Outside Perspective

audience - Elizabeth Perry

I've often wondered what it's like to sit in the fanciest boxes for a concert. Is the sound better? worse? How is the view from that angle? From other parts of the hall I can tell that the seats are separate chairs. Beyond that, I know little.

Vosburgh's Set-up - David DeAngelo

Let me get the geeky stuff out first:

For most orchestral work, George Vosburgh plays a large-bore silver-plated New York Bach (serial number: 7352) with a 1C mouthpiece, though he's currently breaking in one of Bach's new "Chicago C" horns.

And no one but the most seriously geeky trumpet-geek could probably know what all those words mean.

Thoughts on the Korngold performance at the PSO - Doug Bauman

First, let me say overall, that I really like the Korngold performance Friday, especially the first and third movements, which were flawless! I also like violinist Nikolaj Znaider, his flair is especially appealing. That look he gives the audience and even the orchestra is striking. I saw and heard him play last season as well, so I know how good his playing is.

I believe I have a pretty good ear for music. The piece by Korngold definitely had some overtones of distinctive 'dissonance', likely built in on purpose, especially in the slow movement, but only in the solo violin, and not so much in the orchestra. I had to compare, so before and after the performance Friday night I listened to a performance by Hilary Hahn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRkuHKc9YJQ

Jump to 6:42 to see what I mean. This specific dissonant note was played the same by Hahn and Nikolaj Znaider. However, and this is my dilemma, I believe I heard way more dissonance throughout the Znaider performance, and for the most part, very little in the Hahn performance. More importantly, I can't deny to myself that because of that, I like the Hahn performance more, yet I know that Znaider did a great job. So why am I so torn?

dissonance (Latin dis-, "apart" + sonare, "to sound") — considered unstable (or temporary, transitional).

Although dissonance can sometimes be considered 'unpleasant' to the ear, it is indeed used cleverly all over the place to superb effect, to the point where it becomes 'interesting'. But in the Korngold violin concerto, I found it rather unpleasant more often than not with Znaider's performance, yet not so much with Hahn's performance. So the real dilemma is to try to figure out which performance more closely resembles what Korngold intended. Did Hahn change some of the notes to make them sound more 'pleasant', my classical definition of beauty, and Znaider play it the original way, or was it the other way around?

You tell me. Anyone who attended the concert Friday, feel free to listen to this link, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

PSO musicians? Please chime in. Nikolaj Znaider, please comment as well (do you read our blog?), conductors? Thanks!

The Great C-Major - Doug Bauman

Another great program at the PSO this weekend. Nikolaj Znaider, played a fantastic rendition of the Korngold Violin Concerto. More on that later, but first my thoughts on the Schubert, which came later.

I've been waiting for many years to hear this Schubert symphony performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and tonight I deliciously had my chance, especially the very end with that marvelous sawing of bows in such a deep and uniform aggregate, producing such rich an deep sound; four saws, followed by the horns in a higher key, then repeated again -- simply amazing!

Gianandrea Noseda was the perfect conductor, the centerpiece --

Chamber Orchestra :) - Bethany Hensel

So I'll be honest and admit something that shames me: Up until recently - and I'm talking about just last Sunday - I didn't know what a chamber orchestra was.  I mean, I knew kind of what it  was, but I didn't know any specifics.  I knew a chamber orchestra was smaller than a regular orchestra, but that's it.  

as luck woud have it... - Doug Bauman

Last night on WQED-FM, a little after 8pm, I just happened to tune in at what I would call 'the perfect time.' Well anytime is a good time, but on this occasion it was indeed perfect because I was listening to a concert recorded a few months ago at Chatham University; a concert, coincidentally, I had intended to attend, but was unable. So I was delighted to hear this music, and with three members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Now admittedly, I didn't recognize it for Brahms, and I didn't recognize the artists while listening; it was surely pleasant and relaxing, sometimes driving and vigorous, and just plain great -- I remember thinking that this is the kind of music that I strive to hear. I was alerted by Ted Sohier after it was over, as to by whom and where it was performed.

The Chamber Music Concert included four women, alumni of The Curtis Institute of Music, performing together for the first time in Pittsburgh, and presented by Chatham University. This concert was held on Sunday, January 11, 2009:

Brahms Piano Quartet in G minor
Tatjana Mead Chamis, Viola - Pittsburgh Symphony Associate Principal
Heather Conner, Piano - Salt Lake City
Jennifer Ross, Violin - Pittsburgh Symphony Principal
Anne Martindale Williams , Cello - Pittsburgh Symphony Principal

Aha, so this was the Brahms that I was enjoying! That same concert.

There were several other pieces presented that evening, and oh, how I wish I had experienced them as well:

Robert Schumann - "Fairy Tales"
Henri Vieuxtemps - Sonata in B flat Major Op.36
Boris Pigovat - "Nigun" for Solo Viola (Pittsburgh Premiere)

Update: I've heard back from a musician of the PSO that there is a proposed cut of funds provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to WQED. This is sad news indeed, if it comes to fruition. In that event I would hope that WQED finds ways to make up for it. I've made suggestions to them every year, with my donation, the kinds of things they do in business. I don't know how much leeway they have, considering they are funded partly by the Federal government (NPR news is one expensive place to cut, I want to hear music, not news). I would be disappointed if whatever cuts mean that we no longer hear PSO music on the radio, that would be devastating. I'll be contacting my state representative to request they reconsider this cut.

John Adams, Electricity and Orange Dresses - Jennifer Pizzuto

My apologies, firstly, for the tardiness of this blog post.  Life got in the way this week (as did a few too many green beers), and it hampered my “creative abilities.”  To that end, the engaging nature, and the way that the experience was nearly as fulfilling upon reflection, was freakish, albeit pleasant, happenstance.  Like a computer from 1984, I needed time to process and fully comprehend all of the intended meaning in last weekend’s performance.  And this is what I’ve surmised…

Carnegie Music Hall - Premier of Beethoven Oboe with full symphony - Doug Bauman

Tonight I enjoyed a magnificent premier of a composition reconstructed by Renate Rosenblatt of a draft of an Oboe Concerto by Beethoven. When I say premier, I mean that it is the first time ever played with full orchestra. The acoustics at Carnegie Music Hall are more intimate, beautiful in their own way, and for the first time I experience true stereo, or perhaps surround sound. This is my first time at this beautiful hall. Being this close at this hall is a desirable place to be.

Electrifying! - Bethany Hensel

I invited two friends of mine to Sunday's performance of the John Adam's piece, Dharma at Big Sur.  Amazingly enough (at least to me), Steve and Brandon had never been to Heinz Hall before, or a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert.  Wow.  Anyway...

The show was, as all the bloggers seem to attest to, electrifying.  (Hence the title of this post.)  I am not sure what I personally was more impressed with: the fact that one man could write something so exceptional, or that one woman, Leila Josefowicz, could play the violin (electric or not) so well. 

Well, let's face it, they were both brilliant. 

ceiling - Elizabeth Perry

As a counter balance with the organic structure of the oceanic music today, I looked at the semi-abstract geometries of the Heinz Hall ceiling.