by Neil McCalmont
On Wednesday evening, July 6, the Miami String Quartet and pianist Spencer Myer gave a thrilling concert in Ludwig Recital Hall at Kent State University. This installment of the Kent/Blossom Faculty Concert Series showcased two short but fiery string quartets — Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Serioso” in f, Op. 95 and Gabriela Frank’s Milagros (“Miracles”) — as well as Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quartet in g, Op. 25. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
If you’re looking for something to do with this weekend, why not head to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo? On Sunday, July 10 beginning at 2:00 pm, a fun-filled afternoon will benefit the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society’s education programs, which provide guitar lessons to 150 young people in Cleveland and Akron. Tickets include admission to the Zoo, a 2:00 pm Meet and Greet with hors d’oeuvres. Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagić will perform at 3:00 pm, and the Brazilian sounds of Moises Borges will begin at 4:00 pm. Tickets can be reserved online.
Prior to his solo appearance on the Society’s International Series in October of 2011, we spoke with Azabagić about his career and his thoughts on music education. The following is an excerpt from that conversation. [Read more…]
by Neil McCalmont
Part of McCalmont’s List Series
Genre: Chamber Music (Piano Quintet) – piece for piano and four other instruments; usually two violins, viola, and cello
Scoring: Piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass
Era: Classical/Early Romantic
Length: c. 35 minutes
Will you recognize it? The fourth movement has achieved fame on its own, so perhaps
Recommended Recordings: Alfred Brendel and the Cleveland Quartet; or Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Pamela Frank, Edgar Meyer, and Rebecca Young
Composer: Franz Schubert (1797-1828). Like J. S. Bach, Schubert wrote over a thousand pieces of music and received almost zero recognition for his compositions during his lifetime. In fact, since his music was so rarely performed, Schubert often had to live through the generosity of his friends in order to survive, unfortunately fulfilling the stereotype of the “starving artist.” Many of his works come from the last decade of his life — he died when he was only 31. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
The twelfth and final event of ChamberFest Cleveland 2016 was a festive, multimedia concert at the Maltz Performing Arts Center on Saturday, July 2. The event was built around Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat, complete with puppetry and video projections — with free admission for 17 and under, and ice cream for all afterwards. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
Expanding its “Tales & Legends” theme in the direction of expeditions, ChamberFest Cleveland presented “Schubert Journeys” on Friday, July 1 in Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance. In this case, the composer’s journeys were either brief and dramatic (in the Quartettsatz in c) or agreeably rambling — like a stroll in the countryside with no destination and no timetable (in the Octet). In between, Kurt Rohde’s … maestoso … mysterioso … sent two musicians off into uncharted territory with a curious set of tools. [Read more…]
by Nicholas Jones
In the final act of The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare gives this eloquent warning:
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.
Essentially, don’t trust anyone who doesn’t love music. [Read more…]