Fiddle-dee-dee

This has been a weekend for the string section. Saturday David and I attended a private recital by Yevgeny Kutik and Lenore Davis at the home of Ms. Davis in West Stockbridge.
 

Yevgeny is, of course, my favorite violinist ever, being the first winner of the Ferris Burtis Competition some years ago, as well as being one of the five young artists the Foundation is helping in their education and careers.

Each time I hear him play I am amazed at how he constantly grows in virtuosity, depth of emotion, and intense musicianship. Yesterday was no exception. Ms. Davis is a fine pianist and their ensemble was excellent.

Some of the program included Russian compositions that will be featured on his new CD which he will begin recording soon in Rockland, Massachusetts, set for release in the fall. I look forward to that day! The Ferris Burtis Foundation is aiding him financially in the production of this CD.

A very appreciative audience gave the two artists a rousing Bravi  at the end of the concert. He is already lined up to perform a very busy concert schedule this season throughout the USA and in Australia.

For more information see: www.yevgenykutik.com and
http://ferrisburtisfoundation.blogspot.com   

On Sunday afternoon we attended a concert by the violin students  of Elizabeth Faidley, an extraordinary teacher whose studio is in Northern New Jersey.

The very talented performers were Cameron Baumann, 14, Adriana Bay, 14, Emily Chen, 17, Alexi Dufour-Nevitski, 12, Margot Kanagy, 16, Andrew Kirjner, 15, Coco Mi, 12, Maia Schmidt, 14, Tristan Siegel, 17, and Meena Sinha 18. This is an amazing group of young violinists who all perform with wonderful intonation, depth of emotion, and excellent technique. They are fortunate to be studying with a teacher of Ms. Faidley's ability.

Michael Wittenburg was the excellent pianist who accompanied these young virtuosi in an exhausting program, which included four movements from various violin concerti.

The concert was held in Trinity Episcopal Church in Lenox, Massachusetts. It climaxed several weeks of 'Violin Camp' that Ms. Faidley holds every summer for her students.

I state without reservation that if you are looking for a fine violin teacher in the New York area, look no further.

www.elizabethfaidley.com  

What's in a name?

Tonight Linda, Sue, David and I saw a most remarkable play about a group of trans-gender persons who support each other, love each other and fight with each other. Southern Comfort by Dan Collins (Book and Lyrics) and Julianne Wick Davis (Music), conceived by Robert DuSold and Thomas Caruso is playing at Barrington Stage's St. Germain Theatre. Robert DuSold conceived and developed the transfer of Kate Davis's documentary Southern Comfort  to the musical stage.

This musical drama knocked me out, to put it mildly. This is probably because I have been involved with the work of GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) in obtaining the recent Supreme Court decision to declare DOMA unconstitutional and bring same sex marriage into full legality. GLAD also works with trans-gender persons, trying to get fair treatment in an un-fair world. This story is remarkable, dramatic, and totally absorbing.  You cannot leave the theatre unmoved.

The story involves a group of persons, each of whom is in some stage of changing gender.

The incredible Annette O'Toole portrays 'Robert', a woman who has gone through part of the transition to being a man and who is dying of ovarian cancer.  Her involvement in this role is mind-boggling.

Jeff McCarthy plays 'Lola', a man trying to decide if he wants to go through with the transformation. He is 'Robert's' girlfriend. He is good in the part, but having seen him portray Sweeney Todd in a previous Barrington Stage production made it a little more difficult for me to accept him in this role.



Todd Cerveris plays 'Sam' who was born Barbara and is part way to becoming a man.

Lizzie Hagstedt is a Storeyteller and plays the bass fiddle.

Natalie Joy Johnson is 'Carly', a man who has gone through the entire process of becoming a woman, including the sexual surgery.

Jeffrey Kuhn is 'Jackson', a woman who has decided to have the complete surgery but in the end decides against it.

David M. Lutken is a Storyteller and guitar player, as well as playing several small roles.

Robin Skye portrays 'Melanie', a woman who is in love with 'Jackson', even though he is not yet fully male.

Joel Waggoner is a Storyteller and violinist.

Elizabeth Ward Land is a Storyteller and plays percussion.

Every member of the cast acts and sings with an intensity that is almost frightening. The problems of the trans-gender community is brought forth in violent detail. This is a night in the theatre I will not soon forget.

Wonderful Town!!

Tonight Alice, Sue, David and I saw a fabulous performance of Leonard Bernstein's On the Town at Barrington Stage. Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote the witty and sophisticated libretto. It was based on the earlier ballet Fancy Free.

From start to finish it was obvious that this was going to be a block-buster. The cast, which included Clyde Alves, Deanna Doyle, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Elizabeth Stanley, Alysha Umphress, and the remarkable Tony Yazbeck, were all top notch, especially Mr. Yazbeck, who has an amazing set of pipes! But they all sang and danced the choreography of Joshua Bergasse (based on the original of Jerome Robbins) with elan.

The story of three sailors who have a twenty-four hour pass in New York City, their adventures and mis-adventures, is still fun after all these years. This energetic young cast brought us right back to the 1940's with its wild music and hep-cat attitude. The direction by John Rando and the musical direction by Darren. R. Cohen was superb.

Linda Lavin

Tonight David and I heard another one of the last of the 'Red Hot Mamas', Linda Lavin, in her one woman show at Barrington Stage. A slightly younger version of Barbara Cook, Elaine Stritch, and Tyne Daly, she gave us an energetic concert of songs that she had sung on Broadway as well as standards.

Her voice has held up pretty well through her seventy-five years and she still looks darned good.



Her combo consisted of the incomparable Billy Stritch, as music director and pianist, John Hart on guitar, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Linda's husband, Steve Bakunas on drums. They make a great team. Late in the show she introduced Aaron Weinstein, a jazz violinist, whose playing was, unfortunately, not amplified well and of whom, therefore, I can give no report of his abilities.

She opened with a song that has been a favorite of mine from The Mad Show. It is a spoof on 'The girl from Ipanema. Only this is the boy from 'Tacarembo La Tumbe Del Fuego Santa Malipas Zacatecas La Junta Del Sol Y Cruz' who moves to 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerych-
wyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch' in Wales. She delivers it in a slightly flat, unexpressive voice; a take-off on Astrid Gilberto. It is a show stopper.

Ms. Lavin wanders about the stage, often turning her back on the audience to sing to each of her combo in turn. Effective but a little odd, since she is, after all, the star. Her vocal delivery is fairly monochromatic; none of the nuance of Amanda McBroom. But she brings each number off with energy.

It was an enjoyable evening. Tomorrow night we will return to Barrington Stage for their production of On the Town by Leonard Bernstein. Two in a row, then off to Italy on Wednesday.

Bravi a tutti!

Sunday, June 9th was the third annual Ferris Burtis Music Foundation Benefit Concert at the Sandisfield Arts Center. A large, enthusiastic crowd greeted the young performers who presented a sensational program.

The program opened with 'cellist Julian Muller, then Gabriella Makuc, pianist, Katie Weiser, soprano and Jerry Noble, pianist, and, following an intermission, Yevgeny Kutik, violinist and Timothy Bozarth pianist.

The level of performance was over the top! All of these young artists have grown musically and technically since last year's concert. Members of the audience were visibly moved by the level of talent on display.

The Foundation is helping four young people in their college education as well as helping Yevgeny Kutik in his international career.

Tax exempt gifts to the Foundation are always welcome. Checks payable to Ferris Burtis Foundation are tax exempt and always welcome to help the work of the Foundation. Send your gift to Ferris Burtis Foundation, Berkshire Taconic Foundation, 800 N. Main St., Sheffield, MA 01257. Thank you! Herb

Here they are:

 

Julian Muller, 'cellist who will spend the summer at the Yellow Barn in Putney, Vermont this summer and who will return to the Cleveland Institute of Music for his third year in the fall.

 

 

 

Gabriella Makuc, pianist who will enter her second year at Lawrence College in Wisconsin.

 

 

 

Katie Weiser, soprano, who will enter the Graduate School of Music at Syracuse University this fall where she will study with Janet Brown, who is a long time student of Herbert Burtis.

 

Yevgeny Kutik, violinist who will receive financial help from the Foundation to continue his international career which this season has included symphony appearances in such far-flung places as Juneau, Alaska, and Montenegro.

 

These are the young artists of the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation. Next fall the Foundation will add Frederick Herrman, organist, to the list of students being aided. He will attend Baldwin Wallace College in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

A musical weekend

I have been visiting my friend David in Northern Indiana and we have had an interesting musical weekend.

On Saturday evening we attended a wonderful church supper and concert at his Chicago church, St. Paul and the Redeemer. The music was provided by the Magnolia Singers, a Gullah choir from
Charleston, NC.  They represent a tradition of singing that came to this country with their slave ancestors. Gullah is a patois of English and African Creole. The five singers perform with great energy and involve the congregation in their music. They all have strong gospel voices.There is a little too much on the beat clapping for my taste, but then, I have always enjoyed syncopation. They sang again in the church service Sunday morning. The lead singer's voice reminded me of Sarah Vaughn, with it's deep contralto and wide range. The congregation got into the act with a vengence and clapped and sang along. For me this is too much like responsive readings where the reader makes a statement and the congregation answers with the same phrase over and over. However they were very effective in their performance.

Then Sunday afternoon we attended a concert by the Northwest Indiana Symphony Youth Orchestra, Phillip Bauman, conductor. Mr. Bauman ably led the orchestra through a program that began with Slavonic Dance No. 1 in C Major, Op. 46, by Antonin Dvorak. This was followed by the Allegro movement of Symphonie Espanole in D minor, Op.21 of Edouard Lalo. Patrick Bieske was the young violin soloist.

The second half of the program began with Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, Op.30, No 1,  by Samuel Coleridge Taylor, a late 19th early 20th century composer from England.  As my friend, Dorothy Fee would have said, 'He was sunk on the text.' Iambic quatrameter grates on my nerves after a while. Taylor also had a limited melodic imagination. Already stuck with the Dump-di-dump-di-dump-di-dump rhythm of the poem, he seemed at a loss to conceive anything besides descending musical lines on the one hand, and repeating a phrase at a higher and higher pitch level.

Needless to say this will never replace Messiah, (which was the opinion of one critic in the early 20th century) or any other major choral and orchestra work.

The program ended with Music from Gladiator by Hans Zimmer, arr, by Wasson, which I hope never to hear again either.

At my age I am very aware of the sounds that are attacking my ear and brain. There are some I can live without.

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On Monday evening David and I hit the musical jackpot; the group. Music in the Baroque at the Harris Theatre. This fine choral and orchestral ensemble present a beautiful reading of Bach's St. John Passion. The exemplary conductor was Jane Glover, who has had a long career in Britain and this country. Her musical interpretation of the work went straight to the heart. It was honest, sincere, idiomatic, and exciting. I am so happy to get to know her work.

The soloists were Paul Agnew, Evangelist and tenor solos, Nathan Berg, Jesus and bass arias, Yulia van Doren, soprano arias, Kristina Szabo, alto arias, Todd von Felker, Pilate, Susan Nelson, maid, Klaus Georg, servant, and Ryan O'Mealey, Peter.

Mr. Agnew did a heroic job of the two tenor roles. His Evangelist was just fine. However, singing this role plus the tenor arias is too much for any one person. These are the two hardest tenor arias in the literature. It would be wiser to have a different tenor for the arias to have them come off well.

Nathan Berg, as Jesus, was a little under-powered at the beginning of the work but got into the swing of things as it progressed. Yulia Van Doren, was just not the voice for the soprano arias. In the first one her runs came and went vocally, and in the second she was
unable to float the high notes. If I remember correctly, Ms. Van Doren took one voice lesson with me a few years ago.

Kristine Szabo did a fine job with the alto solo and also grew in confidence as the work progresses. Todd von Felker was fine as Pilate and the three singers who took the smaller roles did their work very well.

Ms. Glover has a marvelous conducting technique that seems to embrace the chorus and orchestra inviting them, and the audience, to come share this wonderful work with her. She is top-notch.

K-K-K-Katie

One of my voice students once told me, when we were preparing a recital, that I was a musical mid-wife. Coaching the pre-natal musical period and helping deliver the baby. The baby, in this case, being a recital.

I suppose, in a way, this is true. As teachers we begin the process of learning a program with one of our students, ab ova, as it were. We continue to guide the process for a period of time, and, on recital night, the baby/recital is born.

Well last night Katie Weiser and Jerry Noble delivered the goods!

It was Katie's second Senior recital of the school year. She sang a very fine program last November. Jane Bryden and I have been her mid-wives, coaching and encouraging her along the way.

Her program included two songs by Franz Josef Haydn, 'Shepherd on the Rock', by Franz Schubert, (assisted by a very fine clarinetist, Madeline Zehnder),  'Und ob die Wolke', from Der Freischutz, by Carl Maria von Weber, three songs by Rachmaninoff, 'The Silver Song' from Douglas Moore's Ballad of Baby Doe, and the amazing Songs about Spring by Dominick Argento, with poetry by e.e. cummings.

In each case Katie and Jerry went to the soul of the song and delivered a beautiful baby, indeed! The Argento brought down the house! Katie will be singing at the Smith graduation ceremonies in a week or so as well as appearing on the Third Annual Ferris Burtis Music Foundation benefit concert on June 9th.
http://ferrisburtisfoundation.blogspot.com  for more details.

She will attend Syracuse University Graduate Music school in the fall and study with my dear friend and student, Janet Brown.

Bravi Katie and Jerry. Well done!