Ok -
I'm seeing the man next Month in Maryland. I just picked up My Flame Burns Blue with the "Il Sogno" Suite bonus disc.
I thought the bonus disc was supposed to be a live version of it, but the liner notes say that it was recorded at Abby Road - and that it's just excerpts.
So - keeping in mind that EC's classical excursions aren't my favorites - but that I am seeing him play it next month - do I still need it? Can I get by with just the MFBB bonus disc?
Honestly - how often do you guys listen to it? As much as North? (Which I am also still working my way through)
Thanks in advance -
JEM
Do I need Il Sogno?
It's a novelty item at best, kind of like Paul McCartney's symphonic efforts. If you're an Elvis completist go for it, but your Classical collection is better populated by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
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Emotional Toothpaste
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I've listened to Il Sogno 4-5 times in the background while I'm working. Just can't bring myself to feel anything for it. I'm not sure if the bonus disc on MFBB is simply another copy of Il Sogno or not, but if you want my Il Songo, I'll send it to you for free.
I have suspicion that this years Olympic medals were really just surplus Il Sogno CD's that the Olympic Committee picked up for free.
Now for Elvis' other "classical excursions" . . . before I get typecast as some curmudgeon old fan who is only into the rockin angry Elvis . . . I really enjoy The Juliet Letters. And Painted from Memory and North, though not classical, are very good, too.
Like Blue said, you'd be better off with the artists he mentions. Throw in some Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Grieg, Hayden, Vivaldi, and you'll listening dollar will be much better spent. Violin concertos and string quartets are where its at.
I have suspicion that this years Olympic medals were really just surplus Il Sogno CD's that the Olympic Committee picked up for free.
Now for Elvis' other "classical excursions" . . . before I get typecast as some curmudgeon old fan who is only into the rockin angry Elvis . . . I really enjoy The Juliet Letters. And Painted from Memory and North, though not classical, are very good, too.
Like Blue said, you'd be better off with the artists he mentions. Throw in some Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Grieg, Hayden, Vivaldi, and you'll listening dollar will be much better spent. Violin concertos and string quartets are where its at.
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noiseradio
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Thanks for your replies guys. Your thoughts are kind of what I figured. I have a feeling that I might get it anyway. I think I saw it at my used cd store recently for a pretty reasonable price.
Touching on what you mentioned Mr. Toothpaste, about his other "excursions" - you know - I'm trying. I will say that I enjoy North the most of the batch so far - but to tell the truth - I don't think I've listened to the whole thing all the way through yet. I do keep reaching for it though. As I do with Juliet and Painted. I just rarely get past 3 or 4 songs. (I am a fairly recent EC convert - within the last year or 2)
I'll keep trying. Thanks again.
Touching on what you mentioned Mr. Toothpaste, about his other "excursions" - you know - I'm trying. I will say that I enjoy North the most of the batch so far - but to tell the truth - I don't think I've listened to the whole thing all the way through yet. I do keep reaching for it though. As I do with Juliet and Painted. I just rarely get past 3 or 4 songs. (I am a fairly recent EC convert - within the last year or 2)
I'll keep trying. Thanks again.
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Otis Westinghouse
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I would stick with the MFBB bonus, which is an utterly pointless addition unless you don't own Il Sogno. I very much doubt any of the missing tracks are significant additions to the whole. I haven't bothered playing the bonus yet, but maybe it's greater concision will make it somehow more appealing than the full thing to listen to. Il Sogno has some nice elements, and it's an impressive achievement as a first full score, but I agree: it's far from essential.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
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martinfoyle
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The few times I've listened to Il Sogno I've found the first 2/3 interesting, the last 1/3 goes in 1 ear and out the other. Elvis use different styles magpie like and then goes into autpilot for the that last 1/3. It's almost like he had loads of interesting ideas, but not enough to complete the work. So he did the best he could and then used a formula book or something. He wrote it all by hand, a most demanding way for a newcomer to do it, so one could almost understand his cutting corners in the end. Still, many critics have said it shows promise. Michael Tilsen Thomas' contribution should not be undercredited. It was a wise move to get a seasoned classical pro like him to help Elvis finish and record it. So, by all means get to know the work before you see the show, you may safely take a nap towards the end.
is this a dream?
Phew, i must say i find some of the responses to JEM's query somewhat perplexing, nay even disturbing.
Hey JEM,
Firstly i concur with noiseradio in that i think "Il Sogno" is a beautiful bit of work (and i am happy own three editions of it, and a somewhat rubbery live performance from the SSO from earlier this year). BUT, i differ in that i believe that it IS essential to any fan of EC's music.
What has been delivered here should come as no surprise to anyone who wondered at the musical invention evident on the "New Amsterdam" ep of 1980, or marvelled at the late-night orchestral cannoodlings on 1982's "Imperial Bedroom", or swooned to the strutting brass or swirling windband arrangements that peppered the 'Beard Years', or indeed thrilled at the compositional dare of E.Costello on hundreds of his own recordings or on untold other collaborative efforts. And all that before we even heard "The Juliet Letters" or "G.B.H". And just like those two works were littered with shared figures & interwoven themes, so too is "Il Sogno" a strange bedfellow of "North", where EC reworks some of the 'dream' theme into his own personal weird-nightmare vision.
"Il Sogno" is a brilliant piece of music brimming with originality & imagination - and all part of one big, incredible trip. Anyone with ears can hear that the crafty composer of 'The Identity Parade' is unmistakably the gifted scribbler responsible for 'The Angels Wanna Wear My (Red Shoes)'. Talk about finding your voice!!
But don't listen to us. BUY IT, you may love it!
By the way, blue chair...
Hey JEM,
Firstly i concur with noiseradio in that i think "Il Sogno" is a beautiful bit of work (and i am happy own three editions of it, and a somewhat rubbery live performance from the SSO from earlier this year). BUT, i differ in that i believe that it IS essential to any fan of EC's music.
What has been delivered here should come as no surprise to anyone who wondered at the musical invention evident on the "New Amsterdam" ep of 1980, or marvelled at the late-night orchestral cannoodlings on 1982's "Imperial Bedroom", or swooned to the strutting brass or swirling windband arrangements that peppered the 'Beard Years', or indeed thrilled at the compositional dare of E.Costello on hundreds of his own recordings or on untold other collaborative efforts. And all that before we even heard "The Juliet Letters" or "G.B.H". And just like those two works were littered with shared figures & interwoven themes, so too is "Il Sogno" a strange bedfellow of "North", where EC reworks some of the 'dream' theme into his own personal weird-nightmare vision.
"Il Sogno" is a brilliant piece of music brimming with originality & imagination - and all part of one big, incredible trip. Anyone with ears can hear that the crafty composer of 'The Identity Parade' is unmistakably the gifted scribbler responsible for 'The Angels Wanna Wear My (Red Shoes)'. Talk about finding your voice!!
But don't listen to us. BUY IT, you may love it!
By the way, blue chair...
A 'novelty item' !!! Gawd. i say, should JEM go for a J.S.Bach cantata or a partita for solo violin,... a Mozart Mass or a minuet,... a Beethoven string quartet or a scotch folksong arrangement,... a Brahms Orchestral Rhapsody or a piano intermezzo. Without being specific in your recommendation my dear blue chair, it is somewhat like introducing a person to the music of Elvis Costello by handing them a copy of (gasp) "Il Sogno" !!BlueChair wrote:It's a novelty item at best, kind of like Paul McCartney's symphonic efforts. If you're an Elvis completist go for it, but your Classical collection is better populated by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms.
"...i feel almost possessed,
so long as i don't lose this glorious distress..."
so long as i don't lose this glorious distress..."
Wow -
Again - thank you all for your replies.
However, now I think I might have another problem. With the exception of E*C*RIDER's and noiseradio's endorsement, the general consensus seems to be somewhat negative. So now I'm afraid about the show I'm seeing next month.
The tickets weren't cheap. And I know (and knew) that I'd be sittting through Il Sogno before some classics - but I guess I figured I would be able to find somethng to like about the first part. Now I'm afraid that the first part will be so much longer than the 2nd part that I might be disappointed.
I listened to the MFBB bonus yesterday, and while I did enjoy it, I was far from enthralled. (I did enjoy MFBB though) It does seem like an awfully redundent release.
Anyway - what do you guys think the shows will be like? Are you going to any of them?
Again - thank you all for your replies.
However, now I think I might have another problem. With the exception of E*C*RIDER's and noiseradio's endorsement, the general consensus seems to be somewhat negative. So now I'm afraid about the show I'm seeing next month.
The tickets weren't cheap. And I know (and knew) that I'd be sittting through Il Sogno before some classics - but I guess I figured I would be able to find somethng to like about the first part. Now I'm afraid that the first part will be so much longer than the 2nd part that I might be disappointed.
I listened to the MFBB bonus yesterday, and while I did enjoy it, I was far from enthralled. (I did enjoy MFBB though) It does seem like an awfully redundent release.
Anyway - what do you guys think the shows will be like? Are you going to any of them?
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martinfoyle
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Who Shot Sam?
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noiseradio
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It's beautiful music. You'll love the show. It's like Gershwin meets Bartok. And when I say it's not essential, I mean that if it didn't exist, Costello would still be as high in my esteem as ever. Whereas if TYM, Blood & Chocolate, or Trust didn't exist, he'd be less impressive to me. Il Sogno is great, but you can live without it.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
--William Shakespeare
--William Shakespeare
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thepopeofpop
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bambooneedle
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Who Shot Sam?
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http://naturalharmonics.blogspot.com/20 ... nside.html
Natural Harmonics
Friday, September 01, 2006
Elvis Costello's 'Il Sogno', from the inside.
The dorkestra in which I play is doing a suite from Elvis Costello's ballet 'Il Sogno' for this season's first concert. The original plan was to do the Prestigious West Coast Premier of the full ballet, but apparently American Music Publishers or DG or some other copyright holder doesn't want smaller (i.e. unfamous) orchestras doing the full piece yet and wouldn't rent out the full score for another year...or something. Management only gave us a hazy, slightly shamefaced version of the details.
As it turns out, being forced to content outselves with the suite is no great loss, as the overriding feeling in rehearsal has been 'If these are the highlights, what did they leave out?'
'Il Sogno' got a 10 out of 10 at Classics Today, a review site I usually find to be pretty good. You can see David Hurwitz's review right here.
http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=8151
I can't help but think that Mr. Hurwitz would have a lower opinion of the music if he were forced to rehearse it.
You see, the parts are a nightmare. I can only imagine that they were intended as draft/working copies for the first production and then never corrected.
They are, one might say, conceptually flawed. Costello, for reasons known only to himself, insists on nonsense like repeating a passage five times, adding various melodies and sections with each repetition- the sort of thing you might do in a jazz chart. Nobody can tell why he notates like this with a full orchestra. Saving paper maybe? A bar rest with a '16' above it is easier for an orchestra to digest than four bars with a repeat sign and PLAY X5 above it- the idea being that you let these bars go by four times and then you get to play your bit. Needless to say, this often causes confusion since a notation like that can just as easily be interpreted as: 'I play this five times?' On top of this are the little typographical problems: repeats have opening brackets but no closing brackets, there are no cues whatsoever except for a single ambigious violin line in the set drum part, dynamics are nonexistent (or pop up at random), the piece begins with percussion notation that doesn't bother to indicate which instrument is intended and -- and this is the most frustrating for the percussion section -- the percussion parts appear to have been laid out by idiots.
There's no rhyme or reason to the percussion flow- it calls for four players, and then randomly assigns instruments among them. This means I have to keep two or three parts open on my stand but, stupidly, it's hardly even an issue since most movements are tacet (although fully notated with bars of rests, bizarrely). So, I play snare drum for a Movement A in Perc Part 1 during which Perc Part 2 is tacet, and then play the snare in Movement B in Perc Part 2 during which Perc Part 1 is tacet. And during both movements, of course, the set drum player is sitting there in front of his own snare drum doing nothing. It's a big waste of resources, and I can't imagine that most arrangers would be caught dead trying to pull something like it. Another great detail is that Elvis Costello, or his stenographer, is apparently a little hazy on percussion instruments, so you get, over the course of the piece, alternating requests for 'Crash Cym. (clashed)' 'Crash Cym.' 'Piatti', often with requests for, say, rolls on crash cymbals. Also, amusingly, Mr. Costello wants us to bring a 'Piccolo Snare Drum' to be used for about 30 seconds, and an Alto Bass Drum (my personal favorite) to be struck three or four times. In my own music, I find the Alto Tenor Bass drum to be a more appropriate choice.*
In a way, the notation ambiguities and hilarious use of repeats (trust me, when it happens five times per movement, it becomes hilarious) make the piece more interesting for us to play. The music just isn't that good, and at least counting repetitions and shuffling parts around on the stand gives us something to do.
What drives me nuts about it all, though, is that I think Elvis Costello is a fantastic songwriter. His first five or six albums are extremely good and exciting- he's more than demonstrated a knack for writing great ear-worm melodies. So, why, in a 45 minute suite, do we get nothing that even approaches the rollicking rhythms and good humor of, say, 'Oliver's Army'? Instead he alternates between bland faux-Prokofiev and the sort of artificial big band music that you might find in an episode of 'Matlock' in which a big band conductor is found murdered. Also, as a side note, this piece contains the most egregious cembalom usage I've ever heard. It's bit like if someone started playing a Chinese jinghu in the middle of a Chopin piano concerto.
So, the question for me is- why did this piece get such good reviews? In some ways, I am very sympathetic to Elvis Costello's ambitions in the ballet because he does make an effort to incorporate popular music material in a way that treats the conventions in that music seriously. Still, this piece is a badly orchestrated one in an era which, whatever its defects, has raised orchestration to an unequalled, gorgeous height of cultivation. There are lots of composers writing better music that is equally accessible. Also, I must confess, I feel the natural green-googly-eyed irritation of an aspiring composer watching a famous pop singer's student works being recorded by the LSO.
Still, I resolve to give it more chances. It's only been a few rehearsals, so the piece still has time to grow on me. At least we're not doing anything by Paul McCartney.
--
*I know I sound like a jerk pointing this part out, but it only seems funny because the percussion instruments he calls for are so banal for the whole piece and then -- BAM! -- piccolo snare drum, and then alto bass drum.
posted by Trevor Murphy at 3:16 PM
Natural Harmonics
Friday, September 01, 2006
Elvis Costello's 'Il Sogno', from the inside.
The dorkestra in which I play is doing a suite from Elvis Costello's ballet 'Il Sogno' for this season's first concert. The original plan was to do the Prestigious West Coast Premier of the full ballet, but apparently American Music Publishers or DG or some other copyright holder doesn't want smaller (i.e. unfamous) orchestras doing the full piece yet and wouldn't rent out the full score for another year...or something. Management only gave us a hazy, slightly shamefaced version of the details.
As it turns out, being forced to content outselves with the suite is no great loss, as the overriding feeling in rehearsal has been 'If these are the highlights, what did they leave out?'
'Il Sogno' got a 10 out of 10 at Classics Today, a review site I usually find to be pretty good. You can see David Hurwitz's review right here.
http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=8151
I can't help but think that Mr. Hurwitz would have a lower opinion of the music if he were forced to rehearse it.
You see, the parts are a nightmare. I can only imagine that they were intended as draft/working copies for the first production and then never corrected.
They are, one might say, conceptually flawed. Costello, for reasons known only to himself, insists on nonsense like repeating a passage five times, adding various melodies and sections with each repetition- the sort of thing you might do in a jazz chart. Nobody can tell why he notates like this with a full orchestra. Saving paper maybe? A bar rest with a '16' above it is easier for an orchestra to digest than four bars with a repeat sign and PLAY X5 above it- the idea being that you let these bars go by four times and then you get to play your bit. Needless to say, this often causes confusion since a notation like that can just as easily be interpreted as: 'I play this five times?' On top of this are the little typographical problems: repeats have opening brackets but no closing brackets, there are no cues whatsoever except for a single ambigious violin line in the set drum part, dynamics are nonexistent (or pop up at random), the piece begins with percussion notation that doesn't bother to indicate which instrument is intended and -- and this is the most frustrating for the percussion section -- the percussion parts appear to have been laid out by idiots.
There's no rhyme or reason to the percussion flow- it calls for four players, and then randomly assigns instruments among them. This means I have to keep two or three parts open on my stand but, stupidly, it's hardly even an issue since most movements are tacet (although fully notated with bars of rests, bizarrely). So, I play snare drum for a Movement A in Perc Part 1 during which Perc Part 2 is tacet, and then play the snare in Movement B in Perc Part 2 during which Perc Part 1 is tacet. And during both movements, of course, the set drum player is sitting there in front of his own snare drum doing nothing. It's a big waste of resources, and I can't imagine that most arrangers would be caught dead trying to pull something like it. Another great detail is that Elvis Costello, or his stenographer, is apparently a little hazy on percussion instruments, so you get, over the course of the piece, alternating requests for 'Crash Cym. (clashed)' 'Crash Cym.' 'Piatti', often with requests for, say, rolls on crash cymbals. Also, amusingly, Mr. Costello wants us to bring a 'Piccolo Snare Drum' to be used for about 30 seconds, and an Alto Bass Drum (my personal favorite) to be struck three or four times. In my own music, I find the Alto Tenor Bass drum to be a more appropriate choice.*
In a way, the notation ambiguities and hilarious use of repeats (trust me, when it happens five times per movement, it becomes hilarious) make the piece more interesting for us to play. The music just isn't that good, and at least counting repetitions and shuffling parts around on the stand gives us something to do.
What drives me nuts about it all, though, is that I think Elvis Costello is a fantastic songwriter. His first five or six albums are extremely good and exciting- he's more than demonstrated a knack for writing great ear-worm melodies. So, why, in a 45 minute suite, do we get nothing that even approaches the rollicking rhythms and good humor of, say, 'Oliver's Army'? Instead he alternates between bland faux-Prokofiev and the sort of artificial big band music that you might find in an episode of 'Matlock' in which a big band conductor is found murdered. Also, as a side note, this piece contains the most egregious cembalom usage I've ever heard. It's bit like if someone started playing a Chinese jinghu in the middle of a Chopin piano concerto.
So, the question for me is- why did this piece get such good reviews? In some ways, I am very sympathetic to Elvis Costello's ambitions in the ballet because he does make an effort to incorporate popular music material in a way that treats the conventions in that music seriously. Still, this piece is a badly orchestrated one in an era which, whatever its defects, has raised orchestration to an unequalled, gorgeous height of cultivation. There are lots of composers writing better music that is equally accessible. Also, I must confess, I feel the natural green-googly-eyed irritation of an aspiring composer watching a famous pop singer's student works being recorded by the LSO.
Still, I resolve to give it more chances. It's only been a few rehearsals, so the piece still has time to grow on me. At least we're not doing anything by Paul McCartney.
--
*I know I sound like a jerk pointing this part out, but it only seems funny because the percussion instruments he calls for are so banal for the whole piece and then -- BAM! -- piccolo snare drum, and then alto bass drum.
posted by Trevor Murphy at 3:16 PM
I'd love to hear this !
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentin ... 492539.htm
Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN
By Chad Ryan of The News-Sentinel
The Snider High School Mighty Panther Marching Band took first place in Class A at Saturday’s Wayne Fall Invitational.
Mon, Sep. 11, 2006
More in step than ever
Wayne Fall Invitational was season’s first competition for many local bands.
By Megan Hubartt
mhubartt@news-sentinel.com
Eight bands from northern Indiana performed for an enthusiastic crowd at the seventh annual Wayne Fall Invitational at Wayne High School on Saturday.
The invitational was the first competition of the season for many local marching bands. Some band members have been working all summer on their programs. Parents and fans showed support through cheers, noise-makers and wearingschool colors.
First-place winners were the Snider High School Mighty Panther Marching Band in Class A, the DeKalb High School Baron Brigade in Class B and the Garrett High School Railroader Regiment in Class C.
“When we were in warm-ups, we were really hyped up, and our energy just came out on the field,â€
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentin ... 492539.htm
Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN
By Chad Ryan of The News-Sentinel
The Snider High School Mighty Panther Marching Band took first place in Class A at Saturday’s Wayne Fall Invitational.
Mon, Sep. 11, 2006
More in step than ever
Wayne Fall Invitational was season’s first competition for many local bands.
By Megan Hubartt
mhubartt@news-sentinel.com
Eight bands from northern Indiana performed for an enthusiastic crowd at the seventh annual Wayne Fall Invitational at Wayne High School on Saturday.
The invitational was the first competition of the season for many local marching bands. Some band members have been working all summer on their programs. Parents and fans showed support through cheers, noise-makers and wearingschool colors.
First-place winners were the Snider High School Mighty Panther Marching Band in Class A, the DeKalb High School Baron Brigade in Class B and the Garrett High School Railroader Regiment in Class C.
“When we were in warm-ups, we were really hyped up, and our energy just came out on the field,â€
http://www.insidebayarea.com/music/ci_4328849
Inside Bay Area, CA
09/13/2006
East Bay, Peninsula music makers start fall season
Column by Cheryl North
THE Bay Area is one of the richest in the United States in classical music resources. While much hoopla has been made over last week's San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera openings, there are scores of scores (musical) being readied for performances this coming season by an abundance of other musical organizations throughout the Bay Area.
The high-achieving Redwood Symphony, based in San Mateo County, is led by Eric Kujawsky, who holds a doctorate in music. The innovative and/or unusual is the norm in the Redwood Symphony's music programming.
Now in its 22nd season, this plucky ensemble will perform Elvis Costello's ballet score "Il Sogno," — and I'm assured that it "combines classical and popular idioms, and was entirely composed and orchestrated by the popular songwriter himself."
Another unquestionably interesting offering will be composer Luciano Berio's contemporary completion of Franz Schubert's Tenth Symphony, a 19th-century piece. (I wonder why he didn't tackle Schubert's famous Eighth, the "Unfinished" Symphony, instead?)
Another fertile idea from Kujawsky's active mind is to present three very different works produced in the turbulent times of the first half of the 20th century: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9, Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements and Copland's Symphony No. 3. Kujawsky is also going to dip into the brilliant wackiness of PDQ Bach, aka Peter Schickele, to perform his "1712 Overture," and to showcase what is described as the "wanton revelry," including bagpipes in Peter Maxwell Davies' "Orkney Wedding."
Redwood Symphony's season opens with "A Celtic Journey" at 3 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Bayside Performing Arts Center, 2025 Kehoe Ave., San Mateo. The program features Mendelssohn's "The Hebrides," the aforementioned "Orkney Wedding" and "Il Sogno," which earns its Celtic designation because it is based on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Other concerts will be Nov. 19, Feb. 4, March 25, April 22 and June 10. For details, visit http://www.redwoodsymphony.org or write to Redwood Symphony, 1021 16th Ave., Redwood City, CA 94063.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Including , I presume , the earlier quoted blogster -
http://www.redwoodsymphony.org/members.html
Percussion and Timpani §
Lydia Derugin, Ryan Friedman, Trevor Murphy, Delphean Quan
Inside Bay Area, CA
09/13/2006
East Bay, Peninsula music makers start fall season
Column by Cheryl North
THE Bay Area is one of the richest in the United States in classical music resources. While much hoopla has been made over last week's San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera openings, there are scores of scores (musical) being readied for performances this coming season by an abundance of other musical organizations throughout the Bay Area.
The high-achieving Redwood Symphony, based in San Mateo County, is led by Eric Kujawsky, who holds a doctorate in music. The innovative and/or unusual is the norm in the Redwood Symphony's music programming.
Now in its 22nd season, this plucky ensemble will perform Elvis Costello's ballet score "Il Sogno," — and I'm assured that it "combines classical and popular idioms, and was entirely composed and orchestrated by the popular songwriter himself."
Another unquestionably interesting offering will be composer Luciano Berio's contemporary completion of Franz Schubert's Tenth Symphony, a 19th-century piece. (I wonder why he didn't tackle Schubert's famous Eighth, the "Unfinished" Symphony, instead?)
Another fertile idea from Kujawsky's active mind is to present three very different works produced in the turbulent times of the first half of the 20th century: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9, Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements and Copland's Symphony No. 3. Kujawsky is also going to dip into the brilliant wackiness of PDQ Bach, aka Peter Schickele, to perform his "1712 Overture," and to showcase what is described as the "wanton revelry," including bagpipes in Peter Maxwell Davies' "Orkney Wedding."
Redwood Symphony's season opens with "A Celtic Journey" at 3 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Bayside Performing Arts Center, 2025 Kehoe Ave., San Mateo. The program features Mendelssohn's "The Hebrides," the aforementioned "Orkney Wedding" and "Il Sogno," which earns its Celtic designation because it is based on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Other concerts will be Nov. 19, Feb. 4, March 25, April 22 and June 10. For details, visit http://www.redwoodsymphony.org or write to Redwood Symphony, 1021 16th Ave., Redwood City, CA 94063.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Including , I presume , the earlier quoted blogster -
http://www.redwoodsymphony.org/members.html
Percussion and Timpani §
Lydia Derugin, Ryan Friedman, Trevor Murphy, Delphean Quan
The earlier quoted blogster feels the need to qualify his comments ; I wonder where Elvis' manager read it ?
http://naturalharmonics.blogspot.com/
T hursday, September 28, 2006
Elvis Costello's 'Il Sogno', redux
Okay, full disclosure:
My last post was an extended commentary on the percussion parts in Elvis Costello's 'Il Sogno', much of which was pretty unflattering. I wrote it after a long, hot, bad rehearsal, and I was feeling angry at the piece- the parts have some technical problems that made the first read-through very difficult.
So, what did I do?
Why, the cleverest thing possible! I wrote a long, incoherent assemblage of nasty comments about the layout of the parts, and the bile seeped through into other considerations as well, such as:
(a) whether I'd like the piece if I weren't counting measures and worrying about putting down the tambourine without making a lot of noise and
(b) whether Elvis Costello ought to ask fo an alto bass drum.
In other words, in the course of venting my frustration over a bad rehearsal I managed to badmouth the composition based purely on my personal inconvenience. Classy!
Anyway, tonight a guy at orchestra mentioned that he'd read it, and immediately I had that unhappy flash of realization that, gosh, that essay was undoubtedly a lot nastier than it had any right to be...
And then things got worse: he said Elvis Costello's manager had read it. And mentioned it. And commented that maybe Mr. Costello wouldn't be terribly interested in attending the performance if he saw it.
This, of course, made me feel like a thousand kinds of bastard, so the least I can do -- if I could, I'd take a time machine and tell my past self to wait a couple days before sitting down to the keyboard -- is offer a more considered appraisal of the piece, having had several more rehearsals to get used to EC's notation style. At the end of the last post I said "Still, I resolve to give it more chances." So, here it is, after a few more chances.
In my last post I mentioned (coming to my senses for a moment): "I am very sympathetic to Elvis Costello's ambitions in the ballet because he does make an effort to incorporate popular music material in a way that treats the conventions in that music seriously." Over the last few rehearsals, that opinion has solidified. EC's approach to 'popular music', I think, is the thing the thing I like best about the ballet. The intrusions of slinky vibraphone-and-sizzle-cymbal jazz and Nino Rota-style marches are something almost unknown in 'serious' concert music today, but (I think) extremely important if 'classical' music has any hope of extricating itself from its current snob ghetto. What's good is that the jazz and bouncy marches aren't presented in quotation marks- the music is allowed its full status as something just as viable as the more traditional Prokofiev-esque passages it abuts.
I do, however, still think that it's got all the earmarks of an early piece. It's like a puppy- the paws are a little too big, the ears aren't standing up yet, but, hey, its got charm. It's not Prokofiev's 'Cinderella', but Mr. Prokofiev wrote seven ballets before he got around to that one.
The parts... are still a pain. Most of the sheet music we play from in orchestras has been revised for a hundred years or so by publishing houses with professional engraving staffs- someone's usually taken the time to work out an efficient distribution of material. Il Sogno is, by comparison, what- a year old? Like I said, these are still basically draft copies, so I was undoubtedly kind of a dick in my assessment.
So, that's that, for what it's worth. I'll post something about how the piece goes in concert.
***
Addendum: there was also some irritation that I'd referred to an ensemble as a 'dorkestra' but, c'mon- we're all people who were inside worrying about F-sharp major while the other kids were out learning to French kiss.
posted by Trevor Murphy at 12:24 AM
http://naturalharmonics.blogspot.com/
T hursday, September 28, 2006
Elvis Costello's 'Il Sogno', redux
Okay, full disclosure:
My last post was an extended commentary on the percussion parts in Elvis Costello's 'Il Sogno', much of which was pretty unflattering. I wrote it after a long, hot, bad rehearsal, and I was feeling angry at the piece- the parts have some technical problems that made the first read-through very difficult.
So, what did I do?
Why, the cleverest thing possible! I wrote a long, incoherent assemblage of nasty comments about the layout of the parts, and the bile seeped through into other considerations as well, such as:
(a) whether I'd like the piece if I weren't counting measures and worrying about putting down the tambourine without making a lot of noise and
(b) whether Elvis Costello ought to ask fo an alto bass drum.
In other words, in the course of venting my frustration over a bad rehearsal I managed to badmouth the composition based purely on my personal inconvenience. Classy!
Anyway, tonight a guy at orchestra mentioned that he'd read it, and immediately I had that unhappy flash of realization that, gosh, that essay was undoubtedly a lot nastier than it had any right to be...
And then things got worse: he said Elvis Costello's manager had read it. And mentioned it. And commented that maybe Mr. Costello wouldn't be terribly interested in attending the performance if he saw it.
This, of course, made me feel like a thousand kinds of bastard, so the least I can do -- if I could, I'd take a time machine and tell my past self to wait a couple days before sitting down to the keyboard -- is offer a more considered appraisal of the piece, having had several more rehearsals to get used to EC's notation style. At the end of the last post I said "Still, I resolve to give it more chances." So, here it is, after a few more chances.
In my last post I mentioned (coming to my senses for a moment): "I am very sympathetic to Elvis Costello's ambitions in the ballet because he does make an effort to incorporate popular music material in a way that treats the conventions in that music seriously." Over the last few rehearsals, that opinion has solidified. EC's approach to 'popular music', I think, is the thing the thing I like best about the ballet. The intrusions of slinky vibraphone-and-sizzle-cymbal jazz and Nino Rota-style marches are something almost unknown in 'serious' concert music today, but (I think) extremely important if 'classical' music has any hope of extricating itself from its current snob ghetto. What's good is that the jazz and bouncy marches aren't presented in quotation marks- the music is allowed its full status as something just as viable as the more traditional Prokofiev-esque passages it abuts.
I do, however, still think that it's got all the earmarks of an early piece. It's like a puppy- the paws are a little too big, the ears aren't standing up yet, but, hey, its got charm. It's not Prokofiev's 'Cinderella', but Mr. Prokofiev wrote seven ballets before he got around to that one.
The parts... are still a pain. Most of the sheet music we play from in orchestras has been revised for a hundred years or so by publishing houses with professional engraving staffs- someone's usually taken the time to work out an efficient distribution of material. Il Sogno is, by comparison, what- a year old? Like I said, these are still basically draft copies, so I was undoubtedly kind of a dick in my assessment.
So, that's that, for what it's worth. I'll post something about how the piece goes in concert.
***
Addendum: there was also some irritation that I'd referred to an ensemble as a 'dorkestra' but, c'mon- we're all people who were inside worrying about F-sharp major while the other kids were out learning to French kiss.
posted by Trevor Murphy at 12:24 AM
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