Introduction: played the clarinet since I was eight years old; received an un-used instrument from a relative. Wanted to play the saxophone, but it was too expensive. My first solo was “Home on the Range” in front of my elementary school peers.
In high school, studied clarinet with Ron Krentzman, clarinetist with Hartford Symphony, Andy Grenci, clarinetist with New Haven Symphony, and Richard Schillea. At university, studied with Robert Schmidt, at Ithaca College, before he committed suicide, Fred Ormand, at University of Michigan, and Charles Russo, at Manhattan School of Music.
At University of Michigan, had the pleasure of performing in the Symphony Band under the esteemed direction of H. Robert Reynolds. Also had the pleasure of performing with the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club under the direction of legendary choral conductor, Jerry Blackstone, likely, one of the best musical influences in my life.
That being said, I have a strong inclination towards classical music. Previous post, Playlist: Side A focused on popular music genre; this post focuses on classical and jazz idioms.
Arvo Pärt: introduced to Arvo Pärt while visiting Interlochen Arts Academy (1993); an Estonian composer of classical music, often inspired by Gregorian chant. Pärt often uses a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli (bells), a compositional technique he invented.
Für Alina: title resembles Beethoven’s, Für Elise, for solo piano. Für Alina was dedicated to a family friend’s eighteen-year-old daughter. The family broke up, and the daughter went to England with her father. The work, dedicated to the daughter, was actually meant as a work of consolation for the girl’s mother.
As notated, the piece could be played by a beginner musician, however, its simplicity is deceptive. I practiced this piece in summer 2021; to achieve purity of sound is challenging; the composition uses little pedal, it is thinly orchestrated, and uses the high register of the piano, where the piano strings are less resonant.
Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten: canon in A minor, composed as an elegy to mourn the death of English composer, Benjamin Britten (1976). The piece is a meditation, suggesting that how we make music depends on our relationship to silence. The piece begins and ends with silence; silence is written in to the score, suggesting that we come from silence, and return to silence.
Fratres: described as a “mesmerizing set of variations on a six-bar theme, combining frantic activity with sublime stillness.” There are two noted recordings; one performed by the twelve cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic, and a second, performed by violinist, Gidon Kremer, and pianist, Keith Jarrett. It took me several years to develop the ability to listen to the duo performance, and now, it likely remains my favorite performance of the two.
Philip Glass: Tyrol Piano Concerto, composed in three movements for solo piano accompanied by string orchestra; second movement is the longest, and was used in the soundtrack to the film, The Truman Show (1998); Glass had a cameo in the film, too.
Mahler: First Symphony in D major (1888); third movement based on Frere Jacques (Brother Martin), but in minor (not major); opening solo performed by double bass, is hugely challenging, in both tone and intonation. My friend, Eric, performed bassoon with Houston Symphony for forty years, commented that he often enjoyed performing with Eschenbach.
Vivaldi: enjoyed this recording of the Four Seasons since I was in high school; virtuosic performance with Trevor Pinnock on keyboard and Simon Standage on violin; remains one of my favorite recordings as an adult.
Cameron Carpenter: born April 18th 1981, is an American organist and composer with degrees from Juilliard. He was the first organist nominated for a Grammy Award (2009). Carpenter designed and commissioned the International Touring Organ from Marshall and Ogletree, a one-of-a-kind, customized, full-scale, portable organ; the organ cost $2-million, and took ten years to build. Since its premiere in March 2014, he no longer has to learn a new instrument for every performance, and tours to venues that don’t have an organ. Carpenter is often criticized and praised for his unorthodox interpretation of organ repertoire. His registrations rarely follow those suggested by the composer, and he often takes dramatic liberties in articulation. I find his performance both innovative and fresh, and enjoy his virtuosic performance of Bernstein’s Overture to Candide.
Pavel Tschesnokoff: in high school, would often perform a concert band arrangement of Salvation is Created; I often find that the human voice is more beautiful and subtle.
Martin Frost: Swedish clarinetist and principal conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra; he is also a developer of multimedia projects with music, choreography and light design, in which he appears as a clarinetist, conductor, copywriter and “master of ceremony.”
Klezmer, an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe; often played at weddings and other social functions, and includes elements of dance tunes, ritual melodies, and virtuosic improvisations. I would have enjoyed learning and performing Klezmer on the clarinet; appreciate such joyful music.
La La Land: is a 2016 romantic musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle; movie stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress, who meet and fall in love while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles. Film received fourteen nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, winning in six categories, including Best Actress (Stone) and Best Director (Chazelle).
The opening scene, Another Day of Sun, was filmed over two days on a ramp connecting the Los Angeles carpool lanes of the 105 and 110 freeways. The scene was designed to look like a single shot nearly six minutes long – but in fact – said Chazelle, “it’s three shots stitched together.” The two stitches come during whip-pan moves, the first at the three-minute mark, the second at 4:45. This scene often puts a smile on my face if I’m having a “bad” day.
Pete Fountain: during summer 2019, while an apprentice at Bellegarde Bakery in New Orleans, a city with a great jazz heritage, would frequently pull-up Pete Fountain on Spotify.
Herb Alpert: would also frequently pull-up Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.
Miles Davis: American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer; considered one of the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. I was introduced to Davis, by my friend, David, who gifted me the album, Kind of Blue (1959).
Stevie Ray Vaughan: best known as the guitarist and front man of the blues rock trio, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble; he may be regarded as one of the most influential musicians in the history of blues, and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Vaughan and four others were killed in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin (1990), due to pilot error. I enjoy running in Zilker Park, in Austin, Texas, and often run past his statue in the park. He’s likely one of the few musicians who can “electrify” a simple tune like Mary Had a Little Lamb.
Ray Charles: was an American singer, songwriter and pianist, and is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers ever. Mess Around, based on a New Orleans boogie riff, was one of his first hits, and was also used in the movie, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987).
Nina Simone: was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop. With the help of a few supporters in her hometown, she enrolled at Juilliard. I share two performances below, including Feeling Good, and Black is the Color.
Conclusion: I don’t wish to force other people to listen to the music that I enjoy, but I did want to share the music that colors and influences my life. I’ll admit that my taste in popular, classical, and jazz music is eclectic and unique, and sometimes dark.
garthmonroe 