Some fine Tchaikovsky from the LPO

Piotr Illych TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)

Manfred, Symphony in Four Scenes after Byron’s Dramatic Poem, Op. 58 (1885) [59:02]

The London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski, conductor

Recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall, London, 8 December 2004.

LPO 0009 [50:02]

Although he initially turned down the project, Tchaikovsky eventually accepted the challenge of composing a symphony based on Byron’s autobiographical poem Manfred, as put forth by the influential Moscow critic Vladimir Stasov. First Berlioz then Balakirev was offered the project, but it was Tchaikovsky, when encouraged by Balakirev some two years after Stasov’s proposal, that took up the task and saw it through. Perhaps it was the similarity between Byron’s own guilty situation (he fled England after an incestuous affair with his half-sister was revealed) and Tchaikovsky’s deep seated anguish over his own homosexuality that brought the music out of him. Byron’s story is a thinly veiled self portrait, a portrait in which the composer could easily see himself.

Composed between the fourth and fifth symphonies, this work is even more overtly programmatic than its numbered counterparts. The music is dripping with romantic angst, passion, pathos and drama. Tchaikovsky, who was never afraid of expressing his emotions forcefully, all but gets carried away in this substantial and colorful score. Although I may well be taken to task by a reader or two for admitting it, this recording was to my knowledge, my first experience with this music. I was aware of a number of well-received recordings such as Pletnev’s with the Russian National Orchestra and Jansons’ with the Oslo Philharmonic. It was, however, quite refreshing to sit down with this music with unbiased ears.

What I heard was most astonishing. Being familiar with Tchaikovsky’s numbered symphonies, there were certain things I was expecting, for example, a prominent use of the oboe, lush and technically challenging string writing, forceful use of timpani and cymbals. All this I got! In addition there are some splendid moments for the harp and as one might expect, all the high drama is carried out by a prominent and even forceful brass section. And yet, for all the histrionics, there is much elegant and tuneful writing too.

Each year we hear more hue and cry about the precarious fate of the classical music industry and we read report after report about the demise of recordings and of great orchestras. If this is the case, I am at a loss to explain the dozens of new discs that come my way each month. What is happening though is a seemingly new business model, such as the one on display here, with a major orchestra aggressively marketing its concerts as turned into recordings. The London Symphony is following suit and the results have been consistently fine discs coming out in fairly plentiful quantity.

There is a bit of crowd noise with which to contend here, but it is minimal, and the quality of the playing is first rate. One might even believe that the performances are fresher and more vibrant as they are the documents of a single event, without much aid from retakes and studio trickery. I do wish however that the kind producers would bag the applause at the end. It simply isn’t necessary and kind of destroys the mood, particularly in a work like this one that ends on a quiet note of forgiveness.

That gripe aside, Maestro Jurowski has given us an exciting and engaging reading of a work that I will now make an effort to get to know better. What more can one ask of a recording that to entice the listener to additional hearings? The production values here are of the highest order, with clear and luminous sound and consistently superb playing in the orchestra. The harpist gets special recognition for some spectacular effects. Program notes are concise and above all interesting; devoid of the blow by blow analytical drivel that plagues so many other such endeavors.

If this is the kind of music making we are going to get from this label, then long may it live. Heaven knows there is a wealth of fine concert material from this orchestra that is worth repeated hearings. High praise indeed for a superior product.

Kevin Sutton

A Great New CD for you to Check Out!

Paul MORAVEC (b. 1957)

The Time Gallery (2000) [42:15]
Protean Fantasy (1993) [9:33]
Ariel Fantasy (2002) [4:17]

eighth blackbird
Peter Sheppard-Skærved, violin
Aaron Shorr, piano

Recorded at the Chicago Recording Company (Time Gallery), November 2002, and at Potton Hall, Suffolk, UK December 2004 (Protean Fantasy and Ariel Fantasy).

NAXOS 8.559267 [56:06]


Paul Moravec is a prolific American composer with more than eighty works to his credit. He was the winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in music for his five-movement TempestFantasy for violin and piano. His music is a combination of the earnest and the entertaining, never taking itself too terribly seriously, but at the same time reflecting the thoughts of a thoroughly skilled and technically virtuosic composer.

The Time Gallery is a work for chamber ensemble that takes four aspects of the concept of time into view. Its opening movement, Bells, Devotional Hours, recalls the eight portions of the monastic day. Opening with random percussion sounds meant to represent a water alarm clock, it moves into the ringing of the bells that called the monks to prayer at the appropriate times of the day in the medieval age. The music is at times contemplative, at others quite energetic, and at all times inventive, tuneful, rhythmically vital and attractive.

The second movement, Time Machine, is much more lyrical and seeks to portray the advent and development of time-keeping devices through music. Opening with a montage of ticking clocks, there are some splendid melodies here and the lovely duet between the violin and clarinet is quite captivating indeed. Of significant interest too is Moravec’s extremely skillful use of percussion instruments, not only as rhythmic devices, but as creative means to melody and color as well.

The third movement, Pulse, is the shortest of the four, depicting the ultimate time machine, the human heart. The contrasts between a steady even pulse and an arrhythmic nervous heartbeat are striking and at times even a bit unsettling.

The final movement, Overtime: Memory Sings, is a poetic and atmospheric reflection on what the composer calls the paradox of time, that is, that time is the creator and destroyer of all things. It is by far the most beautiful of all four sections of this captivating score. Atmospheric to the core, it is at times rich in tonal harmony, and at others dreamy and non-committal in its rhythmic and harmonic structure.
eighth blackbird (intentionally lower case) is one of the finest chamber groups that I have ever encountered. Their dedication and passion for this music is wholly evident in this performance. A group with virtuoso skills to burn, they make the intricacies of this music seem like child’s play. They show no effort at all as they make their way through some very difficult passage work with complete panache. In moments lyrical, they play with passion, yea even some real romanticism. Poetic is perhaps the way I could best describe their interpretations. Completely at one, this is a group that seems on this my first hearing to be the perfect blend of skill and commitment, with an obvious ideal mix of temperament and personality to add luster to an already shining collaboration.

The disc is rounded out with two brief but equally fine works for violin and piano, very skillfully played by Peter Sheppard-Skærved and Aaron Shorr. The writing style here is reminiscent of Prokofiev to these ears, with somewhat disjunct melodies for the violin accompanied by percussive piano writing. Both instrument parts indulge in some extremities of range and dynamics making for interesting listening.

I have not heard new chamber music this fine since my first encounter with Peter Schickele’s wonderful quartet for clarinet, violin, piano and cello, now about 20 years old. Original and masterfully constructed, this music did what all good music should: enticed me to seek out more of this composer’s work.

Recommended without a moment’s hesitation. A real find!

Kevin Sutton

Don't Let the Bastards...

There comes a time when one has to release the mantle of being the child or the student and embrace the authority and responsibility of adulthood. For some, that time comes fairly early on. For others, it can take quite awhile. For me, it just came today, on this July morning in my forty-second year.

After a particularly nasty experience this morning (I'll spare you the details), I have finally come to a comfort zone with the word "no."

Now some people will immediately chime in and say that I am being selfish, arrogant, that it's all about me, etc. Well, except for the arrogant part, they'd be right, and it's ok, and I don't care.

Three years ago, thanks to the prodding of my good friend Dr. Stapp, I got off my tenorish ass and set out to make my life in music. It was a long time coming, and there is still a longer stretch of road ahead of me than behind. But I am on the path, and thanks to BPI and people like Max, Penny and of course, the inimitable MME Z, there's a chance of a career ahead.

The nasty episode mentioned above came, serendipitously, just an hour before my therapy session with Dr. Betty. Seemed like a good topic to discuss and so we spent the hour on the subject of being in control of one's own destiny, and that it is perfectly ok to decline a task, job, situation etc. that interferes with that destiny.

So what is all this about? Well, to put it simply, I am saying the same thing that my father used to say to me: Never do anything that you don't enjoy, never agree to something that makes you uncomfortable, and if it comes to it, tell the other guy to go screw himself if he gets in the way of your dreams.

Ole Dad was right. Times rushes forward very quickly, and it waits for no one. Thirty years goes by very fast. If you wait around for someone to give it to you, you won't get it, and if something or someone is blocking the way, cut it down.

That's my discovery for today, and hopefully, I will continue to have the balls to stick up for it.

It Makes Me Laugh

That the last two comments to my blog have been from sites trying to sell me porn.

That Dubbya thinks that the American people still believe that he is trying to save us from terrorists.

That there are still American people who DO believe that Dubbya is trying to save us from terrorists.

That the Romans are up in arms about a third rate hack novel called The Davinci Code, fearing that their preciously held beliefs will be challened by some film that doesn't even get its own facts straight.

That people even give a rat's ass as to whether or not Jesus reproduced.

Sigh. When the fuck will people grow the balls to think for themselves?

My New Radio Station

Many of you are probably well into the phenomenon of internet radio. I had no idea until just this week how very easy and inexpensive it is to set up a station. Thus, I have done just that. Please feel free to log onto www.live365.com/stations/maestro214 and enjoy Helios Radio. Some of the playlists are announced and some are just music, and I try to rotate the playlist every couple of days. Sorry that it can't change daily, but uploading, announcing and editing a five hour play list can take several hours, and there is only so much time in the day. It's a fun little hobby for me, and it's free to listen to.

I hope that you all enjoy it.

Sitting at the Radio Station

For the next few weeks I will be hosting the Sunday evening program on WRR Classical 101.1 in Dallas. (www.wrr101.com for the stream over the internet). There is also some possibility that I will be hosting from 10 am to 3 pm during the weekdays, but that's a development as yet to be seen.

For those of you interested in my singing escapades, I begin recording my first commercial CD this week. Madame Z is coming out to help with the proceedings, and hopefully we can knock it out in two long sessions. I hope so.

It will be available this summer, barring any unforeseen difficulties. The rep is all Roger Quilter. My next project will be a disc of songs composed especially for me by my good friend Hildegunner Runnirsdottir. (provided of course, that she writes them for me) Nudge nudge, wink wink, aHEM!

I have been busier than a one armed paper hanger this week, and it's not looking like it will be any easier next.

I need a vacation!

Together Again

I don't understand why it's always the good ones who leave us so soon. By now the nation has learned of the death of Dana Reeve, the widow of Christopher Reeve and the mother of young Will. What a untimely and incomprehensible loss her passing is to all of us.

Courageous, unflappable and a true force for good in the world, what an absolute crime it is for a Dana Reeve to die.

I hope that those people in our country who have power and influence will sit back and look at the way that Chris and Dana Reeve used their good fortunes, and ponder following suit. Wouldn't it be nice if every one of us used our talents and abilities to make the world better instead of destroying it for our own selfish purposes?

Will, my prayers are with you even though you don't know me from Adam. Dana, farewell great lady, and when you see him, tell Chris we all say hello and hope he's enjoying it up there.

In case anyone out there is interested...

A whole slew of Dallas' finest musicians gave two kick ass performances of Handel's massive oratorio Samson this week. It was phenomenal, and I got acquainted with some cool new people. In particular, I got to know Will Whitmire over several beers and found him to be quite the intelligent, sensitive and talented guy. More beer drinking to come, I hope.

Banner day today. This is the 21st anniversary of my 21st birthday. Yours truly entered the world on a high C 42 years ago today in the small snowy hamlet of New Castle, Indiana. The city fathers have failed to declare the day a public holiday, but they will learn someday.

So Where's My Song Cycle?

Greetings all. Sigh. Sittin here at the radio station and am bored out of my mind listening to the Metropolitan Opera. I know it's a great cultural institution, and we should be glad we have it, but I prefer my opera the pictures!

Anyway, Helios has a concert tonight, and by the grace of God, enough people seem to be attending it to make it pretty much pay for itself.

By the way, my confidence in organized religion has hit another all time low. God and I seem to be in good stead with each other, but those pretty buildings put up all over the place in his name...well that's another story. Sometime in the future I will reveal my reasons for being disgusted, but this isn't the time.

In the meantime, I have been checking out oak groves and pine forests. They make for very nice cathedrals, and they are seldom inhabited by the self righteous.

Thank you Fr. Blackmon, you're the best.

A Fond Farewell to 2005

Greetings all,

This is your friendly ever so sporadic blogger, wishing everyone a happy New Year! Thank God 2005 is behind us. Here are the top ten great things about it being 2006 and not 2005.

1. Bush has one fewer year to be in office.
2. All the sucky things that happened in 2005 like the hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis are last year's news and hopefully won't happen again in 2006.
3. There is a congressional election this year, and with every big name Republican on Capitol Hill under investigation or on his way to jail, we might just see the American people regain a few ounces of common sense and realize that crooks are crooks, and just because they appeal to the naive religiosity of southern morons, they DON'T have our best interests in mind.
4. The Democrats, despite their inability to put forth a coherent message and any decent candidates, stand a pretty good chance of regaining congress. Thank you so much Mssrs. Ambramoff and DeLay, you've helped our cause more than you can ever imagine!
5. Pat Gary has a great new party pad that is probably just about broken in for regular use now, and he has a REAL bar, not just a kitchen cabinet full of good likker.
6. Hildegunner is going to compose a song cycle for me, aren't you Hildegunner?
7. Brian and Mike will be home from Iraq "this year" not "next year.'
8. Dr. Stapp is getting older, thus making my edge at darts sharper, given that age, alcohol and arthritis are slowing the ole guy down a bit.
9. I still have more hair than Dr. Stapp.

and finally,

10. My new cd comes out this summer!

Happy New Year All!

Things Neglected

Wow, it sure has been some time since I have posted. Blogs for me are kind of come and go. I get into it for awhile, and then I forget about it. It's kind of like my reading habit. I read a lot, then go dry for some weeks at a time. I guess that's just my inconsistent life.

Things are gearing up for the holidays, I am booked to the nines and have even had to decline a gig or two to make everything fit in this year. That's a good feeling, that is, to be busy enough to have to pick and choose.

Since my last posting, I have been appointed to a permanent position on WRR 101.1 FM in Dallas. I host the Saturday daytime show, bringing you eight hours of wacky and wonderful classical music to suit every taste. Join me online at www.wrr101.com to check out the goods.

A couple of private personal matters have me very stressed and distracted now. A prayer or two from the .0000000014723 readers of this blog would be most appreciated. Meanwhile, Madame Z comes tomorrow for a visit, and I am looking forward to it.

That's it for now.

A Time for Change

This past week a large handful of my students left for college. That should be cause for rejoicing, of course, but for me it was a painful reminder that relationships can be so very efemeral. These eight kids had in many ways not only been my students, but also my legacy. A couple of them had even been my friends.

They are off to a great new adventure now, spread to all parts of the country.

Will they forget me? Perhaps they will. I know that from my high school days I remain in touch with but a single friend. Even my "best friend" and I haven't spoken for more than two years.

Lives change. We move on. Old friends pass into memory, new ones take their places. For my nine, well, I should be thrilled. Alas, that thrill is tempered by an emptiness that I cannot explain, and even though there is a new crop in the studio this year...those that have gone were my first class to go since I started teaching full time.

Good teachers care and remember. They stay abreast of what their charges have gone on to do. I hope that my students do the same for the old man.

Andy, Robert, Alex, Brian, Will, Michael, Montgomery, Tasha, Rachel: Good Luck, Godspeed, Bon voyage. Do well. Make me proud. And I hope that some future success will have had something to do with some little thing you might have learned from me.

I miss you all already, and I am delighted that a new and exciting adventure awaits you. Keep me posted. I know it will be great!

Catching Up

It has been some weeks since I have posted. A goodly amount of travel and a lot of on air duty at WRR have kept me very busy, and tomorrow I head out once again for Seattle to spend a week with the ineffable Madame Z to learn all about Baroque Opera at the Accademia d'amore.

Meanwhile much has been going on. BPI was an interesting experience this year. Not exactly the mountain top that was 2004, but a growing (if somewhat painful) experience nonetheless. I learned much about myself this time and interacting with others.

September will have me back in Amsterdam to work with Max van Egmond. I can't wait to get back to this fabulous city and to spend some quality time with Schubert and Schumann under the tutelage of a master.

This morning's Dallas Morning News front page prompted a letter to the editor when there was a big article on the front page about "Justice Sunday" a rally of foaming at the mouth evangelicals who want to advance their political agenda by disguising their cause in the clothing of morals and standards.

Imagine my vicious delight when I read that their keynote speaker would be that paragon of virtue, House Majority Godfather Tom DeMoney, er, DeLay. Let's see, just how many investigations and inditments are swirling around the head of the most Rev. Mr. Bombast at the moment? I've lost count.

How funny that the very people who want prayer in schools, the ten commandments on the courthouse lawn and judges who hate gays and moms put up the most corrupt congressman in decades as their standard bearer. I guess though that it is completely appropriate. It shows that the agenda of the so-called Christian right is anything but Christlike. Why don't they just come out and tell us what they really really want (to quote the Spice Girls)?

C'mon neo-con-men, why don't you spare us all the self-righteous Jesus rhetoric and tell us all what you're really up to? You want power, and you know that from time immemorial, you can gain power by playing on the fears of the ignorant and the afraid. It's been going on since the middle ages. Threaten the plebians with eternal damnation, convince them that you know better than they do what's best for their immortal souls and you have them in the palm of your hand.

Well, that's enough for today. Tune in later for a report from Seattle and the Baroque Opera Workshop.

The great thing about musicians is...

Well, that they are musicians. This has been a fantastically musical week for me, and one that will not soon be forgotten. First, I got to know two superb musicians that I am now happy to call friends. Jack Liebeck, the brilliant British violinist, and Inon Barnatan, a pianist of the first order, were here in good ole Dallas as my guests for concerts last week.

Not only did they play the living hell out of a Mozart, Brahms, Bloch and Prokofiev program, they are two of the coolest guys in the world. We had a blast, and I can't wait to find an excuse to bring them here again.

Helios gave and excellent concert last night too, if I do say so myself. They really sang their hearts out, and I really appreciated their efforts.

My broadcasting hobby took on a new dimension yesterday as I was live on the air for my first shift at WRR. It was a blast, and several very nice listeners called in to say hello and to welcome me to the airwaves.

That's it for now, nothing really profound other than a very rewarding, gratifying and I must say, exhausting week!

Croaking in Amsterdam, or, Why Alcohol and Tenors Shouldn't mix.

So...here I am in the the sin capital of the world. So what does little Kevy do but go out on the town, meet up with two really cool natives at a bar and take the bar tour of Amsterdam until 4 am. Even had to take a cab home for fear of getting lost!

It was fun though, except for the last place, which was a loud crowded disco and I almost lost my friends.

I have leared. I sounded like dog crap this morning...again! Same thing that happened in Sweden.

Well, there was lots to see and do. Max is out at a dinner party, so I am having a quiet evening alone after having gone out to explore the town a bit. Will definitely NOT go out drinking tonight.

More later.

On to Amsterdam

Arrived safely today at the lovely 17th century home of Max van Egmond. What a charming and wonderful house this is. We had a splendid chat over tea and will be having the first of our three lessons tonight.

Alas, the auditions which I had hoped for will not be happening live, but I prepared a nice package for the conductors in question.

Max has stepped out for a swim, and I have been catching up on email and practicing while he is out. Thank God he has a PC. After using Leif's all week, I am definitely sticking with the PC!!! (Sorry Leif, but I don't get along with Macs.)

Meanwhile, la voce mia is giving me a bit of grief. My chords have been kind of swollen all week, and it's getting annoying. Have been careful about my alcohol intake.

As for Amsterdam itself, I will have to tell you more about that tomorrow after I have seen more. So far so good though. It's very impressive. Lessons tomorrow and Sunday and then to the states on Monday, drat it...I thought I was to be here all day Monday too, but I misread my ticket. Oh well.

More later.

A Stockholm Diary

Day two in Stockholm and I am finally over my jet lag. Leif and I got pretty plastered last night and I paid for it today when I went to take a lesson with his dad. I sounded like buttered dog shit. I woudn't have tied one on had I remembered that we were lessoning...oops.

As always, I love this city. It's such a beautiful place and it's filled with so many interesting and stunning people. We went shopping today, and as always, I bought a bunch of clothes. Leif took me to a shop that was very inexpenive. It was fun. We spent the rest of the day at Leif's dad's house, a beautiful place overlooking the water.

He made pancakes, Swedish style for us and they were to die for.

Not much else going on this evening. We are both pretty sleepy and are going to hang out and watch tv and get a good night's sleep.

That''s it from the foreign desk!

I got dem Schiphol Airport Blues

Good morning all.

For you, it's about three a.m. I have arrived safely in Amsterdam, gotten my boarding pass to Stockholm, schlepped the luggage to where it needs to go and spent some cash in the cd store, as if I need any more cds.

Schiphol is a"that seventies show" kind of airport, but it has miles of cool shops and lots of very American places to eat.

The flight from the US didn't seem too terribly long really, and I got in a couple of good naps on the plane. So, except for feeling the desperate need to take a shower, I am doing great. At $13 an hour in the internet cafe, this entry will of necessity be short. I will have lots of time to write when I get to Stockholm. Leif has a virtual office in his house.

Meanwhile, I get to learn to navigate Amsterdam by myself, as Max has a gig and can't come get me at the airport when I come back. That's ok though, I love a good adventure and everyone here speaks English, so I won't be lost.

If all else fails, I will just spring for a cab.

That's it for now. Post some responses you people. There will be much news.

Sunday in Montana

This has been a great week so far. Our concert went rather well last night, and the great folk in the volunteer choir pulled off some pretty fine Monteverdi. They have worked very hard on it, so it's great that they had a good show.

Off to Misoula today for a repeat. Hoping for another good show.

Montana day two

An easy day yesterday of shopping, and going to concerts. Our other three soloists gave a recital last night as part of the festival. Evanne Browne, our soprano soloist is from Dallas originally, and has studied with Max van Egmond. Small world.

Brian Chu, our baritone is quite excellent and we hit it off well at the pub after the show. Marje, our mezzo is also very fine, but I have not had much chance to chat with her and get to know her as yet.

Rehearsal in one hour....gotta get ready, get warmed up and go.

It's so very peaceful here in Helena, and this would be a groovy place to have a summer home.

More later.