tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186898659482792872024-03-13T00:33:05.205-07:00ON THE BENCH: Conversations with Other PianistsPianist Lara Downes in conversations with her friends and colleagues about the passions, projects, plans and problems that are unique to the lives of pianists, at work or at play.Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-62677336448325699702013-02-26T07:09:00.000-08:002013-02-26T07:09:00.791-08:00The Other Side of the Bench - Lara talks with the Cross-Eyed Pianist I really like this interview I did recently with Frances Wilson, aka the <a href="http://crosseyedpianist.com/" target="_blank">Cross-Eyed Pianist</a>. So I am sharing it here!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: Who or what inspired you to take up the piano, and make it your career?</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: I started at the piano as a toddler and simply never stopped! I just
never found anything I loved as much. In my teens, I had passing
fantasies about being an archaeologist or an actor “when I grew up”, and
then I realized that I could incorporate aspects of both of those
careers into my musical path. My work involves a lot of archaeological
excavation of the repertoire in search of historical narrative and
context, and I think that I channel my inner actress into the task of
interpreting the emotions and messages of the composers whose works I
perform.<br />
<b></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: Who or what were the most important influences on your playing?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: It’s been a collage of many things: my very first teacher, Maria
Cisyk, was my first love! She was a wonderful woman who integrated a
true understanding of and curiosity about music into the first steps at
the piano. As soon as I could cover a five-finger position, she had me
playing little and Bach and Bartok pieces, and learning the stories
behind them so that I had a sense, from the very beginning, of the scope
of a history and a tradition in music.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A little later I went on to work with Adolph Baller, a wonderful
Austrian pianist with whom I studied at Stanford when I was still very
young. He gave me, again, another layer of understanding about the
importance of tradition. Having come out of the Viennese tradition
himself – he studied with a former student of Franz Liszt! – he was a
direct link to the European Romantic school that I, an adolescent in
California, could only vaguely imagine. Tragically, Baller had suffered
tremendously during the Nazi regime (he was interred in a concentration
camp and his fingers were broken), before escaping to the U.S., where he
was able to rehabilitate his hands and resume his career as Yehudi
Menuhin’s accompanist and a member of the Alma Trio. His story gave me
some insights into the power that music can have in a life, the strength
that can be found in one’s calling throughout personal tragedy and
upheaval. That was an important turning point.<br />
Later on, as a teenager, I studied myself at the Hochschule in Vienna
and the Mozarteum in Salzburg with the great Hans Graf, and was able to
touch that grand tradition for myself, which brought everything full
circle. I remember a winter morning in Vienna, the first heavy snow of
the year, when an Argentine classmate came running into Graf’s class
saying “I went to the Mozart house and I walked in Mozart’s snow!”
That’s how it felt for me during those years, working in the birthplace
of the tradition, treading the same ground as the composer whose works I
was studying. Very magical. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: I think that I’ve come of age in a challenging time to be a musician,
but also a very liberating one. So I see the challenges also as
advantages. The limited opportunities in the concert world (especially
in the U.S. where funding for the arts is such a tremendous issue)
present a constant difficulty, but ultimately that difficulty has been
an inspiration to me to develop a real creativity and innovative spirit
in my approach to presentation and programming, to build a unique
profile as an artist, to identify what it is that I have to offer and
share with audiences that is uniquely mine, my genuine voice in the
world. I think we are living in a time when an artist with something
significant to say can take a significant amount of control in
determining how, when and where he or she is heard. There is a really
interesting and diverse mix of artistic personas on the concert stage
these days, reflecting a commitment to different ways and means of
musical expression. I think it’s very exciting.<br />
And then of course there have been the challenges of combining my
professional and personal lives – the same challenges we all face as
musicians, finding ways to integrate my roles in my family and in the
professional world. Being a mother of two young children has meant
making some choices. But that too, I think, has been a very positive
thing for me. I’m certainly a more centered, more thoughtful musician
than I was when I was younger, and obsessed solely with the day-to-day
mechanics of being a pianist, practicing 6 hours a day. Having a wider
landscape to tend has been very good for me. I’ve built a career that
encompasses performing and recording, writing, and also concert curating
and presenting, which I love to do. Being active as a concert and
festival curator/presenter allows me more space to bring my many (too
many??) ideas to life! It’s important to me to have some impact in
shaping the future of an art form that is changing so quickly, and has
so much potential to reach new audiences in new ways.<br />
<b></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: Which performances/compositions/recordings are you most proud of?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: I’m proudest of the multi-faceted projects I’ve created and produced
from start to finish, which have encompassed everything from
commissioning and premiering new works, to writing and delivering
narrative commentary from the stage, co-producing multimedia/visual
enhancements, and self-producing and releasing recordings on my own
label (Tritone).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005I4YX6K/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005I4YX6K&linkCode=as2&tag=ontheben-20" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005I4YX6K&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ontheben-20" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LISTEN</td></tr>
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<b>FW: Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: I love playing the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. They treat
artists so well (my son wants me to go back so we can “ride in the
limo”!), but more than that, the place evokes for me something very
powerful about respect for and pride in the arts. It’s just a beautiful
place to be and to perform.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: Favourite pieces to perform? Listen to?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: Whatever I’m working on at the moment! And some “comfort food” pieces
that go way back for me, that I turn to when I need to sort of
musically meditate and center myself: the Chopin <i>Nocturnes</i>, Schumann’s <i>Davidsbundlertanze</i>, Bach’s <i>Goldbergs</i>, some favourite pieces by Barber, Ives, and Prokofiev…<br />
<b></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: Who are your favourite musicians?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: Arthur Rubinstein, Billie Holiday, Richard Goode, Nat “King” Cole,
Chet Baker, Etta James, Charles Aznavour, the Beatles, Pablo Casals, my
son playing the trumpet, Lucio Dalla… you see it’s pretty all over the
place!<br />
<b></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: What is your most memorable concert experience?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: Hearing Rudolf Serkin under the big tent at Tanglewood in the late
‘80s, just a few years before his death. I was a kid watching a legend
and knowing deep in my bones just how precious the moment was. Again, to
me he represented the magic of the tradition.<br />
<b></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: Know what your music means to you. Find your voice. Learn what you
alone have to give. Don’t try to be like anyone else. Be flexible in
your thinking and let your path take you in unexpected directions. The
future can surprise you.<br />
<b></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: What are you working on at the moment?</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
My next recording, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Cafe-Lara-Downes/dp/B00ARWDRA6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361548604&sr=8-1&keywords=exiles+cafe" target="_blank"><i>Exiles’ Café</i></a>, will be released on the Steinway & Sons label on 26 February 2013. It’s a collection of 19<sup>th</sup> and 20<sup>th</sup>
century music by composers in exile, or written in response to the
experience of exile and diaspora. I’ve positioned music by composers
displaced by World War II (Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Bohuslav Martinu,
Darius Milhaud, and Kurt Weill) alongside works by earlier composers
such as Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev, who were likewise political
exiles in their own time. I’ve also included the <i>Africa Suite</i>
by African American composer William Grant Still, representing the
permanent wandering of the African Diaspora, and some preludes by the
American composer and novelist Paul Bowles, who lived in self-imposed
exile in Tangiers for the latter part of his life. The central, big
piece on the album is Korngold’s 2<sup>nd</sup> Sonata, which he wrote
in 1910 when he was a thirteen year old prodigy! It’s a massive,
late-Romantic, very Straussian work, just absolutely gorgeous and lush.<br />
The project illustrates the global currents of diaspora and exile,
which create artistic confluence among people from many different
backgrounds of time and place. I think the theme of displacement is one
with which everyone is familiar at some level, and also I think that
this goes back to my answer to your earlier question, which touched on
my deep emotions about the tradition that has built our concert
repertoire. Often it has been breaks in that tradition that have
actually carried it forward – the historical and political situations
that have carried composers from one place to another (Chopin from
Poland to France, Rachmaninoff out of Russia, Korngold to Hollywood
where he made a legendary career as a film composer and defined the
future of that genre) have influenced the development of concert music
in a profound way. So once again challenges sometimes prove essential!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ARWDRA6/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ARWDRA6&linkCode=as2&tag=ontheben-20" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00ARWDRA6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ontheben-20" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LISTEN</td></tr>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=ontheben-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ARWDRA6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>FW: What is your present state of mind?</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
LD: It’s a hugely exciting time for me. I’m watching several musical
projects come to full maturity and thrive, and I’m embarking on new
ones. I feel that I’ve arrived at a time in my life when my
musical/professional priorities are clear to me. I know what I want to
do, and I’m ready for new challenges. I feel lucky every single day to
be making a life in music, really. It’s an amazing thing.</blockquote>
Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-78833302266268547502013-02-20T03:09:00.000-08:002013-02-20T06:40:02.205-08:00The Indy 5: American Pianists Association finalists, Part V <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Sunday, the last of the five finalists in this year's <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/" target="_blank">American Pianists Association</a> competition performs with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra as the culmination of his residency week on the APA's Premiere Series.<br />
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If you were one of the other four APA finalists, you might be a little nervous about the goings-on in Indianapolis this week, because<b> <a href="http://www.ericzuberpiano.com/" target="_blank">Eric Zuber</a></b> has something of a reputation in the world of piano competitions. <span class="font_7"> </span><br />
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<span class="font_7">Eric holds an astonishing nine major
prizes, won over the last four years from some of the world's most important international piano
competitions: Honens, Cleveland, Arthur Rubinstein, Seoul, Sydney,
Dublin, Minnesota, Bösendorfer (Gold Medal), and Hilton Head (Gold
Medal). He was also awarded </span><span class="font_7"><span class="font_7">Juilliard's much-coveted</span> Arthur Rubinstein Prize. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="font_7">This consistency is unusual, and fascinating to me, as a pianist whose own experience of the <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012/08/if-pianists-were-horses-iano.html" target="_blank">competition circuit</a> was less than idyllic. Such a triumphant sweep demands </span><span class="font_7"><span class="font_7">a special combination of unique strengths: </span></span><span class="font_7"><span class="font_7">tremendous pianism of course</span>, but also some degree of strategic preparation,</span><span class="font_7"> and a </span><span class="font_7"><span class="font_7">presumably </span>innate sangfroid. It's this combination that can help a young artist navigate safely and surely through deep and hazardous (some might say cold, some might say shark-infested) waters. But, paradoxically, a young artist who is gifted with this combination of strengths has to be wary of too long a run on the competitions, no matter how successful, in order to avoid the weird trap of being branded a "competition pianist", with that </span><span class="font_7"><span class="font_7">stereotype's</span> inherent danger to career potential. In effect, for the young pianist strong and fortunate enough to achieve consistent competition wins, the ultimate win might be knowing when not to win anymore!</span><br />
<span class="font_7"><br /></span>
<span class="font_7">But for now, Eric Zuber is riding his wave with both style and substance. He checked in with me from Indy to talk about the week to come.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD: </b>You're something of a competition veteran at this point, with a very
impressive success record. What's your secret? Are there specific
methods in your approach to the competition process, or general elements
of your musical persona, that have supported you in the competition
arena?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>EZ:</b> I feel enormously fortunate to have been as successful in competitions
as I've been. It is very difficult, of course, to ask a competition
panel of 12 jury members to try and achieve consensus on something that
is more or less subjective. I feel thankful to have achieved a certain
level of consistency in these things, at least as much as one can. I
can't say that I could attribute it to one thing, but I think there are
some factors that might help. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For
instance, I try to program carefully, being sensitive to what I would
like to hear if I was a jury member. Of course, this is not fool-proof
since all jury members are different. I do feel, however, that certain
pieces lend themselves better to a competition situation than others,
and that it is risky to program without any regards to the situation. </span></div>
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<div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also,
players who have more eccentric or unusual musical
voices tend to either be eliminated early on, or win the whole
competition, depending on the makeup of the jury. They very rarely fall
in the middle. I feel my natural musical voice is perhaps less
controversial in some ways than some other pianists who have had more
uneven success (meaning several first or top prizes and several early
round eliminations) in competitions. That is, of course, not to say
that one is better than the other. It is just the reality of the
situation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then,
of course, there is the pianist's technical makeup and sound production
ability to consider. I find that
as competitions progress, competitors with sounds that are weaker tend
to be eliminated, unless they are specialists in certain types of music
or are great and sensitive artists. Even then, pianists who are capable
of projection over an orchestra with a big warm sound generally tend to
go further and place higher in these events. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> How is APA different from competitions you've experienced previously?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>EZ: </b>The setup is quite different. Generally, one applies to a competition
and is asked to submit a bio and resume as well as a DVD or CD. After
the initial screening process, one might be called to audition in
person, or sometimes just the initial screening is enough.
After the competitors for the actual competition are selected, there
are usually several rounds of playing (within a short 2 or 3 week
period) in front of one jury panel to determine the finalists and
winners. In APA, none of us were applicants, we were all nominated and then asked to submit a CD which was judged anonymously.
The cut was very large (from 45 to 5) just based on the CD portion,
meaning that round was much more difficult than your typical CD round.
Then the five of us began a long process of playing several times over
the course a few months. This process is still ongoing and will
culminate in April when the fellow will be determined. Also, the type
of events that we are performing in, including a high school residency, a
song recital, chamber music, and the performance of a work commissioned specially for us helps to differentiate APA from other international competitions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> Obviously the day is past when one competition win will automatically launch (and
sustain) a major career. How do you view the abundance of competitions
today? Do you think that the increased number of competitions ends up
providing more opportunities for young musicians, or do you think it
reduces the impacts and outcomes for the winners?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>EZ:</b> I think competitions, certain ones at least, still have the ability to launch a career. Look at <a href="http://amzn.com/B008CJ8S0A" target="_blank">Daniil Trifonov</a>,
whose career has exploded after winning Rubinstein and Tchaikovsky this
past year. Of course, only the competitions with the clout to generate
publicity have the capacity to do so, and even then, in this
controversy-driven society that we're now
living, it is not enough to just win and be good. One must be able to
sustain a career after the concerts or management that comes with
winning a competition dries out. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">In order to do this, it is helpful to have a story or a selling point-- a marketing angle. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;">Even
so, the smaller competitions can provide enough money and opportunities
for a young musician to keep going, and keep building contacts which is
very important in and of itself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;"><b>LD:</b> What are the most important outcomes you've experienced from your competition wins?</span></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;"><b>EZ:</b> I would say that the most helpful competitions for me in terms of
concerts have been <a href="http://www.hhipc.org/" target="_blank">Hilton Head</a>, which provided me with a Carnegie Hall
debut concert, and the <a href="http://www.arims.org.il/" target="_blank">Rubinstein</a> and <a href="http://clevelandpiano.org/" target="_blank">Cleveland</a> Competitions, both which
have given me a good deal of concerts. I've heard from a couple of my
friends who have been APA fellows that this competition
provides the most helpful support of all! So, I'm hopeful that the jury
will look positively on my efforts. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;"><b>LD:</b> What are you most looking forward to during your upcoming week in Indianapolis?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;"><b>EZ:</b> I am looking forward to it all! I have already had the pleasure of
playing with the gifted group of kids from Lawrence Central, our concert
is tomorrow evening. Then, my concert on Sunday is full of the music
that I adore the most: Schumann, Chopin, and Rachmaninov.
I hope that I can communicate my love of this music to the audience on
Sunday so they can walk away from the concert feeling uplifted,
positive, and emotionally refreshed. That is my main goal! </span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/GR6V-WqiEr4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="font_7">Eric Zuber </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="font_7">performs solo works and Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on Sunday, February 24 at 3:30pm. <a href="https://app.etapestry.com/cart/AmericanPianistsAssociation/default/category.php?ref=480.0.345960487" target="_blank"><b>TICKETS</b></a></span></span></span>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-73411899108045926382013-01-28T16:31:00.002-08:002013-01-31T07:03:02.627-08:00Kathryn Stott: Playing Together<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpA28ENcKhR_4ORqd3MWSJr4mZKbvfF53mqor_VnmY2V3Vy3lMalbKVIRma29HK5vf7Sj_Dp_4bvdcqq6CEm3v_5RHVxbMTmLKJWSugqS1nMxA7Jf4-Gl-4nGZBEK1p1mSwbrvb92ihY/s1600/homepic5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpA28ENcKhR_4ORqd3MWSJr4mZKbvfF53mqor_VnmY2V3Vy3lMalbKVIRma29HK5vf7Sj_Dp_4bvdcqq6CEm3v_5RHVxbMTmLKJWSugqS1nMxA7Jf4-Gl-4nGZBEK1p1mSwbrvb92ihY/s200/homepic5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">I love this photo of <a href="http://www.kathrynstott.com/index.htm">Kathryn Stott</a>. It's chic and unexpected, and has a sense of wide possibilities. As does her very interesting career, as a soloist, chamber musician, artistic administrator and teacher. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to talk with Kathy during her current US tour with her long-term duo partner <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Yo-Yo-Ma/dp/B000A7Q29G/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1359502565&sr=1-1&keywords=the+swan+yo-yo+ma" target="_blank">Yo-Yo Ma</a>. The two have a long partnership, going back to the summer of 1978, when Kathy came back to her student flat in London to find that her roommate had, without mentioning it, sublet her half of the flat to a young cellist and his wife. From surprise roommates to international touring soloists, 35 years later... For six weeks, Yo-Yo, his wife Jill, and Kathy cohabitated in less than ideal circumstances. Kathy was practicing "around 7 hours a day" for the <a href="http://www.leedspiano.com/">Leeds Competition</a> (in which she would take the prize that would launch her career), her piano situated right up against the adjoining bedroom wall. Such close quarters can engender either intense dislike or intimate friendship. The latter resulted, and some years later, Jill suggested that the two try their hands at a duo concert.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTZpFy-Wv9P0aSvXAqSAhCv3GXFGRyLnqlALbruFn5ZzkI1PE-JqrarZi-6wXu4RneYBtofwioFXkzhaoeKwJSmRLU8m9AEwi9aIEY9QRT7EMB6h3zntUYBO1vmJxwd3kTOul-SNh20k/s1600/event_2013_0129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTZpFy-Wv9P0aSvXAqSAhCv3GXFGRyLnqlALbruFn5ZzkI1PE-JqrarZi-6wXu4RneYBtofwioFXkzhaoeKwJSmRLU8m9AEwi9aIEY9QRT7EMB6h3zntUYBO1vmJxwd3kTOul-SNh20k/s320/event_2013_0129.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">These three decades later, playing together has developed into the best kind of shorthand, the rare long and deep musical friendship that allows "such great trust, the ability to take risks and know that you won't throw the other one off, the capacity to keep reinventing." As Kathy puts it: "Sometimes one tiny little change can lead to something totally different. If you understand how to keep the music alive, it doesn't matter how many times you play a piece - it's different every time." She laughs as she tries to calculate how many times the pair has played Saint-Saens' <i>The Swan</i>. "9 times out of 10, that's our encore, and I never, ever get sick of it."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">In the frenetic reality of today's touring circuit, such long-term ensemble partnerships are becoming increasingly tricky to establish and maintain. We trade partners easily and frequently, a new morality maybe, with a potential for thrill and excitement, but without the the deepening and growth of a long and stable marriage. For two world-class soloists to look back over three decades, back before "anyone was anyone", to draw on all those years of a musical and personal relationship, must be something quite spectacularly comforting and comfortable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I asked Kathy, joking, how she feels about playing <span style="font-size: small;">with</span> to the biggest household name in classical music, and, more seriously, how she deals with the perennial misnomer "accompanist" that continues to plague the collaborative pianist. Every</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> chamber music pianist confronts this particularly obnoxious problem - the </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">ongoing struggle for equal billing between instrumentalist and pianist always at issue. </span>Some <span style="font-size: small;">reach for extreme solutions, like </span></span> insisting on the technically authentic piano-first listing of the Classical duo sonata repertoire, <span style="font-size: small;">or a some<span style="font-size: small;">times-advantageous alphabetical billing</span></span>. Still the problem persists. A<span style="font-size: small;">nd w</span>hen your duo partner is Yo-Yo Ma, the problem, presumably, gets a little bit worse. She's equanimous about the whole issue: "I'm a pianist and Yo-Yo's a cellist. That's what we do. I'm
not stupid, I know why most people come to the concert! Of course
he’s a huge name, but because we go back to a time when we knew each other
before any of these things were happening, I don’t feel in the shadow. I know
that he needs to be challenged by me, that we need to feed off each other If I went into some subservient role he'd </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">be
bored out of his mind!" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Knowing the immense importance of the musical collaborations that have fueled Ma's musical life, it's clear that this partnership is in all ways a meeting of minds, a match between equals, and a duet between old and dear friends.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FENY8A/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001FENY8A&linkCode=as2&tag=ontheben-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001FENY8A&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ontheben-20" width="200" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=ontheben-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001FENY8A" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott perform at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, January 29 at 8pm. </b><a href="http://mondaviarts.org/events/event.cfm?event_id=1131&season=2012">Information</a> </span></span><style>
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</span>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-54923053966392281992013-01-23T21:12:00.002-08:002013-01-23T21:13:56.370-08:00The Indy 5: American Pianists Association finalists, Part IV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cGgovFaI1SfY_3W0E23YshRFFK_onmNcvz2ZwiExj6r6HX3mGzYZvkWa78_xMWMRLkBcSQsJPwqQ3DxRIE6-sZYvkOP2S7F5RSbP7ADYfkF9kqBNkx8TK6tAw9lhKPgZyElY-ja4JAc/s1600/20120905_andrew_staupe_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cGgovFaI1SfY_3W0E23YshRFFK_onmNcvz2ZwiExj6r6HX3mGzYZvkWa78_xMWMRLkBcSQsJPwqQ3DxRIE6-sZYvkOP2S7F5RSbP7ADYfkF9kqBNkx8TK6tAw9lhKPgZyElY-ja4JAc/s1600/20120905_andrew_staupe_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.andrewstaupe.com/">Andrew Staupe</a> appears to be an entirely normal guy. He appears to be laid-back, well-rounded, open-minded, midwestern, straightforward, and fun-loving. Which, in the music world, is not entirely normal.<br />
<br />
Andrew, like <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-indy-5-into-final-stretch-at.html">Claire Huangci</a>, <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-indy-5-american-pianists.html">Sean Chen</a>, and <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-indy-5-american-pianists_28.html">Sara Daneshpour</a> before him, takes center stage in the concert halls of Indianapolis this week as a finalist in the <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/">American Pianists Association</a> competition. <br />
<br />
Unlike his fellow finalists, and unlike many 28-year-old pianists with serious career ambitions, Andrew has not spent the last 5 years traveling the competition circuit. He didn't seriously start his piano studies until he was ten, he didn't go to Juilliard, and he has spent much of his life <u><b>not</b></u> locked into a practice studio for 6 hours a day. Before he got serious about piano, Andrew was a working actor and dancer in Minneapolis. He's a performance-level violinist, a jazz dabbler, the founder of a Medieval-Renaissance choral
group, a history and
archaeology buff, a competitive soccer and Ultimate Frisbee player, and
an avid Packers fan.<br />
<br />
What a laid-back, well-rounded, open-minded, midwestern, straightforward, fun-loving guy brings to his pass through one of the most rigorous and rewarding piano competitions in the world is surprising, refreshing, and honest. We spoke by Skype from Toronto to Houston, a few days before Andrew left for his <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/fellowships/events">Premiere Series week</a> in Indy.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Lara Downes:</b> In looking at all five of the APA finalists, I feel like
your range of interests and experiences is something that really sets you
apart, not only among the five, but among musicians in general. Can you talk a
little about how/if you feel different because of that breadth?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Andrew Staupe:</b> Oh, I definitely feel quite different from the other four
finalists in a number of ways. The first is simple: geography. I grew up in the
Twin Cities and studied at the University of Minnesota with Lydia Artymiw, and
came here to Rice in Houston with Jon Kimura Parker. Most top schools,
teachers, and students are concentrated in East Coast schools like Juilliard,
Curtis, Manhattan School, Mannes, New England Conservatory… the schools that
some of the APA finalists have attended</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> or are currently
attending. So, in a high pressure situation, it's psychologically intimidating
to compete against NY pianists in a sense because those schools are the 'best'.
So in one sense that can seem like a disadvantage. But it’s also an advantage
because I'm different, just based on where I grew up and studied. I'm not a
cliche NY pianist like the hundreds there.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Yes, as a Californian I relate! I think that “outsider
status” can be a tremendous advantage as an artist. There's an independence of
thought and perspective that develops when your artistic formation happens
outside of the traditional environment.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS: </b>Yes I agree. Read any quotes from the legendary artists
and they all felt like they didn't fit in. I definitely don't fit into the
typical New York/East Coast pianist type.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Also, most people I compete against, including the 4 other
APA finalists, are singularly trained pianists from an early age onwards. I
didn't have that early training. Or, I should say that I gave up on my early
training because I didn't want to practice... Ironic because it's the primary
thing I do now!</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Well, both as a performer and as someone who mentors
young aspiring musicians, I think that the lack of a typical music-geek
childhood might be kind of a fabulous thing! To come to this life because you
really <b>want</b> it and love it, not just because it's the thing you've always done,
is very special.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> But my early artistic exposure was pretty broad. I
dabbled in nearly every art form. I did classical ballet, jazz and tap dancing,
musical theater and regular theater, I painted and even wrote a musical based
on Cleopatra (I still have the script... Revision necessary!)</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Hmm, maybe we can present your Cleopatra musical along
with my Charlotte's Web opera that I wrote when I was seven.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> Definitely!</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Seriously though, it is so important to experience all
the arts, and literature, and life, as part of learning to be a musician!</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> Right, how can you understand Debussy without knowing
Monet?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> But if you look at so many little kids who are
diligently practicing their instruments in a vacuum, it is just so
discouraging. No context or history, no way to relate the music to the rest of
life.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> Right, don't even get started on how the system of
musical education, from early to top conservatory, has to be dramatically
changed... Anyway, so all these early experiences definitely made me more
well-rounded, not a neurotic mess, and I think you're right when you said piano
captivated me at the right time in my life, when I was around ten. And all my
other skills and interests persist to this day. For example: I picked up violin
at 15 and was nearly a double major in Undergrad. I'm still taking lessons, and
was slightly considering doing a violin encore after one of the APA concerts!</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> When I was a kid, there were two things I wanted to be
"when I grew up" aside from a musician: an actress and an
archaeologist. Now I think I've totally integrated those two interests into my
piano playing/performing/understanding. I'm an archaeologist within my
programming I think, or at least the history and hidden secrets are very
compelling and driving to me. And I think I approach my interpretations in a
way that explores the drama and and narrative of the music.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Tell me about your experiences with acting and if they
informed the way you approach musical character and narrative as a pianist.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS: </b>I hadn't thought about the connection of character in
theater to my musical interpretations, but you may be onto something...The
biggest thing for me was eliminating stage fright by being onstage <b>constantly</b>
through my early years</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">and not having it be a huge barrier. I still try to break
down the barrier</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">by talking onstage especially. Acting in theater also taught
me stage presence, charisma, being extremely open and honest onstage, having a
passionate "megaphone" to audiences so they really internalize your
message. That was all invaluable and easily transferable to concerto playing.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> You know, I've been listening to a lot of young artists'
auditions recently (I have a competition out here myself), and I was thinking
that the young singers have access to certain kinds of training having to do
with their physicality and stage presence that all musicians desperately need.
How strange that most soloists never really address the question of how to be
onstage and how to relate to their audiences in a public way.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> Believe me, people listen with their EYES, I always
stress that.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Oh yes they do! Can you share one performance
"trick" that comes from your previous stage experience?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> Well, in communicating onstage we were always taught to
have an open physical presence, chest slightly forward and expanded, and never
turning your back to an audience. For a recital, walking out is the immediate
reaction. As my former teacher Lydia said: “The recital starts when you walk
out!” So at all times onstage, I try to have that open concept an it seems to
work, especially when one bows and verbally introduces a piece.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> I would think the theater training would be a tremendous
help in talking with the audience.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS: </b>Oh yeah. I play a lot of new music or
off-the-beaten-path (kinda like me!) music so introductions are necessary - any
chance I get I talk to an audience! It dispels their distance, and it shakes
off any nerves and makes you realize you're playing for people.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Audiences are starved for human interaction with
performers I think. It makes such a huge difference in a recital setting for
the audience to get a sense of who the artist really is.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> Yeah, I totally get that. The day of the piano recital
being a pseudo-Druid, mystical, "pianist as silent radio transmitter to
deceased composers' souls” is phony and needs to go. It's a 19<sup>th</sup> Century Romantic aesthetic that is false.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD: </b>Are you able to follow your normal performance practices
in a competition setting, or do you feel any pressure to conform to the
standard, traditional structure?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> I play for the
audience and never for the judges. Ever.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> What is your end goal in participating in the
competition circuit?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> End goal? Easy. If I win this, I'm never entering
another one. If I lose, I'm never entering another one!</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Ahah! Well, from my own perspective, what competitions
should be looking for and recognizing is a complete artist, and especially
someone who can thrive and be a force in the next generation, with change and
growth in mind. These are really important years for identifying and developing
a sense of self, a unique profile. I think in this new world, a musician has to
be so many things. A flexible, forward thinker is probably the most important
of those things, a person with a focus on the power of individuality, the
spirit of adventure and entrepreneurship. A real, aware, connected human being!</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS: </b>Oh entrepreneur is THE word. The practice room is the
starting line, and a music career is BUSINESS. Here's a example: 2 summers ago,
I realized that people hire who they know and like, and the only way to do that
is to introduce yourself. So over the course of an arduous month, I researched
and personally wrote to 500+ orchestras, with a cover letter, a letter of
recommendation from my teacher Jackie Parker, and a link to my website and a
YouTube video. And you know something, I now know a ton of these Executive Directors
and conductors personally, and have worked with a few of these orchestras with
many more to come. I have a manager, and still re-wrote to about 250 that
originally didn't respond because I had the wrong person. No one will make your
career for you even if you have a manager. You need to be your own manager,
marketer, PR guy/gal, a NICE person. The mystique and aura of concert pianists
has to go... I think the best ones are basically "blue collar"
craftsmen that are skilled and care about their work, but don't treat a recital
like it's a religious service.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Well, here's something I can share with you. A good
friend and frequent musical collaborator just took over a very well-respected
chamber music festival, from the previous Artistic Director who is sort of a
giant of the older generation. I've also just founded a new <a href="http://www.laradownes.com/web/page.aspx?title=The+Artist+Sessions">concert series</a> in
San Francisco, and my friend and I were talking about taking over as presenters
from the previous generation. He said "You know, these guys grew up in a
world where someone knocked on the door and said "Mr. So and So, are you
ready?" And we've had to build the doors ourselves, and do our own
knocking!</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I know you’ve been doing some interesting work with <a href="http://www.promusicis.org/promusicis/">ProMusicis</a>?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AS:</b> Yes, I auditioned in 2012 and won a spot on their really
awesome roster. It's a really beautiful program. They fund a Carnegie debut
recital and they also require outreach concerts to hospitals, prisons, etc. But
last year the Executive Director</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> told me that Pro Musicis was tanking, with insufficient
funds, interest, and $7,000 debt. With such a huge legacy behind the
organization, I told him “We can't let that happen.” I said that there were 85
top artists on the Pro Musicis roster and we should all network and band together
and help the organization, sort of Pro Musicis 2.0! Well, a few days later he
called me and said the Board loved the idea and he wrote a mass email to the
artists. They responded so enthusiastically and within a few days the debt was
eliminated</span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Due to the artists' donations word has spread and we already
have $65,000. We're organizing an inaugural concert at Le Poisson Rouge, had
the first pro Musicis meeting in New York last September, and I'm currently on
the Board of Directors. So it's a learning curve! But by a simple idea, it
saved the program. I'm hoping other music organizations emulate this model.
Orchestras and such can’t be polarized. We saved Pro Musicis through unity,
innovation and passion, and it's now back on course.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>LD:</b> Yes, building the doors and knocking on them!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9AG0fBIAVUE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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</blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;">Andrew Staupe plays Mozart with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on Sunday, January 27 at 3:30pm. <a href="https://app.etapestry.com/cart/AmericanPianistsAssociation/default/category.php?ref=480.0.345960487">TICKETS</a></span>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-43045917888055647812013-01-10T08:59:00.002-08:002013-01-10T09:09:59.355-08:00Chopsticks to Chopin with Charlie Albright<a href="http://charliealbright.com/index.html">Charlie Albright</a> is a very, very nice young man. He's also an absolutely extraordinary young pianist with a busy schedule and a bright future. <br />
The way he thinks about that future is refreshing in its intelligence and pragmatism, with a sense of responsibility and respect that is informing his choices in interesting ways.<br />
<br />
However he chooses, somehow I think he's going to do very, very well!<br />
<br />
Listen to our conversation here:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxNornkbvnzSi3R_xZkO1M1DIgZPSrCatUAO3uTE9dmIYFSJkDSXN_8C15khB5kj_xGGMsPGSw8GNESZU4v' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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Then watch him improvise on Chopsticks - quite fabulous!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9QzGzMx3uho?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br />
Charlie plays a light little program that includes the complete <b>Chopin Op. 25 Etudes</b> on Sunday, January 13, at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis. <a href="http://mondaviarts.org/events/event.cfm?event_id=1186&season=2012">INFO</a><br />
<br />
Charlie Albright <a href="http://charliealbright.com/Concert-Season.html">tour schedule</a>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-77329355901635858542012-12-15T15:36:00.001-08:002013-01-31T07:08:19.701-08:00Getting Happy with Jenny Lin <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHQVn6l5oabGjQq-N4B8wDGt8OHRKYmWjGwJWPPIR0xouS4IghMLb2N3KEBaC1H3MiSHqQvC4OKOCjyAAmbujCNjowk11SUIx7muJ8njHGvDhns_3CGloNy41KwRlUFrqjKjMgSOh9nQ/s1600/tumblr_lj6onaZGQn1qaye4so1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHQVn6l5oabGjQq-N4B8wDGt8OHRKYmWjGwJWPPIR0xouS4IghMLb2N3KEBaC1H3MiSHqQvC4OKOCjyAAmbujCNjowk11SUIx7muJ8njHGvDhns_3CGloNy41KwRlUFrqjKjMgSOh9nQ/s200/tumblr_lj6onaZGQn1qaye4so1_400.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
When I first heard that <a href="http://www.jennylin.net/">Jenny Lin</a> was releasing an album of show tunes, my response wasn't far from the kind of slapstick double-take you might see in, say, an old movie musical.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoxK1cUXuzfb9t3LzL8pTnRzll-8W3_SX04AshK1o9omeH6JPBUYyhm3milabvZKbGj84s_ZxFeYWN_Kle1Q7xaKiHTLDn4wQjEhrfAk-a-BBRD_VF4yvnoGZYd-YgWKdE2DX3YspHEY/s1600/JennyLin.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoxK1cUXuzfb9t3LzL8pTnRzll-8W3_SX04AshK1o9omeH6JPBUYyhm3milabvZKbGj84s_ZxFeYWN_Kle1Q7xaKiHTLDn4wQjEhrfAk-a-BBRD_VF4yvnoGZYd-YgWKdE2DX3YspHEY/s200/JennyLin.jpg" width="200" /></a>Because Jenny is the kind of pianist that other pianists admire for her gravitas, a certain steeliness of mind and fingers that has explored many of the thornier corners of the repertoire.<br />
Jenny plays Messiaen, Cage, Boulez, <span class="st">Pärt</span>, Ligeti, Stockhausen...<br />
Jenny has recorded (superlatively) the complete <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1i28p_gyFI">Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues</a>.<br />
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So, show tunes?<br />
<br />
You see, I know my show tunes. I was raised on the stuff. The stringent TV-deprivation of my childhood was waived for the annual viewings of <i>Sound of Music</i> and <i>Mary Poppins</i>. When I was a baby, MGM released <b>That's Entertainment</b>, a 50th anniversary compilation of the greatest moments out of its movie musical vault. I cannot tell you how many times, during the first 15 years of my life, my sisters and I watched those videos. Not to mention that a significant number of my childhood afternoons took place at double-feature matinees of old '40s musicals at the beautiful art deco Castro Theater in San Francisco, complete with a <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Video__Hegarty_Plays_Hollywood_Classics_Bay_Area-119808104.html">live organ show</a> at intermission. In the extremely sheltered environment of my family's alternative reality, Gene Kelley and Judy Garland were superstars in the 1980s. Madonna who?<br />
<br />
I also know what I love about show tunes. The gorgeous improbability that surrounds their very existence, the device<u></u> of exploding a trivial conversation into a virtuoso song-and-dance number. The magic of lyrics and melodies that can express any silly thought at all with an elegance and eloquence that makes your heart soar. The genius of rhyming "bromofizz" with "trouble is" (<i>Guys and Dolls</i>). <br />
<br />
I couldn't imagine that Jenny Lin would share my slightly unhealthy fascination with the American musical theater. But clearly there was something about these songs that had compelled her to venture, with her usual musical intensity and commitment, away from her usual musical haunts and down to Tin Pan Alley. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB_UZty7NSvjVonOrWN6s09h3-m2yuTHzitpX3Flwn3O0c2sRhoe_BCb-n_oM8PuTjp3rTE5yFUgk9sUofFZi47DR-CpqPuPIC-OQ1HoJKPcOGshCI9bwa4N9PHOcYETM3crwKejGFfo/s1600/steinwayparty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB_UZty7NSvjVonOrWN6s09h3-m2yuTHzitpX3Flwn3O0c2sRhoe_BCb-n_oM8PuTjp3rTE5yFUgk9sUofFZi47DR-CpqPuPIC-OQ1HoJKPcOGshCI9bwa4N9PHOcYETM3crwKejGFfo/s320/steinwayparty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Jenny and I have been ships in the night in recent months. Her new album, <a href="http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=786069"><b>Get Happy</b></a>, has just come out on the Steinway & Sons label, and my new project, <a href="http://www.laradownes.com/web/page.aspx?title=Exiles%27+Caf%C3%A9+"><b>Exiles' Cafe</b></a>, is next in the label's pipeline. So she has been warming the bench for me, in the Sono Luminus studio where we both recorded our projects (<i>giant shout-out to Sono Luminus for their <a href="http://www.sonoluminus.com/t-news.aspx">GRAMMY nominations</a>!</i>), and on a promotional circuit of CD release events around the country. But we hadn't met in person until a couple of weeks ago, at a holiday party thrown by Arkiv Music and Listen Magazine. It was a lovely evening, a chance for the Steinway family of pianists to get together and drink too many Manhattans, a sweet launch to the holiday party season.<br />
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And I found out that Jenny is not only brainy and sort of intimidatingly profound. She's also very funny, in a dry-witted way, and that she does in fact have her own very compelling reasons for making this record. And the record is, happily, really good! <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD: </b>I have to tell you that I was surprised to hear about this project. When I think
of you, it's along some very different lines! Can you give me a little
back-story about how you came to the show tunes idea?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL: </b>I discovered Stephen Hough's arrangements of Rodgers and
Hammerstein a few years ago - fell in love with them. Then discovered the Earl
Wild, then kept digging, found more. Like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lover</i>
by Alexis Weissenberg. Then I thought "Wow, all these arrangers are performing
pianists - why not have a project with show tunes arranged by only performing
pianists?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was raised on
the great American musicals and I love them. The play of words and music is
just so magical to me, and I love the songs. I think it's fabulous material and
I love what you've done with these arrangements. What was your background with the musical
theater tradition?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL: </b>I don't have any background really with musical theater
but as a child I heard <i>Begin the Beguine</i> when my father sang it. Then growing
up in Vienna Austria, I heard lots of <i>Sound of Music</i> on TV. It wasn't until
moving to the US that I learned about Broadway and musicals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> Do you have a favorite piece on the album, or a story to
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL:</b> Difficult to have a favorite - depends on time of day!
I love Stephen Prutsman's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Get Happy</i>,
Andre Previn's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue Moon</i>, and Alexis
Weissenberg's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lover</i> is just wild.
Probably one of the most difficult pieces I have learned. When I asked
Marc-Andre Hamelin to contribute to the project, he agreed right away. I was
expecting a highly virtuosic arrangement, knowing what an incredible pianist he
is, but he sent <i>Laura</i> - which was the complete opposite. It's very
beautiful, very meditative, late Scriabinesque harmonies. My goal with this
album is really to put the arrangers first, and not the tunes. It's important
to continue the tradition of pianists-arrangers/composers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> It’s an interesting approach, and with these
arrangements you’re really embracing this music as a "serious" part
of the American musical landscape, and expanding it into the concert rep.<b> </b>Tell me about the audience responses you've been
getting. Are people experiencing this solely as "fun" music, or are
they taking more away from it too?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL:</b> Audiences have been very enthusiastic. They are always
surprised to hear how "classical" some of the arrangements are. They
were expecting just showtunes, but they got something even more. There is a
level of seriousness in all these arrangements. There are so many layers, the
harmonies are complex, the musical styles used are vast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD: </b>I agree, that's what ultimately holds your attention
when you listen - the subtleties and stylistic differences. Did you study the
original songs very much, for information around the lyrics and phrasings etc?
Or did you want to approach these arrangements in a purely pianistic way?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL: </b>I listened to all the different versions that exist out
there - thank you Youtube! - especially by singers - Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald,
Judy Garland. These guys have great sense of timing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> Yes, and it's amazing how differently they interpret the
songs! I have an arrangement of Weill's <i>Lost in the Stars</i> on my new album and I
was listening to the many, many versions of that song. It's wild, how many variations
of tempo, interpretation...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL:</b> Wow - looking forward to your new album!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD: </b>How has the CD release tour been going?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL:</b> It's going well - very interesting to visit all the
different dealers and the local audiences. And I got to play on some of the
best pianos - always a Steinway D!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> What's
next for you? Will you be touring this as a full recital, and/or integrating
pieces from the collection into other recital programs? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>JL:</b> I hope to integrate pieces from the collection into
other recital programs. I have already done that this past month - it works well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD: </b>I would think so. And now you have a fabulous stash of
encore pieces! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Jenny Lin's <b>Get Happy</b> is available from <a href="http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=786069">Arkiv Music</a> and everywhere CDs are sold.</span><br />
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And from me, to everyone who loves show tunes: <br />
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Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-59388155758045832992012-11-28T13:19:00.003-08:002012-11-29T08:02:54.718-08:00The Indy 5: American Pianists Association finalists, Part III<style>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;">Last in this space, I spoke with <a href="http://www.seanchenpiano.com/">Sean Chen</a> as he was preparing for his Premiere Series week in Indianapolis as a finalist in this year's <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/">American Pianists Association competition</a>. A week of "dazzling" performances (with some <a href="http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/review-apas-sean-chen-dazzles-audience/Content?oid=2509600#.ULZAUoWt63M">cadenza controversy</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;"> for excitement) now behind him, Sean is presumably back in classes at Yale, while <a href="http://www.saradaneshpour.com/">Sara Daneshpour</a> is taking a break from her classes at Juilliard to take her own turn on the Indianapolis stage this week.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;">Sara is</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;"> 25, Washington DC-born and raised, and currently based in NY where she is </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;">working on her Master’s degree at
Juilliard with Yoheved Kaplinsky</span>. Already a presence on the concert circuit since taking a</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.5pt;">
second prize in the 2007 William Kapell International Piano Competition, she comes to Indianapolis with a reputation for poetic, intense playing, as well as a humility and integrity that comes through in both her thoughts and her music.</span></div>
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We took a few moments during the Thanksgiving break for a quick On the Bench questionnaire: <br />
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<b>LD: What is your favorite:<br />
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</b><br />
<ol>
<li><b>Airport?</b> <i>My favorite airport is probably the one in Vancouver...I think it might
be the Vancouver international airport. In any case, they have this very
interesting setting where you feel you are in the outdoors. There is
this amazing waterfall and an area devoted to native American culture
and their relationship to nature. I thought that was incredible. The
airport did not have the typical antiseptic feel to it. It was very
personal. Very beautiful.</i></li>
<li><b>Minor key?</b> <i>That's a hard one. I LOVE minor keys. Each minor key has its own color
and intangible quality. For me it's like picking your favorite flower,
each has a characteristic that is inspiring.</i></li>
<li><b>DC landmark? </b><i>The Lincoln Memorial. I greatly admire President Lincoln and the
atmosphere surrounding the memorial is breathtaking and the image of him
sitting atop those steps is captivating.</i>
</li>
<li><b>Rainy day music? </b><i>Satie</i><b><br /></b>
</li>
<li><b>Artist (other than musical)? </b><i>There so many artists that I respect, and so difficult to choose, but in
terms of visual artists I love Cezanne, Manet and Jean-Michel Basquiat
among many others.</i></li>
<li><b>Concert dress? </b><i>As long as it is comfortable....</i></li>
<li><b>Time of day to practice? </b><i>Early morning</i></li>
<li><b>Rock/pop record?</b> <i>I absolutely love "Ten" by Pearl Jam and I've been listening to "The
Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
on a loop for the past couple months. Usually when I like an album, i
like to listen to it over and over for many months until i can truly
hear all of the nuances and artistry that has gone into the making of
the album, which often goes unnoticed with a couple of listens.</i></li>
<li><b>Piece of advice from a teacher?</b> <i>"Life is about adjustment"- Leon Fleisher</i>
</li>
<li><b>Post-concert dinner?</b> <i>None!</i><b><i> </i></b></li>
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Sara plays the Saint-Saens 2nd with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/fellowships/events">this Sunday, Dec. 2 at 3:30pm</a>. <a href="https://app.etapestry.com/cart/AmericanPianistsAssociation/default/category.php?ref=480.0.345960487">TICKETS</a><br />
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-75484774197945678122012-11-09T08:29:00.004-08:002012-11-09T08:31:17.034-08:00The Indy 5: American Pianists Association finalists, Part IIA few weeks ago, I wrote about the final round <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html">American Pianists Association competition</a> and Claire Huangci, the first of this year's finalists to be showcased on the annual Premiere Series in Indianapolis. From all <a href="http://americanpianistsassociation.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/claire-huangci/">reports</a> and evidence, Claire's week in town revealed sparkling, sensitive performances (great dress too).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrhh7WsGeRmeFP9PsY4rPby__fpr91R19PpkQmZtG5-DKdhaeGNXr-gdI648wxf7Y0THq96Bn9jxE82BNfiSLKehwdZZUcFymzcdyPBBqREDXuBl04XODosR40VGAILfiHWRJRM1oPOU/s1600/seniorrecital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrhh7WsGeRmeFP9PsY4rPby__fpr91R19PpkQmZtG5-DKdhaeGNXr-gdI648wxf7Y0THq96Bn9jxE82BNfiSLKehwdZZUcFymzcdyPBBqREDXuBl04XODosR40VGAILfiHWRJRM1oPOU/s200/seniorrecital.jpg" width="149" /></a> Next up on the Indianapolis stage is <a href="http://www.seanchenpiano.com/#!home.php">Sean Chen</a>, a 24 year old Californian currently working on his Artist Diploma in piano at Yale - a competition veteran, self-described tech geek, and composer as well. He plays <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/fellowships/events/premiere-series-sean-chen">Beethoven 4th with the ICO</a> this Sunday, November 11. I chatted with Sean by Skype about his far-reaching interests, the prospect of a career in music, and his upcoming visit to Indianapolis: </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sean Chen plays with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on Sunday November 11 at 3:30pm. <a href="https://app.etapestry.com/cart/AmericanPianistsAssociation/default/category.php?ref=480.0.345960487">TICKETS</a></span></div>
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-80593872965919511632012-10-24T16:53:00.000-07:002012-10-24T17:46:59.165-07:00Kids Today: From the Top at Mondavi Center<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Christopher O'Riley: From the Top</span></td></tr>
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My friend <a href="http://www.christopheroriley.com/" target="_blank">Chris O'Riley</a> is in town today. His über-popular NPR show <a href="http://www.fromthetop.org/" target="_blank">From the Top</a> tapes tomorrow night at <a href="http://www.mondaviarts.org/events/event.cfm?event_id=1188&season=2012" target="_blank">Mondavi Center</a>, and it features a couple of previous winners from the <a href="http://mondaviarts.org/youngartists/" target="_blank">Mondavi Center Young Artists Competition</a>, which I run here. As it happens, we're in the middle of national semifinals for same (just back from NYC and Portland regionals), and the Northern CA auditions will take place this Sunday. Which means that in the course of this week a few dozen ridiculously talented little pianists will pass through the Artists Entrance of Mondavi Center and take a turn on its stage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh8UxKSjb0fBWa3gvvk6iL21-b3flvIAvMfvnALNVzE8R4b1e_iDX0rVTnmHf9KUbS7nxpIP3PoyuZWxDYFxuDFgIVW0rC4jfmpwlw5t7ycdQCX184aS2hWLjKP9nAaPmHGgK6-NDZdk/s320/Green-Eegs-271.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lara with (ridiculously talented) Grace Zhou</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Broadcast on nearly 250 stations nationwide to an audience of more than 700,000 listeners each week<i></i>, every <i>From the Top</i> episode presents five high-caliber performances along with
interviews, sketches and games, revealing the heart and soul behind
extraordinary young musicians. Now in its twelfth year on air, <i>From the Top</i> is taped before live audiences in concert halls from all over the country, from Boston to Honolulu.Tune in pretty much any week of the year, and you will hear a few ridiculously talented little pianists. And I hear them on my travels, and here at home, and I'm amazed, time and again, at how many wonderful musicians are growing up in every town and city the world over. It's inspiring, and also a little overwhelming, and for those of us mentoring them, who know what the realities of the future have in store, for any ridiculously talented little pianist, there is a big job at hand. People have asked me why I direct a competition for young pianists. I've addressed the question in this space <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012/08/if-pianists-were-horses-iano.html" target="_blank">before</a>, but I think that the core of my motivation - and Chris' too, I know - is to support and shape a new breed of musician:<br />
<ul>
<li>A musician who is aware of his/her role in society - <i>From the Top</i> does a beautiful job of training young artists to go out into schools and communities and work with their peers as <a href="http://www.fromthetop.org/content/arts-leadership-home" target="_blank">"Arts Leaders"</a>, sharing their talents as arts advocates and educators</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>A musician who thinks creatively, flexibly, and openly, and has an ongoing sense of the wide potential for making and sharing music;</li>
<li>A musician who is prepared for the difficulties and realities ahead, with skills in career development, programming, outreach and education...</li>
<li>A musician who knows that perceptions, goals and desires will constantly shift within the trajectory of a life in music, and that change is most of the process;</li>
<li>A musician who is prepared for the bad times as well as the wonderful ones;</li>
<li>A musician who knows that practicing is only the beginning, and that everything else we learn and do in life is what ultimately makes our music what it can be-</li>
</ul>
Chris O'Riley is a model of this kind of musicianship - versatile beyond belief, busy with new projects that span genres, audiences, and musical partners, giving his support and advice to young people, on the air and face to face. He believes as I do in shaping a diversity of artist-communicators for a future in which the place and space for our music will continue to change.</div>
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</div>
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As a mentor to young people, there's nothing better than seeing growth happen, in real time. At times when I am confronting the puzzle of how to make the different pieces of my life fit into my one head, my one day, I realize how much it brings to me, every day.</div>
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Here's a lovely quote from a 2012 Mondavi Center Young Artists winner, soprano <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrZvtxPfqWc">Anush Avetisyan</a><b>:</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"My experience with the Mondavi Center's Young artist
competition was one that has shaped and inspired my future dreams as a
singer, as a musician and as an active member of the community. Surrounded by
passionate talents and nurturing leaders, this Young artist competition is truly a platform to express
yourself and grow with those around you in the process. I will forever
feel blessed to have had such an experience." </span></i></span></div>
</blockquote>
Amen, I say.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>NPR's <i>From the Top</i> tapes live at the </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Thursday October 25, at 8pm.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> <a href="http://tickets.mondaviarts.org/single/SelectSeatingSYOS.aspx?p=1130&z=67&pt=2,14,15,16">TICKETS</a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
</b></span></div>
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-91682179063785861952012-09-22T08:55:00.001-07:002013-01-30T06:36:38.483-08:00THE INDY 5: Into the final stretch at American Pianists Association <br />
There is a strange secret handshake among American pianists. Quite a few of us, at some time in our early twenties, spent a very special week or so in Indianapolis, participating in an experience that stands out in our memories from the many similar weeks spent in similar situations, during that time in our early twenties when we were doing what is known as "the competition circuit". If you read my earlier post about <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012/08/if-pianists-were-horses-iano.html" target="_blank">piano competitions</a>, you'll understand that that time in my early twenties was not my very favorite time. Stress and anxiety were permanent traveling companions on my competition journeys. But the <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/" target="_blank">American Pianists Association</a> competition in Indianapolis was different. We learned a lot. We had fun. We made friends that have lasted all these years. Many of us have maintained close relationships with the force of nature that was APA's Artistic Director for many years, <a href="http://www.inconcertsierra.org/about/board-of-director/aileen-james/" target="_blank">Aileen James</a>, now a neighbor of mine out in California and a beloved colleague and advisor.<br />
<br />
APA just <i><b>is</b></i> different. Among the sea of competitions that take a relatively uniform approach to the identification and recognition of gifted young pianists, APA's support is unique in many ways. For one thing, there's the prize, worth $100,000: a seriously supportive $50,000 in cash and two years of in-depth career backing,
APA-arranged concert tours and recording opportunities. For another, APA is the only competition that crosses the border between classical and jazz, with the APA Fellowship awarded every two years on an
alternating basis to a classical or a jazz pianist.<br />
<br />
More than anything else, though, APA stands out in terms of the breadth of musical experiences offered to and expected of contestants. Once the five finalists are chosen every Spring (from a preliminary recorded round), they begin a year-long APA journey, each finalist in turn invited to Indianapolis in the Fall to be featured in the Classical Premiere Series, an expense-paid week that includes a concerto performance with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, public solo recitals, and a three-day high-school residency. By the end of that week, they've played for, and with, a wide swath of the Indianapolis public, from subscription audiences to high-school students. The five return to Indianapolis the following Spring for Classical Discovery Week, which showcases them again in solo, chamber music, new music, and song performances, plus a concerto performance with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. <br />
<br />
Joel Harrison, APA's President/CEO and Artistic Director explains it this way: “What distinguishes the APA is the innovative and unique way in which we conduct our competition by presenting finalists in a variety of genres in multiple venues throughout the concert season. In so doing, we actually mirror the professional world through our competition format.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbFMtBzjj2AH3uX-2NRikMKKTwt9aJETWkgEg8amt2ATVY7ARE-IwRE8et-A10pCFg6shHBTd46-n8oQ0c2B0QLFBz1-AI1IzsU2L_JDd4VZiL86k9JrVobRZeHrpiiL7MjkBNnLWVCY/s1600/Claire-Huangci-Interview-15-Questions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbFMtBzjj2AH3uX-2NRikMKKTwt9aJETWkgEg8amt2ATVY7ARE-IwRE8et-A10pCFg6shHBTd46-n8oQ0c2B0QLFBz1-AI1IzsU2L_JDd4VZiL86k9JrVobRZeHrpiiL7MjkBNnLWVCY/s200/Claire-Huangci-Interview-15-Questions.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
This year the first finalist to make her mark in Indianapolis will be <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Huangci" target="_blank">Claire Huangci</a>,</b> whose Premiere Series week begins on Monday September 24 and culminates in her performance of Beethoven's 3rd with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/fellowships/events" target="_blank">next Sunday, September 30</a>.<br />
Claire is a competition veteran: first prize in the 2010 National Chopin Piano Competition in Miami, laureate in the 2010 Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition... She's already busy on the festival circuit, both in the U.S. and in Europe, where she's currently studying with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik in Hanover. She made her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2003 and has since performed with orchestras in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, St. Petersburg, Moscow, and with the China Philharmonic. At 22, she's the youngest of this year's finalists; born in Rochester, NY, she entered Philadelphia’s Settlement Music School at age seven and did her undergraduate work at Curtis. We connected via Skype to talk about what's coming up during her visit to Indianapolis:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> How is the APA experience developing your growth as an artist,
and how does it compare to other competitions in your previous experience?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>CH:</b> Well, really I prefer to think of APA as a festival
rather than a competition, because when you think of a competition in the
typical sense you think about intense, grueling pressure, competing to be the
best, hoping that you win something. But I think in this case you really have
to say that “everyone is a winner”, because there’s just no other situation
that would offer us such an opportunity to play so much different music:
chamber music, two concerts, residency with a high school orchestra, a song
recital with a great singer… so I think that just being part of it, just being
selected as one of the five finalist, has really helped me because I have to
plan my programs in a very careful way, I have to play many different styles,
so it’s just <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>broadening me as a musician
in general.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> I think from my perspective it’s really one of the only competition
experiences that manages to mirror a professional structure, a professional
situation, and it puts a lot of responsibility around repertoire onto you, in
the sense of creating a well-rounded picture rather than just focusing in on
specific elements. And I think that there’s always been, within this
organization, a really terrific sense of camaraderie among the participants and
a spirit of mentorship from the administration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>CH:</b> And also, just having this time, to stay in Indianapolis not just
once but twice, we really get to know the city, get to know our host families,
and we develop strong bonds. I mean there are some competitions where you just
go and you play, and then the results are out and you pass or you leave, and
it’s very impersonal. But here you really form some strong roots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> And they last a long time! I’m still very close with the
former director of APA, who was there years ago when I passed through the
competition. I think in this business there are not so many opportunities for
pianists especially, to feel like you’re really part of something, it’s a
solitary work that we do, so that sense of family and community is really
precious. Do you have any experiences you want to share from other competitions,
like a best and a worst?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>CH:</b> Well, every competition is so different. I’ve done quite
a number of them – I can’t say that any one has been really bad, but of course
your experiences also depend on your results. So without being too biased, I
could say that one of my best experiences was in Miami, at the Chopin National
Competition. I actually arrived early because I had a concert before the
competition, and so I really got to know my host family very well, and it was a
situation where I got to be so close with them, and they were so supportive, and
I almost didn’t feel like I was in a competition at all because I was spending so
much time with family, doing all kinds of activities that were totally outside
of the piano world, so that was probably the highlight of my competition experiences.
And that one I did end up winning, so it was just an added bonus! But I think
that in terms of other competitions, there was also the Queen Elizabeth, which
I also did in 2010, just a few months later, and there I was a laureate, but it
was a completely different atmosphere because you had to live with the other
contestants in a kind of Schloss, a castle, living with 11 other contestants in
complete isolation – you couldn’t go anywhere, you didn’t have your cell phone
or your computer – they took them away. So those are probably the two most
contrasting experiences.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> That sounds like a reality show, kind of a dorky version
of Survivor or something. I don’t think it’s coincidental, you know,
that the competitions that manage to provide a situation that is nurturing and
comfortable for the contestants are probably the ones that bring out the best
in everyone. I think it’s hard to make your best music when you’re feeling
stressed and anxious in your surroundings, so I’ve never understood that
element of tension that is sometimes put in place! In general, you’ve done very
well in competitions. Do you feel like you’re a good competitor? How do look at
yourself within a competition format? Do you feel like you’re different in that
context than when you’re giving a concert, for example?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>CH:</b> No, usually I just really want to treat a competition
just like a concert. Because it’s important for me to share what I believe in,
not to play with the goal of pleasing certain people. I mean, competitions add
a certain amount of pressure, so I find it much easier to work hard if I know
that there’s some kind of deadline, whether it’s a competition or a concert
coming up. So that’s good for me. And in this case with APA, where there’s so
much to do, so much music to prepare and a great roster of chamber musicians
and orchestras to work with, it really makes us work our hardest because we
want to show our very best.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> It’s great to look at it that way, in terms of incentive
and deadlines – those are things you’ll always have in your professiol life! Has this
time of preparing so many competitions expanded your repertoire in a
significant way? That can be another benefit of this process, I think. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>CH:</b> Well, it has expanded somewhat. Here at APA I’ve had to
dig into the song repertoire because I’m playing a recital with a singer, which
is fairly new to me. The bulk of my solo and chamber repertoire is going back
to my years at Curtis and now in Germany, so it’s stuff I’ve done a lot. But I have
to think a lot about program planning, with all these recitals at APA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m really searching into my repertoire to
create interesting programs, and going back to some older repertoire in the
process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>LD:</b> How do you see your immediate future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You already have a significant number of
professional engagements, and at the same time you’re still very active in
competitions. How do you see that interface? Do you want to keep going with the
competitions as long as you can, or are you seeing this phase as a means to a
specific end?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>CH:</b> Well, I think we all go to competitions because we want
our names to be put out there and we want to get concert engagements. And I’ve
been pretty lucky so far. I try not to do too many competitions, only one or
two a year. And in this case, APA is going to be my only competition this year because
it’s such a long process. I have concerts in between my dates in Indianapolis,
but this is really my main project of the year!</span></div>
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And a big project it is! Catch Claire Huangci with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on September 30. <a href="https://app.etapestry.com/cart/AmericanPianistsAssociation/default/category.php?ref=480.0.345960487" target="_blank">Tickets</a><br />
<br />
More to follow on the other four APA finalists. Up next: <a href="http://www.seanchenpiano.com/#!home.php" target="_blank">Sean Chen</a> goes to Indianapolis in November!<br />
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-22965497813742466722012-09-14T11:12:00.003-07:002012-09-14T11:12:53.598-07:00Exiles' Cafe Recording Journal, Day 2 and 3I didn't get to post yesterday - it was a long 7-hour session, with some guests in the studio at the end of the afternoon. But it was a terrific day. We finished the big pieces before lunch, and spent the afternoon on a lot of lovely miniatures. And finished the whole project, a day ahead of schedule! Which means that today (Friday) I'm sitting with Dan Merceruio doing edits - actually watching him do edits, very very quickly!<br />
<br />
This is going to be a lovely record, if I do say so myself. Here are some highlights from the past few days:<br />
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<ul>
<li>A superb piano, courtesy of Steinway & Sons, really just a perfect ride.</li>
<li>The unbelievable technician services of John Veitch, who is a pianist himself and has a musician's ears and sensibilities.</li>
<li>A beautiful studio facility at Sono Luminus, and the rock-steady support of Dan Merceruio as my trusted producer/therapist/third ear. </li>
<li>Many bad jokes, good sushi, geeky music gossip.</li>
</ul>
I'll have more news about the album coming up very soon, stay tuned...Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-24036617388055583702012-09-12T15:44:00.001-07:002012-09-12T15:56:04.394-07:00Exiles' Cafe Recording Journal: Day 1!Yesterday was a hellacious travel day. Why is there always so much laundry when you need to get out of town??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf2EWK1ikE-oU02iggSoLRSWKG-ngo2MCNk1PSlYxOhOffpSrOZeadz0IS3h1-lMXFMlt3SZLWOwmsJAr8O4A84wACr1JPWTCYYM_e0N2kgxeBe3R7TI6OomLNypf8FVDtXg0-F1x9lM/s1600/shoes.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf2EWK1ikE-oU02iggSoLRSWKG-ngo2MCNk1PSlYxOhOffpSrOZeadz0IS3h1-lMXFMlt3SZLWOwmsJAr8O4A84wACr1JPWTCYYM_e0N2kgxeBe3R7TI6OomLNypf8FVDtXg0-F1x9lM/s200/shoes.jpg" width="200" /></a>My flight to DC was fine - but on the long death-march walk from terminal to baggage claim at Dulles, I slipped and fell down which was A) very embarrassing and B) significantly painful. The floor at Dulles is very, very shiny and slippery. My husband Rick asked which shoes I was wearing when I slipped and I said "my hiking shoes". Actually, I was wearing new platform wedge sandals, very pretty and perhaps not the best for traveling, but I maintain that the floor at Dulles is too slippery.<br />
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To get to the Sono Luminus studios in Winchester, VA, you have to drive about an hour. It was extraordinarily dark last night at 9pm. No street lights of any kind. And the whole trip down, I was sure that I was going to arrive, get out of the car, find that I couldn't walk, that my ankle had swollen to 4 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo-XsqRcKWs61jidVCi2zCE368IyxkfpNNEIR_WwgO2mgVTi4QlWjRkYCVux4uRRhXpgPFbGgMjNbiTcZ3bqvRmEZfkVL1ZDbXQA7lhY3_JxRb2JmCGvUxh-sG9vYgmIPddDganF5wqs/s1600/17709_x1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo-XsqRcKWs61jidVCi2zCE368IyxkfpNNEIR_WwgO2mgVTi4QlWjRkYCVux4uRRhXpgPFbGgMjNbiTcZ3bqvRmEZfkVL1ZDbXQA7lhY3_JxRb2JmCGvUxh-sG9vYgmIPddDganF5wqs/s200/17709_x1.jpg" width="200" /></a>times its size, that I had to go to the nearest ER, and that the recording sessions would have to be postponed until after the surgery. But the nice bartender at the George Washington Hotel gave me a big bag of ice, and everything seemed to be fine. It's a lovely hotel. So nice to stay in a pretty, old-fashioned, just <u><b>nice</b></u> hotel.<br />
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Morning. Ankle still OK. The drive out to the Sono Luminus studios: BEAUTIFUL! Horse country, stone fences, so green. My GPS wound me through the countryside and into tiny little Boyce VA, where Sono Luminus is housed in a former church built in 1917. <br />
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If you want to know how I feel about studio sessions, read Jeremy Denk's <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/02/06/120206fa_fact_denk" target="_blank">New Yorker piece</a> about the perils of the recording studio.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqPK0aMk_WpuwKjAWafoUqZmw1ro40pCT6sReI9BX8JIDbszo2ewr9rbDOT6n89KsiOhlgy5Qp82hQgz6wrjc2wTtuRcuHEf6H2Qp2wcU1GKpSlc7dSmUDPei5_UkfETCydAS-lEeaE/s1600/Dan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqPK0aMk_WpuwKjAWafoUqZmw1ro40pCT6sReI9BX8JIDbszo2ewr9rbDOT6n89KsiOhlgy5Qp82hQgz6wrjc2wTtuRcuHEf6H2Qp2wcU1GKpSlc7dSmUDPei5_UkfETCydAS-lEeaE/s200/Dan.jpg" width="200" /></a>It's the most naked, vulnerable and self-aware place a musician can go. I've learned over the years to be less crazy, and to turn the studio into a space for expression and reflection, but still, it's hard going in, especially with a new crew, in a new environment. Dan Mercurio, my producer, put me at ease and we dove right in with a pair of Chopin Mazurkas: the first one he ever composed, in 1831, the first year of his exile from Poland; and the last, written just a few months before his death, when he was too weak even to try the piece out himself at the piano. A fairly intense way to start the day! Then came Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and some Stravinsky, all before lunch!<br />
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We took a break for lunch at the Locke Country Store. Delicious vegetable tart and cookies, much needed.<br />
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And back to work. We got so much done today - 45 minutes of music already, which is quite a lot. The next two days will go quickly! Tomorrow Eric Feidner from the <a href="http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/listPage.jsp?page_size=100&list_id=2127" target="_blank">Steinway & Sons label</a> comes down to hold my hand - he was delayed today.<br />
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And now I'm back at the hotel, with a glass of wine and crab cakes, looking forward to tomorrow. More then...<br />
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-43562848472640471822012-09-11T13:16:00.000-07:002012-09-11T13:16:03.299-07:00Recording Journal: Live from the Exiles' CafeI'm on a layover at the Denver airport, on my way to the Sono Luminus studios in VA for recording sessions, working on my next album, <a href="http://www.laradownes.com/web/page.aspx?title=Exiles%27+Caf%C3%A9+" target="_blank">Exiles' Cafe</a>, for the Steinway & Sons label. Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting recording session videos and journals all week - stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-796060023089996622012-08-29T10:42:00.000-07:002012-08-29T14:30:27.757-07:00If Pianists Were Horses: Piano competitions, from both sides of the benchI was not one of those kids who love winning piano competitions.<br />
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I stressed: unable to sleep for weeks leading up to an audition; my fingertips breaking out in a disgusting, never-seen-since excematic peel; my stomach flip-flopping hysterically-<br />
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I over-practiced: risking carpal tunnel and total burnout, putting in 8 hours a day obsessively/ mindlessly drilling danger spots, hiding my scores in another room to test my memory, making things, inevitably, worse.<br />
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I panicked: going into the audition room I'd be convinced that the seemingly harmless group at the juror table was actually some sort of a sadistic Orwellian firing squad in disguise, waiting with pencils poised to slash through my name at the first whisper of a wrong note-<br />
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I cried: unleashing tears of utter devastation whenever my name wasn't announced among the finalists, plunging into the depths of despair and self-loathing, vowing never to put myself through it again- <br />
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Sometimes, even despite my best efforts, I won.<br />
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So why, these many years later, do I direct a competition myself? Why perpetuate the torture and abuse on another generation of young pianists? Why not live by Bartok's famous dictum "<i>Competitions are for horses, not artists</i>", and leave the racing on the racetrack?<br />
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Because, of course, it turns out that when I was a kid, I was wrong.<br />
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Piano competitions exist for many reasons. Their merits and outcomes have been widely debated, their abundance discussed, their efficacy disputed. But this much I now know to be true: music competitions exist, above all, to discover talent. The pencils in the jury room are poised, yes, but they are poised to record something exciting, something good, a moment of beauty, perhaps even of greatness. I know this because now I sit at the jury table, and I know how much I want to find that moment.<br />
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Of course, in the jury room there is an element of danger. There is a certain insanity, a vulnerability that brings to mind the impossible challenge of the Olympic gymnast who trains her entire life for one all-or-nothing moment...<br />
which can, with just a fraction of a second's error, end like this:<br />
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To give a wonderful performance during those few minutes in the jury room is a challenge, not for the faint of heart (or the stresser, or the over-practicer, or the crier).<br />
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There are some who are born to face the moment (this week we have all been thinking of Van Cliburn, not only a competition winner, but a symbol of artistic triumph over politics and conflict), and there are those who learn how to meet it with grace. And there are those who are simply not cut out for it, and find a different, and often, in the long run, better path to their success.<br />
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The competition I started seven years ago, the <a href="http://mondaviarts.org/youngartists/" target="_blank">Mondavi Center Young Artists Competition</a>, began as a local effort, a natural outgrowth of the work I was doing already with young musicians in Northern California. It started small, as is usually best - I invited a few local youngsters to audition for the chance perform with me on a Mozart Anniversary concert at Mondavi Center. It was a beautifully successful event which led to local and wider interest, more formal auditions, a wider reach. With the support of tremendously generous donors, and the development of national partners including Steinway & Sons, IMG Artists, Festival del Sole, and Concert Artists Guild, the competition has now officially entered the major leagues, with auditions coming up this fall in Portland OR, New York and LA, as well as here "at home".<br />
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The growth and expansion raises issues for me: how to keep this project as healthy and nurturing as it has been in its smaller form, how to keep the commitment we've established to staying involved in and supportive of our winners' future careers, how to retain a strong focus on education and career development. I see the answer in the idea of building bridges. Bridges outwards from this wonderful performing arts center that is presenting amazing, forward-looking, unique artists and projects, here on the West Coast. Bridges inwards from the New York establishment with the big-management presence of IMG. Bridges to the next level of career development with our partners at Concert Artists Guild. And bridges for these talented young student musicians onto the professional stage.<br />
<br />
I look to several national competitions as models for this kind of long-term commitment and multi-faceted development of young artists. Foremost among them, the Indianapolis-based <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/" target="_blank">American Pianists Association</a>, whose finalists live a full, immersive year of musical experiences designed not only to test but to teach them, and emerge more accomplished and deeply informed by the process, regardless of outcome. I'll be profiling the five <a href="http://www.americanpianists.org/fellowships/classicalcompetitions/finalists" target="_blank">APA finalists </a>on their competition journey in this space, starting next month, as well as journaling from the Mondavi Center YAC auditions as they unfold around the country (see below).<br />
<br />
The mom in me thrives on taking a parental role in young musicians' lives. The pianist in me loves the ability I have now, as a member of the professional generation, to share my information and wisdom, such as it is, to help the young ones come up in our world.<br />
<br />
The former competition kid in me? She shakes her head and regrets all the heartache, and wishes she'd known better.<br />
And, if wishes were horses, maybe I'd do it all over again.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: purple;">
<b>THE MONDAVI CENTER YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION</b></div>
<div style="color: purple;">
<b>Prizes: $2000-$6000</b><br />
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Application Deadline: THIS FRIDAY!!! August 31, 2012</b></div>
</div>
<br />
<b>Young Artists Division</b> <br />
Pianists and Instrumentalists ages 10–16
<br />
<b>Founders Division</b> <br />
Vocalists ages 17–21 <br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px;">
<b>Regional Auditions</b></div>
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<td align="left" valign="top" width="48%">September 29, 2012:</td>
<td align="left" style="padding-bottom: 10px; width: 56%;" valign="top" width="52%">Sherman Clay, <br />
131 Northwest 13th Ave. <br />
Portland, Oregon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="top">October 13, 2012: </td>
<td align="left" style="padding-bottom: 10px; width: 56%;" valign="top">Steinway Hall, <br />
New York City </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="top">October 28, 2012: </td>
<td align="left" style="padding-bottom: 10px;" valign="top">Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, <br />
UC Davis </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="top">November 15, 2012: </td>
<td align="left" valign="top">The Colburn School, <br />
Los Angeles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-6228766970049593692012-07-20T09:17:00.004-07:002012-07-20T09:20:47.608-07:00Mirian Conti: Remembrance of Things Past<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uZ6Nbx6GNU66Xc_Vwi9F0I-P91SnjKUPDeJ213iaeYLzandJNZ3yLCHCWUJ_JWO-BFgcNFOfpVTaSFN8GH4g8bT2Ekot8tyNXkMUjXag53XELDF4IlK8ixr8LNhku_QfPyDHxVTigIY/s1600/725910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uZ6Nbx6GNU66Xc_Vwi9F0I-P91SnjKUPDeJ213iaeYLzandJNZ3yLCHCWUJ_JWO-BFgcNFOfpVTaSFN8GH4g8bT2Ekot8tyNXkMUjXag53XELDF4IlK8ixr8LNhku_QfPyDHxVTigIY/s200/725910.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=725910" target="_blank">LISTEN</a></td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
You can listen to <a href="http://www.mirianconti.com/" target="_blank">Mirian Conti's</a> lovely new album <a href="http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=725910" target="_blank">Nostalgias Argentinas</a> on different levels. At first impression, it's salon music - Argentinian piano pieces from the
1920s, infused with dance rhythms and old-world charm. But dig a little deeper and you quickly connect with the <i>Nostalgias</i> of the title, not only in terms of the obvious nostalgia for a more gracious time gone by, but a personal nostalgia on the part of this Argentine-American pianist for the country she left as a teenager, as well as the inherent, permanent nostalgia of all classical musicians, who spend the majority of our time communing with the ghosts of long-dead composers.<br />
<br />
With nostalgia and homesickness very much on my mind as I begin work on my own nostalgia-soaked project, <a href="http://laradownes.com/web/page.aspx?title=Exiles%27+Caf%C3%A9+" target="_blank"><b>Exiles' Cafe</b></a>, Mirian's recording resonated deeply with me, and led to a lovely conversation about the things we can miss, and why:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>Lara</b>: I really appreciated reading your liner notes on the album - I love the way you express your ideas about looking to the past and everything that evokes. When you're talking about nostalgia, I think this has different layers for you - part of it nostalgia for your own past, and a place itself, but also a nostalgia for a culture that's vanished, or at least diffused somewhat.<br />
<br />
<b>Mirian</b>: Nostalgia is so many things. For someone like me who came sort of young to this country - I was fifteen when I came - it's a tough period in the life of any young person to leave a country, even if you come with part of your family and you live with your parents, there are so many things that you miss. It doesn't matter if the move is better or worse, there are certain things - the food, the smells, the trees - that you miss when you are away from your country. But little by little you start melding into a new place, and in my case that had very much to do with finding a new kind of music. Little by little, when you start getting into music like us, studying the repertoire and broadening your awareness, starting to experiment with new music - I mean I was studying the Chopin and Bach and everything as I had in my own country, but I was also discovering new music here, I was always playing new music by new composers, and sometimes then you discover something that kind of reminds you maybe of those moments when you were young in your own house, in your own country, and sometimes you find certain similarities between music that has to do with folk music or popular songs, and the nostalgic feeling comes from realizing that there are certain things that you understand, and you don't even know why - things that are integrated into your emotional DNA or something. So maybe you don't even understand why, but certain music you feel naturally and it comes out naturally. If you tell me now to sit down and play jazz music, even though I like jazz very much and I've played a lot of music that deals with jazz, it's just not something that is naturally part of my emotional being, because I wasn't exposed to it as much. So a lot of the music on this CD, even though I certainly never played any of it when I was still in Argentina, was a discovery to me that there are things in this Argentine music that connect with my own personal being so that I just naturally feel it and translate it on the piano. So there are many components to this nostalgia. It's not just remembering things as they could have been in the past. It's a nostalgia for these composers that are forgotten, and I don't know why - they were wonderful composers who really knew how to write for the piano, which is so important - I feel this music deeply maybe because it's from my country, but it's a nostalgia partly for a complete piano tradition. In this music there are so many different influences - you have a very Chopinesque, Rachmaninoff-like influence - you have a more angular language pointing a little bit to Prokofiev maybe - but in the end, they all sound Argentine. There's something that weaves in and out of these composers - a very unique Argentine way of saying things. It's like when you compare Gershwin and Copland - they both have completely different languages, but in the end they both sound American.<br />
<br />
<b>Lara</b>: Yes, of course, there is that sense of place in music that we feel on many different levels. My project now is focusing on music written in exile, or inspired by exile, so this question of longing is something that's really preoccupying me right now, and what is important, I think, is that the longing is not something tragic, it can be something beautiful. I think that sometimes the things that are lost become, in translation, more precious than they would have been otherwise.<br />
<br />
<b>Mirian:</b> Exactly. It's like somebody said - one of the French writers - that when you leave your country and you are looking back, it's like you are looking at a painting from far away, not anymore inside of the painting, and your perspective changes very much - now you're looking at the whole picture, your whole life, and all of a sudden you see things about yourself clearly. <span style="color: red;"> </span></div>
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<br />
<b>Lara</b>: This whole question of being "out of place" for me is very pervasive. I think for all of us who work in this tradition, we feel deeply a constant feeling for the past, because we've had such meaningful contact with the generation before us that really represents a culture that's gone now. All my teachers from my years in Europe were a link to a time and place that is absolutely gone, and that means a lot to me, to have known that. I think we all feel this longing for the past so deeply - well, we spend a lot of our time with people who lived in the 19th century, after all!<br />
<br />
<b>Mirian</b>: Yes, it's true, as pianists we live in the past all the time! Even if we are playing new music, to get into the new music, we have to understand the past - there's no getting around it. I mean nothing comes from nothing - all the new music you play today came from something, everyone was influenced by someone before...<br />
<br />
<b>Lara</b>: Exactly. It's our permanent condition! Tell me how you discovered the music on the album. Did you have to do detective work and poke around in dusty library stacks? What was your research process?<br />
<br />
<b>Mirian</b>: I'm lucky that through the years, every time I travel to Argentina I go to the music stores and buy music, so I've put together a huge collection, many things that are out of print now. A lot of music by Argentine composers is not in print anymore, so you find some editions sometimes and you look at the last printing date and it's 1947 or something, so you think, "Oh my god, I'd better buy it now"! So I try to buy all this stuff, and I have a lot of composer friends who have also over the years collected a lot of music, so I just started looking through the piles. And for this CD I did have a certain sound in mind, I was looking for a certain atmosphere, so there were some things that just didn't match, didn't work. You need to have a concept in mind, not just a bunch of music put together because you know the pieces!<br />
<br />
<b>Lara</b>: Well, yes, you know I think so too! I think a narrative is essential, for me at least - a real thread throughout.<br />
<br />
<b>Mirian</b>: Yes, and in this case it was a little harder because you're dealing with different composers, and you're looking for a consistency of style, but without being too similar, too boring.<br />
<br />
<b>Lara</b>: No, it's lovely. It's very atmospheric, but it doesn't ever become background music! It keeps your attention - really nice balance of contrasts and connections. I think you accomplished that very well. I just love that process of putting together music for an album, striking the perfect balance - it's one of my favorite things. And in the case of your album, you're also introducing your listeners to music that is completely new to their ears, which is exciting.<br />
<br />
<b>Mirian</b>: Yes, another point is that I made a conscious decision not to include Ginastera and Piazzolla! There are enough recordings of that!<br />
<br />
<b>Lara</b>: Oh I know. Sometimes I think that if I hear one more kid play the Ginastera <i>Danzas Agentinas</i> in an audition I will scream. And now all the young cellists are playing Piazzolla since Yo Yo Ma did his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Tango-Music-Astor-Piazzolla/dp/B0000029XQ" target="_blank">tango album</a>! But I love this music you've shared on this album, and I know what you mean about the kind of subtle Argentine flavor that is unmistakable in all of it. I'm fascinated with Argentine culture and history. I remember there was a period when I was a child when we had family friends who came regularly to visit from Buenos Aires, and I never forget the smell of their luggage - it was a totally distinct smell of strong leather, completely different leather smell, and cigarette smoke, and probably the Yerba Mate they always brought with them...<br />
<br />
<b>Mirian</b>: Yes, I know, the smell of the leather! It's infused with the Argentine humidity. When I go and come back from Argentina my husband always says "It smells like Argentina, your luggage".<br />
<br />
<b>Lara</b>: Well, hopefully everyone who listens to your record will experience some of that same sensory recognition. Congratulations again, it's a delightful album!<br />
<br />
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<b>The ON THE BENCH Questionnaire (with apologies to Proust and Vanity Fair)</b><br />
<br />
<b>What’s the first thing you do when
you sit down to practice?</b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span>
<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="color: black;"><b>Make sure my
back and neck are not stiff!! It is not good to start without warming up.
After that, I can't wait to practice. I always enjoy this time at the piano. I
wake up very early and by 8 or 8:30 AM, I am at the
bench.</b> </span></i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span><b>What's the
last thing you do before you go onstage?</b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> <span style="color: red;"> </span></span></b></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Breathe, stretch my back, neck, arms, drink a lot of water
or Gatorade or juice. </span></b></span></span></i><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>During the day
of performance I try to take a nap, eat well and
relax.</b> </span></i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="im">
<b>If your piano could
speak, what secrets would it tell about you?</b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></b></span></div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="color: black;"><b>I think all
the secrets in my life are intertwined in my performances and recordings. It
would tell of my thoughts and remembrances of my family and friends not
near me. </b><b>But I think mainly it would tell of the many
ways I try to figure out the reason why I play Piano.
</b></span></i></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span><b>If you could travel in time to
hear one piano recital, which would it be?</b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> <span style="color: red;"> </span></span></b></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The last recital by Chopin in England where for the first
time in his life, he played a full recital of just his solo piano
music.</span></b> </span></span></i></blockquote>
<br />
<b>If you didn’t
play the piano, what would you do?</b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> <span style="color: red;"> </span></span></b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">I would be a singer: a mixture of Callas and Edith Piaf's
styles. But if not into music, I would be an art dealer.
</span></b></span></i></div>
</blockquote>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-2981106036593294032012-07-06T21:51:00.001-07:002012-07-06T21:51:05.071-07:00Pianists on Pianists: A Top 10<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Enlightening for pianists and everyone who loves them, from LIMELIGHT.</div>
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<a href="http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/Article/306444,the-10-greatest-pianists-of-all-time.aspx/0" target="_blank">The 10 Greatest Pianists of All Time</a></div>
<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-45413601149645521192012-06-27T06:52:00.000-07:002012-06-27T06:52:03.655-07:00In Memorian: Brigitte Engerer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOz8pugmmoLJIZHJQcdzxoMMxWIJRflINEm1EzB6RU3q3C0mM49JormCD12w71YNbzKyiEHaZWuZSkDCNdpAARz6kft55m08bjbP7_PM6ELtB4ZblIYtEOWWumtaznefuZfLSZDCe6mY/s1600/brigitte-engerer_2258377b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOz8pugmmoLJIZHJQcdzxoMMxWIJRflINEm1EzB6RU3q3C0mM49JormCD12w71YNbzKyiEHaZWuZSkDCNdpAARz6kft55m08bjbP7_PM6ELtB4ZblIYtEOWWumtaznefuZfLSZDCe6mY/s200/brigitte-engerer_2258377b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I was so fortunate to hear Mme. Engerer in concert several times in France when I was a young student. Her playing was passionate, elegant and completely personal.</div>
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She lived a full life that was true to her self, and her playing was a reflection of that integrity. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Brigitte Engerer, born October 27 1952, died June 23 2012</strong> </span></div>
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9355128/Brigitte-Engerer.html</div>
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<br /></div>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-21784796675842086302012-05-28T07:51:00.005-07:002012-05-28T07:55:56.902-07:00Vanessa Perez: It Takes a Village<style>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">A happy follow-up to my <a href="http://onthebenchconvos.blogspot.com/2012/05/frenemies-sharing-bench.html">last
post</a> (thank you, everyone, for so many good comments, tweets, etc)...</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I recently had a chance
talk with Venezuelan pianist <a href="http://www.vanessaperez.com/jsp/home.jsp">Vanessa
Perez</a>, and our conversation was a perfect example about what I love most
about my encounters here <b>On the Bench</b>. For pianists, bred in the
solitude of the practice studio, raised on a steady diet of self-examination, self-obsession, and </span><span style="font-size: small;">self-doubt,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> the ability to reach out and connect with our
equally self-absorbed colleagues is priceless. It’s why these conversations are
important to me, and why talking with someone like Vanessa opens up interesting
connections in experiences and perspectives, exposing the common ground between
very different lives.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Vanessa
grew up in the incredibly rich and nurturing musical community of Venezuela, a
country with a unique musical history, where the slogan “There is no culture
without musical culture” defines the central importance of music in the
collective consciousness. There, in the birthplace of <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18560_162-4009335.html">El Sistema</a>,
Vanessa’s early years were spent with “so many children making music”, shaping
her identity as a musician and building lasting friendships with her fellow
youngsters coming up in El Sistema’s many orchestras, incubators which produced
not only a generation of tremendously gifted young conductors – <a href="http://www.gustavodudamel.com/">Dudamel</a> among others - but also
provided abundant opportunities for young soloists to perform with those
orchestras. She talks with deep affection about those early opportunities,
about the impact of young years spent in such nurturing surroundings.</span></div>
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<div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This is a musician who depends on other musicians - the theme of community and friendship came up
time and again in our conversation. Even in the recording studio - the most private and vulnerable
arena, the place where most of us withdraw to commune on the most intimate
level with our artistic intentions, to examine every musical pore
and wrinkle in the most magnifying of mirrors, and to do battle as best we can
with our full spectrum of neuroses (See Jeremy Denk’s most excellent account of
these horrors in a recent <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/02/06/120206fa_fact_denk" target="_blank">New Yorker piece</a>) - Vanessa has found a way to create a support system of musical colleagues and friends. Most of us treat the studio as an inner sanctum,
impenetrable except for the trusted troika of engineer, producer and artist.
Vanessa, in contrast, opened up her recent studio sessions to a group of trusted friends and colleagues, creating a hybrid of live performance and recording session that, she says, helped her keep her playing "real and honest". </span></div>
</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXEC1xXRJgP9FhLwEbjfe2oYl6iSuyP-Zfl1I7QtF9FFOki57dnr6FqOBBYts9qyfSLQbUyVNx5pnafFpun-U_jHBqX-1Stw3K1AgWKyOcxBtA-sgzexQDx7QP4G2FwxHDBx60Fuu_nM/s1600/event_1296.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXEC1xXRJgP9FhLwEbjfe2oYl6iSuyP-Zfl1I7QtF9FFOki57dnr6FqOBBYts9qyfSLQbUyVNx5pnafFpun-U_jHBqX-1Stw3K1AgWKyOcxBtA-sgzexQDx7QP4G2FwxHDBx60Fuu_nM/s200/event_1296.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/33388/audio.html" target="_blank">LISTEN</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The result, a disc of the complete <a href="http://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/33388/index.html" target="_blank">Chopin Preludes</a>, was recently released on Telarc and will be celebrated with a <a href="http://as.americas-society.org/calevent.php?id=1296" target="_blank">NYC release concert</a> this Thursday, May 31 at the Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Listening to the album, you hear the same humanity and honesty that comes across in conversation. Vanessa's connection to Chopin's music is almost primal, sometimes bypassing the surround of exquisite beauty in favor of the raw emotion at its core. Her</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">relationship with
Chopin is life-long. She remembers the thrill of discovering her first Chopin
Nocturne as a child in Venezuela – the momentous feeling of entering into the
world of “grown-up music”, as she puts it “I felt for the first time that now I
was really a pianist”. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When she played
for the legendary Claudio Arrau at age 14, he sensed the potential in her natural affinity and encouraged her to “play more Chopin”, putting
her to work right away on the E Minor Concerto. Arrau took a pivotal
mentoring role in her musical life, sending her to study in the U.S. with his former
students Ena Bronstein and Rosalina Sackstein .</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Leaving</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Venezuela for the States (first Miami, then New Jersey), being transplanted into the relatively arid musical
landscape of the American suburbs, took its toll. Her response was to dig deeper into her music, to find there the sustenance and communication that had always been critical to her musical identity. At 17 she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London, and was able to connect again with a community of musicians who provided a environment of support and community. Studies in Italy followed, then some post-grad finishing back in New York. The friendships Vanessa has made at every point in her musical life have remained central to her musical life. She makes music with those friends - fellow Venezuelans Dudamel and <a href="http://www.gabrielamontero.com/" target="_blank">Gabriela Montero</a> are friends from childhood and have both been musical collaborators. She joined Joshua Bell for a performance of Piazzolla's <i>Oblivion</i> on Bell's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-With-Friends-Joshua-Bell/dp/B002LMSWSC" target="_blank">At Home with Friends</a> album. The musicians in Vanessa's life serve as mentors, role models, touchstones - as it should be.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <a href="http://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/33388/index.html" target="_blank">Chopin album</a> may be a breakthrough to a new level of visibility as a soloist. Even alone on the bench, though, Vanessa Perez' music is full of the spirit of all the musicians who surround her - from her childhood friends in the musical sandbox of Venezuela, to her trusted advisors in her recording session, to the very tangible presence of M. Chopin himself. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Tuqw5-xyWw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The ON THE BENCH Questionnaire</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(with apologies to Proust and Vanity Fair) </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What’s the first thing you do when you sit down to practice?</span></b><br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It varies all the time...I don't have a specific routine. </span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What's the last thing you do before you go on stage?</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I look obsessively at the first few measures of what I will begin my program with. </span></i></b><i><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If your piano could speak, what secrets would it tell about you?</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My piano wouldn't tell on me ... :)</span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you could travel in time to hear one piano recital, which would it be?</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I would attend one of those beautiful soiree salon concerts in 19th century Paris, with Liszt or Chopin playing. </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you didn’t play the piano, what would you do?</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chef, specializing in Japanese and northern Italian cuisine.</span></i></b></div>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-3803438985854685932012-05-23T16:41:00.002-07:002012-05-23T18:56:55.467-07:00Frenemies: Sharing the Bench<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In response to the anonymous question about why I use this space to "boost the competition": </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I suppose that, on the face of it, it might seem less than strategic for a concert pianist to be </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">giving exposure to/creating buzz for other concert pianists. Sure, we're all in competition for that very limited resource - the elusive concert booking. It's a tough world we live in, and survival of the fittest is a central part of our professional reality. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMDTJcsft8ZgqYdxuwVaXXwwrBT2sjAd2bdul8dBPTB_Whzg2qvz9_OFckB3atA0BDe72v1vgqNoitzUb4aBR_SkCRxtyGozLzzR6pZ6AMNyvqaNT-T-y0ie6-6DyvEUNQYoKqgFllso/s1600/0f86a362-38bc-4cc3-ba96-201096551f5awallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMDTJcsft8ZgqYdxuwVaXXwwrBT2sjAd2bdul8dBPTB_Whzg2qvz9_OFckB3atA0BDe72v1vgqNoitzUb4aBR_SkCRxtyGozLzzR6pZ6AMNyvqaNT-T-y0ie6-6DyvEUNQYoKqgFllso/s320/0f86a362-38bc-4cc3-ba96-201096551f5awallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I've been thinking about this, and I want to share my motivations here <b>On the Bench</b>:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1) To communicate with my comrades in arms. As professions go, concert pianist runs a close second to lighthouse keeper in terms of solitary hours logged and restricted access to meaningful human contact. It's lonely on the bench. If we can share our stories, ideas, thoughts, dreams and challenges, it helps to ease the isolation of those many hours alone in the studio and on the road.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2) To give a peak into the weird and wonderful world of the professional pianist, for the concert-goer, the record collector, the aspiring student - anyone who cares about the nerdy technical details of what goes on behind the scenes and before the concert. Maybe these insights will inspire young students as they're logging their own lonely hours on their way to being the pianists of tomorrow. (Or maybe reading about the reality of the pianist's life will inspire a few of them to beat a much safer path to business school, asap.)</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3) Lastly, and mostly: to make the point that all of us are very different people - emphasis on people - with different stories to tell and different ways of approaching our instrument, our music and our lives. Because this is the thing: I would like to think that maybe, if classical musicians can build personal narrative and individuality into our musical profiles, we can create more interest and more opportunities around what we do, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">make more room for ourselves in the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is no such thing as a generic pianist. And no one should go to a piano recital just to hear a generic piano recital. No one goes to a "rock concert". We go to hear a musician or a band we care about, musically and personally. We find resonance with the musicians we follow. We should go to a classical concert for the same reasons. My piano recital is different than your piano recital! Maybe if the audiences (and potential audiences) out there understand just how different, then they'll come out to hear us both.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Knowing something about the personal side of a musician might open up new perspectives into that person's playing. Knowing how a musician thinks about music might shed more light on that person's musical choices. Knowing more might mean caring more.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In many cases,
the concert hall is still a strangely depersonalized zone, with a lot of
space between the person on the stage and the person in the last row.
Maybe I'm trying to fill that space.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maybe I just can't mind my own business. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or maybe I do have self-destructive tendencies after all, and maybe all my guests On the Bench are stealing my future concert engagements as we speak. But that would be such bad karma.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What do you think? Is there room for all of us On the Bench? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tweet your comments to @Laradownes, or leave them here!</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks to Maura Lafferty for talking this through and believing in a better way!</span></i>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-23401100572293603832012-05-15T15:53:00.000-07:002013-01-31T07:24:15.340-08:00Anderson & Roe: No More Matching Dresses!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Anderson & Roe</b> is not:</div>
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1) A law firm</div>
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2) A figure skating pair</div>
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3) Married (to each other)</div>
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4) Your typical piano duo</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2xK_EHsMMZOTmgObJHI5sH53-E1E9mjLa2jxZ3BIUIyMAIEfiTryKa9o5HfEoia_priMrc5oxnWeAGGbbqmnjPKsKsP19kl5yYGGbJ52ril1S-20t4rLQpw4FzjxYf0IqTTaZUS4P-s/s1600/conference_artist_anderson_roe.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2xK_EHsMMZOTmgObJHI5sH53-E1E9mjLa2jxZ3BIUIyMAIEfiTryKa9o5HfEoia_priMrc5oxnWeAGGbbqmnjPKsKsP19kl5yYGGbJ52ril1S-20t4rLQpw4FzjxYf0IqTTaZUS4P-s/s200/conference_artist_anderson_roe.jpg" width="130" /></a>Anderson & Roe is one of the most exciting young duos performing today, with a musicality, repertoire and stage presence that bring their concerts closer to rock shows than demure chamber music recitals. Forget your image of a sweet sister team playing piano duets in matching dresses (more on my personal PTSD around that topic later on...), Greg Anderson and Liz Roe have a musical partnership that is anything but adorable. Whether playing their original arrangement of Michael Jackson's <i><a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/03/22/149077476/anderson-and-roe-a-speechless-billie-jean" target="_blank">Billie Jean</a> </i>or Stravinsky's <i>Rite of Spring</i>, their performances are passionate, wild, intensely physical, and completely gripping. Audiences around the country flock to their concerts in numbers that defy the rumors of dwindling attendance for concert music, and the duo holds their own on MTV as well as on NPR.</div>
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Their interactive <a href="http://www.andersonroe.net/" target="_blank">website<b></b></a> is buzzing 24/7, with a dynamic online community that includes fans of all ages, bloggers, and
the millions of YouTube viewers of A&R's self-produced, visually
exciting and dramatically compelling <a href="http://www.andersonroe.com/videos/" target="_blank">music videos</a>. Greg and Liz communicate with their fans in real time, generating an energy and sense of community that contributes to their success, and furthers their commitment to <i>"make classical music a relevant and powerful force in society; to connect with others; to engage, provoke, illuminate; to serve as
a conduit for the composer's voice; to express our inner lives; to
share the joy and fulfillment that only music can elicit."</i> And, furthermore: "<i> to free the world from the constraints of sleep-inducing concerts."</i> Done. </div>
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In upcoming months they can be heard in <a href="http://sfmf.org/" target="_blank">San Francisco</a> and <a href="http://www.portlandpiano.org/summer-festival/artists/anderson-and-roe.html" target="_blank">Portland</a>, among other stops.</div>
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Anderson & Roe's new album <b>When Words Fade </b>recently came out on the Steinway & Sons label. It's a remarkable collection of vocal works inspired by the night, in virtuoso arrangements for piano duo (composed by the artists themselves). Traveling through very different soundscapes of song, from Vivaldi to Coldplay with stops at Schubert, Bizet and Villa-Lobos along the way, the duo proves that their musicality is up to the challenge of reimagining songs without their words, and infusing them with new and profound meanings. Greg and Liz describe the music this way:<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "When words fade, a song sheds its specific narrative—but the emotion
remains with all its potency. You, the listener, are free to infuse the
music with your own personal meaning.</span>"</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MQJMKG/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005MQJMKG&linkCode=as2&tag=ontheben-20" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005MQJMKG&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ontheben-20" /></a></td></tr>
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They're celebrating the album with a <a href="http://www.andersonroe.com/news/" target="_blank">release party</a> next Tuesday, May 22, at Galapagos Arts Space in Brooklyn. It should be a great party - go if you can!</div>
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I spoke to Liz and Greg by Skype, in a long and often hilarious three-way conversation (which has been slightly sanitized here for your protection)<i></i></div>
<a name='more'></a><i><br /></i>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: I know you met at Juilliard and started playing
together there. Was the partnership based first on friendship or musical
issues, or both?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: Well, we had
known each other from the first week of school, and at Juilliard, that also
means getting acquainted with each other's musical styles (in classes, etc.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: Only after we began playing together did we realize
that we were so musically compatible, and after that, we realized we shared
bigger musical goals...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: Right, we both assert that, individually, we are quite
different pianists, yet we are bound by a shared outlook and ideals.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: But we were most definitely friends -- as we often
say, "friends who are musicians find a way to make music together." Our
first concert together was so much fun, and because it was such a success, we
decided to play more together ... but at the time, it really felt like fun and
games... </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: I was laughing a lot when I read one of your
interviews where you talk about the "cuteness factor" that's usually
associated with piano duets. I have some sad stories of my own about playing
4-hands with my sister, and wearing matching dresses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: Sisters + matching dresses = winning combo </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: most people's
first impressions of the genre is that it is "quaint"... so when I
describe us to non-musicians, I say we're in a piano duo and our concerts are
adrenalized and sexual...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Seriously? That's your elevator pitch?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: Gotta spice it up to counter that first reaction to
the genre -- sisters in matching dresses playing boring piano together!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: By the way, there was plenty of adrenaline with the
matching dresses - but mostly negative energy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: I think the sensual / romantic aspect makes most sense
when you consider that it is so physically intimate to share the same space,
plus there’s the male/female dynamic…</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Do people assume that you’re a couple?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: all the time</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: I got married (to a man) a few years ago, and when
people see the ring, they ask where Liz's ring is!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: It's pretty amusing, and I suppose it speaks to our
"chemistry."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Right, well, we know that musical chemistry doesn't necessarily
translate offstage! Seriously, though, it's a very intense relationship. How
many days a month do you spend working together?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: It varies. This year is the first time we have lived in
the same city (since our Juilliard years), so that allows for great flexibility
in scheduling. I can literally call Greg anytime and say that I'll be over in
five minutes! And then we always travel together to our concerts, so we can
discuss projects and ideas on planes, trains, etc.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMjshh-uCdhth7sACvc9GWVSALD7kdCKLd9DDh_b_qIMoXBu5sZxjHw38DZSB0mjBPepUmcQn5uXdfzLjw-p7KRLQGDDs-CYw2-dm1IxG7TWBnYUmjISKHDngBpL5PuuQaiRyvbpIyqM/s1600/andersonroecasual08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMjshh-uCdhth7sACvc9GWVSALD7kdCKLd9DDh_b_qIMoXBu5sZxjHw38DZSB0mjBPepUmcQn5uXdfzLjw-p7KRLQGDDs-CYw2-dm1IxG7TWBnYUmjISKHDngBpL5PuuQaiRyvbpIyqM/s200/andersonroecasual08.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: And when we're touring, we spend nearly all of our
time together On a recent tour -- 21 cities in 26 days -- we were pleased to
find we were still good friends (perhaps better!) when all was said and done.
When we’re </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: And of course it's always fun to unwind after a
concert. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: And eat meals together -- our favorite part!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Maybe you should actually get married! That's better
than most married couples I know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: Probably if we were married, things would be totally
different...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: It's funny, I can see that one of your main
goals/focuses is the physicality when you play, and for me, the genre inherently
makes that difficult, just the crowded nature of the piano duo configuration. Did
you have to work around that at first?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: It is pretty crowded!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Do you choreograph your performances, to what degree?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: Yes -- we have to, simply because we'd
collide non-stop if we didn't. And that's where we devote much of our
rehearsing -- to figuring out how to play the music we've arranged! We choreograph
to express the music -- so in "Libertango", for example, our hands
are all over the place for a reason -- we wanted to capture the physical
friction and element of danger inherent in the dance. Likewise, in the Mozart
Two Piano Sonata, the piece seems to be all about the dialogue -- so we found
ways to capture that conversation physically in the video.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: How large is
your rep? I mean, how many programs are active at any one time?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: It’s pretty
vast, and always in flux. We're always adding on new pieces, sometimes one at a
time</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: It can be fun to play the same pieces over and over
again, especially since we value spontaneity - it doesn't get boring - but
there is certain electricity to a premiere! Usually we're in such a hurry to learn
a new piece that we have no idea what is going to happen in the moment -- so
the adrenaline is off the charts!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsciaaZ17mOms-gpRQJ13EHjaS316j3P3LKERvpkHJyE1XaqsjLJp_4yfChaWK9UvR0HGcyof7KEFWCsEf5buzuAtTlNwLcVZ0ui6WvGETAW7HSwbhEfJxVo4RqtdwbChQizYuwG_2zQ/s1600/andersonroecasual17.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsciaaZ17mOms-gpRQJ13EHjaS316j3P3LKERvpkHJyE1XaqsjLJp_4yfChaWK9UvR0HGcyof7KEFWCsEf5buzuAtTlNwLcVZ0ui6WvGETAW7HSwbhEfJxVo4RqtdwbChQizYuwG_2zQ/s200/andersonroecasual17.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Lara</b>: Oh, thank you! I thought I was the only one! So give
me a short description of your rehearsal process, from the beginning, with a new
piece, learning the music, choreographing movement, etc., just broad strokes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: We discuss a new piece in advance -- brainstorm
concepts, structure, etc. I write the piece down on paper (or Sibelius,
really), and then we rework the piece as necessary. We never really compose at the piano I actually do
most of the composing in the shower!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Wait, do you shower together too??</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: So, I want to talk about your videos. They are really
good, and they look expensive, but I'm guessing you have your secret ways?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: We pull all the
strings we can!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: We do everything on our own, which allows us tremendous
freedom and inspiration. No hiring of anyone to film, edit, produce, etc, </span>except for the <a href="http://www.andersonroe.com/videos/der-erlkonig.html" target="_blank">Erlkönig video</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: I'd say 80% of all the videos have been filmed by Liz, me,
or a tripod.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: When I watch the videos, I feel like this is a medium
that expands hugely on your ability to be physically expressive, right? You do
really great things with the cutting and angles - it opens up the world of the
piano bench to a much bigger place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: Our four-hand works were physically expressive from
the beginning, but we wanted people to see thing up close, so we started
filming the pieces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: It’s interesting. Your performance style and your
videos are calling a lot of attention to the physical aspects of your work. But
of course your playing is tremendous. How do you feel about the balance of
attention to the physical and the musical? Any conflict there, or do you see it
as totally positive to blend the two aspects?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: I think that performance is a hybrid of emotion,
movement, sound, and expression.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: I totally agree. Personally I think it's absurd to
separate out the physical and the musical. No other art form allows for that
kind of separation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: I love watching great artists -- in any genre – perform,
to literally see passion and involvement. It’s incredibly inspiring</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Yes. I think for me it's odd to see the more restrained
performers. It's very foreign to me! I kind of admire it, I guess, because you
know the music is coming from a very interior place. But I can't help
expressing physically, and you too I think. It comes naturally. If it were
artificial it wouldn't work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: I love that -- the interior becoming manifest through
physical expression.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Tell me about your audiences. Are you seeing young
people coming out, mixed with a more traditional audience? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: Our audiences are diverse: we see a broad range of
people, people of all ages, literally</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: Lots of young people! It's very exciting to see.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Funny story: Chris O'Riley played his Radiohead/Schumann
show at Mondavi Center last year, and one of the goals of course was to attract
a younger crowd. Instead the usual subscription audience turned out, and they
were totally into it. So instead of getting the "kids" turned on to
Schumann, you had a lot of traditional concert goers who were really excited
about Radiohead! I could see that happening with your concerts too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: That has happened to us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: We aim to be like a good Pixar film -- we aim to speak
on multiple levels throughout our performances so that people react from
multiple angles</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: What do you think of the big "labeling"
question? Do you want to be known as "classical" musicians who are
playing pop tunes too? Or would you rather do away with the genre labels?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: We're not attached to the idea of labels. I think they’re
inherently limiting</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: I always roll my eyes when people say we're a
classical duo playing pop tunes. Classical musicians have been playing
"pop" tunes for centuries!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: At least the term "crossover" seems to have
disappeared!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liz</b>: It's encouraging to see that in our time, the lines are
being blurred between styles</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Greg</b>: We play music we like... very simple. And we've been
told by piano teachers that their students show our videos to their school
friends -- so that their friends will think that even “classical nerds” can be cool
too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Lara</b>: Amen to that!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The On the Bench Questionnaire </span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(with apologies to Proust and Vanity Fair)</span></b></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What’s the first thing you do when you sit down to practice?</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Liz</b>: I have a short warm-up drill -- scales, etc. -- that I've done for nearly two decades. It feels like a (minor) ritual of sorts ... musical teeth-brushing, if you will!</span><br />
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<b>Greg</b>: I dive right in; I start playing the music I'm most eager to practice. No scales… whoops!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <i><b>What's the last thing you do before you go onstage?</b></i></span><i><b><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></b></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Liz</b>: If I'm performing with Greg, we always hug before walking onstage. Otherwise, I give myself a brief moment of silence to get into "performance mode" and take a last-minute swig of water.</span><br />
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<b>Greg</b>: I try not to think about it too much. Immediately before performing, I
find that it's best to turn off my brain and go with the flow. That
said, if Liz is with me, I always give her a really big hug.</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If your piano could speak, what secrets would it tell about you?</span></b></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Liz: It would reveal that I've been known to practice and read simultaneously, a book propped up on the music stand; that I occasionally sing and jam on the piano during practice breaks; and that I feel most adventurous and liberated while making music. I relate to this Flaubert quote: "Be orderly in your life ... so that you may be violent and original in your work." And I also love Forster's exhortation to "only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height." As a person and artist, I aim to integrate the prose and passion of life.</span><br />
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<b>Greg</b>: I've been traveling so much that my piano feels quite abandoned of
late. As for the secrets it could share, we'll let them remain secrets.
;-)</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you could travel in time to hear one piano recital, which would it be?</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Liz</b>: Glenn Gould's New York debut recital, Town Hall, 1955.</span><br />
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<b>Greg</b>: Wanda Landowska performed a recital in 1950 celebrating 200 years since
Bach's death. The program is structured brilliantly, featuring some of
Bach's transcriptions and music of Bach's contemporaries, and it
concludes climactically with the Italian Concerto. She even performed on
different keyboard instruments throughout the recital! In her day,
Landowska was known as somewhat of an academic, but looking back (and
compared to some of today's "academic" performers) her playing is
wonderfully free and imaginative. Such a creative, expressive, and
titanic genius would have no trouble holding my attention for two hours!</div>
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you didn’t play the piano, what would you do?</span></b></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Liz</b>: I think I would still be involved in something creative: writing, songwriting, the visual arts -- something along those lines.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Greg</b>: I have a feeling I would be no less busy… you'd find me composing,
making movies, preoccupied with graphic design, writing, looking at the
stars, obsessed with the material sciences, editing websites, cooking,
winemaking, and traveling the world. </div>
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Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-54709118964787945562012-05-06T08:10:00.002-07:002012-05-08T06:20:12.633-07:00Angela Hewitt: Checked Baggage<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwW9tgS5qOjGlQeLUZzJMvQCMQo-RtEsjy-BXIUyznpqjR0qS75-04mj6tpOtJjAL5YZo0_IJkjic4CgEA8krCySWDKjXW3W9ULGj8TxmksBU-17kHKckki6e38dmtsFfzu12qu55orI/s1600/319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwW9tgS5qOjGlQeLUZzJMvQCMQo-RtEsjy-BXIUyznpqjR0qS75-04mj6tpOtJjAL5YZo0_IJkjic4CgEA8krCySWDKjXW3W9ULGj8TxmksBU-17kHKckki6e38dmtsFfzu12qu55orI/s200/319.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">© James Cheadle</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.angelahewitt.com/index.php" target="_blank">Angela Hewitt</a> is a woman with a lot of baggage. </div>
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Not <i>that</i> kind of baggage! Ms. Hewitt is far from neurotic. Judging from all reports and appearances, and personal conversation, she is thoroughly down-to-earth and professional, gracious, organized, an anti-diva altogether. </div>
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No, I'm talking about actual baggage. The suitcase that has been unpacked, she says, "maybe once in the last three years", what with her almost non-stop touring schedule and her travels back and forth between homes in Ottawa, London and Umbria (where she runs her annual <a href="http://www.trasimenomusicfestival.com/" target="_blank">Trasimeno Music Festival</a>). I am told she always carries her own bags.</div>
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And then there is the metaphorical suitcase that holds her outsize <a href="http://www.angelahewitt.com/repertoire.php?repertoire_type_id=3" target="_blank">repertoire</a>, somewhat notorious among pianists, and always expanding, driven by her unstoppable appetite and energies. </div>
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All the Bach keyboard works. </div>
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The Beethoven Sonatas. </div>
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The Mozart Sonatas. </div>
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All of Schumann, give or take. </div>
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Chopin: check. </div>
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Debussy, Ravel, Liszt, Brahms... </div>
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And her massive <a href="http://www.angelahewitt.com/repertoire.php?repertoire_type_id=1" target="_blank">concerto repertoire </a>as well. </div>
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Extra handling fees may apply.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOwZXUEv0aZTzBZWTyIkfV6h_0r5jMW8bNVZgkgtefnsOqx7QK8Gnjg5K2xiNZoLD2TYHDlgGNxthbuvvyfV2W_mA1r8ckl5F83W8-jEbnal2DhtuSpVvAfL9vlarMfzqIPvJKDjYLUM/s1600/hewitt3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOwZXUEv0aZTzBZWTyIkfV6h_0r5jMW8bNVZgkgtefnsOqx7QK8Gnjg5K2xiNZoLD2TYHDlgGNxthbuvvyfV2W_mA1r8ckl5F83W8-jEbnal2DhtuSpVvAfL9vlarMfzqIPvJKDjYLUM/s200/hewitt3" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjletfPLpM4z7eH2VV96DBiloHk34lU2Sv-lUX3v87EaVI8neDw-0pj3MJkonhsIlgO8qMJG2AbhjdP0xrlu0PdoG01QOUmQORm1GdHSuispc2agKuBnavZDDtHyqwqquvymWv_VR3Kh0U/s1600/hewittcd1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjletfPLpM4z7eH2VV96DBiloHk34lU2Sv-lUX3v87EaVI8neDw-0pj3MJkonhsIlgO8qMJG2AbhjdP0xrlu0PdoG01QOUmQORm1GdHSuispc2agKuBnavZDDtHyqwqquvymWv_VR3Kh0U/s200/hewittcd1" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkddjcnX_-7yVD2dfcocXNvaKmqg0GLU0cqU8l3vmmhYc9uGQN7Yhj8-z5N2SMWWe3DEWpuBh4k-ZtoLkZzxQXIutCSDnUxctMu0r6yVkDWHOZVtGQpVrFqFEoJQOJ85lUGWpZo_AG3nU/s1600/hewittcd2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkddjcnX_-7yVD2dfcocXNvaKmqg0GLU0cqU8l3vmmhYc9uGQN7Yhj8-z5N2SMWWe3DEWpuBh4k-ZtoLkZzxQXIutCSDnUxctMu0r6yVkDWHOZVtGQpVrFqFEoJQOJ85lUGWpZo_AG3nU/s200/hewittcd2" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When asked how she does it - touring with as many as twenty recital programs per season, putting out four new recordings a year, managing the curatorship and heavy-rotation playing at the Trasimeno festival (she'll be playing seven different programs at the festival alone this summer), she says "I just work very hard", and laughs "I really don't do much else". But even so, the reconciling of the working very hard and the getting there is in itself a challenge. The demands of present-day air travel being what they are, the time and the energy involved in getting from point A to point B are considerable, taxing and unpleasant, and a major component of the artist's life. She says she "doesn't waste time on board the plane", using those transit hours for studying scores, writing liner notes, and planning concert programs, as we all do (although I argue that the time can also be well spent obsessively watching an entire season of Downton Abbey, just for example).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFEGsoQXh_tQVqqmokyH5EaPiIJ5ixOEtO7-p26wwJLr_UVSOGeF-aGq4g2Djhk7lHWlVEC0d1-8FnbnCW7Nk1WzNvKfyKVnQFNeujKWAOr0M3h6jIRRc8Au09q2HGixlDB86y_7AlPA/s1600/431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFEGsoQXh_tQVqqmokyH5EaPiIJ5ixOEtO7-p26wwJLr_UVSOGeF-aGq4g2Djhk7lHWlVEC0d1-8FnbnCW7Nk1WzNvKfyKVnQFNeujKWAOr0M3h6jIRRc8Au09q2HGixlDB86y_7AlPA/s1600/431.jpg" /></a></div>
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But back to the luggage. </div>
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On Angela's website, an upcoming event caught my eye: a benefit for her Trasimeno festival featuring an exhibit of her concert gowns, including the very
first one, custom made for her at age nine. (The photo here shows one worn at age 15). The preservation of four decades worth of concert gowns is further evidence of organizational skills (and good closets), and made me wonder about favorite dresses, packing challenges, and the pleasures and perils of dressing for the concert stage (more on that coming up soon On the Bench...). Angela says that some favorite keepers have come from Alberta Ferretti, Roberto Cavalli, and other European designers, that she has one dress she sewed herself, and that she is grateful for the current unstructured, minimalist styles, a big improvement on the "old days" of the complicated, poufy, and hard-to-pack dress. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAsSVY9kA6DBHYS-tew8Vgi7zdGOdTSsC2PaRkWsTd_WHaA6nVjKvdmaL_E7BNJuqHKFjPI_1410lE7ymUR86ZR0-dpuRXg72g4D-BCtMwMStNdbOwHesuXVz7oF6Bn_VPT2ZLVpoTMM/s1600/JoanCollinsDynasty11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAsSVY9kA6DBHYS-tew8Vgi7zdGOdTSsC2PaRkWsTd_WHaA6nVjKvdmaL_E7BNJuqHKFjPI_1410lE7ymUR86ZR0-dpuRXg72g4D-BCtMwMStNdbOwHesuXVz7oF6Bn_VPT2ZLVpoTMM/s200/JoanCollinsDynasty11.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A very hard dress to pack.</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Much better.</span></span></td></tr>
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But aside from the necessities and complications of packing for different audiences, repertoire and climates, one senses that it's the second bag that is more important to Hewitt - the figurative (hopefully rolling, hopefully soft-sided and infinitely expandable) suitcase that carries her tremendous collection of repertoire new and old. That collection is central to her identity as a musician, and to her musical satisfaction. It represents both the souvenirs amassed during all these years of traveling, and the legacy of a life spent, from the very beginning, devoted to the pursuit of music. </div>
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The ability to navigate comfortably among many different recital programs, chamber music collaborations and concerto performances in short periods of time requires constant exercising of the musical muscles, and Angela's commitment to such flexibility and productivity is evidence of habits developed early on. She recognizes her range of repertoire as "probably much bigger than most pianists - I'm not one to tour with one program at a time", and she cites the voracious consumption of new repertoire during her youngest years as a critical phase of her development. She wishes that every young pianist would recognize the importance of taking advantage of youthful elasticity and capacity to stockpile vast amounts of repertoire. "That's when they should be learning it, all of it." she says. "They'll play it differently later on, hopefully, but now is when they should be acquiring the repertoire". We spoke about the staying power of those pieces learned well and thoroughly, long ago, the interesting sensation of bringing them back and brushing them up - the way that we can access those ingrained memories very differently from music learned more recently. "The old file is in there somewhere - it just has to come out, and usually you know when it's ready."</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I think that the fascinating thing about
that resurfacing of the old information is that it comes with layers of new
and different understandings each time around. That’s one of the great
pleasures of making and remaking music.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For Angela Hewitt, the opportunities
for reconsideration and renewal within her vast musical inventory come frequently,
thanks to the scope and range of her concert schedule. And this, maybe, is why it is so worth it to keep packing those bags, getting on another plane, and putting on another dress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This month, both East and West Coasters can hear Angela Hewitt in
U.S. recital dates: at <a href="http://www.angelahewitt.com/event.php?event_id=883&" target="_blank">Shriver Hall</a> in Baltimore today, Sunday May 6, in <a href="http://www.angelahewitt.com/event.php?event_id=890&" target="_blank">Salem Oregon</a> on Sunday the 13th, and in Seattle at the <a href="http://www.angelahewitt.com/event.php?event_id=893&" target="_blank">UW Presidents Piano Series</a> on Tuesday the 15th.</span><br />
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-91918525610805299272012-04-16T07:30:00.000-07:002012-04-16T08:13:46.770-07:00A Little Sondheim: Anthony de Mare and Liaisons<style>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I never did meet Tony de Mare last summer, when we were both performing at the <a href="http://www.portlandpiano.org/summer-festival/" target="_blank">Portland Piano International</a> festival. I arrived at the festival venue 5 minutes after he had left the building on his way to the airport, having just finished up a masterclass following his concert the night before. The next evening, I played my festival concert, and at the reception one of the audience members complimented the definition in my arms, </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIvp99JgQGEDP_jQ24vxXeevJy2KUv-LlO8qx-rc-5ELhodbrFLVz_dBTr0LgfqFBQO_VEnBQfszkQ9BA8msMo2SuVJ5X24W60CFQbavE6MEx0juAyO9uvHl-IgYrxOjSG338GZRIRfM/s1600/9777497-large.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIvp99JgQGEDP_jQ24vxXeevJy2KUv-LlO8qx-rc-5ELhodbrFLVz_dBTr0LgfqFBQO_VEnBQfszkQ9BA8msMo2SuVJ5X24W60CFQbavE6MEx0juAyO9uvHl-IgYrxOjSG338GZRIRfM/s320/9777497-large.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">as </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">displayed in a strapless gown. "And", he said "we couldn't help noticing that Mr. de Mare also has a very impressive physique. Tell me, are all classical pianists in such amazing shape?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hmmm.... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My arms are, admittedly, fairly well cut, due both to my hours at the piano and to a slightly obsessive gym habit. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLIvp99JgQGEDP_jQ24vxXeevJy2KUv-LlO8qx-rc-5ELhodbrFLVz_dBTr0LgfqFBQO_VEnBQfszkQ9BA8msMo2SuVJ5X24W60CFQbavE6MEx0juAyO9uvHl-IgYrxOjSG338GZRIRfM/s1600/9777497-large.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">But when I did meet Tony, a couple of months later at a New York concert, I had a chance to check out the competition, and I am pretty sure that if it came to it, he could arm wrestle me under the table without so much as flexing a bicep. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(See biceps>>>>>>)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Trained as a dancer and actor as well as a pianist (and, I'm guessing, harboring a little gym habit of his own), Tony is known for the impressive physicality of his piano playing. He's also notorious for the tremendous breadth and flexibility of his musical interests. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An intrepid and eclectic champion of new music, he has </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">been collaborating with composers for over 20 years to </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">create a huge and unique repertoire that showcases his singular range of talents. His projects consistently reflect his interest in achieving what Justin Davidson of Newsday has called the "slippery fusion" of music and theater. In <b>De Profundis</b>, a multimedia work written for him by Frederic Rzewski, Tony recites from Oscar Wilde's prison journal and sings in a falsetto croon, while performing the fiendishly virtuosic piano score in near-darkness. In <b>Playing With Myself</b>, a piece of "concert theater" he created with director Sal Trapani, he fuses</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> piano performance, song, dance sequences and autobiographical dramatic sketches to tell the story of a young man whose exploration of his anguished
longing culminates in a transforming romantic encounter at a gay
nightclub. His latest CD, <b>SPEAK - The Speaking-Singing Pianist</b>, (Innova 2010) is uniquely recording devoted to the pianist/vocalist genre that he created over 20 years ago. </span></div>
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<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B00442M0V2/ref=pd_krex_listen_dp_img?ie=UTF8&refTagSuffix=dp_img" target="_blank">LISTEN</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"The pieces have enough in the way of music, story and pacing that
time goes by quite quickly. And it is time spent to good use. In a way,
this is the thinking person's Broadway, the hipster's alternative to
opera, the musical equivalent of a very dynamic poetry reading, theater
for those jaded with the usual claptrap. It's a trip that you will very
much enjoy if you have an open mind." </i></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">- Grego Edwards, Gapplegate</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Tony's latest project, <b>Liaisons:
Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano</b>, may be the most ambitious in a long line of ambitious efforts: a landmark commissioning and
concert project that focuses on the prolific output of one of his musical heroes, Stephen Sondheim. </span><span style="color: black;">Tony has brought together
36 composers, both emerging and established, including </span><span style="color: black;">Steve Reich, Fred Hersch, Eve Beglarian, Fred Rzewski, </span><span style="color: black;">Tania Leon, </span><span style="color: black;">Daniel Bernard Roumain, Mason Bates, and Gabriel Kahane, </span><span style="color: black;">to create solo piano pieces based on Sondheim songs of their own choosing. The resulting "re-imaginings" bring Sondheim's work into
the concert hall while spanning the classical contemporary, jazz, film, theater
and pop worlds. For Tony, this</span><span style="color: black;"> an intensely personal project, a labor of love, and what he calls a "career realization", the perfect melding of his musical passions and personal history.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Previews in </span><a href="http://www.orartswatch.org/portland-piano-international-looking-forward-looking-homeward/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">Portland</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/13/DDM31NK16V.DTL" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">San Francisco</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, New York and </span><a href="http://www.metroweekly.com/arts_entertainment/music.php?ak=6110" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" target="_blank">DC</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> have generated excitement and terrific reviews. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The highly anticipated official <a href="http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6954-liaisons-re-imagining-sondheim-from-the-piano" target="_blank">New York premiere</a> of <b>Liaisons</b> takes place at Symphony Space this Saturday, April 21. <a href="https://tickets.symphonyspace.org/public/loader.asp?target=hall.asp?event=7138" target="_blank"></a></span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tony and I caught up over Skype to talk about the exhilarating experience of reimagining giants, looking back</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">, and looking forward all at once.</span><a name='more'></a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Lara Downes:</b> You and I were introduced for the first time in the context of our current projects: <b>13
WAYS of Looking at the Goldberg</b> and <b>Liaisons</b>, which are both projects that “reimagine” or respond to other
works of music: in the case of 13 WAYS, the Goldberg Variations, and in the
case of Liaisons, the songs of Sondheim. How has this year been for you, living
in the world of "reimagination"?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Anthony de Mare:</b> Well it has
been a very busy one ... due to the fact that the project has been 5 years in
the making and has so many components - composers, fund-raising, discussion
with Sondheim, the composers, having a producer and being co-producer as well
as artistic director. But so far it has been more than gratifying. Although there are so MANY pieces to be
learned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>LD:</b> Right, you keep
adding more! Maybe I should think about expanding 13 WAYS into 130 WAYS or
something, with apologies to Wallace Stevens...</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> Yes, it was
originally only going to be about 25 or so ... then 30 --- then after Sondheim
heard several of them a year ago - he suggested other composers who quickly
said yes and the producer decided that 36 was the best round number to work
with ... especially for presenters ... so that they can present 1-2-or 3
concerts of approx. 60-70 minutes each. For instance the
Gilmore Festival in May will have me do two 60 minute concerts on different
days of completely different works.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> So, this is
turning into a bigger project than you had envisioned?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Oh yeah! Definitely ... It has become a full-time job
for sure ... </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> How are you
feeling about the scope of commitment to nurturing and developing something so
broad and multi-faceted, over a long term?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Well the way I
see it -- is this is one of my biggest career-defining projects. I had thought
pioneering (as people have labeled me) the speaking-singing pianist genre was a
big one ... but this is huge because of fund-raising (constant) and all of the
wonderful music! I feel good though ... we're batting 100% thus far on the
quality of the pieces, especially judging from the responses from audience and
critics.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> Tell me how
this project originated for you.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> I had wanted to do this since
around the mid-80's. I originally was
going to do it myself ... making transcriptions of about 6-8 of the songs
for solo piano, but didn't feel at the time I had the chops compositionally for
it. So I did one song for a summer festival and it was OK. Then I shelved the idea for many years ...
but composers and friends kept asking throughout the 90s when I was going to
re-visit this and get it done. I have loved Sondheim since I was very
young. I was trained not only as a
pianist but also in the theater and dance, so his shows have been a big part of
my creative thinking. I consider him one
of the great American composers and the mission of this project is to show his
genius and brilliance musically as a composer since he's always been so
celebrated as a composer-lyricist. By about 2005-2006 - I decided it was time
to get this done and the idea came to me to cast the net wide to a variety of
composers crossing multiple genres - contemporary classical - jazz- theater-
film- pop- opera- avant-garde and have different "takes" or
interpretations on the songs for piano.
Thus the "re-imagining" concept. So I spoke to some composer
friends who greatly supported this, and met a wonderful producer who was a
fundraiser for the Flea Theater here in NYC (which I had done some work with
previously) and she was intrigued and very interested in helping out and has
become one of the backbones of the project.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I also had a very close
longtime friend in the theater - a theater agent who put us in touch with one
of Sondheim's lawyers, (who also happened to be a big Broadway producer) and he
sent my note directly on to Sondheim who wrote me back saying he was intrigued
and would love to know more about what I was imagining for the project. I
sought his input for composer choices, sent him my "wish-list" of
songs and list of composers and he responded quite humbly saying (not quoting
here exactly) how humbled he was by the fact that so many of my
"A-list" composers were interested in setting his melodies.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> So, here's a
big question. I've been thinking so much, throughout the process of
learning/playing/recording 13 WAYS, about the challenge that those thirteen composers
faced in responding to Bach's work. I think it took a lot of courage,
flexibility and openness. But in the case of Liaisons, the composers face the
same challenges, and on top of that Sondheim is very much present and
witnessing the whole thing! Has that been terrifying?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> That’s a a
loaded question! Some found it very easy to work with Sondheim’s material - like Ricky Ian Gordon, Fred Hersch, and
others. But a LARGE amount of them have
commented that this is one of the most difficult "assignments" they
have ever been given. They feel the songs are already so "perfect"
the way they are that for many it was a tunnel that had to traveled through to
figure out how they would work with it. A couple of the composers almost
dropped out from frustration, but magically kept going and were very pleased
with what they came up with. In so many
cases, the pieces have become a perfect "marriage" of the composers
style and Sondheim.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> I would think,
too, that the strength of Sondheim’s lyrics in the original songs could present
a significant problem. You take the lyrics away - then does the meaning of the
song remain the same? Can you move away from the text altogether and reimagine
the music without it?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> One can
certainly move away from the text and retain the meaning and impact of the
song. Many of these pieces have
exemplified that so wonderfully! One
perfect example is David Rakowski -- he chose "The Ladies Who Lunch"
from "Company" (which is one of my favorite songs) but I never put it
on my list because I thought it wouldn't make a good piano piece since it is so
character driven. But it was his ONLY
choice and he did an amazing job of not only capturing the pathos, bitterness
and sadness of the character (and her lyrics) but also managed to make a
challenging and amazing piano piece out of the song incorporating the
"boss nova" style that is so present in the original Some of the
pieces are direct transcriptions, others go off in different directions. Some
capture the character of the lyrics and the character singing it to a tee and a
few have deconstructed, although that was something I generally asked the
composers not to do, but it's good to have a few that arc at this point..</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> I was playing 13
WAYS last week, and I did a post-concert Q&A with the audience.
I asked them how much they had been listening for Bach throughout the set - as
you know, those pieces move significantly away from Bach, and I always wonder
if a new audience is hearing them with an ear that is listening for traces of
the original Goldberg <i>Aria</i>
throughout. It was really interesting to me to hear a wide range of responses
from this audience. Some audience members said that they did keep listening for
Bach, and some were able to listen without that, and take a very different journey.
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Well, when I
first heard 13 WAYS I was also always listening for Bach in the pieces too and
was able to detect it most of the time ... but the wonderful thing about the 13
WAYS set is that you can easily listen to them as individual pieces because
they are so rich in color and style.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> What is your
experience with audiences for <i>Liaisons</i>
around this question? Maybe all the pieces in <i>Liaisons</i> stay melodically closer to the original songs?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> In my case,
many audience members have said they had no idea what to expect when they
came. Some were very familiar already
with the Sondheim canon of work and others not so. So for some it was hearing it in a completely
different context and for others hearing it for the first time. Since most retain the melody, those not so
familiar said that they were surprised to recognize melodies that they knew
they had heard somewhere before and liked now knowing the context of what show
they were from. Those familiar with his
work most of the time are delighted at how creative the settings are ... and
again ... they hear that "marriage" of the composer's individual
style and the Sondheim melody. For some
though ... it is a challenge, which is to be expected. I just played Sat. night
in Fort Worth on the Cliburn series, and the reviewer does know Sondheim's work
very well ... and he said that he was surprised to hear how well they worked
withouth the lyrics and how recognizable and colorful the settings were.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> I think these
projects are fascinating in that way, able to affect different listeners in
really different ways.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Yes I agree
completely ... that's part of the joy and intrigue of it I feel.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> I've been
thinking a lot too about the "three-way conversation" that 13 WAYS
presents: I as the interpreter having a dialogue with Bach, but through the
third composer who is reinterpreting his work. Are you enjoying that three-way
with Sondheim and your Liaisons composers?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Very much
so. In most cases, when I'm ready to
play through a new piece for the composer, we invite him/her to my apartment and
we work through the piece ... exchanging ideas and hearing the composers
reactions and feelings about doing the piece - their challenges, their joys ...
and it has been really rewarding. The
funny thing is that at some point -- they all ask (and I detect a touch of
nervousness in the question) -- if HE has heard their piece yet and what he thinks
of it. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> I should say that
Sondheim is someone who scares me to death because I admire him so much! I want
to know what's it's been like to work with him. It's funny, I didn't have
theater training as you did, but there was a while there when I wanted to be an
actor, as a kid. Really though, all I wanted to be was Maria!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> That's funny
... about Maria? You look the part exactly!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think he scares a lot of
people to death because he's so iconic at this point and so celebrated and
admired! I too felt the same way. I have a great story about the day we first
met in person. We did a fundraiser preview at my apartment last January (2011)
and we invited him and some of the donors and friends ... this was the first
time we were meeting in person after 3-4 years of exchanges. We of course were nervous wrecks (the
producer, myself and my partner Tom - getting the apartment ready - that's
another story in itself) -- and when the doorbell rang and I opened the door -
there he was with his assistant (also named Steve) and his archivist and one of
his lawyers (who happened to really take to the project and wanted to hear it -
nice guy!) -- I opened the door and he smiled and said "Hey Tony - Steve
Sondheim" and put out his hand. He
came in and the first question he asked me was "So are you nervous?"
And I giggled and said "You have no idea!!!" And he said "Good! Because if you
weren't you wouldn't be human!" and then laughed. From that point - he was completely wonderful
the entire evening. He cried at one
point and applauded profusely at Steve Reich's piece! It was a real memory for me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In any case, he has been a total
joy to work with ... so VERY generous and so accommodating to all of our needs
and wishes, wonderfully warm and supportive throughout thus far.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> I think
Sondheim is an icon both as the genius that he is, and as representing such an
amazing generation in American music.Those were the guys who really pioneered
the melding of classical and popular styles, brought our music to a completely
new place. And now today, I feel like projects such as LIAISONS and 13 WAYS are
representative of a - not a trend - but
a current deep interest for musicians and audiences, to mine and explore existing
material and retranslate it for our time.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> I agree with
you. They were so influential that
way. And so many of the composers on the
LIAISONS roster have admitted how influential Sondheim is/was to them in their
careers and work.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> Do you see this
as the way of the future? Or just a sign of our need to embrace our past in
current terms? </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> It could be
both ... I think the trend will always be there in some way ... or revisited at
different points. If you look at musical
history... it's just seems natural that the next generation or two will
re-explore what came before and captivated them and influenced them.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> I think there's
something profound about it, and I'm trying to figure out what it means.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Yes it is
profound in many ways ... especially using material like Bach! It is so fervent and has so deeply affected
people in so many varied ways ... both musicians and lay people.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> Yes. I think
what's unique about this moment is that we're living in a time of great musical
freedom, so that these explorations take a very broad and diverse form.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> So true ... I
see it now it so many areas of contemporary music. There was just a great article in the NY
Times on Sunday about the new music group yMusic here in NYC and the new areas
that they are moving into.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> Despite all the
challenges of making a life and a living in music today, we're so fortunate in this
open playing field that embraces freedom and different approaches, really!</span> </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Yes you are so
right there!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b> Well,
congratulations for conceiving of and executing this project. It's monumental!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">AdM</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>:</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Thanks and the
same to you too! I think it's marvelous the great success and traction you've
had the past year or so with 13 WAYS ... allowing more and more people to
experience it around the country.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The On the Bench Questionnaire </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(with apologies to Proust and Vanity Fair)</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What’s the first thing you do when you sit down to practice?</b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's always different. I first usually relax and center myself (search for quiet), then decide which works are most important to practice first or which pieces suit my mood to start with at that moment. As a warmup (if I choose to) -- I'll either improvise freely for a few moments or play some Bach Preludes and Fugues.</span></blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><b>What's the last thing you do before you go onstage?</b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Breathe and say a quick private prayer to my higher self and the universe. (Prefer not to share exactly what I say since it's private.)</span></blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>If your piano could speak, what secrets would it tell about you?</b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">He rushes when he's anxious, but he's getting better at managing it. He's at his best when he trusts himself. He really does manage to get a full range out of what I can offer him. He wishes I would never go out of tune. ;-)</span></blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>If you could travel in time to hear one piano recital, which would it be?</b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Too difficult to answer ... there would be many. I'm always trying to learn from other pianist's playing.</span></blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>If you didn’t play the piano, what would you do?</b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Years ago I would have wanted to be a doctor or a translator, but now I would work with environmental organizations or work with animal organizations. Possibly areas of astronomy or metaphysics.</span></blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<h2 style="color: #134f5c;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Anthony de Mare premieres <i>Liaisons: Re-imagining Sondheim from the Piano</i> at Symphony Space, NYC, Saturday April 21, 7:30 pm. <a href="http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6954-liaisons-re-imagining-sondheim-from-the-piano" target="_blank">Information and tickets</a></span></h2>
<h2 style="color: #134f5c;">
</h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-34397582801449238292012-04-01T17:40:00.001-07:002012-04-02T09:18:33.197-07:00LOOKING AT THE GOLDBERGS Part IV: Christopher Taylor<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Christopher Taylor gets called things like "a genius" (San Francisco Classical Voice) "</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">a pianist of equally nimble
intelligence and imagination" (The New Yorker), and "</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">so
talented it's almost frightening" (The Boston Globe). He's a pianist's pianist - no time for flash or hype - a musician dedicated, in his almost frightening way, to the serious art of making serious music.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Taylor's projects lean towards the monumental and thorny: </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Messiaen<i>'s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flym2D086zY" target="_blank">Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jesus</a>,</i> all 130 minutes of it, performed by memory; all 28 Ligeti etudes; the complete Liszt Transcendental Etudes... His musical propensity to tackle such complexities reflects the rather intimidating scope of his intellectual abilities - this is someone who</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> graduated summa cum laude from Harvard with
a mathematics degree in 1992, just two years after winning first prize
in the William Kapell International Piano Competition.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Most lately, Taylor has been immersed in the world of the Goldberg Variations, touring a fascinating performance of the Goldbergs executed on the </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Steinway–</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moór
Concert Grand, a unique dual-manual model D Steinway</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> equipped with the double keyboard mechanism developed in the '20s by the Hungarian composer and inventor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Em%C3%A1nuel_Mo%C3%B3r" target="_blank">Emanuel Moór</a>. This Berlin-made piano was purchased by the
University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1961 for the use of Gunnar
Johansen, who was artist in residence at the university at the time. After
Johansen's death, the piano remained unused for many years until Taylor, who joined the UW faculty as <a href="http://www.music.wisc.edu/faculty/bio?faculty_id=27" target="_blank">Associate Professor of Piano Performance</a> in 2000, initiated a complete restoration of the instrument to performance quality.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Since the piano's restoration in 2007, Taylor has brought the piano around the country for stunning performances
of the Goldbergs at venues including the Caramoor
Festival, Ravinia, the Gilmore
Festival, the Krannert Center, the Gardner Museum and the Kennedy Center. He brings the project to the <a href="http://www.mondaviarts.org/" target="_blank">Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis</a> next season. We</span><b> </b><span style="font-size: x-small;">talked about Taylor's way of looking twice at the Goldbergs.<a name='more'></a></span><b><br /></b></div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"Two keyboards give Mr. Taylor’s hands space to maneuver... the mouths of
pianists in the audience must have been watering. More important were Mr.
Taylor’s legitimate talents as a Bach player. The modern piano is built for
smoothness of tone. Bach’s interweaving voices require separate, identifiable
colors. Mr. Taylor’s varieties of touch showed both love and good sense. Mr.
Moor’s invention stood out in the last of the variations, with added-on octaves
producing joyful noise for grand-finale effect."</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></h4>
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<h4>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-The New York Times </span><i><br /></i></span></h4>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: I've been
watching your videos about your performance of the Goldberg Variations on the
double keyboard piano, and I’m wondering about some of the technical issues
involved with accommodating the differences. You’ve had to rearrange
fingerings, chord configurations, etc - how hard is it now to go back and forth
to playing the piece on a standard piano?</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: It
took me about a month of practice after I first sat down at the instrument
(this was in about 2005, I believe).</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">
For instance, at first I wasn't sure if I should have my left hand on
the upper keyboard and the right on the lower, or vice versa.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Turns out that it's usually the
former.)</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Now that I'm used to it,
though, it's not that difficult to switch back and forth between the
double-manual instrument and a regular piano.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Once your hands are in a particular position, they tend to follow the
appropriate series of motions.</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: Right. I've just recently started using an Ipad for
reading my music, using a bluetooth foot pedal for turning the pages. I
discovered that although it’s initially hard to add a component to the
physicality of playing - when every part of your body has known for so long
exactly what it needs to do – it’s also amazing how quickly the new physical
element becomes natural. You also have a 4<sup>th</sup> pedal on the
dual-keyboard Steinway, for coupling the two keyboards. Are you using it very much?</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: For
the Goldberg variations I use it just in the final variation (the quodlibet).</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Adding it on the repeats makes for a very
nice, festive effect, and one that I think has at least some historical
plausibility.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> I've also made some
arrangements, for instance a Liszt transcendental etude, and in that it's also
effective to throw in some extra notes an octave up.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> The only drawback of the fourth pedal is that
you feel the extra mechanical resistance when you're pushing two hammers with a
single finger.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> So you have to be in
shape (practice your Hanon first).</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> But
you can get some super-human sounding results for your pains.</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: Had you
played the Goldbergs previously, so that you had to essentially re-learn and
re-arrange them on this instrument?</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: Yes,
I first learned the Goldbergs when I was about 21, on a normal piano of course.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> It was about 15 years later that I first
encountered the double-manual instrument, and it took me about a month to
readjust..</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">. But now both versions coexist
in my head, surprisingly peacefully.</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: Do you feel
that you play the piece very differently on a conventional piano? Technical
issues aside, does your interpretation, your use of voicing etc, change very
much with the 2-keyboard piano, and/or has that experience or playing on the
two keyboards influenced your approach to the piece, back on the standard
instrument?</span> </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: The
effects are pretty subtle, I'd say, but it's definitely been a broadening
experience to play it both ways.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> When
playing variations 5, 8, 11... (the ones Bach specified for 2 keyboards) on a
regular piano, one is fairly preoccupied with the mechanical issues of avoiding
collisions between the hands, issues of fingering and positioning the hands
precisely relative to each other.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> On the
double-keyboard piano, those issues disappear, and so you can focus more on
just enjoying and appreciating the intertwining contrapuntal lines.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> The net result probably doesn't sound wildly
different, but the psychological effect has been significant.</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: It seems
that you and this piano finding each other at University of Wisconsin is one of
those lovely gifts life gives us every now and then. Having the opportunity to
live intimately with the instrument in your home base is probably essential to
your mastery of and comfort with it. </span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: It
was indeed serendipitous to discover the instrument so unexpectedly.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> It's definitely changed my life in a number
of ways.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> And now, it turns out, I'm
starting to think about the building of a successor instrument, one that
incorporates modern digital technology, and that's opened up yet another front
in my life... About 3 or 4 years ago it occurred to me that one could have a
setup where there's a special console in the middle of a room that includes 2
keyboards but itself does not produce any sounds (it would have no
strings).</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Instead it would have digital
sensors which would record what the pianist is doing, then send the information
instantaneously across the room to two regular pianos.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> That way a pianist can control two pianos at
once and get all sorts of novel effects.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">
So I'm hard at work trying to get the idea realized.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> I filed a patent application in November with
the help of WARF, the U of Wisconsin's division for faculty inventors.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> In the next few months I hope to get a
reduced-scale model built (with a total of 12 keys, rather than 176).</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: What a terrific extension of the idea behind the Moor piano! How about impacts to your teaching at UW? Are your students working
with the double-keyboard piano too?</span> </div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: Only
a few of my students have messed around with it (I guess it scares quite a few
of them off). </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> But I'm hoping I can
attract more people to it, and if the successor instrument ever gets built,
maybe that will make it easier for more people to get involved.</span> </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: You’re bringing
this piano to the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis next
Spring. Taking the instrument on the road must present a lot of logistical
hurdles. How many tour dates are you doing this season & next?</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: The
logistical hurdles are indeed considerable, but fortunately my manager has a
system pretty well worked out.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> When I
first started touring with the instrument it was probably 3 or 4 times a year,
but the rate has now slowed a bit.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Thus
far, it looks like Davis will be my only stop with the instrument next year.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lara</b>: I wanted to
ask you about audience reaction at your performances on the double keyboard
piano. I can imagine that there's an element of circus act that you might have
to fight against? Keeping the focus on the performance and not the novelty of
the instrument - do you know what I mean? Sometimes when there's a
"hook", you kind of have to work against that somewhat.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Christopher</b>: In
general the audience reaction has been very encouraging.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> I suppose there's a circus element, but then
to some extent that may be true even with a regular recital. Once the novelty of the sight of me playing
two keyboards wears off a little, I guess people can start listening to the
music;</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> if the instrument drew them in in
the first place, hopefully the music is what they'll remember at the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The On the Bench Questionnaire (with apologies
to Proust and Vanity Fair)</b></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>What’s the first thing you do when you sit down
to practice?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>This varies. Some weeks I'll be dutiful about doing scales or maybe some Czerny. Other weeks I'm too impatient for that and I jump right into whatever piece or passage has been running through my head.</i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>What's the last thing you do before you go onstage?<i> </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>N</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>o terribly special rituals. In the last hour before a show, other than dressing, I tend to chill out and read; that keeps my mind from racing. </i></span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>If you could travel in time to hear one piano
recital, which would it be?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'd be very curious to have heard the premiere of Schoenberg's op. 11 in Vienna, Jan. 1910. The audience's reaction to history's first fully atonal work would have been pretty interesting to observe (undoubtedly bewildered, perhaps angry?). Whether the pianist (one Etta Werndorff) made musical sense of it would be another question I'd love to learn the answer to.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>If you didn't play the piano, what would you do? <i> </i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Quite a few possibilities: mathematician, computer programmer, philosopher, linguist.</i></span></blockquote>
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<b>Christopher Taylor's only touring performance this season of the complete Goldberg Variations can be heard at the <a href="http://www.mondaviarts.org/" target="_blank">Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis</a> on May 3, 2013. </b></div>
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<br /></div>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-18076513135508756072012-03-18T21:55:00.001-07:002012-03-19T11:15:13.652-07:00LOOKING AT THE GOLDBERGS, Part III: Tim Page on Glenn Gould<style>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In
2007, author Evan Eisenberg wrote in <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2007/08/the_goldberg_variations_made_new.html" target="_blank">Slate Magazine</a><span style="color: blue;"></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">"The
year was 1955. Three things happened: Albert Einstein died, and Glenn Gould
recorded the Goldberg Variations. It is difficult to describe the impact of the
</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">second event, in part because I was a fetus at the time. (The third event, of
course, was my birth.) But I will try. For those of us—beatniks, philistines,
fetuses—who thought of classical music as something powdered and periwigged,
that slab of vinyl struck with the force of a meteor. The stegosaurs who played
Bach as if he were Lawrence Welk sniffed the heady, pomade-purged air and
keeled, metaphorically, over. The Cretaceous Age of Music had ended. The Age of
Gould had begun." </span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClnmhrdLJx6IusEnzIERVr1pF93vVpPDyTKru-uxGS8FOB4wXBRoCHCVoohLw3eUcBlqRBFexVYr0J3sb-hlOL-RtiVOuyDJLKjom6zr-zEeoUf4eBvyqTDcw5nCn8a5fqnPn_R4XE4o/s1600/Bach+Gould+Goldberg+1985-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClnmhrdLJx6IusEnzIERVr1pF93vVpPDyTKru-uxGS8FOB4wXBRoCHCVoohLw3eUcBlqRBFexVYr0J3sb-hlOL-RtiVOuyDJLKjom6zr-zEeoUf4eBvyqTDcw5nCn8a5fqnPn_R4XE4o/s200/Bach+Gould+Goldberg+1985-1.jpg" width="120" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1bhwoPeQNBFoVh0a_c_-_yh-D_0LDaPJpqbN_dJDrS0dQhaYAdBbeHokH6sbNJHZgALEx3WpfCLq_PaBqyHJ0Fw5eE_Y9nVIhSUUOvCssyTTkwYK-lGN-5wUGophSteIqntifuv5jHM/s1600/Bach+Gould+Goldberg+1981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1bhwoPeQNBFoVh0a_c_-_yh-D_0LDaPJpqbN_dJDrS0dQhaYAdBbeHokH6sbNJHZgALEx3WpfCLq_PaBqyHJ0Fw5eE_Y9nVIhSUUOvCssyTTkwYK-lGN-5wUGophSteIqntifuv5jHM/s200/Bach+Gould+Goldberg+1981.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For any pianist who has grown up in this Age of Gould, his recordings
of the Goldberg Variations </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;">assert a dual force: both
inspiration and obstacle in their greatness and completeness. None of us who
tangle with the Goldbergs can imagine an understanding of this musical monument
that does not hold Gould’s influence at its very center</span><span style="color: blue;">.</span> His Goldbergs represent a standard, a benchmark, a
sort of magnificent elephant in the room. I’ve spoken in this space with
colleagues <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Goldberg-Variations-Simone-Dinnerstein/dp/B000SQJ2X2" target="_blank">Simone Dinnerstein</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goldberg-Variations-Tepfer/dp/B005MZJXTM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332129201&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Dan Tepfer</a> about our respective challenges in
approaching, assessing, and finding our ways around the elephant. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">It's due to my own life-long fascination with the beast - a near addiction to the 1955 recording that started when I was a baby on my father's lap - that I've taken the wonderfully rewarding journey to my latest recording project <a href="http://laradownes.com/web/page.aspx?title=13+WAYS" target="_blank"><b>13 WAYS of Looking at the Goldbergs</b></a>.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaXK56uOdYWFM1VjPlbtQOaJTB2XA5rF7u2ivBSthg-xIp5vLuM8MZ_WGlebwTOID1FqAOtuU8W-SUDhCLuh89Y01VKIYH-7U3lJNsRlkYizzIiQ37O9y2-USkO1UbT7Pr_K2x__ltuM/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaXK56uOdYWFM1VjPlbtQOaJTB2XA5rF7u2ivBSthg-xIp5vLuM8MZ_WGlebwTOID1FqAOtuU8W-SUDhCLuh89Y01VKIYH-7U3lJNsRlkYizzIiQ37O9y2-USkO1UbT7Pr_K2x__ltuM/s200/books.jpg" width="93" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Even for Gould himself, the 1955 recording of the Goldbergs,
released as his major-label debut at the age of 22 and an immediate career-launching,
reputation-defining success, assumed a presence of somewhat elephantine
proportions, which he eventually confronted with the absolute musical revisions
of his 1981 recording, released just months before he died. The scope of the
internal conflict, evolution and transformation of Gould’s relationship to the
Goldbergs is captured in a 1981 interview with <b><a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/Faculty/Communication%20and%20Journalism/PageT.aspx" target="_blank">Tim Page</a></b>, Pulitzer Prize-winning
music critic and writer, and editor of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Gould-Reader-Tim-Page/dp/0679731350" target="_blank"><b>The Glenn Gould Reader</b></a>. The conversation is a scripted dialogue written by Gould, more of a radio drama really,
recorded in a marathon midnight session in a Toronto studio. The conversation
offers a fascinating glimpse into Gould’s restless, flexible mind, and a unique
opportunity to hear him speak about the personal and musical variations behind his
two recordings of the Goldbergs.<u> </u><span style="color: black;">The complete
interview can be heard on the three-CD set <b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=18689865948279287" title="A State of Wonder"><span style="color: black;">A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations 1955 & 1981</span></a></b> (Sony, 2002).</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd1fLyqa26br8Gf6gP6cIw7m13JK9zrDDhczKNXdey7Mrfvne3BeyFGGcMnJopUcQtQO6Sf8kIXb6wykBoAiNz0U9HgP1VXkRokZ4UL4LobCtVRxsFX2j8oAWJyeVKbGJM4BGefJ4Lw4/s1600/51peWUz2VYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd1fLyqa26br8Gf6gP6cIw7m13JK9zrDDhczKNXdey7Mrfvne3BeyFGGcMnJopUcQtQO6Sf8kIXb6wykBoAiNz0U9HgP1VXkRokZ4UL4LobCtVRxsFX2j8oAWJyeVKbGJM4BGefJ4Lw4/s200/51peWUz2VYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B00006FI7C/ref=pd_krex_listen_dp_img?ie=UTF8&refTagSuffix=dp_img" target="_blank">LISTEN</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was fortunate to speak with Tim Page (himself the owner of
a restless, flexible and fascinating mind) about Glenn Gould the man and the
musician, about his artistic interests and his challenges feared and faced, about the
critical re-evaluation of his body of work since his death, about his two iconic
recordings of the Goldbergs, and about the lasting footprint of that magical, marvelous
elephant.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='220' height='166' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uyUJUX72bgc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">: You’ve written about Gould’s retirement
from live performance, his choice to play only in the recording studio, and his
belief that recordings would eventually completely replace live concerts.
Although it’s true that, today, the concert hall is often full to capacity, while
the recording industry, such as it was in Gould’s day, has more or less died, there
has been a revolution in recording. Don’t you think that the current reality of
incredible variety, accessibility and immediacy in digital music fulfills Gould’s
prediction in a way that he would have really enjoyed? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">TP</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">: Well, Glenn just loved the recording
process. For one thing, it allowed him to avoid live concerts, which he had
grown to loathe – the flying, the glad-handing, the conservatism that he saw
taking over during his career. He never would have gone back to performing
live, even though at the end of his life he did feel that the concert world had
changed, that concerts were becoming more modern and interesting, not the same
old/same old. You had people like Steve Reich and Philip Glass who were taking
real control over their performances, making tremendous changes. But Glenn grew
so attached to the possibilities of the studio, and it was where he felt
comfortable and free. If he were working today, he would have a very different,
open relationship with a record label, he would be able to assert control over
repertoire and programming decisions, he’d be in charge of his own projects. And
Glenn would have adored the possibilities of the internet. He would probably have gotten deeply involved
with a web presence, self-producing recordings that represented exactly what he
wanted to do musically. If he decided one day that he wanted to record
Hindemith’s Ludus Tonalis, and then record it again the next day, that’s what he
would do, and he would be able to put all of these efforts out over the
internet. It would have offered him an expanded version of the creative freedom
that he found in the recording process. He was so savvy about disseminating
music – he would have been one of the first and the best users of digital
platforms and media.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">: What would he think about the current
freedoms in this musical generation: projects like <i>13 WAYS of Looking at the Goldberg</i> that reimagine the canon; the
cross-genre fluidity that we’re creating and experiencing; the revisions of
performance practice that are freeing up the physical concert space?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">TP</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">: I think he would have approved, both
in theory and in practice. He was so interested in invention and reinvention.
Some of his performances were very much in reaction to the constrictions that
were imposed on him by management and record label in terms of repertoire and
programming, really a case of flipping the bird to the establishment. He would
have loved a wider playing field and sense of freedom and adventure in musical
choices. You know, Glenn had such a curiosity and sense of humor. One of the
greatest misconceptions about him is that he was some sort of mad genius, “St.
Glenn”, some Bergmanesque neurotic walking around in pain all the time. He had
his troubles, but he was often <i>merry</i>,
a funny, kind, silly man – he loved jokes and impersonations, he loved to make
mischief. You cannot begin to understand who he was without understanding the mischievous
boy who loved to make people talk by acting up, </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">by being - forgive the expression but almost joyfully
bratty. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">That sense of mischief and fun was something that he
expressed in his music. Sometimes he’d do something outrageous and make it
sound like a deep thought, a great new idea, when really he was putting
everyone on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">LD</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">: Of course Gould was aware of the
tremendous impact of the ’55 recording, on an audience of unprecedented size
and scope. What do you think that level of exposure came to mean to him in
later years, especially in light of his feelings about the early recording and
his reconsidering of the piece in the ’81 recording?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">TP</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">: Glenn knew that his early recording
of the Goldbergs was his most famous recording by far. He knew it was an iconic
performance, and he was able to look back fondly at the brilliant young kid he
had been. It really was a performance of originality, intelligence and fire,
and I don’t think he actively despised it the way he pretended to. He could
look back fondly at that brilliant kid, that speed freak who had been so brash
and bold. He comments on the “sense of humor” in the early recording, the
“perky, spiky accents that gave it a certain buoyancy”, and he recognizes that
physically his approach to playing the piano hadn’t changed too much, but he said
that he could not identify with the spirit of the person who had made that
recording. You know, the ’55 Goldbergs recording was of course his very first
recording. His second recording was the last three <a href="http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.111299" target="_blank">Beethoven Sonatas</a><span style="color: black;">, and I’m quite sure he would have gotten around to
re-recording those too. He most likely would have reconsidered many of his early interpretations, as he did the Goldbergs."</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The world since Glenn Gould is a different
place. Too easily dismissed as an eccentric and an outsider during his lifetime,
he has been recognized since his death as one of the great game-changers of our
musical century. As Tim put it: “As soon as he died, everyone woke up and realized
what he had done.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">All of us who are believers in musical innovation and change
have Glenn Gould to thank, for opening doors and minds, for taking risks and taking heat.
Today, 30 years after his death, his output, musical and otherwise, is singular and remarkable. His two recordings of the Goldbergs still
stand immovable in the pantheon, and they have inspired a next generation of
pianists and listeners throughout the world. All we can do is thank him, and
salute the elephant. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Visit <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/148455347/goldberg-week" target="_blank">NPR Classical</a> this Friday, Mar. 23rd at 1 p.m. ET for a live online
listening party. Tom Huizenga will play and discuss Glenn Gould's 1955 recording of
the <em>Goldberg Variations</em> with Tim Page and Washington Post classical music critic Anne Midgette.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/State-Wonder-Complete-Goldberg-Variations/dp/B00006FI7C" target="_blank"><b>A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations</b></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Purchase <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Gould-Reader-Tim-Page/dp/0679731350/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332128668&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Glenn Gould Reader </a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">My deep thanks to Tim Page for his generosity
and kindness.</span></i></b></span> </div>
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<br /></div>Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18689865948279287.post-3214218659987738632012-03-13T12:26:00.002-07:002012-03-13T12:26:54.486-07:00Back to Bach<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Now that we've entered the Bach birthday month, I'm heading back into my series on the Goldberg Variations; conversations about the Goldbergs with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXxyf6NHXmw" target="_blank">Christopher Taylor</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLuLh9wHr8o" target="_blank">Tim Page on Glenn Gould</a> coming soon, plus posts from NPR Music's upcoming feature on the Goldbergs.</div>
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It's a gray, rainy day here in California, and this feels like a wonderfully introspective piece to share today: Glenn Gould playing Variation 13, captured in four different recordings from 1954, '55, '59 and '81.</div>
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Enjoy! </div>
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<br />Lara Downeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14130956617491009795noreply@blogger.com0