Life is good here. As we have passed the mid-point of the program we are in high gear. Three of four shows have already opened, the fourth, "Little Women", opens tonight. I have enjoyed a lull in my activity since we have only started putting the opera scenes program together. Along with that there will also be an evening of chamber music organized by our orchestral players. I have been asked to play in a trio for violin, trumpet and piano by the American composer Eric Ewazen. It is fun to play chamber music again. My colleague Michael and I are also preparing the Schubert Rondo in A Major for piano four-hands, a work I played a few summers ago in Graz. It is wonderful to resurrect it.
I have to admire our two stage directors Linda and Laura, and our artistic director, Tom. The stage director is ultimately responsible for every detail of the production, making sure props are built and painted, lighting is implemented, props are found, costumes are built or procured, not to mention the basic business of moving people around the stage in a meaningful way. Taking care of one production would be a lot, but doing two at the same time is really a big assignment. Likewise with the duties of the artistic director. He conducts all the rehearsals then, for each of the two casts, conducts the Wandelprobe, the tech dress, the dress rehearsal and all the performances. Doing that for one show and one cast would be a lot, but two shows double cast is plenty. Besides that, he also runs the OIO program and takes care of a myriad of details. Believe me, I am not complaining when I don't have enough to do.
I was asked to help out with running super titles. Of course, I agreed. It means following the score carefully and clicking to the next segment on the computer program. Basically a simple (and boring) task, but one that is easy to screw up. The "Little Women" score is particularly complex to follow. As all three main shows have supertitles, it means that a few of us are helping out in this capacity. If I have developed a case of 'tennis elbow' from playing the piano (even though I don't play tennis), I may develop a case of 'mah-jongg index finger' from operating the super titles (I don't play mah-jongg either). It's an occupational hazard, I guess.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Big Cats
I had Saturday morning off and decided to head to the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. It lies about 15 miles to the south of Eureka Springs. The Refuge specializes in rescuing big cats and providing them with a permanent home. They house over 100 animals, mostly tigers, with a few lions, cougars, leopards, and cheetahs in the mix, not to mention two brown bears, one lonely coyote and a forlorn baboon. It is not a zoo per se, but it is designed so that visitors can view these magnificent animals and hopefully provide financial support for the efforts of the Refuge. Just to keep the animals fed they go through 1,000 lbs of meat a day.
There is something deeply sad and disturbing about seeing wild animals robbed of their natural habitat and freedom. But the TCWR does an admirable job of saving the animals from abuse and certain death. Some animals are confined to smaller eclosures near the entrance, but this arrangement is only temporary. On the official tour we got to see the much more expansive areas in the back. The animals live there in rotation to enjoy the more natural setting of grass and trees. In that way many more animals can be accomodated. The staff know their animals by name and are familiar with their personalities. They are obviouly dedicated to the well-being of their charges. It was a hot, humid day. The tour was a long walk in the blazing sun, but it was worth it.
Each confined area has info with the names of the animals and their histories. You could just weep at some of the agonies some of these creatures have been through. It staggers belief that there are people out there so stupid that they think they can keep a tiger or a lion as a pet. It never works out well. Sadly, there are breeders who are making a business out of providing exotic animals to these deluded individuals. Some of the animals endured sickening fates. One leopard was found nearly starved to death because its previous owner had broken off its four canine teeth with pliers. The teeth were infected, the animal was unable to eat. One cringes to imagine the suffering it endured. It got dental care and fillings and is now healthy. Many animals suffer the effects of inter breeding. Another owner, when his tiger was too much to handle, drove to a far off forest preserve and abandoned it there. In a few days the animal was back on his doorstep. (Amazingly, no one had reported seeing a tiger on its journey.) At that point he decided to bring it to the shelter. Smart move, that.
I am both grateful that these animals are looked after in the most humane manner possible and saddened by the treatment they have suffered previously. I am also angered by our spineless politicians who, under pressure of lobbyists, will not outlaw the breeding of exotic animals. In the state of Missouri a referendum was passed last year by the voters to restrict and regulate the breeding of dogs in the state. The conditions these animals are kept in is sickening. Our legislators then proceeded to gut the proposed law entirely, making it worthless. Money talks, and it has no care for the victims of its greed.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Un bon vin rouge
On Saturday evening we had a special event, one that turned out to be beneficial for all. A few friends of the Artistic Director, connected with opera companies elsewhere, breezed into town. Tom decided that a presentation of scenes from our four productions should be done for them and the rest of the assembled multitude here at OIO. All the shows have been blocked, but we just moved into the theater. That meant a new space to work in. Each show is still a work in progress. It was a learning experience for the performers to see where they were at in the process. Some things went well and some didn't. And it was a chance for the rest of us to have a sampling of the shows and cheer everyone else on. This is a very good group of young adults.
Sunday was another day off (hurrah!). As the weather was inclement in the morning I opted not to go hiking in the forest preserve south of here. Instead, I drove to Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas. It lies west and south of here. I initially took the road we had taken last week for our Taste of Opera concert. When descending from these ancient hills the flat landscape is filled with endless commercial strips. It's hideous. Then there is the interstate south -- and that's boring. Fayetteville has a nice historic town center which houses the main campus of the university. I took a different route back, east then north. The last part, directly south of Eureka Springs, is really pretty. I am getting to know this corner of the state. Next week Arkansas celebrates its 175th birthday.
In the evening I went out to dinner with a colleague, one of the stage directors. We splurged on a really nice meal at a local eatery, even downed a bottle of wonderful Bordeaux (I'm usually a one glass per meal guy), so this was really livin' it up! Life is good in the Ozarks.
Sunday was another day off (hurrah!). As the weather was inclement in the morning I opted not to go hiking in the forest preserve south of here. Instead, I drove to Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas. It lies west and south of here. I initially took the road we had taken last week for our Taste of Opera concert. When descending from these ancient hills the flat landscape is filled with endless commercial strips. It's hideous. Then there is the interstate south -- and that's boring. Fayetteville has a nice historic town center which houses the main campus of the university. I took a different route back, east then north. The last part, directly south of Eureka Springs, is really pretty. I am getting to know this corner of the state. Next week Arkansas celebrates its 175th birthday.
In the evening I went out to dinner with a colleague, one of the stage directors. We splurged on a really nice meal at a local eatery, even downed a bottle of wonderful Bordeaux (I'm usually a one glass per meal guy), so this was really livin' it up! Life is good in the Ozarks.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Reflections on Genius
I have been immersing myself in the life and music of W.A. Mozart these past few weeks. Spending hours a day coaching solos and ensembles from "Le nozze di Figaro" (occasionally playing conductor's rehearsals) here at OIO only increases my delight in and admiration for the work. There is no end of detail that reveals the genius of the composer. Brahms wrote this of the opera: "In my opinion each number in Mozart's "Figaro" is a miracle, it is totally beyond me how anyone could create something so perfect; nothing like it was ever done again, not even by Beethoven." If it is beyond Brahms to fathom the genius of the opera, it is certainly beyond us mere mortals!
We all have our favorite parts of "Figaro". The Act II finale, all of ninety pages in the Schirmer score, is a masterpiece of musical architecture and expression. It is matched only by the finale of "Don Giovanni". I especially admire the Andante, 6/8, B flat section. A simple repeated three-note motif meanders through various keys and combinations, takes on a variety of characters to give perfect expression to every nuance of unfolding events and emotions. It is pure genius. And then there is the Act III sextet "Riconosci in questo amplesse" in which the mystery of Figaro's true birth parents is revealed to the stupefication of all. Tua madre? Suo padre? It is at the same time amusing and sublime. Only Mozart could bring that off with such ease.
I have also been exploring the piano concerti chronologically, acquainting myself better, and in context, with the earlier concerti first. Any one of these, even those composed when Mozart was a mere 17 years old, can blow his contemporaries out of the water. Clementi? Hackneyed, boring stuff. Even Haydn wrote no concerti that could even remotely compete with Mozart's output (though Haydn gives Mozart a run for his money in the quartet and symphony departments). Haydn, a kind and generous soul, was once asked to provide an opera buffa for someone in Prague. He basically replied that he could not compete with Mozart, remarking "...how inimitable are Mozart's works, how profound, how musically intelligent, how sensitive...", calling Mozart 'a jewel'.
Lastly, I have been reading Wolfgang Hildesheimer's revealing essays on the composer. He de-constructs the popular mythologies and romanticizations that have encrusted the memory of the composer, digging deep into psychology to debunk many favorite theories. In the end, Mozart is more of a mystery than ever. I am convinced that he had Aspergers Syndrome. The classic symptoms are all there. One can say that Mozart was just passing through this world, leaving us his treasures, disappearing again with hardly a trace. He was a man who rarely revealed himself in his correspondence. There is no portrait that satisfactorily conveys his physical essence. Isn't it fitting that we don't even know where he is buried? Hildesheimer writes: "...on December 6, 1791, when the fragile, burned-out body was lowered into a shabby grave...the mortal remains of an inconceivably great mind were being laid to rest---an unearned gift to humanity, nature's unique, unmatched, and probably unmatchable work of art."
We all have our favorite parts of "Figaro". The Act II finale, all of ninety pages in the Schirmer score, is a masterpiece of musical architecture and expression. It is matched only by the finale of "Don Giovanni". I especially admire the Andante, 6/8, B flat section. A simple repeated three-note motif meanders through various keys and combinations, takes on a variety of characters to give perfect expression to every nuance of unfolding events and emotions. It is pure genius. And then there is the Act III sextet "Riconosci in questo amplesse" in which the mystery of Figaro's true birth parents is revealed to the stupefication of all. Tua madre? Suo padre? It is at the same time amusing and sublime. Only Mozart could bring that off with such ease.
I have also been exploring the piano concerti chronologically, acquainting myself better, and in context, with the earlier concerti first. Any one of these, even those composed when Mozart was a mere 17 years old, can blow his contemporaries out of the water. Clementi? Hackneyed, boring stuff. Even Haydn wrote no concerti that could even remotely compete with Mozart's output (though Haydn gives Mozart a run for his money in the quartet and symphony departments). Haydn, a kind and generous soul, was once asked to provide an opera buffa for someone in Prague. He basically replied that he could not compete with Mozart, remarking "...how inimitable are Mozart's works, how profound, how musically intelligent, how sensitive...", calling Mozart 'a jewel'.
Lastly, I have been reading Wolfgang Hildesheimer's revealing essays on the composer. He de-constructs the popular mythologies and romanticizations that have encrusted the memory of the composer, digging deep into psychology to debunk many favorite theories. In the end, Mozart is more of a mystery than ever. I am convinced that he had Aspergers Syndrome. The classic symptoms are all there. One can say that Mozart was just passing through this world, leaving us his treasures, disappearing again with hardly a trace. He was a man who rarely revealed himself in his correspondence. There is no portrait that satisfactorily conveys his physical essence. Isn't it fitting that we don't even know where he is buried? Hildesheimer writes: "...on December 6, 1791, when the fragile, burned-out body was lowered into a shabby grave...the mortal remains of an inconceivably great mind were being laid to rest---an unearned gift to humanity, nature's unique, unmatched, and probably unmatchable work of art."
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Big Black Dog
We adopted a dog here at OIO. Last week a stray showed up, a long-haired black lab, perhaps two yeas old. He had no collar but seemed to be comfortable around people. We all yearned to pet him but could not because the poor doggie was infested with ticks. Some of the people in the office gave him the tick repellant and then took him to the animal shelter to get shots and have a bath. The ticks fell off and he became our official mascot. First he was called Ticky (for obvious reasons). Other names were suggested, like Wolfgang and Poochini, (operatic inspirations, of course), even Ozark, but just plain Oz seemed to stick. He was a beautiful dog. I say 'was' because he is no longer with us here. A relative of a student drove all the way here from Connecticut to collect Oz and bring him to a new permanent home on the East Coast. It's the best thing -- the animal needs a permanent home. But we all miss him already.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Eurekan Charm
A few shots of the Town of Eureka Springs. The so-called Flat Iron building burned down twice. The current construction is built with materials from its previous incarnations. The town offers many old-style hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns.
Eureka Springs
A few evenings ago I went into Eureka Springs proper to get to know it a bit better. It is less than ten miles away, but since the road is a winding one, it takes a while to get there. No matter -- it is a beautiful drive. ES is built on the side of a mountain, where the ridge we are on splits into two. It has some very steep streets. One might consider Eureka Springs the Lausanne of the Ozarks (or maybe not). Many of the late 19th century buildings remain. The small downtown is quite charming; the surrounding residential area sports many Victorian homes, some in better repair than others. The populace is a mix of New Age neo-hippie types, artists, tourists and Bible-thumping Christians. It seems that they all get along.
BTW, I find it telling that Christians, when they refer to atheists on the internet, invariably use the term 'militant atheists'. In their eyes anyone who dares to raise his voice, however meekly, in opposition to the Christian monolith is deemed a militant. Call me a militant, then. They do not care to be reminded that for millennia anyone who dared question the tyrannical authority of the Church faced persecution, torture and murder. Many suffered unspeakably horrible fates at the hands of 'christians' for challenging the official view that the earth was flat, that the earth was the center of the solar system, etc. One could be cast out of a community for not attending endless hours of church services on Sunday. (Oh, the boredom one had to endure!). The elderly (especially women) were burned at the stake by the hundreds of thousands as witches because they exhibited signs of senility. One senses that the Christians are reacting out of desperation. They had their chance and they lost the game. Science has conquered ignorance, superstition and religion. Misfortune pisses on all alike, the just and the unjust. There will be no Second Coming, no Rapture. The universe will go on its merry way according to its inscrutable laws. Someday people will mature enough to see that religion has nothing to offer but empty promises and illusions.
BTW, I find it telling that Christians, when they refer to atheists on the internet, invariably use the term 'militant atheists'. In their eyes anyone who dares to raise his voice, however meekly, in opposition to the Christian monolith is deemed a militant. Call me a militant, then. They do not care to be reminded that for millennia anyone who dared question the tyrannical authority of the Church faced persecution, torture and murder. Many suffered unspeakably horrible fates at the hands of 'christians' for challenging the official view that the earth was flat, that the earth was the center of the solar system, etc. One could be cast out of a community for not attending endless hours of church services on Sunday. (Oh, the boredom one had to endure!). The elderly (especially women) were burned at the stake by the hundreds of thousands as witches because they exhibited signs of senility. One senses that the Christians are reacting out of desperation. They had their chance and they lost the game. Science has conquered ignorance, superstition and religion. Misfortune pisses on all alike, the just and the unjust. There will be no Second Coming, no Rapture. The universe will go on its merry way according to its inscrutable laws. Someday people will mature enough to see that religion has nothing to offer but empty promises and illusions.
Tempus fugit
I have been here a week now. It feels like a month. The artistic director (may his name be praised) is very considerate and always tries to give the coaches one segment of the day (morning/afternoon/evening) off. That suits me just fine. There were too many times at the Seagle Colony when I worked from early morning until late at night. I don't care to do that anymore. Another major difference with the Schroon Lake program is that here at OIO the four shows are done in repertory. That means that all four are in rehearsal and need to be staged in these first weeks. The logistics of that, balancing the schedules of cast and chorus members as to where they should be and when is, as one might imagine, something of a nightmare -- but they get it all worked out. There are two conductors, two stage directors (each of which take on two shows) two senior coaches (one of whom is moi) and two workhorse pianists who play the rehearsals. I am grateful I don't have to do that either. Hey, I'm liking this set up more and more!
THis evening we do one of several out of town outreach programs, A Taste of Opera. We are taking a quartet of singers to Fayetteville to sing for a dinner event attended by prospective rich donors. (One recalls the ancient Chinese adage: blue hairs bring green bucks.) I have been asked to play for it. We are performing popular opera and musical theater selections. Should be fun. Dinner is included. Later on there will be a Taste of Opera for the people down in Bentonville (= Walmart = even bigger bucks).
THis evening we do one of several out of town outreach programs, A Taste of Opera. We are taking a quartet of singers to Fayetteville to sing for a dinner event attended by prospective rich donors. (One recalls the ancient Chinese adage: blue hairs bring green bucks.) I have been asked to play for it. We are performing popular opera and musical theater selections. Should be fun. Dinner is included. Later on there will be a Taste of Opera for the people down in Bentonville (= Walmart = even bigger bucks).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)