Tag Archives: Vaughan Williams

Philadelphia Sinfonia Players inaugural concert

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MartinaSinfoniaHornSectionGerman kids who speak German must be smarter than I am, I always think, since I can’t speak German very well. Well, they actually may be smarter, but I know for a fact that the young people in the Philadelphia Sinfonia Players play better than I ever could.

The new full orchestra, the Sinfonia Players, is for “just as talented, but less experienced” musicians as those in the Sinfonia, President Carol Brown explained before the concert yesterday, and what an exciting first concert it was, opening with Mozart’s early Symphony No. 9.

Music Director Gary White skillfully led the orchestra’s strings through another early work, the Vivaldi Sinfonia No. 1, and everyone in large romantic pieces, the Dance of the Tumblers from Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden, and three movements from Bizet’s L’arlésienne Suite No. 2. White has performed a major service in putting this new orchestra together, and is especially gifted in directing all the facets of Philadelphia Sinfonia.

The orchestra was in excellent hands with Assistant Conductor and Orchestra Manager Danielle Garrett conducting the March from the English Folk Song Suite of Vaughan Williams. It’s obvious how in control of the music and orchestra Garrett and White are, yet how fond of the young musicians they are.

Darin Kelly soloed in Leroy Anderson’s A Trumpeter’s Lullaby, leaving me thinking two things: what a supple, exquisite sound Kelly has, and what a brilliant scorer Anderson is. It was a delight to hear. The trumpeter had extra incentive for the performance, as his son Eamon plays in the bass section.

Our daughter Martina has the honor of leading the horn section. Even though I’ve heard her practice, the difficulty and beauty of her playing didn’t hit me fully until hearing this concert. I know I’m like every other parent in that regard.

But the Intermezzo from the Bizet just isn’t fair. It’s a mini-concerto for horn. I glanced at White’s score after the concert to double-check and sure enough, she’s playing just about every bar: solos, solos with clarinet, doubling the basses, doubling the violins, high, low, more solos… I’m frankly awed by all the musicians in the Sinfonia Players, but I have renewed respect for horn players everywhere, and astonishment for my daughter’s talent.

If she starts speaking German, I quit.

Berg and Zacheus

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Thank you, Kelly Ann Bixby! Today she sang my Poems of Stephen Berg in recital at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, with Joseph Smith, clarinet, and Laura Ward, piano. What gorgeous singing and playing! Kelly was superb. Laura and Joseph remembered that they played this at AVA in 2002, accompanying soprano Latonia Moore, so it was a thrill to hear them together again. It was brand new and wonderful.

Tenor Kevin Radtke shared the recital, in supple readings of Handel (glorious!), Britten folksongs, and the Vaughan Williams “Songs of Innocence and Experience,” Smith playing clarinet on those.

Kelly sang some of the Britten also, and surprised me with one of my earliest songs, ”On Zacheus,” a setting of the metaphysical poet Francis Quarles (1592-1644), this from my Three Songs, No. 3.

She brought this bit of innocence to life, and in the experiential Berg texts showed the range of mature emotion he calls for. And can she get around on the coloratura passages! That plus a truly beautiful voice made me grateful to hear her sing. Joseph plays like a dream, as does Laura, strong and sensitive throughout. How fortunate was I to hear such artistry, such collaboration, given over to these songs.

I was delighted by the afternoon, all of it. Thank you, Kevin, Joseph, Laura, and Kelly!

Valentine’s Day, 2011: Vaughan Williams

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WRTI asked us once again to come up with Valentine’s Day recordings, so here’s my latest offering. You can read all my CD reviews here.

Vaughan Williams, Holst: Choral Folksong Arrangements

Spring is not too far away, and as a harbinger of romance, always reminds me of the English folksong arrangements of Ralph Vaughan Williams. There’s “Loch Lomond,” there’s “Greensleeves,” and there’s my favorite, the Robert Burns poem to his bonnie dearie, ”Ca’ the yowes tae the knowes” (Drive the ewes to the knolls), which crescendos to ”While waters wimple tae the sea, While day blinks in the lift sae hie, Till clay-cauld death shall blin’ my e’e, Ye shall be my dearie!”

They’re all here (and more) on Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst: Choral Folksong Arrangements. But you could just give me those folk songs, and that would be enough.