Reno Chamber Orchestra Blog

Three points…

2008-01-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

(1) On Thursday, January 31 at 9:06 a.m., KUNR will be broadcasting the recording of this past Saturday’s RCO concert, featuring guest conductor Carl Topilow, violinist James Reinarz (the winner of our annual College Concerto Competition), the Orchestra, and music by Arensky, Bruch, Danzi, and Tchaikovsky. It was a wonderful concert, so don’t miss it!

(2) Below you’ll find a selection of photos by our friend, and official RCO photographer, Stuart Murtland, from our November 2007 concerts featuring pianist Meng-Chieh Liu, and from the 2007 Nevada Chamber Music Festival.

(3) Following up on a post from a couple of months ago, we’re soon going to be spending some time on this blog examining the question – one which we, unsurprisingly, talk about often at the RCO office – of why we enjoy music. Why, and how, does it engage us the way that it does? Many of the discussion points will be taken from Oliver Sacks’ recent book Musicophilia, which I’ve just finished and which is predictably wonderful and thought provoking. I doubt if we’ll come up with any new or unusual answers, but the discussion should be interesting.

Nevada Chamber Music Festival photos

2008-01-30T11:33:00.001-08:00

More photos by Stuart Murtland, this time from the Nevada Chamber Music Festival.

Rehearsing at First United Methodist Church.

Ellen dePasquale and Ruth Lenz.

Stephanie Sant'Ambrogio, Petronel Malan, and Carol Ou performing Beethoven's Trio, Op. 1/1 at the Church.

The members of the Nightingale String Quartet were among the performers at the Festival's special Children's Concert. From left to right: Vanessa Porter, Tianna Heppner-Harjo, Scott Faulkner, Rose Sciaroni, Johnny Lenz, and Stephanie Sant'Ambrogio.

James Buswell, James Winn and Carol Ou performing Turina's Trio No. 2.

Rehearsing Dohnanyi's Septet at the University of Nevada, Reno: Martin Chalifour, Theodore Kuchar, Petronel Malan, Ronald Leonard, John Lenz, and Daniel Gilbert.

Performing the Brahms Clarinet Quintet at Nightingale Concert Hall: Ellen dePasquale, Stephanie Sant'Ambrogio, Daniel Gilbert, Richard Weiss, and Robert Vernon.

Ronald Leonard and Derek Han performing Tortelier's Sonata Breve.

The 2007 Nevada Chamber Music Festival musicians.

November concert photos

2008-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos by RCO photographer Stuart Murtland from our November concerts.

Theodore Kuchar and the Orchestra rehearsing at Nightingale Concert Hall

Theodore Kuchar and guest pianist Meng-Chieh Liu in discussion.

Liu, Kuchar and the RCO performing Gabriel Faure's Ballade.

Liu and trumpeter Paul Lenz acknowledging the audiences' applause after the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 1.

The RCO Experience

2007-10-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

I’d considered starting this entry with a sentence that might well open any entry on this blog: “There’s a lot happening at the Reno Chamber Orchestra these days.” Planning is well underway for our upcoming concerts on November 10 and 11 featuring pianist Meng-Chieh Liu. Also, the schedule is about 98% complete for the Nevada Chamber Music Festival – we’ll be releasing all the details on performers and repertoire soon, so keep an eye on this blog and our website. Design of the Festival brochure has also begun, and that will be hitting the mail in just a few weeks.

Some of you may be familiar with the name Henry Fogel. For the last four years he has been President of the American Symphony Orchestra League – he recently retired from the position, but will be continuing to provide valuable services to the League – after serving on its Board of Trustees for over a decade. He has also been the very successful Director of the Chicago Symphony, the National Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. His resume goes well beyond that, and you can read more here. I got to know of him not through any of these activities, but through his writing about music and recordings for Fanfare Magazine, one of my most trusted music information sources for the last twenty-plus years. Fogel’s own record collection is voluminous, and his writings on music always insightful.

In the most recent entry in his blog, Mr. Fogel takes on a subject that is near to our hearts here in the RCO office, the impact, the relevance – the “meaning,” if you prefer to use that term – of great music. Here’s a link to this provocative blog entry, at the end of which he provides some suggestions for further reading. I’m going to be checking these books out myself – along with the most recent effort by that most wonderful author/neurologist, Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain – and perhaps will have further to report in the future.

We at the RCO consider issues like these every day. We know that, as a chamber orchestra, we are not going to be playing a lot of the big, exciting repertoire that’s out there for the large symphony orchestra. Nor are we going to be presenting a lot of “pops” concerts and music, although we will dabble on occasion. This isn’t meant as any sort of a criticism or judgment of one kind of music versus another. The RCO simply offers a particular sort of experience – an “intimate” one, involving a smaller orchestra and the repertoire appropriate to it, a relatively small venue, and a closeness between the audience and the musicians. But it’s an experience that we well know from the testimonials of RCO concertgoers is engaging, moving, and exhilarating. The remarkable talents of Maestro Kuchar and our incredible musicians have created musical experiences that RCO fans have no qualms about comparing to ones they’ve had in major musical centers like New York and London.

This is why we talk so much about the “RCO Experience” – it’s exactly the kind of experience described above that we want more and more people to have for themselves. The “RCO Experience,” too, can extend well beyond the music itself: to our special events, our website, our personal and written communications with our patrons, and so on. We’re always looking for ways to enhance this experience, and are always glad to hear from you with constructive suggestions as to how we can do what we do better.

Some Concert Photos

2007-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the opening concert of the Chamber Orchestra's 2007-2008 season on Saturday, September 8. They were taken, as always, by the RCO's official photographer, Stuart Murtland. You can see more of Stuart's work at his website. The concerts featured guest violinist Martin Chalifour, Maestro Theodore Kuchar, and the RCO in music by Rautavaara, Vivaldi, Sarasate, and Beethoven.

A couple of shots from Saturday morning's rehearsal are followed by photos taken at the concert.

Program Notes for September concerts

2007-09-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid that we at the RCO have fallen prey to the most common problem with blogs -- keeping them active and up-to-date! It's been an active last few months at the RCO as we have been preparing for the 2007-2008 season, which gets started this coming weekend with concerts Saturday night at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Nightingale Concert Hall. Tickets are still available for these performances, which will feature Theodore Kuchar, the RCO, and guest violinist Martin Chalifour, already a great local favorite through his appearances at the Nevada Chamber Music Festival. Call (775) 348-9413 if you need tickets or more information.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention our special pricing programs. Like last year, brand new RCO subscribers can receive 50% off the regular price of their season tickets. And, in a new initiative, we are offering free tickets to our concerts for anyone 18 years old or younger! We're serious about doing what we can to instill a love for classical music in our young people, and we're very much hoping to see more youth at our concerts.

Since it has been a while since our last posting here, we thought it might be worthwhile to give you plenty to read! We've received several requests to make our program notes available prior to the performances (for a variety of reasons they can be difficult to read at the concerts themselves). So here they are! I hope they'll enhance your experience at the concerts, and get you even more excited about hearing this great music.

Einojuhani Rautavaara (photo by Maarit Kytöharju/Fimic)

b. October 9, 1928, Helsinki, Finland

While younger Finnish composers like Magnus Lindberg and Kaija Saariaho have achieved international fame in recent years, the nearly eighty-year-old Einojuhani Rautavaara remains the most significant Finnish composer since Sibelius. After beginning his studies in Helsinki, Rautavaara traveled to the United States to work with Aaron Copland, Vincent Persichetti and Roger Sessions. He later served as composition professor at the Sibelius Academy for fifteen years before dedicating himself entirely to composing. Some of Rautavaara’s early works employed modernist techniques, such as the twelve-tone elements of his Third and Fourth Symphonies. But he became famous with more Romantic-sounding, accessible works – which he characterized as “a new homage to beauty” – like his international breakthrough, the Symphony No. 7, “Angel of Light” (1994). Rautavaara has written in all the major genres, including a series of operas based on historical themes, such as Vincent (1987, inspired by the life of van Gogh) and Rasputin (2003).

Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61

Composed: 1972
Duration: 18 minutes

In 1972, Rautavaara was commissioned by Finland’s University of Oulu to write a piece for its first doctoral degree ceremony. Tradition would have him create a ceremonial festive cantata, but Rautavaara responded instead with the Cantus Arcticus, often referred to as a Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, in which taped bird songs interact with the orchestra. Some of the bird songs were recorded in the vicinity of Oulu, which is nearly 400 miles north of Helsinki on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Bothnia, while others originated around the Arctic Circle and the marshlands of Liminka.

The first movement, "Suo" ("The Marsh" or “The Bog”), opens with an impressionistic swirl of a melody for two solo flutes, later joined by other woodwinds and a recording of bog birds. “Think of autumn and Tchaikovsky,” Rautavaara wrote of this passage. A slow, rich melody in the strings is superimposed over the winds and bird songs as the mood mellows, and the movement dies out with a reminiscence of the opening flute melody. The shore lark’s song, lowered by two octaves to turn it into what Rautavaara called a "ghost bird," opens the second movement, "Melankolia" ("Melancholy"). A quiet and haunting melody in the strings enters tentatively, gaining in intensity as it evolves. The movement ends as it began, with the shore lark. The final movement, "Joutsenet muuttavat" ("Swans Migrating"), opens with the chaotic sound of a large group of swans, combined with string tremolos and bird imitations in the woodwinds. Rautavaara described this complex texture: "I imagined they [the swans] fly straight to the burning sun." As in the first movement, a slow, chorale-like melody in the strings emerges. The swan sounds increase in volume, and after a climactic cymbal crash and brass calls, the music and the swans' songs fade into the distance amid the gentle sounds of harp and percussion.

Antonio Vivaldi

b. March 4, 1678, Venice, Italy
d. July 28, 1741, Vienna, Austria

Antonio Vivaldi is remembered as one of the fathers of instrumental music and the master of the concerto for soloist(s) and orchestra – of which he wrote over 550, including some 240 for the violin. Colorful and tuneful works like “The Four Seasons” are among the most popular in all of classical music. His operas and religious works also brought him fame during his lifetime. Ordained as a priest in 1703, the redheaded Vivaldi came to be known as “il prete rosso” (“the red priest”). He decided to pursue musical rather than ecclesiastical duties, and became a teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage and school for girls famous for its excellent choir and orchestra, where he worked in several capacities over the ensuing three-plus decades. Meanwhile his concertos and other instrumental works were being published to great acclaim, attracting the admiring attention of famous musicians such as Johann Sebastian Bach. In his later years Vivaldi fell on hard times, and on his death he was buried (as was Mozart five decades later) in a pauper’s grave in Vienna.

Violin Concerto in C major, RV 190

Composed: circa 1735
Duration: 12 minutes

Violin Concerto in D major, RV 222

Composed: circa 1737
Duration: 11 minutes

Vivaldi, a great musician and a canny businessman, attained his fame and fortune to a large extent through the publications of his concertos, trio sonatas, and other works. These printings, often with fanciful titles like “Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione (“The contest between harmony and invention,” 1725), were bestsellers all over Europe. Later in his life, though, Vivaldi turned away from such large-scale publications, preferring to offer his manuscripts to individual patrons. Because these works of the 1730s didn’t receive the wide distribution his earlier compositions did, they remain relatively unknown to the music-loving public.

Such is the case with the two concertos featured in this concert, which will seem both familiar and surprising to those who have heard “The Four Seasons” and other Vivaldi works. Many of the qualities of Vivaldi’s better-known compositions are still in evidence: memorable tunes, lively dance rhythms, colorful textures, virtuoso display from the soloist, warm and heartfelt slow movements. But there is a newfound complexity and introversion in these later concertos. Transitions are abrupt, harmonies are more wide-ranging, and the moods more mercurial and harder to characterize.

The C major Concerto, RV 190, seems to be related to the opera Griselda, and is therefore tentatively dated to the year that opera was first produced, 1735. The diversity of Vivaldi’s late style can be heard in the first movement: opening with the pomp and dotted rhythms of the French overture, the music quickly moves to a hint of sentiment before the fiery entrance of the violin soloist. In the second movement, the orchestra and continuo outline the basic harmonies before the soloist enters with its lovely song. Once again the soloist is at the forefront in the restless, impulsive third movement. The D major Concerto, RV 222, is dated to around 1737. A playful first movement, with some surprising detours into the minor mode, is followed by a flowing, melancholy slow movement with lovely decorative lines from the violin soloist. The final movement contrasts a sprightly opening idea with a more laid-back second theme.

Pablo de Sarasate

b. March 10, 1844, Pamplona, Spain
d. September 20, 1908, Biarritz, France

Pablo Martín Melitón Sarasate y Navascuez, or Pablo de Sarasate, was one of the greatest violinists of the second half of the nineteenth century. His three decades of concertizing brought him acclaim from Europe to North and South America, and his virtuosity inspired compositions written for him by the likes of Max Bruch, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Eduoard Lalo. Beginning his violin studies at age five, Sarasate made his debut at eight and created a sensation at the court of Queen Isabella II (who gave Sarasate the Stradivarius he played throughout his career). He subsequently attended the Paris Conservatoire, winning its annual first prize, and soon thereafter began his concert career. Praised by George Bernard Shaw as having “left criticism gasping miles behind him,” Sarasate was known as much for his own compositions as for his mastery of the standard repertoire. Though he had largely retired from performing by 1890, he made a handful of recordings in 1904 that attest to his still-formidable technique.

Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20

Composed: 1878
Duration: 9 minutes

The legendary violinist and teacher Leopold Auer wrote of Sarasate’s “ease and tonal charm which were peculiar to him, standing like a marble statue, his entire vitality seemingly concentrated in his eyes, often lowered to his fingers, which moved with astonishing dexterity.” While he was known for his brilliant technique and sensuous tone, Sarasate had relatively small hands that made long stretches difficult for him and limited his repertoire (he never played the Brahms Concerto or anything by Paganini, for instance). The many works he wrote for himself, however, took advantage of his particular talents.

Perhaps the best known of Sarasate’s sixty or so compositions is Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), a short fantasy based on gypsy melodies. The opening slow music, which comprises more than two-thirds of the length of the composition, would have been a perfect vehicle for Sarasate’s renowned silvery tone. Beginning with a grand gesture, this music blends sentiment and passion, with a decorative, almost improvisational line from the soloist employing double stops, fast scales, and other virtuoso techniques. The soloist really takes flight, however – with further double stops, harmonics, left hand pizzicati, and more – in the flashy Allegro molto vivace that closes the work.

Ludwig van Beethoven

b. December 16, 1770, Bonn
d. March 26, 1827, Vienna

One short biographical sketch on Beethoven begins “The events of Beethoven’s life are the stuff of Romantic legend, evoking images of the solitary creator shaking his fist at Fate and finally overcoming it through a supreme effort of creative will.” Those biographical details, however, such as the deafness that plagued his last three decades of life, his stormy love affairs and his famous ill temper, are dwarfed by his artistic output, which is one of the monuments of music history. He literally mastered and transformed all the musical forms of his day, and extended the range and depth of expression available to composers. Beethoven was no Mozart-like prodigy, although even in his teens he was composing and playing in orchestras. But by his twenties – after studies with the likes of Franz Josef Haydn and Mozart’s legendary nemesis Antonio Salieri – both his compositions and piano playing had garnered considerable attention. It was around the age of 30 that Beethoven first noticed his encroaching deafness, but soon thereafter began the second, or “middle,” of his creative periods, which included groundbreaking works like the “Eroica” Symphony, the “Appassionata” and “Waldstein” piano sonatas, and the opera “Fidelio.” After a period of relative musical inactivity in the late 1810s, he entered his so-called “late” period, highlighted by the Ninth Symphony and the late string quartets and piano sonatas, in which his music gained a new, very personal depth and freedom.

Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Composed: 1812
Duration: 40 minutes

The concert at which Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 was first heard, on December 8, 1813 at the auditorium of the University of Vienna, was perhaps the composer’s greatest public success – but not because of the symphony. That concert, a benefit for wounded Austrian and Bavarian soldiers conducted by Beethoven himself, also featured the premiere of his “Wellington’s Victory,” or “Battle Symphony.” Originally written for a mechanical instrument called the panharmonicon (invented by Johann Nepomuk Maelzel, later the inventor of the metronome, the panharmonicon used a complex series of bellows and cylinders to imitate the sound of a brass band), Beethoven’s musico-patriotic spectacle – with its fanfares and battle music – depicted the triumph of Wellington’s troops over the French in the Battle of Vitoria in 1813. As performed by an ensemble featuring some of the most renowned musicians in Vienna – including Antonio Salieri, Louis Spohr, Mauro Giuliani, Giacomo Meyerbeer, and Johann Nepomuk Hummel – “Wellington’s Victory” was a rousing success, and by popular demand that concert was repeated three times in the next two months.

“Wellington’s Victory” is held in little esteem nowadays, but the Symphony No. 7 is one of Beethoven’s best-loved works. It too was very well received back in those 1813-14 performances; in fact, according to Spohr, the famous second movement had to be repeated every time. In the nearly two centuries since then, it is remarkable to note how often commentators on the Symphony No. 7 have found some sort of extra-musical meaning in it. Writers have claimed to recognize political revolutions, knights and warriors, drunks and libertines, peasants, weddings, reverent processions, forests, orgies, churches, and so on. A fairly consistent underlying theme is the notion of a festival or carnival – one thinks of Richard Wagner’s famous summation of this symphony as “the apotheosis of the dance.”

Beethoven starts the first movement with the longest slow introduction yet heard in a symphony. Through its flute and oboe solos and seeming meandering, one senses that momentum and tension are building. When the fast Vivace music finally emerges from a series of repeated notes, the subtlety of the transition almost surprises the listener. But the exuberant dance rhythms are already there, and the main theme of the movement quickly bursts forth in all its glory. The energy seldom flags as the movement works its way to a lengthy coda and concluding crescendo.

Beethoven had toyed with the idea of using the tempo designation Andante for the second movement, but ultimately opted for the faster Allegretto; in fact, neither his Seventh nor Eighth Symphonies has a proper slow movement. Opening with an off-kilter A minor chord with an E in the bass, the lower strings introduce a bare-bones version of what becomes the main theme. In a set of variations, this memorable theme becomes more elaborate and builds in strength. A new idea in the major is introduced, followed by a contrapuntal version of the opening idea. The major mode theme returns, followed by a last variation on the main theme. This movement was such a sensation in its early performances that numerous arrangements of it quickly appeared, scored for everything from solo piano to string quintet to wind band.

The third movement is a lively and witty Scherzo, full of life and rhythm and abrupt contrasts. The movement’s two slower contrasting interludes are colorfully scored, with winds predominating. As energetic as this music is, Beethoven does it one better with the whirlwind that is the Finale, one of his most exciting creations. Its “wild and swirling motion,” as one commentator described it, seldom flags and brings the symphony to a celebratory conclusion.

Notes by Chris Morrison

2007-05-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks go out to all of you who made the RCO’s 2006-2007 season such a success. We had a record number of people attend our concerts this season, and the responses we’ve been getting from everyone have truly been gratifying. If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets for the 2007-2008 season, give us a call at (775) 348-9413 and we’ll set you up. For more information on the season, you can visit our website.

Over the last several weeks we have received many requests for information on recordings by William Barton, the wonderful didgeridoo soloist in our March concerts. The most readily available recording is on the Naxos label; we had a few copies on sale at the concerts, but they sold out very quickly. Here is a link to the ArkivMusic site where you can purchase this disc, which is devoted entirely to music by Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe. Mr. Barton there performs Sculthorpe’s “Earth Cry,” a somewhat rewritten version for full orchestral accompaniment of “From Ubirr,” the piece he played with the RCO. Although I haven’t heard it, there is also a new recording of Sculthorpe’s very highly regarded Requiem on which Mr. Barton plays. It is available from ArkivMusic as well.

Don’t forget that if you use any of the ArkivMusic links on this page to make a purchase, the RCO receives a percentage of the total sale.

Tribute to Phillip Ruder

2007-05-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

We’ve received several requests from RCO patrons to reprint the tributes to Phillip Ruder that appeared in our April concert program. We’re proud to do that, while at the same time sharing with you some of the photographs that our photographer Stuart Murtland took at the performances and at the post-Sunday concert reception.

Thank you, Phillip

I think the thing I like best about Phillip, and will miss most on his retirement, is his easy-going temperament. As a man of enormous talents and reputation, he would have been entitled to a primadonna ego of gargantuan proportions. Instead, he's always been the most generous of colleagues, patient, slow to take offense, and rapier quick with a good-humored joke to defuse even the tensest situation.
-- James Winn (RCO member; Professor, University of Nevada, Reno)

Phillip Ruder is not only an exceptionally talented musician, he is also one of the wisest people I know. His contribution to discussions is always thoughtful and his participation as a member of the Reno Chamber Orchestra Board of Directors brings an important perspective to our proceedings. He can be counted on to comment quietly and to the point, clarifying the conversation and simplifying decisions. This organization is far better because of his contributions to it.
-- Jill Winter (President, RCO Board of Directors)

Phillip Ruder is an enormous asset to our community. His influence has brought about a tremendous increase in the quality of musical performance here. He has been a valuable teacher to hundreds of students, and is a valued friend to all of us who have come to know him.
-- Vahe Khochayan (RCO Conductor Emeritus)

Phillip Ruder’s contributions to the Northern Nevada arts community and to the Department of Music and Dance at the University of Nevada cannot be overstated. In my opinion, he is largely responsible for the dramatic upturn in quality we’ve seen over the past decade or so in regard to our area’s classical music scene. On campus, Phillip has been just as powerful an influence. His students unanimously revere him as the ultimate mentor: caring, insightful, and extremely knowledgeable. He has also been the best colleague one could hope for: considerate, helpful, and so often a voice of reason amidst the fray. I know I speak for the entire music faculty when I say that we will certainly miss his unfailingly pleasant demeanor and his great sense of humor.
-- Larry Engstrom (Director, School of the Arts, University of Nevada, Reno)

It would not be an overstatement to say that Phillip Ruder is one of the most important American violinists of the last 40 years. As a musician he has very few peers, but as a person he has even fewer. He and I both moved to Reno in 1994, and since then he has become a friend, mentor, colleague, and role model. Phillip Ruder is one of the most important people in my life.
-- Scott Faulkner (RCO Executive Director and musician)

The most precious gift one can share with another is the very best of themselves. Thank you Phillip for all you've given to me and all of us. You have helped me become a better human being, musician, and violinist. With much love and gratitude,
-- Carol Laube (RCO Librarian and musician)

I owe my musical existence to Phillip Ruder. My career would be nothing without him.
-- Bruno Cavellino (concert violinist)

Since Phillip Ruder arrived in Reno, I have been lucky enough to know him in many different capacities. As an accompanist, I worked with both him and his students many times, and he was always gracious, inspirational, and supportive. As principal oboist of the RCO, I greatly appreciated his musical suggestions – even the time he took me aside to tell me that my tuning note was a bit flat (it was – but never again!) As department chair, I have relied on Phillip’s wisdom and compassion many, many times. He is always willing to help in any situation, and that has been invaluable to me. As a friend, I love Phillip’s sense of humor and the wicked little gleam in his eye, when he’s about to play a trick on someone. I will miss him immensely in the orchestras and the university, and can only take comfort that he will always be my friend.
-- Andrea Lenz (Chair, Dept. of Music and Dance, University of Nevada, Reno; RCO musician)

April update

2007-04-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

We’re just days away from the final concerts of our 2006-2007 season, which will also be the last solo performances in Reno by our beloved concertmaster Phillip Ruder. They’re this Saturday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 15 at 2:00 p.m. at Nightingale Concert Hall. If you don’t yet have your tickets, you should get them soon as they’re selling quickly (particularly Saturday night). Call the RCO office at (775) 348-9413.

While we’re still focused on the current season, we’re also pleased to be able to announce the RCO’s 2007-2008 season. If you’re an RCO season ticket holder, you’ve already received renewal information in the mail. If you’re not a subscriber but have an interest in becoming one, give us a call and we’ll send you more details. Our webmaster, Christina Nellemann of Feline Design, has been hard at work getting this information up on our site. While there are still some details to add, most of the season’s information is there now, so take a look.

We’re again offering brand new season subscribers 50% off the normal general admission price. – that’s $100 for five concerts! Also, in an effort to bring more young people to RCO concerts, we’ve decided to admit everyone 18 years of age and younger free of charge.

After the April concerts, we’ll be back to make some compact disc recommendations on works the RCO has performed or will soon be performing – so hang onto that IRS refund check! For now, though, we’ll close with some great photographs by RCO photographer Stuart Murtland from our March concerts.

Didgeridoo soloist William Barton in rehearsal

Detail of one of Mr. Barton's instruments

Composer George Warren and Maestro Theodore Kuchar

Mr. Barton, Maestro Kuchar and the RCO perform the World Premiere of Mr. Warren's Didgeridoo Concerto

Jiyang Chen, the winner of the 2007 College Concerto Competition, performs the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Brahms

Jiyang Chen, Theodore Kuchar, and Principal Cellist Peter Lenz take their bows after the Brahms

William Barton performs an encore

Ford Made in America--Round II

2007-02-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

Last September the RCO peformed the West Coast premiere of Joan Tower's work "Made in America," with Joan herself on the podium conducting us. This was a fabulous event and was a part of an amazing project that is still going on. Through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund, the NEA, and many others this project was able to grow beyond anyone's wildest dreams. At the end of this concert season, 65 orchestras (at least one from every state) will have played this work, making it the largest consortium of orchestras ever to commission a piece of music in American history.

The project has been so successful, that we are now well into the planning stages for the second round of the FMIA. I was honored to be asked to chair the national FMIA committee for this iteration of the project and am very excited about what's in store. Here is an update of where things stand:

Joseph Schwantner has been selected as the composer of the 2nd Made in America piece. More info about him at http://www.schwantner.net/. He is very excited about the project.
We are currently seeking funding for the project on both the national and local levels. I am delighted that Sue and Dieter von Henning have committed to covering the RCO's share of the commission.
In September of 2008, the Reno Chamber Orchestra will give the world premiere of Mr. Schwantner's new work. Ted will be on the podium, and the eyes of the orchestra world will be on us (with many of those eyes present in Nightingale Hall)! As the piece is being composed, Mr. Schwantner will be working closely with Ted, me and the RCO in order to get things just right before publication.
After our performance, the other 60 or so small-budget orchestras of the consortium will have exclusive rights to performing the piece for two years. Then the "big boys" can play the work if they would like.

There will be much more news to come, but I wanted to let you know a bit about where things now stand. In the meantime, enjoy the final two RCO concerts of the season.

First Update In A While...

2007-01-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

Firstly, we must make our apologies for not making an entry in our blog for over a month. This last month has been one of the busiest in RCO history, and we’ve been scrambling to keep up with everything. Now we’ve entered a calmer interlude, and there’s some time to review what we’ve been up to.

Our busy stretch began with the Nevada Chamber Music Festival at the end of December. While it is a logistical challenge to make the Festival happen, the music that results always make the effort worthwhile. And by all accounts, this Festival even topped the first two in musical thrills. Everyone will have his or her favorite performances, but I’ll put forward the three that moved me the most:

(1) Martin Chalifour and Meng-Chieh Liu performing Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata – an overwhelming, virtuosic performance of a richly diverse sonata.

(2) Elgar’s Piano Quintet, featuring Chalifour and Liu along with Ruth Lenz, Theodore Kuchar and Desmond Hoebig – one of the rare opportunities to hear (live or on recording) this late masterwork by one of the greatest of British composers.

(3) James Buswell and James Winn performing Shostakovich’s Violin Sonata – intense and moving music, stunningly performed, and greatly illuminated by Buswell’s very interesting pre-performance comments.

Festival attendance was up over the first two years, we got very favorable comments about our new venue, South Reno United Methodist Church, and it looks like we will at least break even financially. And although it’s still eleven months away, we’re already having conversations about the 2007 Festival.

The RCO’s official photographer, Stuart Murtland, also served as our stage manager during the Festival; you often saw him on stage moving chairs, music stands, pianos, and other furniture around. But in those moments when he wasn’t moving stuff or trying to track down missing musicians, he had time to take a few photos. Here are a few highlights:

A rehearsal at South Reno United Methodist Church

Martin Chalifour and Meng-Chieh Liu perform Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata

Ellen dePasquale, Alena Ondrisikova, Desmond Hoebig and Derek Han play Schumann's Piano Quartet

Narrator John Tyson and the ensemble after their performance of "Carnival of the Animals"

James Buswell and James Winn perform Shostakovich's Violin Sonata

The NCMF musicians gather 'round to marvel at the piano eight-hands piece that concluded the Festival on New Year's Eve

The week after the Festival, we held the twentieth annual College Concerto Competition. Thirteen wonderful young musicians took part, and there was general consensus that, overall, this was the strongest field of competitors we’ve had in many years. Our first prize winner was pianist Jiyang Chen, a former student of James Winn who is now attending the Eastman School of Music. On March 10 and 11 he’ll return to Reno to perform the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Johannes Brahms, the work with which he won the Competition, with Maestro Kuchar and the Orchestra. That same concert will feature William Barton, the great master of the Australian didgeridoo, in World and American premiere performances. Demand for tickets for these concerts is likely to be high, so get yours soon at (775) 348-9413.

After the Competition, we had a week or so to prepare for the RCO’s January 20 and 21 concerts. Possibly our best attended concerts of the season to date, the performances featured the masterful cellist Alexander Ivashkin in the Cello Concerto No. 2 by Shostakovich, another of the composer’s late, bleak, but intensely moving and colorful works. The concerts opened with a lovely sonata by the early Baroque composer Giovanni Legrenzi, and concluded with Beethoven’s extraverted Symphony No. 8. We were all very happy with how the concerts went, and we got a rather glowing review from Jack Neal as well.

So now we have a few weeks to get geared up for the March performances. After I take a few days off to try to gather up the remains of my sanity, I will be starting to prepare the March concert program, as well as writing some foundation grant proposals for the 2007-2008 season, details of which we’re hoping to announce at the March concerts.

Scott Faulkner and I have committed ourselves to keeping this blog constantly active and updated, so look forward to more regular updates. And thanks for reading!

Nevada Chamber Music Festival is almost here

2006-12-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

In two weeks, one of the best musical events in the United States will be happening in Reno--the Nevada Chamber Music Festival. Some of the finest classical musicians in the world will assemble for four days (December 28-31) of amazing music making. The list of artists includes principal players from some of the most important orchestras in the country, artists from around the world, and number of Reno's top players.

Some of the players who will be participating are:

Martin Chalifour, Principal Concertmaster, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Pascal Roge, prolifically recored world-renowned concert pianist
James Buswell, Grammy nominated violin soloist
James Winn, Professor of Music at UNR and former solo pianist, NY City Ballet
Ruth Lenz, Assoc. concertmaster Reno Chamber Orchestra and Reno Philharmonic

The list goes on and on, and it is remarkable. Go to the ncmf website for the complete list of artists as well as concert times and program repertoire. www.renochamberorchestra.org/ncmf

The NCMF is the brainchild of RCO music director Theodore Kuchar, who for the past 16 years has served as artistic director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. The AFCM has become the most important such festival in the Southern hemisphere and we have high hopes that the NCMF will grow into one of this country's preeminent festivals.

This year to encourage people to buy festival passes we are offering first time pass-buyers tickets to all 7 concerts for only $100. Certainly individual tickets are available, but this is an especially great deal we hope you won't pass up. (You would pay this much to hear one concert by these people in New York or L.A.!)

Performances will be at two Reno locations: South Reno Methodist Church (12/28-29) and UNR's Nightingale Hall (12/30-31).

Although the musical life here in Reno is much better than many people would ever imagine, this is a very rare and special opportunity and we hope you will join us.

I hope to see you at the Festival and that you and your family have a very happy holiday season.

Like to buy some recordings?

2006-10-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

One thing we would like to do in this blog is to provide what we hope will be some useful guidance in your own exploration of classical music. A question we are asked fairly often, for instance, concerns recordings of the music the RCO plays. In many cases there are multiple recordings of a work available – for instance, the hundred or so versions of Mozart’s “Turkish” Concerto and the nearly eighty recordings of the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 currently in print. Which to purchase? There are plenty of books available on this subject, but as we in the RCO office have access to some of these books (as well as our own strongly-held opinions!), from time to time we’ll offer a few ideas.

We would also like to mention that we have a new arrangement with ArkivMusic, the website for purchasing classical CDs and DVDs that we’ve so often praised. When you make your purchase by using the ArkivMusic link you’ll find in the right hand column of this blog – or by clicking on the links for the recommended recordings below – the RCO will receive a portion of the proceeds. So you can increase your musical enjoyment while supporting the RCO! You’ll find that their website is pretty easy to navigate – you can search by composer (and then, within the composer’s catalog, by individual work), or conductor, or pianist, etc.

So let’s start with the music featured in the first two RCO concerts of the year:

Dvorák: Legends – Sir Charles Mackerras is one of the great conductors of Czech music, and his Supraphon recording of all ten Legends also includes a couple of other tasty Dvorák orchestral works. Rafael Kubelik’s recording is also a good one, but you’ll be buying a double CD with Dvorák’s Stabat Mater. Some may like Neeme Järvi’s more aggressive approach to the Legends, but I find it rather overpowers these gentle pieces.

Mozart: Divertimento, K. 131 – This is a pretty easy choice. In his KUNR interview before the September concerts, Ted Kuchar called George Szell’s recording of this piece one of the great Mozart recordings ever. Having lived with it for over twenty years myself, I can heartily concur: the elegance of Szell’s interpretation and the seemingly effortless virtuosity of the Cleveland Orchestra are unbeatable, and this very low-priced recording features some delightful Mozart overtures and the Symphony No. 28.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 – Most of the great pianists and conductors of the last several decades have taken on this centerpiece of the concerto repertoire for recording, so there’s almost literally a recording for every taste. Once again George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, in their collaborations over the years with the great pianists Leon Fleisher, Rudolf Serkin, and Clifford Curzon, must be counted among the major contenders. The Fleisher/Szell recording, often cited as the finest of all, is currently packaged with their version of my personal favorite among all piano concertos, the Brahms Second. Other versions that come strongly recommended are: Maurizio Pollini/Claudio Abbado, Emil Gilels/Eugen Jochum, and Artur Rubinstein/Fritz Reiner.

Tippett: Divertimento on “Sellinger’s Round” – The only recording currently available, led by Christopher Hogwood, happens to be very fine, and is part of a fascinating program featuring several works by Igor Stravinsky.

Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 “Turkish” – For years the generally acknowledged favorite version of all five of Mozart’s violin concertos has been that of violinist Arthur Grumiaux, with conductor Sir Colin Davis, now very handily available in a budget priced two disc set. Once again, most of the great violinists have recorded this work, so if your favorite violinist happens to be Itzhak Perlman, or Joshua Bell, or Jascha Heifetz, or David Oistrakh, or Isaac Stern, you’re well set. Our own Ted Kuchar has also recorded this concerto with violinist Oleh Krysa, and you’re welcome to stop by the RCO office and pick up a copy of their CD, or give us a call and we’ll send it your way.

Janacek: Idyll – Ross Pople, whom you may remember as a guest conductor of the RCO a few years ago, has made a very nice recording of this gentle piece, and it’s not at all expensive. If you don’t mind spending a few more dollars, Iona Brown and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra have a fine version on the Chandos label.

Haydn: Symphony No. 87 – Probably the easiest way to acquire this work is in a complete set of the six “Paris” Symphonies, Nos. 82-87. Excellent versions are readily available under the direction of Neville Marriner (modern instruments) and Sigiswald Kuijken (period instruments). Remarkably, the classic set by Leonard Bernstein seems not to be in print at the moment, but if you come across a copy somewhere, you won’t be disappointed. For the adventurous and deep-pocketed listener, just over $100 will get you a very nice set of all 104 Haydn symphonies, led by Ivan Fischer on the Brilliant Classics label.

Recommended Recording Links:

Dvorák: Stabat Mater, Legends / Kubelik, Mathis, Reynolds

Mozart: Overtures, Etc / Schippers, Szell, Entremont, Et Al

Heritage Brahms: Piano Concertos No 1 & 2, Etc / Fleisher

Brahms: Klavierkonzert No 1 / Pollini, Abbado, Berlin Po

Brahms: Die Klavierkonzerte, Fantasien / Gilels, Jochum

Brahms: Piano Concerto No 1; Et Al / Curzon, Szell

Brahms: Piano Concerto No 1 / Rubinstein, Reiner, Cso

Christopher Hogwood - Klassizistische Moderne Vol 2

Mozart: Violin Concertos / Grumiaux, Davis, Leppard

Janácek: Idyll, Mladi, Suite / Ross Pople, London Festival

Haydn: The Paris Symphonies Nos 82-87 / Sir Neville Marriner

Haydn: The Paris Symphonies No 82-87 / Kuijken, Et Al

Haydn: Complete Symphonies / Fischer, Austro-hungarian Haydn

Wings & Strings photos

2006-09-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

As promised last week, here are a few photos from Wings & Strings, the RCO's joint event with the Reno Air Racing Foundation held on Saturday, September 16. The pictures included here, all by our friend Stuart Murtland, give some idea of what this grand event was like. Over 400 people attended Wings & Strings at the Grand Sierra Resort Showroom.

Acclaimed actor Peter Graves acted as emcee.

The RCO, performing in front of the Grand Sierra’s famous airplane, played an exciting concert of music with an aviation theme.

The Orchestra was led by guest conductor Lawrence Leighton Smith, with RCO Concertmaster Phillip Ruder acting as guest soloist.

Astronaut Captain Gene Cernan also took part in the performance, reading stirring excerpts from his autobiography.

Off to a good start

2006-09-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here in the RCO office, Monday morning after a concert weekend is always a time to decompress and reflect on how things went. And this morning as I think about it, I don't think things could have gone much better. One of Ted Kuchar's great strengths is his programming and this concert was a great example. The Dvorak Legends, which aren't played very often (although they should be) served as a great overture. Mozart's Divertimento, k. 131 is another masterpiece which is not often played, and I felt really good about how the orchestra performed this. It's a bear for the french horns and they really came through.

And then of course there was the Brahms First Piano Concerto. Superlatives are thrown around alot when talking about soloists, and what makes someone the "greatest" or "best" is very subjective, but it is certainly fair to say that that there are very few people on the planet who can do what Sergei Babayan can when it comes to playing the piano. The Brahms is a very challenging piece for all involved. Certainly the piano part is a major mountain to climb, but it is also difficult for the orchestra and conductor to fit perfectly with the soloist. It is an illusive piece, but very rewarding. Although it is early-Brahms, it has all those wonderful qualities that makes Brahms' music so great. Fire, introspection, lush melodies, rhythmic engagement inside of a classical structure. For my money, there aren't many composers who write more rewarding music--to listen to or to play.

But even if this great music had been perfectly played, it wouldn't have been the same without the audience we had. This season we have shattered our season ticket sales record (I think the number of total season tickets is about 725), and the hall feels different when it's full. I haven't seen the official numbers, but I think that we played for 900-1,000 people this weekend and as a musician in the orchestra, as well as the executive director, this is very gratifying. Thanks to all who were in attendance.

If you missed the concert or would like to hear it again, go to www.kunr.org on Thursday, September 28th at 9:06 a.m. (PDT) and click on the "listen-now" button.

Scott

2006-09-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

As you’ve probably seen by now, after quite a while getting everything geared up, we’ve finally been able to update our website. Our thanks go to Christina of Feline Design, Inc. for the great work she has done on the site. Among the new features is this blog. We’re hoping to make this a place you’ll want to visit regularly for RCO updates and information, news from the world of classical music, and some other things that just happen to catch the fancy of the RCO staff.

We’re looking forward to the first concerts of the RCO’s 2006-2007 season, on Saturday, September 23 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m. at UNR’s Nightingale Concert Hall. Maestro Theodore Kuchar will be leading a program featuring two of Antonín Dvorák’s Legends, the Divertimento, K. 131 by Mozart and the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Brahms, with guest pianist Sergei Babayan. Tickets are still available for both performances by calling (775) 348-9413.

This past weekend we presented Wings & Strings at the Grand Sierra Showroom. A collaboration between the RCO and the Reno Air Racing Foundation, Wings & Strings featured famed actor Peter Graves as emcee of an evening that included guest appearances by Honorary Chair Mayor Robert Cashell, Apollo Astronaut Eugene Cernan (the last man to walk on the moon), and celebrities from the aviation field. The evening’s entertainment included the full-size jet housed on the Grand Sierra Resort stage – complete with brass players on the wings! – live and silent auctions, a full gourmet meal, and a concert of music featuring the RCO led by Lawrence Leighton Smith, with RCO concertmaster Phillip Ruder as violin soloist in music from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The evening before Wings & Strings, Mr. Graves introduced a special screening of his hilarious film Airplane!

We have some great photographs by Stuart Murtland of Wings & Strings, but have had some difficulty in getting them uploaded to the blog. But check back in a day or two.

Thanks to everyone who took part in making Wings & Strings such a wonderful event.

A few other items:

In the right hand column of this blog, we’ll keep semi-permanent links for sites of interest to us. One is, of course, our own website. We also have a link to the site and blog run by Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker and, in the opinion of the RCO staff, one of the most interesting and perceptive writers on musical subjects around today. His site also includes links to a bunch of other music sites you might like to explore. Also found to the right is a link to ArkivMusic, another of the RCO’s favorites and one of the best places to shop online for classical CDs and DVDs, from best sellers on the world’s leading labels to recordings of all kinds of interesting, rarely heard repertoire on dozens of hard-to-find labels from outside the U.S.

Also, although it’s a month or so old now, we thought you might be interested in this review from the Cleveland Plain Dealer on one of Ted Kuchar’s concerts at Kent/Blossom Music.

And to increase your anticipation for our March 2007 concerts featuring the great Australian didgeridoo player William Barton, here is a very interesting article from the South Pacific edition of Time Magazine on Barton and his involvement with classical music.

Looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming events and concerts.

2006-07-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official Reno Chamber Orchestra blog. Much more to follow...