Night After Night

Days between: New York Times writing, April 2-May 8, 2014

iPhone photo, June 7, 2014

The fifth installment in the three-part [sic] series "Days between," compiling my unblogged recent work for The New York Times, and – for reasons I expect to be fairly obvious – the final installment for the foreseeable future. The end of a run that meant the world to me. As ever and as applicable, the performance date is provided first, followed by the publication date.

Classical Playlist: Beethoven, the Bad Plus, Fred Astaire and More
April 2, 2014

‘ELLIOTT CARTER 103RD BIRTHDAY CONCERT’
Fred Sherry, cellist; Rolf Schulte, violinist; Charles Neidich, clarinetist; Virgil Blackwell, bass clarinetist; Bridget Kibbey, harpist; Nicholas Phan, tenor; and others
(NMC)

‘1930s VIOLIN CONCERTOS’
Gil Shaham, violinist; various orchestras, conducted by David Robertson and Juanjo Mena
(Canary Classics)

…this is a tremendous selection of pieces from Carter’s extraordinary late-career bloom, played with love and insight by musicians capable of embracing their challenges and illuminating their charms.

Unsound Festival New York 2014 at Issue Project Room, April 2, 2014
April 5, 2014

The performance was both heady and bedeviling. Steady bursts at dance club tempos prompted physical responses, stymied by an asymmetrical flux. Twice, a man in a white rabbit suit trudged across the room, his listless presence mirroring the music’s hampered hedonism.

American Composers Orchestra at Zankel Hall, April 4, 2014
April 8, 2014

Meant to suggest makeshift Brazilian shantytowns and the disparate individual stories contained therein, the piece offers a dreamlike progression of erratic bumps and scrapes, loosely fastened with repeated gently rising glissandos in a manner at times reminiscent of Varèse.

Music for Contemplation at Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, April 5, 2014
April 9, 2014

Adjusting to the space and stillness, perception changed slowly but markedly. Were the cars and buses rumbling past the church louder in the second hour than in the first?

Classical Playlist: Jeffrey Mumford, Mozart, Brahms and More
April 9, 2014

MUMFORD: ‘Through a stillness brightening’
Miranda Cuckson, violinist; Wendy Richman, violist; Julia Bruskin, cellist; Winston Choi, pianist; Argento Chamber Ensemble, conducted by Michel Galante; and others
(Albany)

Jeffrey Mumford, a distinguished American composer who studied with Elliott Carter and Bernard Rands, among others, has an unerring knack for fashioning rigorous works as changeable as cloudscapes, bursting with color, nuance and poetry.

Robert Ashley "Crash" at the Whitney Museum of American Art, April 12, 2014
April 15, 2014

Even absent, the composer was the ghost in the machine — not least as a topic finally rendered explicit. And for those who never witnessed him, this was a faithful representation of his style and intent.

Stephen Hough at Alice Tully Hall, April 13, 2014
April 16, 2014

Dreamy, ticklish, turbulent and ghostly by turns, the tiny pieces convey an acute disquiet and a genteel testing of compositional and emotional boundaries, qualities Mr. Hough keenly conveyed.

MATA Festival at the Kitchen, April 16, 2014
April 18, 2014

It seemed impossible that the finale, Hikari Kiyama’s “Joruri Death Metal,” could live up to its promised collision of modern complexity, Japanese dramatic tradition and the flamboyant violence of death metal.

Classical Playlist: Carter, Rand Steiger, Mozart and More
April 23, 2014

STEIGER: ‘A Menacing Plume’
Rand Steiger, Olivier Pasquet and Miller Puckette, digital audio signal processing; Talea Ensemble, conducted by James Baker
(New World Records)

HENNIX: ‘Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage / Live at the Grimm Museum, Volume One’
Catherine Christer Hennix, vocals and electronics; Amelia Cuni, vocals; Robin Hayward, microtonal tuba; Hilary Jeffery, trombone; and Michael Northam, sound engineering
(Important Records)

FUJIKURA: ‘ice’
Daniel Lippel, guitarist; International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Jayce Ogren and Matthew Ward
(Kairos)

SOPER: ‘Voices From the Killing Jar’
Kate Soper, vocalist, clarinetist, pianist, percussionist; Wet Ink Ensemble
(Carrier)

I find in full measure the same characteristics that made “Sirens” so captivating: keen intelligence; lacerating wit; a time-traipsing style with extravagant sounds extracted from frugal resources; and, not least, Ms. Soper’s lithe voice and riveting presence.

Classical Playlist: Pavarotti, Berio, Shostakovich and More
May 8, 2014

BERIO: ‘Sequenza VIII’; ‘Corale’; HUANG: ‘Four Fragments’; Violin Concerto No. 1 (‘Omnipresence’)
David Bowlin, violinist; Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, conducted by Timothy Weiss
(Oberlin Music)

DUTILLEUX: Symphony No. 1; ‘Tout un monde lointain’; ‘The Shadows of Time’
Xavier Phillips, cellist; Seattle Symphony, conducted by Ludovic Morlot
(Seattle Symphony)

This disc is a handy reminder of the vital role that the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio has played in shaping today’s classical-music scene, nurturing artists like the violinist Jennifer Koh, the pianist Jeremy Denk, and members of the groups Eighth Blackbird and the International Contemporary Ensemble.

Related:

Days between: New York Times writing, January 10-29, 2014

Days between: New York Times writing, March 23–August 12, 2013

Days between: New York Times writing, August 20–November 10, 2013

Days between: New York Times writing, November 25–December 30, 2013

Playlist.

Annea Lockwood - Ground of Being (Recital)

Tony Malaby's Tamarindo - Somos Agua (Clean Feed)

Celer - Rags of Contentment (Digitalis > Bandcamp)

Chubby Wolf - L'histoire (Gears of Sand > Bandcamp)

Sneeze - Wilt (Glory Kid)

Robert Fripp - Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, MO, March 4, 2006 (DGMLive)

Jason Lescalleet - The Pilgrim (Glistening Examples)

Greg Kelley/Jason Lescalleet - Conversations (Glistening Examples)

Jim O'Rourke - Steamroom 12 (Bandcamp)

Gnarwhallaby - [exhibit a] (Populist > Bandcamp)

Motion Sickness of Time Travel - Ballade for a Strawberry Moon (self-released > Bandcamp)

Jimmy Giuffre 3 & 4 - New York Concerts (Elemental)

Noveller - Artifact (Saffron Recordings)

Grant Evans - Lacerations (Hooker Vision)

King Crimson - Live at the Marquee, March 10, 1971 (DGM)

Reformed Faction - I am the source of light, I am not a mirror (Soleilmoon)

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 - State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture/Gennady Rozhdestvensky (Melodiya)

John Zorn - In Lambeth: Visions from the Walled Garden of William Blake - Gnostic Trio (Tzadik)

Sarah Borges - Radio Sweetheart (Lonesome Day)

Couples Counseling - Couples Counseling (Blood Oath Slumber Party > Bandcamp)

Jules Verdone - dopodomani (Bandcamp)

wildUp - Feather & Stone - wildUp/Christopher Rountree (Populist > Bandcamp)

Motion Sickness of Time Travel - Alpha Piscium (Hooker Vision)

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Symphony Nos. 5 - State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture/Gennady Rozhdestvensky (Melodiya)

Yes - Heaven & Earth (Frontiers; due July 22)

Misery Index - The Killing Gods (Season of Mist)

Odyssey Opera June Festival at Boston University Theatre, June 11 & 12, 2014

James Maddalena, Michael Chioldi and David Kravitz, by Kathy Wittman

Odyssey Opera June Festival at Boston University Theatre, June 11 & 12, 2014
The Boston Globe, June 19, 2014

My first review for the Boston Globe covers the first two nights of a four-night festival by Odyssey Opera, a new company arisen from the demise of Opera Boston. You can read more about the organization's origin in this 2013 article by Geoff Edgers, and you can also read Jeremy Eichler's review of the company's first undertaking, a September 2013 concert performance of Wagner's Rienzi. Finally, a column by David Weininger and a feature article by Harlow Robinson detailed the making of the June Festival, Odyssey's first foray into fully staged productions. (Note that non-subscribers get 10 free articles per month, so pace yourself.)

Lots of people had asked me when I'd start writing again after making my transition from the Times to the Globe. Truth is, I was eager and anxious, while at the same time cautious about wanting to be sure I'd mastered the minutiae (if not necessarily the broader strokes) of my new position, chiefly assigning and editing, before I added more to my plate.

Still, I'd already planned to take in the two presentation Odyssey would mount in its theatrical debut: Verdi's Un giorno di regno on the first night, a double bill of Mascagni's Zanetto and Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna on the second, with each program repeating during the next two nights. So when Jeremy Eichler through no fault of his own ended up with an impossible schedule that week, I was ready and willing to jump in. It didn't hurt that I already felt oddly comfortable with Giorno, thanks to a delicious Parma video I'd spent much time with and the previous production I reviewed at the Glimmerglass Festival just last summer.

All told, I'm pretty happy with the result, and most certainly was gratified by how quickly the words came tumbling out when I put myself to the test. Thus reassured, I've taken the liberty of assigning myself a handful of preview articles during the weeks and months to come – and who knows? Maybe there's another review waiting to sneak up on me, too, once I finally solve the so-far unsurmountable problem of establishing a permanent home address here.

Stay tuned…

Playlist.

King Crimson - Shibuya Kohkaido, Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 9, 1981 (DGMLive)

King Crimson - Kakodo, Nagoya, Japan, Dec. 10, 1981 (DGMLive)

King Crimson - Expo Hall, Osaka, Japan, Dec. 12, 1981 (DGMLive)

King Crimson - Mainichi Hall, Osaka, Japan, Dec. 13, 1981 (DGMLive)

King Crimson - Kokusai Hall, Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 14, 1981 (DGMLive)

King Crimson - Kokusai Hall, Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 16, 1981 (DGMLive)

King Crimson - Kokusai Hall, Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 18, 1981 (DGMLive)

Danny Fox Trio - Wide Eyed (Hot Cup)

Reivers - State Effects/Trait Effects (Bandcamp)

Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare (Season of Mist)

Protomartyr - Under Color of Official Right (Hardly Art)

Günter Schlienz - Treehut Visions (Sacred Phrases > Bandcamp)

Maurice Ravel - Alborada del gracioso; Pavane pour une infante défunte; Rapsodie espagnole; Camille Saint-Saëns - Symphony No. 3 in C minor, "Organ" - Seattle Symphony/Ludovic Morlot (Seattle Symphony Media)

Charles Ives - Symphony No. 2; Elliott Carter - Instances; George Gershwin - An American in Paris - Seattle Symphony/Ludovic Morlot (Seattle Symphony Media)

The North Sea - Last Great November (Private Chronology > Bandcamp)

Misery Index - The Killing Gods (Season of Mist)

Yes - NYCB Theater at Westbury, July 14, 2012 (audience recording)

Antonio Vivaldi - L'incoronazione di Dario - Anders Dahlin, Sara Mingardo, Delphine Galou,Riaccardo Novaro, Sofia Soloviy, Lucia Cirillo, Giuseppina Bridelli, Roberta Mameli, Accademia Bizantina/Ottavio Dantone (Naïve)

Cathedral - Forest of Equilibrium (Earache)

Arch Enemy - War Eternal (Century Media; due June 10)

New Firmament - Gift of Mithra (New Firmament > Bandcamp)

Antoine Beuger - Un Lieu Pour Être Deux - Barry Chabala, Ben Owen (Copy for Your Records)

Liana's Fire - Locust Sludge (Blood Oath Slumber Party > Bandcamp)

Robert Fripp/Andrew Keeling/David Singleton - The Wine of Silence - Metropol Orkest/Jan Stulen (DGM)

Günter Schlienz - Contemplation (Preservation)

Elodie Lauten - Transform (Studio 21)

Jerry Bergonzi Quintet and the Fringe, Lilypad, June 2, 2014

Should one wish to immerse oneself in Boston's thriving live-music scene – and should one attempt to do so on a Monday night – one could do much, much worse than to hit the Lilypad, a modest, cozy storefont space in Inman Square, where two incredibly proficient, stylistically diverse bands are in regular residence. The early set features master saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi with his working quintet – tonight, trumpeter Phil Grenadier, pianist Chris McCarthy, bassist Will Slater and drummer Luther Gray – while the late set showcases fiery saxman George Garzone with his long-running trio, the Fringe, featuring bassist John Lockwood and drummer Bob Gullotti.

I won't presume to offer anything so formal as a "review," not least because I arrived late due to confusing directions, and left early to be sure mass transit was still running. (That might be the hardest thing for a New Yorker to get used to.) Even so, I got a good 40 minutes worth of each set, soaking up a healthy dose of Bergonzi's magisterial, brawny postbop (with Garzone sitting in for the finale, "42nd Parallel," a piquant Bergonzi original) and the Fringe's melodically heady, texturally intricate freebop.

Thanks to Claire Daly – a terrific NYC saxophonist and a longtime friend – for urging me to take the plunge, not least because Garzone's going to be on the road for much of the summer. Factor in good sound, a friendly cover charge ($10 per set) and a relaxed vibe, and I can already tell this is a spot I'll be revisiting.

I'd close with a photo of the Fringe, but can't, because the band played in complete darkness – unexpected, but very cool. So here's one more of Bergonzi's band, with Garzone along for the ride.

Starting over.

Apologies for the long, long silent stretch. Needless to say, a lot has happened since the last post, yet there's been precious little time to put fingers to keys for an update. Getting up to speed with new routines, technologies and terminologies at the Boston Globe has been a full-time occupation. And that's not to mention the search for a new home (now concluded, we think), the continuing renovations on our Queens apartment (now meant to make it habitable for a tenant), and the condition of a family separated in three places: me in Boston, Lara and Annina in Jackson Heights and the pups in Clifton, NJ, vacationing with Lara's parents to spare them from chaos on the home front.

Originally I'd told myself that I'd pass the time during this period of isolation by plunging headlong into Boston's music and art scenes. Instead, I've managed to find time for just one performance – the world premiere of Gallo, a provocative and engaging chamber opera by Ken Ueno, produced by Boston indie company Guerilla Opera. Having lacked the opportunity to write anything about that commendable experience, I'll point your attention toward the superb review by Matthew Guerrieri that I had the privilege to edit for the Globe. Anything I might have said, I can assure you that Matthew said far more incisively and eloquently than I could have done under the circumstances.

There's more opera on the horizon, as Boston's newest company, Odyssey Opera, presents its first two staged productions – three, really, since one is a double bill of one-acts – next week. I'm also thinking about running out to catch Parquet Courts and Protomartyr at TT the Bear's Place next Tuesday. But curiously, there's nothing on my agenda for this week. So if you've got any suggestions for what I ought to catch on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night…well, I'm all ears.