Concert Roundup Part Eleventy

No, seriously, I have no idea how many of these I’ve done and checking is cheating. Here are some concerts happening this week. You should go to one. Several, even.

• For example, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has something interesting going on — a Richard Einhorn vocal piece called The Passion of Joan of Arc that scores a 1928 silent film of the same name. This is movie music of a different kind. March 3 at Strathmore; March 2 & 4 at the Meyerhoff. [ See it! ]
• Oh, man. First the BSO tries to convince me of Mozart’s genius; now the National Symphony Orchestra is corrupting the children with “The Mozart Experience” and the Magical Circle Mime Company. They’ve resorted to mimes, people. Mimes! You know who else was a mime? Salieri in a face mask. But fine, fine, go ahead and broaden your kid’s cultural horizons. See if I care. March 4. [ See it! ]
• Or if you prefer your music of the chamber persuasion, NSO music director and in this case pianist Christoph Eschenbach gets his Schubert on with the assistance of baritone Matthias Goerne in the song cycle Winterreise on March 5. [ See it! ]
• A smattering of upcoming Strathmore performances: a Weimar Cabaret singer and orchestra; a solo pianist; a solo violinist. [ See the calendar! ]

If you’d like your concert included in next week’s roundup, leave a comment or drop me a line.

That’s FrahnkenSHTEEN

Music tames the savage beast, so it’s perfect for those inconvenient moments when you realize that the amalgam of human parts you brought to life with electricity during your lunch break has escaped and is out there terrorizing the townsfolk and taking hot soup to the lap. The violin makes a good recon tool; here’s a handy tutorial for its most efficient use. Oh, and also,

FRAU BLUCHER!!!!!!

“Maybe… ‘Death Star of Wonder’?”

And so the sleigh bells rose from the pit and created instant Christmas. Which I think is like instant cocoa, but without marshmallows, sadly.

Take me to your conductor

I took a class in college called “Sci Fi and Film,” and one of the films we watched was Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A classic. I hated it. (I have this thing about loyalty, and the main character was a jerk to his family. I do not forgive him.)

All the same, I did love this scene — when the humans make first contact with the aliens. Do they communicate with binary code? With advanced mathematics? With fancy translators? No, they do it with music. Mr. Williams, this is one point to you.

By the way, I had a hectic weekend and forgot to post reminders about voting in the Composer Cagematch! So I’ve extended the voting period to tomorrow at 9 pm — don’t miss the voting window.

Super Jurassic Star-Terrestrial Jones

Can we get a mashup? I mean, aside from this one?

Oh, John Williams. You get a beating around here. Who could forget this ballin’ article? Heck, the fact that the BSO’s concert this week is “Music of John Williams” inspired Not Quite Classical Week.

But I’ll tell you, the stuff you borrow is the good stuff. Your borrowing taste is good. And I’ve been known to hum the theme to Jurassic Park now and again. I will forever prefer Goldsmith’s Trek to your Wars, but all the same, Johnny Doubleya, let’s call a truce, shall we? I mean, for now. At least till this concert series is over.

If you want to prove to JDubs that you don’t hold a grudge, or never had one in the first place, the BSO offers a program of All Williams, All the Time. Andrew Grams shall conduct in three places: at Strathmore on Thursday, July 21 at 8 pm, at the Meyerhoff on Friday, July 22 at 7:30 pm, and on Saturday, July 23 at 8 pm it’ll all go down at Oregon Ridge, so bring your picnic blanket.

Okay, JW. We’re cool. For now.

Every truly cultured music student knows

… that, as you may explain to your students, fair music teachers: you must do your scales and your arpeggios. And don’t forget to admonish them to feel the music ringing from their chest and not their nose.

I love that the little gray kitten’s name is Berlioz.

Sunset Suite #12

I <3 The Phantom Tollbooth. And I even love the movie version. Despite the fact that I’ve never done drugs.

In the book there was a symphony orchestra for Chroma to conduct through the sunset, but still, pretty good. I just wish they hadn’t cut The Valley of Sound (I may have a fix for this later this summer!).

Charlie Chaplin, composer

Until I helped put together the 2010-2011 BSO season web presence last year, I had no idea!

Turns out Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed, starred in, and scored his 1925 film The Gold Rush. Well, the BSO is playing that music, and while they do that, they’re going to show the whole darn movie. Apparently it contains the famous “dance of the dinner rolls.” So I guess Beauty and the Beast didn’t do it first after all.

See it Friday, April 15 at 8 pm at Strathmore, or Saturday, April 16 at 8 pm and Sunday, April 17 at 3 pm at the Meyerhoff. Or if you’d like to get in free and can work REALLY FAST because unfortunately I suck and forgot to put this up earlier:

Win Tickets to The Gold Rush!

Create your own silent film to win tickets to Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush!  Get your inspiration from the master himself for your own silent film scene at http://www.charliechaplin.com/. Submitted film shorts can re-create famous moments in Chaplin’s beloved movie, or you can channel your inner-screenwriter and create something entirely new!  All films must be under 1:30 and posted to facebook.com/BSOmusic by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13^th.  The top 10 will receive a pair of tickets—simple as that! One lucky winner may even get the chance to have her or his film short viewed before the concert! (Please note: The BSO reserves the right not to choose any videos for pre-concert display.)

Fire up the webcam and get cracking!

Where do which instruments feature? Just listen to teacher

You could argue that it’s because I’m going back to Walt Disney World in June (yes I’m an addict; no, I don’t want to get better), but I’ve actually had this topic percolating in my brain for quite some time, and for the precise reason I’m about to give you. I want to talk about orchestration, and I want to talk about it because of The Lion King.

I have a bunch of The Lion King songs on my iPod, because I am eight forever. My favorite is “Be Prepared,” as Scar is awesome, plus the hyena’s line “Why, is he sick?” makes me laugh hysterically for some reason. But what most impresses me about it from the musical standpoint is, weirdly enough, the use of the bassoon (contrabassoon? I don’t know my woodwinds so well). The bassoon has a running commentary under the melody that I find utterly perfect, a case of brilliant instrument selection. The depth is menacing, befitting Scar’s sinister evil, but the tone has a comic edge that’s just right for the hyenas. I love it.

And to balance it out with some actual classical music, can I mention Prokofiev’s use of the flute? Because I’m not a flute fan. Sorry to flutists, but it doesn’t do much for me. Except when Prokofiev busts it out — in Lieutenant Kije and Romeo and Juliet especially. In Prokofiev’s hands, the flute becomes a vehicle of fantasy and purity, yet… almost an underlying darkness. Prokofiev makes an instrument that usually bores me intriguing.

So I ask you: which instrument in which piece is, to you, inspired casting? Which composer knows how to do it right? And which composer could’ve done with a refresher course?

Death and publicists

Speaking of losers, let’s talk about Dvorak!

Awww, just kidding, Anty. That was mean. Maybe I could hook you up with some representation to make it up to you. This screenshot from IMDb seems to indicate you need some.