Don Giovanni is Coming

Non si picca – se sia ricca,

Se sia brutta, se sia bella; Purché porti la gonnella, Voi sapete quel che fa.

The Mets live production of Mozart's Don Giovanni is premiering tomorrow in theaters. Ive been hearing and reading mixed reviews of the opera but it should be interesting. Im also looking forward to seeing the new staging that caused millions of dollars to design. There is a limited showing of the opera, so check it out and tell me what you think. I will also be posting my review of the concert shortly after the concert.


Below is James Levine conducting the overture to Don Giovanni

Thought of the Day...

With the Met's production of "Don Giovanni" coming out next week I thought that this weeks thought should come from Wolgang Amadeus Mozart:
"I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings."
This quote has a deep impression on me because I feel that very often we worry so much about other people's ideas of us rather than connecting and meeting the desires of our own feelings. As you embark on your weekend, follow your feelings and have some FUN!

Need a Break- Play a Game

If you have some free time play this game sponsored by sporcle.com and test your ability to name the famous composers of these great works. Don't be discouraged... have fun!

CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

CD of the Week: Shostakovich: The String Quartets

The CD of the Week *drumroll* everybody's favorite- Shostakovich: The String Quartets by the Emerson String Quartet. I just can't resist the pure anger and distress in all of the quartets.  Check out this video of the Emerson String Quartet performing the Shostakovich No. 3. AMAZING!

Dmitri Shostakovich was born on September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He immediately stood out as a prodigy and by 1918 he wrote his first funeral march. Shostakovich became famous in the Soviet Union under Leon Trotsky's chief of staff Mikhail Tukhachevsky, but later had a complex and difficult relationship with the government.

Being heavily influenced by Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky, Shostakovich developed a hybrid style, especially shown through Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. This single work juxtaposed a wide variety of trends, including the neo-classical style and post-Romanticism.

Shostakovich's orchestral works include 15 symphonies and six concerto. His symphonic work is typically complex and requires large scale orchestras. Music for chamber ensembles includes 15 string quartets, a piano quintet, two pieces for a string octet, and two piano trios. For the piano he composed two solo sonatas, a set of preludes, and a later set of 24 preludes and fugues. Other works include three operas, and a series of film music.

Celebrating 10 Years

Congratulations to Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conductor Robert Spano for his 10 years of service with the ASO. During my time interning with the ASO, I had several opportunities to meet and work with Mr. Spano and he is truly a remarkable and genuinely nice person. Click on the video below to watch the ASO's dedication video to Spano.

Race in the Classics

As an African American violinist, I have always been bothered by the fact that there are not a lot of African-Americans and Hispanics within the world of classics (orchestra,opera,dance). Yesterday as I sat in orchestra, I looked around and realized that I AM THE ONLY African-American in the Cornell Symphony Orchestra. In the past, there have been at least one or two other blacks in orchestra but now there are NONE! Now I have to ask everyone, Why is this the case?

From my personal experience, my parents had to struggle and re-shuffle money to pay for private lessons with top symphony musicians, pay to constantly upgrade and the general maintenance of my instrument and endure travel experiences to different orchestra activities. Is this why we don't see minorities, excluding Asians, in today's classical world? Do minorities not have the resources for their kids to be artists or because of the limited resources provided to minorities in general, they aren't willing to take the risk to invest in the kids as artist.

Looking in orchestra, its amazing that classic arts is still classified as a privileged and wealthy craft. But what is most surprising is how orchestra especially is dominated by Asians. A lot of my friends are first generation Asians however, they are still preserving to become the top musicians. I think that it goes far beyond cultural differences and perspectives and basically boils down to expectations. From my experience, in the black community we are not expected to become top artists because it sooo out of the norm. There is no stride to become classical artists. My entire life I have always been asked, "Why not Jazz." My question back is Why not Classical? Because jazz derived from African origins, I guess it is more familiar and seems more 'normal' for minorities to engage in jazz music.

Classical music is simply something that is not taken serious in minority communities and now it is really starting to become a big issue. Although competitive, there are several values, lessons and skills that are embedded within classical music and I really think that minorities need to start exploring these options. I am very familiar with the big outreach programs to encourage minority artists to become more engage in their craft but this clearly an issue that needs to start at the root -our community and our homes.

Book: The Healthy Dancer

The American Ballet Theatre just released a book, "The Healthy Dancer: ABT Guidelines for Dancers Health." The book gives easy-to-follow guidelines for teachers, parents, students and trainers. The book is broken into three parts:
Part 1- The Anatomy of a Dancers Body
Part 2-Advice for a Young Dancer
Part 3- Risk Management and Advice for Teachers and how to handle stress

The Academy Award Winner, "Black Swan" is one of my favorite movies, however it brought up a lot of issues that dancers have to face so I am really happy that ABT has released this book. Click on the link below to learn more information and to order a copy. This is a great book to give away for the Holidays!  ABT Book Link

CD of the Week: Reverse Thread

Jazz Violinist Regina Carter released her latest album, "Reverse Thread." This is a great album to keep your spirits high as it starts to get cold outside. Carter is currently on tour visiting cities throughout the country. The album plays on familiar themes with a twist. I saw Carter perform a few years ago and she and her accompanying band have a very distinctive sound. That distinction is very clear in Reverse Thread. Click on Free Download to get a free download from the album, visit iTunes to purchase the album and below is a video of Carter performing excerpts from "Reverse Thread."

Joshua Bell and the ASO

Violinist Joshua Bell is performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto this weekend with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Tickets start at $26.00.
This is defiantly going to be a magical performance. If you are in Atlanta during the time go and check it out!!!

Joshua Bell and the ASO Tickets and Program Notes

Sounds of a New Century

Check out this cool website for the Sonic Festival. The festival is targeted for composers under forty. The first concert is this Friday. Even if you can't make the actual concert the website includes a lot of information for aspiring composers and musicians. SONiC FESTIVAL

Quote of the Day...

“Music is born out of the inner sounds within a soul; all the music that was ever heard came from the inner silence in every musician.” John McLaughlin

'Face to Face' Exhibit Now at the Johnson Museum

There is a pretty cool exhibit going on right now at the Cornell University Johnson Museum called Face to Face. A range of haunting and intimate faces from Ancient Egypt and Persia, the exhibit celebrates faces and the pain and joy faces can display. The exhibit is going on until October 30th and would be a great Halloween activity so check it out. 

Below is a link to the Johnson Museum if you want more information. 

Face to Face at the Johnson Museum

CD of the Week: New to Classics DeClassified

My friends always ask me, "What are you listening to today." So I thought I would share with you my weekly favorites.

Log in every week to see which CD's I just can't seem to stop listening to. 

This week's CD is "Valery Gergiev and Mariinsky Orchestra: Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4"

I have listened to several different works by Tchaikovsky by the orchestra and by far this is the best interpretation that I have heard thus far. Check out this video to hear and see the orchestra and if you like it, purchase it on iTunes. 

Here is a video with an interview with Gergiev talking about all of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies. 

Lang Lang: Liszt-My Piano Hero Review

In his new album "Liszt: My Piano Hero," Lang Lang presents one of the most ire performances of Liszt that I have heard. Although Liszt is most popular among pianists, everyone can really appreciate every work on this entire album. As I have been reading some other reviews about the album, several people have been arguing that his choice of pieces are pinched, he plays the works at a third rate and he is playing on the piano way too hard and it is taking away from the works in general. I totally have to disagree with this. It is already very clear that Lang Lang is one of the great pianist of our time and he adores Liszt, so I think that his selection choice especially, was well chosen. Every little aspect is taken into consideration with him presenting a cohesive and innovative interpretation of Liszt.

Check it out online and/or purchase it on iTunes and tell me what you think. Also watch and listen to Lang Lang perform Liszt.

Lang Lang is a chinese american pianist who grew up in New York studying at the Julliard School. His studies and talent gave him world recognition and he has been touring the world since he was five years old. Lang Lang has done several recordings of Liszt. Liszt was born in 1811 and became extremely popular for his virtuosic skills as a pianist. As he began to write his own compositions, he model his style after the great composers like Wagner, Saint-Saens, Grieg and Borodin. Through his piano compositions, Liszt helped to expand the knowledge of musical form and ultimately he coined the term 'symphonic poem' which allows a certain movement in a symphony a picture, dance or emotion is evoked on the stage.

Check out this video with clips of Liszt's music and some other composers that were mentioned above.