Movement Through the Waves of No sleep: Spring-Summer in NYC concerts

Why not? Life as always moving forward which doesn't mean that humans do the same. Reasons? Because we all need to review the history to try and learn of it. I've learned a lot from the recent months while walking the city that doesn't sleep. Words in a corner, phrases in another. Paintings here and there and melodies everywhere.

Last March, Orchestra of St. Luke's gave a wonderful manifestation of art under the conduction of Christian Zacharias (who also performed playing the piano). A great combination of stories with compositions by Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, Beethoven, Bernd Alois Zimmermann, and Robert Schumann was put together for Carnegie Hall. The performance had a lot to see. However, I had this interesting experience of listening from first center row paralleling the feeling of someone who sees a big picture in a museum but very close. The orchestra was over the level of my head, bringing the sound to a different dimension; the dimension of closeness and familiarity that I feel proud to get from this marvelous dedicated group. I never can feel bored of listening to them from any angle since I know they are great professionals.

As part of a different occasion, I had the chance to hear the Venice Baroque Orchestra with Giuliano Carmignola playing violin. This concert had the fun of a melodic Italy with a joyful program including compositions of Tomaso Albinoni, Antonio Vivaldi, Francesco Geminiani, and Giuseppe Tartini. There's no doubt that the music selection was carefully calculated to keep the audience happy and wishing to hear each one of those composers again and again. The Zankel Hall contrasted with the Baroque Music, however allowed to get closer to performers as well as sensing the level of comfort that an specialized orchestra can demonstrate with music originated in their country. The interesting fact is that this music is not national anymore but worldwide expression of art as much as it can be. It was a great opportunity to go beyond Vivaldi performed live and getting more of other musicians of the same era. How fun could have been the XVII century.

Thomas Quasthoff shook the soul of New Yorkers again last May. Accompanied by Justus Zeyen in the piano, Mr. Quasthoff filled the air with the clear sound of his powerful vocal cords and his pleasant breathing. The big stage was small to the love this man shows for his work. "This is something to live in person", a friend told me during the intermission. That phrase stayed in my ears when he moved from Schubert and Frank Martin to Johannes Brahms. It was a remainder that there will always be performers who live of and for that: for giving their best on stage and eliciting emotions and concentration from each member of the audience. Mr. Quasthoff is not boring, he is not egocentric, he goes beyond his training and his knowledge of music. Mr. Quasthoff moves his spirit and the feelings of anyone who hears his voice. His smile is eighty percent of his body when receiving ovations and that makes a concertgoer connect with this singer, his technique, and the composers whose melodies come from his musical throat. Never to be forgotten: a experience to have.

The MET Orchestra was conducted by Pierre Boulez last May 16th 2010 and a clear "The Wooden Prince" of Bela Bartok came to life with all the polemic this piece can have. The mixed reaction of the audience was challenging to me. I am not used to Bartok's and, due to that, I made my own quick research on the composer and the melody. I was ready and took the whole composition as an invite to imagine, to create the piece in my brain and embed the feelings of the story with the feelings of Bartok. Also, I was told that this orchestra plays almost by itself based on their strong experience and quality of work they articulate day after day. Mr. Boulez was, probably, the cherry of the cake but that has its enormous value too.

I want to acknowledge The Helicon Foundation. The surgically designed program of Beethoven and Mendessohn on Gut Strings was another gesture of classical art of music in a golden box. The personal touch of an intimate performance by Vera beths, Johnny Gandelsman, Colin Jacobsen, Mark Steinberg, David Cerutti, Dov Scheindlin, Nina Lee, and Myron Lutzke was like a gift of the very Beethoven and Mendelsson. The interview by James Roe as Artistic Director and Moderator to Vera Beths was absolutely professional and looking for the selected audience to get much and much closer to the fact of playing on period instruments. What Ms. Beths discussed with Mr. Roe, got full attention especially because they talked about feelings, about the player and her emotions when playing. This was another chance to get a novel sense of what music used to be beyond the commercial needs of these days.

And now, closing this particular post and probably moving to my own Manhattan apartment really soon, the chance comes to mention another event and experience The Knights as full orchestra playing under conduction by Eric Jacobsen. The muse in this particular orchestra is there always joining efforts with their respect and camaraderie where no musician seems to be above the other and where their interaction seems to be clearly defined by what the music is. All of their musical selections are like flowers ready to blossom and when they play those is like the music never stops in the mind. I attended their performance at Southport CT where Schubert's Symphonies 3 and 8 as well as Mendelssohn's Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" moved the concertgoers with pleasure when they gave their particular surprises as "petit cadeau" in precise moments of the concert. This is something that can become a label for an orchestra that is pushing and pushing stronger to share a better classical entertainment whenever they are to play. It was unfortunate that the performance in Naumburg Shell of "A Midsummer Night Dream" Overture turned into a natural event that changed the expectations when rain came from everywhere and musicians and audience had to say to NYC: "I'm guilty of pleasure of looking for the best execution of music". Next will be another time.