A New Video from the New Century Saxophone Quartet

Just out: A video of the New Century Saxophone Quartet performing "O Northern Star," by the quartet's tenor saxophonist, Stephen Pollock.

New BesenArts Newsletter: Conference Issue - Horszowski Trio CD Release Party During CMA Conference

I have just posted a newsletter in advance of the APAP and Chamber Music America conferences. The newsletter also announces the Horszowski Trio's CD release party, which takes place during the CMA conference, on Saturday, January 17 at 6:45 PM at the Klavierhaus Recital Hall in New York City. I hope you can come!

You can read the newsletter here.

There is also a new entry in The Life Suburban. It involves sharp teeth.

New BesenArts Newsletter: 2015-2016 Repertory for the Voxare String Quartet, Peabody Trio, Atlantic Brass Quintet, New Century Saxophone Quartet, and guitarist William Kanengiser

I have just posted a newsletter announcing the 2015-2016 programs for the Voxare String Quartet, Peabody Trio, Atlantic Brass Quintet, New Century Saxophone Quartet, and guitarist William Kanengiser

In addition to announcing programs, there are links to featured new recordings (video and audio) you may stream through the BesenArts website.

You can read the newsletter here.

There are also new entries in the Hoboken Diary and The Life Suburban.

New BesenArts Newsletter: 2015-2016 Repertory for the Alexander String Quartet, Daedalus Quartet, Miami String Quartet, and Horszowski Trio

I have just posted a newsletter announcing the 2015-2016 programs for the Alexander String Quartet, Daedalus Quartet, Miami String Quartet, and Horszowski Trio. (More will follow on the rest soon!)

In addition to announcing programs, there are links to featured new recordings (video and audio) you may stream through the BesenArts website.

You can read the newsletter here.

New Entries in the Hoboken Diary and The Life Suburban

The Hoboken Diary returns. I may not live there any more, but that doesn't seem to have made the politics become boring. At least for me. I write here about the removal of the executive director of the Hoboken Housing Authority. Sounds dull - but there were fireworks, and no doubt more to come. The entry is titled, "We Can, We Will, Watch Us Get Canned."

It's supposed to be dull in the suburbs. But now and then things fall from the sky. Read all about it - and the follow up. The first entry is called "Find Anything?" Then continue to "Found!"

The Life Suburban

I am pleased to introduce "THE LIFE SUBURBAN," a new blog comprising reflections on life in Tenafly, New Jersey.

My first entry explores alternative methods of lawn care.

Word Play: Portmanteau Word – Mornternoon

Word Play is an occasional feature on the BesenArts news blog exploring clever figures of speech, literary devices, etc. Our first entry comes courtesy of Ira Lehn of the Friends of Chamber Music in Stockton, California.

Portmanteau Word: A literary device in which two (or more) words are blended into one. The term was invented by Lewis Carroll, and used with devastating cleverness in his Alice books. Think “chortle,” as in “chuckle” and “snort,” introduced in “Through the Looking Glass.”

Today’s example is “mornternoon,” which appeared in an e-mail I received yesterday from Ira Lehn of the Friends of Chamber Music in Stockton, California. His e-mail began, “Good mortnernoon Robert.” In a subsequent e-mail, he wrote, “I began my note to you and I got to ‘mor’ and realized it was not morning where you are, so I finished it off to take care of both East and West.”

I think Ira’s usage is not so much Lewis Carroll as James Joyce. A personal favorite from Finnegans Wake is “sinduced” from “sinned” and “seduced,” but this should not be taken as indicative of anything about my good friend Ira. Either way, unquestionably brilliant.

The Alexander String Quartet will lead off the 2014-2015 season for the Friends on September 21, playing Mozart’s K. 590, Kodály’s Quartet No. 2, and Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 2. The Horszowski Trio will perform for the series on November 16 – Beethoven’s “Ghost,” Joan Tower’s “For Daniel,” and Schumann’s Trio No. 2.

https://www.facebook.com/chambermusicfriends

http://www.chambermusicfriends.org/

Why I Do What I Do (Mendelssohn: Quartet, Op. 80)

Mendelssohn: String Quartet, Op. 80

Miami String Quartet

McGill International String Quartet Academy

This entry will be the first of an occasional feature exploring my, or others', connection with music.

Yesterday, I received from the Miami String Quartet's violist, Scott Lee, some YouTube links to the Miami's performances of Mendelssohn's Op. 80 quartet, and Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 9. I decided to do a little listening when my 8-year-old reported home from school, and we listened together to the first movement of the Mendelssohn.

Miami String Quartet

Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80

I. Allegro vivace assai

McGill International String Quartet Academy, August 13, 2013

I enjoyed my son taking it in. At 3:35 in the Miami performance - which is m. 143 if you care to look up the score - he said, "It's like floating in the air."

This passage is very dramatic. The first violin, at first in double-stopped octaves, rising from A above the treble clef up to G-flat, and then lofting up to a long-held high B-flat. The other three players are all low in the ranges of their instruments.

It is the "retransition," that point in sonata form that is the end of the development section, just before the start of the recapitulation. In fact, Mendelssohn doesn't make the demarcation between development and recapitulation in the least bit clear - to my ears, the retransition bridges the end of the development and beginning of the recapitulation - which only adds to the feeling of floating.

It is a remarkable bit of music. Anyone who thinks Mendelssohn's approach to be square need only look here to disabuse themselves of that notion.

Thank you, Felix.

And let's not forget to thank the music makers. Thank you Benny, Cathy, Scott, and Robby.

Miami String Quartet

We also must not forget to thank the presenter of this performance, André Roy, General & Artistic Director of the McGill International String Quartet Academy. The concert took place on August 13, 2013.

McGill International String Quartet Academy

Here's the rest of the quartet:

Miami String Quartet

Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80

II. Allegro assai

McGill International String Quartet Academy, August 13, 2013

Miami String Quartet

Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80

III. Adagio

McGill International String Quartet Academy, August 13, 2013

Miami String Quartet

Mendelssohn: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80

IV. Finale: Allegro molto

McGill International String Quartet Academy, August 13, 2013

Enjoy!

Hailed by The New York Times, Pianist Joyce Yang & Alexander String Quartet Offer Collaboration

I am delighted to announce an exciting touring collaboration by the Alexander String Quartet and the extraordinary pianist Joyce Yang (courtesy of Arts Management Group).

Alongside her burgeoning career as a soloist and concerto performer, the pianist Joyce Yang has also demonstrated impressive gifts as a chamber musician. Here she joins the excellent Alexander String Quartet for passionate, soulful readings of two pinnacles of the chamber repertory.
THE NEW YORK TIMES (Vivien Schweitzer) – April 9, 2014

Ms. Yang was Van Cliburn Silver Medalist at age 19 in 2005 (also winning the competition's Steven De Groote Memorial Award for Best Performance of Chamber Music); Avery Fisher Career Grant winner in 2010; has been soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Houston Symphony, and BBC Philharmonic; has performed with Edo de Waart, Lorin Maazel, James Conlon, Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Bramwell Tovey, and Jaap van Zweden; and been heard in recital at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum, the Kennedy Center, Chicago's Symphony Hall, and Zurich's Tonhalle.

Photo: Shirley Singer

Ms. Yang and the Alexander were introduced to each other by a mutual friend and patron, performing a concert in his home. This has led to the five recording the Brahms and Schumann quintets together for the FoghornClassics label, and now this first opportunity for them to be engaged for concerts on tour.

My thanks to Ms. Yang's agent, Bill Capone of Arts Management Group, for his cooperation in this exciting project. BesenArts will be handling all scheduling with interested presenters.

Here is repertory for the project. In subsequent links I will 

Alexander String Quartet & Joyce Yang

2015-2016 Repertory

The Alexander and Ms. Yang will offer two programs in 2015-2016, each with options.

You can download this information here:

ALEXANDER-YANG REPERTORY

PROGRAM #1

PIANO QUINTETS

For this program, presenters are invited to choose two from among the Schumann, Brahms, and Dvořák quintets. Planning is underway now to commission a new quintet for the Alexander and Ms. Yang, to be given its premiere tour in 2015-2016. More information on this project is expected soon.

FAVORITE PIANO QUINTETS (chose any TWO)

Schumann   Quintet for Piano & Strings in E-flat major, Op. 44

Brahms       Quintet for Piano & Strings in F minor, Op. 34

Dvořák       Quintet for Piano & Strings in A major, Op. 81

NEW WORK FOR PIANO QUINTET

Further news soon!

PROGRAM #2

SOLO PIANO, STRING QUARTET, PIANO QUINTET

For this program, presenters have the option to choose one from among three piano quintets, one from among two string quartets, and one from among two sets of works for solo piano.

SOLO PIANO (choose Option A or B)

Option A    Albéniz: Iberia (selections)

                  Ginastera: Danzas Argentinas

Option B    Rachmaninoff (transcribed by Earl Wild):

                       Dreams, Little Island, Vocalise

                  Rachmaninoff: Etudes Tableaux (selections)

STRING QUARTET (choose Option A or B)

Option A     Bartók: String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85

Option B     Kodály: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10

PIANO QUINTET (choose Option A, B, or C)

Option A     Schumann: Quintet for Piano & Strings in E-flat major, Op. 44

Option B     Brahms: Quintet for Piano & Strings in F minor, Op. 34

Option C     Dvořák: Quintet for Piano & Strings in A major, Op. 81

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