Readers of this blog, and listeners to my NPR shows, will recall that a South Dakota performance of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony last February unforgettably galvanized a Sioux Falls audience. A major factor was a 40-minute preamble, with live music, exploring the symphony’s relationship to the Siege of Leningrad and the depredations of Joseph Stalin. I came away from that … [Read more...] about How to Ignite a Standing Ovation for a Stravinsky Symphony; or: When is it OK to Project Moving Images During a Concert?
Translating Schubert — “Clairvoyance or Somnambulism”
How reckon with late Schubert? It inhabits a timeless musical precinct unto itself. The pianist Claudio Claudio Arrau (in my book Conversations with Arrau) applied the term “Todesnähe” – a proximity to death. After Schubert (born in 1797) contracted syphilis in 1822 or 1823, his intimacy with death ripened. In 1824 he wrote: “I feel myself to be the most unhappy … [Read more...] about Translating Schubert — “Clairvoyance or Somnambulism”
Mahler and the NY Philharmonic — and the Pertinence of his “Failure” Today
This coming Tuesday night, I will be chatting for two hours with Bill McGlaughlin and Dave Osenberg on WWFM about Mahler in New York. The show will be streamed live at www.wwfm.org from 7 to 9 pm ET. The topic is my new novel, The Marriage: The Mahlers in New York, about which Bill has written: “This book is a tremendous achievement. . . . For the first … [Read more...] about Mahler and the NY Philharmonic — and the Pertinence of his “Failure” Today
“A Brave Experiment” and “Profound Journey” (by a Previously Tendentious Author)
Writers discover quickly that their books – any books – have no fixed meanings. They will read differently to different readers. And their printed words never precisely convey an author’s thoughts and stories. Processing the response to my first novel – The Marriage: The Mahlers in New York – I now further discover that fictionalized characters and … [Read more...] about “A Brave Experiment” and “Profound Journey” (by a Previously Tendentious Author)
“Einsamkeit” = Bass Trombone + Piano + Dancers
My new “Einsamkeit” concoction, setting songs by Mahler and Schubert, premieres June 17 (7:30 pm) and 18 (3 pm) at the KnJ Theater near Union Square. I’m collaborating with the singular bass trombonist David Taylor (“Killer!” – NY Times), Igal Perry (a choreographer who really knows music), and Igal's Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (which is celebrating its fortieth … [Read more...] about “Einsamkeit” = Bass Trombone + Piano + Dancers