A few thoughts, then a few links – good enough for a Friday, I think.
First, three thoughts:
1. Bizet’s Symphony in C – love to listen to it – it’s a gem of the repertoire (and features a drop-dead gorgeous oboe solo by principal oboist Marty Hebert) – but not much fun to play. Hate to say it, but there it is.
2. Liszt Les Preludes – fun to play, fun to listen to, fun to watch (watch the brass section blow their brains out) – why isn’t it done more often?
3. Barber Souvenirs – a truly sly piece of orchestration. Originally for piano four hands, he takes up orchestrations in the manner of some of the composers from whom he takes inspiration. For example, in the Waltz movement, towards the end it goes into 5/4 time a la Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony, and the orchestration shifts to textbook Tchaikovsky, and in the earlier part of the movement I think he’s taking a clever stab at Satie’s Je te veux, the ultimate love song in waltz time.
You can see and hear each of these pieces plus Liszt’s mammoth Second Piano Concerto at this weekend’s Oregon Symphony Concerts – click here for tix.
Here are three links:
1. The Jacksonville Symphony board has fired their executive director. Viola operator Robert Levine gives his thoughts.
2. Stephen Marc Beaudoin writes about the Oregon Symphony and the Portland Opera’s recent successes and failures in Crosscut Northwest.
3. Yet another article about the most visible and audible instrument(s) on stage – percussion – don’t they get enough attention? Guess not. Plus a lame headline – can’t these copy writers resist?