text:
Police: Long lines at vehicle office send customer into rage
BAYONNE, N.J. (AP) — A woman angry about long lines at a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission office smashed computer equipment, assaulted two staffers and kicked police officers as they tried to arrest her, authorities said.
Shawna Joseph, 28, of Jersey City, was told to leave the office in Bayonne around 2 p.m. Tuesday after she became irate over the length of the line of customers, authorities said. She then returned about two hours later and caused another disturbance.
When she was confronted during the second visit, Joseph pushed the office manager and began breaking computer equipment, authorities said, eventually causing $23,000 in damage overall.
The manager and a security guard struggled to remove Joseph from the office, and she repeatedly punched both of them, authorities said. Police soon arrived and, as they and the security guard tried to restrain Joseph, she repeatedly kicked the officers while they attempted to handcuff her, authorities said.
Joseph was later found to have a PCP-laced marijuana cigarette in her possession, authorities said. She was charged with criminal mischief, drug possession, aggravated assault and hindering apprehension.
Joseph could not be reached for comment Wednesday. A phone listing for her could not be found, and authorities did not know whether she had an attorney.
The office manager suffered an undisclosed injury and was treated at a hospital, authorities said.
More Weird News Stories
MIAMI (AP) — The National Weather Service routinely warns people about falling rain, snow and hail, but temperatures are dropping so low in South Florida the forecasters warned residents Tuesday about falling iguanas.
"This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s. Brrrr!" NWS Miami tweeted.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge refused to overturn part of Utah's lewdness law Tuesday in a blow to a woman who's fighting criminal charges after her stepchildren saw her topless in her own home.
Judge Kara Pettit sided with prosecutors who argued that lewdness is commonly understood to include women's breasts in American society, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Judges should not second-guess what lawmakers have decided is lewd conduct, she wrote.
by Carolyn Roy / Jan 21, 2020
(KTAL/KMSS) – January 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day, created by a wildlife rehabilitator in hopes of fostering appreciation and a better understanding of the bushy-tailed rodents.
According to National Today, Christy Hargrove created the day in 2001 to encourage kinder attitudes toward squirrels, whether it's by setting out food and water for them or learning something new about the critters some might think are cute, but others consider pests.


Arsenal fans are being urged to join WWE wrestler Daniel Bryan's so called 'yes movement' at today's FA Cup final.
Leaflets are being handed out ahead of the Gunners' FA Cup final clash with Hull urging them to start Bryan's trademark chant when, or should that be if, they score against Hull at Wembley this afternoon.
It may have to be seen to be believed and could add a tremendous comic value to the celebrations should Arsene Wenger's men be able to finally end their nine-year wait to win a trophy.


Following on from our previous historical chapter (which can be read here), we pick up our story in 1888 at Woodside House in Whetstone!
The "Home" settled into its new home in North London, grateful for the Estate that Joseph Baxendale had nurtured and grown.
Woodside House was now home to 53 residents and was divided into three distinct areas. They were "The Upper House", "The Lower House" and "The Cubicles". The Upper House was designated for residents who could pay the 1888 annual fee of £40 to £60. The Lower House was more affordable for many residents, at £28 per annum. The Cubicles were available at the same cost. The staff lived in the House and the Maids were very young, some aged only sixteen.
Woodside housed the "Home for the Aged and Incurable" into the 20th Century, through two World Wars and into the 1960s. Throughout that time, records were kept by hand in Minute Books, which still exist today. They reveal fascinating details about the Home and the changing times it experienced.


Our plant-based Daily Essentials consisting of magnesium, omega-3, vitamin D3 and vitamin B12 combines the best of both worlds. We have ensured that you now have the option to choose a more sustainable alternative that at the same time offers your body the purest quality. Because let's be honest. What could be better than looking after ourselves and our planet at the same time?


Fast and good quotations, informed advisers to help you choose the correct product that suits all your needs, a short production time, responsible quality control and different services for paying and shipping affairs for Wooden Organizer Tray , wooden organizer tray , Wooden Desk Organizer , we sincerely invite you to grow up with us and make a bright future together!
"We depend on sturdy technical force and continually create sophisticated technologies to satisfy the demand of Wooden Organizer Tray , wooden organizer tray , Wooden Desk Organizer , We believe in quality and customer satisfaction achieved by a team of highly dedicated individuals. The team of our company with the use of cutting-edge technologies delivers impeccable quality products supremely adored and appreciated by our customers worldwide.


Carte de la Peninsule Comprenant l'Espagne et la Portugal.
A fine first edition example of M. Lapie's 1831 map of the Iberia or Spain and Portugal. The map covers all of Spain and Portugal from France to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Atlantic to the Balearic Islands. During this period Portugal on the cusp of the War of the Two Brothers. In 1826, Peter IV of Portugal abdicated his thrown in favor of his seven year old daughter Maria da Gloria, on the condition that she marry her uncle (Peter's brother) Miguel. Miguel deposed Maria and proclaimed himself King, which led to the Liberal Wars, and eventually resulted in Miguel being forced to abdicate and go into exile, and Maria II being proclaimed Queen. During this same period, in Spain, the death of Ferdinand VII also saw his daughter, Isabella II, an infant at the time, proclaimed Queen. This would also lead to the First Carlist War in Spain from 1833-1839.
This map was engraved by Armand Joseph Lallemand as plate no. 24 in the first edition of M. Lapie's important Atlas Universel. This map, like all maps from the Atlas Universel features an embossed stamp from the Lapie firm.
Rumsey 2174.024. Phillips (Atlases) 754, 765.


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"Campbell tree experts are Amazing the job done in a professional way.They are organized and well equipped.We are 100%..."
"Since 2010, we have used the services of Tree & Shrub Insect to care for the mature trees, shrubs and cedar hedge on..."
"I had an old elm stump removed from the front yard of my house after the city came and cut it down. I wasn't thrilled..."


1. How do I become a resident at Merritt Monument Apartments?
You must be able to meet the income guidelines set forth by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs – TDHCA. Merritt Communities participate in the Low income Housing Tax Credit program and offers affordable rents. Unlike most housing programs that are administered by HUD< the tax credit program is administered by the IRS, in coordination with state housing finance agencies across the country. Please call the community for more details.
2. What if I make too much money to qualify for the Low Income Housing Program?
Merritt Monument Apartments have set aside some apartments for those who do not qualify for the Low-Income Housing Program but still can choose to live here and enjoy all the beautiful amenities we have and call Merritt Monument Apartments home! Please call the community for more details.
No. Unlike other housing programs, tax credit rent is based on the average income in your county or other local area. This average is known as the "area median gross income" (AMGI), which HUD updates each year. Your actual income matters when it comes to determining if you qualify for a low-income apartment at a tax credit community. But the actual rent you pay is not based on your income.
Absolutely, once we are opened to view an apartment, we encourage you to visit Merritt Monument Apartments, meet our dedicated staff, see your new home or one that is comparable in size and floorplan) and check out all the great amenities and services that Merritt Communities offer its residents. During a construction lease up-this request may not be available since we cannot hold an apartment off the market without a completed application. To request a guided tour, simply call or drop by during regular office hours and ask for a member of our team.
Fortunately, no. The tax credit program does not have interim recertification's which means if you switch jobs, get a raise or sell an asset, you do not need to have your income calculated and verified again. You will need to meet with Management annually to recertify your income once a year, usually around the anniversary of your original move in date.
You will need to bring your driver's license or other state or federally issued id.
8. Do you have move in specials?
In addition to our superb amenities, dedicated staff and exceptional services, Merritt Monument Apartments may offer occasional move in specials. Find out more about a current move in special by calling the office staff.
Our rents are determined by the TDHCA each year and may be adjusted accordingly due to the area median income they gather for the years. Sometimes based on an annual review of costs, it is necessary to increase our rents to cover these costs.
Merritt Monument Apartments is pet friendly. We accept all domestic pets however there are breed and weight restrictions of 45lbs and less full grown. There is a pet deposit and a monthly pet rent. Please call our Management team for more details.
11. How many pets may have?
At Merritt Monument Apartments we allow a maximum of 2 pets per home.
13. What does your tag line of "Time to Live Life Well "mean to me?
It means that you can enjoy luxurious apartment living, resort style amenities, superior service and a maintenance free lifestyle. We promote wellness through a wide variety of activities, special events, lectures and classes.
14. Can I keep my car?
15. Is my security deposit totally refundable?
Yes, if there are no damages upon normal wear and tear and you have no prior balance owning on your account then your security deposit is fully refundable.
16. If I get ill or transferred for work can I break my lease?
At Merritt Monument Apartments, we will do everything we can to work with you. There is an 85% cost for reletting fee of one month's rent with a 60 day notice that is required. There may be other fees and rent due but we ask that you speak to Management to learn more.
17. How many days' notice is required to terminate my lease once my lease is fulfilled?
18. What utilities are included in my lease?
Trash, water and sewage are included in your rent each month. You are responsible for your phone, internet, electricity and cable T.V.
19. How long is the term of the lease?
Our lease agreement are 12 months and will require annual recertification of income and assets every 12 months to determine income eligibility on our affordable housing apartments.
20. Am I required to have renters insurance?
21. Do you offer furnish apartments?
Merritt Monument Apartments has formed partnerships with premier furniture rental companies that can assist you with rental furniture and household items, but we do not have furnished apartments to rent.
22. Do you offer short term lease apartments?
Merritt Monument Apartments does offer short term lease apartments. Please contact our Management for more details on short term leases.
23. How would I report a maintenance issue inside my apartment?
Maintenance free living is one of the many services you will discover when you make Merritt Monument Apartments your home. You can rest assured our team is committed to responding quickly to your maintenance needs. To place a maintenance service request, please visit our website and select your community and enter the pertinent information or stop by the office and complete a written service request for the needed repair or simply call our office during business hours and speak to one of our staff to place your request. If you ever have a maintenance emergency after hours, please call the office phone number and it will direct you to the emergency maintenance line.
24. When is my rent due?
25. What day of the month am I liable for a late charge for overdue rent?
Your rent is considered late after the 5th day of the month. On the 6th day you will start to incur late fees.
26. Will you accept electronic payment from my bank?
We do not accept electronic payments from your bank, but you can pay with a credit card (there are fees associated with doing this) & you can set up a recurring monthly payment by inputting your bank account # & routing # in your account system set up (there is a small fee associated with doing this). You can also pay your rent via check, cashier's check or money order by delivering it the leasing office.
27. Is there a place where I can pay my rent after office hours?
28. Do you have reserved parking?
At Merritt Monument Apartments we do have reserved parking and garage rentals.
29. I have a motorcycle, where can I park it?
30. My family visits me in the summer, do I need to notify your office when they arrive?
Per our lease contract, "Anyone not listed on the lease cannot stay in the apartment for more than 7 days in one week without our prior written consent and no more than twice that many days in any one month.
31. Does the community have a fitness center?
32. Does the community have a swimming pool?
33. Are gas grills permitted at your community?
34. Is there any additional storage space available at your community?
35. Are residents permitted to paint their apartments?
We want you to make this your home. If you wish to paint the walls in your apartment, you may do so but please remember there will be fees added to your account to return the apartment back to original color at move in time.
36. Will you accept my delivery packages for me?
37. Can the clubhouse be rented out?
38. Do the apartments have a full kitchen?
39. Do they include a washer and dryer?
The apartment is equipped with full size washer/dryer connections however the washer and dryer are not included in the apartment. We have conveniently located laundry facilities that are open 24 hours on the community for all residents to use.
40. How do I get directions to Merritt Monument Apartments?
For detailed maps and turn-by-turn directions to Merritt Monument Apartments, please visit our Maps link on the website.
41. Do you allow smoking in the apartments or on the premises?
At Merritt Monument Apartments, we do allow smoking but there is an additional smoking deposit that must be paid at time of move in in order to smoke inside the apartment or on the patio.


Simple Gazebo Plans – When creating simple stalls, you should really sit down and determine whether the specified style is appropriate or not. You may need to use a prefabricated set because it will make building easier. Seeing the balcony style watch, it may be wise to build an umbrella-style balcony as it is one of the more style gazebo is easy to install. The first part of the construction process is to get a clean the area. The best part in the umbrella style is portable. You can build them with little woodworking knowledge.
The first thing to do when installing a simple gazebo plans structure is to review the plan and instructions thoroughly. Make sure you understand all the steps necessary to install the chassis. Make sure you include all items in the collection. Arrange parts of the first pieces to use for the latter. Moreover, we will develop buildings that will exist. Try to get the zone level enabled. Remove all trees, rocks and anything else that can exist in this area. Use a shovel to move the dirt from one high point and place it in the lower area. Ensuring a flattened area will make running the construction process smoother, as well as reducing the chances of balcony falling.
An important aspect of a simple gazebo plans industry is to use the simplest technique every time. This umbrella kiosk is one of the structures that will use a limited number of tools. Need small screws or screws to secure certain areas. See instructions to determine what methods you will use in some points. After installing the floor for the deck, the next step is to assemble the building. Use the clues to determine where the parachute is and then open the canopy and place it directly in the sun. Remove all wrinkles and folds. Continue to subscribe to be cut and zip sections to be compressed.


For the new HBF+Europe Minority Coproduction Support scheme, HBF selects four projects, represented by co-producers from Greece, France and the Netherlands. The selection includes three feature films by emerging female directors (Rungano Nyoni, Soudade Kaadan and Bani Khoshnoudi) and a third film by Benjamin Naishtat from Argentina. Each project has received a contribution of €55.000. The HBF+Europe programme is supported by the Creative Europe-MEDIA programme of the European Union.
Fireflies tells the story of Ali, a young homosexual who escaped the repression in Iran by fleeing to Veracruz, Mexico, where he tries to move forward with his life. Director Bani Khoshnoudi's first feature, Ziba, and two of her shorts, screened at previous editions of IFFR. Fireflies will be produced in Mexico, as a coproduction between Zensky Cine (Mexico) and Haos Film (Greece).
Rungano Nyoni's successful short Mwanza the Great screened at IFFR 2012. Her new project, I Am Not a Witch was supported for HBF Script and Project Development. The film follows Shula, a young girl who is accused by her community of witchcraft and exiled to a witch-camp in the middle of the desert. The film will be a coproduction between ICREATE FILM (Zambia), Clandestine Films (France), Soda Pictures (UK) and OAK Motion Pictures (The Netherlands).
Rojo by Benjamin Naishtat was previously supported by HBF Script and Project Development and NFF+HBF. The film looks at a small town on the edge of the desert, where a series of strange, vaguely connected events illustrate the violent times of the mid 1970s in Argentina. Rojo will be made in coproduction with Pucará Cine (Argentina), Desvia (Brazil), Viking Film (The Netherlands), Ecce Films (France) and Sutor Kolonko (Germany).
The Day I Lost My Shadow by first-time filmmaker Soudade Kaadan, portrays Syria during the Arab Spring in 2011. Between water outages and power cuts, Sana is determined to obtain cooking gas to prepare a meal for her son. When the country is hit by a gas crisis, she takes a day off from work to search for a gas cylinder. The film will be shot in Lebanon and produced by KAF Productions (Lebanon), in coproduction with Acrobates Films (France).


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The Sanremo Music Festival 1963 was the 13th annual Sanremo Music Festival, held at the Sanremo Casino in Sanremo, province of Imperia between 7 and 9 February 1963.

The show was presented by Mike Bongiorno, assisted by Edy Campagnoli and Maria Giovannini. Gianni Ravera served as artistic director.

According to the rules of this edition every song was performed in a double performance by a couple of singers or groups. The winners of the Festival were Tony Renis and Emilio Pericoli with the song "Uno per tutte".

Participants and results

References

Sanremo Music Festival by year
1963 in Italian music
1963 in music
1963 music festivals

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
[![build status](https://gitlab.timmertech.nl/docker/alpine-sdk/badges/master/build.svg)](https://gitlab.timmertech.nl/docker/alpine-sdk/commits/master)
[![](https://images.microbadger.com/badges/image/datacore/alpine-sdk.svg)](https://microbadger.com/images/datacore/alpine-sdk)
[![](https://images.microbadger.com/badges/version/datacore/alpine-sdk.svg)](https://microbadger.com/images/datacore/alpine-sdk )
[![](https://images.microbadger.com/badges/commit/datacore/alpine-sdk.svg)](https://microbadger.com/images/datacore/alpine-sdk)
[![](https://images.microbadger.com/badges/license/datacore/alpine-sdk.svg)](https://microbadger.com/images/datacore/alpine-sdk)

# docker/alpine-sdk

Alpine SDK for building packages

# Usage

```bash
docker run --name alpine-sdk --hostname sdk -e GITHUB_USER=<GITHUB_USERNAME> -it datacore/alpine-sdk sh --login
```

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Practical Preservation Issues
Datasets, Issues, Contexts and Solutions
Common validation error messages from PDF to PDFA conversion
Search for a New Parent Page Search keywords Search in space Practical Preservation Issues
Title: Common validation error messages from PDF to PDFA conversion View Source
Author: Jo Gilham Sep 02, 2014
Last Changed by: Jo Gilham Sep 02, 2014
Tiny Link: (useful for email) http://wiki.opf-labs.org/x/CIAPB
Wiki Markup: [REQ:Common validation error messages from PDF to PDFA conversion]
Practical Preservation Issues (1)
Page: Fixes for some common PDF to PDFA conversion validation errors
Page: Issues
issue, untagged, unsolved_issue, opf, preservingpdf
(16) https://www.google.com
(16) https://www.google.ca/
(11) https://www.google.co.in/
(11) https://www.google.de/
(11) https://www.google.co.uk/
(10) https://www.google.com.au/
(8) https://www.google.it/
(6) https://www.google.fi/
(6) openplanetsfoundation.org/aggregator?page=8
Sep 02, 2014 13:59 Jo Gilham view changes
Sep 02, 2014 11:06 Becky McGuinness view changes
Sep 02, 2014 10:49 Jo Gilham
Page: ADS Grey Literature Library

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Three questions for incoming virtual banks
Fred Lau, Airstar
CEOs from three licensed startups in Hong Kong highlight issues they are still working through.
Frederick Lau, Airstar
Many Hongkongers are eager to sample services from among the eight virtual banks that have been licensed. That's according to a survey by KPMG of over 2,000 residents, most of whom express readiness to give virtual banks a try, says the consultancy's head of fintech, Avril Rae.
The promise is new banks that solve real pain points, not just serving up a snazzy mobile app: fast and easy account opening, services to help people organize their finances, and blending banking in with lifestyle activities, among other things. They are doing so by leveraging artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, and open APIs, to ensure a widely accessible, 24/7 business.
But there remain plenty of questions as to how to actually implement a virtual bank – which is probably why several V.B.s have been reportedly warning their launches will be delayed well into 2020. The noise around this is acute enough to prompt a statement yesterday from Arthur Yuen, deputy CEO at Hong Kong Monetary Authority. He told the audience of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers – gathered for HKIB's annual conference – that there never was a launch period mandated by the regulator.
"Our objective is to ensure that virtual banks are prepared," he said, adding that he expects a few will soft-launch basic services before the end of 2019.
Question 1: regulation
On paper, there should be no question marks about regulation. The law is clear: virtual banks have the same capital requirements and the same legal obligations as convention ones, with the single exception that they must be branchless.
The HKMA is keen to see these new players provide better tailored services to retail customers and small businesses, to better drive competition and keep Hong Kong's banking industry relevant. Its supervisory stance is "risk based and technology neutral", which sounds the same as how it treats conventional banks.
But it's clear already that regulating V.B.s is not at all like regulating conventional banks. There is a greater focus on technology risk management and data privacy, as well as ensuring anti-money laundering and other compliance checks.
Customer protection is an even greater challenge for virtual banks
Arthur Yuen, HKMA
"Customer protection is an even greater challenge for virtual banks," Yuen said, "as they use behavior data analytics as they design and market products and services. That raises very different protection challenges," notably data privacy.
Yuen sited the government's Privacy Commission as a font of ethics and best practices. Those are indeed fairly well developed. But they are also voluntary, and the Privacy Commission lacks enforcement powers.
Question 2: compliance
The flip side to HKMA's concerns about supervising virtual banks is how they themselves approach issues around compliance.
Frederick Lau, CEO of Airstar Bank – owned 90% by Xiaomi and 10% by AMTD, where Lau also works – says meeting regulatory standards is not straightforward.
"Doing implementation with our vendors, we encounter a big number of [projects] that are not up to our [banking] standards or up to the regulator's standards," he told the HKIB forum. "We have to go back and forth to keep improving the final products."
He says this is not unique to Airstar. Miscommunication stems from differing expectations. Virtual banks are new, for the industry and for the HKMA, which hasn't issued a big banking license for decades. These may be "virtual" banks but they still must submit small mountains worth of paper documentation.
Moreover, with eight V.B.s on the drawing board, there is fierce competition for hiring in I.T., risk management, and compliance. Hiring bottlenecks impact the pace of other aspects of building the bank.
Running a technology company is different from running a bank
Frederick Lau, Airstar Bank
But the biggest challenge, at least internally, is that most of the leading shareholders of V.B.s are not banks. Of the eight, only two have major bank owners (Bank of China and Standard Chartered), while local fintech WeLab has been operating electronic marketplaces for several years.
"Running a technology company is different from running a bank," Lau said. "When Apple launches a new version of the iPhone, it's not perfect. There may be bugs. But they want to launch their product fast and grab market-share. In banking we cannot do that. We have to do everything 100 percent perfectly, to reach our standard and the HKMA's standard."
Which is a way of saying the tech shareholders in V.B.s still need time to better understand what is expected of a bank in Hong Kong – in a way that doesn't compromise the innovation that's at the heart of these new businesses.
Question 3: metrics
Tat Lee, alternate CEO at WeLab, says the newness of virtual banks means equipping the bank's teams, including its bankers, with a tech mindset.
"When we build a virtual bank, we want to change the traditional way to build a bank," he said. "It's not a business-driven bank. Business is important, but technology is a key success factor. Everyone needs that mindset."
Internally that means moving away from traditional decision-making processes (such as waterfalls, that is, sequential and hierarchical decisions) and more inclusive formats that encourage innovation.
"Compliance and risk-management people need to be trained, to combine their traditional wisdom with the technology," he said.
We want to change the traditional way to build a bank
Tat Lee, WeLab
But where does the business side – revenues – come in? And if it's not the main driver (at least not for the next few years), how do banks intend to benchmark their progress?
Deniz Güven, CEO of Standard Chartered's virtual bank, says traditional metrics won't work. Everyone gives lip service to the "customer-first" proposition but he doubts that's how banks actually operate. But customers will really be the first priority among virtual banks (aside from necessities such as security).
"I tell the board and our shareholders, our first KPI is heartshare, not marketshare."
Which makes for a great soundbite, but what does it mean? When Anthony Thompson launched Metrobank in the U.K., he too had a single KPI for all of his staff, which was customer satisfaction, as measured by net promoter scores. If Güven is implementing metrics for happiness, he isn't sharing what those are.
"Of course we can talk profits and customer numbers," Güven said, but then declined to do so.
To be fair to Güven, the other V.B.s aren't talking such numbers either – and it may be a while before this becomes relevant. All the newcomers share the goal of making their customers happy and winning their trust, and that is going to take a few years.
But that doesn't mean metrics go out the window. There will still need to be business models against which these banks are judged – and it's not clear what any of those will be.
Related Topics:AirstarArthur YuenAvril RaeDeniz GuvenfeaturedFrederic LauHKIBHKMAKPMGregulationStandard CharteredTat Leevirtual bankingWeLab
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text:
The New York Times names the top 25 classical recordings of 2020 and includes sample tracks
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FOWARD A LINK TO IT or SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just "Like" it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
What did the holidays bring you?
Did Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa bring you a gift card?
A subscription to a streaming service?
Maybe some cash?
Or maybe you just want to hear some new music or new musicians or new interpretations of old classics?
Every year, the music critics of The New York Times list their top 25 recordings of the past year. Plus at the end of the story, the newspaper offers a sample track from each recording to give you even more guidance.
This year is no exception (below).
In fact, the listing might be even more welcome this year, given the coronavirus pandemic with the lack of live concerts and the isolation and self-quarantine that have ensued.
The Ear hasn't heard all of the picks or even the majority of them. But the ones he has heard are indeed outstanding. (In the YouTube video at the bottom, you can hear a sample of the outstanding Rameau-Debussy recital by the acclaimed Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafssen, who scored major successes with recent albums of Philip Glass and Johann Sebastian Bach.)
Here is a link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/17/arts/music/best-classical-music.html
Of course not all critics agree.
The Ear has already listed the nominations for the Grammy Awards (a link is below), and more critics' picks will be featured in coming days.
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2020/11/28/for-holiday-shopping-and-gift-giving-here-are-the-classical-music-nominations-for-the-63rd-grammy-awards-in-2021/
You should also notice that a recording of Ethel Smyth's "The Prison" — featuring soprano Sarah Brailey (below), a graduate student at the UW-Madison's Mead Witter School of Music and a co-founder of Just Bach — is on the Times' list as well as on the list of Grammy nominations.
What new recordings – or even old recordings — would you recommend?
Tags: #AlexanderScriabin, #AmazonMusic, #AmericanJazz, #AnnaThorvaldsdottir, #AnthonyTommasini, #AntoineForqueray, #ArchivMusic, #AshFure, #AvieRecords, #BangonaCan, #BarnesandNoble, #BaroqueDance, #BaroqueMusic, #BaroqueOpera, #BavarianRadioSymphoyOrchestra, #BenjaminGrosvenor, #BlackAmericans, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CarolinWidmann, #CelloSuites, #ChamberMusic, #ChandosRecords, #ChoralMusic, #ChristmasHoliday, #ClaudeDebussy, #CorinnadaFonseca-Wollheim, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #CriticallyAcclaimed, #DanillTrifonov, #DavidGreilsammer, #DavidHertzberg, #DeccaRecords, #DeutscheGrammophon, #DriftMultiply, #DukeEllington, #ElimChan, #EriksEsenvalds, #EthelSmyth, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FairyTale, #FergusonMissouri, #FranzSchubert, #FredericChopin, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GeorgeLewis, #GiftCard, #GraduateStudent, #GrammyAward, #GrammyAwards, #HermannScherchen, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HolidayGift, #HolidayGiftGuide, #IgorStravinsky, #InternationalContemporaryEnsemble, #JacobStockinger, #JanLadislavDussek, #Jean-EfflamBavouzet, #Jean-FéryRebel, #Jean-PhilippeRameau, #JohannNepomukHummel, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnnyGandelsman, #JosephC.PhillipsJr., #JosephWölfl, #JoshuaBarone, #JoyceDiDonato, #JustBach, #KarimSulayman, #KirillGerstein, #LiliBoulanger, #LincolnCenter, #LiveConcert, #LivingComposers, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MariinskyOrchestra, #MariinskyTheaterOrchestra, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MeredithMonk, #Mezzo-sopranoSinger, #MirareRecords, #MusicalInterpretation, #MusicCritics, #Muzio, #NadiaBoulanger, #NaiveRecords, #NathalieJoachim, #NewMusic, #NewYorkCity, #NewYorkTimes, #NicholasPhan, #OldClassics, #OlivierMessiaen, #PeriodInstruments, #PhilipGlass, #PianoConcerto, #PianoSonata, #PierreHantai, #RebeccaSaunders, #RichardWagner, #RoyalScottishNationalOrchestra, #SampleTrack, #SarahBrailey, #Self-Isolation, #Self-Quarantine, #SergeiProkofiev, #ShiverLung, #SilverAge, #SoloPiano, #SopranoSinger, #SoundSample, #StreamingService, #TenorSinger, #TheBeethovenConnection, #TheEar, #TheExterminatingAngel, #ThePrison, #TheUK, #TheUW, #ThomasAdès, #TopRecordings, #TristanPerich, #UnitedKingdom, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #ValeryGergiev, #ViennaStateOperaOrchestra, #VikingurOlafsson, #VocalMusic, #WyntonMarsalis, #Yi-hengYang, #YouTubevideo, #ZacharyWoolfe, 2020, acclaimed, African American, Agrippina, Alexander Scriabin, Amazon, Amazon Music, amazon.com, America, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Anthony Tomassini, Antoine Forqueray, Archiv Music, Arts, Ash Fure, audience, Avie Records, award, Bach, Bang on a Can, Barnes and Noble, Baroque, Baroque music, Baroque opera, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven, Benjamin Grosvenor, Berceuse, black, blog, brilliant, BrowandBeige, Brown and Beige, Carolin Widmann, cash, Cello, Cello Suite, centuries, Chamber music, Chandos Records, chaos, China, Chinese, Chopin, choral music, Christmas, Classical music, classics, Claude Debussy, Clementi, coming, composer, Concert, concerto, conductor, connection, conversation, Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, coronavirus, dance, Daniil Trifonov, David Greilsammer, David Hertzberg, days, Debussy, Decca, Decca Records, Deutsche Grammophon, DG, drift, Drift Multiply, Duke Ellington, Dussek, Early music, Earth, Elim Chan, end, Eriks Esenvalds, Ethel Smyth, exception, Facebook, Facebook post, Facebook posting, fairy tale, Ferguson, fortepiano, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, George Frederic Handel, George Lewis, gift, gift card, gigue, Glass, graduate student, Grammy, guidance, Handel, Hanukkah, harpsichord, hear, Hermann Scherchen, historically informed performance practices, Holiday, Hummel, Iceland, Icelandic, Igor Stravinsky, International Contemporary Ensemble, interpretation, isolation, Jacob Stockinger, Jan Ladislav Dussek, Jazz, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Jean-Féry Rebel, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johnny Gandelsman, Joseph C. 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Classical music: Acclaimed native son Kenneth Woods returns this weekend to conduct the Madison Symphony Orchestra. He talks to The Ear about what Madison meant to him and his international career
This weekend, native Madisonian Kenneth Woods (below) returns from his home in the UK to conduct three performances of the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
The concerts feature two MSO debuts: the prize-winning young Canadian violinist Blake Pouliot performing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor; and the acclaimed guest conductor, Kenneth Woods, leading the orchestra for the MSO premiere of Haydn's Symphony No. 96, "Miracle" plus Richard Strauss' tone poem Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life).
Performances will be held in Overture Hall on Friday night, March 6, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday night, March 7, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday afternoon, March 8, at 2:30 p.m.
Single tickets are $19-$95 each and are on sale now, along with discounted tickets, at: https://madisonsymphony.org/event/the-miracle/; through the Overture Center Box Office at 201 State Street; or by calling the Box Office at (608) 258-4141. Fees apply to online and phone sales.
You can view program notes for this concert online at http://bit.ly/msomar2020programnotes
A Prelude Discussion by Randal Swiggum will take place one hour before each concert.
Guest conductor Kenneth Woods is a busy and versatile musician. He is the Principal Conductor of the English Symphony Orchestra and the artistic director of both the Colorado MahlerFest and the Elgar Festival in England. (You can hear Woods conducting Carl Maria von Weber's "Oberon" Overture in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Woods has won accolades for rediscovering and recording the music of the Austrian-British composer Hans Gàl. Woods, who has played guitar in a rock band, is also a professional cellist who solos with orchestras and plays chamber music. He writes a respected blog. And he currently plays and records in the Briggs Piano Trio for Avie Records.
For much more information about Kenneth Woods, including his blog "A View From the Podium," go to: https://kennethwoods.net/blog1/
Woods recently spoke via email to The Ear about what Madison has meant to him and to his international career.
How did living in Madison play a role in your decision to become a professional musician?
Madison offered me a chance to hear music at an early age. I was taken to watch a rehearsal of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra as a very young kid, maybe three or four years old. That made a huge impression on me, especially seeing the rehearsal process. Later, my parents took us to all the UW Symphony Orchestra concerts for years.
There's really no reason not to take young kids to concerts! For me, a love of live music led to a love of recorded music, listening to records at home, and from there, to an interest in playing music as a kid.
We were lucky to have a very strong music program in the Madison public schools when I was growing up here. The orchestras at Memorial High School played some really impressive repertoire under Tom Buchhauser (below top, in a photo by Jon Harlow). The UW Summer Music Clinic made being a musician social – it was a great immersion with one's peers.
Most important, however, was probably the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO). Playing under Jim Smith (below bottom) was the most fantastic education in orchestral playing one could hope for. He and Tom are a big part of why I became a conductor.
Madison in those days wasn't a super-pressurized scene, like one might encounter around the big pre-college programs in New York or LA. But what I might have missed in terms of conservatory-level instrumentalists in every corridor, one made up in terms of feeling like you could find your own path. By the time I was in high school, I pretty much knew music was that path.
How did your experiences in Madison help prepare you for that career?
I learned so much about rehearsing from Jim Smith. In his first year, we worked on Dvorak's 8th Symphony pretty much all year. Every week, he opened our ears to new facets of the music. I've never forgotten that.
I went off to Indiana University to do my Bachelor's degree, but returned to Madison for a Master's, when I studied cello with UW-Madison professor Parry Karp (below top).
Those were wonderful years for me. I learned an enormous amount from Parry as both a cello teacher and chamber music coach (and especially as a person).
I played in fantastic chamber groups, did lots of wacky new music and had solo opportunities. UW Symphony Orchestra conductor David Becker (below bottom) even gave me my first meaningful chance to rehearse an orchestra when he had me take a couple of rehearsals on the Copland Clarinet Concerto.
And I played in both the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. I came away from that time with both new skills and new confidence.
What does returning to your hometown to conduct the Madison Symphony Orchestra mean to you?
It's both very exciting and a little surreal. Under the leadership of John DeMain (below top, in a photo by Greg Anderson), the MSO (below bottom, in a photo by Peter Rodgers) has come so far since the time I was in it. And the new hall is such a treasure for all of Wisconsin – it's practically a different orchestra.
I still have many friends and former mentors in the orchestra and it's going to be wonderful to see them all and make music together again after so long.
But it's more than a homecoming. It's a chance to celebrate where we've all been and what we've all done the last 20 years or so. My musical life has mostly been in the UK for a long time, so to re-connect with my musical roots here is rather magical.
What are your major current and upcoming projects?
The English Symphony Orchestra (below) represents the biggest chunk of my musical life. This year we're celebrating Beethoven's 250th birthday and the orchestra's 40th anniversary.
The ESO has a special commitment to new and unknown music, and right now we're in the midst of something called the 21st Century Symphony Project, which involves commissioning, premiering and recording nine new symphonies by diverse composers. It's one of the most ambitious commissioning projects I've ever heard of, let alone been involved in.
I'm also excited about this year's Colorado MahlerFest in Boulder, where we're focusing on Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" this May, which will crown a week of music exploring themes of color and visual art with music by Wagner, Messiaen and British composer Philip Sawyers.
Is the MSO program special to you?
I must say that it was incredibly generous of John DeMain to offer me such a fantastic program. Not every music director is gentleman enough to let a guest have Ein Heldenleben.
What would you like the public to know about your approach to music and about the specific works by Haydn, Mendelssohn and Richard Strauss?
Haydn's music is maybe the richest discovery of my adult life. I didn't get it as a kid, largely because most performances I heard were so dull.
His music is so varied, and his personality so complex, one mustn't try to reduce him down to a simplistic figure. The late symphonies, of which this is one of the finest, are inexhaustible sources of wisdom, beauty, humor and sanity.
The Mendelssohn is really an astonishing piece. I've probably conducted it as much as any piece of music, with so many different soloists, all of whom had hugely different temperaments, personalities, sounds and approaches.
I've played it with some of the greatest violinists in the world and with young students. Somehow, whoever is playing, it always leaves me, and the audience, smiling. I'm pretty sure we can continue that streak with Blake Pouliot (below, in a photo by Jeff Fasano).
The Strauss is a rich, personal, wise, funny and moving work. It's always a challenge, particularly bringing out all the astonishing detail in the score, but it's also a real joy to perform. If the Mendelssohn always leaves me smiling, the Strauss always leaves me smiling with a tear in my eye.
Tags: #21stCentury, #AaronCopland, #AntoninDvorak, #ArtisticDirector, #AvieRecords, #AViewFromthePodium, #Bachelor'sDegree, #BeethovenYear, #BlakePouliot, #BlogInterview, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BloomingtonIndiana, #BoxOffice, #BriggsPianoTrio, #BritishComposer, #CarlMariavonWeber, #ChamberMusic, #CityofMadison, #ClarinetConcerto, #ClarinetMusic, #ColoradoMahlerFest, #CommissionedMusic, #DavidBecker, #EdwardElgar, #EinHeldenleben, #EnglishSymphonyOrchestra, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FelixMendelssohn, #FranzJosephHaydn, #Fridaynight, #GreatBritain, #GrowingUp, #GuestArtist, #GustavMahler, #HansGàl, #HighNotes, #HighSchool, #HomeWebsite, #IndianaUniversity, #JacobStockinger, #JamesSmith, #JimSmith, #JohnDeMain, #KennethWoods, #LiveMusic, #LosAngeles, #LosAngelesCalifornia, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonMemorialHighSchool, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MadisonWisconsin, #MakeMusic, #Master'sDegree, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MemorialHighSchool, #MiracleSymphony, #MusicClinic, #MusicEducation, #NativeSon, #NewMusic, #NewYorkCity, #OlivierMessiaen, #OrchestralMusic, #OvertureCenter, #OvertureHall, #ParryKarp, #PhilipSawyers, #PianoTrio, #PreludeDiscussion, #Prize-Winning, #ProfessionalMusician, #ProgramNotes, #PublicSchools, #RandalSwiggum, #RecordedMusic, #ResurrectionSymphony, #RichardStrauss, #RichardWagner, #RockBand, #SaturdayNight, #Sundayafternoon, #TheEar, #TheU.K., #TheUK, #ThomasBuchhauser, #TomBuchhauser, #TonePoem, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UnknownMusic, #UWProfessor, #UWSymphonyOrchestra, #VirtuosoViolinist, #VisualArt, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WisconsinYouthSymphonyOrchestras, #YouTubevideo, 21st century, A View From the Podium, Aaron Copland, accolades, accomplished, adult, age, ambitious, anniversary, Antonín Dvořák, approach, Art, Artistic director, Arts, astonishing, audience, Austrian, Avie Records, Bachelor's degree, band, beauty, Beethoven, Beethoven Year, birthday, Blake Pouliot, blog, Bloomington, Boulder, box office, Briggs Piano Trio, British, busy, Canada, Canadian, career, Carl Maria von Weber, celebrate, cellist, Cello, challenging, Chamber music, chance, clarinet, clarinetist, Classical music, coach, college, color, Colorado, Colorado MahlerFest, commission, commitment, Compact Disc, complex, composer, Concert, concerto, conduct, conductor, confidence, conservatory, Copland, David Becker, debut, decision, detail, different, discount, discovery, discussion, dukk, Dvorak, early, ears, Education, Edward Elgar, Ein Heldenleben, Elgar, email, England, English, English Symphony Orchestra, enormous, event, excited, exciting, experience, eye, Facebook, facet, fantastic, fee, Felix Mendelssohn, festival, finest, forward, Franz Joseph Haydn, Friday, friend, funny, generous, gentleman, Great Britain, growing up, guest artist, guitar, Gustav Mahler, hall, Hans Gàl, Haydn, hear, hero, high school, Home, home website, Homecoming, huge, Humor, immersion, important, impression, impressive, Indiana, Indiana University, inexhaustible, information, instrumentalist, instrumentalists, interest, international, interview, Jacob Stockinger, James Madison Memorial High School, James Smith, Jim Smith, John DeMain, Kenneth Woods, kid, kids, know, LA, late, leadership, learn, life, like, link, listening, live music, living, Los Angeles, Love, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Memorial High School, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madisonian, magical, Mahler, make, master's, masters degree, Mead Witter School of Music, Memorial High School, Mendelssohn, mentor, Messiaen, Miracle Symphony, moving, MSO, Music, music clinic, Music education, musical, Musician, native, new, New Music, New York City, night, notes, Oberon, Olivier Messiaen, online, Orchestra, orchestral music, Overture, Overture Center, Overture Center for the Arts, Overture Hall, parents, Parry Karp, path, peers, perform, performance, performer, personal, personality, Philip Sawyers, Piano Trio, play, podium, poem, pre-college, premiere, prepare, pressure, principal, prize, process, professional, professor, program, program notes, project, public, public schools, Q&A, Randal Swiggum, re-connect, record, recorded music, records, rediscover, rehearsal, repertoire, respect, respected, Resurrection Symphony, return, rich, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, rock band, role, roots, sale, sanity, Saturday, scene, score, share, simplistic, skill, smile, smiling, social, soloist, son, Sound, Strauss, strong, study, Sunday, surreal, symphony, tag, talk, Teacher, tear, temperament, The Ear, theme, Thomas Buchhauser, tickets, Tom Buchhauser, tone, tone poem, treasure, U.K., UK, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, unknown, unknown music, UW, UW Symphony Orchestra, varied, versatile, view, Violin, violinist, visual art, Wagner, Website, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, wisdom, won, wonderful, works, write, WYSO, year, young, YouTube
Classical music: New York Polyphony opens the 17th annual Madison Early Music Festival with a perfectly rendered composite portrait of Elizabethan sacred music. Plus, the winners of the fourth annual Handel Aria Competition are announced
ALERT: In case you haven't yet heard, the winners (below) of the fourth annual Handel Aria Competition, held on Friday night in Mills Hall and accompanied by the Madison Bach Musicians, have been announced.
Eric Jurenas (center), countertenor, won First Prize; Christina Kay (right), soprano, won Second Prize; and Nola Richardson (left), soprano, won Third Prize and Audience Favorite.
The Ear left the concert hall thinking: Well, this will be an easy review to write.
Just give it an A-plus.
An easy A-plus.
On Saturday night, the acclaimed a cappella quartet New York Polyphony (below) opened the 17th annual Madison Early Music Festival (MEMF) with a flawless performance.
This year, the MEMF is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the death of poet and playwright William Shakespeare (below top) and the 45-year reign of Queen Elizabeth I (below bottom), who oversaw the English Renaissance.
And the program – performed before a large house of perhaps 450 or 500 enthusiastic listeners — was perfectly in keeping with the festival's theme. It used sacred music rather than stage music or secular music, which will be featured later in this week of concerts, workshops and pre-concert lectures.
In fact, the program of New York Polyphony was based on two of the group's best-selling CDs for BIS Records and AVIE Records: "Tudor City" and "Times Goes by Turns." It was roughly divided into two masses, one on each half. (You can hear a sample in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Adding to the variety was that each Anglican or Roman Catholic-based mass was a composite, with various sections made up like movements written by different composers. Thrown in for good measure were two separate short pieces, the "Ave Maria Mater Dei" by William Cornysh and the "Ave verum corpus" of William Byrd.
The Mass on the first half featured music by Byrd, John Dunstable, Walter Lambe and Thomas Tallis. The second half featured works music by Tallis, John Pyamour, John Plummer and excerpts from the Worcester Fragments. The section were typical: the Kyrie, Gloria in Excelsis, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.
There was nothing fancy about this concert, which marked the Wisconsin debut of New York Polyphony and which spotlighted superbly quiet virtuosity. The four dark-suited men, who occasionally split up, just stood on stage and opened their mouths and sang flawlessly with unerring pitch and superb diction.
A cappella or unaccompanied singing is hard work, but the four men made it seem easy. The countertenor, tenor, baritone and bass each showed confidence and talent plus the ability to project clarity while not overshadowing each other. This was first-class singing.
The beautiful polyphony of the lines was wondrous to behold even, if like The Ear, sacred music from this era – with its chant-like rather than melodic qualities – is not your favorite fare.
New York Polyphony provided a good harbinger of the treats that will come this week at the MEMF from groups like the Newberry Consort of Chicago with soprano Ellen Hargis (below top) and the Baltimore Consort (below bottom) as well as from the faculty and workshop participants. On Friday night is an appealing program that focuses on Shakespeare's sonnets and music.
And on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m., will be the All-Festival concert. That is always a must-hear great sampler of what you perhaps couldn't get to earlier in the week. This year, it will feature the music as used in a typical Elizabethan day.
Here is a link to the MEMF website:
https://artsinstitute.wisc.edu/memf/
And here is a link the website of New York Polyphony if you want to hear more:
http://www.newyorkpolyphony.com
Tags: a cappella, Agnus Bei, Anglican, Anglicanism, aria, Arts, Ave, Ave Maria, Ave Verum Corpus, Avie Records, Baltimore Consort, baritone, Baroque, bass, Benedictus, BIS Records, Catholic, Cello, Chamber music, chant, choral music, Classical music, comedy, Compact Disc, Concert, countertenor, Credo, diction, drama, dramatic, Early music, Elizabethan, Ellen Hargis, England, English Renaissance, festival Madison Early Music Festival, George Frideric Handel, Gloria, Great Britain, Handel Aria Competition, History, Jacob Stockinger, John Dunstable, John Plummer, John Pyamour, Kyrie, lecture, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, mass, Music, New York City, New York Polyphony, Newberry Consort, Orchestra, pitch, play, playwright, poet, Poetry, polyphonic, polyphony, prize, Quartet, queen, Queen Elizabeth I, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Romance, sacred, Sanctus, secular, sonnet, soprano, tenor, theatrical, Thomas Tallis, tragedy, UK, United Kingdom, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Walter Lambe, William Byrd, William Cornysh, William Shakespeare, Wisconsin, Worcester Fragments, workshop, YouTube
Classical music: The new Grammy nominations can serve as a holiday gift guide.
Each year at holiday time, The Ear offers a series of roundups of the best recordings and classical music gifts of the past year. The idea is to use them as holiday gift guides.
Today is Grammy Day.
So far, The Ear has listed choices made by the BBC Music Magazine and the Telegraph newspaper:
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/classical-music-here-are-the-best-classical-music-cds-of-2015-according-to-the-bbc-music-magazine-and-the-telegraph-newspaper/
And another roundup of book and videos as well as CDs by critics for The New York Times:
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2015/11/28/classical-music-its-small-business-saturday-here-are-classical-music-gift-suggestions-from-the-critics-for-the-new-york-times/
Now he adds the 58th annual Grammy nominations of 2016 that were announced this past Monday. The winners will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 15, on CBS television network. The telecast will be live and feature live performances.
The Ear likes to see if he can predict the winners. Outguessing the industry can be a fun, if frustrating, game to play.
He also notices two items of local interest.
The late Twin Cities composer Stephen Paulus, whose works were often commissioned and premiered in Madison by the Festival Choir of Madison and groups at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, has been nominated for several work.
In addition, producer Judith Sherman, who has several Grammys to her credit, is nominated again. She is also the producer of the two recordings of the centennial commissions by the Pro Arte Quartet.
Here are the 58th annual Grammy nominees for Classical Music:
BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
Ask Your Mama: Leslie Ann Jones, John Kilgore, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum & Justin Merrill, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra) Label: Avie Records
Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double': Dmitriy Lipay, engineer; Alexander Lipay, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot, Augustin Hadelich & Seattle Symphony) Label: Seattle Symphony Media
Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria: Robert Friedrich, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Martin Pearlman, Jennifer Rivera, Fernando Guimarães & Boston Baroque) Label: Linn Records
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil: Beyong Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale and Kansas City Chorale) Label: Chandos
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, 'Organ': Keith O. Johnson and Sean Royce Martin, engineers; Keith O. Johnson, mastering engineer (Michael Stern and Kansas City Symphony) Label: Reference Recording
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL
Blanton Alspaugh: • Hill: Symphony No. 4; Concertino Nos. 1 & 2; Divertimento (Peter Bay, Anton Nel & Austin Symphony Orchestra) • Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale) • Sacred Songs Of Life & Love (Brian A. Schmidt & South Dakota Chorale) • Spirit Of The American Range (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony) • Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony)
Manfred Eicher: • Franz Schubert (András Schiff) • Galina Ustvolskaya (Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Markus Hinterhäuser & Reto Bieri) • Moore: Dances & Canons (Saskia Lankhoorn) • Rihm: Et Lux (Paul Van Nevel, Minguet Quartet & Huelgas Ensemble) • Visions Fugitives (Anna Gourari)
Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin: • Dances For Piano & Orchestra (Joel Fan, Christophe Chagnard & Northwest Sinfonietta) • Tempo Do Brasil (Marc Regnier) • Woman At The New Piano (Nadia Shpachenko)
Dan Merceruio: • Chapí: String Quartets 1 & 2 (Cuarteto Latinoamericano) • From Whence We Came (Ensemble Galilei) • Gregson: Touch (Peter Gregson) • In The Light Of Air – ICE Performs Anna Thorvaldsdottir (International Contemporary Ensemble) • Schumann (Ying Quartet) • Scrapyard Exotica (Del Sol String Quartet) • Stravinsky: Petrushka (Richard Scerbo & Inscape Chamber Orchestra) • What Artemisia Heard (El Mundo) • ZOFO Plays Terry Riley (ZOFO)
Judith Sherman: • Ask Your Mama (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra) • Fields: Double Cluster; Space Sciences (Jan Kučera, Gloria Chuang & Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra) • Liaisons – Re-Imagining Sondheim From The Piano (Anthony de Mare) • Montage – Great Film Composers & The Piano (Gloria Cheng) • Multitude, Solitude (Momenta Quartet) • Of Color Braided All Desire – Music Of Eric Moe (Christine Brandes, Brentano String Quartet, Dominic Donato, Jessica Meyer, Karen Ouzounian, Manhattan String Quartet & Talujon) • Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (Ursula Oppens) • Sirota: Parting The Veil – Works For Violin & Piano (David Friend, Hyeyung Julie Yoon, Laurie Carney & Soyeon Kate Lee) • Turina: Chamber Music For Strings & Piano (Lincoln Trio
BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4: Manfred Honeck, conductor (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) Label: Reference Recordings
Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double': Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) Label: Seattle Symphony Media
Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow – Symphony No. 10: Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra) Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Spirit Of The American Range: Carlos Kalmar, conductor (The Oregon Symphony) Label: Pentatone
Zhou Long and Chen Yi: Symphony 'Humen 1839': Darrell Ang, conductor (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) Label: Naxos
BEST OPERA RECORDING
Janáček: Jenůfa: Donald Runnicles, conductor; Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune & Jennifer Larmore; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin) Label: Arthaus
Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria: Martin Pearlman, conductor; Fernando Guimarães & Jennifer Rivera; Thomas C. Moore, producer (Boston Baroque) Label: Linn Records
Mozart: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail: Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester & Rolando Villazón; Sid McLauchlan, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe) Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Ravel: L'Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade: Seiji Ozawa, conductor; Isabel Leonard; Dominic Fyfe, producer (Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children's Chorus) Label: Decca
Steffani: Niobe, Regina Di Tebe: Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Karina Gauvin & Philippe Jaroussky; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra) Label: Erato
BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis: Bernard Haitink, conductor; Peter Dijkstra, chorus master (Anton Barachovsky, Genia Kühmeier, Elisabeth Kulman, Hanno Müller-Brachmann & Mark Padmore; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks) Label: BR Klassik
Monteverdi: Vespers Of 1610: Harry Christophers, conductor (Jeremy Budd, Grace Davidson, Ben Davies, Mark Dobell, Eamonn Dougan & Charlotte Mobbs; The Sixteen) Label: Coro
Pablo Neruda – The Poet Sings: Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (James K. Bass, Laura Mercado-Wright, Eric Neuville & Lauren Snouffer; Faith DeBow & Stephen Redfield; Conspirare) Label: Harmonia Mundi
Paulus: Far In The Heavens: Eric Holtan, conductor (Sara Fraker, Matthew Goinz, Thea Lobo, Owen McIntosh, Kathryn Mueller & Christine Vivona; True Concord Orchestra; True Concord Voices) Label: Reference Recordings
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil: Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor & Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale & Phoenix Chorale) Label: Chandos
BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Brahms: The Piano Trios: Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt. Label: Ondine
Filament: Eighth Blackbird. Label: Cedille Records
Flaherty: Airdancing For Toy Piano, Piano & Electronics: Nadia Shpachenko & Genevieve Feiwen Lee. Track from: Woman At The New Piano. Label: Reference Recordings
Render: Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth. Label: New Amsterdam Records
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet & String Quartet No. 2: Takács Quartet & Marc-André Hamelin. Label: Hyperion
BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO
Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre Des Songes: Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony) Track from: Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'. Label: Seattle Symphony Media
Grieg & Moszkowski: Piano Concertos: Joseph Moog; Nicholas Milton, conductor (Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern). Label: Onyx Classics
Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vol. 7: Kristian Bezuidenhout. Label: Harmonia Mundi
Rachmaninov Variations: Daniil Trifonov (The Philadelphia Orchestra) Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! Ursula Oppens (Jerome Lowenthal). Label: Cedille Records
BEST CLASSICAL SOLO VOCAL ALBUM
Beethoven: An Die Ferne Geliebte; Haydn: English Songs; Mozart: Masonic Cantata: Mark Padmore; Kristian Bezuidenhout, accompanist. Label: Harmonia Mundi
Joyce & Tony – Live From Wigmore Hall: Joyce DiDonato; Antonio Pappano, accompanist. Label: Erato
Nessun Dorma – The Puccini Album. Jonas Kaufmann; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Kristīne Opolais, Antonio Pirozzi & Massimo Simeoli; Coro Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia) Label: Sony Classical
Rouse: Seeing; Kabir Padavali: Talise Trevigne; David Alan Miller, conductor (Orion Weiss; Albany Symphony) Label: Naxos
St. Petersburg: Cecilia Bartoli; Diego Fasolis, conductor (I Barocchisti). Label: Decca
BEST CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM
As Dreams Fall Apart – The Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955): New Budapest Orpheum Society; Jim Ginsburg, producer. Label: Cedille Records
Ask Your Mama: George Manahan, conductor; Judith Sherman, producer. Label: Avie Records
Handel: L'Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato, 1740: Paul McCreesh, conductor; Nicholas Parker, producer. Label: Signum Classics
Paulus: Three Places Of Enlightenment; Veil Of Tears & Grand Concerto: Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer. Label: Naxos
Woman At The New Piano: Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, producers. Label: Reference Recordings
BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
Barry: The Importance Of Being Earnest: Gerald Barry, composer (Thomas Adès, Barbara Hannigan, Katalin Károlyi, Hilary Summers, Peter Tantsits & Birmingham Contemporary Music Group) Label: NMC Recordings
Norman: Play: Andrew Norman, composer (Gil Rose & Boston Modern Orchestra Project) Track from: Norman: Play. Label: BMOP/Sound
Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances: Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices & Orchestra). Track from: Paulus: Far In The Heavens. Label: Reference Recordings
Tower: Stroke: Joan Tower, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony). Track from: Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance. Label: Naxos
Wolfe: Anthracite Fields: Julia Wolfe, composer (Julian Wachner, The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street & Bang On A Can All-Stars) Label: Cantaloupe Music. (Note: You can hear a haunting part of the work that won a Pulitzer Prize in the YouTube video below.)
Tags: accompany, Andris Nelsons, Antonio Pappano, aria, arias, Arts, Avie Records, ballet, Baroque, BBC Music Magazine, Beethoven, books, Boston, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Brahms, Brentano String Quartet, Bruckner, CBS, CD, Cecilia Bartoli, Cedille Records, Cello Concerto No. 1 (Saint-Saëns), Chamber music, Chandos Records, choral music, Classical music, coal, Compact Disc, concerto, conductor, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, DG, Early music, ECM, Erato, Festival Choir of Madison, Grammy, Grieg, Handel, Harmonia Mundi, Henri Dutilleux, Hyperion, Jacob Stockinger, Janacek, Jerome Lowenthal, Jewish, Jewish music, Joan Tower, Jonas Kaufmann, Joyce DiDonato, Keyboard, Lars Vogt, Linn Records, Madison, Manfred Eicher, Marc-André Hamelin, Monteverdi, Mozart, Music, Naxos, New York Times, Onyx, opera, Orchestra, organ, Pablo Neruda, Paganini, Pentatone, Piano, Piano concerto, Piano Trio, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pro Arte Quartet, producer, Puccini, Pulitzer Prize, Rachmaninoff, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Russia, Rzewski, sacred music, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay Area, Schubert, secular, Seiji Ozawa, Shostakovich, SONY, Sony Classical, St. Petersburg, Stephen Paulus, symphony, Takacs, Takacs Quartet, Takacs String Quartet, Telegraph, tenor, theme and variations, Trifonov, trio, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Ursula Oppens, variations, vespers, videos, Violin, Violin concerto, vocal music, Wigmore Hall, Wisconsin, YouTube
Classical music: The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music will open its new season Saturday night with a FREE recital of Latin American and German music by flutist Stephanie Jutt.
The Ear likes that a new season at the University of Wisconsin School of Music will officially open in an intimate rather than grand manner with a chamber music concert.
At 8 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall on this Saturday, Sept. 6, flutist Stephanie Jutt (below) will perform Latin American music plus a classic masterpiece sonata by Johannes Brahms. The concert is FREE and OPEN to the public.
Jutt, who is a longtime professor the UW-Madison School of Music, is also the principal flute of the Madison Symphony Orchestra as well as a co-founder and co-artistic director of the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, which performs each summer in June. She also performs in the Wingra Woodwind Quintet (below, in a photo by Michael Anderson) at the UW-Madison.
On this program, Jutt and Venezuelan pianist Elena Abend will offer audiences a look at some of the beautiful and spicy music written by Latin American composers, including Argentinean composers Carlos Guastavino (below top), Astor Piazzolla (below middle) and Angel Lasala (below bottom).
Jutt recently traveled to Argentina to research this repertoire, and will be recording it with Elena Abend later this year in New York City.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, pianist Elena Abend (below) has performed with all the major orchestras of her country. Receiving her Bachelor and Master degrees from the Juilliard School, she has performed at venues such as the Purcell Room in London's Royal Festival Hall, Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Academy of Music with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as the Wigmore Hall in London, Toulouse Conservatoire, Theatre Luxembourg, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C., Chicago Cultural Center and the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee.
More performances include Ravinia and Marlboro Music Festivals, live broadcasts on Philadelphia's WFLN, The Dame Myra Hess Concert Series on Chicago's WFMT and Wisconsin Public Radio at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison. She has recorded for the Avie label and numerous recording and editing projects for Hal Leonard's G. Schirmer Instrumental Library and Schirmer Performance Editions.
Elena Abend currently serves on the Piano and Chamber Music Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Milonga en Re (at bottom in a YouTube video) Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Tanguano Astor Piazzolla (1912-1992)
Introduccion y Allegro Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000)
With ELENA ABEND, PIANO
Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 120 Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897) as arranged for flute by Stephanie Jutt
With UW Piano Professor CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR (below)
Poema del Pastor Coya Angel Lasala (1914-2000)
Con la Chola y el Changuito Carlos Guastavino
(1912-2000)
Fuga e Misterio Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Tags: Angel Lasala, Argentina, Arts, Avery Fisher, Avery Fisher Hall, Avie Records, Ástor Piazzolla, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Brahms, Carlos Guastavino, Carnegie Hall, Chamber music, Chazen Museum of Art, Chicago, Christopher Taylor, D.C., ELENA ABEND, flute, France, G. Schirmer, Hal Leonard, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, Juilliard School, Juilliard School of Music, LIncoln Center, London, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marlboro Festival, Music, Myra Hess, New York City, Orchestra, Paris, Piano, Ravinia, Royal Festival Hall, Sonata, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Venezuela, Washington, Weil Hall, Weill Hall, WFMT, Wigmore Hall, winds, Wingra Woodwind Quintet, wisconsin public radio, YouTube
Classical music: The Ear praises British pianist Imogen Cooper and suggests you get to know her playing and recordings, including a debut on Chandos Records with music by Brahms and Schumann. Plus, check in on Day 9 of WYSO's tour to Argentina.
ALERT: The Youth Orchestra, under the baton of University of Wisconsin-Madison conductor James Smith (below) and belonging to the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO), is into Day 9 of its 10-day tour to Argentina. Here is a link to the live real-time blog about the tour:
wysotour2014.blogspot.com
There are a lot of talented women pianists playing out there right now.
Names that get mentioned frequently are usually the younger ones, the sexier and more glamorous and, therefore, more salable ones.
The glamorous, gifted and Grammy-nominated Yuja Wang –- she of the micro-skirts and stiletto heels and fabulously fast fingers — is right at the top of the heap.
But then there is Van Cliburn Competition laureate Joyce Yang (below), Khatia Buniatishvili and Lola Astanova, all of whom draw headlines and turn in memorable performances. And there are many others I am sure I am leaving out.
But today The Ear wants to sing the praises of a mature woman and a seasoned musician who deserves far more public attention than she gets.
Why? Because she is simply one of the best pianists around.
I am talking about the Englishwoman Imogen Cooper (below).
Cooper, who turns 65 on August 28, has been on the concert scene a long time. I first got to know her through her superb 3-volume set of late Schubert (sonatas and impromptus) on the Avie label. I have also heard a live recital of Ludwig Van Beethoven (Sonata Op. 101), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Sonata in A Minor) and Maurice Ravel ("Miroirs" or Mirrors) and she did on the Wigmore Hall Live series, and it is nothing short of miraculous.
I have not heard her critically acclaimed art song or lieder recitals with Wolfgang Holzmair or her recordings of Mozart piano concertos. But I hope to do so soon. And I would like to hear her in music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Franz Joseph Haydn and Frederic Chopin.
But recently she also made her debut on Chandos records with a solo recital I have listened to over and over again, always with great pleasure and, since I am an avid amateur pianist, great envy. The Ear would sure like to hear her perform live in Madison.
I would say that The New York Times critic senior Anthony Tommasini got right to the heart of Cooper's magisterial playing when, in his review of a live performance, he emphasized "virtuosity without dazzle" and talked about how her sensitive performances of Franz Joseph Haydn, Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert and Thomas Ades were more thoughtfully impressive than performances of more overtly flashy and superficially difficult works by, say, Franz Liszt.
Here is a link to Tommasini's review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/11/arts/music/11coop.html?_r=0
The new CD, which has terrific sonic engineering, includes the seven "Fantasy Pieces" and the "Kreisleriana" of Robert Schumann as well as the too rarely heard piano version of the Theme and Variations from the String Sextet No. 1 by Johannes Brahms. (You can hear a mesmerizing live performance of the Brahms work at Hamline University in Minneapolis in a YouTube video at the bottom.)
Cooper studied at the Paris Conservatory and then with Alfred Brendel, with whom she partnered on a recording of Mozart dual concertos, and the depth of her preparation shows.
Cooper possesses beautiful tone, brilliant technique and a keen musical mind that creates beautifully songful phrases and, at the same time, makes penetrating sense of the music.
I have tried to find out what her next release will be –- and when it will appear –- but to no avail. (Below, in a photo by Jennifer Taylor of The New York Times, Cooper is seen playing her recital at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall in New York City.)
Here is a link to her website:
http://www.imogen-cooper.com
It is a great website to visit.
It has a lot of video and audio samples of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Janacek and Chopin. It has a lot of photos, although curiously none at the piano. It has lots of interviews and reviews. It includes her favorite historic recordings by other pianists and musicians. It has a biography and a list of appearances.
Read it and you will be impressed.
How does a talent like Cooper's fly under the radar and remain relatively unknown? That is one of the mysteries of marketing. But clearly youth sells in Youth Culture.
That said, you should listen to this debut album and follow her career.
Are there any other Imogen Cooper fans out there?
What recordings of hers do you prefer?
Tags: Alfred Brendel, art song, Arts, Avie Records, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Brendel, British, Carnegie Hall, Chamber music, Chandos Records, Chopin, Classical music, English, Fantasy Pieces, Franz Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, Grammy, Grammy Award, Haydn, Imogen Cooper, impromptu, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Joyce Yang, Khatia Buniatishvili, Kreisleriana, lieder, Lola Astanova, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Maurice Ravel, Mozart, Music, New York City, New York Times, Paris Conservatory, Piano, Ravel, recital, Robert Schumann, Scarlatti, Schubert, Schumann, Sonata, theme and variations, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wigmore Hall, Wigmore Live, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolfgang Holzmaier, Wolfgang Holzmair, YouTube, Yuja Wang, Zankel Hall
Classical music Q&A: Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan compares great music-making to great acting, and the concert hall to an exciting museum. He makes his MUST-HEAR Madison debut on this Friday night at 8 p.m. in Mills Hall in a solo recital program of works by Schubert, Barber, Franck and Ravel.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Please note that some reviews of productions last weekend are being delayed to make room for previews of the many upcoming concerts and musical events this week.
The prize-winning and critically acclaimed young Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan will make his Madison debut this Friday night at 8 p.m. in Mills Hall for the Wisconsin Union Theater, which has been closed for two seasons while being renovated.
Barnatan's MUST-HEAR program is ambitious and appealing; Franz Schubert' late Sonata in G Major, the one that the young critic Robert Schumann praised so effusively; Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata, which was premiered by Vladimir Horowitz; the "Prelude, Chorale and Fugue" by the late French Romantic composer Cesar Franck that was a favorite of Arthur Rubinstein; and Maurice Ravel's dazzling "La Valse" for solo piano.
Tickets are $25 for the general public; $10 for University of Wisconsin-Madison students. For more information about Inon Barnatan and his recital, including reviews, program notes, audio clips and ticket information, visit:
http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/Season13-14/Inon-Barnatan.html
You might recall that Inon Barnatan won raves this past winter for his last-minute appearance with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under Edo de Waart when he stepped in to substitute for an ailing Radu Lupu and played the titanic Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor by Johannes Brahms.
In 2009, he won a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, and he has been recognized by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation.
The Ear has been listening to his recordings: from violin works (the last Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven and a Fantasy by Schubert) and his impressive readings of the famous last three sonatas and final impromptus and sonatas by Schubert to his performances of "Darkness Visible" by the contemporary British composer Thomas Ades. They all demonstrate his virtuoso technique but also his abundant musicality, subtle interpretations and full tone. Most impressive is his ability to play softly and lyrically. It leaves no doubt: Inon Barnatan is a major poet of the piano.
Clearly, Inon Baranatan is someone to watch, as his career continues to be extremely promising. You can listen to his interview for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in a YouTube video at the bottom. And here is a link to his own website:
www.inonbarnatan.com
And here is the email Q&A that Inon Barnatan did for The Ear:
You were just named the first-ever Artist in Association at the New York Philharmonic for the 2014-15 season. What plans do you have for that position? How could it affect your career?
What is so special for me about this position with the New York Philharmonic is that it is stretched over several seasons, so I will be performing with the orchestra both in New York and on the road for three consecutive seasons — which enables me to build a real relationship with this great orchestra as well as the audience. It removes a little of the pressure of the debut– since I know I will be coming back the following season and the one after that.
Of course there is pressure to live up to the expectations and the faith that the orchestra and Alan Gilbert (both below) have shown in me, but it feels wonderful to know that the organization is behind me from the get-go. This appointment has only recently been announced but has already had significant effect on my career. New York is the center of so many things and when the New York Philharmonic does something, people take notice! I really couldn't be more thrilled with it.
How would you describe your approach to playing and interpreting music? Are there other musicians, and especially pianists, either historical or current, whom you admire and why?
I feel that we classical performers are like actors — we have a text that we try to internalize and bring to life, but ultimately it is not ourself that is being presented, but the character, or, in our case, the music, that is being communicated. A great actor like Meryl Streep becomes whichever role she is playing, embodying it in such a way that she herself disappears and becomes the role.
That is what I think my job as a performer is. I don't want an audience to listen to me playing a piece — I would love for them to feel like the piece is being created at that very moment, the same way I would want to believe an actor IS the person that they are playing, not merely reading the text convincingly.
There are great performers, as well as actors, that are compelling not because they disappear in a role, but because of the very force of their personality. There are phenomenal actors and musicians that don't change much with different roles or pieces, but bring their particular magnetism and virtuosity to every role.
When the performer is great both types can be very compelling, but I tend to gravitate towards the former. (Below is Inon Barnatan performing at Carnegie Hall in a photo by The New York Times.)
Your terrific and critically acclaimed new recording for the Avie label is an all-Schubert recital. But here you will perform a different big work, the G Major Sonata. What do you want to say about that particular work and its place in Schubert's overall body of works? Why does Schubert hold particular appeal for you, and will you do more recording of his works, perhaps even a Schubert cycle?
Thank you! Back in 2004 I participated in a Schubert workshop with the great Leon Fleisher (below) at Carnegie Hall, and in some ways that was the start of my love affair with Schubert. I was familiar with his pieces, of course, but delving into the late sonatas as we did, I became intoxicated with the beauty and depth of the music.
The music of Schubert (below), and especially the music he wrote later in his short life, became a staple of my repertoire. I even curated a project of solo, chamber and vocal music from the miraculous last year — and both the Schubert CDs I've recorded so far feature pieces from that year.
That said, the G Major sonata, even though it was not written in the last year but a couple of years before, stands proudly amongst the greatest. It is one of his most lyrical and poetic pieces. It is not played nearly as often as the last three, and I am excited at the prospect of some audience members discovering it for the first time.
As for a possible Schubert cycle, it has been a dream of mine for a long while — perhaps I will keep playing his works one by one until I discover that I have recorded the whole cycle!
What would you like the public to know about your Madison program, which includes Franck, Barber (below) and Ravel?
This is a very special program to me. The pieces are magical: They manage to be at once very emotional and very intellectual, without compromising one for the other. The pieces all have a sense of nostalgia about them, in different ways.
The composers of the pieces in the first half take Baroque and Classical forms, such as fugues, chorales, sonatas, etc. and imbue them with their own innovation and emotion. The second half has more of a sense of fantasy, a sense of light that by the end of the recital turns to dark. I guess the second half goes from the sublime to the grotesque.
How do you think classical music can reach new and young audiences? And what advice would you give to aspiring young musicians and especially pianists?
That's the million-dollar question. I think there are many things we need to do. It starts with education — putting an instrument in a child's hand teaches them a lot about communications, listening and a huge variety of other important skills. It also encourages future curiosity about music and culture.
We also need to be more inclusive in some ways, make the concert experience something that would appeal to a young person as well as an older one. Nowadays, when there are so many ways to consume culture without leaving your home, the concert experience needs to have an energy and excitement to it that is unique to the live experience.
A great museum knows that in order to attract a variety of ages and stay relevant, they need to have not only great art, but great curating.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York, for example, is always teeming with people of all ages, newcomers, repeat visitors, young and old, experts and lay people. They have a collection of some of the great, established artists as well as new exciting art and they are always providing new and interesting ways to look at things. People who go there expect to be challenged as well as be entertained. You may come to see Van Gogh's "Starry Night" (below) but it's the new or unexpected stuff around it that keeps you coming back. It's that combination of edge and quality that makes it cool.
We can learn a lot from that. As performers we need to strive for the highest possible quality of performance, and at the same time try to present it in a context that is interesting, and sometimes challenging or unexpected.
Tags: Alan Gilbert, Arthur Rubinstein, Arts, Avie Records, Beethoven, Brahms, Carnegie Hall, Cesar Franck, Chamber music, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chorale and Fugue, Classical, Classical music, Compact Disc, Darkness Visible, Edo de Waart, Franz Schubert, Gilmore Foundation, Inon Barnatan, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Israel, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, La Valse, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Maurice Ravel, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, MOMA, Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York City, New York Philharmonic, Orchestra, Piano, Piano sonata, Prelude, Radu Lupu, Robert Schumann, Romantic, Samuel Barber, Schubert, Schumann, Sonata, songs, The New York Times, Thomas Ades, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Van Gogh, Violin, vocal music, voice, Waltz, Wisconsin Union Theater, YouTube


text:
Cover story | March 22, 2009
Gaining ground in a downturn
Most companies prefer to stand still during a slowdown but, as a clutch of players in financial services have shown, there's no better time than now to turn the heat on the competition.
Just what the doctor ordered
People don't stop falling sick in a slowdown. In fact, more people are likely to take ill in troubled times. That's good news for the health care sector. E. Kumar Sharma reports.
Winners in the downturn
Larsen & Toubro:No bridge too far
Bharti Airtel: Ringing in the gains
Sun Pharma: Dawn in the dusk
Hero Honda: Into the headwind
Simplex Infrastructures: On solid ground
Allcargo Global Logistics: No heavy burden
Mundra Port: Safe harbour
AIA Engineering: In a niche of its own
Opto Circuits: Medical marvel
Everest Kanto: No heavy burden
Medical marvel
Opto Circuits has benefited from operating in the almost recession-proof area of medical devices.
No heavy burden
Everest Kanto isn't just the second-largest player globally in its sector, it also has the most varied product range.
In a niche of its own
AIA Engineering isn't just another engineering company. In fact, it has few competitors—globally.
Mundra Port hasn't been hit by the slowdown in exports and the economy—not so far, at least.
When exports are down in the dumps, how is Allcargo Global Logistics holding its head high above water?
Diversifications into related areas in the good times are coming to Simplex Infrastructures' rescue in the downturn.
Into the headwind
Hero Honda defies the down-cycle in the auto sector with robust earnings growth and gains in market share.
Dawn in the dusk
Sun Pharma rises out of the gloom thanks to its distinctive four-pronged game plan.
Ringing in the gains
Bharti Airtel says its superior products and services give it an edge over competition. Not all consumers may agree. So, what explains India's #1 mobile operator's relentless growth?
No bridge too far
The robustness of Larsen & Toubro's core business of engineering & construction helps it counter the tough times. Plus, it has newer growth engines that are revving up.
They've been posting robust double-digit growth for two quarters now even as their peers struggle to come to terms with the downturn. Virendra Verma finds out what makes these companies tick when business dips?
Don�??t let the tax bite
The market meltdown that battered the Equity-Linked Savings Scheme funds is now promising to make them winners. Here's why you should consider investing in them this time.
India's hottest start-ups
This is Business Today's Third Annual Listing of hottest start-ups and, pretty much like the two previous lists in 2007 and 2008, this listing is also completely subjective.
From the Editor: March 22, 2009
For most companies, the current global economic meltdown is akin to living with a sudden grid collapse for weeks and months with no end in sight. But how many of them are nimble and capable enough to come out of it bigger and better? Business Today did a quick check.
Race and Joblessness
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data reveals that unemployment among Asians in the US has doubled in the last four months.
Gold prices can cross its all-time high if fears of the financial meltdown get worse.
The 'Plug-in' hybrids
These are hybrid cars that feature a regular internal combustion engine and a battery pack. Is that new? Well, the concept of a "Plug-in" hybrid is rather new, at least from a commercial availability point of view.
Deal Watch
IBN18 Stake watch
IBN18 Broadcast, a Network18 group company, has announced its decision to acquire a 43.4 per cent stake in Viacom18 Media for Rs 305 crore from BK Holdings, a subsidiary of TV18. Following the acquisition, IBN18 Broadcast's stake in Viacom18 will now increase to 50 per cent.
The World of Sen
The world's eminent social scientists pay homage to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on his 75th birthday in this important collection.
Better the contrast!
With just a bit of foresight, and an informed workout, can be turned into an opportunity that'll not just make your gym routine more exciting, it'll help you see noticeable increase in size/results as well.
Printed Circuit
A great educational tool
The Asus Eee Top 1602 costs a packet,but could become your pre-teen's best friend.
Sudden exit
He is known to take risks and strike big deals, but is in unwind mode at the moment. Kunal Dasgupta, 54, one of the longest serving CEOs of any media company, called it quits from MSM (formerly Sony Entertainment Television).
Leadership Spotlight
The crisis manager
Deepak Shantilal Parekh is almost as famous a brand as HDFC, the institution that he has helmed for decades. This is probably why the government decided to call on him to help sort out the Satyam mess.
Free wheelers
How bad is the fall
The 5.3 per cent GDP growth is below the most conservative projections. There are few signs of it improving.
Instan tip
The fortnight's burning question. Will FDI for the current fiscal surpass last year's figure of $32.4 billion and continue to grow in 2009-10?
Who needs reforms?
Though rigid labour laws did not deter large-scale lay-offs over the last few months, the case for reforms is still strong.
Numbers of note
Rs 36.5 crore: The amount of money lost by banks between April and December 2008 due to credit card frauds in India. ICICI Bank tops the list with 8,280 cases, losing Rs 11.5 crore
Did somebody say pay hike?
Hewitt Associates, a human resources consulting company, which recently projected such a hike in its 13th annual Salary Increase Survey, has now sounded a cautious note.
The new meeting halls
As the Indian film industry staggers from the effects of the economic slowdown, multiplexes across India are rolling out the red carpet for corporate events to generate some moolah.
The Megapixel wars aren't over
Nikon launched the D3X, a monster of a camera with a 24.8 megapixel resolution. At the same time, Nikon's Compact Digital camera range wearing the Coolpix brand began to feature devices with 12 megapixel sensors.
How Slumdog made its millions
After the Oscars, Slumdog Millionaire is raking in money from the book and the film. Here's the business behind the phenomenon.
While most companies have been forced onto the back foot by the slowdown, fast-food companies are doing rollicking business.
�??We weren�??t a consumer electronics company�??
Over the last decade, Dutch giant Philips has been making a marked shift away from its heritage of incandescent bulbs, radios and televisions. Gerard J. Kleisterlee, President and CEO, tells BT's Rahul Sachitanand why the re-invention was necessary and what the firm's new plans are.
Debunking of a downturn myth
The global slowdown this time has not spared even the entertainment industry, which was believed to be recession-proof.
Distress sales on the anvil
Customers–both corporate and individuals–are keenly watching as developers blink first to lower their prices.
Why Deficit is not equal to Stimulus...
The UPA government blames the economic stimulus measures for a rising fiscal deficit. But this is not even half the truth.
Automakers: Tightening the screws
As demand slows down and profitability takes a hit, India's automobile companies are pulling out every trick from the cost-cutting book— and a few from outside—to stay on the road.
Protect or Perish
In businesses, big or small, ranging from manufacturing to music, the fight for intellectual property is getting intense. Neglect it and you could be out of business.
The political economy
With another coalition a certainty, it's time to discount party philosophy as pointers to the reforms. Expect convenience, not conviction, to dictate the economic agenda.
Mukesh Ambani's ambitious retail rollout has a long way to go, with just Rs 1,000 crore of the Rs 25,000 crore earmarked for the project being utilised in the past two years. The economic slowdown has set Reliance Retail back—by at least 18 months—but the good news is that it seems to be getting its strategy right at the mass end.
Back of the Book
Google goes rural
Google retrofits a bus with VSAT equipment and computers and video screens to ride out the dusty country roads of semi-urban towns in Tamil Nadu in a journey aimed at making Internet a point of relevance in people's lives rather than just a matter of interest. As its bus traverses through small towns to understand Internet illiteracy, Nitya Varadarajan shares the experience.
'Corporate romance is often tinted with hard realities of cycles'
For the first time in a decade, off-site meetings are being replaced by on-site meetings, guest houses are replacing hotel stays, normal carriers are being replaced with low-cost carriers, and travel is being substituted with video conferences.
An American dream gone sour
Visa curbs alone won't hurt Indian aspirants as much as it is feared. Here's why.
Jobs under fire
Measures like layoffs and retrenchment, which in normal times would have attracted lots of criticism, are now being conveniently fobbed off by managements under the pretext of recession.
'Google isn�??t our only competitor'
Yahoo's stock is at around $12, down more than 100 per cent from the high of around $28 that it had reached after the bid.