Monday, March 31, 2014
This Week in Exploring Music: Portraits in Black, Brown and Beige Part 1, the first of a two part series in celebration of African-American composers and performers.
Avenira 276011
Dominique-René de Lerma forwards this Weekly Playlist for Exploring Music With Bill McLaughlin on The WFMT Radio Network from March 31-April 4, 2014:
Wall Street Journal: 'Artis Wodehouse practices her harmonium'; MELODEON: Marti Newland April 6 in 'Masters of the Harmonium', 1393 York Ave., NYC
Soprano Marti Newland
www.martinewland.com
www.martinewland.com
Artis Wodehouse practices her harmonium at her home in the Bronx; she will perform for the public on Sunday. (Photo: Corinne Ramey)
Ramsay de Give for The Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal
Pulling Out the Stops to Revive Keyboard Relics
Pianist Has Nearly a Dozen Antique Instruments; Concert Planned for Sunday
The
pianist Artis Wodehouse collects keyboard instruments that history left
behind. Since finding her passion in 2000, Ms. Wodehouse has acquired
nearly a dozen antique keyboard instruments—from Craigslist, eBay and
other sources.
Klavierhaus Pleyel
1903 Mustel Art Harmonium
Artis Wodehouse writes:
Dear Musicians and Colleagues,
I'm especially excited to let you know that Klavierhaus
of NYC has agreed to loan us their beautiful 1890 Art Case Pleyel grand
piano for our Sunday, April 6th, 2014 "Masters of the Harmonium "
concert to be held at Church of the Epiphany, 74th and York Avenue, NYC
at 4 p.m. Pianist Andrew Sun will be performing on it in harmonium and
piano duos by Saint-Saens and Guilmant. I will be playing my 1903
Mustel Art harmonium.
Klavierhaus's Pleyel grand piano represents a uniquely
French sound-world that was quite familiar to Saint-Saens, Guilmant,
Debussy and Ravel. It will be a most fitting partner to my 1903 French
Mustel Art Harmonium.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Kwamé Ryan Conducts Westchester Philharmonic Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 3 PM in New York Area Debut
John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com alerted us some time ago to Kwamé Ryan's conducting engagement with the Westchester Philharmonic. In The New York Times yesterday, Joshua Worby, Artistic Director of the ensemble, announced that Kwamé Ryan will conduct the Sunday, April 6, 2014 concert:
The New York Times
A Team of Maestros Takes Hold
By PHILLIP LUTZ
Mr.
Worby has long been committed to giving minority musicians a platform.
But the next season, closing with works by Part, Elgar and Brahms
conducted by Danail Rachev, with the cellist Joshua Roman as soloist,
will not feature any black or Hispanic conductors or soloists. The
current season, in contrast, will close with a black conductor, Kwamé Ryan, on April 6, and a black soloist, the violinist Tai Murray, on June 15.
Speaking
by phone from his native Trinidad, Mr. Ryan, who will present a program
of Fauré, Berlioz and Schumann, said he formed an organization that
promotes opportunities for Trinidadians in classical music.
Westchester Philharmonic
Kwamé Ryan, conductor
Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano
Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 3 pm
Pre-concert discussion at 2 pm
Twenty years ago we first introduced soprano Michelle DeYoung
as a young, little-known star in the making.
Two decades, three Grammy Awards, and millions of superlative accolades
later, we're delighted to bring her back as she teams up with
conductor Kwamé Ryan, making his NY-area debut.
Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande
Berlioz: Les nuits d’été
Schumann: Symphony No. 4
Kwamé Ryan's recordings with the Orchestre National Bordeaux
Aquitaine for Mirare include Schubert's Symphony No. 9, praised by Le
Figaro as ''an individual approach to Schubert, clear, transparent,
flowing". The orchestra have also recorded Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2,
described by Classic FM Magazine as a ''...modern, sophisticated
reading...rich in detail and clarity", and Beethoven's Piano Concertos
No. 1 & 2 with Shani Diluka.
As a result of his successful work in Bordeaux, in 2009 Kwamé
Ryan was invited to become Musical Director of Orchestre Français des
Jeunes. Last season saw Kwamé's final concerts in this role at Salle
Pleyel, Paris, subsequent to which he was awarded the title of Officier
dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres - given for significant
contribution to art and literature - by Frédéric Mitterrand, the French
Minister of Culture.
Kwamé Ryan held the position of General Music Director of Theater
Freiburg and the Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg between 1999 and
2003, having previously been Assistant Conductor of the Staatsoper
Stuttgart where he gave the premiere of Gérard Pesson's Pastorale and a
criticically acclaimed filmed production of Hartmann's Simplicius
Simplicissimus (DVD-Arthaus). His close association with his mentor
Peter Eötvös has seen him conduct the first French revival of the
composer's Tri Sestri at Opéra de Lyon and the German premiere of Le
Balcon. Kwamé Ryan has also conducted Salome for English National Opera,
Honneger's Jeanne d'Arc au Bucher for the Edinburgh International
Festival and the world premiere of Pintscher's L'espace dernier for
Opéra National de Paris (Bastille).
Tribune242.com: 'C-Force Wows Grand Bahama'
C-Force (Tribune242.com)
Christine Gangelhoff sends this link:
March 19, 2014
The Grand Bahama Performing Arts
Society (GBPAS) last weekend hosted “C-Force, An Evening of Musical
Fusion” at the Regency Theatre in Freeport.
...
Headlining
was C-Force, a chamber ensemble that offers a unique and intriguing
approach to the traditional. The group is made up of Christy Lee on the
piano, Christine Gangelhoff on the flute and Christian Justilien on the
euphonium, all of whom are faculty members at the College of the
Bahamas.
Since
its formation in 2008, C-Force has been featured in concert throughout
the islands of the Bahamas. Most recently, the group has been promoting
the art music of the Caribbean with their performances in Trinidad and
Tobago, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the US Virgin Islands and the
United States.
The
members of C-Force will be performed two concerts for students on Grand
Bahama at the Bishop Michael Eldon Auditorium, one for primary
school-aged children and one for middle/high school-aged children.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
John Malveaux: Le Chevalier de Saint Georges was born in 1745 in Guadeloupe, where Solitude was born in 1772. The contrasting histories are remarkable.
Le Chevalier de Saint Georges was born in Guadeloupe in 1745 and Solitude was born in Guadeloupe in 1772. The contrasting histories and achievements are remarkable. See http://kentakepage.com/solitude-of-guadeloupe/
Thanks
John Malveaux
[Le Chevalier de Saint Georges (1745-1799) is featured at AfriClassical.com]
John Malveaux: Soprano Latonia Moore as Lady MacBeth on Chandos CD Coming in April
New CD release announced for April 2014. See http://www.latonia-moore.com/en/home.html
Thanks
John Malveaux
Guiseppe Verdi: Macbeth (sung in English)
Simon Keenlyside baritone - Macbeth
Brindley Sherratt bass - Banquo
Latonia Moore soprano - Lady Macbeth
Elizabeth Llewellyn soprano - Lady-in-waiting
Gwyn Hughes Jones tenor - Macduff
Ben Johnson tenor - Malcolm
Gavin Horsley bass - Doctor
Thomas Faulkner bass - Servant to Macbeth
Riccardo Simonetti bass - Assassin
Stephen Kennedy bass - Herald
Cheyney Kent bass - Apparition
Roseanne Havel soprano - Apparition
Opera in English Chorus
English National Opera Orchestra
Edward Gardner
Brindley Sherratt bass - Banquo
Latonia Moore soprano - Lady Macbeth
Elizabeth Llewellyn soprano - Lady-in-waiting
Gwyn Hughes Jones tenor - Macduff
Ben Johnson tenor - Malcolm
Gavin Horsley bass - Doctor
Thomas Faulkner bass - Servant to Macbeth
Riccardo Simonetti bass - Assassin
Stephen Kennedy bass - Herald
Cheyney Kent bass - Apparition
Roseanne Havel soprano - Apparition
Opera in English Chorus
English National Opera Orchestra
Edward Gardner
Prelisting: www.chandos.net/details06.asp?CNumber=CHAN%20318
AlJazeera America: Black and Latino Performers Followed Through Sphinx Competition; Sphinx Organization Strives to Diversify Classical Music Orchestras
Rocking The Symphony (Link to full article)
By E. Tammy Kim
Photo by Tim Galloway for Al Jazeera America
Published on March 29, 2014
Photo by Tim Galloway for Al Jazeera America
Published on March 29, 2014
Detroit — An hour before his performance, the 14-year-old
cellist Sterling Elliott looks almost too calm. Dressed in a signature
purple shirt and striped tie, hands in his pockets, he walks the
hallways backstage, joking around with a violinist friend. Earlier that
morning, he had listened to hip-hop on candy-colored Beats by Dr. Dre
headphones. "The day of a performance, it's too late to really
practice," he says. "I just warm up and try to relax."
Elliott has deep brown skin and a round head of close-cropped
hair. He hasn't yet hit his teenage growth spurt. This year, he's one of
nine junior-division semifinalists in the 17th annual Sphinx
Competition for strings. At Detroit's Orchestra Hall,
in greenrooms marked "Boys" and "Girls," violins, violas, cellos and
basses are tuned and subjected to intricate passages of Bach and
Mendelssohn. A long-haired cellist from Texas, Santiago Cañón Valencia,
takes a break to watch "My Name Is Earl" on his iPad. Mya Greene, a
petite violist and math whiz from East Los Angeles, chats with a
violinist in an animal-print dress.
In most respects, it's like any other musical tournament. But the Sphinx Competition
is open only to young black and Latino string players of the highest
caliber. Its mission is to groom stars and to change the look and
culture of classical music. After a half-century of desegregation in
performance, U.S. orchestras are still overwhelmingly white — though
increasingly Asian. A mere 4 percent of orchestra members are either
African-American or Latino.
...
Classical music may be European in origin, but its lineage is
diverse. "Black people wrote classical music but couldn't get it
recorded or performed," says William Zick, who runs the website AfriClassical.com.
Although Zick was reared on classical music, he didn't hear works by
Afro-European or African-American composers until he was in his 30s. "I
was really angry. And I felt cheated," he says, citing Afro-French
composer Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-99), the "black Mozart," and
Afro-Polish violinist George Bridgetower (1778-1860), to whom Beethoven
originally dedicated his famous Kreutzer sonata.
Friday, March 28, 2014
NJ.com: Trent Johnson Leads Oratorio Singers of Westfield in His Cantata "Saint Augustine" & Mozart's "Great Mass" 3 PM Mar. 30, First United Methodist Church
NJ.com
Oratoria Singers and orchestra to perform at First United Methodist Church in Westfield
By Suburban News March 14, 2014
Now in their 34th performing year, The Oratorio Singers of
Westfield, under the direction of Music Director Trent Johnson, will
present a concert of church music from the 18th and 21st centuries at 3
p.m., on Sunday, March 30, at Westfield’s First United Methodist Church
located at One East Broad St. The program will include Mozart’s “Mass
No. 17 in c minor”(“Great Mass”) - and a new work from the 21st century -
the premiere of Trent Johnson’s 2014 cantata “St. Augustine.”
The line-up of soloists for this concert is spectacular. The chorus
will be joined by sopranos Rachel Rosales and Maureen Francis, tenor
Rufus Müller and bass Kevin Maynor. The orchestra will include members
of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
APTOnline.org: 5-Hour Civil War Series Shines New Light On Crucial Western Theater & Role Of African-Americans And Gives Powerful Insights On America
Narrated By Elizabeth McGovern,
Featuring Top Historians & Rare Access to Original Battlegrounds
for Authentic Cinematic Recreations
New Series Premieres Nationally on Public Television Beginning April 2014
NASHVILLE, TN [March, 2014] – Civil War: The Untold Story
is a visually stunning and absorbing new 5-hour documentary series that
breaks new ground by examining the war through the lens of the Western
Theater - battles in the strategic lands between the Appalachians and
Mississippi River. Narrated by Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey) the series premieres nationally on public television stations beginning in April 2014 (check local listings).
Rather
than revisit the oft-told stories of the battles of Bull Run, Antietam
and Gettysburg in the eastern states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and
Virginia, this gripping and comprehensive new series instead tells the
stories of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Atlanta, and other battles in
lands then known as “the West.” Many historians believe that the
Western Theater was where the war was won – and lost. In addition to the
epic battles, Civil War: The Untold Story provides
new insights into the relatively unknown roles African Americans played
in the conflict – from enslaved to emancipated to soldier.
Filmed in a sweeping cinematic style, Civil War: The Untold Story
painstakingly recreates the battles of the Western Theater in a
thoroughly authentic manner. Many scenes were filmed on the very
grounds where these epic battles were fought, which add to the sheer
magnitude of history felt throughout the films. The series also uses
state-of-the-art 2D and 3D graphics, fascinating archival imagery, and
incisive expert commentary by Civil War historians and scholars.
Timed
to coincide with the 150-year anniversary of the pivotal “Campaign for
Atlanta,” the series also chronicles the presidential campaign of 1864
in which Abraham Lincoln was nearly defeated. In many ways, Civil War: The Untold Story
can be considered a prequel to Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” Within the
story of the Western Theater, the series highlights the causes of war,
the home front, the politics of war, and the impact of war on Southern
civilians and women. The authenticity of uniforms, voiceovers and
scenery, makes it seemingly impossible to distinguish this modern
adaptation from the actual war so many years ago.
Civil War: The Untold Story is
produced for public television by Great Divide Pictures, which, in
addition to numerous cable television documentaries, has created more
than 25 films shown in National Parks Visitor Centers around the
country. The series is sponsored by Nashville Public Television and
will be distributed to public television stations nationally by American
Public Television (APT).
“The film is not just about who we were then. It's about who we are now," said producer Chris Wheeler. “In a nation arguably as divided today as we were 150 years ago, Civil War: The Untold Story is a compelling, relevant program that we believe will strike a powerful chord with Americans today.”
Interspersed
are compelling on-camera interviews with some of America’s top Civil
War historians – including Allen Guelzo, Henry R. Luce Professor of the
Civil War Era at Gettysburg College; Peter Carmichael, Robert C. Fluhrer
Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg College; Amy Murrell
Taylor, Associate Professor of History at the University of Kentucky;
and Stacy Allen, the Chief Historian at Shiloh National Military Park.
IDIS Releases Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's 'Hiawatha's Wedding Feast' in 1962 Performance of Philharmonia Orchestra, Conducted by Malcolm Sargent
IDIS 66722
[Samuel
Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) is profiled at
AfriClassical.com,
which features a comprehensive Works List and a Bibliography by Prof.
Dominique-René de Lerma,
www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com.
We
are collaborating with the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Foundation of the
U.K., www.SCTF.org.uk]
The Philharmonia Orchestra, tenor Richard Lewis
and the Royal Choral Society made a studio
recording of Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast under the
direction of Sir Malcolm Sargent in 1962. Two
historical recordings of the performance were
released in 2013. The present release is Sir
Malcolm Sargent Conducts Coleridge-Taylor, IDIS 6672. Heritage Records published
The Music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Heritage
CD 249, which includes three other compositions
of Coleridge-Taylor as well.
and the Royal Choral Society made a studio
recording of Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast under the
direction of Sir Malcolm Sargent in 1962. Two
historical recordings of the performance were
released in 2013. The present release is Sir
Malcolm Sargent Conducts Coleridge-Taylor, IDIS 6672. Heritage Records published
The Music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Heritage
CD 249, which includes three other compositions
of Coleridge-Taylor as well.
The liner notes are by Gavin Dixon © 2013, who
writes “The score of Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
was published in advance of its premiere,
generating great interest in the event, which took
place at the Royal College of Music conducted by
Stanford.” ‘The cantata is based on Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of
Hiawatha.” “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast” was soon
being performed around the world. The work
proved ideal for amateur choral societies, and
within six years the cantata had received over 200
performances in England alone. From the 1920s, it
was staged regularly in a ballet version at the Royal
Albert Hall. The first of these performances took
place in 1924, conducted by Hiawatha Coleridge-Taylor, the composer’s son. In 1928, the baton
passed to Malcolm Sargent, who presented it in two-week runs every year until the Second World War.
Sargent became so closely associated with the work,
that one of his biographers named a chapter on the
conductor’s activities in this period “The Wigwam
Years.”
The IDIS recording divides the work into four sections:
1. Introduction - You Shall Hear (8:43); 2. He was
dressed in shirt (8:34); 3. Onaway! Awake, beloved!
(5:39); 4. Thus the gentle Chibiabos (8:34).
RateYourMusic.com reports that IDIS stands for “Istituto
Discografico Italiano - An imprint of Dynamic
specializing in digital remasterings of historical
recordings.”
|
HBDirect.com writes: “In 1962 in recognition
of the 50th anniversary of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's death, Sir Malcolm Sargent recorded
his Songs of Hiawatha, considered a milestone in
English choral music. Also included on this
recording are the Symphonic Variations of
Antonín Dvorák recorded in 1959. Gary Lemco
reviewed the IDIS recording for Audiophile
Audition, which published the piece on December
18, 2013. He summarized his review as follows:
“The combination of two vintage Malcolm Sargent
performances reminds us of his gift for choral and
instrumental composition.” Lemco says of the
tenor: “Lewis is in clear, resonant voice, his calling-card that made him a favorite of conductors like
Beecham and Reiner.”
The Lemco review says of the Dvorak work: “Dvorak
composed his Symphonic Variations between August
and September 1877, and he quickly sent the score
to Hans Richter who declared it an immediate success.
Brahms, after having heard the score, presented
Dvorak with the gift of a new cigar-holder.”
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast”
is a very appealing work which holds up well to repeated
hearings. We are also enjoying this fine performance
of Dvorak’ s Symphonic Variations, which is a welcome
addition to our Dvorak collection.
Disclosure: A review copy of this recording was provided
by the record label.
Comment by email:
Comment by email:
During 2003 Black History Month, I produced “An Evening of Grace &
Style” at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The program
included music of composers William Grant Still, Ed Bland, Barbara
Sherrill, Margaret Bonds, and the piano reduction of 'Hiawatha's Wedding
Feast' by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor under the direction of choral
director Barbara Sherrill with Dr. Hansonia Caldwell as pianist. I look
forward to the orchestral recording of this wonderful music. John Malveaux
John Malveaux: Black Enterprise: 'The reason they knew who I was is because I told them.' - Ursula Burns, Xerox Chairman & CEO
sends the above quote from Black Enterprise
by Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO of Xerox
Corporation.
Thanks,
John Malveaux
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Edward Lewis Will Be Inducted At 65th Annual Advertising Hall of Fame Ceremonies April 7, 2014
Edward Lewis Will Be Inducted
At The
Comment by email:
Edward Lewis, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Essence
Communications, will be inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame. The
ceremony is
scheduled to take place on April 7, 2014 in New York. Lewis, along with
Clarence Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jonathan Blount, founded
Essence
magazine. [John Malveaux]
John Malveaux: 'Symphony of Brotherhood Concert-Anniversary of 1992 Los Angeles Riots'
In addition to selected video taped performances from 50th Anniversary
March on Washington/I HAVE A DREAM Speech Concert of August 2013,
please see selections for Colorado Mesa University live performance on
April 25 at Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles in connection with
anniversary of 1992 Los Angeles Riots. We may add one more piece.
John Malveaux
Program
Astor Piazzolla--------- Piano Trio 'Libertango’ (7 mins)
Elliott Bark------------- “Momentum Ecstasio” for Cello Solo (2009) (5 mins)
George Gershwin---------- Songs for Violin and Piano from “Porgy & Bess” (8 mins)
Summertime
A Woman is Sometime thing
Sergei Rachmaninoff--------- Sonata for cello and piano Op.19 G minor 4th (9 mins)
Duke Ellington------------Songs for cello and piano (arr. By Arthur Houle) (10 mins)
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me by Bob Russell & Duke Ellington
Satin Doll by Duke Ellington
Don't Get Around Much Anymore by Duke Ellington
Felix Mendelssohn-----------Piano Trio No.1 Op.49 D minor the 1st movement (10 mins)
[Duke Ellington (1899-1974) is featured at AfriClassical.com]
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
John Malveaux: 'According to a recent email from Byron Hanson, archivist at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Ulysses Kay visited Interlochen in April, 1968.'
Ulysses Kay
[Ulysses Kay (1917-1995) is profiled at
AfriClassical.com,
which features a comprehensive Works List and a Bibliography by Dr.
Dominique-René de Lerma,
www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com.]
According to a recent email from Byron Hanson, archivist at Interlochen
Center for the Arts, Ulysses Kay visited Interlochen in April, 1968. "He
was here for a few days, possibly as much as a week participating in a
symposium, "Creativity in the Arts and Sciences", that Karl Haas
devised. He worked with our composers, and may have heard performances
of his works by our band and/or orchestra on the weekends before or
following the symposium. The band played his "Short Suite" and the
orchestra played his "Fantasy Variations", and the orchestra repeated
the work on three off-campus appearances that spring in Holland,
Michigan; Elkhart, Indiana; and at Orchestra Hall in Chicago."
Thanks
John Malveaux
Harlem Chamber Players & Members of Housing Symphony Celebrate Janet Wolfe's 100th Birthday at Carnegie Hall Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 8 PM
Awadagin Pratt, Pianist & Janet Wolfe, Honoree
Kay George Roberts, Conductor
Terrance McKnight, Host
Janet Wolfe's 100th Birthday Celebration
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 8 PM
Members of the Housing Symphony Orchestra celebrate Janet Wolfe's 100th Birthday and all she has done for minority musicians since 1971.
Click here to learn more about Janet Wolfe.
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Seventh Avenue and 57th Street
Click here for directions.
Tickets are $30, $60 and $75. Students/Seniors get 50% off.
Visit www.carnegiehall.com or call 212-247-7800 to purchase tickets.
You may also call 323-833-2083 for more info on discounts.
Program
Wagner Siegfried Idyll
H. Leslie Adams Nightsongs (New York Premiere)
(Based
on Poems by Harlem Renaissance Writers Langston Hughes, Georgia Douglas
Johnson, Clarissa Scott Delany, James Weldon Johnson, and Leslie Morgan
Collins)
William Foster McDaniel Mia Moja (composed just for this occasion)
Bach Piano Concerto in F Minor
Haydn Symphony No. 60 "Il Distratto"
Featuring
Conductor Tali Makell
Soprano Andréa Bradford
Members of the Housing Symphony Orchestra
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