I spend much of my time up North, or Central, or sometimes East. Suddenly, though, I will be going West for two gigs which I am very much looking forward to. The cynic in me would like to point out to myself that both of these gigs are really near wine country. I guess there are advantages to being a conductor.
Bill Eddins
Vox Humani
Since the beginning of this season I have had the rare experience of enjoying two of the world’s most iconic voices. The first one was enjoyed from the podium in a spectacular Gala concert at the ESO in early September. The second one re-entered my life just last night at a concert in the lovely renovated State Theater in Downtown Minneapolis, with myself residing in beautiful seats in row 7, dead center. My, it’s going to be hard to choose a winner.
Atlantic Sounds
I spent more time in the great country of Canada last week. I am particularly envious of them right now, for their Prime Minister called an election some 4 weeks ago and, lo and behold, it will be done on Tuesday. 37 days for an election, as opposed to the nearly immoral 2 freakin’ years it has taken us in the States. But that’s not really relevant here. Instead of heading towards the oil flats of Alberta I found myself wallowing in the salty waters of the Atlantic. It was my first trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I hope it doesn’t turn out to be my last.
Frankenstein is Dancing……..
It has been an exciting month in my life, which is why this is the first post in a very long time. Gala concert with Renée Fleming, opening concerts, guest conducting, etc. But last week the folks in Edmonton were treated to a Hallowe’en preview. Yes, Frankenstein was dancing.
What’s black and steel and costs a bundle?
I took a little trip last week, my first one in three months. The air was getting a little noxious here in the Twin Cities, what with the flag-waving, Liberal-denouncing, Bible-thumping, Tax cuts for the rich espousing, quadrennial waves of self-congratulatory apoplexy that was coming out of the Xcel Center. It was either get arrested or go do something else interesting. The next thing I knew I was landing at LaGuardia.
The Art of War……
Sometimes it’s really important to get a reality check. We spend so much time worrying about the state of the music industry that we forget that what we do is not the most important thing going on in the world. Yes, it’s important to us and our audience, and occasionally we have some little impact on the greater society, but there’s a lot going on out there in the real world. Yesterday was my reality check.
100 degrees and climbing
Music and politics. It is always dangerous when those two things mix, though one could argue that it’s dangerous when politics is mixed with anything. Over the weekend the news broke that one of the most famous musicians in the world decided to put these two things into a rather large blender and turn it on hi speed. The response from the rest of the classical music world has been stunning – as in a stunning silence.
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”
Dante Alighieri
Legacy
Donald Erb has died. I am saddened to hear about the passing of this very interesting American composer. I have the feeling that there is a certain passing of an era going on these days, and it’s confirmed by Mr. Erb’s biography. This is a “first generation” that is saying their last goodbyes, and I wonder if my fellow Americans realize how much this generation, and American music in general, owes to one woman.