Brian Sacawa: Sounds Like Now

SLN turns one

Thanks to all my readers. And many more . . .

UA Saxophone Website

The Universtiy of Arizona Saxophone Studio website is up.

The Towers

Fans of HBO's The Wire will recognize this photo immediately--the west side project towers around which much of the Season 1 action centered. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous when I walked into the PJs to take this picture. And it was nerves that kept me from walking two more blocks to get a shot of The Pit.

Alsop w/ BSO

Much has been made about Marin Alsop's appointment as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's new music director-elect--a post she'll assume from out-going director Yuri Temirkanov beginning in the 2007-2008 season. There's the fact that she's the first woman to hold a position with a major U.S. orchestra. And there's also the fact that her appointment generated a lot of controversy, especially considering that nearly 90 percent of the orchestra's musicians criticized the search process heavily, arguing that their input wasn't given serious consideration. Be that as it may, the process is over, hopefully any bitterness has been put aside--she actually held a meeting with the musicians to talk about the search process and their feelings--and Maestra Alsop will lead the BSO full time, like it or not. Last night, Baltimore got a glimpse of the Maestra in action as she led the orchestra in a program featuring Christopher Rouse's Symphony No. 1, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414 with pianist Leon Fleisher filling in at the last minute for Piotr Anderszewski, who cancelled due to "an over-commitment of performance engagements in the coming weeks," and Dvorák's Symphony No. 7, op. 70.

To say the least, Alsop's appointment marks an immense change at the helm for the BSO. Gender aside, she's relatively young, is largely American-trained, and is known for giving new music more than a fair shot. The former was evident from the get-go last night as the program--and her tenure with the orchestra as far as Baltimore seemed concerned from the incredible welcoming standing ovation she received--began with Baltimore-native Chris Rouse's one-movement Symphony No. 1. Speaking to the audience from stage before beginning the work, she expressed her excitement about being there and gave the audience a glimpse into the work, explaining how Rouse built the piece around the pitches B-A-C-H and using the orchestra to illustrate her words sonically. I liked this. She wasn't "dumbing down" for the crowd, and her use of a little humor--"In the middle of the work, Mr. Rouse used the initials of many people he didn't like," which was followed by a cacophony of dissonance--was tasteful, effective, and right for the moment.

Alsop's address to the audience stirred memories of another charismatic former BSO music director--David Zinman. I used to love Zinman's programs with the BSO, the way he blended new American works with "old favorites." But not only that, he frequently spoke to the audience from stage, which I think makes everyone feel a little more comfortable, especially those that might be wary of a new piece of music--or a piece of new music. It's an interesting switch to have swung from one extreme (Zinman) to another (Temirkanov) and back (?) now with Alsop (?).

I've noted before that the criticism often slung at Temirkanov might not entirely be a result of his own doing. There was a whiff of that last night. During the Rouse, the orchestra really seemed to be defying Alsop's ictus. At times her hands would go down, come up, and start back down before the orchestra produced any sound. While there's usually a degree of conductor-orchestra lag time, this seemed so incredible that I had to take note of it. Despite this, the orchestra sounded fabulous all night long--the sound was warm, coordination was excellent, and the intonation was very close to perfect--although I thought I detected a drop in energy somewhere in the middle of the Dvorák, which, by the way, she conducted from memory.

Walking out of the Meyerhoff after the show was interesting as I tried my best to eavesdrop on as many conversations as possible. As you might expect, everyone was buzzing about the Maestra. Actually, there was a lot of buzz both before and after the concert, something the review in today's Sun captures well. (Interesting that the article doesn't speak a lick about the program, her conducting, or the performance.) Many of the comments I heard, and of course I could only hear a small sample, sounded slightly disappointed, like she might not of lived up to the hype that the BSO had created. "Well, she is the first woman conductor of a major orchestra in the United States." "It wasn't really what I was expecting." "She's different than I thought."

It's understandable that people might have been slightly disappointed. First of all, the program wasn't all that flashy. In contrast to Temirkanov's programs, which featured many a warhorse, there weren't any truly recognizable works on Alsop's program last night that Baltimore concert goers might be able to sing in the shower the next morning. Second, she's got kind of a strange style. It's not flamboyant. It's not grandiose. She doesn't get up there and put on a show. But that's the thing, there are conductors who don't put on a show but still exhibit a certain power over an audience. I hope I don't get struck by lightning by saying that her conducting style isn't all that special. It's a little tight. She tends to lurch at the orchestra bent over slightly most of the time. And another thing that might of contributed to an audience member's disappointment last night given the grandness with which her appointment was announced, is that she is a rather diminutive presence on stage--physically, not musically. Hey, although I'm pretty sure her height didn't affect my opinion of her performance, I'm just saying . . .

I hope Baltimore embraces Alsop. And I hope she puts a little spice into the orchestra. If anything, her commitment to new music should be applauded and welcomed. Her track record indicates an interest in fresh, inventive programming--something Baltimore hasn't had much of in a while. If she isn't the second coming of Christ, who cares? Speaking of that, after the show, J enjoyed a Resurrection and I an Ozzy at the Brewer's Art for a nice end to the evening.

Update: As a means of comparison, here are a couple more opinions about the Maestra's concert on Thursday night--Jens F. Laurson over at ionarts and I seem to be in agreement, while Tim Page of the Washington Post is a bit more generous with his praise.

A foggy day

The unseasonably warm weather in Baltimore has been creating some pretty dense fog the past few days. Photos are: this morning and yesterday. Report of last night's concert of Maestra Alsop with the BSO coming soon.

Can you teach this?

This boy possesses an amazing rhythmic gift.

The dust settles . . .

. . . and the fog creeps in. Literally and figuratively. I'm having trouble collecting my thoughts to put together a coherent post following this past weekend's gauntlet of concerts. But I survived and have lived to tell the story.

It all began Friday afternoon with a performance on the faculty recital at the Southwest Honor Band Weekend held at the UA. Immediately following my portion of the performance--luckily I was granted my request to be first on the program--I ran to my office changed out of my suit, repacked my suitcase and was off to the airport. My flight arrived in Baltimore around 1am and I was picked up by J for a short night's sleep before heading down to Fairfax for the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium. Traffic on the beltway was very thin Saturday morning and we made great time, arriving just before Michael Djupstrom was dropped off for our rehearsal.

As I play more and more concerts, I've learned how to handle the stress and inevitability of the "real world" of a concertizing musician. Last minute rehearsals because it's the only time you have, managing a multitude of music simultaneously and keeping it all up to snuff, not feeling completely and utterly prepared for a given situation because you simply can't be--these are the things that display what you are made of in performance and the things that also show that you are human. I don't get nervous in situations like these. It would be totally counterproductive. Rather, I use it as a chance to test myself--to see if I can turn it on for that moment, right then and there, for that audience in that venue, and communicate to them music that I think they need to hear. And honestly, looking back on the last several years, some of my most memorable and what I would consider my "best" and most spontaneous performances have been those for which I haven't felt like I'd practiced the music to death. Sometimes you just have to let it go and trust your instincts. Although I don't strive to perform in situations like that, it is inevitable and I deal with it as it comes.

Anyway, Mike and I had about 2 and 1/2 hours for rehearsal--thanks to a scheduling mix-up that had us performing 30 minutes prior to the time we thought we were supposed to perform--and we made the best of it. In addition to being a special composer, Mike is an absolutely outstanding pianist. It was refreshing to work with him. We worked primarily on Mike's own piece, Walimai, which my mentor Don Sinta and I commissioned from him. It's a remarkable piece and will become a staple in the repertoire as more and more players take it up. Playing a work with the composer, who has the pianistic ability to execute the part, makes for a very fun experience. Mike knows what he wants and explains it well. Walimai went together seamlessly and we got through "Carmen" quickly as soon as he learned my "isms." The performance was one of those special ones, although the mood we set for the audience put them in a bit of a somber mood for Bolcom's tongue-in-cheek A Short Lecture on the Saxophone. After my performance, I caught a bit of Vincent David's masterclass, sneaked in to hear Joe Lulloff, and listened to a student quartet, after which I gave one prospective graduate student a lesson. I had dinner in DC with my friend Steve Longoria, a saxophonist with the Marine Band, who I hadn't seen since I left Baltimore in 2002.

After an Amtrak ride back to Baltimore and a lazy morning sleeping in, I was aboard another train up to Philadelphia, where I was met by Mike and Bonnie, another former UM student, who is a freelance accompanist (I mean, collaborative artist) in Philly. I rehearsed with my accompanist for the Astral Audition for 2 hours on Monday afternoon, took that picture, and then played the audition at 6pm, which went extremely well. I hurried back to the 30th Street station, changed my ticket to an earlier one and was back in Baltimore to unwind in a little over an hour. On Tuesday, Loran picked me up in his "new" car from the Light Rail stop in Glen Burnie. We had lunch, I helped him rip up some carpet, and then he, J, and I had dinner together. There's still work to be done, but I'll enjoy a little break while I can.

Happier rugs?

Whirlwind

The fun begins today. 2pm recital in Tucson. Flight to Baltimore. Sleep. Drive to George Mason University. 10am rehearsal with Mike. 2pm concert in Fairfax. Catch my breath. Back to Baltimore. Sleep. Practice. Train to Philly. Sleep. Practice. 1pm rehearsal with Hugh. 6pm performance in Philly. 9pm train back to Baltimore. Sleep. Reflect. Relax. Practice. Enjoy.

Stress is . . .

. . . my schedule this week. The U of A is hosting a huge recruitment event this weekend called the Southwest Honor Band Weekend. Students from all over the southwest come to the UA to compete for seating in the honor band, play a concert together, hear the UA faculty play in recital, attend master classes by the faculty, and audition for admission and scholarships for the following academic year. Seating and scholarship auditions are Thursday night--50 to 60 saxophonists at last count. The following day is the recital, which I'm performing in.

That doesn't seem that stressful, right? Well, before I learned about the Honor Band weekend, being a new faculty member and all, I was invited to play at the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Here's where the stress comes in. The Navy Band Symposium is January 7th. So right after my recital at the UA for the Honor Band weekend, I'll put my saxophone away and hurry to the airport to catch a 4:15pm flight to Baltimore, where I'll arrive at 12:45am. Luckily, I play at 2pm in Fairfax so Mike (Djupstrom, a great composer and pianist) and I will have a couple of hours to rehearse and put the show together. I've also got a few prospective graduate students that I'm supposed to meet at the symposium, which is very exciting.

That's stressful, but it's not over. In mid-December, I found out that I have been invited to Philadelphia to audition for the artist roster of Astral Artistic Services on January 9th. So after the Navy Band concert and meeting with prospective students, I need to hurry up to Philly for the audition and a rehearsal with my accompanist. I hope that somehow, some way, I can pull all of this together. The light at the end of the tunnel will be heading back down to Baltimore on the 10th for a long weekend and J's birthday and to meet with composer Sam Burt. I'll have nothing to do but practice and get ready for CMN!, NASA, and SPARK--February will be hell-month. Back to Tucson on the 16th. I'll be living out of my suitcase until then.