Classical,
What's not to love?
The Fine Arts Chorale knows how to show an audience a good time. Heartfelt Voices: Our Ode to St. Valentine's Day blended a fresh, exciting program of love songs with art by Jenny Hahn, chocolate from Andres along with wine and a bit of bubbly courtesy of Rimann liquors.
A more romantic setting would have been hard to find, even on Valentine's Day weekend. The Founders' Hall at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral had the festive air of a reception. The audience sat comfortably at elegant tables where red carnations in silver vases sat atop crisp white table cloths strewn with chocolate hearts and glittering confetti. The chorus was color coordinated in black with red accents and the beautiful soloist, Ida Nicolosi, wore a red satin strapless gown with a dazzling necklace. KXTR's Patrick Neas, looking dapper in his tux, was the gracious master of ceremonies.
Artistic Director Terri Teal is one of Kansas City's best. Her programs are always well designed with careful attention to the soulful aspects of choral composition. She chooses music that is easy to fall in love with. The accompanist for the ensemble, Geoff Wilcken, regularly writes new pieces specifically for the ensemble. His Go, Lovely Rose was completed this year. The piece featured the talented Nicolosi and dovetailed well with the Two Love Songs by Robert H. Young that followed. Other surprising pieces included the Love Lost set of four hilarious songs written in 1969 by Paul Sjolund. These pieces, using poems by Dorothy Parker, Samuel Hoffenstein and Mark Hollis, I had never heard before.
The first half of the concert featured unaccompanied vocal works from the 20th and 21st centuries. Teal conducts with a broad range of distinctive gestures that rivet her singers. Her musical intentions are always crystal clear and the ensemble demonstrates its commitment with attention to every choral detail. They breathe together, swell together and their endings are executed with sensitive precision.
Anyone planning a wedding this year should look closely at This Marriage by Eric Whitacre, set to poems by Rumi and i carry your heart with me by David Dickau from a poem by e.e. cummings. Because of their specific focus, they rarely appear on concert programs, yet they remind listeners of how the bonds of matrimony are special, and they convey a deeply moving message. Including them was a masterstroke.
The Five Hebrew Love Songs by Eric Whitacre was fantastic. Singing in Hebrew is no easy task. It resembles German on the page but the vowels are very different. The choir sang expressively as the music moved from lyrical to energetic. In the piece, Larov (Mostly) random bell-like tones supported the solo well-spoken by Leah Koesten. Soprano Pam Gregory added a gorgeous descending line and Josh Kendle's violin added just the right amount of expressive color. This is an eclectic and arresting piece I hope to hear again.
Local favorite, Ida Nicolosi, and her accompanist Mark Ball took the stage for a set of her favorite love songs beginning with the delightful Steal Me, Sweet Thief by Menotti. "What a curse for a woman is a timid man!" she tells the story with charming earnestness. Anyone familiar with the Merchant Ivory film, A Room with a View, would recognize the glorious aria Chi bel sogno di Doretta by Giuseppe Adami which is another rare gem. Her interpretation was exquisite. An excellent actress, Nicolosi is one of the few sopranos who easily embody the protagonist. She delighted the audience with her 1940s girlie New York accent in Irving Berlin's You'd be Surprised. I hope Nicolosi pursues musical theater as well as opera as she continues her career path.
Combining choral concerts with a visual arts collaboration and small business donations of food and wine is genius. At a time when arts organizations across the country are looking for ways to provide a 360-degree concert experience, the Fine Arts Chorale delivers. The audience was feeling the love.
REVIEW
The Fine Arts Chorale
Heartfelt Voices: Our ode to St. Valentine's Day
Saturday February 13, 2010
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral Founders' Hall
415 W. 13th Street, Kansas City, MO
www.fineartschoralekc.org
KC Events this week and beyond
Click here to see all the events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.
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As an arts organziation or musician, you can add and edit your own events.
KCMetropolis.org's mission is to promote traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre and independent film. We are very sorry, but we do not cover pop, rock, Christian or country music; we do not cover the visual arts or non-performing arts community events. If you would like to send a press release about an upcoming performing arts event, please send to press@KCMetropolis.org.
KC Events Categories are:
Traditional & New Classical Music
Dance
Theatre
Jazz
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KC Events this week and beyond
Check out all the events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.
How do you list your events on KC Events?
As an arts organziation or musician, you now have the ability to add and edit your own events.
KCMetropolis.org's mission is to promote traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre and independent film. We are very sorry, but we do not cover pop, rock, Christian or country music; we do not cover the visual arts or non-performing arts community events. If you would like to send a press release about an upcoming performing arts event, please send to press@KCMetropolis.org.
KC Events Categories are:
Classical Music
New Classical Music
Dance
Theatre
Jazz
KCMetropolis.org heavily depends on KC Events to build an editorial calendar for reviews, previews and interviews. If your events are not listed, we may be unaware of it...
To Submit Information:
- Please go to the KCM front page and click on the login tab located at the top right-hand side of the website.
- Create a login account and then sign-in.
- Read the KC Events Terms of Service before proceeding
- On the left-hand nav is a category called Submit Content
- Click on Submit an Event or Manage Your Events.
- Listings will be approved with 48 hours if it fits the KCMetropolis.org criteria.
Dance,
Real stories inspire real dancing
Think you know hip-hop? Groovaloo, the award-winning show created by Bradley Rapier and Danny Cistone, just might make you think again. According to Rapier, one of the goals for the show is "to break some of the crazier, negative or, you know, just wrong ideas people might have about hip-hop culture and what it does for us and where it comes from."
The highly-acclaimed show is based on the real experiences of the dancers, known as the Groovaloos. The group has been successful - winning the American Street Dance Championships and NBC's SuperStars of Dance, a program in which dancers from around the globe compete for the top prize - and appearing on several shows, including the popular So You Think You Can Dance.
Groovaloo is part dance, part poetry, part theater, and completely honest. "Our show, yes it's a dance show, but it's a theater piece, and it's a true story," Rapier said. Along with the personal struggles and triumphs of the dancers, the stories showcase the performers' passion and love of dance. "One of my goals has always been to give people, whether they dance or not, a glimpse into this world that has so changed my life," he said.
Rapier, who originally had planned to become a doctor before realizing his passion for street dancing, said the show started quite different than how it is now. While working on developing the idea, Rapier began interviewing the dancers to learn their background, what led them to the world of dance, and why they moved to Los Angeles, among other things. After the dancers saw what had been recorded, they knew that this was the real show.
"I took those interviews, listened to them and put some images with them, showed them to the Groovaloos, and everybody said the same thing - there's the show, forget all this pretend stuff, writing fictional stories. We have been together now, we have a story to tell that will reach people 'cause its universal themes about regular people, and this dance is our vehicle," Rapier said.
One universal theme featured in the show is perseverance. Using the stories of the cast members - including Steven Stanton, known as Boogieman, who was shot and told he would never walk again - the show demonstrates how important it is to keep going.
"(The show) has the power behind it, regardless of what you're doing in your life, to say keep going, even if you don't know what's next. Keep going, keep stepping. You may not have all the answers, but keep going," Rapier said. As Boogieman says in the show, "Life isn't always choreographed. Sometimes you have to freestyle."
PREVIEW
The Performing Arts Series at JCCC
Groovaloo
Friday, March 5 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 6 at 8 p.m.
Yardley Hall
Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-469-4445 or online at www.jccc.edu
Classical,
Profile: Luca Lombardi
Finding a place to categorize Luca Lombardi isn't easy. He writes a lot of different things. He lives in different places. His interests vary widely. It's probably best just to listen to the different things he's involved in rather than try to put him into a single box.
His website tells us, "From the very beginning, Lombardi had a passion for Stravinsky and Bartók." OK, that sort of gives us a starting point. He also was drawn to the "avant-garde movement" of the 1960s and 1970s, and wrote works such as Analisi for three synthesizers, and Senza titolo with text of the writings of Ho Chi Minh and Richard Nixon for voice and synthesizer. Think you're getting the picture?
But then he began writing only for conventional concert instruments and traditional concert settings, though his music has a sound and "feel" distinctly his own.
How do you categorize such a person?
We can't. But we can ask some questions - which we did. And that may reveal a little of what to expect when Luca Lombardi's Flute Concerto makes its world premiere with the Kansas City Symphony the weekend of February 19, 20 and 21.
David Peironnet: The Kansas City Symphony chose you to compose a piece of music. How did this come about? Did the music director, Michael Stern, ask you to write a new composition or was this selected in another way?
Luca Lombardi: When I listened to Emmanuel Pahud's playing, I was impressed by the beauty of his sound as well as the musical intelligence of his interpretation. He listened to my music and liked it. So we decided that I would write a concerto for him. The commission by Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony made it possible. (Emmanuel Pahud will perform Lombardi's composition as a flute soloist with the Symphony.)
DR: You appear to enjoy composing for the flute. For example, you first wrote for a flute in your Adagio in the 1960s then several more pieces beginning in the late 1990s, including the Flatus for four flutes in 1999 and the Storia di Giona last year. Why does the flute appeal to you?
LL: As a matter of fact, starting in the late 1990s, I wrote more than ever before for the flute. This is because I met some outstanding flutists such as Mario Caroli and Roberto Fabbriciani. So in my Opera Prospero (based on The Tempest by Shakespeare), there is a flutist on stage who is an instrumental alter ego of Ariel's magic spirit (sung by four female voices). A solo flute piece derived from the opera is Nel vento, con Ariel. Other recent pieces for flute, or that include the flute, are Einstein-Dialog for flute and cello, Bremer Trio for flute, cello, and piano, Echo de Syrinx for solo flute and - just written - a transcription of Bach's choral O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden for solo flute.
As a wind instrument, the flute is close to the sound of nature. In many respects, it is a "primal instrument," dealing with air and breath. It stays at the very origin of everything - of life itself.
DP: Most of your compositions use traditional orchestra instruments, yet you also wrote for electronic instruments and synthesized voices back in the 1970s. What attracted you to experimental type of music? Why have you returned to more conventional orchestral scorings?
LL: When I was younger, I wanted to experiment with all kinds of possibilities of generating musical sounds. So I studied electronic music and also founded a group for live electronic music (Musica ex Machina with Alvin Curran and Domenico Guaccero). Today, I'm still interested in experimenting, but I believe to that, it is not necessary to use unheard-of sounds. Electronically generated sounds age quickly while you can discover again and again the beauty and richness of the sounds generated by old instruments such as a cello or a flute. I always liked writing for orchestra, which is a wonderfully complex organism, but at the same time full of wonderful individualities and collectiveness.
DP: When you listen to any piece of music that you've never heard before - whether it's in a concert hall or a popular piece on the radio - what do you as a composer listen for?
LL: I try to listen without prejudices. Sometimes a song might be more valuable than a pretentious piece of so-called serious music. I expect a piece to surprise and move me.
DP: What should Kansas City audiences listen for when they hear your flute concerto for the first time?
LL: They, like I, should experience music with "open" ears - without prejudices.
DP: What are you working on now?
LL: At the moment I'm not composing. I walk through the streets of the city or on the shore of the sea (in Tel Aviv, where I pass part of the year), thinking of the next commitments, like an orchestral piece for La Scala in Milan and a new opera.
The Kansas City Symphony
Emmanuel Pahud, flute soloist
World premiere of Luca Lombardi's flute concerto
Friday, February 19 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 20 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central Street, Kansas City, MO
Sunday, February 21 at 2 p.m.
The Carlsen Center
College Blvd. and Quivira Road, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org
A related item
Three young flutists will perform with Emmanuel Pahud when he conducts a master class this Thursday, February 18. Pahud is an internationally recognized flutist who is in Kansas City to perform with the Kansas City Symphony. The master class will be at the Lyric Theatre. Admission is free, but reservations are required. For tickets call the Symphony box office at 816-471-0400.
Classical,
A heart and soul performance
Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor is a piece of music that seems to depend on the point of view of the soloist. Each player brings a personal narrative. The concerto is full of unbridled energy, questions and longing. Hearing it last Friday on the bow of the ravishing violinist Karen Gomyo, I was transported into a brilliant and conflicted world of female passion, and it was exciting.
Taking the stage in a beguiling copper-colored strapless gown with a black chiffon overlay, Gomyo visually complimented the timpani, strings and concert black of the orchestra. It was an understated choice that seemed to say, "I am only slightly more special than the orchestra and we operate as a cohesive whole."
Gomyo was gloriously supported by the Kansas City Symphony as she played the ex-Foulis Stradivarius of 1703, which was absolutely her equal.
The violins entered so quietly that had the guest conductor, Andrew Grams, not been moving his baton, I would have scarcely noticed. The first solo statement was sweet and mournful with a gypsy like lyricism. It was fresh and intense at the same time. There is mind-blowing virtuosity demanded in this concerto that Gomyo played with precision and confidence. She caressed the E string so lightly that it might have resembled a thread of spider webbing. Then, on a dime, she would pull a huge tone from deep within the soul of the instrument.
Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen was originally booked to guest conduct but couldn't because of a schedule conflict. Normally, I would have felt a little let down but not in this case. Andrew Grams was excellent. He was intensely aware of Gomyo's every move and the orchestra followed his generous gestures with attentive trust. There was a synergy between the players that made the entire performance a triumph. After the final bow stroke, I was surprised at how quickly the members of the orchestra dropped their instruments to clap for Gomyo. She poured her heart and soul into the performance and the entire concerto was a huge success.
What could possibly follow? Stravinsky's Pétrouchka. Originally written as piece for piano and orchestra, it was made into ballet for Serge Diaghilev. The piece tells the eerie tale of the puppet Pétrouchka and how he is jilted by the woman he loves, killed by her lover and transformed into a ghost.
Stravinsky uses a variety of tone colors and scoring techniques. Musically transported, the audience is standing in the middle of a busy fairground. The puppet show is happening on one side but the carnival is swirling all around. The actors emerge and the plot thickens toward its spooky conclusion.
The Symphony shined. The brass section played with gusto and precision. The principal trumpet, Gary Schutza, demonstrated fantastic dynamic control from barely audible to piercingly loud. Other notable soloists included principal flutist Michael Gordon, Steven Seward the principal tuba and harpist Deborah Wells Clark. The Symphony should be proud of its performance.
(Audiences interested in hearing Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor can hear the talented violinist Sarah Holmes play it February 26 at UMKC as one of four pieces on the 2010 Concerto/Aria concert.)
REVIEW
The Kansas City Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Grams, guest conductor
Karen Gomyo, violinist
Friday, February 12, 2010
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central Streets, Kansas City, MO
www.kcsymphony.org
Classical,
High notes at "Hymn of the Highlands"
After becoming the first American band to win a competition on Scottish soil, it was fitting that the Fountain City Brass Band's first concert after the victory was titled Hymn of the Highlands. Lead by Joseph Parisi, the band showcased its dazzling technique and fantastic soloists who led them to their overseas victory (along with six U.S. titles). This ensemble is a sonic treasure.
Prominent brass band composer Philip Sparke's monumental, seven-movement suite, Hymn of the Highlands, accounted for the first half of the program. It played to the band's strengths and allowed for many fine solos from the ensemble's talented musicians. Ardross Castle opened with an evocative duet between TJ Menges (tenor horn) and Helen Tyler (baritone) that was then echoed off-stage by Matthew Vangjel (flugelhorn). Lee Harrelson, founder of the FCBB and solo euphonium, showcased the instrument's expressive qualities in Summer Isles and soprano cornetist Ryan Sharp's feature, Flowerdale, had a melody seemingly ripped from the Broadway stage.
Sharp's playing made the stratospheric notes sound effortless. The crowning piece of the otherwise innocuous set was the centerpiece Stratchcarron. Based on the popular Sword Dance, Stratchcarron was a brilliant display of technique and power. After the Commando March-esque opening, the ensemble was in a flurry of sixteenth notes. I was impressed with the rapid fluidity of Chris Larios' (solo cornet) scalar runs. Then I was wowed when the entire ensemble echoed the exact same exact passage moments later. Bravo. The low brass, throughout the night but in this movement in particular, possessed an extremely focused and precise fundamental sound.
Larios soloed over a shimmering watery palette of muted trumpets and cornets evocative of the aptly titled Lairg Muir. Vangjel, Menges, and Tyler were the featured players in Alladale, but the accompaniment's capricious textures and timbres created by the various mutes were more interesting. The final movement, Dundonnell, was somewhat of a let down after the previous material. It was a bit too twee and predictable; it lacked the oomph required for a finale. I was pleased that the suite was cohesive and enough of the Scottish highland tunes were represented as opposed to yet another James Horner Braveheart knock-off.
The too-short Malcolm Arnold Four Scottish Dances opened the second half. Bass trombonist Andy Schwartz played the drunken Falstaff in his delightfully off-kilter solos. Menges again soloed in the traditional Piper O'Dundee. This set of variations had shades of Arban's Carnival of Venice and Menges tossed off the florid ornamentation with panache. Unfortunately, John Blanken's ponderous, by-the-numbers arrangement of Charles Hutcheson's Stracathro did the band no favors and it was played as if on autopilot. The triplet countermelody was pedantic and sounded like a bad Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. I understand from a performing standpoint that it is necessary to have those catalogue pieces at one's disposal, though. Peter Graham's Gaelforce was a rip-roaring, rhythmic, brassy closer, in spite of the superfluous drum set that trivialized the piece.
Overall, the music played by the Fountain City Brass Band is pleasing and approachable for any audience. The verbal program notes and Joseph Parisi's sensitive conducting added warmth and familiarity to the entire proceedings. As evident in the accolades being showered upon them by an international community, this is an ensemble in top form.
REVIEW
Fountain City Brass Band
Hymn of the Highlands
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Bell Cultural Events Center
MidAmerica Nazarene University
2030 E. College Way, Olathe, KS
www.fcbb.net
Classical,
Stephen Prutsman wows the Folly
The Friends of Chamber Music presented pianist Stephen Prutsman at the Folly Theater last Friday. Billed as a romantic evening (little "r" perhaps because it was Valentine's weekend), it was, in musical fact, a "Classical-Romantic-Impressionist-Baroque-20th century" evening with something for everyone.
The program opened with Haydn's Sonata No. 52 in E-Flat Major, written in 1794 when Haydn was 62 - an "old man" for the time. To suggest that this was a "mature" work runs the risk of sounding trite, but in fact, it did convey a sense of self-awareness by the classical elder statesman that likely is responsible, in part, for its distinct "non-Haydn-ness." The Sonata sounded quite a bit more like an early Beethoven work (Beethoven being 24 at the time). In previous reviews, I have made no secret of the fact that I am no fan of Haydn, but this unique piece was quite enjoyable. Prutsman's artistic, almost "conductor-like" delivery was energetic and pristine and gave the piece a freshness that likely pleased 19th century audiences as much as it still does modern ones.
Chopin's Ballade No. 2 in F Major has always struck me as a piece representative of a pianistic battle between Chopin and his contemporary (both born in 1810) Robert Schumann, and hearing it live did not change that impression. Prutsman offered the Ballade with a sensitive interpretation of the lilting opening melody (Schumann). The middle section erupted with a ferocity that snapped the listener abruptly back to a realization that this was, indeed, Chopin - with all the flair and virtuosity one usually expects. Prutsman's deft handling of the stark differences in themes showed off both his artistic interpretive skills and his formidable technique, and the balance required during the second half of the piece where both themes vie for superiority was masterful.
The first half of the program closed with three selections from Maurice Ravel's Miroirs (Une barque sur l'océan, Alborada del gracioso and La vallée des cloches). Aurally, Ravel stands distinctly apart from his impressionist contemporaries with unique open-architecture voicings that use the piano as a broader sound palette than, say, Debussy. It is rarer to hear non-orchestral works by Ravel (try avoiding the over-played Bolero in the concert repertoire!), so these pianistic gems were a treat, and again Prutsman's versatility shined through.
Bach's English Suite No. 6 in D Minor opened the second half. Bach under less-nuanced hands can become a purely technical exercise - though Prutsman certainly has the chops for that type of approach - but his emotional interpretation was refreshing and succeeded in bringing Bach "off the page" in a way that held my attention throughout. I attended with my wife and she summed the performance up best: "I've never seen anyone have that much fun playing Bach before."
The scheduled program closed with one of the most amazing piano performances I have witnessed with Three Movements from Pétrouchka (Danse russe, Chez Pétrouchka and La semaine grasse). Unlike Rite of Spring, which was originally conceived and written for piano (for four hands - and first debuted by Stravinsky and Debussy), then orchestrated, Pétrouchka had debuted in its orchestral version (on June 13, 1911) and was later reworked as a piano piece. It is, in a word, gargantuan. Prutsman had clearly demonstrated complete mastery of the keyboard to that point in the evening but nothing prepared me for the enormity of the prowess that was brought forth for Pétrouchka. Intimately familiar with the orchestral version, I was astounded at how he was able to bring out each distinctive theme and voice with such stark clarity. Even within huge fistfuls of chord clusters, there existed nuanced voicings. At times, not unlike Rite of Spring, I could have been convinced that there were four hands at work. After the concert, I reveled in Prutsman's lingering enthusiasm for the work when I commented to him (during a CD signing) that "the Stravinsky was insane!" and he energetically replied, "Yeah, it's wild, man!"
For an encore, Prutsman closed the evening with an exquisite rendition of Irving Berlin's What'll I Do dedicated to a family friend who had recently passed away at age 87. Written in 1923, the selection served to bridge the gap between the classical and popular genres with harmonic similarities to those heard in the Ravel pieces. It was an exquisite dessert and a touching musical tribute that closed the evening perfectly.
REVIEW
The Friends of Chamber Music
Stephen Prutsman, Piano
Friday, February 12, 2010
Folly Theatre
300 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO
www.chambermusic.org
Film,
"That Evening Sun" shines brightly
Following his 2008 Oscar-nominated supporting role in Into the Wild, 84-year-old Hal Holbrook delivers a powerful lead performance in That Evening Sun as a Tennessee farmer who refuses to give up his land, even after his son has rented it to someone else.
In the kind of summer heat that never lets up, Abner Meecham (Holbrook) walks away from the retirement home where his son, Paul (Walton Goggins, The Shield), placed him and goes back to the farm he worked all his life to build with a wife he still dreams about.
Abner is angry and confused to find that the family of Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon, The Blind Side) has moved in, thanks to a rental agreement they reached with Paul. Bad blood was spilled a long time ago between Abner and Lonzo, whom Abner regards as "white trash." It's no surprise then that Lonzo relishes the fact that he now has what Abner holds so dear. However, Abner refuses to leave and moves into a nearby shack that was once used by slaves.
While Lonzo's sympathetic wife, Ludie (Carrie Preston, Duplicity, Doubt), and 16-year-old daughter, Pamela (Mia Wasikowska, who is the lead in Tim Burton's upcoming Alice In Wonderland), attempt to be friendly with Abner, it does nothing to diffuse the increasingly hostile atmosphere, which is made worse by a .38 revolver, a barking dog, and Lonzo's drunken temper.
That Evening Sun is about the eternal struggle of opposing generations. There is Abner's Great Depression generation who has unwavering belief in hard work, pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps and, as Abner says, a belief in following through with what you start. Contrarily, Lonzo represents a belief that the government should help you when you fall down and if something goes missing, you replace it.
There's nothing totally wrong or right about either viewpoint, but the diametrical ways of looking at life that these two principal characters possess provides the traction for their conflict. Their dispute over who owns what is merely the catalyst for a conflict that goes from disparaging comments to violent confrontation to desperation. Both are pitiable men in their own way; however, Abner is bitter to the point of being toxic and Lonzo is a violent, lazy drunk.
That Evening Sun is a tense, superbly written drama with a performance by Holbrook that shows he is still on top of his game. Its tragic characters and genuine Southern feel would make Tennessee Williams proud.
On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, That Evening Sun receives a B+.
That Evening Sun is rated R and has a running time of 112 minutes.
Now showing through February 19 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square, 4050 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for show times.
Classical,
Discovering new talent
The Harriman-Jewell Series' Discovery Concerts at the Folly are intended to offer people of all ages the opportunity to attend free professional concerts. Judging by the size of the audience for the young violinist Rachel Lee, the Discovery Concerts are successful in their pursuit to attract a new group of classical concert-goers.
Lee, a student of Itzhak Perlman, already has an extremely impressive record of accomplishments at her young age. However, as every musician knows, there is always room for growth, regardless of age or experience. Lee's Kansas City debut on February 13 exhibited her already high level of playing ability and her potential.
The program may not have had an underlying connective theme, but including a classical sonata and an atonal 20th century work at the same concert is certainly an admiral attempt in adventurous programming. Lee opened the concert with Beethoven's Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 10 in G Major, composed in 1812. While perhaps not Beethoven's most compelling violin sonata, No. 10 was still a good piece with which Lee could demonstrate her technical precision. After a slightly timid start, Lee quickly relaxed and the work's numerous arpeggios, trills, and lengthy slurred passages were expertly performed with only minimal intonation issues.
The rest of the concert featured works from the early 20th century. Five Melodies for Violin and Piano, Op. 35 bis by Prokofiev followed Beethoven on the first half of the concert. Again, while not the most interesting Prokofiev violin piece, Lee continued to display more of her excellent command of melody and phrasing. Lee seamlessly switched between the work's wistful, playful and frenzied passages with only a rare imperfect harmonic and slightly embellished vibrato here and there.
The second half of the concert had a notably darker edge than the first, starting with Webern's Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7. Here Lee was able to show off her proficiency with atonality, dissonance, and dynamic control. A mere six minutes and almost all of them in the softest dynamic range, Four Pieces was the most mysterious and gripping work on the program. The audience was completely silent, holding their breath in anticipation of what would come next in the music.
Lee finally exhibited some of the energy and emotion I had been waiting for all night with Enescu's Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Major. She fully embraced the Sonata's rhapsodic Gypsy-like melodies that included devices such as quarter-tone pitch bends, glissandos and the timbral bowing effects ponticello and sul tasto. Where Lee had an occasionally imperfect harmonic in the Prokofiev, she more than made up for in the all-harmonics opening of the second movement of Enescu's Sonata.
As an audience member, I felt disconnected from Lee until her first encore, Kreisler's Tambourin Chinois, the first memorized piece of the evening. Lee was not entirely buried in her sheet music the entire concert, but enough so that half the audience rarely saw her face while she played. Her young age perhaps allows her to get away with sheet music on stage, but her performance of Tambourin Chinois shows she is clearly capable of confident memorization and it resulted in a noticeable improvement in her stage presence and energy. With its lively pentatonic phrases and an emotive, legato middle section, Tambourin Chinois was a perfect choice for an encore.
For her second encore, Lee played Manuel de Falla's Cancion from Suite Populaire Espagnole. The short, sweet and dance-like tune was played well, but it also was not memorized, and I found it somewhat of an afterthought, especially after her performance of Tambourin Chinois.
Pianist Michael Brown was a sensitive and attentive accompanist throughout the entire concert, playing accurately and expressively. Balance issues occurred only during the softer violin sections and were trivial compared to his otherwise excellent musical exchanges and flawless timing with Lee.
This Discovery Concert was a wonderful introduction to the classical concert experience. Because it was a new audience unfamiliar with concert etiquette, I believe they would have benefited from a section about etiquette written into the program as well as the recorded reminder played before the concert that attempts to eliminate distractions such as clapping between movements and cell phone ringing. Lee handled them with professionalism and poise. The Discovery Concerts are worth attending for any concert-goer interested in new artists. Rachel Lee is one such artist brimming with talent and potential and worth catching again in the future.
REVIEW:
Harriman-Jewell Series Discovery Concert
Rachel Lee, Violin
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Folly Theatre
12th and Central Streets, Kansas City, MO
www.hjseries.org
City Classics,
Music and Dance through February 24
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Master Class: Roberta Alexander
Wednesday, February 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Grant Hall, Room 122|
University of Missouri-Kansas City campus
Kansas City, MO
Free admission. For more information visit www.umkc.edu/conservatory
If you can make it to the UMKC campus at 3:00 on Wednesday afternoon you will be in for a treat, and it's free. Roberta Alexander, one of the most impressive soprano vocalists of the last few decades, is an artist in residence at the Conservatory this month, and Wednesday afternoon will give a master class. She is known as an expressive and communicative teacher who is an inspiration to students, and this may be your only chance to see her in action locally.
Harriman Jewell Series
Marc-Andre Hamelin, pianist
Friday, February 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Folly Theater, 12th and Central Streets
Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 815-415-5025 or online at www.harrimanjewell.org
This listener waits with anxious anticipation every appearance of Marc-Andre Hamelin in Kansas City. For an introduction, we can do no better than quote pianist James Rhodes in a recent issue of BBC Music Magazine, who writes:
"Marc-Andre Hamelin is for me the greatest living virtuoso. He's recorded a CD called Kaleidoscope which is short pieces that are absolutely mind-numbingly difficult and very rare - everyone from Kapustin to Blumenfeld, and his own compositions. Every time I listen to it I'm awestruck by what this guy can do. In Canada they used to call him 'the monkey' because he was so agile - he could turn a score of some obscure Richard Strauss upside down on the piano and still sight-read it."
We don't know if Hamelin will be playing any upside-down musical scores or not, but his athletic virtuosity will amaze you. For this program he has selected some relatively tame Haydn and Mozart, but ventures into the virtuosic repertoire with Liszt and Faure, and then will perform some music by Alkan, a composer of fiendishly difficult piano pieces in whose repertoire Hamelin excels.
You simply have to see and hear Hamelin to believe it. This is one of the can't-miss recitals of the Kansas City classical music season.
Kansas City Symphony
Stern Conducts Beethoven & Tchaikovsky
Friday, February 19 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 20 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre, 11th and Central
Downtown Kansas City, MO
Sunday, February 21, at 2 p.m.
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas
For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org
The Symphony mixes in some old favorites with a world premiere this weekend. The old favorites on the program are Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 and the Overture to Francesca da Rimini by Tchaikovsky, along with a Rossini overture, to the opera La scala di seta.
Beethoven as a young man shattered the traditional symphonic forms as perfected by his great predecessors Mozart and Haydn, turning a charming little 25- or 30-minute composition involving 35 or 40 musicians into a bombastic and furious performance lasting 45 minutes to an hour and requiring as many as 90 musicians on stage. His Symphony Nos. 3, 4 and 5 were the pathbreaking works on this vein.
By the time Beethoven reached Symphony No. 8 his passion had cooled a little, and this symphony represents a tuneful and somewhat less bombastic work which still explores the full breadth of his compositional style. It is this symphony, along with his No. 9, which laid the path for such great successors to Beethoven as Dvorak, Mahler and Bruckner.
Tchaikovsky, a couple of generations later, learned much from Beethoven but was not a breaker of molds as was the older master. In fact, he was looked down upon as "old school" by such Russian new music vanguards as Balakirev, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky and Borodin. Tchaikovsky, however, prevailed in the end, with a series of magisterial compositions which surpassed, both in quantity and quality, the entire output of his competitors.
For the world premiere on the program, the Symphony is bringing composer Luca Lombardi to Kansas City for a Flute Concerto to be performed by Swiss flutist Emmanuel Pahud. The 64-year-old Lombardi, a native of Italy, was trained in a German conservatory and has written music that crosses between the Italian and German styles, often of a highly charged political nature. He has written in almost every musical form, including opera, and according to one writer his work ranges from "expressive cantilenas, violent outbursts, meditative contemplation to alienation and deconstruction," constantly displaying "flashes of wit and irony."
Pahud, born in Geneva 40 years ago, has won a raft of international competitions and has served as principal flutist for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Claudio Abbado), Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra (Nello Santi), Munich Philharmonic Orchestra (Sergiu Celibidache), and Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (Simon Rattle). As a soloist he has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, Berlin and Stuttgart Radio Symphony, Suisse Romande, Zurich Tonhalle, Tokyo Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Osaka Century, London Symphony, Belgian National, Liege Philharmonic, Dutch Radio and many others.
In addition to his appearances at the Symphony concerts, Pahud will give a free public master class the evening of Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre. For free tickets call 816-471-0400 or visit www.kcsymphony.org.
Kansas City Baroque Consortium
Baroque Harpsichord Concert
Friday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m.
St Michael's and All Angels Church
6630 Nall Avenue, Mission, KS
Free admission. Donations accepted.
For more information visit www.nicholasgood.net
The Kansas City Baroque Consortium presents harpsichordist Nicholas Good in a program that includes a Bach harpsichord concerto, the Fifth Brandenburg, one of the Paris Quartets of Telemann and solo harpsichord music by Böhm and Rameau. The Kansas City Baroque Consortium, a period instrument group, is lead by Trilla-Ray Carter, artistic director.
This concert will be repeated in Topeka, Kansas at the First Presbyterian Church, 817 S.W. Harrison, at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 21.
University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra
Friday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Lied Center
University of Kansas
1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS
The University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra led by David Neely performs at the Lied Center on Friday evening. No information is available about the program.
Octarium
Mass-tiche
Saturday, February 20, at 7:30 p.m.
St. Elizabeth's Church
2 East 75th Street (75th and Main Streets)
Kansas City, MO
Tickets available at the door or online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/93654.
The eight-voice a capella group Octarium sets the standard in Kansas City for simply gorgeous small vocal ensemble music. This remarkable group of young musicians, led by director Krista Blackwood, enjoys a level of harmonious blending that rivals that of internationally-famous vocal groups.
For this concert, Blackwood has chosen the interesting phenomenon of pastiche compositions, once popular on concert programs but rarely done today. A pastiche is a patched-together composition made up of pieces from several different composers, sometimes intended for joint performance and sometimes not. Many masses were put together this way back on the Baroque and Classical eras, and this concert will present modern listeners with an opportunity to have this curious experience.
Blackwood says, "Exploring similarities with settings through time -- Byrd paired with Barber, Machaut with MacMillan -- this concert should prove to be an intriguing evening of music and history."
The acoustics at St. Elizabeth's are perfect for this sort of thing, by the way. It should be a lovely and unconventional evening.
Musica Sacra
Music in Salzburg
Saturday, February 20 at 7 p.m.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
52nd and Troost, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.rockhurst.edu/musicasacra
Musical Sacra's first program of 2010 focuses on music by Salzburg masters. Of course it will feature Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who will be represented by two settings of the Missa Brevis, works noted for their length rather than their brevity, as the title might have suggested. They were enormously popular in German churches for centuries afterwards, and may be among his most frequently performed religious works.
Also included, however, is an unusual piece by Michael Haydn, the younger brother of Franz Joseph Haydn and a fine composer in his own right, who wrote, among other pieces, the Laudate Puerii and Ave maria which will be presented on this concert.
As is often the case, director Timothy McDonald deserves a respectful salute for bringing to Kansas City audiences unusual and fascinating repertoire not often heard in local venues. The Michael Haydn in particular should be a treat.
Kansas City Civic Orchestra
Music That Stirs the Soul
Saturday, February 20, 2010, at 7:30 p.m.
Atonement Lutheran Church
9948 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS
Free concert. For more information visit www.lied.ku.edu
Christopher Kelts leads the Kansas City Civic Orchestra in an ambitious program this weekend which includes some of Dvorak's delightful Slavonic Dances as well as Tchaikovsky's popular Symphony No. 5. The Civic Orchestra never shirks from a challenge, and both of these works represent orchestral showpieces requiring precision playing and great feeling, particularly the Tchaikovsky.
The Civic Orchestra is usually up to the challenge, though, as it has been since its founding in 1959.
Ruel Joyce Concert Series
Brookside String Quartet
Monday, February 22 at 12:00 noon
Recital Hall at Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas
Free admission. For more information visit www.jccc.edu
The Ruel Joyce Concert Series affords an excellent opportunity to hear fine classical music at a price that can't be beat, in the recital hall across the lobby from Yardley Hall at the Carlsen Center.
This noontime concert features the Brookside String Quartet in a program that features works of Haydn and Mendelssohn. The Brookside String Quartet is made up of violinist Alex Shum, violinist Francesca Manheim, violist Kent Brauninger and cellist Leslie Mengel, all players from the Kansas City Symphony and/or Kansas City Chamber Orchestra.
Conservatory Wind Symphony
Tuesday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.umkc.edu/conservatory
The Conservatory Wind Symphony concerts are often among the most enjoyable presentations given at the Conservatory. On this evening, conductor Steven D. Davis will lead his forces in Fratres by contemporary composer Arvo Part, along with the Symphony for Band (played by wind instruments?!) by Vincent Persichetti and Selections from the Danserve by Tielman Susato, a Flemish Renaissance composer, as arranged by Patrick Dunnigan.
In addition to this unusual repertoire, the concert will feature the world premiere of the Concerto for Vibraphone by Lee Hartman, featuring James Clanton, vibraphone player.
Local Arts News,
Kansas City Ballet receives $900,000 grant from Kresge Foundation
President of the Kansas City Ballet Board of Directors Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley and Capital Campaign Steering Committee Co-Chair Dr. John Hunkeler announced that The Kresge Foundation has selected Kansas City Ballet as a recipient of a $900,000 challenge grant toward the completion of the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, the company's future home.
The challenge grant requires the Ballet to raise $3 million over the next 18 months, toward the total remaining campaign goal of $5.8 million, to receive Kresge funds.
The historic Power House building on the west edge of the Union Station campus is currently being renovated as the future home of Kansas City Ballet. Named in honor of Todd Bolender, who served as Artistic Director from 1981 to 1995, the Center will provide a permanent home for the Ballet company as well as increase space for its highly regarded training academy, boasting a current enrollment of 600 students at two campuses, downtown and Johnson County.
The $39 million project, including a $7 million endowment to support the building's operating costs once it is open, is within 15% of achieving its fundraising goal.
Anyone interested in learning more about the capital campaign for the Bolender Center or Kansas City Ballet in general, can contact Jennifer Wampler, Development Director (jwampler@kcballet.org) at 816-931-2232 x 1309 or Jeffrey Bentley (jbentley@kcballet.org) at 816-753-8787. A virtual tour of the renovations is available online at the Kansas City Ballet website: www.kcballet.org.
Auditions,
Upcoming Auditions
THE BARN PLAYERS
Auditions for
The Boys Next Door
By Tom Griffin
Directed by Nancy Eppert
AUDITIONS:
Monday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 23
7:00 - 9:30 pm
St. Pius Church, 55th and Woodson, Mission, KS
EXPECTATION and PREPARATION:
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. It is suggested to have a one-minute prepared monologue, but not required. It is highly suggested that those auditioning have read the script.
Bring your conflicts from the date of your audition through June 20; absolutely NO conflicts during the two weeks prior to the opening of the show, June 4.
Rehearsals begin April 19 at St. Pius and will run Mondays - Fridays.
Please bring a current resume; a headshot is optional and will not be returned.
Invited Callbacks will be held on Saturday, March 27th (Time - TBA).
PRODUCTION DATES:
June 4th - 20th, 2010
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm
All performances take place at
The Barn Players Theatre, 6219 Martway in Mission, KS
For more information, please contact director, Nancy Eppert, nkeppert@gmail.com or Eric Magnus, Artistic Director of The Barn Players, at emagnitude@yahoo.com
THE BARN PLAYERS
Auditions for
"Assassins"
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Directed by Damron Russell Armstrong
Musical Direction by Martha Risser
AUDITIONS:
Saturday, April 3rd from 2:00 - 6:00 PM
Sunday, April 4th from 2:00 - 6:00 PM
At St. Pius Church
55th and Woodson, Mission, KS
EXPECTATION and PREPARATION:
Auditions will be an open call both days, and will consist of singing a prepared 32 bar selection of a musical theatre song in the style of the show (if possible).
Please Provide: Sheet Music...no CDs & NO A CAPPELLA auditions
Headshot/Resume (if available)
Invited Callbacks will be held on Saturday, April 10th from 2:00 - 6:00 pm. If you are auditioning, please make sure to clear your schedule that evening, as callbacks are critical to putting together the strongest ensemble for this ensemble piece.
Rehearsals will likely begin in late July or early August.
All performances take place at The Barn Players Theatre, 6219 Martway in Mission, KS
For more information, please contact Eric Magnus, Artistic Director of The Barn Players, at emagnitude@yahoo.com
Local Arts News,
Arts Day at the Kansas Capitol
Arts Day at the Capitol for Kansas Arts supporters
Thursday, March 11, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Topeka, Kansas
This is a crucial year for the arts in Kansas with the current legislative session. The support of everyone from arts advocates; arts educators; artists; arts organization directors, board members and volunteers; and arts patrons to anyone who values the benefits of the arts in their Kansas communities is needed to make a sustainable impact.
The three key advocacy points this year are:
- Maintain the Governor's recommended budget for the KAC in 2011.
- The arts mean jobs in our Kansas communities.
- For every $1 invested in the arts, $9 are generated.
Schedule of Activities
11:00 am - Noon (Dillon House, 404 SW 9th Street, Topeka)
- Participate in the annual Kansas Citizens for the Arts business meeting
- Review current legislative initiatives and the Governor's budget
- Receive a toolkit for successful arts advocacy
- Learn to communicate effectively with elected officials
Noon - 1:15 pm (Kansas State Capitol building)
- Meet face to face with your representative
- Distribute literature about the impact of the arts in Kansas
1:15 - 2:30 pm (Dillon House)
- Interact with members of the House and Senate and listen to them speak in support of the arts
- Conclude the day with closing remarks
For more information, contact Ann Evans at 785/841-5653 or annarts@sunflower.com.
Make an appointment to visit with your legislators and plan to attend Arts Day at the Capitol on March 11, 2010, 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, hosted by Kansas Citizens for the Arts in partnership with the Kansas Arts Commission.
Governor's Arts Awards
In addition to Arts Day at the Capitol, attend the 2010 Governor's Arts Awards on March 11, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, in the Washburn Room of the Memorial Union on the Washburn Campus (1700 SW College Ave., Topeka). Tickets are $25 per person. To receive an invitation, contact the Kansas Arts Commission at 785/296-3335 or 866/433-0688 (toll free in Kansas).
Local Arts News,
ArtsKC Fund Campaign
The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City launched its 2010 ArtsKC Fund Campaign on February 1. This year marks the fourth annual campaign for the ArtsKC Fund which benefits more than 100 arts organizations, arts programs and artists combined in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The ArtsKC Fund is a united arts fund in the Kansas City metropolitan area that raises new money to support the wide range of arts in the community. Diane Barker of Paul Mesner Puppets, a 2009 Grant Recipient, remarks, "The addition of the ArtsKC Fund grant makes a huge difference in our ability to continue to bring quality programming to the children and families of the greater Kansas City area."
Launched in the spring of 2007 with a beta-test workplace giving campaign in 34 metro-area companies, the ArtsKC Fund has grown to more than 65 workplace giving companies. In addition, The ArtsKC Fund raises corporate, municipal and individual donations, to create a diversified source of stable funding for the broader arts community. In only three years, the ArtsKC Fund has granted out $1.3 million to the arts in metropolitan Kansas City.
The goal for the 2010 campaign is $470,000 which is a 6% increase from last year's campaign total. Harlan Brownlee, President and CEO of the Arts Council, reflected upon the 2010 goal. "This year again will be a challenging year for the ArtsKC Fund, but we recognize the real need and importance to our community of establishing a source of funding that helps stabilize and sustain the arts in our region.
Companies interested in participating in the 2010 ArtsKC Fund Workplace Giving Campaign can join now through May by contacting the Arts Council office at 816-221-1777 or Albers@ArtsKC.org. Individuals can make a tax-deductible investment in the ArtsKC Fund by going to the web site at www.ArtsKC.org.
Off the Vine, Jazz,
Jammin at the Gem
JAMMIN at the GEM SERIES
Women in Jazz Celebration featuring Oleta Adams
Saturday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m.
Each year the American Jazz Museum pays tribute to Women in Jazz, past and present, through a combination of live performances and education programs. This year's show will feature a longtime resident of Kansas City: Grammy-nominated vocalist/pianist Oleta Adams. Throughout her career, she has inspired a growing legion of fans in the U.S. and Europe with a sound that draws deeply from her gospel roots and crosses over into jazz, soul and R&B.
The Clayton Brothers Quintet
Saturday, April 17 at 8:00 p.m.
Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month, family-style. Led by brothers John & Jeff Clayton [bass and alto sax], this group's blend of blues, bop, ballads and swing embody all there is to love about jazz.
Tribute to Duke Ellington
Saturday, April 29-30, 8:00 p.m.
This celebration of one of the most important, prolific, and highly revered American composers includes the following activities over two days of live music, education and outreach:
- A day-long educational symposium and master classes for middle school, high school and collegiate level students, including a panel discussion with Ellington specialist, trumpeter and arranger Barrie Hall and NEA Jazz Masters Clark Terry and Dan Morgenstern;
- An Ellington exhibit of photos and artifacts, and the unveiling of a new Ellington bust by Sacramento-based artist Howard Lazar;
- A public outreach presentation on Ellington by renowned jazz scholar and NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern;
- A showcase performance of Ellington music featuring invited student ensembles and a specially formed professional Kansas City All-Star Ellington Orchestra.
NEA Jazz Master Clark Terry, an iconic trumpeter and veteran of Duke Ellington's bands, will also be presented with the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award. Tribute concert will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2010.
*The Duke Ellington Tribute is supported by NEA Jazz Masters Live, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. For more information on this initiative, visit www.nea.gov/national/jazz.
Bobby Watson and the 18th & Vine Big Band w/Ernie Andrews
Saturday, May 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Closing out the season "KC-style" is our town's very own 18th & Vine Big Band, led by Palmetto Recording Artist, renowned saxophonist and UMKC Director of Jazz Studies Bobby Watson. The Big Band, which features a rotating cast of some of Kansas City's best jazz musicians, will be augmented by the rich, bluesy baritone of special guest vocalist Ernie Andrews.
For tickets to any of these performances call 816-474-6262 or online at www.ticketmaster.com
Gem Theatre
1616 E. 18th St., Kansas City, MO
For information call 816.474.8463 or online at info@kcjazz.org
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