Classical Music
Yesterday I guest-conducted the Jewish Community Singers of Metro Chicago, a terrific volunteer civic group of about 70 singers called (in Hebrew) Kol Zimrah. I was brought in to lead KZ for a half-dozen weekly rehearsals and then the final concert, performed at the lovely Weinberg center at the corner of Lake Cook Road and I-294. The house was packed, with people overflowing to the patio outside, which fortunately had been supplied with speakers from the audio system that was carrying us on microphones.
The program lasted about an hour. Would you believe that there was a connection between one of the songs and my own grandmother? Oy! As it turned out, the program contained a "niggun" in Yiddish. A "niggun" [plural "niggunim"] is a wordless tune, which in this case sounded like "tschiribim-bam-bam," and so on. This particular niggun was arranged by Alice Parker, who was Robert Shaw's longtime collaborator, and a brilliant arranger in her own right.
However, more interesting to me was the composer of the original tune, Lazar Weiner. I learned from a friend that Lazar Weiner, who wore many hats in the NYC Jewish-music scene a hundred or so years ago, was the music director of the Freyheyt Gezang Vereyn (Freedom-Song Union), basically the choral-music arm of the Communist Party in New York City in the 1920s. Here is a picture of Weiner conducting.
And who sang with Lazar Weiner in the Freyheyt Gezang Vereyn? None other than my father's mother, Lillian Cohen, born Leah Krikun in Minsk, what is now Belarus. Now THAT is a small world!
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Cedille Records has just released a new recording with pianist Jorge Federico Osorio. His previous Cedille recordings, Piano Espanol (of Spanish repertoire) and Mexican Piano Music by Manuel M. Ponce, touched on his Mexican heritage AND on his "considerable imagination for subtle timbres and vivid characterization" (The New York Times). It was this latter characteristic that made me welcome Osorio's desire to record Debussy's Preludes Books I & II, containing some of the most colorful piano writing of all time.
As I recounted in my second post on this site, however, I knew that no matter how good his interpretations were, it would be difficult to generate interest in yet another recording of the Debussy Preludes. So I suggested we should add repertory that reflected on the Debussy in a unique way and give people extra value by charging for the two-disc program at our regular, single-disc price.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 07/03/2007 - 10:41am.
This week's blog comes to us courtesy of Jean Cook and Justin Jouvenal, and is a continuation of last week's posting Think Digitally, Broadcast Globally. They work with the Future of Music Coalition, an education, research and advocacy nonprofit focused on the intersection of independent music, technology, and policy.
Though interest in podcasts and Internet radio is growing exponentially, these formats have a long way to go before they 
supplant old-fashioned terrestrial radio. Traditional radios are ubiquitous, everyone knows how to use them, and we all grew up listening to them.
More than 275 million Americans listen to radio, and, according to a recent report by the Knight Foundation, radio is the most popular way for classical music consumers to hear the music. Until now, getting on the radio required building a strong relationship with your local station or being a major symphony orchestra or opera company with an NPR deal. But this year, it could also involve owning and programming a radio station in your hometown.
This October, for the first time in more than a decade (and probably for the last time ever), the FCC is giving nonprofits licenses to create and operate new radio stations. In a few years, we'll hear niche music on the radio again, on stations built by a handful of nonprofit organizations. Will yours be one of them?
Owning a radio station can give you the opportunity to bring your programming to an even broader audience, furthering your mission and bringing about many new fundraising opportunities. In Albany, one presenter is already creating synergy between live performances and radio. The WAMC Performing Arts Studio (PAS) brings a variety of music, dance, theater, and film to live audiences in and around Albany, New York, and is operated by WAMC, Northeast Public Radio, which promotes and broadcasts these performances. Recent performers to live audiences in Albany and listeners in the greater Hudson Valley region include jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, reedman David "Fathead" Newman, and gothic cello quartet Rasputina. The PAS also serves as a community hub, with locals attending daytime events such as town meetings, lectures, children's programs, and Sunday matinees. The PAS hosts a youth media project for high-needs urban and rural high schools in the New York Capital District Area and arts-in-education projects with neighborhood elementary schools.
Interested in learning more? Any nonprofit can apply for a radio station. Though the opportunity is limited to smaller metropolitan and rural areas, there are some great opportunities in places like Buffalo NY, Phoenix AZ, Minneapolis MN, Milwaukee WI, Las Vegas NV, Alberquerque NM, Baton Rouge LA, Richmond VA, Huntsville AL, Flint MI, and Canton OH. To find out if you're in one of the 2,500+ qualifying zip codes, visit GetRadio!.
For more about how to apply for a license, check out the Future of Music Coalition fact sheet.
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There is really nothing like commissioning a new piece of music. Late last week I was blessed to find, in my inbox, a PDF of the newest piece we have commissioned for Chicago a cappella. Stacy Garrop, a huge talent, has written her own take on "Hava Nagila," and it is a barn-burner.
I won't give away too many details, but there is a gradual speeding up of tempo, at one point reaching eighth note = 264! (The only time I can remember moving that quickly was last week, when I went on the bobsled ride in Park City, Utah, at the Utah Olympic Park.) There are some semi-improvised sections in some of the voice parts in this piece, while others carry a more conventional momentum.
It is so cool to have someone who knows our voices well -- Stacy Garrop has been coming to hear us regularly for some time now, and we've performed one of her pieces on two of our programs. She knows our strengths and how far she can stretch us. She also knows that we like to have fun.
Stay tuned, and I hope to see you at the "Days of Awe and Rejoicing" concerts in October, three weeks after Yom Kippur!
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Submitted by Jon Weber on Fri, 06/29/2007 - 11:58am.
Every Chicagoan should have access to an in-depth and personally relevant arts education experience. Thankfully, there are a group of organizations who fill that vital role: our community music schools.
They vary in size, in constituency, in mission, and in programs offered. But they share a commitment to encouraging a meaningful and life-changing involvement with music, one student at a time, and catering to the needs of the surrounding community.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 06/27/2007 - 1:52pm.
The next two weeks worth of blogs come to us courtesy of Jean Cook and Justin Jouvenal. They work with the Future of Music Coalition, an education, research and advocacy nonprofit focused on the intersection of independent music, technology, and policy. I met Jean earlier this year at a classical music "Think Tank" and was intrigued by her approach to classical music and media.
"If broadcast radio won't provide the eclectic mix that so many young listeners create on their own iPods, then arts organizations will just have to do it themselves." - Marc Fisher, Washington Post 1/21/07
Just a decade ago, options for hearing chamber music, jazz, and world music on the radio were straightforward and rather limited: a local NPR or Pacifica station spinning Beethoven string quartets or Wynton Marsalis on a dial filled with infinite varieties of commercial pop, country, and talk.
But as with many art forms, the Internet has revolutionized how niche music reaches fans. With recording, podcasting and webcasting becoming cheaper every day, traditional radio broadcasts have morphed into dozens of new forms on the web, and - perhaps most importantly - the line between being a performer and a broadcaster has blurred. This new environment offers new possibilities for reaching new audiences, but it requires a new way of thinking about radio.
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It's programming time. This is the phase of a program's life when I cast a wide net. The aim is to get MORE repertoire at hand than I will actually need for "Days of Awe and Rejoicing," and then I start to plan and winnow and see what will make the most compelling through-line of music. It's a totally different process from rehearsing or performing.
I am jealous sometimes of those conductors who just have to say, "Okay, let's do Brahms 3 and Beethoven 8 and Rach 2 with a great pianist." I suppose I brought it on myself because of the sorts of programming that Chicago a cappella does. Our concerts tend to include about 20 short pieces -- an hour and a half, including intermission.
So finding cool Jewish classical music includes:
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Last week, I printed the president of the Maud Powell Society's thoughts about Rachel Barton Pine's new Cedille Records recording American Virtuosa: Tribute to Maud Powell. Today it's Rachel's turn to discuss her new disc. The following is cross-posted from Rachel's blog on violinist.com. I recommend clicking the link to the original post, which includes comments from readers at the bottom.
I’m frequently asked to name my favorite violinist. It’s virtually impossible — each of us has strengths and weaknesses. I admire certain performances and certain aspects of many players, and I draw inspiration from many violinists past and present. However, the violinist I most admire is definitely Maud Powell.
Despite being an avid researcher of violin music and history, I had never heard of Maud Powell until Karen Shaffer sent me a copy of Maud’s biography in 1995. I was fascinated to read about her remarkable and inspirational life. Reading on planes and in hotel rooms, I learned how she became the greatest American violinist in the late 1800s and early 1900s while also breaking so many social stereotypes: choosing to dedicate her life to her career; leading a string quartet of men; championing music by contemporary composers, American composers, women composers, and Black composers
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Submitted by Jon Weber on Wed, 06/20/2007 - 12:23pm.
Greetings from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra! At long last, I am happy to make my debut in the blogosphere as a new contributor to Chicago Classical Music.
As the Education Manager of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, I am afforded a constant stream of opportunities to be inspired by the music performed at Symphony Center--a haven for the transcendental experiences created by the world's greatest collective of classical musicians and the best guest artists anywhere.
But what gives me the greatest charge of excitement is seeing young people witness--and be captivated by--the expressive capacity demonstrated by our musicians.
Such was the case at the June 5 culminating performance to our Silk Road season.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 06/20/2007 - 11:18am.
Jim Hirsch is on vacation. Today's guest blogger is Chicago Sinfonietta clarinetist Dileep Gangolli.
An emerging genre in classical music - classical crossover - has captured a great deal of attention recently. And for good reason.
The statistics are some of the most compelling in the entire music 
industry according to the respected polling firm A.C. Nielsen.
Classical crossover album sales (yes, consumers still buy CDs!) were up 22.5% while popular genres were down including rap (down 20.7%) and R&B (down 18.4%).
Did someone say classical music is dead?
So what is classical crossover and why am I, a musician in the Chicago Sinfonietta, writing about it here on Jim's blog?
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