I haven’t been putting many recital encores up recently. Guess I should look through YouTube a bit more for these. This is a fun one … love me some Piazzolla!
Astor Piazzola: Tango Etude No. 3
Liz Plummer, oboist
Just read this:
SAN JOSE, CA—General Director Irene Dalis announced today that Opera San José will present a free performance of Puccini’s La bohème for targeted members of the San José community who have never or not recently attended an opera thanks to a $45,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The audience development project will provide a unique opportunity for individuals from low-income, ethnically diverse neighborhoods in San José to experience opera for the first time. The grant will support Opera San José’s mission of serving a broad-based spectrum of the community by presenting the finest opera performances and providing programs that both enrich the opera experience and
encourage future generations of artists and audiences.“What is absolutely necessary for the future vitality of this art form is to bring new patrons to the theatre,” says General Director, Irene Dalis. “This important grant has provided us the resources to engage 1,000 San José residents who have not seen live opera, educate them about the art, and help build a new audience for Opera San José.”
“This effort is a great way to introduce people to the beauty of opera, especially with a classic like La bohème,” said Dennis Scholl, vice president for arts, Knight Foundation. The grant is part of the Knight Foundation’s efforts to fund artistic and cultural projects that foster community engagement in the cities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers.
For more information on Opera San José visit, www.operasj.org. For more information on the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation visit, www.knightfoundation.org.
About Opera San José
Opera San José, performing at the historic California Theatre in downtown San José, is a professional, regional opera company that is unique in the United States. Maintaining a resident company of principal artists, Opera San José specializes in showcasing the finest young professional
singers in the nation. In addition to mainstage performances, Opera San José maintains extensive educational programs in schools and in the community at large, and offers Preview lectures and Introduction to Opera talks for all mainstage productions.About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on projects that promote informed and engaged communities and lead to transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.
I have this idea that I’d like to learn Baroque oboe at some point. When I was younger I really couldn’t stand the sound of the Baroque oboe. Somehow my ears have changed. Hmm. Did they just grow up? I wonder! I have a friend who has recently said the same thing; she too, when she retires, is thinking of learning the instrument. Gee, maybe we’ll retire close together and form a little ensemble. (Yeah, right … lazy me?!)
Meanwhile, I enjoy the wealth that is on YouTube. I absolutely love Baroque music. I absolutely love early music groups.
And now I’m listening to a CD that was just sent to me for review. NOT that I know much about how this should be played, but I’m certainly enjoying ALLA LUCE: Music of Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger by Chatham Baroque, despite the fact that there are no oboes to be found on the CD. The group is composed of three members: Andrew Fouts on baroque violin, Patricia Halverson on viola da gamba and Scott Pauley on theorbo and baroque guitar, but the CD also includes guests artist including some voices and a variety of other instruments. It’s really quite lovely! And that is probably the extent of my “review” for you. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not a reviewer. I listen to music. I listen to enjoy. And I truly do enjoy this new CD (many thanks to Chatham Baroque for sending it my way!).
Here’s a video of the trio:
Only now I realize the lowest “C” in Oboe sounds like those big trucks honking
Fugue No. 2 in C minor,
arranged and played by Adam Ben Ezra
on the Upright Bass, Oud, Clarinet & Upright Percussion – Ethnic Style!
One of my followers just reminded me that I need to get my oboeback so I can practice for my recital!
… followed by this tweet:
For my recital, I will play Oboe, Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Piano, and Bassoon 😀
