Juanjo Mena Spurns Houston Symphony Engagement

The Boston Symphony recently published its brochure for the 2012-2013 season. Included among the offerings is a subscription concert the first week in November involving one of our erstwhile contenders, Juanjo Mena.

Gee, that's funny. I thought Maestro Mena was supposed to be conducting the Houston Symphony on those dates.

He was.

Was.

Past tense. At least I hope so.

Would it strike you as needy if someone took to stalking the big man on campus who broke up because he got a "better" offer from a sexier prom date? I think so.

An orchestra that feels like it has something to offer to the world ought not go chasing someone who won't keep his word to the organization--let alone make the type of commitment to the orchestra's excellence that true leadership requires.

Don't get in a hurry, Houston Symphony. And don't settle. The Cincinati Symphony spent two years searching for its new music director, and it got Louis Langree. The Chicago Symhpony courted Ricardo Muti from 2006 and was willing to go without a music director until the 2010 season. 

The New York Philharmonic got Alan Gilbert. Compare and contrast.

"Good" orchestras should not kiss on the first date, let alone propose. The last 10 years show what happens if you do.

Review: Heras-Casado, Beethoven and Petrushka

Music has a pulse.

This is not to say that it ticks along at the same tempo and never alters. A healthy pulse changes tempo moment to moment with the tempo of life.

When I stand up from this keyboard, my heart rate will rise. And every part of my heartbeat, all the little subdivisions, will rise together and in harmony. When I exercise today, it will rise some more.

But a heartbeat with arhytmia will not do that properly or naturally.

Saturday night's performance by the Houston Symphony with Pablo Heras-Casado and Jon Kimura-Parker showed the difference between pulse (with and without rubato) and arhythmia. When the orchestra or the soloist laid down the pulse it worked. When they did not, it didn't.

Aftere the jump, one person's take.

Preview: Heras-Casado and Petrushka

Pablo Heras-Casado

Next up on the Houston Symphony's classical season is Pablo Heras-Casado.

The main event for the orchstra will be Petrushka, by Igor Stravinsky, another of the composer's collaborations with Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes during the first decades of the 20th Century. Like "The Right of Spring," Pierre Monteaux conducted the premiere.

This is a piece I've never had the chance to play, and alas there is no score available in the public domain to which I could link. But there is a fantastic, full length performance by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on Youtube. Even in that format you, can hear the accoustical magnificence of their hall.

(And you can become bitter about the musical sound suck that is Jones Hall. But I digress.).

After the jump, a few words about Petrushka and a chance to hear and see some amazing playing by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Coming Soon: Pablo Heras-Casado

The Houston Symphony's next classical concert will bring Pablo Heras-Casado to the podium to lead the orchestra in a program to include Schumann: Overture to Manfred, Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1, and Stravinsky: Petrouchka (1947).

Jon Kimura Parker will be the piano soloist and the concerts will take place on April 13, 14 and 15.
Heras-Casado is listed among The Contenders to become the next music director of our HSO, so I have looked around for some resources to preview his upcoming performance.

You will find some of those after the jump.

Hilary Hahn and Prokofiev Violin Concert No. 1

Check out this video Hilary Hahn just posted to Youtube. It's a great story about how her own teacher unexpectedly wound up performing this Prokofiev concerto . . .

 for Prokofiev!





GULP!

From the Archive: Enigma Variations

This week, the Houston Symphony will play the Enigma Variations under the baton of Alexander Shelley.

You can peruse the score here.

Did you know that this used to be the HSO's "theme song?"

Sometimes, when there is a deep connection between an orchestra and its conductor, and when that conductor has a deep affinity for particular music, magic happens. That magic results in a performance of special excellence that becomes part of the orchestra's identity. It becomes "who we are," if you will.

And a "theme song" is born.

Pictured above is Sir John Barbirolli, a legendary musician that the HSO was lucky enough to have as its music director a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Because of the relationship Barbirolli had with his musicians, and because of his affinity for Elgar, the Enigma Variations became a signature piece for our HSO.

In 1970, Sir John died. And another legendarily gifted musician, Andre Previn, was on the podium for the HSO. The orchestra played the "Nimrod" variation in tribute for Sir John.

Actually, those who were present say the music played them, not the other way around. Maestro Previn remarked that the baton found its own way on that night.

After the jump, a recording of Nimrod, and something to ponder: does this orchestra have a theme song, a uniting signature piece, now?

Hilary Hahn: Doing It Right

Like Rip Van Winkle, I took a little nap.

About the time the Berlin Wall fell, I quit performing. And until last year, I did not pay attention to much of anything new in the musical world. I knew what I liked and I had recordings of most of my favorite pieces already.

One of the shocks of waking up has been discovering how many of the musicians look like kids to me. It's kind of like when the doctors start looking like Doogie Howser.

But one of the real pleasures of waking up has been discovering some of the truly wonderful musicians who are really doing it right. By "doing it right," I mean taking the time and effort to really have something worth saying as a musician, but then also being able to break free of the musical cloister to build connections with the audience.

After the jump, a little homily on how I would have our orchestra be more like Hilary Hahn, who comes to perform with the Houston Symphony on March 29, 30, 31 and April 1.

John Storgårds And Great First Impressions

John Storgårds



Sorry it has been so long, campers. But it was hard to get going again after a great weekend in the Big Apple filled with Mussorgsky and Bruckner and Mahler.
I even got to attend two rehearsal by the Berlin Philharmonic including the performances!

That's almost more fun than a person ought to be allowed to have. I'm told it may still be illegal in a number of southern states.

But I digress. John Storgårds has come and gone, and the news is great. After the break, a few words concerning how great.

John Storgårds and Beethoven's Fifth: Preview of the Preview

So if orchestra marketing is right, and next season is the preview of possible music directors, then this week is the preview of the preview.

John Storgårds is said to be high on management's short list to be installed as music director, and he will be on the Jones Hall podium conducting a program that includes :

• Brahms: Tragic Overture
• Rautavaara: Incantations for Percussion and Orchestra
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

Alas, Mrs. critic and I have given away our tickets for this series of concerts and won't be able to attend.

But don't cry for us, Bayou City. We will be in the big apple to attend one conert of the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center (Pictures at an Exhibition) and two concerts of the Berlin Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall (Mahler 2 and Bruckner 9).

Because that is what happens when your orchestra is best in the world at something. People who love music will spend hundreds of dollars to come and see it create art, live and on stage.

After the break a few resources to give you some background in this week's repertoire and get you equipped to begin to make some judgments about the man who would be maestro. Be sure and let me know how it goes.

The Contenders

Now don't get me wrong.

The Houston Symphony does not need a white knight on a stallion to ride to its rescue.

Nor does it need the "genius with a thousand helpers" to motivate people to excellence.

White knights and geniuses do not create sustained greatness.

But those are posts for another day. This post is just to set out a list of potential candidates for the post of Music Director. Later on, I'll put it up as a permanent page on the blog for you to refer to.

After the jump a list of the guests. You can follow the links to their websites. In future posts, expect more detailed information on each.

"Houston, we have a problem."

Yeah, I know. Kind of an obvious title for a Houston-related post by someone who is about to be critical.

But it's true. We do have a problem.

The Houston Symphony, "my" orchestra, is not healthy. 

It hasn't been in quite a long time now.

15 years ago, the seats were full, and we all sat on the edges of those seats anticipating that our breath might be taken away. 

Something unique and world class might happen that very night.

No longer. 

And it breaks my heart.

Please, don't misunderstand me or the blog that is to come. I'm not being critical out of ill-will or spite hatred. Quite the opposite.

I am passionate about music--specifically orchestral music and my local orchestra, the Houston Symphony.  It is one of the main things that reminds me that I'm human and that there's more to human life than "food and raiment."

I travel to other cities and plan vacations around which orchestras are performing pieces I love. I've been subscribing and otherwise attending Houston Symphony concerts for almost 20 years. And before that, as a young person, I trained for and played in orchestras. I learned to read music at the same time I learned to read words. I've always known and loved music. This was to be my life.

I love this stuff. No question.

But that's why it hurts so much when the orchestra is not thriving.

There is no single cause, nor is there a simplistic solution. All orchestras wax and wane. But the Houston Symphony has a chance to be what it was--and more.

It certainly has the musicians to make it happen. But will it happen?

Keep watching this space as we find out together.

• You'll see profiles of guest conductors and candidates to become our next music director. 
• You'll see concert previews of repertoire the orchestra will be performing. 
• You'll see concert reviews after the performances.
• And hopefully, you'll see discussion about what makes an orchestra or a music director truly great.