Laura's Simon Sinfonietta review

I asked my good friend Laura to review recent the Simon Sinfonietta concert for the paper, in part because I had committed myself to another concert on the same night. There was a better reason though: she is a talented musican, as is her significant other, and both are very knowledgeable about music. (We play as a quartet, Laura on violin, another Marilyn on flute, me on cello, and Fritz on violin, viola, or harpsichord.)

Since the guest artists for the Sinfonietta were violinists, Paul and Linda Rosenthal (from Alaska), it seemed a perfect concert for Laura to review, and you can read it here: Laura's review. Thanks, Laura!

Writing reviews

I finally finished my review of the "Triple Concerto" concert. It takes me hours and hours to write reviews. I wish I could do it faster, but maybe that will come with time. I should have a lot of practice this winter/spring season, with seven or eight concert reviews to write.

I started writing reviews 3 or 4 years ago because the previous arts reviewer for the local newspaper did not feel qualified to do so, and the professional musicians did not want to critique their colleagues. I fell into that middle ground of enjoying music as an amateur musician, though I do not have a musical education, besides flute and cello lessons, and enjoying writing.

I said "no," the first time I was asked to write a review, saying I was not qualified, but the person on the other end said that my cello teacher thought I would do a great job. How can you argue with that?

So, I e-mailed my sister, who is not only a professor of music, but also teaches English, including how to write a review. She gave me a lot of excellent advice, and suggested I get a recording of the music to be played to become familiar with it before the performance, do some background research, talk to people, etc. For that first concert, I actually bought a Music Minus One recording of the solo violin piece and studied the score, listened to the CD, and read the very detailed and interesting performance notes. I bought CDs for all the other pieces of music being performed and researched them, too. It turned out to be a very expensive concert, even though I got the tickets for free. I invited a friend to join me for the concert. She does have a music degree, and she teaches music at the elementary school level. She had a lot of insights, including some nonmusical observations, such as the fact that a violist was chewing gum throughout the concert.

So, many reviews later, I am now the arts and entertainment editor for the local paper. I no longer buy CDs for each performance, but I do listen to online performances, such as the Triple Concerto, and I do as much background reading as I can to better understand context of the piece. And I talk to friends who attended. (It was great to talk to Carol about this last concert!) I view reviews as an enjoyable part of my own self-administered music education. There is nothing like going to lots of concerts, and writing about them, to teach music appreciation.

Concert review, Recital Snafu

Last night's concert was outstanding, top-notch, glorious to behold. It will be easy to write this review. And it was followed by a gala party, complete with food, wine and a jazz band, at a recently restored mansion, now arts center, to celebrate the conductor's birthday.

Did you know that the entire second movement of Haydn's 13th Symphony in D major is a cello solo? I didn't. An unexpected cello adagio cantabile. What a treat!

Today's cello choir recital was fine, all things considered. We met early to rehearse our two pieces. The first time through our more difficult piece, I thought went very well, but some of the others weren't happy and wanted to try it again. The second time, I got confused. In the performance, several people got confused, and we had to actually stop and start over. Between the three times, though, it was good enough. :-)

Making the Cello Chair Comfy

I finally made a little cushion for the portable cello chair I bought recently. The chair is black (though looks blue in the photos), so I had in mind a sedate black cushion. However, while rooting through my vast collection of fabrics, I found a fake fur fabric that I thought might be a little more fun. So, here's the cushion:


It is actually pretty comfortable, but in the course of my hunt for the perfect seating for outdoor performances, I realized that a flat surface is better. In fact I use a small piano bench as a seat when I practice. It is portable, too, but heavier and more awkward to carry around than this folding aluminum seat. The addition of a fat paperback makes for fine seating. This Classical Music book, in particular, is just the right size. But it would be wrong, especially for a bluegrass festival.


Besides, I need to read it, to prepare for a review of a local concert I am writing this weekend. (The featured piece is Mendelssohn's 2nd piano concerto in d minor, if anyone would like to share any insights. I have no degrees in music; I just write reviews because people ask me to, local professional musicians are reluctant to critique others, I like to do it, and the research I do adds to my musical knowledge.)

In the end, despite all this fuss I have made over my cello chair, I have found that, in a concert, I am oblivious to my seating, carried away by the music. :-)

Denise Djokic

I have been asked to write a review of a local concert featuring cellist Denise Djokic. I am not familiar with her, but various web sites call her the "best young cellist in the world," with a "warm and lyrical" sound. "Lyrical" is my favorite word to use in music reviews. The "All Things Considered" reviewer said, "she shows how classical music can let its hair down without dying it purple." I love this and may quote it in my review if it seems appropriate.

I am excited to discover that she has a CD called Folk Lore, which features classical music with folk themes. I have ordered her CD and am looking forward to this concert. My usual nervousness about reviewing a concert has dimished considerably.