Klarinet Archive - Posting 000393.txt from 2009/01

From: "MICHAEL MARMER LINDA MARMER" <mlmarmer@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Richard Stoltzman Concert
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:01:28 -0500

Sunday was the Richard Stoltzman concert in Towson, Maryland, as the
symphony was the Baltimre Chamber Orchestra.

I have never heard of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra before, as I heard
about this concert on a classical station I listen out of Baltimore, WBJC.
I live in Montgomery County which is 30 to 40 miles from Baltimore depending
on where you live.

I have been listening to WBJC for a long time, as they do have interviews
and promos for upcoming area concerts.

I could not believe the low cost of the ticket, of just $25, for the
performer they where getting in to play, Richard Stoltzman and the line up
of the music.

Something like this at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC which is near
Baltimore for those who are fimaliar with the map of the US reading
overseas, would charge at least 50 for the "cheap seats" in row Z.

I wasn't sure what to except in quality of play, but seeing and hearing the
National Symphony in Washington many times, they where right up there, in my
opionion. I gather the smallest innumber of people in the group is why it
is called "chamber" as they had only two bass players. I believe a full
symphony will have 8? I saw the National Symphony do Malher's version of
Beethoven 9th as it calls for doulbe the size of basses! I think like 16.

Anyway, the performanc had a talk at 2 by the program director of WBJC, as
he talked a bit about the lives of Mozart and Beethoven. He mention how
the piece of the Clarinet concerto came about and Basset Clarinet. He also
mentioned that there is no signed full copy of the work, as they only have
it piece meal in bits and pieces only to be filled in later by others?
Perphaps Mr. Leeson could add more comment to this?

Then he talked about the Beethoven 8th symphony as we all know that he was
mocking the new invention of the metronome with the second movement. And
of course his early life with his drunken father.

Not too many where there for the talk, but the auditorium was packed for the
concert, as it might seat about 500?

The conductor came out and gave a talk about things which I will write about
at the end.

The first piece was Bartok's Romainian Folk Dances, done very well,
especially the clarinetist. O:)!

Then the awaited time, the Mozart Clarinet Concecto with Richard Stoltzman.
In the program it said that Stoltzman graduated from Ohio State with a
double major in music and mathematics. He eraned his masters of music at
Yale. It said he worked for a Ph. D but I am not sure he completed it. He
is also a Red Sox fan, which in my book makes him alright and he is a Cordon
Blue trained pastry chef.

The piece went really well. He did a eight minute encore with a local
clarinetist with a piece I think the man wrote, a very modern clarinet duo.

The second part of the program started with the American premiere of a piece
by Robert Frank, Fgaronacht Overture that he wrote in 2005. He was
approached by a Eduard Schmieder of YOung Artist International about writing
a composition in honor of Mozart's 250th birthday. The conductor needed
the piece in 2 weeks. He finished it in one, as he combines the themes of
the Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Nicely
done.

Then the finally, the Beethoven Eight Symphony, as this is the first time I
have seen it performed live. So, I now have seen the 3rd, 6th, my
favorite, the 7th, now 8th and the 9th, several times in performance, along
with the voilin concerto, the triple concerto and Piano concerto number 5,
the Emperor.

And now the sad part of the concert due to what is happening all over the
country and the world, economics.

Corporate sponsorship of the Orchestra is done allot. So they had to
cancelled the rest of the season. No money as it cost about 70,000 to put
on a concert. I feel that 25 for the concerts is too low in my opinion.

Richard Stoltzman and the entire orchestra performed this concert at no
charge.

The Conductor, Markand Thakar, I never heard of him, gave up his salary for
this performance year.

This is too bad, as I was hoping to attend some concerts with this group.
Maybe in 2009/2010 things will get better.

Overall, a great performance.

Mike Marmer
Germantown. Maryland

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