Robin's blog

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2012-01-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

Real Living with Robin Rilette

2011-12-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

Ceremony of Carols

2011-12-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

When I was in college I sang Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols. It was one of the highlights of my choral career. My favorite movement is This Little Babe, the lyrics from a 16th century poem by Robert Southwell. What images Southwell creates, and how well his words reflect a little understood truth that power does not always come in an expected form.

This little Babe so few days old,
Is come to rifle Satan's fold;
All hell doth at his presence quake,
Though he himself for cold do shake;
For in this weak unarmed wise
The gates of hell he will surprise.

With tears he fights and wins the field,
His naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries,
His arrows made of weeping eyes,
His martial ensigns cold and need,
And feeble flesh his warrior's steed.

His camp is pitched in a stall,
His bulwark but a broken wall;
The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes,
Of shepherds he his muster makes;
And thus as sure his foe to wound,
The Angels' trumps alarum sound.

My soul with Christ join thou in fight,
Stick to the tents that he hath pight;
Within his crib is surest ward,
This little Babe will be thy guard;
If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,
Then flit not from this heavenly boy.

Diamond Music

2011-10-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

This morning I'm playing Palladio by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. You may remember this music from a television commerical from the De Beers diamond corporation.

The St. Antonius Insitute calls the South African corporation "the most unethical corporation in the world."

Here's an article about De Beers latest sales agreement with Botswana.

The Relief of Derry Symphony

2011-06-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Painting by Julius Guzy.

About 12 years ago I was wandering through the folk section of Northwest Public Radio's music library when I came across a work by Irish composer Shaun Davey called "The Relief of Derry Symphony." As morning classical music host the word symphony naturally caught my eye so I took a listen. Wow! I was blown away by this amazing work. How in the world did this ever end up in the folk section? I included it in my program the very next day and the reaction was immediate and very positive.

I hope that you enjoyed No. 49 on Northwest Public Radio's "50 Favorites!" You can find links to purchase the cd on Shaun's website under Albums. Watch this video for more information on the seige of Derry.

Here's a picture of the Derry Guildhall where the symphony was recorded back in 1990.

Be Thou My Vision

2011-05-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite versions of the ancient Irish folk hymn Be Thou My Vision. Van the man!

Across the Universe with Michael Johns

2011-05-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

This morning I'm playing an entire hour of music written by the Beatles, including a guitar version of "Across the Universe." Here's my favorite versin of that Lennon & McCartney song sung by Michael Johns, a former contestant on American Idol.

So You Want To Write A Fugue?

2011-04-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

So you want to write a fugue.
You got the urge to write a fugue.
You got the nerve to write a fugue.
So go ahead, so go ahead and write a fugue.
Go ahead and write a fugue that we can sing.

Pay no heed, Pay no mind.
Pay no heed to what we tell you,
Pay no mind to what we tell you.
Cast away all that you were told
And the theory that you read.
As we said come and write one,
Oh do come and write one,
Write a fugue that we can sing.

Now the only way to write one
Is to plunge right in and write one.
Just forget the rules and write one,
Just ignore the rules and try.

And the fun of it will get you.
And the joy of it will fetch you.
Its a pleasure that is bound to satisfy.
When you decide that John Sebastian must have been a very personable guy.

Never be clever
for the sake of being clever,
for the sake of showing off.

For a canon in inversion is a dangerous diversion,
And a bit of augmentation is a serious temptation,
While a stretto diminution is an obvious allusion.

For to try to write a fugue that we can sing.

And when you finish writing it
I think you will find a great joy in it.

or so...
Nothing ventured, nothing gained they say
But still it is rather hard to start.

Well let us try right now.
Now we are going to write a fugue.
We are going to write a good one.
We are going to write a fugue ... right now.

Here is some information about Glenn Gould's composition So You Want To Write a Fugue?

Gerald Finzi's "Eclogue"

2011-03-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to Gerald Finzi's Eclogue for Piano and Strings by a former colleague of mine, Ted Askew. I find this deeply heartfelt piece of music so beautiful, and thought that you might enjoy this video pairing Finzi's elegant and emotional music with photos of sunsets.

In spite of all of our many challenges we live in a world full of beauty.

Young Artists Concert

2011-02-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

(Left to right: Stuart Lutzenheiser, Emily Sternfeld-Dunn, Brittany Hines-Hill, Jared Ice and Deborah Blakesley)

On January 29th in Pullman, Jeremy Briggs Roberts conducted the Washington Idaho Symphony and this year's Young Artists' winners in a program that featured Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and the world premiere of young artist winner Johnny Stark's March.

(Johnny Stark)

Hannah Kwon was also featured playing music from Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 . Unfortunately I did not get a photo of Hannah, but that in no way diminished my pleasure at hearing her play a piece that is both technically and emotionally demanding.

It was a pleasure, as always, to be a part of this concert. I applaud the Washington Idaho Symphony, and all of the symphonies in the Pacific Northwest that make a point to nurture and highlight the next generation of classical music performers.

(Conductor Jeremy Briggs Roberts)

Eat Your Vegetables!

2011-01-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

If you attend a concert featuring faculty and/or students from the music department of Central Washington University prepare to be surprised! C.W.U.'s music department consistently presents fun, interesting, innovative and well-performed concerts.

You can catch the CWU Chamber Choir this Sunday afternoon at 4:00 at The Seasons in downtown Yakima. Here is a video of Gary Weidenaar leading the choir in John Muehleisen's Eat Your Vegetables! Watch out for the carrot! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

The next Leonard Bernstein?

2011-01-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

An NWPR listener in Tacoma turned me on to this video of three year old Jonathan conducting the finale to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, arguably one of the most well-known pieces of music in the world.

Honestly, this is exactly what I feel like doing when I hear this piece. Well, everything but the judicious nose picking.

Just to prove that Jonathan is not a one trick pony here he is playing the violin. I can't wait to follow his career!

Come In!

2010-12-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

This morning I played a piece by Russian composer Vladimir Martynov called
Come In!

Here is what Martynov wrote in the liner notes, translated from the Russian by Elisabeth Konovalova.

One ancient hermit said to his disciple: "Strive to enter the inner cell of your soul and there you will behold the heavenly cell. Both are one: you enter them by the same door. The staircase to Heaven is inside you: it exists secretly in your heart."

And it is true:
Our whole life is but an attempt to find this miraculous entrance.
All our deeds are but a timid knocking on this mysterious door.
All our hopes are to hear, one day, perhaps, a voice that would respond: "Come in!"

For it is said: "Knock and you will be let in."

You might be intrigued by some of the reviews on amazon, where you can also listen to samples of the work if you didn't catch it this morning. It's from a cd called Silenco featuring violinist Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica.

The Tall Ships Suite

2010-11-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

Each year the The International Fleet of Tall Ships visit ports throughout the world as roving ambassadors for their countries. One of the most ambitious Tall Ships Races ever staged, the Grand Regatta Columbus, took place in 1992 and inspired composers Dave Roylance and Bob Galvin to write The Tall Ships Suite.

Random Acts of Culture

2010-11-17T10:15:00.000-08:00

Random Acts of Culture!

Striker, W.S.U.'s therapy horse, voted "Equine of the Year!"

2010-11-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

So maybe you're asking, "Robin, why is the Music Director of Northwest Public Radio blogging about a therapy horse affiliated with Washington State University's PATH program? Well, for over 12 years I was involved with the PATH program, first as a volunteer then as a certified NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) instructor. To this day, it ranks as one of the most rewarding parts of my life on the Palouse.

This year, Striker, PATH's 27 year old gelding was named NARHA'S Equine of the Year at their national conference. I've worked with Striker since he first joined the PATH program and saw firsthand how many riders and volunteers lives he's touched. In a therapeutic riding program such as PATH having calm, patient horses, what we sometimes call "bomb-proof," is key. Striker exemplifies that kind of horse. Wind storm? No problem. Wiggly rider? Not an issue. Extremely excited and vocal rider? Bring it on!

PATH's palomino mare, Fancy Blue, a favorite with many younger riders. Blonds do have more fun!

Check out the link above or read the article about Striker in the latest online issue of WSU Today to hear one story of how Striker, and the PATH program, make a big difference.

Extreme cellists!

2010-07-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on a group of three "extreme cellists" hiking across northern England for charity.

Florence Foster Jenkins

2010-07-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Florence Foster Jenkins was a true original, an eccentric if you will. For a number of years Northwest Public Radio aired a request program once a month called First Friday. One month we received a request for Mein Herr Marquis, sung by Florence Foster Jenkins. At that time, we had an extensive LP collection so I searched the archives and found an old LP called
The Glory of the Human Voice.
I put the LP on the turntable and stood in stunned silence. I called fellow music host Gillian Coldsnow over to listen. I'm not sure how long it took before we realized that a musical practical joke had been played on us, but when we did we both burst into laughter! Guess what? We actually played the piece on that month's edition of First Friday. Guess what again? We had listener requests for more!

Generalife: Where the Sultans went to "get away from it all!"

2010-06-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

Reality tells me that I am at the Northwest Public Radio offices in Pullman, WA on the campus of Washington State University. Imagination allows me to wander again the palace and gardens of Granada's Generalife, the country estate of the Nasrid Kings.

As the crow flies, the Generalife is not that far away from the Alhambra. In this picture we're looking at the Generalife with the Alhambra about 500 yards to the right. Remember that old real estate adage, "Location, location, location!?" Well, that's certainly true of the Generalife. Geographically, it's not that far from the palaces and intriques of the court but both figuratively and literally it provided a much needed respite.

The Generalife's location allows it to profit more fully from the breezes that come down from the Sierra Nevada and be that much cooler and shadier than the Alhambra. The fountains, shaded arcades and gardens of the Generalife provided a much needed physical and mental respite for the rulers of Granada. Here is a photo of the rooms of the Sala Regia overlooking the Patio de la Acequia, the enclosed oriental garden with a long, central pool and water jets on either side.

The Patio de los Cipreses has a history of clandestine meetings between Zoraya, wife of the Sultan Abu-l-Hasan, and her lover who was the chief of the powerful Abencerrajes family. It is also known as the Patio de la Sultana for obvious reasons. While being a very beautiful place for romantic intriques it just doesn't seem all that discreet to me. Check out all of the windows and arcades which could easily hide secret observers! It's said that "love is blind" but, unfortunately, that is probably for the spied upon rather than for the spy!

Here's a view from the opposite end of the garden. It certainly is a romantic spot......

A door off this court leads to enclosed gardens and the Escalera del Agua. This amazing staircase is almost completely covered by trees and bushes and has water flowing gently down either sides.

Again, the sound of water is found everywhere in the Generalife and adds to the feeling of coolness that pervades even on the hottest days. Our visit was on a day when the temperatures probably peaked in the mid 80's but with a nice breeze coming from the Sierra Nevada for most of the day.

A few more photos from around the palace.

A view of the Alhambra and of the Albaicin, the old neighborhood at the bottom of the Darro ravine north of the Alhambra

Gorgeous gardens surround much of the Generalife. One of the translations of Generalife is "the garden of lofty paradise." "Back in the day" in the 13th century the gardens also had orchards and pastures. Here's what they look like today.

I'm sure that Freud would have a field day with my penchant for hiding behind or peeking through leafy objects when having my photo taken! Let's not go there.

No garden on this hill or "pile" as Washington Irving pronounced it would be complete without fountains, flowers and the sound and sight of water.

When I become filthy rich and spread my largesse far and wide in attempts to improve the human condition, I will set aside a few million to rent the Alhambra for a week and invite my friends to share this spectacular retreat with me.

My jealousy of the aforementioned Irving knows no bounds! I've been reading his "The Alhambra" and am sometimes struck, almost literally, by a feeling of envy so strong as to almost be sickening.

He had much of this "glorious pile" to himself, and those that he shared it with were not carrying cameras, audio guides or escorting throngs of teenagers.

Can't you just see yourself strolling along here with the sounds of guitars drifting up from the town below? For a much better description read "Tales of the Alhambra" by Washington Irving. Try to get a copy with pictures because then, like me, you can sway in your hammock while reading, and with an occasional glance at the pictures, pretend that you are there.

Well, back to reality!

The Alhambra: Nasrid Palace

2010-06-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Enchant.

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines it as, "to attract and move deeply: rouse to ecstatic admiration." What an utterly apt description of my experience at the Alhambra. It was a revelation to me. Light, space, water and natural materials combine to create a style of architecture that speaks to me deeply.

My poor photos cannot do this wonderful place justice, even with the beautiful, snow covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada in the background. This view is from the opposite hill in the Albaicin, where narrow streets, cobbled alleys and villas with beautiful gardens cling to the hillside. Here are a few more photos of the Alhambra from Albaicin.

We arrived in Granada in the late afternoon and had some time to explore Albaicin because our first visit to the Alhambra was not until later that night at 10:00. Seeing the Alhambra from the hill of Albaicin whetted my appetite. It's one of the most stunning views that I've ever seen.

The Alhambra's Nasrid Palace is open for nighttime visitors five days a week. Night visits to the Nasrid Palace have become so popular that Laure had to reserve our tickets in advance. We still had to wait in line for a half hour to pick them up. With so many people in line my heart began to sink. In general, I do not enjoy crowds of people, particularly large groups of tourists all bunched together and all seemingly flashing their cameras at exactly the same time.

To my surprise and delight, Laure and I managed to find ourselves virtually alone on the long, beautifully illuminated path to the Nasrid Palace. Imagine, if you can, a long cobblestone path lined with large cypress trees, some of them pruned in the shape of arches that give you glimpses of pools and gardens. A soft, early nighttime breeze wafts over you bringing with it the scents of jasmine and orange blossom. This captivating fragrance is accompanied by the chirping of frogs. The city of Granada surrounds you on three sides but you are hardly aware of its presence until later in the evening when you see and hear a fireworks display.

That walk will stay in my memory forever. It was as magical and wonderful as anything that I could have imagined. I only wish that I had pictures to share with you, although I really don't think that they could even begin to capture the magic of that walk. Still, here's a picture taken of the Alhambra at sunset. It's not the same as that dusky walk but perhaps it evokes at least a bit of the magical feel of the place.

I do have a few pictures taken inside the Nasrid Palace and although most of them are very blurry I share them with you to try and give you even a small sense of the amazing feel of the palace.

Oddly enough, even though the exposure is off I think this is a cool picture.

On the Internet I found these two pictures by Ayahs Bahru, who visited the Nasrid Palace, about three weeks after we did. The photos are beautiful! Way to go Ayahs! These begin to capture some of the magic of the place, and the intricacy and detail of the work.

What I so appreciate about this style of architecture is that the materials used are very modest. Plaster, timber and tiles are predominant. But what they do with those materials is astonishing. This particular type of arch is called a "honeycomb" arch.

Here's a picture that I took the next day that makes some of the details of the arch easier to see.

This is the ceiling of the Sala de los Abencerrajes. This just hints at the exquisite and elaborate detail in the stucco work that makes up this domed ceiling.

You can catch a faint glimpse of the blue color. Imagine what the colors would have looked like around 1354 when most of the work in the palace was complete. It must have been stunning!

Below are more pictures of the palace taken the next day.

This is a side view of the Patio de Arrayanes. The Moors used a lot of reflective water in their architecture to create a greater feeling of space and light, which is reflected from the pool into the surrounding halls.

Completed in 1365, The Patio del Mexuar was a council chamber where the sultan du jour held meetings with his ministers and listened to the petitions of his subjects.

The picture below shows the detail of the tile between the two entrances. The Sultan's throne would be placed there. The patio has a fountain in the center so the sound of water would have always been present. In addition, the light came from behind the patio so that the light would have been in the eyes of the Sultan's ministers and subjects. There's nothing like being in the power position, both literally and figuratively!

Hollywood had nothing on the Sultans of the Alhambra for knowing the importance of good lighting!

The craftsmanship in the Alhambra is really amazing and is found elsewhere throughout Andalusia where the Moors has the most influence.

Check out this workmanship! It's all in details....

This beautiful work is found in and around the Patio de Arrayanes. Remember that they are using wood, plaster and tiles; all natural materials.

Here's Patio de Arraynes with the reflecting pool and the fortress that containes the Salon de Embajadores (throne room) in the background.

In another part of the palace lies the Patio de los Leones, built by Muhammad V and known for its central fountain featuring 12 lions, who were, unfortunately absent at the time due to an appointment with the resident restorer. It's a shame because it's a great space and that ugly big box protecting the fountain's base does not really add to the beauty of the filigreed arcades and the marble columns.

These pictures show the Patio with the lions still in residence. The small culverts you see lead to other smaller fountains hidden under the arches that surround the patio. This patio is one of the most photographed places in the Alhambra and with good reason. There are four buildings surrounding the patio that make up the heart of the Harem, where the sultan lived with his closest family members.

One of the spaces off this patio is the Sala de los Abencerrajes. There is a sad history to this hall. It is named after a noble family who lived there during the reign of last Sultan of Granada, Boabdil. The Abencerrajes were rivals of Boabdil and the legend goes that he had them all massacred while attending a banquet in this hall. There is a fountain in the center of the floor. Around the fountain you can see some dark stains and the legend also says that these stains are the blood of the Abencerrajes. The geometrical ceiling of the room is spectacular and inspired by Pythagoras' theorem.

More photos in the Nasrid Palace. These are of Lindaraxa's garden, one of the most photographed and painted parts of the Alhambra.

Here's what Washington Irving wrote about Lindaraxa and her garden in "Tales of the Alhambra."

"One window of the royal sleeping-room commanded a prospect of the Generalife and its embowered terraces; another looked out into the little secluded garden I have mentioned, which was decidedly Moorish in its character, and also had its history. It was in fact the garden of Lindaraxa, so often mentioned in descriptions of the Alhambra, but who this Lindaraxa was I had never heard explained. A little research gave me the few particulars known about her. She was a Moorish beauty who flourished in the court of Mohamed the Left-Handed, and was the daughter of his loyal adherent, the governor of Malaga, who sheltered him in his city when driven from the throne. On regaining his crown, the governor was rewarded for his fidelity. His daughter had her apartment in the Alhambra, and was given by the king in marriage to Nasar, a young prince descended from Aben Hud the Just.

Four centuries had elapsed since the fair Lindaraxa passed away, yet how much of the fragile beauty of the scenes she inhabited remained! The garden still bloomed [66] in which she delighted; the fountain still presented the crystal mirror in which her charms may once have been reflected; the alabaster, it is true, had lost its whiteness; the basin beneath, overrun with weeds, had become the lurking-place of the lizard, but there was something in the very decay that enhanced the interest of the scene, speaking as it did of that mutability, the irrevocable lot of man and all his works."

200th Birth Anniversary of Robert Schumann

2010-06-08T09:44:00.001-07:00

Robert and Clara Schumann

Today is the 200th birth anniversary of Robert Schumann, one of the great composers of the romantic era. Today, Northwest Public Radio is featuring the music of Schumann. If you missed "Morning Edition" today
here's a link to a NPR page with stories of Schumann, in particular the interview this morning on Morning Edition with commentator Miles Hoffman.

My exposure to classical music began early, through my mother Sue, who was a wonderful pianist and vocalist. Mom went to C.W.U. on a music scholarship but had to quit when her father died during her freshman year. Music was always a part of my life, and mom's love of a wide variety of music was passed down to me.

As a child, my sister Kim and I took piano lessons. All of these years later I don't remember everything that I played but I know there was J.S. Bach, Clementi and Beethoven. In grade school I took up the flute and played for a number of years. I was actually quite good but quit in high school for reasons too ridiculous to want to relate. I did continue to sing and so still had some exposure to classical music.

My interest in classical music waned until sometime in my early 20's when I started taking note of classical music used in films. I would stay through the credits, quickly write down the information in the dark and then immediately go and buy the album. I share this today because Schumann was one of the composers whose name I wrote down in a darkened theatre in Portland. The piece? The andante cantabile from his Piano Quartet in Eb, Op. 47. The movie? My Brillant Career

Sam Neill as Harry Beecham (yum!) and Judy Davis as Syblla Melvyn.

Sand Drawing

2010-05-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

This video shows the winner of 2009's "Ukraine's Got Talent", Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about $75,000.

She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated.

It is replaced by a woman's face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman's face appears.

She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.

This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.

In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.

The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.

And here is an article on the subject from Canadian history professor David Marples on

The Archlute

2010-05-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I played a piece featuring the mandolin and the archlute and thought that you might enjoy a picture and some information.

Here's an interesting article about the restoration of an archlute.

Walla Walla Choral Society

2010-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hoop skirts, bonnets and frock coats take the stage Sunday afternoon as the Walla Walla Choral Society presents “A Taste of Americana,” the music of Stephen Foster. In period costumes the choral members sing Foster favorites such as Beautiful Dreamer, Old Folks at Home and Camptown Races.
The concert is Sunday, May 2nd at 3:00 at Walla Walla University's Melvin K. West Fine Arts Center Auditorium.
Can you imagine the work that went into this beautiful dress?

Paying it Forward with Andy Mackie

2010-04-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

A listener sent me a video about this remarkable man named Andy Mackie. I so appreciate how he is sharing his love of music with the next generation. A man who plays the harmonica and trains horses? Why that's just about the perfect man!

Thanks Daddy!

2010-02-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

Cesar Millan with Daddy and Daddy's protege, Junior.

Daddy, Cesar Millan's famous pit bull ambassador died on February 19th. Daddy was something really special. He was the epitome of the calm, assertive energy that is the hallmark of Cesar's dog physchology methods.

If you're a regular reader of this blog you will already know that I am a huge fan of Cesar Millan. I'm also a huge fan of Daddy. Every time he came on "The Dog Whisperer" to help an unstable dog I had the same reaction. I said out loud, "Daddy," in that voice you save for really special dogs. I'm not kidding. Every time I saw him on television I had the same reaction. This feeling of peace and joy came over me. This dog had, and still has, some serious mojo!

This morning I was reading some of the e-mail messages about Daddy on Cesar's website and had to stop. I became seriously choked up, which is a challenging state of being when you have a live radio show to present. Here is a link to some of the tributes to Daddy.

So long Daddy, and thanks to Cesar and his family for sharing you with the rest of us.

Mackers!

2010-02-16T11:56:00.001-08:00

Here's a review of the Canadian television series Slings and Arrows.

Here's my favorite, the theme from Season 1 Chin Up Hamlet!

Cheer up Hamlet
Chin up Hamlet
Buck up you melancholy Dane
So your uncle is at hand
Murdered Dad and married Mum
That's really no excuse to be as glum as you've become
So wise up Hamlet
Rise up Hamlet
Buck up and sing the new refrain
Your incessant monologizing fills the castle with ennui
Your antique disposition is embarrassing to see
And by the way you sulky brat the answer is To Be
You're driving poor Ophelia insane
So shut up you rogue and peasant
Grow up it's most unpleasant
Cheer up you melancholy Dane.

Victoria Bond's Bridges

2010-02-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Native Californian composer Victoria Bond's latest cd is called Peculiar Plants and features unique instrumentational combinatons. In Bridges, featured on my morning classical music show today, you hear two clarinets in combination with two Chinese instruments, the erhu and the pipa.

Pipa

Erhu

Victory at Sea

2010-02-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Richard Rodgers wrote the score for this amazing documentary series that ran on NBC from October 26, 1952 until April 26, 1953. Henry Salomon oversaw the edition and compilation of nearly 60 million feet of actual newsreel. The footage came from 10 countries and 26 private and governmental agencies. In the early 1960's the series was also aired on Japanese television. Here's a clip from Episode 1.

Tom Hungate, KTNW and KWSU public television's Programming Manager said that he found the entire boxed set on sale for $5.00!

Remember when exercise used to be called "playing?"

2009-12-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

This video was sent to me by a Northwest Public Radio listener. At the end of this video is the saying,"Fun can obviously change behavior for the better." Hello? Didn't we all know this as children? Exercise, that thing that we need to schedule, get up early for, change clothes for, etc; was what we naturally did as children. It was called playing!

"Can _________ come out to play?" Those classic words that we all grew up with and that were generally followed by riding bikes, rollerskating, tree climbing or games of kick ball, tag or hide and seek. Playing was exercising.

Here's a link to the funtheory.com site showing entries for an award for best idea.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2009-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

I found this list online and found it interesting.

Religious symbolism of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

1 True Love refers to God
2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Here's a site with interesting information about the liturgical history of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

And yet another take on this from an e-mail I received from a listener in Wenatchee.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

For a refutation of the above check out Snopes.com.

I decided to you tube (is this an official verb yet?) the song. As you might expect there were a lot of choices. Here a couple that I couldn't resist.

A silly one.....
Warning: Contains chipmunk voices!!!!!

The Case of the Missing Stradivarius!

2009-12-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

Joshua Bell with his Gibson Stradivarius. The story of how this violin came to Joshua is fascinating.

HISTORY OF JOSHUA'S VIOLIN

THE GIBSON STRADIVARIUS: FROM HUBERMAN TO BELL

The Gibson Stradivarius, one of the world's great violins, is now owned and played by Joshua Bell. In 1985 this instrument resided incognito for months in the Danbury home of Edward Wicks, where its "owner" Julian Altman, who was on his way to jail, had brought it for safekeeping. Within months of his imprisonment, Altman was near death from stomach cancer. On his deathbed, according to his wife, he divulged that the violin he had played for nearly 50 years was the Gibson Stradivarius that had been stolen in 1936 from the Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman. The fascinating story of the Gibson Stradivarius has been told before.

Here, for the first time, is the complete story, including the important part that Edward Wicks played as a guardian for the violin on its journey to Joshua Bell. A somewhat shorter version of this story was published in the Danbury News-Times on April 18, 2004. In my research, I was able to confirm some facts previously uncertain (for example, that Altman had indeed played with the National Symphony). As a former research librarian, I am confident that this is as close to the "real story" as one can get at this time.

-- Jim Pegolotti
Librarian Emeritus, Western Connecticut State University

The Theft

The violins produced and shaped by the hands of Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) have never been bettered, and since only some 600 of the 1100 Stradivarius instruments (mainly violins, but also violas and cellos) remain, the possession of one of these instruments is an absorbing ambition for some violinists. The traditional way to gain a Stradivarius is by purchase, but there is another method --- by thievery. This tactic occurred during a concert at Carnegie Hall on Friday evening, February 28, 1936, when the Gibson Stradivarius (named for an earlier owner) disappeared from the Carnegie Hall dressing room of its then owner, the Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman (1882-1947). It happened while the violinist was on stage performing and playing his other exceptional violin, a Guarnerius.

After intermission, Huberman's secretary noticed the Stradivarius was missing from its case in the dressing room. It was "déjà vu all over again" because once before the violin had been stolen from Huberman in 1919 in Vienna, but was returned in only a few weeks. Rushing to the wings, the secretary got word to Huberman about the missing violin before the concert was over. Huberman, knowing the violin was insured, told her to call the police immediately, probably hoping for a result like that in Vienna --- a quick recovery. The police descended upon Carnegie Hall, but in spite of a lengthy investigation, the Gibson Stradivarius did not reappear. Lloyds of London, its insurer, eventually paid Huberman $30,000 (£8000), the then value of the violin, and thereby becoming the violin's owner should it ever resurface. For the fifty-one years that followed the theft, the Gibson Stradivarius simply vanished.

How Edward Wicks Came To Danbury And Became a Luthier

On Saturday, the day after the violin's disappearance from Carnegie Hall in 1936, twelve-year-old Edward Wicks was helping in his father's welding shop near their home in Flushing, Queens. The Wicks family was musically attuned with Mrs. Wicks playing the piano and her husband making valiant attempts on the French horn. Young Ed also had taken piano lessons, but had more fun learning to play the mandolin. With such musical interest, very likely the family was intrigued that morning with the two articles in the New York Times, both on the same page: one was a review of the Huberman concert, while the other headlined "Huberman Violin Stolen At Carnegie."

As years passed and the family business grew on Long Island, Ed found that he had inherited his father's innate sense of inventiveness and tinkering. It was a gift that would lead him in the second half of his life to become a luthier, a repairer of bowed stringed instruments. That happened after he married Ann Martinus. In 1950, the entire Wicks family, metal working business and all, moved to Danbury, where Ed remained part of the family business.

Ann, a singer trained at Juilliard, brought a major musical influence into the family's home, an enormous building in southern Danbury on the Redding line that became known as Wicks Manor. But it was John Burnett, a violinist who came to the Danbury area in 1936, who sent Ed off in a direction that would ultimately bring the Gibson Stradivarius to his home.

John Burnett in 1946 became the conductor of the Danbury Symphony, then known as the Danbury Orchestral Society. The short, prominent-chinned Burnett, an excellent violinist who had studied at Juilliard and the Royal Belgian Conservatory, energized the Danbury area musically; he was both an influential teacher and conductor. Of lasting importance was his initiation in 1957 of a training orchestra, the Danbury Little Symphony, now the Danbury Community Orchestra. Not unexpectedly, many in the orchestra were his own string students.

When Ed and Ann determined that their eight-year-old daughter Joan should learn to play the violin, John Burnett became her teacher and he came to know Ed better. Sensing musical gifts yet undeveloped, Burnett convinced him to learn to play the cello. From his basement, the teacher unearthed a "rough and chewed-up" cello for his soon-to-be protégé. Ed recalls that Burnett could almost be a martinet in his demands on his students, particularly if he believed they had not practiced sufficiently since the last lesson. Even as an adult, Wicks felt the pressure of Burnett and practiced incessantly. Within six-months of first pulling a bow across the cello strings, Ed was playing in the Danbury Symphony.

At the same time, Ed began to tinker with the "rough and chewed-up" cello. With advice from Burnett, he took it apart and put it back together in far finer condition than before, yet all by "trial, error, and common sense." So it was that Ed Wicks in his late thirties began to repair stringed instruments, encouraged by Burnett who told him that to become a luthier would help save what was rapidly becoming a lost art. Many of the violinists in the Danbury Symphony were teachers in high school and welcomed Ed as advisor and repairer.

Fortunately for Wicks, he had the opportunity to examine Burnett's violin, one of the fine violins from the "Golden Age" of violin making in post Renaissance Cremona. Here in this town on the Po River plain of Lombardy, artisans named Amati, Stradivari, and Guarneri produced great violins, violas, and cellos. Burnett's violin was created by Girolamo Amati (1561-1630), whose son Nicola passed on the family violin-making secrets to his student Antonio Stradivari, who then added his own varnish secrets. Many fingers had plucked Burnett's Amati, but none more famous than those of Benito Mussolini, a former owner of the violin.

When Ed and Ann built a new home near Wicks Manor, Ed set aside a room for his new avocation and began to advertise in the yellow pages under "Musical Instrument Repair." It was this ad in 1983 that caught the eye of Julian Altman. The previous year he had moved to nearby Bethel and needed some work on the violin that had been the source of his income for decades.

Altman, who had studied at Juilliard, in the late 1930s had moved from his native New York City to Washington, D.C. From 1940 to 1944 he was a member of the National Symphony, but later made his money more as a strolling musician, gaining popularity as an entertainer for political events. After a failed marriage and never able to generate a lot of savings, Altman continued to live in the Washington area. There he met Marcelle Hall, a divorcee from Bethel with two grown children, who was working for a social service department in Maryland. They lived together from 1970 on. Then in 1982 they moved to a home Marcelle owned in Bethel, a residue from her previous marriage.

The First Incognito Visit Of The Gibson Stradivarius

When Ed Wicks responded to a knock on the door of his Danbury home one day in the summer of 1983, he didn't recognize the visitor. The stranger introduced himself: "I'm Julian Altman -- Altman, like the department store. I saw your ad in the yellow pages as a violin repairer." Wicks recalls the event in detail. "The man appeared to be quite nervous. At one time he had two different cigarettes going at the same time." Altman took his violin out of the case and indicated it needed a new bridge and a slight opening on the side seam needed attention. He also needed two bows rehaired.

Wicks immediately noticed that the violin's surface areas -- a light chestnut color with a reddish hue -- showed signs of a violin well utilized. As soon as he took Altman's violin into his hands, its overall form, its feel and weight, sent his thoughts whirling. He looked closer for a signature, then seeing it, spoke excitedly to Altman: "My God, this is a Stradivarius." The visitor quickly responded. "On no, just a copy. I've had it since I was a young man." Wicks was not convinced by the answer, but could hardly challenge the stranger, so he indicated he could do the necessary repairs, but it would take about three days.

Hearing this, the nervous man walked about the room, seeming to decide what to do. He spotted a framed copy of a patent just assigned to Wicks that very year. A brisk discussion about the invention seemed to reduce Altman's nervousness, and he started to divulge some of his history. He told of being a New Yorker and that some of his early adventures were as a musician on radio, where he and his sister, Sylvia, often played on radio station WOR in the late 1930s as a violin duo.

Altman finally agreed to leave the violin for the necessary work. Over the next few days Wicks fit the new bridge, repaired the open seam near the neck, and rehaired the bows.

Several days later, when Altman returned for the violin he immediately picked it up, put rosin on a bow, and ran through a few cadenzas to test it out. Altman's playing made it clear to Wicks that he was in the presence of a fine violinist. Wicks suffered through the next moments, worrying about the results of his repairs, for he still believed that this was no ordinary violin. Altman's reaction was not long in coming. The violinist stopped in mid-phrase, looked directly at Wicks and said: "My God, what did you do?" Ed's heart went into mild arrhythmia for a moment, but Altman quickly added: "It never has sounded this beautiful" and he strolled around the living room delighted with what he heard. (During the time that Altman played the violin, Ann Wicks had remained upstairs. After he had left, she came down. "Ed," she asked, "what was that? It sounded absolutely gorgeous." "Well," Ed replied, "I think what you just heard was a Stradivarius.")

Before Altman left, Wicks told him about the Danbury Symphony, in which he played, and invited him to join. The violinist indicated that he would, and Wicks promised to bring him to the next symphony rehearsal and introduce him to James Humphreville, the conductor. Altman did enter the Danbury Symphony and sat next to the concertmaster. At times he helped instruct the section in a variety of techniques and bowing.

According to Wicks, Altman was a charming man and a good conversationalist. Linked by their musical interests, Ann and Ed occasionally went out to lunch or dinner with Altman and Marcelle Hall, who though not his wife appeared on the surface to be just that. As fate would have it, the socialization would last less than two years. Early in 1985, while at dinner in a local Chinese restaurant, Altman complained often of stomach pains. Those physical pains became secondary to the agony that Hall brought upon him when she had him arrested for sexually molesting one of her granddaughters. The arrest and date for sentencing were kept out of the local papers, leaving the musical community unaware of what was to come.

The Second, and Longer, Visit to Ed Wicks of the Still Incognito Gibson Stradivarius

On March 20, 1985, Altman appeared at the Wicks's home, not with the single violin case of two years before, but with a double violin case containing two violins: the one that Ed had worked on and another. He also had a sealed cardboard box about a foot square. Ed provided the following receipt: "Holding for Julian Altman: one double violin case, two violins and four bows. One cardboard carton containing men's jewelry, cuff links, coins, gems, rings, watch and various items of jewelry." Altman's instructions to Ed were to hold onto the violins and box until further notice, and not to let anyone know he had them. He then divulged to Ed the story of his arrest and that in six days he would be sentenced. Wicks agreed not to say anything to anyone until the story broke.

Then in a surprise move, Julian and Marcelle flew to Las Vegas and were married on March 24, 1985. Upon their return, on March 26 Altman pleaded guilty to the charge of risk of injury to a minor in Danbury Superior Court, thus avoiding trial. He was sentenced to a year of incarceration, and taken to the Bridgeport jail on North Avenue.

To make her first visit to the man who was now her husband, Marcelle asked Wicks to drive her to the jail because she didn't know how to get there herself. Ed remembers the trip and the dejected face of Altman in the brief time he had to speak to him. In the car, on the return trip to the Danbury area, Marcelle repeated over and over: "Oh, that Julian. If I ever knew where that violin is." Ed said nothing.

On April 9, 1985, Altman wrote to Ed and informed him that he had been moved to the Litchfield jail where he found his new quarters "more tolerable than before -- thus giving me a better incentive to 'last-it-out' and to 'come through it all' -- per your advice…In any case, I always think of you as a very close, sincere and treasured friend."

Not long afterward, Altman's chance to "last-it-out" vanished with the diagnosis of stomach cancer in terminal stage. Word got to Ed about Altman, now moved to a guarded area of a Torrington hospital, where he was allowed only incoming calls. Wicks called him several times during Altman's final weeks of life. In one call, the ailing prisoner asked Ed to get him a lawyer. He complained a great deal about how Marcelle continually questioned him to find out where the violin was, in a manner Altman referred to as "vicious."

As Marcelle would reveal almost two years later, just days before he died Altman told her that the violin was indeed a Stradivarius. She would find corroboration of its being the one stolen from Huberman in material between the violin case and its canvas cover. He then told her that Ed Wicks had the violin.

Marcelle soon called Wicks and indicated she would come to get the violin. Ed wasn't so sure that he should give her the double violin case, with its two violins and bows, so he called the prison and spoke to the dying man. Altman told him that, yes, he should give the violins to Marcelle. Within a few days, Marcelle claimed the double violin case. She would later declare that at some point after retrieving the violin she looked under the canvas cover of the violin case and discovered the material about the Huberman theft: newspaper clippings from 1936 about the theft, and a portion of an article from the 1977 September edition of Strad magazine, with the story of the stolen violin highlighted in pink.

Julian Altman died on August 12, 1985 and was cremated. Marcelle, declared executrix of the estate, delayed a funeral service at St. James Episcopal Church in Danbury until November 2nd, which was followed by the burial in a Bethel cemetery. She sent a personal invitation to Ed and Ann to attend, which they did. At the service a violin lay on the altar. When Ed went to view the violin, he saw that it was definitely not the one he had worked on. As would later be revealed, Marcelle, soon after her husband's death, had contacted a lawyer, a cousin in Norwalk, and brought the violin to experts to confirm it as being a Stradivarius.

Altman's Widow Announces The "Truth" About The Violin

For nearly two years after Altman's death Ed Wicks would hear no more about the violin, but much was happening. Once experts verified it as the Gibson Stradivarius, Marcelle Hall and lawyers then spent over a year negotiating with Lloyds of London, the violin's owner, for a finder's fee. Lloyds ultimately agreed that upon the sale of the cleaned and restored Gibson they would provide Marcelle Hall with one-quarter of the violin's value. They chose the prestigious firm J. and A. Beare Ltd. of London to restore the Stradivarius.

On May 8, 1987, with the Lloyds agreement reached, champagne flowed at Hall's Bethel home in a party that "had been in progress more or less since the previous evening." An NBC television crew had been summoned to help break the story of the return to the musical world of the Gibson Stradivarius. Charles Beare, representing Beare Ltd., arrived in a limousine, along with two of Lloyds's lawyers, and got his first look at the long-lost violin that they were to take back to England. Later that year he described the event in an article for Strad magazine: "As I lifted the violin from its case, I didn't appreciate that Mrs. Hall and her friends and family were still in doubt about the violin's identity. Very slowly I said 'No --- problem', and it turned out that in the second or two between the two words Mrs. Hall almost died with disappointment. After that there was joy all round." On May 12, the News-Times published "This Violin Had Strings Attached," a lengthy story about the Gibson with comments from Hall about her life with Altman. Two days later the New York Times featured a front-page story, "A Stolen Stradivarius, a 51-Year-Old Secret," along with a photo of Altman serenading Muriel Humphrey, Senator Hubert Humphrey's wife.

When Ed Wicks read the reports of the violin's true origins, he recalled the day when he said to Altman, "My God, this is a Stradivarius." Seeing the violin displayed on several television programs, he immediately recognized it as the violin he had worked on and later guarded, for the bridge of the violin bore his signature touches.

In that summer of 1987, on the 250th anniversary of the death of Antonio Stradivari, the city of Cremona presented a six-week display of forty-eight Stradivarius stringed instruments. Charles Beare helped organize the event, which included Itzhak Perlman's Soil Stradvarius. Near it, the newly restored Gibson made its first appearance, viewed with special interest by Marcelle Hall, who had traveled to Italy especially to see the violin and celebrate its return to the musical world.

Norbert Brainin, a British violinist and a member of the highly esteemed Amadeus Quartet, purchased the Gibson Stradivarius soon after. On February 26, 1988, Marcelle Hall received from Lloyds of London her finder's fee: $263,475.75

A Legal Battle Over The Finder's Fee

What happened next led to years of litigation. Sherry Altman Schoenwetter, Altman's daughter by his first marriage, had occasion to review an accounting of her father's estate made to the Bethel probate court by Marcelle Hall, the executrix. Schoenwetter formally objected to the omission from her father's estate of the finder's fee. On October 11, 1991, after a hearing at which both Hall and Schoenwetter testified, Daniel W. O'Grady, the Bethel probate judge, ruled that Hall had to return the money to the estate. He stated that it was not for the court to rule on whether or not Altman had stolen the violin for "Altman never made clear to anyone how he came to possess the Gibson." The court had only to rule on whether Marcelle had correctly carried out her duties as executrix of Altman's estate. According to O'Grady, "The Gibson was part of Altman's personal property. Therefore, the violin as well as the right to any finder's fee passed to the Altman's estate at his death." He also ruled that Hall had to add 10% interest to the estate's value for every year since she had received the money.

Hall's lawyer then appealed the case to the Superior Court in Danbury. There Marcelle testified that her husband in the last days of his life had indeed told her how he came to possess the Gibson. First he told her that he had purchased it from a friend for $100. Then, closer to his death, Altman admitted he was the thief, executing a plan he and his adoring mother had concocted to bring him a violin necessary for his talent to be appreciated. They lived near Carnegie Hall, and he played music in the Russian Bear, a restaurant behind the auditorium. He had made friends with the stage door guards and would often give them cigars and tell them he'd guard the door while they stepped out for a smoke. During one of these times (and during a break from playing in the restaurant), he ran upstairs, grabbed the violin, and exited, hiding it under his Russian peasant outfit. Hall admitted to the Superior Court that she had told the insurance company only the first story (that Altman purchased the violin for $100) and not the second one (that her husband was the thief).

Judge T. Clark Hull of the Superior Court supported the probate court's decision that the violin was part of the estate. Pulling no punches, he stated that Altman's wife by keeping the finder's fee herself had committed a "diabolical deed" equivalent "to an unlawful theft of the estate's property." The decision was released on October 3, 1995. Hall's lawyers then appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court. Fifteen months later on December 31, 1996, the five justices, in a 4-1 ruling, supported the original Bethel probate court. Here the legal battle ended, but by now Hall owed the estate a half million dollars in principal and interest.

On March 18, 1997, nearly ten years after Hall had received the finder's fee, she declared herself broke. The News-Times reported that she was now living in Claremont, New Hampshire. "There's no money," she stated. "How will they get money from me? I'm living on my Social Security. There's no victory here." According to Schoenwetter's attorney, Christopher Donohue, his client did not receive "one red cent" as a result of all the litigation.

Marcelle Hall died on June 18, 2001. The Claremont Eagle Times obituary, ostensibly written by Hall's family, made no mention of Julian Altman. Hall had divorced her first husband in 1970, but in the obituary her married life was summed up as follows: "She was predeceased by her husband, Robert Samuel Hall, who died in 1986."

Joshua Bell Gains Possession Of The Gibson Stradivarius

Joshua Bell now owns and plays the Gibson Stradivarius. As Bell, 36, moved up through the ranks of violinists to reach the top of his art, much of that time he owned and performed on another Stradivarius, the "Tom Tyler," the violin he played for the musical score of the movie The Red Violin. His desire to own the Gibson came after he had had the opportunity to sample its sound when he appeared in a concert with Norbert Brainin. Brainin graciously allowed Bell to play a bit on the Gibson he then owned. As Bell stated in an interview years later, "I thought it was the most amazing sounding violin I'd ever heard." The owner, seeing Bell's reaction, jokingly said: "Maybe someday you'll have this violin. Well, if you can come up with $4 million."

As fate would have it, in August 2001, Bell stopped at Beare's London office and learned that Brainin was about to sell the Gibson, not to a violinist, but to a German industrialist. "I was practically in tears," Bell recalled. Determined to own the Gibson, he contacted Brainin and within a few days had negotiated a price. To gain the necessary funds, he sold the Tom Taylor Stradivarius for a bit more than $2 million, and then managed to come up with the additional amount needed. Was it worth it? Well, his recording made with the Gibson Stradivarius is now the current best selling CD in classical music. Considering the history of the violin heard on the recording, the title is quite appropriate: Romance of the Violin.

Some Reflections On The Rediscovery Of The Gibson Stradivarius

Ed Wicks often thinks back on those days when he worked on the Gibson Stradivarius, but he remains puzzled about a key point of Marcelle Hall's testimony: that she discovered materials about the Huberman theft somewhere between the violin case and its canvas cover. In the court case brought by Altman's daughter, Marcelle Hall exhibited the materials: newspapers clippings dated Feb. 19, 1936 and the Strad magazine. Wicks can't believe he would not have noted the presence of newspaper clippings and a magazine article should they have been present in the double violin case left with him.

At the trial, what was presented as evidence was not the double violin case in which she had picked up the violin from Wicks, but "a leather case enclosed in a zippered protective canvas sheath," undoubtedly a case for a single violin. Altman's daughter recalls her father storing his violin in a single, not a double case. If Hall did discover the materials in a violin case, it would not have been in the double case that Ed Wicks describes. Where did she find them? Perhaps they were in a single violin case that he had left at home after he went to jail, or even in the sealed container.

How much credence could be put on any of Hall's testimonies? Consider the following. Cathy Mears, one of Hall's nieces began collaboration with her aunt in 1991 to produce a book about the reappearance of the Gibson Stradivarius. In court testimony, Mears stated that she ceased working with her aunt on the project as a result of "two inconsistencies in the story about the manner in which Julian Altman acquired the violin told to her on various occasions by Marcelle Hall." In an interesting addendum, Mears testified that "throughout the entire period of the collaboration, Marcelle Hall maintained that Julian Altman stole the violin."

Could it be that Hall knew that the violin was a Stradivarius for some time before Altman's death? It isn't that Altman wasn't playing his own game at times. For example, a friend of Altman's told a Washington Post reporter in 1987: "Julian would tell people that his violin was a Stradivarius, and they would just laugh at him. They thought he was kidding." Also a letter in the court file indicates that Altman's sister, Sylvia, had known of the theft from a recording she accidentally stumbled across. In it Altman and his mother discussed the theft. Hall could have gained the truth of the violin from Altman, even from pillow talk. After all they had been together for seventeen years before his death.

All speculation aside, Ed Wicks can help correct another error found in several recent articles about the Gibson's appearance when it resurfaced in 1985: that the violin was covered with "shoe polish," ostensibly to camouflage its true identity. Wicks states categorically that nothing like "shoe polish" was on the violin when he turned it over to Hall. Here is probably how the "shoe polish" story arose. When Charles Beare came to Bethel on May 8, 1985 to view and receive the violin for Beare Ltd, he made notes of the event. Later, in the Strad magazine article (December 1987), he described the Gibson Strad when he first saw it in Bethel:

"Out in the better light of the garden, away from the crowd and the popping champagne corks, I had a good look at Huberman's remarkable violin. In 1911, when the young virtuoso purchased it, Alfred Hill of W. E. Hill and Sons wrote 'The red varnish is in a pure state, as applied by the maker.' Now you could barely see it, submerged as it was beneath layer upon layer of dirt and polish. . . .Nevertheless the violin was clearly a masterpiece, and in the pale sunlight its handsome wood and red varnish glowed reassuringly."

Probably a reporter decided to add "shoe" to Beare's "polish" reference. In this way are mysteries compounded. In fact, this story has enough mysterious aspects so that no more need be added.

Will it ever be known how Altman acquired the Gibson Stradivarius and when Hall came to know of it? It's very unlikely. The truth is buried now in Claremont, New Hampshire and in Bethel, Connecticut with the two major players of the story.

The writer thanks Edward and Ann Wicks, Sherry Altman, Roseann Billeas of the Danbury Superior Court Law Library, Wayne McElreavy, who supplied the Hall obituary, and Ladd Library of Bates College for the loan of the book Capolavori di Antonio Stradivari by Charles Beare.

© James Pegolotti July 26, 2004

THE "GIBSON" STRAD OF 1713
Antonio Stradivari: The Cremona Exhibition of 1987 by Charles Beare
This violin, of flat, masculine build, an outstanding concert instrument, is famous for having been stolen from the Polish virtuoso violinist Bronislaw Huberman at Carnegie Hall, in New York, in 1936. Huberman had played a concert on his Guarneri, and on returning to his dressing room discovered that his treasured Stradivari had disappeared. No trace of it was found until spring of 1987, when it was offered to Lloyd's of London, the legal owners, by the widow of Julian Altman, a cafe violinist who claimed to have bought it for a modest sum the day after the theft.

W. E. Hill and Sons purchased the violin in the nineteenth century from an old French family, subsequently selling it to Alfred Gibson, a prominent English violinist who also owned one of the Stradivari violas exhibited in Cremona. In 1911 it returned to Hills and was sold to Huberman, at which time Alfred Hill wrote that "the fine red varnish which covers it is in a pure state as applied by the maker." Three months before the opening of the exhibition the varnish was almost unrecognizably submerged beneath layers of dark grime and shellac, but after a minor restoration and a very careful clean-up at J and A Beare it duly took its place, its deep red colour once more revealed for all to admire.

The violin's tone turned out to be absolutely outstanding, and in February 1988 it was sold by J and A Beare, acting on behalf of Lloyd's, to the well-known violinist Norbert Brainin, formerly of the Amadeus Quartet.

Copyright Text © Charles Beare 1993

A FAMED VIOLIN'S FANTASTIC JOURNEY
Long-lost Stradivarius strikes a chord in heart of modern master
10/28/2001
By Mark Wrolstad / The Dallas Morning News

The mystique of the name Stradivarius has resonated beyond classical music for generations, finding a place in the popular imagination and even urban legend.
You don't have to know a violin from a viola to know the stories - some apocryphal - about one of the exquisitely rare instruments turning up in an attic or junk shop.

Now add another stanza to what may be the most contorted tale of all the world's prized violins - a masterwork lost for half a century, today in the hands of a new master.

Joshua Bell, the young superstar violinist who played the solos for a movie about a violin's travels through the ages, took his role in the true-life version this month by paying nearly four million dollars for the famed Gibson Stradivarius, which is nearly three centuries old.

Dealers in Dallas who work for the leading restorer and seller of stringed instruments helped complete the sale.

"I instantaneously fell in love with the instrument like I never have before with a violin," Mr. Bell, 33, said Friday from his home in New York. "This is like a dream come true."

Mr. Bell, hailed for his lyric musicianship and varied musical interests that have made him an international crossover hit, bought a violin whose history is almost as dark as the grime that covered it when the instrument resurfaced after a deathbed confession in 1985.

The Strad -- a conversational abbreviation in concert and collector circles for violins made by Antonius Stradivarius - has been stolen twice, last disappearing from New York's Carnegie Hall in 1936.

Even after a cafe musician, dying in jail, admitted he had the stolen violin all those years, an insurer's payment to get it back led to litigation between the thief's heirs.

"It's a bit ironic that he's buying an instrument with so much intrigue surrounding it," said Michael Selman, general manager of J and A Beare Ltd. in Dallas, the company that sold the violin for well-known British violinist Norbert Brainin.

"If the movie The Red Violin hadn't been made, this would have been the one to write a book about," Mr. Selman said of the 1999 film in which Mr. Bell played the music.

Among the yarns of famous violins reappearing, Mr. Selman said, "This is the story, and it involves one of the very fine violins in the world."

This one was constructed in 1713, during what's known as the Golden Period - when Stradivarius made instruments renowned for unequaled tone.

The violin later became known as the Gibson Strad, taking its name from early owner Alfred Gibson, as is customary for valued instruments.

Of the more than 1,100 violins made during Stradivarius's lifetime, about half are thought to still exist. (Through the centuries, manufacturers around the world usurped the famous name, producing hundreds of thousands of violins stamped "Stradivarius" - explaining all of those garage-sale discoveries.)

Ninety years ago, the Gibson Strad was owned by Polish virtuoso Bronislaw Huberman, from whom it was stolen twice.

In 1919, the violin was taken from his hotel room in Vienna but was quickly returned after the thief supposedly offered it to a dealer.

The next time, Mr. Huberman didn't get it back.

He was on stage at Carnegie Hall in 1936 when the violin was stolen from his dressing room.

Eventually, he accepted a full settlement of about $30,000 from the insurer, Lloyd's of London.

For the next fifty-one years, the violin was officially missing, though it apparently frequented cafes and clubs in the New York area with a violinist named Julian Altman.

Its trail went undetected until 1987 when a sixty-nine-year-old widow with an evolving story contacted Lloyd's about the long-lost violin.

Marcelle Hall said Mr. Altman had revealed his lifelong secret in 1985 while dying of stomach cancer: He bought the Gibson Strad for $100 the day after a friend stole it from Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Altman died at age seventy shortly after he and Ms. Hall were married.

Lloyd's agreed to pay Ms. Hall a finder's fee of $263,475 -- one-quarter of its value.

A half-century of filth was lifted from the Strad - "like taking dirt off the Sistine Chapel," Mr. Bell said - and in 1988, the insurer sold it to Mr. Brainin for $1.2 million.

Nearly a decade later, Mr. Altman's daughter, Sherry Schoenwetter, gave up trying to get her share of Ms. Hall's payment. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in 1996 that Ms. Hall should have included the money in her husband's estate.

But Ms. Hall had spent the small fortune and had few assets left.

The lengthy court fight did elicit from Ms. Hall a second detailed account of the stolen Strad.

She testified that Mr. Altman confessed to stealing the violin in a plot concocted with his mother and that she found old newspaper stories about the theft in the violin case.

Mr. Altman, who was known around Carnegie Hall, had ducked out of his job with a gypsy orchestra at the nearby Russian Bear cafe, Ms. Hall said. He diverted a security guard with a fine cigar, went to the dressing room and hid the violin under his coat, she said. A trial judge described the testimony as "more dramatic than the most contrived TV mystery show."

Chris Donohue, Ms. Schoenwetter's attorney, said Ms. Hall's story was "probably true," but his client was never paid. "Not one red cent."

About the time the litigation ended, Mr. Bell appeared at a concert with Mr. Brainin and had his first encounter with the violin that one day would be his.

"He let me play a few notes, and I thought it was the most amazing-sounding violin I'd ever heard," Mr. Bell said.

He recalled the owner's joking response: "Maybe someday you'll have this violin. Well, if you can come up with $4 million."

Five years later, they met again - Mr. Bell and the Gibson Strad, that is.

In August, he stopped at Beare's London office and found that it was about to be sold to a German industrialist.

"It made me nauseous, the thought of that," he said.

He put the violin to his chin again and played. "I was practically in tears, and I said, 'You cannot take this violin.' "

Mr. Bell talked with Mr. Brainin. Negotiations took just two days.

"Which is very unusual," Mr. Bell said. "You usually spend months trying to make sure it's the right violin."

"I could only go so far with price, and I think he liked the fact that I'd be playing his violin."

Mr. Bell had to sell an old friend, his 1732 Strad, the one he played for the Oscar®-winning score of The Red Violin.

The escalating market for Strads quickly brought him more than $2 million from a collector who will lend the violin to a young performer.

The Gibson Strad, it so happens, has a "glorious varnish" that's "extremely red."

"It's ironic for me that I'm ending up with the red violin," Mr. Bell said.

It will be with him from now on, his performance violin on stage and in the studio, he said, making the promise of countless love affairs.

"Always."

Reprinted with permission of The Dallas Morning News.

A Ceremony of Carols

2009-12-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Benjamin Britten took texts from "The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems", by Gerald Bullett for his popular Christmas work A Ceremony of Carols. This link features the full texts of the piece, including This Little Babe with the most wonderfully exciting phrase, "If thou wilt foil they foes with joy ..." Foil our foes with joy! Those are words to ponder.....

Diane Rehm you rock!

2009-11-30T14:07:00.000-08:00

Diane Rehm with Maxie.

Dear Diane,

You've always been one of my favorite NPR personalities. Even though the last hour of your program airs opposite my morning classical music program I still like you (wink, wink). Hey! What's wrong with a little friendly competition! We're playing on the same public radio team after all.

Here's why, in addition to being a fan of your thoughtful, reasoned, compassionate and intelligent interviewing skills, I now say that you rock! You are donating
an autographed, framed photo and Top Dogs book to the Cesar and Illusion Millan Foundation that supports dog shelters around the country with donations and grants.

You go girl!

Sincerely,

Robin Rilette
Music Director
Northwest Public Radio

Joshua Bell with Sergei Rachmaninoff

2009-11-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

This morning I played the "Romance" from Edvard Grieg's "Violin Sonata No. 3." This recording is rather unique. It features violinist, Joshua Bell performing with composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff who died in 1943.

This performance is possible through something called "Zemph re-performance technology." Click here
to learn more and to see a video of Joshua Bell during the recording session for the Grieg.

Basset horn vs. Basset Hound

2009-11-17T10:33:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of a Basset Hound.

Here is a picture of the basset horn.

They look completely different and they sound completely different. The basset horn
is a musical instrument, a member of the clarinet family. The basset hound is also a musical instrument. Just ask basset hound owners!

I believe that she is singing in the key of Eb major. Actually, I have no idea. Would that I had perfect pitch! This video begs another question. Who in their right mind would actually encourage a basset hound to bay?!

2009-11-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

Here's more information on The Vauxhall Gardens.

Dreams do come true!

2009-10-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's not every day that you get to speak with one of your heroes but this week I did! Cesar Millan, known to fans worldwide as the Dog Whisperer, spoke with me about his latest book How to Raise the Perfect Dog. Click here to listen to the full interview.

Here's a quick story about what you didn't hear in the interview. I think you'll get a kick out of it! When I personally thanked Cesar and he responded by thanking me in turn, my response went something like this...."oh...uh...ah....uh huh....oh...manical laughter....you're welcome." Yes, I AM a radio professional!

Here's a short video about Mr. President, one of the four puppies that he raised for his new book.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

As you can see by the Yakima Symphony Orchestra's banner they are expecting a banner year! For the first time in their history they are "conducting" a search for a new Music Director. The YSO received 105 applicants from three continents for this position. I think that would make retiring Music Director and Conductor Brooke Creswell very proud.

Brooke Creswell has been Music Director and Conductor of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra since its inception back in 1967 under the name Yakima Chamber Orchestra. Brooke remains with the YSO in the capacity of Artistic Director this season. To read more click here.

Brooke will also conduct the season opening concert on November 1st featuring a piece about the national Mexican holiday knows as Dia de lost Muertos or Day of the Dead. Also on that program is Lux Aeterna written by Morten Lauridsen
born in Colfax, Washington.

Other season highlights include the YSO's principal cellist, Kara Hunnicutt in Ottorino Respighi's Adagio con variazioni featuring conductor Viswa Subbaraman.

Pianist Regina Yeh joins the Yakima Symphony and conductor Nikola Caoile in Frederic Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in f.

Check out the other conductor candidates and buy your tickets to be a part of this exciting season!

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Adam Stern and the Seattle Philharmonic's 2009/2010 season focuses on both the tried and true and the tantalizingly new.

Their season features everything from Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree narrated by Adam Stern's daughter, Ella, to Maurice Ravel's Bolero.

Check out their full schedule on the Seattle Philharmonic link above and click here to purchase your season tickets.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

The Wenatchee Valley Symphony's 63rd season, led by conductor Marty Zyskowski, features a wide variety of sounds and styles.

Conductor Marty Zyskowski with his group the Blue Notes. Marty's the one playing the drums!

Marty Zyskowski a few years later....
The Wenatchee Valley Symphony and Marty Zyskowski.

Sarah Wynter and other young artists join the WVS in their opening concert "Rising Stars.

In December join the Wenatchee Valley Symphony in a performance of Handel's "Messiah" with a special opportunity for you to exercise your vocal chords!

Their February concert, "Mozart and the Movies" has everything from the poignant and stirring anthem "Dry Your Tears Afrika" from the Steven Spielberg film "Amistad"

to a tribute to Bugs and the gang!

Their finale concert in April features one of the most romantic symphonic pieces of all time. The picture is a big hint!

Click here ticket information.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Check out the 2009/2010 season of the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra! The season begins on October 3rd with "Bernstein and Blues" featuring the group Realtime.

In November, internationally reknown violinist, Sarah Chang performs Johannes Brahms "Violin Concerto in D."

February brings Texas bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann who looks and apparently plays like a rock star!

The "Celestial Classics" concert in March features local favorite Dan Sabo in Grieg's "Piano Concerto in a."

Rising star Erin Wall joins the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra for the profoundly moving "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" in April.

Artistic Director and Conductor Roger Briggs has put together a great season. Get your tickets here and enjoy the music!

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

See - Hear - Enjoy
What a fantastic motto for the Bayshore Symphony! You will certainly do all three during their 2009/2010 season. Artistic Director and Conductor Kathleen Barraclough and the Bayshore Symphony have a truly outstanding season prepared for you.

Among the musical highlights are performances of Franz Joseph Haydn's "Symphony No. 101" nicknamed "The Clock" for the steady, ticking rhythm in the second movement.

Also, you'll enjoy a visit from Mickey Mouse, or at least hear one of his favorite pieces of music, and experience the music and majesty of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

You can "hear the beauty" and "feel the passion" of the Walla Walla Symphony from the opening strains of the first performance of their 102nd season, Autumn Prelude.

Beginning October 13th, Music Director and Conductor Yaacov Bergman takes you on a journey through Europe and the New World.

From Howard Blake's
The Snowman,
to a collaboration with the Eugene Ballet in Tchaikovsky's
"Sleeping Beauty," you will find a treasure trove of music to excite, delight and inspire you.
Get your season tickets and enjoy!

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Port Angeles Symphony kicks off their 2009/2010 season on September 25th and 26th with their Pops & Picnic conerts. Check out the link above for the full details on their entire season.

Conductor Adam Stern is leading the Port Angeles Symphony in a season of tributes, surprises and special guests.

Pianist Alexander Tutunov joins the PAS in the music of Sergei Prokofiev.

Also on tap, and the pun if fully intended here, is Morton Gould's Tap Dance Concerto.

Near and dear to Conductor Adam Stern's heart is the Ralph Vaughan Williams tribute concert in March featuring Vaughan William's little performed The Pilgrim's Progress,

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Symphony orchestras are a vital part of their communities. They offer opportunities for talented musicians in their area to come together and perform classical music, an art form with roots deeply embedded in the past and constantly growing branches into the future. What does the future hold for the Skagit Valley symphony? Watch this video for a hint then check out their concert season for yourself.

Music Director, Conductor and composer Roupen Shakarian has a season planned with everything from a toast to the world of opera, to a concert that exemplifies the symphony's mission of reaching out to the next generation of classical music lovers, the family concert, "Let's Play an Instrument."

The Skagit Symphony's March concert features two distinguished soloists from the New York Philharmonic, oboist Joe Robinson and violinist Mary Kay Robinson.

Get your tickets and enjoy the wonderful season of music ahead!

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the Mid-Columbia Symphony! They are 65 years young! How are they going to celebrate?

Conductor Nicholas Wallin.

Well, with some Michael Torke! What could be more celebratory than Javelin, a piece commissioned by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympics in celebration of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 50th Anniversary Season.

Also during their 65th season experience Verdi's
Requiem, Brahm's Symphony No. 2 and Samuel Barber's iconic Adagio for Strings.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Seattle's Philharmonia Northwest has a long tradition of playing both the well known and well loved pieces in the classical music repertoire, along with forgotten and undiscovered gems. At a Philharmonia Northwest concert you can hear everything from a Rachmaninoff piano concerto to a work for piccolo and contrabassoon. The orchestra has performed all over the city of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and now make their concert home at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Seattle.

Roupen Shakarian is the Music Director and Conductor of Philharmonia Northwest. A native of Egypt, his family emigrated to the United States when he was a young boy and eventually found their way to the Seattle area. Drawn to composing at a young age, Shakarian finds the visual beauty and the lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest conducive to his compositional career.

Some of his compositions include Whimsy and Chamber Symphony, both works written for Philharmonia Northwest, Flute Concerto, Pastime for chamber ensemble, The Turnip, Clock, and Kid for the Rainier Chamber Winds.

Philharmonia Northwest's season includes the music of Telemann, Haydn, Prokofiev and a Rachmaninoff concerto performed by Canadian pianist Robert Silverman.

Order your tickets for the season here and enjoy a great year of music!

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Oregon East Symphony begin their search for a new conductor this season and bid a fond farewell to Kenneth Woods, their conductor for the past seven years.

A farewell performance for Kenneth Woods is coming up on October 24th @ 7:30pm at the Vert Auditoriumin Pendleton. The concert features Mozart's "Piano Concerto in A" with guest soloist James Dick.

Along with auditioning new Music Directors, the Oregon East Symphony's 2009/2010 also presents new music including William Berry's Cycling Musicin November and the Portland Cello Project in January.

The season also includes Beethoven's Triple Concerto and the annual Red, White, and Blue Jeans Bash fundraiser.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Portland Chamber Orchestra's 52nd season promises to be an exciting one. Music, dance and the visual arts combine for three unique performances. From Renaissance Redux to Mozart Swings innovation and collaboration are the hallmarks of this orchestra founded in 1947 by Finnish composer and conductor, Boris Sirpo.

Maestro Yaacov Bergman brings a spirit of passion, energy and creativity to everything he does and on A Season of Symphonies you can hear him speak with Northwest Public Radio's Robin Rilette about the importance of understanding and incorporating new technology into the world of classical music performance.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is opening its 90th season with a very special night, presenting an evening with the legendary Carol Burnett at the Orpheum Theatre on September 26th. And that's just the beginning!

Their series include Tea and Trumpets and the VSO Pops series that includes tributes to Benny Goodman and the late Erich Kunzel. And the Masterworks Series? Well, there you can expect appearances by violinists Itzhak Perlman and Shlomo Mintz and pianists Angela Cheng, Janina Fialkowska and Garrick Ohlson. You'll hear everything from Beethoven's "Choral Symphony" and "Emperor" Piano Concerto to tributes to Mendelssohn, Schumann and Chopin.

At the helm of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is composer, conductor and pianist Bramwell Tovey. You can hear him talk about his early years honing his music skills with The Salvation Army on A Season of Symphonies.

Tickets for both the various series and individual performances are available. Have a great enjoying all that the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has to offer!

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

The Washington Idaho Symphony is poised for an exciting new season with a new conductor, Jeremy Briggs Roberts.
Like every other conductor, Roberts wears a number of hats. He's also Music Director and Conductor of the Icicle Creek Youth Symphony in Leavenworth.

If you like to travel the conducting life may be for you! Dr. Roberts also served as Associate Conductor of the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin and has conducted orchestras in Paris, London, Moscow, Bulgaria and Romania. Maestro Roberts was a prize-winner at the 2006 Vendome Academy of Orchestral Conducting in Paris and has worked or studied with the likes of Gianluigi Gelmetti and Gerard Schwarz. If you'd like to hear my interview with Jeremy Briggs Roberts, click on this link to A Season of Symphonies.

The Washington Idaho Symphony opens its 38th season on Saturday, September 26th with the Symphonic Titans, featuring Mozart's Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" profiled on NPR,and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in e.
Buy your tickets now for another great year of music!

The Washington Idaho Symphony with former conductor, Nicholas Wallin, now with the Mid-Columbia Symphony.

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Today on A Season of Symphonies we meet Music Director and Conductor of the Spokane Symphony Eckart Preu. Maestro Preu is a native of Germany. For eight years, while attending boarding school, he was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor. Although he dreamed of a career in soccer, his background and experience with the choir led him into a musical career much to the benefit of the Inland Northwest!

The Spokane Symphony, in its 64th season, has brought decades of high quality performances to the Inland Northwest. This year proves no exception. Click on "Concerts" in the link above to see a listing of this year's offerings which include everything from The Cowboy Show featuring Wylie Gustafson from Dusty to guest artists such as Pascal Roge, Manuel Barrueco and Yolanda Kondonassis.
Photo by Ross Hecox, Western Horseman
Saddle up for a great season with the Spokane Symphony!

A Season of Symphonies

2009-09-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Enriching lives for 70 years, the Victoria Symphony is the largest and most active performing arts organization on Vancouver Island. With concerts nine months out of the year there is something for everyone. Here is the full list of the Victoria Symphony's concerts. As you will discover it is a diverse and exciting season!

Among this season's offerings is a tribute to Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, featuring Gustav Holst's
The Planets.

The Victoria Symphony proudly supports Canadian musicians and this season features Viennese born, Canadian pianist Anton Kuerti in a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. Other special guest artists include violinist James Ehnes and cellist Denise Djokic.

Plus you'll enjoy Roald Dahl's Little Red Riding Hood, take a Journey on the Orient Express and find out How the Gimquat found her song!

And don't forget about the Victoria Symphony Splash, one of the biggest outdoor concerts in North America! Enjoy!

Farewell to Erich Kunzel

2009-09-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

Conductor Erich Kunzel died Tuesday morning at the age of 74 after a bout with cancer.

Click here for a tribute to Kunzel that aired this morning on "Morning Edition."

If you check out the discography section of Maestro Kunzel's website you will see a very long list of recordings. I'm happy that the Northwest Public Radio library has many of his performances. Some of my favorites are his instrumental arrangements of the arias of Verdi and Puccini and "Five Selections from Victory at Sea." Scroll down just a bit to read more about Victory at Sea.

Happy Birthday Cesar!

2009-08-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Confession time: I have a slight....just a slight obsession with Cesar Millan the "Dog Whisperer." Is it a coincidence that his birthday, August 27th is the same date as that of my dog, Miles? I think not.

All kidding aside I truly do admire this man and his family for what they are doing for the canines of the world. I love dogs. They have been and still are a very important part of my life. I've learned so much from reading Cesar's book and watching "The Dog Whisperer" on dvd.

Miles developed a fear of loud noises, particularly fireworks and thunderstorms, when he was four years old and started to go blind from PRA. I tried a lot of different approaches and ended by medicating him during these kinds of situations. Well, after seeing areas in which I was not providing Miles with leadership and correcting those areas I have changed. As a result, Miles came through the July 4th weekend and two subsequent, major thunderstorms with flying colors!

Miles and Cesar have taught me to be a more patient person (at least with others!), a less selfish person and someone who is learning how to use more calm, assertive energy in everyday life.

For his 40th birthday Cesar asked his fans to send or post pictures of them
mastering the walk.

Happy Birthday Cesar from Robin and 8 year old blind Golden Retriever Miles! Thanks for all that you do!

Icicle Creek Piano Trio

2009-08-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Icicle Creek Piano Trio's cd featuring Maurice Ravel's Piano Trio in a and Franz Schubert's Piano Trio in E flat, Op. 100 was named to the prestigious Top 10 list of Tower Record's Classical Chamber Music bestsellers on August 16, 2009.

Check the link above to learn more about the Icicle Creek Piano Trio and here's a link to the Icicle Creek Music Center.

Congratulations to Jennifer Caine, Sally Singer and Oksana Ezhokina!

Cameron Carpenter's Revolutionary Organ

2009-08-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to the story on Cameron Carpenter heard last October on "Weekend Edition," and here's a link to Carpenter's website.

Here are some opinions that are not favorable from the "The Dissenters" blog.

Victoria's Symphony Splash

2009-07-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

This Sunday the Victoria Symphony takes to the stage, or should I say the barge? Join the Victoria Symphony and Maestra Tania Miller for the annual "Symphony Splash," the largest outdoor symphony event in Canada and one of the largest in North America.

If you attend you'll be in good company. Up to 40,000 people attend the "Symphony Splash." It's definitely a family affair. There's a kid's splash zone on the lawn of the legislature with an instrument petting zoo, face painting and more.

The "Symphony Splash" begins at 4:00 with the Vic High R&B Band and at 7:30 Maestra Tania Miller and the Victoria Symphony take the floating barge, for a concert that includes "O Canada," "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4" of Sir Edward Elgar, "Tara's Theme" from Gone With the Wind, "Rhapsody in Blue" by Gershwin Christine Wong, 2009 Young Splash Soloist and much more!

If you attend the splash I'd love to hear about it and see your photos. You can e-mail me at rilette@wsu.edu.

Warrior Librarians Go For The Gold!

2009-07-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the cart's a library cart spray painted gold but it's still a prize, right?
And the winning team did it to Wagner!

Here's the story that ran on this contest on All Things Considered on July 13th.

And here's that same music used so effectively in Apocalypse Now.

Staycation Kitsch!

2009-07-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

This afternoon on All Things Considered there's an interesting story on
Searching For The Soul Of L.A. Through Kitsch, which includes a 1920's building shaped like a tamale. If you're not sure of the definition of "kitsch" here's one.

Personally, I enjoy a bit of kitsch and when I find something kitschy that I like I consider it to be neither tastless or worthless. "One man's junk is another man's treasure!" So I started thinking about Mary Lou's Milk Bottle restaurant in Spokane pictured above and then the Dog Bark Park in Cottonwood where you can actually sleep in the dog's head!

Then I found this cool building in Ocean Shores.

If you're looking for something fun to do and see during your staycation check out some of the other suggestions from Northwest Public Radio listeners.

Check out this site on windmill buildings including one in Ellensburg and several in Lynden.

Here's a famous Tacoma landmark.

I've eaten a meal or two at The Bomber in Milwaukie.

A glass house in Boswell, B.C.

Or how about the Hat n' Boots in Seattle?

An old photo of Dusty's In-N-Out in Wenatchee.

And check out these cool houses on unusual-architecture.com!

A picture of the "Toe Truck" in Seattle from Bill in Wenatchee. Thanks Bill!

If you have know of any weird, unusual or kitschy buildings in the Pacific Northwest send a photo and link my way and I'll add it to this post.

Don't make this mistake!

2009-06-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Click on this link to NPR to listen to some of the most inappropriate wedding music ever selected.

Next, listen to one man's attempt to remedy the situation and create the perfect wedding reception mix tape.

Now click on this link to Northwest Public Radio's Music for Special Occasions site to select just the right piece of music for your wedding.

You're welcome.

Is it a monk? Is it a top? You decide!

2009-06-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

This morning I played "Ah, si mon moine" performed by the Mediaeval Baebes from their cd called "Salva Nos."

The "moine" in question can be either a monk or a spinning top. Perhaps when the top was spinning it resembled the look of a monk's tonsure.

I'd always understood that this song originated in France in the 17th century, but after some strictly Internet based research most of what I find points to it being French Canadian.

My favorite tonsured monk is Brother Cadfael from the novels of Edith Pargeter writing under the name Ellis Peters. Cadfael was played by the great British actor Derek Jacobi. Please BBC.....bring back Brother Cadfael!

New York Philharmonic clarinetist retires after 60 years.

2009-06-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Stanley Drucker, principal clarinetist with the New York Philharmonic is retiring after over 60 years of service. He was profiled on "Morning Edition" today. Here's a link to the story.

Lautenwerk - Lute-Harpsichord

2009-05-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

I received a new cd featuring an unusual instrument, the lautenwerk, and featured the following piece on my morning show. William Byrd's "The Maiden's Songe featuring Daniel Pyle playing the lautenwerk, a favorite instrument of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Advanced Cat Yodeling

2009-05-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

From the people that brought you "An Engineer's Guide to Cats" (see 05/26/09 posting)
comes their new video "Advanced Cat Yodeling." I give it thumbs up! Or should that be paws up?

Check out this interview with "Guide to Cats" creator Paul Klusman.

Apparently professing your love for our feline friends can be good for one's human love life as I discovered by reading this article on Klusman on "The Cat's Meow"site.

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

2009-05-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

And here's one Thom Kokenge, our "All Things Considered" host recently sent me.

Enjoy!

Morten Lauridsen

2009-05-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

I saw "Angels and Demons" yesterday and was delighted to hear some familiar musical strains over the ending credits. I stuck around to see the credits and was delighted that my suspicison was correct. It was Colfax, Washington native
Morten Lauridsen's "Introitus" from "Lux Aeterna." His music deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. It's gorgeous.

Hurdy Gurdy

2009-05-21T10:13:00.001-07:00

Here's some information about, and pictures of, the wonderful hurdy gurdy.

Check out the photograph of this mega hurdy gurdy by Emiel vanRooijen! If it inspires you learn how to build your own!

Inspiration for all piano students!

2009-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

View the video below to see and hear Hee Ah Lee play and to learn about her remarkable life.

Sounds and Sights of the Tri-Cities

2009-05-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the privilege of spending some time in the Tri-Cities. The weather, the people and the music were all lovely as you can see in the following photos. The Tri-Cities has this unique juxtaposition of green grass, blue sky and water and tumbleweeds.

Here are some photos I took at Howard Amon Park and the Kiwanis Lions Park in Richland. I'm always so impressed with these parks. There are plenty of picnic tables under the shade trees and assorted standing and swinging benches for all to enjoy....even our canine companions!

How appropriate that on Mother's Day I saw mothers of all kinds!

The Mid-Columbia Symphony sounded awesome on Saturday night conducted by Nicholas Wallin. We heard the full symphony in Sibelius Spring Song and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, and a much smaller group for Vivaldi's "Spring" and Summer" from The Four Seasons featuring violinist, Mary K. French.

It was gratifying to see such a long line by the season ticket counter. If you missed the chance to buy your season tickets on Saturday you can do so on the Mid-Columbia Symphony
website.

I spoke with a number of the dedicated orchestra members. Here's cellist, Bruce Walker, who is a music teacher in the Tri-Cities. We really need to express our appreciation to these hard working and talented musicians. They work hard at their "day" jobs so that they can share their passion and love of music with us.

Here's me with our Sales Manager Dave Deeney.

Sunday afternoon I headed over to the Richland High School Auditorium to enjoy the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival. What a colorful and fun afternoon. The costumes were colorful, the dancing in turns lovely and energetic, the musicians amazing and Nikolai's range is incredible. What an amazing man! I hope that you click on the link and read more about him. He really needs to write a book someday.

Click here for the 2009-2010 schedule and seasonticket information for the Community Concerts of the Tri-Cities.

Float the Palouse 2009

2009-04-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, on a day that was not nearly as sunny as this photo, an intrepid group of 10 people braved the "mighty" Palouse River!
As you can see by the sky and our clothes it was not the bright, sunny day pictured above. Sueann Ramella our "Morning Edition" host is wearing the bright, blue jacket. We were a very international crew; more on that later.

Before we embarked I recited the first stanza of E. E. Cumming's poem "i thank You God for most this amazing day."

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of allnothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

And with that we embarked!

That clump of trees behind us and to the left is where I took photos of the beavers last spring. If you scroll down through my older blog postings you can see the pictures, taken from the bridge at the south end of the city of Palouse. My goal for next year is to get the Palouse Chamber of Commerce to make a regional event out of the trip.

You can see Bruce Bradberry, our "Weekend Edition" host looking resplendent in his brightly colored sea kayak, wet suite and life vest. Bruce would often shoot ahead down the river where we would eventually find him facing us near the river bank, his arms folded with a beatific expression on his face.

Our "Internationals" as we dubbed Nikko (from Germany) and Kristen (from South Korea) had their work cut out for them in their two person raft. This raft seemed strangely attracted to the shoreline and they made slow progress. Kudos to Nikko for manning this unruly raft and for Kristen who had never been in a raft before and was brave enough to try something different!

We added further international spice to our trip with Yvonne (from Chile via Germany.) Also in the big raft were George, Lois, Sueann and me along with our coxswain Ben who did a magnificent job of steering us around the rocks. Unfortunately, we came upon a rather large one without any of us sighting it and Ben and Sueann took a spill. No injuries were incurred but I know that they were wet and miserable. Our other kayaker, Corey, also took a spill but the three of them soldiered on with no complaints. I was pretty impressed as we were only halfway through the trip at that point and it was not a warm day. Bravo!

And here we are just before the finish line at the beautiful ghost town of Elberton where Nikko's aunt and uncle were waiting for us with hot, delicious soup! Thanks!

If you follow the Palouse River through Colfax, past Dusty and beyond you'll eventually come to the spectacular Palouse Falls.

Flickr photo

Maybe you'll make the trip one day! Just be sure and go before the water level gets too low sometime in May.

Play the Glass Harmonica!

2009-04-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Play the Glass Harmonica!

Is Mozart a cosmetic neurologist?

2009-04-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight on Northwest Public Radio at 7:00 on Fresh Air
journalist Margaret Talbot, staff writer for The New Yorker and a
Senior Fellow at the New American Foundation, talks about her upcoming New Yorker article Brain Gain: the
underground world of neuroenhancing drugs.

Margaret Talbot

Apparently, people are taking prescription drugs used to treat conditions such as epilepsy and narcolepsy simply to enhance their brain function. It's known as cosmetic neurology.

This reminded me of a study put forth by Alfred Tomatis about a more "natural" way of achieving a higher I.Q. It came to be dubbed The Mozart Effect. If you click on the link you can learn more about it and why the theory has been called into question.

Don't judge a book by its cover!

2009-04-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

"Britain's Got Talent" has done it again! Two years ago the winner was Paul Potts, a phone salesman in serious financial straits. This year it's unemployed Susan Boyle.

Take a listen to Robin Young's interview with London Times television critic, Andrew Billin on "Here and Now" heard at 10:00 am weekdays on the NPR News Stations of Northwest Public Radio.

And here's the April 15th story about Susan on "All Things Considered."

And here's another view on the matter from Jeanne McManus with "The Washington Post."

And the articles keep coming! Here's a great article about Susan from "Mail Online."

"Americana Symphony" of Mark O'Connor

2009-03-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Mark O'Connor's latest work is the "Americana Symphony." Click on this link to listen to an interview with O'Connor on Friday's edition of "All Things Considered in which he talks about the optimism of American music, the American spirit that led to westward expansion and how those aspects of the American character still fuel this nation today.

The opening movement, "Brass Fanfare: Wide Open Spaces" sets up the distinct Americana theme of the piece. "New World Fanciful Dance" celebrates the Appalachian communities that O'Connor calls "the original melting pot of America." The two middle movements, "Different Paths Towards Home," and "Open Plains Hoedown" feature respectively a fugue and a dance. The fifth movement, "Soaring Eagle, Setting Sun" is perhaps the most visual of the movements, as O'Connor imagines the westward travelers facing a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, the Rocky Mountains. The symphony ends with "Splendid Horizons" celebrates the "spirit, wonder, renewed optimism and hope for a brighter future."

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday Palouse held its annual St. Paddy's Day Dog Parade. I was delighted to be the the M.C. for the event. If there are dogs involved I'll be there! It was a small but festive affair and the gray skies did not seem to dampen the mood of those present.

Here are some photos before the parade. This is the Golden Retriever section of the parade with my dog Miles on the left. Miles was modestly dressed for the occasion with a green shamrock bow around his neck and a green bow tied to his tail. He's rather petite as you can see by comparing him to the green bewigged monster (just kidding!) to the left.

Members of the Whitman County Humane Society were at the event along with two dogs for adoption, a very nice, senior German Shorthaired Pointer mix, Elmer, and a Staffordshire/Sharpei mix, Ghost. Hopefully they will find good homes.

My favorite "dog," aside from Miles of course, was Penny the donkey. Penny is an amazing animal. I'm serious. When you are in her presence you feel calm, serene and happy. Holly, Palouse's librarian, rescued Penny. She had foundered and had a bad case of laminitis , an infection that can badly cripple an animal sometimes to the point where euthanasia is necessary. Look at Penny now! Doesn't she look gorgeous!

Penny is, in my opinion, a service animal because she is helping Miles to get over his fear of equines. Miles was accidentally stepped on by a horse several years ago while we were trail riding. He's been afraid of horses since then and I have been working with him on that issue of late. He is improving but still somewhat trepidatious around horses but he walked right up to Penny without one sign of fear. Penny rocks!

Paul Smith provided a soundtrack of great Celtic tunes. Paul performs with the group Potatohead. He also sometimes comes to the Open Mike nights at The Green Frog Cafe in Palouse the first Friday of every month. Paul is one of those amazing musicians that can play along with anyone at the drop of a hat and make them sound even better by doing so.

This little Chihuahua won the prize for the smallest dog.

Wishing you a happy St. Paddy's Day!

Musikkapelle Leavenworth

2009-03-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Musikkapelle Leavenworth, the Bavarian Village town band, began in 1994 under the direction of Chris Schimer. The band performs at all major Leavenworth festivals and activities in addition to out-of-town appearances. It is typical of town bands of Bavaria.

The repertoire consists of over one hundred arrangements from Germany and marches, waltzes and polkas typical of Bavaria. Like German village bands, members of Musikkapelle Leavenworth come from a wide area. The band was under direction of Ed Barnhart from 1998 until 2003 and to date Chuck Randall holds the baton.

Musikkapelle Leavenworth's next performance is March 28th at 7:00 pm at the United Methodist Church. You can find more information on Northwest Public Radio's arts calendar.

I've been e-mailing Chuck about the band and he wrote that "in researching the project of creating a band, the organization "Project Bayern" traveled to Germany
and visited Berchtesgaden and Mittenwald and Oberammergau. They came home with costumes to outfit about 25 members. We now number about 32." As you can see from the photo above the costumes are really cool!

Here's a picture of Oberammergau. If it looks familiar scroll down to the next picture of Leavenworth, Washington and you may realize why!

If you've never visited Leavenworth it's definitely worth a visit. It's a really fun little town that is what I like to call more Bavarian than Bavaria! And check out the background scenery in this photo.

"50 Favorites" List!

2009-03-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun! Thanks for making it happen, for listening and for all of your great comments.

NORTHWEST PUBLIC RADIO'S "50 FAVORITES"

March 2nd - March 11th 2009

1. Symphony No. 9 "Choral" Ludwig van Beethoven
2. Adagio for Strings Samuel Barber
3. Appalachian Spring Aaron Copland
4. Canon Johann Pachelbel
5. 1812 Overture Peter Tchaikovsky
6. Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin
7. Four Seasons Antonio Vivaldi
8. Symphony No. 9 "New World" Antonin Dvorak
9. Fanfare for the Common Man Aaron Copland
10.Bolero Maurice Ravel
11.Carmina Burana Carl Orff
12.Toccata & Fugue Johann Sebastian Bach
13.Finlandia Jean Sibelius
14.The Lark Ascending Ralph Vaughan Williams
15.The Flower Duet from "Lakme" Leo Delibes
16.Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Ralph Vaughan Williams
17.Piano Concerto No. 2 in c Sergei Rachmaninoff
18.Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
19.Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Johann Sebastian Bach
20.Scheherazade Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
21.Hallelujah Chorus from "Messiah" George Fredrich Handel
22.Symphony No. 7 Ludwig van Beethoven
23.Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 Johann Sebastian Bach
24.Nutcracker Suite Peter Tchaikovsky
25.Concierto de Aranjuez Joaquin Rodrigo
26.Requiem Mass in d minor, K. 626 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
27. Meditation from "Thais" Jules Massenet
28.Symphony No. 5 Ludwig van Beethoven
29.By the Beautiful Blue Danube Johann Strauss II
30.Cello Suite No. 1 in G major Johann Sebastian Bach
31.Eine Kleine Nachtmusik "A Little Night Music"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
32.Rodeo Aaron Copland
33.William Tell Overture Gioacchino Rossini
34.Violin Concerto in e minor Felix Mendelssohn
35.Nessun dorma from "Turandot" Giacomo Puccini
36.Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Edvard Grieg
37.Fur Elise Ludwig van Beethoven
38.Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" Ludwig van Beethoven
39.Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" Ludwig van Beethoven
40.Trout Quintet in A major Franz Schubert
41.Pictures at an Exhibition Modest Mussorgsky
42.Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight" Ludwig van Beethoven
43.Adagio in g minor Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni
44.An American in Paris George Gershwin
45.A Midsummer Night's Dream Felix Mendelssohn
46.Ave Maria Franz Schubert
47.Grand Canyon Suite Ferde Grofe
48.Claire de lune from "Suite Bergamasque" Claude Debussy
49.The Relief of Derry Symphony Shaun Davey
50.O Mio Babbino Caro from "Gianni Schicchi" Giacomo Puccini

Fun Facts:
Beethoven had the most entries on the list with 16.
Mozart and Bach were a close second with 13 each.
Brahms had the most entries (8) of a composer who did not make the "50 Favorites."

AND ALL THE REST!

Hungarian rhapsody No. 2 Franz Liszt
German Requiem Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 1 Peter Tchaikovsky
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Sergei Rachmaninoff
String Quartet No. 12 "American" Antonin Dvorak
The Moldau from "Ma Vlast" (My Country) Bedrich Smetana
The Planets Gustav Holst
Missa Criolla "Creole Mass" Ariel Ramirez
Requiem Gabriel Faure
Ride of the Valkyries from "The Ring Cycle" Richard Wagner
Symphony No. 3 "Organ" Camille St. Saens
West Side Story Suite Leonard Bernstein
Ancient Airs and Dances Ottorino Respighi
Ave verum corpus K. 618 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Night on Bald Mountain Modest Mussorgsky
Pines of Rome Ottorino Respighi
Sheep May Safely Graze Johann Sebastian Bach
Barcarolle from "The Tales of Hoffman" Jacques Offenbach
Capriccio Italien Peter Tchaikovsky
Che gelida manina from "La Boheme" Giacomo Puccini
Gymnopedie No. 1 Erik Satie
Mass in b minor, BWV 232 Johann Sebastian Bach
Prelude to the afternoon of a faun Claude Debussy
Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" Ludwig van Beethoven
Water Music: Suite I George Fredrich Handel
Au fond du temple saint from "Pearl Fishers" Georges Bizet
Carmen Suite No. 1 Georges Bizet
Clarinet Quintet in a minor, K.581 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Grand March from Act II of "Aida" Giuseppe Verdi
Hebrides Overture "Fingal's Cave" Felix Mendelssohn
Pavane pour une infante defunte "Pavane for a dead princess"
Maurice Ravel
Peter and the Wolf Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No. 4 "Italian" Felix Mendelssohn
The Barber of Seville Overture Giaocchini Rossini
The Ride of the Valkyries from "Die Walkure" Richard Wagner
Un bel di (One Beautiful Day) from "Madame Butterfly"
Giacomo Puccini
Violin Concerto Ludwig van Beethoven
Warsaw Concerto Richard Addinsell
Aria from "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5" Heitor Villa-Lobos
Candide Overture Leonard Bernstein
Enigma Variations Sir Edward Elgar
Gabriel's Oboe from "The Mission" Ennio Morricone
Goldberg Variations BWV 988 Johann Sebastian Bach
Lux Aeterna Morten Lauridsen
Piano Concerto in a minor Edvard Grieg
Piano Concerto in a minor Robert Schumann
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, "Elvira Madigan" K. 468
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 3 in d minor, Op. 30 Sergei Rachmaninoff
Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique" Ludwig van Beethoven
Rite of Spring Igor Stravinsky
Violin Concerto No. 1 in g minor Max Bruch
Voluntary Henry Purcell
Adagietto from "Symphony No. 5" Gustav Mahler
Adagio of Spartacus & Phrygia Aram Khachaturian
Anvil Chorus from "Il Trovatore" Giuseppe Verdi
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba George Fredrich Handel
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 Johann Sebastian Bach
Carnival of the Animals Camille St. Saens
Casta Diva from "Norma" Vincenzo Bellini
Cello Concerto in B minor Antonin Dvorak
La Valse Maurice Ravel
Piano Concerto No. 2 Johannes Brahms
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture Peter Tchaikovsky
St. Matthew Passion Johann Sebastian Bach
Symphony No. 41 in C major, "Jupiter" K. 551 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique" Peter Tchaikovsky
Terpsichore Michael Praetorius
Va pensiero...(Hebrew Slave Chorus) from "Nabucco"
Giuseppe Verdi
Vocalise Sergei Rachmaninoff
Clarinet Quintet Johannes Brahms
Dance of the Blessed Spirits from "Orfeo et Euridice" Christoph
Willibald Gluck
Fantasia para un gentilhombre (Fantasy for a Gentlemen of the Court)
Joaquin Rodrigo
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus Ralph Vaughan Williams
Lieutenant Kije Sergei Prokofiev
Miserere mei, deus (Psalm 51) Gregorio Allegri
O Holy Night Adolphe Adam
O Lovely Moon from "Rusalka" Antonin Dvorak
O Magnum Mysterium Morten Lauridsen
Panis Angelicus Cesar Franck
Pavane Gabriel Faure
Piano Sonata No. 23 in f minor, "Appassionata" Ludwig van Beethoven
Pilgrim's Chorus from "Tannhauser" Richard Wagner
Polovtsian Dances from "Prince Igor" Alexander Borodin
Requiem Mass Giuseppe Verdi
Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1 Georges Enesco
Sabre Dance from "Gayaneh" Aram Khachaturian
String Quartet No. 14 in d minor "Death and the Maiden"
Franz Schubert
The girl with the flaxen hair Claude Debussy
The Go-Between Michel Legrand
Violin Concerto Samuel Barber
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen Edvard Grieg
Bailero from "Songs of the Auvergne" Joseph Canteloube
Capriccio Espagnol Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Carmen Suite No. 2 Georges Bizet
Cello Concerto in e minor Sir Edward Elgar
Christmas Concerto Arcangelo Corelli
Concerto for 2 Cellos in g minor, RV. 531 Antonio Vivaldi
Guitar Concerto in D major Antonio Vivaldi
Humoreqsue Antonin Dvorak
Hungarian Dances Johannes Brahms
In the Steppes of Central Asia Alexander Borodin
Intermezzo from "Cavalleria Rusticana" Pietro Mascagni
Les Preludes Franz Liszt
Light Cavalry Overture Franz von Suppe
March of the Trolls from "Lyric Pieces," Op. 54Edvard Grieg
Missa Solemnis Ludwig van Beethoven
Nimrod from "Enigma Variations" Sir Edward Elgar
Orchestral Suite No. 3 Johann Sebastian Bach
Piano Concerto in F major George Gershwin
Prelude in D flat major, Op. 28 No. 15 "Raindrop"
Frederic Chopin
Romeo and Juliet Suites Sergei Prokofiev
String Quartet No. 3 "Mishima" Philip Glass
Symphonie Fantastique Hector Berlioz
Symphony No. 1 in D major, "Titan" Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 2 Sergei Rachmaninoff
Violin Concerto in d minor Jean Sibelius
Zigeunerweisen "Bypsy Airs" Pablo Sarasate
“Ah, Vous Dirai-Je Maman” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Bacchanale from "Samson and Delilah" Camille St. Saens
Bridal Chorus from "Lohengrin" Richard Wagner
Cantique de Jean Racine Gabriel Faure
Conquest of Paradise: 1492 Vangelis
Dance of the Hours from "La Gioconda" Amilcare Ponchielli
Der Rosenkavalier Suite Richard Strauss
Egmont Overture Ludwig van Beethoven
Etude in Ab major, Op. 25 No. 1 Frederic Chopin
Firebird Suite Igor Stravinsky
Flight of the Bumblebee from "Tale of Tsar Sultan"
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Flute & Harp Concerto in C major, K. 299 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Impromptu No. 4 "Fantaise-Impromptu" Frederic Chopin
Impromptus, Op. 90 Franz Schubert
Largo from Xerxes George Fredrich Handel
Liebestod from "Tristan und Isolde Richard Wagner
Mass Leonard Bernstein
Mass in c minor, K. 427 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Night Music from the Streets of Madrid Luigi Boccherini
Piano Trio No. 7 in Bb major "Archduke" Ludwig van Beethoven
Prince of Denmark March Jeremiah Clarke
Recuerdos de la Alhambra Francisco Tarrega
Scottish Fantasy Max Bruch
Simple Symphony Benjamin Britten
Sleeping Beauty Waltz Peter Tchaikovsky
Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson
Star Wars: Main Title John Williams
Symphony No. 2 in d minor Alexandre Borodin
Symphony No. 5 in d minor Dmitri Shostakovich
Tales from the Vienna Woods Johann Strauss, Jr.
Te Deum Marc-Antonie Charpentier
The Bells of St. Genevieve Marin Marais
The Chairman Dances from "Nixon in China" John Adams
The Seasons Alexander Glazunov
Toccata from "Symphony No. 5" Charles-Marie Widor
Traumerei "Dreaming" from "Scenes from Childhood" (Kinderszenen)
Robert Schumann
Una furtiva lagrima from "L'elisir d'amore" Gaetano Donizetti
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 Peter Tchaikovsky
Waltz No. 6 "Minute" Frederick Chopin
Academic Festival Overture Johannes Brahms
Afro American Symphony William Grant Still
Caprice in a minor, Op. 1 No. 24 Nicolo Paganini
Celtic Dawn Philip Pickett
Comedian's Galop from "The Comedians" Dmitri Kabalevsky
Concerto for two violins in d minor, BWV. 1043 Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto for Violin and Oboe in D minor Johann Sebastian Bach
Dreams of Love "Liebestraume" Franz Liszt
Etude No. 3 in E "Tristesse" Frederic Chopin
Fantasy and Fugue in G-Minor Johann Sebastian Bach
Flying Theme from "E.T." John Williams
Gaite Parisienne Jacques Offenbach
Greensleeves Traditional
Introduction to "Also spach Zarathustra" Richard Strauss
Invitation to the Dance Carl Maria von Weber
La Creation du Monde Darius Milhaud
La donna e mobile (Woman is fickle) from "Rigoletto"
Giuseppe Verdi
La Mer Claude Debussy
La Tempesta de mare (Flute Concerto) RV. 433 Antonio Vivaldi
Largo al factotum from "The Barber of Seville" Gioacchino Rossini
M'appari from "Martha" Friedrich von Flotow
Minuet Luigi Boccherini
Orchestral Suite No. 2 Johann Sebastian Bach
Overture to the School for Scandal Samuel Barber
Piano Concerto No. 2 in a minor Frederic Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K. 488 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Quartet in Eb major, Op. 47 Robert Schumann
Piano Sonata No. 17, Op. 31, No. 2 "Tempest" Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49 Felix Mendelssohn
Requiem John Rutter
Ritual Fire Dance from "El Amor Brujo" Manuel de Falla
Romance from "Gadfly" Dmitri Shostakovich
Rondeau Jean Joseph Mouret
Rondo alla Turca "Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Roumanian Folk Dances Bela Bartok
Scherzo from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Felix Mendelssohn
Serenade from "String Quartet in F major" Franz Joseph Haydn
Sextet for two horns and strings, Op. 81 Ludwig van Beethoven
Slavonic Dances Antonin Dvorak
String Quartet Bb major, Opus 9 Franz Joseph Haydn
String Quartet No. 2 Alexander Borodin
Suite Espanola Isaac Albeniz
Suite in a for flute & strings Georg Philip Telemann
Suite Provencale Darius Milhaud
Symphonic Metamorphoses of themes by Carl Maria Von Weber
Paul Hindemith
Symphonie Espagnole Eduard Lalo
Symphony in D Johann Stamitz
Symphony in d minor Cesar Franck
Symphony No. 1 in D major "Classical" Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No. 2 Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 2 in D major Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 3 Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 3 "Pastoral" Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 36 in C major "Linz" K. 425 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 4 Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 4 in E Minor Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 48 "Maria Theresia" Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 9 Gustav Mahler

Appalachian Spring

2009-03-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Photo from www.ballet.co.uk/images/graham/jd_appalachian

As part of NPR's "Milestones of the Millenium" explore Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" with commentary by Robert Kapilow and John Adams, and interviews with the composer himself.

While exploring the Internet on Appalachian topics I came across the website of Marcia Abonta. Her "Appalachian Seasons Series" looks interesting as does her website in general.

You might enjoy this pairing of "Simple Gifts" from "Appalachian Spring" with the beautiful black and white photography of Ansel Adams.

Finlandia

2009-03-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

*Picture of Lake Finland from home.freiepresse.de/uwdel/finland

Here's a link to an interesting interview with conductor Esa Pekka Salonen and Fred Child about "Finlandia"

The Flower Duet

2009-03-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

This duet, about Lakme and her servant Mallika gathering lotus flowers at the river, is one of the most popular in all of opera. The version that I played this morning features soprano Natalie Dessay
and Delphine Haidan.

Here's a video featuring both Dessay and Haidan.

Here's a link to an npr story from May of 2007 about the "Flower Duet" from the opera "Lakme" by composer Leo Delibes.

Sheherazade in Baghdad

2009-03-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Original posting 10/2008

This beautiful Marko Georgiev photo of Mohammed Ghani Hikmat’s statue of Scheherazade and King Shahryar is from Erica Goode's NY Times story of August 27, 2008. Read the full story called Sheherazade in Baghdad.

Return with us now to the thrilling days of yesteryear!

2009-03-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Rossini,

I know that you wrote your opera in four acts "Guillaume Tell" about the legendary Swiss 14th century archer, William Tell but here in North America we can't help but think of "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty "Hi Yo Silver!"

You should be proud that your music became the theme for both a radio and a television show that thrilled the imaginations of millions of children and adults.
After all, what's more heroic and legendary than a masked Texas Ranger and a Potawatomi Native American righting wrongs?!

I know what you're thinking...Of course it would have been much more interesting if Tonto had actually been played by a
member of the Potawatomi nation instead of by actor John Todd. Well, who knows? Maybe there will be a remake some day!

But who would replace Clayton Moore as "The Lone Ranger?" Would the producers find a Potawatomi star or just tap George Clooney?

Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral"

2009-03-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony came it at number 39 on Northwest Public Radio's "50 Favorites" list. It's one of the few pieces he wrote with a programmatic theme. When the 6th symphony was first performed in December of 1808 it went by the title "Recollections of Country Life".

I thought that it might be fun to provide you with a little pictorial journey of our day in the country.

I. "Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the country:" allegro ma non troppo

II. "Scene at the brook:" andante molto mosso

III. "Happy Gathering of Country Folk." allegro

IV. "Thunderstorm; Storm:" allegro

V. "Shepherds' song; cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm:" allegretto

Listen to an NPR interview about Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony with conductor
Christophe Eschenbach.

Fingal's Cave

2009-02-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

Photos from NK Photograpy

Felix Mendelssohn was inspired to write his "Hebrides Overture" by a visit to Fingal's Cave of the coast of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides Islands of Scotland. Here's a little background on Mendelssohn's visit to the Hebrides Island, a trip that inspired his overture of the same name.

This is a short video of the interior of Fingal's Cave. It's a bit blurry but worth it because you get a bit of a feel for what it would be like.

Festival of Contemporary Art Music

2009-02-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

Dr. Charles Argersinger is this year's guest composer at the Festival of Contemporary Art Music held annually in February at the Pullman campus of Washington State University.
Click on this link for an article on Dr. Argersinger in the latest issue of WSU Today.

The Festival of Contemporary Art Music runs through tomorrow. Here is the
schedule of concerts and events.

Washington Idaho Symphony's Young Artists' Concert

2009-02-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

Meet soprano Karina Brazas and violinist Emily Christine Holmes, the
Washington Idaho Symphony's winners of their 33rd annual Young Artists' Competition.

Karina, on the left, is completing her final year as a Vocal Performance major at Washington State University through the School of Music. Karina studies voice with Dr. Sheila Converse. She sang the very beautiful and challenging Je veux vivre from Charles Gounod's opera Romeo and Juliet.

Here's a video of that gorgeous aria featuring soprano Angela Gheorgiu.

High school senior, Emily, is a native of Moscow, Idaho and began playing the violin at age four. She was concertmaster of the Greater Palouse Youth Orchestra for two years, and has been a member of the Washington-Idaho Symphony and the Rendezvous Orchestra. In 2007 she won a gold medal for her solo performance at MusicFest Northwest in Spokane. She currently studies with Dr. Meredith Arksey of Washington State University's School of Music. Emily played the first movement of Edouard Lalo's technically demanding Symphonie Espagnole.

This is a piece that you need to see as well as hear. Watch how Lalo has the violinist, in this case Silvia Marcovici, use the entire fretboard.

I thought that the Washington Idaho Symphony sounded particularly good under the direction of guest conductor Travis Hatton, who has a very engaging manner.

Before leading the symphony in Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 2 Maestro Hatton recommended a biography of Brahms written by Jan Swafford. Johannes is looking mighty fine on the cover of this book!

Thanks to Cyrus O'Leary's Pies for providing the delicious pies that we enjoyed at intermission and after the concert. I was torn between their pumpkin (which is almost as good as my mom's and that's saying a lot!) the French Silk and the Marionberry. Note caption below. I decided on the Marionberry, an award winning pie with NO refined sugar. Delicious!

The Lark Ascending

2009-01-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

I recently finished a phone call with a Northwest Public Radio listener about Ralph Waughan William's "The Lark Ascending." We had an interesting conversation about the piece. I chose a version featuring The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field with Sir Neville Marriner and violinist, Iona Brown. He mentioned a video on youtube featuring Dutch violinist Janine Jansen that might be of interest. I took a listen, and a look, and I agree with him that her version is less ethereal. I believe that he used the adjective "strong" and I would add to that "earthy," which is an interesting choice when you think about the piece and it's title. Here it is if you want to take a listen. I'll warn you that it cuts off at 8:00. I'm not sure why and that's a bit frustrating but it's fun to compare and contrast. Notice how she turns away from the audience and looks to the various soloists.

No offense to Madonna but......

2009-01-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

You can take someone with a decent voice, put them into a studio, lay down as many tracks as you want and make them sound pretty good. (See reference to Madonna above). I realize that she is a superstar and that her live shows are legendary. I confess to never having seen one but I've seen some videos of her live shows and it's a lot of flash and dash. For me, this video of Jason Mraz in Korea is what live music should be about whether you're a classical, jazz, acoustic, folk, celtic or any other type of musician. When you sound this good on stage with just two voices and two instruments then that, my friends, is music!

"Happy Birthday" from Andras Schiff!

2009-01-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be cool if someone like pianist Andras Schiff played "Happy Birthday" to you in your own home? Well, that actually happened to someone in West Richland! Here's the story. If you have any memories and/or photos of this event please send them to me at rilette@wsu.edu or Robin Rilette, Northwest Public Radio, P.O. Box 642530, Pullman, WA 99164-2530. Thanks very much to Tom for sharing his memory with us!

Dear Robin –

This communication has a dual purpose. First, let me express appreciation for your recent programming on your morning music show on NWPR of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas performed by Andras Schiff. The sequence has truly been something to look forward to each day during the past couple months. It allowed me to make specific identification of some of the sonatas I had heard previously, but did not know the correct reference for the composition. I also appreciate the background sources you have provided on your blog. It is kind of like a mini-music appreciation course.

Secondly, I thought you might be interested in a story of a personal encounter with Andras Schiff sometime around the late 1970s or early 80s. This experience occurred in Richland, WA and was shared by a number of friends and fellow workers involved in the Richland Community Concert Association (RCCA) organization*.

During that era, Schiff was an up and coming European pianist, who was making a US tour. He was scheduled to perform a concert in the Richland Community Concert series. He did, indeed, deliver a memorable performance on the "Kay Kyser" Steinway** at the Richland Chief Joseph school auditorium. The real highlight occurred after the concert.

It was the custom for the members of the RCCA board of directors to host the artists after each concert with a buffet dinner (usually with wine) served at the home of one of the directors. The post-concert reception for Andras Schiff was held at the spacious home of Esther and Bill Johnson near the Yakima River in West Richland. (The Johnsons were very prominent in the post-war history of Richland. He was the general manager for the Hanford project for years under General Electric and later a member of the US Atomic Energy Commission. Esther was an active patron of the arts.)

Turns out, the date of this concert was also Esther Johnson’s birthday. That fact came out during dinner conversations with Mr. Schiff. He promptly stood up and walked over to the grand piano in the Johnson’s entertainment space, and played an elegant version of happy birthday, to which we all quickly gave voice. He then proceeded to give an impromptu concert of encores, to the immense pleasure of all present. Imagine standing there next to the piano, while Andras Schiff played with obvious enjoyment and smiled back at his new acquaintances. Talk about a high class piano bar!! He continued, in my recollection, for close to 30 minutes. Another RCCA board member remembers him playing for closer to an hour. Her impression was that he was more comfortable playing for his hosts than talking with them as his English at that time was somewhat halting.

Is it any wonder that your discussions of Mr. Schiff’s Beethoven sonata recordings, professional biography and the videos of his lectures on the individual sonatas brings back this vivid memory? Unfortunately, I did not save a copy of the program from the concert in my old file of community concert stuff. But I did receive confirmation of the event from several of the other Richland Community Concert Association board members who were present. Many of those who served on that board are still quite involved in music and other arts promotion groups in the Tri-Cities.

Thanks again for your initiative in programming the complete Beethoven sonatas and calling attention of your audience to one of our greatest living pianists, who just happens to have a connection with the Tri-Cities. Your work certainly contributes to making NWPR worthy of our support, in all forms.

Sincerely,

Tom Weber
Kennewick

*Note: The Richland Community Concert Association, as structured at that time, no longer exists as such. Historically, there was a Kennewick-Pasco Community Concert Association as well as the Richland organization, each of which sponsored a separate, membership-only series of concerts each year. In the recent past, the two groups were merged into one Tri-Cities organization Community Concerts of the Tri-Cities which still sponsors a community concert series each year.

**Note: If you have not heard the story of this piano, which has been used in many concerts and performances over the past 4 or 5 decades in Richland, you might be interested in knowing it. The Steinway piano used for many years for Richland Community Concerts was originally brought to Richland by Kay Kyser and his big band for a performance in the 1940s. Moving the piano out of Richland became an issue for Kay Kyser and he left it there as a donation to the Richland Schools. The piano stayed in one or another school auditorium over the years, but was maintained and refurbished by the Richland Community Concert Association. Several professional pianists have pronounced it an excellent instrument

Robin's Christmas Specials

2009-01-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Well it's already 2009 and though I'm a bit late I thought you might like to see pictures of, and have links to, the cds that I used for my special programming this holiday season.

12/24/08 9:00 Hour

“The Birth of Jesus” by John Michael Talbot. This work for choirs and orchestra also features guitarist and vocalist John Michael Talbot. “The Birth of Jesus” features beautifully rich arrangements of favorite Christmas carols and hymns as well as original compositions by John Michael Talbot.

Here's a link to John Michael Talbot's website where you can purchase "The Birth of Jesus."

You can also purchase "The Birth of Jesus" from amazon.com.

12/23/08 10:00 Hour

"A Mediterranean Christmas" with The Boston Camerata and the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble in songs of celebration from Spain, Provence, Italy & the Middle East.

Here's a link to "A Mediterranean Christmas at www.arkivmusic.com

12/22/08 11:00 Hour

"Hanukkah Fantasy" of Zamir Bavel. A wonderful combination of Hanukkah tunes and Christmas songs…bringing together the two cultures.

This was a hard cd to find online but I did manage to find this link at catalog.einetwork.net

The other cd I used this hour featured Samuel Adler's "The Flames of Freedom" and can be found at www.arkivmusic.com.

12/19 10:00 Hour

“The Nutcracker” by Pytor Tchaikovsky and narrated by Kevin Kline.
Kevin Kline beautifully narrates the exciting story of Clara and the Mouse King with some of the most beloved music in the holiday repertoire.

I had absolutely no luck finding a cd version of this for sale online. I did find the DVD starring Macauly Culkin with the Kevin Kline narration but no cd. If you find one please let me know!

12/18 9:00 Hour

“A Classical Kids Christmas”From the award winning Classical Kids collection comes the story of the Three Wise Men as they set out for Bethlehem. You’ll also meet St. Nicholas (not Santa Claus!) while experiencing the musical traditions of Christmas around the world. Combining classical carols and classic poetry, the words and music invite you to share in a magical Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Discover why the stork delivers babies, how the robin got its red breast and how tinsel came to decorate trees.

Here's a link to where you can purchase "A Classical Kids Christmas".

Other cds in the Classical Kids collection can be purchased through www.childrensgroup.com.

12/17 11:00 Hour

“Brother Heinrich’s Christmas” by John Rutter
Brother Heinrich and his faithful friend, the talking and singing donkey Sigismund, help make the wine that brings people from far and wide to the old stone vine-covered monastery. They share good conversation and a love of music. Enjoy the music and story of how Sigismund saves the day at the Christmas service!

"Brother Heinrich's Christmas" is one of the pieces on John Rutter's cd entitled "Three Musical Fables" found at arkivmusic.

12/16 10:00 Hour

"Our Lord’s Nativity" is an exciting new work by Latvian composer Rihards Dubra combining elements of folk, Gregorian and Renaissance music. It's from the cd "Christmas Joy in Latvia" available through arkivmusic.

12/15 9:00 Hour
“Navidad Nuestra” by Ariel Ramirez
The composer of the popular “Creole Mass” also wrote a series of songs in which he gives each episode of the Nativity story a regional flavor. Each song features a different rhythm or dance type, from the tender grace of the chamame’ representing the Annunciation to the jubilant chaya riojana announcing the arrival of the shepherds. Ramirez again employs traditional Argentinian instruments and features tenor Jose Carreras at his best. If you like the “Creole Mass” you’ll like “Navidad Nuestra!”

"Navidad Nuestra" is part of a collection of the other works of Ariel Ramirez including his "Creole Mass" found on this Philips cd at
arkivmusic.