Hilary Hahn: Monday YouTube Fix

Last week, my wife and I had the privilege of seeing Hilary Hahn perform the Korngold Violin Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kennedy Center here in Washington.  What a stunning performance she gave! The orchestra, particularly Carol Jantsch, sounded great on Bruckner 7 but I felt that Hilary Hahn stole the show with her performance of the concerto on the first half. Her combination of lyricism and technical wizardry is an awesome combination.  This performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, one of my favorite concertos, is her as a very young professional. Both her passionate lyricism and impressive technique are on clear display here. This clip features the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Lorin Maazel.

The shots of her playing the cadenzas with the violin section gazing on from behind her with astonishment are just great.  They knew that in spite of her age, they were in the midst of greatness.  Hilary Hahn is an amazing talent that every musician should try at all costs to see perform live.  She is special (and the orchestra sounds amazing as well!)

Enjoy!

Joe Alessi: Monday YouTube Fix

I'm not sure what else I can really say about Joe Alessi.  His artistry and command over the trombone are famous.  His ability to play solos like this one just as convincingly as playing the lead trombone in the New York Philharmonic is also noteworthy.  He is a true virtuoso. This is a live clip of Joe playing "Three Scenes for American Trombone" by Eric Richards.  This is a perfect piece to show off his abilities as both a technician and musician.

A few things that pop out at me in this clip:

- I love how unapologetic his slide technique is.  His right hand never goes fishing for the right location, no matter how fast the passage.  He tells it where it is going which is something I try to emulate with my valves.

- I really like his use of vibrato in this solo.  He only uses it in certain instances which really gives it an effectiveness.

- His combination of seeming to be so calm while also going for it with no hesitation is truly great.

I listen to Joe's playing all the time and still need to listen him more.  I learn something every time I do.

Enjoy!

Black Dyke Band: Monday YouTube Fix

I am amazed by the brass band tradition in England.  There are countless hours of nearly flawless brass playing on YouTube from the great brass bands.  This is a really great clip because it is so long. The amount of great tone emanating from the Black Dyke Band in this clip is really incredible.  The blend of tone, articulation and note length leads to a real "meltdown" of sound.  This is just awesome playing.

Enjoy!

Bud Herseth: Monday YouTube Fix

As I'm sure you all know, we recently lost arguably the greatest orchestral trumpet player of all time, Bud Herseth. I feel so blessed to have attended Northwestern when Bud was still playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the mid-90's.  His presence as the leader of that orchestra can't be summed up in a blog post. I am so happy I stumbled upon this radio profile and interview from Australian radio in 1997.  The interview is amazing and there are phenomenal clips from many different eras of the CSO's history throughout the piece which feature Mr. Herseth.

Every time I hear a recording of Bud I feel like it is a masterclass on style.  Everything sounds so thought out, so intentional.  His articulations are too clear to believe without actually hearing it yourself.  This radio piece is absolutely must hear for any musician.  You won't believe how much you learn.

Clips Include:

Also Sprach Zarathustra Pictures at an Exhibition Lt. Kijé Mahler 5 William Tell Overture Scheherezade Firebird Pines of Rome

Anne Sophie von Otter: Monday YouTube Fix

All instrumentalists, whether we realize or not, are trying to imitate the same thing: the human voice.  I model my phrasing, vibrato, note endings and much, much more after the great vocalists. Last week I saw the great Swedish mezzo-soprano, Anne Sophie von Otter, perform for the first time.  She sang the solo part in a Boston Symphony performance of Mahler's Third Symphony at Symphony Hall in Boston.  I was eighth row and was absolutely blown away by the elegance and effortless power with which she sang.  She stole the show.

I have seen Mahler 3 performed a number of times but she sang the solo part unlike anyone I had heard before.  There was an intensity about her performance that is hard to put into words.  It left me breathless.

This clip is of her singing Schubert's famous Der Erlkönig.  This version is the one orchestrated by Hector Berlioz and is performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under the direction of Claudio Abbado.

She does a stunning job of changing into the different characters right before your very eyes.  I firmly believe you can't teach the kind of intensity this woman has when she sings.  Thanks to Spotify, I have been listening to her incredibly varied recordings ever since the concert and I'm a better musician for it.

Enjoy!

Doc Severinsen: Monday YouTube Fix

On Friday night I had the privilege of hearing Doc Severinsen solo with the incredible Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen.  The writing, the ensemble, the communication and DOC SEVERINSEN! This guy is 85 years old.  That is not a typo, 85 years old, and is still playing his tail off.  I was accompanied by Joe Alessi to the concert and beforehand Joe said "Doc might be the greatest brass player of all time." If you know Joe, you know that he doesn't throw superlatives like that around too often.  He said no qualifiers and there was no context.  He is simply one of the greatest brass players of all time.

I wish I could tell you that Doc sounded good "for an 85 year old." He sounded good, end of sentence.  I'm not sure I've heard anyone be able to get more tone, more substance, on fast, passing 16th notes than he did a few nights ago.  It was truly incredible to witness.

After the concert Joe got us backstage and I got to hear the two of them reminisce and tell stories for about 15 minutes.  It was amazing.  The last thing I said to Doc before we split was "Every single phrase you play is #@$%ing master class.  It's truly incredible." I hope he knows I was serious.

This is Doc playing on the Jack Jones Show in 1977.  First is MacArthur Park followed by I Can't Get Started.  It will take your breath away.

Enjoy!

Van Cliburn Live in Moscow 1972: Monday YouTube Fix

Sadly, the music world lost one of the true giants recently.  Harvey Lavan Cliburn, Jr passed away in Fort Worth Texas at the end of February at the age of 78.  Even superlatives fail to truly convey his impact on classical music. Countless young pianists have grown up trying to emulate his sound, his style, his storytelling.  He leaves a legacy that is almost unmatched.  His name is on every single short list of the greatest pianists of all time.  He was a true legend in every sense of the word.

I had never seen this clip of him performing Sergei Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 until now.  This was recorded in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1972.  I performed in the Great Hall as a wide-eyed 14 year old visiting the Soviet Union in 1990 with the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble.  Seeing footage from there is really a trip as I can remember the space well.  It seemed like a place where some important music making had occurred.  I wish I had seen this footage before that concert.  It would have inspired me!

This is a really special clip.  I can't even remember life before YouTube and the ability to watch things like this historic performance from right on my phone.  What an age we live in.

Mr. Cliburn, you are dearly missed.  May you rest in peace.

Øystein Baadsvik: Monday YouTube Fix

I had just had the privilege of performing with Boston Brass at the Chicago Brass Festival this weekend.  It was a real treat to return to the city where I studied in college for such a prestigious festival.  The best part of the weekend was getting to hear both Øystein Baadsvik and Rex Richardson who were also featured artists.  What a weekend! On Friday night before our concert I was able to attend the beginning of Øystein's tuba master class.  I will post some quotes from this excellent class a little later this week.  But perhaps the highlight of the weekend was hearing him play the next day, first with the NEIU Faculty Quintet and then with the NEIU Wind Ensemble.  What a treat!

The audience demanded more than one encore after his very impressive performance.  The first encore he did was one of his standard solo selections, Czardas.  I don't think I've ever heard it played better on any instrument.  The clarity this man gets on fast passages on a tuba simply must be heard to be believed.  A true showman, a real gentleman, and one hell of a tuba player, any Øystein performance is a master class.  And this clip is live.  There is something not right with this man!

Enjoy!

Gil Shaham - Barber Violin Concerto: Monday YouTube Fix

I don't know about you, but when I was 11 years old I sure as heck wasn't soling with the Israel Philharmonic.  Gil Shaham has been a staple of the violin world for so long that it seems impossible that he could only be in his early 40's. Samuel Barber has been one of my favorite composers since high school when I had the privilege of playing his First Symphony on a European tour with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (now BYSO) in 1992.  He is an amazing composer with a very unique voice.  My father was a fan of Barber's and introduced me to his music.  I remember thinking immediately that he seemed to have something to say as a composer.

My favorite part of this Shaham clip, aside from the phrasing and his amazing tone, is how much fun he is having on stage.  That is not always the case with many professional musicians and is a breath of fresh air.  He really seems to be enjoying the conversation he's having with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and we can all learn from that.

Enjoy!

Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton: Monday YouTube Fix

I have evidently been living under a rock because I had no idea two of my favorite musicians headlined an entire concert together.  Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton are both institutions on their respective instruments and in music in general for a good reason.  This is just fantastic. Every person on this stage is expressing a strong musical opinion without stepping on each other's toes.  Tons of exclamation points going around this band and no question marks at all.

The slow, relentless groove alone is enough of a reason to play this for any young musician.  I don't know how many times I've been told that slow music is "easy" by young players.  Slow music ain't easy.  In fact, it's the hardest music to play in the world.  The slow groove in the first half of this clip wouldn't have budged if the hall had caught on fire.  As it should be.  This is how "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" goes.

Enjoy!