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Monday, February 29, 2016

Dancing with the Stars

We were invited to the Pacific Symphony's Cafe Ludwig concert on Sunday from our friends, and it was an awesome concert!  :)

Pianist Orli Shaham hosted this chamber music event, themed with "dance", and everybody was dancing to the music (just kidding).  The pastry was delicious, too.


The first half was very contemporary.  Principal cellist Timothy Landauer opened the concert with Kodály's Cello sonata with his lower two strings "prepared" a half note lower.

Followed by Adams' work, with a live "prepared" piano!  The piano had lots of gadgets attached to make funny sounds, which is usually played with just a recording.  She said before the piece that you will rarely hear the piano play a "piano" sound, but all I could tell was the first "A" to tune the quartet!


The second half was more "classical".  Orli and principal trumpeter Barry Perkins started with three works for piano and trumpet.  Apparently, it's very difficult to find chamber music for trumpet.  :)
Followed by Brahms's waltzes, and finished with the Strauss' Kaiser Waltz, arranged by Schoenberg for a septet.



Zoltán Kodály:  Sonata in B Minor for Solo Cello, Op. 8
John Adams (arr. Frisch):  Suite from John’s Book of Alleged Dances for String Quartet and Prepared Piano

Leonard Bernstein:  Rondo for Lifey
Maurice Ravel:  Pièce en forme de Habanera for Trumpet and Piano
Astor Piazzola (arr. Mahpar):  Milonga del ángel
Johannes Brahms:  Waltzes for Solo Piano, Op. 39
Johann Strauss, Jr. (arr. Schoenberg):  Kaiser Waltz, Op. 437 for Flute, Clarinet, String Quartet and Piano

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Conrad Tao & Beethoven's "Eroica"

KUSC is broadcasting the fourth concert of the Pacific Symphony's 2015-2016 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.



We went to the Saturday concert last December.  Conrad Tao was awesome!  :)



Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist Conrad Tao.

SERGE PROKOFIEV: Concerto No. 3 in C Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 26
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55,“Eroica”

Sunday, February 21, 2016

"New World" Symphony

KUSC is broadcasting the third concert of Pacific Symphony's 2015-2016 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.



En Shao conducted with violinist Dan Zhu.

Li Huanzhi: Spring Festival Overture
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”

Puccini’s “Turandot”

Went to see the Pacific Symphony concert yesterday.  There's one more show on Tuesday!  :)

The Saturday performance will broadcast on KUSC on Sunday, March 20 at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.


Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with the Pacific Chorale and the Southern California Children’s Chorus.

Giacomo Puccini:  Turandot

Princess Turandot:  Tamara Mancini, soprano
Calàf:  Marc Heller, tenor
Liù:  Elizabeth Caballero, soprano
Timur:  Hao Jiang Tian, bass
Ping:  Dan Kempson, baritone
Pang:  Jonathan Blalock, tenor
Pong:  David Blalock, tenor
Emperor Altoum:  Ronald Naldi, tenor
The Mandarin:  Zachary Altman, baritone
The Executioner:  Melody Yao, dancer
Supers:  Jestoni Dagdag, Issac Lai



Some fun stuff from Alan Chapman's pre-concert lecture.

Marc Heller came and talked without using the microphone, because it might mess with his voice.

Found out that both were married to a Soprano, and they exchanged a couple tenor/soprano jokes.
Alan:  What's the difference between a soprano and a pit bull?  Jewelry.
Marc:  There once was a tenor so stupid the other tenors noticed.
Alan:  Various degrees of adjectives in Italian:  Stupido - Stupidissimo - Tenore.

Singers have to be very protective of their "instrument".  Part of preparation of the instrument is to let go of nerves.  It actually help to come in front of the audience before the performance.
They also have to combat the dryness.  The symphony staged Marc's room with humidifiers and water.  :)

Friday, February 19, 2016

[Car tune] A Downland Suite: Minuet

Rich Capparela's car tune.  (Winter Membership Drive edition.)

"... even though we're in the middle of the pledge drive, there is no reason why we shouldn't give you one, especially on a Friday, when the conditions are, I don't want to get too technical, but the conditions are best described as "eesh" ..."

Join KUSC by calling 1-800-421-1717.



"A Downland Suite: Minuet" by John Ireland
Performance by City of London Sinfonia, conducted by Richard Hickox.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

[Car tune] Adagio for Strings Op 11

Rich Capparela's car tune.

"... I'm looking at the freeway maps and thinking, yeah, it way bad coming in and it's worse now, so take a deep breath, relax, you'll get home in one peace, at least for the next 8 minutes, you've gome something sublime ..."



"Adagio for Strings Op 11" by Samuel Barber
Performance by Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop.

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Sunday, February 14, 2016

Fray Plays Schumann

KUSC is broadcasting the second concert of Pacific Symphony's 2015-2016 classical concert series tonight at 7 PM (PST).

Listen to Alan Chapman's preview on SoundCloud.



Music director Carl St.Clair conducted with pianist David Fray.

Bright Sheng: Prelude and Black Swan after Johannes Brahms' Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2
Robert Schumann: Concerto in A Minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 54
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68



Schumann wrote his concerto for his wife, Clara.  Perfect for Valentine's Day!  :)