Klarinet Archive - Posting 000395.txt from 2009/01
From: "Michael and Linda Marmer" <mlmarmer@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Richard Stoltzman Concert
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:09:51 -0500
Thanks Alex, as I also heard on the radio station this evening as I did not
catch the whole story, that some Opera company had to scale back due to
economics.
I think it is the beginning of a harsh reality.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alexander Brash" <brash@-----.edu>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 8:06 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] Richard Stoltzman Concert
> Thanks for the report, very interesting to hear! I'm sorry to hear about
> the orchestra's financial difficulties, but in some sense, the reliance on
> corporate sponsorship is a "risk" that's been around for awhile now. There
> may not be a better solution...but one can hope. This is one of the topics
> I deal with in my upcoming book, Save Your Ritard for Juilliard!
>
> Alex
>
>
>
> On Mon, January 26, 2009 5:01 pm, MICHAEL MARMER LINDA MARMER wrote:
>> 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
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>> The 2009 Woodwind.Org Donation Drive is going on right now - see
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>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> The 2009 Woodwind.Org Donation Drive is going on right now - see
> https://secure.donax-us.com/donation/ for more information.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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