Well, not only is there a review, but there are pictures too. And … well … this old blogger is pictured! (And the picture doesn’t bug me, either. So that’s good!)
Probably some of you knew, but I sure didn’t.
Mahler Symphony No. 4 Schoenberg-Stein Chamber Orchestra Edition, Movement 1 (not complete). I think it would be a kick to play. (Not a flawless rendition, but the only one I saw on YouTube.):
Here’s the full orchestra version. (Yes, I like this better, but the other is still fun to hear!):
I’ve talked to my oboe students about the different styles of reeds, as well as embouchures, and how you can hear oboists from around the world and hear a bit — or a lot — of difference. I think this video can give you an idea of one kind of sound (and you’ll see and hear oboe, oboe d’amore and English horn … or shall I say “hautbois, hautbois d’amour et cor anglais”?):
If you don’t want to watch and listen to the whole thing, PLEASE go to 7:49! 🙂
I have played opera for years now. I have witnessed all sorts of pit mishaps: a fish flying into the pit, a billiard ball has been hit into the pit, feathers and dust fall in frequently, and once a singer slid into the pit, hitting a trombone which was then unplayable. So I watch this and wonder what the stage director (if there was one, was thinking with the shoe tossing. (And what the percussionist thought when one hit his instruments.)
But gee, maybe it would be fun to be in an opera and strip down to my underwear and wear a pot on my head.
Or not.
(Opera San José is extremely careful with staging these days. They really do try to avoid any “pitfalls”.)
… the sound recording quality is pretty awful, but I had to put this up here because it’s just too cute. 🙂
It’s no crazy notion to think classical music is mostly dead as a relevant art form.
I read it here.
I’m really weary of the word relevant. And I’m tired of hearing that classical music is dead. Now I’m reading that jazz may be dying too.
Okay, whatever.
And of course what I think is probably not terribly relevant in any case, as I’m nearly dead too, according to some people who think that over 50 is beyond alive.
Okay. I’ve not had a latté this morning. I’m grumpy. What a surprise, eh?
Truth be told, I suspect I’ll be long gone and classical music’ll still be played. And I’m a pessimist too! So there.
had a good night chilling with the roommates… played the oboe for the first time… definitely not my next career
Okay, I’ve slept the night now so I can be less emotional about bad reviews. So now I’ll post the links and you can read what I read. In addition, there is one more favorable review up now, so that does help a bit.
Do I have things to write about the opera that are not quite the positive thing I would like to write? Yeah. Will I? No. I just can’t go there. A reviewer could possibly get more work by trashing performances. I’d just lose work. go figure.
There are few things as satisfying as the first new scrapes on a new reed blank. Hearing the roughness of the knife against the reed, watching them scrape off as easily as butter, cleaning the knife off on the dark khaki of my pants. Even though I have to be careful lest I destroy the entire thing, I know that the blank is a slave to my every scrape.
This blogger definitely gets a link. Anyone who can be this thrilled with reed making could quite easily become my hero.
I have to thank Kelsey for this. (So thanks, Kelsey!) It’s wonderful!
