The Good Musician

All woodwinds, that is. The so-called woodwind quintet is a flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and french horn. The latter, however, is frequently included in small chamber consorts, especially in the Baroque, as they play those lovely hunting calls and stirring royal fanfares.
The Baroque sonata form often contained a 3/4 or 6/8 meter movement, and horns would feature prominently. The horn can also sustain a pedal tone or sound the root of a chord to support the other four instruments.
There was lots ‘o repertoire written for woodwind quintet in the 20th century. There is a woodwind quintet nestled in …read more

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It’s been a little over ten years since Margaret Hillis, the indomitable conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, passed away. I met her at a Chorus America convention in the late 80’s, and was suitably awestruck. She had complete control over her chorus, and more, the CSO as well. My mom attended a performance of the Beethoven Ninth Symphony, and Sir George Szolti was the director at that time. Sir G was taken ill, and Ms. Hillis filled in with only a few moments notice. Mom said it sounded just as good, if not better, than the Szolti version. Hillis …read more

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The Austin Chamber Music Festival kicks off tonight with a special concert featuring Peter Bay conducting George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with pianist Michelle Schumann. Also on the program is the world premiere of University of Texas composer Dan Welcher’s “Four Personal Ads,” featuring soprano Mela Dailey. The Cecilia String Quartet tops off the evening with Gershwin’s “Lullaby.” The concert takes place at the Lady Bird Johnson National Wildflower Center, 4801 LaCrosse Avenue, Austin TX.
The festival continues throughout the week.
Saturday, July 12, 3:00 pm
Austin Chamber Music Festival: Wild Basin Winds
Mathew Krejc flute, Ian Davidson oboe, Steve Girko clarinet, Thomas Hale …read more

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Not so very blue, yet an important river, whatever color it may be.

Here’s Herbert von Karajan wafting down The Blue Danube Waltz.

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King Wenceslas (Szent Vraclav) statue, Wenceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic.
Photo by TGM.
Prazska Muzejni Noc
Web designers: Czech out this gorgeous Web site!
Anniversary of 5th Prague Museum Night, a collaboration among the National Museum, Prague Public Transport Company Inc., and Association of Museum and Galleries of the Czech Republic. 25 cultural institutions and 51 sites were involved. Happens on Thursday evenings. Admission and transportation are free, except for a free will donation to two national sites.
The evening also includes concerts, recitals, movies, theatre, and dance performances, public readings, lectures, and guided tours.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every city in America …read more

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Please bear with The Good Musician for jumping out of chronological order–came across this tidbit when organizing trip brochures (yes, I collect all that stuff–the arts administrator Web/print schizoid database mind).
Notenspur Music Trail opens fall 2008. It’s a 4.7 km signposted walking trail through musical wonderland. Sort of a pilgrimage to experience the homes and churches of an exceptional musical city. Leipzig was home to so many greats, poets as well as musicians and artists. But the city excels in nurturing music.
This relatively small area–the centrum being only a few dozen blocks or so, is lush with …read more

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Budapest is an old dowager, still grand, but crumbling about the edges. Many old palaces, homes, and historical buildings have been sold to other countries in order to support the country’s administration and government.
If the general municipal buildings are a bit shabby, the cathedrals and churches are kept in excellent repair and more likely to receive funds for renovations. Singing in these venues was a joy. Hungarians take their religion and accompanying music very seriously, and we are the beneficiaries of their love for both.

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Castle Hill, Budapest, Hungary. The largest spire is the Basilica of St. Mattias, one of the venues where AVAE was privileged to perform.
A bit of background
The Danube River separates Buda (west, Castle Hill) and Pest (east, government and commerce). Built in the first century B.C. by Celts, the Romans occupied the town as the eastern border of the Roman Empire. In the fifth century, Goths and other peoples on the run from the Huns overran the Roman defenses. These in turn were routed by Ostragoths and Huns. The name Attila is still popular today.
Over the following centuries, Buda and …read more

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Photo by The Good Musician
The Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble (AVAE) recently completed a ten day concert tour of Central Europe. Under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Sheppard, twenty some-odd singers and various kids, moms, and significant others flew from Houston to Budapest, Hungary, with a short layover in London Heathrow Airport. Destinations included Szent Endre, Hungary; Bratislava, Republic of Slovenia; Prague, Czech Republic; Meissen, Dresden, Leipzig, and Frankfurt, Germany. We’ll examine each destination in a series of posts.
What does the Good Musician take along for a whirlwind experience of a lifetime? Well, the packing process begins well before departure, taking …read more

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