Sequenza21/

Google‘s latest coup is the digitization and online offering of essentially the entire photo archive of Life magazine. They’re currently up to around 20% of the entire ten-million picture archive, so there’s lots more to keep looking for in the future. Of course you can search to your heart’s content for just about any subject matter; but a quick search for “composer” returns some really truly spiffy photos of various and sundry greats (and a few “who dat?”‘s), many I’ve never seen before and all wonderful images… Like this one, from 1955, of Alan Hovhaness buried in his work. The images on Google are all much larger than this, and quite vivid.

Wendy plays Ken’s viola concerto with BMOP! Hear harmonies analyzed from Wendy’s ankle bone!

Friday, November 14, 2008 / 8:00pm – 10:00pm

Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory

290 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA

The amazing violist Wendy Richman plays Ken Ueno’s concerto Talus, with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the incomparable Gil Rose.

Here’s the program:

Martin Boykan Concerto for Violin and Orchestra / Curtis Macomber, violin

Robert Erickson Fantasy for cello and orchestra / Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello

Arnold Schoenberg Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra / BMOP Principals

Elliott Schwartz Chamber Concerto VI: Mr. Jefferson / Charles Dimmick, violin 

Ken Ueno Talus, concerto for viola and orchestra / Wendy Richman, viola 

Tickets for this concert are available at the Jordan Hall Box Office. Call (617) 585-1260 or visit the box office at New England Conservatory (30 Gainsborough Street), Monday – Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 12pm-6pm. The box office opens at 6:30pm on the day of the concert. 

For an explanation of x-ray picture and how it relates to the piece: http://www.kenueno.com/performancenotes.html#Talus

Pliable, our reliable friend across the pond, informs us that toute New York is aflame about a new 30-story Norman Foster edifice to be built on Madison Avenue.  We must confess we have not been following this controversy owing to the pressing need to sort out this unpleasant Iraq business and to ponder the fate of the republic should it be determined that its leader is clinically unable to continue in office and that his backup is even loonier.

Noting that architecture has been an inspiration for a number of fine musical pieces, Pliable has issued a challenge to the Sequenza21 gang to respond to Norman’s efforts.  If you can’t wait for the new building, perhaps you could write a ditty honoring Foster’s just opened Hearst Tower which is located less than 100 yards from where I’m sitting.

A Couple of Other Things:  I meant to mention this earlier this week but kept putting it off because I found it just too depressing.  Dawn Upshaw has breast cancer.   

Anybody here speak PHP?  I mean, know it really cold.  If you don’t know what that means, don’t apply, but if you’re the dude (or dudette), send me an e-mail.  We could use a template tweak or two.

How about a nice round of applause for Jeff Harrington who blogged all three nights of the Keys to the Future Festival.  Bravo, well-done and many thanks for giving me an excuse to focus on more lucrative (hopefully) projects this week and to gloat over certain current events.  I refer, of course, to the beginning of the return to sanity of American government and the exciting Rutgers victory over Louisville.  When West Virginia knocks off Rutgers on December 2, revenge will be complete.   

Ten days and counting until the Sequenza21 concert.