Notes From a Curious Listener

This is Part 2 of a 2 part interview.

Here is Part 1.

How has the change in the business of music, such as downloading of free music, changed what you do? Is it good or bad for you? Is it good or bad for classical music?

Part 1 of a 2 part interview.

In this interview, I've only scratched the surface of composer Bright Sheng. I would need to be an expert in anthropology and music to uncover the depth of his knowledge. Besides being one of the few composers commissioned to create a piece for La Jolla Music Society, Sheng traces human migration paths by learning their native music and making comparisons between them. I know that experts have long studied the origins of language, but music (my webmaster tells me this is called ethnomusicology) ? And, can a composer really uncover migration paths by simply listening? You be the judge.

On a different note, Sheng speaks of the goal of music composition: immediacy and depth. I had to think long and hard about their meaning in the context of music before I could put it into lay terms. Here is my attempt:

INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY NEWMAN Part 2 of 2

Part 1 is here.

As a musician, teacher, conductor, composer, and author, you have been involved in the music business for over 50 years. How has downloading of free music changed what you do?  Is it good or bad?

INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY NEWMAN PART 1

I got lucky with this, my premier blog interview. Anthony Newman was the first SummerFest musician to agree to be interviewed; so what choice did I have? He's a baroque music aficionado. Baroque music (1600 - 1750's), to me, is safe and conventional; so I was a little worried about being bored. I love baroque music; it makes my soul soar. But emotions fall flat when being discussed; so what is there to talk about with Anthony Newman? Well, read on!

You have received congratulatory letters from rock and roll artist, Billy Joel, as well as cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. Which were you more excited about?

Which SummerFest concert am I most excited to hear? It is a tough question; but, beside Opening and Closing Nights, I choose Wednesday, August 25th, An Evening with Vladimir Feltsman. Being a child of the 60’s and 70’s, I’m fascinated by anyone that grew up behind the infamous “Iron Curtain”. Feltsman was a piano sensation in Moscow starting at age 11 when he debuted with the Moscow Philharmonic. In 1979 he applied for an exit visa and was, sadly, rewarded with, according to Feltsman himself, 8 years of "virtual musical exile". He was banned from playing in public and his recordings were suppressed.

He was finally allowed to leave eight years later. He is now an American citizen, and enjoys a career spanning the globe. He performed in Moscow in April 2008. How sad that politics cut short Feltsman’s artistic work; but it does show that eight years is, in the grand scheme of things, a short period of time. Feltsman’s life story provides me with perspective.

Back to the concert, I’m also excited about this particular performance because I listened to the Recommended Recordings suggested by LJMS.   They found a recording from 1994 of the second piece to be played at the Feltsman concert. It was written by Anton Stepanovich Arensky, a late 19th century Russian composer.