David Esleck Trio

I enjoyed an authentic Richmond weekend. Saturday morning, we went to the Farmer's Market and strolled by some historic sites in Shokoe Bottom. That evening we played miniature golf out in Midlothian.

Sunday night, we went to Dogwood Dell to hear the David Esleck Trio. Dogwood Dell is a lovely venue for concerts on a breezy summer evening. Just outside the theater stands the memorial carillon, built in memory of soldiers who died in the First World War. Clouds float by above the stage, lit by the setting sun in pastel colors.

It was in this calm and casual setting that the jazz trio and their guest, saxophonist Don Faye, gave a gift of joy to the audience. 40 minutes into the concert, I glanced at my watch, and was shocked that more than 15 minutes had elapsed.

In addition to jazz standards, they treated us to jazzy versions of songs by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. David Esleck also played two solo numbers. First was a rendition of "Piano Man" that metamorphosed into a piano improvisation reminiscent of Berg and Stravinsky, then back to Billy Joel. I wondered if that might be too huge of an experimental curve to round with a relaxed Sunday night audience in the park. But it seemed that everyone stayed with him until he made it back to familiar territory. The other solo was the gospel song "He Touched Me" which he dedicated to a pastor from his church whose funeral had taken place earlier that day.

At the end of the two hours, I was refreshed and enlightened by the overriding sense that this performance had consisted not so much of asking the audience to invest of its focus and its self, but of transferring the energy and delight of the performers to the audience. What a great service to the public!

Dock Street Theater 

Spoleto

While in Charleston, we enjoyed seeing firsthand what the Spoleto Festival is like. I was amazed at the number and variety of performances from chamber music to dance to jazz to opera. In addition to the performances of people and groups Spoleto brings to town, numerous local organizations put on performances during the season as part of Piccolo Spoleto. It would probably not be exaggerating to say that there are hundreds of cultural events to explore in Charleston in the summer.

We saw an Italian marionette troupe called the Colla Marionettes perform Scheherazade and Petruschka. The marionettes were incredibly life-like, and the performance ranged from poignant to humorous. The music was performed by two pianists, one of which tended to conduct the other. This is usually irritating to the pianist on the receiving end!

The next night, we saw two local theater groups join together to perform Sondheim's Into the Woods at The Village Playhouse in Mount Pleasant. In this musical, Sondheim follows up on the problems that may have arisen after the "happy ever after" endings of stories such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Jack and the Beanstalk. This also ranged from poignant to humorous.

Some of the performances during Spoleto happen in Dock Street Theater, which is one of the nation's oldest performance spaces.

Bloch: Schelomo

This morning we listened to Bloch's Schelomo at breakfast. This is a work for orchestra and solo cello that conveys the tone of the book of Ecclesiastes. The cello plays the role of the preacher whose words we find in the book.

The most prominent structural features of this sweeping work are its three huge climaxes, each of which differs in character from the others. I was struck by the extended periods of time Bloch is able to sustain the intensity of these musical peaks.

I've always been stunned by the dissipation of the first climax which is about 8 minutes into the work. The frenzy of flutes and clarinets immediately following that climax suggest to me the flash of a flock of birds startled by a crash of thunder.

The first time I heard this piece was during Christmas break of my second year at Juilliard. A friend had given me the recording, and I listened to it at home in North Carolina. Around the same time, a family friend who was believed to be suffering from Parkinson's disease got confused driving home and became lost. After several days of searching, he was found on a dirt road in the woods, peaceful, but expired. Needless to say, that sad happening and those bleak winter days always come to my mind when I listen to Schelomo.

Musical Diet

Most conservatory students listen to a huge amount of music during their undergraduate years. It is a rich time of becoming aware of the vast feast of repertoire that exists.

I am more than ten years away from that rich time now, and occasionally I hear things on the radio that I recognize, maybe that I've even played (!), but can't quite place. Several of my friends have had the same experience.

Another idea I had while driving to Florida: As I thought of how slippery my musical memories have become, it occured to me that I could refresh my knowledge of repertoire by having daily meals of music. I sit down to eat three times a day. Why not add some music to the meals? If I listened to one piece per meal for 10 months out of the year that would be 900 pieces of music reviewed or heard for the first time!

So we started this new diet when we got home. We're working our way through our CD shelves. Whatever CD is next on the shelf, that's what we listen to. After the CDs, we'll move on to tapes, then records.

In a week of doing this we've already heard music by Poulenc, Satie, Tallefiere, Brahms, Sarasate, Mozkowski, Ben-Haim, Weinberg, Shostakovich, Liszt, Berg, Webern, Tailleferre, Honegger, and Paganini.

I highly recommend feeding on music in this way.

Practicing Violin

Several posts back I wrote about my occasional desire to compose and of how composing lies outside of the main focus of my training and talent. A friend commented about the possibility that composing might give me additional insight into playing the piano. It's my understanding that most pianists in the 19th century composed for that very reason, if for no other.

Speaking of supplementary musical activities that might strengthen a musician in his or her major area of work, I played violin in a little ensemble at a church talent night not too long ago. I studied violin for many years growing up, but I'm much better suited to the piano. I find the violin physically uncomfortable to play, not to mention the unpleasantness of all that friction that close to my ear. So while it is an incredibly expressive instrument, it's not much of a tool for me to use to express anything pleasant!

As I prepared for the talent night performance, I thought about how hard I'd have to work to sound very good on a violin. When I thought of the amount of discipline it would require, I wondered what would happen to my piano playing if I applied myself to it with the same drive.

It's unlikely that I'll ever try to maintain that type of drive with either instrument. It isn't necessary, and I have other responsibilities in life. But, the thought of working at making my violin playing sound good did invigorate my piano practice for a few days.

Another interesting note regarding performing on an instrument on which I do not excel is that when I do it, it seems like I encounter parts of myself that I don't frequently encounter at the piano. At the piano, more music and expression are present and somehow take the focus off of me; but at the violin, who I am in a non-musical way seems to be more present in my mind.

Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra

Earlier in the spring I heard the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra during "Herbs Galore" at Maymont here in Richmond. (By the way, if you are a gardener and interested in herbs, this event is fantastic.)

The Gourd Orchestra is based in the same general area where I live. They perform on instruments made from gourds which they grew, and their music reflects trends from around the world. Lighthearted, serious, and natural, all at the same time, their performance is intriguing and comforting.

I believe there's some truth to their claim: They put the "cult" back in culture and the "culture" back in agriculture.

For more information, recordings, etc., see my links.

Savannah: Independent Presbyterian Church

This is the Independent Presbyterian Church mentioned on the sign in the photograph below. 

Lowell Mason in Savannah

Here's a bit of American music history we came across while on vacation in Savannah. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) 

Artisan Before Artist

I've just returned from vacation, and I've returned home with a brain full of ideas for musical compositions I'd like to write. This usually happens when I don't have access to a piano for a few days. The problem with it is that I am primarily a pianist, not a composer.

In grade school, I sometimes wished to be a composer. Usually, I would get very frustrated when I tried composing. This helped me to see that my gifts were better suited to performing than composing. Today, I'm quite happy as a pianist.

But I still try to compose from time to time. I write for a while, then I judge my efforts. Not surprisingly, they always fall short of the great music that I study and perform. After all, without even considering my level of talent, I have spent next to no time really studying how to compose.

This brings me to the breakthrough I had while traveling. Something that should be quite obvious dawned on me as we were driving from state to state.

One usually has to spend quite a while becoming an artisan before becoming a mature artist. Maybe some of the creative blocks of musicians who want to compose might be cleared away by focusing on learning the skills of the craft of composition before judging the aesthetic or communicative value of our output.

"Live for Today"

NBC's Today Show has recently been featuring a segment entitled "Live for Today." In each installment of "Live for Today" someone is given the opportunity to live out a dream - to pursue an important experience that should not be missed. For instance, Matt took to the road on a Harley.


This has gotten me wondering about important musical experiences that ought not be missed. Two come to mind for me.

1. I think attending a live performance of one of the Mahler Symphonies that includes a chorus (like Nos. 2 or 8) can be a life changing experience.

2. When you have to act on a really difficult decision, try listening to Beethoven Eroica Symphony for a while to gain strength.


Would anyone else like to share their ideas of important musical experiences that are not to be missed?

Phantom of the Opera

I recently saw Joel Schumacher's film version of Phantom of the Opera. As an opera lover, I particularly enjoyed how attune this production is to the world of French Grand Opera. The emphasis on the supernatural and the Gothic monster show aspects are obvious. Also, the opera scenes show the emphasis on spectacle from the elaborate costumes and complicated staging machinery to the live animals on stage. Finally, the dancers and their relationships with the patrons add yet another touch of authenticity.

Pope John Paul II and Mozart

I have been very touched to hear Mozart and beautiful Renaissance choral music on network television news shows during the many reviews and reports on the Pope's life that have been aired during the last two weeks.

It seems like American culture accepts that classical music naturally fits state funerals, the Christmas season, sometimes the Easter season, and the ceremony of most weddings.

I wonder why it is that music that lends such a sense of nobility and celebration - even sacredness - to these occasions isn't permitted to make each and every day of our lives celebratory and special.

Mozart 40 and Holberg

Last week, I heard the string orchestra at my university perform Mozart's 40th Symphony and From Holberg's Time by Grieg.

Listening as a pianist, I was moved by the sense of longing that strings portray so well. I was reminded that some of the most moving piano playing seems to come from a sense of the musical tension of one note leading to another. Because of the nature of their instruments, string players usually demonstrate that sensibility.

Listening to the students play, I once again experienced the freshness and passion that are part of the efforts of good young ensembles. I often prefer the unjaded energy of a conservatory orchestra to the work of seasoned professionals.

Finally, certain slow passages of the Mozart seem to be filled with an atmosphere of impending judgement. Perhaps I hear the music in that way because of similarities in tone with portions of the Requiem or Don Giovanni. Nonetheless, I think the idea of God's judgement on our lives loomed much larger in the consiousness of most people in Mozart's day than in the minds of most modern listeners.

Talent Surplus

I recently attended a tremendous piano recital. Dr. Paul Hanson of Richmond, VA performed Boulez Notations, Stockhausen Klavierstuck IX, three Etudes by Ligeti, and Piano Sonata No. 1 of Charles Ives. Paul's poise, stamina, and musicality were amazing.

If you don't know these works, I believe they would all reward your investigation. The Stockhausen is particularly interesting for its approximations of electronic music effects of its day. Paul's program notes refer to its "famous opening, with its multiple repetitions of a single chord" that suggests "the feedback echo effects made possible by the tape recorders of the time."

After hearing this remarkable performance, I got really sad. Paul's talent is so terrific and he must have worked so diligently to be able to present this music with such grace and focus, yet it seems that very few people will ever hear him play it.

In lots of parts of our country, there are so few venues and dates to play, but so much talent. Frequently, famous names from somewhere else dominate most of those venues and dates. Also, few people have much exposure to classical music, and there are so few inexpensive opportunities to hear it.

It would be wonderful if more private individuals would open their own little recital halls. But most of us can't afford to do that. We can seek to use our homes as venues, though.

Granados: The Maiden and the Nightingale

Bloch Blog

A student of mine is working on "The Maiden and the Nightingale" by Enrique Granados. The piece features prominent bird songs towards the end. I have been very interested to notice that each time I hear the piece, I detect more layers of bird-like sounds woven into its overall texture.

I picture the maiden in this piece standing by an open window or on a bacony. Nature is very present in the picture. Beyond the bird sounds, I have also noted little turns and patterns that are heard first in the soprano or alto and are followed shortly thereafter in a lower voice. This seems to be another nature effect. On occasion, I have stood in the middle of a park and focused on the many layers of sound I can hear. Once, I noted the trickling of a stream passing near my feet. Then I noticed a very similar sound coming from another spot in the stream a good distance from where I was standing. The simultaneous and layered perception of similar phenomena is part of what we experience when listening to nature. The staggered turns and trills in this piece suggest that natural occurence to me.

Finally, my student played this piece in studio class last week. Only a couple of students were present, so we all sat on the stage near the piano as we discussed issues with the piece. At one point, as I was trying to address a rhythmic inaccuracy, one of my students chimed in with the correct diagnosis. When that happened, it struck me that some music may be so complex that six or eight ears may be required to figure out what's going in the piece and in the performance.

Ernest Bloch: Concerto Grosso I

Bloch Blog

I am playing the 1st, 2nd, and 4th movements of Bloch's Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra and Piano obbligato with the string orchestra at the school where I teach.

It seems like it would be a really good piece to use if many of your string players were not really strong. This is because many of the string parts are doubled in the piano part throughout much of the work.

The piece begins with a bombastic, romantic prelude. There is one tricky passage in the first movement. Between rehearsal numbers 4 and 5, during the five measures of 16th notes, I have found that the shifting of the strong beats between the hands can be a little rhythmically disorienting for the pianist.

The 2nd movement is a dirge that includes nice solos for violin and viola.The 4th movement is a fugue in which a bit of the material from the 1st movement returns.

Another performance issue regarding this piece involves the placement of the piano. I don't know if the conductor's score says anything about this, but it seems to work well to have the piano behind the second violins. In that location, it supports the strings better, and it doesn't interfere with the audience seeing what's going on during the more chamber music-like moments.