HEAVY
WOOD: Finland's Apocalyptica rocks the house on cello.
From Sibelius
to Metallica
String quartets are not uncommon, but quartets comprising
four cheap cellos played by leather-clad thrashers from
Finland, well, those you don’t encounter every day. Welcome
to the heavy-metal cello world of Apocalyptica. The original
foursome, Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, Max
Lilja, and Antero Manninen, were fellow Sibelius Academy
students who met at music camp. Metallica fans all, they
began playing cellified renditions of the metal band’s hit
songs. In 1996 Apocalyptica released its first album, Apocalyptica
Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, which featured only
Metallica covers. A second album, Inquisition Symphony,
covered more of Metallica’s territory, plus three original
compositions. And the fearsome foursome’s latest release,
Cult, features almost all original compositions by
the members, plus a ripping rendition of Grieg’s "Hall of
the Mountain King." Grieg lovers may cringe, but the band
is building a significant following, touring regularly throughout
Europe and in Mexico and Japan. The lineup has remained
stable, though in 1999, Perttu Kivilaakso replaced Manninen
on—you guessed it—cello. And what of these hapless instruments,
these violent-cellos? Do they take a sticking and keep on
ticking? Quips Paavo Lötjönen, "Oh, we love to
punish our instruments! Most of the time they are full of
hair and sweat and rosin—our old teachers definitely wouldn’t
be happy!"
The Tintinnabulation
of the Cells
Despite the exceptions that (too often) prove the rule,
everyone knows the drill: Turn off your damn phone at musical
performances. But can you imagine actually being asked not
only to bring a cell phone to the concert, but to leave
it on and to turn up the volume? That’s just what happened
at the premiere of MIT grad Golan Levin’s Dialtones:
A Telesymphony at the 2001 Ars Electronic Festival
in Linz, Austria, this past September.
The project, which took a year to come together, employed
a complicated database system to register the phone numbers
of more than 200 participants and their seat locations.
Levin then routed this information into performance software
that allowed the "conductor" to "play" specific phones by
dialing their numbers on a computer screen.
Another cellular-obsessed composer in Israel, where it
isn’t unheard of to carry two cell phones (all the better
to reach you with), has written a piece praising telecommunications—and
the many phones that ring such classical ditties as Beethoven’s
"Für Elise" or Mozart’s "Eine Kliene Nacht Musik."
His ten-minute medley entitled "Spring Cellphony"
was performed as part of a technology exhibit at the Bloomfield
Science Museum in Jerusalem. The piece showcased cellular
sounds from the "William Tell Overture" plus selections
from Bach and Mozart.
In a much different approach sure to warm the cockles of
every luddite’s heart, French composer Gabriel Yared,
best-known for his Oscar-winning score for the film The
English Patient, recently won a landmark victory over
the French phone company, France Télécom,
and single-handedly managed to slow down the company’s roll-out
of its Orange mobile phone service. Yared claimed that the
installation of a large cell phone tower near his vacation
home in Ile-aux-Moines (on the Breton Gulf of Morbihan),
"impaired his creative concentration," and he promptly initiated
a court case against the mobile phone mogul. In July 2001,
the Rennes appeal court ordered France Télécom
to remove the towers or pay a $70-a-day fine. Fearing a
host of copycat suits, the company has opted to pay the
fine pending an appeal.
Is that your phone or mine?
Juilliard
Does Jazz
The very first jazz studies class at The Juilliard School
celebrated its inaugural year at Alice Tully Hall this
past October. Eighteen musicians, selected by auditions
held around the country, performed in the event.
The new program is tuition-free, and students chosen to
attend will be awarded performance stipends. Classes on
jazz history, composition, and improvisation along with
various master classes combine to make a two-year Artist
Diploma program from Juilliard. For more information, visit
www.juilliard.edu/college/musjazz.html.
Condolences and
Consolation
Symphonies around the world rescheduled and, in many cases,
altered their opening night performances to pay tribute
to the thousands lost in the East Coast terrorist attacks
last September. The Metropolitan and Atlanta Opera houses
scaled down their lavish affairs and offered up programs
of consolation. Carnegie Hall’s tribute, led by Yo-Yo Ma,
Leontyne Pryce, and James Levine, showcased mournful and
patriotic tunes. The last night of Proms saw Royal Albert
Hall filled with the sounds of American music. And in an
unprecedented event, by order of the Queen, the guards and
Buckingham palace performed the Changing of the Guard to
"The Star-Spangled Banner" the Thursday following the attacks.
For information on how you can help September's victims,
please visit www.redcross.com,
or contact the Red Cross at (800) HELP-NOW or (800) GIVE-LIFE.
VINTAGE:
Quaturo Psophos
COMPETITIONS
AND EVENTS
Quatuor Psophos, from France, took first prize,
winning 120,000 Francs (roughly $15,000), a tour in France
and other countries in Europe, as well as a recording session,
and a magnum of Bordeaux wine, offered by a collection of
chateau sponsors.
Artistic Director Alain Meunier declared "This gathering
here in Bordeaux, and the fact that we are playing music
together, is once again a living proof that music has no
frontiers, no borders!" He extended a warm welcome to everyone
to attend the next competition.
The next International Bordeaux Quartet Competition will
take place in September 2003. For more information, contact:
Isabelle Bensa, Keizergracht 294B, 1016 EW Amsterdam, Netherlands;
or fax (31) 20 62 77 587.
—Patricia Kaden
Play Well,
Win a Magnum
The second "Concours de Quatuor de Bordeaux" (formerly
staged in Evian) took place in Bordeaux, September 12–16.
Ten quartets from around the world participated in the competition.
Each ensemble performed a quartet by Beethoven, Brahms,
or Schumann, as well as pieces by Mendelssohn or Maurice
Ohana and Bartók or Mozart.
A Clean Sweep
Ten youthful ensembles from six nations slugged it out
for five days, playing large amounts of Haydn, Mozart, and
Beethoven. Performances were good to great, but the judges’
decisions at the 7th Banff International Chamber Music
Competition (BISQC) aroused choruses of dismay among
the 800 who gathered here for the weeklong program late
in the summer.
The quartets were at their best with scores from the 20th
century: Janácek, Ligeti, Hanns Eisler, Bartók,
Britten, and Dutilleux. But the young musicians were too
cautious in their approach to Mozart and Beethoven, leading
this observer to surmise that they could let go only when
playing music closer to their time. And yet audiences were
treated to some fine Dvorák and Mendelssohn was heard
in the 19th-century round. But no matter what music was
played, it was clear that judges and audience listened from
far different perspectives. A top Canadian critic offered
a provocative observation: "Judges decide upon winners;
audiences decide upon careers."
Surprisingly, the Daedalus Quartet, founded only
a year ago at Vermont’s Marlboro Festival, took not one
but all the top prizes: the $20,000 first prize, the new
$3,000 Zoltán Székely Prize for the best Beethoven,
and the $2,000 Pièce de Concert prize for the best
offering of John Estacio’s "Test Run," the work commissioned
for the 2001 competition.
The BISQC attracts an unusually erudite audience; chamber-music
buffs of long experience come from far corners to live at
the Centre and attend each event. Many have been regulars
here since the program began—it’s a collection of cognoscenti
probably unequaled at other programs. Even without the controversy
it was a fascinating week, made even more compelling by
the surrounding Canadian Rockies. For competitors, obviously,
this is a competition, but for the audience it’s a festival
hard to match elsewhere.
The 8th annual New Directions Cello Festival will be held
May 31–June 2, 2002, at the University of Connecticut in
Storrs. Guest artists so far include Cajun cellist Sean
Grissom, Swiss improvising cellist Daniel Pezzotti, Canadian
improvising cellist Erich Kory, and the duo Relative Sight
with cellist Janet Taggart. For more information, visit
www.newdirectionscell.com.
Mondomusica
Hits Cremona
The14th annual Mondomusica violin exhibition held October
12–14, offered visitors an in-depth look at Giuseppe Guarneri
del Gesù and his influence on makers in Italy, France,
and England. A display entitled "Originals, Models, and
Copies" took place in Cremona’s Civic Museum and included
a Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (Cremona, 1742) as well
as several English School instruments inspired by the maker.
A debate on Guarneri del Gesù’s influence on violin
making in the late 1800s through the present took place
during the salon. And a concert by soloist Natalie Lomeika
performing on a Nicolo Paganini's "Il Cannone" (kindly loaned
to her by the city of Genova) was showcased at the beautiful
Ponchielli Theater.
Throughout the weekend, Mondomusica was open to both trade
visitors and the general public. Attendees were given an
opportunity to browse through instruments, accessories,
cases, strings, tools, and raw materials such as tonewoods
and horse hair for bows—as well as a variety of Mondomusica
books, posters, and souvenirs.
For information on the next Mondomusica, contact Ente Triennale
degli Strumenti ad Arco in Cremona at triennale@libero.it.
—Patricia Kaden
IN MEMORIAM
Isaac Stern (1920–2001)was much more
than a violinist. Born in Russia and raised in San
Francisco, Stern became a citizen of the world. His
musical talent was an immense ambassadorial key, which
he used to open doors for young musicians, to bring
music to the whole world, and to open the ears of
politicians to promote causes important to him. His
most notable cause was his nearly single-handed rescue
of Carnegie Hall from the wrecking ball in 1960.
Stern used much of his acclaim and power to help
young musicians. His worldwide search for talent took
him to China and Israel, as well as San Francisco,
Philadelphia, New York, and many other cities in the
United States. The 1981 documentary of Stern’s trip
to China, From Mao to Mozart, won an Academy
Award and a special mention at the Cannes Film Festival.
Following the 1967 Six-Day War in Israel, Stern scaled
Mt. Scopus along with Leonard Bernstein and the Israel
Philharmonic to perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.
Music, for Stern, was the healing balm for nearly
everything that happened in life.
"Enthusiasm and energy . . . that was Isaac Stern,"
recalls Indiana University viola professor Alan de
Veritch. "Whether he was politicking, fund-raising,
fighting for a cause, teaching, or performing, he
always seemed to exude an incredible energy. Yes,
of course I remember being overwhelmed by the high-level
of artistry he exhibited over the years, but what
will always remain strongest in my mind is the vision
of his constant amazing drive to impact our lives
in ways far beyond the boundaries of his violin performances."
Stern was one of the most-recorded violinists in
history. His 50-year association with Sony Classical
(formerly CBS Masterworks) produced a discography
that will allow future generations to discover his
artistry anew.
Stern’s final public performance took place in February
2001 at the Thornton School of Music at the University
of Southern California in Los Angeles. In addition
to his performance with the school’s symphony orchestra,
Stern held an open master class with the orchestra
rehearsing Mozart’s "Jupiter Symphony."
Larry Livingston, dean of the Thornton School, states,
"We were all held in rapt attention by his love for
music and unique ability to communicate his musical
and interpretive insights. Stern was a complex and
dynamic individual who made an indelible mark on the
music profession. He was never daunted by a challenge,
whether it be musical or otherwise. Not content to
be simply a violin virtuoso, he insisted in making
a difference in the culture. We are all the beneficiaries
of his unrelenting commitment to classical music and
its irreplaceable role in the human odyssey."
—Moshe Noble
On September 11, the violin world lost one of its
best known dealers and makers. Frank Passa worked
and studied with many experts and makers of the past
century and was considered one of the leading dealers
in the United States.
Born in New York in 1916 to poor Sicilian immigrants
who had little money for such luxuries as violin lessons,
Passa somehow managed to study for a short time with
a neighborhood teacher. In 1935, he began working
for New York dealer Henry Ruping, who taught him the
basics of bow making. Soon after, he was making his
own bows under Ruping’s tutelage.
When war broke out, Passa joined the army and was
sent to North Africa. Later, while in Italy, he met
several violin makers, including Ignio Sderci, and
began supplying the luthier with quality wood. In
return, Sderci later supplied Passa with instruments,
allowing him to open his own shop.
After the war, Passa returned to New York with a
letter of introduction from Sderci to Fernando Sacconi.
At the time, Sacconi was working with the esteemed
Emil Herrmann. Passa worked for Sacconi for many years
and moved with him to the Wurlizer shop. In 1958,
Passa began an independent business in San Francisco.
The shop soon became a West Coast mecca for local
musicians and players from around the world.
Passa closed his shop four years ago but continued
to sell some instruments and bows from his home in
Santa Rosa, just north of San Francisco. He is survived
by his wife Gabriella and their two daughters, Francine
and Vivian.
—Richard Ward
Jens Nygaard, an energetic rebel conductor
and founder of the Jupiter Symphony, passed away September
24, 2001, at the age of 69.
Purportedly rejected from Juilliard’s conducting
program, Nygaard went on to conduct and organize concerts
outside of school. In addition to founding the Jupiter
Symphony in 1979 (which debuted at Carnegie Hall to
a sold-out crowd), Nygaard also founded the Westchester
Chamber Chorus and Orchestra, directed the Washington
Heights YW-YMHA concerts, and taught at Columbia University
Teachers College and Rutgers University.
GIRL
BAND: the trendy Bond Quartet dons leather to complement
its all-electric format.
The Buzz
on Bond
Who is that flashy new girl band selling Raymond
Weil watches in recent TV commercials? The antithesis
of the staid, concert-black quartet, Bond dons leather
and barely-there outfits to catch the eye—if not the
ear—of the beholder. Under the guise of bringing classical
music to a younger generation, the trendy quartet
and its all-electric instruments have been popping
up everywhere from Royal Albert Hall to Nickelodeon
and MTV. Although the group is sometimes likened to
the Spice Girls, Bond violinist Haylie Ecker says,
"We’re not anything like them, but if we could reach
the same audience that they reach, that would be great."
In an unlikely union, the Swiss watch company celebrated
its 25th anniversary by teaming up with the sexy quartet
to promote its new Othello line of wristwatches. In
exchange for offering its image for Weil’s print and
TV ads, Bond will receive marketing support from the
prestigious timepiece company.
Bond’s current release, Born (January 2001),
hit number one on Japan’s classical music charts but
has received less-than-glowing reviews in other parts
of the world. Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky
the news.
News, from the U.S. or abroad, is always welcome. Please
mail to Heather K. Scott, Market Report, Strings, PO Box 767,
San Anselmo, CA 94979; fax to (415) 485-0831; or e-mail to Heather@stringletter.com.
VINTAGE:
Quaturo Psophos
