Not much time to hang out in rehearsals today ... choral duties called.
I did catch the first coaching of the morning - a percussion sectional for Zwei Gefuhle with Ross Karre and Jon Hepfer. For the hour I was there, it was all timbre - just the right kind of screaming scrape of drumstick on tam tam. ("What can I say, I am a masochist.") And who knew a seamless timpani glissando over a twelfth could be so satisfying? Lachenmann gave a nod to Nick Deyoe's preparation of the ensemble when he quipped in the middle of the rehearsal that his presence here seemed not to be needed.
While we were waiting for the man to show up (I think he got lost finding his way from breakfast at the faculty club over to Studio A) we decided that composers need to have trading cards like baseball players. We start snapping photos of them at performances and in rehearsals, print them on cardboard and sell them for thousands. It's the plan that will bankroll Opera Cabal. I'm sure of it.
Quote of the morning:
"Piano for me is still loud. Piano is still healthy and full."
Tutti Zwei Gefuhle rehearsal tomorrow night. Wheee!
(n.)
4.29.2008
4.28.2008
imPRESSIONs des Herr Helmut (Day 1)
Lachenmann is much taller than I imagined - maybe around 6'3" or so. When I think of musicians and height I automatically think of statures like Boulez, Manoury, Schoenberg, Webern, Schubert, Simon Rattle etc. etc. etc. Lachenmann looks like he may have been a runner in his youth - he has a naturally very narrow, lean frame, now pulled taut in the midsection by the belly of age. But he does not strike one as "old" the way Boulez does not strike one as "old" - not the way Roger strikes one as old.
His one-handed "like a fanfare" gesture is just like Gustav Meier's gesture for the same. Maybe it's a German-man-of-a-certain-generation-and-musical-inclination thing?
"If you concentrate on ONE Stimmen, the others will appear."
He's much more concerned with tempi (an andante feeling like an "andante" - moving forward) than I would have imagined ... I was expecting all timbre and sound quality. Two of the top notes on the piano are wildly out of tune which strikes me as particularly funny today. The way he sings through his music is just like the way Richard Hoffmann would sing through Schubert or Schoenberg - throaty, almost a pitchless caricature, and then suddenly all tenderness.
His hands. His hands betray him as old. They have that directionless shake of oldness - particularly when he points at the music. Like every other pianist-composer I can think of (except maybe Boulez?), he bangs on the piano like a percussion instrument (until the fingers bleed a bit) ... but one nevertheless understands completely. It's the playing of a composer, not the playing of a pianist; the notes are not important.
"For me, it is becoming here a thunderstorm."
***
There were 6 or so of us observing the coaching with Pavlos Antoniadis. He shook all of our hands when he came in; that seemed very nice of him - in that respect, just like Boulez at the first Gruppen masterclass. I like cordial people.
Unfortunately, because of other commitments, I can't go to every single last function he's at, but I'll try to snap some blog-worthy pictures of the dude while at work when I can.
(n.)
PS. I would apologize for the wordplay in the title except that wordplay (and the pun in particular) is the highest form of humor ... just like percussionists are the highest form of human. (I forget who told me that.)
His one-handed "like a fanfare" gesture is just like Gustav Meier's gesture for the same. Maybe it's a German-man-of-a-certain-generation-and-musical-inclination thing?
"If you concentrate on ONE Stimmen, the others will appear."
He's much more concerned with tempi (an andante feeling like an "andante" - moving forward) than I would have imagined ... I was expecting all timbre and sound quality. Two of the top notes on the piano are wildly out of tune which strikes me as particularly funny today. The way he sings through his music is just like the way Richard Hoffmann would sing through Schubert or Schoenberg - throaty, almost a pitchless caricature, and then suddenly all tenderness.
His hands. His hands betray him as old. They have that directionless shake of oldness - particularly when he points at the music. Like every other pianist-composer I can think of (except maybe Boulez?), he bangs on the piano like a percussion instrument (until the fingers bleed a bit) ... but one nevertheless understands completely. It's the playing of a composer, not the playing of a pianist; the notes are not important.
"For me, it is becoming here a thunderstorm."
***
There were 6 or so of us observing the coaching with Pavlos Antoniadis. He shook all of our hands when he came in; that seemed very nice of him - in that respect, just like Boulez at the first Gruppen masterclass. I like cordial people.
Unfortunately, because of other commitments, I can't go to every single last function he's at, but I'll try to snap some blog-worthy pictures of the dude while at work when I can.
(n.)
PS. I would apologize for the wordplay in the title except that wordplay (and the pun in particular) is the highest form of humor ... just like percussionists are the highest form of human. (I forget who told me that.)
4.27.2008
It's like our own little Darmstadt
Helmut Lachenmann comes to UCSD this week for a series of lectures, composition seminars and a giant concert of his music. The department is all a flutter - nay - a BUZZ with anticipation. The timing is exquisite. ...And I mean that both literally and facetiously, since his visit lands rather nicely one week before UCSD's annual blowout Spring Festival orgy of newness (May 9-18), thus expanding our festival to a solid 2 weeks...but of course creating all of the requisite rehearsal scheduling headaches that go along with such double bookings. (Fortunately, I don't think there will be any soccer balls involved in THIS double booking.)
I'm happy Lachenmann is coming. Really, I am. I've never met the guy. I hear he's very nice. But I'm plagued with questions (as usual) about UCSD's continued insularity considering such trifles as Lachenmann's imminent week-long visit, and the sheer quantity - to say nothing of the usual quality - of musical ridiculousness that goes into the Spring Festival. It seems to me like we're always one collaboration and one glossy PR packet away from being on some kind of international radar. I'm almost lead to believe that we (we being the collective consciousness of the department...or something) actively KEEP us as isolated as we are.
I think there MUST be something insightful in a microcosmic-example sort of way in all of this as to why musicians in general (as compared to practitioners of any of the other arts) are so indescribably bad at convincing anybody that what they do is at all relevant to ANYTHING. Of course, on the upside, I won't have to go fist-to-cuffs with any Lachenmann-wannabes for a seat at the 6pm (?!) concert next Thursday.
Huzzah for new music! Huzzah and huzzah!
(n.)
4.21.2008
Spotted
I don't know why I think this is funny...but as Opera Cabal was trolling around Chicago, eating too much ice cream and looking for a new not-on-the-Chicago-PD-black-list venue in which to perform, we happened to walk into some art gallery that happened to be having some kind of opening. Almost immediately, some dude took our picture, and then it ended up on the internet. All I can say is thank god we weren't naked.
(n.)
(n.)
4.05.2008
Madleansorkago ... Orchorkdison ... Yorkmadagoleans
Relieved to be officially signing into the blogging universe and not ANMELDENing, Nick and I .... well, really, I kid myself. I don't know where Nick is. He's taking a shower, but it's been 38 minutes, and he hasn't posted since 2007. So then, I and I alone have the pleasure of formally initiating the MAJEL AND NICK SEEK A SPACE contest which involves you letting us know about spaces you know about in Chicago where Opera Cabal must absolutely and unnegotiatingly perform.
If you know of other spaces (preferably run-down, out of the way and completely non-conducive to opera) please let us know. We're especially interested in venues with a high likelihood of being double-booked with a pep rally for the Chicago Fire (thought Chicago didn't have a professional soccer team? Think again!) involving small plastic balls that may and will be kicked against loud, resounding concrete walls during intimate musical moments, and that may and will end in a massive shut-down by the Chicago police half-way through. Wouldn't that be fun?!
Nick and I stepped out last night to review a few bar spaces with stages (The Hideout, etc.). I am pushing for us to present the first ever opera-in-a-bar. Why are we looking for new spaces? Did I mention we're performing again?
Expect the Cabal back in Chicago this fall with, newly, additional stops in NEW YORK, MADISON, and quite possibly NEW ORLEANS. Opera Cabal plus the Nonsense Co. officially present the NEW MAD CHIKYORKLEANS Festival of new, mad, underground opera. (We haven't yet written off "Splusions" as a possible festival name ...)
If you know of other spaces (preferably run-down, out of the way and completely non-conducive to opera) please let us know. We're especially interested in venues with a high likelihood of being double-booked with a pep rally for the Chicago Fire (thought Chicago didn't have a professional soccer team? Think again!) involving small plastic balls that may and will be kicked against loud, resounding concrete walls during intimate musical moments, and that may and will end in a massive shut-down by the Chicago police half-way through. Wouldn't that be fun?!
Nick and I stepped out last night to review a few bar spaces with stages (The Hideout, etc.). I am pushing for us to present the first ever opera-in-a-bar. Why are we looking for new spaces? Did I mention we're performing again?
Expect the Cabal back in Chicago this fall with, newly, additional stops in NEW YORK, MADISON, and quite possibly NEW ORLEANS. Opera Cabal plus the Nonsense Co. officially present the NEW MAD CHIKYORKLEANS Festival of new, mad, underground opera. (We haven't yet written off "Splusions" as a possible festival name ...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)