In the record business, July is Christmas prep time. Bill Crowley, one of my best friends in the industry and a VP at Koch Entertainment asked me to compile a second volume of electronic holiday music as a follow-up to the album Christmas Regrooved that I had produced 4 years ago.
He asked that we include a version of "March of the Wooden Soldiers"
Now I, like most people have in our heads a song that we all "THINK" is March of the Wooden Soldiers" from the operetta "Babes In Toyland" by Victor Herbert. You know, it goes: dada dum da da dada dum da da dada dum da da da dadada.
So I ask one of my remixers Geoff Abramczek to take on the task and then set out to find a mp3 or midi file for him to listen to.
AND........... I can't find it. I find MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS from Tchaikovsky's Nutcrackers suite, but that's not it. Then I find MARCH OF THE TOY SOLDIERS from "Babes In Toyland" but as it turns out that's not it either.
I go to iTunes and search for March of The Wooden Soldiers and find one that sounds just like the one I'm looking for. But others with the same title in iTunes are actually the Tchaikovsky.
I call my friend Roger Englander and hum the tune for him and he says: "That's the March of the Wooden Soldiers" from Babes in Toyland, I say "No it's not".
(a note) I am starting to think that this kind of day will get more and more common as I get older, not a happy thought.
Finally I listen to the lyrics of the "wrong" March of the Wooden Soldiers" on iTunes and write down some of the lyrics and do a Google search of those lyrics and EUREKA!!!! It's not MARCH of the Wooden Soldiers by Tchaikovsky, or March of the TOY Soldiers by Victor Herbert, it's PARADE OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS by Leon Jessel written in 1905 and featured in the Betty Boop cartoon of the same name from 1933.
Here's a link to the cartoon.
http://www.archive.org/details/bb_parade_of_the_wooden_soldiers
So, Merry Christmas in July to all and to all a good night!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Another Review for the Festival DVDs
The 2007 Newport Music Festival: Connoisseur's Collection (2008)
by Elaine Hegwood Bowen
The world renowned Newport Music Festival is now available to all, in a 10-DVD set. The complete set of concerts runs 15 hours, with an additional six hours of bonus pieces, including commentary by longtime festival director Dr. Mark P. Malkovich, III.
The 2007 Newport Music Festival: Connoisseur's Collection is "beautiful music in splendid settings performed by rising stars and superstars."
Some of the artists and esteemed composers featured in the Connoisseur's Collection include:
Adam Golka (Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Medtner, Kapustin, Schumann, Rachmaninoff); Chopiniana (Chopin, Schubert); Lisztening Post (Liszt, Korngold); Colorado Quartet (Haydn, Beethoven, Dvorak,); Newport Music Festival POPS! (Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff); All in the Family (Mozart, Grieg, Hubay, Sarasate, Staub, Dubois, Holbrooke, Granados); Pieces Of Eight (Harold, Moscheles, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Villa-Lobos); Festival Gala (Schumann, Liszt); Connoisseur Concert (Hummel, Elgar, Wieniawski, The Dopplers, Litolff) and Best Of The Fest (Mozart, Chopin, Gottschalk, Bach, Schubert).
Of particular note, American pianist Adam Golka displays such discipline during his debut recital at the Breakers. He was so poised, as if possessed by the spirit of Schubert and Chopin. How does one master the classics at such an early age? He seemed to caress the ivories as if they were the delicate arms of his favorite suitor.
During the parts of No 1 in G Minor Lenta - Mazurkas-Chopin, one could imagine a love story unfolding, as the audience seems to savor each note as much as Golka seemed to enjoy playing the piece.
He also presented a fantastic Hungarian Rhapsody: The Carnival in Pest – Franz Liszt; and during Allegro, an upbeat number, Golka's fingers were dancing frantically around the keys. He seemed to expend his soul with his playing, and I could envision a ballerina galloping around trying to keep pace. The 20-year-old aspiring great would reach the end of a movement, and one could almost hear a pin drop. Golka played with such assured confidence that he had embarked on such a prodigious vocation, and, indeed, is anchored in the midst of such great fellow musicians.
Pianist Jean Philippe Collard and cellist Henri Demarquette played together with such breathtaking syncopation on Chopiniana. During Finale Allegro, the interaction between the two was so fierce; it was as if the pair was challenging each other to "pump up the volume," as each played both in concert and apart at the same time.
Collard plays brilliantly on Scherzo in C# Minor, Op. 39. His entire body seems to be involved in his performance; his silver tresses bouncing back and forth, while trying to keep up with the tempo in his fingers. Collard even has to chuckle and do a "one-two" step, while the audience gives him a spirited applause for job well done. At the end of his session, Collard leans back on the Yamaha, so sure, so cool and so proud.
In All in the Family, featuring Kevin Fitz-Gerald and Pedja Muzijevic at the piano, Allegretto expressivo alla Romanza was a soothing concerto, as was conversely, Fantasie Brillante, a fierce duet, with the violin, played by Livia Sohn, entering the mix at an accelerated pace. This is one performance for which Fitz-Gerald and Sohn received a standing ovation.
Both Sohn and Geoff Natall accompanied Fitz-Gerald on a remarkable rendition of Navarra Op. 33, Pablo Se Sarasate.
The 2007 Newport Music Festival: Connoisseur's Collection is a grand compilation from one of the country's premier venues for classical music. For nearly four decades, the renowned Newport Music Festival has featured concerts by world famous musicians and rising stars staged in the marble halls of Newport, Rhode Island's, famous mansions.
The festival is listed in the bestselling travel guide 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
Beginning his 34th season as General Director, Dr. Malkovich researched and selected works from the 19th century chamber music, vocal repertoire and the Romantic-era piano literature, to create one of the most extraordinary festivals in the world. And now those who couldn't be there in person are privileged to enjoy the compositions in the comfort of their homes.
The 2007 Newport Music Festival: Connoisseur's Collection is available from the Acorn Media Group.
by Elaine Hegwood Bowen
The world renowned Newport Music Festival is now available to all, in a 10-DVD set. The complete set of concerts runs 15 hours, with an additional six hours of bonus pieces, including commentary by longtime festival director Dr. Mark P. Malkovich, III.
The 2007 Newport Music Festival: Connoisseur's Collection is "beautiful music in splendid settings performed by rising stars and superstars."
Some of the artists and esteemed composers featured in the Connoisseur's Collection include:
Adam Golka (Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Medtner, Kapustin, Schumann, Rachmaninoff); Chopiniana (Chopin, Schubert); Lisztening Post (Liszt, Korngold); Colorado Quartet (Haydn, Beethoven, Dvorak,); Newport Music Festival POPS! (Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff); All in the Family (Mozart, Grieg, Hubay, Sarasate, Staub, Dubois, Holbrooke, Granados); Pieces Of Eight (Harold, Moscheles, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Villa-Lobos); Festival Gala (Schumann, Liszt); Connoisseur Concert (Hummel, Elgar, Wieniawski, The Dopplers, Litolff) and Best Of The Fest (Mozart, Chopin, Gottschalk, Bach, Schubert).
Of particular note, American pianist Adam Golka displays such discipline during his debut recital at the Breakers. He was so poised, as if possessed by the spirit of Schubert and Chopin. How does one master the classics at such an early age? He seemed to caress the ivories as if they were the delicate arms of his favorite suitor.
During the parts of No 1 in G Minor Lenta - Mazurkas-Chopin, one could imagine a love story unfolding, as the audience seems to savor each note as much as Golka seemed to enjoy playing the piece.
He also presented a fantastic Hungarian Rhapsody: The Carnival in Pest – Franz Liszt; and during Allegro, an upbeat number, Golka's fingers were dancing frantically around the keys. He seemed to expend his soul with his playing, and I could envision a ballerina galloping around trying to keep pace. The 20-year-old aspiring great would reach the end of a movement, and one could almost hear a pin drop. Golka played with such assured confidence that he had embarked on such a prodigious vocation, and, indeed, is anchored in the midst of such great fellow musicians.
Pianist Jean Philippe Collard and cellist Henri Demarquette played together with such breathtaking syncopation on Chopiniana. During Finale Allegro, the interaction between the two was so fierce; it was as if the pair was challenging each other to "pump up the volume," as each played both in concert and apart at the same time.
Collard plays brilliantly on Scherzo in C# Minor, Op. 39. His entire body seems to be involved in his performance; his silver tresses bouncing back and forth, while trying to keep up with the tempo in his fingers. Collard even has to chuckle and do a "one-two" step, while the audience gives him a spirited applause for job well done. At the end of his session, Collard leans back on the Yamaha, so sure, so cool and so proud.
In All in the Family, featuring Kevin Fitz-Gerald and Pedja Muzijevic at the piano, Allegretto expressivo alla Romanza was a soothing concerto, as was conversely, Fantasie Brillante, a fierce duet, with the violin, played by Livia Sohn, entering the mix at an accelerated pace. This is one performance for which Fitz-Gerald and Sohn received a standing ovation.
Both Sohn and Geoff Natall accompanied Fitz-Gerald on a remarkable rendition of Navarra Op. 33, Pablo Se Sarasate.
The 2007 Newport Music Festival: Connoisseur's Collection is a grand compilation from one of the country's premier venues for classical music. For nearly four decades, the renowned Newport Music Festival has featured concerts by world famous musicians and rising stars staged in the marble halls of Newport, Rhode Island's, famous mansions.
The festival is listed in the bestselling travel guide 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
Beginning his 34th season as General Director, Dr. Malkovich researched and selected works from the 19th century chamber music, vocal repertoire and the Romantic-era piano literature, to create one of the most extraordinary festivals in the world. And now those who couldn't be there in person are privileged to enjoy the compositions in the comfort of their homes.
The 2007 Newport Music Festival: Connoisseur's Collection is available from the Acorn Media Group.
Article from the Providence Journal Bulletin for Sunday July 6th
Now you can attend last year’s festival on DVD
If you missed last year’s Newport Music Festival, not to worry. Acorn Media has just released a set of 10 DVDs featuring many of the best concerts from the 2007 season, along with commentary from festival director Mark Malkovich.
Highlights include the Newport debut of then 20-year-old pianist Adam Golka, a program of piano selections for eight hands, an appearance by the dazzling organist Hector Olivera, and an evening with pianist John Bayless, who spins out improvisations based on suggestions from audience members.
Acorn, based in Silver Spring, Md., put up the money for the project and is handling distribution, but the series was produced and directed by Larry Kraman, whose Newport-based Newport Classic is out with a couple of new releases.
Kraman said he turned to Acorn to distribute the DVDs of the festival because it is “almost impossible for a small company to get into stores in a significant way. I’m the distributor of last resort,” he said.
In addition to the Newport Festival series, Newport Classic has just come out with a DVD of Carlisle Floyd’s Willie Stark, the 1980 opera based on the Robert Penn Warren novel All the King’s Men. Kraman is also the director on that project, his first time in that position.
The disc features baritone Dennis Jesse and students from the Louisiana State University opera department, which Kraman called a “sophisticated program, not amateur night in Dixie.”
When LSU sought out Kraman to record Willie Stark, he suggested the DVD format, thinking it would be easier to market than another opera CD. The school agreed, but never asked who was going to direct the taping.
Kraman had just finished producing a DVD of PDQ Bach and decided he would try his hand at directing.
“I figured you take the glassy side of the camera and point it at the person who’s singing,” said Kraman. “I was ignorant enough to think I could do it.”
Actually, Kraman got some coaching from fellow Newporter Roger Englander, a pioneer in directing concerts and cultural programs for television. He oversaw the filming of Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts in the 1960s.
“It was like video 101,” said Kraman. “Roger said make sure you see the whole stage before going anywhere, because people will get confused and have a hard time getting their bearings. We talked about it for three days, and he was available by phone while I was taping.”
Willie Stark aired last month on Louisiana public television, which is trying to get other stations interested in showing the opera.
“It’s a melodic opera in high-definition, and filmed in a modern way so it looks more like Law & Order than some stuffy thing,” said Kraman.
Kraman was so pleased with Willie Stark that he approached Newport Festival director Malkovich about shooting last year’s festival. Kraman plans to be back in Newport this month, but instead of shooting just concerts, he also plans to single out a musician or two and follow them around to make videos that are more akin to a documentary.
He also working on a documentary of George Li, a 12-year-old pianist from Lexington, Mass., whom Kraman discovered on YouTube. Visitors to the Web site can watch a pint-sized Li performing on the Martha Stewart television show and on From the Top, which is broadcast from Carnegie Hall.
Great review of the Newport Music Festival DVDS
The 2007 Newport Music Festival
Written by Mike Restaino
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
Acorn Media / 2008 / 900 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: July 1, 2008
I requested this title to review as a kind of self-imposed history lesson. At one point in my bizarre life I was well versed in the minutiae of classical music; I was a classically-trained pianist until I left for college and gave up piano concertos for the lure of flickering cinema. But, to be honest, I’ve had a rock n’ roll heart the last decade or two, so I was ready to re-open my mind and soul to the rigors and majesty of symphonic music.
And let me tell you, this 2007 Newport Music Festival DVD set did the trick. Comprised of ten hefty discs, each one chock-full of material, I was able to sit back and really soak in the music and the feeling of this legendary festival (an addendum to the New York Metropolitan Opera season). This is what I soaked up:
Disc one offers an insanely energetic concert by 20-year-old pianist Adam Golka that runs the gamut from note-heavy Schubert sonatas to Chopin mazurkas. But it’s not just the guy’s finger gymnastics that impress; in an almost Glenn Gould-like capacity, he’s able to infuse his recital with undeniable verve and, somehow, uniqueness.
Disc two brings us Jean-Philippe Collard and Henri Demarquette up front, showcasing their piano (Collard) and cello (Demarquette) prowess. They start with Chopin Sonata in B Minor, and then move into some Schubert, all the while keeping up a lovely sense of mood. These French prodigies really dig deep into this music.
Disc three is titled Lisztening Post (boy, those classical music guys sure have a funny bone), and while this session – featuring pianist Kevin Fitzgerald – begins with Mozart Ave Verum, it quickly turns to Lizst-arranged versions of Schumann and Verdi before careening to a finale with Lizst’s own Spanish Rhapsody.
Disc four is probably my favorite of this collection. It showcases the inimitable talents of The Colorado Quartet, an all-female group that blasts through Haydn, Beethoven, and more before stunning with Dvorak String Quartet No. 14. And not only does this group turn in a fantastic performance, they offer some information about their playing styles and the pieces they’re covering. Fascinating.
Disc five lets some singers contribute, and its… intriguing. The vocal/piano duo of Valerie Wilson Morris and John Bayless is occasionally fascinating – Bayless’ euphoric take on Mozart Piano Sonata No. 7 is mesmerizing – but the only time this disc really takes off is during Bayless’ “comedy” bit in which he presents modern pieces of music as if they were written by the greats (and vice versa). Whether it’s the idea of Beethoven channeling Judy Garland or Dave Brubeck heading to the Blue Danube, it’s a totally smart and inviting set.
Disc six offers more eclectic pieces – from composers such as Joseph Holbrooke and Theodore Dubois, as well as some fella named Mozart – as performed on violin, piano, and horn. It’s wonderful to see some contemporary material fused with the gold standards, but even with this disc’s unique line-up, I found my mind wandering fairly often.
Disc seven is chock-full of octets. We get some ethereal performances of Herold, Moscheles, and Bruch (among others) with piano-led fireworks of immense talent.
Disc eight showcases pianist Eduardus Halim as he performs selected Schumann pieces. Able to juxtapose butterfly-flutter dynamism and bold, broad-stroked emotion in his playing, Halim really gets these pieces going. Of all the pianists on this collection, he really gives Schumann a new life of his own.
Disc nine focuses on chamber pieces, and for this writer, it really didn’t have the kind of panoramic intrigue as other discs in this release. There are moments of punchy bravura – a piece by composer Henri Wienlawski is particularly evocative – but for the most part, this one kind of passed me by.
My reaction to the ho-hum nature of disc nine is balanced out by a killer tenth disc. Labelled as Best of the Fest, this compilation of lovely double-piano performances (featuring virtuoso Pedja Muzijevic, among others), dives into well-known material (Bach, Chopin) as well as more out-of-left-field choices (Gottschalk). It showcases the wide-ranging aesthetic aims of the festival, and it’s a fantastic way to close out the collection.
After spending hours and hours with this DVD set, this writer walks away with his appreciation for classical music newly energized. It should come as no surprise that I even got out some of my old Glenn Gould records after the last DVD was finished, even though this 10-disc set wasn’t air-tight and consistently engaging. But despite a handful of selections that won’t terribly impress, The 2007 Newport Music Festival is a real goldmine for classical music lovers. It’s not like actually being there, but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a real eye-opener, nonetheless.
The Video: How Does The Disc Look?
These 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers are hit and miss. The outdoor performances are a mess. Whether it’s lighting issues, difficulties with contrast or inconsistent black levels, these sequences are iffy at best. Indoors is a different story; with clean transfers, lovely finely grained detail and impressive color accuracy, these sequences complement their sound tracks with lovely presence.
The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
If the visual components of these discs are merely so-so, the Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks are anything but. The music on these DVDs comes through with such dynamism and finesse that it is often mind-blowing. Both low- and high-ends are presented with impeccable fidelity. There’s hardly a washed-out aural moment to mention. Even the raucous sounds of audience applause come through brilliantly. Surrounds are given a helluva workout, which seals the deal. These are fantastic mixes.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
First, we get a series of bonus performances. Disc one presents a recital of Rachmaninoff Trio Eligiaque No.2 in D Minor for cello, violin and piano; disc two has an astonishing performance from kiddies Eugen Tichindeleanu and Daniel del Pino (on violin and piano, respectively) as they blaze through Schubert Faintaisie in C Major. On disc three, we have a performance of Korngold Piano Trio in D Major Op. 1. Disc four gives us a bonus show from the Colorado Quartet as they pummel through Dvorak String Quartet No. 12 in F Major. Disc five showcases Alain Jacquon and Grigorios Zampara as they perform the insanely difficult Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. Disc six gives us Granados Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano with the same folks who contribute the bulk of the performance on the rest of the disc. Disc seven offers a performance of Villa-Lobos Piano trio No.1 in C Minor. Disc eight gives us a Halim performance of Liszt Transcendental Etudes. Disc nine showcases Litloff Grand Trio For Piano, Violin and Cello. And disc ten gives us a Pedja Muzijevic performance of Schubert Piano Sonata in A Minor.
In addition to those extras, we have a series of interviews with festival director Mark Malkovich that offer interesting background on the concerts and those participating in them.
Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?
There are no DVD-ROM features on these DVDs.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t exactly the type of title that flies off the shelf, but for classical music lovers looking for an audio/video presentation of some wonderfully-performed pieces, The 2007 Newport Music Festival is definitely worth a peek. The 10-DVD set’s sound tracks are glorious, and there are a few solid bonuses. So even if the video quality of this release isn’t air-tight, it’s hard to hold a grudge. Watch out for the list price, though; as intriguing as this title may be, its $100+ price tag may not make it completely worth your while. But it’s definitely worth a rental (at least a few of the discs) for discerning classical music aficionados.
Written by Mike Restaino
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
Acorn Media / 2008 / 900 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: July 1, 2008
I requested this title to review as a kind of self-imposed history lesson. At one point in my bizarre life I was well versed in the minutiae of classical music; I was a classically-trained pianist until I left for college and gave up piano concertos for the lure of flickering cinema. But, to be honest, I’ve had a rock n’ roll heart the last decade or two, so I was ready to re-open my mind and soul to the rigors and majesty of symphonic music.
And let me tell you, this 2007 Newport Music Festival DVD set did the trick. Comprised of ten hefty discs, each one chock-full of material, I was able to sit back and really soak in the music and the feeling of this legendary festival (an addendum to the New York Metropolitan Opera season). This is what I soaked up:
Disc one offers an insanely energetic concert by 20-year-old pianist Adam Golka that runs the gamut from note-heavy Schubert sonatas to Chopin mazurkas. But it’s not just the guy’s finger gymnastics that impress; in an almost Glenn Gould-like capacity, he’s able to infuse his recital with undeniable verve and, somehow, uniqueness.
Disc two brings us Jean-Philippe Collard and Henri Demarquette up front, showcasing their piano (Collard) and cello (Demarquette) prowess. They start with Chopin Sonata in B Minor, and then move into some Schubert, all the while keeping up a lovely sense of mood. These French prodigies really dig deep into this music.
Disc three is titled Lisztening Post (boy, those classical music guys sure have a funny bone), and while this session – featuring pianist Kevin Fitzgerald – begins with Mozart Ave Verum, it quickly turns to Lizst-arranged versions of Schumann and Verdi before careening to a finale with Lizst’s own Spanish Rhapsody.
Disc four is probably my favorite of this collection. It showcases the inimitable talents of The Colorado Quartet, an all-female group that blasts through Haydn, Beethoven, and more before stunning with Dvorak String Quartet No. 14. And not only does this group turn in a fantastic performance, they offer some information about their playing styles and the pieces they’re covering. Fascinating.
Disc five lets some singers contribute, and its… intriguing. The vocal/piano duo of Valerie Wilson Morris and John Bayless is occasionally fascinating – Bayless’ euphoric take on Mozart Piano Sonata No. 7 is mesmerizing – but the only time this disc really takes off is during Bayless’ “comedy” bit in which he presents modern pieces of music as if they were written by the greats (and vice versa). Whether it’s the idea of Beethoven channeling Judy Garland or Dave Brubeck heading to the Blue Danube, it’s a totally smart and inviting set.
Disc six offers more eclectic pieces – from composers such as Joseph Holbrooke and Theodore Dubois, as well as some fella named Mozart – as performed on violin, piano, and horn. It’s wonderful to see some contemporary material fused with the gold standards, but even with this disc’s unique line-up, I found my mind wandering fairly often.
Disc seven is chock-full of octets. We get some ethereal performances of Herold, Moscheles, and Bruch (among others) with piano-led fireworks of immense talent.
Disc eight showcases pianist Eduardus Halim as he performs selected Schumann pieces. Able to juxtapose butterfly-flutter dynamism and bold, broad-stroked emotion in his playing, Halim really gets these pieces going. Of all the pianists on this collection, he really gives Schumann a new life of his own.
Disc nine focuses on chamber pieces, and for this writer, it really didn’t have the kind of panoramic intrigue as other discs in this release. There are moments of punchy bravura – a piece by composer Henri Wienlawski is particularly evocative – but for the most part, this one kind of passed me by.
My reaction to the ho-hum nature of disc nine is balanced out by a killer tenth disc. Labelled as Best of the Fest, this compilation of lovely double-piano performances (featuring virtuoso Pedja Muzijevic, among others), dives into well-known material (Bach, Chopin) as well as more out-of-left-field choices (Gottschalk). It showcases the wide-ranging aesthetic aims of the festival, and it’s a fantastic way to close out the collection.
After spending hours and hours with this DVD set, this writer walks away with his appreciation for classical music newly energized. It should come as no surprise that I even got out some of my old Glenn Gould records after the last DVD was finished, even though this 10-disc set wasn’t air-tight and consistently engaging. But despite a handful of selections that won’t terribly impress, The 2007 Newport Music Festival is a real goldmine for classical music lovers. It’s not like actually being there, but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a real eye-opener, nonetheless.
The Video: How Does The Disc Look?
These 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers are hit and miss. The outdoor performances are a mess. Whether it’s lighting issues, difficulties with contrast or inconsistent black levels, these sequences are iffy at best. Indoors is a different story; with clean transfers, lovely finely grained detail and impressive color accuracy, these sequences complement their sound tracks with lovely presence.
The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
If the visual components of these discs are merely so-so, the Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks are anything but. The music on these DVDs comes through with such dynamism and finesse that it is often mind-blowing. Both low- and high-ends are presented with impeccable fidelity. There’s hardly a washed-out aural moment to mention. Even the raucous sounds of audience applause come through brilliantly. Surrounds are given a helluva workout, which seals the deal. These are fantastic mixes.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
First, we get a series of bonus performances. Disc one presents a recital of Rachmaninoff Trio Eligiaque No.2 in D Minor for cello, violin and piano; disc two has an astonishing performance from kiddies Eugen Tichindeleanu and Daniel del Pino (on violin and piano, respectively) as they blaze through Schubert Faintaisie in C Major. On disc three, we have a performance of Korngold Piano Trio in D Major Op. 1. Disc four gives us a bonus show from the Colorado Quartet as they pummel through Dvorak String Quartet No. 12 in F Major. Disc five showcases Alain Jacquon and Grigorios Zampara as they perform the insanely difficult Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. Disc six gives us Granados Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano with the same folks who contribute the bulk of the performance on the rest of the disc. Disc seven offers a performance of Villa-Lobos Piano trio No.1 in C Minor. Disc eight gives us a Halim performance of Liszt Transcendental Etudes. Disc nine showcases Litloff Grand Trio For Piano, Violin and Cello. And disc ten gives us a Pedja Muzijevic performance of Schubert Piano Sonata in A Minor.
In addition to those extras, we have a series of interviews with festival director Mark Malkovich that offer interesting background on the concerts and those participating in them.
Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?
There are no DVD-ROM features on these DVDs.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t exactly the type of title that flies off the shelf, but for classical music lovers looking for an audio/video presentation of some wonderfully-performed pieces, The 2007 Newport Music Festival is definitely worth a peek. The 10-DVD set’s sound tracks are glorious, and there are a few solid bonuses. So even if the video quality of this release isn’t air-tight, it’s hard to hold a grudge. Watch out for the list price, though; as intriguing as this title may be, its $100+ price tag may not make it completely worth your while. But it’s definitely worth a rental (at least a few of the discs) for discerning classical music aficionados.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Roger Englander
In my last post I referred to Roger Englander, producer/director of the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein. What follows is his bio.
Roger Englander had a tremendous impact on the television industry, and on the way many of us think about music. Like his longtime collaborator Leonard Bernstein, Englander was at precisely the right place at the right time to bring cultural television to new heights. Post-war American television was remarkably receptive to experimentation and innovation, and Englander’s expansive imagination was brought to bear on many vital projects. He brought a certain eagerness and a penetrating insight to everything he did.
Perhaps best known as the producer of CBS-TV’s The New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts With Leonard Bernstein, Englander also produced the first opera telecasts in history, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium and The Telephone. That milestone NBC telecast in 1947 led to a two-year association with Menotti, during which Englander produced four additional operas by Menotti for the New York City Opera Company, the Chicago Opera Company, and road company tours. He went on to produce musical programs for The Bell Telephone Hour, creating shows for Alfred Drake, José Ferrer, Isaac Stern, Howard Keel, Rosemary Clooney, Eileen Farrell, and the ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, among many others. He also directed programs for S. Hurok Presents, and, later, Vladimir Horowitz at Carnegie Hall (1968).
He earned five Emmy Awards during his long career, as well as the Peabody Award, The Director’s Guild of America Award, the Prix Jeunesse from Munich, and the Prague International Festival Award. He is the author of Opera: What’s All the Screaming About? (Walker, 1983), and has written articles for the New York Times, Musical America, Opera News, and Television Age, among other publications.
In 1949, Englander became an associate director at ABC-TV, where his assignments often took him beyond his strong musical background. His credits include the full spectrum of what was being telecast, from news and sports to quiz shows and dramas. Later, in 1953, he was appointed staff director at CBS. His years at that network brought him assignments much more aligned with his musical talents, such as the musical segments for Omnibus and the critically acclaimed Odyssey series. He also took dramatic experimental directions with the weekly shows Lamp Unto My Feet and Look Up and Live.
It was the Omnibus program that demonstrated Bernstein’s powers as a television personality. Englander said at the time, “Bernstein proved on his Omnibus program that serious music can attract large and responsive audiences. It’s great satisfaction to be able to show them and millions more to a front-row seat at Carnegie Hall.”
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 23, 1926, Englander’s earliest musical ambition was, not surprisingly, to become a conductor. He played piano, French horn, and trumpet at Cleveland Heights High School, and eventually conducted the high school band and orchestra. But at the University of Chicago, which he entered at age 16, he turned to studying drama, composition, and theory, and he earned a Master’s degree in Music. Among his composition teachers at Chicago was the renowned composer Arnold Schoenberg.
After graduating, he quickly became involved with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Opera Company, where he served as Fausto Cleva’s assistant. He embarked on a career as an impresario, and he met the major artistic figures who passed through Chicago, like Menotti and Tennessee Williams. Still a young man, he was already intimately familiar with every phase of artistic production. Using two cumbersome cameras and a student cast, he mounted productions of four of Williams’s unpublished plays, and would have telecast them locally had not higher powers decided the works were too “provocative” for broadcast.
Englander moved to Philadelphia, where he vigorously pursued his newfound interest in television. He began working at NBC’s Philadelphia affiliate, producing and writing original scripts. It was there that, in collaboration with director Paul Nickell, the historic broadcasts of the Menotti operas originated.
Next, Englander became an itinerant stage manager for a brief period, then he returned to television to produce one of the earliest episodes of NBC Opera Theater, turning again to Menotti: The Old Maid and the Thief. Another series of television jobs landed Englander at CBS in Manhattan, where he laid the groundwork for a long career in televising the performing arts.
In addition to his countless television credits, Englander directed musical comedies at the Chicago Fair, produced ballets for Ruth Page, staged acts for Beatrice Kaye and for Katherine Dunham’s company, wrote and produced The Opera Theater of the Air for WAAF Radio. He scripted documentaries for CBS-TV, and composed a song for Our Miss Brooks and a song called “Conga For Electronic Computer and IBM Differential Calculator”; both songs were aired by CBS.
Englander first met Leonard Bernstein in 1946 at the Tanglewood Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he was stage manager for Bernstein’s legendary
American premiere production of Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece, Peter Grimes.
The following year, Englander invited Bernstein to be guest lecturer for a series he was directing on The Dance at the University of Chicago. In 1956, Englander went to Boston to direct the Bernstein-hosted remote telecast for Omnibus. The two men had a remarkable chemistry—and throughout their lives, both retained the ability to see the world through youthful eyes, a talent that blossomed most famously in the Young People’s Concerts series.
These telecasts, as fresh today as they were half a century ago, introduced a generation—and beyond—to the joy of classical music, and to the joy of concert-going. By eschewing gimmicks and by never “talking down” to the viewers, the programs were remarkably seductive and accessible, no small thanks to the enormously talented and attractive Bernstein, who always considered himself first and foremost a teacher. And Englander’s musicianship enabled him to organize the program’s camerawork along musical and dramatic lines. The New York Times noted, “The exceptionally good camera work of the television crew worked as if it were part of the orchestration itself.” Englander also deliberately departed from the previous practice of deifying the conductor; once the music began, Bernstein was depicted as part of an ensemble.
The program ran for 18 years with Bernstein, and then his protégé Michael Tilson Thomas, holding forth, with Englander at the helm.
Besides producing Young People’s Concerts, Englander produced The Little Orchestra Society’s Children’s Concerts, conducted by Thomas Scherman in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
Englander continued to experiment and refine his camerawork and editing in ways that changed televised artistic performances. By the time he directed Horowitz at Carnegie Hall—one of the cultural highlights of the entire decade—Englander’s visual energy was peaking. He choreographed his team quite elaborately, accommodating Horowitz’s finicky demands, including a talcum-powdered stage to prevent any squeaking from the slipper-wearing camera crew.
As a freelance director, Englander moved from network to network throughout his career, continuing to specialize in classical music programs. He also continued to mount stage productions, directing and producing for New York City Opera. At Lincoln Center, he inaugurated the New York Philharmonic Promenades with Andre Kostelanetz, and he produced the composer evenings for Richard Rodgers’s Music Theater. He co-founded the American Dance Theater with José Limón, and initiated the Musical Theater master of arts program at New York University. For Lord Snowden and Princess Margaret, Englander directed special entertainments, as well as for Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. For PBS, he directed Leonard Bernstein’s 60th Birthday Celebration with the National Symphony Orchestra from Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, and he directed a recital of Brahms lieder with Bernstein and Christa Ludwig from the Tel Aviv Museum. The CBS Years
In 1975, Englander returned to CBS full-time to work as a producer and director for the Sunday morning arts series Camera Three, where he enjoyed true creative freedom, despite a small budget and viewership. He worked on 64 episodes; perhaps the high point was the program he devoted to choreographer Anna Sokolow’s ballet, Dreams, about a concentration camp. Englander filmed the dance at a deserted printing plant, often using only one camera, with extremely powerful results.
He won a Peabody Award in 1977 for his work on the program, but the show was canceled in 1979.
Englander was named head of Music Programming for a new venture, CBS Cable. He devised a number of promising shows, but less than a year after CBS Cable began, it, too, was canceled. That collapse was a bellwether for what happened to the arts on television (and off) during the 1980s, when funding dried up and networks were at best hesitant to take on arts programming.
Obviously, Englander was a hard worker, but he also took the time to make and keep a wide array of close friends. He had a marvelous sense of humor, and was insatiably curious. In his later years, he divided his time between Manhattan and Newport, Rhode Island, eventually settling in Newport.
In the end, Englander was primarily responsible for some of the most enduring and important performing arts broadcasts in television history.
Roger Englander had a tremendous impact on the television industry, and on the way many of us think about music. Like his longtime collaborator Leonard Bernstein, Englander was at precisely the right place at the right time to bring cultural television to new heights. Post-war American television was remarkably receptive to experimentation and innovation, and Englander’s expansive imagination was brought to bear on many vital projects. He brought a certain eagerness and a penetrating insight to everything he did.
Perhaps best known as the producer of CBS-TV’s The New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts With Leonard Bernstein, Englander also produced the first opera telecasts in history, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium and The Telephone. That milestone NBC telecast in 1947 led to a two-year association with Menotti, during which Englander produced four additional operas by Menotti for the New York City Opera Company, the Chicago Opera Company, and road company tours. He went on to produce musical programs for The Bell Telephone Hour, creating shows for Alfred Drake, José Ferrer, Isaac Stern, Howard Keel, Rosemary Clooney, Eileen Farrell, and the ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, among many others. He also directed programs for S. Hurok Presents, and, later, Vladimir Horowitz at Carnegie Hall (1968).
He earned five Emmy Awards during his long career, as well as the Peabody Award, The Director’s Guild of America Award, the Prix Jeunesse from Munich, and the Prague International Festival Award. He is the author of Opera: What’s All the Screaming About? (Walker, 1983), and has written articles for the New York Times, Musical America, Opera News, and Television Age, among other publications.
In 1949, Englander became an associate director at ABC-TV, where his assignments often took him beyond his strong musical background. His credits include the full spectrum of what was being telecast, from news and sports to quiz shows and dramas. Later, in 1953, he was appointed staff director at CBS. His years at that network brought him assignments much more aligned with his musical talents, such as the musical segments for Omnibus and the critically acclaimed Odyssey series. He also took dramatic experimental directions with the weekly shows Lamp Unto My Feet and Look Up and Live.
It was the Omnibus program that demonstrated Bernstein’s powers as a television personality. Englander said at the time, “Bernstein proved on his Omnibus program that serious music can attract large and responsive audiences. It’s great satisfaction to be able to show them and millions more to a front-row seat at Carnegie Hall.”
Early Ambitions
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 23, 1926, Englander’s earliest musical ambition was, not surprisingly, to become a conductor. He played piano, French horn, and trumpet at Cleveland Heights High School, and eventually conducted the high school band and orchestra. But at the University of Chicago, which he entered at age 16, he turned to studying drama, composition, and theory, and he earned a Master’s degree in Music. Among his composition teachers at Chicago was the renowned composer Arnold Schoenberg.
After graduating, he quickly became involved with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Opera Company, where he served as Fausto Cleva’s assistant. He embarked on a career as an impresario, and he met the major artistic figures who passed through Chicago, like Menotti and Tennessee Williams. Still a young man, he was already intimately familiar with every phase of artistic production. Using two cumbersome cameras and a student cast, he mounted productions of four of Williams’s unpublished plays, and would have telecast them locally had not higher powers decided the works were too “provocative” for broadcast.
Englander moved to Philadelphia, where he vigorously pursued his newfound interest in television. He began working at NBC’s Philadelphia affiliate, producing and writing original scripts. It was there that, in collaboration with director Paul Nickell, the historic broadcasts of the Menotti operas originated.
Next, Englander became an itinerant stage manager for a brief period, then he returned to television to produce one of the earliest episodes of NBC Opera Theater, turning again to Menotti: The Old Maid and the Thief. Another series of television jobs landed Englander at CBS in Manhattan, where he laid the groundwork for a long career in televising the performing arts.
In addition to his countless television credits, Englander directed musical comedies at the Chicago Fair, produced ballets for Ruth Page, staged acts for Beatrice Kaye and for Katherine Dunham’s company, wrote and produced The Opera Theater of the Air for WAAF Radio. He scripted documentaries for CBS-TV, and composed a song for Our Miss Brooks and a song called “Conga For Electronic Computer and IBM Differential Calculator”; both songs were aired by CBS.
The Bernstein Years
Englander first met Leonard Bernstein in 1946 at the Tanglewood Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he was stage manager for Bernstein’s legendary
American premiere production of Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece, Peter Grimes.
The following year, Englander invited Bernstein to be guest lecturer for a series he was directing on The Dance at the University of Chicago. In 1956, Englander went to Boston to direct the Bernstein-hosted remote telecast for Omnibus. The two men had a remarkable chemistry—and throughout their lives, both retained the ability to see the world through youthful eyes, a talent that blossomed most famously in the Young People’s Concerts series.
These telecasts, as fresh today as they were half a century ago, introduced a generation—and beyond—to the joy of classical music, and to the joy of concert-going. By eschewing gimmicks and by never “talking down” to the viewers, the programs were remarkably seductive and accessible, no small thanks to the enormously talented and attractive Bernstein, who always considered himself first and foremost a teacher. And Englander’s musicianship enabled him to organize the program’s camerawork along musical and dramatic lines. The New York Times noted, “The exceptionally good camera work of the television crew worked as if it were part of the orchestration itself.” Englander also deliberately departed from the previous practice of deifying the conductor; once the music began, Bernstein was depicted as part of an ensemble.
The program ran for 18 years with Bernstein, and then his protégé Michael Tilson Thomas, holding forth, with Englander at the helm.
Besides producing Young People’s Concerts, Englander produced The Little Orchestra Society’s Children’s Concerts, conducted by Thomas Scherman in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
From Network to Network
Englander continued to experiment and refine his camerawork and editing in ways that changed televised artistic performances. By the time he directed Horowitz at Carnegie Hall—one of the cultural highlights of the entire decade—Englander’s visual energy was peaking. He choreographed his team quite elaborately, accommodating Horowitz’s finicky demands, including a talcum-powdered stage to prevent any squeaking from the slipper-wearing camera crew.
As a freelance director, Englander moved from network to network throughout his career, continuing to specialize in classical music programs. He also continued to mount stage productions, directing and producing for New York City Opera. At Lincoln Center, he inaugurated the New York Philharmonic Promenades with Andre Kostelanetz, and he produced the composer evenings for Richard Rodgers’s Music Theater. He co-founded the American Dance Theater with José Limón, and initiated the Musical Theater master of arts program at New York University. For Lord Snowden and Princess Margaret, Englander directed special entertainments, as well as for Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. For PBS, he directed Leonard Bernstein’s 60th Birthday Celebration with the National Symphony Orchestra from Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, and he directed a recital of Brahms lieder with Bernstein and Christa Ludwig from the Tel Aviv Museum. The CBS Years
In 1975, Englander returned to CBS full-time to work as a producer and director for the Sunday morning arts series Camera Three, where he enjoyed true creative freedom, despite a small budget and viewership. He worked on 64 episodes; perhaps the high point was the program he devoted to choreographer Anna Sokolow’s ballet, Dreams, about a concentration camp. Englander filmed the dance at a deserted printing plant, often using only one camera, with extremely powerful results.
He won a Peabody Award in 1977 for his work on the program, but the show was canceled in 1979.
Englander was named head of Music Programming for a new venture, CBS Cable. He devised a number of promising shows, but less than a year after CBS Cable began, it, too, was canceled. That collapse was a bellwether for what happened to the arts on television (and off) during the 1980s, when funding dried up and networks were at best hesitant to take on arts programming.
Back to Freelance Production
Englander quickly shifted his focus to live performances and the new technologies on the horizon. He produced a number of cultural extravaganzas for Elie Wiesel’s Foundation for Humanity, and for Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey. And for Time/Warner New Media, he wrote an interactive CD-ROM musical guide to Mozart’s The Magic Flute. He spearheaded a series of archival videotapes for Music Theater International, tapes that featured writers and composers of Broadway musicals who explained their production techniques that would become indispensable to fledgling theater companies. Obviously, Englander was a hard worker, but he also took the time to make and keep a wide array of close friends. He had a marvelous sense of humor, and was insatiably curious. In his later years, he divided his time between Manhattan and Newport, Rhode Island, eventually settling in Newport.
In the end, Englander was primarily responsible for some of the most enduring and important performing arts broadcasts in television history.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Newport Music Festival 2007 Connoisseur Collection
The idea of filming the Newport Music Festival occurred at the 80th birthday party of my good friend, Newport resident Roger Englander, five time Emmy winning producer/director of the premier classical music television program of the 60’s and 70s, the New York Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein.
The surprise party was held at the Sanford-Covell Villa Marina Inn owned and operated by Anne Cuvelier. Among those in attendance were Roger’s good friend Mark Malkovich, III, general manager of the Newport Music Festival.
At that time I had been transitioning away from my primary interest, producing Classical music CDs for my company, Newport Classic. All CD sales had been dropping and I had started to film live opera and classical concerts. I released the DVD of the Moores Opera Center of Houston’s production of composer Robert Nelson’s Room With A View and Acorn Media had released the DVD of my production of Peter Schickele’s PDQ Bach in Houston (we have a problem).
At the party I suggested that I might be a good idea to film all 17 concerts at the 2007 festival and Mark agreed. I then pitched the idea to Acorn and they agreed to fund the production.
The filming was scheduled and entailed the recording of the sound digitally and a three camera, high definition video shoot. The biggest challenge for the production was to have the filming have a very minimal impact on the paying customers of the festival. Three pedestals were placed in the Breakers where cameramen could film and not get in the way of the audience. Cameras all recorded to videotape and then the tapes were edited after the end of the festival.
The 10 DVD set has a list price of $125 and not only contain 90 minutes of great performances but also another 30 minutes of concerts in the other venues, i.e. the Elms, Marble House, Ochre Court, etc. These extras were only archive videos using one camera but they give a nice idea of what the rest of the festival looks like and in addition were recorded in full digital stereo sound.
In addition to all of the musical content I also spent two days interviewing Mark about the history of the festival, his relationship with the artists and comments on some of the more prominent composers.
In between the time of the party and the beginning of filming of the Festival I had decided to try my hand at directing and had taken on the job of filming the Louisiana State University Opera Theater’s production of Carlisle Floyd’s Willie Stark. Roger coached me through the whole production. He also coached me for the 17 day shoot of the Festival.
To say the least, without Roger’s help and encouragement, this project would never have seen the light of day.
Starting July 11th, we will start filming the 40th anniversary season of the festival. We’ll be doing something a little bit different. I will be teaming up with Assistant Stage Director of the Metropolitan Opera, Peter McClintock to film a documentary about one of the Festival’s stalwarts, pianist Pedja Muzijevic, who will be performing in thirteen concerts during the seventeen-day festival. We will be following him around, filming his rehearsals and interaction with the other performers. Also we will film John Bayless’ concert recapping his many years of festival appearances. Assisting in the filming will be videographer Dillon Poole and our video intern, Jake Records.
The surprise party was held at the Sanford-Covell Villa Marina Inn owned and operated by Anne Cuvelier. Among those in attendance were Roger’s good friend Mark Malkovich, III, general manager of the Newport Music Festival.
At that time I had been transitioning away from my primary interest, producing Classical music CDs for my company, Newport Classic. All CD sales had been dropping and I had started to film live opera and classical concerts. I released the DVD of the Moores Opera Center of Houston’s production of composer Robert Nelson’s Room With A View and Acorn Media had released the DVD of my production of Peter Schickele’s PDQ Bach in Houston (we have a problem).
At the party I suggested that I might be a good idea to film all 17 concerts at the 2007 festival and Mark agreed. I then pitched the idea to Acorn and they agreed to fund the production.
The filming was scheduled and entailed the recording of the sound digitally and a three camera, high definition video shoot. The biggest challenge for the production was to have the filming have a very minimal impact on the paying customers of the festival. Three pedestals were placed in the Breakers where cameramen could film and not get in the way of the audience. Cameras all recorded to videotape and then the tapes were edited after the end of the festival.
The 10 DVD set has a list price of $125 and not only contain 90 minutes of great performances but also another 30 minutes of concerts in the other venues, i.e. the Elms, Marble House, Ochre Court, etc. These extras were only archive videos using one camera but they give a nice idea of what the rest of the festival looks like and in addition were recorded in full digital stereo sound.
In addition to all of the musical content I also spent two days interviewing Mark about the history of the festival, his relationship with the artists and comments on some of the more prominent composers.
In between the time of the party and the beginning of filming of the Festival I had decided to try my hand at directing and had taken on the job of filming the Louisiana State University Opera Theater’s production of Carlisle Floyd’s Willie Stark. Roger coached me through the whole production. He also coached me for the 17 day shoot of the Festival.
To say the least, without Roger’s help and encouragement, this project would never have seen the light of day.
Starting July 11th, we will start filming the 40th anniversary season of the festival. We’ll be doing something a little bit different. I will be teaming up with Assistant Stage Director of the Metropolitan Opera, Peter McClintock to film a documentary about one of the Festival’s stalwarts, pianist Pedja Muzijevic, who will be performing in thirteen concerts during the seventeen-day festival. We will be following him around, filming his rehearsals and interaction with the other performers. Also we will film John Bayless’ concert recapping his many years of festival appearances. Assisting in the filming will be videographer Dillon Poole and our video intern, Jake Records.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Classical Music Crisis - Classical Music Renaissance
I've been talking to the Li family about producing a film about their son George. You may have seen him on From The Top on PBS with Christopher O'Riley. or on Martha Stewart. After having heard from George through my You tube postings and seeing his extraordinary videos I decided to contact his family. A few weeks they came to Newport for Sunday Brunch. Katie, George's mom, Jian, George's dad and Andrew, George's younger brother arrived promptly at noon and we sat down to bagels, lox, cream cheese, chicken salad, and potato salad.
They Li boys were delightful and even more astounding was my realization that aside from the fact that George is an amazing pianist he's also just a nice, sweet and really funny kid. His brother Andrew is cut from the same cloth.
George just won second place at the Gina Bachauer Junior Piano Competition last week in Salt Lake City. His family's lack of concern about winning big prizes doesn't surprise me. They are looking at the long run, for George to develop not only as a great artist, but a great human being. How could you not like that?
More later.
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