After a rollicking performance of Symphonie fantastique and Lélio excerpts, Michael Tilson Thomas and Joshua Robison invited all the conductors in town over for dinner. Seven showed up. It was unusual to have so many conductors under one roof, along with author Amy Tan (who also admitted to waving a chopstick to music when she was young — who knew?). In attendance: MTT, Ragnar Bohlin, James Gaffigan, Peter Grunberg, Alasdair Neale, Benjamin Shwartz, and myself.

There was

food;

some piano four hands ( a really interesting Schubert Rondo/Polonaise, that went in all sorts of harmonic directions, played by MTT and Peter Grunberg);

catching up on the Howard Stern/Z’s conflict (MTT: “Howard’s 50 years late on that one”);

The Cambridge folks reminisced about the Cambridge University Music Society (C.U.M.S. — yes, really, hahaha);

memories of Stockhausen (Beni Shwartz studied with him, and recalled that his 75th birthday was a celebrity gala sponsored by RED BULL, which ultimately horrified the composer — MTT recalled a comment from him after one his works to the effect “That was very lovely, but it really had nothing to do with what I composed …” — MTT recounted another story about a very famous pianist who saw a woman backstage with an enormous Stockhausen score and asked her “what are you doing with that crap?” to which she replied “well, he’s my father!”);

an around the campfire moment where MTT asked the conductors to recount their first conducting experience (Alasdair Neale: “So there I was, conducting for the first time — they asked me to run this woodwind sectional with people much older and more experienced than I was and I had absolutely nothing to say.” MTT: “So did you remain silent, or say something anyway?” ***this is a gold-star moment that every conductor has experienced at one point of another (even ones with a lot to say)***);

Conducting is such a lonely profession in so many ways, after all, it’s just you up there. So it was nice to get together. A very San Francisco thing, really — musicans, writers, artists all get together from time to time and just hang out around here. It’s a small town like that, but without the small-town rivalries.

As fun as the conductor dinner was, it couldn’t compare to the SUPER NERD dinner last year at MTT’s with MTT, Joshua, Christian Tetzlaff, Robin Holloway, and yours truly. The conversation was truly out there. I mean really — outer space. The highlight was to hear Tetzlaff try to convince Robin to listen to Queen, though Robin was too busy singing the praises of Delibes to notice.

Did some colorful concerts in Charlotte, NC, but was also hit by a bout of food poisoning. Now I’m back in SF.

After a heavy concert schedule it’s somehow fun to do things like go take your car to the garage, go to the market, and clean up the apartment. Normal life, you know? And because of the bad stomach, I’ve been spending a lot of time at home, looking out the window, and it’s beautiful.

Musically, I’ve been getting ready for my concert in Santa Barbara next Tuesday, which entails spending a lot of time with Beethoven 4 which is a pleasure. It’s hard to express what the opening of this symphony means to me — the emptiness, the terror, almost. But also the anticipation of arrival. This piece goes so far from home, but on the surface, it’s hard to notice. I think it’s a real precursor to late Beethoven which of course is also a journey inward and beyond.

Got out for a few things though –

I saw the new production of the Rake’s Progress by Robert Lepage which is a triumph. Boy does that guy have an eye, and an ear, obviously. The retro visuals that delight and surprise go well with the retro music that also delights and surprises. There are many combinations of sounds and images I won’t soon forget.

Then, last night I was invited to an all-drag performance of two epsiodes of The Golden Girls, you know …

… them.
It was in an old Victorian in Alamo Square. A full house was rapt at these passionate and borderline scary drag performances, but a good time was had by all. The two Christmas episodes performed were heartwarming. Between scenes, the audio guy played old TV commercials, including Meow Mix, which has always been one of my favorites.

I was clearly in San Francisco.

So today I flew to Charlotte, NC to conduct Stravinsky’s Firebird. (or as I like to call it, the Wazoo da Foo), and I watched a stupid movie on my laptop. It was the “horror” movie “1408.” 1+4+0+8 = 13 … get it? Anyway, I get off the flight, and am looking for my bag, and checking the flight number … US Airways 1408. Wait a second … could it possibly be true? My flight number was 1408 too! Hold on, what are the odds of that? That’s a lot weirder than the movie. And get this … I check into my hotel tonight and am given room 715 … that’s right … 7+1+5 = 13!!!!

Luckily, I do not suffer from triskaidekaphobia, but let’s just say that this wouldn’t have been a good day for Arnold Schoenberg.

(I pulled this from www.anecdotage.com)

Arnold Schoenberg: Triskaidekaphobia

The composer Arnold Schoenberg suffered from triskaidekaphobia (the fear of the number 13). Convinced that he would someday die on the thirteenth of the month, he was always restless when it rolled around. On July 13th, 1951, Schoenberg, fearful that the end was near, sat downstairs, watching the clock with his wife Gertrud holding his hands. As midnight struck, the composer, relieved that he had survived the day, retired to bed while Gertrud fixed him a bedtime drink. When she entered the bedroom, she was horrified to find his lifeless body on the bed. Only then did she glance at another clock - and realize that the clock downstairs was running fast. Schoenberg had died on July 13th.

[This story was later disputed by Schoenberg's daughter.]

Schoneberg died at age 76. 7 + 6 = you know what.

Actually I’m sitting in Satellite 6 of Terminal 1 at the airport, waiting far too long for my flight to Germany, then another long train ride to Herford.

You might think I’m tired and grumpy by this point, and I am, a little. Especially about not getting to go into Paris.
But Joshua Kosman’s ARTICLE on Nat Stookey’s Junkestra brought a smile to my face.  If you haven’t heard the piece yet, you should. It’s good junky fun.

I head out to Germany tomorrow to conduct the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, in, among other things, Grieg’s Symphony in C minor.

Don’t know it? How is it, you ask?

Well … um …. s’alright.

Kind of like watered-down Schumann with some catchy tunes. I consider it a challenge. There is something that can be done with this piece. If we play it really really really well, with style, it will work.

In other news, I saw some wonderful shows in Kitchener this weekend. Friday night was Dancetheatre David Earle, sadly without live music from the Penderecki String Quartet (they had to fly away after the first night).  The dancing itself was wonderful, deeply felt and world-class. Saturday was a concert by Quilapayun, an exiled Chilean folk group of the people. Their leader was one of the first people killed when Pinochet took over, and the concert was beautiful and emotional. I haven’t heard some good Songs of Brotherhood for the Workers in a long time.

In other news, The Standing Room reports that MUJI will be opening a store in SOHO. This is huge news for me.  Where else can a conductor get cool Japanese boxes for his colored pencils WITHOUT Hello Kitty on them?  But wait, that’s just the beginning. There is also MUJI food, MUJI clothes (I own a jacket), it’s a way of life, really.  Do I sound a bit obsessed?  I know it’s the Target of Japan, but you will love this store.  Well, at least a few of you.

Speaking of NYC my brother got to hear Múm last night at Wordless Music and said they were rad. They even opened with his favorite song, “Slow Bicycle.” That’s one great song title (and song). So jealous.

Everyone is talking about the new article by Richard Taruskin. It’s a lot of fun to read his take on “the state of classical music.” It has good arguments, and great writing.  But there is also the glaring fact that he complains about stuffy elitism by using the word “balderdash,” apparently without irony.

MTT and I have been trading Marlene Dietrich youtube clips –

First this one — from 1972

Then this morning — from 1929

Kind of defines what a great performer is …

If you haven’t experienced Flight of the Conchords here is your chance. They have a show on HBO. My friend Antoine put this up on his blog and I’m just going to copy him. It’s that funny. BUT … if you are not into David Bowie well, it won’t be very funny at all.

I never thought I’d write “spoiler alert” in this blog, but after seeing the finale to the Sopranos and reading the comments on various blogs I thought I’d chime in …

I loved the final scene. The thing that been haunting the series from the beginning finally comes to the surface. And that thing is (of course) the end — the unexpected, all-consuming blackness. Sudden death.

Instead of whacking Tony or another of the main characters (which would of provided us with a classic tragic catharsis), Chase makes us feel the pain by whacking the story itself. It’s the narrative that’s been shot in the head, and we feel sudden death in the strongest way possible.