Music of another time in a place that takes you back

St. Thomas Aquinas Church
photo credit: huskercatholic.com

Once again, Lincoln Choral Artists brought together musicians from around the community to make an afternoon of musical memories. Featuring "music of and inspired by the Renaissance," guest performers were Dulces Voces, the instrumental ensemble, Lincoln Early Music Consort, and Dan Ahlin at the organ.

In the incredible space of the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, the choirs took on the music that has for centuries filled the great spaces of churches. LCA and Dulces Voces tackled a double choir piece, Victoria's Ave Maria. The afternoon was full of beautiful music surrounding the audience with an aural beauty to match the visual beauty of the church.

The lush harmonies of Eric Whitacre's Go Lovely Rose were a jump several hundred years to the future from most of the rest of the program. A few other pieces took us from one century to another, but the result was an afternoon that was a glimpse back in time--and a treat to see more of the talent brought together and the love for music that the wonderful Lincoln community has alive and well.

A captivating choral evening

The Glenn Korff School of Music offered a delightful evening of choral music featuring the All-Collegiate Choir, University Women's Chorale, and Varsity Men's Chorus. Despite the full program and number of performers--the concert lasted just over an hour and each work that was featured was sung with energy and enthusiasm even as the styles changed drastically.

The choir, soloists, and organ beautifully began the concert with Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb. The other choirs featured shorter works some with vibrant energy and rhythm and some with harmonies that set hearts soaring with some favorites being Svatba sung by the University Women's Chorale and Oba Se Je performed by the Varsity Men's Chorus with percussion by Dakota Mathew.

The youth of the choirs and the large number of students joining together to sing made it an evening to share in their youth and enthusiasm: You can listen and experience it as well HERE.

Nebraska Choirs Unite to Celebrate

Lincoln Choral Artists (LCA) finished their year with a final celebration of the 150th birthday of Nebraska.  Earlier in the choir year, LCA celebrated the sesquicentennial of Nebraska by collaborating with other Lincoln area choirs. This past Sunday, in O'Donnell auditorium on the Wesleyan campus, LCA was joined by singers from across Nebraska. The Heartland Singers of North Platte and the Grand Island City Singers.

Although the theme was "Sowing the Seeds of Music in Nebraska," it was clear from the participation of talented choirs from across the state that there are not only seeds, but many fruits of music in Nebraska!

The Bellissimo handbell choir of Lincoln also performed, a pleasant surprise on an otherwise choral concert, and the audience enjoyed the experience of seeing the talented performance of this community handbell choir.

The best pieces of the concert were the ones especially suited to the theme of Nebraska's celebration. The visiting choirs both performed works by John Rutter, with the North Platte choir's performance of "For the Beauty of the Earth," a most moving performance.

Two pieces were featured by Nebraska composers: "Nebraska Sky," the work of North Platte native, Kim Baxter, and "The Bee and the Frog," performed by LCA, by composer David von Kampen.

"Blow Prairie Winds," "Rattle on the Stove Pipe," "Song of Peace," performed by the bell choir, were other crowd pleasers that kept the Nebraska theme!

Although the concert was longer than many have the attention span for in this day and age, the massed vocal choir performances of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Beautiful Nebraska/America the Beautiful," and "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" gave a great chance to see the collaboration of the many singers, conductors, pianists, and organist of the day.

Lincoln Choral Artists: Music High Above Lincoln

High above Lincoln in the Nebraska Club, the 20th floor of the US Bank building downtown, the Lincoln Choral Artists (LCA), a talented community choir under the direction of Jason Horner with Dennis Plutalov at the piano, took a little “break” from their usual repertoire and presented “Crooning over Lincoln.” Dinner, concert, and auction all to benefit the wonderful work of LCA in keeping choral music alive and well in our community. Throughout the 2016-2017 year, LCA is celebrating Nebraska for its sesquicentennial, with A Capitol City Choirs Concert in the fall, and the upcoming Sowing the Seeds of Music in Nebraska on May 7th at 3:00pm at O’Donnell Auditorium on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan. 

The gala on Friday, March 3, featured music of the ‘40s and ‘50s, old familiar favorites of Frank Sinatra, the Andrew Sisters, Nat King Cole and more. The choir was challenged to learn different sounds and harmonies than exist in some of their more classical repertoire, but what was most evident throughout program wasn’t the hard work put into the music but the fun the performers were having!

They opened the evening with “Fly Me to the Moon”—memorized, an impressive feat. In between choral pieces, the audience was treated to solos or small groups, some performed by the evening’s M.C., Michael Tully, and some by members of the choir. Not only was the audience tapping their toes along to the tunes, but even when not singing, every member of the choir was engaged, smiling, and moving to the music! Music included "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Java Jive," and a break from the crooner-theme for a Bach Organ Fugue in a challenging choral arrangement!

Once again, LCA proves that a love for music is far from dead in the Lincoln community.

An Unlikely Combination: Percussion and Organ Duet

Dave Hall, UNL's Assistant Professor of Percussion and Jazz Studies, gave his percussion recital on Saturday evening. As usual with percussion recitals, the variety of sounds, styles, and instruments was fascinating and colorful. No one can fail to be impressed by the talent that goes into playing all the different kinds of percussive instruments.

The oldest piece of music on the program was composed in 2009, a composition by the performer, and the newest was written as recently as 2016. One delightful piece had the title "Azucar," or "sugar," and had a sweet and delicious sound as one would expect!

The highlight of the evening was, beyond a doubt, the grand finale which was a work composed by Kurt Knecht for Dave Hall and Christopher Marks, UNL's professor of organ. Featuring different percussion instruments for each movement, the work is a masterpiece of blending two instruments that one would not normally imagine working together--rhythms and harmonies highlighted one instrument or the other as they played both rousingly at times or peacefully. You can enjoy the performance (given earlier at Marks' recital) in the video below:

Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra: family, fun, and the future of music

This afternoon was a busy one in the area's Classical music scene with a variety of concerts in Lincoln and Omaha from orchestras and flute choirs to pianists and operas. One crowded event was Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra's "Three Little Pigs" Family Concert. What a sight to see as families with children of all ages, from babies on up, crowded into Wesleyan's O'Donnell Auditorium for the afternoon's entertainment.

LSO is doing a tremendous service to the community by holding these family concerts: encouraging children to come, listen, and experience orchestral music while also keeping it short, entertaining, and engaging. Maestro Edward Polochick, although forced to remain seated throughout the concert due to a broken foot, was warm and welcoming to the children as actor Tim Marrone came along in the character of Mother Goose, then Mr. Pig, and finally, the Big Bad Wolf.

Not only is clapping and noise allowed and encouraged (as laughter or boos resounded throughout the auditorium depending on the antics and character of Marrone), but children also had the opportunity beforehand to play various instruments, have their faces painted, do crafts, then color on their programs and help conduct on stage. Although some of the music is lost behind the laughter, it is heard, and the next time children hear Beethoven's 5th or the music of Ravel, they'll have a happy memory associated with it and want to learn more!

A wonderful way to inspire a love of orchestra and perhaps the next generation of musicians!

UNL Opera's 'Little Women:' brilliant and emotional

Tonight, the audience seated in Kimball Recital Hall laughed, cried, and grew up with Jo March. The Glenn Korff School of Music put on Mark Adamo's Little Women opera--a brilliant opera written in 1998, featuring the some of the best that modern music can be, beautifully performed.

Tickets for Sunday's performance
can be purchased here.

The story of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott should be familiar to many, but the opera, while staying true to the story, brings out the themes of Jo's struggles and her loves.

In the first half, the audience laughed and rejoiced as the sisters played together, Meg was wooed by her "knight," and Jo wrote her "potboiler."

The music thrilled and made the emotions strike the hearts of everyone in the audience as the telegram arrived for Jo telling her that Beth was ill...and at the death scene, the instruments dropped out and the singing carried on--beautiful, but a little lonely, as Jo was feeling.

The themes presented of family, love, change, and, eventually, growth were perfectly brought together in the music, libretto, staging, set, costumes, and performance by the talented students at UNL.

With one more performance remaining on Sunday, Nov. 13th at 3:00pm, this is a chance that can't be missed--you will be able to relate to it on some level. Who has not longed for things to stay the same, but found that change comes upon them? Who has not had to learn that "now is all we have."

Lincoln's Choral Scene: bright and beautiful

Lincoln Choral Artists came together to celebrate choral music in the Capitol city today with Lincoln Lutheran Choir and the Sacred Arts Homeschool Choirs. On a beautiful November afternoon with sunlight shining through the stained glass windows of College View Church, the audience was treated  to an hour-and-a-half concert with a lovely blend of styles and selections of music.

The setting of the Capitol City Choirs Concert:
College View Church

Perhaps best of all, in a concert featuring local choirs, local composers were featured as well. Jean Henderson, Garrett Hope, David von Kampen, and Kurt Knecht had pieces sung, to name just a few. Music was sung praising God, celebrating Nebraska, and some just for fun.

A crowd pleaser was "I'll Tell My Ma" with clapping and stomping along with the music, although Salmo 150, also sung by the Lincoln Choral Artists, was also attention grabbing in an entirely different way. The children's "Scales and Arpeggios" was delightful and fun, while the combined pieces with all three choirs to end the concert were excellent selections allowing moments where the children's voices rang out clear and then were joined in full chorus.

The homeschool choirs' presence lent a hopeful quality to the concert. The sight--and sound--of the children singing alongside the adult choirs could give no clearer a vision of the future of choral arts in the community: it is a bright one.

Lincoln's Own Chiara String Quartet: Sharing their Hearts

On Thursday, October 6th, the Chiara String Quartet once again wowed and wooed their audience. Their performance, mostly performed from memory, expressed a whole range of emotions, from the humor and playfulness of Britten’s Three Divertimenti to the sobbing of the violin in Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130. 

L-R: Rebecca Fischer, Jonah Sirota,
Hyeyung Julie Yoon, Gregory Beaver
photo credit: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

The Chiara has the ability to reach out across the stage and pull the audience into the music. Despite the big space they performed in, the Chiara made the experience one that felt true to chamber music: “music composed for the home… it is intimate music.” The performers make playing in an ensemble and playing from memory look effortless—flawless timing and musicality that makes you forget that they’re even playing without music in front of them. Of course, playing from memory and not relying on the music is exactly what gives them the freedom to express and communicate with each other and the audience in a way not otherwise possible. In fact, the instruments become an extension of their bodies, every part of their body conveying the emotions, gestures, and music: sharing what is in their hearts through these great works.

Besides phenomenal musicality, the Chiara draws audiences in by giving them notes of what to listen for from their own deep understanding of the pieces they perform, either with spoken listening tips or written program notes as at this performance, they give you a glimpse of what they found to love in each piece—and therefore, even for those who are not musicians, there is an understanding and appreciation born for the works at each concert.

The Britten piece might not sound like what people associate with “classical music,” which to many still connotes “boring” or “pretty background music”… instead, it is full of “breezy charm,” (as stated in the program notes,) and the harmonies, rhythms, and musical gestures grab the listeners attention especially as performed, memorized, by the always engaging Rebecca Fischer, Hyeyung Julie Yoon, Jonah Sirota, and Gregory Beaver.

The String Quartet in A minor, Op. 29 by Schubert had a great deal more of the sounds and form that people associate with the idea of classical music, but the program notes pointed out the connections of this piece with the art-songs that Schubert is perhaps most famous for, and the audience could hear the first violin singing a lyrical line and listen as the “contrasting material in the movement [that is] much more instrumental in nature…takes turns throughout the group, ultimateely beating out the lyrical material to finish the [first] movement. The lyrical voice loses the battle but wins the war, as the rest of the piece is significantly more vocal in character.” (Jonah Sirota's program notes)

The last half of the program featured a piece that Sirota described as a “hallowed” work, closely related to the work and reason that he decided to devote his career and his life to being in a string quartet. Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major was written for the future—a work seen as perhaps being written by a crazed man, it instead is a brilliant and timeless piece performed by the Chiara “by heart,” memorized and as one, they won a truly well-deserved standing ovation at the close.

The Chiara String Quartet is based in Lincoln, Nebraska, and yet it is easy to see with a simple search how wide their audience and acclaim reaches like a NY Times article or various news pieces highlighting their performances in many places. Lincolnites: if you didn’t come to their performance last night, you are missing an incredible experience. Save the dates now for the rest of the Hixson-Lied Concert Series in Kimball Recital Hall all at 7:30pm: Tuesday, November 29, 2016, Wednesday, February 1, 2017, Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Tickets and more information: www.arts.unl.edu.

St. Olaf Choir Concert: Hope for today and for the future

Last night, the St. Olaf Choir sang to a sold out crowd at First Plymouth Church. “Tonight,” said Conductor Anton Armstrong, whose preconcert interview with LincolnCMN can be read here, “this space truly feels like a place of worship.” The concert was more than a concert, in a way, everyone was joined together in a time of prayer—listening and soaking in a “message of hope and light.”

The texts selected varied in language, but certainly all contained the transformative message of love and hope that Armstrong spoke of at the end of the evening. Latin, Hebrew, German, and English were all sung, and the texts ranged from scripture to poetry to liturgical prayers. 

St. Olaf Choir 2016 Winter Tour
courtesy of St. Olaf Choir

The variety of styles made the evening more enjoyable than many choral concerts tend to be when the constant sameness of sound has a numbing quality. From a not-often-heard work by Bach to a Ginastera setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah  to a very unexpected and rousing gospel-style setting of Credo featuring piano and drum set or the beautiful Magnificat of David N. Childs with its ancient text and modern harmonies, the program was designed by a masterful hand. The sound of each new piece was alternately uplifting, exciting, peaceful, beautiful, hopeful, or triumphantly powerful.

Whether the music was written in the 1700s or 2015, the choir was moving with rhythm and emotion flowing through their bodies. An audience can’t help but feel and move with the music when presented with sound and sight that catches them up and draws them along so completely!

In the performance given by these young people, the audience could hear why diction, dynamics, pitch, and the multitude of things a conductor pleads with his choir to do are so important, when done properly, music is created. The details don’t stand out, they are forgotten, and all the listener experiences is simply music—that mysterious art that moves people beyond their own hurts and sorrows and gives them hope. It is clear that whatever transformation may have taken place in the hearts of audience members, the experiences these young college students have from singing in this choir will have a profound impact in who they are as they go out into their various careers. 

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New (and old) music in a new place

Justin Lepard graduated with a Bachelor's degree from UNL this weekend, but he's already had a positive influence on the Lincoln Classical music scene. Last night, he held his senior recital at The Pilgrimer, a unique coffee house supporting the Lincoln community. Earlier this year, he performed a concert featuring new and exciting pieces which you can read more about here.

Justin Lepard
photo by James Dean

Last night's program featured a variety of styles of music from the Romantic time period to serial music and concluding with Jazz.

The setting was intimate. Just a few rows circling the small stage. Sounds from next door, a pub, were audible through the wall and several times, bass was heard thumping from traffic going by outside. It's not what we're accustomed to in our usual concert-going experience of sitting in a still, quiet, and expansive concert hall. It makes you think that this is how so much music has been experienced over the centuries from chamber ensembles in the 18th-19th centuries and before to the start of so many "garage bands" in the past decades. We're not just passive listeners, we're active participants in the musical experience.

Each piece was exciting and provoking in its own way. Brahms Cello Sonata in E Minor, performed with collaborative pianist, Emily Tidd, was an example of Romantic music, and it was exciting and emotional--especially in that intimate setting. Le Grande Tango of Astor Piazzolla, also performed with Tidd, was a flashy and fun piece showing more modern and Latin inspired Classical music.

While the intimate experience could've been put to even better use by Lepard sharing more thoughts about each piece or by drawing attention to the musical structure or themes to give a sort of listening guide to the audience, he did share one thought that was thought-provoking.

Lepard was about to perform the last three movements of the serialist Six Pieces for Violoncello by Roger Sessions, the first movements of which he had cleverly interspersed before and between the Brahms and Piazzolla, when he started talking about the Beatles. That reference had to get people's attention. Lepard said that the music of the Beatles is more musically complex and creative than you would expect, but when Paul or John would be asked about why they had chosen a specific chord, they wouldn't always even know what that chord was--they just liked it. Why bring this up in reference to a serial piece? Even though serial music is so organized that it is composed using "algorithms" and a matrix, it too is for our experience. Basically, listen; experience. Whether it's the Beatles or Roger Sessions, you can experience music or marvel at the mathematic organization of it--and there's always something to stretch your ears a little.

The cello-bassoon duo was certainly a piece that required an open mind and ear. A piece originally composed for two bassoons by Sofia Gubaidulina, Lepard transcribed the second bassoon part for cello (and had to tune the cello down in order to play it). Performing on the bassoon was Jeffrey McCray, bassoon professor at the School of Music. With two very different instruments, it was fascinating to see and hear the way in which Lepard used his cello--creatively finding techniques with which to perform almost bassoon-like passages.

At the end, Lepard had some fun in store for the audience as Kurt Knecht and Eric Hitt joined him on the tiny stage for some jazz. Evident here was not the concentration and effort seen earlier in the young performer, but the simple and unadulterated joy in creating music.

Lepard is promoting some great ideas: bring art music (of all kinds) to the community in coffee houses and unconventional venues and perform new music and compositions.

These ideas are growing and are awesome to see gaining momentum among Lincoln musicians.

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A Night of Cello: Featuring the freedom and fun of contemporary Classical music

Justin Lepard, a cellist in the Lincoln area, was the driving force in putting together the program and concert for Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at St. Mark’s-on-the-Campus. Lepard has a passion for contemporary Classical music and hopes that this is only the first of many more performances of contemporary Classical music in Lincoln. 

Cellist Justin Lepard
courtesy of Myles Jasnowski and Justin Lepard

The Night of Cello concert featured the works of three contemporary composers: Nels Drue Daily, a Lecturer of Music at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Jason Eckardt, a composer and musician residing in New York City, and our oft-featured Lincoln resident and composer, Kurt Knecht who was also the pianist for the concert.

Works of Nels Drue Daily

The program opened with Freight Train, a work by Nels Daily that was commissioned by Justin Lepard as the opener for this concert. The composer describes it as “an incessantly motoric and rhythmic piece that requires a firm hand from the performer.” That “firm hand” is certainly evident as the cello digs into the music with driving rhythms and harsh, energetic bowing. The piece is for solo, unaccompanied cello and certainly requires a virtuosic performance by the cellist. You can hear the endless energy even as the freight train seems to run into the distance and then approach again as the dynamics and range of the cello are explored. 

With something that is always a fascinating facet of contemporary Classical music, this piece enjoys the freedom of modern music to explore new harmonies and tonalities (or lack thereof) while focusing on rhythms and harmonies that serve their own unique purpose be it a mood, a picture, a scene, or even a color. Rhythm becomes the organizing and driving force above all else—and aptly so in a piece such as Freight Train.

Composer Nels Drue Daily
courtesy of Justin Lepard

Daily was also the composer of the second piece featured on the concert, Daydream. Here, the audience is treated to a different set of emotions and technical challenges for the performer. Much more legato than the first work performed, the audience member hears varying intervals in the melody, perhaps the wandering thoughts of a daydreamer. The piano accompanies, entering in slowly and then joining in for change of scene and color midway through the piece. The composer explains that this piece “is a meditation on two cradle songs. The first is mine, and the second is from Brahms.” 

The piano features almost an ostinato, a recurrent rhythm and shape to the chords—that suddenly stops, and a new rhythm, harmony, and color emerges. There is a certain repetitious feeling—but the energy and pitch continues growing to a climax! Then, a pause, a peace returns. The piano with mostly single notes and a return to a legato melody played on the cello. Quietly, and beautifully, it fades away.

Featured Piece of Kurt Knecht

The third work on the program was entitled El Café Iridiscente and is the work of Kurt Knecht which was commissioned by NMTA and LMTA for their 2014 NMTA Conference. When LincolnCMN spoke with Knecht before the premier of this work for cello and piano at the conference, he shared that he thinks it should be “super fun music” and that “most of it is not too heavy or serious. I think there is a problem amongst composers now with this issue. Beethoven wrote a lot of light music, but we never think of that because his ‘light’ works haven’t survived history as well.”

Regardless of whether this work “survives history,” audiences can certainly enjoy it today as Knecht interweaves his love of Latin rhythms, Ginastera, Milhaud, and Latin charts he played in jazz bands. The work is broken into four movements titled, “Rojo, Azul, Perla, and Morado.” 

Composer and pianist Kurt Knecht
courtesy of Justin Lepard

Rojo (red) is fast and fun. The sound is vibrant and features exciting Latin rhythms. Both the piano and cello exude rhythm and color. The cello has both legato and pizzicato moments and the piano features rhythmic chords that make you want to dance along. The music doesn’t slow down, but rushes along excitedly right to the very end. 

Azul (blue) is a little calmer than the first movement and gives a smoother Latin feel, featuring more legato in the piano. A sliding sensation is created—perhaps this blue movement reminds the listener a little of the waves of the ocean as we relax on a sunny, southern beach. There is still a rhythmic energy running throughout—an excitement that makes the audience smile throughout with the happy azul waves. This movement has a sort of aching ending with a slight ritardando as the cello’s melody reaches up and then sinks down for a gentle conclusion.

Perla (pearl) is another slow movement, the slowest of the four, in fact. The cello begins with single notes plucked—and the piano begins with sustained, arpeggiated chords. Can you see the pearl gleaming—round, smooth, and still? After that intro, the bow returns to the strings in a beautiful legato melody, still evoking the smooth, gentle color and shape of a pearl. It is the most reflective of the movements, but with an abrupt ending that reminds you of the fun that is at the heart of this work.

Morado (purple) brings a faster tempo—a more vibrant color. The piano and cello both dive in with driving rhythms from the very start. Still more legato in texture than Rojo, the movement is aptly named: purple is a vibrant and deep color—but exciting and energetic all the same. Once more, the rhythms and harmonies are driving and invigorating. The Latin rhythms are still clearly visible as the driving force as the movement carries the listeners forward to a fast and forte finale.

Are the descriptions apt? What do you hear in the pieces? At Knecht’s blog, you can find the recordings and video of this piece. Listen for the colors yourself!

Work of Jason Eckardt

Composer Jason Eckardt
courtesy of Justin Lepard

The last programmed piece of the concert was the work of Jason Eckardt. His interesting bio describes him as a jazz and metal band guitarist until, upon hearing the work of Anton Webern, Eckardt “immediately” devoted himself to composition. On this program, the audience was treated to a work entitled, A Way (tracing). A more serious piece than the one preceding it, Eckardt’s work has a very modern sound—once again featuring the driving rhythm and creative harmonies made possible by the freedom of contemporary Classical music. The solo cellist has his work cut out for him with the strenuous bowing and multiple stops required. The harmonies are harsh and rushing—and then a brief moment, they stop, another moment and the melody suddenly rises above for a moment of clarity and serene beauty before rushing back into the incessantly driving rhythm. The motion slows down, a few notes here and there…a rush back into rhythm…a pause…a note… The rhythm and notes coming and going require the listeners to keep their ears tuned — you have to sit at the edge of your seat. 

Think that modern music is awful or that you need tonality? No! Just open your ears and enjoy the freedom and blend of sounds and techniques that are influenced by history, by modern music, by the emotions and lives of those who write and perform them now!

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2014 Extravaganza: An afternoon of fanciful flight

On Sunday, January 12, LMTA presented the 2014 Extravaganza. Hosted every three years, the Extravaganza is, according to the Extravaganza's co-chair, Charlotte Heermann, “a special opportunity for students to play in an ensemble.” Marcia Wiebers, who also co-chaired the 2014 Extravaganza, remarked that: “The program was a feast for the eyes with the colorful t-shirts, the wildlife power point photos displayed, the close up shots of the performers on the big screen as Mid America Video Images recorded the event, the balloons, the keyboards, the strings. It was a treat for the ears with the narration and the music. It was heartwarming to observe the teachers helping and encouraging the students as they rehearsed and performed. There was a lot of excitement in the air and big smiles as the students came off the stage from their performance.”

Pianists performing at the 2014 Extravaganza
Photo courtesy of LMTA

Fourteen digital keyboards, provided by Dietze Music House, filled the stage. Under the baton of Del Whitman, string and music instructor at Lincoln East High School and Lux Middle School, the musicians performed. There were 32 LMTA teachers involved and approximately 200 students who registered. “Each teacher helped in some way, shape or form before, at the rehearsal or at the performance,” Wiebers added, “it goes without saying that the teachers of the performing students were invaluable in preparing their students.” It is not possible in this review to thank all of the LMTA members by name who contributed through their committee service and hours spent organizing and preparing for this event—but without each of them, this Extravaganza would not have had the same success.

Without the sponsors, Keith Heckman and Dietze Music House providing the pianos, Nebraska Wesleyan University allowing the use of their facilities, and LMTA members serving on committees, the Extravaganza could not have taken place. A huge thank-you goes out to them. Wiebers added a thank-you to other vital non-members who made this Extravaganza a success including “Del Whitman, the conductor, radio personality Joe Skare who narrated, photographers Steve Zechmann and Joe Wicks, videographer Kyle Wullschleger, members of the Crane Trust, Larry Jones of Nebraska Wesleyan, and Amy Flamminio who assisted with the writing of the narration.”

Violins, guitars, and cello take the stage.
Photo courtesy of LMTA

In every way, this event was the fruit of collaboration. Teachers working with other teachers, teachers and students, student to student, pianists, string players, and different types of media—music, photography, video, etc. The narration helped people know what to listen for in the music. Wiebers shared that: “My husband commented that a young child blurted out, after hearing the Ghost Dance, 'that wasn't so scary.' Many people enjoyed a good chuckle from that, so you know that the little ones were listening to both the narration as well as the music.”

One thing that is particularly memorable about this year's Extravaganza is the story about the commissioned piece, The Great Winged Migration. Nancy Schoen and Debra Heald procured the commission, and Schoen related the story of composer, Carol Klose: “She was excited to do the work. After researching Nebraska, Carol was inspired by the annual spring migration of the Sandhill cranes. Carol knew she was fighting cancer, but she was moved to compose this duet. After she was in hospice care, she expressed deep regret at being unable to complete the piece. After her death last February, anonymous composers collaborated to use the musical ideas Carol had already written.”

The beautiful piece that Carol Klose was inspired to write was performed at the close of the Extravaganza and dedicated to her memory. Thanks to her inspiration and focusing in on the Sandhill cranes, Klose set into motion the selection of the theme for the Extravaganza, “Taking Flight.” This led to the artwork by Zhanna Semm used as the logo on t-shirts, programs, and posters, wildlife photography (courtesy of Steve Zechmann and Joe Wicks) used during all the groups' performances and the Sandhill Crane video (thanks to Kyle Wullschleger and the Crane Trust) played during the premiere of the commissioned piece.

The Great Winged Migration was a wonderful way to close the 2014 Extravaganza—an afternoon of learning and listening.

Cirque de la Symphonie and another stunning performance in Lincoln

The Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra season opener with Cirque de la Symphonie played to a nearly full house last night. Couples dressed up for a formal date, college students in jeans, and families with small children all came together for the evening. 

LSO opened immediately with a rousing performance of the Star Spangled Banner--perhaps a new tradition for each concert? It was certainly well met as the audience leapt to their feet to salute the flag. 

But the highlight? The amazing feats of the cirque artists. Having the children in the audience aided the sense of wonder and awe for all--the children would sing along to the music and scream as the aerialists swung and twirled high above us on the ropes or silks. 

The aerial performances by Shana Lord, Alexander Fedortchev, and Vitalii Buza seemed to be the crowd favorite. The grand finale, a duo aerial act performed by Lord and Fedortchev, elicited many gasps of awe and bursts of applause. 

The other acts were equally impressive from the contortionist to the juggler, perhaps the most well choreographed, the performances that most matched the mood and rhythm of the music were the hula hoop act to Manuel de Falla's Ritual Fire Dance and the Cyr wheel performance to Bernstein's Overture to Candide--another breathtaking performance!

A few pieces were orchestra only--they were wonderful pieces! The Tchaikovsky Finale from Symphony from no. 4 and Strauss' Thunder and Lightning Polka were particularly delightful and wonderful!  

Bravo, LSO!

Cirque de la Symphonie and the LSO: Breathtaking

First published over a year ago, this review is of the Cirque de la Symphonie and their performance with Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra.

Cirque de la Symphonie will be performing with LSO again in the 2013-2014 season! Visit the Lincoln Symphony website today for more info and ticket purchases!
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To a near capacity crowd, conductor Edward Polochick warmly expressed his appreciation for what he considers “the best audience in the world.” Friday night, the Lincoln audience gasped, sighed, laughed, and cheered—responding as one to the thrilling performance on stage.

Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra (LSO) opened its season last night, Sept. 16th. Having just made the move from the smaller venue of Kimball Recital Hall, some may have wondered if LSO could fill the 2,210 capacity of the Lied Center. With the help of Cirque de la Symphonie, LSO played to a packed house.

Performing such favorites as Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz and Swan Lake, John Philip Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever, Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden: Suite and Danse des bouffons, LSO could have brought down the house with the music alone, but paired with the artistry and acrobatics of Cirque de la Symphonie, the audience was blown away.
As the aerial artists spun and twisted with graceful, athletic skill, and spun or flipped almost to the ground, the audience would gasp... and then sigh with relief. Christine Van Loo and Elena Tsarkova were graceful artists with silk aerials, and Aloysia Gavre astounded everyone as she hung by one hand or just her feet while spinning with the rhythm of the music.

Vladimir Tsarkov was a favorite with the children in the audience, a bright glittery costume, and a face painted like a mime. Feats of juggling prowess and moments of clownish silliness kept the audience full of applause and laughter. The strength of Jarek and Darek’s “Duo Design” was yet another show stopping performance.
Alexander Streltsov first came on stage with his spinning cube act, but he stole the show completely during his aerial performance. Perhaps it was the masculine quality of his dance and performance, soaring out over the audience and back over the orchestra with the silks like a cloak, or the exceptional, exquisite, and perfect choreography. The music and acrobat were one in this performance—drawing in the audience and taking their breath away.

Bravo, LSO on your season opener! The spontaneous standing ovation at the end was absolutely deserved.

Shirley Harrison performs Balakirev with virtuosity and musicality

This past week, Shirley Harrison performed a concert dedicated exclusively to the works of Mily Balakirev from his gentle Berceuse to the wildly virtuosic Islamey. This performance marks the first public performance by Harrison in some ten or more years. A graduate of the University of Nebraska (Bachelor of Music) and Ohio State University (Master of Music), Harrison has 53 years of teaching experience.

It was many years ago that Harrison first practiced Islamey: an Oriental Fantasy, and once she mastered the piece, she continued to keep it on the tip of her fingers. When written, Islamey was considered “the hardest nine minutes ever written for piano” and Harrison makes it look like second nature to her.

The program opened, however, not with Islamey, but with Balakirev’s Piano Sonata in B Flat Minor No. 2. Balakirev, a Russian nationalist, has four movements similar to many traditional sonatas, but, according to the program notes taken from Hyperion, “traditional form is not followed…The finale is the most virtuosic; yet in his attempt to get away from the Austro-German example of Sonata-writing, even now Balakirev seeks a winded-down and peaceful conclusion.” In this piece, Harrison exhibited a finesse of phrasing and excellent voicing–a joy to listen to for all the audience.

Following intermission, Harrison performed shorter works of Balakirev, including his Berceuse, of which Balakirev had written:

“Loving mother sings, calming down her son. The child falls asleep, but frightened by a terrible dream, he awakes crying. Mother again sings her song and the child falls asleep, lulled by the wonderful dream: he sees golden moths, flying with the accompaniment of silver hand bells.”

The grand finale of the concert program was, appropriately enough, Islamey, that majestic, delightful example of virtuosity. Not only did Harrison have a firm grasp of the technical aspects of the piece, but, what is perhaps even more important, she kept the musicality of the piece. Oftentimes, performers of virtuosic pieces get caught up in the notes and lose the music; not so with Harrison’s performance. Islamey was a beautiful example of technique serving the music, and not vice versa.

Harrison may be performing more concerts in the future—and everyone who had the privilege of hearing this week’s performance are hoping that they have the opportunity to hear her often again!

'The Four Seasons' was wild and stunning

The audience as it eagerly awaited the performance "The Four Seasons" at the Lied Center

Amy Flamminio

Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra wowed the audience again with their second concert of the season, The Four Seasons. As Conductor Edward Polochick explained to the audience, the idea for this evening’s performance came to him several years ago. At the time, Polochick conducted the premiere of César Olguin’s arrangement of Astor Piazzolla’s Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas. At last, for a Lincoln audience, Polochick’s inspiration came to life—a program featuring both Vivaldi’s and Piazzolla’s Four Seasons.

Piazzolla

“Remember,” the Maestro told the audience, “we really have eight different seasons here because Piazzolla is writing about seasons in the southern hemisphere, and Vivaldi is writing from sunny Italy in the northern hemisphere.”

The Chiara String Quartet took the stage with a string orchestra and piano, and the beginning of Piazzolla opened with what could have been Vivaldi, but suddenly broke into tango rhythms. The audience couldn’t contain itself and broke into spontaneous applause after hearing “Summer.”

“Autumn” could be described as wild. That is, wild and fast, wild and dissonant, and wild and lonely during Jonah Sirota’s achingly beautiful viola solo during this piece. “Winter” had a beautiful and peaceful ending that could have left you wondering what century it was written in because of it’s timeless harmonies. Closing with “Spring,” LSO and the Chiara String Quartet played with unabated energy, wild southern springtime rhythms.

Vivaldi

After Piazzolla, the audience was left wondering how Vivaldi’s Four Seasons could follow such a work. But as Rachel Barton Pine took the stage and described the story told by Vivaldi’s work, the audience were wrapped up in the music. Without ever mentioning a technical term, Pine described the motives, or musical ideas, that would be present in each movement. She described the trilling birds, flowing stream, and light thunderstorm in first movement of “Spring.” The second movement, she told the story of a napping shephered, “That’s me!” she grinned, and told how the violins are rustling leaves, the violas are a barking hound, what she declared was “Vivaldi’s version of an 18th century viola joke!” as the audience laughed.

Without throwing terms like “concerto grosso, ripieno, motives, or programmatic music,” Pine made Vivaldi’s music engaging for everyone, and her virtuosic performance was spectacular without drawing attention to itself. It may best be summed with her description of the first movement of “Autumn,” “I represent a particularly drunken guy, stumbling around, and basically making a fool of himself...” This comical account won the audience’s attention to the story told by the music, almost forgetting the brilliance and vivacity with which Pine’s violin played the virtuosic passages of the “drunken fool.”

Another wonderful part of the performance was Polochick at the harpsichord performing as harpsichordist and as conductor. Just to hear the harpsichord on stage gave a vital and delightful authenticity to the performance.

After a thoroughly engaging and flawless performance of the Four Seasons, Pine was called back on stage by a standing ovation and gave an encore from her latest CD. Fittingly, she chose to play Piazzolla’s Liberetude in closing, and give us a taste of the wild tango rhythms and an exciting finish to a stunning concert.

Tony Caramia and an intimate evening with an American theme

First published October 13, 2011
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courtesy of Tony Caramia

"It's like you're in his living room." This was the reaction of one audience member to Tony Caramia's recital, An American Journey. Caramia brought everyone in the O'Donnell Auditorium into his living room by his stories about creating this particular "themed recital." With music teachers and students in Lincoln attending the NMTA 2011 Conference, they were given a wonderfully fun evening of music by attending Caramia's recital tonight, October 13th.

The audience entered to the sounds of Meredith Wilson's Orchestra playing and covers from late 1800s-early 1900s song covers, a setting of the mood, both aurally and visually. Caramia began with an "American Beauty Rag" and a slideshow of rag sheet music covers from all over America.

But Caramia made it an intimate setting when he began describing how he comes up with his themed recitals. "Titles intrigue me," he said,"and 'sonata' just doesn't appeal to me." Instead, he starts with a title like "Accent on Rhythm," fascinated by that title, it led him to find American titles from the same publisher, and he began a search through IMSLP, NAXOS, and, "everybody's favorite," Google. A delightful discovery that Caramia shared was Manuel Blancafort's Homage to Chaplin fromAmerican Souvenir. "For the younger people: If you don't know who Charlie Chaplin is, try a Google search of him," Caramia advised, "this piece gives a great musical tribute to his humor and his compassionate side."

Caramia shared the themes of some of his past recitals. "One year I chose to do 'Ballads and Ballades,' I played a lot of Jazz ballads with some Classical ballades.... Another year, my theme was 'Preludes,' so I did all Preludes, none of the Fugues." Last year, Caramia said that he chose to celebrate two birthdays. In honor of Chopin's 200th birthday, he sought out and performed, not the works of Chopin, but works of other composers written in honor of Chopin. "The second birthday I celebrated, was my own." He said as the crowd chuckled, "I played pieces from 1950, like the great music of 'Guys and Dolls' and a wonderful piece by Norman dello Joio."

The last half of the program consisted of some Jazz improvisations based on songs about certain American cities which Caramia called "a jazzy jaunt through St. Louis, Chicago, New Orleans, and Manhattan." All the while, the improvisations were accompanied by a slideshow of artwork on covers of songs about the cities in question.

As the lights faded out completely, Caramia performed an improvisation on "America the Beautiful," and the slideshow presented covers of American or patriotic songs from the Civil War era, World War I, and everything in between, ending with several picturesque covers for various editions of "America the Beautiful."

Caramia gave this Lincoln audience an intimate, fun evening, and the musicians in the audience could learn from him how to program a themed recital as well as how to incorporate visual media with their own performances. He also demonstrated wonderful technique as his hands seemed to simply toss of the notes effortlessly creating energy and rhythm in the music.

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Around the world in 400 years: Jonathan Ryan at the organ

“Tonight, you will hear all the sounds of the organ, a wide range of hues from the tonal palette as I put the instrument through its paces.” So Jonathan Ryan said as he welcomed the audience. The Lincoln Organ Showcasepresented the concert last night, Sept. 19, O’Donnell Auditorium, to an audience of music-lovers, music students, and many organists from the Lincoln area.

Ryan continued, “I am happy to share the gift of music with you on this King of Instruments.” He explained that the many different musical styles and sounds that the audience would hear came from the fact that he was performing pieces from nearly every period of musical history and from all around the world. “The only period missing is ancient Greek!”

From Sweelinck to Shearing, Ryan gave the audience the sounds of Dutch Renaissance, German Baroque, French Impressionism, American jazz-influence, Romanian-Hungarian-Austrian minimalism, and music from two British composers. More impressive than the thrilling crescendo and climax of Bach’s Sinfonia from Cantata 29 or the virtuosic Etude Coulee of Gyorgy Ligeti, was the intimate, emotional phrasing of the Bach Fourth Trio Sonata’sAndante movement. Ryan referred to this movement in his program notes as “justly...among the most memorable movements from Bach’s hand.” Certainly, it was one of the most memorable movements from Ryan’s performance.

Virtuoso as he is, Ryan programmed many reflective pieces, and one such was George Oldroyd’s chant and psalm based piece which “create[s] seamless harmonies, easily evokes perhaps the rolling hills of the English countryside at dusk.” Surely Ryan’s performance evoked the peaceful countryside for as the piece ended, a sigh escaped from the audience as everyone came back to reality.

The second half featured the monumental work of Maurice Durufle, Prelude, Adagio, et Choral-varie sur le theme du “Veni Creator.” This piece, 22 minutes or more in length, Ryan likened to a 700-page novel, you sit down to read knowing its length and ready to invest your time to follow its development. To assist the audience in understanding this work, Ryan shared his own interpretation of it: “I think that it depicts a journey through life. At first, trying different things, passing on to parts of exquisite beauty, then a struggle.” He identified the Adagio as having one of the most memorable climaxes in 20th-century music, which spirals down, thrust into a new world of a simpler, clearer life, yet still profound and ending with peace, prayer, and ultimately triumph.

After two curtain calls, Ryan gave an encore of a newly composed piece by Arizona resident, Ken Yukl, another piece of exquisite beauty at the hands of Ryan.

The evening of music from different countries and centuries came to a close, and Ryan had given the Lincoln audience exposure to the perfect shaping and expressiveness of his performance—he made the organ speak, and it spoke to everyone’s lives and hopes.

MUSIC Endowment kick-off

Charter members of the MUSIC Endowment following the luncheon honoring the start of the endowment serving financially needy children.

Credits: LMTA, via facebook

The Governor's Mansion was the gathering site of Lincoln Music Teachers and friends on Wednesday, August 31, for the kick-off fundraiser for the MUSIC Endowment. The MUSIC Endowment allows the Lincoln community to be a part of providing music lessons to children in financial need. Details on how to give can be found in this Examiner.com article.

Introductions and ice-breakers included a delightful game of singing and guessing the melody and were followed shortly by a lovely lunch catered in the lower level of the mansion. The atmosphere was delightful, surrounded by Nebraskan history and art. Dr. Valerie Cisler of University of Nebraska at Kearney gave a thought-provoking talk about "Music Mastery = Motivation."

Following lunch, LMTA Treasurer, Jessica Freeman, thanked those who have contributed already to the MUSIC Endowment. "We have not quite met our goal, so please keep spreading the word!" All the contributors present who have helped start the MUSIC Endowment were awarded with a certificate thanking them for being "Charter Members" of the MUSIC Endowment.

Although the kick-off meeting has passed, it is not too late to contribute. The MUSIC Endowment will provide funding to the LMTA Music Outreach Program for years to come.