Stephanie A. Kesler: Hot Classical Music

Happy Birthday Dimitri!!!

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 22:50:51 GMT

Today is the 100th birthday of the late composer, Dmitri Shostakovich. Shostakovich is my favorite composer - yup - even higher than Beethoven or even Stravinsky. My classical tastes lean towards the Russian composers and Shostakovich is the pinnacle. Incredible, complex, emotional, immensely moving music. And yet, very accessible - which is not often the case for mid-twentieth century composers.

NPR did a great piece this morning on Shostakovich. They hit all my favorite compositions and the discussion of the 5th symphony in particular, was quite interesting. The business of tempo of the last movement and its political meaning was nifty stuff.

And I certainly agree with NPR's take that Emerson String Quartet's complete recordings of Shostakovich's 15 string quartets is a "must have". An absolutely monumental recording of some of the greatest string quartets ever written.

Washington's Birthday

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 21:33:13 GMT

Today is Washington's Birthday. To celebrate, I'm going to listen to John Adams' absolutely stunning opera, Nixon in China.

The last scene, "The Banquet", in the first act contains the most amazing piece, "Washington's Birthday". Diabolically difficult music to sing but fabulous listening. Addictive and exciting.

Hot Concert but stilll Brrrr.....

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 06:23:50 GMT

As I type, it's 8 below - damn - it's been cold cold cold for two straight weeks. It warmed up a tad yesterday. The temperature soared up to 15 degrees for a few hours. And then it plumeted right back to its below zero home. Which makes walking the Tyge-a-boo fun - especially late at night.

Fortunately, tonight we walked Tyge after we got home from the most fabulous concert - Chick Corea and Touchstone. It's a darn good thing the band played all those hot latin rhythms. We needed something to warm us up!

An Amazing Concert

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 02:04:16 GMT

Peter and I just got in from the David Krakauer performance. It was an absolutely kick ass concert. The program ran the gamut from Brahms to electrified klezmer. I adored Messian's Abyss of the Birds (composed while Messian was in a German concentration camp in WWII) - ethereal and arresting. Steve Reich's New York Counterpoint was so cool - and so great musically. Here's the program blurb:

Counterpoint, written in 1985, is a uniquely demanding work using only instrumental sounds for nine B-flat clarinets and 3 bass clarinets, usually performed with an existing tape of the tutti clarinets against which the solo part is played.

The last 30 minutes of the concert was devoted to klezmer. Suped up, incredible klezmer. As Peter said, "It's not your Aunt Sadie's klezmer". Krakauer's klezmer band is stunning - incredible musicianship.

I want to create a playlist of this concert. In exactly the order it was played.

Best concert of the year. Hands down.

Big Night

Sun, 23 Jan 2005 01:26:56 GMT

As I type, the Marx Brothers caterers are downstairs setting up for the Ski Boy's law office Winter Party. The doings get underway at 7:00 PM.

However, I'll only be here for the first few minutes of the party. You see, as a result of a scheduling mixup on my part, I didn't realize that tonight was also the night that the Julliard String Quartet with Heinz Holliger (the world's greatest oboist) would be performing.

Augh!!! I thought the concert was tomorrow night. The Fuzz Ball Slat Rat strikes again.

Anyhoo, I'll scurry off a few minutes after 7:00 PM to the concert. I'll stay for the first half, come home for the tail end of our party.

And in yet another example of what a small town Anchorage is: After our party, Peter and I will, literally, walk next to door to Carol and Blake's for the after concert party for the String Quartet and Holliger. It will be a busy evening - and our cul de sac is going to be packed with cars.

And as the ultimate small town example - the head honcho Marx Brothers caterer downstairs in our kitchen, is Phil's girlfriend!!!!!

Multi-Cultural Afternoon!

Mon, 25 Oct 2004 03:24:59 GMT

As I type, we're going into the top of the eighth inning of Game Two at Fenway. The Red Sox are up 6 to 1. However, as we all know, no lead is safe with our Bosmos. Especially since they've already committed four errors in this game. At this point, they're at eight errors for the Series and we're not even done with the second game!

Especially since our brilliant manager, Terry Francona, did not leave Embree in after he struck out the side in the 7th inning. Timlin started the 7th by throwing 4 straight balls to Edgar Renteria. Arghhhhhhhhhh....

And after Timlin got Jim Edmonds out, Pujols just hit a single and advanced the runner to third base. And goodie - Scott Rolen is up. Arghhhhhhhhh......

Rolen just hit a sacrifice fly and scored Renteria. Geeeeeez

Great - now Francona is bringing in poor Keith Folke - who is already on the ragged edge. Hopefully Folke can get Jim Edmonds - who would be the last out in the 8th ...

Whew!!!!!! Mr. Folke struck out Edmonds

Anyhoo, game time in Anchorage was at 4:00 PM - one of the joys of being in the Alaska time zone, is all these late night games are not late night games at all for us. And another big event had a start time of 4:00 PM this afternoon - the Concert Association's presentation of the Prague Philharmonia. And the concert was absolutely fantastic. The Prague Philharmonia is a superb orchestra. Incredibly tight, fabulous tone, and their interpretations were just exceptional. It was an all classics program; Mozart's overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Dvorak's violin concerto, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. A great program - the 7th symphony was just wonderful. The tone, the drive, the contrast in sound - all in all, I was reminded that 7th is truly a fabulous joyous piece of music.

After the concert, I scooted across the street (literally) to Humpy's for beer, dinner, and the game. As I arrived, the game was in the 6th inning. I had my beer and bbq'd game hen. I watched Schilling pitch his last inning and then watched in horror as Bosmos committed two errors and then redeemed themselves by scoring two runs - all by the 7th inning stretch. I finished up dinner and made it home in time for the 8th.

The above is an example of why Anchorage is such a great little city. We have a world class performing arts center and right across the street, we have a world class Alaska bar!!!!

Hip-Hopera

Thu, 30 Sep 2004 02:18:06 GMT

Via Fimoculous, I got clued into The Kleptones' masterpiece, A Night at the Hip-Hopera a fabulous "mashup remix" of Queen and various rappers ranging from Grandmaster Flash (a Steph fave thanks to Pooh) and Eminem.

Hip-Hopera is guaranteed to get hounded by the copyright Nazi's in the same manner as DJ Dangemouse's Grey Album.

To download Hip-Hopera, check out Waxy's download site. Hip-Hopera is what remix is all about!

iPod Sound

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 04:15:40 GMT

Last night, after I finished transferring my entire MP3 library to my iPod, I took my iPod for its first listening test drive.

But, before I discuss the test drive, I have to preface all of this with an explanation - I'm very very fussy when it comes to audio quality. I'm not an over the top audiophile - I don't have a $20K sound system. But, when it comes to portable music, I go the extra mile:

I rip all of my CD's and encode them at the max bit rate: 320 kbs. The default is 128 kbs and 192 kbs is considered by many to be "quality." Harumph.
I do NOT download music for on-going listening. There are a few reasons for that - I don't want Kazaa or any of its ilk on my PC - not because I'm afraid of the evil RIAA. No, those particular P2P applications can muck up one's PC. The real reason I don't download or use the iTunes store because the bit rate is usually 128 kbs. The sound is just so muddy at 128 kbs.
My headphones are the fabulous Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. The Bose noise cancelling circuitry works very very well, the sound quality is great, and they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn.
I also use a headphone amplifier made by Headroom. The difference a headphone amp makes is absolutely unbelievable. As the Headroom blurb states:

Put an AirHead headphone amplifier between your portable player and quality headphones, and presto! The space between your ears becomes your own private listening room. The AirHead isolates your player from the complex load of the headphones while driving them with the authority and finesse of quality power amplification. The result? Exquisite audio right between your ears.

As you can see, I really am fussy when it comes to sound quality. And, so, how did my new iPod sound?

Absolutely drop dead fabulous - better than my old Zen which had a great sound. I am very very very pleased!

BTW, the test drive album was the classic - Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." Which was totally stunning on my little setup.

Hilary Hahn in Anchorage

Mon, 02 Feb 2004 01:18:41 GMT

Last night, the Anchorage Concert Association presented the young virtuoso violinist, Hilary Hahn. The concert was trememdous - the highlight was the Bach Partita No.2 in D minor, KWV 1004.

The Partita is a monumental masterpiece and the Chaconne is the staggering finale. Long after the performance, the piece still stunningly resonated note by note in my head. I would love to hear Hahn play this piece in twenty years. It's a piece that will grow and become richer throughout a performer's life.

What a tremendous thing it must be to have a piece of music such as the Partita as a lifetime companion.

Sun, 28 Sep 2003 07:54:17 GMT

I just got in from the most fabulous concert: the Moscow Chamber Orchestra with guest artist Olga Kern. Just a bang up, top notch event. The Orchestra was just perfect - lush, great technique, and they played as one. And well, Olga Kern - what an amazing fiery young pianist and a total babe to boot.

The killer two pieces for me were Shostakovich's challenging and showy Concerto No.1 in C minor for Piano, Trumpet and Strings and the second encore which was a Piazzolla tango - Cheri and I swore the tango sounded like Alfred Hitchcock movie music.

The party afterwards at the Corsair was also great fun - the musicians were all personable and a good time was had by all.

Sat, 27 Sep 2003 23:29:01 GMT

This afternoon, I attended a very informal and relaxed question and answer session with Constantine Orbelian, Music Director of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. The q & a was sponsored by the Anchorage Concert Association

It's a gorgeous Fall day so I was tad reluctant to head inside for a talk - there are just days when one doesn't want to be intellectually stimulated. But, boy am I glad I showed up. The talk was absolutely fascinating.

Mr. Orbelian was extremely intelligent, articulate, and interesting without a smarminess or egotistical quotient. Very approachable which is definitely unusual.

Orbelian explored some of the ins and outs of chamber orchestras. Evidentially, top flight muscians love to play in chamber orchestras. Chamber groups are so small that every musician counts and can be heard. Also, every member must be there for every rehersal, every concert, etc. There is no bench of reserves. For example, the ensemble has one double bass player - who, as Orbelian stated, is completely devoted. He's been with the orchestra for thirteen years and has never missed a rehersal or performance. Of course, he's gone through three wives...

Mr. Orbelian has a fascinating background - he's an American. Born and raised in San Francisco. However, his parents are Russian emigrees and their stories are epic - Intellectuals, raised in Stalinist Russia, spent World War II in Nazi Concentration camps, came to the U.S. at the end of the war, rose to from janitor to manager of Gumps in two years, etc. Click here for a fascininating Moscow Arts article on Orbelian's family.

Mr. Orbelian was asked to describe his most moving moment as a performer - a potentially schlocky question. However, Orbelian's answer left most of us sniffling - two years ago, on September 9th, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra arrived in San Francisco for a thirty city U.S. tour. Well, we all know what happened on September 11th. The Orchestra's first scheduled concert was in Petaluma a few days after the 11th. The concert went on as scheduled and the thousand seat hall was overflowing with fifteen hundred people. The Orchestra's standard last encore number is a bravura version of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Usually audiences laugh as they recognize the opening bars. However, that night, the entire audience of fifteen hundred sobbed as one.

I am really looking forward to tonight's performance.

Sun, 13 Apr 2003 23:03:31 GMT

As I sit in my study, blogging and listening to Mikhail Pletnev Live at Carnegie Hall (great CD - the Chacone is fabulous and the encores are jaw droppers), it is 42 degrees and pouring rain. I know that sounds tres ugly, but we need rain so it is a good thing.

Sun, 23 Mar 2003 06:34:39 GMT

I just got in from the Concert Association's presentation of Operatic Highlights. What a great time. How can you not love Opera Arias? They are a total blast.

Tonight's performers were top drawer - full, flawless voices with tremendous range and power. The audience just went nuts. The power, passion, and flat out gorgeous music brought everyone out of their seats shouting "Bravo!"

Mon, 03 Mar 2003 00:59:35 GMT

Last night the Concert Association presented Bang on Can All Stars with Meredith Monk. Wow! What an event. It was certainly not your father's music.

Bang on a Can was absolutely fabulous. Their music was avant guard but totally compelling, percussive, complicated beyond belief (how did they all manage to end up at the same place at the same time), and still accessible. Cheri and I were totally wowed by the group's technical prowess, musicality, and life and warmth - the last two of which are often missing when new music is performed.

I would see them again in a heart beat.

Meredith Monk was in another category - perhaps another planet. She has an amazing voice - clear, full and warm. However, she is just too out there for me. Lots of weird vocalizations that would be funny except they're supposed to be serious art. Monk has an incredible resume and has received a ton of awards, but I just couldn't get to where she was.

However, she's a virtuoso on the Jew's Harp.

Tue, 25 Feb 2003 03:44:42 GMT

I recorded my first ever on-air radio ad today. Speaking of suckage...Man, my voice was squeaking all over the place. My cold turned me into a teenage boy going through puberty. Fortunately Rick Goodfellow did some magic with my recorded voice and it actually sounded almost radio like. I recorded the ad for the Concert Association. The Bang on the Can All Stars are performing in Anchorage Saturday night. They do some amazing stuff with new music. And boy are they tight - superb musicianship. Anyway, my little ad will run this week on KLEF. I wanna try again - I think I could do better now that I have stumbled around once.

Sun, 09 Feb 2003 06:12:37 GMT

Last night, myself, Peter, Cheri, and Cheri's daughter, Katie, saw the Pilobolus Dance Theatre with the Saint Lawrence String Quartet. It is always a special treat to have a modern dance company accompanied by live music. The SLSQ is quite good - although, after having seen the Emerson String Quartet three weeks ago, I have to say it is so clear that the Emerson is the best string quartet in the world. The difference was startling.

Anyhoo, overall last night's performance was good but not fabulous.

Except, for the second piece: Symbiosis. A stunning intertwined duet of movement, strength, equality, and complemented differences, that with Paul Taylor's Eventide, are the two richest and most mature depictions I've ever seen of the complex relationship between men and women.

Mon, 20 Jan 2003 04:46:40 GMT

There was a very amusing moment at this afternoon's Emerson String Quartet concert.

First a little background: Anchorage classical music audiences are notorious for clapping between movements. The Concert Association has started educating audiences prior to each performance. At the curtain speech, the audience is reminded to wait until the end of each piece to clap.

Now here's where it starts to get funny. Today's curtain speech was given by Carol Butler. When she reached the point where she reminds the audience to wait to clap, she got a little flustered and told the audience to wait until the end of each movement to clap.

Oops - we all cried out Noooooooooo! She got even more flustered and from the stage looked out in the audience, spotted me, and said, Stephanie, when are we supposed to clap? I loudly answered, At the end of each piece.

But that's not the really funny part. At the end of the first movement of the first piece, the quartet paused. The PAC was seating late comers (a policy that I hate - late comers should be seated after the first piece is complete) and the quartet paused. All at once there was a tentative little clap and then silence. The quartet continued to stand. And then a little voice cried out, We like you. But they told us not to clap!

The entire audience gasps, but the violist saves the day by saying, We like you too. We're just waiting for the late comers to be seated. At that point, the audience howls with laughter.

It was too funny. It ranks right up there with the disappearing Colorado String Quartet.

Mon, 20 Jan 2003 04:28:16 GMT

This afternoon's The Emerson String Quartet concert was one of the greatest performances I've ever attended. The quartet was incredible - gorgeous tone, technical perfection, and they were so tight - they played as one - more than one. What an experience.

At intermission I told Dr. Wilkins that the Emerson might be the best quartet I had ever heard. Dr. Wilkins stated that the Emerson is considered by those in the know to be the best string quartet in the world - and not just by a little bit. They are head and shoulders above everyone else. Well I can testify to that - I've heard all the great ones - the Julliard, the Guaneri, etc. The Emerson String Quartet is clearly beyond all of them.

Sun, 19 Jan 2003 19:23:39 GMT

My cold/flu thing is worse this morning. I now have a very nice sore throat.

The thing is is that I need to rally. The Emerson String Quartet - one of the greatest string quartets in the world - is performing this afternoon at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. And I had some input into the programming - I pushed very hard for one of the Shostakovich String Quartets, so they are going to perform Shostakovich's String Quartet #8. The Emerson String Quartet won a Grammy two years ago with an absolutely stunning recording of all the Shostakovich String Quartets.

So, lot's of laying about until 3:00 PM when I'll stagger off to the PAC.

Fri, 08 Nov 2002 01:10:36 GMT

Lately, I've been somewhat obsessively listening to the 1999 remastered recording of Benny Goodman's landmark 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall. I just have to say that Harry James is THE BOMB - his solo rides on Sing, Sing, Sing and Bei Mir Du Schoen are so hot. He lets it rip and ride and his technique is flawless. No one plays trumpet like that anymore.

Gene Krupa is also pretty darn impressive. It's hard to believe that anyone was playing drums like than in 1938 - he'd blow away any rock drummer today. It's funny though - what I like best is his THUMP THUMP THUMP on the base drum. He's just so full of chutzpah. What a player.

Those guys could swing.

Sun, 03 Nov 2002 05:57:42 GMT

Just got in from the most fantastic concert - Ethos Percussion Group. Four men with drums, tablas, trap sets, marimbas, zylophones, etc. creating incredible music and rthyms. The beats and rthyms were complex and challenging and compelling. I have never in my life heard a rthym as stunning as the 7/8 time snare piece played tonight.

Those four guys must eat, breathe, and sleep music and rthym.

Wed, 30 Oct 2002 05:00:14 GMT

I"ve started yet another new category - "Hot Classical Music." I've listened and played Classical Music my entire life. It's time to inflict my favorites on the rest of you. So, without further ado, here's my first entry.

Shostakovich - Piano Trio No. 2 Opus 67.

Tremendous work - I first heard it on when I was on a "date" with Itzak Perlman (if you can believe that). He was up here in the early Fall of 1991 for a few days for a Concert Association peformance. That Friday evening, myself and two others took Mr. Perlman to the Sitka Summer Music Festival Fall Classics chamber concert. The Shostakovich was the last piece on the program - absolutely fantastic - Paul Rosenthal was the violinist, Nathanial Rosen, the cellist, and I can't remember the pianist - I believe he may have been Dutch. Prototypical Shostakovich - driving rhythms, percusive yet melodic instrumentation. Technically advanced, mentally challenging, and absolutely primal and accessible.

The party afterwards was totally entertaining - Itzak and Paul reminiscing about their days at Julliard and their various teachers.

Itzak and I, of course talked baseball and tennis. A total hoot.

Audio sample

Sun, 21 Apr 2002 06:32:44 GMT

Just a quick late night (for me) entry. Just got back from the Berlioz "Requiem" performed by the Anchorage Symphony, Concert Chorus, and several other choral groups. Mom and I thought it was absolutely fabulous - what staggering music. Those who think Classical Music is not relevant or dead or whatever, need to experience an event like this.