“Gesamtkunstwerk,” the term first coined by K. F. E. Trahndorff in 1827 and later taken up by Richard Wagner in 1849, is the word that comes to mind when our Jacksonville Symphony presents me with the opportunity to conduct the score to a film. The term is translated as “total work of art,” or “all-embracing art form” and strives to … Read More
Voice adds depth to symphony performances
Strangely enough for an orchestra, we’ve heard a lot of the human voice recently at the Jacksonville Symphony. The Christmas season began with “Messiah,” and in January we welcomed a cast from around the country for Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni.” Last weekend we performed Maurice Ravel’s sensuous ballet, “Daphnis et Chloé,” complete with an enormous chorus that sang no words, … Read More
Mozart’s Don Giovanni: Stagecraft meets musicianship
Later this month, the Jacksonville Symphony will present one of the most ambitious concerts of the season: Mozart’s magnificent Don Giovanni. The performances, part of the Florida Blue Masterworks Series, will be Friday and Sunday, January 25 and 27. They also form the centerpiece of our innovative Midwinter Mozart Festival. Operas normally need a more theatrical venue than the Jacoby … Read More
Don Giovanni remains timeless, centuries later
Mozart described his masterpiece Don Giovanni as an opera buffa: a comedy. Yet the work bristles with the political issues of the day, see-sawing between farce and deep seriousness. The Don Juan myth first appeared in European literature in 1630, when Tirso de Molina published The Trickster of Seville, a tale of an irresistibly handsome aristocrat who spends his days … Read More
Holidays are the time for waltzes
The air is a getting crisper this week, and as we finish off the Thanksgiving turkey and begin to think about December, I’m reminded of one of my favourite holiday traditions. Every New Year’s Eve and Day the Vienna Philharmonic performs a concert of waltzes and polkas in the beautiful Grosser Saal of the Musikverein. The New Year’s Day concert … Read More
Pictures at an Exhibition: About Victor Hartmann
Victor Alexandrovitch Hartmann was born April 23rd, 1834, in St. Petersburg. Both his parents died before he was four years old, and he was brought up by an aunt, Luisa Ivanovna Gemilian, wife of a well-known St. Petersburg architect and a former lady-in-waiting to the tsarina. Through the influence of Mme. Gemilian, Hartmann was admitted at the age of twelve … Read More
Why is That Trombone So Small?
When the Jacksonville Symphony plays music from the Classical and Early Romantic periods the trombone section often scales our instruments down to better blend with a smaller orchestra. As opposed to what we usually play – two large tenor trombones with valves and a large bass trombone with two valves – we use an alto trombone, a “straight,” or, valve-less … Read More
Where Will The Music Take You?
At an early age, I discovered the transformative power of music. Growing up in a military household, we moved around quite often and, unfortunately, most of those transitions were very difficult. Starting a new life in a strange city every three years was fraught with anxiety. My anchor through all of this was music. I learned to play the trumpet … Read More
My Heros: Rattle, Abbado and Davis
During our formative years, musicians are molded by many influences. Obviously our teachers hold enormous sway, taking on the role of musical parents by establishing the basics of instrumental technique while introducing repertoire at the right time. But like any artist we are often influenced just as much, if not more, by professionals, we may not know. The people we … Read More
A Massive Hope for the Future: Elgar’s First Symphony
Next weekend we perform a masterpiece that is among those closest to my heart, Edward Elgar’s First Symphony. Its premiere in 1908 was probably the greatest success of Elgar’s career. His best friend and publisher, August Jaeger, described the scene at the first London performance: “I never in all my experience saw the like. The hall was packed…the atmosphere was electric…after … Read More