Today is an extremely exciting day for my colleagues at Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago and I, as tonight is the very first concert of our first ever Collaborative Works Festival - our new, annual Festival devoted to the art of song and vocal chamber music.  My colleagues at CAIC and I have actually been dreaming of this Festival since 2005, long before CAIC as an organization was even an idea.  We have had this vision of building a showcase for the art of song and promoting this incredibly rich repertoire that we are so passionate about - from that vision, CAIC was born, and now, the pinnacle of that vision - the Collaborative Works Festival, is about to begin.  Below, you can read more about my thoughts on our vision for this annual series of concerts in my Artistic Director's note reprinted from this weekend's program.  Tonight is a major milestone for us at CAIC, and there will be much to celebrate.


Unfortunately, the life of the traveling artist forces one to miss many important milestones - it's the one aspect of this life in music that I find most difficult.  Tonight is one of those nights in which I have wished in vain that I could clone myself or divide myself in two, and somehow pull off the impossible feat of being able to be in two places at once.  When the opportunity arose to be able to present Martin Katz and Jesse Blumberg as our inaugural festival artists, we at CAIC knew that this was not a chance to be missed. Unfortunately, though, due to the complexity of calendars, I wasn't able to coordinate my own schedule to match with theirs in order to be there for this momentous event.  So, while I will be singing Bach with David Robertson and the Saint Louis Symphony this weekend, Jesse and Martin will be launching this Festival which has become so close to my heart and has become one of my primary passions.  My heart is with them and my colleagues at CAIC this weekend, and I am forever grateful for their integral part in getting this vision of ours off the ground in such classy and spectacular style.  


Tickets are still available for both concerts of the Festival, which are both at the the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium at the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago, and there are still spaces available for tomorrow night's Master Class on Schubert songs with Martin Katz, which will be held at the Pianoforte Salon of the FIne Arts Building on Michigan Avenue.  If you are in Chicago, please be sure to catch both of these amazing artists perform these all too rarely performed masterpieces, and celebrate the launch of this new Chicago tradition with us.  I will be celebrating with you all in spirit.  - NP


A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

The simple act of a human voice telling a story through song has a way of piercing to the core of our hearts, inciting reactions from laughter to tears. Something aboutadding music to text makes the story a universal one: Music's universal language draws us together, allowing us to hear someone sing their story and feel, "Oh my gosh - that's me...I've lived that, too..."

While the grand forms of musical theater and opera are incredibly powerful and moving, they can feel like blockbuster movies, sweeping up their audience with the staggering weight and momentum of the many dramatic elements involved: orchestras, soloists, choruses, sets, costumes, wigs, make-up, imaginary fourth walls, and gigantic theaters make for a big show. When it comes to songs, there are only the performers and the audience, and the atmosphere created is one of direct communication and personal expression. For me, a song is a special type of conversation that gives me the opportunity to see inside the performers' heart and soul. Because of its direct nature, the art song has an unlimited potential for real vulnerability and intimacy in the relationship created between performers and audience.

As powerful as the song is, it is an art form in peril. There are so few that present performances of song, and even fewer that seek to preserve the art form and cultivate an audience for it. Part of the mission of Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago is to promote the art of song and vocal chamber music. It is our passion for this niche of the vocal repertoire that inspired Shannon, Nicholas, and me to pursue lives in music. We have experienced the transforming power of song as both performers and as listeners, and our lives have been forever changed for it. CAIC has created the Collaborative Works Festival to be Chicago's showcase for this repertoire, and we are excited to be pursuing this part of our mission with such fervor. This music is too powerful to be ignored or forgotten, to be left unplayed and unsung. It is music that is truly for everyone, and it should be enjoyed by all. It just needs more opportunities to shine!

I cannot imagine a more fitting way to kick off this annual Festival than with performances of Franz Schubert's song cycles. Schubert truly is the 'father of the German Lied', and his virtuosic song settings have inspired song composers of every generation and every nationality. This combination of performers is perfectly apt, as well. Martin Katz has mentored countless musicians in the performance and study of song, as well has having accompanied some of the world's most famous singers for nearly half a century. Jesse Blumberg has established himself as a leader of his generation in championing the art of song, both as a performer and a presenter; in 2007 Jesse founded the Five Boroughs Music Festival in New York City, which has become impressive platform for song and chamber music.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the 2012 Collaborative Works Festival's 'Epic Journeys'. We're excited to have you with us on the beginning of our own epic journey, as we inaugurate a new Chicago tradition!

We took a moment to sit down and catch up with Martin Katz, who will be performing and teaching as part of CAIC's inaugural COLLABORATIVE WORKS FESTIVAL later this month.  CAIC Executive Director, Shannon McGinnis, sat down with Martin, asking him for his thoughts on his life in music, on the state of the recital in today's world, and on the challenges of Schubert's songs.
SM: I remember your telling me once, ‘There are no easy songs.’ What are the unique challenges that Schubert presents? These cycles, in particular?

MK: For me, Schubert is always about finding the VERY fine line between classic and romantic, between too little nuance and too much, between less and more.  This applies to all the Schubert songs I know, not just these 2 big cycles.  For the pianist, to keep things clean and pure, but never dry (unless it's the song called "Trock'ne Blumen"!!) is another fine line to walk.  For the singer to honor his vocalism, but put his musicianship as the highest priority position---these are not easy things to manage. Then with particular relevance to these 2 masterpiece cycles:  The "Müllerin" has so many strophic songs---this is like the Olympics of Creating Contrast.  In looking for "hooks" to hang contrast decisions on, some song texts leap out at you, but others run the gamut from beige to wheat to tan.  This cycle has both varieties.  I always find memorization of purely strophic songs is more difficult than thru-composed things. With "Winterreise," the real challenge is endurance, both physical and psychological.  The cycle is, after all, nothing less than a chronicle of the destruction of a man's psyche.  Whereas the "Müllerin" is a real story, "Winterreise" is not necessarily a linear event.   Standing and singing for 80-90 minutes is a challenge in itself, of course.  Even in opera, few roles offer no respite. 

SM: Jesse Blumberg is not the first person you’ve performed these cycles with. What do you feel that this particular partnership brings to each cycle?

MK: Jesse is the youngest person I've done these with, and the person farthest from me in age.  His influences and teachers are my own contemporaries.  My own influences are 2-3 generations from his.  So we arrive at any rehearsal or performance with different voices in our heads.  Perhaps he's afraid of doing too much---I used to be.  And perhaps in my dotage, I've turned the corner and am now afraid of doing too little.   I try very hard to create an equality between us.  At one time I was one of his coaches, but I don't want to be that when we perform these together.  I don't want Jesse to think for a moment that I'm judging or criticizing him.  I think I've been successful in this regard.   I feel we are both obsessed with the texts in these cycles.  Jesse's German is so authentic (more so than 2 German-speaking singers I've accompanied in these cycles!)---that is a distinct pleasure.  It also allows us to micromanage nuances in wonderful ways.

SM: When you began your career, the song recital was thriving, and recital tours were the norm for most singers. Now it seems to be relegated to a specialty form, and it seems rare to find singers willing to seriously devote part of the career to giving song recitals. Why do you think that’s changed, and do you think songs are making/can make a comeback?

MK: I feel terrible about the state of the vocal recital nowadays.  Even the Horne Foundation, devoted to song recitals, had to fold its tent recently for lack of financial stability.  I feel bad for my students too.  I know they would like to have a chance to have the wonderful life I've had, and we know that if things don't change, that won't be possible, regardless of their talent or education.  All I can do is guess about the causes of the current situation.  I think any recital, as opposed to an opera, oratorio or orchestral concert, takes real concentration, both on the stage and in the audience.  Audiences today are so bombarded with sensory stimuli:  listen to the level of miking at a Bway show; the internet is with us 24/7; reviews of plays and operas are 75% about costumes and sets.  Homework is no longer required; patience, attention and focus are no longer required.  If you come to a Winterreise performance, it's all about the intense world of super-concentration.  Yes, some artists have added choreography, projections, whatever---but that just proves my thesis that today's audiences are not trusted to listen and listen well.Then there is simple economics:  halls are too big for recitals, making rapport across the footlights difficult to achieve.  Big halls mean expenses.  To meet expenses means engaging superstars who more or less guarantee a sold out house.  It's a vicious circle, alas.  I remains for organizations like yours (CAIC) to refuse to let this magnificent repertoire become fossils in a musical museum.    I love the Triumphal March from Aida with elephants and a chorus of thousands, but surely there is also room and need for the smaller, lean, all-protein form of the recital.

SM: Your master classes are unique and inspiring experiences, and you obviously enjoy them. What makes a successful master class performance/experience?

MK: I thank you for those kind words.  Are my classes so unique, really?  I've been to some terrific ones given by my colleagues.  It's easier for me to answer you in terms of what I think is NOT a good method for giving a public master class.  This is not a lesson, 1-on-1.  It is important to include the audience, both other singers/pianists who may be waiting to perform next or who have just left the stage, and other audience members who are fans, curious to know what goes into preparing a work.  Talking too technically (giving pianists new fingering, number by number, or micromanaging pedaling) would be better done in an individual setting.  At the same time, "grandstanding" only for the audience and ignoring the people in the spotlight on stage would be equally misguided, I think. Above all, a class should not be a venue for the teacher to assume the role of the star.  He or she already drew the audience in---now, make it about the performers and the music. 

SM: How would you define the pianists’ role in the singer/pianist relationship? Do you find that your role or priorities change, depending on the singer you’re working with? How do you manage that?

MK: Ideally, the relationship is a 50/50 partnership.  Cordial and positive rapport is established early, and requests, suggestions, even demands are accepted back and forth with grace and enthusiasm.  The repertoire has some bearing on all this.  I recently played a recital for an Italianate (although not Italian) tenor, with works by Tosti, Donaudy, lots of arias.  This repertoire is completely dependent on the singer's vocalism being wonderful, rather like a Chopin concerto depends on a gorgeous Steinway and an accomplished pianist.  (The same would not be true of a Beethoven or Bartok concerto.)  Thus, in some music the piano is equal partner, while in other repertoire it is an accommodating accompanist.  I have also played for singers----marvelous ones----who have zero interest in receiving suggestions.  One chooses one's battles, after all.  That's OK too.  As long as I'm conscious of my role, and why I've accepted the engagement---everything is fine.  It is highly doubtful that anyone choosing to sing Schubert song cycles would feel his was the only artistic impulse to be considered.Part of my job is to make an idea with which I don't agree seem like my own idea.  It is not the audience's business whether I agree or disagree with the singer's choices.  I can honestly say this never is necessary with Jesse.  We agree or compromise better than most married couples! 

SM: You have inspired countless students and young artists –pianists and singers – during the course of your career. As a student, what inspired you?

MK: Thanks for these compliments too!I must count 4 major influences on my work, my thinking about music, about piano, about singing.  I call these my cornerstones.  The 1st 3 happened during my college years, 1961-1966.

1.   Pierre Bernac, luminary of French song, was in residence at my school (USC) for a summer.  Although I was only a sophomore, I spoke French fluently, and had already played many songs and arias in tht language.  I was thus chosen to accompany all of Bernac's lessons.  He was a stickler for precision, for detail, for not moving beyond measure 1 until it was correct, for acting with the voice once everything technical was in place.  He sat just a few feet from my right hand for hours each day.  We became quite close, a relationship which lasted until his death.  I am so happy to have a wonderful, quite personal autograph in my copy of his first book.

2.  Lotte Lehmann, great diva, creator of many Strauss roles, lived 90 mins. north of Los Angeles and taught lessons out of her home.  I  was asked by several L.A. singers to make the trip with them twice a month for a year or two.  Lehmann was the exact polar opposite of Bernac.  It was all feelings, all right brain.  If you had to breathe between the subject and the verb, never mind---just do it.  And if that triplet doesn't work, make it a duplet for expression's sake.  If you weren't telling a story, you were not singing or playing.  

3.  Jascha Heifetz, certainly the greatest fiddler of the 20th century, taught (with Piatigorsky and Primrose) at U.S.C.  In my last 2 years there, I auditioned and won the position of pianist for his classes.  We met twice a week, ALL DAY LONG.  On the days in between, I was chained to the piano, learning more sonatas, concerti, and small pieces than any human being has a right to know.  I had no life.  But it was so worth it!  I credit Mr. Heifetz 100% with my feel for rubato, and my need for it.  Of course, this is not appropriate for all styles, but when it was appropriate.....wow!  He demonstrated often, and it was amazing that even when he had a long note, and I had fast notes underneath him, his playing could influence the flow of my playing.  Listen to the slow movement of the Tschaikovsky concerto in his hands, and you will see what I mean.  He never said the word "rubato," but I have never been the same since those classes.  My poor students must endure my insistence on this flexibility.

4. Marilyn Horne, has affected my notion of legato and singing in general ever since 1967 when we began our professional partnership.  I never appreciated how a rising interval could be exploited; I never knew how seamless legato could be (even Heifetz had to change bows once in a while!); I never appreciated breath management or support; finally, I never had encountered an instrument with Horne's kind of penetration or projection.  I have been spoiled forever---but it's a spoiling I'm happy to have.  In addition to these vocal talents, Horne's professionalism, her concentration, her organized way of handling a career all took root in me.  I owe her more than I can ever possibly say or repay.

All of the above have made me whoever I am when I sit at the piano or stand on the podium.

Martin will perform Schubert's two epic song cycles with baritone, Jesse Blumberg, as part of CAIC's inaugural COLLABORATIVE WORKS FESTIVAL on March 29 & 31 2012 at the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium at the Harold Washington Library.  Tickets are on sale NOW!  Purchase tickets HERE!  If you would like to support the Festivel beyond buying a ticket, you can join our Kickstarter Campaign to support the upcoming Festival HERE!

Baritone Jesse Blumberg and pianist Martin Katz will perform Franz Schubert’s two seminal song cycles during Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago’s inaugural three-day 2012 Collaborative Works Festival. These two outstanding performers will present Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerinon March 29 and Winterreise on March 31. Each recital will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium of the Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State Street in Chicago.

            The Festival, “Epic Journeys: the song cycles of Franz Schubert,” also includes an opening night reception, vocal repertoire coachings and a German Lieder master class. The reception, which immediately follows the first recital, will be held at the Custom House Tavern, 500 S. Dearborn Street. Throughout March 30, Blumberg will offer vocal repertoire coaching to individual students at the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC) studios. In addition, at 7:00 p.m. on March 30, Katz will teach a German Lieder master class in the PianoForte Salon of the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave. The public is welcome to attend the master class free. Students participating in the coaching sessions and the master class are being selected by CAIC.

 “We cannot imagine a better way to inaugurate this yearly vocal chamber music Festival than with these two seminal song cycles that revolutionized the art song repertoire,” said Nicholas Phan, Artistic Director for CAIC. “Likewise, we are delighted to bring these two exceptional musicians to Chicago to perform this great music.”

Jesse Blumberg,the founder and artistic director of Five Boroughs Music Festival in New York City,is equally at home on opera, concert, and recital stages.  His recent engagements include Niobe, Regina di Tebe at Boston Early Music Festival, Bernstein’s Mass at Royal Festival Hall, and performances with New York Festival of Song. Besides the 2012 Collaborative Works Festival, his 2011-2012 season includes debuts with Anchorage Opera and the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and return performances at American Bach Soloists, New York Festival of Song, and TENET/Green Mountain Project. His singing of the Schubert song cycles has been described by AnnArbor.com as “beautiful vocalism, lyrical where it should be, impassioned or agitated when it needed to be.” 

Martin Katz, one of the world’s busiest collaborators, has been in constant demand by the world’s most celebrated vocal soloists for four decades. He has appeared and recorded regularly with Marilyn Horne, Frederica von Stade, Karita Mattila, Samuel Ramey, David Daniels, Jose Carreras, Cecilia Bartoli, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kathleen Battle, and Sylvia McNair, just to name a few. In addition to being a collaborative pianist and conductor, Katz is a committed teacher. Since 1984, he has been the chair of the University of Michigan’s School of Music’s program in collaborative piano. He has been a pivotal figure in the training of countless young artists, both singers and pianists, who are working all over the world. The Los Angeles Times has said that Katz “must surely be considered the dean of collaborative pianists.” 

Tickets for the 2012 Collaborative Works Festival are now on sale and may be purchased on the Festival’s website or by contacting CAIC at collartschicago@gmail.com. Adult pricing is $35 for one concert, $56 for both concerts, $70 for one concert plus the opening night reception, and $91 for both concerts plus the reception. Student pricing is $20 for one concert, $32 for both concerts, $40 for one concert plus the opening night reception, and $52 for both concerts plus the reception. 

Happy 2012, all! 

I hope your winter holidays were full of warmth and joy. My husband and I took our annual flight south and spent Christmas with my parents, my older brother, my niece, and two young nephews. Weather was glorious in North Carolina, and I was able to enjoy some horseback riding and fresh local seafood, including an outdoor oyster roast. Between a busy fall and an insanely busy winter/spring to come, it was nice to get out of town for a few days.

I left for North Carolina on December 21, still basking in the glow of a successful CAIC House Concert on December 16. That was Beethoven’s birthday, of course, and our friend Louise Smith had invited us to help her host a concert/Viennese celebration for about 35 of her friends. We offered a varied sampling of Lieder, and Louise provided, in addition to her stunningly appointed Gold Coast home, a gorgeous Steinway B, along with wine, coffee, and a stunning array of Viennese pastries. As usual, NH, NP, and I talked to the party guests about CAIC, about singers, about art song, and about the music were presenting. We were particularly pleased to use this concert as an occasion to announce formally plans for the 2012 Collaborative Works Festival. All five CAIC board members were present, too!

I’ve written before about how awesome I think House Concerts are. Well, they really are. CAIC has made House Concerts an important part of advancing its mission: they are the perfect platform for presenting art song and vocal chamber music repertoire; they provide wonderful opportunities for performers and audiences to share an intimate musical experience; they help CAIC grow its audience; and they help CAIC raise money to support its educational and performance programs. The December 16 concert alone raised almost $2000, which we will use to offset costs associated with this year’s Collaborative Works Festival.

We are forever indebted to Louise for being such a gracious and generous host; we are also incredibly grateful to Jay Morrissey and Jo Rodenburg for their hard work and their stunning performances. We’re blessed to have such people in our lives, and, as always, we’re looking forward to the next House Concert!   - SM

P.S. Are you interested in hosting a House Concert, or do you know someone who might be? Let us know!

It’s been a busy couple months for CAIC. We’ll have an exciting announcement for you all after the holidays, but right now we’re focused on presenting another CAIC House Concert, this Friday, December 16.

Friday night’s concert will offer a sampling of musical Vienna, in honor of  Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday this weekend. We’re delighted to be joined by mezzo-soprano Jo Rodenburg and tenor Jay Morrissey at the Chicago home of Louise Smith. It’s going to be a full house – about 35 guests at last count – and we’ll enjoy wine, coffee, and baked goods, including, natürlich, Sachertorte. Our host had a very clear vision of the kind of evening she wanted to create with us, which made our job relatively easy!

As the Nicks and I were planning this program, we knew we wanted to start and end with Beethoven. We thought about including some of the Schottische Lieder, but time and logistical constraints wouldn’t allow that. Next year, perhaps! I was happy to stumble across the delightful Vier Arietten und ein Duett, Op. 82, settings of Metastasian texts. (The songs’ middle-period publication date belie the fact belie their graceful Italianate style and early-Viennese charm.) In the four little arias, the two male and female protagonists struggle with their feelings of love and desire, each in his or her own way; they come together in the duet to remind us that only those who experience love can truly understand whether it’s worth suffering through - or not!

Of course, even the briefest tour of Vienna would be incomplete without including Franz Schubert. Not wanting to overdose on charm, we veered away from that composer’s ‘greatest hits’ and went with something far-reaching and, by all accounts, truly astounding: settings of Heine from the so-called Schwanengesang, D. 957. This collection of fourteen songs is often billed as Schubert’s ‘third song cycle’, but the songs were not conceived as such. The six Heine settings alone, however, do offer a logical successor to Winterreise, and I find myself wishing, when studying them, that Schubert had lived to realize the influence that these works would have on the development of the Lied. Without these songs there would be no Dichterliebe, I am certain. (Compare Schubert’s ‘Ihr Bild’ with Schumann’s ‘Ich hab in Träum geweinet’, and you’ll see what I mean.) ‘Der Atlas’ and ‘Die Stadt’ are positively Wagnerian in scope. Consider that in all of Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise forte is the top dynamic called for. In these Heine settings, fff is demanded in fully half of the songs.

I could go on and on about Schubert. The poetry alone is worth its own blog-post, and Schubert’s treatment of it is unparalleled in song-composition. I love them more each time I study them. But I digress…

Back to the program: Alban Berg seemed like a logical representation of the Second Viennese School, and I came across his settings of Theodor Storm’s ‘Schliesse mir die Augen beide’, one from 1900 and another from 1925. To offer some perspective, the Sieben frühe Lieder were published between 1905 and 1908, and Wozzeck was completed in 1922 and first performed in 1925. These two settings were published together specifically to show the evolution in Berg’s compositional style from Mahlerian Romanticism to twelve-tone techniques. Incidentally, the 1925 setting is Berg’s first twelve-tone composition.

Joseph Marx also set Theodor Storm’s poem (as did a few other composer), and given Marx’s connections to Vienna, it seemed fitting to include his setting, too. Marx offers his listener an impressionist-tinged lyricism; early Berg is prototypical late-Romanticism; late Berg is atonal/serial. An interesting journey! The fact that all three songs use the same text brings the differences in style and technique into sharp relief. I’m looking forward to hearing NH talk about the pieces (and play them) on Friday.

We’ll close the program that incomparable paean to song, and the first ever song-cycle, Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98. It seems the perfect end to a program honoring Beethoven, who was inspired by - and who had a profound influence on -   Viennese musical life.

Programs are printed, folded, and boxed up for transport, and I have one final rehearsal with Jo and Jay this afternoon. NH, NP, and I are excited to meet new friends of CAIC and to share with them our mission, news of recent successes, and plans for the future. I look forward to sharing with YOU a report and pictures from this House Concert - and our exciting news about the spring - after the holidays.

May your Holiday Season be filled with warmth, happiness, and good cheer.   - SM

    

A few years ago, I was rehearsing with a pianist for an upcoming concert, and I couldn’t remember what the rule was regarding whether to approach a trill from above or directly on the note when singing a certain composer’s music.  I asked her if she remembered the rule, and she said to me, “I don’t do rules.”

While her response seemed hilariously rebellious at first, I came to see a lot of logic to her point.  Much like Italian cuisine, which varies so much from region to region, so do people’s ideas of “rules” in music.  Encounter an Italian from one region of Italy, they will tell you that unequivocally you do not use garlic when preparing a certain sauce.  Travel just an hour south, and ask an Italian from that region about said sauce, and they will tell you unequivocally that you MUST use garlic when preparing that sauce.  Both are equally convinced that they are telling you the rules, despite the fact that they are telling you the opposite.

Much the same thing happens in music, particularly when musicians speak of the music of the dead.  After my pianist friend’s comment above, this strikes me as also hilarious, because let’s be reasonable – how can we really know?  I always want to say, show me your time machine and let’s go talk to those composers.

Now I understand that we do know some information about how this music was performed – most composers that are in the standard canon of performed classical music have left writing and documented evidence of their tastes.  Rossini wrote often of his distaste for his singers ornamenting his music, and he is documented as being highly critical of what has become the standard, modern-day technique of tenors to carry our chest voices up to the very tops of our ranges.  Nevertheless, when was the last time you heard Una voce poco fa without any ornamentation or a tenor singing Count Almaviva without heroic high notes?  These things are generally accepted as “rules” today and are expected in performance.

Then again – these dead composers were once flawed, imperfect human beings, too, and often contradicted themselves.  Handel was also a bit critical of singers overly ornamenting his arias, but then again, you look at some of the ornaments he himself wrote, and you get a mixed message in terms of “performance practice”.  My colleague, Ann Hallenberg, showed me some of the ornaments he wrote for her arias in Ariodante while we were on a concert tour of the opera this summer, and I tell you, they are crazy.  Sure, they are beautiful and exciting to listen to, but they look slightly insane at first glance.

Handel’s Messiah is one of these pieces that is often subject to “rules”, yet interpretations of it widely differ. To say that the piece is performed in a wide variety of styles is an understatement, and it is performed in many different versions with different cuts and different singers singing different arias.  Just to give you a taste of the wide range of possibilities, here are two examples of the many ways the first tenor aria can be performed:

The first time a younger version of myself encountered a version of Messiah that didn’t conform to my expectations or the set of rules of the piece that I had in my hot-headed, young noggin, I reacted initially with a very closed mind.  But what I quickly noticed is that whether a particular style or version is to my taste or not, each one, when performed with conviction, brings out something new in the piece that I have never heard before.  I’ve sung the piece in so-called “authentic, period-style” performance with period instruments, and I’ve sung performances of the piece with modern-instrument orchestras that approach the piece with more of a romantic flair, and what I can say is that the piece is never the same for me.  This weekend with the Baltimore Symphony, I experienced yet another interpretation, and yet again, there were new aspects of the drama of the piece that the conductor brought out that I had never heard in the piece before.  The piece was yet again kept fresh for me – this is part of what I find so amazing about this music.  There is so much in it to be brought forth and emphasized, and there are so many ways to interpret it.  In the end, whichever "set of rules" the performers choose to subscribe to, the performer has to decide what is to their taste and commit to it.  The point isn’t the rules, but what it is that you want to say.

- NP  (reprinted from Nick P's blog, grecchinois)


PS Just for fun, here's a video of one of my favorite moments in the piece: 
 

You’ll recall (I hope!) a post of mine from several weeks ago offering some advice in advance of “recording season.”  Now that the all-important December 1st deadline has passed for schools and for most summer programs, I’d like to offer some further thoughts about recordings based on the many I’ve made in the past month and a half.  Some are “dealbreakers” – the difference between a good and bad recording – and others are just designed to make the process less stressful.  Many never occurred to me until now.

1.  Scheduling gets much more complicated the closer you get to Dec. 1st.  Book a pianist and space well in advance.  Then if something happens (like an illness) you’ll be able to reschedule without having to overnight your application or, even worse, miss a deadline altogether! 

2.  Be organized about your repertoire.  Check and double-check the requirements for each school and program.  NEVER show up to a recording session with a piece and expect your pianist to sight read for your recording.  If you realize that you don’t need to record a piece you’ve already given your pianist, tell them right away.  Don’t start a session by telling your pianist that one of the pieces they’ve been practicing isn’t going to be recorded after all!  Experienced pianists understand that your repertoire may change – just keep them up to date about changes you do make.

3.  Be realistic about the amount of repertoire you can record in one session.  If the different requirements for all the programs you’re applying for mean that you have to record seven arias and four arts songs, don’t plan on being able to record them all in one session.  Schedule at least two.  Over time, you’ll learn how much you can do in one session.  I find a good goal to be four to six pieces in one session.

4.  Rehearse with your pianist as much as scheduling will allow.  It’s especially important to rehearse close to the actual recording date.  You may have had everything worked out perfectly four weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean that you both remember all the details a month later!  There’s nothing more draining during a recording session than losing the first take of every piece because of ensemble problems that could have prevented by a single rehearsal before your session.

5.  Check with your pianist to see if they need a page turner for your session.  Some pieces present no problems.  In others, there’s no way for a pianist to turn their own pages without it being obvious that they’re leaving out notes (or even playing wrong notes) in order to do so.  You don’t want to have gaps in the piano sound caused by page turns.  When you recruit a page turner, be sure they feel confident about turning – some people do this easily, others find it terrifying! 

6.  Always make sure the space you’re using has a good piano, and that it will be tuned before your session.  The best piano in the world will sound bad if it’s not in tune, and it’s very hard to sing in tune with an out of tune piano.  A bad piano will lower the quality of your recording no matter how well you sing.

7.  Be sure that you have absolutely clear financial arrangements with everyone – pianist, engineer, and the owner of the space.  Use contracts where appropriate.  In other situations an email that says “I charge $XX per hour for recording” can be sufficient.  Never wait until the end of the process to be surprised by the costs involved.  This is an expensive endeavor – you should know and plan for the costs in advance.

8.  Never end a session without listening to everything.  It’s amazing how big a difference there can be between how you thought you sounded and what the microphone picked up.  Also, little mistakes that would be unnoticed or forgotten in a live performace can seem much more disruptive on a recording.  You want to be sure that nothing’s “hiding” on your recording that you don’t want to be there.  If this means that the engineer and the pianist have to sit for a half hour while you listen to everything, that’s just the way this works.

9.  Last, be kind (and realistic) to yourself.  At this point in your development, everyone expects your voice to be a work in progress, not a finished product.  Expect that your recording will reflect the very best work you can do now, not that it be able to compete with the best work of a professional singer with several decades more experience than you.  Work hard, be critical and always strive for improvement, but don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect. 

I hope this is helpful – remember, it’s never too early to start planning for next time!    - NH

 

My husband and I have adopted a new family member. Harpo is a 14-week old miniature poodle, and he came to live with us about four weeks ago. He’s a fantastic little dog, and Hubby and I are learning a lot about ourselves as we work to help this energetic and mischievous pup become a well-mannered and well-adjusted dog.

In my quest to become a good puppy parent, I’ve turned, quite naturally, to books. I’ve been enjoying this one, in particular. Despite a somewhat unsettling first chapter that describes one dog’s pregnancy in just a little too much detail, it’s a fascinating read, and it offers useful insight into puppy behavior. It’s written by the dog-expert monks of New Skete, New York, and is full of wisdom and insight, as one would expect of a book written by monks.

I liked this quote:

"Perhaps the biggest surprise in raising a puppy is the transforming effect it can have on you. Performing this service well is not simply about your puppy maturing into a happy adult companion. It is also about you becoming a better human being, more of who you are called to be."

I like that, because it’s a perfect explanation of why I’ve always needed animals in my life. It also offers a perfect analogy for why I do music, and for why I teach.

When we brought Harpo home, there were a lot of things he didn’t know how to do, like walk on a leash outside. He hasn’t mastered that yet, but every day – every walk, actually – is an improvement on the last. The walk that used to take an hour now takes about 40 minutes, and Harpo is starting to learn that ‘hurry up’ means it’s time to stop trying to eat worms and focus on finding a spot to pee instead. (Baby steps, right?!) It’s amazing how easy it is to mark his little successes, and how exciting they are. I guess it’s because he’s a baby, and we try not to expect from him more than what he’s already shown us he can do. We try not to overwhelm him with expectations. Additionally, though, as we build on his little successes, we don’t let him (or ourselves) settle for anything less than an improvement on the day (or the walk) before. That’s important, too.

This book devotes a number of paragraphs to the importance of sharing breathing exercises with your dog. We don’t need to talk about that right now, because, well, it’s a little weird. Otherwise, the book’s pretty useful, and I love that it stresses the importance of focusing on what you want your pup to do, rather than on what you want him not to do. That’s just great life advice.

Of course, there are frustrations and mistakes (caused, invariably, by the humans in Harpo’s life) and mishaps. Just as I sat down to write tonight, Harpo got excited and peed on his bed, which meant I had to stop everything and wash the bed in this stuff. It’s hard to stay very frustrated about that type of thing, though, because: 1) Harpo’s a baby; 2) he’s really, really cute; 3) he’s doing the best he can do; and 4) he doesn’t make excuses.

(He’s doing better than a lot of us!)

More words of wisdom from the monks:

"[N]ever be satisfied with mediocrity; work hard to bring out the best in your pup by striving each day to make your training something more alive than the day before, something more than a mere mastery of techniques."

Yes! Harpo agrees.

Strive each day to make your training something more alive than the day before, something more than a mere mastery of techniques.   - SM

Here are a few photos from CAIC's House Concert at the Rena Sternberg Gallery this summer (June 25, 2011):

We are incredibly grateful to the Rena Sternberg Gallery for graciously hosting this wonderful event this summer!


An integral part of the mission of CAIC to promote the art song and vocal chamber music repertoire, House Concerts are an important way that CAIC showcases the work of our students and colleagues.  CAIC House Concerts are a special way to bring friends, family, and co-workers together to hear great music, support the arts, and interact with young professional musicians in the comfort of one's home or other intimate venue.  We have many House Concert programs that we would like to showcase this season, and we are always looking for hosts for these events!  

If you are interested in hosting a CAIC House Concert, please contact us at collartschicago@gmail.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!