Author: Jerry Bowles

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About the New Look

Here’s a piece of advice.  Never say to yourself on a Saturday morning, well, I think I’m just going to completely re-do the old web site over the weekend.  Dumb idea, but this is where I am so far. 

Consider it a work in progress and pass along any suggestions you might have.  Right now, the site is still a hybrid.  The only other page in WordPress right now is the Calendar page but for some reason, I was not able to import the old posts from Blogger properly so that’s a mess.  (Notice to Jeff H. and David T., I will be needing some technical assistance in getting the CD Reviews page and, especially, the Composers Forum imported to WP.  There is a way to keep the Haloscan quotes but it’s beyond my technical range.)  

I’ve wanted to switch from Blogger to WordPress for a long time now because it’s a lot neater piece of blogging software that has a lot of features that allow us to take advantage of the new “social” folksonomy software that’s out there.  And it looks a lot more professional and is easier to manage.

Over the next few days, I’ll be sending all of you who contribute an e-mail with your new password so you can post start posting.  I hope we can get everything up and functioning right this week.

Keep your fingers crossed.

by Jerry Bowles
Signings

Naxos Dreaming

If you happen to be around my local Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Triangle (which is what the real estate developers call the area around Lincoln Center these days), around 7 pm on Monday, you’ll want to stop in and visit with José Serebrier, his wife Carole Farley, and Ned Rorem who will be signing their latest releases which just happen to be on the Naxos label.

Serebrier’s recording of Rorem’s three symphonies at the time of the composer 80th birthday garnered three GRAMMY nominations and their latest collaboration, Rorem’s  Flute Concerto (world premiere), performed by Jeffrey Khaner, principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Violin Concerto with Philippe Quint and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Serebrier, is simply outstanding.   

Farley will be on hand to sign copies of her new DVD on VAI of the fully-staged operas  La Voix Humaine  by Francis Poulenc and The Telephone  by Gian-Carlo Menotti with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by busy José.

Meanwhile in another part of the forest, Glenn Freeman writes: 

Brief report from Bratislava, Slovakia.  OgreOgress productions is completing its first orchestral recording project. The repertoire is Alan Hovahenss’s Shambala, Janabar and Talin. The performers are the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Rerastislav Stur.  The musicians and conductor are first rate and the studio of the Slovak Philharmonic along with its recording technician, staff and equipment, are at the highest level. We are excited about the planned release of this recording on high resolution Audio DVD (96kHz/24bit) in the Spring of 2007. If you want this recording, or any of our future recordings, on CD then ask Naxos to release it in this format…we’ll work out a deal with them they  cannot refuse. 

Memo to Glenn:  Probably should have gone with José Serebrier.

by Jerry Bowles
Composers

The Bi-Coastal Jefferson Friedman

Jefferson Friedman, one of our favorites among the young turks out there, has a couple of nice gigs coming up next week.  On the 13th, 15th and 16th, the Chiara Quartet will be playing his sublime String Quartet No. 2 at Miller Theater, with choreography by Brian Reeder, as part of its  New Ballet Choreographers series.

And on Thursday night, Leonard Slatkin will lead the LAPhil at the Hollywood Bowl in Friedman’s The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly.  Something called Carmina Burana fills out the program.

The fact that Friedman mentions Sequenza21 rather prominently in his bio has absolutely nothing to do with his being featured here.

Couple of new calls for scores over in the  Sequenza21 Workspace.  Don’t forget to check there every few days.

by Jerry Bowles