Review of Colin Currie and the Oregon Symphony playing Danny Elfman's 'Percussion Concerto' up at Classical Voice North America

  In my first assignment for CVNA, I reviewed the June 4th concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. You can read the article here.

Team Quackamas' Birdathon Big Day, or There and Back Again: A Birder's Holiday

Dominic Valenti, Molly LeCompte, Lorin Wilkerson, Jenny Jones, with Kristin Sterling behind the camera. Hermit Warbler habitat.

    When I decided to embark on the insanity that is a Big Day, it wasn't necessarily because I initially had a desire to do one this year; it was sort of a confluence of circumstance; call it a crime of opportunity. First off, Bird Alliance of Oregon's annual Birdathon fundraiser was coming up, and I initially thought I might not form a team; I would just find one to join. I had my right hip replaced on Aril 16, so while I had been birding as much as I could since the hip finally went out last September, I'd not been birding nearly as much nor in as varied of locales as I am used to. Even so, I was planning on taking it easier than I usually do for Birdathon this year. I’ll just go ahead and say ‘epic fail’ to that plan and move on.

    When Birdathon went and opened up a competitive Big Day division for the first time, all kinds of old fires were stoked, and my latent desire to get 100 birds in a day in my home county of Clackamas, which I have been obsessively birding for going on 6 years, exploded into full bloom. Then, when all but one of my first choice picks for a team immediately said yes to my fishing expedition, the deal was sealed. 

    In no particular order other than chronological, I first asked my good Portland birding buddy Molly LeCompte and she was in. Possessed of incredibly keen hearing and great birding instincts, her eyesight is so good that I seldom even bother offering her a look through my scope anymore because the amount of detail she can pick out with her binoculars is uncanny. I’ve birded with her for years, and I unfailingly get more and better birds whenever she’s along. She agreed to be our photographer for the day.

    Dominic Valenti, board member of Salem Audubon and consistently one of the top birders in Marion and Yamhill counties, as well as the Oregon Birds field notes compiler for the Marion/Polk/Yamhill region, also said yes. (In an effort to bird Yamhill more, a few years ago I challenged him to a yearlong birding competition in that county and he cleaned my clock (the final score was 150-107). It was a gentlemen’s bet based on eBird placement, and since he was first and I a very distant fourth, I duly bought him a pint of excellent beer the following year.) He was our eBird listmaster.

    Jenny Jones was in too, just being her all-around awesome self. Ive had the pleasure of serving on the board of the Oregon Birding Association with her, and though she retired from the board she is still instrumental in planning the OBA’s newly revived in-person annual meetings. She’s always right in the mix near the tip top of the hypercompetitive (yet very collegial) Multnomah Co. birding community, and, as with both Molly and Dom, whenever she’s along, I feel like I become a better birder (even though I really don’t; it’s just them.)

    Most importantly, my wife Kristin Sterling, a competent (though not obsessed) birder in her own right, and the most stalwart, talented and indefatigable volunteer and organizer I have ever known, said yes to being our non-birding driver. She was our ‘Mama Duck’ for the day. This was crucially important because it allowed us to save lots of time; she could drop us off at one location and pick us up at another, run errands while we were at long stops, etc. Plus, she’s the one that came up with our name: Team Quackamas. I mean, c’mon—what better name could there be? 

    These are all people I have had the privilege to have birded and volunteered with extensively over the years, people who I respect, admire, and genuinely like, folks with whom I could imagine spending  a long, grueling, exhilarating day in the field, a day which would nevertheless not be without its stressors. Speaking of stressors, I was along as the route planner and Clackamas County bird nut who's driven thousands of miles on these roads over the years, plus I did service as the team's all-purpose worrywart and harridan, trying and failing to keep us on time, principally because that's so difficult a task for me to manage for myownself, let alone for anyone else. But there we were.

    So that was it. In short order Team Quackamas went from being a plan to a reality. After a few scouting missions, including an almost complete drive of the intended route, the Big Day was upon us.

MAY 30:  NOTE:  The eBird Trip Report containing a map, a condensed version of this narrative, and all referenced checklists, photos and recordings can be found by clicking this link.

    4:35am. Molly, Kristin and I showed up 10 min late to meet Dom and Jenny at the Tualatin park and ride. (Tardiness my fault; way to go fearless leader) and we headed straight to Graham Oaks to listen for owls in the pre-dawn darkness. No playback for us, and we didn't need it. Molly busted out her awesome Barred Owl call, complete with a difficult, seamless, downward yodeling transition from loft voice to modal. She yawped it out at full volume a couple times and soon drew one in; it answered spookily from somewhere deep in the towering dark of the Doug fir wood that loomed over us.

    5:01am. As light peeked over the horizon, we arrived at Coffee Creek @ Boeckman Rd. Here was our only shot at Marsh Wren; I was worried they might be late sleepers. Not so; we had at least 5, both heard and seen, and they are notorious skulkers. Singing Northern Yellow Warbler was good to get right off the bat, as were multiple Spotted Sandpipers. Jenny and I heard Northern Rough-winged Swallow early, which was nice. Waterfowl and shorebirds were our main targets here, and were unfortunately sparse in numbers but not in quality; we dipped on the Blue-winged Teal, Wilson's Snipe, peeps and Yellowlegs we’d been hoping for, but scored our only Cinnamon Teal of the day, and just as we were ready to give up on the rare Wilson's Phalaropes that had been hanging out recently, eagle-eye Jenny scoped one way out on the far side of the lake, and we were all able to get on it.

    6:57am. We arrived at Luscher Farm around 40 minutes off schedule, which was to be the theme for the day. Did it cost us birds? Or did it net us birds? I suppose there’s no way to know, but we had some very serendipitous gets that we may have missed had we not been at a specific spot at a specific time. 

    Case in point: something interesting flew across the road right in front of us en route from Brown’s Ferry to Luscher; I squawked and pointed, and Dom was on it tout de suite; we all snagged our only sapsucker of the day as a Red-breasted made its way up a tree right next to us at a stop sign. Luscher was our best chance for Western Bluebird, Brewer's Blackbird and Cliff Swallow and they did not disappoint; Molly's photography skills came through again with great shots of all of them (photos). (She had some stunners of Red-winged Blackbird, Black-headed Grosbeak and Wood Duck at Brown's Ferry prior to this stop.)

    7:17am. Willamette Park/Publisher’s Pond was on the list in case we needed Black Phoebe, but we’d all gotten it earlier at Coffee Creek. Nevertheless, Molly was able to get a great shot of the resident bird that’s been there for years at the pumphouse (photo), and our only Belted Kingfisher made its appearance there. 

    Molly and Dom added Northern Rough-winged Swallow to their lists, thereby cleaning up this “dirty bird.” (Note: A certain percentage of birds will count toward a team total if fewer than all but at least two team members identify it. Jenny and I had heard one earlier in the day, meaning it provisionally counted toward our team total, but Molly and Dom hadn’t heard or seen it, so in the parlance of competitive team birding it had been ‘dirty.’ Them getting it later meant it was now ‘clean,’ since we had all ID’d one by that point. It’s not a knock on the bird, it’s just a competition term to note a (provisionally) 'counting' bird not observed by all team members). Dom pointed out the polyphonic Star Wars blaster gun burp of a Purple Martin flying overhead, which was one of the main targets here; it was encouraging to have 6 of 7 possible swallow species this early in the day. 

    Jenny spotted a Hooded Merganser mama and ducklings, the first time I’d seen ducklings of that species; those were our only Hoodie Mergs of the day, so WP/PP, as Clackamas birders affectionately call it (or at least I do), paid off nicely.  It is sad to think that this big, beautiful wetland, beloved of the West Linn community, is still in danger of being developed, as attested to by the ‘Save the Willamette Wetlands’ sign that has bedizened Kristin's and my yard for the last year.  I know my friends in this neighborhood are working hard to see that development doesn’t happen.

    7:54am. We scoped what would prove to be our only gulls of the day at Willamette Falls: Glaucous-winged and Western. The latter we decided on only after photo review the next day showed no traits that would have us call it an Olympic. I was pleased that Double-crested Cormorant showed; they’d proven stubbornly elusive recently, and after I finally turned up just one lonely individual on my last scout, I’d been mentally prepared to miss this bird on count day. I don’t know where they go this time of year, but it ain’t here.

    8:15am.  Canemah Bluff, up above the former portage of the Kalapuya tribe and the old settler’s town that was washed away in the apocalyptic floods of 1861-62, was one of the keystone stops of the day: Hutton’s Vireo, Bald Eagle and wood warblers were the prime targets. We were rewarded with Black-throated Gray, Wilson’s, and great looks at Orange-crowned Warbler, though we were sad to dip on Nashville, and still had no eagle. In addition, no new waterfowl were seen as we scoped WP/PP from our high vantage point across the Willamette, but having Kristin as a non-birding driver meant she could shuttle our scopes from the viewpoint back to the car for us as we pressed on through the mixed oak/conifer woodland (thanks K!), thereby saving valuable time. 

    

    As we approached the pioneer cemetery, we heard the repeated upslurred rasp of singing Hutton’s Vireo, right where I’d hoped it would be. In addition, we got our first Olive-sided Flycatcher of the day early; we heard its ‘quick three beers!’ song, and soon Molly had a great shot of it sitting on a snag with a beautiful Cedar Waxwing (photo). Hairy Woodpecker and Bewick’s Wren also sat on bare branches for our photog, and a Mourning Dove unhurriedly made its way down the path ahead of us (photos).

    9:30-10:15am. The Canby area swales (Blount and Anderson) were dried up and plowed under to varying degrees, but we still needed a few key species that would not likely be found anywhere else. The longshot Western Kingbird didn’t show, and neither did Northern Harrier or Western Meadowlark (that last miss a particularly sore blow), but Molly spotted our first Kestrel of the day at Blount, and as well we got Eurasian Collared Dove, thereby completing our Columbiformes grand slam early. (Along with our several MODOs, Jenny had previously pointed out a flock of Rock Pigeons as we were driving through town, and Dom had a keen spot of a lone Band-tailed Pigeon high above the neighborhood at WP/PP.) 

    We got nice looks at the first of many singing Lazuli Bunting at Anderson, but the big surprise there was the small flock of Bank Swallows that repeatedly buzzed low over our heads, thereby allowing us to (unexpectedly) run the table on swallows; alone out of family Hirundinidae, Banks were the only local species for which I had not strategized, their one colony known to me being too far out of our path to reach without spending too much time. So it was kismet to get such a nice heard-and-seen bunch here.

    10:13am. Now more than an hour behind schedule but starting to get used to it, I began to start worrying about the ‘shoulda’ species; birds that we really ‘shoulda’ gotten by now but were still missing. The day was still young, but not having Western Tanager and Bald Eagle yet was starting to bother me. As we made our way toward Molalla, praying for Western Kingbird and Northern Harrier (both negatory), it was the missing Baldie that really bothered me. As soon as I said that aloud, Molly shouted ‘Bald Eagle!’ as though I’d summoned it through sheer force of will. (Sadly, not a birding ability that I actually possess.)  We pulled over on McCown Road, looking all over for the now-lost raptor; I was finally able to re-spot it at the top of a very tall conifer far in the distance, and everyone got on it. Fortunately so, because we wouldn’t get another one all day.

    11:11am. After getting the loud, colorful, charismatic Bullock’s Oriole and Acorn Woodpecker (recording) after our bio break at Clark’s Park, Ivor Davies Park, on the far side of Molalla, had me nervous. The ‘big three’ we needed here were Ring-necked Pheasant, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Yellow-breasted Chat; the latter two were possible but unlikely later, but this was our last shot at the gamebird, and none of these species were by any means guaranteed for the day. Dom pointed out that they were all big and/or loud birds, so we shouldn’t need a lot of time here. 

    As the day got hotter and we wandered on, moving through this wonderful patch far faster than I ever had before, I began to wonder if this would be our first ‘zero stop’ of the day; that is a stop producing no new day birds. If so, it was a big, long stop to zero out on.  We passed the woods surrounding Shorty’s Pond, where I hear and/or see the hawks as often as not: nothing. We went up onto the Forest Road on the other side of the park, what I call the ‘back 40,’ and after passing through a corridor of singing Swainson’s Thrush (recording) we finally picked up another shoulda in Western Tanager. 

    We were only about a 5-minute walk away from where Kristin waited to meet us when a Ring-necked cock crowed loudly nearby, and we all breathed a sigh of relief. As we were about done, and at the expected spot, we heard the chat rattling out its odd, at-turn-sweet-raspy song with its disjointed series of grunts, squeaks, whistles and chortles, and no sooner did that happen than the hawk started ‘kiyah!’ing right over the top of it, sounding off from back the way we had come. Smiles and relieved laughter all around; we had gotten the big three.

    1:48pm After a long, birdless commute from Molalla and a disastrous attempt at lunch in Estacada where an entire Little League team was in line at Subway and the lone food truck was closed, we found ourselves dipping on American Dipper (haha I know) time and again at all the spots on the Upper Clackamas River. We ran into Kristin’s old whitewater kayaking buddies at one spot and Molly got a great shot of White-crowned Sparrow with a bee in its mouth (photo) but still we had no dipper. 

    As we stood peering out over the edges of the Armstrong Bridge, the Clackams River rushing noisily beneath us, a small brown duck with white patches on her cheeks erupted from beneath our feet, winging her way upriver with rapid-fire wingbeats, possessed of all the grace, speed and purpose of a fighter jet, and then she was gone around a bend in the river.  I’d been hoping against all hope to get my long-time county nemesis, the Harlequin Duck, but never thought we would. For years now I’ve searched for her, grinding up and down trails and rubbly riverbanks on both the Clackamas and Sandy rivers as June wound on getting hotter by the day, frustrated each time. And now there she was. Whatever else would happen that day, here my day was made: that was a county bird for all of us. (Now if I can just do something about that Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch…)

    2:18pm. After getting nothing but white-water rafters at Hole in the Wall, where we’d been hoping for MacGillivray’s Warbler and dipper, we purposely overshot Pipeline Road and headed to Sandstone Road for one last try at the dipper, and another bird that was heavily into shoulda territory, the Rufous Hummingbird. I was also hoping for Cassin’s Vireo, but we would get neither dipper, hummer, nor vireo that day. (The ubiquitous Western Warbling Vireo excepted.)

    However, the rest of the team got looks at a MacGillivray’s Warbler that I somehow missed. I couldn’t even take comfort in it being a dirty bird, because it was our fifth dirty and we weren’t yet at a hundred species on the day, which meant it wasn’t a counter; as mentioned earlier, no more than 5% of all birds on a team Big Day list can be 'dirty' and still count, so until we cleaned some of those up or got to 100 species, we were leaving birds on the table. ‘Dirty Mac’ was bird number 93, and three of the dirties were mine; I began to feel like I was letting my team down, a feeling no team leader has ever liked, I'm sure. 

    2:35pm. We backtracked to Pipeline Road and headed up to Three Lynx Meadow, where things stabilized a bit, as we heard and saw our only Chipping Sparrow (recording). Another bright spot was that Jenny was able to get me on a ridiculously distant singing Northern House Wren; that was one of my dirties and I was the only one who hadn’t heard it, so we cleaned that one up. Jenny's ability to hear through many layers of bird vocalizations and background noise both near and far, and to then hone in on something that specific buried so deeply in the soundscape is truly amazing.

    Not long after, we stopped at a spot for Black-backed Woodpecker, to no avail. I cleaned up another bird with Chestnut-backed Chickadee, so now we had some breathing room, and we had our best listen of the day at Hairy Woodpecker and Western Flycatcher (recording). Jenny, Dom and I then heard one solitary squelching ‘quark!’ of a Mountain Quail, which was another longshot bird, but we were in the right habitat. Molly wasn’t sure if she heard it, but later on we would all hear one up close, calling many times (recording), so this bird wasn’t dirty for long.

    4:21pm. As we continued through the high conifer woods of the Western Cascades on the surprisingly good NF roads, Pileated and Black-backed Woodpecker joined the ranks of the shouldas, but there was still good habitat ahead. We heard a Sora sing his loud, mesmerizing song at Pipeline Wetland (recording), and finally completed the wren grand slam with a singing Pacific, and a calling Hammond’s Flycatcher on the road between Frog Lake (the lower reservoir in the Western Cascades, not the big one off Hwy 26) and Lake Harriet would give us three Empids for the day.

    I had cleaned up ‘Dirty Mac’ by now, but only Jenny and I heard Canada Jay calling. However, around 5pm we got Hermit Warbler as bird #100 so that gave us even a little more breathing room, but by now I was pretty sure the record was out of reach; we’d just had too many no-shows on the valley floor and Western Cascades. That said, 100 species was a huge milestone, and there were no long faces, just congratulations all around; triple digits had been a huge goal all day, and we were now there with several hours of daylight and numerous species still ahead. “We got the mashed potatoes,” I said excitedly, “now I want as much gravy as we can possibly get!”

Timothy Lake. Barrow's Goldeneeye habitat. Photo by Kristin Sterling.

    5:18pm. We rolled into Timothy Lake from the back side, hitting the Dam Day Use area first. The heat haze, coupled with the stiff afternoon breeze that rattled our scopes and chopped the lake into small whitecaps didn’t help matters any, and the stop didn’t prove as lucrative as we had hoped. Still, mama Mallard tootled unconcernedly along with babies in tow (photo), and we all oohed and aahed, though we’d all seen many Mallards by now; it was nice to still be in love with the common birds, even on such a curious venture as this. Jenny got on a key species for the day with a male Barrow’s Goldeneye, and we added Western Grebe, Townsend’s Warbler and multiple singing Hermit Thrushes. 

    We also snagged another counting bird: it was our only ‘slash’ of the day. As three of us peered out over the dam outflow from directly above in one final prayer for dipper (it went unanswered), we saw a Cooper’s/Sharp-shinned Hawk zoom out of the forest in hot pursuit of a smaller passerine; Jenny was on the other side of the road scanning the lake and didn’t spot it. Since we didn’t tick either Coop or Sharpie otherwise, that bird ended up being a counter for us. Working the angles, folks, working the angles; that beautiful ‘dirty slash’ out hunting for her dinner was legal. I hope she and her chicks ate well.

    6:19pm. We drove through a couple quiet campgrounds with the windows down, wood smoke filling the air as we listened for Golden-crowned Kinglets and Red Crossbills, where a possibly feral five-year-old boy on a scooter snarled at us through our open windows like one of the end-times motorcycle maniacs in The Road Warrior. A final stop at Oak Fork Campground proved to be our first zero stop of the day; it was bound to happen sooner or later. Still, a small flock of Band-tailed Pigeons flew over, a new personal bird for me at Timothy Lake where I have birded many times.

    6:28pm. The mountain shadows were really starting to lengthen as we pulled into nearby Little Crater Lake. At this phase of the game, any and every new day bird is a big deal, so to get three shouldas here at a such a relatively brief stop was a real boost to our flagging energy: we finally added Golden-crowned Kinglet, a flock of chattering Pine Siskins, and Yellow-rumped Warbler to the list, though we may have heard a ‘Yump’ singing earlier.  A hoped-for but still a surprise bonus bird nonetheless, a perhaps slightly early Common Nighthawk exploded from the trees out over the small crystalline lake, ‘peenting’ loudly low overhead. 

    7:00pm. Still missing crossbills, we briefly considered pulling into the parking lot at Frog Lake (the one in the High Cascades this time). When I was a baby birder, Tim Shelmerdine once showed me how to summon up crossbills here with an imitated Pygmy Owl toot. (The parking lot is in Clackamas Co. but the lake itself is in Wasco. These are the kinds of things county listers know.) However, looking at the dark clouds rapidly blowing in on a west wind and beginning to crest the shoulders of Mt. Hood, we decided to try and push on and reach Timberline Lodge before the weather hit.

On the shoulders of Mt. Hood. Cassin's Finch habitat.

    7:32pm. We failed at that. Originally the plan called for us to be here shortly before 6pm, but here we were. As the field marshal and time manager, that’s all on me. We hit the big pullout right below the overflow lot at Timberline Lodge, having failed to nab any ethereal Varied Thrush vocalizations or Mountain Chickadee chattering at several listening stops on the way up, and the full force of that weather hit us. It was cold! A biting cold, a damp cold, and it was windy as hell. (photo)

    We all bundled up as best we could, and heard Cassin’s Finch singing sweetly down the valley, and one or two flew overhead as an Audubon’s Yump (photo) sang loudly up above. Further up in the lot we spotted Clark’s Nutcrackers after hearing their raucous cries from the next ridge over. After we made our way through the maze of the lodge, finding our way out back, we immediately heard Mountain Bluebird calling, and soon saw a female perched atop a stunted tree. The wind was positively frigid right there at the treeline, but a roaring propane furnace on the patio provided us with some solace as we scoured for any last species.

    For the first time that day we ran into a real rules issue: while we were on a break, Dominic positively IDd a Mountain Chickadee that flew right in front of him, and I briefly saw it flitting from pine to pine. At that point we were over 100 with only four dirties; as such we could’ve counted it even though Jenny didn’t see it, but because Molly was in the lodge and not in voice contact with us, it was uncountable, and so it remained a personal bird for Dom and I. (Not faulting Molly in any way; these things happen when teammates bird while others are on breaks.) 

    However, the Townsend’s Solitaire that began tootling immediately afterward was a different matter. The plan had been to meet back at the car, and we should’ve been right behind Molly, but the chickadee just after she left had kept the rest of us outdoors. I texted her and she came running back to join us; eventually all four of us simultaneously heard the Solitaire piping, and so we had a near-sweep of possible thrushes; the Varied was just not to be found for us that day.

    7:45pm At the Government Camp rest area we dipped on our last chance at Red Crossbill and failed to clean up Canada Jay, but we all had a laugh at a curiously fat Common Raven (photos). We speculated that she might have scarfed down a couple of cheeseburgers she found in the dumpster, and that her babies would be eating good that night. Or maybe she was heavy with a clutch of eggs. 

    On the way down from the mountain, deliriously tired and sitting at 112/113 birds on the day (the jury was still out on Western Gull at that point) the pressure was off: we wouldn’t break the record, but we were all damned proud of our effort, and happy to have had the biggest Clackamas County day that anyone had had in years. We laughed at silly jokes, dipped on a couple of extreme longshot waterfowl at a tiny lake in the last light of day, and headed on to try for our final bird(s).

    9:46pm. We pulled into Luscher Farm for the second time that day, a full 22 minutes after civil twilight: the stars were out, the night-insects were singing, and only the barest rim of pale light still limned the western hills. As a group we were prepared to sit and wait as long as necessary, but Molly, our owl-whisperer, bookended the day with our second owl about three minutes in. Not far off to our right, like an immense, ghostly white bat in the gloaming, an American Barn Owl hovered above the fields, swooping and diving as we looked on, stunned at her mysterious beauty.  

    It was the perfect way to bring this day to a close, a reminder that, though we may play silly numbers games from time to time, this is why we go out time and again, pushing ourselves to the limit day after day, year after year. Yes, the list mattered (114 birds in case anyone's counting), insofar as it was a fundraising vehicle for the vital conservation work that Bird Alliance of Oregon does. 

    But we birders are in love with the avians because they have a beauty and capacity and a vibrant variety like no other creatures on earth; we can’t help ourselves. We have such a short time here on this planet, and it’s quite a thing to go about the world in a constant state of wonder and dumbfounded amazement; my friend Maggie Bell was over to my place recently and she said it felt like she had a 5-year-old naturalist inside her, and I totally agreed with her. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and I've no doubt that every member of Team Quackamas feels the same. Thank you very much Dominic, Jenny, Kristin and Molly. It was a privilege spending 18 hours straight with you for Birdathon.

Logo designed by Kristin Sterling

P.S. As some of you may have noticed, Green-winged Teal was our mascot, and we dipped on that bird. There's a whole story behind that, but ah well. What can ya do?

P.P.S. In case anyone noticed, apologies to J.R.R. Tolkien for corrupting his secondary title for The Hobbit as the title for this blogpost.

Two Wagers on Tattooine Decide the Fate of the Republic, or Why didn't Qui-Gon Jinn free Shmi Skywalker?

This question has been discussed at length here,with a few (in- and out-universe) explanations, but the simplest answer is: he didn't want to free her. This answer is given as one explanation in the above link, but I'd like to expound on it here. Follwing is a simple break down of two intertwined (and somewhat confusing) wagers that, together, ultimately bring about the downfall of the Old Republic. An extensive amount of knowledge of the Star Wars universe is pre-supposed for anyone reading this; I'm not going to explain every detail or situation. Besides, no one without said knowlege would give a rat's ass about this topic anyway.

Almost certainly the main reason Qui-Gon Jinn didn't free Shmi Skywalker was because he wanted to train her son Anakin as a Jedi, and the Jedi were forbidden to have any attachments to family members as they needed to focus solely on their training. When this rule was violated, the results tended to be catastrophic. (See Count Dooku aka Darth Tyranus, in addition to Anakin Skywalker. There are almost certainly other Canon and Legends examples that I'm missing.)

We know Qui-Gon had the means to free her, or at least make the effort, even at the time they were originally on Tatooine. The terms of the initial wager he made with Watto were as follows: Watto supplied the entry fee and the pilot (Anakin,)  and Qui-Gon supplied the pod (a great bit of subterfuge as the pod was already Watto's to begin with; presumably as the slaveowner he also owned any property of the slave, in this case Anakin's 'fastest pod ever built.')

If Anakin lost, Watto was to get the Nubian starship (which really wasn't Qui-Gon's to bet in the first place, as he didn't own it). If Anakin won, then Qui-gon got the hyperdrive needed to fix the ship. (Watto was to keep the rest of the winnings he would've made by betting on Anakin, hence Qui-Gon's 'either way you win,' but since Watto bet on Sebulba he lost out big time.)

When Qui-Gon was attempting to free both slaves in his second wager with Watto, the terms of this wager were: Anakin wins, he's free. Anakin loses, he's not free, and Watto also keeps the pod. Again, slick trick, since the pod was already Watto's to begin with.

At first Qui-Gon makes a cursory attempt to free both Shmi and Anakin, but Watto's 'no pod is worth two slaves' put an end to that. Once again Watto's greed gets the better of him; ostensibly the question as to which slave will be freed should Anakin win is left up to chance, but of course Qui-Gon uses the force to settle that question by literally influencing the roll of the die, and it is Anakin who is to be freed if Qui-Gon wins this second wager. Both wagers hinge on whether Anakin wins or loses the Boonta Eve race.

Maybe no pod is worth two slaves, but clearly it is worth one slave to Watto, or he never would have accepted Qui-Gon's second wager at all, and couldn't have been influenced to do so since Toydarians were immune to the old Jed mind trick.  The key point left unspoken (or at least unacknowledged in-universe), and the key to the hypothesis that Qui-Gon never wanted Shmi to be freed, was that after all was said and done, in addition to freeing Anakin and getting the hyperdrive components needed to repair his ship, Qui-Gon still owned the 'fastest pod ever built,' at least as far as Watto knew.

Why didn't Qui-Gon attempt to trade the pod to Watto for Shmi? In neither the film nor the novelization of The Phantom Menace is it ever stated or implied that he did so. From the book we know that he sold the pod (most likely to Sebulba) and gave the money to Anakin, who gave it to his mother. The book states that the money from selling the pod was not nearly enough to by Shmi's freedom, but the pod itself, and its potential to earn future money for Watto, might have been a different inducement entirely. Watto just might have been willing to part with his one remaining slave in order to take possession of this incredible pod, which had just defeated the galaxy's premier pod racer (and his presumably top-notch pod) in Sebulba.

This brings up an ethical conundrum, because clearly Qui-Gon Jinn had a vested interest in seeing that Anakin Skywalker's mother remained in bondage (see paragraph 2). He may have been fooling himself by his half-hearted second wager with Watto, but the fact remains that had Shmi accompanied them off Tattooine, Anakin would almost certainly never have been trained as a Jedi. This isn't the only ethical problem that Qui-Gon's behavior presented; for one thing he was gambling with items that weren't his (the Nubian starship belonged to the government of Naboo, the pod to Anakin and hence Watto.) All very interesting behavior for a member of an order that was supposed to represent peace and justice in the galaxy. Here, he flirted with both thievery and slavery.

Supposedly the great Jedi Order knows best in separating children from their families at such a young age they will remember little to nothing about their families: those ties are a distraction, and clearly the worry is that such strong attachments form too many avenues, too many inducements to start down the dark path. Presumably Qui-Gon, in his nascent belief that Anakin might be the chosen one, was attempting to prevent such entanglements for the soon-to-be Padawan. He believes that Anakin will be the one to bring balance to the Force. Ultimately this feels like a very Sith-like proposition, which can be boiled down, simply, to the ends justifying the means.

Fat lot of good that did him; in the end it was Shmi's death that finally pushed Anakin over the edge and firmly, irrevocably down the dark path when he went on his genocidal revenge rampage against the Tuskens who tortured his mother to death. (Let's leave alone for a minute the fact that Padme still loved Anakin even after he admitted to being a mass child-murderer. WTF?)

So ultimately Qui-Gon might have been better off freeing Shmi in the first place: he didn't because he knew that would've rendered impossible the already daunting task of getting the Jedi Council to accept Anakin as a Padawan.

So did Qui-Gon Jinn's two wagers ultimately set off the dominoes that led to the downfall of the Republic and the birth of the Empire? The argument can be made. Hopefully I just made it.

March and the Popcorn Tree

Photos by Theoden M. Wilkerson.

There is a stunningly beautiful tree in my front yard. It’s been there ever since I moved here more than ten years ago, but I still don’t know the name of the tree. I’ve always called it the ‘popcorn tree’ because of the profusion of white blossoms it produces every spring.  Right now it is an absolute riot of the purest white imaginable; the branches are crazy and grow in every direction, and every inch is covered with a blanket of the fluffiest, most fragrant, irridescent blossoms imaginable. In bright sunlight it hurts to look at this tree with the naked eye, so reflective and radiant are its flowerets.

My wife and I are getting ready to sell our house. It is an interesting and conflicting proposition for me; there are things I love and hate about this place. It’s old (for our part of the country); just five years ago in 2011 we celebrated the house’s 100^th birthday. The reasons for selling are many; it’s definitely a seller’s market right now; Portland is a hot place to live and our location is great. I have gouty arthritis at the ripe old age of 44 and am incredibly allergic to all the miracle drugs now available for this condition, and as the years go by it gets harder and harder to navigate the stairs necessary to live in this 3-story craftsman. It needs someone with the time, money and/or skills to keep on top of living here. We live on the corner of a busy street; for an introvert (and yes, sometimes a borderline misanthrope) that’s never a plus.

Having lived here for over ten years, after a long and relatively unsettled life (I once counted and lost track after about 35 moves) it’s the first place I’ve ever called home for any significant amount of time. I’ll miss my spot on the couch, the locus of comfort and centeredness in my world. I’ll miss the proximity to the incredible Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants all within walking distance (even for a mobility-challenged individual like myself.) I’ll miss the memories of our two wonderful canine friends, Riley and Jackson, who both passed away last year within a few months of each other.  But I think most of all I’ll miss the tree in the front yard.

During the late winter and early spring, when the red berries weigh down the branches, it is life-sustaining for the robins, varied thrushes, and hordes of noisy, devastatingly handsome, pompadour-spouting cedar waxwings who depend on those berries. Not long ago I counted seventeen of them in the branches at once; for those who have ever tried to count birds you know how difficult it is to get an accurate count of even modest numbers of small, fast-moving critters; in this case they all sat stock-still, transfixed by something going on down the street. In the summer my popcorn tree’s glossy golden-green leaves provide a welcoming haven for dogs and their walkers (and yes, their messes as well.) But it’s mostly the springtime blossoms that I will regret not seeing every day.

As an atheist who firmly believes in the wonder and remarkableness of those things called life and consciousness, I’m often non-plussed (or straight-up pissed) at those who suggest that I’m somehow missing something by not believing in a "higher power." When I stand in front of the tree, looking at it assaulting the world with its ravishing comeliness, I’m dumbfounded with reverence, literally moved to tears with the simple, sheer joy of being alive, now, in this place and time, and with the experience of sharing the world with such a marvelous, fellow living traveler as the tree in my front yard. Somewhere back in time, beyond eons uncounted, this tree and I had the same parent. What is more wonderful, more awe-inspiring than that?

I don’t believe in an afterlife, but if I were to imagine heaven I think the trees would look something like this one. I will miss this tree when I move. But it will live on; hopefully longer than I will. I’d like to think that in a century or so the owner of this house, or perhaps their child, will stand in the lamb-like end of March in awe and wonder at the beautiful popcorn tree in their front yard.

Some New Tidbits

Visiting my sadly neglected blog once again...although I'm working on some new developments that hopefully will allow me to focus a lot more time writing about music here, at NW Reverb and at Oregon Music News. Neither James nor I have been writing as much at the 'Verb since we started the OMN gig but as I said hopefully that will change soon.

That said, if anyone out there is still paying attention here are a couple of things:

1. Classical Revolution PDX has incorporated as a non-profit and is seeking 50 adventurous souls to become Founding Revolutionaries by joining at a $10/month support level or donating $100 outright. This is a worthy cause and Mattie Kaiser and Co. have been hard at work for a long time now. Check it out, give it some thought, and any contribution large or small is welcome...

2. My friend Mel Downie Robinson, a fabulous soprano specializing in early music, is doing a recital at PSU with countertenor Tim Galloway, Doug Schneider on harpsichord and Michael Wilhite on theorbo and viola da gamba. I have heard all of these musicians perform before and they all know their stuff; this should be a great show. It's this Saturday at 8pm at Lincoln Hall on the PSU campus.

New stuff at Oregon Music News

Just a quick link to a couple of new articles up at Oregon Music News:

An interview with Bobby Ray of The Electric Opera Company proved most enlightening! I'll be at their show with CRPDX at the Alberta Rose Theatre tomorrow night. I guarantee you won't have more of a blast anywhere in the 503 for 8 bucks on Friday.


I reviewed Hideki Yamaya's latest CD: a recording of Roncalli's Capricci Armonici sopra la Chitarra Spagnola for baroque guitar. Hideki is one of my very favorite solo baroque stylists in a city that is absolutely crazy for early music, boasting many top-notch performers. Simply put, this CD is marvelous.

Click on the links above for the articles and further linkage.

CRPDX and Electric Opera Company team up in 'Sympathy for the Devil'

Electric Opera Company and Classical Revolution PDX Present:
Sympathy for the Devil
A classically inspired rock concert at the Alberta Rose Theater

Portland’s favorite Electric Guitar Orchestra collides with the city’s
most accessible Chamber Ensemble to show you a side of classical music you’ve never even dreamed of, but will never want to leave behind…

PORTLAND — Alternative Classical Music. You could say they’re polar opposites. The guitarists of Electric Opera Company bringing their modern instruments into classical settings play the Ying to Classical
Revolution PDX’s Yang of chamber instrumentalists playing at bars and other comfortable settings. But this is a case where opposites
attract for a common goal: Making Classical Music more accessible to
the everyday listener!

Classical Revolution and Electric Opera Company will bring their
trademark stylings of 18th century masterworks to the Alberta Rose
Theater on August 19th for a concert that won’t soon be forgotten.
The theme is “Sympathy for the Devil” and there’s a heavy helping of
“Diablo in musica” in store including the Danse Macabre, selections
from Gounod’s Faust, Chopin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and
plenty more surprises. Bring your beer drinking fists and wear
whatever you want, its classical music for the 21st century!

Classical Revolution PDX in a Nutshell
Classical Revolution PDX offers chamber music performances in highly accessible venues, such as bars and cafes. By taking chamber music out of the recital hall and making it more accessible to an audience who does not otherwise hear such music in a live context, Classical Revolution strives to make the public aware that classical music is still relevant and can be enjoyed by all.

"Will the demise of appreciation for classical music be reversed by the Classical Revolution movement? Time will tell, it's transformational, it's unforgettable and every pair of ears that hears it is going to pass the word on. Now that's the stuff of revolutions alright." - Zaph Mann, OPB Music


Electric Opera Company in a Nutshell
Electric Opera Company is dedicated to revitalizing the popularity of
opera and classical music through education and performance; and to
breaking down the barriers to these arts by presenting them in a
modern, accessible medium. This accessible medium is the Fifteen
Piece Electric Guitar orchestra, in which musicians play the exact
parts as written by the composer. But the instruments typically
associated with classical music are replaced with an army of electric
guitars, keyboards, and drums.

The orchestra has been making waves around town as both a rock band teaching adults that classical music is way more awesome than they think it is, a company that produces fully staged operas, and an educational outreach group teaching kids basically the same thing. They’ve been spotted in opera houses, rock venues, middle schools, elementary schools, music festivals, non-profits, and more, spreading
the gospel of classical music to the unsuspecting.



Calendar Listing
What: Sympathy for the Devil, a concert featuring Electric Opera
Company and Classical Revolution PDX

Who: Produced by Electric Opera Company and Classical Revolution PDX.
Arranged by Bobby Ray and Adam Goodwin. Musical direction by
Ray/Goodwin/Kaiser

When/Where: Friday, August 19th, 8:00 pm – Minors OK when accompanied
by a parent or guardian
The Alberta Rose Theater 3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR (503) 719-6055

Why: To bring the joy of Classical Music to those who might not
experience it otherwise, and to share a new lens through which to view
a timeless favorite.

Tickets: $8 at the door or purchased online at
http://www.albertarosetheatre.com/


--
Mattie Kaiser
Executive Director | Classical Revolution PDX
www.classicalrevolutionpdx.org

Filmusik and Federale rock the house with 'The Grand Duel'

Filmusik, Portland's homegrown musical idea whose name expresses exactly what it does, delivered another bang-up performance with the live-soundtrack rendition of 'The Grand Duel,' a spaghetti western of the best (worst?) kind Thursday night at the Hollywood Theater.

Federale, a local band who specializes in the dramatic music of the kind found in this genre, performed a live version of the soundtrack. The main theme is probably better known to most audiences from its appropriation by Quentin Tarantino for the soundtrack to 'Kill Bill Vol. 1.' The iconic harmonium melody, doubled at various times by soprano or trumpet, was accompanied by a perfect high lonesome whistle from one of the band members (and quite an excellent display of whistling prowess it was.) After all, what's spaghetti western music without the whistling?

The performance gave you everything you want from this genre, in which, let's face it, the music is much better than the film. And much more intense from being live and in your face. The film itself was a delicious, laughable bit of nonsense, full of hyperbole, melodrama, gratuitous nudity, stereotypes, and hatchet-faced Europeans with bad teeth somehow trying to pass themselves off as Americans, replete with oompa-loompa-cum-John-Boehner tans. Starring the iconic Lee Van Cleef as a sheriff out to save an innocent man from hanging and bent on revenge agains the cruel Patriarch, this film needed great music to save it from itself.

Federale betrayed a keen understanding of the musical needs of this genre, from gritty verismo atmospherics in which inglorious death is all around, to sinister carefully layered mood music, full of atonalism and sound-effects that also showcased the droning surf-rock origin behind much of the guitar work.

Another worthwhile endeavor from Galen Huckins and Filmusik, the final performance takes place tonight at 8 pm at the Hollywood Theater.

Upcoming Filmusik Madness: The Grand Duel

Filmusik, the unique brainchild of Portland composer Galen Huckins that combines classic cinema with all manner of live performance elements, including live original soundtracks, voice dubbing and sound effects, is at it again this upcoming week with their new project The Grand Duel.

A spaghetti western starring the inimitable Lee Van Cleef, this film marks Filmusik's first collaboration with Federale, a local alternative band who just happens to specialize in writing and performing music that, in their own words, "recapture[s] the haunting, violent atmosphere illustrated in such classic films as A Fistful of Dollars." With their ranchero-style horns and the intensely powerful soprano of Maria Karlin, Federale, besides being an extremely talented ensemble that knows exactly how to achieve their musical goals, is a plain old-fashioned kick in the pants. Marvelously fun, Filmusik and Federale are a natural fit for each other, and for this enterprise Federale composed an entirely new soundtrack and will be on hand to perform for all three shows. The showings are Thursday July 28th, Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th at the Hollywood Theater at 8pm.

CD Review: Hideki Yamaya, 'The Mandolino in 18th- Century Italy'

Portland-based plucked strings expert Hideki Yamaya recently released a CD entitled The Mandolino in 18th-Century Italy, performing with lutenist John Schneiderman. The recording is of the Dalla Casa Manuscript, a mid-18th century compilation of mandolino music by amateur musician Filippo Dalla Casa.

The mandolino in this recording is very different from the modern mandolin; it is small and downright dainty, strung with nylon strings and plucked with fingers instead of a plectrum. The instrument has a delicate tone--the upper registers can be tinny and affect the pitch, which is off-putting at first but actually grows endearing as the music plays on, and the unique timbre becomes a joy to hear.

A peppery, virtuosic little sonata by Antonio Tinazzoli (1650-1730) opens the CD, barrelling forward in one whirlwind movement, showcasing the range of the instrument. The rest of the CD is very much in the galante style, with sonatas/concertos by Giuseppe Vaccari and Ludovico Fontanelli (1682-1748). Yamaya’s accurate and judicious ornamentation can’t be easy to effect on this feathery instrument. The compositions themselves are delightful, warm and fetching; Yamaya’s enthusiasm for playing these gems is obvious and infectious. His own variations on the menuet themes by an anonymous composer are virtuosic, and in one of these variations the mandolin switches to accompaniment and the lute takes the solo; other than that the lute is continuo throughout. The final Giga of the closing Vaccari concerto is particularly enjoyable, featuring surprising, modern-feeling syncopations.

This release is authentic and satisfying; samples of the work can be found here.

CD Review: 'Brooklyn Rider Plays Philip Glass'

The innovative and exciting NYC string quartet Brooklyn Rider has a new CD from In a Circle Records in which the group records Philip Glass's entire string quartet oeuvre, which is the 5 numbered quartets plus the world premier recording of the Suite from "Bent" for String Quartet.

Brooklyn Rider, whose CD Dominant Curve was included in the Washington Post's list of top ten classical albums from 2010, was the right choice to premiere this important work. Bent, winner of the 1997 Cannes 'International Critics Award' tells the story of doomed relationships between gay men in Nazi Germany. The first of its 8 movements opens with a plaintive cello melody wending its way through a forest of suppurating strings, and one can feel the danger, the flight, the violence of the film. There are rays of hope in this work, however slim they may be. Brooklyn Rider understands how to perform this music from an intuitive, gut-level standpoint; one misplaced accent, one slightly shifted emphasis and the meaning of the whole structure is lost; the repetitive nature of Glass's motives both vertically and horizontally amplifies the importance of each little change, and without attention to every minute detail both technically and emotionally there will be nothing left. From the terrifying cello chords exploding from the smooth texture in the fourth movement to the forlorn wailing of the solo viola which is the only instrument heard in the final movement, the power of the composition shines through.

Some of the other quartets also come from film scores, including #3 which came from the 1983 film Mishima about the life of the quixotic Japanese author who committed seppuku in the early 70s. Very different in character from the Bent, there is less of the ceaseless in and out arpeggiation and more homophonic movement and stark chordal textures. String Quartet #1 was composed in 1966 but not first recorded until more than 20 years later. It is more experimental: its atonal warbling that at times veers toward a pizzicato almost completely lacking in pitch requires very different techniques of the group, and they render the ceaseless pulse with painful exactitude.

There is wondrous variety to be found in this release, each quartet with its own unique character, and Brooklyn Rider has the relentless energy required to sustain interest in the somber, often haunting sound world through which Glass's compositions wander. This release represents another big win from an unconventional and visionary group, and is an important contribution to both string quartet and Philip Glass discography.

CD Review: 'L'Infidele' by Jon Mendle

Archguitarist Jon Mendle recently released his first CD, entitled L'Infidele after a lute sonata of the same name by the master baroque lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750). This release, from Brooklyn's In A Circle Records and produced by the great Sergio Assad, showcases Mendle's incredible artistry and deep musicianship through the interesting dichotomy of playing ancient music on an instrument invented only in 1980, by guitarist/lutenist Peter Blanchette.

The archguitar is an eleven-stringed instrument that looks rather like a mutant classical guitar. According to Mendle's website, "the Archguitar is a hybrid of the Renaissance and Baroque lutes, 19th century guitar, and modern guitar, making it ideal for a large cross section of early music, as well as certain modern and impressionist works."

On to the CD however; it contains Mendle's own transcriptions of the Weiss lute sonata as well as one by Adam Falckenhagen (1697-1761) and CPE Bach's Prussian Sonata V which was originally written for clavier.

The CD opens with the deep and weighty Largo at the head of the Falckenhagen sonata. In the subsequent Allegro un Poco Mendle's technique is revealed in the fantastic roulades and turns that he throws out in a manner sounding seamless and almost effortless, which is as it should be, the ornamentation feeling like a perfectly natural and unobtrusive outgrowth of the musical stuff from whence it came. The finale contains a mischievous recurring staccato theme that Mendle draws out insightfully and plays with obvious delight.

The CPE Bach is redolent with nascent classicism, and Mendle's playing makes the distinction between this style and the High Baroque of Weiss and Falckenhagen very clear. Again the fantastically difficult ornaments, this time in the middle Andante, are all realized smoothly and yet not monochromatically, alternately bold and delicate as called for. Throughout this CD the spectacular ornamentation is one commonality linking all of the compositions together; Mendle has a natural feel for it and isn't afraid to express himself through everything from filigreed and almost non-existent mordants to lengthy and substantive turns and doppelt-cadences. The Allegro Assai of this piece features voice-leadings taking off on various flights of fancy all their own.

The L'Infidele sonata, really a baroque dance suite, finishes out the CD. The Entree was exquisite, the Courante danceable and pulsing, and the Menuet featured terraced dynamics that yielded a fetching echo effect. Mendle explores a wide variety of tone colors in this suite; saucy mezzo-staccato phrases give way to sere, almost harsh plucking and muted, other-worldly legatos. The grumbling drone strings in the Musette present yet another delight to be savored.

If there were any flaw with this CD, it would only be that I wanted more after listening to it, and I immediately played it over from the beginning. Look for more great things to come from this brilliant young artist, who has already played with the likes of Yo Yo Ma and his teacher Sergio Assad.

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+

OMN Reviews

I had a chance to hear the Portland Youth Philharmonic for the first time last Saturday night...a very talented group of young players and I reviewed it here at Oregon Music News.

I'm reviewing the Portland Baroque Orchestra's St. John's Passion by J.S. Bach and that review should be up sometime this weekend.

I finally got to see Lang Lang live!

At long last, I got a chance to see Lang Lang, perhaps the world's most celebrated classical music mega-star, play live at the Schnitz on Thursday night. My review can be seen here at Oregon Music News.

Reel Music Festival 2011 preview of 'The Turandot Project' up at OMN

At Oregon Music News I previewed a film that will be showing at the Reel Music Festival on Monday, January 10th at 7pm. For those of you who won't be glued to the TV watching the Ducks play for the national championship, 'The Turandot Project' should prove a worthwhile alternative. Zubin Mehta and Zhang Yimou give an intimate glimpse into the inner workings of an immense production of Puccini's Turandot in Beijing's Forbidden City.

Photo: Director Zhang Yimou. AP Photo.

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.

CD Review: Portland Opera's 'Orphee'

This year saw a milestone in the Portland Opera's history with their first-ever commercial recording, a complete rendering of Philip Glass's Orphee. Recorded during Orphee's run in November of 2009, the surprise hit of Portland Opera's last season transfers admirably to this disc from Orange Mountain Music. Not only is this CD a first for the PO, but it is doubly important in that it is also the first complete recording of this opera, the last of Glass's triptych based on films by Jean Cocteau to be put to disc.

The production benefited from the previous experience with this work brought to the fore by conductor Anne Manson and principals Philip Cutlip (Orphee) and Lisa Saffer (La Princesse), all of whom performed this previously with the Glimmerglass Opera. The recording succeeds brillantly in capturing the crispness and concision of the dialogue, which was adapted by Glass from the script for the 1949 Cocteau film of the same name. Cutlip's rich, expressive baritone and soprano Lisa Saffer's moody Princesse seem to leap out from the recording with their sincerity and intensity. The dialogue moves along as in a film; i.e. no long expressive arias, so the singers have the challenge of both continuously advancing the plot while delivering enjoyable listening from a musical standpoint.

The oft-mysterious framework provided by Glass's orchestral underpinning comes through in delicious color, from the hurly-burly French cafe music to be found in the opening scene to the dark mystery of the journey to the underworld, and the ceaseless movement of the music seems to command rapt attention. Particularly poignant are the tender moments between tenor Ryan MacPherson as Heurtebise and Georgia Jarman as Eurydice, Orphee's sometimes-scorned wife, as well as Orphee's obsessive madness with the cryptic radio broadcasts that he takes to be the finest poetry in the world. The heart-rending decision by Heurtebise and La Princesse to defy the will of the underworld and return their loves to their former lives after the harrowing journey beyond the doors of death is as inspiring and beautiful as one could hope opera to be. As a side-note, the French diction is marvelously clear throughout.

Portland Opera has distinguished itself by releasing such a meaningful, high-quality recording by one of the world's most important living composers. In short, this is a brilliant recording of a brilliant work. It is one that will bear repeated listening, with new facets to be discovered at each turn.