Episodes

  • Chelsea Tipton - Interview

    Chelsea Tipton - Interview
    Mar 21 2021

    Today’s guest on the American Muse Podcast is a dynamic person and fantastic conductor and musician. In addition to his position as Music Director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas (where my father has played under him for many years), he is Principal Pops Conductor with the New Haven Symphony. Having already guest conducted all over the United States and Europe, he is persisting through the pandemic to conduct this season in Greensboro, Bridgeport, Lake Charles, Toledo, and at the Colour of Music Festival in Charleston. His work and community leadership is very well regarded. The Niches River Festival in Beaumont, TX named him Citizen of the Year, Capital One Bank gave him the Community Spotlight Award, and none other than the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra made him the first annual Aspire Award recipient. And as if all that wasn’t enough, I’ve been told he’s one of the nicest people you will ever meet! Here he is Maestro Chelsea Tipton!


    www.americanmusepodcast.com



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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Horatio Parker - "A Northern Ballad"

    Horatio Parker - "A Northern Ballad"
    Mar 4 2021
    A precocious young composer, the teacher of Charles Ives, and a NON-nationalistic Scottish work undeniably influenced by Tchaikovsky (even though it may have been intended to do the exact opposite), are all headline descriptions of the topic for this episode of the American Muse podcast: Horatio Parker and his work _A Northern Ballad_. ###Background####Bio- Youngest of the “Boston 6”, Horatio Parker was born 1863 in Auburndale, MA, a rural area at the time, now subsumed by the Boston city limits. He studied with George Whitefield Chadwick at the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) and eventually, like most serious musicians at the time, went to Europe and studied with Josef Rheinberger at the Royal Music School in Munich. A similar comment by both these teachers points to a characteristic that Parker carried throughout his compositional career. Chadwick, speaking of the young Parked, roughly aged 17-19, says:> He was far from docile. In fact, he was impatient of the restrictions of musical form and rather rebellious of the discipline of counterpoint and fugues. His lessons usually ended with his swallowing his medicine, but with many a wry grimace.- This quote probably says as much about the youthfulness of Parker as it does the fastidious Chadwick and his own workmanship-like character. Yet, while later studying with Rheinberger, also a former teacher of Chadwick, an observation by the Boston music critic William Apthorp would confirm Parker’s temptation to go against the grain:> It is said of H. W. Parker that when he was a student in Munich under Rheinberger he was repeatedly introducing some new wrinkle, some unheard of effect... Certain of these musical inventions were distasteful to the master... and others were railed at playfully but secretly endorsed and even imitated by Rheinberger himself.- Upon returning to the United States, Parker moved to New York and bounced around several church positions. This is where Parker found the strongest market for his compositions, as any choral, organ, or piano work he wrote was quickly performed and highly praised. At the end of his time in New York, Parker spent one, lone year teaching at the famous National Conservatory of Music in America. Famous mostly because this is the school at which Antonín Dvořák taught during his highly publicized visit to the “New World”. And, that lone year, 1892-1893, overlapped with Dvořák’s first year.- Eventually, Parker returned to Boston, having a substantial reputation as a composer, mostly of choral works. In an ironic twist, relating to the observations of Parker as a young man, musicologist and biographer William Kearns found in Parker’s diaries that one of the reasons he left his church position was “problems of discipline among the boys in the Holy Trinity Choir... he complained that they are a ‘burden’ to the choirmaster and expressed the hope that the adult mixed choir at his new appointment would leave him more time for the important work of composition.” I am sure Chadwick had a laugh about that!- Parker’s stay in Boston only lasted one year, as he then took a teaching position at Yale. There, Parker developed a long legacy of composition students, punctuated by Roger Sessions and the inimitable Charles Ives. Parker developed _The History of Music_ course, served as editor of _Music and Drama_, served as dean of the School of Music, conducted and developed the New Haven Symphony Orchestra as both a professional ensemble and lab orchestra for Yale music students, all while continuing to compose. It was from this position that the rest of his life would be based. Also, this move towards academia would nudge Parker to analyze his own thinking about music, it’s place in society, and cause him to make definitive statements on the subject. Near the end of his life, Parker wrote in the _Yale Review_:> In truth there are two very different kinds of taste. May I call them high and low to save space?... I think an enormous part of our national common progress is made by breaking down barriers between such types. Training the lowly to enjoy exalted music is known to be meritorious. I never heard anyone commend the reverse process of training the fastidious to recognize vulgar excellence.- The man comes full circle! A somewhat rogue youth, tamed by well-disciplined teachers, now embracing the diversity of musical options. And as can be seen, these phases manifest in his composition as well###Analysis of piece- And the main event: Parker’s tone poem _A Northern Ballad_- Written over the 1898-99 winter, the symphonic poem was premiered by the New Haven Symphony, conducted by the composer himself.- Overall, Parker’s pure orchestral output is limited, though what he did produce was compelling. _A Northern Ballad_ being one of his most mature works elicited quite a review from a New York newspaper in 1901: “The impression left by the whole is that if Mr. Parker would give up writing ...
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    26 mins
  • Mark Gibson Interview

    Mark Gibson Interview
    Feb 18 2021

    He is director of orchestral studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he has been for over 20 years. He has guest conducted orchestras and opera companies all over the United States and the world, and has traveled just as far to teach master classes, conducting workshops, and conduct student orchestras. Most recently, he was appointed head of the Conducting Institute at the Miami Music Festival. In 2017, Oxford University Press published his book _The Beat Stops Here_ to critical acclaim, and he is currently working on the 8th edition of _The Modern Conductor_. His premiere recording of the Gregory Spears’ opera _Fellow Travelers_, performed with the Cincinnati Opera in 2017, can be found on IDAGIO and Apple Music, and pandemic conditions allowing, he will be on a podium in Cincinnati this season. Maestro Mark Gibson joins me for this episode of the American Muse podcast!



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    46 mins
  • William Henry Fry - "Niagara" Symphony

    William Henry Fry - "Niagara" Symphony
    Dec 9 2020
    -William Henry Fry, born a Philadelphian in 1813... or 1815... well it seems no one really knows for sure. But, either is close enough for us. Though it might seem a foreign concept to us, being able to hear great music in the 19th century was completely dependent on an orchestra or opera company actually putting on the performance, geographically nearby, on an evening when you could go, assuming you could afford a ticket. No internet, YouTube, obviously. Philadelphia was great for Fry in this regard. In the 1830s, a French opera troupe toured to Philly and performed French opera sung in French, in addition to some other standards of the repertoire, like Rossini’s _La Gazza Ladra_. Multiple Italian opera companies came through with similar programming. These and many other experiences available to him in Philadelphia led to Fry not only taking composition lessons, but also having some early overtures and even operas performed. - Professionally, however, Fry took up the family business of journalism. His father founded the Philadelphia _National Gazette_, and later working as a foreign correspondent for the _Public Ledger_ and _New York Tribune_, Fry was able to spend 3 years in Paris (6 years total in Europe). Well, being the industrious man that he was, he took advantage of that time, soaking in as much music and culture as he could.- It also seems he soaked in a little arrogance as well! He constantly compared Paris to Philly and America generally. Particularly, in this quote… again this is a quote(!), Fry is very cutting: “Philadelphia is a Quaker abortion as regards plan; New York a Dutch monstrosity; Boston a Puritancial fright… When the groveling, penny-scraping, health destroying folly that blotted out the only dash of Beauty born of the narrow spirit which planned Philadelphia—the Centre Park—which changed that pretty little circle of verdure and trees into four square what-nots… which are a disgrace to Philadelphia and human nature, when that beggarly abortion which should be gibbeted as a criminal against good taste… shall be changed, a new birth shall be given to Democracy and the strength and splendor which royalty has conferred on Paris, social justice shall spread over our community. Perhaps if the Tuileries Gardens were in Philadelphia some money grub would vote for cutting it up to admit vehicles through, or worse even, for city lots.” As you can tell, the man had a lot to say…- At any rate, Fry did return to the US and lived out his life as news editor, critic, and composer. He relentlessly criticized audiences for wanting European-centric only programming, while championing American music. He even found time to do a series of music history lectures.- As for Fry’s compositions, many were lost upon his death. What remains is more than enough to fill out a musical sketch of the man at any rate.- Notably, Fry wrote an opera titled _Leonora_, and upon it’s production in 1845 it became the first grand opera written by an American composer. He additionally wrote 2 other operas, _Aurelia the Vestal_ and _Notre-Dame of Paris_. - An interesting quote by Fry on opera: “Rightly to hear and enjoy an old opera, we should place ourselves, so far as possible, in the circle of thought, artistic and general, of the period at which it was produced. With such mobility we may, to a degree, see with the eyes and hear with the ears of generations gone by.”- This thinking actually endears me to this man, as my personal, preferred production of a Mozart opera includes wigs and corsets. It’s not for everyone, and the modern thinking is to “update” all visual elements. But the dated scenery and costumes helps me enter the moment and the time period and disassociate from the present.- Fry wrote as many as 7 symphonies, or that’s what he calls them. They are really tone-poems, each one heavily programmatic, much shorter than expected, and usually not structured much like any symphony I know of. More on that later...- The 2 most famous ones, _Niagara_, also written in 1854, which we will discuss shortly, and the Santa Claus: Christmas Symphony, of 1853. The Christmas Symphony is quite unique. Fry calls for a saxophone, which is possibly the first use of the instrument in an orchestral setting. Like, the saxophone had only been invented like 10 years earlier, and no one had yet thought about putting it in a symphony. The piece is full of instrumental solos, even one for double bass! Not at all as memorable as Mahler’s bass solo in the 3rd movement of his 1st symphony, but still unusual. The piece is very engaging, and dramatically ends with Adeste Fideles, or Oh Come All Ye Faithful as it is better known.####Culture- As I mentioned, Fry wrote Niagara for a “Grand Musical Congress” at New York’s Crystal Palace. Now, the Crystal Palace has an interesting, though short, history. It was erected in 1853, aaaaaand burned down in 1858, so not much could come of the 5 years ...
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    21 mins
  • Diane Wittry Interview

    Diane Wittry Interview
    Nov 16 2020

    Named one of the top 30 musicians worldwide by Musical America, conductor Diane Wittry joins us on this episode to discuss David Diamond, Gian Carlo Menotti, and Lowell Lieberman.



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    47 mins
  • Markand Thakar Interview

    Markand Thakar Interview
    Nov 7 2020

    World renowned conductor, pedagogue, and author Markand Thakar joins me to discuss the possibility of sublime beauty in Western Art music.



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    33 mins
  • Gerard Schwarz Interview

    Gerard Schwarz Interview
    Oct 26 2020

    The great Maestro Gerard "Jerry" Schwarz joins me to discuss his never-ending drive and his relationships with Alan Hovhaness and David Diamond. You don't want to miss what he has to say!


    www.gerardschwarz.com



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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Walter Piston - Symphony No. 2

    Walter Piston - Symphony No. 2
    Oct 16 2020
    ####Bio- Born 1894 in Rockland, Maine, and eventually the family moved to Boston. - Early on, Piston considered becoming an artist instead of a musician. He actual finished his degree in painting at the Massachusetts Normal Art School. He spoke of the transition quote > “I went to art school and earned money on the side playing the violin and the piano. I kept getting more and more interested in music, and by the end of the senior year I was entirely devoted to it; but by then I was so near to graduation I decided to finish up school and I got my diploma as a painter.”- Since the Piston’s didn’t have a piano around until they moved to Boston, Walter picked up the violin and reportedly practiced so much his mother complained. That is ABSOLUTELY not something that would have happened in my house growing up! Quite the opposite...- One quote of Piston is just funny on its own, but also shows his continuous curiosity. Before he began his studies at Harvard, he seems to have wanted to get ahead of the draft, entering the Navy Band at MIT. He explained quote “when the war cam, the First World War, that is, and it became obvious that everybody had to go into the service, I wanted to go in as a musician. I couldn’t play any band instrument, but I knew instruments and I knew that the saxophone was very easy.” HAHAHAHA! Oh, but he wasn’t done. “So I... bought a saxophone, and stopped by at the public library to get an instruction book. I learned enough to play by ear. In a very short time I was called and I tried out for the band. I didn’t pretend to read the part but just played notes that went with the harmony, and I was accepted.” So that’s it?? Not only, in his own version of the story anyway, did he prove that quote “saxophone was very easy”... really? That was the standard for getting into the Navy Band at MIT in the early 20th century? No need to actually read the music, just play something that sounds like music, based on what they put in front of you... Were I a comedian I’m sure that whole thing would be ripe for material!- Piston married Kathryn Nason, who kept her maiden name. She was an artist, and though it seems she rarely exhibited her work, she was very involved in the advocacy for her medium.- The couple had no interest in and never had children. Instead they tended gardens and raised dogs and cats. In fact, Piston actually once confessed “Some of my best musical ideas come to me while I’m spreading manure.”- Now, Piston and his wife seemed to be of the Bohemian sort, passionate about art and music, preferring life exploration to outright money and security. They were part of a free-living group of people that lived in an un-urbanized area of Belmont, Maine, called “The Hill”. They got drunk often, discussed visual art, and even regularly held nude sketching parties. Since mostly you will only find pictures of the SENIOR Mr. Piston, this is an unfortunate image to have... but I digress. Though it may seem a youthful time, this was Piston’s way of life while he did a great deal of his serious composing.- While teaching at Harvard, Piston maintained quite a furtive compositional pace. In all, he wrote nearly 80 works that ran the gamut of the art music medium.####Culture- If you have ever had life kick you in the teeth, you understand the Einstein quote “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” In a way, Walter Piston had this figured out for himself early on when he reluctantly decided he was going to be a composer. Admitting to a reunion of the Harvard Class of 1924:> After graduation I spent two years in Paris... I discovered [then] that I would probably become a composer. Now it is not from choice that one becomes a composer but rather, it seems, one does it in spite of everything even against one’s better judgement. But writing long-haired music is not a way to make a living...- Concurrent with teaching and composing, he wrote four academic texts that are still discussed and argued about to this day: Principles of Harmonic Analysis, Harmony, Counterpoint, and Orchestration.- The fact that Piston developed, published, and continuously edited his academic texts would suggest that he is by and large of an analytical mindset. However, even in those texts he offers warnings and nuggets of wisdom along the way, cautioning against taking theoretical study too far. In Counterpoint, Piston spends the first chapter discussing “melodic curve”, instructing that “the outline of a melody may be perceived by simply looking at the music” and that “the word curve is useful to suggest the essential quality of continuity”. Then, after giving many examples and explaining his methodology, Piston makes sure to point out “it is important to see that in the process of analysis and simplification we do not destroy or lose sight of those details of a melody which are the essence of its individuality and expressive quality.” This ...
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    21 mins