Anthony McGill and the Chicago Clarinet Ensemble

On Friday, I went to a concert featuring Anthony McGill and the Chicago Clarinet Ensemble. For those of you who don’t know, Anthony McGill is the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City. He’s won all sorts of awards, and he is a well known virtuoso in the world of classical musicians. He’s most famous for playing at Obama’s inauguration with Yoyo Ma and Itzak Perlman. He is also my favorite clarinetist. This was a great concert, and I really enjoyed myself.

When he played the Concertino by Carl Maria von Weber, Anthony McGill really showed us what virtuoso he is with an amazing performance. I loved his phrasing and emotional expression. His slow parts had a very sweet and dark tone and his fast parts were very in control. He shaped his phrases so beautifully. His movement matched his musical expression, and he was very fun to watch. After the piece was over, I wanted him to play it again – maybe ten or twenty times.

The Latin American piece Four for Four by Jorge Montilla, started the concert. The bass clarinet solo really stood out. Mr. Tuttle had enormous control, especially the high register. He had a very full and big sound, but sweet. The first movement sounded like the bass clarinet was making a very important speech and the Bb and Eb clarinets were whispering, chattering, and laughing behind his back while he made his very important speech. All four musicians worked together very well.

The second piece they played was called Paquito by Andy Scott. I love this piece! I like how the high and low parts play off of each other, like they’re bouncing. It was like many things happening at the same time in a crowded room. The piece is very busy, but in a good way. The parts split off and go in different directions and come back together again. This was my favorite piece (outside of the McGill performance).

Throughout the entire concert, Rose Sperrazza was very funny between performances. I liked the way she talked to the audience like they were a group of her very good friends. She showed great leadership for the other musicians.

The last performance before the intermission was the world premier of Tres Canciones by Leo Schwartz who was there conducting. The first pieces of the concert were very physical and grounded in reality. This piece was very eerie and otherworldly. It was like you were floating around in a dreamworld. The third movement was like you woke up and you saw things how they really were again and that the world wasn’t just a dream. I thought the counter-tenor was odd. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard a counter-tenor before, but Lon Ellenberger's performance was very good and it helped create the floating feel of the piece.

The Merit School clarinetists played Simple Gifts arranged by Ricky Lombardo. This arrangement of this famous American folk song played by students of Merit School made me think of the Aaron Copland Appalachian Springs movement that features this theme in many variations, and the John Williams piece from the inauguration. It was a great choice because it is a great tribute to Anthony McGill who was a student of Merit when he was young.

The concert ended with First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst. It was nice to hear a Holst piece that WASN’T the Planets. I really liked how the clarinets could cover all of the parts of an orchestral piece that was written for many different instruments. It was neat how the clarinets sounded like clarinets, but at the same time, they gave the impression of strings and brass, and filled up the auditorium with their sound. Wow!

I wish I could travel in time so I could watch the concert again.

Anthony McGill Comes to Chicago

Tonight, I heard an amazing concert featuring Anthony McGill and the Chicago Clarinet Ensemble.  I would write more tonight, but I am exhausted, so I think I'll start the review in the morning.

The words that come to mind initially are:  amazing, outstanding, magnificent.  More tomorrow.

MYA Concert Orchestra

I  MADE IT!!!!!!!

Hear them play.

Waiting for Audition Results from MYA

At the beginning of April, I auditioned for the Concert Orchestra at Midwest Young Artists.  I know that the results should be mailed out this week, and I'm really nervous about whether I'm going to make it or not.  I think it may be more nerve-wracking to wait for audition results than it is to actually audition.

Lately, I'm working on the Danzi Concerto, a little on the Stamitz Concerto, and a lot on the Saint-Saens Sonata.  I really like the Saint-Saens Sonata.

Oh, and I'm thinking about going to the Geneva Grandquist music competition at the end of June. 

I really want school to end so I can play more music!

Three for Three Concert at Northeastern University

On Monday, I went to Northeastern University to see a piano trio perform "Three for Three." The trio was made up of a great clarinetist named Rose Sperrazza, a cellist from the CSO named Gary Stucka, who was also great, and Shirley Trissell, a pianist. I'm not sure, but I think I saw her at MYA playing the piano accompaniments for a master class. She's really good.

I went to the concert with Sam Sitzmann, a fifth grader who is a friend of mine. Sam is an outstanding cellist. The group played trios by Beethoven, Muczynski, and Brahms. I am playing the Beethoven, and my friend Sam and my brother Ari are working on the cello and piano parts so hopefullly, we'll be able to play it together soon. It took a long time to get from Buffalo Grove to Northeastern, so I was glad to have Sam with us. When we finally arrived, we had to look for a little while to find the recital hall where the performance was going to take place. We also had to find the parking office to get a parking permit so that our car wouldn't get a ticket. When we finally did all those things, we went to the performance, which was going to start in another 15 minutes.

They opened with the Beethoven. The first movement was really good with some technical sections that are hard to play. They played the first movement quite beautifully, and they made it look easy. The 2nd movement was carried off with great expression, and I enjoyed that a lot as well. While I enjoyed the third movement, and the musicians communicated very well together when they played it, I didn't like one decision that they made. Instead of putting in a slight pause between each variation, like a breath mark, they played through each variation in a row without pausing. The third movement is almost like a bunch of little songs (or variations on a simple theme) stuck together all in a row. I have a version of this piece on MP3 played by Richard Stoltzmann and Yoyo Ma, and in this recording there is a little more space between each variation. I could be wrong, but I like that better, because it there is time to prepare for the next variation, since each variation has a different feel. Still, I really liked the way they played this piece.

The second piece they played was the Muczynski. I think the 3 musicians played it really well, even though I don't think I like the piece very much. I have only heard it once, and I have to hear it a few more times before I decide. It is very wild and contemporary. After a short intermission, they played the best piece of the series by Brahms. The first movement of it was really fun and expressive. The second movement was beautifully smooth. The third movement was really nice and the last movement was really exciting. The last movement sounded very much like a conversation between the instruments, and when the mood of the piece changed, the musicians changed with it very well. I really want to play the Brahms now. Sam said his favorite piece of the three was the Brahms too.

I loved this concert, and I want to see all of these musicans perform again.

New Practice Record and New Pieces

Last week, I made a new practice record.  14 hours and 45 minutes in just 3 days!  That made a total of 18 hours for the week.  I've practiced more in a week, but that was the most I have ever practiced over 3 days. 

Running track in addition to playing soccer caused me to have shin splints and Osgood Slatters, and my legs hurt too much to go to soccer practice or play outside much, so I made good use of the time.

Oh, and I'm working on some new pieces:  The Saint-Saens Sonata, the Danzi Concerto, and the Beethoven clarinet, cello, and piano trio.

MYA's Last Big Concert of the Year

Last Sunday I had a MYA concert at Pick Staiger Theater at Northwestern University. It went really well! We played Saber Dance and Dance of the Rose Maidens by Khachaturian, Highlights From Wicked by Schwartz and a concerto by Vivaldi.

Before the concert, in the morning my mom took me to my clarinet teacher Dileep's house where I had a lesson. Then he took me to a neighborhood brunch party where I met some people from his neighborhood. They served crepes and grapes and lots of other things, but I only ate some grapes. I met two other musicians there. Dileep introduced me as his student and a good clarinetist. One of the guests said that he was interested in playing clarinet. He asked me what what was the most important thing for a clarinetist. I told him lots and lots and lots of practice and a little talent were the best combination.

After the brunch, Dileep dropped me off at the theater for my dress rehearsal. I met my friends Anatole, Nathan, Marc the clarinetist/saxophone player, Marc the trombone player, and Natalie, the first chair violist. First we played Dance of the Rose Maidens and Saber Dance. We did very well on both of them. The concerto by vivaldi didn't have any violins or winds so I sat out of it. It was really good. The four violin soloists gave a wonderful performance. Last we played Highlights from the musical Wicked which really needed some work. After the dress rehersal I went and got lunch at the student union. I have come to know that place well. I always get sushi there.

After lunch, I went backstage and waited for the concert to start. The Reading and Cadet Orchestras did very well. Finally, it was our turn to play just before the intermission. The Vivaldi was amazing. I think we pulled off the Khatchaturian pretty well -- Marc Turenne's saxophone solo was pretty awesome, but I think Wicked really needed a lot more work. Oh well, maybe next time. Alltogether, I thought we had a good concert.

When the intermission ended, the Concert Orchestra took the stage. My brother plays 3rd chair viola in this orchestra. This orchestra was amazing. Capriccio Espagnol by Rimsky-Korsakov was so stirring that I was almost in tears when they were done. This piece has a lot of clarinet solo parts. Theo Mavrakis has a great sound, and his phrasing was stupendous. I really got the music when he played it. The first violin Rachel Stenzel had some fantastic solos as well. She was amazing. She sounds so mature when she plays, more like a professional than a student musician.  It's hard to believe she's in middle school. Wow! Many times throughout the piece, it sounded like the Rachel and Theo were having a musical conversation. It was very exciting.  All of the soloists did a wonderful job.

The second piece they played was movements of the Carmen ballet by Bizet. I tend to notice the clarinet soloists more than other solos for obvious reasons. Liah Watt has several solos in this piece, which she pulled off quite well. She had a beautiful tone. I was surprised that they ended with this piece, because the ending of the first piece is more of a show stopper, but every thing I have seen his orchestra do this year has been great. The concert ended with the Honors Wind Symphony which played very well.

This was the last big concert of the year. Another great year at MYA!  I'm really looking forward to next year.