Reviews
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 3:32pm.
No one has written about this yet on chicagoclassicalmusic.org so I get to do it. Gramophone Magazine, a British publication, has named our very own Chicago Symphony Orchestra as the number one ranked orchestra in the United States, and the fifth highest ranked orchestra in the world. Congratulations to our friends and colleagues at the CSO. It’s nice to see others recognize what we in Chicago have known for a long time – this band rocks! I am including the full list for those of you who haven’t yet seen it.
I know that some people are uncomfortable with ratings like this. It is, after all, pretty subjective when you look at the top 10-15 orchestras on this list. But there must be something in our mental make-up that draws us to ranking things like orchestras, most embarrassing reality TV moments, best deep dish pizza, and the like. Here’s my question for you. Are there rankings in the classical music world that do make sense, and help us process all of the information floating around? What lists do you like or approve of?
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Greetings from Las Vegas, where I just saw Blue Man Group at the Venetian.
For info on a decidedly non-classical experience, including a hilarious faux-historical treatment of Blue Man Group's influence on rock music, visit http://blueman.com/about_bmg/rock.shtml.
I had a fabulous time. The show is funny, touching at times, incredibly high in energy, and even containing some cool musical things that remind me of what might happen if Bobby McFerrin played plastic tubes instead of singing. There were a few occasions when I found myself wondering, "Where is the substance here?" But all in all it was great, and now I can say I've been there.
Whoever music-directed that show was very smart. There was an erotic reference to tango, where they brought this young blonde woman up on stage, started playing a tango-like soundtrack, and had one of the Blue Men sort of flirting with her (in the middle of some funny antics involving Twinkies). It strikes me now how quickly a few bars of a classical genre like that will evoke a mood.
At one point in the proceedings, they had the three Blue Men each playing a plastic organ pipe-like thing, and there were three different tones (low, medium, high). The sign overhead said, "If you have a low voice, sing with this note... AAAAAAAAAHHHH." The singing from the crowd was pretty out of tune. The higher the pitch went for the other two Blue Men, the worse the singing got. The little funny segment was billed as "Gregorian chant / new age / group meditation" or something like that, and partly was a spoof of minimalism.
Well, so much for my exposure to Vegas Culture! I'm glad I live in Chicago.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 08/01/2007 - 4:43pm.
Michael Hirsch, age 18, is today's guest blogger. He is about to leave for college and is Jim Hirsch's son.
On Wednesday, July 18, I was having a routine day working at my law office eagerly waiting for the five o'clock hour so I could leave. Around 4:00 p.m. I got a phone call from a friend who was going to the Decemberists concert at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. I
had heard the Decemberists on the radio and seen them on the Colbert Report before, so even though I am not a die-hard fan, I am familiar with their music and do enjoy it. I was unaware that this event was even happening, but the venue was minutes away from work and it was free, so I thought why not? After I hung up the phone I found myself anxious to see the show.
I met up with my friends a half an hour before the show at 6:00 p.m., dropping by the Chicago Sinfonietta's office to say hello my dad beforehand. Once my friends and I met up we found ourselves amongst a crowd of 15,000 fans, and we struggled to find a place to sit at the back of the lawn. I picked up a program for the event and discovered that the Decemberists would not be playing alone, but rather were accompanied by the Grant Park Festival Orchestra. As an eighteen-year-old male my initial reaction was highly unfavorable. I was worried that having the Decemberists play with an orchestra would detract from their usual indie/rock/alternative sound and turn it into more of a classical show. Though I began to have doubts about the concert, I tried my hardest to keep an open mind and enjoy myself while I was there.
The Decemberists played about ten songs and the show lasted a little under two hours. And in case you were wondering how the band sounded with the orchestra, it was extraordinary. I could not have 
been more wrong about how the band incorporated the orchestra's sounds into the music. The orchestra did not dominate the groove of their sound, but rather enhanced it, and in my opinion made many of the songs more epic and dramatic. I can honestly say that I think I would have enjoyed the show less had the orchestra not been a part of the set. It was a truly unique and distinctive sound that is not captured on their albums, and it was nice to hear a new variation of familiar music.
I guess you could say I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the orchestra with the band, thus learning that I must have some sort of interest and appreciation for classical music. When classical music is mentioned I immediately picture myself sitting in a venue not being able to talk or clap until designated times. That generally is not the type of atmosphere teenagers like to be in, especially when going to a concert. Therefore, I think making efforts to combine mainstream pop music with orchestras is a really effective way to open young adults to the classical music world. Listening to the orchestra play with music I enjoy helped me to recognize how powerful classical music can be. The concert was a definite success in my eyes considering I left the concert a bigger Decemberists fan than when I had arrived.
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I am elated. "The Wanderer" by Ezequiel Viñao went very well. The second performance in particular, in Oak Park, was astounding. We seem to have really made an impact on our audiences. I am so proud of the Chicago a cappella singers who worked so very hard to master the most difficult piece I have ever programmed.
We had programmed very difficult music before, but never a piece (1) this monumental or (2) one of such difficulty to which I was so fiercely committed that we would do it complete justice. I guess there is a form of tenacity that comes out in a situation like this.
I told the singers afterward, "I feel a great sense of confidence. After learning this piece, there is nothing we can't do -- bring it on, world!" We also have had the good news that the Sara Lee Foundation will underwrite our commissioning of 5 new pieces from 3 composers next season. Surely none of them will be this hard!
There is a sense of triumph when you know you have given something your best shot. And while I am disappointed in one of the reviews we received, I am not that bothered by it; for our loyal supporters and patrons and subscribers and for the singers, and for the composer himself who created this remarkable piece of music, we did the right thing.
New music really does make a difference. Commissioning really does have a different feel to it than "inheriting" a piece that someone has written for a different occasion. I have long said that Chicago a cappella is a champion of new music, because we have probably given close to 100 pieces their Chicago or world premieres... but that's not the same as being the impetus for having the piece written in the first place. It feels great.
Okay, I don't think I have to blog about this piece ever again, except if there are some more reverberations or afterglow! Thank you for sticking with me for all these many months while we got the piece ready to roll. Now it's on to programming 07-08. Have a good week.
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Adaptistration is a website dedicated mainly to the business around symphonic classical music.
Sounds too good to be true, no?
Well, it isn’t. It’s a site about change, about what’s going on with symphony orchestras, what works, what doesn’t and about survival in difficult times. Survival depends on how we adapt and evolve (get it, adapt-istration?)
The website, written and managed by arts consultant and relative new comer to Chicago, Drew McManus, is designed to present ideas and create a forum to help accelerate the evolutionary process. McManus is also an author, conservatory trained musician and an avid arranger. Click on this linkto check out the website.
I am sorry to say I don’t always have the time to delve into this site as deeply as I should. There is so much there, from reviews of orchestra websites; discussions on best practices; current events; and even a fair amount of candid “dishing” about what is right and wrong with our business.
Yours truly was asked to be a contributor to the “2007 Take a Friend to Orchestra”, in the company of some very notable colleagues.“Take a Friend to Orchestra” is a feature of critics, bloggers, musicians, classical music enthusiasts, and administrators as they write about how average patrons throughout the country can invite friends who don't regularly participate in live music events to a performance in your area. Check back as the contributions are put online.
I know I had a great time writing mine and look forward to seeing what other people had to say.
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Submitted by Amy Iwano on Fri, 12/08/2006 - 2:10pm.
The Chicago Chamber Musicians received an unexpected gift yesterday afternoon, when we learned that our recently-released Mozart recording (on the Summit Records label) has been nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Chamber Music Performance! While we’re pulling for the win, we are thrilled to be one of just five finalists in the category – and honored to be the only classical artist from Chicago to be nominated this year.
One of our organization’s strategies for building CCM’s renown and sharing the joy of our music with others has been to invest in making recordings. As CCM subscription audiences know, the CCM ensemble artists deliver performances that thrill and delight, stir and amaze the listener. CCM will always offer live performances, but it’s wonderful to have recordings as a way to share our music with a broader public.
CCM’s other recently-released recording of works by John Harbison on the Naxos label includes a collaboration with the late, radiant mezzo, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, singing North and South: Six Poems of Elizabeth Bishop, reviewed last week by John von Rhein.
Either recording would be a spectacular choice for the music lovers on your holiday gift list this month. And tune in to cheer on our Chicago artists during the GRAMMY ceremonies on February 11!
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 06/14/2006 - 9:26am.
Sun-Times classical music critic, Wynne Delacoma, wrote her final column over the weekend. In it, Wynne recounts some of her favorite moments as a critic and points out some unfinished business in the local classical music scene.
We are excited that Wynne will be our next live chat guest on chicagoclassicalmusic.org on Wednesday, July 12th from 11 a.m. – noon. Mark your calendar and join us for what promises to be an interesting and lively conversation.
I'd like to do an informal survey today to find out what you think about this web site. I would love to hear from as many of you as possible, especially those of you who don't work for one of the partnering organizations. Please don't be shy about sharing your thoughts with the rest of this growing on-line community. Here are my questions:
What do you like best about chicagoclassicalmusic.org?
What needs improvement?
What content should be on this site that isn't on it now?
How did you find this site?
What would motivate you to more actively participate on the site?
Thanks in advance to all of you who respond. Next week we'll go back to our regularly scheduled "blog," when I try to draw a parallel between classical music and golf.
Until then, please use the comments function to share your thoughts on Chicago Classical Music.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 06/07/2006 - 10:24am.
Last week many of us in the orchestra business gathered in Los Angeles for the annual American Symphony Orchestra League conference. This week’s blog is dedicated to sharing some of the highlights from the conference.
I attended a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert at the stunning and amazing Walt Disney Concert Hall last Wednesday night. Jim Palermo wrote a review of this event, so I will instead talk about the concert hall.
It is simply one of the finest performing arts venues I have ever set foot in. The flowing forms of the exterior express the swirling, ephemeral nature of music. It’s exciting to approach the building, to imagine what the interior holds in store for you.
And the interior does not disappoint. Frank Gehry delivers an interior space that is both as grand as the music performed within its walls, and imbued with a sense of egalitarianism. Every seat is close, every person is important to the success of the performance. Musicians and audience literally share the space. Music becomes a communal celebration at this remarkable concert hall.
The next morning saw most of the attendees reconvening at the Disney for the opening session of the conference.
After opening comments by Henry Fogel, ASOL CEO, and others, composer John Williams was honored for his career and told a wonderful story about going to Steven Spielberg’s home to see “Schindler’s List” in rough cut form.
At the end of the film, Williams asked Spielberg to give him a few minutes to compose himself before starting the meeting. After walking around the grounds, Williams sat down with Spielberg and said, “Steven, I am the wrong composer for this film.” Spielberg replied, “I know you are, but all of the right ones are dead.” This story seems indicative of John Williams’ self-deprecating humor. Isn’t it nice when the stars are down to earth?
The opening session ended with a remarkable speech by opera and theater director, Peter Sellars, that asked orchestras to rethink and expand their role in our world. I couldn’t possibly capture the essence of his speech in the little bit of space I have here, but hear that the ASOL soon will offer it as a downloadable file so that others can hear what he said, and how he said it.
Much, much more took place including some wonderful workshops, meetings with our fellow orchestra managers, and some stimulating discussions. The bottom line? Orchestras, by and large, are doing pretty well and the future seems promising.
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I am currently participating in the annual conference of the American Symphony Orchestra League in LA. On Wednesday night, I attended a concert of the LA Philharmonic featuring three works close to music director Esa-Pekka Salonen's heart: Pohjola's Daughter by Sibelius; Wing on Wing, Salonen's own recent composition; and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Being Finnish, the works of Sibelius are central to Salonen's repertory. This relatively unknown work in America was given a fresh reading by his LA players.
Of real interest was Wing on Wing, Salonen's composition paying homage to Frank Gehry, the architect responsible for LA's new Disney Hall, and of course, our own Jay Pritzker Pavilion. I really liked the work. It's an incredibly complicated composition featuring two high sopranos and several solo instrumentalists from within the orchestra.
Wicked, terrifying and taxing are three words I think of to describe those sopranos' music. Their wordless parts, sung in positions throughout the hall, were high, loud, soft, ethereal, and magical and extremely difficult. The acoustics in the Disney are clear, bright and immediate, so watching and listening to these sopranos sing while moving from space to space was very effective.
The Disney stage is flanked by stairs on either side that lead to and from seating and these singers walked up and down several times to sing their antiphonal parts from different places. Someone told me that one of the singers remarked that she doesn't need to do the stairmaster at the gym this week because of Wing on Wing! It's also gratifying to attend a concert to hear a great conductor interpret standard works and also hear his own music. It gives one a glimpse into his complex and interesting musical mind.
The concert closed with a rip roaring, barn burning performance of The Rite of Spring. The excellent hall acoustics magnified all the details, unfortunately including audience noise -- shuffling feet on wooden floors and coughs. Hearing music like this is a great hall reminds us of how the composer's must have wanted it to sound.
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I'm sure that many of you may have seen from the post by Brian Dickie on the subject (Thank you, Brian!), there is indeed remarkable news regarding musical leadership here at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I am happy to convey to you an insider’s view on this, sharing with you CSO Association President Deborah Card’s thoughts on the recent appointments:
As many of you most likely heard yesterday, we shared some wonderful news about the musical leadership of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Two internationally celebrated and highly respected conductors have accepted titled positions with the CSO, beginning at the start of the 2006-2007 season. Bernard Haitink has been appointed as the CSO’s new Principal Conductor. Pierre Boulez, our longtime Principal Guest Conductor, will take on a new role as the CSO’s Conductor Emeritus. We’re delighted that these two accomplished musicians have agreed to take on greater responsibilities as key members of the CSO’s artistic team while our music director search moves into its next phase.
In his new role, Mr. Haitink will lead four to six weeks of CSO performances each season, starting in the 2007-2008 season, including subscription concerts at Symphony Center and tour performances. He will also lead the Orchestra in future concerts at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, at the prestigious Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, and at London’s BBC Proms. Beginning in 2006-2007, Mr. Boulez will conduct three to four weeks of CSO performances each season, including three concerts at Carnegie Hall this December. They will both also provide input as to the overall artistic growth of the CSO. Mr. Haitink will lend his expertise and ideas on artistic matters and, beginning in 2006-2007, Mr. Boulez will assume additional behind-the-scenes responsibilities, working with the musicians of the Orchestra and management team, participating in auditions for open positions, and assisting with personnel issues as they arise.
These appointments are a natural outgrowth of our music director search process. As we proceed with the search for our next music director, an important goal of the committee has also been to build strong ongoing CSO collaborations with today’s greatest conductors. To say the least, we’re thrilled with these new partnerships with Mr. Haitink and Mr. Boulez. The search committee is energized and inspired as we continue our work, identifying the best musical leader and match for the CSO as our new music director.
I welcome any thoughts, questions or responses!
Also, I’d like to extend an invitation to a free, family-friendly concert by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, which will take place tomorrow – April 29, 2006 – at 6:30 p.m. at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Pilsen. A slightly different version of the program to be offered tomorrow evening, performed here at Symphony Center on Monday, April 24, was the subject of a review by John von Rhein. Tomorrow’s concert is offered in support of the CSO’s long-standing relationship with key community partners, The Resurrection Project and The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum.
I hope you’re able to join us for this special event – the final concert of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago’s 2005/06 season.
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