by Daniel Hathaway
ONLINE TODAY:
Tonight at 7:00 pm, a real-time concert from Trinity Cathedral features Cleveland Orchestra principal cello Mark Kosower in three of J.S. Bach’s unaccompanied suites. You can’t attend in person— no audience permitted — but read a preview article here, and log in here at concert time.
Other highlights include soprano Martina Janková on WCLV’s Lunchtime with the Cleveland Orchestra, a live performance of Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw (see yesterday’s Diary), a semi-staged OperaVision performance of Bernstein’s Candide from Britain’s 2018 Grange Festival, a panel discussion with prominent musicians of color sponsored by Harlem Chamber Players, a full archived performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel from Lincoln Center, Thomas Adès’s The Exterminating Angel from the MET opera’s HD archive, and a late-night performance from San Francisco’s Old First Concerts featuring more than 60 works by women from the 18th century to the present. Details in our Concert Listings.
Episode 8 of The Cleveland’s Orchestra’s On a Personal Note podcasts is now available. Flutist Jessica Sindell, a native Clevelander, talks about “her time with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, landing her dream job and the relentless pursuit of imperfection.” Listen to “A Musician’s Journey, Part 2” here.
ARTICLES AND VIDEOS OF NOTE:
New York Philharmonic principal clarinet Anthony McGill posts on Facebook, “A month ago we decided to record Lift Every Voice and Sing to inspire young black musicians who don’t often see representation of themselves in orchestral music. Instead, here we are again mourning senseless loss of lives and fighting for justice. This recording is for every protester, every freedom fighter, everyone who needs to be lifted up, and to honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the numerous others whose lives have been stolen by police violence.” He joins Demarre McGill, Titus Underwood, Anthony Parnther, Marlène Ngalissamy, and Adedeji Ogunfolu in performing the anthem here.
The West Point Band contributes to the ongoing discussion about COVID-19 risk mitigation for large groups of musicians. Read the article here. An article in England’s Church Times addresses the issue from a choral viewpoint. Read that opinion piece here.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
On this date in 1939, Dutch avant-garde composer Louis Andriessen was born in Utrecht. One of his fascinating works, Workers Union (1975), is scored “for any loud-sounding group of instruments,” and has been performed locally by the Kent State New Music Ensemble under Frank Wiley. Here’s a performance by the California EAR Unit.
And on June 5, 1941, Argentine pianist Martha Argerich was born in Buenos Aires. Watch a video, The Alchemy of Discovery, where she teams up with Cleveland Institute of Music professor Sergei Babayan for duo piano works. Many will remember her concert with Babayan at Severance Hall on October 30 of 2017. No video of that concert to offer, but one attendee captured part of the extended ovation (with many floral bouquets) at the end.