Yo Yo Ma is Chinese. But you definitely have to hit up some Japanese composers and performers. They are phenomenal, with a number of them really into the Romance era: Chopin, Dvorak, Rachmaninov, etc.
BL.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Classical Music Thread
- Thread starter mikzn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yo Yo Ma is Chinese. But you definitely have to hit up some Japanese composers and performers. They are phenomenal, with a number of them really into the Romance era: Chopin, Dvorak, Rachmaninov, etc.
BL.
A few Japanese interpreters/conductors/performers: Masaaki Suzuki and Masato Suzuki, Mitsuko Uchida, Midori, Sayaka Shoji. Martha Argerich holds Argerich's Meeting Point in Beppu; Charles Dutoit, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Paavo Järvi conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
More precisely, Yo-Yo Ma is an American who is of Chinese ethnicity. I personally view him as more of a musician than a composer but he has such wide ranging projects that musician-composer-arranger could be the best way to describe his work. Either way, I like how he actively embraces all aspects of his French-Chinese-American upbringing.
----------
Some links for anybody interested:
Yo-Yo Ma on Misty Copeland, raising bi-racial children and breaking barriers
"When you do something that’s unbelievably great, it actually belongs to the world."
www.indystar.com
Yo-Yo Ma Joins Panelists for a Discussion of Cultural Citizenship | Arts | The Harvard Crimson
The symposium, a joint presentation by the Mahindra Humanities Center and the Silk Road Project, explored the idea of a culturally based definition of identity and the idea of cultural diffusion through the lenses of current events and music.
Last edited:
Chaconne by Robert de Visée, (a French lutenist and composer, of the Baroque period) played on the theorbo.
I ♥️ Baroque. Currently listening to the Danielle De Niese cover of Handel's Rinaldo.
A few pieces of Baroque music are keeping me company this Friday night, as August proceeds apace.
Chaconne, composed by Francois Le Cocq (1685-1729); and another Chaconne, this one composed by Robert de Visée (1655-1732/3).
And these were followed by Marionas - composed by Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710). And Jacaras, also courtesy of Gaspar Sanz.
Next, was Bergamasca, by Giovanni Battista Vitelli (1632-1692).
Lovely, just lovely.
Chaconne, composed by Francois Le Cocq (1685-1729); and another Chaconne, this one composed by Robert de Visée (1655-1732/3).
And these were followed by Marionas - composed by Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710). And Jacaras, also courtesy of Gaspar Sanz.
Next, was Bergamasca, by Giovanni Battista Vitelli (1632-1692).
Lovely, just lovely.
Last edited:
And, next, the exquisite Passacaglia, by G G Kapsberger (1580-1651).
Last edited:
The full version of Khachaturian's Gayne/Gayaneh/Gayne recently became available on Amazon (Tjeknavorian/National Philharmonic Orchestra, RCA Red Label/Sony, 2005 double CD) so that's what's been on my sound system this week. Fans of 2001: A Space Odyssey should recognize one of the adagios...plus the Sabre Dance is pretty well known (Pretenders fans, this is for you: Live at the Marquee).
Unfortunately, the ballet doesn't seem to be performed much anymore so it could become lost, like so many other ballets.
Unfortunately, the ballet doesn't seem to be performed much anymore so it could become lost, like so many other ballets.
Attended three concerts featuring Martha Argerich, Lyda Chen Argerich, David Chen, Dario Alejandro Ntaca, Yunchan Lim and the Orchestra of the Music Makers (Singapore). Of the piano concertos, Martha performed the Schumann Piano Concerto, David (Argerich’s grandson) Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1, and Yunchan Lim Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5.
The concerts were recorded and hopefully the recordings will be released soon.
Exhilarating, but I am now properly exhausted: Most people thought I was just sitting down for a few hours, not realizing the energy needed to receive and interact with 200,000+ notes within those few hours.
The concerts were recorded and hopefully the recordings will be released soon.
Exhilarating, but I am now properly exhausted: Most people thought I was just sitting down for a few hours, not realizing the energy needed to receive and interact with 200,000+ notes within those few hours.
Last edited:
That is a terrific piece; actually, I have it on LP.......must see if I can find it, and listen to it as - yes, you're absolutely right - I haven't heard it in an absolute age.
Went to a live performance yesterday:
Florence Price – The Oak
Richard Strauss – Death and Transfiguration
Johannes Brahms – Symphony no. 1, op. 68 in C minor
Florence Price's work is new to me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Price
Florence Beatrice Price (née Smith; April 9, 1887 – June 3, 1953) was an American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Price was educated at the New England Conservatory of Music, and was active in Chicago from 1927 until her death in 1953. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra.[2] Price composed over 300 works: four symphonies, four concertos, as well as choral works, art songs, chamber music and music for solo instruments. In 2009, a substantial collection of her works and papers was found in her abandoned summer home.
classicalexburns.com
Composed in 1943, The Oak is an unpublished tone poem that has only in the last few years been professionally recorded. Unlike many other of Price’s works, The Oak is notably more serious in tone and character. The foreboding string opening slowly grows as more instruments enter the mix. Price’s rich orchestral writing shines here as the woodwind interludes go against the rich and sonorous strings.
The Oak explores a number of different moods and atmospheres, from mysterious to more aggressive and irritated. The work has been described as an “orchestral essay” as it is explorative and behaves in a different way to a symphony or overture.The rich and sonorous textures are very present throughout The Oak, with Price’s writing for woodwind and brass stealing the limelight at calculated intervals. As the big climax of the piece is reached in the last minute of the piece, the explosion of orchestral colour and intensity also comes to its head. Dissonant chords fly through the orchestra as the ensemble unite for one final chord.
Florence Price – The Oak
Richard Strauss – Death and Transfiguration
Johannes Brahms – Symphony no. 1, op. 68 in C minor
Florence Price's work is new to me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Price
Florence Beatrice Price (née Smith; April 9, 1887 – June 3, 1953) was an American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Price was educated at the New England Conservatory of Music, and was active in Chicago from 1927 until her death in 1953. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra.[2] Price composed over 300 works: four symphonies, four concertos, as well as choral works, art songs, chamber music and music for solo instruments. In 2009, a substantial collection of her works and papers was found in her abandoned summer home.
Florence Price 'The Oak': Stable Core - Classicalexburns
Florence Price: The Oak Context Born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1887, Florence Beatrice Smith Price received early musical training from her mother. Price went to study at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, Read more…
classicalexburns.com
The Oak explores a number of different moods and atmospheres, from mysterious to more aggressive and irritated. The work has been described as an “orchestral essay” as it is explorative and behaves in a different way to a symphony or overture.The rich and sonorous textures are very present throughout The Oak, with Price’s writing for woodwind and brass stealing the limelight at calculated intervals. As the big climax of the piece is reached in the last minute of the piece, the explosion of orchestral colour and intensity also comes to its head. Dissonant chords fly through the orchestra as the ensemble unite for one final chord.
One of the works found in 2009 was her Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, recently performed live by our city’s orchestra at a concert last month. Exciting work, with a lot of interesting play between the violin soloist and flute. Sadly unrecognized for a long time, I’m hoping her works become a part of today’s symphonic repertoire.
I heard Price’s chamber piece “Five Folksongs in Counterpoint” performed recently. So, I hope, both her work and more recent work by composers outside of the ”usual” backgrounds of people in the classical music world will receive more attention from music directors and acceptance by audiences. Something that is a significant challenge for orchestras’ viability, at least in my area, is that whenever anything outside of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods is played, there are a lot more empty seats than usual and audible grumbling from many audience members (“Why can’t they just stick to Beethoven?” I’m leaving after intermission!” “Honey, I am so glad I was able to turn off my hearing aids during that last one!”).
Now, having said that, I went to an outstanding performance of Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C major (Op. 48) conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas not long ago. I’ve heard the piece many times performed by smallish ballet orchestras so experiencing the incredible lushness of the music that resulted from a full orchestra–with no requirement to support dancers–was nearly overwhelming. And MTT really said all that needed to be said during the last of multiple curtain calls. People had been on their feet, clapping and shouting, for a long time when MTT made eye contact with people all over the auditorium. Then he held up his copy of the score, theatrically pointed to it, and walked into the wings.
I saw this quote from the Met Opera’s (NYC) General Manager today:
“The main point behind it is to feature more new and accessible works that have proven to attract a broader, younger and more diverse audience,” Met general manager Peter Gelb said. “Opera sat on its hind legs for many decades and now it’s paying the price. For so many decades new music both in classical music and in opera typically drove audiences away, not to concert halls and opera houses, because it was so inaccessible and atonal and being written for an elite group.
“It was the equivalent of singing in the shower, and basically composers were composing for themselves and for academics and critics and not for the public,” he added. “And that has attached a stigma to new music in classical music and opera that really harmed the art form.”
If the sole purpose of opera and classical music is to entertain, then yes, Gelb may be on the right track. But in that case, do opera and classical music still deserve to be called arts? And what about the other aspects of opera and classical performances that probably have contributed to the ossification of audiences, such as the subscription business model, early start times, stagnant repertory (particularly by opera companies), and overly starchy auditorium etiquette norms (such as formal dress and people getting shushed if they applaud between movements)?
In any case, perhaps the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel as Music Director of the NY Philharmonic will help shake things up everywhere at Lincoln Center.
apnews.com
“The main point behind it is to feature more new and accessible works that have proven to attract a broader, younger and more diverse audience,” Met general manager Peter Gelb said. “Opera sat on its hind legs for many decades and now it’s paying the price. For so many decades new music both in classical music and in opera typically drove audiences away, not to concert halls and opera houses, because it was so inaccessible and atonal and being written for an elite group.
“It was the equivalent of singing in the shower, and basically composers were composing for themselves and for academics and critics and not for the public,” he added. “And that has attached a stigma to new music in classical music and opera that really harmed the art form.”
If the sole purpose of opera and classical music is to entertain, then yes, Gelb may be on the right track. But in that case, do opera and classical music still deserve to be called arts? And what about the other aspects of opera and classical performances that probably have contributed to the ossification of audiences, such as the subscription business model, early start times, stagnant repertory (particularly by opera companies), and overly starchy auditorium etiquette norms (such as formal dress and people getting shushed if they applaud between movements)?
In any case, perhaps the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel as Music Director of the NY Philharmonic will help shake things up everywhere at Lincoln Center.
Met cuts season to 18 operas, matching fewest in 4 decades
The financially challenged Metropolitan Opera is cutting its schedule to 18 productions next season, matching pandemic-curtailed 2019-20 for the fewest since 14 in the strike-shortened 1980-81 season.
I saw this quote from the Met Opera’s (NYC) General Manager today:
“The main point behind it is to feature more new and accessible works that have proven to attract a broader, younger and more diverse audience,” Met general manager Peter Gelb said. “Opera sat on its hind legs for many decades and now it’s paying the price. For so many decades new music both in classical music and in opera typically drove audiences away, not to concert halls and opera houses, because it was so inaccessible and atonal and being written for an elite group.
“It was the equivalent of singing in the shower, and basically composers were composing for themselves and for academics and critics and not for the public,” he added. “And that has attached a stigma to new music in classical music and opera that really harmed the art form.”
If the sole purpose of opera and classical music is to entertain, then yes, Gelb may be on the right track. But in that case, do opera and classical music still deserve to be called arts? And what about the other aspects of opera and classical performances that probably have contributed to the ossification of audiences, such as the subscription business model, early start times, stagnant repertory (particularly by opera companies), and overly starchy auditorium etiquette norms (such as formal dress and people getting shushed if they applaud between movements)?
In any case, perhaps the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel as Music Director of the NY Philharmonic will help shake things up everywhere at Lincoln Center.
Met cuts season to 18 operas, matching fewest in 4 decades
The financially challenged Metropolitan Opera is cutting its schedule to 18 productions next season, matching pandemic-curtailed 2019-20 for the fewest since 14 in the strike-shortened 1980-81 season.
Both opera and ballet use a different model in places such as Georgia and Ukraine (and, indeed, for that matter, Russia, when one was able to attend such performances in that country). This also used to be the norm in the old USSR, the Soviet Union.
In those countries, the idea is that the performance should be accessible to all, and that everyone should be able to afford to attend them; it is not unusual to see ballet or opera audiences comprised of all ages (three year olds to grannies in their 80s or 90s, all equally entranced), several generations, three generations of the one family attending together, for example, (and not just middle-class, middle-aged, people), and all social classes.
Going to the opera or ballet in a place such as Tbilisi (where I lived and worked for a few years), or Kyiv, (where I have also worked) is considered just as normal an activity (and is just as affordable) as is going to the cinema or going to a football match, and public policy - which sees these forms of art as national treasures - tries to ensure that this remains the case. Yes, some seats are better than others, - which is the case everywhere - but attendance is still accessible, and still affordable for most people most of the time.
Last edited:
Yes, what you describe is a major strength of performing arts companies that receive direct public support, especially in the EU. The stability and security for performers who are not global touring artists as well as the ability to make performances accessible to all economic and social groups are both sorely lacking in the USA.
On the other hand, there are some downsides as well, both currently and historically, especially in authoritarian regimes that try to control creativity, support for the regime, and careers (see: Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Netrebko, Gergiev, Plisetskaya, Ratmansky). But in countries that don’t use the arts for propaganda and political ends, I believe the freedom from not having to view every decision through the lens of pleasing (appeasing?) major donors and season ticket buyers makes for a better arts scene for everybody.
I had the pleasure of being at a live performance yesterday of the Bizet/Guiraud L'Arlesienne Suites. Prior to that, the orchestra performed works of three Italian composers: Verdi, Respighi, and Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) whose college roommate was Giacomo Puccini.
Pietro Mascagni wrote one of the most beautiful songs ever the Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana.
And the L'Arlesienne Suites is just great music as well
what a spacial performance you saw!
This BBC World Service story made me think of this thread because of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra connection.
Outlook reporter Gaia Caramazza discovers the 'other life' of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's first violinst, William Tan. He's also an award-winning underwater photographer whose fascination with fish began as a child, staring at the life swimming around inside his uncle's aquariums. He was inspired by a particularly courageous fish and that's led to some amazing marine adventures.
Outlook-BBC World Service
—————
ETA: here is a link to the post referred to below, as suggested by @Scepticalscribe:
Outlook reporter Gaia Caramazza discovers the 'other life' of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's first violinst, William Tan. He's also an award-winning underwater photographer whose fascination with fish began as a child, staring at the life swimming around inside his uncle's aquariums. He was inspired by a particularly courageous fish and that's led to some amazing marine adventures.
Outlook-BBC World Service
—————
ETA: here is a link to the post referred to below, as suggested by @Scepticalscribe:
Last edited:
@KaliYoni: Why not post the link - to the Sephardica concert - that you have already posted in the standard music thread (What Are You Listening To Today Part III?) here; I am listening to it at the moment.
It would be perfect for this thread.
Anyway, thank you for sharing it; I rarely listen to stuff that is posted as a video link, but this is just superb. Gorgeous.
I am, just now, listening to a stunning and quite exquisite piece (from the Baroque era) written by Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680), named Tarantella Napolenta, and played by the modern (French) group L'Arpeggiata.
Listening to the album that track (Tarantella Napolenta) is from.
The album - by L'Arpeggiata - is called La Tarantella.
Superb stuff.
The album - by L'Arpeggiata - is called La Tarantella.
Superb stuff.
I don't know if this video has region restrictions but it is a rare instance of recently recorded New York City Ballet performances. Even better, this triple bill has a masterpiece (Serenade/Tchaikovsky-Serenade for Strings in C), a stunning mashup of Baroque music, American square dancing (!), and neoclassical ballet (Square Dance/Vivaldi-Concerto Grosso in B minor/Corelli-Sarabanda), and a recent addition to NYCB's repertory set to electronic music (The Times Are Racing/Dan Deacon).
www.pbs.org
New York City Ballet in Madrid | Great Performances | PBS
Experience Balanchine's masterpieces & Justin Peck's contemporary works, performed by the New York City Ballet.
www.pbs.org
Not available (where I am) for me, unfortunately - I've just clicked on it, as that is a lovely programme - so, yes, it would appear that the video, clearly, does indeed come complete with regional restrictions.I don't know if this video has region restrictions but it is a rare instance of recently recorded New York City Ballet performances. Even better, this triple bill has a masterpiece (Serenade/Tchaikovsky-Serenade for Strings in C), a stunning mashup of Baroque music, American square dancing (!), and neoclassical ballet (Square Dance/Vivaldi-Concerto Grosso in B minor/Corelli-Sarabanda), and a recent addition to NYCB's repertory set to electronic music (The Times Are Racing/Dan Deacon).
New York City Ballet in Madrid | Great Performances | PBS
Experience Balanchine's masterpieces & Justin Peck's contemporary works, performed by the New York City Ballet.