Classic Ross Amico

Category: Daily Dispatch

Princeton Symphony Garden Concerts

Culture and cultivation find common ground, as the Princeton Symphony Orchestra commences its new Garden Chamber Series, tomorrow night, on the grounds of Morven Museum.

These live events will highlight the talents of the orchestra’s individual instrumental sections and showcase PSO principal musicians. Concerts will take place on select Thursday evenings in September and October.

The series will begin tomorrow, September 24, at 5:30 pm, with the PSO Brass Quintet performing an eclectic program of Bach, Bernstein, Mozart, Mancini, Holst, Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Tielman Susato, and John Philip Sousa.

On October 8 at 5:30 pm, PSO woodwinds will take the stage to perform Samuel Barber’s “Summer Music,” Valerie Coleman’s “Umoja,” and more.

A third concert is scheduled for October 15 at 5:30 pm. Program information for that event is pending.

Outdoor seating and social distancing will be in place for all concerts. The PSO will provide marked-off, socially-distanced “pods” for up to two people. Attendees should plan to bring a lawn chair or a blanket. A designated picnic area will be open from 4 pm to the start of the concert.

Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street in Princeton. Ample free parking is available at the end of the museum’s driveway.

For tickets and information, visit princetonsymphony.org.

September 23, 2020
Arutiunian’s 100th Birthday A Celebration

Today would have been the 100th birthday of Alexander Arutiunian. He almost made it, too! Arutiunian, one of the most famous of Armenian composers (after Khachaturian), died in 2012.

Necessarily, a portion of his output was given over to empty, patriotic, Socialist Realist claptrap, of the kind expected of all artists under Stalin. This, however, ensured the receipt of a State Stalin Prize in 1949.

He also wrote a fair amount of music inspired by the folk traditions of his native land, including a cantata with spoken word, “The Tale of the Armenian People,” a woodwind quintet, “Armenian Scenes,” and a violin concerto in response to the Spitak earthquake, subtitled “Armenia-88.”

Far and away, however, his greatest international hit was his Trumpet Concerto in A-flat major of 1950. This too evokes the flavor of Armenian ashughner improvisation.

Among Arutiunian’s other honors, he was named People’s Artist of the USSR, People’s Artist of Armenia… and Honorary Citizen of the State of Kentucky!

Here’s the Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto, performed by its dedicatee, Timofei Dokschitzer:

And an “Armenian Rhapsody” for two pianos, written in collaboration with Arno Babadjanian:

Happy birthday, Alexander Arutiunian!

September 23, 2020
Free Outdoor Concert in Trenton This Saturday

What a Capital idea!

The New Jersey Capital Philharmonic Orchestra will present a free outdoor concert this Saturday at 4 pm. In conjunction with Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion, members of the orchestra will appear at the nearby Pavilion at Cadwalader Park. Daniel Spalding will conduct a 29-piece wind ensemble in an all-American program, including works by William Schuman, Richard Rodgers, Leroy Anderson, and John Philip Sousa.

Spalding has been the orchestra’s music director since its founding in 2013. He also directs the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Ensemble. His acclaimed recordings of music by American composers – including Trenton’s own George Antheil – have appeared on the Naxos, New World, Navona, and Vienna Modern Masters labels.

Earlier this week, Spalding was honored by the Trenton Symposium with a Joe Teti Prize for his and the orchestra’s contributions to Trenton. In particular, they were praised for being at the forefront of the careful reintroduction of the city’s cultural life during the coronavirus pandemic.

Accepting the award, Spalding outlined innovations that have kept the orchestra’s artistry accessible. “Maestro Minutes,” on the orchestra’s Facebook page, features recorded pieces with Spalding’s commentary. An ensemble of CPNJ strings has continued to perform indoors with masks and social distancing, while a woodwinds, brass, and percussion group has played at open-air events. In addition, a CPNJ string quartet was featured at Trenton’s Annual Art All Day festival.

Over the summer, Spalding and the orchestra were recorded at the historic 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center in Ewing. WWFM – The Classical Network will broadcast the recordings and an interview with Spalding, on October 2.

Cadwalader Park is located at West State Street and Parkside Avenue. The orchestra emphasizes that this is an outdoor event, and there will be plenty of room for social distancing. Right now, the weather for Saturday looks to be pleasant, with partly cloudy skies and a high of 78 degrees. However, in the event of rain, the concert will be rescheduled for Sunday at 4 pm. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket, and enjoy some local, live music-making.

For more information, visit capitalphilharmonic.org.

September 23, 2020
Burgess Symphony Kubrick Chelsea Drug Store

Neat discovery du jour: a neoclassical symphony by Anthony Burgess, author of “A Clockwork Orange”:

Some monomaniac has managed to identify most of the prominently-displayed albums at the Chelsea Drug Store, the record shop seen in the Kubrick film!

Alex in the Chelsea Drug Store

PHOTO: Kubrick’s vision of Burgess’ dystopia, where street punks worship Beethoven, and record shops thrive

(O time machine, where art thou?)

September 22, 2020
Autumn Arrived! Finding Joy in the Season

Autumn arrived in the Northern Hemisphere this morning at 9:31 EDT. It is one of my favorite days of the year, when I can breathe a sigh of relief at the passing of summer and the diminishing power of my nemesis, the sun. For me, by February, everything begins to sour, since Spring, for as lovely as she is, is right around the corner.

Of course, things will be a little different this year. I won’t be sipping coffee at outdoor cafes or raiding any book sales or taking any day trips to visit favorite niche museums and attractions. But I will be reading heaps of ghost stories and watching more monster movies and wearing cozy sweaters and hopefully consuming an abundance of pie.

Naturally, I prefer an autumn without COVID, but walks in the woods will remain, as will twilit English symphonies, Brahms, and Charles Ives. Already we’ve been blessed with a week’s worth of crisp mornings, and the nights are clear. The green is slowly differentiating and, here and there, there are flashes of yellow and red.

I’m not totally letting down my guard: Summer, though in decline, will push back, as she does every year. Tomorrow’s high for New Jersey is projected to be 80 degrees. But hopefully she’ll be in the ground for good by Hallowe’en.

In the meantime, the wild kingdom gets down to the business of fattening up on nuts and seed. An apple I leave on the lawn mysteriously vanishes in the night. What imp or malevolent fairy I am sustaining, I do not know. But I hope it’s one of the foxes that’s been helping him or herself to the peanuts I’ve been tossing out for the squirrels (and by extension the jays). It won’t be long before a pumpkin, purchased with the aim of carving, will be gnawed by rodent teeth into a makeshift playhouse.

Yes, Autumn will retain its joys. Nature cares not for COVID, and like my friends, the beasts, I shall have plenty of sustenance in my stores.

Welcome, most glorious season!

September 22, 2020

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