Saturday, August 18, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Why Violas don't suck
Violas are a beautiful instrument. They have a higher range than a cello, but lower than a violin. Even though the works that were written for us were not as famous as many violin or cello concertos, they all still have extreme beauty in the music.
Take Bloch's Suite Hebraique for viola as an example. The range and dexterity of the instrument is widely explored in this work. And Britten's Elegy takes the viola and makes it hauntingly beautiful by itself. I have always been interested by my instrument and will be exploring it all my life.
Take Bloch's Suite Hebraique for viola as an example. The range and dexterity of the instrument is widely explored in this work. And Britten's Elegy takes the viola and makes it hauntingly beautiful by itself. I have always been interested by my instrument and will be exploring it all my life.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Where did all my videos go?
I would like to say that I deleted the majority of my videos on YouTube due to a lack of professionalism in my production. I would like to impress the viewers with videos they can really enjoy. I do have 2 originals up, Ghosts of Brandenburg and the Matching Koalas. Go look now!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Story of Pictures at an Exhibition
I would like to apologize for all the mistakes I made in my video this week regarding the masterpiece of Mussorgsky and Ravel. So heres a condensed history of the piece:
Modest Mussorgsky was a member of the Mighty 5, a group of russian composers who seemed a nationalistic sound in the late 19th century due to resistance against the European style. Among them were Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov, Alexander Borodin, Cesar Cui, and Milay Balakirev. They all relied on one another immensely. Outside of that immediate circle were artists like Viktor Hartmann, an architect and painter who seeked out a nationalistic style of his own. Him and Mussorgsky were great friends. Hartmann's death by aneurysm at age 39 shocked Modest and most of Russia. The Art critic Vladmir Stassov set up a memorial art exhibit in February of 1874. It was this art exhibit the inspired Mussorgsky's composition.
The piano work was composed in June of 1874, following the premiere of Boris Godunov. It was not published until 1886, five year post humous. It was Rimsky Korsakov who discovered the work and had it sent to the publisher. It was not an accurate description of what Mussorgsky had wanted.
Later on in 1922, Maurice Ravel was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to orchestrate it. Successful at its premiere, it is still the most popular orchestration of the work. Some people will criticize the missing Promenade between "Samuel Goldenburg and Schmuyle"and "Limogues".
Many of the paintings of Hartmann were discovered by News Hong Kong TV in 1992 following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many of the true identities of the movements and their corresponding paintings still remain unknown.
Modest Mussorgsky was a member of the Mighty 5, a group of russian composers who seemed a nationalistic sound in the late 19th century due to resistance against the European style. Among them were Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov, Alexander Borodin, Cesar Cui, and Milay Balakirev. They all relied on one another immensely. Outside of that immediate circle were artists like Viktor Hartmann, an architect and painter who seeked out a nationalistic style of his own. Him and Mussorgsky were great friends. Hartmann's death by aneurysm at age 39 shocked Modest and most of Russia. The Art critic Vladmir Stassov set up a memorial art exhibit in February of 1874. It was this art exhibit the inspired Mussorgsky's composition.
The piano work was composed in June of 1874, following the premiere of Boris Godunov. It was not published until 1886, five year post humous. It was Rimsky Korsakov who discovered the work and had it sent to the publisher. It was not an accurate description of what Mussorgsky had wanted.
Later on in 1922, Maurice Ravel was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to orchestrate it. Successful at its premiere, it is still the most popular orchestration of the work. Some people will criticize the missing Promenade between "Samuel Goldenburg and Schmuyle"and "Limogues".
Many of the paintings of Hartmann were discovered by News Hong Kong TV in 1992 following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many of the true identities of the movements and their corresponding paintings still remain unknown.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Why Baroque Opera is popular again
Once in a while, every generation revives an idea and attempts to make it their own. Today, that idea is the baroque opera. Works by Vivaldi, Handel, Rameau, Lully, Purcell, Gluck, and others are now being revived in opera theaters across the globe. From colleges, to smaller companies, to big names like The Metropolitan Opera and The National Opera of Paris, there is a growing fashion of reinventing the style of opera that was popular back in the 17th and early 18th century. Plus, there is also a need for playing and singing the scores as accurately as possible. Gut strings, baroque bows, and other period instruments are making a major comeback. But why is opera which involves a repetitive style so popular now? What makes it so unique?
Why is baroque opera making a comeback? My first theory is that these works are not set in stone or considered as "sacred". You see, back when this music was written, the composer had only two things on his mind. First was to please the soloists who would sing the work. Second was to entertain the audience. A composer would be given a story, often from greek or roman mythology. Then the opera would be composed, consisting of an overture, recitative, arias, choruses, and ballet suites. If a singer wanted a different aria, the composer would write a new one or take one from another opera or composer. There was copyright infringement longer than you would expect. There were even works that consisted of materials solely from previous operas put into a new libretto. The pastiche, as this method was called, has been popularized today by the Metropolitan Opera and their production of The Enchanted Island.
My second theory is that Baroque opera allows singers to show off. The vocal line for singers in scores only display the basic notation, but historically it is recorded that singers would often make ornamentation at every possible point. This tradition is still followed today. Singers in the Baroque era were often raised from a young age when they showed promise. This was especially true for young boy sopranos who were castrated to keep their voices high though out their life. This practice has been discontinued since the late 19th century. But we still have countertenors who take on the major roles. Stars like David Daniels, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Andreas Scholl are just a few. Other great singers of Baroque repertoire include Danielle DeNiese, Joyce Di Donato, Renee Fleming, and Barbara Fritolli. These stars show off like its no one's business.
Lastly, my third theory is that there are no rules on how to interpret these works on stage. Directors can go with the classical approach of grand sets or go with a minimalist approach. You can go back in the day or go current day. Ive heard of a production of Handel's Giulio Cesare which is set in a modern day museum storage bay. The characters are all statues come to life, even a chorus of busts. Directors don't even need to have a serious take on the story or the arias. I am reminded of a production of Handel's Tolomeo at Glimmerglass where the characters act out the arias they sing. When Seleuce sings of gentle breezes blowing, an array of electric fans are placed in front of her and are turned on. I am even amazed at what directors are doing at my own school. I am currently playing in the pit for the Hofstra University production of Alcina. Instead of knights from the crusades, our heroes are special ops soldiers. But the story still gets told and thats what makes it all the more exciting.
My opinions of why Baroque opera is so popular again may not be the only ones. I encourage any readers who are well versed in music history and pop culture to leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions. Also, just any reader with an idea for an article or wanting to submit their own, go ahead and message me.
Why is baroque opera making a comeback? My first theory is that these works are not set in stone or considered as "sacred". You see, back when this music was written, the composer had only two things on his mind. First was to please the soloists who would sing the work. Second was to entertain the audience. A composer would be given a story, often from greek or roman mythology. Then the opera would be composed, consisting of an overture, recitative, arias, choruses, and ballet suites. If a singer wanted a different aria, the composer would write a new one or take one from another opera or composer. There was copyright infringement longer than you would expect. There were even works that consisted of materials solely from previous operas put into a new libretto. The pastiche, as this method was called, has been popularized today by the Metropolitan Opera and their production of The Enchanted Island.
My second theory is that Baroque opera allows singers to show off. The vocal line for singers in scores only display the basic notation, but historically it is recorded that singers would often make ornamentation at every possible point. This tradition is still followed today. Singers in the Baroque era were often raised from a young age when they showed promise. This was especially true for young boy sopranos who were castrated to keep their voices high though out their life. This practice has been discontinued since the late 19th century. But we still have countertenors who take on the major roles. Stars like David Daniels, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Andreas Scholl are just a few. Other great singers of Baroque repertoire include Danielle DeNiese, Joyce Di Donato, Renee Fleming, and Barbara Fritolli. These stars show off like its no one's business.
Lastly, my third theory is that there are no rules on how to interpret these works on stage. Directors can go with the classical approach of grand sets or go with a minimalist approach. You can go back in the day or go current day. Ive heard of a production of Handel's Giulio Cesare which is set in a modern day museum storage bay. The characters are all statues come to life, even a chorus of busts. Directors don't even need to have a serious take on the story or the arias. I am reminded of a production of Handel's Tolomeo at Glimmerglass where the characters act out the arias they sing. When Seleuce sings of gentle breezes blowing, an array of electric fans are placed in front of her and are turned on. I am even amazed at what directors are doing at my own school. I am currently playing in the pit for the Hofstra University production of Alcina. Instead of knights from the crusades, our heroes are special ops soldiers. But the story still gets told and thats what makes it all the more exciting.
My opinions of why Baroque opera is so popular again may not be the only ones. I encourage any readers who are well versed in music history and pop culture to leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions. Also, just any reader with an idea for an article or wanting to submit their own, go ahead and message me.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Why no sane musician should use Chat Roulette.
Well, we all remember the site where you press a button and are instantly connected to any person in the world. Make that any person you wouldn't consider sober or sane. On the late night of January 13th, I went on to Chat Roulette to attempt to collect a survey about classical music. My questions were going to ask about what was their favorite music, if they had ever listened to classical music, and what they felt about it. I had planned to record it and put it on YouTube, but unfortunately, the results were less than favorable.
The first group of guys I got to talk to were willing. I asked my questions and they answered that they loved alternative and thought classical music was for douchebags. Next were some guys in army gear. They liked rap. They then said that I was a weirdo for liking classical. Then after some more failed chats, actually reached someone who was speaking English. Some 12 year old boys from Ireland who liked dubstep. They told me that I was a weirdo for being on chat roulette. More quick nexts and a penis later, I gave up.
Conclusion: if you are on chat roulette, you don't have anything better to do. I don't know why, but we still have the stereotype of classical music as an elitist art. They think that we are all nerds, geeks, and unsociable people. And everyday I say that this is not true. And I intend to prove it anyway I can.
The first group of guys I got to talk to were willing. I asked my questions and they answered that they loved alternative and thought classical music was for douchebags. Next were some guys in army gear. They liked rap. They then said that I was a weirdo for liking classical. Then after some more failed chats, actually reached someone who was speaking English. Some 12 year old boys from Ireland who liked dubstep. They told me that I was a weirdo for being on chat roulette. More quick nexts and a penis later, I gave up.
Conclusion: if you are on chat roulette, you don't have anything better to do. I don't know why, but we still have the stereotype of classical music as an elitist art. They think that we are all nerds, geeks, and unsociable people. And everyday I say that this is not true. And I intend to prove it anyway I can.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Trouble with the mainstream pt 2
The previous post was about my qualifications for being here. Now to explain the real problem with classical music.
I can not say how many times I have heard people say that classical music sucks. Most of these people won't even give it a chance. When talking about music, people's minds will go straight to the idea that party rock is supreme and kicks Mozart in the butt. That's a lie. All music is truly equal. But it just the unfortunate accident of pop music leading in the public eye while classical music is for old stiffs. Another lie. Classical music is for everyone and should be shown more often in places other than PBS. I challenge anyone who has never heard Beethoven's 5th symphony to listen by themselves and close their eyes. If they don't have some epiphany come into their heads, idk what to say. But everyone should have some influence from classical music in their life, more than just commercials.
I can not say how many times I have heard people say that classical music sucks. Most of these people won't even give it a chance. When talking about music, people's minds will go straight to the idea that party rock is supreme and kicks Mozart in the butt. That's a lie. All music is truly equal. But it just the unfortunate accident of pop music leading in the public eye while classical music is for old stiffs. Another lie. Classical music is for everyone and should be shown more often in places other than PBS. I challenge anyone who has never heard Beethoven's 5th symphony to listen by themselves and close their eyes. If they don't have some epiphany come into their heads, idk what to say. But everyone should have some influence from classical music in their life, more than just commercials.
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