A very insightful article by composer Robert Beaser

I highly recommend Beaser's article on the NY Times web site, at:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/the-reconstruction-of-rome/?hp

Roughly a contemporary of mine, he discusses his training, the evolution of his thoughts as a composer, and the world that composers live in today.

Passamaquoddy Symphony Orchestra Review

Here's a review I wrote for the Quoddy Tides (it appeared in the Novemeber 23 edition):

Great music with a personal touch

The Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra has just completed its round of Fall concerts. I’m sure the players are exhausted after their weekend circuit from Machias to Eastport to St. Andrews. Their program consisted of two great Romantic works and a classic work by the American master Aaron Copland. 

I attended the Saturday night performance in Eastport. As much as I like hearing orchestral music in some large symphony hall, I’ve always enjoyed smaller venues such as the Eastport Arts Center. The clear, dry acoustics help you hear things more clearly. Everything is right in front of you; so much is happening for you to see, as well as to hear.   

Conductor Trond Saeverud is a master at programming. Of course he chooses the repertoire carefully for the orchestra, respecting the range of abilities while providing growth opportunities. But he also makes each program a satisfying musical experience for the audience. This concert, one of vivid contrasts, was a prime example.  

Opening the program was the Piano Concerto in A minor by Robert Schumann. Piano soloist Gregory Biss did a marvelous job of catching the shifting moods of this great work. This was especially true in the first movement, which in typical romantic fashion veers from dramatic declamatory statements to moments of reflection and lyricism. 

Greg’s sensitive and nuanced playing came through especially in the piano’s solo cadenza. He also understands how to play with an ensemble; he and Trond achieved a terrific balance of piano and orchestra. 

The orchestra’s playing throughout was outstanding. Especially notable was the second movement where the piano introduces a playful, almost childlike phrase which is answered by broad lyrical phrases introduced very effectively by the cello section. (Don’t cellists live for such moments?)

Throughout the work the strings achieved the lush romantic sound that I’m sure Trond was after. In the concluding movement, the bouyant and tricky rhythms were handled well by all. and the ending was an exciting barn-burner, with measure after measure of rapid passage work for the pianist.  

Completed in 1936, Copland’s El Salon Mexico was inspired by the composer’s visit to a popular dance hall of the same name a few years before. It is a kind of musical collage based on several popular Mexican folk tunes.

The rapidly shifting rhythmic patterns are a challenge for any orchestra. Toward the end we are caught up in a frenetic whirl in which different folk tune fragments are played in rapid succession and even simultaneously. The orchestra did a fine job of catching the bright spirit of the dance hall.

The stars in this work were the winds and brass. The contrast with the mellow orchestration of the Schumann work couldn’t have been greater. Of note: a terrific trumpet solo and great work on the high E flat clarinet – not to mention the four french horns who got turned loose. The rhythm section provided just the right boistrous but accurate playing that held things together.  

From the dance hall we were taken immediately to the open seas of the North Atlantic, with Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture. The work’s opening was one of the highlights of the evening. What a contrast!

The strings quite effectively captured the unease of the swirling ocean currents and dark grandeur of the scene, well supported by the winds and brass. I particularly enjoyed the clarinets’ fine duet just before the dramatic return of the initial theme and the quiet ending by the winds and brass.   

We are indeed fortunate to have the PBSO in our midst. They prove that “classical” music is not in the least stodgy, but exciting, colorful, and full of contrasts. It’s a joy to experience committed and intense music-making in such an up-close and personal way.   

John Newell is a composer and pianist living in Lubec. His web site is www.johnnewellmusic.com.

Early November.

The nor'easter's wind hurls the rain (and possibly sleet) against the windows at night. Combined with the continual low roar of the winds from further away, sleep is difficult. In the morning we find that the maple leaves are finally down.

An exciting time, a time for closing in.

More on inspiration and work, contributed by others 

(LinkedIn -- Contemporary Music Professionals Group): 

"I sit down to the piano regularly at nine-o'clock in the morning and Mesdames les Muses have learned to be on time for that rendezvous," said by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and quoted in Schafer, British Composers in Interview (1963).  -- David Kosviner

Your Matisse citation about work and inspiration reminds me of the anecdote you probably have heard, about Paul Hindemith. A student at one of his Tanglewood seminars asked him 'What's your inspiration?' Hindemith wordlessly replied by raising his pencil in his hand -- indicating that the juices commence flowing in the physical (somatic) act of setting down notes on paper.  -- David Owens

Edgard Varese & Morton Feldman: What did I learn?

I studied with Morton Feldman at SUNY Buffalo (1975 - 77) as the first holder of the Edgard Varese Fellowship in composition. I'm sure that Feldman named the fellowship himself, and know that he regarded Varese very highly.

How can I express the essence of what I learned in those years? A few years ago I came across this passage by Paul Griffiths in the program notes for the CD Boulez Conducts Varese (on the Deutsche Grammophon label). Griffiths sums it up beautifully:

"After the explosion of Ameriques Varese honed his technique in pieces for smaller groupings - Hyperprism, Octandre, Integrales - before returning to the large orchestra to create Arcana (1925-27). This was a closer approach to his ideal of music in which the sounds themselves, by virtue of their force and energy, would create structural demands - for repetition, calming, change, recollection - quite independently of any pre-ordained scheme: music as a play of sheer, vital sonority."

Many thanks.

Reflections on Summerkeys 2012

Summerkeys is a music program for adult students, located in Lubec, Maine. I just finished my first summer on the faculty as piano teacher, coach and accompanist. What an experience! Students come from all over the country (and a few from Europe as well) to study and practice intensively for a week or more.

Summerkeys was founded and is directed by Bruce Potterton, who began it twenty years ago as a program for piano students. Since then its scope has expanded quite a bit. Programs are offered for string and wind instruments, voice, composition, and even celtic harp and mandolin. There are programs in photography, visual arts and creative writing as well. Program details are at Summerkeys.com.

The level of Summerkeys students ranges from beginner to advanced. No audition is necessary, and students of all levels are welcomed and valued.

Bruce has put together an incredible faculty of top notch musicians who are dedicated to teaching. They do a wonderful job of identifying each student's needs and presenting ideas and techniques that students can work on in their studies during the year. For more information visit summerkeys.com.

All Summerkeys students bring a love of music and a high level of motivation. It is quite inspiring and gratifying to work with them. Each week it was great fun to meet and work with students of an incredible variety of backgrounds and experiences.

New students should come prepared for an intense week of lessons, practice and music making. Some returning students now spend more than a week in Lubec so that they can enjoy the local sights and other activities like hiking, whale watching, relaxing by the bay. Also, I've discovered that students form quick bonds with each other. Quite a few return year after year to be with the friends they have made at Summerkeys. A piece of advice to students: set reasonable goals as to what you would like to accomplish during the week.

The closing Friday night performance class (we do not call it a recital) is always very inspiring for me. By the way, the audience (your peers) is always incredibly supportive. Everyone is in the same boat! Some students are performing for the first time ever. Playing a solo in the performance class is not required, but I found that it is a good opportunity to try out what one has learned during the week.

The faculty concert on each Wednesday evening is another highlight of the week. I had a great time performing with fellow faculty members cellist Kathleen Collison and violist Margret Hjaltested.

Quotes by Henri Matisse

A few weeks ago I ran across a wonderful quote by the artist Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954) . After some searching around I found more; they constitute terrific advice for creative artists, in whatever field. 

Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working.   

One gets into a state of creativity by conscious work.  

Work cures everything.

A large part of the beauty of a picture arises from the struggle which an artist wages with his limited medium.  

I would like to recapture that freshness of vision which is characteristic of extreme youth when all the world is new to it.  

In most cases success equals prison... An artist should never be: prisoner of himself, prisoner of a manner, prisoner of a reputation, prisoner of success.  

A young painter who cannot liberate himself from the influence of past generations is digging his own grave.  

There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so, he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.  

The effort to see things without distortion takes something like courage and this courage is essential to the artist, who has to look at everything as though he saw it for the first time.  

Each work of art is a collection of signs invented during the picture's execution to suit the needs of their position. Taken out of the composition for which they were created, these signs have no further use.  

You study, you learn, but you guard the original naivete. It has to be within you, as desire for drink is within the drunkard or love is within the lover. 

Fit the parts together, one into the other, and build your figure like a carpenter builds a house. Everything must be constructed, composed of parts that make a whole...  

The effort to see things without distortion takes something like courage and this courage is essential to the artist, who has to look at everything as though he saw it for the first time.  

An artist is an explorer. He has to begin by self-discovery and by observation of his own procedure. After that he must not feel under any constraint.

An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, a prisoner of manner, a prisoner of reputation, or a prisoner of success.

Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the various elements at the painter’s disposal for the expression of his feelings.

A musician once said: In art, truth and reality begin when one no longer understands what one is doing or what one knows, and when there remains an energy that is all the stronger for being constrained, controlled and compressed. It is therefore necessary to present oneself with the greatest humility: white, pure and candid with a mind as if empty, in a spiritual state analogous to that of a communicant approaching the Lord’s Table. Obviously it is necessary to have all of one’s experience behind one, but to preserve the freshness of one’s instincts.

    - From Jazz (1947)

Down East Maine: A Surprising Richness of Culture

I was recently asked to write an article for a weekly newspaper, The Advocate, located in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. We moved from there to here last June. There are other individuals and organizations I wanted to write about, but the word count limit prevails! Here is the link:

http://www.advocateweekly.com/classicalmusicbeat/ci_20069966

The Classical Music Beat

By JOHN NEWELL

 Down East Maine Boasts a Richness of Culture

My friend Stephen Dankner invited me to share with you my take on classical music in a remote corner of the United States – Down East coastal Maine. Could there be any “culture” east of Bar Harbor? As they say, “You betcha.”  

Last June my wife and I moved to Lubec, “the easternmost town in the U.S.” Like many others from away, we were drawn here by the natural beauty of the area. I had also become aware of the area’s cultural riches, in the visual arts and in a thriving music scene.

There aren’t a lot of people in the small towns of Washington County; but there is a very strong sense of community. This is a characteristic shared by the musicians here. Whether they have grown up or moved here they are dedicated to sharing their talents and sustaining a richness of cultural opportunity.

As in the Berkshires the “summer” season tends to get the most attention. The Machias Bay Chamber Concerts feature a stimulating variety of internationally known soloists and ensembles (the St. Lawrence String Quartet is a perennial favorite). 

The SummerKeys program has become a cultural (and financial) boon for the area. SummerKeys was founded in 1991 by Bruce Potterton, a well known piano teacher in Manhattan. Its focus is on the adult amateur musician who wants the opportunity to become immersed in music study and practice. There are no admission requirements and students of all levels attend.   

Summerkeys attracts students from all over the country, as well as Europe and Asia; over 350 students participated in 2011. Its original focus was on the piano, but now programs are offered in strings, winds, celtic harp, mandolin, guitar, voice, trumpet and composition. Programs in photography, creative writing and mixed media art have been added, as well as two weeks of orchestra.

The success of Summerkeys lies, I believe, in two things: the uniqueness of the program and the excellent faculty that Bruce has put together, most of whom are active in the New York City area. Many students return year after year to work with highly accomplished musicians and teachers.   

What happens when the summer folk leave? After a week or two of kicking back, it’s very easy to get busy in music again. One of the mainstays of the area is the Passamaquody Bay Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra based in Eastport. From its inception in 2007 it has been a collaborative endeavor of musicians from both sides of the border.

The orchestra prepares two concerts during the year, performing in three venues: Machias, Eastport and in St. Andrews-By-the-Sea. During the summer it collaborates with the Summerkeys program.

The orchestra is conducted by Trond Saeverud. Originally from Norway, Trond and his wife moved here full time about ten years ago. Like many transplants he first came to Maine for the summers.

Trond is a master at choosing from the standard repertoire works that highlight the players’ capabilities. He is patient and experienced in working with players of different skill levels. And here’s something original for a community orchestra: On last spring’s concert they performed the Beethoven Violin Concerto, with Trond both conducting and performing the solo violin part. This could happen only because Trond is also a marvelous violinist. He combines a passionate sensibility with an elegant and refined sound. Check out his CD entitled “Ghosts,” which features works by contemporary Norwegian composers. 

The Eastport Arts Center, home venue for the PBSO, is a hub of artistic activity, sponsoring an art gallery, its own film and concert series, and a theater group. One of its most important programs is the Eastport Strings, a children's ensemble directed by Alice St. Clair.  

Another highly successful effort for developing the musical skills of local youth is the Washington County Children’s Chorus. Under director Christine Guy the chorus has performed throughout eastern Maine and way beyond, presenting concerts in Washington DC, Chicago, and even Luxembourg.

Educational programs such as these are critical to the vitality of a musical community. They help to assure that music is passed to the next generation, and doesn’t merely exist in a museum-like setting.  

No discussion of the Down East music scene would be complete without highlighting Gene Nichols. Gene is professor of music at the University of Maine in Machias. Truly a protean – and polyglot – musical personality, he conducts the UMM Chorale, but also leads the Ukulele Club and town band.   

A talented composer as well, Gene is best known for his ability to play an incredible variety of  instruments: the saw, Theremin, recorders, percussion, synthesizer, hubcaphone (one of many he has built)… you get the idea. In all this Gene is dedicated to involving others in the making of music. That is, as we’ve seen, a common characteristic of musicians in Down East Maine.

John Newell is a composer now living in Lubec, Maine. Send your comments to him

at jnewell384@gmail.com. His web site is www.johnnewellmusic.com

Piano concert photos - March 1

Thanks to Nancy Briggs of the Lubec Memorial Library for these photos of last week's concert. A small intimate group and, as always, food. My lovely wife wife baked the musical cake.

Played a concert last night...

... at the Lubec Memorial Library. My first solo recital in quite a while. Here's the program, made up of works I last performed many years ago, some in high school. And it certainly was a winter evening. During The Girl with the Flaxen Hair a town snow plow went by.

Music for a Winter Evening

John Newell, piano

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Lubec Memorial Library

Lubec, Maine

             

             

Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major                                       J. S. Bach  

  - from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I

Sonata in A major, Opus 120                                         Franz Schubert  

       I.  Allegro moderato

      II.  Andante

    III.  Allegro

                                                                                           

Intermezzo, Opus 117, No. 1                                     Johannes Brahms  

Intermezzo, Opus 76, No. 4

Intermezzo, Opus 116, No. 6

Capriccio, Opus 116, No. 7

The Girl with the Flaxen Hair                                      Claude Debussy  

The Hills of Anacapri

The Engulfed Cathedral

Minstrels

     - from Preludes, Book I

Variations on Amazing Grace                                            John Newell