Oberammergau Passion Play 2022. June 14, 2022.

Passion Play Theater, Oberammergau, Germany.  Seat Row 44, Number 22 (168 euros).

A must if one doesn't understand German, even if to whom it's a familiar story.

Back in 2014 we were visiting the region and chanced upon this huge theater in a small city.  It was easy then to connect the place with this once every decade performance of the Passion Play.  We decided to get tickets for the 2020 season, that of course got cancelled because of the COVID pandemic.  So when we thought we could travel again "soon," I looked into this and found out tickets were readily available, so we decided to give this a second try.

One could argue the history of how this got to be a "big deal" is as interesting as how I enjoyed the play.  For the former a quick search of the internet will return many articles of interest.  Several issues are of interest: (1) how the script is re-written to excise much of the antisemitism that was in earlier versions of the play; (2) how the Judas angle has been changed to make him a more sympathetic figure - what drove his betrayal of Jesus was his disagreement with how to establish the "new" kingdom, and that he believed the high priests only wanted to talk to Jesus away from the crowds; and (3) the play ends with the women's dialog with an angel about an empty tomb (no tomb was shown).

The writer has incorporated many of Jesus's teachings and references to his deeds in the play, so you would get, for instance, the beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer which were taught at the beginning of Jesus's ministry.  It appears he wanted to give a complete gospel message through the play.

The dialog was (of course) in German, and there were no foreign language subtitles.  We bought a copy of the "Text Book" (for 6 euros) and tried to share it during the first half of the show.  That didn't work as well as we liked, so at dinner break we bought another one.  Even though it was good for about 1 1/2 hours, it still helped.  I wish I had thought about it earlier.  (Second half started at 8 pm, sundown around 9:15 pm, the show went on until 10:40 pm.)

I found the play compelling.  What I am not sure is the reason: was it the first time I saw a full passion play (or a movie), or was this a particularly good production?  The Tableau Vivant (Living Scenes) were interesting, but were on too short for me to really ponder their significance.  Music for the play was all composed for the occasion, while (it is claimed) a lot of that is taught in schools in Oberammergau, it all sounded new to me.  The choir and orchestra sounded great, the soloists were of differing standards.  The sound system did its job.

A couple of scenes required special effects: Judas hanging himself, and Jesus and the two robbers being nailed on the cross.  They looked realistic enough, I wonder if small children should be seeing the play.  Children were on stage a lot of times, but (probably) not when these events took place.

The tour guide explained that Jesus is a lot more subdued in this version of the play: he was loud and agitated enough, I can't imagine what he was like in prior years.  During the dinner break I was walking and came upon the area of the theater grounds where cast members gather.  Perhaps I saw Jesus among them?  In any case, "Jesus walked among men" came to mind.

Inside the theater.  Row 44 is all the way up there!  And it was Price Category 2 (1 was sold out when I tried to book in February.)

Just before 2:30 pm, when the show started.

A quick and inexpensive dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Photo taken at 7:50 pm, just before the second half of the play started.
 

We were fortunate to be able to book a hotel nearby, and the two days we spent in town were quite delightful.  Getting to and leaving Oberammergau was slightly eventful due to a railroad problem, but all in all things worked out fine.

I list below the acts and living scenes as listed in the program.  At the end I append the notes I took while listening to the tour conducted by someone who played Nicodemus and was also the second director.

ACTS and Living Scenes

The Expulsion from Paradise

ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

The Humiliation of the Israelites

JESUS IN BETHANY

The Golden Calf

EXPULSION OF THE MERCHANTS FROM THE TEMPLE

PILATE AND CAIAPHAS

The Red Sea

THE HIGH COUNCIL

JUDAS AND CAIAPHAS

The Burning Bush

THE LAST SUPPER

JESUS ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

The Prophet Daniel in the Lions' Den

The Mockery of Job

INTERROGATION BEFORE ANNAS AND THE HIGH COUNCIL

Cain and Abel

JESUS IS MOCKED

PETER DINIES JESUS

JUDAS'S DESPAIR

Moses before Pharaoh

JESUS BEFORE PILATE AND HEROD

Joseph Interprets the Pharaoh's Dream

SENTENCING OF JESUS BY PILATE

Sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah

Salvation by Looking Up to the Bronze Serpent

THE WAY OF THE SORROWS AND THE CRUCIFIXION

AT THE GRAVE

*** Notes taken during the morning tour, minimally edited ***

10:30 talk. 2nd director, Nicodemus. Some 400 cities pledged to do during the plague. Probably play already going as it took only 1 year. Enlightenment forbade play. Satan, angels. OB redid play.

Thomas Cook saw play and suggested auditorium. 1880; he would bring tourists. 1900 built 5000 people hall. Population around 2000(?). House of pilate, openings entry into Jerusalem, right side Annas. Middle different backdrops and living picture. Orchestra pit - live. Frozen people all real. People afraid of change. 1934 Hitler, used as excuse vs Jews. After wwii criticism and threat of boycott, 1990 big changes. Shorter. Used to be 16 hrs over 2 days. 1990 chris stickel (Stuckl). Rules change: women over 35 or married not allowed to play. 1990 sued, equal rights. 400 women wanted to join in 1990, so new mass scene. Every play new costumes and script. Used to be only people from churches could participate. Passion play used to mark year: I was born before 2010 play. Hymns learned in school. People made personal sacrifices to be here. In 2020 2300 participants, now 1800. Not all on stage! 100 people in orchestra. 120 choir. 20 main character each with 2 actors. Visit Israel before practice begins. Roles settled 2 years. Beard grows on Ash Wednesday. Except Roman soldiers.

1st part. Lifetime of Jesus. Discussion with disciples. ‘Play of its time.’ Now there is text on war (triggered by Ukraine). Relationship between Jesus and Judas also changed. Not only money; argue yet remain friends. Talk: he was on stage in 2010 (or 2000?) at age 11. 2 rules: don’t look at audience, listen to Jesus. 2010 he couldn’t play. Saw play and decided to come back. So has different perspective. Also director was 25 he wanted Jesus loud, now he wants a calmer character.

Most actors 25-35. Youngest baby 2 months, oldest 98 (don’t always have to show up).

Auditorium used for other productions: operas etc. 3 choirs, children encouraged to play instruments.

People are paid, even children.

Parts used to be handed down generations. At least preferences. Tradition no longer holds.

Tradition of who qualifies only started in the 60s with influx refugees. Policy being reviewed.

Karim Sulayman, tenor; Yi-heng Yag, fortepiano. May 19, 2022.

Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall.  Balcony (Seat BB6, $-)

Program - Where Only Stars Can Hear Us

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

It was an enjoyable evening of Schubert songs, 18 in the program, and 3 encores of which 2 were also by Schubert, one by a Venetian composer (whose name I didn't get) sung in Venetian (?), in any case an Italian dialect.

As Sulayman said after the main program, the evening was generally dark.  Indeed one could have used "unrequited love and death" as the byline.  Especially so if one interprets "quiet" as "death."  The notable exception would be the encore song in Italian, which refers to the moon, the girl, and the water (if memory serves).

Since one of the performers is a friend, I would limit the "review" to only a few observations.

First, the tenor's voice and the fortepiano give the evening a level of intimacy very appropriate to the mood conveyed.  I am sure Sulayman can boom it out with the best of them, and Yang can pound away fff notes competently, neither of which was called for.  The most tense moments came from the left fortepiano line in Erlkonig, and the sound was urgent but not harsh.

Second, there isn't a song with the title "Where Only Stars Can Hear Us."  I have the CD and have listened to it several times, and that never occurred to me.

Third, there were many songs that referred to the moon.  One of them had a line that reminded me of the theme from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.  Since Schubert was only about 6 when that sonata was written, it is unlikely that Beethoven copied it from him.  More likely the other way around.  The Program Notes, which I read after making the above remark, also pointed this out.  And the specific song is "An den Mond."

Fourth, and I don't mean any disrespect in saying this.  Sulayman really did well with the Italian song.  With a handkerchief in his jacket pocket, he could well pass for a gondolier serenading on a Venetian canal.

Anne and I came back from Australia the day before.  It is a tribute to the music that we both managed to stay awake throughout.

Chao-Ming and Angela gave us rides to the city.  We ate at Bites of Xi'an.  CS, Yi-heng's dad, bought the tickets.  The concert was sold out.

Weill Recital Hall is quite ornate.

Curtain Call.  Altogether 18 songs were performed, including three encores.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Xian Zhang, conductor; Inon Barnatan, piano. April 2, 2022.

NJPAC, Newark, NJ.  Grand Tier (Seat L101, $29).

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19.

     Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37.

     Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58

Bird's eye view of auditorium from Tier 4.  Felt a bit of vertigo when I was up there taking this picture.

This is the second part of the Beethoven Piano Concerto series.  Just a few observations.

• The event was also quite well-attended, not near sold out, but good for NJSO concerts I have been to.
• The donor reception during the break was re-instituted.  Quite a few people showed up, and they didn't check eligibility.  Only white and red wines on offer, though.
• I didn't realize all five final movements were rondos.  In a similar vein, not all first movements were con brios.
• At some point, for me anyhow, music making ceased.  In its place was this desire to see the thing through.
• However, the musicians seemed as fresh towards the end as they were at the beginning.  The concerto concluded around 10:10 pm, and the intermission felt shorter than usual.
• Very few people left during intermission, there was this "we are in this together" feel.
• We were surprised that some movements didn't sound all that familiar.  One would think Beethoven concertos are usually listened in their entirety, so all movements in one concerto should garner same level of familiarity.
• I continue to be impressed how one can memorize nearly three hours of music.

After Piano Concerto No. 2.  Time stamp 8:33 pm.

After Piano Concerto No. 3.  Time stamp 9:11 pm.  Difference with prior one?  Second flute, two trumpets, and timpani.  Here Barnatan shaking hands with Zhang.

After No. 4, time stamp 10:08 pm.  Difference here is we are back to one flute.  (Probably hard to tell with this photograph.)

Today traffic was light, took only 35 or so minutes each way.

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Xian Zhang, conductor; Inon Barnatan, piano. April 1, 2022.

State Theater, New Brunswick, NJ.  Balcony (Seat L101, $31).

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15

       Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, "Emperor"

One reason we came back from our Nebraska trip yesterday was so we could catch these Beethoven piano concertos today and tomorrow.  The original program pianist was Louis Lortie, but a few weeks ago we were sent a notice that he withdrew because of an injury, and Barnatan would be the "substitute."  A search of my blog indicated that I had heard Lortie once, and Barnatan five times.

Beethoven concertos must be standard repertoire for concert pianists.  However, unless Barnatan just came off another series with another orchestra, that he could do them without music was most impressive.  (This assumes he will do 2 to 4 without music also.)  I think he can be excused with a wrong note here or there (and I am quite sure there were a few), and don't think he would consider a virtue of performing live.  I guess I am referring sarcastically to the Eighth Blackbird here.

One wonders how the concertos got grouped in this particular manner.  One could argue you always want No. 5 to be the last one played.  Or one could do that chronologically (in which No. 2 would come first).  Or it could be 1, 3, 4 followed by 2, 5; which would satisfy both concerns.  I do wonder if tomorrow's performance will be a let down.  We shall see.

Our flight yesterday from Kansas City was delayed by over three hours due to weather in the Newark area, and we didn't get home until 2:30 am.  I woke up with a headache, which subsided after much coffee.  I was nonetheless worried about having trouble staying awake during the concert.  Turns out it wasn't an issue at all; and Anne was wide awake also.

There was this little girl who had trouble sitting through the concert quietly.  The parents thought it would be okay to "hide" in the back of the balcony.  The result unfortunately was every sound got projected forward, rather clearly.

Attendance was okay.  And traffic was okay in both directions.

After Concerto No. 1.

After Concerto No. 5.  How do I tell them apart.  First, there is the time stamp.  Second, notice there is no second flute in Concerto No. 1.

The State Theater went through some renovations during the last two years.  This modern "all-gender" bathroom is a sign of the times.  Works, on multiple levels.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Louis Langree, conductor; Eighth Blackbird, ensemble. Livestreamed March 26, 2022.

Performed at Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Program

Wynton Marsalis: Herald, Holler and Hallelujah! [CSO Co-commission].

Kinds of Kings: Nine Mothers [World Premiere, CSO Co-commission].

Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique.

This was a live-streamed event.  The Marsalis piece was a co-commission of the CSO and the NJSO, and was premiered in January 2022 by the NJSO.  I hadn't notice that in any NJSO program.  Instrumentation: 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drums, piccolo snare drum snare drum, tom-tom, tambour de Basque, crash cymbals, finger cymbals, ride cymbals, sizzle cymbal, suspended cmybals, crotale, tam-tam, anvil, cowbells, wood block, glockenspiel, marimba, xylophone.  A couple of remarks.  Don't let the number of instruments fool you, I thought the stage was unoccupied when Langree first came out.  Without strings, and with players sitting towards the back, I didn't notice the musicians at all.  Also, what's the difference between a tom-tom and a tam-tam? Well, tom-tom is some kind of drum, tam-tam is some kind of gong.

There are words for the piece in the (digital) program notes.  Not sure if they constitute the program for the music, or a poem that the music evokes (or vice versa).  Just to quote the last few lines: "Even in passing, that glory train opens up a Big Brass Whistle and everybody testify: 'Here comes ole Buddy / Bolden calling his children home.' / And the angels sing. / Hallelujah."

Tonight was the world premiere for "Nine Mothers" composed by "Kinds of Kings."  Both a bit mysterious, but that the composition "is dedicated to our mothers and grandmothers" makes some sense.  Kinds of Kings is a composer-collective (first encounter with this term) founded in 2017.  There are right now three members from different parts of the world - although they all live in the US right now).  I do wonder - somewhat facetiously - do they expect members to come and go, and is membership restricted to one particular sex/gender only?  In the Program Notes there is this statement that "scholars" have wondered if these nine mothers are analogous to the "nine sisters," goddesses personifying different kinds of waves.  A suggestion to these scholars: just ask.

Eighth Blackbird has been around since 1996, and making a big deal whether they are celebrating their 25th or 26th anniversary this year.  Well, welcome to the club.  Everyone on earth is wondering what to think about the pandemic.  My suggestion in this case: don't take yourself that seriously by making a virtue out of "miss[ing] a note or two."

The instruments I counted in the ensemble: piano, violin, cello,  oboe and variants, flute, drums and marimba.

The story behind Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is now a familiar one, thanks to this pre-concert lecture I attended a while ago.  I still find the work very enjoyable and was glad to sit through it.

The ensemble for Marsalis's composition.

In front are Kinds of Kings and Eighth Blackbird.  There should be three women in the Collective, but I don't know where the third person was standing.  Some members of Blackbird were blocked from view.

Full orchestra for the Berlioz piece.  Notice the empty seats in the first few rows.

New Jersey Symphony. Xian Zhang, conductor; Danill Trifonov, piano. March 10, 2022.

NJPAC, Prudential Hall, Newark, NJ.  (Grand Tier, Seat B103, $43).

Program

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Capriccio italien, Op. 45.

Mason Bates Piano Concerto.

Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture.

Tchaikovsky Suite from Swan Lake, Op. 20a.

It is impossible to talk about this context without referencing the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which could have led to some awkwardness (probably there is a better term to describe this) to this series of concerts.  Both Carnegie Hall and the Met have cancelled some artists because of their refusal to criticize Putin directly.  I do not know Trifonov's background - other than he studied at Cleveland - and allegiance so didn't know what to expect.  The range of possibilities could have ranged from "nothing unusual happens" to full cancellation, this program is close to being all-Russian, after all.

Before the concert began NJSO's CEO Gabriel van Aalst came on stage with Trifonov and Bates and made some remarks about the recent horrific events, and the NJSO members stood up as the played the Ukrainian National Anthem.  While Trifonov looked uncomfortable, I thought it was a good gesture on everyone's part.  It was also my first encounter with the Ukrainian national anthem.

Bates, Trifonov, and van Aalst on stage as the NJSO plays the Ukrainian National Anthem.

All the Tchaikovsky pieces are quite familiar, yet enjoyable.  While the orchestra played the lines beautifully, I thought there was not a lot of urgency in their playing.  One reason might be the acoustics of Prudential Hall; while sounds are clear, they also come across as somewhat too clinical.

The Program Notes describes the love theme as an intertwining of two segments representing Romeo and Juliet.  One of those days I will find out what they are.  The selections from Swan Lake are lovely, but somehow the most dramatic ballet scene (I am talking about all these Fouettes) did not find its way into the suite.

It is rare for me to find a new composition the lynchpin of a concert.  Today's was one of those exceptions.  Bates writes using both classical and electronic instruments, but uses only traditional instruments in composing this piano to highlight Trifonov's virtuosity and style.  Again from the Program Notes: "The three movements take us on a time-travel adventure, opening with Renaissance flavor that suggests lutes and the percussion of early music.  The second movement immerses us in Romantic angst, as the soloist struggles in artistic (and musical) isolation.  The finale fast forwards to jazz and minimalism, filtered through Bates' individual voice."  Bates certainly wrote this concerto with these characteristics in mind, and the simple sentences I quoted helped tremendously in my appreciation of the music.  The piece is about 25 minutes long, if I remember correctly, and the movement transitions were quite obvious even without the breaks.  While I wouldn't have minded if the piece was a Prokofiev or a Rachmaninoff, having this Bates concerto in the Program was just fine.  My one observation (if others had not made it already) is that the "minimalist" part was "Philip Glass on steroids."  While the music seemed to move along slowly, it was done with a richness that would be incongruent with Glass's approach.

This was an afternoon concert, and a rather long one.  Attendance (see photo) was okay for an NJSO event.  Applause was - as usual - lukewarm.

Bates and Trifonov after conclusion of the concerto.  Zhang looking on from the podium.

At the conclusion of the (rather long) program.  Attendance was okay for an NJSO concert.

Seong-Jin Cho, piano. March 7, 2022.

Matthews Theatre, McCarter Theatre Centre, Princeton, NJ.  (Balcony B, BB5, $33.)

Program

Sonata "1.X.1905" by Leos Janacek (1854-1928).

Gaspard de la nuit by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).

The Four Scherzos by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849).

Cho's name became quite common in the last couple of years, so I was interested in catching this recital, especially McCarter had a  half-price Thanksgiving (2021) sale.

After sitting through a rather long recital, I must say I enjoyed the concert thoroughly.  The program ended at around 9:15 pm, and Cho threw in a couple of encores, so we didn't get out of our seats until around 9:30 pm.  A two hour program for a soloist must be quite demanding.

Typing this blog entry four days after the event,  I have forgotten most of the specific reactions.  A couple of things stood out: how well-formed the lines were; and his great control of the dynamics, going from loud to soft smoothly in a short span of a few notes.

As with the February 18 program of Jennifer Koh's, David Wright provided the Program Notes.  It contains a lot fewer typo's this time.  I record some of them below for future reference, with my personal remarks (as triggered by reading the Notes).

Janacek wrote "Z ulice 1.X.1905" (In the Street) as a sonata of protest of the October 1, 1905 event which saw the German-dominated council of Brno send in armed forces to break up a Czech rally in opposition to the council's decision to veto the idea of setting up a university in the town.  The sonata had three movements originally, but the last movement (Finale: Funeral March) was destroyed by Janacek during the final rehearsal.  He further threw the remaining movements into the Vlatava River after a private performance in Prague.  The work was preserved as Ludmila Tuckova, who performed the premiere, had a copy.  What we heard today were Presentiment: Con moto; and Death: Adagio.  There was no pause in between, although the change in mood was very clear.

We had visited Czechoslovakia before (actually only Czechia) and I was happy to be able to recall Brno, Prague, and the Moldau.

I had only limited prior encounters with Janacek's music, most notably his opera Jenufa, which I saw in 2016.  The remark I made was "the opera is definitely worth seeing again."  The reaction I have today is more along the lines of "I would love to catch another Cho concert," though.

While the Program Notes describes how the poems of Aloysius Bertrand inspired Ravel's composition, Wikipedia explains the person word Gaspard roughly means "the man in charge of the royal treasures."  It further ranks the piece as one of the most difficult in the piano repertoire.  (Incidentally, I also consider Ravel's Tzigane one of the most difficult violin pieces.)  The three movements resulted from Ravel's attempt to say with notes what the poet said with words.  Surreal, macabre, and difficult are the words that came to mind as I listened to this, for the first time.

Briefly quoting from the Program Notes and Wikipedia ... Ondine is "the flurry of rain thrown against your window by me, Ondine, spirit of the water."  When she was rejected, the nymph retreated into the lake calling, pleading, and enticing.  The writing was inspired by Chopin, Liszt as well as Ravel's earlier compositions.  The gibbet (Le Gibet) is a gallows-like instrument for execution, here the deathly stillness (marked toujours ppp and sans expression) is broken only by a relentlessly tolling bell.  One could hear the bell distinctly throughout the work (B-flat octave ostinato).

Scarbo is a hallucinatory vision of an impish intruder, a dwarf who changes his shape from a spinning wheel to a candle to a steeple before the poet's eyes.  I don't have the skills to correlate things precisely, but the changes in character were easy enough to discern.  Wikepedia further adds Ravel's commen: I wanted to make a caricature of romanticism; perhaps it got the better of me.  The way Cho dispatched this movement reminded me of my first encounter with Trifonov (whom I will see in the next concert).

After listening to the four Chopin scherzos, my first reaction was few would call them that.  They are all virtuoso pieces that follow the scherzo form, but by no means a joke.  Quoting from the Program Notes: All but one of them seem to have no "joke" about them at all; they are fiery dramas, close cousins of the ballades.  The Notes also describes the pieces as "[an] exploitation of the vigorous new piano technique that the young Chopin virtually invented in his Etudes, Ops. 10 and 25."  When one tries to listen for the scherzo form, one can probably make out the "minuet-trio" aspects.

The four scherzos are (i) B minor, Op. 20; (ii) B-flat minor, Op. 31; (iii) C-sharp minor, Op. 39; and (iv) E major, Op. 54.  (iv) can be characterized "Butterfly" had the name not been assigned already to one of Chopin's etudes.

I set out to write a short blog, and ended up with quite an entry; I am sure how good I felt about the pianist and the program has something to do with it.

Before the program began, a gentleman came on stage, and explained Cho was a last minute stand-in a few days prior in a Carnegie Hall concert performed by the Vienna Philharmonic.  He arrived at 2 pm on the day of the concert, practiced with the orchestra for 18 minutes, and then performed Rachmaninoff 2 without music.  Well, another example of "talent is God's being unfair."  This had to do with the recent invasion of Ukraine which resulted in many Russian artists being cancelled.  If I had a political blog, I would have a lot to say about that!

The auditorium was full.  Many of the Asians in attendance were probably Korean.  It was raining, and we had to park quite far away (close to "downtown").

Cho at the end of the concert.  He played two pieces as encore.

It is quite usual for a tuner to retune a harpsichord during the intermission.  Not so common for a piano recital.

New Jersey Symphony. Jose Luis Dominguez, conductor; Eric Wyrick, violin; Juan Pablo Jofre, bandoneon. February 26, 2022.

Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, NJ.  (Balcony, Seat E113, $50.)

Program

Louise Farrenc Overture No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 23.

Juan Pablo Jofre Double Concerto for Violin and Bandoneon, No. 1

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74, "Pathetique"

Titling this concert "Tchaikovsky's Pathetique" may be a bit misleading as the first half consists of two works that are seldom heard in concerts.  Farrenc was a Frenchwoman who died in 1875, and Jofre is an Argentina native who lives in New York.

Dominguez leads the NJ Symphony Youth Orchestra.  We saw him on a couple occasions conducting the NJSO in outdoor concerts in Red Bank.

Ferrenc's piece was quite short, at less than ten minutes.  After listening to the overture for a while, I thought I would mistake it with one of Rossini's, given how light-hearted it sounded.  My original thinking was I was off as Rossini certainly was one of these "old" opera composers.  Turns out Rossini died in 1868, so it is safe to assume they were contemporaries.  Of course I do not know if they had met one another or had exerted a mutual influence.  Also, a musicologist may be able to tell how French and Italian musical styles were different at that time.

Per the Program Notes, Jofre is an award-winning bandoneon player and composer.  The piece heard tonight "fuses Western classical tradition with his Argentinian nuevo tango heritage.  He cites Bach, Bartok, Stravinsky and Piazzolla as major compositional influences ... Jofre challenges the conventional approach to violin, writing for it in a percussive manner (and occasionally using the violin itself as a percussion instrument)."  Them fighting words.  For sure this was the first written for a violin and bandoneon, but beyond that I am not so sure.  Not knowing much about the bandoneon, I can't tell the level of virtuosity that was involved - although a lot seemed to be in support of the violin solo.  On the other hand, the violin part seemed extremely challenging, beginning with a rather rapid succession of double stops.  I usually have mixed feelings about Wyrick's solo lines, but today he was most impressive, despite having some problems with harmonics.  The violin sounded great - better than the sound of Koh's violin a few days ago.

Wyrck, Dominguez, and Jofre.  One sees string players, a pianist, and a timpanist in this photo.  The Program also lists a guiro, a triangle, and a bass drum.

The Bandoneon.  Most people would think it's an accordion.

The music was reasonably captivating and interesting.  However, after 10 minutes or so I thought I had heard enough.  The entire piece was about 20 minutes.

Much has been said about how Tchaikovsky died eight days after the premiere of his last work, Symphony No. 6.  Today's Program Notes has a new take (for me) on why he (perhaps) drank poison.  It had to do with his alleged relationship with a young boy, and Tchaikovsky was asked to commit suicide to not embarrass the School of Jurisprudence that the composer attended some thirty years prior.

The Symphony is a challenge to any orchestra, and I am surprised that NJSO decided to take it on.  My overall reaction: technically things seemed fine, but the overall performance lacked the "passion" or "pathos" one expected.  Which all-in-all isn't a bad outcome.

After the Pathetique.

And, I am glad to say, it's no longer a "Jekyll and Hyde" ensemble, a term I used to describe NJSO when Lacombe was the conductor.  The orchestra did well with Lacombe leading, but would collapse under guest conductors.  Of course, Dominguez is a regular.

The concert was actually quite well attended, even though there were still quite a few empty seats in the balcony.  As with the State Theater, there were a lot of renovations done during the pandemic hiatus.  The auditorium still had the same feel as before things however were a lot "cleaner."

There is the addition of a proper lobby in the Balcony.

The auditorium has the same feel it did in the past.  The seats were reupholstered.

Half-time waits at bathrooms are considerably shortened with additional facilities.

Jennifer Koh, violin; Thomas Sauer, piano. February 18, 2022.

Matthews Theatre, McCarter Theatre Centre, Princeton, NJ.  (Balcony B, BB5, $33).

Program

Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12, No. 1.

Bridgetower Fantasy by Vijay Iyer (b. 1971).

Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 47, "Kreutzer."

Beethoven's violin sonatas are standard pieces violin students learn.  They range in degrees of difficulty, with No. 1 being on the easy side, and No. 9 a rather difficult one to master.  I enjoyed both pieces.  I forget if the music contains actual repeat markings, but Koh and Sauer seemed to do all the repeats, which make for rather long performances.  The concert started a few minutes late, but didn't end until 9:45 pm, with one intermission.

A notable mistake violin students were taught to avoid was these screeching sounds from not doing your bowing properly.  Another would be playing unintentionally close to the bridge.  Both seem to be staple techniques in the piece by Iyer.  To make those sounds consistently would require a lot of practice - of course I do not know if the sounds were made consistently, or did the violinist do the best she could, and whatever came out, came out.

Per the Program Notes, the Bridgetower Fantasy was "a meditation on the enigmatic African European violinist George Bridgetower, who gave the first performance of the "Kruetzer" with the composer at the piano."  The Program Notes continues to describe the Fantasy, starting with the "lonely violin harmonics" to "a characteristic hesitate-and-rush coda that seems to outdo the master at his own game."  Quite a statement there, as the "master" in this case is THE master Beethoven.  Unfortunately I didn't hear most of what the Notes was describing.  The role Bridgetower played in the Kreutzer Sonata is interesting, though.

Jennifer Koh dyed her hair purple, with nail polish to match.  With a large black mask on, she was not recognizable.  She did the pieces with enthusiasm, and many hairs on the bow broke as a result.  She supposedly performs on a Strad, but the sound was not as smooth and clear as I expected.

Sauer matched Koh musically, I feel sorry for these "accompanists" who faced equal challenges but gets secondary billing in the program.

There were paper copies of the "Program Notes" available, and contains rather insightful observations by David Wright.  But it also contains some "gibberish" with out-of-order words such as "violin leading Rodolphe violinist Kreutzer and and Louis pianist, Adam, who respectively, Beethoven in Paris."  In any case, many violinist will disagree with his view that this sonata "as if to say goodbye forever to the old 'accompanied sonata'."

The tickets were bought at a 50% off sale during Thanksgiving.  Both the main auditorium and the balcony had lots of empty seats.  A bit discouraging.

Taken a few minutes before the concert began.  Not too many additonal people showed up afterwards.

Joshua Bell and Larisa Martinez with the New Jersey Symphony. Broadcast February 9, 2022.

Conductor - Zhang Xian.

Joshua Bell, violin; Larisa Martinez, soprano.

Program

Mendelssohn/arr. Kohn & Stephenson "Ah, ritorna, eta dell'oro" from Infelice

Mozart "Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!," K. 418

Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2

Broadcast on NJ PBS online.

The program was performed at NJPAC, to an empty auditorium, with orchestra members socially distanced.  Strings one to a stand.  It premiered at 7:30 pm on October 20, 2021, per the orchestra's website.

Bell and Martinez are married (in 2019, per Wikipedia).

Loved the Wieniawski violin concerto.

Playing to an empty auditorium, Bell faced the orchestra most of the time.

Socially distanced orchestra seating.

ALL-ARTS Channel Broadcast - Metropolitan Opera's Walkure. February 7, 2022.

Original performance date: 2019.

Conductor - Philippe Jordan; Siegmund - Stuart Skelton, Sieglinde - Eva-Maria Westbroek, Hunding - Gunther Groissbock, Wotan - Greer Grimsley, Brunnhilde - Christine Goerke, Fricka - Jamie Barton.

Speaking of not sitting through a PBS documentary on Itzhak Perlman, what started as "let's see what it is like" turned into a full 4-hour viewing of this broadcast.  I did lose my focus, especially during some of the more "boring" monologues and dialogues.

We saw the Met 2019 Ring Cycle and the cast for the performance we saw was mostly the same as the one for this show.  One notable exception was Michael Volle sang the role of Wotan in the performance we attended.  Interesting, we saw Grimsley as Wotan in the very first Ring Cycle we attended, in 2009 in Seattle.  I didn't write much about the performances then, but distinctly remember Grimsley as not having a strong voice.  I had seen Grimsley a few times in the ensuing years, and have given him a mixed review.  Either the recording engineers did a great job (no doubt they did), or Grimsley improved a lot during the decade.

The Walkure had to slide down these planks.  One could see the relief in their eyes when they landed on the platform below.

Brunnhilde and Wotan.

It is quite clear to me that a stunt double was used in this fire scene.

Walkure at curtain call.  In the center were Grimsley, Goerke, and Westbroek.

An Evening with Itzhak Perlman. February 5, 2022.

State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ.  Balcony (Seat K101, $58).

Program

Announced from stage.

Pianist: Rohan di Silva.

First, this was a packed auditorium.  And ticket prices were (relatively) high.  We paid more for a worse seat compared to the Royal Philharmonic concert.

As described in the notes on the event, Perlman went over his journey as a child in Tel Aviv to more recent times.  He showed many photographs and videos.  I did take some notes which I will retype below (musical numbers prefaced with an *).

He hated the word "virtual," although he recognized that as a life-saver for many people.

His prior encounter with a pandemic (polio) caused his physical problems.  Joked that since he couldn't be a tennis star, might as well practice the violin.

The first apartment his parents rented was 5 by 8 (feet?).

*The first piece he played tonight was Kreisler's Tempo di menuetto.

First teacher was found by his parents at the beach, not very good.

Switched teacher (a woman).

*Schumann's Serenade.  (That's what I wrote down, and it wasn't the famous one by Schubert).

*Concerto by Oskar Rieding.  I had never heard of this composer before, evidently he wrote many violin concertos for the beginning student.  In searching for this piece, I found a record of Perlman titled "Concertos from my Childhood" (EMI Classics).

*Allegro by Joseph Hector Fiocco.

How he was picked by Ed Sullivan and began his journey to the United States.

Studied under Ivan Galamian (whom I know as editor of many violin pieces) and his assistant Dorothy DeLay.  Galamian ran a summer music school called Meadowmount.

While studying in New York, he earned money by performing at many Jewish fundraisers.

Carnegie debut with a piece by Wieniawski.

Mentioned Ravel's Tzigane.

Won a violin competition (Leventritt).

Talked about recording Schubert's Trout Quintet in London in 1969.  With Barenboim, Zuckerman, du Pre and Mehta.  I watched the documentary (available on YouTube) recently.

Made the cover of Newsweek.

Part of the "I Hate Steps" campaign.

Performance with Ray Charles.

Appeared on Sesame Street many times.

Sara Lee commercial.

He sang the jailor role in Tosca, with Pavarotti as Cavaradossi and Mehta conducting.

Talked about the Perlman Music Program which he attributed to his wife Tobi (who came backstage after a concert at Meadowmount and said she would marry him).  It's going strong after 26/27 years.

Started to conduct.

*Schindler's List.  He relayed how John Williams approached him about the piece.

I am not sure what the expectations of the attendees were.  The title of the event, "an evening with," should have led one to think this was going to be Perlman reminiscing about his life.  I could sense there were quite a few who were somewhat disappointed at the lack of brilliant violin playing during the 90-minute session.

His story is certainly an inspiring one.  Of course he has a talent that very few people are blessed with.  I do wonder if he hasn't lost a step or two on the virtuoso front, if the recent concerts I attended were any indication.

The session went by very quickly, and I enjoyed it.  What is it about a live session that makes it so much more interesting?  I can definitely see this as something one would broadcast on PBS, and I will probably give it a miss.

Perlman ended the concert by saying "now you clap," his way of saying there will not be an encore.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Vasily Petrenko, conductor; Kian Soltani, cello. January 30, 2022.

State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ.  Balcony (Seat C102, $43).

Program

Four Sea Interludes from 'Peter Grimes,' Op. 33a (1945) by Britten (1913-1976).

Cello Concerto No 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107 (1959) by Shostakovich (1906-1975).

Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 (1943) by Rachmaninov (1873-1943).

Yesterday (1/31) a "Live from Carnegie Hall" notice popped up on the WQXR APP inviting listeners to tune into a performance by the RPO.  As their website lists 2/3 as their next concert, in the UK, I was evidently catching the tail end of RPO's USA tour.

While all three pieces on the program were written in the mid-1900s, they are all rather popular and "easy listening."

The one piece I had heard the least - once, per this blog - I actually remembered quite well.  It was the first time I heard Alisa Weilerstein, back in 2011.  The 4-note theme, barely singable as a tune, has stuck in my mind ever since.  Today's was a great performance, but not as impactful as what I remember of the one 11 years ago.  The cello was a bit weak when played against the full orchestra.  Per his website, he is about 30 years old, and plays on a Stradivarius.

In addition to the 4-note theme, the other noteworthy aspect of the piece is the third movement, labelled "Cadenza."  Indeed it was a cello-only movement, and sounded and looked very difficult.

The Program Notes (such as it is) discussed at some length the 4-note theme, and labeled it as D-E flat-C-B.  The actual score has the notes as G-F flat-C flat-B flat.  Tried as I did, I couldn't quite get the two to sound the same.  One of those days I will find an explanation.  (The Wikipedia article on the concerto says its continually distorted and re-shaped; my question is if the tune is already unrecognizable at the very beginning, is it still that tune?)

That the piece sounded "familiar" when I listened to it for the second time was simply amazing.  That speaks to either the genius of Shostakovich, or Weilerstein, or both.

Kian Soltani after performing the Shostakovich cello concerto.  Per his website, he plays on a Stradivarius, but the varnish on this cello is light compared to most Stradivarii I have seen.

Alas, the same cannot be said about the other two pieces on the program, both of which I had heard on multiple prior occasions.

I did wish I had read up a little on Peter Grimes.  I finally saw a taped version of the performance during the lockdown, and understood the story.  I also recall parts of the Program Notes I read on prior performances - about these church bells, for instance.  However, I had generally little idea of what was going on.

That it was useful to read up on a piece beforehand was reinforced with Rachmaninov.  The piece was written a few years before the composer's death, and was actually his last completed work.  People who know Rachmaninov's music well can probably recognize it as his work right away.  To me it doesn't evoke the same romanticism.  Of course I could read the composer into the music since I did read the Program.  It wasn't until Dies Irae was introduced that I could say "of course it is."  Perusal of prior blog entries before this had one conductor describe each of the dances as introducing a new character.  I wish I had known that beforehand.

The cellist played an encore, a piece from Shostakovich's film score for "The Gadfly."  It was arranged for the solo cello and the orchestra's cello section.  The orchestra also played an encore: a familiar piece whose title I cannot recall.  (The encore was listed as "Dance of the Tumblers" by Tchaikovsky for their 1/31 Carnegie Hall concert.)  The piece was fast and "rowdy," but showcased how precise the musicians were.

After performance of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances.  This is a rather large orchestra, with over 50 string players, and another 30 of other instruments.  If the conductor was bothered by the low attendance, he didn't show it at all.

Despite my being pretty certain I have heard the RPO before, this evidently was my first encounter with them.  They have been around 75 years and does 200 (!) concerts a year.  Indeed they are hitting multiple cities in the UK after their Carnegie Hall performance.

We bought two tickets for the concert, Anne couldn't go because the grandkids were with us.  Finding parking off street was not difficult, even though the snowstorm on Saturday blocked off many parking spaces along Livingston Avenue.  Traffic was light.

The last time I was at the State Theatre was February, 2020.  In the meantime the place has undergone considerable renovation.  The price on the ticket is $35, but an additional $8 in fees.  My ticket was for the first three rows of the balcony, which was quite full.  Otherwise the balcony was empty, so several people moved to Rows D and E.  I sat in Row D.

Overall, this was an enjoyable concert.  And I joined in the enthusiastic (for New Jersey audiences) applause for a job well-done.

The State Theatre underwent considerable renovations during the Pandemic.  This is the lobby at the balcony level.

Ceiling of auditorium.

Taken 2 minutes before 3 pm.  Empty section of balcony.  A few more people moved to this area just before the concert started.