L'oiseau de feu a.k.a the bird of fire

Last night was CCM's concert of Stravinsky's The Firebird and Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 in C minor, "Organ." I have been really blessed recently in the music I have performed. I have played some of the music which is most religious to me. With last weeks performance of Beethoven 6 an Appalachian Spring, all I would need to play is Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe and Debussy's Petite Suite and I would be in heaven.

The concert went very smoothly. There were parts of the Firebird that blew me away, but other parts, I prefer the performance I did with BYU. Isn't it always the case though? You grow, you learn and you reflect. Great experience.

The Organ was SO loud and the part where the organ enters in the second movement is BRILLIANT. Then, the piano duet takes over as the strings sour with the melody...there is nothing like this. If you have seen "Impressions de France" at EPCOT then you have heard the part I am talking about (though I do not like their usage of Daphnis et Chloe, but that is a horse of a different color). It was a fun concert. It has been a while since I have performed a "fun" concert. Mark Gibson seemed to be thrilled while he was conducting, which always makes the performance that much better.

Nothing else is really going on in my life. The quarter is quickly coming to a close which is both good and bad... The inevitability of people leaving is something I NEED to think about, but do not want to have to deal with. Oh well.

There is still no news on Spoleto or any further development on Aspen. Right now, I am leaning more towards NYC. We shall see, as always.

Bromide

In reference to a posting I had a couple of months ago, I found a perfect quote in The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand:

"'I was thinking of people who say that happiness is impossible on earth. Look how hard they all try to find some joy in life. Look how they struggle for it. Why should any living creature exist in pain? By what conceivable right can anyone demand that a human being exist for anything but his own joy? Every one of them wants it. Every part of him wants it. But they never find it. I wonder why. They whine and say they don't understnad the meaning of life. There's a particular kind of pepople that I despise. Those who seek some sort of a higher purpose or 'universal goal,' who don't know what to live for, who moan that they must 'find themselves.' You hear it all around us. That seems to be the official bromide of our century. Every book you open. Every drooling self-confession. It seems to be the noble thing to confess. I'd think it would be the most shameful one.'

'Look Gail,' Roark got up, reached out, tore a thick branch off a tree, held it in both hands, one fist closed at each end; then, his wrists and knuckles tensed against the resistance, he bent the branch slowly into an arc. 'Now I can make what I want of it: a bow, a spear, a cane, a railing. That's the meaning of life.'

'Your strength?'

'Your work.' He tossed the branch aside. 'The matrial the earth offers you and what you make of it...'"

And All That Jazz

I ended up not getting the fellowship for Aspen. Frankly, I am not all that surprised seeing as how my audtion went. I am not really sad by it either, just blasé. We will see if I get a scholarship or anything of that sort. At least I have other options...hopefully. More of that for a later time.

In between performances of Le Nozze di Figaro, a couple of weeks ago, I was able to see Ashley Brown in concert with the Indianapolis Symphony. Of course, me being the Ashley lover that I am, I really enjoyed her performance (and the ten different outfits that she wore). My favorite numbers were, of course, Feed the Birds, Le Jazz Hot, Ring Them Bellars, When You Wish Upon a St and So in Love. Of course, she sang many others (Just in Time/With a Song in My Heart, Smile/Make Someone Happy, A Disney Medley (including Part of Your World, I've Got No Strings, Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, He's a Tramp (oh her belt was fab), A Friend in Me, I Know You, A Whole New World, etc), a Love Medley (Someone to Watch Over Me, All I Ask of You, People Will Say We're in Love, It's Wonderful and My Heart is So Full of You), Defying Gravity and ended with My Funny Valentine, which had an appearance by Eddie her dog). Her voice is so clear, so intune and so effortlessly beautiful. One of the best concerts I have been to. The Orchestra was also great. I was sitting in row D, so the strings were a little quiet, but it had that "Show" quality sound that I love and adore. Well done Ashley. I cannot wait to see you in Roman Holiday and some of the other projects that you have coming your way!

There was a Jazz Night over at the Lodge on Clifton Ave over the weekend. There is nothing like people dressed up in shirts and ties lounging around listening to Ella and Frank Sinatra. What a classy event.

I was in a performance tonight at the St. Francic De Sales Church on Madison Ave. The program included Appalachian Spring (Original 13 Player Chamber Version) and Beethoven 6. The concert went really well and in the space, appeared and sounded breathtaking. There is nothing like playing such religious music in a glorious church.

"There's going to be a wedding."

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO opened and closed. It was an intense weekend of playing many notes without much resting during the show (thankfully there is the pianoforte to add some comic AND physical relief). It all is worth it, though, for the last penultimate, gorgeous melody. The singing was very professional and Annunziata's conducting really allowed for the tempos to push and the action on stage to flow correctly. Here are a few production photos:

Another audition

I had my CCM Spoleto audition on Monday. It went extremely well. It is always nice to have uplifiting auditions to boost the moral. I had to play Bach Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor Minuet I & II, Strauss' Don Juan and Mendelssohn's Scherzo. I played the excerpts much better than I did for the Aspen audition. Granted, it has been a month since Aspen, but I also had to play more of the excerpts. The Bach was the best that I ever played it. I am really happy with how things turned out. Now, I just need to wait for results. I need to wait until I hear back from Spoleto and Aspen before I can really assess what to do this summer. I have my wants but I am also being pulled in different directions via friends, academics, career and relationships. There is not really a point in stressing out about it until I know which offers lie before me.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC has run and closed. It is a great show and stark reminder of what I want to do for my career. The singers are going to go far, as is Anthony DeAngelis(the musical director). Michelle Berkowitz and Anthone have been nominated for ACCLAIM awards. Yay for both of them. It is a little surprising that John Riddle and Carlyn Connolly didn't get nominated or Ryan for his sets, but whatever. One cannot control critics. It was a great production. Snaps for everyone across the board.

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO rehearsals are underway with tomorrow being opening night. It is selling really well (almost completely sold out). I am under the stage in the orchestra pit, so I cannot see the set or Hailei Call's Wig/Makeup design, but I do know that the singrs on my track are sick. Sick sick sick. It is a great opportunity once again to play for this show. We will see how it runs.

Isn't it rich

Here are some photos (that I stole from Ryan Howell, the scenic designer) of CCM's studio production of A Little Night Music. It is such an amazing score and I am greatful to be playing with such brilliant and talented singers. Highlight of my 2011 year thus far.