Rollerblading Mozartean

This extreme Mozartean created an entire course of perfectly pitched and perfectly placed bottles that would play the opening of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 when the rods attached to his shoes hit the tuned bottles when he skated past. To me, the most difficult thing in pulling off this stunt lies not in the tuning or placement of bottles (which merely require a good ear and measuring tape) but in skating the course at an absolutely constant speed.

Boffo Boxing Week

This Christmas season saw me contracting one of the most spectacular colds in recent memory, with stuffy nose, ear infection, a cruel cough, and to top it off, pink eye in both eyes. Taste and smell are offline for the 4th day in a row, and although I'm eating quite healthily (cravings for yuletide chocolates and candy fade with a loss of taste), a return to regular tasting sensation is definitely something I look forward to.

In addition, this Boxing Day season has provided plenty of stress for our new and improved tech setup. For starters, some Boxing Day sales at major electronics stores have an online advance period for their spectacular clearance sales starting Christmas Eve. Wendy ordered our notebook online and, after an hour and a half of frustrated page-loading, found out that the link for the free printer that came with the laptop resulted in an error page, and only several long calls to customer service over the next few days allowed us to actually have the advertised free printer sent separately in another order. The laptop that arrived yesterday was fine except for a defective pixel in the lower left hand corner of the screen, which although it doesn't change any of the computer's functionality, drives one crazy with a perfect screen except for a lone dot.

A half hour in line at customer service got me an exchanged laptop, this time without any visible flaws (so far), and then when the case arrived, we discovered to our horror that a 17' laptop does not in any way fit into a 15.4' case. After a full hour in line at customer service, the slightly small case was returned successfully.

A software program I bought for Wendy (foolishly thinking that an online purchase on December 10 would arrive in time for the big day) took 12 days to process by the company I bought it from. On December 22, it was sent express via UPS and took another six days to arrive, since it entered Canada three times in total, the first from California to Louisville, then Mississauga, where it promptly failed customs (duties were prepaid), then went to a customs broker back in Louisville, where it then shipped to Mississauga a second time, failed customs, was sent back to Louisville was sent back to Mississauga a third time, then passed and arrived with only a small but aggravating $3.22 brokerage fee. Thanks to the glories of UPS tracking, you can now cheer for your parcel as it makes its way to you. All that trouble, just for a small box containing a scrapbooking CD (an awesome program, I must admit) and a user's manual. Strange and enigmatic are the ways of the customs bureaucracy.

Anyway, the laptop and wireless router (set up by Wendy while I was in customer service purgatory) work perfectly, I can't taste the mint tea I'm currently drinking, and am looking forward to being healthy again.

Can an orchestra play too much classical music?

Elaine Calder, hired as a consultant by the Oregon Symphony, thinks so.

Link to Oregonian article
Link to Playbill article
Link to Daily Observations' roundup of generally negative blogosphere feedback on Ms. Calder's ideas

A few questions:

1. Why did Ms. Calder present her ideas to The Oregonian before presenting them to the board? Wasn't she hired by the board in the first place?
2. Why does she list a problem of the orchestra as being too "Portland-centric" when she is also recommending the orchestra get into the community more?
3. Ms. Calder's comment that "the balance of power has shifted to the consumer." Really? Didn't the balance of power always lie with the consumer in arts organizations? Maybe she should be saying that the Oregon Symphony needs to find their market.
4. Notably missing from the list of fixes is the desire to find more possible donors. It worked for the COC and it worked for Tapestry (as seen with their hearty surplus this year).
5. Why change the musicians' contracts? Putting their livelihood on the chopping block might sound good on paper but they're the ones that do the playing and really bring the audiences in. Rather, why not focus on excellence in performance?

Name-the-most-prolific-composer-ever contest

The classical review site MusicWeb International is holding a contest this holiday season to determine the most prolific composer in history. Follow the link below for contest rules and prizes to be won.

Link

My vote: Czerny, whose opus count went up to 861. However, he might be up for disqualification as he is rumored to have had a staff of student acolytes churning out doggerel for numerous study books published under his name.

Tapestry announces surplus for 2006

A press release that I received this afternoon lists Tapestry New Opera Works' surplus for the fiscal year ended August 31st 2006 as a whopping $124, 623. This surplus qualifies the company for a the largest possible matching grant from Creative Trust. Says Managing Artistic Director Wayne Strongman:

It’s been a fantastic year! The relationships that have been so carefully cultivated for many years are now bearing fruit: a New York premiere, the new Studio Company and of course the financial success are all signs that Tapestry is healthy and vital and making a significant impact in the opera community. This surplus is particularly gratifying because it represents the flexibility and resilience of our company through a year of unprecedented change and renewal.

Congratulations to all at Tapestry for achieving these astonishing numbers.

Jean Stilwell and Patti Loach performing Habanera

As a quick update to the last posting, I have just located a video on YouTube of Jean Stilwell and Patti Loach performing the Habanera from Carmen in a salon performance of October 2005. Enjoy.

As the season winds down...

The busiest of the December performing season seems to be over. Here are some highlights of the past few days:

A performance at a private party with Jen Rasor on Saturday night.

Adam Zinatelli's trumpet recital at the RCM on Sunday evening.

Monday featured Tapestry New Opera Works' year-end party at the Distillery, at which the retirement of their deficit was announced, as well as the renaming of their studio space as the Ernest Baumer Studio. The evening's first performers were none other than Jean Stillwell and Patti Loach with two selections from their upcoming CD Carmen Unzipped. Next, I performed with Patricia O'Callaghan (Kurt Weill's The Saga of Jenny) and then Theresa Tova (two Yiddish selections, Shoyn Farendikt Zikh Dos Lidl Funem Tog from Theresa's recent album of Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman settings, as well as Let it Snow sung in Yiddish, which translates as Los Es Schnayen). Food, as always, was brilliantly provided by Barone & Tong catering. Pictured above left are Jean Stilwell and Theresa Tova backstage at the Baumer studio.

Tuesday evening Wendy arrived back home from her week-long sojourn in St. John's with the NSO.

And this morning I played for countertenor Scott Balluz and mezzo-soprano Jennifer Enns Modolo in auditions at Roy Thompson Hall.

Just got an email to do a gig on Christmas Day. Maybe, maybe not.

J.S. Bach makes appearance on Sequenza 21/

Galen H. Brown has received a visit from the Kappelmeister himself. A snippet:

But an old harpsichord and eight ghostly composers,
With an old kappelmeister conducting the flock –
I knew in a moment it had to be Bach.
More rapid than Valkyries, onward they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Mozart! now, Lassus! now, Schoenberg and Dvorak!
On, Cage! on Beethoven! on, Haydn and Bartok!
To the dominant seven! To suspended six-four!
Now dash away! dash away! appoggiatur’!”

See the rest here.

To leave or not to leave

Robert Alagna wasn't the first to head for the exit when the going got tough. Jesse Campigotto in CBC.ca Arts lists some other noteworthy walkoffs.

Link

Nico Castel Libretti Series

Someone left a comment this afternoon on the fact that I hadn't yet mentioned Nico Castel's Libretti Series in my list of 10 ways to translate a song or aria into English. I recall mentioning the books somewhere along the line in earlier posts this year, but only in a list of useful books rather in a marquee posting where a resource of this importance belongs.

With many apologies on my tardiness (inexcusable, as I am the proud owner of several well-used volumes in this series) I would like to highly recommend Nico Castel's Complete Libretti Series. These books feature complete line-by-line literal and idiomatic translations and IPA transcriptions of entire operas and are an invaluable resource for anyone venturing into the field of opera, whether singer, pianist/coach, or conductor.

The series includes the following volumes:

• The Complete Puccini Libretti (2 volumes)
• The Complete Verdi Libretti (4 volumes)
• The Libretti of Mozart's Completed Operas (2 volumes)
• French Opera Libretti (3 volumes)
• Belcanto Opera Libretti (3 volumes)
• Italian Verismo Opera Libretti
• Four Strauss Opera Libretti
• Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen"
• German Miscellaneous Opera Libretti
• Wagner: The Big Three

Ordering info

They ain't cheap, but if you consider the breadth of information in each volume, they're actually a bargain for the money, and compiled by Nico Castel himself, the world's leading expert on lyric diction.

20,000 page views and counting

At 7:36pm this evening, a visitor from Hamburg, Germany came to the site for the 20,000th page view (visit #8,611 overall) via a Google search for "'anna russell' video blog" (no links so far to any Anna Russell videos, although I suppose now I should find some).

Thanks to all for visiting this site and making it a success on its journey thus far.

By the way, the oddest search words that resulted in a hit came a few days ago from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for "gaggling of the finger" (?!) People search Google for the strangest things.

The Accompanists' Guild of South Australia

In previous posts, I have looked at several ways that collaborative pianists organize themselves in new and interesting ways, such as the Collaborative Pianists Group on MySpace and Collaborative Works LLP in Chicago.

A recent Google search turned up the Accompanists' Guild of South Australia, created in 1983 and serving the area around Adelaide. A description of the guild's purpose is worth a look:

The Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia Inc. was founded in 1983 as a non-profit organisation. Its objectives are to promote the status of the accompanist and to encourage and assist in establishing a unity of purpose and the maintenance of high ideals amongst accompanists in South Australia. It also provides a point of contact for accompanists and other musical groups on matters of mutual interest.

The Guild organises musical programs throughout the year in which various aspects of the art of accompanying are discussed and demonstrated, using South Australian performers and guest artists from interstate or overseas.

In addition, the Guild organizes noon hour concerts, a Young Accompanists' Showcase, raises money for the $2,500 Geoffrey Parsons Award, and has also recently acquired government funding for their endeavours. Membership is very reasonable ($55 regular, $10 student, $25 associate, $500 life).

Since there are already numerous registered music teachers' associations around the world providing referrals, professional development, and scholarships for talented students, why not create such an organization for those of us in the collaborative arts? We're not such an unruly bunch--are we that difficult to organize into groups?

Kudos to the AGSA and what they have accomplished--let's hope that more organizations of this sort start popping up.

Pianists in Pumps Episode 1

While looking around on YouTube the other day, I chanced upon this odd animated series, which is unique in that it features a pair of pianists of the collaborative variety in a series of odd adventures. The first episode features a barking clarinetist and a fairy who endows the protagonists with special powers, which they then proceed to put to use. Although the quality is somewhat low-budget and the creators are not fully credited (although it may be the user marknsa who posted the video), it's an interesting concept.

The Alagna walkout

One of the hottest classical music stories in recent memory has been Roberto Alagna's exit from Aida at La Scala. There have been so many stories on the affair in the last few days, it's been difficult to keep track of all the stories appearing both in the mainstream press and blogosphere. Nevertheless, here's what all the fuss is about, from footage of a Decca DVD-in-progress being filmed that night:

Link to the video on la Reppublica

A recent addition to the classical music blogosphere, Opera Chic seems to be in the thick of it and has been one of the most interesting reads on the developing story. Here's her take on Palombi's quick entrance following the hasty exit of Mr. Alagna:

It’s now an open secret that Palombi wasn’t even supposed to be Alagna’s replacement for Sunday night! He was actually number three for the night, and hence, was not costumed!

When Palombi heard the booing on Sunday night, and figured that it was going to make Alagna go mental, he raced to the backstage area. It was from behind the wings that he out-ran the official replacement for the night, who was *already* in full costume, tenor Walter Fraccaro.

Indeed, one of the most fascinating things about the video is the speed and ease with which Piombi enters and continues the scene, and the fact that Raffaella Brustia Ildiko Komlosi kept on singing in brave and unflappable fashion. The show must go on...and it did.

Wendy to sing in NSO Messiah this weekend

Tomorrow morning (way too early) it's off to the airport for Wendy's flight to St. John's for this weekend's Messiah with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. This is one Messiah I would very much like to see (also featuring Penni Clarke, David Pomeroy, and David Malis and conducted by Marc David), but it's still the busy season here in Toronto, with a few things still to rehearse for.

Some highlights over the last week:

Recording sessions with Ashley Bedard and Stephen Chen for upcoming competitions, a few auditions to play for here and there, my students' holiday studio recital on Saturday afternoon featuring my piano, vocal coaching, collaborative piano, and small ensemble students from the RCM (funny how my own performance nerves pale beside the anxiety I feel when my students are about to perform), and Trish Haldane's 40th birthday recital at the cavernous St. Timothy Anglican. Only three performances left in 2006...

Piano Quartet Repertoire

From the New Zealand Piano Quartet website, a comprehensive listing of repertoire for piano quartet.

Link

Language resources on Omniglot

Omniglot is a site that offers a tremendous amount information on language-related resources such as articles, art, information on writing systems (traditional, fictional, and undeciphered), as well as tips on language acquisition, of which here is an example:

Try to set aside some time every day for your studies, ideally when your brain is at its most receptive. It's better to study for 30 minutes every day than for 3 hours once a week. If you can spare an hour a day, break it up into two or three sessions to avoid brain overload.

Bear/Swoon double bill at the COC this week

Librettist Anna Chatterton's latest operatic collaboration is with composer James Rolfe in Swoon, premiering this week on a double bill with William Walton's The Bear. Performances are at the Joey and Toby Tannenbaum Opera Centre on 227 Front St. East in Toronto at 7:30pm Dec. 6, 7, and 9 and 2pm on the 10th. Tickets are $60/$20 for arts workers under the Arts Pack program.

Link to NOW Magazine article
Link to the COC site's advertisement

Greetings sight readers

I've been noticing a fair number of hits to this site via Google with search terms such as "how to improve sight reading" or "sight reading help", so I have surmised this is the season when legions of pianists are frantically trying to improve a vitally important but much neglected skill. Although I've already weighed in on some important aspects of the art (or science?), the graphic at left (via Add Letters) adds yet another spin on the topic.

Laura Claycomb's Young Artist Corner

I have been having numerous discussions with singers and coaches in the last few days on the long and difficult journey from music school to professional career and how different things are from what you thought they would be once you're in the thick of it and trying to get hired.

Laura Claycomb's Young Artist Corner has a wealth of great resources (and straight talk) on the process of making the step from student to professional. This site is worth an evening's visit, with a great amount of very, very pertinent information for singers (and collaborative pianists) wishing to embark on their careers.

One short quote, on vocal coaches:

Find coaches you trust. They will be your ears throughout your career. You can never hear what you sound like from the outside, and a coach (or conductor) can tell you if what you think sounds fabulous even carries to the first row! A good coach is someone you feel comfortable with, that you feel improves your singing, interpretation, etc..., and doesn't play mind games with you. A good coach helps you find the interpretation that YOU want to bring forward within the framework of the music - he/she doesn't just say "this is how it's done." Style is a guideline, not a straightjacket. A good coach will tell you in a supportive way that you're not doing something right, or if you're developing bad habits. A good coach will not feel the need to say something just to have something to say. If it's good, he/she will just leave it. A good coach is NOT just a fine pianist, but a fine musician who can tell you about style, language, nuance, and help you learn more about yourself in the meantime.

(Thanks, WTO)

Glenn Gould places around Toronto

A Glenn Gould Tour of Toronto and Area lists a number of places and sites associated with him, including the area around St. Clair and Avenue Road, the original RCM location at 135 College Street, Fran's Restaurant (also on St. Clair), and the old CBC building at 354 Jarvis.

Link

Quantity vs. audio quality on MP3 players

Clayton Collins writes in the Christian Science Monitor on the generally low quality of audio in much portable audio, especially in the MP3 and related formats.

Link

(I've always been a stickler for audio quality, even in the portable realm. I've never been totally happy with the quality of sound that comes out of many portable players and still haven't totally made the switch to mp3. My portable setup: a fine Philips portable CD player used with either Grado SR-80 or Sennheiser PX100 headphones, depending on mood and fashion sensibility.)

GGS Concerto Competition winners announced

After the final round of the Glenn Gould School's concerto competition to determine which soloists will be performing with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra next season, the winners are:

Christine Kim, piano, playing the Rachmaninoff Concerto #2 Op. 18

Sonia Sielaff, clarinet, playing the Nielsen Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra Op. 57

Both winners will be playing with the RCO in the 2007-2008 season and will receive the Tom Thomas Award.

Link to The Glenn Gould School

Translation by machine

An article by Evan Ratliff in the December issue of Wired Magazine explores the problems and possibilities of computer translations and how Meaningful Machines is attempting to create a computer program that can work its way around human languages with all their idioms and multiple meanings. An excerpt:

From its genesis at the post-World War II dawn of computing – when ambitious
researchers believed it would take only a few years to crack the language
problem – until the late 1980s, machine translation, or MT, consisted almost
entirely of what are known as rule-based systems. As the name implies, such
translation engines required human linguists to combine grammar and syntax rules
with cross-­language dictionaries. The simplest rules might state, for
example, that in French, adjectives generally follow nouns, while in English,
they typically precede them. But given the ambiguity of language and the vast
number of exceptions and often contradictory rules, the resulting systems ranged
from marginally useful to comically inept.

In spite of the advances made in recent years with such easily available web-based translation services such as Babelfish, translating the poetic language of art song and aria texts into English still works best when done the old-fashioned way, that is, spending the time on learning the nuts and bolts of foreign languages and using that knowledge to bring at least a part of that meaning and sensibility back into English.

Theatre postcards from around the world

CARTHALIA is Andreas Praefke's large online collection of international theatre and concert hall postcards, such as the image at left of the historic Teatro Sauto in Matanzas, Cuba.

Image hosted by CARTHALIA