Wednesday, October 30, 2013

John Malveaux: Eric DeWeese, General Manager, retiring at KUSC Radio

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes to Bill Lueth, Program Director, concerning the retirement of Eric DeWeese, General Manager of Classical KUSC Radio in Los Angeles:


Bill:
I recall seeing you for the first time at MLK Jr. Park in Long Beach when you attended the 2009 west coast premiere of Roy Harris "Bicentennial Symphony".  MusicUNTOLD relationship with KUSC Radio started with you. It is a treasured memory and somewhat historic in terms of outreach from a classical radio station/educational institution to an underserved community. Thank you and I hope special projects for the station to include you will be FREQUENT.
 
Best
John Malveaux
 


From: edeweese@kusc.org
To: johnmalveaux@hotmail.com
Subject: FW: Inquiry/Request ARTS ALIVE
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 17:44:32 +0000

John -  Just a note to tell you I will be retiring from KUSC at the end of December.  While I will do a few special projects for the station on occasion, Bill Lueth, the station’s Program Director, will be taking over many of my current general manager duties.  He’s now the #2 person USC radio, KUSC in Los Angeles & KDFC in San Francisco. 

Gail will still be on staff in her current position.  But, the decision about what we broadcast is Bill’s.  You might include him when sending email.  His address is blueth@kdfc.com.  Another person you might put on your email list is Kelsey McConnell.  She’s now the Assistant Program Director (kmcconnell@kusc.org).

I’ve enjoyed working with you.  You have done some amazing things and should be proud of your accomplishments.  Hope to see you soon again.

e.d.

eric deweese
general manager
classical kusc
los angeles





A2SO.com: Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra 'Woodwind Quintet' Friday, November 1, 2013 Features 'Miniatures' of William Grant Still (1895-1978)

Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music

[William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a comprehensive Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com Recordings, sheet music and books of William Grant Still are available at www.WilliamGrantStill.com, which is operated by the composer's daughter Judith Anne Still (Photo is the sole property of William Grant Still Music, and is used with permission)]


Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra

Woodwind Quintet - November 1

  • Penny Fischer, flute
  • Lynne Marie Mangan, oboe
  • Jay deVries, clarinet
  • Nora Schankin, bassoon
  • Melanie Hellick, horn
Repertoire: 

  • Arne Running - Aria and Quodlibet
  • Farkas - Old Hungarian Dances 
  • Denis Agay - Five Easy Dances 
  • William Grant Still - Miniatures 
  • Barthe - Passacaille 
  • Ibert - Trois Pieces Breves
  • D'Rivera - Wapango 
  • Lefebvre - Suite for Woodwind Quintet, op. 57 

Cleveland.com: Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins & Cellist Patrice Jackson in O'Connor String Quartet, Cleveland Museum of Art, 7:30 PM Wed., Oct. 30

The O'Connor String Quartet, from left: Patrice Jackson, cello; Gillian Gallagher, viola; Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin; and Mark O'Connor, violin. The group appears Wednesday on the Cleveland Museum of Art's Performing Arts Series. (Columbia Artists Management) [The Plain Dealer]

Zachary Lewis
Oct. 23, revised Oct. 28, 2013

Seven years ago, at the auditions for what is now the O’Connor String Quartet, Mark O’Connor recalls being impressed by the response.
Assuming few would be willing or able to play his music, a blend of folk and classical traditions, he was stunned to find many who were not only intrigued by his art but experienced in it as well.
“There were many who were interested in that approach, many more than I would have imagined,” said O’Connor by phone from his home in New York, adding that those he hired came pre-loaded with a “natural proclivity” for it.
A similar phenomenon is likely in store for Wednesday, when the O’Connor Quartet appears on the Performing Arts Series at the Cleveland Museum of Art. On that occasion, O’Connor and friends – violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violist Gillian Gallagher and cellist Patrice Jackson – may again be surprised by the number of people with whom his music resonates.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

MELODEON: 'Music of Injustice and Revelation' Sunday, November 3rd, 2013 at 7 PM, 122 West 69th Street, NYC

Comment by email:

My family is from Louisiana and during a visit with my brother, Larry Gauthia, a resident of Louisiana, he escorted to the Indian Removal Trail of the Choctaw Indians (one of five civilized tribes) around 1830 through Louisiana. Although neither of us conducted confirming research, family verbal history indicated some mixing with Choctaw Indians.  John Malveaux

John McLaughlin Williams and Glen Inanga have recorded the Karl Weigl Violin Sonatas. 'The Sono Luminus label has placed a very brief clip on Instagram.'

John McLaughlin Williams
(Sono Luminus/Instagram)

John McLaughlin Williams writes:

Hi Bill,

Glen Inanga and I have finished recording the Karl Weigl Violin Sonatas. The Sono Luminus label has placed a very brief clip on Instagram. I thought you'd be interested.

Best.
JMW

Oratorio Society of New York: Solomon Howard in Mozart 'Requiem' and Mendelssohn 'Die erste Walpurgisnacht' Carnegie Hall, Nov. 4, 2013 8 PM



Patrick D. McCoy writes:

Solomon Howard to make Carnegie Hall debut on Nov. 4.

Patrick D. McCoy
Washington Life Magazine
www.washingtonlife.com

Monday, October 28, 2013

Tai Murray "20th CENTURY: THE AMERICAN SCENE" (HD 1080p) Works by Copland, Carter, Cage & Corigliano

20th Century: The American Scene [9:36]
Tai Murray, Violin; Ashley Wass, Piano

Published on Oct 4, 2013

A film by Carmen Delia Romero © eaSonus 2013

Worldwide Release: 15th November 2013
EAS 29253


AARON COPLAND (1900-1990)
Sonata for Violin & Piano 

ELLIOTT CARTER (1908-2012)
4 Lauds for Solo Violin

JOHN CAGE (1912-1992)
Six Melodies for Violin & 
Keyboard (Piano)

JOHN CORIGLIANO (1938- )
Sonata for Violin & Piano

Tai Murray, Violin 
Ashley Wass, piano 


Twentieth Century: the American scene 

The twentieth century will go down in history as the century that radically changed our society: two devastating world wars and an economic system that was to take hold, at staggering speed, of the philosophy, aesthetics, and moral values on which humanity had hitherto been founded. As a result, the arts in general and the musical world in particular were so powerfully affected that, today, we can find no parallel in past centuries. Thus the twentieth century will be remembered as the century of diversity, when the confluence of so many different schools of thought gave birth to the most varied techniques and compositional styles, unhesitatingly burying all vestiges of post-Romanticism.

Inevitably, the American musical landscape, consistently inheriting European trends, was imbued with this 'experimental' feel, leading to a diverse musical scene that breathes the air of Nadia Boulanger's Paris with Aaron Copland and Elliott Carter, 'moves away' from sound with John Cage, and employs the full range of stylistic possibilities with John Corigliano; an America that adapts the old language to derive completely new and fresh music from elements inherited from the past. In a country where 'classical' music is not a native art, it became imperative to create music with an identity of its own that would reflect the thoughts and feelings of a people and to develop a school of American composers.

Described as "superb" by The New York Times, violinist Tai Murray is establishing herself a musical voice of a generation. Appreciated for her elegance and effortless ability, Murray creates a special bond with listeners through her mature phrasing and subtle sweetness. Her programming reveals musical intelligence. Her sound, sophisticated bowing and choice of vibrato remind us of her musical background and influences, principally, Yuval Yaron (a student of Gingold & Heifetz) and Franco Gulli. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2004, Tai Murray was named a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist (2008 through 2010).
She has performed as guest soloist on the stages of such halls as the Barbican, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens, and Shanghai's Concert Hall. Performing with such ensembles as the Atlanta Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar. Now a resident of Berlin, Tai Murray's appearances close to home include Berlin's Konzerthaus and Kammermusiksaal at the Philharmonie, projects with the Philharmonic Staatsorchester of Mainz and Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, and tours with the Brandenburger Symphoniker and Niederrheinische Sinfoniker. 
As a recitalist Tai Murray has visited many of the world's capitals having appeared in Berlin, Chicago, Hamburg, London, New York, and Washington D.C. among many others. She will return to Wigmore Hall in 2014. As a chamber musician, she has joined tours with Musicians from Marlboro and was a member of Lincoln Center's Chamber Music Society II (2004-2006). Festival appearances include Ireland's West Cork Festival, and the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in the USA. Tai Murray's critically acclaimed debut recording for harmonia mundi of Ysaÿe's six sonatas for solo violin was released in February 2012.

Comment by email:
Dear Mr. Zick, Thank you for your post! With best wishes, Tai [Tai Murray]

Retweeted
by Tai Murray  @xtaizy
To 2153 followers



John Malveaux: 'MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY 12 YEARS A SLAVE' released digitally on November 5, 2013 and physically November 19, 2013


John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends this link:


12 Years A Slave
(Columbia Records; New York, NY – October 22, 2013) – Columbia Records will release the soundtrack to the year’s most anticipated new film, 12 Years A Slave. The soundtrack, MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY 12 YEARS A SLAVE, will be released digitally on November 5th, 2013 with the physical release set for November 19th, 2013. The MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY 12 YEARS A SLAVE soundtrack was curated by 9 time GRAMMY®  Award winner John Legend and features a score by legendary film composer Hans Zimmer.

The 16 tracks featured on the soundtrack are songs of freedom, each recorded specifically for the film and inspired by the true story of Solomon Northup. John Legend was tasked with creating an audio companion to the compelling film, and with the help of his Get Lifted partners, co-executive album producers, Mike Jackson and Thais Stiklorius, John enlisted a stellar line-up, of musicians, including Alicia Keys, Gary Clark Jr., Chris Cornell featuring Joy Williams, Laura Mvula, Cody Chesnutt and Alabama Shakes. 

Standout tracks include John Legend’s soulful version of “Roll Jordan Roll,” Alicia Key’s stunning original track “Queen Of The Field (Patsey’s Song,)” the Alabama Shakes heartfelt performance of “Driva Man,” Gary Clark Jr’s “Freight Train” and the beautiful duet “Misery Chain” from Chris Cornell featuring Joy Williams of the Civil Wars. The soundtrack also includes a rare performance of “Roll Jordan Roll” featuring the full cast, including lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Take a listen to John Legend’s “Roll Jordan Roll” here:  http://smarturl.it/RollJordanRollSC

“12 Years A Slave is a stunningly powerful film. I was so moved when I saw it. I felt every minute of it and was so inspired to contribute to the music of the soundtrack. This album brings together some incredible artists from different places and different genres who have all been touched by the film. When artists are inspired by great art, it makes us want to create. This album is the result of that inspiration.”  – John Legend

MELODEON Soprano Marti Newland and pianist Artis Wodehouse in Preview Video for Nov. 3, 2013: William Bolcom/Sandra Seaton "Diary of Sally Hemings"

Marti Newland, www.martinewland.com  (YouTube.com)


Artis Wodehouse
This is a rehearsal video of Marti Newland and I at Columbia performing one of the songs from William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton's cycle, "From the Diary of Sally Hemings". We'll perform the entire set of 18 songs on Sunday, November 3rd at 7, Christ and St. Stephen's Church, 122 W. 69th in NYC. It's a pretty amazing piece.

Published on Oct 27, 2013
Soprano Marti Newland and pianist Artis Wodehouse of MELODEON perform a selection from a unique 2001 American musical masterwork written by composer William Bolcom in collaboration with poet Sandra Seaton called "From the Diary of Sally Hemings". Sally Hemings (1773-1835) was one of Jefferson's over 600 slaves. After the death of his white wife, Hemings became Jefferson's long-time mistress, and together they produced several children. This relationship was not verified until the late 1990s, when DNA testing of the descendants of this union became available. 


Hemings is not known to have actually written a diary, but composer William Bolcom and poet Sandra Seaton have taken the known historic facts about her life and reconstructed her experience through a fictional/poetic musicalized first person voice in a cycle of 18 songs. 

In the song here, Sally Hemings is aboard a ship, sailing to France. She is a teenager, and has been asked to accompany Jefferson's youngest daughter, Maria, to Paris where Jefferson from 1784 to 1789 was serving as the ambassador to the Court of France, representing the fledgling United States. In the song, Sally Hemings reminisces about her grandmother's brutal capture into slavery in Africa, her harsh voyage to America via the "Middle Passage", and the irony of her own situation, retracing her grandmother's voyage, this time back across the Atlantic to Europe. 

MELODEON is a group of musicians that perform American music of the 19th and 20th century. Presenting "The Diary of Sally Hemings" is an exceptional foray for the group, but the subject matter and treatment is foundational for understanding the United States.

The video/audio recording was done at Columbia University by Whitney Slaten Oct. 26th, 2013, while Newland and Wodehouse were rehearsing in preparation for a concert of the complete cycle to be presented Sunday, Nov. 3rd, 2013 7 p.m. at Christ & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 122 West 69th Street, NYC.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

SphinxCon 2014: Early Bird deadline is less than a month away!


Now available for $69.99! Hurry, this great deal will expire on November 1st, 2013.

Announcing the 2nd annual convening on diversity in the performing arts: SphinxCon 2014-Solutions! A series of featured and guest speakers will shape the conversation through innovative, dynamic 15-minute presentations!

Read up on one of our Featured Speakers!


Nigel LythgoeNigel Lythgoe, Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Judge, So You Think You Can Dance. 

Lythgoe has been a pioneer in reality television and a driving force in the world of performing arts.  As Controller of Comedy and Entertainment at London Weekend Television he began Simon Cowell's television career in 2001 with POP IDOL.  In the same year he took the format to the US and it became the TV juggernaut AMERICAN IDOL, which has been nominated for nearly 70 Emmy Awards.

Lythgoe produced the charity spin-off 'Idol Gives Back' along with Richard Curtis which raised $186 million. It received the prestigious Governor's Award at the EMMY'S, which is the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ highest honor.    

Additionally, Lythgoe created the global hit program "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE" and was recently awarded the International Emmy Founders Award, presented to him in New York by Lady Gaga, recognizing him for "his indelible imprint on the TV industry and a body of work that crosses cultural boundaries and speaks to our common humanity."

To read more and check out this year's roster, go to

February 21-23, 2014 in Detroit, MI!
To join the conversation, REGISTER NOW!

The Post & Courier: 'Review: Colour of Music delivers with balanced, varied and exciting program'

                     
Conductor Marlon Daniel

The first big night of The Colour of Music, the “Black Classical Musicians Festival,” filled Memminger Auditorium with an abundance of smiles, hugs and ovations.
Newly elected state Sen. Marlon Kimpson introduced the program with obvious enthusiasm and a welcoming drawl, pointed out 91-year-old composer George Walker, the first African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for music and the author of the first piece of the evening. The ovation for Walker set the tone for the evening to come.
The concert opened with Walker’s “Icarus in Orbit” from 2004. The orchestra struck a startling and staccato first chord followed by a few seconds of silence. Then crept in with a pensive and reserved horn section which was soon joined by the strings setting up an ascending two-note motif that gradually developed into a more dense and rich texture. As contrast and dissonance built, the piece became more complex rhythmically, with jarring horn blasts and fast runs in the strings.
After a few short, eerie breaths, the composition became more harmonically complex and rhythmic as it reached its apex, then descended with a solo flute flurry followed by three sharp chords harkening back to the beginning.
The performance continued with “Poem” by William Grant Still, written 60 years before Walker’s “Icarus.” It began with huge parallel melodies in the brass, engaging in a call-and-response with the woodwinds and strings. The orchestra then settled into a low sonorous, pastoral feel.
Conductor Marlon Daniel wonderfully led the musicians through the intense dynamics of turbulent mountain tops and peaceful valleys. The brass, anchored by three trombones and a tuba, offered as rich a tone at their lowest volumes as at their most triumphant.
As Daniel became more animated with his baton, certain members of the orchestra began to follow suit.
Principal oboist Hassan Anderson seemed especially moved. Perhaps because Still was an oboist, he wrote a particularly lively oboe part, but something more than that seemed to be taking place. The players, while concentrated on their conductor, also interacted with one another. Violinist were smiling at each other or nodding across to the violas. Bassists were reacting to all the music, not just the dots written on their particular pages.
The first half of the evening’s performance concluded with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade in A Minor, a spirited piece, also relying heavily on a powerful brass section. 
...

The stage filled with the orchestra, festival chorale, conductor and four soloist, bringing the number of performers to nearly 90 for the final composition, “The Ordering of Moses,” by R. Nathaniel Dett.
Composed in 1937, Dett’s oratorio mixes African-American spirituals with classical music and operatic singing. Lasting close to an hour, this ambitious work never had a dull moment. 
...

The chorus provided the perfect support, either grounding the soloists or cajoling them to new heights. The orchestra showed great restraint and skill at accompanying the singers. Notable were principal cellist Kenneth Law and principal bassoonist Feleighta Green, who played with great expression in the transitions between the seven sections of the piece.
The concert concluded with a rousing ovation, manifest sense of pride and joyful camaraderie. The Colour of Music Festival is the start of something very important and special in Charleston.
Reviewer Jonathan Gray is a musician, teacher and writer.

[Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, R. Nathaniel Dett, William Grant Still, and George Walker are profiled at AfriClassical.comwhich features a comprehensive Works List and a Bibliography for Coleridge-Taylor, Dett and Still by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com.]

Columbia University Libraries: 'Ulysses Kay (1917-1995) wrote more than one hundred forty compositions in a wide range of forms'

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends this link:


John Malveaux

Ulysses Kay: Twentieth Century Composer
Ulysses Kay (1917-1995) wrote more than one hundred forty compositions in a wide range of forms – five operas, over two dozen large orchestral works, more than fifty voice or choral compositions, over twenty chamber works, a ballet, and numerous other compositions for voice, solo instruments or dancer, film, and television.

As stated by Constance Tibbs Hobson and Deborra A. Richardson in Ulysses Kay: A Bio-Bibliography (1994): "Kay's contribution to America's cultural life and to its contemporary music scene is outstanding. His distinguished career, reflecting personal industry, discipline, and will, sets an encouraging, honorable, and inspiring example for all who follow. His message to aspiring composers strongly advocates continued study and growth in order to better express one's vision and individuality."
The Kay family gave the papers of Barbara and Ulysses Kay to Columbia in 2009, and they have since been cataloged. The finding aid for the collection is available through:

Exhibit Curator

Jennifer B. Lee          

Saturday, October 26, 2013

IslandPacket.com: 'Sphinx Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra to perform Oct. 27 on Hilton Head'

Sphinx Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra

The Island Packet

October 21, 2013

The Sphinx Organization has worked to create opportunities for black and Latino musicians to perform and grow. The orchestra is a conductorless 18-member ensemble comprised of veterans and winners of the annual Sphinx competition in Detroit, a contest for black and Latino string musicians.

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/10/21/2749792/sphinx-virtuosi-chamber-orchestra.html#storylink=cpy

Virginia Kay on Ulysses Kay's Wife Barbara Kay: "she was a Freedom Rider and was imprisoned in Parchman Prison in Mississippi"

Ulysses Kay (1917-1995) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a comprehensive Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com.

Barbara Kay and Eugene McCarthy (Photo: John Goodwin)

"Barbara Jane Kay has been committed to the Hinds County Jail [Jackson, Mississippi] by order of Judge James Spencer for the crime of Breach of Peace.  Your sentence has been set at $200.00 and 4 months.  You will be released from jail June 9, 1962.  J.R. Gilfoy, Sheriff of Hinds County.  By Jim Kelly, Deputy Sheriff"


Virginia Kay, first child of Ulysses and Barbara Kay, responded on October 21, 2013: 

Hello again, Bill.

I can’t thank you enough for posting the 2 Kay events. In the de Lerma paragraph it says that “Kay married Barbara Hanson in the same year, and she joined him in Rome,”. But our mother’s name was Barbara Harrison and she went to Rome with him. A History / Biographical Note is at http://findingaids.cul.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_7341105/summary#subjects

But what your readers may find more interesting is that she was a Freedom Rider and was imprisoned in Parchman Prison in Mississippi see https://exhibitions.cul.columbia.edu/exhibits/show/kay/barbara-kay/freedom-rider. She was interviewed for an oral history project at Columbia years later, completely independently & now that 150 page discussion covering their lives from Italy, to the Freedom Rides & more is part of the collection.

Regards,
Virginia

John Malveaux: 'Soprano Jammieca Mott posted this Tiny Desk Concert, with much appreciation, of Lawrence Brownlee'

NPR Tiny Desk Concert

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

Soprano Jammieca Mott posted this Tiny Desk Concert, with much appreciation, of Lawrence Brownlee. http://www.npr.org/event/music/228926490/lawrence-brownlee-tiny-desk-concert
 
 
John Malveaux

John Malveaux: Music of Julius P. Williams and Jonathan B. Holland at Berklee/Alcyon Concert, Westford, MA at 3 PM, November 3, 2013



The career of Maestro Julius P. Williams is detailed at AfriClassical.com and at his personal website, http://www.juliuspwilliams.com

 Jonathan B. Holland's website is JonathanBaileyHolland.com

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends this link: 

 
Thanks,

Friday, October 25, 2013

John Malveaux: Carter Woodson is known as the father of African American History Month and he authored 'The Mis-Education of the Negro' in 1933.

Carter G. Woodson

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

During the early sixties, the TITLE of a book grabbed my attention and never departed from me. Carter Woodson is known as the father of African American History Month and he authored The Mis-Education of the Negro in 1933. See http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/misedne.html

John Malveaux

John Malveaux: Angela Brown sings the role of Tosca with the Calgary Philharmonic on October 25 and 26. 2013.

Angela Brown

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends this link:

Angela Brown sings the role of Tosca  with the Calgary Philharmonic on October 25 and 26. 2013. See http://www.cpo-live.com/main/

John Malveaux

SIMPLE CONSCIOUSNESS...PAINTED SCORE EXPLORATORIUM Chicago Modern Orchestra Project 7 p.m., November 6-7, 2013, Out Of Line Gallery

Renee' Baker

Renee' Baker writes:

November 6-7, 2013
Out Of Line Gallery 
2812 W. Chicago Ave  Chicago, Il

With the influences of Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Kurt Schwitters, Anthony Braxton and Helen Frankenthaler, abstract expressionist artist/composer Renee' Baker embarks on the journey to depict the obvious connection between visual art in the form of painted scores and music. She finds both mediums to be simple and accessible and the ability to evoke resonances and responses from instrumentalists when directed in focused comprovisations, opens an unworldly labyrinth of sounds. 

An open consciousness in the player exposes the heart and the essence of the painted works as the instrumentalists invent and reinvent the experience. The results may be austere or complicated..and neither response is preferred. 

An ancient sort of illumination invites the listener into an awareness of their own creative process.

In this performance/showing all works will be installed and performed intermittently throughout the events.- RB

PROGRAM

Monastic Hours (inspired by Book of Hours) 

Tea and Cake: Sense of Smell=Timelessness

Fullness of day’s breath

Helen’s Meditation (dedicated to Helen Frankenthaler)

Movement of the eye

Narrow Road (inspired by Matsuo Basho)



Music Director
Chicago Modern Orchestra Project

Reflections from Grammy Award winner Mark S. Doss as Amonasro in Aida in Seville and the Four Villains in The Tales of Hoffmann in Tokyo


John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends this link:

Reflections from Grammy Award winner Mark S. Doss as Amonasro in Aida in Seville and the Four Villains in The Tales of Hoffmann in Tokyo

I am extremely excited to be back at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, Spain. I am starring as Amonasro in Aida, with performances on October 25, 28, 31; and November 3, 6 and 9, 2013. Amonasro is the second most performed role of my career (Escamillo in Carmen being the first). This production marks my second engagement with the company after successfully performing the roles of Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana and Premysl in Sarka in double-bill performances earlier this year. With Amonasro, a part I have already sung many times before, the fabulous acoustics and my wonderful colleagues will be that much more appreciated.
Reflections on Amonasro, the Ethiopian King
The role of Amonasro, for me, is about the Ethiopian King’s
love for his country, and his refusal to be ruled by an enemy who will disrespect that country and its people. He is sometimes played as a villain, but I believe he is far from that. Everything Amonasro tells Aida concerning the atrocities the Egyptian enemy has done to their people is factual. He knows that Aida loves Radames, and that he is in love with her, yet Amonasro hopes to use that connection to advance his higher concern of keeping his people (including Aida) free from tyranny.

I have often thought back to the great performers who have taken the stage in
Aida. George London was an immensely powerful Amonasro, and I was presented with the Opera Prize named after him by possibly the most famous Aida of all time, Leontyne Price. Both have been role models for me with their impeccable vocalism. After receiving the prize it was recounted to me that Ms. Price used these words in her description of me: “He is the real item.” I am also indebted to Rakefet Hak (now at UCLA, formerly on the Met staff and with LA Opera) for her musical insights and allowing me to delve deeper into the role of Amonasro.

While I have always been immensely proud to perform as the Ethiopian King, the role has held even greater personal meaning after I received Planet Africa’s Entertainment Award in 2011, recognizing me a positive role model for youths, and a person whose roots stem from the African continent. This will be the third time I will perform Amonasro since receiving this humbling award.
Thoughts on The Tales of Hoffmann

Two days after returning from Seville, I will fly to Tokyo to begin rehearsing the Four Villains from
The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach, which will be presented at The New National Theatre on November 28; and December 1, 4, 7 and 10, 2013. I am greatly looking forward to the challenge and opportunity to sing in Japan for the first time. This will be my second rendering of the villains after successfully presenting them with Michigan Opera Theatre back in 2001

Thursday, October 24, 2013

HeraldNews.com: 'The Fall River Symphony Orchestra's opening concert...will be this Sunday, Oct. 27, with guest conductor Douglas McRay Daniels

Douglas McRay Daniels rehearses with the Fall River Symphony Orchestra in Sept. Daniels will conduct the symphony on Oct. 27 (The Herald News, Dave Souza)

Maestro Douglas McRay Daniels sends this link:

Fall River Symphony Orchestra's first concert of season is Oct. 27

The Fall River Symphony Orchestra's opening concert for the 2013-2014 season will be this Sunday, Oct. 27, with guest conductor Douglas McRay Daniels, who has chosen autumn as a concert theme. The orchestra will perform Festive Overture in A major by Shostakovich, October by Whitacre, Ballade for Trombone and Orchestra by Martin with soloist Wes Hopper and Symphony No. 8 in G major by Dvorak.

Daniels is co-chair of the Gann Academy Arts Department, music director for the Bentley University Chamber Orchestra, associate conductor of the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra and founder and artistic director of Third Sundays at 3 Chamber Music Series. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Trombone Performance from University of Montevallo (Alabama), Master of Music Education and Trombone Performance from Boston Conservatory, and Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from University of Nebraska. Guided by a belief that music is “common ground” that bridges differences in race, culture, origin and age, Daniels is particularly interested in engaging young (new) audiences. He is a resident of Medford.
...

For additional information, visit FallRiverSymphonyOrchestra.org



Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Patrick Meadows Publishes Scores for Several Works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Including 'Symphony in A minor, Op. 8,' on www.soundpost.org

[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]

Patrick Meadows writes that he has published a number of works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor at www.soundpost.org.  They are listed here, and will be added to the composer's Biography at AfriClassical.com, pending revision of the Works List at the website: 

The works are listed on www.soundpost.org

I hope the web site gets up and running.  It is an important link for lovers of music.

Best wishes,

Patrick

SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR
Holborn 1875 - Croydon 1912


NONET op 2
Ob, cl, fag, hn, vn, vla, vc, cb, piano
Score & Parts: 65,00 Euros
(First publication)

PIANO QUINTET op 1
Piano & string quartet
Score & Parts: 50,00 Euros
(First publication)

PIANO TRIO
Piano, violin, cello
Score & Parts: 15,00 Euros
(First publication)

SYMPHONY in A minor op 8
2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 fag, 4 hns, 2 tpts, 3 trbs, tba, timps, stgs.
Score: 60,00 Euros
Score & Parts: 200,00 euros
String Set: 4/4/3/2/2
(First publication)

HAYTIAN DANCES
Five movement version of the Novelletten op 52
String orchestra, triangle, tambourine (one player for triangle and tambourine)
Score: 40,00 euros
Score & Parts: 100,00 euros
String Set: 4/4/3/3/2
(First publication of five movement version)

THELMA (or THE AMULET) op 72
A grand opera in 3 acts
Full Score A3 Bound and Sewn (367 pp): 160,00€
Study Score A4 Ring Binding (367 pp): 100,00 €
Piano reduction with Vocal parts (277pp) 30,00€
Chorus Parts only, with piano (102 pp): 15,00€
Larger score and parts (including string set 4/4/3/3/2):  220,00 Euros
Libretto _____: Euros
(First publication)

ZARAS EARRINGS op 7
A Moorish Ballad for Soprano and Orchestra
2 fl, 2 ob, 2 clar, 2 fag, 4 hns, timps, triangle, cymbals, stgs.
Combined orchestral Score & Piano reduction with Vocal parts (for rehearsals only)

60 pp. 50,00 Euros
Larger score and parts (including string set 4,4,3,3,2): 100,00 euros

(First publication)


ROMANCE FOR STRINGS IN B MAJOR
(arranged by Coleridge-Taylor from the slow movement of his Clarinet Quintet op 10)
Score & Parts: 35 Euros
String Set: 4/4/3/3/2
(First publication)