Monday, June 29, 2009

Oh, too long . . .

. . . since my last post.

Life has been busy, to say the least. Kathryn and I head to Denton, TX (temperature around 100 F) tomorrow for a week of house-hunting and planning. We're looking forward to it! Lots of support from my new colleagues.

After I get back (even though it will be about three weeks of frantic activity to get ready for a big move), I'll do some posting about a great study trip to England long ago planned by Bob Scandrett. An amazing experience!

Until then . . .

Monday, May 4, 2009

Bernstein's Choruses from 'The Lark'

I just finished two performances with the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati and opened the program with Leonard Bernstein's Choruses from 'The Lark'.

These are terrific pieces, but when they were published were divided into two sets: French choruses and Latin choruses. The problem is, this has nothing to do with the way the music was originally conceived and ordered.

I'm not the only one to realize this, of course. I believe I sang them when an undergraduate in the correct order with Rod Eichenberger, so I can't take credit for figuring this out myself (although I hope I would have looked at the play to see context!). But there is at least one recording (by The Sixteen) which simply puts them in the published order, which makes no sense at all.

The music was originally written as incidental music for a play, originally by Jean Anouilh, adapted by Lillian Hellman in 1955. The play was about Joan of Arc and Bernstein was asked to write incidental music for it (Hellman was also the original librettist for the first version of Candide, done about the same time). Bernstein chose to use the pioneering early music ensemble, New York Pro Musica, for this, so the music was written for seven singers (one-to-a-part), plus hand-drum and bells. The music was, of course, recorded for the play (not done live). The seven singers were three women, three men, and counter-tenor (the pioneering American countertenor, Russell Oberlin). The music is recognizably Bernstein, but he borrows some of conventions of music of the period to create a wonderful hybrid of old and new.

I've done the work several times, once with a one-on-a-part ensemble, but more usually with chorus. One of the times we did it, the drama department at PLU was inspired to do the play in the following year and used our concert recording during the play--the music adds much to the "flavor" of the play. My last year at PLU we did it for our Scandinavian tour (2001) and I wrote a short narration that two singers read at performances, putting each of the movements into context within the action of the play.

Just before doing it with VAE I looked online to see if I could find the original recording anywhere. I couldn't, but found a recording by Robert DeCormier and his new group, Counterpoint, done one-to-a-part and with a narration (using Joan's words from the play) done by his wife. The narration is very effective, sometimes done over the ensemble singing. I bought it through iTunes just to hear the narration--the performance isn't terrific, but the narration is great.

I've also seen that the original production was filmed for a Hallmark Hall of Fame production with the original cast. The New York production of "The Lark" by Jean Anouilh opened at the Longacre Theater in New York on November 17, 1955 and ran for 229 performances. Boris Karloff was nominated for the 1956 Tony Award for Actor in a Drama for "The Lark" for the role of Cauchon and recreated his stage role in this movie version. Bruce Gordon, Michael Higgins, Ralph Roberts, and Julie Harris (as Joan) also recreated their stage roles in this movie version (also Denholm Elliott, Basil Rathbone, Eli Wallach, and Jack Warden). What a cast! Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere for purchase or rental. I'd love to see it.

This is a reminder to always look for context when you perform a work--who was it written for? for what kind of space (church, theatre, concert hall)? what size and kind of ensemble? what purpose (liturgical, court, home)? These are always questions that can inform your performance.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Making music with old and new friends

We had a wonderful performance of Messiah last night (odd to do it now, you think? Well, it was the 250th anniversary of Handel's death! Why weren't you celebrating Handel?). This came about because two friends were celebrating 40 years of making and bringing music to Spokane, WA.

David Dutton (oboe) and Beverly Biggs (harpsichord) settled in Spokane after David became principal oboe of the Spokane Symphony. They quickly became enmeshed in the musical life in Spokane and both tirelessly worked to bring other music to their adopted community: a concert series with guest artists or ensembles, plus their own friends with whom they made music.

In the mid-70s I got to know David when he came to Seattle to hear a performance of the Bach Matthew Passion I did with my Seattle Pro Musica group. He and Bev were already planning a Bach Festival in Spokane with period instruments, to take place in January and they were looking for a choral conductor.

So a couple years later this became reality and I worked in Spokane for at least seven years with a terrific group of people. Over the years the orchestra included musicians such as baroque flutist Janet See, violinists Stanley Ritchie, and Daniel Steppner, and many others. Vocal soloists included Nancy Zylstra and the Dutch baritone, Max van Egmont. In the seven years or so I was there I conducted a wide variety of works, from Bach cantatas, motets, the Magnificat, and Johannespassion to a scene from Rameau's Les Indes Galantes and Telemann's short opera Pimpinone. I had many wonderful experiences there, but especially remember conducting a performance of Bach's Ich habe genug with Max. I love accompanying a soloist with orchestra--whether a vocal or instrumental soloist--and conducting that particular piece with Max, who sang it from memory and felt it deeply, was a special moment in my musical life.

Even though Beverly lives in South Carolina now, she still takes part in some of Allegro Baroque's productions, and she and David had the idea of doing this big production of Messiah for the 30th anniversary of their making music in Spokane. There were certainly both old and new friends involved: most of the chorus was from Spokane (including a few I'd worked with before), with soloists taking part as well, plus a few extra singers from Seattle (the choir was 6-4-4-5). Most of the strings were from the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and leading the orchestra was Stanley Ritchie (on sabbatical from IU). Besides David playing baroque oboe was Sand Dalton, another old friend from early days in Seattle, and Margaret Gries, who came in as principal 2nd violin. I hadn't worked with any of these people for a long time, so it was truly "old home" week. To make it truly special, Max van Egmont came from the Netherlands to sing the bass solos, even though he is formally retired from his performance career. At 72, he still sings wonderfully, and it was a special pleasure to work with him. Max has such a wonderful approach and is so musical and expressive--pure pleasure. Everyone was a joy to work with.

I had a couple rehearsals earlier with the Spokane chorus members and then arrived after my Good Friday concert from Edmonton via Seattle. We had one rehearsal with the orchestra and chorus Sunday evening (my first time with any of the soloists or extra singers in Seattle), a rehearsal with orchestra and soloists Monday morning, then a dress rehearsal Monday evening--so not a lot of time, particularly since we were doing the work uncut (as it should be!). Everyone rose to the occasion last night and the performance went extremely well. Simply a great time.

Thank you, David and Beverly!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Victoria Requiem -- Creating the right atmosphere

I just finished our Good Friday concert with Pro Coro Canada and the first half of the program was the Victoria Requiem.

This is gorgeous music, but never intended for the concert hall, so I was concerned with how to help the audience approach the music in such a way to appreciate its beauty. Our concert was in the Winspear Centre, a beautiful concert hall that seats 1600 or so people, but it's not a Cathedral or intimate chapel. I didn't want the audience to lose focus or simply be bored.

Several years ago when we did the Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil, the programs were inadvertently sent to the wrong hall by a new printer. I simply gave verbal program notes before the concert and then we gave the performance without the audience having anything in their hands or texts to follow. The effect was quite magical, since the audience had nothing to pay attention to but the music.

So, when I considered the Victoria this year, I decided to do a couple things to create atmosphere. First, we did not have texts printed in the program. I had a member of the choir who reads beautifully give short introductions with the title (Communion, Offertory, Gradual, etc.), sometimes a context ("in the liturgy this is sung as Holy water is sprinkled on the coffin"), and a part (not all) of the translation before each section. In addition, we set up the choir with stand lights, so we could take all the light out of the hall other than stand lights reflecting on their faces, a spot on me so they could see me (and so I could see my music!), and a spot at the front of the stage for the first section of the Victoria, which we did with a solo quartet. Of course, in my introduction I introduced the idea of this meditative, prayerful music and encouraged the audience to imagine themselves in a great Cathedral or beautiful chapel.

The crew at the Winspear is always a joy to work with and this concert was no exception. The lighting and sound techs had my plan and the narrations, so the mic could come on at the right time, lights up and down when desired. During my introduction, the lights gradually went out in the house and on stage (except for the spot on me), the stand lights came up to half, and the quartet came on stage quietly (no spot on them yet). As I finished, the spot on the quartet came up for Taedet. Then, in the middle of the movement, the choir came on stage quietly, in the near darkness (I should note that we didn't wear usual concert garb, but all black--the idea was again to help the audience focus on the music in a different way, not simply as concert music--so I didn't want any distractions from it). After this the quartet moved into their places with the choir, the stand lights came up full, and the introduction to the Introit began. We were also careful to turn pages at the end of each movement only after it was over, since turning early at different times was distracting (with stand lights, the page, as it was turned, reflected light upward). So each movement had time to come to rest before we turned to the next section.

This all worked magically and the audience response was fantastic--they absolutely loved the Victoria. Of course, the choir's performance was a major part of it, too, and they did magnificently! To do this music well, tuning needs to be pure and the choir must have a great sense of the text, word stress, and where each phrase is going.

I know I'm not unique in trying to find new ways to present music to our audiences. So if you have some wonderful ideas or experiences, please share them in the comments. Certainly all of us need to explore ways to do the music we love in such a way that the contemporary audience has the best chance of falling in love with it as well.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Further evidence of a traveling guest conductor

I'm in the midst of doing my taxes, so more evidence of how much time I've spent away from home this past calendar year.

Remember, though, I had two LONG periods in Stockholm beginning January 1, with two Edmonton concerts in between (so only a couple weeks at home between 1 January and 15 May).

To Edmonton in May for auditions, the Chorus America conference in June, a trip to Eugene and the Oregon Bach Festival for a few concerts and to meet some people at the end of June/beginning of July, a week in Edmonton in early July for administrative work, a trip to Vancouver in August to discuss Orfeo with principals, another trip to Edmonton for more administrative work late in August, three weeks in Edmonton and Calgary in September conducting two different programs, four and a half weeks in Edmonton in October and November for a Pro Coro concert and Orfeo, and 2 weeks in Edmonton in December for the Christmas concert.

Grand total? 140 days at home, 225 days away.

Crazy, huh?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Long time, no write!

Well, sorry for the long gaps. As I noted earlier, extra administrative work with Pro Coro has eaten up lots of time. And the rest of this spring looks no better, I'm afraid.

For those who are interested, here's the "glamorous" travel life of a peripatetic conductor:

January 13-26 - in Edmonton for rehearsals and Pro Coro concert--plus lots of meetings and admin work
February 16-18 -interview at University of North Texas in Denton
February 19-23 - in Spokane for choral auditions and first rehearsal for a Messiah performance in April with Allegro Baroque
February 25-March 1- in Calgary with Pro Coro - rehearsals with two HS choirs who are joining us, then a concert on the 28th, repeating our "One World, Many Voices" concert
March 13-16 - to Spokane again for rehearsals
March 19-22 - to Edmonton for Pro Coro auditions
March 23-28 - to Toronto: rehearsals and a concert with the Exultate Chamber Choir on the 27th, and a master class at the University of Toronto on Saturday morning
March 29-April 11 - in Edmonton preparing and conducting the Good Friday concert
April 11-15 - in Spokane for final rehearsals and Messiah performance on the 250th anniversary of Handel's death (the 14th)
April 20-May 24 - in Cincinnati: share a concert with the Vocal Arts Ensemble and guest professor for 4 weeks at the College-Conservatory of Music

And, of course, there's continuing administrative work and score study/preparation, not to speak of filing both US and Canadian tax returns.

I have to say, I'm amazed at conductors with an extraordinarily busy professional life who manage to write long and fascinating blog posts: Kenneth Woods is an wonderful example, with some great recent posts on Mahler 5.

I may get some posts done this spring . . . but don't count on it!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

An Appreciation - Helen Pedersen

Helen Pedersen just died at the age of 98. From her obituary:
Helen Hunter Pedersen, ninety-eight, born in Miles City, Montana passed away December 9, 2008. She was a graduate of West Seattle High School and the University of Washington, class of 1934, and taught primary and secondary school Music and English in Wrangell, Alaska and Ann Arbor, Michigan before returning to Seattle. She was a devoted partner to her husband of 68 years, Willard S. Pedersen, who preceded her in death. They spent many of their wedding anniversaries at Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park which they treasured. She especially valued her small-town upbringing in Miles City, Montana which included daily horseback riding and summer camping trips to Yellowstone National Park, but also special nights for reading everything from children's books to classics with her parents. Her special interest became music which led to piano lessons, opportunities as an accompanist, and ultimately a life-long passion for teaching and choral conducting. She participated in, formed, and directed many community choral groups in north Seattle including a well-regarded women's chorus in the 1950s and 1960s, and the Haller Lake Methodist Church High School Choir which grew to more than 60 members during her twenty-year tenure. While good musicianship was always important to her, she was also interested in exposing both singers and listeners to fine sacred and secular music. Music appreciation made for a richer life.

I sang in Helen's High School Choir at Haller Lake Methodist church. During the time I was there (from 8th grade through senior year) the choir sang every Sunday morning at the early service during the year, doing a variety of anthems, introits, etc. Because the church was close to Ingraham HS, which had an outstanding choral program under the direction of Wallace Goleeke and later Jerome Semrau, there were some wonderful singers in the choir, which numbered 50-60 during my time.

Helen ran a disciplined rehearsal and we covered a lot of repertoire. I have no idea what we really sounded like (and have no recordings), but it must have been fairly impressive at the time. Certainly I learned a lot from Helen and also took a few piano lessons with her before entering the University of Washington.

We kept in touch from time to time and she never seemed to change. I think the last time I saw her was about five or six years ago when she came to a Christmas concert with Choral Arts at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood, north of Seattle.

She was always proud of her former singers who went on to a career in music--and I'm certainly proud to have worked with and learned from her. She had a rich life.