Article loads more fun to read than it must have been to write

Chamber Series puffs up to symphony strength

Naples Daily News, March 5, 2013

In a small, but musical, community a pick up orchestra performed Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.  It's a difficult work for even the most esteemed orchestras, what with its lack of clean, clear solos, spice-less phrasing, and the preponderance of multimeasure notes.

The work is forged from four movements actually praised for their dance attributes,...

I know, pssh...

figure 1:  Beethoven composing a symphony.  And saving the universe from, oh, let's say Juggernaut?

But what does it mean?

...meaning it’s nearly impossible not to shake your head or sway at some point.

That actually sounds true.

The grandly dark second movement even lends itself to headbanging, if you’re channeling ‘80 rock culture.

figure 2: The perfect analogy.

The woodwinds gifted the piece with clean, clear solos, and the flutes shot deliciously peppery phrases into the third movement. Its ubiquitous timpani sounded like loads more fun to play than it must have been.

What's not to like about that description about the otherwise bland, yet arduous 7th symphony.

A dozen violins and about nine of the lower-registers were making lush music, throwing phrases from upper to lower and holding a marathon multimeasure note behind the other sections in the final movement.

In case that was unclear, the lush throwing music is right after the end of the beginning of the middle.

The secondary theme of the Second Movement seemed to pose a few challenges in tone for the violins. Still, this section sailed through the treacherous finale so nimbly and happily the uninitiated would never know this isn’t a standing orchestra with a full schedule.

figure 3: Happily the uninitiated would never know that he's not fingering a real chord.

Sounds like a pretty incredible performance.  And for a pick-up orchestra!  Is there some sort of outrageous claim you can make that will perfectly sum it all up?

We have heard this symphony live three times in the last four seasons — once from the Los Angeles Philharmonic — and this stands with the best of them.

Of course it does.

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Do yourself a favor and read the entire article which includes gems like "...and each of its parts deserves to be savored, if only for 10 seconds, in our mental echo chambers."

Canonics are the Sudoku puzzles of performance

I just love when critics are kind enough to explain the mechanics of how music is written. Just such an example can be found here, in an review by Harriet Howard Heithaus (love the alliterative quality of this name) of the Naples Daily News.

The concert Sunday was to introduce the reconfigured and redesigned Daniels Pavilion at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. But music and the musicians kept stealing the show.

I hate when they do that.

First it was Glenn Basham, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra concertmaster, and Eric Berg, its associate principal second violinist, playing a Telemann canonic sonata movement from each side of the hall’s midpoint.

Good information. A canonic movement, with the musicians opportunely placed at opposite sides of the hall.

Wait. Is that what you wrote? Playing a Telemann canonic sonata movement from each side of the hall's midpoint.

Do midpoints have sides?

figure escher: Which way again to the midpoint?

Then Principal Flute Suzanne Kirton musically somersaulted in, answering Basham measure for measure in a second Telemann canonic sonata.

Musical somersault?

Also, what are these canonic sonatas?

Canonics are the Sudoku puzzles of performance.

Well, I'm pretty sure that totally clears things up.  

But perhaps you should elaborate, you know, just for clarity's sake.

These tightly assembled pieces require a second musician to start one to two measures after the first, but playing the exact same score. Each performer must be extremely confident in his or her music because the two never meet until the last notes. Their timing also has to be in perfect sync to keep that carefully constructed musical chase from turning discordant. Kirton, Basham and Berg were great ambassadors for the device, forging tight sequences without ever sacrificing the melodies they were playing.

What piece of Baroque music doesn't need to "be in perfect sync to keep...from turning discordant"?

And, "ambassadors for the device"? Are canonics suffering from bad press?

figure bad decisions: Canonics should probably just lay off the sauce...at least until they score that next big symphony.

She sure does make this sound like brain surgery. And my favorite part of this lengthy explanation is that at no point does Ms. Heithaus ever use the root form of the word -- you know, 'canon'.