I’m up here in Sun Valley, Idaho, with my family for Thanksgiving. Early morning is spent doing business — this morning I was listening to potential Beethoven 9 vocal candidates via mp3’s sent to me from my artistic administrator at the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. During the auditions I noticed that my parents’ dog

(a Pug named Ginger) howled whenever she heard a soprano or a mezzo, but remained silent when she heard a baritone or tenor. Hmm.

I enjoyed my time in Germany with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. They really enjoyed making music, and the German approach to accents, rubato, and sound were different than what I’m used to, and quite interesting. I liked the roundness in the sound and the “whoomph” they brought to accents in this program of Scuhmann, Bruch, and Grieg. I hope to see them again soon … (also it was fun to be driven to concerts on the Autobahn at 100+ mph!)

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.

Sunday — Did the first “Generations” concert in Kitchener-Waterloo. It’s basically a family concert in the Bernstein tradition. Serious music, serious explanations, made fun. It was a blast to go through the fugato in the last movmement of Mozart 41 with the audience. I’ve recently taken to explaining counterpoint to non-musician audiences as Sudoku puzzles of Sound. At the end of the performance it was satisfying to feel that the audience was not only applauding the tunes and the performance, but also some really good counterpoint.

Monday — in Chicago for one day to conduct the CSO in a benefit concert with Joshua Bell. First time I’ve worked with him. He played a beautiful Bruch concerto. He really has a lot to say with that piece. It was a wonderful, spacious journey. Also some Bizet, Rimsky-Korsakov and Mendelssohn Hebrides. The orchestra told me they hadn’t played that in many years. Too bad — I think it is as close to perfect as music gets, so I programmed it again for our next concert together. At 6:30 (before the concert) I ran over to Harris Theater to hear a run-thru of Nico Muhly’s new piece “Step Team.” But I was a half hour too late! Instead, I got to hear some snippets of a Septet by 19-year-old Mark Simpson, who is from the UK. Enjoyed what I heard — colorful, swirling texture — looking forward to hearing more.

Tuesday — Back to KW to rehearse for our next Intersections concert. It’s all Latin American stuff with Golijov (Last Round) and Ginastera (Variaciones Concertantes). Gabriela Lena Frank is our guest composer/solist for her piece “Compadrazgo.” And she’ll explain her composing process with slides, and musical examples from her piece “Leyendas.” She travels around Latin America seeking out music in the most remote places, and integrating it into her elegant, deftly orchestrated, and fetching music. She’s also a great Musical Spirit. Love her.

Wednesday — Meetings, tech rehearsals, Orchestra Business, interview, rehearsal, blog entry, 30 Rock on DVD, sleep.

I’m here conducting the Civic Orchestra in Nathaniel Stookey’s The Composer is Dead. It’s being performed in five cities this week alone. There aren’t many (any?) new orchestral pieces that are getting played as much as this one. Sure — it’s fun, has Lemony Snicket, and connects with audiences, but it’s also a great piece. What more could you ask for?

Also at the CSO this week: Haitink conducts Mozart 25, Chicago Remains by Turnage, and Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto with Emmanuel Ax. I got to meet Haitink and watch his rehearsals. Beautiful conducting — he can say more with his eyes than anyone I’ve seen. The Turnage piece I thought had a very strong opening and closing — I’m still trying to figure out how his music holds together. Some very nice ear candy though, and it did evoke Carl Sandburg’s Chicago vivdly.

This afternoon Frederica von Stade is giving a recital with Peter Grunberg and Mathieu Dufour, the astonishing principal flautist of the CSO. There are a lot of Bay Area folks performing and working at the CSO this week … Nat Stookey, Daniel Handler, Flicka, Peter Grunberg, yours truly, and tomorrow, MTT (to do some advance work on his Tomashefsky Project performances here)

News Flash! I’m the Grand Marshal of the Kitchener-Waterloo OKTOBERFEST! The parade will be seen by 135,000 people live and 1.2 million on national television. It’s the biggest Oktoberfest outside of Munich. I’m currently considering what my wave is going to look like, and feeling fortunate that I really like beer.

Wacky photos to follow, I’m sure.

All taken at the beautiful Anthropology Museum in Xalapa.

Incredible grounds –

and powerful statues!

This head reminds me of Sibelius — dramatic, powerful, inscrutable, integrated into nature. It’s huge — about 8 feet tall.
This is death.

The concert went very well in Xalapa last night — a big house of extremely attentive listeners of all ages. There is a clear tie with the University here, and I think this works very well in boosting attendance (it also helps that the soloist was a university student). It’s rare to experience such intense focus from an audience. Here’s the program:

Beethoven: Coriolan Overture
Ney Rosauro: Marimba Concerto
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1

Not exactly box-office gold, but they do a concert like this every week. The thing I heard over and over again from the musicians is that since it’s a university-supported institution, they don’t have to worry about “programming” like we do in the US and Canada. It seems to me that this lack of fear in programming has helped build exactly the kind of audience that every orchestra wants: a group of people of all ages and backgrounds who genuinely love music.

This orchestra knows its identity and has found its audience, with some major support from a university.

Is a city in Mexico, in the state of Veracruz. An orchestra of almost 100 people, all professors at the university. Their musical schedule is similar to any major American orchestra — one big classical program every week. Last week was Sibelius 6, this week Sibelius 1, next week Sibelius 3 (yes, they’re doing the whole cycle). They have a brand new hall on the way. The city is beautiful, nestled up in what seem to be sub-tropical mountains. The amount and variety of trees, plants, and flowers are stunning. I spent a wonderful afternoon two days ago at the house of an old friend, Carlos Villarreal, who plays in the orchestra. He has a great audio set-up and we spent hours listening to great music. I just discovered the Mosaiques Quartet (they know the weight and value of every harmonic move in Haydn) and the symphonies of Rosetti. And since his stereo was serious there was of course some Mahler and Wagner.

I’ll be conducting the orchestra in concert in a few hours, and will be able to tell you more about the audiences, etc. I also have some pictures but I forgot to bring the connecting wire — so that’ll have to wait for a few days.

My airplane reading was The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which is as good as everyone says it is …

Just arrived for my opening week in Kitchener-Waterloo after a quick concert on Sunday with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Millennium Park. A very nice place for a concert, indeed …

The orchestra was just back from vacation, but sounded wonderful as expected (they know Pictures at an Exhibition pretty well — haha).  I got to work with the orchestra’s new principal trumpet, Chris Martin, for the first time.  A phenomenal, big, beautiful sound, and a wonderful thoughtful musician.

Also had fun with Savion Glover, who tapped away to music by Duke Ellington (The River).  Cool guy, amazing dancer.

In Kitchener, we started Beethoven 5 today, and there was plenty to rehearse, even though we all know it quite well.  And anyway, as music director, I’m already thinking in the long term.  I’m trying to build a sound and establish ways of playing together.

Exciting.