Category Archives: KMFA on the road

A Russian feast – Barbara Nissman’s visit to the Austin Symphony

 ~posted by Dianne Donovan, KMFA weekday announcer

Sometimes my ears crave something special. On Saturday the Austin Symphony Orchestra served up a feast for the ears, that featured music by Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich.

The program began with a marvelous appetizer, namely, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s gorgeous “Vocalise,” just the piece to awaken the palate before the more dramatic fare on the menu.

The guest soloist with the ASO for this performance was Barbara Nissman, billed as “…one of the last pianists in the grand romantic tradition of Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Rubinstein.” The piece was Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor…a real “knuckle-buster.” When I think of this piece, I am reminded of the old story about how Michelangelo created his statue of David: “I just cut out all the parts that didn’t look like David.” I had the sense that Rachmaninoff started with black manuscript and simply erased all the parts that didn’t sound like a piano concerto (at least with regard to the piano part). Ms. Nissman gave a commanding performance.

The pièce de resistance for me was the performance of the Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.47, by Dmitri Shostakovich. I have to say that this piece has been a favorite of mine for decades. A composer of the Soviet era, Shostakovich was under fierce scrutiny when he wrote this piece (or any other, for that manner), and that harsh reality is reflected throughout the work. Under the direction of Maestro Peter Bay, the ASO deftly caught the sudden shifting moods, with great attention to dynamics. I thought I saw the audience leaning forward and back, sympathetically, as the orchestra told Shostakovich’s compelling story.

As is often the case with such soirées, everyone in attendance (on stage and off) left the table a little bit slower, smiling and reflecting on the feast and the fine presentation. Kudos to Maestro Bay and the ASO!

Dianne Donovan is KMFA’s midday announcer and host/producer of Classical Austin. If you missed the recent Classical Austin episode (Feb. 24th) featuring Maestro Peter Bay’s insights on this event, you can listen to it again on our website by clicking here.

Classical Crossovers, Part 1 : The Beatles… Classically!

~ posted by Alison @ KMFA  🙂

Last week, a bunch of us had the opportunity to attend The Eggmen performance  (“with full orchestra”) at the Paramount Theater. It was a BLAST! If you have not yet heard of The Eggmen, they are a Beatles tribute band, winning “Best Cover Band” from the Austin Chronicle readers’ poll for the past 5 years.

This particular concert was a special benefit for the McCallum Fine Arts Academy Orchestra, and the McCallum Chamber Orchestra actually performed with them during their second set. The Beatles used a lot of orchestral music in the recordings of their later compositions, and the McCallum kids really stepped up and did a great job… and looked like they were having a great time, too!

Let me tell you, the singing, the music, the wardrobes…it was just like being at a real live Beatles concert! (Without the screaming girls fainting in the front row, that is.) They sang their first set with songs from the early years, wearing trim black suits and sporting Liverpool accents. For the second set, they changed into groovier psychedelic clothes from their later years, awash with color, including bell-bottom pants, peasant shirts and authentic instruments from the 1970s; there was a great light show in the background, and the whole thing looked like a Peter Max painting come to life!

 I’m pleased to report that they played at least 20 of my favorite Beatles songs.  😉  The highlight for me was the sing-along portions of Yellow Submarine and Hey, Jude. By the end of the concert we were just that giddy!

Speaking of McCallum, the opening act was a short set by The Apple Trio. They are McCallum students who have their own extracurricular trio, and they performed their own compositions which really were impressive.

All in all, it was a great concert, and three hours flew like minutes, it was so much fun. There were even fellow audience members dancing in the aisles! Bravo to The Paramount for hosting this event, and to the McCallum Orchestra fund-raising team, and to The Eggmen, and to the wonderfully talented students of the McCallum Chamber Orchestra.  I can’t wait for next year!  🙂

Anne Akiko Meyers and Anton Nel perform together at UT

KMFA is out and about on the Austin classical-music scene…. this particular event was the recital with Anne Akiko Meyers and Anton Nel, last Sunday, Feb. 7, presented by The Jessen Series of Faculty Artists — The University of Texas at Austin, Butler School of Music — at the Bates Recital Hall

(posted by Dianne Donovan, KMFA host and producer of KMFA’s Classical Austin)

It was a much anticipated event: violinist Anne Akiko Meyers’ first recital here since joining the faculty of the Butler School of Music at UT. She performed with piano-great Anton Nel (also part of the Butler Music School faculty).

In a varied and somewhat daring program that included Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 (The Spring),  sandwiched between pieces by Alfred Schnittke (Suite in the Old Style and Stille Nacht) in the first half of the program, and a new work for electronics and violin by Jakub Ciupinski in the second half. Ms. Meyers proved why she has earned the title of “trailblazing violinist.” She is comfortable in many styles and sonic textures and is always reaching and growing. To cap the afternoon we were treated to lovely readings of the American standards, Autumn in New York (Vernon Duke) and Summertime (George Gershwin) — the former uncannily reminiscent of that hero fiddler of the Hot Club of France, Stéphane Grappelli.

The pairing with pianist Anton Nel was brilliant. They have a beautiful rapport.  I was reminded of how lucky we all are to have such great artists right here in Central Texas. We’ll look forward to this pairing again soon!

~ posted by Dianne Donovan, KMFA host and producer  🙂

Everything Old is New Again

(photo credit: Jim Garrison took this spectacular shot from the balcony view at St. Mary Cathedral.)

 

~ submitted by Sara Hessel, KMFA Music Director 

A fine crowd gathered in St. Mary Cathedral on Friday, January 29 to hear ‘Harmonia Ariosa: Vocal and Instrumental Music from 17th century Austria and Italy,’ performed by Laurie Young Stevens and Friends and presented by Texas Early Music Project. Violinist Laurie Young Stevens is one of Austin’s premier period-instrument performers, and LYS & Friends has become a yearly concert event. If I had friends like Laurie’s, I’d want to show them off, too!

Internationally acclaimed Argentinean violinist Manfredo Kraemer joined in for the first time. He has performed with exceptional early music ensembles like Musica Antiqua Köln and Jordi Savall’s Concert de Nations, and can be heard on countless CDs. What a joy and a pleasure it was to hear him perform works like Schmelzer’s Harmonia a 5 and Biber’s Partita III.

Cellist Phoebe Carrai has become an LYS & Friends regular, and I always look forward to her amazing performances. A highlight this time was a moving canzona by Frescobaldi, in which she made her 17th century cello ring with marvelous sonorities.

Another Friend we’re always glad to see return is recorder virtuoso Paul Leenhouts from the Netherlands. He blew us away (literally!) with his amazing technique, fleet fingers and seemingly boundless lung capacity! The audience loved his performance of Canzone Sesta by Angelo Berardi, judging by the ensuing applause and cheers! Paul also arranged the pieces on the program, and included 3 pieces that he discovered in various libraries and archives around Europe, works never before heard on US soil. It’s amazing to think of ‘new’ early music- pieces that may not have been heard since their first performance (if at all). One of Paul’s finds, Paduana and Gagliarda V by Isaac Posch, was a highlight for me, being exceptionally lovely with just the right amount of Germanic melancholy. My other favorite piece on the program was Georg Muffat’s Passacaglia (sometimes called Chaconne) from Sonata V, a work of absolute soaring beauty that will cure any bout of the blues. You’ll hear it in rotation on KMFA, which I consider a public service.  🙂

Harpsichordist/organist Gabriel Shuford was kept busy all evening playing continuo, but he also had his chance to shine in a solo toccata by Frescobaldi. Frescobaldi was nice enough to warn potential players in the manuscript: “you won’t get to the end without suffering.” But Gabriel didn’t even seem to break a sweat as he wowed the audience with this aural thrill ride, full of bizarre chromatics.

Completing the group of friends were violinist Kathleen Kajioka from Toronto, violist Andrew Justice from Denton, contrabassist David Dawson from Austin, and superlative soprano Jenifer Thyssen, well known to early music fans here in Central Texas.

Keep bringing your friends to town, Laurie! I’m sure I’m not the only one already looking forward to next year’s performance!

(submitted by Sara Hessel, KMFA Music Director )

(Dianne Donovan took this photo of the beautiful church stage)

Dianne Donovan cooks up some jazz

Dianne Donovan, Mady Kaye, and Beth Ullman are The Beat Divas.

As diverse as classical music is,  our KMFA announcers and hosts are also known for their expertise in other musical genres. Our mid-day host, Dianne Donovan, is also a famous for her jazz singing! She is one-third of a group called The Beat Divas, and in addition to preforming at local jazz venues, they also teach a cooking class at Central Market. This class, “Dishin’ up the Divas,” was recently featured in the Austin American Statesman. Click on the thumbnail image below to read the whole article, complete with recipe!

~posted by Alison at KMFA  🙂

TCC gives us our our “Choir Fix” for the season

(photos by R. Sweeney)

Last weekend we enjoyed our Christmas choir “fix” for the season: several of us attended the Texas Choral Consort annual Christmas event,  this year titled: Winter on the Wing.   

KMFA’s daytime announcer, Dianne Donovan, introduced the event on Friday evening, and our very own Phil Pollack (Technical Operations Manager) was one of the performing tenors. There were lots of familiar faces in the crowd (I went to the Sunday performance) and I recognized several friends and members of KMFA.  

As usual, there was a diverse sampling of musical treats, ranging from an early-music German piece by Buxtehude, to a contemporary piece by jazz musician Vince Guaraldi. The Director, Brent Baldwin, even participated in an early Spanish piece, “Riu, Riu, Chiu”… sample some short videos below… fun!).  

For a choral layman like me, it’s always entertaining to enjoy the relatively obscure alongside the comfortably familiar.  🙂  

~ submitted by Alison @ KMFA  🙂

  

At the Opera: ALO’s La Boheme!

 (submitted by Doug Shands, producer of KMFA’s Windsounds)
My friend Bruce and I attended the Friday performance of Austin Lyric Opera’s production of Puccini’s La Boheme. The performance was excellent, and the staging was perfect for the story! The singers portrayed their respective roles in a believable and appropriate manner.

 

La Boheme is an opera wonderfully suited for a neophyte’s first opera. The Austin cast was humorous when called for and sad when necessary. Mimi’s death scene at the conclusion was touching, without being maudlin. The sets were great! They gave the feel of 19th century Paris and in some cases were truly works of art. In my opinion, La Boheme set a high standard for future Austin Lyric Opera productions!

~ Doug Shands

The Bach Cantata Project at the Blanton Museum

 

(posted by Cara Kannen, KMFA’s Membership Director)

 “I’m BACH!”  😉

Let me first take the opportunity to express how overjoyed I am to be back at KMFA. Besides the wonderful people here, and non-stop immersion in beautiful music, one of the things I missed most during my time away from the station was attending the Bach Cantata Project performances at the Blanton.

For those who have never been, the Bach Cantata Project is a joint venture between the choral department of the UT Butler School of Music and the Blanton Museum of Art. Each month, students and faculty present a beautiful Bach cantata in the Blanton’s atrium. Afterward, a Blanton tour guide hosts a special viewing and history of a featured piece of artwork chosen to tie closely to the theme of the cantata.

The first time I heard a Bach Cantata performed in the atrium, I marveled at how surprisingly pleasing the acoustics were and how beautifully the space, with its soaring ceiling and skylights, set a tone of peaceful contemplation. Another relatively recent enhancement in the atrium, installed around the first of the year, is a site-specific work in cast acrylic titled Stacked Waters. The reflective striped-blue patterns around the atrium walls resemble water and lend an additional element of peacefulness to the venue.

The theme of October’s cantata was based on a communion hymn, composed by Bach for performance in 1724. Whether thoughts of observing communion or celebrating God’s wedding feast filled your mind, the warmth of the music certainly fed the soul at the noon hour.

I encourage you to mark your calendar for the next Bach Cantata Project on Tuesday, November 24th. Museum admission covers both the music performance and the galleries and tours after. The performance begins at noon and is the perfect escape over the lunch hour for a refreshing change. But do plan to go a little early, as the seats fill up fast. Bach Cantata project performances take place the last Tuesday of every month (except December) from September through April. Maybe I will see you there….I’m the one in the “standing room only” section dancing next to the KMFA banner!

Cheers!

~ Cara

My First Firebird

Ballet Season Opener 016The atmosphere at the Long Center on Sunday of the Ballet Austin’s season opener was calm and serene, probably a stark contrast to the people down the road at Zilker Park braving the mud at ACL Fest. 

The make up of crowd was surprising. There were dozens of small children, especially little girls dressed up in tutus, carrying feather fans and signed pointe shoes bought at the colorful swag tables.

The performance started with the second act of Swan Lake. It was traditionally staged and performed, beautiful as it always is.

Ballet Season Opener 010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I however was more interested in seeing the Firebird. It was my first time seeing the Firebird actually performed as a ballet, and being a BIG Stravinsky fan I was excited. I was so thrilled with the performance, it was truly worthy of it’s composer. The choreography, stage effects and costumes were colorful and moody which perfectly reflected the complex and sometimes quirky nature of Stravinsky and his music. The costumes were fantastic and had a wide range of styles from the traditional red tutu of the Firebird to Kastchei the Immortal looking like he just left the set of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

 Ballet Season Opener 012

Ballet Season Opener 015

Artistic Director Stephen Mills answers audience questions

Afterward, choreographer Steven Mills held a question-and-answer session with the audience. He spoke briefly about the history of the Ballets Russes and the history of the Swan Lake and Firebird, then opened the floor to questions. It was an absolutley delightful afternoon and I can’t wait for Ballet Austin’s next production!

~Sarah Addison, Membership Associate

The Dynamic Duo is Aptly Named

ONE DYNAMIC DUO – Bates Rectal Hall October 7th, 2009-Butler School of Music –  University of Texas-Austin

Bion Tsang (cellist) and Anton Nel (pianist)

Anton Nel and Bion Tsang

Whether it was the gorgeous chordal surprises of Barber, the playful and percussive folk melodies of  Prokofiev or the lyrical sounds of Grieg, this dynamic duo executed this challenging program with ease and artistry.  Tsang and Nel had a communication that seemed mostly telepathic.

When the audience, on their feet, refused to leave Bates Recital Hall, it was rewarded with a couple of crowd-pleasers as encores — “The Swan” by Saint-Saens, and a Hungarian Dance by Brahms.

It is always a treat to hear two such superlative artists perform together.

 

~ Dianne Donovan, KMFA anouncer, host, and producer of Classical Austin, airing Sundays at 7pm.

 

Sonata, Op. 6, for Cello and Piano by Samuel Barber

Sonata in C, op. 119,  for Cello and Piano by Sergei Prokofiev

Sonata in A minor, Op. 36, for Cello an Piano By Edvard Grieg