From http://www.miamiherald.com/234/story/303128.html
Among the acknowledged great composers, few today are as underperformed as Franz Joseph Haydn. Perhaps his optimism, tunefulness and approachability----and a vast legacy that encompasses 104 symphonies and 68 string quartets alone----paradoxically make contemporary musicians suspicious in an era that prefers postmodern angst and complexity.
The Austrian composer's genius was richly evident Friday night as Helmuth Rilling led Frost School of Music forces in Haydn's choral masterwork, The Creation, to close Festival Miami at Gusman Concert Hall.
Written late in his career, The Creation was Haydn's first oratorio, crafted on a vast scale for four soloists, chorus and orchestra. Depicting nothing less than the creation of the earth, the work is imbued with the composer's deep religious feeling, with music that remains startling in its originality and variety: the dissonant harmonic churning of the opening depiction of chaos, musical onomatopoeia painting natural phenomena, soaring solo arias and the noble grandeur of its heaven-storming choruses.
It was quite a coup for the Frost School of Music to engage Rilling, a celebrated interpreter of Bach and the German choral repertoire, for these performances. Using small string sections, the German conductor achieved striking transparency between soloists, chorus and orchestra even in the most cataclysmic moments. Rilling's clear unfussy style drew lithe rhythmic buoyancy and, a few passing ensemble slips apart, polished and responsive playing from the Frost Symphony Orchestra.
Adding to the success of the evening was a superb trio of soloists. Helen Donath recorded many of the great German choral works early in her career and her impeccable German and ease in this repertoire were evident. The more florid coloratura passages were cautiously negotiated, but at 67, Donath's soprano retains much of its purity and her vibrant singing was consistently engaging, delightfully so in Eve's arias.
Her male colleagues were equally impressive. Bass Nathan Berg intoned the music of Raphael and Adam with dark authority. Lothar Odinius gave a virtual seminar in oratorio style, the gifted German tenor singing with lustrous tone, supple phrasing and natural ease of production.
Crowning the evening was the magnificent contribution of the student singers of the Frost Chorale and Collegium Musicum with some local professionals rounding out the large chorus. Scrupulously prepared by Jo-Michael Scheibe, the choral singing conveyed all the mystery, fervor, majesty and power of Haydn's vision with gleaming tone, vivid articulation and resounding impact. Haydn's The Creation will be repeated at Festival Miami at 8 p.m. Saturday at Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables. Tickets: $15-$60; 305-284-4940.
Lawrence A. Johnson is The Miami Herald's classical music critic.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Results
The polls have closed and the votes have been counted.
The over-arching theme for the night: Republicans win.
Mayor Joe Wright will hold his seat in Beech Grove, along with his new clerk-treasurer, judge, one at-large councilman, and three out of five district councilmen. Democrats held one seat and gained control of an at-large seat on the city council. In Indianapolis, one of the biggest upsets in political history - the impossible has occurred. This nobody candidate named Greg Ballard has beaten the Democrat fundraising machine called Bart Peterson, and the GOP has taken control of the City-County Council.
Congratulations to all the candidates. In the surprisingly eloquent words of Mayor Peterson,
"It's time to rally around our new [insert office here], because at the end of the day it's not about any one person."
Let's be positively involved in affecting positive change for our communities.
See you all soon....stay tuned to this blog for a major announcement (okay, that's a little dramatic...but really, stay tuned)
JF
P.S. I've decided to make this blog more of a hodge-podge of things, not just factual updates on my life in Miami. I'd like to expand that a little bit - not sure where this is going, but we'll ride the wave and see what happens. Tell me what you think!
The over-arching theme for the night: Republicans win.
Mayor Joe Wright will hold his seat in Beech Grove, along with his new clerk-treasurer, judge, one at-large councilman, and three out of five district councilmen. Democrats held one seat and gained control of an at-large seat on the city council. In Indianapolis, one of the biggest upsets in political history - the impossible has occurred. This nobody candidate named Greg Ballard has beaten the Democrat fundraising machine called Bart Peterson, and the GOP has taken control of the City-County Council.
Congratulations to all the candidates. In the surprisingly eloquent words of Mayor Peterson,
"It's time to rally around our new [insert office here], because at the end of the day it's not about any one person."
Let's be positively involved in affecting positive change for our communities.
See you all soon....stay tuned to this blog for a major announcement (okay, that's a little dramatic...but really, stay tuned)
JF
P.S. I've decided to make this blog more of a hodge-podge of things, not just factual updates on my life in Miami. I'd like to expand that a little bit - not sure where this is going, but we'll ride the wave and see what happens. Tell me what you think!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Election Day
Well...the Big Day is here. Make sure you get to the polls between now and 6PM to make sure your voice is heard.
I'm so proud of my country today. There is something really beautiful about this process. It is one forged through a revolt against a British king, a grand experiment in a new land, and the arguments of the brightest men in history. The states battled it out in Philadelphia, in the hot summer heat, all the windows locked shut. The result of their time there was the government of the United States of America. It has stood the test of time, and still serves us well. So many of our friends, family members, and neighbors have served and are serving to preserve it - our way of life. It is something so distinct and so special that the rest of the world has grown to hate it. If there's something I've learned, it's that everything must have an opposite. It took the goodness of the American way to forge something so evil as those who seek nothing but our demise. But today, election day, is the time when we show them that their evil will never match our good, that their systems of control and hate will never match ours of freedom and decency. It is today that we show the world what America is all about - we choose, we take action, we support different candidates, yet we are still Americans.
It is such a privelege, and because of the sacrifices of our nation's best, a right. Let's vote for our candidates today, and be thankful that we live in a country where we can disagree, and cherish that moment that our ballots are slid into the counting machines. And at the end of the night, let's celebrate our accomplishments, the moments, and our futures under the leadership of our next administration, whomever that may be, because the people as a whole will have chosen them. Let's avoid divisiveness and bitterness and rally around our next mayor, city council, and others. Let's choose today, on election day, to show the world that we can agree to disagree, and that we can be part of a solution.
Today is about so much more than a few candidates for a Midwestern town. Today is about America. About us. About our way of life. Today is our day. It's Election Day.
I'm so proud of my country today. There is something really beautiful about this process. It is one forged through a revolt against a British king, a grand experiment in a new land, and the arguments of the brightest men in history. The states battled it out in Philadelphia, in the hot summer heat, all the windows locked shut. The result of their time there was the government of the United States of America. It has stood the test of time, and still serves us well. So many of our friends, family members, and neighbors have served and are serving to preserve it - our way of life. It is something so distinct and so special that the rest of the world has grown to hate it. If there's something I've learned, it's that everything must have an opposite. It took the goodness of the American way to forge something so evil as those who seek nothing but our demise. But today, election day, is the time when we show them that their evil will never match our good, that their systems of control and hate will never match ours of freedom and decency. It is today that we show the world what America is all about - we choose, we take action, we support different candidates, yet we are still Americans.
It is such a privelege, and because of the sacrifices of our nation's best, a right. Let's vote for our candidates today, and be thankful that we live in a country where we can disagree, and cherish that moment that our ballots are slid into the counting machines. And at the end of the night, let's celebrate our accomplishments, the moments, and our futures under the leadership of our next administration, whomever that may be, because the people as a whole will have chosen them. Let's avoid divisiveness and bitterness and rally around our next mayor, city council, and others. Let's choose today, on election day, to show the world that we can agree to disagree, and that we can be part of a solution.
Today is about so much more than a few candidates for a Midwestern town. Today is about America. About us. About our way of life. Today is our day. It's Election Day.
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