“There’s such energy in classical music,” said Mr. Dworkin, 73, a retired Metropolitan Opera clarinetist and former conductor of the New Jersey and Vermont symphonies, among others. “I try to translate the musical energy into physical energy.”
(RTWT)
(I must say, thought, that I’ve seen plenty of overweight conductors.)
I just read something like this at a blog:
As a reminder, this is a private blog; out of consideration, everything written here should not be mentioned outside the blog or with anyone who has not been granted access to it. The discussion of all content is only permitted to take place within the blog solely through the comment function at the end of each post.
Too cute. I only landed on that blog because of my google alerts. It’s not a blog I’m interested in, nor would I comment on it since the writer requested that, but does the writer really think that blog that was easily located is private?
Nothing is private online. Or nearly nothing.
Nicholas Daniel has put all six. Again, you’ll see a different embouchure than I have. I believe his reeds are short scrape reeds. I’d love to see a close up of the reed!
His interpretation is much different than mine. But these works are open to all sorts of variety, right?
I’m guessing some like it, some don’t. You can read about it here.
My trouble? Oboe would “leak” into other rooms. What about patients who want quiet? Might it be a distraction? A nuisance? I wonder.
In any case, it’s very sweet of these musicians to do this.
With Werther over and out I’m on to Roberto Sierra’s Fandangos and Pictures at an Exhibition (Ravel’s version). I’ll be playing English horn and a wee bit of oboe, so yesterday, when I played for church, I decided to play on the English horn. I wanted to get it warmed up and ready to go, and remind my embouchure about that fun instrument. It felt better than it did on the last symphony set, so I was pleased. I improvised and then played O Come, O Come Emmanuel at the end of the the improvisation, with a small bit of Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus in there (I’m not sure if everyone caught what I was doing, but I didn’t ask, so who knows?).
Today is a “students only” day. Tomorrow as well, although some of them are a drive away (UCSC day). From then on, it’s a lot of busy days. Work. Work is good. Work pays for things. This is a good thing.
A blogger writes about the fun he and some colleagues had at a recent concert.
I’ve seen some of my fellow musicians—always strings, at least so far—do similar things.
I don’t have a problem with fun. Really I don’t. Of course if an oboist did that we would probably sacrifice quality for fun. And I guess that’s the thing that worries me. We do want to enjoy. I smile on stage. I move. But I can’t dance, or I won’t sound as good. It’s just the way it goes. So I guess one has to think ahead about what might be fun, what might lower quality, what might not, what might distract the audience, what might even anger them (yeah, I think about that; we need our audience!) … it’s about a lot of different things. And balance. I guess.
In any case, it’s something to think about, right?
Thoughts? What do audience members think about performers doing little “moves” on stage? Fun? Distracting?
After all, the audience is who we are doing all of this for. We gotta keep you happy. 🙂
As a member of the working press, I saw tonight’s screening under embargo, so I can’t say anything specific about Sweeney Todd until it opens in selected cities on December 21. (It opens wide on January 11.) What I can say is that it is–without exception, and by a considerable margin–the best film ever to have been made from a Broadway musical. (RTWT)
I was looking forward to this movie before reading this. Now I simply can’t wait! (But of course I have to … funny how “I can’t wait” is said when one has no choice.)
If you go the movie Sweeney Todd movie website you get to hear some singing. I’m impressed. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter can sing. They sound real. I like real. I don’t need operatic voices. I don’t need the Broadway voice (which recently seems to be turning into the Disney voice). I think I’m really going to enjoy this!
