Category Archives: Classical music

Jupiter and the Ox: KCO’s season finale

The Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra took risks in its Saturday season-finale, performing the massive ‘Eroica‘ with a surprisingly slim ensemble at Santa Monica’s First Presbyterian Church. Prior concerts in the second season featured anywhere from 40 to 50 musicians. This one had 28 all-in, matched only by that for Ives’s ‘Unanswered Question’ from December. The winds are all there as Beethoven prescribed but the string section is pared down to 13. Perhaps this was the size of the forces at the palatial premiere. The even split revealed parts of the score, such as the oboe and bassoon lines, often hidden in the crush of modern orchestral forces. The horns had an uneven night with a few rough passages. Kaleidoscope’s constantly changing roster and democratic, conductorless approach succeeds in rhythmic precision at some expense of contrast. Three lower strings can only do so much at their end of the spectrum and extreme changes in ensemble dynamics must be hard to coordinate in the moment. Nevertheless, it was a brisk, enjoyable performance of the beloved work, growing more confident and nuanced as it progressed – another KCO hallmark. The large audience was especially gratifying in light of past events and perhaps a sign that word is getting out.

The affable young johnnie from the local radio station spent ten minutes of his preconcert talk trying to argue that minimalist music is better than it sounds. Unfortunately for him, he brought sound clips that weakened his case. Then, the four-minute first work ‘Long Walk Off a Short Pier’ or somesuch by the Starbucks of composers sealed the conviction. Even the best defense attorney can only do so much.

Non-profit life is not easy and many who’ve tried it say that the second year is often the hardest, when the adrenaline dissipates and fatigue sets in. Fortunately, Kaleidoscope has passed this milestone and we can hope that it continues its artistic and institutional growth. Anyone who attends arts events these days knows that ticket sales are only a small part of an almost impossible economic equation. We can further hope that the group grows its donor base sufficiently to phase out or at least rework the in-concert appeal.

Donors Wanted, Dead or Alive

Preferably dead.

I used to attend LA Phil concerts regularly, subscribed for a number of years, and donated through an affiliate group. I haven’t attended in some time due to the relentless push to staged opera, video extravaganzas, the persistence of Vitameatavegamin, John Adams, and the rest of that mob. The promise of Dudamel, so high after seeing him and his Bolivarians in 2007, has been dashed.

To their substantial credit, Borda and Co. have replaced me and my like with others receptive to this vision and the organization is very, very healthy. But it is impossible to get off the mailing lists of a group that has (or should have) few empty seats.  Full color brochures and postcards still arrive, telemarketers call about Disney Hall and Hollywood Bowl offers.  The latter are quite knowledgeable, have discussed my reasons for not re-upping, and promise to click the buttons to unsubscribe me.  It never takes, though.  Now, some Big Data algorithm has told management that the Reaper will soon be at my door.   This email is rather unnerving.  Click for a zoomable image.

Dead_or_Alive

Hiding in plain sight: Chamber Music Society Masterclasses

Norman Lebrecht‘s Slippedisc blog is full of snark, favoritism, gossip-as-journalism, and a comments section that can be … disturbing.

There are also the occasional links and pointers that make it worth a wade through the muck.

Today’s find is a piano trio masterclass given by Menahem Pressler in 2008 [Click to go to Slippedisc]. It’s in an unlisted, unindexed corner of Youtube where the link has to be transmitted by someone who knows it is there. Dig into it and we find that the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center has a webpage full of them along with lectures, interviews and performances (look to the left).

Here’s a playlist from the Society’s Youtube Channel:

Sawing Stravinsky

When I lived in the Bay Area eons ago, I used to listen regularly to classical radio stations KDFC and KKHI. The former signed off every midnight with an instrumental transcription (one of many) of Stravinsky’s Pastorale. I often dozed off just as this heady mix of string and winds faded out. Here are two renditions: The first plays it as I remember it. The second features the late David Weiss, retired principal oboist of the LA Phil, on musical saw. I once attended a talk Mr. Weiss gave on his avocation and even tried it as part of the audience participation. The theremin-like sound of this deceptively simple instrument color the piece dramatically.

Setting the standard: The music of William Herschel

A lot is made these days about composer/conductors. It is quite interesting how these paragons do such miserable jobs at both yet still collect handsome checks.

On the other hand, here is some music by William Herschel. Born in (now) Germany, studied music, soldiered, fled to England, built telescopes, inferred infrared radiation and Uranus, made other pioneering discoveries many with his sister Caroline, played the organ professionally, while composing over two hundred pieces of music. He even had a space telescope named after him.

Take that ya overpaid patzers.

Here’s the first movement of his Symphony No. 14, conducted by Matthias Bamert.

Yes, that Matthias Bamert.

Autonomous Collective: KCO’s Ives and Brahms in Santa Monica

Image courtesy Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra

Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra’s Brahms Fourth in Santa Monica’s First Presbyterian Church showed off the group’s journey with democratic approaches to a hierarchical performance practice. There’s no need to reanalyze this staple of the repertoire – its overall arc of tragedy still contains some wonderful melody and gives each section ample opprtunity to shine. Excellent winds and horns set and held the stage with the ensemble growing tighter and more confident with phrasing as the piece developed. This specific mix of the orchestra’s large roster got accustomed to the space and one another in short order. Conductorless playing has to be difficult and must be doubly so when the music calls for soft and shimmering strings. The Brahms starts off this way and the Ives Unanswered Question is a few ethereal minutes of nothing but. Kaleidoscope upped the ante with strings in the sanctuary lobby, woodwinds in a balcony, and the horns offstage behind the altar. Execution fell just short of ambition but acknowledge the effort to add this to the degree of difficulty. The real Unanswered Question was, as is often the case, “Where’s the audience?” The Friday night turnout was reminiscent of Los Angeles theatre with performers outnumbering audience and that’s a shame. One hopes the Sunday matinee in Glendale fared better.
This group looks quite capable of handling Ives, broadly speaking. It would be great to hear those gonzo horns and winds in the rollicking finale of the Second Symphony with its invocations of Reveille, Columbia Gem of the Ocean, and the Camptown Races. Oh doo-dah-day.

Next up: Weinberg, Mozart, and Schoenberg on 23 January (LA Theatre Center) and 24 January (Santa Monica, First Presbyterian Church)

One for the Zipper – Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra Season Launch

Courtesy Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra

[Updated 5 October 2015]

The season kickoff augurs well for the city’s newish conductorless ensemble. The Kaleidoscopes held a concert-cum-fundraiser of Prokofiev, Schoenberg (no, not that one), and Dvorak in the friendly and packed confines of the Colburn’s Zipper Hall.   The Classical Symphony and the Cello Concerto showed that this experiment in democracy has a serious chance of success.  The strings are very good and in synch, no mean feat since many of them can’t see one another.  Most of the performers stand, the strong cello and bass unions negotiated chairs and stools respectively.   The woodwinds and brass were terrific.  The Phil’s Robert deMaine gave the group someone to focus on in the concerto but he didn’t assume the role of conductor without portfolio.  Schoenberg’s (Adam, not Arnold) short Canto, winner of the group’s commission competition, brought Copland’s Quiet City to mind.  It’s a heartfelt piece inspired by the composer’s sleeping infant unabashedly intent on evoking a specific response.

It’s not clear how the group handles dynamics and handoffs on its own but it does.  There weren’t any obvious glances or nods in the first two pieces with some discreet glances among sections discernible in the Concerto’s rondo.  It’s an impressive feat.  A preconcert video showed the rehearsal philosophy with wry commentary from the participants  – the democratic approach may make for talky rehearsals but there is payoff in the performance.  The flute and woodwind work in the Prokofiev’s bravura final movement fired on all cylinders.  Birds and fish flock and school,  know where they’re going, and turn together in an instant.  So do these mostly young folks many with current ties to the Colburn.

There’s talent up and down the roster and the leadership seems to know what it’s about.   Four future performance weekends will take place at locations to be announced in Santa Monica and Glendale.    Ives, Brahms, Weinberg, Mozart, Schoenberg (yes, that one), Messiaen, and Beethoven are on the schedule.  So is John Adams but their taste will improve with age.  On top of the concerts, they have outreach programs for youth and the underserved.   It’s going to be fun watching them grow.

On the subject of bird behavior, Craig Reynolds’s ‘Boids’ computer models from the late 1980s mimic complex flocking patterns with some simple rules. Here are some latter-day examples set to a possibly recognizable tune.