#pittsburgh symphony orchestra

[dweemeister]

Almost at the moment He died, I heard Him say, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

"Overture", "Love Theme", and "Parade of the Charioteers" from Ben-Hur (1959) – composed and conducted by Miklós Rózsa; performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

"Overture" (0:00) "Love Theme" (3:54) "Parade of the Charioteers" (7:18)

Born in Budapest to Hungarian Jewish parents, Miklós Rózsa was one of many Eastern European musicians and composers who found a (mostly) welcoming place for their work during the height of the Studio System in Hollywood. Rózsa bounced between studios, despite directors' and executives' rich appreciation of his work. In 1948, he signed his only long-term contract at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Using his extensive research for his score to the Roman epic Quo Vadis (1951) as a base, he jumped at the chance when Ben-Hur – a religious epic based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ – was there for the taking.

Throughout what remains the longest score to any theatrically-released film, Rózsa composed musical identities for Judean, Christian, Macedonian, Roman, and other identities, as well as motifs for certain ideas and themes. It runs the gamut of rousing fanfares, action music, romantic themes, ethereal religious music, and more. With a runtime 212 minutes including an overture, intermission, and entr'acte, the colossal Ben-Hur benefits deeply from one of the finest scores ever composed for a film, and certainly Miklós Rózsa's greatest work. The entire score was one of the few pieces of MGM music that survived a 1969 decision to destroy the entire studio music library.

At the 32nd Academy Awards, Ben-Hur set a record for most Oscars won (tied only with 1997's Titanic and 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) at eleven. Rózsa's win for Original Score was among them, alongside Best Special Effects, Sound Recording, Film Editing, Costume Design, Cinematography (Color), Art Direction (Color), Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith), Actor (Charlton Heston), Director (William Wyler), and Best Picture.

[mozart2006]

Rheingau Musik Festival 2024 - Manfred Honeck e Anne-Sophie Mutter

Foto ©Christian Palm Photographie A distanza di una settimana ho voluto fare un secondo viaggio a Wiesbaden per assistere al concerto della Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Continue reading Rheingau Musik Festival 2024 – Manfred Honeck e Anne-Sophie Mutter

[offensiveagentpie]

I love live music. I love concerts. I love One Piece. I'm in love with this conductor.

Man, yesterday was a fantastic day! Thanks to a friend who let me buy their ticket (they had other plans that they forgot about), I was able to attend The One Piece Symphony in Pittsburgh and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE!

And the ticket was front row and center, I had no idea until I got there, I was completely stunned.

I cried six times and had more goosebumps than I can count.

The music was phenomenal! Each character had their moment and feature and each song absolutely rocked the house.

Bink's Sake was a singalong which was a blast.

And in the second half "Drums of Liberation" was followed immediately by a singalong of "We Are!"

The audience would have followed that conductor into war and we would have won after a back-to-back like that. I felt so insanely inspired and gung ho. I wanted to get up and run around.

Heinz Hall was gorgeous and the traffic was thankfully light. I was also smiled upon by lady luck with a (free!) parking space in the Strip District so I was able to get some dinner at Novo after.

If this comes to somewhere near you, I can't recommend it highly enough!!

[monkeyssalad-blog]

Anna Pavlova and her Ballet Russe with Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh, c. 1910 by Halloween HJB Via Flickr:

[lesser-known-composers]

Julius Conus (1869-1942) - Violin Concerto in E minor

1. Allegro molto 2. Adagio 3. Cadenza-Allegro subito

Itzhak Perlman, Violin

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

André Previn, Conductor

[thriftstorerecords]

Moonlight And Violins Members of The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Richard Jones Capitol Records/USA (1955)

[singeratlarge]

SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO: “Daydream Believer” as filmed in May 2010 by PBS at Benedum Theatre in Pittsburgh PA w/Davy Jones, Jessica Pacheco, me, and members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra—this clip has been re-broadcasted many times since 2011 and, to my amazement, keeps on getting buzz. For me this was an auspicious occasion on several counts—including that, for the first time, I played guitar on songs that I usually played bass or keyboards on. The complete set can be heard as a VIP-only album on https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/album/davy-jones-goes-to-the-symphony

The full set was broadcast only one time and consisted of: 1) Daydream Believer, 2) Little Bit Me, Little Bit You, 3) Valleri, 4) Girl + 5) I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone in a cameo appearance with Paul Revere & the Raiders. Before everyone went onstage, Paul asked me to nudge Davy into joining them as both The Monkees and The Raiders have a connection to that song. Davy balked at first, but he finally caved in. Elsewhere on this shoot (we were there 2 days) was Jay Black (Jay & The Americans), Roger McGuinn, The Miracles (the classic line-up minus Smokey Robinson), and Gary Lewis & The Playboys w/my friend, drummer Mike Arturi. Also, I was blessed to spend time with Jackie DeShannon (who MC'd) and Chad & Jeremy. The project was produced for PBS by Jim Pierson.

Between 1965-67, “Daydream Believer” had been rejected by 3 bands before reaching The Monkees. The eternally cheerful tune was written by John Stewart, who’d just left The Kingston Trio. Stewart passed the song to his friend, Monkees producer Chip Douglas, who tacked it on as “album filler” during the 1967 sessions for the PISCES AQUARIUS CAPRICORN & JONES album. All four Monkees worked on the track with The Wrecking Crew, with Michael Nesmith doing guitar harmonic stingers, and Peter Tork playing the piano opening that made the song pop. Davy was reticent to sing it as it was cut for a tenor and he was a baritone, but he soldiered through. Then the track was shelved.

Unexpectedly, in October 1967 Colgems Records released “Daydream Believer” as a single and it became a surprise hit for Christmas (like 1000s of kids with “a Christmas story” connected to it, I was given the pic sleeve 45 by my Aunt Lil). The song has since been covered scores of times in eclectic styles, including a punk version by Japanese band Shonen Knife. I calculated that, in his life, Davy must’ve sung it live upwards to 10,000 times. In shows he stuck to the common arrangement, though I heard him do it country style, and we performed it several times with symphony orchestras at pops concerts. In 2000 he and I released a techno-dance version of it, which got some club play in Russia and Scandanavia. Of the many stories Davy could tell about this song, one he liked was when he and Mick Fleetwood played it in the dead of winter at a Norwegian venue near the Arctic Circle. “He was bangin’ away with his mouth hangin’ open, doin’ the Mick Fleetwood beat. Heavy man.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOT0INql6Ws

#monkees #davyjones #daydreambeliever #johnstewart #petertork #cheer #sleepyjean #homecomingqueen #johnnyjblair #sunshinepop #powerpop #concert #PBS #benedumtheatre #pittsburgh #mickfleetwood #colgems

[starqueen87]

Contralto singer Carol Brice was born in Sedalia, North Carolina on April 16, 1918 into a musical family. Eventually she became one of the first African American classical singers with an extensive recording repertoire. Brice trained at Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia and then enrolled in Talladega College in Alabama, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in 1939. She later attended Juilliard School of Music between 1939 and 1943 where she trained with Francis Rogers. In 1943 Brice became the first African American musician to win the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg Foundation Award.

Carol Brice first attracted public acclaim at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 when she performed in the opera, “The Hot Mikado.” Her next major public performance came in 1941, when she sang at a Washington concert honoring the third inauguration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Her brother, the pianist Jonathan Brice, was frequently her accompanist at concerts and competitions.

Ms. Brice’s Broadway career accelerated after World War II when her talent for both opera and musical theatre became apparent. In 1946 she received her first recording contract from Columbia Records for Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo, which was performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner. She sang with the Pittsburgh Symphony for all of 1946 and later performed as Addie in the New York City Opera’s 1958 production of Marc Blitzstein’s Regina. Brice remained with the New York City Opera until 1963. She performed with Volksoper in Vienna, Austria from 1967 to 1971 and the Houston Grand Opera from 1976 to 1977. She played Maria in the Houston Grand Opera production of Porgy and Bess. The recording of that performance won a Grammy and the entire show moved to Broadway where it won a 1977 Tony Award for Most Innovative Production of a Musical Revival.

Brice also had a successful career on Broadway. She played Kakou in the original Broadway cast of Harold Arlen’s Saratoga (1958) and Maude in the 1960 revival of Finian’s Rainbow. During the 1960s her numerous roles included Catherine Creek in The Grass Harp, Harriett Tubman in Gentlemen, Be Seated, and Queenie in Showboat.

While performing in Vienna in 1968, she met her husband, the baritone Thomas Carey. The couple had two children. Mr. Carey returned to the U.S. in 1969 to teach at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, and Carol Brice joined him there after another stint on Broadway. Ms. Brice officially joined the University of Oklahoma faculty in 1974. One year later she and her husband founded the Church Circuit Opera Company in Norman, Oklahoma. The company was renamed the Cimarron Circuit Opera in 1981 and continued until Thomas Carey’s death in 2002.

Carol Brice died on February 14, 1985 in Norman, Oklahoma. She was 66.

Source: Black Wall Street, Facebook

[lboogie1906]

Charles Dean Dixon (January 10, 1915 – November 3, 1976) was a conductor.

He studied conducting at the Juilliard School and Columbia. When early pursuits of conducting engagements were stifled because of racial bias, he formed his orchestra and choral society. He guest-conducted the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic during its summer season. He guest-conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. He won the Ditson Conductor’s Award.

He left the US for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He was the principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony in Sweden, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia, and the hr-Sinfonieorchester in Frankfurt. During his time in Europe, he guest-conducted with the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Munich. He made several recordings with the Prague Symphony Orchestra for Bärenreiter, including works of Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schumann, Wagner, and Weber. For Westminster Records, his recordings included symphonies and incidental music for Rosamunde by Schubert, symphonic poems of Liszt, and symphonies of Schumann. He recorded several American works for the American Recording Society in Vienna. Some of his WDR broadcast recordings were issued on Bertelsmann and other labels. He introduced the works of many American composers, such as William Grant Still, to European audiences.

During the 1968 Olympic Games, he conducted the Mexican National Symphony Orchestra.

He returned to the US for guest-conducting engagements with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. He served as the conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He conducted most of the major symphony orchestras in Africa, Israel, and South America. His last appearance in the US was conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in April 1975.

He married Vivian Rivkin (1948-53) and they had a daughter. He married Mary Mandelin (1954) and they had a daughter. He married Ritha Blume (1973). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[wordsphrasessentencesparagraphs]

Notes from a book talk: Wicked Marigold

Got to sneak out to an event Friday night after work: Pittsburgh-based author Caroline Carlson read from Wicked Marigold, her new book, and then did a Q+A moderated by author Jonathan Auxier, who is also Pittsburgh-based. It’s pretty cool living in a community with such rich participants.

It reminded me of the Ben Folds live album with the Perth Symphony. At one point, he tells the crowd that all of his songs were arranged for the orchestra by local composers. “These songs are arranged by local composers. So there are people walking amongst you on the streets of Perth who know how to do stuff like this and I think that’s awesome.” How cool is that?

The talk was great: it covered questions like “how does Caroline come up with character names?” (by reading the newspaper and keeping an eye out for interesting words she’s never heard before) and what other books or writers influenced her along the way (she reads a lot of books, so it seems like kind of an amalgamation of all of them when she works, but she cited Kate DiCamillo and James Thurber’s 13 Clocks specifically, among others I didn’t catch).

And some of the questions got deep into the writing process, which I found really interesting. Here are the highlights from the notes I took:

Jokes!

-I like “having written, not writing. So I try to write something silly to enjoy the process. 

-4x the amount of jokes she thinks there should be in the book

-Craft. Caroline makes space for jokes and funny bits. It’s not as if it just happens, you have to spot where there’s space for one and then, like any other element of a story, you craft it into something that fits - beginning, middle, end.

My Takeaway Jokes don’t just happen. They’re not just opportunistic asides. They play a role in the story – give this section brevity, break the tension, give the character another angle of their personality, whatever – and then, like anything else, you need to sit down and shape it. Again, funny spots don’t just happen, you need to be intentional with them.

Flow/Structure/Pace

-Where does Caroline’s sense of flow/pace come from? Rhythm of stories she’s read. (Note to self: READ MORE BOOKS.) But has trouble figuring out where to begin the story, how much she can introduce before getting audience into the book so they don’t put it down. 

-She said you need to spend enough time at the beginning to give people a chance to meet the character - and care about what happens to them. (Was able to do it in about 10 pages)

Feedback

-When you ask for feedback, make sure the person you’re talking to understands what you’re going for. Are they a collaborator or just a commentator (who sees the version of X *they* want to see)?

Having Fun Writing

-Craft is good, but you need to enjoy it, not take it so seriously. 

My Takeaway I can absolutely get lost in The Task, which is a very serious and reverential thing. And I have that because I think if you want someone to read something you’ve written, you should put in the effort to take it seriously and put something in front of them that respects their time. Make sure it’s good. But I can quickly lose sight of the fun that writing brings. Because I write all day long at work, the work I do at home can be a break. It can all be fun. (Still respect the craft, but don’t pile on the pressure.)

Finally on that point, the manager of the bookstore (Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill) made the final point: Kids need books that bring them joy and make them laugh, ones that are light and entertaining. Like Wicked Marigold, from Caroline Carlson.

[xpoken]

Christina Aguilera est née dans la partie la plus au sud de New York, à Staten Island

Son père Fausto Xavier Aguilera, un immigrant de l'Équateur, était un militaire professionnel.  La mère de Shelley, Lorraine Fiedler, ancienne violoniste et pianiste, membre de l'US Youth Symphony Orchestra, avait déjà arrêté sa carrière scénique au moment de la naissance de sa fille aînée et est devenue professeur d'espagnol à l'école.  Christina a une sœur cadette, Rachel.  La différence d'âge entre les filles est de 6 ans.

 L'enfance de la petite Christina ne peut pas être qualifiée d'insouciante, principalement parce que son père était très autoritaire et réprimait sa femme et ses enfants avec son despotisme.  Un an après la naissance de leur plus jeune fille, Shelley a pris les filles, a déménagé en Pennsylvanie pour vivre avec sa mère et a demandé le divorce.

 Le talent musical, apparemment, est allé à Christina du côté maternel.  Elle a très tôt commencé à se montrer comme une chanteuse douée.  La biographie créative de l'artiste a commencé à l'école primaire.

 À l'âge de 8 ans, Aguilera a pris la 2e place du concours de talents pour enfants Star Search, interprétant la composition plutôt difficile de Whitney Houston, The Greatest Love of All.  Le prochain succès notable a été l'interprétation de l'hymne national américain lors de l'ouverture des jeux sportifs à Pittsburgh.  A cette époque, Christina avait 11 ans.  Un an plus tard, dans la célèbre émission de télévision américaine The Mickey Mouse Club, le jeune Aguilera est devenu l'un des participants au projet avec de futures stars telles que Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling.

[chorusfm]

Ben Folds Announces New Tour

Ben Folds has announced some new tour dates. Emmy-nominated, multi-platinum selling music artist Ben Folds announces the return of his popular “Paper Airplane Request Tour,” performing solo shows across the US starting May 30, 2024. What initially began years ago as a request for songs as encores will once again be a central element in Folds’ shows when he engages audiences to make their song requests via paper airplanes. “The last time I did this on tour the response was overwhelming, with literally hundreds of paper airplanes with song requests being launched on cue from fans at the start of the second half of each of my concerts,” said Folds. “It’s the purest, most low-tech form of engagement that creates a special bond with my audiences.” Folds, who released his most recent album “What Matters Most” to critical acclaim, has been in studio in recent months working on his first holiday album targeted for release later this year. He’ll also be featured in a special PBS broadcast this spring that spotlights his ongoing “Declassified: Ben Folds Presents” concert series he curates as Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. MAY 30 – CHARLESTON, SC – CHARLESTON MUSIC HALL 31 – AUGUSTA, GA – BELL AUDITORIUM JUNE 1 – PEACHTREE CITY, GA – THE FRED 2 – PELHAM, TN – THE CAVERNS 4 – CHARLOTTE, NC – BELK THEATER 6 – SAVANNAH, GA – DISTRICT LIVE 7 – VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – SANDLER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 8 – ROCKY MOUNT, VA – HARVESTER PERFORMANCE CENTER 9 – PITTSBURGH, PA – 3 RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL 11 – RICHMOND, VA – LEWIS GINTER BOTANICAL GARDEN 21 – LOWELL, MA – LOWELL SUMER MUSIC SERIES 22 – GREAT BARRINGTON, MA – THE MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 23 – HAMMONDSPORT, NY – POINT OF THE BLUFF CONCERT PAVILION 25 – KENT, OH – THE KENT STAGE 27 – TOLEDO, OH – PERISTYLE THEATER 28 – POTESKEY, MI – BAY VIEW JOHN M. HALL AUDITORIUM 29 – KALAMAZOO, MI – KALAMAZOO STATE THEATRE JULY 30 – BOISE, ID – MORRISON CENTER AUGUST 2 – STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO – STRINGS MUSIC PAVILION 5 – BOULDER, CO – CHAUTAUQUA AUDITORIUM 6 – BEAVER CREEK, CO – VILAR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/news/ben-folds-announces-new-tour-2/

[badarchitectrecords]

Listen to this new beautiful track, ‘The Bottom’ by the composer Brett McCutcheon. Here’s more from the artist and a story about the upcoming EP.  On the night of September 30, 2017, Brett McCutcheon’s life changed forever. His brother Ryan was tragically killed in a car accident. Five years later, Brett no longer a teenager but a senior in college realizes his journey mirrors that of millions of kids who have experienced great loss. The Ocean - five years is that story. Built around the revised composition of the original release in 2018, it explores deeper meaning and understanding. Centered on June Bracken’s vocal performance, the new music now includes symphonic performances by musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and also features NBC’s -The Voice Finalist, Chris Jamison.   The Ocean moves through the crippling dependency of living through loss, to finding life among those that grieve, to knowing everything was always going to be okay.  A documentary short film used to raise child grief awareness will accompany the project. The EP consists of 5 tracks; Intro, Sinking, The Bottom, Floating and The Shore.  Representing the grief journey. Loneliness and depression give "The Bottom" its dark and eerie ambiance through the orchestra. The seemingly unending cycle of negative thoughts inspires repetitive lyrics from June. Now, at the ocean's lowest depths, we can gaze upward to witness society continuing its journey through the passing waves without us. The notion of swimming upward seems futile as we plunge deeper into darkness and despair. The overwhelming power of the entire orchestra delivers a resounding declaration of no return.

[lesser-known-composers]

Alexander Krein (1883–1951) - Elegy for Piano Trio, Op. 16

Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin (First Concertmaster, Berlin Philharmonic)

Aron Zelkowicz, cello (Boston Lyric Opera, Rhode Island Philharmonic)

Rodrigo Ojeda, piano (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Mellon University)

[singeratlarge]

SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO: “Daydream Believer” " as filmed in May 2010 by PBS at Benedum Theatre in Pittsburgh PA w/Davy Jones, Jessica Pacheco, me, and members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra—this clip has been re-broadcasted many times since 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOT0INql6Ws   For me this was an auspicious occasion on several counts—including that, for the first time, I played guitar on songs that I usually played bass or keyboards on. The complete set can be heard as as a VIP-only album on https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.ban.... Elsewhere on this shoot (we were there 2 days) was Jay Black (Jay & The Americans), Roger McGuinn, The Miracles (the classic line-up minus Smokey Robinson), and Gary Lewis & The Playboys w/my friend, drummer Mike Arturi. Also, I was blessed to spend time with Jackie DeShannon (who MC'd) and Chad & Jeremy. The project was produced for PBS by Jim Pierson.

“Daydream Believer” had been rejected by 3 bands before reaching The Monkees. The eternally-cheerful tune was written by John Stewart, who’d just left The Kingston Trio. Stewart passed the song to his friend, Monkees producer Chip Douglas, who tacked it on as “album filler” during the 1967 sessions for the PISCES AQUARIUS CAPRICORN & JONES album. All four Monkees worked on the track with The Wrecking Crew, with Michael Nesmith doing guitar harmonic stingers, and Peter Tork playing the piano opening that made the song pop. Davy was reticent to sing it as it was cut for a tenor and he was a baritone, but he soldiered through. Then the track was shelved.

Unexpectedly, in October 1967 Colgems Records released “Daydream Believer” as a single and it became a surprise hit for Christmas (like 1000s of kids with “a Christmas story” connected to it, I was given the pic sleeve 45 by my Aunt Lil). The song has since been covered scores of times in eclectic styles, including a punk version by Japanese band Shonen Knife. I calculated that, in his life, Davy must’ve sung it live upwards to 10,000 times. In shows he stuck to the common arrangement, though I heard him do it country style, and we performed it several times with symphony orchestras at pops concerts. In 2000 he and I released a techno-dance version of it, which got some club play in Russia and Scandanavia. Of the many stories Davy could tell about this song, one he liked was when he and Mick Fleetwood played it in the dead of winter at a Norwegian venue near the Arctic Circle. “He was bangin’ away with his mouth hangin’ open, doin’ the Mick Fleetwood beat. Heavy man.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOT0INql6Ws

#monkees #davyjones #daydreambeliever #johnstewart #petertork #cheer #sleepyjean #homecomingqueen #johnnyjblair #sunshinepop #powerpop #concert #PBS #benedumtheatre #pittsburgh #mickfleetwood #colgems