A maestro at 99

Richmonders with long-ish memories will remember Anton Coppola conducting the Verdi Requiem with the Richmond Symphony and Symphony Chorus in 1997. Those with even longer memories may recall him conducting the pit orchestra in a road-show performance of the Lerner & Loewe musical “My Fair Lady” at the Mosque (now Altria Theater) in 1960.

In a review of the 1997 performance for the Richmond Times-Dispatch,
I quoted George Manahan, a former Coppola student then serving as the symphony’s music director: “This is as close as you’ll get today to hearing [Arturo] Toscanini.”

Like Toscanini, this patriarch of an artistic family – uncle of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and actor Talia Shire, great-uncle of filmmakers Sofia and Roman Coppola and actors Jason and Robert Schwartzman and Nicolas Cage – is long-lived and rooted in the opera house. Composing as well as conducting – his best-known work is the opera “Sacco and Vanzetti.”

Coppola retired from his last full-time post, artistic director of Opera Tampa in Florida, four years ago; but at 99 he’s still conducting, teaching and writing songs.

The New York Times’ Corey Kilgannon catches up with the maestro:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/nyregion/anton-coppola-a-maestro-with-many-encores.html

Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016)

Einojuhani Rautavaara, the prolific Finnish composer who was one of the first to abandon serialism for more lyrical “neo-romantic” music, has died at 87.

Rautavaara, who wrote eight symphonies, nine operas, a dozen concertos and many smaller-scaled instrumental and vocal works, is best-known for “Cantus Arcticus” (1972), in which he incorporated recorded bird songs for a “concerto for birds and orchestra,” and his Seventh Symphony (“Angel of Light”) (1994), which cemented his status as a leading figure among contemporary composers from the Baltic region as their music won worldwide recognition.

An obituary by Guy Rikards for The Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/28/einojuhani-rautavaara-obituary

Chamber Music Society 2016-17

Nine programs, ranging from Franz Schubert’s quintets and harpsichord partitas of Johann Sebastian Bach to programs exploring the music of the Italian baroque and La Belle Époque of late-19th century France, will be staged in the 2016-17 season of the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia.

The society’s artistic director, James Wilson, has recruited an international roster of two dozen artists for performances in September, October, December, March and April at six venues throughout the city.

Highlights of the coming season include performances of Schubert’s String Quintet in C major and “Trout” Quintet, the latter featuring Carsten Schmidt playing a reproduction of a
Graf fortepiano of Schubert’s time
(Sept. 18), Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and other Italian baroque sonatas and concertos (Dec. 11 and 13), and programs of Brahms, Clara Schumann and their musical circle (March 10-11).

Three free informal programs will be presented in the Gellman Room of the Richmond Public Library’s downtown main branch.

Subscriptions for the six ticketed programs – including limited-capacity events at Wilton House Museum and a private home – are $145 for adults, $128 for seniors, $34 for students.

Single tickets are $25 (adult), $20 (senior), $5 (student), except for the Wilton and house concerts, which are $35 (adult and senior), $10 (student).

For more information, call (804) 519-2098, e-mail cmscva@yahoo.com, or visit the Chamber Music Society’s website, http://www.cmscva.org

The 2016-17 program schedule:

Sept. 17 (2 p.m.)
Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library, First and Franklin streets
“String Happy Hour”
Boccherini: String Trio in C minor
Boccherini: Quartet in G major (“La Tiranna Spagnola”)
Boccherini: Quintet in D major (“Fandango”)
George Onslow: Quintet in C minor, Op. 38 (“The Bullet”)
Guillaume Pirard & Nurit Pacht, violins
Celia Hatton, viola
Khari Joyner & James Wilson, cellos

Sept. 18 (4 p.m.)
Second Presbyterian Church, 5 N. Fifth St.
Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 (“Trout”)
Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D. 956
Guillaume Pirard & Nurit Pacht, violins
Celia Hatton, viola
Khari Joyner & James Wilson, cellos
Anthony Manzo, double-bass
Carsten Schmidt, fortepiano
pre-concert talk, 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 23 (4 p.m.)
Second Presbyterian Church
J.S. Bach: Partita in A minor, BWV 827
J.S. Bach: Partita in G major, BWV 829
J.S. Bach: Partita in E minor, BWV 830
Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord

Dec. 11 (7:30 p.m.)
Wilton House Museum, 215 S. Wilton Road
“Baroque at Wilton”
Italian baroque chamber works TBA
Minna Pensola & Antti Tikkanen, baroque violins
Mary Boodell, traverso flute
Adam Cockerham, lute
Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord
pre-concert talk, 7 p.m.

Dec. 12 (7:30 p.m.)
Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Monument Avenue at Staples Mill Road
“Seasons”
Vivaldi: “The Four Seasons”
sonatas and concertos TBA by Vivaldi, Pergolesi, Caccini
Fiona Hughes, Minna Pensola & Antti Tikkanen, baroque violins
Kyle Miller, baroque viola
James Wilson, baroque cello
Millie Martin, baroque double-bass
Mary Boodell, traverso flute
Adam Cockerham, lute
Carsten Schmidt, harpsichord
pre-concert talk, 7 p.m.

March 10 (7:30 p.m.)
private residence
“House Concert: Brahms at Home”
Brahms: Horn Trio in E flat major, Op. 40
other works TBA
Jesse Mills, violin
James Wilson, cello
Mary Boodell, flute
James Ferree, French horn
Rieko Aizawa, piano

March 11 (2 p.m.)
Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library
“Brahms and Friends”
works TBA by Brahms, others
Jesse Mills, violin
James Wilson, cello
Mary Boodell, flute
Rieko Aizawa, piano

April 22 (2 p.m.)
Gellman Room, Richmond Public Library
“Paris in Words and Music”
program TBA
Diana Cohen & Daisuke Yamamoto, violins
Amadi Azikiwe, viola
James Wilson, cello
Mary Boodell, flute
Roman Rabinovich, piano
Anthony Smith, narrator
Angela Lehman, writer-curator

April 23 (4 p.m.)
Perkinson Recital Hall, North Court, University of Richmond
“La Belle Époque”
Franck: Piano Quintet in F minor
Fauré: Fantasie in E minor, Op. 79
Saint-Saëns: Septet in E flat major, Op. 65
D’Indy: “Suite dans un style ancien”
Diana Cohen & Daisuke Yamamoto, violins
Amadi Azikiwe, viola
James Wilson, cello
Anthony Manzo, double-bass
Mary Boodell & Brandon Patrick George, flutes
Justin Bland, trumpet
Roman Rabinovich, piano
pre-concert talk, 3:30 p.m.

VCU Global Summer Institute

Virginia Commonwealth University stages its third Global Summer Institute of Music from July 31 through Aug. 10, with an extensive series of public performances by institute faculty and students.

In this summer’s program, some two dozen faculty members will work with nearly 70 students in individual lessons and workshops in solo and chamber music, improvisation, repertory and study and performance issues. Students of piano, strings, woodwind, voice and composition are participating.

The roster of guest speakers and clinicians is headed by pianist Nelita True and cellist Emmanuel Feldman.

Following a week of recital programs, winners of a concerto competition will perform in a final concert with an orchestra of VCU and institute faculty, supplemented by musicians from the Richmond area, conducted by Daniel Myssyk.

Concerts will be staged at VCU and other venues in the Fan District and downtown Richmond.

For more information visit http://go.vcu.edu/GSIM

The schedule of concerts, all open without admission charge:

Aug. 1 (7 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center, Park Avenue at Harrison Street
Mozart: Duo in G Major, K.423 (I: Allegro)
Susanna Klein, violin; Min Long, viola
Brahms: Scherzo in C minor from “F.A.E.” Sonata
Susanna Klein, violin; Magda Adamek, piano
David Alpher: Cantilena for flute and viola
Tabatha Easley, flute; Braunwin Sheldrick, viola
Duruflé: Prelude, Recitative and Variations, Op. 3
Andrés Gómez Bravo, piano; Tabatha Easley, flute; Braunwin Sheldrick, viola
Glinka: Sonata in D minor for viola and piano (I: Allegro moderato)
Molly Sharp, viola; Henning Vauth, piano
William Bolcom: “The Serpent’s Kiss”
Claire Chiu, piano
Beethoven: Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110
Alexey Sokolov, piano

Aug. 2 (7 p.m.)
Black Music Center Recital Hall, Grove Avenue at Harrison Street
Haydn: Sonata in E flat major, Hob.XVIII:28 (III: Presto)
Tchaikovsky: “The Seasons” – May
Clementi: Étude No. 18
Kejun Chen, piano
Mozart: Sonata in C minor, K457 (I: Molto allegro)
Yizhou Zhong, piano
Beethoven: Sonata in C minor, Op.10, No.1 (I: Allegro molto e con brio)
Adelaida Oesch, piano
Glinka-Balakirev: “The Lark”
Chen Long, piano
Ravel: “Valses nobles et sentimentales”
Keyan Wu, piano
Beethoven: Sonata in D major, Op. 10, No. 3 (I: Presto)
Zhiqiong Huang, piano
Liszt: “Années de pèlerinage” Book 2 – “Sonetto 104 del Petrarca”
Anqi Huang, piano
Chopin: Étude in A flat major, Op. 25, No. 1
Chopin: Étude in A flat major, Op. 10, No. 10
Muzi Xu, piano
Tchaikovsky: Theme and Variations in F Major, Op. 19, No. 6
Fetai Zhao, piano
Gottschalk: “The Union”
Matthew Monnig, piano
Bartók: Piano Sonata
Peilin Lai, piano

Aug. 3 (7 p.m.)
Black Music Center Recital Hall
Haydn: Sonata in C Major, Hob.XVI:50 (I: Allegro)
Zinan Luo, piano
Chopin: Étude in A minor, Op. 25, No. 11
Mengqiu Xia, piano
Schumann: Novelette, Op. 21, No. 8
Zhengni Sheng, piano
Chopin: Scherzo in B flat minor, Op. 31
Zifan Qiu, piano
Haydn: Sonata in C Major, Hob.XVI:50 (I: Allegro)
Zhang Zhao: Poem
Kebin Liao, piano
Beethoven: Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”) (I: Allegro assai)
Hui Lin, piano
Chopin: Scherzo in E major, Op. 54
Chenhan Xu, piano
Schubert: Sonata in A minor, D.784 (I: Allegro giusto)
Xifan Ma, piano
Granados: “Allegro de Concerto,” Op. 46
Siying Chen, piano
Beethoven: Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 (“Waldstein”) (I: Allegro con brio)
Zhexian Wu, piano
Gounod-Liszt: “Valse de Faust”
Hao Chen, piano

Aug. 4 (7 p.m.)
Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 8 N. Laurel Street
Carl Stamitz: Viola Concerto in D major, Op. 1 (I: Allegro)
Nan Chen, viola; Chen Long, piano
Mozart: Flute Concerto in G major, K.313 (I: Allegro maestoso)
Xin Li, flute; Adelaida Oesch, piano
Hindemith: Viola Concerto (“Der Schwanendreher”) (I: “Zwischen Berg und tiefem Tal”)
Keyan Zhu, viola; Peilin Lai, piano
Brahms: Sonata in F minor, Op.120, No. 1 (I: Allegro appassionato)
Hetian Chen, viola; Magda Adamek, piano
Charles Tomlinson Griffes: Poem
Yixin Hai, flute; Mengyao Sun, piano
J.C. Bach: Viola Concerto in C minor (II: Adagio molto espressivo)
Guanfeng Ou, viola; Muzi Xu, piano
Gaspar Cassadó: Cello Suite (I: Preludio-Fantasia; III: Intermezzo e danza finale)
Ryan Phipps, cello
Franz Anton Hoffmeister, Viola Concerto in D Major (I: Allegro)
Luo Yilin, viola; Muzi Xu, piano
Mozart: Flute Concerto in G Major, K. 313 (I: Allegro maestoso)
Yan Han, flute; Adelaida Oesch, piano
Nino Rota: Sonata in D major for clarinet and piano (I: Allegretto scorrevole; III: Allegro scorrevole)
Duván Aristizábal, clarinet; Hao Chen, piano
Yvonne Desportes: “French Suite” (I: Prelude; II: Sarabande)
Bernard Crusell: Quartet (I: Poco adagio-allegro)
Charles West, Kailin Chen, Pingchuan Li, Zixin Tian, clarinets

Aug. 5 (6 p.m.)
Marble Hall, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Boulevard at Grove Avenue
Li Yinghai: “Moonlight Over Spring River”
Ming Yang, piano
Mark Olivieri: “D=RxT”
Andrés Gómez Bravo, piano; Tabatha Easley, flute; Braunwin Sheldrick, viola
Mendelssohn: Piano Quartet in C minor, Op.1 (I: Allegro vivace)
Xiatian Xu, violin; Yao Zeng, viola; Ryan Phipps, cello; Peilin Lai, piano
Prokofiev: Sonata No. 6, Op. 82 (I: Allegro moderato; IV: Vivace)
Mengyao Sun, piano
improvisations (on demand)
Laurens Patzlaff, piano
Bartók: Viola Concerto (I: Allegro)
Qing Yuan Fu, viola; Peiling Lai, piano
Bartók: “Romanian Folk Dances” (III: Pê-loc [andante])
William Grant Still: Suite No.3 for violin and piano (“Gamin”)
Briana Robinson, violin; Mengyao Sun, piano
Puccini: “Tosca” – “Lucevan le stell”
Lehár: “Dein ist mein ganzes Herz”
Schumann: “Widmung”
Gequn Wang, tenor; Susan Nowicki, piano
Chopin: “Introduction and Polonaise brillante,” Op. 3
Gershwin-Heifetz-Feuermann: ”Porgy and Bess” – “My Man’s Gone Now,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So”
Emmanuel Feldman, cello; Magda Adamek, piano

Aug. 6 (7 p.m.)
Gottwald Playhouse, Dominion Arts Center, Sixth and Grace streets
Debussy: Préludes, Book I (IV: “Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir”)
György Ligeti: Études, Book 1 (II: “Cordes à vide”)
Leschetizky: Andante Finale de “Lucia di Lammermoor,” Op. 13, for piano left hand
Henning Vauth, piano
Quan Jihao: “The Combination of Long and Short Meter”
Ming Yang, piano
Brahms: Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1 (III: Allegretto grazioso; IV: Vivace)
Min Long, viola; Magda Adamek, piano
Scriabin: Preludes, Op.11, Nos.1, 2, 3, 5, 11, 6
Scriabin: “Two Pieces,” Op. 57
Jin Tang, piano
Franck: Sonata in A major (I: Allegretto ben moderato; III: Allegro)
Qiao Chen Solomon, violin; Magda Adamek, piano
Sergei Lyapunov: “Transcendental Études,” Op.11 (V: “Summer Night;” VI: “Storm”)
Yin Zheng, piano
Joseph Horovitz: Sonatina for clarinet and piano
Charles West, clarinet; Yin Zheng, piano

Aug. 8 (7 p.m.)
Black Music Center Recital Hall
Mozart: “Alma grande”
Yi Guan, soprano
Handel: “Almira” – “Lascia”
Hong Chai, soprano
De Curtis: “Non ti scordar di me”
Yihao Wei, tenor
Bellini: “La Sonnambula” – “Ah, non credea”
Fan Yu, soprano
Mozart: “Don Giovanni” – “Vedrai, carino”
Yutong Tan, soprano
Mozart: “The Marriage of Figaro” – “Non piu andrai”
Wenbo Liu, baritone
Mozart: “The Magic Flute” – “Ach, ich fühls”
Fang Cai, soprano
Donizetti: “The Elixir of Love” – “Della crudele Isotta”
Jinying Zeng, soprano
Mozart: “Cosí fan tutte” – “Smanie implacabili”
Siying Wei, mezzo-soprano
Verdi: “La forza del destino” – “Pace, pace”
Jin Wu, soprano
accompanists TBA

Aug. 9 (7 p.m.)
Vlahcevic Concert Hall, Singleton Arts Center
Closing gala concert:
winners of GSIM Concerto Competion
GSIM Festival Orchestra
Daniel Myssyk conducting
program TBA

Sharp & Staples reviewed

My review for the Richmond Times-Dispatch of violist Molly Sharp and pianist Charles Staples, performing in the Richmond Symphony Summer Series at Dominion Arts Center:

http://www.richmond.com/entertainment/music/article_55ef34d3-e080-5541-9d2c-4e704d6f3c7e.html

Marni Nixon (1930-2016)

Marni Nixon, the famed Hollywood “ghost” voice whose singing was dubbed into the soundtracks of film musicals for stars such as Natalie Wood in “West Side Story” and Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady,” has died
at 86.

Nixon, whose film work financed her voice studies, performed extensively in classical repertory. One of her early engagements, in 1947, was as the soprano soloist in Orff’s “Carmina burana” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Leopold Stokowski conducting. She subsequently built a reputation for interpreting the vocal works of modern and contemporary composers.

Later in life, Nixon sang her former ghost roles on concert tours and in theatrical productions, notably a 1964 run of “My Fair Lady” in New York.

An obituary by The New York Times’ Margalit Fox:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/arts/music/marni-nixon-singer-soprano-dies-86.html

Gregg Smith (1931-2016)

Gregg Smith, whose Gregg Smith Singers, organized in 1955, were among the first fully professional choruses in the US, has died at 84.

Smith was a leading advocate of modern and contemporary choral music, long associated with Igor Stravinsky, as well as American vocal music from Colonial times to the present. Smith added to that literature copiously, composing hundreds of pieces.

An obituary by William Grimes for The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/arts/music/gregg-smith-choral-leader-who-elevated-standards-dies-at-84.html