Opera Theater Oregon celebrates a new partnership with 'Sordid Lives'

OTO rolls out the red carpet at the Mission Theater on Friday, May 6 with a wild night of audience participation soap OPERA. 'Sordid Lives' borrows from '80s daytime television, tabloid journalism and the works of the great composers to create a truly demented, all-musical choose-your-own-story opera adventure.

When Wall Street banker Archibald Shackles casts off his scheming first wife Amber for a younger man/woman/man, Amber will stop at nothing to get her revenge: not even framing Archibald's new squeeze for impregnating their daughter. But did he/she/he do it? And if not...who did?

Two teams of opera singers and the OTO Technicolor Orchestra and Chorus battle it out at the audience’s command. Shrieking diva fights, hot, passionate clinches, evil twins, amnesia and intrigue abound! Special guest appearances by members of the Flash Choir and Electric Opera Company.

‘Sordid Lives’ is written by Pat Janowski (Livewire!), Katie Taylor (OTO Producing Artistic Director), John Dover (Alien Baby), and a host of helpless dead composers who will probably be writhing in their graves. Electric Opera Company takes the stage at 9:00pm. Imagine 12 shredding Angus Youngs playing Rossini and Wagner, only cuter, and you’ve got the picture.

‘Sordid Lives’ is a benefit and housewarming party for OTO at the Mission Theater, where the company is now resident. Audience members will be invited to bid for their plot choices and participate in a raffle for fabulous prizes, with all proceeds benefitting OTO’s expanded programming at the Mission. The event is the culmination of a $10,000 fundraising drive to raise funds to help the company develop new performance and educational programming. This event is dedicated to the McMenamin brothers, with thanks for taking OTO on as a resident company.

CELEBRATING OTO’s NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH McMENAMINS

“McMenamins contacted us last year after our offer for the Guild Theatre fell through,” said OTO Producing Artistic Director Katie Taylor. “I can’t imagine a happier ending to that story!” OTO made headlines last summer for its lease offer on downtown’s Guild Theatre, dark since 2006 when the demolition of its restrooms put an end to NW Film Center’s residency there. The ambitious effort sparked the imaginations not just of film buffs and the Portland arts community, but of local architectural, engineering, construction and law firms who all offered pro bono services to bring the Guild back as a mid-sized live performance hall and retro movie house.

OTO’s effort was ultimately unsuccessful, but it attracted the interest of brew pub king Mike McMenamin, who read about it in The Oregonian. McMenamin asked Corporate Music Director Jimi Biron to contact Taylor, and after several meetings and conversations, they came up with a plan for OTO to use the Mission Theater as its home venue and office. The Mission also houses the Film, Music, and Event booking departments for McMenamins.

“We couldn’t be more delighted to have such a creative and progressive group as OTO share space with all of our event programmers,” Biron said. “We look forward, not only to some great performances in our venues, but to the energy and excitement that may be born of this creative brain trust.”

OTO’s plans for its residency at the Mission include a radio opera, movie musical sing-along nights with the planned OTO Community Choir, and the continuation of 'Sordid Lives' as a 12-episode online series.

ABOUT OPERA THEATER OREGON

OTO’s mission is to bring opera back into pop culture through creative editing and adaptation. Affordable, entertaining, and commonly available—online, in movie theaters, at bars, OTO helps more people connect with classical music in ways that feel relevant to peoples’ lives. OTO is resident at the Mission Theater.

WHAT: SORDID LIVES, A Choose Your Own Adventure Soap OPERA, featuring the Opera
Theater Oregon Technicolor Orchestra and Chorus. Special guests Electric Opera Company.

Benefit and housewarming for OTO’s new residency at The Mission Theater.
WHEN: Friday, May 6 - ONE NIGHT ONLY!
WHERE: The Mission Theater - 1624 NW Glisan St, Portland, OR 97209
WHO: Produced by Opera Theater Oregon
TICKETS: $15, on sale Friday, April 15: http://operatheateroregon.com/tickets.html
AGE RESTRICTION: 21+

Interview with Mattie Kaiser up at Oregon Music News

Bachxing Day returns! This year marks the fourth anniversary of Classical Revolution PDX's winter tradition of Bachxing Day, a musical celebration of the man and his music (on December 26th, Boxing Day.) No, there's no literal connection, but if you want to find out more about it, read our conversation here at OMN.

As a sidenote, I will be playing at Bachxing Day this year; on the mandolin a bouree from one of the cello suites and the top voice of one of the two-part inventions (however I will try to get someone else to play the other voice on another instrument) along with a prelude from another one of the cello suites but on the piano...yep, Bachxing Day is that kind of show.

Much Ado...

Haven't been blogging much lately; between life getting in the way and my natural need for a healthy amount of down-time, I haven't gotten much done by way of musicaloozings but no more excuses! Some updates about what I've been doing:

1. I have been posting reviews at Oregon Music News. That's been a good opportunity for me; it's got a wide readership and presents new challenges for me both from a writing and a technical blogging aspect. Haven't had anything up there in a while, but expect I will have more in the future.

2. Been doing some writing for the Hollywood Star--I should have a piece out in the November issue about LiveWire Radio, and one in December about Toastmasters International.

3. I wrote CD liner notes for a release by my friend Max Fuller, an excellent baroque cellist/gambist. It is his first CD, and is a recording of J.S. Bach's 3rd and 4th cello suites. I was honored Max asked me to do it; as much as I love Bach and respect Max's musicianship, this was a pleasurable undertaking.

4. I filled in for Brett Campbell doing the classical music calendar for the Willamette Week while he was on sabbatical for a month. I may have some more stuff there in the future as well.

5. Bach Cantata Choir Silent Auction! Always tons of work, and I could never accomplish it without the tireless efforts of my (much) better half, Kristin Sterling, and our partner in crime Judy Crockett. Loving the new wooden floors at Rose City Park Presbyterian church--what a live acoustic for the BCC concerts! If you haven't heard us sing in the new space yet, check us out again. I think you'll be amazed at the quality of sound the wooden floors allow us to generate.

6. Baroque Mandolin! I am playing my first mandolin recital on November 21st at Paramount Music on 60th and Stark with my teacher Jan De Weese, a man who plays more musical instruments than most people even know exist and who I feel very fortunate to study with. We are playing Bach's Invention no. 10, originally for clavier but transcribed for mandola and mandolin by Jan. I'm a little nervous, but have been practicing a lot and am excited by the way this is coming together.

So all of the above, plus a personal life (believe it or not,) a full-time job, and a college football season in which Oregon is the undisputed best team in the land and a clear favorite to play for the national championship (Go Ducks!), these have led me to neglect my little ol' blog for a while. Now a note on some things I haven't been doing:

1. I didn't get the National Endowment for the Arts Graduate Journalism Fellowship in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University. That was pretty disappointing; I know I'm qualified for it but the candidate pool was too deep (always feels great when you get a polite letter telling you in so many words that too many people who applied were better than you.) Still, I may apply for it next year, if I feel my pride can stand another such wound...As a side note, I also got rejected for an archaeological dig in Arizona that I applied for. Gotta take your lumps sometime I guess.

2. I gave up the viola da gamba. I started writing about it in the hubris of my excitement, but it really is a hard instrument, and I began to question my dedication almost as soon as I started taking lessons. Nothing to do with my teacher, a fine and knowledgeable musician named Douglas Laing, whom I would highly recommend (as well as Max Fuller; see no. 3 above) to anyone wanting to know more about this ancient, beautiful instrument. However, it's still tops on my 'I will learn this instrument one day' list. I had some readers from Australia and Hungary asking me for an update on my pursuit of the viol, so sad to disappoint them, but thrilled to know that readers as far afield as that follow my blog, to some degree or other.

I decided instead to focus my energies on the mandolin, an instrument for which I felt I had much greater facility, and just didn't seem quite as daunting (although Jan has had to spend a lot of time having me unlearn things I've been doing wrong in teaching myself over the years. Still working on that one.)

So there it is, in a nutshell. In addition to the mandolin recital I will be singing the annual BCC Christmas concert, this year featuring Parts 1-3 of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, works by Praetorius (including the famous Es ist ein Rose entsprungen), what may be the U.S. premier (we aren't quite sure) of a cantata by Sebastian Knupfer, and more. If you haven't heard the opening chorus for part 1 of the Xmas oratorio, Jauchzet Frolocket, come check it out in our new acoustic...it's as good as anything in the Messiah, but...Bach, not Handel.

There it is everyone, and thanks for following my (mis)adventures in music and writing.

Galen Huckins and Filmusik Collaborators to present the animation classic 'Gulliver's Travels' at the Hollywood Theatre

Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Huckins' work with his ingenious Filmusik project. I can't recommend it highly enough for music, film, and theater nuts, or anyone who just wants to have a great time seeing something really original. This should be a brilliant bit of fun, with or without the kids along. I will be reviewing this show on Friday July 23rd.

Following is a press release from Filmusik:

This summer Filmusik is turning a local movie theatre into a Hollywood Soundstage. A team of 30 Portland professionals from the field of movie soundtracks create the sound for a classic animation live in the pit. As the movie plays on the big screen, 4 cartoon actors give voice to the on-screen characters, sound effects artists create the noises from over a hundred foley props and the Filmusik Chamber ensemble performs the music from the film including many musical numbers and several sing-a-longs. For cartoon buffs, family, new music lovers and anyone who's ever wanted to know how they make that funny noise when Daffy Duck falls over. Filmusik: Gulliver's Travels is a new way to experience movies and sound. Incidentally, it's also the only place in town where you can sing along to a bouncing ball with a live orchestra and chorus backing you up!

Hollywood Theatre
July 16th, 21st, 23rd at 7pm
July 18th at 2pm
TICKETS $12/$10 Children, Students & Seniors

Tickets and more information available at www.filmusik.com
Also at the Hollywood Theatre box office at 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard
Or by calling (503) 281-4215

Oregon has always been particularly gifted when it comes to cartoon voice-over actors. Mel Blanc, graduate of Lincoln High School was the most widely recognized voice actor in the world, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and hundreds of others. Filmusik: Gulliver's Travels features 4 contemporary Portland talents: James Dineen, Todd Tolces, Chris Porter and Bill Barry. They have their hands full dubbing this cartoon with a cast of colorful singing Lilliputians. The voice-overs are directed by Sam A. Mowry, long time radio actor and Filmusik collaborator

“For the voice actor, everyone of us, it started when we watched the Saturday morning cartoons. We copied the voices, learned what made an exciting vocal choice or dynamic characters. Even before we knew thats what we learned. I’ve been lucky enough to work on some original animation projects and we have Todd Tolces, one of Will Vinton’s stalwarts during their heyday. Using your voice to add that final sparkle to such an amazing film is really quite magical. Recreating these classic cartoon legends with fidelity to the original, but being your own man, or king or giant for that matter is a dream come true for all of us. This is going to be amazing.”
- Sam A. Mowry – Voice-over Director

David Ian and his team of film Foley artists create the sound effects live. Tapping shoes together for footsteps, rattling doorknobs and crinkling cellophane. The props are flying as they keep time with the movie, matching every rattle, whistle and explosion.


"As a long time fan of the Fleischer Bros. work, it's a thrill for me to be able to work with this wonderful animation.
It's also a delight to be able to gently update some of the SFX while preserving that "vintage sound" that is so much part of the experience."
- Marc Rose - Sound Designer

The originally composed score by Galen Huckins draws on elements from the musical-toon era of the film with a more contemporary sensibility. The ensemble features strings, piano, clarinets and an arsenal of percussion.

"Music from animation tends to be very fast paced, the characters move with a musical rhythm of their own that the score adapts and transforms to its own purposes. It sounds a little schizophrenic played by itself, but its a lot of fun to perform.
- Galen Huckins - Composer

Fleischer's animated feature from 1939 tells Jonathon Swift’s travel adventure in a Betty Boop meets Moby Dick sort of way. There’s songs and dance, live sound effects, live voices and live music. It’s like Fantasia if Mickey Mouse were Goliath and the orchestra was right in your lap! With an original score performed live by the Filmusik Chamber ensemble and a cast of 20 performers. GULLIVER'S TRAVELS is a movie experience not to miss. It's a rare chance to see professional soundtrack artists at work. Get yourself some popcorn and be prepared to sing along!!

Hercules vs. Vampires review up at The Gathering Note

I've reviewed Filmusik and Opera Theater Oregon productions a number of times for NW Reverb and at my blog MusicalOozings, so for their latest endeavor I posted an exclusive review at the Gathering Note, a great classical music blog based in Seattle. You can read it here.

Opera Theater Oregon in 'Hercules vs. Vampires.'

Following is a press release from Opera Theater Oregon

Hercules vs. Vampires:

Technicolor opera slays bloodsuckers with song

Nine mighty operatic wailers and a 14-piece orchestra rattle Hollywood Theater, giving voice to a big, gaudy 1961 screen classic that pits mythology’s greatest hero against legions of Hell fiends!

PORTLAND – Opera Theater Oregon and Filmusik have hatched a two-headed mythological monster, soon to claw its way, amid a clamor of horns and operatic wailings, into the main auditorium at Hollywood Theater May 14-21. "Hercules Vs. Vampires" syncs a Technicolor cult classic with live performance of a new opera by Patrick Morganelli. Picture ‘Clash of the Titans’ with a singing Kraken, and you’ve got the idea.

“’Hercules’ is OTO and Filmusik’s love child – a big, freaky combination of the best of both of us,” says OTO Artistic Director Katie Taylor. “Working together, we’ve managed to create something grander and more thrilling than either of us could have done on our own.”

OTO and Filmusik both hit the scene with ambitious live performance/film projects back in 2007. Filmusik’s ‘Superman Orchestra’ paired up old Superman cartoons from the ‘40s with new scores by a brace of talented local composers and live voiceover by Willamette Radio Workshop. OTO came out the same year with ‘Opera Cinema: Carmen,’ a screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1915 ‘Carmen’ with live performance of the Bizet opera and live sound effects.

Five teams submitted proposals to compose the new opera that soundtracks ‘Hercules.’ The winner was LA’s Patrick Morganelli, a seasoned film composer whose resume includes work with Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director and producer Randall Wallace (BRAVEHEART, PEARL HARBOR, WE WERE SOLDIERS) and producer Stephen Zapotoczny (WE WERE SOLDIERS, FIGHT OR DIE), and with composers Christopher Young (SPIDERMAN 3) and Michael Giacchino (LOST, STAR TREK).

“This is a labor of love for Patrick,” says Taylor. Morganelli is, as it turns out, a huge fan of director Mario Bava and was very excited to resoundtrack one of his films.

The project, one of the most ambitious ever attempted by OTO or Filmusik, was made possible by a grant from REGIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL and WORK FOR ART.

ABOUT THE FILM: "Hercules Vs. Vampires" was one of many American titles given to the 1961 Italian sword and sandals epic, “Ercole al Centro della Terra” (‘Hercules at the Center of the Earth’), directed by horror legend Mario Bava (BLACK SUNDAY, FASHION HOUSE OF DEATH) and starring horror legend Christopher Lee (LORD OF THE RINGS, STAR WARS EPISODES II and III, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE).

This gorgeously-produced Technicolor gem is action-packed and wildly operatic in scope. The film follows a quest through hell by Hercules (Mr. Universe 1958, Reg Park) and Theseus (George Ardisson) - the object to rescue the beautiful Dianara (Leonara Ruffo) from eternal enslavement by the vampire-master, Lyco (Christopher Lee).

“I get to be the voice of Christopher Lee??? Freaking awesome!”

–baritone Bobby Ray of Electric Opera Company, on tap to sing vampire master Lyco

Director, screenwriter and cinematographer Mario Bava is one of the greatest names from the golden age of Italian horror films, known for his stunning, sometimes unsettling visuals. His work influenced an entire generation of directors and cinematographers, including Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton and Frances Ford Coppola. ‘Hercules’ represents a slight departure from the horror genre for Bava. It is widely recognized as the best of the popular and prolific ‘Hercules’ series that poured out of Italy in the ‘60s.

WHAT IS ‘SWORD AND SANDALS?’: Italian-made adventure or fantasy films dating from about 1957-64 with contrived plots based very loosely on Greek and Roman mythology, legions of lumbering papier mache monsters, and stars drawn from a seemingly bottomless pool of doe-eyed pageant winners and body building superstars.

THE CREATIVE TEAM: OTO and Filmusik’s ‘Hercules vs. Vampires’ stars baritone Michael Miersma (Hercules), soprano Camelia Nine (Dianara), tenor David Simmons (Theseus), mezzo soprano Claire Craig Sheets (Persephone), baritone Bobby Ray (Lyco), soprano Helen Funston (Zarathusa), tenor Ian Timmons (Keros), bass Paul Sadilek (Procrustes, the Rock Monster) and OTO Artistic Director Katie Taylor (Medea, the Oracle)...and features the glamorous girls and boys of the Opera Theater Oregon-Filmusik Technicolor Orchestra.

New operatic soundtrack composed/text adapted by Patrick Morganelli. Music direction by OTO Musical Director Erica Melton. Technical direction by Filmusik Artistic Director Galen Huckins. Produced and directed by OTO Artistic Director KatieTaylor.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS: Tickets, $15 general admission, $12 students and seniors, are available by calling PDXTix at 503-205-0715, or online at www.operatheateroregon.com. All shows are all ages. Concessions are allowed in the auditorium and available throughout the evening. Group rates are available. Call 503-234-4515 for details. This world premiere production of “Hercules vs. Vampires” is generously supported by a grant from REGIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL and WORK FOR ART, and by the support of individual donors. Special thanks to BetaFilms.

ABOUT Opera Theater Oregon

Opera Theater Oregon's mission is to bring opera back into pop culture through creative editing and adaptation. Affordable, entertaining, and commonly available (bars, movie theaters, online), OTO helps more people connect with classical music in a way that feels relevant to their lives. OTO is a 501c(3) tax exempt organization, IRS Section 170b(2)iii for both federal and state tax purposes.

ABOUT Filmusik

Based out of Portland, Oregon. Filmusik is a collaborative performance group of musicians, composers and actors creating a unique movie experience by performing a new soundtrack for classic films live in the pit.

WHAT: Opera Theater Oregon and Filmusik present “Hercules vs. Vampires,” a 1960s cult classic brought back to the big screen with all the dialogue turned into opera by composer Patrick Morganelli and performed live by nine glorious voices and a 14-piece chamber orchestra.

WHEN/WHERE: May 14, 18, 20 and 21 at 7:30pm/May 16, 2:00pm (matinee). ALL SHOWS ALL AGES (run time 90 minutes). Hollywood Theater, 4122 Northeast Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR.

WHO: Produced by Opera Theater Oregon and Filmusik; new commissioned opera and adaptation of libretto by composer Patrick Morganelli; original 1961 film directed by Mario Bava (Black Sunday, Fashion House of Death); musical direction by OTO Musical Director Erica Melton; produced and directed by OTO Artistic Director Katie Taylor; technical direction by Filmusik Artistic Director Galen Huckins.

Starring a cast of rising operatic talent, including baritone Michael Miersma (Hercules), soprano Camelia Nine (Dianara), tenor David Simmons (Theseus), mezzo soprano Claire Craig Sheets (Persephone), and baritone Bobby Ray (Lyco). Made possible by a grant from REGIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL and WORK FOR ART.

TICKETS: $15 (general admission). Call PDXtix at 503-205-0715, or go online to operatheateroregon.com. Group rates available. Contact Katie at Opera Theater Oregon for details: 503-234-4515, kt@operatheateroregon.com.

WHY: Because it is awesome to watch Mr. Universe 1958 crush boulders on the big screen while appearing to sing beautiful music.


Editor's Note: It's no secret that I love OTO and Filmusik to death--film lovers, music lovers, novelty seekers alike will find something to love about these performances. --Lorin W.

CRPDX to present 3rd annual Bachxing Day on Dec. 26th.

Following is a press release from Classical Revolution Portland:

Classical Revolution Presents The Third Annual:
Bachxing Day!! December 26th at The Someday Lounge
WHAT: Bachxing Day
WHO: Classical Revolution PDX
WHEN: December 26th, 2009. 9 PM
WHERE: The Someday Lounge – 125 NW 5th Ave, Portland OR 97209
COST: $5

Bachxing Day has become staple Portland celebration as members of Classical Revolution PDX perform their own interpretations of Bach sonatas, cello suites, cantatas and a special performance of the Third Brandenburg Concerto in honor of their third year at the Someday Lounge.

“Bachxing Day is always one of my favorite Classical Revolution events,” says CRPDX founder Mattie Kaiser, “the evening is all about how we personally express the music of one of the greatest composers of all time. At the Someday Lounge every interpretation is valid - whether it’s Bach on baritone, bassoon or banjo!”

All are encouraged to bring their instruments and show Classical Revolution how they play Bach. Audience members can also join in on the fun by creating ridiculous Bach names, puns and haikus to win prizes.

Happy Bachxing Day!

For more information please visit
www.classicalrevolutionpdx.org
www.somedaylounge.com


As a sidenote, I'd like to add that this event is really a blast and there's no better way to shake off thos post-Xmas blues. I'll probably even be playing a little something at this one...

LW

New Article up at Primer Magazine; new gadgets on my blog

Hey all,

I have a new article published here at Primer Magazine, a sort of introduction to live classical music for someone unfamiliar with it. Not that any of you need it, but it may make for an interesting read anyway.

Also, there are a couple of ways to follow my blog now if you're interested, which will both make it easier for you to keep track of Musical Oozings, and also allow me to feel much more popular, something which I desperately need after my devastating experiences in high school. ;0)

You can become a 'Follower,' (not as Manson-Jim Jones cultish as it sounds), or sign up to receive notice of new postings through the feed reader of your choice. You can choose to either follow it publicly or privately. Happy Halloween!

Baroque Bash! Opulent madness strikes the Holocene

Members of PBO perform at the Baroque Bash


Last Wednesday night, members of Classical Revolution Portland, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, and opera-rockers Sophe Lux threw a crazy party at the Holocene in SE Portland. I had the opportunity to open the show on solo harpsichord, floating the somber strains of a Purcell Almand into a still-murmuring crowd unannounced. I made some brief announcements followed by a Haydn sonata, and it took off from there.

It was a miniature who's who of some notables in P-town's classical music scene: Andrea Murray and Edmund Stone from KBPS All Classical were there; Mark Powell, Marketing Director and gracious host for the PBO was present. JustOut columnist and local music blogger Stephen Marc Beaudoin, (a fabulous tenor) performed what was without a doubt the most unique rendition of any Handelian opera aria that I've ever heard. Cellist/watercolorist extraordinaire Lori Presthus, as well as magnificent violinists Adam LaMotte and Greg Ewer, all of the PBO, wowed the crowd with the sterling level of musicianship that we've all come to know and love from that organization. Ralph Nelson, Artistic Director of the Bach Cantata Choir (and owner of the beautiful harpsichord we used for the event) also showed up. Of course, CRPDX founder Mattie Kaiser (aka Foxy Lux) and a regular crew of CRPDXers were there, in addition to Gwynneth Haynes and Sophe Lux, who played after the baroque performances were over. (If I've missed or didn't recognize anyone please forgive.)

A complete set list is available here at the CRPDX blog, and as I mentioned, the show opened with little ol' me. Although I didn't play nearly as well as I'd hoped (nor nearly as poorly as I'd feared) I really had a blast, and I got the very strong impression that all of the other performers and the audience did as well. It was a little unnerving for me playing on the same bill as members of the PBO, the cream of Portland's burgeoning Baroque scene, but I'm proud of my musicianship all the same and was grateful to have the chance to share the stage with such good musicians. Watching Mattie, Erin Winemiller and two CRPDX violinists whose names I don't know play a couple movements of a Haydn string quartet, I felt a certain warmth--I'd performed, gotten bloodied so to speak, and so felt a cameraderie that lent the rest of the evening a pleasant glow.

The finalists gather...

The scene shifted to another room where two cellists whose names I don't know (please feel free to shout out in the comments section) played the concertina from a Vivaldi double cello concerto with funky backbeats and psychedelic lighting. When Stephen Marc Beaudoin took the spotlight to sing two numbers from Handel's Rodelinda (heard in P-town last year thanks to the Portland Opera), it was a study in contrasts, to say the least. The first aria was tender, heart-rending, very introspective and honest. The second ended with Beaudoin hurling various articles of clothing into the audience, standing only in boxers and a t-shirt by the end of this baroque burlesque...honesty of a different sort?

Jan Groh of the Nachtigal Duo and Simon Bielman played a tricky Telemann recorder sonata quite well. They had been practicing in my living room earlier in the week, so it was fun to hear how much this piece had evolved in such a short time. Lori Presthus played a glorious Courante from Bach's 1st Cello Suite, and I was thrilled to hear this since I own her CD of the first 3 cello suites (going to get the second installment soon.) She also improvised, displaying her daring and virtuosity. Ewer and LaMotte showed their skills in a violin duet played at a positively blistering tempo, and the three PBO musicians closed out the Baroque part of the bash with Vivaldi's 'La Folia.'

Next came the costume competition. There were quite a number of lavish costumes...a neo-baroque hipster thing with a pink wig, Marie Antoinette-ish ensembles. Beaudoin led the festivities in a suitably boisterous manner, letting the audience applause judge the winners of various categories (including 'The Most Glam F*!#ing Glam' division). Despite the fact that there were many costumes that I felt left mine in the dust, somehow when it was all said and done I was the last man standing, and won two CDs and a hilarious 'Baroque Obama' t-shirt, courtesy of Classical Millenium. After receiving a stern, crowd-pleasing smack on the ass from the host (I'm sure we'd both had a few rounds by this point), it was intermission. PDX glam faves Sophe Lux took the stage afterwards, and I was glad to hear my favorite tune of theirs, the very apropos 'Marie Antoinette Robot.' I've written about their performances here before.

All in all, it was a ridiculous amount of fun. It had the interesting effect of taking some of the starch out of classical music while simultaneously celebrating that very aspect of it, and of bringing both the audience and performers together in a very unique way. Leave it to CRPDX come up with something like this...I sure hope they do it again.

And the winner is...

Press Release from CRPDX

CLASSICAL REVOLUTION PDX PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Mattie Kaiser ClassicalRevolutionPDX@gmail.com
Powder your wig and lace up your corset for…
The Baroque Bash - September 17th at Holocene
WHAT: Baroque Bash
WHO: Sophe Lux (myspace.com/sophelux); Classical Revolution PDX (classicalrevolutionpdx.org) and members of the Portland Baroque Orchestra (pbo.org)
WHEN: September 17th, 9 PM
WHERE: Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, Portland
COST: $8 at the door; $6 for those in costume.

Baroque music meets baroque pop for a first-of-its-kind show at the Holocene nightclub on September 17th.
The “Baroque Bash” features performances by beloved chamber-rockers Sophe Lux, chamber music collaborative Classical Revolution PDX and special guests from Portland Baroque Orchestra, the Pacific Northwest’s premiere period instrument ensemble. CRPDX and the PBO Chamber Players will perform works by Bach, Haydn, Vivaldi and other 17th and early 18th Century composers. Sophe Lux, known as much for their lavish costumes and mini-operettas as for their musicianship, will play original songs hailed by the Portland Tribune as being “operatic, ambitious...sophisticated, theatrical pop.” The Philadelphia Weekly described them as “fancy-dressed, concept-loving, rock-opera terrorists... This Weimar-infused, accordion-loving experimental cabaret is led by the blond and beautiful Gwynneth Haynes, whose octave-jumping soprano could easily turn from indie rock to Brecht-Weill torch songs.”

Singer Gwynneth Haynes invites the audience to fully participate in the evening by taking on Baroque characteristics. Says Haynes “Don’t just be a spectator, be a part of the spectacle!” Audiences are invited to join in the evenings festivities by donning outfits and wigs for the evening’s costume contest.

Tom Cirillo, Executive Director of Portland Baroque Orchestra, jumped at the invitation from Classical Revolution PDX to bring live performance of 18th century music to a “downtown” club venue like Holocene. He says, “18th century music is all about flash, spectacle and live improvisation. A party-like setting with adult refreshments is certainly in the spirit of the music and I know our virtuoso violinists Greg Ewer and Adam LaMotte will thrive in the energy of this unique event at Holocene.”

Violist Mattie Kaiser, who performs with Classical Revolution PDX and Sophe Lux, says the Baroque Bash will demonstrate the commonality between Baroque music and the literate, musically complex pop songs produced by bands like Sophe Lux. She likens the best music of the Baroque, known for its emphasis on ornament and extravagance, to glam rock: “I really don’t think there’s that much of a difference between the baroque music pageantry that existed back in the day and glam - it’s all about being completely ridiculous with the utmost sincerity.”


Blogger's sidenote: I'd like to add that I think this sounds really fun and I will definitely be there. You might even have the great misfortune of hearing me play some Purcell on the harpsichord... I also thank Ralph Nelson, Artistic Director of the Bach Cantata Choir, for the use of his harpsichord for this event.

CRPDX lights up the Someday Lounge

Members of Classical Revolution Portland (with a little help from a group of singers from Opera Theater Oregon) held their monthly Chamber Jam at the Someday Lounge on June 24th. This cool little lounge with the wistful, faraway-sounding name (with a great stage for such a small place) is one of the usual haunts for CRPDX, and is also home for the OTO, so everyone felt right at home both in the audience and onstage. While I wasn't able to attend the second half, there was definitely enough great music in the first two hours of the show to write about here. (If you don't already know who CRPDX is and what their goals are, check out the links above, and I've always got them linked off to the side of this blog.) I wasn't able to get the names of all of the performers who played in the pieces listed below (informality is one of CRPDX's hallmarks) so if anyone who is reading this performed or knows who the performers are, please chime in in the comments section! I'll mention the names of the ones I do know.

The evening started out with a Mozart String Quartet, K 155, written by the maestro when he was only 16. The performance was mic'd, which I strongly disapproved of at first. As the night went on and the crowd grew louder however, I soon realized the wisdom of this decision. After all, CRPDX is about taking classical music to new spaces and different audiences with a whole new set of ground rules (or none at all,) so using a microphone so that a lounge crowd can still be a lounge crowd was a good choice after all, despite the inherent flaws of an amplified performance.

Some slight intonation problems from the low strings (which were unfortunately magnified by the microphone and might not have easily been noticeable otherwise) occasionally marred the beginning, but once they got warmed up this seemed to work itself out. Still, it's hard to be too picky; this is a chamber jam after all, jam implying an informality of sorts that makes it difficult to pick apart a performance. There were four guys up there, good musicians all, doing what they loved, and that came through loud and clear. The following Andante and Allegro (I don't know the piece well and there may have been a fourth movement in there somewhere) were largely crisp and clean, the way I love my Mozart. It's still a little strange for me to hear clapping in between movements, but again, that's kind of the whole point of this kind of thing. From a logical standpoint, each movement, while part of a larger whole, can also stand by itself, and if one isn't familiar with the traditions of classical music (or is performing in a space where those rules don't matter) it makes sense and is polite to clap at each full stop. So bring on the applause.

Next up I was thrilled to see Tuesday Rupp and Ben Landsverk, both of whom I've written about recently (in my post about the Rachel Taylor Brown show at this blog in Ben's instance, and about Tuesday in a review of In Mulieribus at Northwest Reverb.) One of the highlights of that performance for me was Tuesday's riveting solo on A Chantar m'er, an ancient, heart-wrenching song about rejection. She sang it again last Tuesday night, with Landsverk improvising on the viola, and Tuesday joining in for the occasional muffled battery on a bodhran of some kind. Tuesday's delivery was almost savage, and Landsverk's accompaniment, which even took the form of a long solo at one point, was never dull to hear; he used a lot of open, droning strings that gave it an appropriately ancient feel. I was definitely glad to hear this song again, and in its new iteration it lost nothing of the qualities that I liked so much about it in the first place.

Next up was a piece by French composer Andre Jolivet, Chant de Linos, which as far as I can tell was originally written for flute, string trio and harp but in this case was transcribed for flute and piano. The pianist may have been Adam Whiting, and I'm not sure who the flutist was but I wish I did so I could give her props; she was really good, and played this virtuosic piece marvelously. It was very far out; atonal in parts, using strange rhythms, a work based on an ancient form but using the most modern compositional techniques. Parts of it reminded me of Debussy's famous Syrinx for solo flute. At one point this work seemed to have a soporific effect on the boisterous lounge audience, and everything quieted down almost to nothing in unintentional homage to this eerie, captivating piece.

Next was a requiem for piano and four cellos by David Popper, a Czech composer working during the latter half of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th. When emcee Mattie Kaiser announced that the next piece was a requiem, someone from the audience shouted out "who died!?" and this drew some hearty laughter. No one seemed to know, so I looked it up and apparently Popper wrote it for Daniel Rahter (it was originally scored for a full orchestra plus the cello trio,) who was one of his early publishers. The piece was also played at Popper's own funeral by some of his students.

Kira Whiting played piano, joined by (if I'm correct) Adam Whiting and Amy Winemiller and another cellist whose name I don't know. Kudos to all the pianists, btw, for playing so well on an instrument that was just ghastly out of tune. Just another quirk of many in the evening. At any rate, parts of the piece struck me as rather cheerful for a requiem. The maudlin, 'pathetique' sections were intoned sensitively by the cellists. This called for a big, bold sound, and the group delivered just that. The Requiem was a big hit with the crowd. [NOTE: See the comment below for updates/corrections.]

The first half (and for me, the night) closed with a large ensemble piece that Mattie had been referring to quixotically all evening as 'the F. Mercury concerto.' My friend Jeanne who attended with me caught on rather more quickly than I did, and asked 'is that as in Freddie Mercury?' Sure enough, a large group of singers from the OTO took the stage, along with electric guitar, bass and drums provided by the Karaoke from Hell band who play at Dante's Inferno. It would've been hard to pick a better closer than Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Everyone was dressed to the 9s, the soloist did a good job with the extremely difficult task of trying to match Freddie's tessitura, and for all that it was a bit raucous and had a few rough edges, honestly, do you really want anything else from a performance of a work by glam god Freddie Mercury?

Although I've seen CRPDX members play in other formations before, this was my first true CRPDX jam, and I couldn't recommend it more highly both to traditional classical music fans and to those who may have no idea what classical music is about, but have an interest in checking it out in an informal setting. I was talking with Maria, one of the OTO singers with whom I've sung in the Portland Symphonic Choir, and she spoke enthusiastically about how this was how classical music was heard back in the day, how Mozart might have listened to much of his music in a rowdy tavern. I couldn't agree more. While I still love all the frills and traditions and stuffiness that goes along with classical music, I understand how that could be a turn-off to someone who is new to the genre, and CRPDX is a great introduction to the world of this incredible music.

I'm sad I wasn't able to stay and hear the Vivaldi, Verdi, Schumann, Shostakovich and Donizetti that made up the second half. For three bucks. Just goes to show that the quality of music and the cost of getting in the door can often have nothing to do with one another. If you want to have a kick-ass time listening to great music, check them out at the Salem Arts Fair and Festival on July 20th or at Costello's Travel Cafe on July 31.