24. April 2022 · Comments Off on Sunday Morning Music · Categories: Easter, Sunday Morning Music · Tags: , ,

Althea Talbot-Howard: Troparion (Christos Anesti)

Today is Orthodox Easter, so this seems pretty appropriate! No, no choir today. But I think this will do … don’t you?!

From the YouTube page:
This piece incorporates the Greek Orthodox Paschal (Easter) chant in the Dorian mode as its A1 and A2 sections, complemented by original material in the B1 & B2 sections.

It is dedicated to ‘Shiloh’, which is a prophetic name of Christ from Jacob’s prophecy of the future in Genesis 49:10…
“The sceptre will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until [Shiloh] comes,
and the obedience of the nations is his.”

This performance was given with Dominic Saunders at West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge, on 4 August 2019.

The sheet music can be purchased via my website (www.althea-composer.com). Please send a message via the Contact Page.

Althea is playing a Mollenhauer Modern Alto (Treble) Recorder in Pearwood, with an E-extension bottom joint.

In searching on Radu Lupu (trying to find out when he played with us, as I’m sure he did more than the 1975/76 season) I ran across a program that shows our entire 75/76 season. It was quite the year, and one that caused some audience members to not return: we played music that was just too darn modern for them!

It’s not easy to read, but here is our season. MY FIRST!

And yes, my first year included the English horn solo on Three Cornered Hat, conducted by Carlos Chavez. I conducted the entire solo: he didn’t allow me to take my tempo, but conducting in a rather fast three. I don’t think he liked me very much. Oh well.

If you want to see more of the program you can go here. It’s actually from a Carlos Chavez site.

Oh … and look at some of those names on the roster, including Loraine [sic] Hunt! Seeing all the works and the names brings back memories, albeit rather vague. It was so very long ago ….

19. April 2022 · Comments Off on News From Julliard · Categories: Announcements

Katherine Needleman and Philippe Tondre Appointed to Lead the Oboe Faculty

Celebrated oboists will jointly lead the department beginning in the 2022–23 school year

Read more here.

19. April 2022 · Comments Off on Radu Lupu 1945 – 2022 · Categories: Losses

I was so sorry to read of Radu Lupu’s death. He had withdrawn from performing in 2019, and I read now that he had some serious health issues, but what a loss to the music world.

He played with San Jose Symphony a few times (the first while I was there was when I joined the orchestra in the 1975-76 season, and he played Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1). SUCH a fine, fine musician. Not showy. He just oozed music. He also played with Midsummer Mozart at least once.

17. April 2022 · Comments Off on Sunday Morning Music · Categories: BachTrac™, Easter, Sunday Morning Music · Tags: , , , , ,

Bach: Christ lag in Todes Banden

(If you’d like the translation go here.)

Kristine Bjånes, sopran
Ragnhild Wivestad Jansson, sopran
Silje Strand Blichfeldt, alt
Ola Kristoffer Øye, tenor
Andreas Wivestad Jansson, tenor/bass
Christian Holter, bass

Hilary Foster, fiolin
Julia Dibley, fiolin
Hans Gunnar Hagen, bratsj
Bodil Erdal, cello
Sigurd M. Øgaard, orgel

Knut Christian Jansson, dirigent/lyd og bilde

15. April 2022 · Comments Off on For Good Friday · Categories: Holy Days

Mary,
Listen, hear the cries
the herald the agony,
for the hour is come.

Mary, time will not stand still
for death, and so it is
for your son Jesus.

Remember all the days and months
that led to this calamitous day;
to soften your sorrow,
Mary, remember them all.

For his first steps and his first words
you his mother were always there, heard every cry,
and there is no better school than life itself.
Mary, the time has come.

Mary, Mary…

Mary, I hear them approaching,
they are coming along the road,
there is no more time for memories.

Mary,
they have come to arrest Jesus;
hard though that is,
there is now no hope.

For his first steps and his first words
you his mother were always there, heard every cry,
and there is no better school than life itself.
Mary, the time has come.

When force has defeated reason
one can expect only pain and folly.
The men have come bringing pain and violence.
Mary, nothing will stop them.

Mary, Mary…

Excerpt from Via crucis

L’Aroeggiata – Christina Pluhar
Barbara Furtuna (chant corse)

CD Via Crucis

14. April 2022 · Comments Off on Maundy Thursday · Categories: Holy Days · Tags: ,

Gesualdo: Tristis est anima mea
The Gesualdo Six; Owain Park, Conductor

Filmed in the Lady Chapel at York Minster, March 2021
With thanks to the Dean and Chapter of York Minster, and the National Centre for Early Music

The Gesualdo Six have recorded the complete Tenebrae Responsories on their fifth album

Tristis est anima mea
from Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday (Feria Quinta)

Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem :
sustinete hic, et vigilate mecum :
nunc videbitis turbam, quæ circumdabit me.
Vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis.

Ecce appropinquat hora, et Filius hominis tradetur in manus peccatorum.
Vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis.

My soul is sorrowful even unto death;
stay you here, and watch with me.
Now ye shall see a multitude, that will surround me.
Ye shall run away, and I will go to be sacrificed for you.

Behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Ye shall run away, and I will go to be sacrificed for you.

10. April 2022 · Comments Off on Sunday Morning Music · Categories: Sunday Morning Music · Tags: , , , ,

Bach: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen (Cantata for Palm Sunday)
Stiffsbarock Stuttgart; Kay Johannsen, Conductor

(English translation can be found here.)

1. Sinfonia
2. Coro “Himmelskönig, sei willkommen” 2:13
3. Recitativo (Christian Wagner, Bass) “Siehe, ich komme, im Buch ist von mir geschrieben” 5:59
4. Aria (Christian Wagner, Bass) “Starkes Lieben” 6:43
5. Aria (Elvira Bill, Alt) “Leget euch dem Heiland unter” 9:12
6. Aria (Philipp Nicklaus, Tenor) “Jesu, lass durch Wohl und Weh” 17:22
7. Choral “Jesu, lass durch deine Passion” 21:58
8. Coro “So lasset uns gehen in Salem der Freuden” 26:08

09. April 2022 · Comments Off on Mozart for your Saturday Night! · Categories: MozartMusicMatters™

Bravi tutti to the musicians of the MET orchestra!

Mozart
Serenade No. 10 in Bb K361/370a
‘Gran Partita’

0:00 I. Largo-Molto Allegro
9:38 II. Menuetto-Trio I-Trio II
18:02 III. Adagio
23:34 IV. Meuetto: Allegretto-Trio I-Trio II
28:13 V. Romance: Adagio-Allegretto-Adagio
35:06 VI. Tema con variazioni: Andante
44:55 VII. Finale: Molto Allegro

MET Orchestra Chamber Ensemble

Nathan Hughes, oboe
Pedro Díaz, oboe
Anton Rist, clarinet
Jessica Phillips, clarinet
Dean LeBlanc, basset horn
David Gould, basset horn
Evan Epifanio, bassoon
Mark Romatz, bassoon
Brad Gemeinhardt, horn
Hugo Valverde, horn
Javier Gandara, horn
Anne Scharer, horn
Brendan Kane, bass

08. April 2022 · Comments Off on And Then There’s This! · Categories: Baroque

J.S. Bach – Das Musikalische Opfer BWV 1079
Ricercar a 6

Filmed at Palais Vivienne, Paris (FRANCE)
Thanks to Pierre-Jean Chalençon

Beniamino Paganini, flute
Baptiste Lopez, violin
Nele Vertommen, oboe da caccia
Valentin Tournet, viola da gamba
Mathias Ferré, viola da gamba
Edouard Catalan, cello

Elise Chanet & Teresa Máiquez, framing
Aloïs Lang-Rousseau, framing/video
Mathilde Tirard, recording

Engineered/directed by Julie Grisel