Back again, after a short break

Without using the h-word, it's been a good refreshing break to take a step back from the blog the last few weeks, but now is the time to get back to things, as I've been hit with both the blogging and the practice bug.

First of all, greetings to the visitors from the New Forum for Classical Singers--I recently noticed my name added to the Who's Who page (follow the links on the index page). The NFCS forums are some of the most informative, frank, and entertaining sources of information on the opera and singing world one is likely to find.

Also interesting in the last few days is a link, courtesy of boingboing, to Deutsche Grammaphon's Classical Bytes series featuring cover art by well-known cartoonists graphic artists. The Chopin toon at left is by Lauren Weinstein, author of Inside Vineyland and Girl Stories. An interesting way to once again re-release and re-package classic DG recordings. I'm interested to find out what Schubert might be doing in the cover art if he were to be featured in one of these volumes. Playing darts, perhaps?

Image hosted by Classical Bytes

The Blurb

I mentioned earlier that I will be teaching a new collaborative piano class for advanced pianists at the RCM Community School this September. A few weeks ago, I was asked to write a blurb for the new course for the fall calendar's release in a month or so. Writing an advertisement for a collaborative piano class was something that I had never until then thought about. How does one advertise our field to those that generally know it only as "accomanying"? How to advertise our field not as a way out for second rate pianists and has-beens, but as an interesting and vital part of the piano world that all pianists, especially the best ones, should at least have a passing acquaintance with? Here is my first version of the blurb I sent to marketing, which may or may not be used for the final version of the 06-07 RCM catalog:

The Collaborative Piano class is an opportunity for advanced pianists to explore and learn vocal and instrumental music that includes piano. Participants will receive hands-on experience learning the skills that can turn a pianist into a well-rounded and valued partner that will excel in both the rehearsal room and concert hall. Opera, art song, concerto reductions, duet playing, sight-reading, and keyboard skills are just some of the activities that will enrich a pianists's life in this exciting new class.

After sending this in, I made a quick check of the internet to see if any other community music schools offered any courses such as this. Not many. The Bloomingdale School of Music in New York City advertises just such a course taught by Katy Luo, and here are some highlights from its blurb:

An exciting and unique opportunity for piano students who are ready to take the next step in their studies. Students will acquire ensemble skills through activities such as duo playing, accompanying, rehearsing, and performing with the Preparatory Orchestra. Listening, sight-reading, score-reading, and rhythm-training are all integral components of the course.

The Concord Community Music School in Concord, NH offers an accompanying course as part of its complete curriculum, and its website mentions that the class will "enable pianists to learn the art of accompanying through coaching in lessons and informal workshops".

More on the importance of this type of class and how it can fit into both the curriculum and financial model of community schools in an upcoming post.

Voices of Spring at Borderless Song

Christopher Burton's Borderless Song series is presenting its final concert of the season this May 27th. Dr. Burton is joined by soprano Bridget Hogan and baritone Jay Stephenson on a varied program to take place at 8pm on the 27th at Forest Grove United Church located at 43 Forest Grove Drive in North York. Admission is $20, free for children under 12. A pre-performance dessert will be held on the lawn at 7:15 preceding the performance. Charitable receipts also available.

Any degree programs additions?

The time has come to update the list of Degree Programs in Collaborative Piano. If you teach at, graduated from, or know of any school that offers a degree or diploma in Collaborative Piano, Piano Accompanying, Piano Accompaniment, Piano Chamber Music, Vocal Coaching, or any variety of the above, either leave a comment at this posting or at the degree programs list and I will add your school of music at once. Also make sure that the program has adequate online listing so I can verify that it is legitimate.

Since my experience is with the North American field, I am particularly interested in adding schools to the list from Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and Africa if they exist.

Congratulations to Steven Blier

Via Wolf Trap Opera 2006:

Steven Blier has been named Coach of the Year by Classical Singer Magazine.

Notice in Billboard
Steven Blier bio from NY Festival of Song site

Also in WTO2006 was a link to an article by David Mermelstein in the April 30 Los Angeles Times about accompanists/collaborative pianists (although only referred to as accompanists in the article). There are quotes from numerous luminaries of the field, including Leif Ove Andsnes and Graham Johnson, who is quoted here:

That term, "real pianist," cuts to the heart of the matter and is a phrase Johnson as good as anticipated.

"I get upset about this issue," he wrote, "because it insultingly supposes that the art to which I have given my life is something anyone who is a good pianist can do. No, the implication is it can be done better by a soloist, because virtuosity governs all. And from there, it's a short distance to consider an accompanist a pianistic butler, a loser who plays cringingly for tyrannical soloists in the hope of another crumb from the table."

A quote by tenor Ian Bostridge I take exception to:

"Playing for a singer requires a lot of self-abnegation," Bostridge said recently from his home in London. "The voice is a fragile instrument, and you have to think about accommodating it."

Self-agnegation? I strongly disagree. Working with singers is one of the coolest things about my life as a pianist. The give-and-take of working with voices and/or instruments, some with a small sound and some huge, is precisely what makes the art song, opera, sonata, concerto, and chamber repertoires such a blast. Succeeding in this field doesn't mean putting any self-denial into your professional sound or demeanor. You need to learn to work with people, and sometimes to pick your battles interpretively, but I've always found that that's one of the most rewarding things about the art.

Perhaps there should be people trumpeting the fact that the collaborative arts are actually the pinnacle of the piano field. And to think that we can make a living as a player much more easily than solo pianists...

Arts in the Conservative budget

Arts groups in Canada are of mixed opinions regarding arts funding in the 2006 budget. James Adams in yesterday's Globe and Mail writes of its high points, including increased opportunities for private giving, and its not-so-high points, such as a substantial reduction in funding growth for the Canada Council, although still larger than previous years' allotments. A quote from COC general director Richard Bradshaw:

Basically, I think the government is abdicating responsibility for the quality of our lives and trying to put it on individuals...I think there should be a mix of private and public . . . but at the bottom of it all, for Christ's sake, Canada should grow up because we're a great and a very, very rich nation.

Hungry?

Via BoingBoing, a link to bokstavskex, where you can create graphics made out of digestive cookies.

Link to cookie graphic generator
bokstavskex home

Orchestra and soloists

Last night was the first rehearsal of Brian Current's Airline Icarus with singers and orchestra. After reading up to 20 lines of staff on the orchestral score for the workshop, it was a pleasure to sit and play only the piano part. The Soundstreams performance this Sunday will also be recorded for broadcast on the CBC Radio 2 program Two New Hours. Here is the orchestra for Airline Icarus:

Leslie Newman, flute
Shalom Bard, clarinet
John Rudolph and Mark Duggan, percussion
Chris Foley, piano
Mark Skazinetsky, violin 1
Sergei Nikonov, violin 2
Virginia Barron, viola
David Hetherington, cello

Brian Current has been in New York this week for a performance last night of Symphonies in Slanted Time with the American Composers Orchestra.

More Canadian classical music blogs

Many thanks to Opera Jeunesse artistic director Madeline Young for telling me of another Canadian classical music blog--Questo "Mars Rosso" mi ammollisce e assidera by Toronto singer Michael Adair.

Via the QMR profile page, a link to yet another new Canadian blog, this one listed as the Opera Singer Information Page, more an info site for U of T opera graduates than a blog, but hopefully with some useful info on programs and auditions.

The RCM Before the Reno

Royal Conservatory of Music faculty member and photographer Jamie Thompson will be presenting an exhibit of images from the RCM's home at McMaster Hall, taken in the days previous to the Conservatory's operations being temporarily relocated to 90 Croatia to make way for the building of the Telus Centre for Performance and Learning. Jamie's exhibit runs at the Sage Cafe at 166 McCaul Street in Toronto from May 1 to June 3 with gala opening on Thursday May 4 from 7-9pm.

This exhibit is part of Contact: The Toronto Photography Festival, running in various venues in Toronto from May1-31st.

Jamie Thompson's site

More interesting RCM trivia on the web:

The Toronto Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society lists an account of several ghost sightings at the RCM.

The Infiltration Journal did some exploration of the RCM for a 2003 article on some hidden places in the building.