do

This coming week the Columbus Symphony is performing a series of Young People's Concerts on weekday mornings for public school students.  These students, some of whom have never heard an orchestra before, will play a part in determining our future (or lack thereof).  It is essential for an orchestra to be clear about its reasons for existence, and to be able to communicate that to its supporters, both future and current.

The following TED video explains what I mean by that:




Simon Sinek shows that great leaders and organizations (including orchestras) inspire.  People don't buy (or support) what you do - they buy why you do it.

A few years ago Sinek discovered that there is a pattern in the way that great leaders and organizations think, act and communicate, and it's the complete opposite of the way everyone else does it.  To illustrate his point he uses the "golden circle" which contains the words why, how and what:

Every organization on earth knows "what" it does, and some know "how" they do it.  But few know "why".

Making profit is not the "why", since making profit is a result.  The "why" is about the following:

• What is your purpose?
• What is your cause?
• What is your belief?
• Why does your organization exist?
• Why do you get out of bed in the morning?
• And why should anyone else care?

Getting back to the golden circle, most leaders or organizations think, act and communicate from the outside in, from the clearest (the "what") to the fuzziest (the "why").

But inspired organizations, regardless of size or industry, all think, act and communicate from the inside out. They begin with the "why".

Sinek uses Apple as an example.  If Apple followed common market strategy, their message would be: "We make great computers.(the "what")  They're beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.(the "how")  Do you want to buy one?"

Instead, Apple markets this way."We believe in challenging the status quo.(the "why")  We believe in thinking differently.(the "why")  The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.(the "how")  We just happen to make great computers.(the "what")  Do you want to buy one?"

Apple reverses the order of the information, beginning with (and emphasizing) its "why".  Apple thinks, acts and communicates from the inside out. 

People don't buy what you do - they buy why you do it, because they believe what you believe.

A fascinating aspect of Sinek's concept is that it's grounded in the tenants of biology.  If you look at a cross section of the human brain, its three main sections correspond to the golden circle.  The outer section, the most recently evolved part of the brain, is known as the neo cortex.  It is the site of rational and analytical thought and language.  It corresponds to the "what" of the golden circle.  The more ancient brain is made up of the reptilian brain and limbic system. This is the emotional part of the brain, the source of feelings (including loyalty and trust), behavior and decisions, and it corresponds to the "why" of the golden circle.  When an organization communicates with that part of the brain, using the "why", it is in contact with the part of the brain which controls behavior and decisions. 




A symphony orchestra's mission statement offers a clue as to whether the orchestra is inspired, like Apple, or whether it's struggling like so many other orchestras.  I found the following mission statement on the internet for an orchestra whose identity will remain concealed:

The ABC Symphony's mission is to advance a symphony orchestra of the highest artistic standard for the enrichment and well-being of the area. This mission is achieved through a strong connection to the community, and in-depth understanding of the marketplace and a commitment to providing programming that meets the needs and desires of the community. The ABC Symphony performs a diverse array of classical, pops, family and educational concerts each season, reaching an estimated 500,000 people through live performances and radio broadcasts.

ABC  Symphony clearly understands its "what" and even its "how".  What's completely missing is its "why".  I'm willing to bet that ABC Symphony has difficulty attracting the donations it needs to sustain itself.

Perhaps it would be possible to reset its mission (and its level of success) if ABC Symphony asked itself the following questions:

• What is your purpose?
• What is your cause?
• What is your belief?
• Why does your organization exist?
• Why do you get out of bed in the morning?
• And why should anyone else care?

Ideally, those questions would be asked of the board, management and musicians.  And the answers would determine the orchestra's future, because if the orchestra doesn't know why it exists, it's going to be very difficult for that orchestra to inspire support.

Imagine this mission statement:

The ABC Symphony believes in the power of classical music to transform lives.  We present classical, pops, educational and family concerts, in various venues and media, so that our music is able to touch each and every life in ABC City and its environs.

 I'd donate to that orchestra, because I, too, believe in the power of classical music to transform lives!  How about you?


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Bach off, buster!

How to Handel loiterers? 

Give ’em a blast of the 

CLASSICS

graphic from The Columbus Dispatch

According to a recent article in The Columbus Dispatch, some people view classical music as a deterrent to crime.  We've all read reports of classical music being blasted outside of subway entrances and convenience stores, with the apparent result of reduced loitering and the prevalence of peace.

Does this mean that classical music repels, rather than attracts, people?  NOOO!  That notion is absurd, seeing as how the convenience stores certainly do not wish to get rid of paying customers with their classical serenades.

The Dispatch article referred to classical music being played outside of the YMCA in downtown Columbus, where apparently there have been problems with loiterers.  I just happened to be walking past that YMCA yesterday, and I heard a rather rousing rendition of Eine Kleine Natchmusik being broadcast.  If the goal was to stop loitering, it was failing.  There were several men, very possible residents of the Y, standing around talking.  They weren't fighting or arguing or behaving in a menacing manner - they were holding a quiet conversation.  As far as I could tell, the music had a calming and beneficial effect.  If the goal was to restore peace, it was working.

In 2004, the British Transport Police piped classical music into the London Underground to see if the crime rate would be affected.  The result was that robberies decreased 33%, staff assaults decreased 25% and vandalism decreased 37%.  There have been similar reductions in crime elsewhere following the deployment of classical music in crime-ridden areas.

There have been studies conducted at numerous universities examining the use of different types of music to reduce stress.  The British Journal of Health Psychology reports that researcher Sky Chafin at the University of California, San Diego tested the effects of jazz, pop and classical music in reducing blood pressure following incidents which caused high levels of stress.  The participants listening to classical music recovered much more quickly than those listening to jazz, pop, or silence. 

Yes indeed, classical music has a measurably soothing effect, even on hardened criminals.

So do classical musicians have reason to become upset upon hearing that their music is being used as a crime deterrent?  Hardly!  I think we should be flattered.  Before we know it, symphony orchestras will be forming partnerships with their local police departments. 

Just think of the endless examples of classical music being used to sell products on TV.  In this example, the Verdi Requiem was used to sell Doritos during the 2011 Super Bowl:


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Frito-Lay doesn't consider classical music a repellent!  So, classical musicians, stop worrying about your music being used as a repellent, and rejoice in its powers to soothe and to sell!

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Looking for a Summer Festival?

Here's one to check out! The Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF) offers a series of classical music programming to students of all ages and skill levels in the United States and around the world, creating the unique opportunity of spending fourteen days immersed in music education and performance with members of the esteemed Philadelphia Orchestra.

PIMF includes four program options: orchestral studies, solo performance studies, college audition preparation, and piano studies for pre-college students (information available at www.PhiladelphiaMusicFestival.org/about), as well as a separate program for college students and young professionals (information available at: www.PhiladelphiaMusicFestival.org/musichouse). All programs include private lessons and master classes with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra (including principal players), solo performance and competition opportunities, chamber music, daily private practice, optional daily music study courses, faculty recitals featuring principal players from The Philadelphia Orchestra, and more. Contact their office for further details at: 856.875.6816

There are still openings for students of all ages and skill levels!

                    

 

                           

                                                                        
 

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