Halida dinova biography of williams
Heather Sorenson, Composer/Conductor
Joseph M. Martin, Composer/Conductor
Sarah Whittemore, Soloist; Sue Martin, Soloist; Layke Jones, Soloist
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY
November 20, 2022
I must admit I approached this concert with trepidation, because when it comes to holiday music, I’m a bit of a Scrooge. So it is with surprise and delight that I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a chilly Sunday afternoon in New York.
The program was divided evenly between two composer/conductors, featuring their original choral compositions and their arrangements of the most beloved Christmas carols. The chorus, comprised of a consortium of choral groups from around the U.S. and beyond, were a well-prepared, balanced, and committed ensemble. Heather Sorenson, whose pieces formed the first half of this program, conducted with utter clarity and precision throughout a cycle of nine contemporary liturgical works. The current trend in this branch of the musical world freely borrows from an array of sources – Renaissance music, traditional Celtic folk tunes, Disney-style ballads – all cleverly and attractively arranged. I was especially taken by Who’s the Little Baby? delivered with gospel-flavored gusto by the excellent Sarah Whittemore. Though I cringed at the thought of a carol inspired by the ubiquitous Canon in D, A Pachelbel Noel was in fact a creative melding of two beautiful melodies, a brilliant and moving hybrid.
I am familiar with the work of Joseph M. Martin, having reviewed him in a previous issue of New York Concert Review, and I am an unabashed fan. He has a firm grasp of a variety of compositional styles, yet he infuses them with his own personal touch and wit, Tidings of Joy, his suite in ten parts, incorporates the best of our traditional Christmas fare (I Saw Three Kings, Joy To the World, The First Noel) into a joyful tribute that transcends this
Emerging Genius
A biographical novel tells the tale of a talented but maligned composer, plus other news
It is 7 June 1837. Anton collapses in tears as he watches his father die. His mother cannot afford to keep him, so compels him, at the age of thirteen, to leave home. At the St Florian monastery in Upper Austria, he learns to play the organ. Later he trains to be a schoolteacher. Meanwhile he is improving as a composer. Suddenly, he realises he is at the crossroads of his life. Which of three paths does he take?
Gordon L Thomas: Anton Bruckner - A Genius Emerges
This is a novel based on the fascinating, colourful and varied life of the nineteenth century composer Anton Bruckner. It is based on fact and attempts to dispel some of the myths which still surround him. It shows his range of skills, from teaching music theory at the University of Vienna, through being a brilliant organist, and a sensitive choirmaster, to his success as a symphonist. It demonstrates his shrewdness, intelligence, independence and his efforts in dealing with others.
This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves music, history or simply a good story. It also marks the two hundredth anniversary of Bruckner's birth, which will take place on 4 September 2024.
British author Gordon L Thomas says:
My latest is a biographical novel about the nineteenth century composer, Anton Bruckner. Its contents are firmly based on the facts about this fascinating character. My aim is to dispel the cruel myths which unfortunately still surround him. Early biographers wrongly regard him as childlike and naïve, and too willing to agree to changes suggested by others to his symphonies.
Some regards him as an isolated individual but the number of interactions he has with a wide range of people, including his housekeeper, shows this to be incorrect, even though he was unlucky in love.
Anton Bruckner - A Genius Emerges has been published by Sell My Books in paperback format (ISBN KP: Hi Irina! How is the start of the new year for you? IM: I do feel more relaxed than in December.. KP: That's always good! I reviewed two of your albums last year, Debussy Preludes, Book 2, which was new, and Irina Moreland Live, which was released in 2018. How many albums have you recorded altogether? IM: I have released three albums. The third is Virtual Infinity, which is crossover classical and rock styles. That was my first album, which was released in 2014. KP: I'll have to check that one out! As a classical artist, how do you decide which music to record? Click on the "Live" and "Debussy" covers New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Northey Spirit of ANZAC Michael Fowler Centre Note that this review is for the most part what I wrote and posted on this website two days later on Friday 24 April, but now modified in various ways in the light of listening to its broadcast by Radio New Zealand Concert on Saturday evening. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has joined forces with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to present the same programme, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. The SSO’s two performances of the concert take place on the same evenings as this concert in Wellington and, on Friday, in Auckland. Dominating the programme were the two principal works, commissioned by the two orchestras from prominent composers in each country. A further link with Australia was through Australian conductor Benjamin Northey who has been seen here before, conducting both the National Youth Orchestra, in February 2014 and the NZSO in November last; and he takes over as Principal Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra this year. Fanfare for the Common Man It opened with a frighten
My crossover genre album was experimental, since I wanted to produce something similar to Vanessa-Mae (the crossover violin player).
to go to Kathy's reviews.
And finally, my Debussy, Preludes Book 2album fulfilled my dream of many years to record my favorite composer.
I would love to record jazz and my own compositional album soon. I wish I could play in a wider variety of musical styles. Classical music is highly intellectual, and is probably the most desirable for me, although I love all genres of music. I would like to play movie scoring music wit
Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
Michael Williams: Symphony No 1 Letters from the Front (with Madeleine Pierard – soprano and George Henare – narrator)
James Ledger: War Music (with the New Zealand Youth Choir)
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas TallisWednesday 22 April, 6:30 pm
I delayed further, to listen to the broadcast on Monday afternoon of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s performance (presumably also performed on the Wednesday).
The concert began with a shattering performance of Copland’s brief Fanfare for the Common Man, a title that reflects his humane, left-wing sympathies. (He was classed as subversive by the House of Representatives committee on Un-American Activities in the early 1950s and black-listed by the FBI, one of the 150 American artists so classified during those paranoid years).