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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Kansas City Symphony
Beethoven "Pastorale" Symphony, plus Emanuel Ax
Friday, April 3 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 4 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 5 at 2:00 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
10th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

In a nod to classicism, this weekend's Symphony concerts feature only two works, both of them giants of the traditional repertoire: Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 and Beethoven's Third "Pastorale" Symphony.  The soloist in the Brahms will be Emanuel Ax, an elegant pianist who is a close friend of Symphony conductor Michael Stern's, and who, as a result, has graced Kansas City stages a number of times over the past few years. He has also appeared on the Harriman Jewell Series on several occasions.

The relationship between these two composers is an intriguing one. Prior to Beethoven, the symphony was a form of composition which used only modest forces and set out to achieve only limited goals.  Think of the many short symphonies of Haydn and the early Mozart, for example - relatively quaint affairs, by modern standards, lasting a mere 15 or 20 minutes or so.  Mozart, admittedly, stretched the bounds of symphonic composition with his last three symphonies, which were thought at the time to be gigantic - his Jupiter Symphony, for example, his last, lasted a full 35 minutes in performance, long enough to be named after the largest planet.

Gigantic, shmigantic, said Beethoven, Mozart's successor and the giant of early 19th century German music.  Taking Mozart many steps further, he revolutionized the composition of symphonies (along with his compatriot Schubert), turning the symphony into a huge and overarching art form that made for half an evening's entertainment all by itself.  With the Third Symphony, and then continuing with the rest of his works, Beethoven wrote works with an entirely different style of architecture from those of earlier composers. Comparing a Haydn symphony to a Beethoven symphony is a bit like comparing a parish church to a cathedral.

As an example, of this enormous style, the Sixth Symphony has always been an audience favorite.  Less bombastic than the Fourth or the Fifth, it portrays a pleasant walk in the country (thus the "Pastorale" sobriquet), and includes imitations of bird songs and the like.  But it also has the stretch and scope of Beethoven's other larger-than-life works.  It combines the best of both worlds, as it were, and under Michael Stern's direction this weekend's listening should be a pleasure.

In the late 19th Century, after Beethoven and Schubert were gone, Germany produced another great Romantic composer in Johannes Brahms.  Talented almost beyond measure, with a modest personality to boot (unlike the fiery Beethoven), Brahms faced the great dilemma posed to all who are doomed to come on the heels of greatness...how do I ever top that?  To his everlasting credit, Brahms nurtured his compositional talents for years, never giving way to anxiousness, until he felt fully the master of his craft and able to match Beethoven, note-for-note, on his own terms.  His first symphony was not written until the astonishingly late age (for a composer) of 44.

He was a bit younger when he tackled the piano repertoire (26), but followed more in the footsteps of the more modest Mendelssohn than the larger-than-life boots of Beethoven. Nonetheless the piece justly achieved widespread fame within a few years, and is quite rightly compared favorably with some of the greatest piano works of the other German masters.

As for the piano writing, it is virtuosic in spots and requires a major talent to pull it off.  Hardly a major pianist has come along since that time who has not tackled it, and Emanuel Ax should be more than capable of providing an excellent performance.

For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org

Lied Center at University of Kansas
Calder Quartet
Thursday at  April, 7:30 p.m.
Lied Center
19th and Iowa Streets, Lawrence, KS

Inspired by the innovative American artist Alexander Calder, the Calder Quartet both performs traditional quartet repertoire and partners with modern composers, emerging musicians, and performers across genres. The group was awarded the 2009 ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award in recognition of its exciting programming and collaborations.

In December of 2008, the group collaborated with Grammy-winning pianist Gloria Cheng on the Thomas Adès quintet. The group's live performance on New York's WNYC-FM in 2008 was voted one of the "Best of 2008."

In this concert, the Quartet will focus on works of contemporary composers.  On the program are the Mythic Birds Waltz by Terry Riley, the Quartet No. 1 of Christopher Rouse, Amazing Grace by Ben Johnston, and Terry Riley's Cadenza on the Night Plain.  It should be an unusual and attractive program for chamber music listeners who are already familiar with all of the classics and are looking for something new.

For tickets call (785) 864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu.

Harriman-Jewell Series
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is one of twelve constituents of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, and through its concerts in New York and throughout the country draws more people to chamber music than any other organization of its kind.

Performing repertoire from over three centuries, and numerous premieres by living composers, CMS offers listeners a comprehensive perspective on the art of chamber music. A variety of different artists perform as part of the group, under co-artistic directors David Finckel, a cellist, and Wu Han, a pianist.

In this performance as part of the Harriman-Jewell Series, the group will perform the Missouri premiere of Alan Smith's "Vignettes: Covered Wagon Woman" for mezzo-soprano, piano, violin, and cello. The mezzo-soprano soloist is none other than Stephanie Blythe, one of the leading mezzos in the opera world today, who sung the first title role in Orfeo et Euridice, one of the Metropolitan Opera's movie theater simulcasts earlier this year. She will also start later this year in the Seattle Opera's celebrated Ring cycle of Richard Wagner. So we have no slouch of a mezzo soprano, here.

Other performers in the evening's concert will include Lily Francis, violinist; Warren Jones, pianist; Ani Kavafian, violinist; Priscilla Lee, cellist; Anne-Marie McDermott, pianist; and Paul Neubauer, violist.

Smith's moving song cycle is based on the daily journal of Margaret Ann Alsip Frink, written in 1850, telling of her passage across the country by covered wagon toward dreams of California gold. It's an appropriate subject for our part of the country where three of the major westward-bound covered wagon trails  crossed.

Also on the program are George Gershwin's Lullaby for String Quartet; Amy Beach's Quintet in F-sharp minor; and John Antes' Trio in D minor for Two Violins and Cello.

For ticket call 816-415-5025 or online www.harriman-jewell.org

By Don Dagenais

City Classics Music and Dance Columnist; Classical Contributor

A lifelong classical music fan, Don Dagenais is a frequent preview speaker for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and has taught classical music and opera courses at several Kansas City venues. He has served on the boards of directors of a number of performing arts organizations including the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Lyric Opera Guild, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, Opera Volunteers International, the Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, Octarium, and the Friends of the Symphony.  He has been the past president of most of these organizations and is current the president of the Friends of the Symphony. 

Dagenais co-authored a history of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, published on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (2007) and has written books on the histories of both the Lyric Opera Guild and Opera Volunteers International, as well as an introductory book for opera novices (Your Passport to the Opera).  He has received several local and national awards for outstanding volunteer work for the arts, including a lifetime achievement award from The Coterie Theatre in 2000, the Kansas City Musical Club's annual award in 2001, a Partners in Excellence Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2002, a Bravo Award from Opera Volunteers International in 2004 and a community service award from the Daughter of the American Revolution in 2008 honoring him for his community service to the arts.

In addition to his music interests, Don is president of the board of directors for the Metropolitan Ensemble Theater and has served on the boards of The Coterie Theatre and the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, serving as president of each organization.  He publishes newsletters for seven arts organizations.  When not involved in the performing arts, Don is a senior real estate attorney with Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, where he has practiced law since 1976 after graduating from the Cornell Law School.