Watching string quartet Brooklyn Rider rehearse is, like their music, a mixture of experiences. While at rehearsal yesterday at the intimate Simons Center Recital Hall, I often found myself struck by the virtuosity of the playing and, just about the time that I was totally engrossed and in my own little world, the Riders would laugh or begin talking, snapping me out of the musical hypnosis.
One thing is for sure–the guys are as laid back as they are talented. Watching them play is an experience in and of itself, due to their incredible talent and technical skills, but watching them rehearse reminds you that they are just four guys who really enjoy playing music together. And that is what makes it fun.
Photo by Bethany E. Larson
Check out the video from rehearsal below.
Brooklyn Rider will perform June 10th at 9PM. Click here for tickets.
Emmanuel Villuame directs a Spoleto Festival USA orchestra rehearsal.
Official release from Spoleto Festival USA:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Emmanuel Villaume to Step Down
as Spoleto Festival USA Music Director for Opera & Orchestra
MAY 31, 2010 (CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA)—Emmanuel Villaume, the Christel DeHaan Music Director for Opera & Orchestra for Spoleto Festival USA, announced at today’s full board meeting that he will leave his position after the current season. “I love this Festival deeply and I have always said that if I could not give the organization what I consider to be the necessary time, I would step down from my position,” said Villaume. Recently appointed Chief Conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Maestro Villaume also serves as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and is a highly sought-after guest conductor worldwide.
“Emmanuel will be deeply missed. He did brilliant work developing the quality of our orchestra,” said Spoleto General Director Nigel Redden. “We have already talked about his returning to the Festival in future seasons as a guest conductor,” Mr. Redden added.
“Emmanuel has been a wonderful music director and an important presence here at the Festival. We are grateful that he is leaving the orchestra and the Festival in such good shape,” said Spoleto Chairman Martha Ingram.
Mr. Villaume has conducted many celebrated productions over the last ten years. The production of Don Giovanni, directed by Günther Krämer, was described in The New York Times as a “triumph.” The success of that production led to the innovative renovation of Memminger Auditorium in which it was staged. Maestro Villaume chose to open the newly renovated Memminger with the premiere of Anthony Davis’ newly revised Amistad. Opera Today declared the production “a coup of music theater for Spoleto — an experiment in opera grand and intimate and timely in its content.”
Perhaps Maestro Villaume’s major achievement at the Festival was his work with the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra. The orchestra, made up of young musicians chosen from some 800 candidates who audition throughout the United States, has been described as “one of the best orchestras in America” by Tim Page of The Post and Courier (Charleston). “The orchestra is truly the star of this show” declared James Oestreich of The New York Times on its work in 2008’s Faustus, the Last Night.
During the 2010 season, Maestro Villaume will conduct the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra in two orchestral concerts, on Monday, May 31, and Sunday, June 6.
I went to the Norma Winstone concert on Friday night and was astounded by how bad it was.  Not only was the music style nowhere near the jazz genre, the compositions lacked in substance, went on too long, and the continuous endings were excruciating to listen too.  The pianist didn’t play a single jazz voicing all night.  The woodwind player noodled incessantly and the bass clarinet sounded like a kazoo.  When the soprano sax played in unison with the singer, it exposed her poor intonation.  I’m not sure how all this went unnoticed in the press…
The P&C review said they didn’t swing as hard as Tierney Sutton’s band last year.  That was correct.  They didn’t come close to attempting to swing.  Spoleto should make an effort to do better in the future for jazz musicians selections.  The ukulele show last year was ridiculous (although obviously entertaining for those lacking musical insight).  I have read multiple stellar reviews  on Heloisa Fernandes, but when I saw her play, she train wrecked twice.  I mean she stopped dead, had to
collect herself and figure out where to restart.  Nobody else seemed to notice.
Lest you think I am bashing everyone unconditionally, let me say that Enrico Pieranunzi, with John Patitucci, was fabulous.  This is an example of a great player who ACTUALLY PLAYS JAZZ.  It is also an example of the quality of performance you would expect for such a venue.  Also, Tierney Sutton’s band was teriffic last year (especially when she wasn’t singing).  I realize that people love female singers and
as far as they go, she is definitely one of the best, although she brought the level of the musicianship in the band down.  Was anyone else present at her Friday afternoon sound check when she chewed out her bass player for “not making it easy for her know when to come in”?
I also understand that this is a pop culture driven society and you are trying to feed that with gimmicks, but the quality of the music should not be diminished by this effort.  How about choosing someone like Toots Thielemans?  He plays the chromatic harmonica (there’s your gimmick), is Belgian (goes with the European slant) and plays jazz.
That’s what is happening at noon. I know what Mayor Joe Riley is going to say because he has said it every year, but it’s still inspiring for the arts.
There is always a surprise at the opening at the corner of Broad and Meeting St. But go now and get a good parking spot. And look for the shade. It’s going to be a warm one.
Our Goldring Arts Journalism members will be hanging there, so look for people wearing the orange press passes. And check out our blogs and videos as we cover the festival as it has never been covered before!
You can contact us at Spoletotoday@postandcourier.com or leave comments for us. We’ll be checking for them early and often.
Here’s a comment from a reader this morning:
“We attended Present Laughter last night and it was fabulous. As good as I have seen in NY, Edinburgh and Vegas!”
Linda and Mike Leatherwood
This gripping documentary chronicles the final stages of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions for 2007. I saw it in April, and although I never experienced the pressure of a major audition, Susan Fromeke’s film, brought the nerves, insecuritries, and promise of these aspiring singers to life.
At the end of the movie, I found myself so invested in the singers that I found myself in tears on the way home. It’s one of those documentaries that has stayed with me long past the viewing.
In fact, even if opera doesn’t particularly move you, The Audition will. It’s a must see.
Firstly, upon Arriving at the venue - The First (Scots) Presbyterian Church on Meeting Street -
I was impressed with the organization, and the friendly welcome.
The Con Brio Quartet consists of three men and one woman.
They are based here in Charleston, managed by Steve Rosenberg, who is a professor at The College of Charleston. They have undertaken several tours in the United States, and throughout Europe.
After a short introduction from Steve Rosenberg, the concert started. At once I was impressed with the beauty and tone of Jose Lemos’ voice. At times it was almost as if it was at one with the viola. Much of the music’s origins was largely Sephardic - from the Jews of Spain, but there were Turkish, and also Moorish influences too.
After launching straight into two songs, the third one introduced a little comedy in that it was about a man who was tired of playing the guitar, as the more he played the further the girl he was trying to woo with it ran away!
Following that came a dance tune with it’s origins from the Middle East, going back around 1,000 years. The combination of tambourine and dual recorders, and being able to see them played as well as just hear them, was almost enough to give goose bumps!
Next up we had a song about a mermaid, and then a song with a strong Turkish influence, and a story of a woman complaining that all her boyfriend wanted to do was drink wine all day.
The sounds that came from the tambourine were truly phenomenal.
To digress a little, the strings on the viola are made from gut, as it is apparently almost impossible to obtain nylon strings for this instrument.
There followed a set of three songs. The first had a theme of springlike love. A girl is unhappy because her lover is not paying her any atention, and the beauty of the spring flowers all around her is making her feel even worse! Â Second was a short dance played on the replica guitar, and the final peice in that sat was a popular melody, which is very reminiscent of Puccuni.
Next a soothing lullaby; a tune from Istanbul; another love song called “The Stars”, and a dance, which was rather like an Appalachian hoedown!
This was indeed a wonderful concert, and I would recommend anyone to catch them again at this venue on Friday, and to look out for Jose Lemos, who has a superb voice, and as I mentioned before can be found singing all around the world
I endeavored to get a short interview with Steve Rosenberg after the concert to ask a few questions about the more unusual instruments, but he was very busy, and everyone wanted to speak to him, and congratulate him on such a great production, so I was left wondering what the instrument in the photograph on the left here is called!
Ensemble Argos (from left) Christina Placilla, Kenneth Law, Stephen Buck and Mellasenah Edwards
By Mary Solomon Post and Courier Reviewer
For an hour and a half of unsurpassed chamber music, the Circular Congregational Church was the place to be Wednesday night.
Part of the Spotlight Concert Series, Ensemble Argos played the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gabriel Faure, and Robert Schumann.
Members of the Greenville-based piano quartet are Mellasenah Edwards, violin; Christina Placilla, viola; Kenneth Law, cello; and Stephen Buck, piano. The ensemble was formed in 2007 but perform as if it has been together longer. Individually, they came with impeccable credentials and have played both solo and chamber music around the world.
For an opener, they chose to play one movement, the Allegro, from Mozart’s ‘G minor Piano Quartet.’ Their playing exhibited the liquid, fluid smoothness of Mozart.
On Spoleto Today with Marc Overton & Jennifer Foster this morning at 11 on WSCI-FM 89.3 in Charleston:
Joseph Flummerfelt, Spoleto Festival USA’s artistic director for choral activities, sings the praises of Spoleto’s choral tradition;
Make a pilgrimage to the vaunted Mepkin Abbey to hear Charleston Symphony oboist Mark Gainer perform Marcello’s Oboe Concerto;
Piccolo Spoleto Director Ellen Moryl assesses this year’s festival at the box office and talks about some of the festival’s special programs, including A World of Jewish Culture;
And Post and Courier jazz critic Jack McCray offers reviews and insights on the jazz offerings on tap for Spoleto’s final few days.
On today’s Carolina Classics with Jennifer Foster at 1 p.m.:
Listen to the complete Wadsworth and Friends: A Musical Celebration, the birthday party/tribute concert recorded last Sunday evening from Memminger Auditorium.
Join the Spoleto Today team today at 3 p.m. at Sermet’s Restaurant at the corner of King and Wentworth Streets. Marc Overton, Jennifer Foster and the rest of the ETV/WDAV radio team will be on hand to talk about Spoleto, music, the arts and all things Charleston.
Make a date to tune in tonight at 8 when ETV Radio and WDAV Classical Public Radio present a Spoleto Festival Special: The Song of the Earth. Emmanuel Villaume conducts the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra.
The Early Music Series, featured ‘Brio’ performing the music of Sephardic Jews, in front of a packed audience at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church. Exiled from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century, the Sephardi infused their secular ballads of love, passion and married life with the musical idiom and the musical instruments of the countries in which they finally settled.
Counter-tenor Jose Lemos sang the ballads which ran the spectrum from idealized love (’Adio Querida’), to love ballads (’Los Caminos’) to love ballads with a comic twist, (’La Rosa’). His voice is a beautiful tenor in the middle range, where most of the folk ballads were written. Also, he has the counter-tenor’s wide range of high notes which he used to great dramatic effect. Usually singing of the male’s suffering in love, he could, when the drama demanded, switch genders vocally becoming a mother crooning her baby a lullaby (’Dorme’), or a shrewish wife hectoring her husband not to drink so much wine (’Bevio’).
Between the sections of the ballads were brisk dances played by Mary Anne Ballard on viol da gamba and rebec, Steve Rosenberg, on renaissance and baroque guitars, recorders great and small and Danny Mallon, on several different drums, an Arabic tambourine, castanets, as well as a number of very small instruments that clicked. Ballard had a delightful solo playing the tiny rebec with a very long bow. In one of the more complicated dance numbers, Rosenberg played two recorders at the same time. While, Danny Mellon demonstrated the range of the Arabic tambourine in a long improvisation.
‘Brio’ brought out the universal appeal of these nearly lost ballads, creating moments the audience will long remember.
Wow, Spoleto-Piccolo just keeps coming at you. And I’m only barely involved.
Two nights of great Blues at DoughRe-Mi in Mt. Pleasant followed by two nights of Gypsy Jazz and Gypsy Swing at Charleston Music Hall andupstairs at Mistral.
The next night was smooth jazz and the next was two back-to-back LOL comedy acts at Theatre 99.
Oh boy..a fantastic Punk Rock musical (I always carry my own ear plugs) and then my calendar noted “time out.”
Skip to the next evening, ukulele at The Cistern got me fired up again, followed by Miss Tess at Tin Roof, Little Feat at the Music Farm and, last night, back to festival fare: The Matt Walsh Blues Trio (two Matts and a Roger) at The Mill.
They had played an early set downtown at Mad River and were “relaxing” with another two sets near Park Circle.
Tonight I’ll see Tab Benoit at the Pour House.
Am I the only one who actually schedules a “time out” on their calendar during Spoleto?
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