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DIARY: Thursday, February 2, 2023

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by Jarrett Hoffman

IN THIS EDITION:

•Tonight: Apollo’s Fire, Verona Quartet, Cleveland Orchestra, No Exit with Zeitgeist, and a TMA Black History Month concert

•News: Applications for EMA’s Emerging Artists Showcase, and the latest from Canton Symphony’s Orchestrating Change

•Almanac: Kreisler & Heifetz, Oppens & Harrison, and Palestrina

HAPPENING TODAY:

Five concerts fill the schedule tonight. You can choose between two events in Akron (Apollo’s Fire in a chamber program titled “Muse of Fire,” and a Tuesday Musical Association concert celebrating Black History Month), one in Oberlin (the Verona Quartet), and two in Cleveland (The Cleveland Orchestra, and the combination of No Exit and St. Paul-based Zeitgeist). Pictured above: pianist Damien Sneed, who is part of the TMA program.

Read our previews of the Apollo’s Fire and No Exit concerts at those links, and find all the details you need in our Concert Listings.

[Read more…]

2021: A roundup of recordings

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As a guide to gift-giving (and don’t we all need a little help!), enjoy a chronological look over the CD reviews our correspondents have written over the last twelve months — plus a look ahead at some reviews to come in early 2022.

Note that many of these recordings are available as downloads rather than physical discs. And while streaming platforms are invaluable resources, it’s important to remember that payments received by the artists are generally small (and ridiculously confusing to calculate in some cases!)

Finally, don’t forget to make an end-of-year gift to your favorite local performing organization to support our musicians. Happy holidays!

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CD Review: Fantasy — Oppens plays Kaminsky

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by Cait Winston

The 2021 album Fantasy is the culmination of more than a decade of professional collaboration and friendship between composer Laura Kaminsky and pianist Ursula Oppens. In Fantasy, Kaminsky invites reflection on the current social and political landscape through an impressive variety of genres.The throughline is Kaminsky’s exciting sense of rhythm and expressive harmonic language, perfectly executed by Oppens, a master of new music.  

Fantasy begins with a piano quintet in which Oppens is joined by the Cassatt String Quartet. The first movement, “Anthem,” is driven forward by rhythmic material inspired by the West African drumming patterns that Kaminisky studied during her time in Ghana. In “Anthem,” musical motives are layered on top of one another, creating a thrillingly complex rhythmic world. By contrast, the harmonies remain expansive and largely consonant.  [Read more…]

Pianist Ursula Oppens with Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble (Apr. 6)

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by Mike Telin

Oppens-UrsulaWorks that combine electronic and live acoustic instruments have come a long way since Donald Erb’s Reconnaissance was premiered in 1967. The musical elements are integrated in Erb’s groundbreaking score, but the results come across like a first date. On Friday, April 6 in Warner Concert Hall, legendary pianist Ursula Oppens joined the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, under the direction of Timothy Weiss, in a mesmerizing performance of Jonathan Harvey’s Bird Concerto with Pianosong (2001). During the colorful 30-minute work, Harvey masterfully merges the technological with the acoustic, and here the result is a love affair. [Read more…]

Ursula Oppens to perform Harvey’s Bird Concerto with Oberlin CME

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by Mike Telin

Oppens-UrsulaThe music of birds has served as inspiration for composers since the beginning of time. In 2016, Classical-music.com, the official website of BBC Music Magazine, honored their 50,000 Twitter followers by naming the six best compositions inspired by birdsong. The list included Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, Respighi’s Gli uccelli (The Birds), Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, Elgar’s Owls, and Messiaen’s Le merle noir (The blackbird). Also on that list is Jonathan Harvey’s Bird Concerto with Pianosong.

On Friday, April 6 at 8:00 pm in Warner Concert Hall, pianist Ursula Oppens will join the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble for a performance of Harvey’s colorful work which features the sounds of 40 Californian birds, including the indigo bunting, orchard oriole, and the golden crowned sparrow. Under the direction of Timothy Weiss, the program also includes Christopher Stark’s True North, Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint, Jesse Jones’ Snippet Variations, and Lee Hyla’s Polish Folk Songs. The concert will be streamed here. Oppens will also present a master class on Wednesday, April 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Conservatory’s Bibbins Hall, room 224. Both events are free.  [Read more…]

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