Classical, theSTEADY,
World-class talent Kansas City style
A KCM VID interview with
Kansas City's own
Behzod Abduraimov & Stanislav Ioudenitch
The Friends of Chamber Music
Special Presentation Concert: Behzod Abduraimov & Stanislav Ioudenitch
Friday, March 5 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater
12 and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-561-9999 or online at www.chambermusic.org
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Theatre ,
The surprising face of "This American Life"
Ira Glass took the Lied Center stage last Saturday night, sat behind a makeshift audio console and proceeded to start the show... in complete darkness. His monotone delivery of the opening phrases were supported by the hypnotic music; just as if he was singing, not speaking. Most of the audience had never seen the man behind the iconic radio show This American Life and the suspense was killing us. Then the music stopped. The lights came up. And surpise! The house erupted in applause as the audience got a good long look at this bespectacled radio producer wearing a gray suit and tie.
I, myself cheered like a teenager at a Beatles concert for this public radio rock star. Every Saturday morning my husband and I unconsciously drop everything and congregate in the living room to listen to This American Life. The show has become an important part of the intellectual fabric of our lives. Throughout the week our friends will say, "Did you hear the episode about the transgendered children?" or "This reminds me of the testosterone episode." I subscribe to the podcast just in case I can't tune in. The stories Glass and his team produce each week resonate in our memories long after they air.
After seventeen years in public radio, Glass set about to make a show that was "unashamedly entertaining." He wanted to tell the stories of ordinary Americans with pleasure, humor, joy and an element of surprise. In 1995, This American Life was born. Since then he is heard by more than 2 million listeners every week through public radio and his podcast. Last year he won the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding contributions to public radio. His television adaptation of the radio show seen on Showtime won two Emmy's in 2008. He is currently taking a hiatus from television to focus on the radio audience.
His speaking voice is what some might consider "anti-radio." Sounding more like Woody Allen than Walter Cronkite, he advocates a conversational style of journalism that is intelligent, intimate and highly infectious. Over the years Glass has brought other writers on board who shared his uncharacteristic sound. Sarah Vowels' high pitched little girl voice tells stories of her father's cannon, playing the recorder and presidential assassinations. David Sedaris (coming to the Lied Center in April) can impersonate the iconic Jazz singer Billie Holiday to perfection. But what makes the show work isn't the sounds of the voices, but how Glass crafts what they have to say.
Throughout the two hour performance at the Lied Center, Glass used clips from past shows to highlight the This American Life formula. Speaking to the many journalism students in the audience he promoted a less formal and more conversational style of reporting. He discussed the importance of building action into a story with layers of intensity, how to use music to focus the listener's ear and the importance of fact checking.
Proving that even seasoned journalists don't always get it right, he treated the audience to clips from his past including a horrible story he produced about...after hearing it, I'm still not sure what it was about...corn?
After the performance, Glass took questions from the audience. Where does he get his story ideas? Does he run into a lot of urban myths? One audience member asked if the American attention span and bad television were responsible for lack of empathy. But Glass is surprisingly optimistic about the availability of high quality entertainment. When asked where he found his music, he recommended soundtracks saying nonchalantly, "this is one of my cousin Philip's pieces." It took me a second to put two and two together. That would be Philip Glass, one of the most significant American composers of the 20th century. Surprise!
Dance,
Real stories inspire real dancing
Think you know hip-hop? Groovaloo, the award-winning show created by Bradley Rapier and Danny Cistone, just might make you think again. According to Rapier, one of the goals for the show is "to break some of the crazier, negative or, you know, just wrong ideas people might have about hip-hop culture and what it does for us and where it comes from."
The highly-acclaimed show is based on the real experiences of the dancers, known as the Groovaloos. The group has been successful - winning the American Street Dance Championships and NBC's SuperStars of Dance, a program in which dancers from around the globe compete for the top prize - and appearing on several shows, including the popular So You Think You Can Dance.
Groovaloo is part dance, part poetry, part theater, and completely honest. "Our show, yes it's a dance show, but it's a theater piece, and it's a true story," Rapier said. Along with the personal struggles and triumphs of the dancers, the stories showcase the performers' passion and love of dance. "One of my goals has always been to give people, whether they dance or not, a glimpse into this world that has so changed my life," he said.
Rapier, who originally had planned to become a doctor before realizing his passion for street dancing, said the show started quite different than how it is now. While working on developing the idea, Rapier began interviewing the dancers to learn their background, what led them to the world of dance, and why they moved to Los Angeles, among other things. After the dancers saw what had been recorded, they knew that this was the real show.
"I took those interviews, listened to them and put some images with them, showed them to the Groovaloos, and everybody said the same thing - there's the show, forget all this pretend stuff, writing fictional stories. We have been together now, we have a story to tell that will reach people 'cause its universal themes about regular people, and this dance is our vehicle," Rapier said.
One universal theme featured in the show is perseverance. Using the stories of the cast members - including Steven Stanton, known as Boogieman, who was shot and told he would never walk again - the show demonstrates how important it is to keep going.
"(The show) has the power behind it, regardless of what you're doing in your life, to say keep going, even if you don't know what's next. Keep going, keep stepping. You may not have all the answers, but keep going," Rapier said. As Boogieman says in the show, "Life isn't always choreographed. Sometimes you have to freestyle."
PREVIEW
The Performing Arts Series at JCCC
Groovaloo
Friday, March 5 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 6 at 8 p.m.
Yardley Hall
Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-469-4445 or online at www.jccc.edu
Classical,
Hell hath no fury
I could not contain my excitement last week that I would have the good fortune to hear the world's best flutist (no hyperbole) Emmanuel Pahud perform the world premiere of a new concerto by Italian composer Luca Lombardi with the Kansas City Symphony.
Alas... alas... alas...
The evening began strong with Rossini's devilish Overture to La scala di seta. For those unfamiliar with the piece, it is like a high octane Bugs Bunny cartoon with one of the most wicked oboe excerpts ever written. Kudos to Mingjia Liu for nailing the tricky passage - he rightfully received whooping applause from the audience. I couldn't help but wonder if the tempo was a bit brisk, however.
That issue would come back to plague the rest of concert.
With Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, critical musical issues began to rear their ugly heads. The brass playing was imprecise with many entrances under pitch, missed, or showing faulty articulation. Articulation issues struck the woodwinds as well with staccato notes played much too short. They were all tongue and no pitch. There was no sense of arrival at the cadences of the first movement, as the ensemble wallowed in a dynamic range seemingly consisting only of mezzo-forte and forte. The bowing choices in the second movement were baffling, and over-reliance on up-bows seemed to get in the way of natural ease for playing and so it was plodding instead of dancing.
The triplets in the cellos, under the trio of clarinet and horns, were the lone bright spot in the third movement, but again, the tempo was too fast. The fourth movement reverted back to the lack of dynamic contrast that plagued the first. Balance issues were also present as the subject was overwhelmed in the fugato sections. Tempo was out of control. In watching the string players' bows, it was evident that they were unhappy (most likely due to the tempo) and many of them glossed over Beethoven's printed accents.
I was hoping that Luca Lombardi's piece could save the concert and that the orchestra would regroup during intermission. Consider my hopes and dreams dashed. Emmanual Pahud is, and was, amazing. The three-movement concerto just did not do him justice. The first movement was flawed by out-of-tune timbral exchanges in the orchestra and had Pahud reaching his high tessitura too soon. There was nowhere for his glorious, hall-filling sound to go after his upper limits had already been reached.
Trying to base an entire concerto off a three-note motive was gutsy. And it could have been done successfully - however Lombardi did not provide enough aural breadcrumbs for the listener to trace his development. Instead he relied on divergent, stylistically opposed juxtapositions that confused rather than elucidated his material.
For instance, a string microtonal cluster would lead to quasi-jazz riffs followed by an African log drum/caxixi ostinato, all within the space of a few bars. [Critic's note - For more effective use of divergent stylistic combinations see Luciano Berio's Sinfonia, Giya Kancheli's Symphony No. 5, Dana Wilson's Piece of Mind, etc.]
The second movement was the most musically successful and best performed. Pahud's breath sounds were taken up by breath sounds of the ensemble flutes and natural harmonic glissandos emerged out of the diaphanous texture. A too-tight wind machine and some questionable mallet choices in the percussion were obtrusive, however. The wind machine would have benefitted from being played offstage; that way, the palettes would have blended more.
The third movement began with a gimmicky, but effective use of a modern musical take on "Anything you can do, I can do better." Pahud was literally spitting notes at various sections of the orchestra. That section would then respond in kind. It was fun and the subsequent use of Pahud's multiphonics and tongue rams were integral to the movement and not treated as the all-too-common "extended technique afterthoughts." The concerto's concluding moments were ruined by some overenthusiastic clappers who jumped in before Pahud's final notes. I feel the concerto warrants multiple listenings, however, and more rehearsal time. It certainly has a fine champion in Pahud and Lombardi's ideas may coalesce better over time and exposure.
Pahud followed the concerto with an encore from Carmen, perfectly suited to showcase his sense of lyricism and pristine tone.
I am at a loss for words to describe the final moments of Friday's concert. After five minutes of listening to Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini, I turned to my concert-going partners and said, "What the hell are we listening to?" "Hell" is apt. Francesca da Rimini is an overlong muddled mass of scales and predictable sequences made all the worse by Stern's insanely fast tempo, flubbed brass entrances, uncoordinated accelerandos, inelegant wind playing, and the palpable anger in the strings. I felt like I was sitting in the Second Circle of the Inferno along with Dante's Francesca while listening to Tchaikovsky's musical aberration.
Hopefully the upcoming weekend without a full concert will allow for Stern and the KC Symphony regroup.
I am very hopeful for some good Crumb, Beethoven and Copland on the March 5 weekend...
REVIEW
Kansas City Symphony
Stern Conducts Beethoven & Tchaikovsky
with Emmanuel Pahud, flute
Friday, February 19 at 8 p.m. (Reviewed)
Saturday, February 20 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Sunday, February 21, at 2 p.m.
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
www.kcsymphony.org
Top photo by Sheila Rock.
Classical,
Choral cure for the winter blues
Musica Sacra under the direction of Timothy McDonald once again demonstrated their collective choral skills and sensitivity last Saturday.
Their third concert of the season featured the two great cathedral composers of Salzburg: Mozart and Johann Michael Haydn. Two compositions of each were performed: Missa Brevis in D Minor, K. 65 and Missa Brevis in B-flat Major, K. 275 by Mozart and Haydn's Laudate Pueri and Ave Maria.
In keeping with Rockhurst's 2010 salute to Marc-Antoine Charpentier, the concert opened with his Regina Coeli.
Bookended in the program by the Mozart short masses, the two Haydn pieces reveal why Franz Joseph Haydn's younger brother was a well-respected composer in his time, even if we hear less of his work these days. Laudate pueri is written for female voices only, and here Musica Sacra played to one of its great strengths. The women's voices were well-blended and precise, especially in the opening "alleluia." The women were joined by the rest of the chorus for the stunning Ave Maria.
The first Mozart Missa Brevis featured a solo quartet of Elaine Minden, soprano; Debra Hohly, mezzo-soprano; Victor D. Tan, tenor, and Greg Yeutter, bass. This Lenten Mass in the unusual key of D minor is very Baroque in style with a particularly extraordinary "Benedictus," characterized by a delicate chromatic setting, ably executed by the chorus. The later Missa Brevis in B-flat Major, K 275, concludes with the exquisite "Agnus Dei," in which chorus and soloists engage in an elegant, dance-like "dona nobis pacem."
Diction and balance here were particularly crisp, conveying the clean, clear composition with ease. Soloists in K. 275 were Claire Ranieri, soprano; Jennifer Snyder, mezzo-soprano; Robert Craig, tenor, and Ken Sanderson, bass. Both quartets balanced well with the chorus with clear diction and expression. There were only a few moments when individuals tended to be overpowered by the orchestra.
The two Mozart short masses-composed for ordinary Sunday worship-include a brief "sonata all'Epistolo" (an "Epistle sonata) following the "Gloria." This short instrumental interlude was designed to "aid meditative reflection" following a reading. These brief sonatas featured a crisp performance of the two violins, cello and organ that comprised the orchestral accompaniment.
Saturday night was a bit logistically traumatic because of the intense weather and bad roads. Unfortunately, I was delayed, as were many people in attendance that night. Thus I missed almost all of the Charpentier to my great dismay. However, as I settled in and began to breathe again after white-knuckling it all the way there, the peace of the evening fell over me. As I looked around the sanctuary at the audience, I was amazed at the number of people in attendance given the night's terrible weather forecast. Clearly, these were people compelled by the need for choral beauty, and Musica Sacra and Timothy McDonald did not disappoint on this night.
REVIEW
Musica Sacra
Music in Salzburg
Saturday, February 20, 2010
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
52nd and Troost Avenue, Kansas City, MO
www.rockhurst.edu/musicasacra
Classical,
A non-typical Mass Ordinary
It was a noble pursuit. Take the text to the Mass Ordinary (every music student's mantra during their early music history days. Repeat after me: "King George Can't Sing Alto") from a slew of composers from the Renaissance to contemporary, throw them together into a pot, and pick out the best pieces to form a new Mass.
Good fun!
Focusing on the traditional texts of the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus/Benedictus, Agnus Dei, Octarium provided an alternative to Chancticleer's modern text interpretations of their And on Earth, Peace album. By retaining the original texts, Octarium offered three creative Masstiches on Saturday night's performance. The possibilities for the expanding program are endless as there are countless Masses rife for such musicological pilfering and I hope artistic director Krista Lang Blackwood revisits the idea in the future.
Masstiche the First contained the following: Stephen Hatfield's "Kyrie" and "Agnus Dei" from his Missa brevis bookended by Monteverdi's "Gloria" from Messe a 4 voci, Arvo Pärt's "Credo" (Missa syllabica) and Salieri's "Sanctus/Benedictus" from Missa stylo a cappella. I found this reimaging the most successful.
Hatfield's pieces were melodic with a just enough twenty-first century bite. The celtic "Kyrie" drew the listener in with its unassuming folk melody and the unison opening of "Agnus Dei" did little to prepare me for the more intricate harmonies that followed. Monteverdi's "Gloria" was full of dancing imitation between the voices and curt phrases. Pärt's "Credo" was the stand-out of the set even though it was not a flawless performance. I felt the tempo should have been slightly slower to accentuate the glorious dissonances that Pärt masters so deftly - and singers dread. Each stanza alternated between the male and female voices and held together quite well until the last couple of verses. I commend Blackwood for choosing a "Credo" that did not barrel through the 150-plus words, but instead reveled in them. Salieri's "Sanctus/Benedictus" was not as light as I would have preferred. It is a classical piece and there should have been more pep to it.
On paper the second Masstiche was the most impressive: Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame "Kyrie," Ockeghem's "Gloria" from Missa cuiusvis toni, Kalliwoda's "Credo" from Missa in a, and two selections from Missa brevis settings-Bernstein's "Sanctus" and James MacMillan's "Agnus Dei." I never thought I would hear the Messe de Nostra Dame live, so for that I am grateful. After the performance though, I feel maybe those early Renaissance works should be left to early Renaissance specialists as the choir seemed far removed of their comfort zone. The Ockeghem was typical gorgeous Franco-Flemish style of the late fifteenth-century and Octarium's pure sound fit perfectly. Kalliwoda's (a contemporary of the Schumann's) "Credo" was innocuous middle-Romantic fare and I felt a touch of judicious vibrato could have elevated the performance more (but I realize that is against the dictates of Octarium's sound).
I find it noteworthy that Jewish composer, Leonard Bernstein wrote two "Masses," Missa brevis (from which the "Sanctus" was excerpted) and the extravagant theatre/performance piece, Mass. The astoundingly sensitive tenor, Jason Parr acted as cantor and Octarium as congregation. It was a simple setting: skillfully performed and stunning to absorb.
James MacMillan's "Agnus Dei" shared the same qualities of dissonance as Pärt, yet the compositional approach was much different. MacMillan's freely atonal dissonances occurred because of the horizontal, melodic quality of his vocal lines whereas Pärt's vertical simultaneities were harmonically derived. In these Mass contexts, I prefer Pärt but MacMillan's setting of "Dona nobis pacem" was beautiful.
The third Masstiche began with the men singing Gounod's "Kyrie" from the Deuxiéme messe pour les sociétés chorales. The tight harmonies reminded me of a less syrupy Barbershop quartet. Baroque Polish composer (and at the time unknown to me) Grzegorz Gorczycki's "Gloria" from Missa paschalis reminded me of why we listen to Palestrina instead of him. It was a fine piece, nothing earth-shattering or particularly memorable and was written about sixty years too late to be considered timely. French Renaissance composer Pierre Colin's "Credo" (Missa confitemini) was overshadowed by the performance of William Byrd's "Sanctus/Benedictus" (Mass for 4 Voices). The Byrd simply resonated more and the music seemed to breathe.
The final Masstiche closed with Barber's "Agnus Dei." The singers were scared and it showed on their faces. It was a daunting task: miss one note or have one interval out of tune and everyone instantly recoils. To attempt the familiar piece with only eight voices was misguided as the tempo had to be pushed to maintain breath-support and there was nowhere for anyone to hide. Fearless and commendable? Sure, but not successful. Kudos to Ashley Winters for floating the climatic pitch effortlessly though!
REVIEW:
Octarium
Masstiche
Saturday, February 20, 2010
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church (75th and Main)
www.octarium.org
Theatre ,
Loretta Swit is delightfully painless in "Cactus Flower"
A cactus, prickly and uninviting, will often produce a spectacular bloom. So the metaphor goes in this superb romantic farce about a prickly nurse who blossoms under unusual and comical circumstances. Cactus Flower was produced by the New Theatre, directed by Dennis D. Hennessy, and stars Loretta Swit, of M.A.S.H. fame.
The story revolves around a philandering dentist, played by Kip Niven, who avoids marriage with his girlfriend Toni by pretending he is already married. In order to keep up the charade, he convinces his loyal but frosty nurse, Swit, to play his wife. The plot, although predictable in the long run, had unexpected twists and turns that ultimately led to a satisfying ending. The characters behaved realistically, yet never fell into cliché. In a phrase, the show was breath of fresh air.
Loretta Swit, playing Stephanie Dickinson, was an engaging and sympathetic stage presence. Her comic timing was impeccable. What I appreciated most was the portrayal of a strong woman who had vulnerabilities. It was easy to see why Ms. Swit has enjoyed such a long, rewarding career as a performer.
Kip Niven, as the philandering dentist, alternately pleaded and barked his way through the show. A Kansas City native, Niven is a good match for Swit and entirely believable as a dentist. I did not entirely like his character because his one constant quality was dishonesty, but I always hoped that he would get the girl in the end.
Natalie Hiatt, as well-meaning girlfriend and fake home wrecker Toni, started the show out with a bang. She had the audience laughing within the first two minutes with her matter-of-fact delivery and high-pitched girly voice. In a role that could easily have become unsympathetic, Hiatt earned audience sympathy. I thoroughly enjoyed her small, often unconscious, victories throughout the show.
The supporting cast includes Tristan Colton, T. Max Graham, Dodie Brown, Jim Korinke, Patrick DuLaney and Cassie Hollmann. If the time and space allowed, I would comment on each performance. It will suffice to say each played their parts well, and created an atmosphere where the story could be told.
Scott Heineman's scenic design was fantastic. I loved the rotating stage, and each setting gave a very clear idea of where while also giving insight into the characters. There was such a contrast between the impersonal, sterile dentist office and Toni's bright, cheerful apartment. Huge congratulations go to the running crew for silently changing one set while another scene was going on.
Randy B. Winder's lighting and props were, as always, suited to the show. He does a lovely job of creating lighting and props that suit the story without drawing unnecessary attention. Mary Traylor's 60's era costume design gave the audience fun visuals without being distracting. I really enjoyed Toni's fun outfits (gold heels!) and Swit's beautiful red dress.
The only technical element that drew me away from the story was the sound design. I was confused as to why modern songs were playing on the radio in the 1960s. Having said that, the song lyrics did fit the situation, so I understand why they were chosen.
This was my favorite show of the New Theatre season so far. The script was well written. All the elements came together splendidly, and the cast worked so well together. And I laughed. A lot. Thanks to New Theatre for a lovely evening!
REVIEW
New Theatre Restaurant
Cactus Flower
Running February 10 through April 11 (Reviewed February 18, 2010)
9229 Foster St., Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-649-SHOW or online at www.newtheatre.com
Classical,
Virtuosity and wise musicianship
Canadian virtuoso Marc-Andre Hamelin showed Friday night at the Folly Theater what accomplished pianism can do, when accompanied by sensitivity and nuance.
Hamelin, whose extraordinary pianistic ability has led him to specialize in some of the most notoriously difficult pieces in the repertoire, has been refocusing his career on interpreting more traditional compositions in recent years. In this Harriman Jewell Series recital he displayed both sides of his impressive abilities.
Opening with Franz Joseph Haydn's Variations in F Minor, Hamelin played with clean precision, but also displayed sensitivity to the piece's shifting moods and colors. Performing rapid passages with a light touch, but applying a more robust approach to the dramatic moments of the piece, he brought out some unexpected subtleties in a composition which, to glance at the printed page, would seem to offer little by way of expressive opportunity.
His other two more traditional pieces on the recital were Mozart's Sonata in A Minor, in which Hamelin easily mastered the rapid flow of 16th notes throughout the score but added a vigorous attack and moving drama to the piece's more emotive moments, and the Faure Nocturne No. 6, in which the pianist displayed a surprising French sensibility.
For his technically difficult pieces on the program, Hamelin selected a Franz Liszt showpiece (aren't they all?), Venezia e Napoli, and the fiendishly difficult Symphonie for Solo Piano by the elusive French composer Charles-Valentine Alkan.
Crouched over the piano, focusing with laser intensity and single-minded purpose, Hamelin almost attacked the instrument with banging, crashing bass notes, blindingly rapid treble runs, and a stunning virtuosity throughout. He treated the keyboard almost as a racetrack, with the hands chasing each other up and down, fingers flying in an almost constant blur.
Impressive it was, but was the virtuosity being utilized in the service of anything more? In the case of this pianist, the answer was a resounding "yes." At this point in his career Hamelin's technical proficiency, while never far from the surface, is taken almost for granted, while he simultaneously plumbs the emotional depths of his composers' works. The resulting balance equates to a brilliant pianism, producing as well rounded and satisfying a performance as one could hope for.
Listening to Hamelin's technically brilliant but equally sensitive interpretations, this listener's mind kept returning to the recital by the Chinese star Lang Lang which opened the Harriman Jewell Series last fall. Lang Lang played with great vigor and abandon, displaying a technical brilliance which, while still short of the Hamelin standard, is outstanding. In the case of Lang Lang, however, this listener felt that there was little substance behind the flash. Impressive as was the virtuosity, there seemed little understanding of the music behind it.
Hamelin, by contrast, has grown into a pianist for whom the technique is still superb, but the musicianship behind it is equally impressive. This makes a satisfying and rewarding experience for his audience, which responded with a warm ovation, richly deserved.
For his finale Hamelin chose one of his own compositions, a number he called Little Nocturne. Surprisingly, it was a quiet and expressive number, shimmering and slightly dissonant, requiring no great level of virtuoso skill, but played with great sensitivity and feeling. Perhaps on his next visit the artist will treat his Kansas City fans to more of his own work, which, based upon this small preview deserve a wider hearing.
REVIEW:
Harriman Jewell Series
Marc-Andre Hamelin, pianist
Friday, February 19, 2010
Folly Theater
12th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
www.kcsymphony.org
Top photo by Fran Kaufman
Classical,
The Van Cliburn launches another exciting young talent
Haochen Zhang, the 2009 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist, performed Tuesday, February 16, at the Lied Center in Lawrence to a large and enthusiastic audience. In a varied program that revealed multiple emotional and technical levels, the nineteen-year-old Zhang displayed the composure, skill and artistry of a performer twice his age.
The program opened with Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330. Zhang approached this familiar sonata's opening movement-"Allegro moderato"-with a little more "moderato" than is often the case. While the tempo seemed a bit deliberate, his delicate, almost wistful touch on the keys created an astonishingly seamless sound. That delicacy also served him well in the exquisite pianissimos of the Andante cantabile second movement. Unfortunately, Zhang did not seem to come alive in this measured Mozart piece until the Allegretto third movement. Its dancing rhythms gave him a chance to hint at his nimble athleticism at the keyboard.
Zhang's program choice seemed designed to display the range of his abilities. Following the Mozart with the Brahms Klavierstücke Op. 119, Zhang revealed a clear sensitivity to their emotional content. The first "Intermezzo in B Minor" is a melancholy Romantic piece that sounds as if the pianist were coaxing the tone from a reluctant and mercurial keyboard. One can almost feel the ennui pulling the listener into involuntary introspection. Zhang deftly captured the individuality of each Intermezzo movement and the final Rhapsodie character pieces that moved from melancholy to coquettishness to pomposity.
Zhang ended the first half of the program with the emotionally intense and technically challenging Chopin Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52.
The evening's second half featured Schumann's lush Romantic Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 and the quirky and impressive Trois movement de Petrouchka, Stravinsky's piano arrangements of his orchestral work based on the ballet. (This work was also performed by Stephen Prutsman on February 12 on The Friends of Chamber Music's Master Pianists Series). These were followed in encore by a Chinese folk tune.
The Lied Center also used the evening's performance to unveil its new Steinway grand piano purchased with funding by an individual donor and corporate contributions. It is a striking instrument with a clear, unadulterated sound easily pinging through the auditorium even in the softest passages. A somewhat more astonishing element of the evening was the huge projection screen centered behind and above the piano, projecting a camera feed from directly over the keyboard. Thus the audience was given the incongruous view over his head of the pianist's hands at the keyboard. There were some audience grumblings about the screen projection, but it did provide a strikingly different experience of the concert, offering the audience a rare chance to see how a skilled musician like Zhang interacts with his instrument.
During the opening moments of the Mozart piano sonata, one could see as well as hear the delicacy of Zhang's touch at the keys, his hands gliding in a mesmerizing display of dexterity and skill. During the furiously agitated arpeggios of the Petrouchka, Zhang's hands were a blur across the keyboard, emphasizing the piece's rollicking humor.
Haochen Zhang seems impossibly too young to convey the emotional intensity of this ambitious program. He is clearly an artist in progress as all artists must ultimately be; however, this concert demonstrated an intelligent, skilled and lithe pianist, fully committed to the artistry of his work.
REVIEW:
Lied Center at KC
Haochen Zhang, 13th Van Cliburn Gold Medalist
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Lied Center
1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS
www.lied.ku.edu
Local Arts News,
Kansas City Ballet announces 2010-11 season
Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director William Whitener recently announced the Company's 53rd season. Whitener stated, "This season features the works of American choreographers and covers a plethora of styles, techniques, and genres. Two of the ballets are new to the repertory and will be danced alongside audience favorites and the enduring classic, Giselle."
The Fall and Winter Performances and The Nutcracker will feature the Kansas City Symphony conducted by Kansas City Ballet Music Director Ramona Pansegrau.
The 2010-11 season will be the last for the Kansas City Ballet in the Lyric Theatre and the Music Hall; the next season will open at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
Fall Performances
October 14-17, 2010 | Lyric Theatre | Featuring the Kansas City Symphony
Three masterworks of Balanchine - Mozartiana, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Slaughter on 10th Avenue - plus the return of audience favorite Lark Ascending by Bruce Marks.
The Fall Performances open with three masterpieces of George Balanchine. Mozartiana, which premiered in 1981 at New York City Ballet's Tchaikovsky Festival, is one of the last ballets the choreographer created before his death in April 1983. In addition to the principal dancers and small ensemble, the cast includes four young female dancers from the Kansas City Ballet School.
Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux was choreographed by Balanchine in 1960 as a showpiece for New York City Ballet dancers Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow, and was subsequently performed by such luminaries as Patricia McBride, Edward Villella, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Suzanne Farrell.
The third piece on the program is the return of Lark Ascending choreographed by Bruce Marks featuring the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams. "Lark is about the journey of life, that eternal fight against gravity," said Marks. "Each time I see the lark ascend I know why we dance. In these sad and troubling times it is so important to reaffirm the nobility of the human spirit."
Closing the Fall Performances is George Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue featuring the music of Richard Rodgers, orchestrated by Hershy Kay. Balanchine originally choreographed this splashy, comedic caper in 1936 for Broadway's production of On Your Toes. A parody of Broadway theatrics, Russian ballet, and the mob, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, set in a tacky strip joint, tells the story of a jealous Russian premier danseur who hires a mobster to kill a rival during the premiere of a new ballet.
The Nutcracker
December 11-24, 2010 | Music Hall | Featuring the Kansas City Symphony
Kansas City's favorite holiday tradition continues with the presentation of Todd Bolender's delightful family classic The Nutcracker in the beautifully restored Music Hall.
From Dec. 11 through Dec. 24, 2010, Kansas City Ballet will present Kansas City's favorite holiday tradition, The Nutcracker, at the Music Hall. The Nutcracker, featuring the music of Peter I. Tchaikovsky and choreography of Todd Bolender, returns for 15 public performances and three matinees for schools. This full-length ballet continues to delight audiences with its magnificent sets, costumes and special effects. Three casts of Kansas City Ballet dancers, plus more than 200 local youngsters ages 7 to 17 selected from Kansas City Ballet School, tell E. T. A. Hoffman's story. Nutcracker tickets will go on sale to the public Monday, October 25, 2010.
Winter Performances
March 10-13, 2011 | Lyric Theatre | Featuring the Kansas City Symphony
Giselle is considered the supreme achievement of the Romantic Age of Ballet. Performed in two acts, the ballet tells a story of innocence, betrayal, madness and redemption.
This story of enduring love even after death features two of the most celebrated roles for a ballerina and premier danseur. Through the music of Adolphe Adam and the choreography of Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, this haunting and tragic love story tells the heart-breaking story of a young village girl who innocently falls in love with callous Albrecht, a prince disguised as a peasant lad. Discovering his real identity and that he is betrothed to the Duke's daughter, Act I closes with Giselle, driven mad with grief, dying of a broken heart - a scene widely considered to be the most dramatically challenging role in the ballet canon. Act II unfolds as Albrecht comes to her grave and is surrounded by the Wilis, the spirits of young girls who died before their wedding day. Finally, he watches Giselle dance into the ghostly dawn as he is left grieving at her grave.
Spring Performances
May 5-8, 2011 | Lyric Theatre
American dance is highlighted with the Kansas City Premiere of Jerome Robbins' Moves, the World Premiere Mercy of the Elements by William Whitener, and the return of The Catherine Wheel Suite by Twyla Tharp.
The performance opens with the Kansas City Premiere of Jerome Robbins' Moves (A Ballet in Silence). The ballet premiered in 1959 at the Spoleto Festival, was a staple of the Joffrey Ballet's repertory in the 1970's and premiered at New York City Ballet in 1984. Danced without musical accompaniment, Moves features the stark clarity of the body as an expressive instrument, placing the focus on precise and changing choreographic patterns. The ballet is also an exploration of emotional connections and disconnections, beginnings and endings, shown through an intense gesture, a subtle movement, a glimpse of passion contained. Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times called Moves, "An extraordinarily powerful experience as theater and dance. Mr. Robbins achieves so much in the simplest terms."
The Spring Performances continue with a World Premiere by Kansas City Ballet's Artistic Director William Whitener. In his 12th creation for Kansas City Ballet, Mr. Whitener will premiere Mercy of the Elements, performed with live chamber music.
Closing the Spring Performances will be The Catherine Wheel Suite by Twyla Tharp with music by pop/rock icon David Byrne (Talking Heads). The Catherine Wheel Suite features a selection of dances assembled specifically for Kansas City Ballet by Tharp and William Whitener - an original cast member of the ballet - from 1981's original, full-length work The Catherine Wheel. The Suite finishes with the renowned and rousing finale, "The Golden Section." Arlene Croce of The New Yorker calls The Catherine Wheel, "A multi-level poetic fantasy with a twist of scalawag comedy... a suite of social dances through the ages."
For ticket information call 816.931.2232 or online at www.kcballet.org
City Classics,
Music and Dance through March 3
Alvin Ailey Dance
Setting the Stage: The Moving Story of African American Dance
Wednesday, February 24, 7:00 p.m.
Gem Theatre
1601 East 18th Street, Kansas City, MO
Free admission. For more information visit www.kcfaa.org
In celebration of Black History Month, the Alvin Ailey Dance company is performing Setting the Stage, which it says is "a journey through African-American dance, beginning with the Middle Passage, through today." The presentation will feature both local and national dancers performing original choreographic works, and a narrated slide presentation of dance images.
Setting the Stage was created in 1997 by the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey's Executive Director, Tyrone Aiken, who was inspired by Classic Black, a photo documentary originally presented at the Lincoln Center in New York City, to commemorate African-Americans in classical dance prior to 1970.
Kansas City Ballet
Lambarena
Thursday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 27 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 28 at 2:00 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-931-2232 or online at www.kcballet.org
The Kansas City Ballet's February program features Val Caniparoli's intriguing mixture of Johann Sebastian Bach and traditional African rhythms. This fusion has "made it an international sensation," according to one reviewer, who called it "a bold and heady cocktail of classical ballet and West African dance forms." The musical score pays homage to Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer, a fine classical musician who devoted much of his life to working for the people of Africa.
Also on the program is a dance by Robert Hill to contemporary composer Lowell Lieberman's Piano Concerto No. 2. The music attracted Hill because of its "abrupt meter, tempo and thematic changes." The dance contains no particular story line, but is a stage expression of the music's twists and turns.
This reviewer, however, is most eagerly awaiting the return to the Ballet stage of longtime principal dancer Christopher Barksdale, who retired last season only to be hired for a return engagement for the title role of The Moor's Pavane, a stage retelling of Shakespeare's Otello, with music by Baroque English composer Henry Purcell. Jose Limon's excellent choreography has become a modern classic. The ballet tells "the legend of the hapless Moor, his wrongfully suspected wife, and the Moor's treacherous friend and his wife." The idea behind the ballet is that Shakespeare's tragedy could happen to any of us. The four characters portray the tragedy of Everyman, according to the choreographer, "and the ballet is, therefore, timeless in its implications."
Carlsen Center Performing Arts Series
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Friday, February 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m.
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-469-4445 or online at www.jccc.edu/TheSeries
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the premiere of George and Ira Gershwin's remarkable American classic, Porgy and Bess. Originally written as an opera, but producing during their lifetimes only in much truncated version as a Broadway show, Porgy and Bess has in the last thirty years returned to its original operatic incarnation and is now recognized as probably the greatest work for the American opera stage.
Interestingly, the opera enjoys wide performances in opera houses in Europe and around the world, while here in its home country the piece is still only rarely performed.
A traveling production of Porgy and Bess inspired by the 75th anniversary is making its way across the country this year, and it is in town this weekend for a two-night stand at Yardley Hall in the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College. Since no local opera company is likely to do it any time soon (so far as this write knows), this represents a rare opportunity for you to see the creation as its authors originally intended.
Harriman Jewell Series
Russian National Orchestra
Friday, February 26, at 8:00 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 815-415-5025 or online at www.harrimanjewell.org
The Harriman Jewell Series brings the celebrated Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra to the Folly Theater this weekend under the baton of the justly renowned American conductor Patrick Summers. Summers is the principal conductor of the Houston Grand Opera, but also excels in orchestral music, and in this concert he will lead the orchestra in works of Glinka, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky.
The early 19th century composer Mikhail Glinka is generally viewed as the founder of Russian classical music, and the work for which he is most famed in his homeland, and in the West as well, is his folk opera Ruslan and Ludmilla. The orchestra will perform the familiar overture from the work. Atonin Dvorak is represented on the program with his Symphony No. 8, a marvelous work not quite so well known as his Ninth Symphony ("From the New World"), but equally magisterial in its own way.
No Russian orchestra could possibly get by without playing the music of Tchaikovsky, of course, and for this evening's performance Summers and the orchestra have chosen the Symphony No. 4, one of the composer's leading works in that form.
Lied Center at KU
The Aluminum Show
February, February 26 at 7:30 p.m.
1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS
For tickets call 85-864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu
Certainly the most unusual dance performance this weekend, and probably of the entire season, is The Aluminum Show, featured at the Lied Center on Friday evening. This performance concept, created by Artistic Director Ilan Azriel after he mastered innovative techniques to manipulate different kinds of metal, features a cast of athletic dancers "fusing industrial materials and movement to make a luminous and reflective extravaganza."
The performance combines "physical theatre, puppetry and special effects to bring various forms of metal sheets, tubing and balloons to life, in original and visually arresting ways."
You can experience the Aluminum Show at the Lied Center this weekend, and catch the group in Kansas City again next year, as it is one of the featured performances on next season's Harriman Jewell Series.
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance Signature Series
Vinson Cole, tenor and George Darden, piano
Saturday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.
White Recital Hall, University of Missouri-Kansas City campus
4949 Cherry Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.umkc.edu/conservatory
Kansas City native Vinson Cole is one of the leading operatic tenors of the past thirty years, having performed light Italian, German and French works in all of the major opera houses across the world including the Metropolitan Opera, Opera National de Paris Bastille, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Theatre Royale de la Monnaie, Brussels, Berlin State Opera, Munich State Opera, San Francisco Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Opera Australia, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and many more.
Currently, Kansas City is lucky to have Cole as the Kauffman Artist in Residence at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. Not only is he lending his musical expertise to the students, but he also treats us to an occasional performance, one of which is this weekend on the Conservatory's Signature Series of concerts. On the program are songs of Nin, Duparc, Strauss and Bellini, as well as some favorite spirituals.
George Darden will accompany Cole on the piano.
Lawrence Chamber Orchestra
Baroque by Candlelight
Saturday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church
1011 Vermont Street, Lawrence, KS
For tickets call 785- 691-7824 or online at www.lawrencechamberorchestra.org
The Lawrence Chamber Orchestra has become known for its candlelight concerts. This one will feature compositions of Bach, Handel, Corelli, and Telemann. The Bach piece is the Orchestral Suite in B Minor featuring a difficult solo flute part. For this number the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra will be joined by flutist Annie Gnojek.
Local Arts News,
KcEMA call for works
KcEMA will present three to six concerts during the 2010-11 season in non-traditional venues that will feature compositions selected from this call for works.
For consideration, applicants must complete an online submission form available at http://www.facebook.com/l/63ca7;www.kcema.net/submit.html. Further submission guidelines are available upon completion of the online submission form. You are given the option of submitting materials by mail, but we much prefer to review work online.
While there is no limit to the number of submissions per individual, KcEMA's artistic committee will spend no longer than 10 minutes reviewing the work of an individual during the initial review process.
Deadline: May 1, 2010
Deadline type: receipt
Entry fee: none
Open to: no restrictions
Categories for submission:
1) 1-4 instruments (excluding piano) and fixed media-audio and/or video (up to eight channels)
2) 1-4 instruments (excluding piano) and live electronics-audio and/or video. Pieces that utilize Max 4 or 5, and pieces that utilize shareware will be considered (up to eight channels)
3) Fixed media-audio and/or video (up to eight channels)
4) Live Laptop/Interactive works. Pieces that utilize Max 4 or 5, and pieces that utilize shareware will be considered. (up to eight channels)
5) Sound Installations and Interactive Media (submitter to provide all non-standard equipment)
Preferences: KcEMA has a preference for works with a visual element or live instrument. However, we typically program at least one fixed media-audio work per concert.
Attendance: Attendance at the event is not required.
Notification: You will only by contacted if more information about your work is required or if KcEMA programs your work during the 2010-11 concert season. You will not be notified if your work is not selected for performance. If submitting materials by mail, your materials will not be returned.
Questions: Please email questions to vicepresident@kcema.net
About KcEMA: The Kansas City Electronic Music and Arts Alliance was founded in 2007 to encourage and develop understanding and appreciation of electronic music and to create an expansive sense of community for electronic musicians and other artists in the Kansas City Area. KcEMA organizes concerts of electronic music and collaborative projects with generative and performing artists. KcEMA provides a forum for electronic musicians and artists in other media to collaborate, exchange ideas, and grow as an interactive, supportive community.
Auditions,
Upcoming Auditions
THE BARN PLAYERS
Auditions for
The Boys Next Door
By Tom Griffin
Directed by Nancy Eppert
AUDITIONS:
Monday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 23
7:00 - 9:30 pm
St. Pius Church, 55th and Woodson, Mission, KS
EXPECTATION and PREPARATION:
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. It is suggested to have a one-minute prepared monologue, but not required. It is highly suggested that those auditioning have read the script.
Bring your conflicts from the date of your audition through June 20; absolutely NO conflicts during the two weeks prior to the opening of the show, June 4.
Rehearsals begin April 19 at St. Pius and will run Mondays - Fridays.
Please bring a current resume; a headshot is optional and will not be returned.
Invited Callbacks will be held on Saturday, March 27th (Time - TBA).
PRODUCTION DATES:
June 4th - 20th, 2010
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm
All performances take place at
The Barn Players Theatre, 6219 Martway in Mission, KS
For more information, please contact director, Nancy Eppert, nkeppert@gmail.com or Eric Magnus, Artistic Director of The Barn Players, at emagnitude@yahoo.com
THE BARN PLAYERS
Auditions for
"Assassins"
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Directed by Damron Russell Armstrong
Musical Direction by Martha Risser
AUDITIONS:
Saturday, April 3rd from 2:00 - 6:00 PM
Sunday, April 4th from 2:00 - 6:00 PM
At St. Pius Church
55th and Woodson, Mission, KS
EXPECTATION and PREPARATION:
Auditions will be an open call both days, and will consist of singing a prepared 32 bar selection of a musical theatre song in the style of the show (if possible).
Please Provide: Sheet Music...no CDs & NO A CAPPELLA auditions
Headshot/Resume (if available)
Invited Callbacks will be held on Saturday, April 10th from 2:00 - 6:00 pm. If you are auditioning, please make sure to clear your schedule that evening, as callbacks are critical to putting together the strongest ensemble for this ensemble piece.
Rehearsals will likely begin in late July or early August.
All performances take place at The Barn Players Theatre, 6219 Martway in Mission, KS
For more information, please contact Eric Magnus, Artistic Director of The Barn Players, at emagnitude@yahoo.com
Local Arts News,
ArtsKC Fund Campaign
The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City launched its 2010 ArtsKC Fund Campaign on February 1. This year marks the fourth annual campaign for the ArtsKC Fund which benefits more than 100 arts organizations, arts programs and artists combined in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The ArtsKC Fund is a united arts fund in the Kansas City metropolitan area that raises new money to support the wide range of arts in the community. Diane Barker of Paul Mesner Puppets, a 2009 Grant Recipient, remarks, "The addition of the ArtsKC Fund grant makes a huge difference in our ability to continue to bring quality programming to the children and families of the greater Kansas City area."
Launched in the spring of 2007 with a beta-test workplace giving campaign in 34 metro-area companies, the ArtsKC Fund has grown to more than 65 workplace giving companies. In addition, The ArtsKC Fund raises corporate, municipal and individual donations, to create a diversified source of stable funding for the broader arts community. In only three years, the ArtsKC Fund has granted out $1.3 million to the arts in metropolitan Kansas City.
The goal for the 2010 campaign is $470,000 which is a 6% increase from last year's campaign total. Harlan Brownlee, President and CEO of the Arts Council, reflected upon the 2010 goal. "This year again will be a challenging year for the ArtsKC Fund, but we recognize the real need and importance to our community of establishing a source of funding that helps stabilize and sustain the arts in our region.
Companies interested in participating in the 2010 ArtsKC Fund Workplace Giving Campaign can join now through May by contacting the Arts Council office at 816-221-1777 or Albers@ArtsKC.org. Individuals can make a tax-deductible investment in the ArtsKC Fund by going to the web site at www.ArtsKC.org.
Off the Vine, Jazz,
Jammin at the Gem
JAMMIN at the GEM SERIES
Women in Jazz Celebration featuring Oleta Adams
Saturday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m.
Each year the American Jazz Museum pays tribute to Women in Jazz, past and present, through a combination of live performances and education programs. This year's show will feature a longtime resident of Kansas City: Grammy-nominated vocalist/pianist Oleta Adams. Throughout her career, she has inspired a growing legion of fans in the U.S. and Europe with a sound that draws deeply from her gospel roots and crosses over into jazz, soul and R&B.
The Clayton Brothers Quintet
Saturday, April 17 at 8:00 p.m.
Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month, family-style. Led by brothers John & Jeff Clayton [bass and alto sax], this group's blend of blues, bop, ballads and swing embody all there is to love about jazz.
Tribute to Duke Ellington
Saturday, April 29-30, 8:00 p.m.
This celebration of one of the most important, prolific, and highly revered American composers includes the following activities over two days of live music, education and outreach:
- A day-long educational symposium and master classes for middle school, high school and collegiate level students, including a panel discussion with Ellington specialist, trumpeter and arranger Barrie Hall and NEA Jazz Masters Clark Terry and Dan Morgenstern;
- An Ellington exhibit of photos and artifacts, and the unveiling of a new Ellington bust by Sacramento-based artist Howard Lazar;
- A public outreach presentation on Ellington by renowned jazz scholar and NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern;
- A showcase performance of Ellington music featuring invited student ensembles and a specially formed professional Kansas City All-Star Ellington Orchestra.
NEA Jazz Master Clark Terry, an iconic trumpeter and veteran of Duke Ellington's bands, will also be presented with the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award. Tribute concert will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2010.
*The Duke Ellington Tribute is supported by NEA Jazz Masters Live, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. For more information on this initiative, visit www.nea.gov/national/jazz.
Bobby Watson and the 18th & Vine Big Band w/Ernie Andrews
Saturday, May 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Closing out the season "KC-style" is our town's very own 18th & Vine Big Band, led by Palmetto Recording Artist, renowned saxophonist and UMKC Director of Jazz Studies Bobby Watson. The Big Band, which features a rotating cast of some of Kansas City's best jazz musicians, will be augmented by the rich, bluesy baritone of special guest vocalist Ernie Andrews.
For tickets to any of these performances call 816-474-6262 or online at www.ticketmaster.com
Gem Theatre
1616 E. 18th St., Kansas City, MO
For information call 816.474.8463 or online at info@kcjazz.org
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