sotto voce

THIS IS THE BLOG THAT IS NOT A BLOG BUT MERELY A LIST OF MY ACTIVITIES SO THAT I WILL HAVE SOME RECORD OF WHAT I DO HERE IN NEW YORK CITY. PERHAPS
A MIRACLE WILL OCCUR AND THIS BORING RECITAL WILL CHANGE INTO SOME SORT OF LITERARY, POLEMICAL SPOT LIKE A "BLOG" SHOULD BE. BUT FOR NOW IT IS WHAT IT IS. SO...................

MONDAY FEBRUARY 5TH I WAS PRIVILEDGED TO SEE AT THE MET, ANNA NETREBKO, THAT BEAUTIFUL AND FINE ARTIST, SING ELVIRA IN "PURITANI." WONDERFUL!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH TOGETHER WITH MY SON, STEPHEN, AT THE MET WE SAW(AND WERE THRILLED TO SEE "JENUFA" WITH THE MAGNIFICENT FINNISH SOPRANO, KARITA MATTILA. THIS WAS ONE OF THE FINEST PRODUCTIONS I HAVE SEEN AT THE MET.........IN OUR GREAT SEATS, FIRST ROW, GRAND CIRCLE!

LAST NIGHT, FEBRUARY 22, WAS MY REGULAR SERIES NIGHT AT THE PHILHARMONIC.
I WASN'T THRILLED AT THE PROSPECT, BUT I WAS WRONG. THE CONCERT WAS FABULOUS, SOMETHING NOT TO BE MISSED.

MAAZEL CONDUCTED THE ORCHESTRA IN THREE WORKS WITH WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR:
MOZART CONCERTO IN C MAJOR FOR FLUTE AND HARP...SO LIGHT AND GORGEOUS.

SCHUMANN CONCERTSTUCK IN F MAJOR FOR FOUR HORNS AND ORCHESTRA AND OF COURSE ONE CANNOT FIND A BETTER BRASS SECTION THAN IS IN THAT ORCHESTRA.

MELINDA WAGNER CONCERTO FOR TROMBONE AND ORCH. NEW COMMISSION-WORLD PREMIERE.

GERSHWIN-AN AMERICAN IN PARIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH,YES,I WAS LISTED IN THE PROGRAMME AS PATRON.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 I SAW A PRODUCTION GIVEN BY THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY(OF WHICH I AM A MEMBER) CALLED "HISTORY GIRLS" - READINGS OF THE CHARACTERS, CONSTANCE, ELIZABETH, & MARGARET STARRING KATHLEEN CHALFONT AND MARIAN SELDES. GREAT LADIES OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE' WHO DID A WONDERFUL JOB.

I RECENTLY SAW TWO GOOD GB SHAW READINGS AT THE PLAYERS' CLUB, THE PHILANDERER AND CANDIDA(THE BETTER OF THE TWO.)
"SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER" AT THE ROUNDABOUT WITH BLYTHE DANNER AND CARLA GUGINO(GORGEOUS!) WAS A GOOD PLAY- TENNESSEE WILLIAMS DONCHA' KNOW.

AT THE MET CAVALLERIA AND PAGLIACCI WHERE LICITRA PLAYED BOTH TENOR ROLES AND WAS EXCELLENT. REMINDS ME OF WHEN I DID THE SAME THING IN IL TRITTRICO, RINUCCIO IN SCHICHI AND LUIGI IN TABARRO.

AT CARNEGIE THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA -SIR ANDREW DAVIS-
BEETHOVEN-CORIOLANUS OVERTURE
GUBAIDULINA- FEAST DURING A PLAGUE (NY PREMIERE)
BRAHMS-VIOLIN CONCERTO-JOSHUA BELL
STRAUSS-TILL EULENSPIEGELS LUSTIGE STREICHE
THEN NEXT AT CARNEGIE:
BACH'S ST MATTHEW PASSION - ORCHESTRA OPF ST LUKE'S, HELMUTH RILLING,
CONDUCTOR

AT THE PHILHARMONIC:- DAVID ROBERTSON, CONDUCTOR:
DEBUSSY - LE MARTYRE DE SAINTE SEBASTIEN
KAIJA SAARIAHO - ADRIANA SONGS FOR MEZZO & ORCHESTRA (PATRICIA BARDON)
SIBELIUS- NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE
DEBUSSY - LE MER
THEN AT THE PHILHARMONIC: CARLO MUTI(THE GREATEST!)
MARTUCCI- PIANO CONCERTO NO.2 IN B-FLAT MINOR
VERDI-BALLET MUSIC FRFOM MACBETH
RESPIGHI - FESTE ROMANE
(AS EXPECTED TRIUMPHANT, GORGEOUS

I KNOW I LEFT SOME ACTIVITIES OUT. BUT IT SERVES ME RIGHT FOR
PROCRASTIN ATION

THIS IS MY RETURN. IT'S BEEN SEVERAL WEEKS SINCE I MADE AN ENTRY IN THIS BLOG. MAY I MAKE A DEMAND OF ANYONE WHO READS THIS, NO MATTER HIS OR HER AGE? PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB UP ON A KITCHEN CHAIR OR ON AN UNSTEADY LADDER.......OR LIKE ME, YOU MAY WIND UP WITH BROKEN RIBS, TWISTED KNEE AND ALL THE PAINS THAT ACCOMPANY SUCH AN ACCIDENT. SO, I MISSED A NUMBER OF CLASSES, AND SOME CONCERTS. WHAT WITH MY INJURIES AND MY OTHER PHYSICAL PROBLEMS, I HAVE APOINTMENTS WITH FOUR DOCTORS NEXT WEEK.

THURSDAY, NOV. 30TH, WAS THE FIRST DAY I WAS ABLE TO GO OUT, AND
I DID GET TO SEE A NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC CONCERT, ONE THAT I HAD BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT WAS MARVELOUS, ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE SEEN. MY ORCHESTRA SEAT(NOT MY USUAL ONE,)WAS EXCELLENT. I REALLY WAS "TRANSPORTED."

THE PROGRAM:

MOZART - PIANO CONCERTO IN A MAJOR - LEON FLEISHER
HINDEMUTH - PIANO MUSIC WITH ORCHESTRA OP.29 - LEON FLEISHER
ROUSSEL - BACCHUS ET AREIEL SUITE NO. 2

R. STRAUSS - FINAL SCENE FROM SALOME - NANCY GUSTAFSON

THIS WAS ONE BEAUTIFULLY PLAYED AND WELL PROGRAMMED CONCERT!
COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER.

THEN ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1. I HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE ROUNDABOUT THEATRE
FOR THE MUSICAL, "THE APPLE TREE" WITH KRISTEN CHENOWETH. LILLIAN AND I HAD A GREAT TIME. I FELT AS IF THIS SHOW, TOO, WAS ONE OF THE BEST REVIVALS OF A FAMOUS B'WAY SHOW THAT I HAD EVER SEEN. LUCKY ME!

THIS BLOG WRITING ENDEAVOR WAS STARTED BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP A RECORD OF WHAT I DO IN NEW YORK, BUT MY DEAR JENNIFER, DAUGHTER NUMBER
THREE SUGGESTED, RIGHTLY, THAT I NEVER MENTION MY FAMILY OR TELL ANY PERSONAL STUFF, AND SHE IS CORRECT BEACAUSE, AS I SAID I STARTED THIS AS A KIND OF MEMORANDUM. BUT I WILL TRY TO INCLUDE A DIFFERENT SORT LOF WRITING IN FUTURE.

THE TITLE OF THIS ENTRY IS IN ITS ANTIQUE MEANING - MADNESS. WHEN ONE SCHEDULES TOO MANY ACTIVITIES THAT IS A FORM OF MADNESS. iT SEEMED THAT WAYTHIS WEEK, ALTHOUGH I SEEM TO REMEMBER DOING MORE, BEING BUSIER IN THE PAST, BUT ALAS, I WAS YOUNGER AND STRESS AND MY BODY'S ACHES, PAINS, AND STIFFNESS WERE NOT SO BOTHERSOME AS LATELY THEY HAVE BEEN.
MONDAY, I DID NOT TAKE THE RICHARD WILBUR POETRY CLASS........WAITING FOR THE PLUMBER, WHO DID NOT ARRIVE................SURPRISE!
BUT I DID GO TO THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY CLASS "SPEAK THE SPEECH" WHERE WE CONTINUED READING HENRY IV, PART 2. HAVING STUDIED THIS PLAY BEFORE, AND HAVING COACHED SOME SCENES FROM IT MADE A RE-VISIT VERY PLEASUREALBLE.
TUESDAY NIGHT I COULD HAVE GONE TO LINCOLN CENTER TO HEAR GERGIEV CONDUCT THE KIROV ORCHESTRA IN TWO SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONIES, BUT I DECIDED TO REST BECAUSE OF THE REST OF THE WEEK'S ACTIVIITIES.

WEDNESDAY, THE MEN''S LUNCHEON GROUP WAS UP TO 17 ATTENDEES, AND THE DISCUSSION WAS TOP DRAWER.THEN THE CLASS IN BRITISH EMPIRE'S RISE.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT I SAW RIGOLETTO AT THE MET. AS USUAL, GREAT SETS AND COSTUMES. THE BARITONE, JUAN PONS, I HAD SEEN BEFORE AT THE MET, BUT THE OTHER PRINCIPALS WERE NEW TO ME. THE TENOR WAS O.K. SERVICEABLE AND NOT UNPLEASANT, SANG ALL THE NOTES, BUT THERE WAS SOME LACK OF EXCITEMENT THERE. HOWEVER, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SOPRANO WHO SANG GILDA...................A LOVELY VOICE AND STAGE PRESENCE, A REAL BEAUTY WHOM THE AUDIENCE TOOK TO THEIR HEARTS. I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE SWEPT AWAY.

CAST:THE DUKE, JOSEPH CALLEJAH, RIGOLETTO, PONS, GILDA, EKATERINA SIURINA

THURSDAY NIGHT'S PHILHARMONIC CONCERT WAS WELL ATTENDED..............EMPPHASIS UPON HUNGARIAN COMPOSERS SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN BEETHOVEN PEICES. VERY CLEVER PROGRAMMING! A GOOD WAY TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE FROM LEAVING DURING THE BARTOK AND LIGETI PIECES BY KEEPING THE BEETHOVEN FIFTH AS THE PIECE DE RESISTANCE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE CONCERT.
AS USUAL, LIGETI'S PALETTE NEEDS SOME GETTING USED TO, BUT IT IS QUITE INTERESTING MUSIC........................STANLEY KUBRICK USED LIGETI'S MUSIC IN MANY OF HIS FILMS.
PETER SERKIN, WHOM I HAVE HEARD AT LEAST FIVE TIMES IS A GREAT FAN OF THE SO CALLED "MODERN" COMPOSERS, ALTHOUGH I'VE HEARD HIM DO ALL PERIODS OF MUSIC. WELL, HE PLAYED THE HELL OUT OF THE BARTOK CONCERTO, ECHOING THE PERCUSSION SECTION OF THE ORCHESTRA......THE PIANO IS, AFTER ALL, A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT. BUT THE BARTOK CONCERTO IS SO DIFFICULT TO PLAY!
IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR THE B EETHOVEN FIFTH PLAYED AGAIN BY THIS ORCHESTRA. I ALWAYS SEEM TO HEAR SOMETHING NEW. PEHAPS A COUNTER MELODY THAT I NEWLY DISCOVERED.
THE CONDUCTOR, WHOM I HEARD LAST YEAR AND LIKED VERY MUCH, JONATHAN
NOTT, IS WELL LIKED BY THE ORCHSTRA, ONE COULD SENSE, AND THE PUBLIC RESPONDS WELL TO HIS YOUTH AND GOOD LOOKS. HIS BATON TECHNIQUE IS EASY TO READ, ALSO. PERHAPS HE WILL BE ON "THE SHORT LIST" SOME DAY FOR THE PHILHARMONIC JOB!

PROGRAM: BEETHOVEN-OVERTURE TO KONEG STEPHAN
LIGETI -LONTANO, FOR LARGE ORCHESTRA
BARTOK- PIANO CONDERTO N O.1 (PETER SERKIN)
BEETHOVEN- SYMPHONY NO.5 IN C minor

SO TODAY TIRED AND RESTING.

jUST SO I WON'T THINK I DID NOTHIN' THE PAST FEW DAYS, I'M SETTING THIS DOWN IN PRINT!
SUNDAY, ANOTHER LOVELY FALL DAY, I SPENT SOME TIME IN BRYAN T PARK--NEW YORK TIMES BOOK FAIR, MANY PEOPLE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO FIND A PLEASANT HIDE-A-WAY FOR READING, WHILE LILLIAN LOOKED, SHOPPED AROUND.
MONDAY WAS THE RICHARD WILBUR COURSE AT SCHOOL, AND THE MORE I READ HIM, THE BETTER HE GETS--A REALLY MARVELOUS ARTIST!
MONDAY EVENING WAS MY FIRST MEETING OF "SPEAK THE SPEECH" SEMINAR AT THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY...............KING HENRY THE FOURTH , WHICH I KNOW PRETTY WELL, AND IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LITTLE ACTING. YESTERDAY WAS LOAFING DAY. TODAY, THE 18TH, WAS THE MEN'S LUNCH BUNCH, A VERY GOOD MEETING, THEN THE BRITISH EMPIRE CLASS.
AND THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE! (WHAT A BORE, BUT A MEMO TO MYSELF.)

TODAY WAS ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY, A LITTLE COOL, BRACING, STIMULATING.
THIS FRIDAY WAS THE FIRST "FRIDAY'S AT ONE" LECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY, AND ONE I HAD BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO. NICHOLAS BIRNS, A PROFESSOR AT THE NEW SCHOOL GAVE A LECTURE ABOUT ANTHONY POWELL'S 12 NOVELS, TITLED "DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME'' ALL WHICH I READ LAST YEAR AND ENJOYED
TREMENDOUSLY. SO THAT PART OF THE DAY EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS. AFTER THE INEVITABLE, UNAVOIDABLE COFFEE HOUR LILLIAN AND I TOOK A LONG WALK IN THE WEST VILLAGE ENDING IN WASHINGTON SQUARE. AFTER A REST WE WENT TO MARIO BATTAGLIA'S "OTTO" AT FIFTH AVE AND NINTH STREET FOR MY FAVORITE THIN CRUST PIZZA AND SOME PROSECCO.
I WENT HOME, LILLIAN TO CASA ITALIANA TO SEE "AMARACORD," A FELLINI FILM ABOUT FASCISM-----RELATED TO AN IRP COURSE SHE'S TAKING.
WE'LL SEE EACH AT AN 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TOMORROW.

THIS PAST SUMMER I HEARD/SAW THE BOSTON SYMPHONY AT TANGLEWOOD CONDUCTED BY BERNARD HAITINK PLAYING THE EROICA. IT WAS VERY GOOD. THIS YEAR HAITINK HAS EMERGED AS A BEETHOVEN SPECIALIST.........OF COURSE HAITINK, 77 YEARS OLD, IS FAMOUS ALL OVER THE WORLD, HAVING BEEN THE CONDUCTOR OF THE CONCERTGEBOW AMONG OTHER ORCHESTRAS. HE AND THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC HAVE RECORDED ALL THE BEETHOVEN SYMPHONIES, AND NOW THIS GROUP IS AT AVERY FISHER HALL TONIGHT PLAYING THE 4TH AND SIXTH SYMPHONIES. THE SIXTH, THE PASTORAL, IS MORE.FAMILIAR TO MOST PEOPLE THAN THE FOURTH, BUT THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR IT PLAYED BY A SUPERB ORCHESTRA, LED BY A FINE CONDUCTOR..
OF COURSE, THE AUDIENCE, AS THEY USUALLY DO, GAVE A STANDING OVATION.
(I FIND THAT SO ANNOYING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DO IT EVERY TIME. THEN THE STANDING OVATION LOSES ALL SIGNIFICANCE.)
SOMETIMES, WHEN I GO TO A BEETHOVEN CONCERT, THE SHEER GENIUS OF THIS TITAN OVERWHELMS ME. I TRY TO IMAGINE WHAT EFFECT THESE NEW, POWERFUL COMPOSITIONS MUST HAVE HAD ON THE AUDIENCES OF HIS TIME, THE GRANDEUR, THE UNRELENTING, GLORIOUS SOUNDS, THE PLAIN COURAGE IT TOOK TO WRITE THIS NEW MUSIC, THE NEW DIRECTIONS IN WHICH HE WAS TAKING MUSIC.
VIVA, LUDWIG!!!!

363

LIGHT CUE 247! READY 247. GO 247---GO TO BLACK!
AND THERE YOU ARE . THERE IT IS. THAT'S IT. IS THAT WHAT DYING IS LIKE? HOW WELL THEATRICAL METAPHORS FIT LIVING AND DYING! LOVE AND DEATH, THE TWO EVERLASTING TOPICS OF ALL THE ARTS.
BEETHOVEN, REMBRANDT, CARAVAGGIO....ALL OF THEM DEATH AND LOVE.

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS I DIE.
HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS CONSTANT CONCERT PLAYING IN THEIR HEADS? ARIAS, RECITATIVES, HYMNS, LIEDER, POP SONGS, G & S, CONCERTI, SYMPHONIES ALL THERE PLAYING, LYRICS PARADING, VIOLS, CLARINETS.......OH. IT IS MADDENING AND DELIGHTFUL...............THE ONSLOUGHT SELDOM STOPS, EVEN AT TIMES KEEPING ME AWAKE AT NIGHT. IT IS A CURSE AND A BLESSING, FOR I AM NEVER UNACCOMPANIED - WITH STRAUSS IN MY BACK POCKET AND SHOSTAKOVICH IN MY JACKET........... AND I DON'T REALLY NEED AN MP3 PLAYER.

MY MOTHER WAS ANOTHER ONE WHO SANG ALMOST CONSTANTLY.........THAT'S WHAT I HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING, . AND SHE SANG INTO HER NINETIES. MUSIC IS MY LIFE AND EVERYTHING I DO OR PURSUE IS TINGED BY THIS.

THE PRECEDING THOUGHTS MAKE ME THINK OF TWO DEAR FRIENDSD
OF MINE EVELYN MONTGUE AND MILTON. THIS GREAT COUPLE ALSO ARE MUSIC DEVOTEES AND HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR ME AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RETIRED PROFESSIONALS TO EXPERIENCE CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENTS THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ABLE TO WITHOUT THEIR KIND DEDICATION.--- AND THE PRICE IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

I'M SURELY GREEDY, FOR I HAVE A SEASON SUBSCRIPTION TO THE PHILHARMONIC, TO THE MET, TO CARNEGIE HALL(2) AND OTHER VENUES, AND STILL
EVELYN AND MILTON FEED MY OBSESSION. THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE MOST WONDERFUL PERFORMANCES, AMONG THEM TRISTAN & ISOLDE WITH BARENBOIM CONDUCTING AND WALTRUD MEIER AS ISOLDE, AND SO MANY OTHER DELICIOUS CONCERTS.

I JUST WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK THEM..................ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID!

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS I DIE.
HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS CONSTANT CONCERT PLAYING IN THEIR HEADS? ARIAS, RECITATIVES, HYMNS, LIEDER, POP SONGS, G & S, CONCERTI, SYMPHONIES ALL THERE PLAYING, LYRICS PARADING, VIOLS, CLARINETS.......OH. IT IS MADDENING AND DELIGHTFUL...............THE ONSLOUGHT SELDOM STOPS, EVEN AT TIMES KEEPING ME AWAKE AT NIGHT. IT IS A CURSE AND A BLESSING, FOR I AM NEVER UNACCOPANIED - WITH STRAUSS IN MY BACK POCKET AND SHOSTAKOVICH IN MY JACKET. AND I DON'T REALLY NEED AN MP3 PLAYER.
MY MOTHER WAS ANOTHER ONE WHO SANG ALMOST CONSTANTLY.........THAT'S WHAT I HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY TIME. AND SHE SANG INTO HER NINETIES.i SUPOSE I COULD SAY THAT MJUSIC IS MY LIFE AND EVRYHTHING I DO OR PURSUE IS TINGED BY THIS ORIENTATION.
HE PRECEDING THOUGHTS BRING TO MIND TWO DEAR FRIENDSD OF MINE EVELYN MONTGUE AND MILTON THIS GREAT COUPLE ALSO ARE MUJSIC NUTS AND HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR ME AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RETIRED PROFESSIONALS TO SEE CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENTS THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE GOTTEN TO WITHOUT THEIR KIND DEDICATION.
I GUESS I AM GREEDY, FOR I HAVE A SEASON SUBSCRIPTION TO THE PHILHARMONIC, TO THE MET, TO CARNEGIE HALL(2) AND OTHER VENUES, AND
EVELYN AND MILTON FEED MY OBSESSION. THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE MOST WONDERFUL PERFORMANCES, AMONG THEM TRISTAN & ISOLDE WITH BAREBOIM CONDUCTING AND WALTRUD MEIER AS ISOLDE AND SO MANY OTHER DELICIOUS CONCERTS.
IJUST WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK THEM........SAND BY THE WAY, THESE TWO ARE A LOT OF FUN, TOO.