Gene De Lisa

Philadelphia Orchestra, Strauss, and Ravioli

gene — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:52:01 +0000

Dallas Symphony Conductor Jaap van Zweden cancelled his appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra for this week’s subscription concerts, April 4-6, 2013. Yannick will fill in two concerts, and a benchwarmer will fill in on Saturday. Richard Strauss’s Suite from Der Rosenkavalier was originally scheduled on the program along with Arnold Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night. In their…

Mary Louise Curtis : Happy Birthday Variations

gene — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:40:50 +0000

Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist (1876-1970) Born August 6, 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts. Died January 4, 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mary Louise Curtis founded the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1924. She was the daughter of the publishing magnate Cyrus H. K. Curtis, the founder and editor of the Ladies Home Journal and the…

Scheide Concert on January 18, 2013

gene — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:52:13 +0000

In celebration of the 99th birthday of William H. Scheide Friday, January 18, 2013 at 7:30pm Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall Princeton University A Concert to Benefit the Community Park Pool Performers (you can click each image for a full size version) The English Chamber Orchestra Mark Laycock, Conductor Stephanie Gonley, Violin Malcolm Gets, Narrator…

Beethoven : Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

gene — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:38:54 +0000

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) Baptized December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 Composed in 1808. First Performance: December 22, 1808 conducted by Beethoven at the Theater-an-der-Wien in Vienna. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 horns,…

Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

gene — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:43:42 +0000

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Born November 22, 1913 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. Died December 4, 1976 in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Opus 34 Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Composed: 1945. First Performance: October 15, 1946 with Sir Malcolm Sargent conducting the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2…

Vivaldi: Winter from the Four Seasons

gene — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:31:16 +0000

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Born March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy. Died July 28, 1741 in Vienna, Austria. Winter from the Four Seasons, Opus 8, Number 4 Published: 1725. Instrumentation: Solo violin, strings, and continuo. Duration: ~9 min. Antonio Vivaldi received his early musical training from his father Giovanni, who was a professional violinist at St.…

Bax: Dance in the Sunlight

gene — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:05:56 +0000

Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953) Born November 8, 1883 in Streatham (South London), England. Died October 3, 1953 in Cork, Ireland. Dance in the Sunlight from Three Pieces for Small Orchestra Composed in 1928. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, timpani, percussion, harp and strings Duration: ~5 minutes. Sir Arnold Edward…

Archie on computer music

gene — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:27:10 +0000

(Click for larger image) Archie judges music according to an interesting criterion.

Atlanta Symphony indignity

gene — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:31:10 +0000

You may remember when the Philadelphia Orchestra endured this bit of disrespect. It’s now the Atlanta Symphony’s turn. At a recent concert billed as “Il Divo and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,” the audience saw Il Divo and the orchestra onstage, but heard Il Divo’s live performance accompanied by prerecorded tracks that were performed by an…

Phil Winsor Remembered

gene — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:03:07 +0000

Phil Winsor May 10, 1938 – January 24, 2012 I am saddened to learn that Phil passed away in January. Here is his official obituary. I met him in my very first class at North Texas when I started my doctorate in 1982. It turns out that it was also his first class teaching at…

Master Trumpet player Maurice André 1933-2012

gene — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:30:05 +0000

The world famous classical trumpeter Maurice André has died. He would have been 79 on May 21. He worked in the mines of southern France in his teenage years. His father encouraged him to learn the trumpet. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 18. In the early 50s, he launched his successful solo…

iPad : Notion is a promising Music Notation App

gene — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:33:28 +0000

Notion is an iPad app for music notation. One outstanding feature of Notion is that it gives you the ability to edit and playback scores using real audio samples performed by The London Symphony Orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Here is a cheezy marketing blurb complete with bad movie music. This is how you…

Boulez is super cool

gene — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:33:53 +0000

Here is a clip of Pierre Boulez conducting the second movement (Fêtes) of Debussy's Nocturnes in London back in 1968.

Animated Prokofiev film

gene — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:08:58 +0000

This is a wonderful animated short – even if you don’t know who Prokofiev was or understand Russian. Just enjoy the animation. I liked the portrait of Rimsky Korsakov (then Liadov and Glazunov) that came “alive” to give him advice. Apparently this won a medal in some film competition.

Ringing iPhone interrupts Mahler’s Ninth

gene — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:16:35 +0000

A performance of Mahler’s ninth symphony by the New York Philharmonic, on January 10, 2012, was cut short 13 bars before the end. An iPhone located near the stage continued to play the default Marimba ringtone until conductor Alan Gilbert stopped the performance and addressed the guilty party directly. According to Paul Pelkonen’s Superconductor blog: “Mr. Gilbert…

Scheide Concert on January 27, 2012 to benefit Princeton Public Library

gene — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:18:49 +0000

Booked for the Evening In celebration of the 98th birthday of William H. Scheide A concert to celebrate a life of words and music Friday, January 27, 2012 at 8:00pm Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall Princeton University To benefit Princeton Public Library Concert Program (you can click each image for a full size version) Mark…

Brahms : Double Concerto

gene — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:39:22 +0000

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Born May 7, 1833 in Hamburg. Died April 3, 1897 in Vienna. Double Concerto in A Minor for Violin and Violoncello, Op. 102 Composed: the summer of 1887 near Thun, Switzerland. First Performance: October 18, 1887 at Cologne in the Gürzenich Hall with Brahms conducting, Joseph Joachim and Robert Hausmann as soloists.…

Mozart: Overture to the Marriage of Figaro

gene — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:22:16 +0000

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna. Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, K.V. 492 Composed in 1786. First Performance: May 1, 1786, at the Burgtheater, Vienna with Mozart conducting. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and…

Beethoven : Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92

gene — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:21:54 +0000

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) Baptized December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria. Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 Composed: 1811-1812. First Performance: December 8, 1813 at Vienna with Beethoven conducting. Instrumentation, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 timpani, and strings.…

It’s a Wonderful Life mystery solved

gene — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:25:21 +0000

How many of you watched or will watch It’s a Wonderful Life this December? Ever since I first saw this movie decades ago (remember when it was out of copyright and was on all the time?) I’ve wanted to know what was the name of the song was that is being sung in the background when…

The NJ Symphony’s playing is on fire

gene — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:08:25 +0000

Princeton, July 21, 2011. Conductor Mark Laycock really knows how to get players fired up. He returned to Princeton this summer to conduct Opera New Jersey’s production of The Barber of Seville as well as leading the New Jersey Symphony in the Third annual William and Judith Scheide Concert: Exploring Mendelssohn and the Gutenberg Bible…

Max Mathews, computer music pioneer

gene — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:48:14 +0000

Max Mathews died of pneumonia in San Francisco on April 21. He was 84. He has been called the “father of computer music” because his experiments in the 1950s at Bell Labs in NJ produced the first sounds synthesized by computers. He wrote the program MUSIC which led to a series of programs which culminated…

Zhou Long wins 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Music

gene — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:11:13 +0000

The 2011 Pulitzer prize in music was awarded to Chinese-born American composer Zhou Long, 57, for his opera “Madame White Snake,” which premiered on February 26, 2010 by Opera Boston at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. Cerise Lim Jacobs’ libretto is based on a Chinese folk tale to blend the musical traditions of the East and…

Philadelphia Orchestra files for bankruptcy

gene — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:22:59 +0000

The board of the Philadelphia Orchestra has voted to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Syracuse Symphony filed for Chapter 7 which means liquidation. Chapter 11 means that the orchestra will continue with their concert schedule and remain in business. It seems quite odd that an orchestra with an endowment of $140 million would…

Composer Daniel Catán has died

gene — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:54:53 +0000

The composer of the opera “Il Postino” died in his sleep at his home in Austin. The composer’s representative also confirmed his death, saying that he wasn’t suffering from any known illnesses. Born in Mexico City, Catán studied in Britain and later completed his music studies at Princeton University where he earned a PhD in…

Pianist Mariam Nazarian in concert at the Arts Council of Princeton

gene — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:15:15 +0000

Pianist Mariam Nazarian will perform at the Arts Council of Princeton on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 7:30 PM in the Solley Theater.

American Music Center and Meet The Composer will merge

gene — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:53:22 +0000

The American Music Center (AMC) and Meet the Composer (MTC) have announced their intention to merge. The new organization will be named New Music USA. The current president of Meet The Composer, Ed Harsh, will be the CEO. The current president of the AMC, Joanne Hubbard Cossa, will retire in December but will work with…

Syracuse Symphony Orchestra suspends concert season

gene — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:24:33 +0000

The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra’s board voted to suspend the rest of their 50th anniversary concert season due to a shortage of funds. They are emphasizing that this is a suspension and not a complete closure. This decision was preceded by cost reductions across the board from layoffs to salary decreases. As an example their conductor…

Who says that writing about music doesn’t pay?

gene — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:31:10 +0000

I came across an advert on Elance from someone who is looking for a writer with classical music knowledge. Here it is unedited: Writing Blurbs for Beethoven Sonatas I need someone to write concise, pithy blurbs, one for each of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. Each blurb should distinguish its sonata from all the rest. Two…

Mozart Concert, January 27, 2011 in Princeton to honor William Scheide

gene — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:47:12 +0000

In celebration of the 97th birthday of William H. Scheide there will be an All-Mozart Concert to Benefit Princeton HealthCare System’s Design for Healing Campaign on Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, Princeton University. The Zurich Chamber Orchestra will be conducted by Mark Laycock with soloists Jihye Son,…

Mozart : Overture to Così fan tutte

gene — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:39:08 +0000

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria. Overture to Così fan tutte, K. 588 Composed 1790. First Performance: January 26, 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna conducted by Mozart. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.…

Mozart : Concert Arias K. 416 and K. 419

gene — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:41:07 +0000

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria. Concert Arias, K. 416 and 419 Composed 1782. Having left his position that lacked opportunity for advancement at the Salzburg court of Archbishop Hieronymus Count von Colloredo, Mozart needed a new source of income. With Paris intended as…

Mozart : Symphony No. 35 (Haffner Symphony)

gene — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:54:42 +0000

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria. Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 Composed July 20-August 7, 1782. First Performance: March 23, 1783 at the Vienna Hofburgtheater conducted by Mozart. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets,…

Mozart : Concerto for Clarinet K. 622

gene — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:22:49 +0000

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria. Concerto for Clarinet, K. 622 Composed October 1791. Duration: approximately 25:00. First Performance: October 16th, 1791 in Prague at the Royal Old City Theater with Anton Stadler as soloist. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns and strings.…

Philadelphia’s stand in conductor

gene — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:24:21 +0000

Riccardo Muti, Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra withdrew from his remaining performances in Chicago in October due to illness (“extreme gastric distress”) The orchestra was able to engage Pierre Boulez to stand in for the ailing Muti. Boulez will conduct Mahler’s Seventh Symphony for the PBS Great Performances broadcast. The Philadelphia Orchestra was…

Augmented Sixth Chords

gene — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 16:04:26 +0000

Here is an easy way to remember the differences between French, German, and Italian augmented sixth chords. Let’s use E major for our example. The augmented sixth One thing all augmented sixth chords have is, well, an augmented sixth. I know; duh. All augmented sixth chords resolve to sol (5). In E that is B. Since…

NJ State Council on the Arts increases grants

gene — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:55:09 +0000

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts increased grants to arts organizations across North Jersey and a token few to South Jersey. They distributed close to $16 million which is $1.2 million more than last year. Last year then-Governor Jon Corzine cut their grants budget by 25%. They have also reinstated grants to individuals.…

Mahler’s hammer blows

gene — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:07:30 +0000

Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 is tied with No. 5 for being my favorite Mahler work. So naturally when a friend told me he was going to conduct it I was excited. No. 6 presents two problems that the conductor needs to resolve. One is the ordering of the middle movements. (Andante then Scherzo. End of…

Music criticism loses

gene — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:41:32 +0000

Composer Max Reger famously wrote to Dr. Rudolph Louis, a critic for the Münchner Neueste Nachrichten who had published a bad review on February 7, 1906 : “I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment it will be behind me!” (“Ich sitze in dem…

An evening of classics and D-I-S-R-E-S-P-E-C-T

gene — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:29:39 +0000

Aretha Franklin and Condoleezza Rice were onstage together at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts here in Philadelphia on July 27. The concert description on the Mann website describes it as “an evening of classics and R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” The media have dubbed it “The Diva and the Diplomat.” The AP provides excerpts in a youtube…

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

gene — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:05:30 +0000

By now you have heard that the Philadelphia Orchestra has named the Québécois conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Yah-NEEK Neh-ZAY Say-GUN) to be its new music director starting in 2012. Last year YNS (as the marketing suits like to call him) became the music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. He is also the principal guest conductor of…

2010 Philadelphia Music Project Grant Recipients

gene — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:32:10 +0000

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Announces 2010 Philadelphia Music Project Grant Recipients. Here is a listing of the Grants awarded. The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia was awarded $75,000 for A Composer’s Portrait, featuring a newly commissioned work by Princeton composer Steven Mackey. Mackey will participate in post-concert discussions, a workshop, and a composer…

Ormandy’s 25th memorial

gene — Sun, 16 May 2010 11:53:50 +0000

Critic Peter Dobrin was kind enough to publish a blurb in the Inquirer about the 25th anniversary of Eugene Ormandy’s burial. There was going to be a small memorial on Saturday. So I went to the church in Society Hill – Old Pine Presbyterian – where Eugene Ormandy was buried 25 years ago. Bill Pindar…

John Adams on Elgar’s Variations

gene — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:14:26 +0000

American composer and conductor John Adams recently posted interesting and personal observations on Elgar’s Enigma Variations. My program notes on the Variations for the upcoming concert of course pale in comparison. But then again they are “formal” program notes and not a blog post. I’m a bit surprised at some of the comments. They either…

Anshel Brusilow : The new Buddy Rich?

gene — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:01:36 +0000

The late Buddy Rich is well known as an old school big band drummer. His wit won for him many appearances on the Johnny Carson show where the public heard only sanitized stories about him. For example, when he was being prepped for surgery he was asked if he was allergic to anything. He replied,…

Dude, I’m Ill

gene — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:36:11 +0000

Hot dog media darling conductor injures himself on the podium. Gustavo Dude I’m Ill does not return after minor injury. But associate conductor Lionel Bringuier finally got a chance to conduct. Good for him.

Mendelssohn : Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage

gene — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:39:45 +0000

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) Born February 3, 1809 in Hamburg. Died November 4, 1847 in Leipzig. Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Overture, Op. 27 Composed: 1828. Revised in 1834. First Performance: December 1, 1832 at the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin with the composer conducting. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contra bassoon, serpent,…

Elgar : Enigma Variations

gene — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:37:54 +0000

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Born June 2, 1857 in Broadheath, (near Worcester) England. Died February 23, 1934 in Worcester. Variations on an Original Theme (“Enigma”) Opus 36 First Performance: June 19, 1899 at St James’s Hall, London conducted by Hans Richter. Composed: 1898-1899. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns,…

Princeton Symphony Concert 5/16/2010

gene — Fri, 07 May 2010 12:03:58 +0000

On May 16, 2010 there will be a concert by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra at the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. They will play: Mendelssohn Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Currier Broken Minuets Elgar Enigma Variations The concert is at 4PM.…

#operaplot

gene — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:54:27 +0000

This year’s #operaplot contest just ended. If you are new to twitter that octothorpe (what a word. The sharp symbol) turns the word into a “hashtag” which is useful for conducting searches on twitter. Enter #operaplot in the search field at twitter and you will see the entries. The goal was to summarize an opera…

John Luther Adams Wins Nemmers Prize

gene — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 01:11:10 +0000

American composer John Luther Adams has been named the 2010 winner of the Nemmers Prize in Music Composition. He will receive $100,000 but more importantly he will receive something much rarer for living American composers: performances. He lives in Alaska and his music is “inspired” by natural phenomena. Here is a piece in a natural…

Jennifer Higdon wins 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music

gene — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:21:09 +0000

Philadelphia based composer Jennifer Higdon won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto. The piece premiered on February 6, 2009, in Indianapolis, Indiana with Hilary Hahn as the soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony conducted by Mario Venzago. Here is a video of her most popular orchestral work blue cathedral. and part 2.

Philadelphia Orchestra SO

gene — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:57:59 +0000

There has been quite a bit of press this year about the Philadelphia Orchestra’s declining attendance. The Orchestra does have real problems. It would be nice to actually have a music director. The recession has hit them financially very hard which led them to the brink of bankruptcy. And yes, the current ad campaign -“Unexpect…

Schubert : Great C Major Symphony Videos

gene — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:33:13 +0000

Here are videos of Mark Laycock conducting the Wiener KammerOrchester at the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. This was the Wintermezzo concert in honor of WIlliam Scheide. Schubert Symphony. No. 9 “The Great” in C Major I Movement part 1. (YouTube has a time limit on videos so…

Tavener : The Protecting Veil

gene — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:28:17 +0000

Sir John Tavener (1944-) Born January 28, 1944 in Wembley, London. The Protecting Veil Composed: completed in 1988. First performance: the 1989 Proms with the London Symphony Orchestra, cello soloist Steven Isserlis. Instrumentation: solo cello with string orchestra (8 I violins, 8 II violins, 6 violas, 6 cellos, 3 basses). Duration: ~43 minutes. Taverner received…

Barber : Adagio

gene — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:23:49 +0000

Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Born March 9, 1910 in West Chester, PA. Died January 23, 1981 in New York City. Adagio for String Orchestra, Op. 11 Composed 1936. First Performance: November 5, 1938 with Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony. Instrumentation: string orchestra (first and second violins with divided parts, viola divided, cello divided and bass)…

Schoenberg : Verklärte Nacht

gene — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:14:58 +0000

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) Born: September 13, 1874 in Vienna Died: July 13, 1951 in Brentwood Park, Los Angeles, California Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4 Completed: December 1, 1899. Arranged for string orchestra in 1917 and revised in 1943. First performance: March 18, 1902 by the Rosé Quartet with an extra violist and cellist at…

PA Ballet : Orff and Hindemith

gene — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:32:59 +0000

This past Sunday afternoon I went to a performance of Program II of the The Pennsylvania Ballet at The Academy of Music. I’ve written music for dancers but I’m no expert on dance. The Inquirer’s review of this performance has more insightful things to say about the dancers. Here I’ll just add a few words…

Princeton Symphony Concert 3/21/2010

gene — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:00:07 +0000

On March 21, 2010 there will be a concert by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra at the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. They will play: Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) Barber Adagio for Strings Tavener The Protecting Veil The concert is at…

Mei-Ann Chen is the new Music Director in Memphis

gene — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:18:39 +0000

Mei-Ann Chen has been named the new Music Director for the Memphis Symphony. She was assistant conductor for the Baltimore Symphony and Atlanta Symphony and well as being a League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow. She was a finalist for the music director position for the Princeton Symphony. She conducted the PSO’s January 18, 2009…

Haydn : Symphony No. 88

gene — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:12:58 +0000

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Born March 31, 1732 in Rohrau Austria. Died May 31, 1897 in Vienna Austria. Symphony No. 88 in G Major. Composed: 1787. First Performance: Paris, 1787. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. Duration: ~25 min. Haydn wrote five symphonies between his celebrated Paris[82-87] and…

Ginastera : Variaciones concertantes

gene — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:10:32 +0000

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) Born April 11, 1916 in Buenos Aires. Died June 25, 1983 in Geneva. Variaciones concertantes, Op. 23 Composed: 1953. First Performance: June 2, 1953 in Buenos Aires with Igor Markevitch conducting the Asociacion de la Musica Orchestra. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet trombone, timpani, harp, strings.…

Ravel : Ma Mère l’Oye

gene — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:07:22 +0000

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Born March 7, 1875 in Ciboure near Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Basses-Pyrénées. Died December 28, 1937 in Paris, France. Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) Suite. Cinq Pièces Enfantines. Composed: 1908-10, 1911. First Performances: The original piano duet was premiered by Christine Verger and Germaine Duramy, (6 and 10 years old!), Salle Gaveau at a concert…

Prokofiev : “Classical” Symphony

gene — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:55:16 +0000

Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953) Born April 23, 1891 in Sontsovka, Ukraine. Died March 5, 1853 in Moscow. “Classical” Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 Composed:1916-1917. First Performance: April 21, 1918 in Saint Petersburg (then called Petrograd) with Prokofiev conducting the Former Court Orchestra. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns,…

Mozart : Piano Concerto No. 24

gene — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:26:23 +0000

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria. Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor K. 491 Completed March 24, 1786. First Performance: Probably April 3, 1786 at the Burgtheater in Vienna in a subscription concert with Mozart as soloist. Instrumentation: flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets,…

Mozart : Overture to Die Zauberflöte

gene — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:32:46 +0000

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria. Overture to Die Zauberflöte K. 620 Composed 1791. First Performance: September 30, 1791 at the Theater auf der Wieden (Freihaustheater), Vienna conducted by Mozart. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3…

Wintermezzo 2010

gene — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:35:25 +0000

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 8 pm there will be a concert in Celebration of William H. Scheide’s 96th Birthday. Mark Laycock will conduct the Wiener KammerOrchester. The works to be performed will be Mozart Overture to “The Magic Flute” K. 620 Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 with a…

Princeton Symphony Concert 1/21/2010

gene — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:57:51 +0000

On January 21, 2010 there will be a concert by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra at the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. They will play: Ravel Ma Mere l’Oye (Mother Goose) Haydn Symphony No. 88 in G Major Prokofiev Symphony No. 1,…

Brahms : Symphony No. 1

gene — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:17:20 +0000

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Born May 7, 1833 in Hamburg Germany. Died April 3, 1897 in Vienna Austria. Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68. Composed ~1855 – September, 1876. First Performance: November 4, 1876 at Karlsruhe with Otto Dessoff conducting. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets,…

Princeton Symphony Concert 11/1/2009

gene — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:52:27 +0000

On November 1, 2009 there will be a concert by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra at the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. They will play Brahms Symphony No.1 in C minor, along with John Harbison’s Canonical American Songbook and Concerto for Flute.…

Mozart : Overture to Die Zauberflöte

gene — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:52:40 +0000

Tchaikovsky : Symphony No. 6

gene — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:46:37 +0000

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Born May 7, 1840 in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia. Died November 6, 1893 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 Pathétique Composed February 16 to August 31, 1893. First Performance: October 28, 1893 in the Hall of Nobles, St. Petersburg with the composer conducting the Russian Musical Society Orchestra.…

Bartók : Concerto for Piano No. 3

gene — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:44:37 +0000

Béla Bartók (1881-1945) Born March 25, 1881 in Nagyszentmiklós. Died September 26, 1945 in New York City. Concerto for Piano No. 3, Sz. 119 Composed in the summer of 1945. First Performance: February 8, 1946, in Philadelphia, with György Sándor as soloist, and Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music. Instrumentation:…

Princeton Symphony Concert 4/26/2009

gene — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:49:29 +0000

On April 26, 2009 I will be giving a pre-concert talk onstage in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. The concert is at 4PM and I will start talking at 3PM. This is not a lecture! I wish to be your…

Bartók : Hungarian Sketches

gene — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:40:22 +0000

Béla Bartók (1881-1945) Born March 25, 1881 in Nagyszentmiklós. Died September 26, 1945 in New York City. Hungarian Sketches (Magyar képek) Sz. 97. Composed in August 1931 in Mondsee. First performance (No. 4 not performed) January 24, 1932 with Massimo Freccia conducting the Budapest Concert Orchestra. First complete performance: November 26, 1934 in Budapest with…

Smetana : Má vlast

gene — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:32:15 +0000

Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) Born March 2, 1824 in Litomyšl, Bohemia (Austrian Empire). Died May 12, 1884 in Prague. Selections from Má vlast Composed 1872-1879. First complete performance: November 5, 1882 in Prague under Adolf Čech. Vltava (Die Moldau) was composed in three weeks during November 1874 (November 20 to December 8, 1874) and premiered in…

Tchaikovsky : Violin Concerto

gene — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:24:05 +0000

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Born May 7, 1840 in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia. Died November 6, 1893 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Violin Concerto, Op.35 in D Major Composed March 17-April 11 1878. First Performance: December 4, 1881 with Adolf Brodsky as soloist Hans Richter conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons,…

Princeton Symphony Concert 3/15/2009

gene — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:48:24 +0000

On March 15, 2009 I will be giving a pre-concert talk onstage in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. The concert is at 4PM and I will start talking at 3PM. This is not a lecture! I wish to be your…

Dvořák : Serenade in D minor

gene — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:19:36 +0000

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) Born September 8, 1841 in Mühlhausen (Nelahozeves), Bohemia (Czech Republic). Died May 1, 1904 in Prague, Bohemia. Serenade in D minor for winds and strings, Op.44, B. 77 Composed: Jan 4, 1878 – Jan 18, 1878. First Performance: November 17, 1878, Orchestra of the Provisional Theater (Prozatímního divadla), Prague conducted by the…

Mendelssohn : Symphony No. 4

gene — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:15:51 +0000

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) Born February 3, 1809 in Hamburg. Died November 4, 1847 in Leipzig. Symphony No. 4, Op.90 in A Major “Italian” Composed: 1831-March 13, 1833. Revised 1834-1837. First Performance: May 13, 1833 in London with the composer conducting in the Philharmonic Society. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns,…

Rossini : Overture to La Scala di Seta

gene — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:07:49 +0000

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) Born February 29, 1792 in Pesaro, Italy. Died November 13, 1868 in Paris (Passy), France. Overture to La Scala di Seta Composed: 1812. First Performance: May 9, 1812 at the Teatro San-Mosè. Instrumentation: piccolo, flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, strings. Thanks to Bugs Bunny, The Lone Ranger and even…

Princeton Symphony Concert 1/18/2009

gene — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:47:21 +0000

On January 18, 2009 I will be giving a pre-concert talk onstage in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. The concert is at 4PM and I will start talking at 3PM. This is not a lecture! I wish to be your…

Haydn : Cello Concerto No. 2

gene — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:43:05 +0000

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Born March 31, 1732 in Rohrau Austria. Died May 31, 1809 in Vienna Austria. Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major Hob. VIIb:2 (Op. 101) Composed 1783 at the Esterházy mansion. First Performance: Unknown. Antonin Kraft as soloist, perhaps in Frankfurt-am-Main. Instrumentation: 2 oboes, 2 horns and strings. Joseph Haydn spent many…

Verdi : La forza del destino Overture

gene — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:39:33 +0000

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Born October 10, 1813 in Le Roncole, Parma. Died January 27 1901 in Milan. La forza del destino Overture Composed 1861-1862, revised 1869. First Performance: (Opera) November 10, 1862, Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, this overture February 20, 1869 at La Scala, Milan. Instrumentation: piccolo, flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons,…

Shostakovich : Symphony No. 10

gene — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:25:12 +0000

Dmitriĭ Shostakovich (1906-1975) Born September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg. Died August 9, 1975 in Moscow. Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93 Composed summer-fall 1953 – possibly earlier. First Performance: December 17, 1953 in Leningrad with Yevgeni Mravinsky conducting the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, english horn, Eb clarinet, 2…

Princeton Symphony Concert 11/9/2008

gene — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:46:09 +0000

On November 9, 2008 I will be giving a pre-concert talk onstage in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. The concert is at 4PM and I will start talking at 3PM. This is not a lecture! I wish to be your…

Berlioz : Roman Carnival Overture

gene — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:03:39 +0000

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Born December 11, 1803 in La Côte Saint-André. Died March 8 1869 in Paris. Roman Carnival Overture (Le carnaval romain) Composed June 1843 – January 1844. First Performance: February 3, 1844 at the Salle Herz, Paris conducted by Berlioz. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, english horn, 2 clarinets, 4 bassoons, 4 horns,…

Barber : Violin Concerto

gene — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:58:36 +0000

Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Born March 9, 1910 in West Chester, PA. Died January 23, 1981 in New York City. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14 Composed 1939 and 1940 in Switzerland and Paris. First Performance: February 7, 1941 with Albert Spalding as soloist Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music.…

Brahms : Symphony No. 2

gene — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:53:53 +0000

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Born May 7, 1833 in Hamburg Germany. Died April 3, 1897 in Vienna Austria. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 Composed in the summer of 1877 First Performance: December 30, 1877 at the Vienna Musikverein with Has Richter conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2…

Princeton Symphony Concert 9/28/2008

gene — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:44:55 +0000

On September 28, 2008 I will be giving a pre-concert talk onstage in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. The concert is at 4PM and I will start talking at 3PM. This is not a lecture! I wish to be your…

Benjamin Rous new Phoenix Symphony conductor

gene — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:16:00 +0000

Ben Rous has been named Assistant Conductor for the Phoenix Symphony. He was the assistant conductor for the Princeton Symphony. I knew him not only as a talented musician but also a nice guy. There are several videos of him conducting online. Take a look.

Beethoven : Symphony No. 5

gene — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:15:54 +0000

Mozart : Piano Concerto, K.V. 175

gene — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:08:18 +0000

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna. Piano Concerto, K.V. 175 in D Major Composed December 1773 in Salzburg First Performance: with Mozart at the piano Instrumentation: 2 oboes, bassoon ad libitum, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings. The traditional number of piano concerti…

Mozart : Ballet Music from Idomeneo

gene — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:02:45 +0000

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna. Ballet Music from Idomeneo, Ré di Creta K. 367 Composed December 1780-Jan 1781 in Munich First Performance: Jan 29, 1781 Residenztheater Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings In 1780…

Prokofiev : Pushkin Waltzes

gene — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:58:18 +0000

Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953) Born April 23, 1891 in Sontsovka, Ukraine. Died March 5, 1853 in Moscow. Pushkin Waltzes, Op. 120 Composed in 1949. First Performance: January 1, 1952, Moscow Radio performance, conducted by Samuel Samosud. Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba,…

Princeton Symphony Concert 4/27/2008

gene — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:43:42 +0000

On April 27, 2008 I will be giving a pre-concert talk onstage in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. The concert is at 4PM and I will start talking at 3PM. This is not a lecture! I wish to be your…

Schuller : Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee

gene — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:38:03 +0000

Gunther Schuller (1925-) Born November 22, 1925 in New York Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee Composed 1959 First Performance: November 27, 1959. Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati. Instrumentation: 3 flutes (+piccolo), 2 oboes, english horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, piano, harp, vibraphone,…

Respighi : Trittico Botticelliano

gene — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:27:10 +0000

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) Born July 9, 1879 in Bologna. Died April 18, 1936 in Rome. Trittico Botticelliano Composed in 1927. First Performance: September 27, 1927, at the Konzerthous of Vienna with the composer conducting. Instrumentation: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet, Triangle, Campanelli, Celeste, Harp, Piano, Strings. Respighi studied with Luigi Torchi at the Liceo…

Hindemith : Symphonie Mathis der Maler

gene — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:16:15 +0000

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) Born November 16, 1895, Hanau (near Frankfurt) Died December 28, 1963, Frankfurt. Symphonie Mathis der Maler Composed 1933-1935 First Performance: March 12, 1934 in Berlin conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Instrumentation: 2 flutes (second doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (second doubling English Horn), 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 4…

Princeton Symphony Concert 3/16/2008

gene — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:42:23 +0000

On March 16, 2008 I will be giving a pre-concert talk onstage in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall which is on the Princeton University campus. Tickets for the concert are available online. The concert is at 4PM and I will start talking at 3PM. This is not a lecture! I wish to be your…