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Concert Roundup 2: This Time It’s Not Concert Roundup 1

This title brought to you by Dangeresque. So you’re gonna have to jump.

Which should totally get you in the mood for this week’s concerts:

• This week at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra we have everyone’s favorite oratorio, Handel‘s Messiah! As if you would ever not desperately want to go to that. Please. Edward Polochick not only conducts, but also plays the harpsichord, and the solo singers are accompanied by the Concert Artists of Baltimore Symphonic Chorale. For unto us a child is born! December 2 & 3 at the Meyerhoff. [ See it! ]
• Or, if you’d rather spend your Saturday morning straight chillin’ with your inner child, the BSO is also offering a children’s concert featuring Rheda Becker narrating Cinderella to Prokofiev‘s ballet score. Helping her out will be Bob Brown Puppets. Yes. Puppets. But not the scary kind. I don’t think. The look perfectly harmless in the picture and none of them are clowns, so you should be okay. [ See it! ]
• Over at the National Symphony Orchestra, they have Midori. ‘Nuff said. Wait, you want more said? Well, she’s playing a Britten violin concerto, plus there will be a new Golijov piece and the first Shostakovich symphony. Christoph Eschenbach conducts. Hey, NSO, you don’t want to send me some tickets, do you? I think you should. December 1 through 3. [ See it! ]
• “Are you ready for something new?” asks @TerpsMusic. I am. I am ready. And for free, no less! The University of Maryland music program is presenting a concert of original works by UMD students. Just think — someday you might be able to say you heard them when! Tonight, November 30. [ See it! ]

Composer Cagematch! Round 2: Bartok vs. Schoenberg

Well, that was scarcely a contest.

Which is not to say Rimsky-Korsakov should feel bad; at least he wasn’t a one-vote wonder. But PIOTR! ILYICH! Tchaikovsky took that round pretty handily. He may now dance himself back to the locker room and await his next opponent.

Now, please welcome some of the twentieth century’s finest, because in this corner, his scathing review was too much for Shostakovich! It’s

BEEEEEEEEEELAAAAAAAAA BAAAAAAAAAAARTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK

And in this corner, he invented the game, and Berg never stood a chance! It’s

ARRRRRRRRNOOOOOOOOOOLD SCHOOOOOOOOOENBEEEEEEEEERG

Well, what’ll it be? Ethnomusicology FTW again? Or will Schoenberg be transfigured once more?

But does he have any cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse?

DISCLAIMER: The following video talks a whole lot about Obama. I am not an Obama supporter, but then neither am I an Obama detractor. He seems like a nifty guy you could kick back with, but he is also a politician, and as a rule my response to politicians of any stripe is: uh-huh. Suuuuuuure. Therefore, as a registered independent, my reaction to this video on a political level can be summed up thusly: Huh. Interesting.

However, my response to this video in my capacity as an ardent Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiast is as follows: AWESOME!

Fra-gee-lay!

Hi! I said I’d get you a LOL today, and as it is 11:13 pm here, it is STILL today. No broken promises on my watch.

For the hell of it, I went out to some stores on Black Friday with my friends (sole purchase: a laser toy for my cats. This would be sad, except I have super awesome cats). While browsing a dedicated Christmas store, we saw this.

But what I really want to do is percuss

Q. How do you make a viola sound in tune? Continue reading →

2 Concert 2 Roundup

See, this is why you are loyal to Countess Classical Music — she never abandons you. And neither will I — holiday weekend or no, you shall have your Viola Joke Thursday and LOL Friday as usual. And concerts to attend!

• At the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra this week… well, the BSO doesn’t actually play. But a dude named Michael Feinstein will sing Frank Sinatra tunes at the Meyerhoff in their place. Okay, so I guess the Countess did, technically, abandon you here, but as I’m sure you’re aware Sinatra could really sing, so if they’re letting this Feinstein character approximate him, he must be good. I hope he does the “Susie” song from Anchors Aweigh. November 25 through 27. [ See it! ]
• Meanwhile, over at the National Symphony Orchestra, it’s… a tribute to Nat King Cole. Forget what I said about the Countess. But at least the NSO Pops actually play in this one, while guitarist and vocalist George Benson tackles the main Nat King Cole bit. Randy Waldman and Steven Reineke conduct. November 25 & 26. [ See it! ]

Music Gifts: For the ladies

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time once again for that perennial favorite, my music gift list. Every week until Christmas (or whatever) I shall offer a different gift intended for the musical in your life. Or you can drop hints that you want it yourself (to whomever has you on your list, I mean, not me; I love you, Ain’t Baroccos, but I can’t afford to buy you all presents this year so you’ll have to share this lump of rosin).

Anyway, this year’s inaugural musical holiday gift is for those wacky and whimsical creatures known as girls. We’re weird, aren’t we? Generally inscrutable? Insist on insinuating things instead of just coming right out and saying them? Well, that’s because we’re smarter than you are and we’d get bored otherwise. But in a fit of benevolence I’ll come right out and say it: here, buy said girl this.

Look, I’m not making this too easy for you. The above purse is not every girl’s style. It’s a very look-at-me accoutrement, best suited for the lass who wants all the solos and a spotlight while she plays them. But I know for a fact that if the right gal rocked this at rehearsal and then took it to the symphony she would get somewhere between eighteen and twenty thousand compliments on it. Truth.

I found it at Modcloth for $55. Or, if you’d like something a little cheaper, consider getting her a “He Was Told There Would Be Cake” magnet from the Ain’t Baroque store instead. It’s $3, and nothing says the holidays like Beethoven wearing a festive hat.

Tut tut, it looks like rain!

I promised this for a rainy day (and as a bonus, fogging like nobody’s business), and as it’s raining over here, enjoy your “Bumble Boogie.” Try not let the piano get you!

Also, this reminds me of the time I decided I was going to swing a Vivaldi violin concerto. My teacher was not amused, but then I never liked that jerk anyway. Swing it, R-K!

Clearly Mozart is not one of his people

Y’know, for all I harp on Mozart, I notice he numbers among my “most used tags.” No publicity is bad publicity, eh, Wolfie?

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Perhaps you are confused…

This image was tweeted to me by the ever-ready Medalist of Violar @kickassical. “Apparently,” he says, “even Google doesn’t like violists.”

And so it would appear.