Painting by numbers...

Hello, TBSH'ers!

…referring to the Ravel orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.  Am I missing something here, or is the among the easiest pieces in the literature, both to learn and to put together?  Have been working with a student here on it, and asked for a list of the difficulties in execution.  Assuming that you have a trumpet who can execute the opening and other solo passages, and either an intrepid tuba player or euphonium, what challenges are there?  And if you don't have both of those players, you shouldn't be bothering with the piece anyway.  So how many rehearsals does it really need, after all?  Goes right up there next to Mendelssohn 5.

For the little "Meno mosso" in Gnomus, I am doing dotted quarter = quarter.  Problem solved.  The tempo limitation is defined by the horns and trumpet when they play the initial motive towards the end of the movement.

OK, what else?  The strings in Limoges offer an ensemble challenge.  1st violin passagework is tricky, then some chromatic work in the low strings.  I've finally come to the realization that anytime there are 16th-note scales, either up or down, they will probably rush.  Beater, beware!

What about intonation/balance concerns?  Legitimate.  But no more so than in far more complicated scores.  When in doubt, less loud.  And Kiev requires patience and pacing, lest the whole thing get out of hand before the final iteration of the tune.  Still, not a problem.

West Side Story on the other hand…hmm.  Well, Kirstin warned me.  The Broadway version is really no less complicated than the Symphonic Dances (which is one of the trickiest pieces I know, especially to play, if not to conduct).  You need some virtuoso percussion playing, and there are serious licks in all the winds and brass.  Meanwhile, violins and cellos have some nasty exposed passagework; the violas should be thankful they have the night off.  Still, it is a heck of a fun score to conduct.  Performance tomorrow.

Beijing AQI today - 57.  Woo-hoo!  Going to go get my breathing on!
Best to all,
MG

MUCH NEWS FROM BEIJING!

Dear TBSH'ers,

Ni hao!  In Beijing these days, leading a semi-staged performance of West Side Story at the China National Opera House, and CNOH's annual opera galas at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on Christmas eve and Christmas day.  As I told my colleague and friend, Sara Danner-Dukic, I LOVE me some opera gala!.

I wish you all could see how BRAVE and intrepid these young singers are.  It is a huge step - often a huge DANCE step - for a Chinese soprano to prance about singing "I like to live in America!"or for a baritone from Hebei province to wrap his lips around Americanisms such as, "…when the spit hits the fan…" and the singular, obsolete word, "Headshrinker,"even in English virtually unpronounceable.  Kind of like "The Rural Juror" on 30 Rock.  Anyway, am having fun explaining to them what a "schmuck" is.  Maybe that's why they invited a Jersey Jew to conduct the show.

The performance on the 20th is in the peculiar little China National Opera House itself, on the 2nd Ring Road, east side, between Dongsi Shi Tiao and Chaoyangmen metro stations.  The stage is more than ample, there is fly space and space on stage left (none really on stage right), the pit probably could seat 60, there are two balconies above the main level, but there are only 3 ROWS OF SEATS on each level. About 250 seats in all.  I giggle whenever I walk inside.

The galas run the gamut from Offenbach to Siegfried, and feature many of the fine winners of the 6th China International Voice Competition, held i in Ningbo, where I served on the jury.  As we finish with Traviata Brindisi and Offenbach Can-can (anyone know its "real" name?"), I have worked with and convinced my colleague, Chen Bing, to come up with Mandarin lyrics for the Offenbach; here's hoping neither of us gets fired for our irreverence!

EXCITING NEWS to share -
Our two annual workshops have been POSTED:
April 24-26 - STRAVINSKY RITE OF SPRING and FIREBIRD SUITE at CCM
My good friend Neil Varon will be joining me on the faculty; come one, come all!

July 22-August 8 - OPERA BOOTCAMP: "CREATING CARMEN"
Our most ambitious project, hence the addition of a few extra days on the front end.  Will be joined by a great staff of master teachers, including Ken Weiss and Marie-France Lefebrve.  So let's get your TOREADOR on!

SPREAD THE WORD!

On other interesting news:
For those of you who haven't already heard, Oxford University Press is picking up the book, "The Beat Stops Here."  TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THIS BLOG, THANK YOU.

To close, a thought about CONDUCTING:
Think about how instruments are played, any instrument: Picture how a violinist holds a fiddle, arms at different heights, each hand making distinctly different motions.  An oboist holds the oboe in both hands, both close to the center of the body, one higher than the other.  A timpanist wields two sticks, with which s/he strikes the drums not both at the same time, but one after the other (with the occasional exception – Act 3, Madama Butterfly).  A trombonist holds his/her instrument horizontally, one hold stationary, close to the body, manipulating valves; the other moving back and forth, manipulating a slide.  All of these images would be helpful to us as conductors, were we to employ them.  What all instrumentalists have in common is 1) they hold their instruments close to their bodies, 2) they do distinctly different motions in both hands, and 3) they employ a full range of finger, wrist and arm motion to create sound.  And they all make DOWNWARD motions.

But the conventional “wisdom” of conducting, the orthodoxy of our craft, dictates that we begin with the hands on the same plane, doing the same thing at the same time, often rebounding too high and in the wrong direction.  So much UP conducting.  I confess to finding this confounding.  Just something to keep in mind as you work on your "not" beating.

BEST OF THE SEASON TO ALL OF YOU, Maestros, Maestras, Maestrini, Maestrissimi, and yes, even the Mae-stronzi… :)  MG