Comments for Sound of Charlotte http://charlottesymphony.org/blog An Artistic Publication of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:44:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Heart Strings by Clarissa Kainoa http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/index.php/archives/41#comment-4237 Clarissa Kainoa Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:44:04 +0000 http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/?p=41#comment-4237 Good post. I am a regular visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I'll be a regular visitor for a long time. Good post. I am a regular visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a long time.

]]> Comment on Creating Citizens One Note at a Time by Danielle Celeste Brown http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/index.php/archives/51#comment-4226 Danielle Celeste Brown Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:47:19 +0000 http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/?p=51#comment-4226 When can u start auditions to get into the Charlotte Symphony When can u start auditions to get into the Charlotte Symphony

]]> Comment on Listening in Context: Does Knowledge of a Piece’s History Affect What We Hear? by Jeanine Gail Greifswald-Tolleson http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/index.php/archives/94#comment-4140 Jeanine Gail Greifswald-Tolleson Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:26:11 +0000 http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/?p=94#comment-4140 In my opinion, no. It does, for example, not change my reaction to Alban Berg's violin concerto to know that he dedicated it to the deceased Manon Gropius, daughter of Alma Mahler-Gropius, "Im Andenken eines Engels" ("In Reminiscence of an Angel")) or that Carlo Gesualdo wrote his madrigals in repentance for murdering his wife and her lover when he caught them in flagranti delicti; the music alone is powerful enough to move me. Such background information may be helpful for understanding the music, but it is not necessary for its reception. In my opinion, no. It does, for example, not change my reaction to Alban Berg’s violin concerto to know that he dedicated it to the deceased Manon Gropius, daughter of Alma Mahler-Gropius, “Im Andenken eines Engels” (“In Reminiscence of an Angel”)) or that Carlo Gesualdo wrote his madrigals in repentance for murdering his wife and her lover when he caught them in flagranti delicti; the music alone is powerful enough to move me. Such background information may be helpful for understanding the music, but it is not necessary for its reception.

]]> Comment on Who IS the greatest composer? by Jeanine Gail Greifswald-Tolleson http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/index.php/archives/83#comment-4139 Jeanine Gail Greifswald-Tolleson Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:09:31 +0000 http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/?p=83#comment-4139 Johann Sebastian Bach by a country mile. No other composer ever reached this intellectual depth. But Bach was not just intellectual; his music conveys great emotions too. Anyone who doubts this should listen to his "St Matthew Passion" in the recording by Philippe Herreweghe. Or have a look at the YouTube videos of iit with Ton Koopman. I can't listen to this music without tears in my eyes. If you do such a poll among classical musicians, by the way, Bach always gets the top spot. There certainly are classical musicians who favor other composers, but the majority will vote for JSB,. And in my opinion rightly so, no matter how great the works of many other composers which I also like are. Johann Sebastian Bach by a country mile. No other composer ever reached this intellectual depth. But Bach was not just intellectual; his music conveys great emotions too. Anyone who doubts this should listen to his “St Matthew Passion” in the recording by Philippe Herreweghe. Or have a look at the YouTube videos of iit with Ton Koopman. I can’t listen to this music without tears in my eyes.
If you do such a poll among classical musicians, by the way, Bach always gets the top spot. There certainly are classical musicians who favor other composers, but the majority will vote for JSB,. And in my opinion rightly so, no matter how great the works of many other composers which I also like are.

]]> Comment on Tuesday tidbits by Larry Miller http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/index.php/archives/151#comment-4104 Larry Miller Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:14:32 +0000 http://charlottesymphony.org/blog/?p=151#comment-4104 In his first book, as I recall, Leonard Bernstein spoke of public school music appreciation classes that are really "the appreciation of music appreciation." Kids get Hall of the Mountain King and Marche Slav, easy to digest, programmatic classical music. Unfortunately, that's also my cynical take on this weekend's Spanish music programming for adults. Is it too harsh to call it "classical music for people who hate classical music." Is there really no audience for a season of the real stuff? I believe a symphony orchestra has to STAND FOR SOMETHING. Any brand does! That means programming all season that focuses on great classical music, and not on Bolero, not on Henry Mancini (Pink Panther), and not on pops musical trinkets (John Williams movie scores). Instead how about a whole season of serious stuff such as: Beethoven (a quartet?), Shosty (anything), Bartok (Music for Strings percussion and Celesta), Gershwin (Concerto in F), Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Mendelssohn, Mahler. Challenge the audience. In his first book, as I recall, Leonard Bernstein spoke of public school music appreciation classes that are really “the appreciation of music appreciation.” Kids get Hall of the Mountain King and Marche Slav, easy to digest, programmatic classical music. Unfortunately, that’s also my cynical take on this weekend’s Spanish music programming for adults. Is it too harsh to call it “classical music for people who hate classical music.”

Is there really no audience for a season of the real stuff?

I believe a symphony orchestra has to STAND FOR SOMETHING. Any brand does! That means programming all season that focuses on great classical music, and not on Bolero, not on Henry Mancini (Pink Panther), and not on pops musical trinkets (John Williams movie scores). Instead how about a whole season of serious stuff such as: Beethoven (a quartet?), Shosty (anything), Bartok (Music for Strings percussion and Celesta), Gershwin (Concerto in F), Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Mendelssohn, Mahler. Challenge the audience.

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