Hudson Sounds

The G&S “Pirates” in Cohoes

Hudson Sounds — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:20 +0000

C-R Productions at the Cohoes Music Hall takes a rare step away from Broadway shows and presents the comic operetta “Pirates of Penzance.”

10 performances, Feb. 8-19
Cohoes Music Hall

QuartetSatz: 4 Movements of Note by Myra Herron

Myra Herron — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:08:00 +0000

Headline: This is the final season for the last remaining founding member of the Tokyo String Quartet, violist Kazuhide Isomura and also for violinist Kikuei Ikeda.

Back Story: The Tokyo String Quartet, newly arrived on the chamber music scene, circa. 1969 performed for Friends of Chamber Music, Troy NY at Kiggins Hall, Emma Willard School. This event may be credited to William Carragan (son of founder, musician and composer, plus faculty member, Martha Beck Carragan) whose instincts for artistic excellence proved fortuitous to the FOCM legacy.

The Distinguished International reputation of thee Tokyo String Quartet has a parallel accomplishment; quartet-in-residence at Yale School of Music since 1976 and Yale Summer School. The impact of their teaching and mentoring has been deemed “transformative.”
On February 5th 2012 at 3 o’clock the Tokyo String Quartet – Martin Beaver, violin, Kikuei Ikeda, violin, Kazuhide Isomura, viola and Clive Greensmith, cello – will perform Rihm, Grieg and Beethoven. Founding member Isomura and fellow retiree Ikeda are both graduates of the Toho Academy and the Juilliard School. This roster of the Tokyo String Quartet will end in June 2013.

Headline: The Juilliard String Quartet inaugurates its 2011-12 and 66th season by naming Joseph Lin as first violin .

Back Story: The Juilliard String Quartet was founded in 1946 by American composer and then President of The Juilliard School, William Schuman and by violinist Robert Mann. Robert Mann retired form the post of first violin in 1997 and was the final founding member to do so.
The JSQ throughout it’s 66 year existence, enduring memorable personnel changes has maintained it’s reign as the ”quintessential American Quartet.” Lauded for many landmark accomplishments including master of standard literature and the first to play the complete Bartok Quartets (1948) in the US , they premiered works of at least 60 American composers.

Headline: The Audubon String Quartet played its final concert on August 8, 2011 at Chautauqua Institution in New York.

The Back Story: Founded in 1974 the Audubon established itself with authority by winning top prizes in these international arenas; International String Competition, Evian France-Festival Villa Lobos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and String Quartet Competion in Portsmouth, England.
This was groundbreaking for an American string quartet – David Ehrlich, violin, Akemi Takayami, violin, Doris Lederer, viola and Clyde Thomas Shaw, cello (and founder). For the next 25 years the Audubon String Quartet held high rank on the chamber music scene. The chronicle of their achievements is well documented, including their extensive and highly regarded discography.

But around 2000, during their residency at Virginia Tech., their famous partnership, in that award wining configuration, began to unravel. The ASQ, internally combusting in full public view, acrimoniously litigated itself almost to extinction. Newly appointed violinist Ellen Jewett, appeared on the roster. Audubon String Quartet moved forward completing a Beethoven cycle, 2009-10, premiering works (Songs From the Edge by E. Sheriff) and producing recordings (Jerome Kern on the Centaur label). The ASQ continued its residency at Shenandoah Conservatory (Winchester Virginia) and performed at Chautauqua Institution until this final date in 2011.

Headline: The Manhattan String Quartet launches it’s 41st season with a new first violinist. Founding member, Eric Lewis has retired. Curtis Macomber joins Calvin Wiersma, violin, John Dexter, viola and Chris Finckel, cello.

Back Story: In 1970 Eric Lewis, violin, and Judith Glyde , cello, formed the Manhattan String Quartet with John Macleod, violin and Andrew Berdahl, viola. They descended from an earlier Manhattan String Quartet (circa 1930) having been anointed by mentor and teacher violinist Rachmael Weinstock. The reputation for the MSQ steadily increased through various personnel changes. At one point a storybook combination of two brothers and two sisters existed. But Rosemary Glyde, viola (1976-78) left for her own pursuits and then, sadly, died in her youth. The distinguished international status they currently enjoy came during the 1980′s with Eric Lewis and brother Roy Lewis (1978), 1st and 2nd violins, respectively, Judith Glyde, cello and John Dexter (1980). This proved to be a formidable foursome. This configuration, among other stellar accomplishments, produced what many believe to be the best recordings of the complete Shostakovich string quartets.

Tokyo String Quartet returns to Troy

Hudson Sounds — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:13 +0000

The Friends of Chamber Music welcome back a favorite, the Tokyo String Quartet. The matinee program features music of Rihm, Grieg and Beethoven.

3 p.m. Sunday, February 5
Emma Willard School, Troy

Brava Sophie! by Myra Herron

Myra Herron — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:17:23 +0000

The single chair on the elegantly proportioned Memorial Chapel stage at Union College heightened the anticipatory excitement already evident as the crowd gathered for a sumptuous dose of J. S. Bach in the form of the profound and enigmatic collection: Six Suites for Cello Solo.

Sophie Shao, in a three and a half hour concert with just two 20-minute intermissions played the whole collection on a pleasantly mild Sunday afternoon in January, with stunning presence of virtuosity and charisma. Such mastery was on display, not for it’s own sake, but to the service of a marvelous glimpse into the interior world of Bach’s musical processes that these suites allow.
Having heard her perform no.4 in E flat at the 2010 Saratoga chamber music festival, I knew she was good for it, and not just for a solid reading but for a performance that showed a style singular to her own insights and creativity. Indeed, as Ms. Shao progressed from suite to suite in her own particular sequence, this was delightfully so.

The declamatory suite no. 3 in C (the native tongue of the cello according to Casals) was followed by the majestic C minor suite. After the first intermission the atrociously difficult Suite no.6 (meant for a five string cello or perhaps the viola pomposa) was strategically positioned seemingly for benefit from the few minutes of respite.This was followed by the quietly introspective D minor which is no. 2 in usual order. The E flat no. 4, for which Ms Shao has quickened my own affection, followed the second break. The G major suite no.1, gleefully awaited by many, was last.

Ms Shao delivered a narratively intriguing peormance that could otherwise have sufficed in straight forward retelling. For added apppeal her cello was made by Honore Derazey (circa 1860) and was once owned by Pablo Casals .

Sometimes one could hear a well thought out construction of phrasing that anchored the listener to basic structure but which then was taken over by a creative flow originating from her own artistic well of perception. This risk taking is the glorious reward of live performance, as one actually witnesses a musical mind in motion. Recorded music rarely, if ever, can reveal this transitory and trecherous journey.

Sophie Shao excelled in this unusual and courageous event while at no time allowing its taxing nature to take precedence over her artitstry. How could she not be threatened at times by its enormity? And yet with beauty and vigor, her artistic vision buoyed her to victory for a triumphant occasion.

Fred Hersch at Williams College

Hudson Sounds — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:25 +0000

He’s best known in the jazz world, as both composer and pianist but Fred Hersch has also written plenty of “concert music,” including an oratorio-like treatment of Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.” Hersch is in residence for the day at Williams College, offering a masterclass at 1 p.m. plus the evening concert.

8 p.m. Friday, February 3
Brook-Rogers Recital Hall, Williams College

Sophie Shao plays Bach

Hudson Sounds — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:12 +0000

And not just any Bach. The complete Unaccompanied Cello Suites. Really. All Six.

3 p.m. Sunday, January 29
Union College Memorial Chapel, Schenectady

Charlie Albright at the Massry Center

Hudson Sounds — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:00:59 +0000

To look at him, you might think young Charlie Albright was just another college student. But when he appears at the College of St. Rose this week, he’ll actually be an Artist in Residence. Along with his Friday evening recital, he’ll also be giving a masterclass.

7:30 p.m. Friday, January 27
Massry Center, College of St. Rose, Albany

All-American hits with the Albany Symphony

Joseph Dalton — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:36 +0000

Sometime in the last few years conductor David Alan Miller has snuck into the ASO season a second extra all-American program. The month of May still features the American Music Festival, but that’s mostly newish works. Saturday’s program is mostly hits, including Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” dances from “West Side Story” and Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Oh yes, there is one more recent work as well, a piano concerto by Michael Daugherty.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 21
Palace Theatre, Albany

Re-imaginging songs of Stephen Sonhdeim with pianist Anthony de Mare

Hudson Sounds — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:00:03 +0000

In honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday year, pianist Anthony de Mare has commissioned more than a dozen composers to write “re-imagingings” of his songs for solo piano. De Mare is already widely known for his expertise with contemporary music and is bring the project, titled “Liasons,” to the Hudson Opera House on Saturday.

8 p.m. Saturday, January 21
Hudson Opera House

Ami and Pascal Rogé in West Shokan

Hudson Sounds — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:28 +0000

The Trail Mix Concerts, which produces chamber music in the Catskills, presents Ami and Pascal Rogé performing French music for two pianos.

2:30 p.m. Sunday, January 15
Olive Free Library, West Shokan