Classical Music in Columbus, Ohio

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April calendar

News, Events & Announcements

Some Outside Opinions and Observations on the Situation at the Orchestra


5/17/2008 Response to "Dinosaur" comment by Tony Beadle (Be sure to click on the image for enlarged version!)
5/17/2008 Comments on Barbara Zuck's review from David Thomas and Charles Noble.
5/17/2008 Comments on GCAC decision from Christopher Purdy and David Thomas.
5/16/2008 David Thomas: Surfboards ready?
5/15/2008 David Thomas: More from Bob Nichols; Tony Beadle Lacks Passion for CSO
5/15/2008 Abu Bratche: Why?
5/15/2008 UWeekly: Music Stops for Columbus Symphony
5/15/2008 Strong Language from Charleston
5/14/2008 Charles Noble: More Columbus Analysis
5/14/2008 Abu Bratche:: Symphonicide
5/13/2008 Janelle Gefland: ISCOM to try to save orchestra
5/13/2008 David Thomas: The to-do list - needed by yestertomorrow!; Letter from a symphony supporter.
5/13/2008 Charles Noble: Columbus Symphony circling the drain?
5/13/2008 Adaptistration: Columbus' Smoking Gun
5/13/2008 The view from Cincinnati: The Enquirer; Janelle Gefland's Blog here, here, and here.
5/12/2008 More from David Thomas' Blog: Response to Dispatch Editorial, Letter from First Bassooist to Dispatch
5/12/2008 Christopher Purdy: Like attending a dear friend's funeral
5/12/2008 Adaptistration: Its the board, stupid
5/10/2008 Some recent posts to David Thomas' Blog: Columbus Symphony Crisis: A Fresh PerspectiveLetter to Tony Beadle from Bob & Pat Nichols, Letter from Jon Kimura Parker,  CSO Management Losing Public Respect.
5/10/2008 Daniel Watkin, New York Times: Columbus Orchestra may suspend operation
5/9/2008 Adaptistration: Columbus board prepares to throw in the towel
4/29/2008 Charles Noble: columbus symphony: cadillac or chevrolet?
4/29/2008 Musical America: Columbus Symph Gets Momentary Bail-Out
4/29/2008 Adaptistration: Columbus Season To Continue Unabated
4/28/2008 Adaptistration: Initial Response from the Board
4/25/2008 Adaptistration: Contract offer rejected
4/23/2008 Adaptistration: Some Belated Thoughts On Columbus
4/12/2008 NY Times: Symphony Plays Through Its Troubles
3/24/2008 Adaptistration: As Negotiations Continue, Columbus Eyes Cash Flow
3/20/2008 Charles Noble: Communities, Boards and Orchestras
3/20/2008 Adaptistration: Columbus Travels Around the Blogsphere
3/18/2008 Adaptistration: Dynamic Consequences Taking Shape in Coloumbus
3/17/2008 Adaptistration: The War of the Rhetoric Begins
3/16/2008 Charles Noble: More Columbus Opinion
3/16/2008 Sam Bergman: No such thing as half way
3/15/2008 Copied from Dave Thomas in Facebook: Columbus Situation Dire
2/28/2008 Adaptistration: They're Playing Like There's No Tomorrow
2/19/2008 Adaptistration: Examining Columbus' Master Agreement Part 2
2/13/2008 Adaptistration: Examining Columbus' Master Agreement
2/12/2008 Adaptistration: Interview with Executive Director Tony Beadle
1/28/2008 Adaptistration: A Conductors View of the Orchestra: Junichi Hirokami
1/24/2008 Adaptistration: Esamining Dynamic Reactions in Columbus
1/27/2008 Adaptistration: Back to the Future in Columbus
1/21/2008 Adaptistration: Junichi Hirokami" Leading from the front in Columbus
1/19/2008 Charles Noble: Columbus Lost at Sea?
1/19/2008 Abu Bratche: Columbus schedules a disaster

Read the musicians' view of the CSO board's plan here Also see more information here

Sign up at this new web site to support live classical music and help keep our symphony strong.

Message from David Thomas, Clarinet

Musicians Leaving the Columbus Symphony:

Mark Morton Principal Bass Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Wendy Morton Assistant Principal Cello;
Founding Member, Carpe Diem String Quartet
 
 Richard Bell Associate Principal Cello; member Seraphin Trio  
Anonymous 2 Woodwinds  
Anonymous 3 (per David Thomas' blog)
Anonymous 4 (per David Thomas' blog)

Local News

Arts Council to Skip Symphony (5/16/2008) Comments by David Thomas  Abu Bratche
The Reiziger Trio (Eric Gratz, violin; Stephanie Price, viola; Nate West, cello) from The Chamber Music Connection made the semi-finals at the Fischoff National Chamber Music competition. Debbie reports:

Fischoff went well, the trio advanced to the semi's which was awesome! Of course, they wish they had made it into the finals, but only three ensembles (in this case three string quartets) make it to the finals/medal round out of the original 24.

In any case, they played great and received many accolades from the judges, audience, Fischoff staff and students.  The judges told them they placed very high (4 or 5 out of 24) but what hurt them was the trio medium -- several said it was like apples and oranges - the trio repertoire just can't compare to the repertoire available to a string quartet.  There were 10 judges, and several of them indicated that the trio performed with the most maturity and artistry of the entire field. They were told they displayed "stunning artistry" and "mature presence" on stage. After hearing that, it's a little hard to swallow not advancing to the medal round, but the judges kept reiterating it had everything to do with the nature of the instrumentation of the ensemble  - violin, viola, bass as compared to the string quartet.

Congratulations! (5/12/2008)
Marble Cliff Chamber Players Marble Cliff: Sundays, June 1, 8, 15. Delaware: Fridays, June 6, 13.
Columbus Arts Festival, Friday-Sunday, June 6, 7, 8, 2008
Upper Arlington Community Orchestra gets grant from Hilliard Arts Council, becomes Greater Columbus Community  Orchestra
A benefit concert for the Symphony will be held on Sunday, May 25. See this PDF for details.
Symphony to Shut Down For Summer. Future Uncertain. (PDF of statement to musiciains) Dispatch. Early version.
CPRN To End Broadcasts
Special Event:  Choral Festival Concert on Friday June 6 at PM at First Congregational Church, during the Columbus Arts Festival. For more information, click here or contact Sheena Philips.  Participating groups include the First Church Choir, the Columbus Women's Choir, the International Ensemble of the Columbus Childrens's Choir, Capriccio!, the Magpie Consort, and members of the Dublin Singers.  The program will include a performance of the Missa Luba. Proceeds will benefit Doctors without Borders
BalletMet to Return to New York (5/1/2008)
WF: Despite Season Saving Gift, CSO & Musicians Far Apart (4/29/2008)
Ohio Arts Council Budget Cut Greater Columbus Arts Council distributes Grants (4/28/2008)
Two quartets from The Chamber Music Connection were among the six high school quartets invited to the finals of the St Paul String Quartet Competition held on April 19, 2008. The Viaggio String Quartet (a collaborative ensemble from Chamber Music Connection & Cleveland Institute of Music): Eric Gratz, Anthony Bracewell, violins; Stephanie Price, viola; Ken Kubota, cello) took FIRST PLACE! Congratulations!
Details   Photos
A string trio will compete in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, May 9-11.
Violinist Michael Davis died on Sunday 03/02/2008 from Lou Gehrig's disease. Memorial concert at OSU on Monday, May 5 (Corrected).
Cincinnati Orchestra tours Europe and what it means for Cincinnati. How will Japanese business leaders feel about Columbus if the city allows Maestro Hirokami's orchestra to be dismembered?
CSO Assistant Concert Master David Niwa has returned home after his treatment for PMP, a rare form of cancer and has returned to the CSO full time. Additional cancer cells have been detected, but they are putting off another operation for a few months so that they can get as much of it as possible. Mariko, his wife, has a blog to keep everyone informed of his progress. Our best wishes for a continued speedy recovery.
Now available on Naxos: the first installment in the The Carpe Diem String Quartet's recording of the complete quartets of Russian composer Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (1856-1915).

The first part of my study of chamber music, a detailed look at Haydn's Op. 20, is here.

Other News and Articles

5/16/2008 Fields of Endevor: Arts vs Sports
5/13/2008 NEA Launches National Opera Awards
5/13/2008 Music transforms kids and towns in remote area of Bolivia
5/12/2008 Philippe Quint rings Joshua's Bell
5/7/2008 A Midget Among Giants: Why doesn't amazon.com support Seattle arts?
5/7/2008 '70s Quartet reunites to celebrate Messiaen
5/7/2008 Concerto in the key of G, for Grateful
5/6/2008 Loud pieces put orchestra musicians' hearing at risk
5/6/2008 New CSO Director Has Star Power
5/6/2008 And the Brass Ring Goes to Chicago Symphony: Riccardo Muti Says Yes
5/6/2008  Smirnoff new president of Cleveland Institute of Music
5/5/2008 Muti Takes Helm of Chicago Symphony
5/5/2008 A Moving Stillness: In Closeups Classic Stars Did Much by Doing Nothing
5/5/2008 Professional Sacrifices Define the Lives of Orchestra Musicians
5/5/2008 More Power to the Performer
5/5/2008 Is Ballet's Future in America?
5/4/2008 Planning an Opera?
5/4/2008 Saudi First: Mixed Audiemce for Public Concert by German Ensemble
5/3/2008 Alex Ross: The Bretano Quartet Performs Late Works
5/2/2008 Gramophone plans major expansion of website
4/13/2008 Orchestra Confidential-Symphonic Life from the Inside Out
5/2/2008 More power to the performer
5/2/2008 Too Much Of A Good Thing 
4/30/2008 Classical Music's twentieth century tragedy
4/10/2008 LA Weekly Drops Music Critic
4/27/2008 German Conductor Makes Belated Miami Debut
4/28/2008 Eschenbach Muses on Music, Past and Future
4/26/2008 Copland in Hollywood
4/25/2008 Rattle Continues in Berlin Past 2012
4/23/2008 Where should we put the violins?
4/18/2008 Damrau, Flórez and Dessay: Vocal Ease
4/17/2008 The Eschenbach Era-An Appreciation

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Early Music


Early Music in Columbus 2007-2008 Season
October 12, 2007 Ron McFarlane, lute The Food of Love
November 2, 2007 Piffaro The Renaissance Wind Band The London Waits Musical Tale of a Fabled Renaissance Town Band
January 4, 5 and 6, 2008 at Pontifical College Josephinum The Early Interval A Colonial Twelfth Night Celebration
February 1, 2008 Ensemble Caprice Gypsy Music Gypsy Music of the Renaissance and Baroque
March 28, 2008 at Pontifical College Josephinum Pomerium Musica Vaticana Music from 1503-1543 for the Sistene Chapel choir
April 11, 2008 The Early Interval The Flemish Connection

Early Music in Columbus 2008-2009 Season
October 10, 2008 La Gente d'Orfeo Passion and Repose: A 17th-century Musical Extravaganza
November 21, 2008 at Pontifical College Josephinum Rose Ensemble Celebremos Nino: A Mexican Baroque Christmas
January 9-11, 2009 at Pontifical College Josephinum Early Interval A British 12th Night Celebration
February 20, 2009 Venere Lute Quartet TBA
March 20, 2009 Lucidarium Music and Poetry of Jews in Renaissance Italy
May 8, 2009 Early Interval TBA



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Chamber Music


Chamber Music Columbus 2007-2008 Season
October 20, 2007 St Lawrence String Quartet
with Todd Palmer, clarinet
  • Haydn String Quartet in C Major Op 54 No 2
  • Mozart Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A Major K 581
  • Golijov Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
November 17, 2007 Vermeer Quartet
with Caroline Hong, piano
  • Schubert String Quartet in E-Flat Major Op 125 No 1
  • Bridge String Quartet No 1 in E Minor
  • Shostakovich Quintet for Piano and Strings in G Minor Op 57
December 8, 2007 Takacs Quartet
  • Haydn String Quartet in C Major Op 74 No 1
  • Bartok String Quartet No 5
  • Brahms String Quartet in C Minor Op 51 No 1
February 2, 2008 Juniper Chamber Music Festival
  • Mark Phillips Porch Music: Stories from Appalachia (World Premier)
  • Roger Braun Independent Streams (World Premier)
  • Tan Dun Elegy: Snow in June - In Memory of the Tiananmen Massacre
  • Dvorak Quartet for Piano and Strings in E-flat Major Op 87
March 8, 2008
Rescheduled to Sunday, May 18 at 3PM
Derek Han, piano
  • Mozart Sonata in A Major K331
  • Beethoven Sonata No 8 in C Minor Op 13 "Pathetique"
  • Beethoven Sonata No 21 in C Major Op 53 "Waldstein"
  • Chopin Nocturne in B-flat Minor Op 9 No 1
  • Chopin Nocturne in B Major Op 32 No 1
  • Chopin Scherzo No 1 in B Minor Op 20
April 12, 2008 Artemis String Quartet
  • Beethoven String Quartet in C Minor Op 18 No 4
  • Tchaikovsky String Quartet No 2 in F Major Op 22
  • Thomas Larcher String Quartet (World Premier)
Friday, May 16, 2008 at 7:30PM at Sanborn Hall, Delaware Cavani String Quartet
  • Beethoven Quartet No 12 in E-Flat Major Op 127
  • Tchaikovsky Sextet in D minor "Souvenir de Florence" Op 70
  • Dvorak Terzetto in C Major for Two Violins and Viola Op 74

Chamber Music Columbus 2008-2009 Season
October 25, 2008 Marc-André Hamelin, piano
  • Haydn Sonata in F Major H XVI:23
  • Haydn Sonata in E Major H XVI:31
  • Alexis Weissenberg Sonata in a State of Jazz
  • Chopin Barcarolle in F-Sharp Major Op 60
  • Chopin Ballade No 3 in A-Flat Major Op 47
  • Marc-André Hamelin Etude No 8 Erlkoenig (after Goethe)
  • Marc-André Hamelin Etude No 7 (after Tchaikovsky)
  • Leopold Godowsky Symphonic Metamorphosis on Johann Strauss' "Wine, Women, and Song"
November 15, 2008 Claremont Piano Trio
  • Haydn Trio in G Major H XV:25
  • Paul Shoenfield Cafe Music
  • Dvorák Trio No 3 in F Minor Op 65
November 29, 2008 Guarneri String Quartet (Farewell Tour)
  • Beethoven Quartet No 12 in E-Flat Major Op 127
  • Beethoven Quartet No 15 in A Minor Op 132
January 31, 2009 Fine Arts Quartet
  • Beethoven Quartet No 5 in A Major Op 18 No 5
  • Bernard Herrmann Echos
  • Schumann Quartet No 1 in A Minor Op 41 No 1
March 14, 2009 Dorian Wind Quintet
with Caroline Hong, piano and Katharine Borst Jones, flute
  • Beethoven Quintet in E-Flat Major Op 16
  • Mozart Quintet in E-Flat Major K542
  • Yuko Uebayashi Au dela du Temps, for 2 flutes and piano
April 4, 2009 Ysa˙e Quartet
  • Fauré Quartet in E Minor Op 121
  • Bartok Quartet No 6
  • Frank Quartet in D Major
Friday, May 15, 2009 at 7:30PM at Sanborn Hall, Delaware Cavani String Quartet
  • TBA




Jefferson Academy 2007-2008 Season
October 14, 2007 Aviv String Quartet
  • Mozart String Quartet No 17 in B-flat Major K458 "Hunt"
  • Shostakovich String Quartet No 8
  • Shostakovich String Quartet No 2
November 4, 2007 St. Petersburg String Quartet
  • Debussy String Quartet in G Minor Op 10
  • Shostakovich String Quartet No 7 in F-Sharp Major Op 108
  • Tchaikovsky String Quartet No 2 in F Major Op 22
February 17, 2008 Johannes Moser, cello
  • TBA
March 30, 2008 Jupiter String Quartet
  • TBA
April 13, 2008 Biava Quartet and Luis Biava, cello
  • Schubert Cello Quintet in C Major Op 163 D956
  • Haydn String Quartet in E-flat Major Op 33 No 2 "Joke"
  • Kodaly String Quartet No 2 Op 10




Sunday at Central 2007-2008 Season
September 30, 2007 Charles Wetherbee, violin and Caroline Hong, piano
  • LeClair Sonata in D Major
  • Beethoven Violin Sonata No 9 in A Major Op 47 "Kreutzer"
  • Strauss Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major Op 18
  • Brahms Short Works
October 28, 2007 Mika Shigematsu, mezzo-soprano and Mariko Kaneda, piano
  • TBA
November 18, 2007
CANCELLED
David Shmookler, viola and Mariko Kaneda, piano
  • TBA
February 17, 2008 The Color of Time and a World Premier: Sonus Artis, string quartet
  • TBA
March 16, 2008 Duos, Brahms, and a Guest: The Canaletto Ensemble (Mariko Kaneda, piano; David Niwa, violin; Ken Matsuda, viola; Luis Biava, cello) and guest Elizabeth Chang, violin
  • Schubert Sonata in A Major D574
  • Turina Violin Sonata No 2
  • BrahmsPiano Quartet in G Minor Op 25
April 13, 2008 Paul Roby, violin and Mariko Kaneda, piano
  • Beethoven Violin Sonata No 10 in G Major Op 96
  • Stravinsky Duo Concertante
  • Kreisler Selections
May 18, 2008 The High Street Four String Quartet (David Niwa, Ariane Sletner, violins; Ken Matsuda, viola; Luis Biava, cello)
  • Haydn String Quartet Op 76 No 1


Marble Cliff Chamber Players Summer 2008 
Sunday June 1, 2008 at Marble Cliff Straight A's! with David Thomas, clarinet; Cameron Bennett, piano; Charles Wetherbee & John Ewing, violins; Korine Fujiwara, viola; David Cho, cello 
Friday June 6, 2008 Delaware and Sunday June 8 2008 Marble Cliff Spellbound: Romance of Schubert & Brilliance of Virtuosity with Cameron Bennett, piano; Charles Wetherbee & Korine Fujiwara, violins
  • LeClair Sonata No. 5 for Two Violins
  • Schubert Arpeggione Sonata for Viola & Piano
  • Rosza Sonata for Two Violins
  • Moszkowski Duo for Two Violins & Piano
  • Sarasate Navarra
Friday June 13, 2008 Delaware and Sunday June 15, 2008 Marble Cliff The Golden Section with Cameron Bennett, piano; Charles Wetherbee, violin; Korine Fujiwara, viola; Clancy Newman, cello
  • Mozart Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor K478
  • Brahms Sonata for Cello and Piano No 2 in F Major Op 99
  • Newman Duo for Violin & Cello
  • Handel/Halvorson Passacaglia