Last week I went to Amoeba Records again and picked up a rather edgy set of CD’s … it’s all pretty dark stuff.
Black Flag - Damaged (an old favorite — recently covered on an amazing record by the Dirty Projectors)
Portishead - Third (creeeeepy and cooooooool)
Justice - Cross (”as seen on MTv,” appparently. Nat Stookey and I got excited about this at the listening station. It’s fun dance music, and Nat is researching such music for his new piece of musical erotica, Zipperz, coming soon to an orchestra near you.)
Sparks - Lil’ Beethoven (a minimalist masterpiece)
Motörhead - Ace of Spades (cause I’ve never heard it)
BONUS: Michael Tilson Thomas gave me a recording of Schubert by Javier Perianes which is beautiful and haunting. I’d never heard of this pianist before but I’d like to hear more … it’s from another world which is how I like my Schubert.
When I was in high school, spending hours and hours listening to Beethoven string quartets and Mahler symphonies, I wondered to myself, “how is this music making me feel this way?” When I arrived at Harvard and started taking Music 51, this question began to be answered, thanks to John Stewart.
John Stewart is a composer and an educator, protégé of Harvard professor Luise Vosgerchian, who in turn was a student of Nadia Boulanger. John carried on the Boulanger tradition teaching harmony with only one “texbook” — the Bach Chorales. He knew every chorale inside-out, and taught us harmony from the ground up, using Bach for every example. What was extraordinary about John was that he taught us the why of harmony, not just the what. Every example was demonstrated with wonder at Bach’s achievement, and an emotional reaction to Bach’s every harmonic move. I like to think that I carry these emotional reactions with me when I perform, understanding the music simultaneously with the mind and the heart. If I am successful in this respect at all, it is thanks to John. Every week when I travel to conduct a new concert, I bring my scores, my tails, my batons, and John Stewart.
John is retiring from Harvard, and it’s not entirely clear that this wonderful tradition of music education will continue there. In fact, it’s rare to find this kind of awareness of harmony in many places these days. That’s because it takes great knowledge, effort, devotion and love to teach it. I hope the tradition that John inherited and passed on will continue. I’ll do my best in that respect.
For John’s retirement concert, there was music by Bach, Stravinsky, and John Stewart himself. It was played by his current students, former students from violinist Joseph Lin to jazz great Don Byron. We ended by singing a Bach chorale together.
John’s music held up very well with the two other greats on the program. That bodes well, since John plans to devote a great deal of his time to composing. Though I imagine that if some wise and curious music student came knocking at his door, he might be able to lend a hand. He is a truly great and generous person — so how could he resist?
Spending the day in Boston and Cambridge. I’m here for a the retirement concert for Harvard’s John Stewart, who is a major influence in my life — but more on that in a post later today, or late tonight.
It’s a beautiful time of year in New England. Though it’s cold and windy, the trees have turned green and the Yard looks beautiful. Definitely going to grab some pizza and a steak-and-cheese at Pinocchio’s, and have already gotten my ice cream fix at Toscanini’s. These are the musts for me whenever I’m here.
Truth to be told, Boston isn’t a great place for eating (though it has improved since I was in college). It’s somewhat reassuring to note that the tradition of bad dining continues here. For example, I noticed a new restaurant right near the utterly horrendous and inexplicably popular Border Cafe. It has one of the worst names ever: “Fire & Ice: an Improvisational Grill.” Bravissimo!!! So bad for so many reasons! It’s right up there with Reno, Nevada’s very own “Choices: a Dim Sum Cafe.”
I’m saddened that the Columbus Symphony plans to close its doors at the end of this season. For me, making music with them was one of the highlights of the year. They are a first rate orchestra, truly engaged with the music. They stand out from the crowd.
I hope more support comes forward from the community. ”Downsizing” the orchestra isn’t a good idea. Once that decision is made, it’s hard to come back — the orchestra would be a shell of its former self. I’ve seen it happen. It’s kind of like tearing a piece out of a painting, or cutting the nose off a statue and saying, “well, at least we still have a statue.”
Columbus certainly knows how to support certain things — its support for Ohio State football is mind-numbing. I hope they will find it in their hearts to support this wonderful institution and its musicians and staff. Truly beautiful things are growing more and more rare in contemporary culture, they need to be loved and cared for.
If you like to read novels, you should check out David Mitchell. Cloud Atlas was one of the best books I’ve read in years, and his most recent novel, Black Swan Green, completely drew me in. He’s a major virtuoso writer, with a lot of heart. Black Swan Green has one of the most wonderful narrators I’ve encountered — a smart, awkward, snarky teenager who grows up in just a few hundred pages. The adolescent stuff was universal but the rest was so English — it was amazing to be there if you’re from somewhere else.
Some readers have let me know that if you google me, you’ll find out about Viagra, anti-depressants, and even a little good ol’ fashioned porn. We’re working on this — and no, it’s not some hot new marketing strategy to attract newbies to classical music. Though if I see a big jump, I shall notify the League of American Orchestras immediately.
The Calgary Philharmonic is another fine Canadian orchestra (there really are so many — it’s fun to conduct in this excellent country). We played a sold-out “light classics” program with them last night. It was all great music related to fairy tales and fantasy: Magic Flute Overture, Dream Pantomime from Hansel and Gretel, Once Upon A Castle (an organ concerto by Michael Daugherty), Ride of the Valkyries, The Swan of Tuonela, and Sleeping Beauty Suite.
I wonder if these are all “light classics” though, and what “light classics” actually is …
Personally, I’d like to do away with the whole “light classics” category altogether. It feeds into the whole “I’m afraid of classical music” thing, and diverts our audience from our core artistic mission as orchestras, which is to play the greatest music possible for as many people as possible.
The thing is, the audience gravitates to light classics for a reason. Many “main series” concerts are so heavy and serious the create aesthetic indigestion for the average concertgoer (the one who doesn’t know the repertoire inside-out). “Main Series” concerts are, in my opinion, too long, too heavy and too self-important. Even I find myself suffering from the Stendhal Syndrome at concerts. So much great art is crushed into a small space that I really take anything in.
Let’s get rid of “light classics” and consolidate our audiences by making main series concerts more digestible and fun. It shouldn’t be difficult. It’s all great music.
After spending so much time in Canada this year, I thought I’d balance it out with a quick trip with Tom to Mexico City. We did the normal tourist stuff during the day: the Museum of Anthropology, the pyramids of Tehotihuacan, the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe. It’s amazing how much Magic there is in Mexico — from Catholic miracles, to human sacrifices for the plumed serpent. It’s pervasive in the art and culture of the place. I could feel a kind of supernatural hum as I walked around. By night, we went out on the town and saw a different city. Super-sophisticated restaurants (a Mexican-asian-French one that was actually good), and a lot of emphasis on electronica in the club scene. It was only a short trip, so I didn’t have time to check out the Mexican art that I’m into, but hey — I climbed a pyramid!
Yesterday was KWS curling day! Our director of operations is an avid curler, and I’ve always been fascinated by this weird and wacky sport whenever I happen to catch it on TV. Turns out, it’s a lot of fun, very social and easy to learn at the beginning. It takes a little longer to get this good, though …
