Symphony #35 "Haffner" in D K.385

Rich Capparela says we all remember how your ennoblement went in great details.  Well, this piece was commissioned by Sigmund Haffner the Older for his son's ennoblement.

"Symphony #35 "Haffner" in D K.385" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performance by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek

Rich gave us not one, not two, but because he loves us, three performances from the same recording!  :)

Buy this piece from ArkivMusic to support KUSC.

You can sample the piece on Amazon.

Mozart: Symphonies Nos.35 & 36

Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto

We went to the third concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 classical concert series!  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on February 17, 2019.

Guest conductor Rune Bergmann conducted with violinist Philippe Quint.

MOZART:  Overture to Don Giovanni

TCHAIKOVSKY:  Violin Concerto in D Major

NIELSEN:  Symphony No. 4, “The Inextinguishable”

KUSC's Alan Chapman interviewed both guests in the pre-concert lecture.  Rune gave some interesting characteristics of the Scandinavian countries.

• Finland is the dark one.
• Norway is the joyful one, with all the fjords and mountains.
• Sweden is also joyful, but thinks too much.
• Denmark is the happiest one, and drinks beer all the time.

Rune didn't use a conductor's podium.  I think if he did, he'd fall off!  :)

As a Norwegian conductor, he's very energetic on obviously joyful.  This is the second time I've seen Rune here, and he is on top of my favorite conductors to watch.

Dvořák’s New World Symphony

We went to the Pacific Symphony's Sunday Matinee concert!  :)

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on February 10, 2019.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with Soprano Michaela Vaughn.

Škroup/Kajetán Tyl:  National Anthem of the Czech Republic "Kde domov můj" "Where is My Home?"

Smith/Scott Key:  National Anthem of the United States "Star-Spangled Banner"

DVOŘÁK:  Symphony No. 9 in E Minor“From the New World”

This was also celebrating the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's independence.

The concert started off with the national anthem of both the Czech Republic and the USA.  Ambassador Pavol Šepeľák from Czech gave a speech, and Dr. Hana Ayala gave a presentation of Pangea World.  I learned that Czechoslovakia and USA had many ties since inception.  Czechoslovakia became independent exactly 100 years ago, on October 28, 1918.  Their constitution was published in Philadelphia, an their first president's wife was from Brooklyn, NY!

Rach 3 & Boléro

We went to the first concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2018-2019 classical concert series!  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on February 3, 2019.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Olga Kern.

FRANK Ticheli:  Shooting Stars

Rachmaninoff:  Piano Concerto No. 3

Mozart:  Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola

Ravel:  Boléro

The Boléro piece was played with a video showing footage of the 40 years of the Symphony.  It was perfectly in synch with the music.  Very good job, Jeffery Sells!  :)

We also went to the Sunday concert.

Olga Kern was amazing as the Saturday concert, a very powerful Rachmaninoff.

If the fact that she wore a different dress on the concert wasn't amazing enough, she also played different pieces for the encore.  On Saturday, it was a virtuosic piece by Mussorgsky.  On Sunday, it was the Flight of the Bumblebee.  I don't know how she can do that right after a Rach 3!

She noted that she never felt the piece to be difficult, maybe because she was experiencing it before she was born.  Her mother was playing it when Olga was still in the womb!

You can sample Olga's piano on Amazon!  :)

Tchaikovsky Spectacular!

We went to the final concert of the Pacific Symphony's Summerfest 2018 at the Pacific Amphitheatre!  :)

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Vadym Kholodenko, and the Huntington Beach Concert Band.

Dmitri Shostakovich:  Festive Overture, Op. 96

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:  Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov:  “Procession of the Nobles” from Mlada

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov:  Russian Easter Overture, Op. 36

Alexander Borodin:  “Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:  1812 Overture, Op. 49

The second half of the program was accompanied with an experimental app, "Encue".  It shows real-time program notes, describing the pieces as they progress.  They first tried it out at an open rehearsal back in January, but I guess there was some tweaking to be done for the general performance.

This was nice, but I needed to see the canon and fireworks!  :)

You can install the app from iTunes for Apple, and Google Play for Android.  You have to be at the venue to download the show notes, though.

Sounds of Hollywood

KUSC is broadcasting the twelfth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PDT).

We went to the Sunday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with violinist Anne Akiko Meyers.

Mikhail Glinka:  Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla

Morten Lauridsen:  O Magnum Mysterium

Maurice Ravel:  Tzigane, rapsodie de concert, for Violin & Orchestra

Leonard Bernstein:  Somewhere from West Side Story

Richard Strauss:  Ein Heldenleben, TrV 190, Op. 40

This was also the debut classical concert for the new Concertmaster, Dennis Kim.  :)

Rach 2

KUSC is broadcasting the eleventh concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PDT).

We went to the Saturday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Guest conductor Ben Gernon conducted, with pianist Boris Giltburg.

Sergei Prokofiev:  Russian Overture

Sergei Rachmaninoff:  Concerto No. 2 in C Minor for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 18

Igor Stravinsky:  Petrushka (1947 version)

The super-tuba played in Petrushka by Jim Self.

Alan Chapman interviewed both guest artists in the pre-concert lecture.

Conductor Ben Gernon was born in a musical family, with both parents being music teachers.  He started the Tuba when he was 7, because nobody in his Dad's brass band wants to play it.  :)

Ben started conducting when he was 15, in the school orchestra!

Boris Giltburg is somebody who loves playing the piano.  He makes practicing his first priority, saying it's hard to know when it's good enough, and time to stop.  Boris talked about the differences between the German and Russian music schools.  The German school leans more intellectual, and the Russian school leans more emotional.  They also touched on his "dream piano", posted on his blog.

You can sample Boris' piano in Amazon.  :)

Watts Plays Beethoven

KUSC is broadcasting the tenth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PDT).

We went to the Saturday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with pianist André Watts.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra,

Dmitri Shostakovich:  Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93

There was a video of Dmitri Shostakovich playing in the lobby.

KUSC's Alan Chapman interviewed André Watts in the pre-concert lecture, and André was hilarious as always.  He talked about the teaching music.  The hypocrisy of teaching, telling something to the student and not doing it yourself.  How he juggles teaching and performing.  The range of talent in his students.  His amazing experiences with Glenn Gould.

André Watts is one of the few artists that takes advantage of the BYOS (Bring Your Own Steinway) policy.  :)

Glass & Shankar

KUSC is broadcasting the ninth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PDT).

We went to the Saturday concert.  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with Sitarist Anoushka Shankar, Baritone Christòpheren Nomura, Soprano Elissa Johnston, Bass Baritone Donovan Singletary, Alto I-Chin Lee, Tenor Nicholas Preston, and the Pacific Chorale.

Philip Glass:  Meetings Along the Edge (based on a theme by Ravi Shankar), from Passages

Ravi Shankar:  Sitar Concerto No. 3

For an encore, Anoushka played her own composition, "Monsoon".

Philip Glass:  The Passion of Ramakrishna

The symphony took the whole concert to Carnegie Hall on April 21.  Although anyone can rent the hall based on availability, the Pacific Symphony was INVITED for the Philip Glass's 80th birthday event!

A CD recording of "The Passion of Ramakrishna" is also available, from the 2011 concert.

Pinchas Zukerman

KUSC is broadcasting the eighth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PDT).

We went to the open rehearsal, and the Sunday concert.

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with violinist Pinchas Zukerman.

Maurice Ravel:  Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  Violin Concerto No. 3, K. 216

Modest Mussorgsky:  Pictures at an Exhibition

You won't be able to see it on radio, but played with visuals created by the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

The symphony also took this concert to China in May.

The Magic Flute

KUSC is broadcasting the seventh concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 6 PM (PDT).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

We went to the Saturday concert!  :)

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with stage director Robert Neu.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute

Tamino:  John Tessier, tenor

Papageno:  Hadleigh Adams, baritone

Pamina:  Tess Altiveros, soprano

Queen of the Night:  Kathryn Lewek, soprano

Sarastro:  Evan Boyer, bass

Three Ladies:  Amy Shoremount-Obra, soprano, Deborah Nansteel, mezzo-soprano, Julia Benzinger, mezzo-soprano

Monastatos:  Julius Ahn, tenor

Child Spirits:  Members of the Southern California Children’s Chorus

Papagena:  Bridgette Gan, soprano

Speaker of the Temple, Priest, Armed Guard, Slave:  Colin Ramsey, bass

Priest, Armed Guard, Slave:  David Guzman, tenor

Brahms & Prokofiev

KUSC is broadcasting the sixth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

We went to the Saturday concert!  :)

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Alexander Romanovsky.

Johannes Brahms:  Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90

Paul Chihara:  Wild Wood (West Coast premiere)

Serge Prokofiev:  Concerto No. 2 in G Minor for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 16

Organ Superstar: Paul Jacobs

This is a recital concert we want back in January.  It is part of the Pacific Symphony's Pedals and Pipes Organ Series, featuring Paul Jacobs.

The screen was placed on the stage, so the folks far away can see Paul play the organ.  And of course, it showed his footwork as well!

Paul Jacobs has been coming to Orange County every other year for some time now.  On top of being a spectacular organist, he is a wonderful person.  I can't speak for his students at Juilliard, but he's always gentle and patient, and I've never seen him seem a slight bit irritated!  :)

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Trio Sonata in E Minor, BWV 528

Johann Sebastian Bach:  ”Arioso” from Cantata, BWV 156

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532

Franz Liszt:  Fantasia and Fugue on “Ad Nos, Ad Salutarem Undam”

The first half of the concert was all J. S. Bach, changing the Trio Sonata from the program notes (because he can!).  It showed Bach's virtuosic side, technical side, tender side, and cheerful side.  After the majestic piece by the half-gypsy half-priest Liszt, Paul closed the concert with another Bach encore, the Gigue Fugue.

Paul has played the entire organ works of Bach in one day several years ago.  I wish I could have sit in on that.  :)

If he publishes a Bach organ work box set, I'm sure to buy without hesitation!

You can sample Paul's organ on Amazon.

I think Messiaen is another composer he did a complete-works-in-one-day on.  :)

Brahms & Prokofiev

We went to the Pacific Symphony concert early February!  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on March 4, 2018.

We also went to see the rehearsal on Wednesday.  They had an app called EnCue, which supposedly showed real time program notes.  I couldn't find the concert on Saturday, so I guess it didn't work out as expected...

Assistant concertmaster Jeanne Skrocki served as concertmaster this time!

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Alexander Romanovsky.

Johannes Brahms:  Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90

Paul Chihara:  Wild Wood (West Coast premiere)

Serge Prokofiev:  Concerto No. 2 in G Minor for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 16

Alan Chapman interviewed our star guests, Alexander Romanovsky and Paul Chihara at the pre-concert lecture.  They talked about Alexande's youth, how composers can make the biggest bang for the buck, and other things.  :)

This is the first time the Pacific Symphony played Prokofiev's 2nd piano concerto.

You can sample Alexander Romanovsky's piano on Amazon!  :)

The Magic Flute

We went to the Pacific Symphony concert on Saturday!  :)

There is one more performance on Tuesday.

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on March 11, 2018.

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted, with stage director Robert Neu.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute

Tamino:  John Tessier, tenor

Papageno:  Hadleigh Adams, baritone

Pamina:  Tess Altiveros, soprano

Queen of the Night:  Kathryn Lewek, soprano

Sarastro:  Evan Boyer, bass

Three Ladies:  Amy Shoremount-Obra, soprano, Deborah Nansteel, mezzo-soprano, Julia Benzinger, mezzo-soprano

Monastatos:  Julius Ahn, tenor

Child Spirits:  Members of the Southern California Children’s Chorus

Papagena:  Bridgette Gan, soprano

Speaker of the Temple, Priest, Armed Guard, Slave:  Colin Ramsey, bass

Priest, Armed Guard, Slave:  David Guzman, tenor

Puppet designer:  Robin Walsh

Lighting designer:  Kathy Pryzgoda

Costume designer:  Katie Wilson

Wig and makeup designer:  Ora Jewell-Busche

This was a "semi-staged" opera, which means the orchestra was on stage, instead of being in the pit.  This allowed stage director Robert Neu to put in a lot of creativity.  He also talked during the pre-concert talk with Alan Chapman, how he took the liberty of "contemporizing" the show.  Tamino and Pamina were wearing office attire, Papageno was calling on Alexa to turn on the lights, etc.

I loved how Papageno was breaking the fourth wall all over the place!  :)

At one point he was conducting the orchestra while Carl was holding the magic bells up high!

And of course, the Queen of the Night aria was amazing!  The visual effect amplified the experience, with her huge puppet floating behind her like a guardian angel.

They still have one more performance on Tuesday.  But in case you miss it, you can listen on the replay on KUSC, March 11.

Beethoven's Violin Concerto

KUSC is broadcasting the fifth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

We went to the Saturday concert!  :)

Guest conductor Michael Francis conducted with violinist Ray Chen.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61

Edward Elgar:  Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55

Gershwin's Concerto

KUSC is broadcasting the fourth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Guest conductor Anu Tali conducted with pianist Xiayin Wang.

Bedřich Smetana:  The Moldau from Má Vlast

George Gershwin:  Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra

Antonín Dvořák:  Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70

You can sample Xiayin's piano on Amazon!

Cathedrals of Sound

KUSC is broadcasting the third concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with the Nobertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey and organist Christoph Bull.

An Introduction to Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8

Anton Bruckner:  Symphony No. 8 in C Minor

tye_Bruckner_Making-of from trust your ears on Vimeo.

I've been to the first concert when the Nobertine Fathers came.  They were chanting in the dimmed lobby before the concert began, with a spotlight shining from above.  It was definitely a wonderful spiritual experience.

Mozart & Rachmaninoff

KUSC is broadcasting the second concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

We went to the Saturday concert.  :)

Guest conductor Rune Bergmann conducted with pianist Garrick Ohlsson.

André Previn:  Almost an Overture (West Coast Premiere)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2

Beethoven's Fifth

KUSC is broadcasting the first concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2017-2018 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

We went to the Sunday concert.  :)

Music director Carl St. Clair conducted with bass-baritone Greer Grimsley.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67

Richard Strauss:  Don Juan, TrV 156, Op. 20

Richard Wagner:  Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music from Die Walküre

Beethoven's Violin Concerto

We went to the Pacific Symphony concert last Saturday!  :)

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.

The Saturday night performance will broadcast on Classical KUSC on February 25, 2018.

Guest conductor Michael Francis conducted with violinist Ray Chen.

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61

Edward Elgar:  Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 55

I loved the Beethoven concerto.  It is always refreshing to hear a non-Kreisler cadenza played.  :)

In addition to the 1st and 3rd movement cadenzas, Ray Chen inserted a transition piece between the 2nd and 3rd.  For an encore, he treated us with Paganini's Caprice No. 21.  The replay on KUSC is definitely something I will be looking forward to!  :)

There was lots of fun in the pre-concert lecture as well!  Alan Chapman interviewed the star guests, and here are some fun facts I found out.

Michael brought the rain to California last week!  He told the orchestra, if you do an English piece with an English conductor, you're getting English weather.  :)

He also reminded us that Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance was not composed for US graduation ceremonies.

Ray, at 28 years old, has more concerts with first-time conductors.  He's starting round 2's and 3's with orchestras, though.

He talked about his pre-concert ritual, a count-down before entering the stage.  Being a young performer, Ray still gets nervous, and this helps him get a psychological advantage.

He was coming down with a cold or something, but his performance was awesome!  :)

You can sample Ray Chen's violin on Amazon!

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