Tag Archive for 'columbus symphony'

Alive with Music

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 27, 2008
in Musician's Life, Orchestral Playing, Performances and The Music
. 0 Comments

OK, so I go for the corny, million dollar phrases, but the title Alive with Music captures so much of what we strive for as musicians. Over the past half century, recordings have both stimulated and undermined the popularity of live classical music. On the one hand, recorded music allows ready access and exposure to music by those who might not have had the opportunity to hear much. I could ask myself, “Would I have become a clarinetist if I hadn’t fatefully heard that recording of Robert Marcellus playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto?”

However, recordings also create a false standard for live music performances. Current technology allows for recordings to be edited down to the level of single notes, so it is possible for all flaws to be removed from almost any recording before it is released. Granted, the music is still performed by live orchestras, but the drama of the moment, with close calls, near misses, and belly flops, has been removed to be replaced by the security of artificial perfection by correction. (I wrote an article about this subject saeveral years ago, called Music Recordings Byte Reality.)

What I am trying to say is this. Though the music may be the same, the difference between a live performance and a recording is as apples are to oranges.

Tonight, the musicians of the Columbus Symphony had a triumphant performance in Vets Memorial Auditorium. The crowd of at least 2000 swarmed in late, with many people caught in the snarled traffic jam involving the Jazz and Rib Fest., which shared parking lots with our event. Even our conductor’s arrival at the hall was delayed by the traffic. One supporter friend emailed me after the performance telling me they were turned away for parking and missed the concert.

The conductor for tonight’s concert was Alessandro Siciliani, who was Music Director of the Columbus Symphony for 12 years. He certainly has an avid following, and the electricity of a live performance is most definitely enhanced by the audience in attendance. Tonight, the repeated standing ovations signaled their adoration for him, and for us through him. Maestro Alessandro had no trouble living up to his reputation in his performance, both with the orchestra and his adoring fans.

His tempos were characteristically exciting and very, very flexible; something akin to riding fast on a rubber roller coaster, most assuredly an exhilarating ride. Yet, despite the musician’s occasional discomfort, something exudes from a performance with “Big Al” which could never happen again, ever. Each moment is unique, and something to be cherished as it passes forever into oblivion. And the audiences of Columbus tune into that energy, as if it’s something they have needed to feel for a long time, to be reminded of the preciousness (and excitement) of the moment.

The musicians of the Symphony were proud to have members of the Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati orchestra in our midst tonight, creating a new level of attention and freshness to our playing. Those orchestras in turn are showing their respect for us as a world class musical group by their willingness to play music with us. Again, the unique spirit of this performance will never be recreated.

As an encore, Alessandro wanted to play the entire last movement of the Dvorak 8th symphony we had just played. We tried to start a murmuring revolt, repeating a rehearsal number near the end, which would allow us all to play just the last page. After all, we were tired! But Al persisted, and we played the whole last movement again. And, much as I hate to admit it, I ENJOYED doing it a second time. It gave me a chance to squeeze a little more emotion out of every note. The orchestra sounded fantastic both times, but even more free and spirited the second. That’s something a recording can’t do.

One inside story needs to be shared. During Rossini’s Overture to the Italian Girl in Algiers, someone’s metronome (a clicking device to assist with rhythm practice) somehow clicked on in their case, during the middle of the performance. We were all very busy with lots of notes, and no one had time to search nearby bags and cases to locate the rogue metronome. The thing is, the beat of the clicking device was much, much slower than the piece we were playing. There was something comical about this lazy, summer-night-rhythm ticking away blandly in contrast with the flurry of hurried activity going on the woodwinds (where the metronome was centered). The little thing just happily clicked it’s laid back tempo until the end of the piece. I offer commendations to those woodwind players who had to play difficult, rhythmic solos to play while this lazy beat persisted in the background.

Ah, there’s nothing quite like a live performance of music, or I should say a performance “alive with music”.

Carnival of Venice

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 23, 2008
in Musician's Life, Performances and The Music
. 0 Comments

This evening at Mozart’s Café I will be performing a set of variations on the popular folk theme, Carnival of Venice, arranged by Paul Jeanjean, an early 20 century French clarinetist known for his difficult but beautiful études for clarinet and also for flute. Several other members of the Symphony will join me in a wonderful variety of great chamber music.

I am happy to say, the event is officially sold out. It is one of many fundraisers organized by grassroots supporters and the musicians themselves to support the beleaguered members of the Columbus Symphony, who were unfairly locked out of work June 1st, work legally contracted to them by CSO management, lead by Tony Beadle and Buzz Trafford. It continues to strike me as odd that the very people who should be leading the struggle to save the symphony are, to all public and private appearances, doing the opposite, destroying the soul of a great orchestra in Columbus.

The Venice song is probably familiar to most people, and has been made particularly famous more by the variations written on it than any original sources. I searched for some history of the melody and found only references to the numerous variations for any number of instruments, from flute to tuba. Wikipedia wasn’t much help, except to note that the song is associated with the words, “My hat, it has three corners”, not very Italian sounding. If anyone has further knowledge of the history of this tune, let me know. (someone forwarded more Wiki info on the piece-More than 150 years ago, French cornetist and teacher Jean Baptiste Arban created the method book, which became the standard manual for brass players all over the world. His playing of and compositions for the cornet helped to establish it as a serious classical instrument. He wrote this set of variations in the early 1860s, undoubtedly inspired by Niccolo Paganini’s 20 variations for violin on the same air, which has been attributed both to Paganini and to German opera composer Reinhard Keiser.)

Here is a fine recording of the Jeanjean variations I will play, performed by Duncan Prescott.

Carnival of Venice - Duncan Prescott (Clarinet)

Enjoy!

Greg Kufchak, contributing balanced perspective

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 21, 2008
in Behind the Scenes and Performances
. 0 Comments

Greg Kufchak, who has written another excellent article on the new blog, Columbus Symphony Musicians Blog, needs some mention of his background to give you perspective on the validity of his thinking.

With over 30 years experience as a technical and business support professional in the field of Information Technology, Greg was a past vice-president of the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra Association. He also a graphic artist and designer; an audio/video producer; a luthier, owning and operating his own shop; and a composer and arranger. His family’s 6 children are all accomplished string players, 2 of whom have performed in Carnegie Hall.

Today’s Dispatch Article

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 15, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Columbus Cultural Politics, columbus symphony orchestra, symphony board and symphony management
. 6 Comments

Korine Fujiwara, a violinist with the orchestra, responded appropriately to the hypocritical attack on Junichi Hirokami by Tony Beadle in today’s Dispatch. While it is common for a Music Director to “jet set” from city to city to make a living, and thereby hardly ever residing in any particular city in which he directs, Tony Beadle’s has lived in an Extended Stay hotel since he began working for the Columbus Symphony, which is unheard of for an Executive Director.

It should also be known that Junichi Hirokami, during any visit to Columbus, made himself completely available for meetings with prospective donors. Yet Tony Beadle failed to schedule Maestro Hirokami to lobby for the orchestra.

Hello all,

Regarding the following quote from today’s Dispatch 7/15/2008: (emphasis mine) “Hirokami should have remained neutral, said Tony Beadle, executive director of the symphony — adding that Hirokami has also failed to perform key duties of a music director for a major orchestra, partly because he hasn’t put down roots in central Ohio. “A good deal of the work is not done on the podium,” Beadle said. “A music director is the face of the orchestra and ambassador of good will to the community and potential donors.”

I still haven’t had the opportunity to meet Mr. Beadle’s family. Have he and his family moved from Boston to Columbus yet? Where does he currently reside? In what state? Do they still live in the Boston area?

The fact that Hirokami doesn’t live in Columbus has been widely touted in the press, but if it is indeed true that after more than two years, Tony Beadle, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Columbus Symphony, HAS STILL NOT “PUT DOWN ROOTS IN CENTRAL OHIO” either, shouldn’t this also be newsworthy? Isn’t it also a HUGE problem for fundraising and the overall general health of an organization IF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DOESN’T HAVE A PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN CENTRAL OHIO?

We all have had the pleasure of meeting Junichi Hirokami’s family on many occasions, and it is my understanding that they even visited potential schools for their daughter on at least one occasion.

Korine Fujiwara

I would like to add that the board hired Junichi two years ago. Yet management has failed to effectively market him and utilize his time wisely when he visits Columbus. Who is to say he wouldn’t move here if given appropriate support from a functioning board.

Saturday’s Spectacular Concert

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 14, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Musician's Life, Orchestral Playing, Our Supporters and Performances
. 1 Comment


It’s amazing what a group of people can do in a short time when they put their collective mind to it. In the past two weeks the musicians, shut out by their own board and management, went into action and self-produced two concerts, a family concert Friday and a tour de force Saturday in Vets Memorial Auditorium.

Ten days ago we didn’t even know who the conductors would be. Nor did we know where we would get stands and chairs, or who would be generous enough to let us borrow the music we needed. We didn’t have a way to sell tickets, or a box office of any sort. We had no stage crew, and no insurance for the concerts in case someone got injured. Boy, did we learn fast!

With the untiring focus of our “concerts committee”, formed of a dozen or so musicians from the orchestra, the concerts seemed to take shape out of thin air. As I read the email reports, I offered to help, and became involved with centralizing the coordination of volunteers. When Donna Gerhold of the Women’s Association of the CSO, emailed me offering to help, I seized on the opportunity. A few days later, I phoned my friend Jayne Gocken to ask if she would volunteer. Jayne used to run the Granville Symphony, and so has a lot experience working the front of the auditorium as the audience arrives. She jumped on it and shot off a list of questions to me which lead to some very useful outcomes, such as passing clipboards around to gather contact information from supporters so we can notify them of future events.

After one orchestra meeting, David Edge, a violinist in the orchestra, offered to go to Staples to buy the clipboards and lined paper for the signup lists. That was the day before the first concert. Things seemed to fall into place.

The concert itself went very smoothly, with E.J. Thomas as MC introducing each piece from the podium, with Jaime Morales-Matos leading the orchestra through vigorous and exciting tempos, with the heart-felt ceremonial presentation of a plaque from the Musicians of the Columbus Symphony to Marines from the Lima Company for proud service to their country, down to the excited applause between each piece and at the end.

Several musicians commented that the acoustics were not as bad as we remembered it, having rehearsed there for some Picnic with the Pops events. If we could move forward on the stage, toward the audience, the hall would fill with our music even better. The reverb (sound feedback from the hall) was not bad, a bit harsh, but better than the Ohio Theater. The stage of Vets Memorial is also suitably wide to allow the orchestra to spread out, which is the normal configuration for orchestras allowing more of the sound to get off the stage. (Unlike the box shape of the Ohio Theater stage, which bounces much of the sound back into the orchestra, rather than out to the audience. In other words, the Ohio Theater doesn’t give the patron their money’s worth.)

Considering the cavernous size of the auditorium (3600 seats) and a week’s notice for publicity, we had a good crowd, over 1500. Just think what will happen when we REALLY plan it ahead and have learned from this experience. I hope you are able to join us for our next thrilling concert!

Musicians Concerts this Weekend

Published
by
dtclarinet
on July 8, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Musician's Life, Off the Record, Our Supporters, Performances and Personal
. 0 Comments

Several folks have inquired regarding details of this weekend’s concerts by musicians of the Columbus Symphony. If you don’t have time to read my passionate philosophical explorations :-) on the implications of the phrase “musicians concerts”, all the information you need for the concerts is HERE. Also, we need volunteers to sell tickets and usher for the Saturday evening concert. Please contact Donna Gerhold at gerhold@insight.rr.com to find out what you can do. Breaking news: Now you can buy tickets at MCSO Concerts, the musician concerts website.

Now for my philosophical entreaty on the value of live classical music:

I can’t help but notice the playful redundancy of the phrase “musicians concert”; yet there it is, in all it’s ironic nakedness. It sounds so honest and real, as opposed to the “such and such symphony orchestra”, which already sounds corporate. (although the word corporate, beyond its business use, also means “united or combined into one”, an ideal for a group of musicians from a musical point of view)

When did the “musicians’ get replaced by an “institution” or an “organization”? As if they didn’t exist in the flesh, but only in terms of something else!

Has the time come when all sides will band together, no pun intended, to make the music happen?

Judging from the recent event here in Columbus and also the longterm history of professional music making, the question arises; How do we traverse this sludge of tradition and habit to attain the pure goal embodied in the phrase musicians concert? We don’t want to throw the good out with the bad. Yet, isn’t that part of the American spirit, to look unflinchingly with fresh eyes and see, or attempt to see, what is of real value and what is dead weight?

Another question; Are these upcoming concerts just a “job” for us, the musicians? After all, we have to make a living at what we do to continue to do it. Then there’s the aching question, what constitutes “making a living”? But we won’t go there just now. Let us assume the concept of “free market” thinking will fumble it’s way to some real truth, if we continue to ask the right questions. Such as, what is the value of the music we play? Can a dollar sign really be placed on the complex emotions aroused by great classical music?

The quality of the music is certainly an important factor. Any “product” (I hate to use the word here) has a “value”. But what system, or organization, determines that value? Are fads valuable because they sell well for awhile?

Continuing with the idea of fads, why is it that many, many people gravitate toward classical music as they age? Shouldn’t their wisdom and experience count as a meaningful indication of the “value” of the music they wish to hear?

Bear with me, I need to work this through.

A few weeks ago, I drove the seven hours trip to Bethesda, MD, where I grew up, to visit with my mother and sister for a few days. I always listen to music on the trip. Since classical music has trouble cutting through the substantial hum of the highway, I picked a half dozen pop/world pop CDs from the library to play during the driving time.

I didn’t listen to more than 5 minutes of any of those CDs. These CD’s were so insipid, all of them, Shafqat Ali Khan, pseudo Indian music (I grew up in India, and heard numerous “classical” Indian concerts), Jolie Holland (get a composer), Astor Piazzolla (a real classical composer) remixed (huh???!), even Steely Dan, whom I used to listen to, seemed washed out, stale. Am I getting old? At least “rock” music didn’t try to impress anyone, and won over hearts and minds with that idea!

Back to the subject: musicians concerts! I could go on with the yadayadayada of how dedicated we are, how much time we spend practicing, how much money we spend on our equipment. Even though it’s all true, we made those choices, after all. So what is all our effort worth? Is it up to the public to decide? You’re darn right? People with whom we share all our passion and dedication, the process and the outcome, the suffering and the joy, the growing pains and the growth spurts, will be like family to us, and us to them. They will love us for what we do, not the product we make.

That’s the real value of music, and especially classical music, which is by FAR the most difficult AND rewarding type of music there is, both for members of the audience and the musicians. (except for really great jazz)

OK, I’ve had my say. Now for some details about this weekend’s concerts. Friday’s concert is for kids of all ages. David Tanner, whose untiring efforts to produce the most complete web site about and for musicians and their supporters, has put all the information you could possibly need, including a big satellite photo with big red arrows pointing to parking, and red warnings of problems you might have getting there, plus really nice, big photos of the venue, HERE. (Hint: You will need to bring your own chairs/blankets)

Saturday’s 7:30 PM concert is at Vets Memorial, 300 West Broad St. Columbus, OH 43215. We need VOLUNTEERS for Saturday’s concert, at least 20, to help out with ticket sales and seating and other very important details to make this concert work for all of us! Please contact Donna Gerhold (gerhold@insight.rr.com) for how you can help.

Please forgive us all (the musicians as a group) for any glitches in this process. We are on a steep, steep learning curve. But don’t worry, we learn fast, but we can’t do it without you. We may be experts at the unbelievably complex details of phrasing Brahms, but need all of you to stay the course with us as we begin to make Brahms’ music, and all classical music, YOURS!

Who is the problem?

Published
by
dtclarinet
on June 21, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Columbus Cultural Politics, Off the Record, columbus symphony orchestra, symphony board and symphony management
. 3 Comments

WHO IS THE PROBLEM?

Columbus is the fastest growing region in Ohio. It is also one of the richest.

Arts business produces over $330 million in economic activity in the Columbus area. That’s 11,000 jobs.

The musicians of the Columbus Symphony play at a world class level. Other orchestras at this level are paid much higher salaries.

Yet, Robert “Buzz” Trafford, president of the Columbus Symphony Board, and a lawyer with Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, thinks the musicians are overpaid and are causing the problem. He has hardly ever attended the Symphony. He also uses Google to figure out how to run a symphony orchestra. He’s not interested in the professional and experienced opinions of anyone, unless they agree with his.

Tony Beadle, Executive Director of the Columbus Symphony, and supposedly a leader of the arts, called the orchestra a “dinosaur”. He mocked a passionate grassroots support base which was formed to help with the current crisis. Since he came here, the Symphony has taken a nose dive. He is incapable of doing his job effectively.

Tony Beadle and management overspent their own budget by $6.5 million in the past 4 years. That’s over $1.6 million community dollars wasted each year. None of this went to pay the musicians.

The musician’s expenses in the budget went down by $0.9 million in the past 4 years. Yet, the musicians are willing to immediately take a 7% salary cut to save the orchestra.

Buzz Trafford said he would think about accepting a thrid party mediator 3 weeks ago. He still hasn’t accepted it. What’s he afraid of? He also insists that the musicians pay for half the mediator’s fee, something which is unheard of in any musician negotiation. Management pays the fee, because management stands to benefit from the advice of the mediator. The musicians continued to do their jobs of playing music at world class levels. Management needs professional advice to solve the problems they caused and they should pay for it.

Who do you think is the problem?

When a baseball team is losing, who gets fired, the players or the manager?

Columbus Symphony Board, Guilty of Orchestracide

Published
by
dtclarinet
on June 12, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Columbus Cultural Politics, columbus symphony orchestra, symphony board and symphony management
. 0 Comments

Here a paragraph from Abu Bratche’s post titled, What’s the opposite of accountability?, about the CSO board.

The single biggest weakness in the American non-profit sector is the complete absence of consequences for the people who really run non-profits. The board of the Columbus Symphony – no one else – is responsible for killing the enterprise which was entrusted to them. But they don’t lose their jobs, or have to find new careers, or get shunned at parties, or told by the local media that they’re selfish and unreasonable. They don’t even get thrown off the board. They just continue to be board members, except of course that now they don’t have to raise any money. And, unless their bylaws are written differently than those of most non-profits, they can continue to choke the life out of the institution long after it’s dead before anyone from outside can do anything about it.

The Last Stand

Published
by
dtclarinet
on June 1, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Our Supporters, Performances, Personal and columbus symphony orchestra
. 3 Comments

Clarinet StandTonight, for the first time in 18 years, I brought my clarinet stand home from the Ohio Theater. After 18 years of being thrown around and used, it’s still solid and sturdy.

My grandfather made this double clarinet stand for me in the early 1980’s. He passed away in 1986. He loved making things in his retirement, having been an engineer and fine tool designer for much of his career.

He made things to last a lifetime. I also have several lamps around my house which were made by him. It seems that the knack for making things with that kind of quality has gotten lost, somehow, in the shuffle to make things cheap, and by extension, disposable.

Welsh Hymns and MelodesMy grandfather, William, also loved music. He was Welsh and sang in choirs all his life, though he didn’t read a musical note. He sang and harmonized by ear.

Up to the end of his life, he attended yearly gatherings of Welsh Gymanf Ganu, grand choirs of thousands who came together for a few days annually simply to sing hymns. Can you imagine being in a choir of thousands?

After bringing home the clarinet stand he made, I wondered what William would have to say about the attitude from “on high” in this city about the Columbus Symphony, about the surreal silence Columbus is experiencing from those who should know better about the importance of the Arts?

Tonight we played what may be that last concert as the Columbus Symphony. We couldn’t have had a better person to experience such a poignant and wistful event: Marvin Hamlisch.

Marvin not only put forth his usual wit, humor and beloved music making, but he took the time, he took lots of time, to put forth the argument for sustaining the arts in any city, and especially Columbus, a large and vigorous city which hardly knows it’s own potential.

Before the final number, he stalled and stalled, not wanting to end. He said, (and I paraphrase) “I wish we could stop the clock now, so we wouldn’t have to end; but I promise, I hope, this will not be the end, but only a hiatus.” He said, in the voice of Arnold Schwarzenegger, “We’ll be back!” He said, “Sometimes, you have to lose, or almost lose, what you have to appreciate it.”

He also said, “If and when this crisis is over, I will come back and play a concert here as a fund raiser, and I’ll donate my services. There’s one condition, however; that I will get for my services a pint of Graeter’s black raspberry chip ice cream, with one spoon, not two, because that ice cream is a taste of heaven.”

Appropriately, the encore featured two esteemed senior members in the orchestra, Steve Secan and Randy Hester, who have been playing music with the CSO since the mid 1970’s. Also fitting was the song we played, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

Our audience gave us a standing ovation several times, showing their appreciation for us as people and for the Columbus Symphony as a valuable asset to the city.

After the concert, there were teary goodbyes between colleagues who have worked and grown together as human beings.

I didn’t participate much in that ritual. I don’t like goodbyes. Call me superstitious. I believe the people I meet and part from will always be in my life.

I also believe “We’ll Be Back!” Like my grandfather’s clarinet stand, the Columbus Symphony was made to last.

Junich Hirokami’s Gift to Columbus

Published
by
dtclarinet
on May 28, 2008
in Behind the Scenes, Musician's Life, Orchestral Playing and Personal
. 0 Comments

Ken Matsuda (CSO viola) sent this notice from Japanese news about Junichi.

Junichi Hirokami will be conducting the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Japan this week, May 28, 29, and 30 as a last minute replacement for the ailing Seiji Ozawa. Ozawa (72) has been suffering from a herniated disk and has been told it will take a month to recover.

Hirokami (50) was personally asked by Seiji to replace him. Since Hirokami’s success at the Saito Kinen Festival last year, Seiji Ozawa has complete trust in Junichi.

In all the hullabaloo over whether the Columbus Symphony will survive, we have all but forgotten the great spirit which unites us musically and in politic: Junichi Hirokami. I don’t know if Columbus realizes (yet) what a gift we have. I hope it’s not too late.

This very subject came up last night in a phone conversation with a close colleague, who mentioned Junichi’s vital importance to us as an orchestra.

Orchestras do not become truly great until they have a unifying direction, either from a music director, or in some cases with older orchestras, a unifying tradition. Examples of the latter include Cleveland, whose tradition was formed by Szell, and Berlin, by Karajan.

The Columbus Symphony has been built over several generations by 4 music directors; Evan Whallon, Christian Badea, Alessandro Siciliani and now Junichi Hirokami.

Junichi is the perfect match for the abilities and experience of the Columbus Symphony. From past music directors we gained such skills as discipline and flexibility. Now we are poised for the next step, gelling into the cohesive power of one instrument.

Junichi’s temperament is particularly suited in our case, since discipline and flexibility alone do not make a great orchestra. We need a musical “light” to direct all our various (and individually valid) intentions toward a common goal of one voice. His gentle and charismatic character coaxes us to higher planes of musical detail, with greater coordination and cooperation among our different personalities. This kind of unifying direction is not only Junichi’s gift; it is also a result of our match with him.

As he has said more times than I can remember, he “chose” us because he saw what we could do, and knew he could do it for us. I am only just beginning to believe him. Musicians learn to expect less, being perfectionists disillusioned by an all too imperfect world. Our ideals are not snobbery, but reflect our desire to over-achieve and exceed expectations. We are our own worst enemies at times. But with the right spirit to guide us, we will gladly reach far beyond our normal capabilities. That’s when a simple performance can become a revelation for all present.

Are you curious as to how we might sound after a few more years with Junichi? After all, many of you heard us with Maestro Hirokami in the past few months, and I believe most of you heard a difference. Already, in two years, we have grown immeasurably as an orchestra.

I am eternally optimistic that the “body politic” will hold sway when the intentions of all individuals are focused on the same goal. This not only applies to orchestras, but to cities as well.

Don’t settle for less. Demand what is rightly yours: an orchestra led to greatness by a perfect match with the gifted and beloved Junichi Hirokami.