More Grave than Gravy

Sometimes great music can't get a break. Robert Schumann suggested that Chopin had in this sonata "simply bound together four of his most unruly children." Rachmaninoff ignored Chopin's dynamic instructions for the third movement of this sonata just like Anton Rubinstein had before him. And the Polish virtuoso Ignacz Friedman played the finale as if ghosts were after him.

What piece of music had such a bumpy start? The Chopin Second
Piano Sonata in B-flat minor. Schumann was right, the funeral march came first and Chopin surrounded it with a highly romantic view of life and death. Most pianists today are more correct than terrifying when it comes to playing this masterpiece, but you can experience some of the many different ways this music can be played this Sunday on Texas Public Radio.

Hear what went into one of the all time best loved works of Chopin on the Piano, Sunday afternoon at 5 on KPAC & KTXI.

host Randy Anderson

Classical Spotlight: Voices

We touch base with lots of voices in the community on today's Classical Spotlight!

First we hear from Stephanie Key and Ertan Torgul from Soli, about a concert tonight at Blue Star Art Center's Main Gallery at 7:30pm.

Then Karem Sezen, conductor with the Vienna Boys Choir talks about their tour and performing at Laurie Auditorium Friday night at 7:30pm.

The Tuesday Music Club presents Opera to Broadway with Alissa Anderson, mezzo soprano; Marianne Cope, soprano; and Christopher DeVage, baritone. The concert is November 18th at Laurel Heights United Methodist Church, 2:00 pm.

Tuesday night at Bjorn’s a cd release party is scheduled for Voci di Sorelle from 7 to 8:30pm. Their second cd is called Magnificat, Early Christmas Music.

Also, violinist Craig Sorgi plays a recital Tuesday night at 7:30 in Ruth Taylor Recital Hall on the Trinity University campus. More info at 999-8406.

Latest luthier breakthrough?

They may be looking for mushrooms! Read about it here.
"A Swiss researcher said Thursday he had hit on an unlikely way of recreating the unique sound of a Stradivarius violin -- by treating the wood of a replica instrument with mushrooms."

Ribbit, Rippit: Haydn's Frog Quartet

The Prazak Quartet is in town, playing for the San Antonio Chamber Music Society and performing in schools as outreach.
They stopped by the Texas Public Radio studios to talk with John Clare (seen right with the quartet) and performed in the studio as well!
Here they show why Haydn's Opus 50 is called the "Frog" - listen and watch the first violinist who plays the same note on two different strings (he's on the left hand side of the screen.)

They think Haydn wrote this to amuse his audience, including the Prince and Emperor! You can also see the Prazak's play a movement of Haydn here.

Good conduct

There's ripples in the conducting world as Ricardo Muti is having a spat with the Royals, read about it here.

You can also vote in our weekly poll about who you would choose to conduct a concert at your birhtday bash just like Prince Charles! Just look at the right hand side here to place your vote, or write one in - and see our previous polls below right!

And the San Antonio Symphony conductor search continues, be sure to fill out the survey and watch exclusive video interviews with the maestros here.

Celebrate/Collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-yo Ma is inviting experienced musicians and amateurs alike to join him in pushing the boundaries of music creation by entering his contest, Celebrate & Collaborate.
Ma recorded the melody to "Dona Nobis Pacem” (Give Us Peace), on indabamusic.com, for users to download and collaborate with him. Indaba allows users to add a counter-melody to Yo-Yo’s part, or to record an entirely new set of their own variations. When done, users re-upload their final version and will then be entered into the contest, and featured on the Indaba page
Submissions are due by December 31 of this year, and your friends, enemies , and confidants can nominate you. Click on tell a friend when you submit your collaboration, and spread the word about your collaboration with Yo-Yo. Take a listen, to what other participants have done, and be part of the worldwide community of composers. Voting Starts December 31! First Place winner will record with Yo-Yo Ma in a special one-on-one collaboration!
The winner's rendition will also be featured on Yo-YoMa.com, Yo-Yo's MySpace page, and on Indaba Music.
The Top Ten winners as voted by the Indaba community, will each receive a signed copy of Songs of Joy & Peace.
You can listen to what current contest participants have already recorded, by clicking on their picture icons, down the left side of the Indaba page.
For inspiration, we've included a counter-melody recorded by Yo-Yo, as well as a variation from Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer. Check them out in the Source Files section to the right of the Indaba page). Also, the sheet music for Dona Nobis Pacem is also available to download.

“CELEBRATE AND COLLABORATE WITH YO-YO MA” CONTEST

1. Eligibility.
These Official Rules apply only to legal U.S. residents at least thirteen (13) years of age as of October 7, 2008 who reside in and who are physically located in the 50 United States (excluding its territories and possessions). By entering this Contest, entrants understand that they are competing against entrants from other territories outside of the 50 United States. Entrants from outside the 50 United States are subject to the official rules of the territory in which they reside. Employees, agents or officers of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (“Sponsor”), Indaba Media, LLC (“Indaba Music”) or of any entity involved in the development, production, implementation and distribution of the Celebrate and Collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma Contest (the “Contest”), including any advertising or promotion agency, supplier of prizes for the Contest, parent company, service provider, subsidiary or affiliate of any such entity or any other entity directly associated with the Contest or any member of the immediate family of and/or person living in the same household as such persons, are ineligible to enter the Contest. The Contest is void where restricted or prohibited by law.

2. Entries.
(a) To enter the Contest, log onto www.indabamusic.com/yo-yomacontest and follow the directions to enter between 12:00pm ET on October 7, 2008 and 11:59pam ET on December 31, 2008. In order to participate in this Contest, you are required to register at www.indabamusic.com and enter full name and email address. Entrants must complete the entry form by listing his/her name and email address. Entrants will be instructed to either a) download the available version of Yo-Yo Ma’s recording of “Dona Nobis Pacem”, record an instrumental duet of any kind with the recording and upload the duet to the Web page listed on the contest page at www.indabamusic.com/yo-yomacontest; or b) download the available sheet music and record an interpretation of “Dona Nobis Pacem” and upload the audio track to the Web page listed on the contest page at www.indabamusic.com/yo-yomacontest. Entrant must be the one performing the piece in the Entry. Entrant must upload the audio track to the Web page listed at www.indabamusic.com/yo-yomacontest. By entering the Contest, you hereby agree that participation in this Contest is subject to the Indaba Music standard terms and conditions found at www.indabamusic.com/corporate/tos and privacy policy found at www.indabamusic.com/corporate/privacy. To the extent there is a conflict between these Official Rules and the Indaba Music standard terms and conditions, these Official Rules shall govern.

(b) For purposes of these Official Rules, the “Dona Nobis Pacem” recording shall be defined as “Sponsor Content” and each Entrant’s original elements shall be referred to herein as the “Submission Materials”. Registered Indaba Music users will have the opportunity to view and vote for the Entrant’s audio recordings.

(c) Only one entry per person. If multiple entries are received for the same entrant, only the first entry submitted by that entrant will qualify for entry in the Contest and subsequent entries submitted by that entrant shall be disqualified. By entering, entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the judges, Sponsor, Indaba Music and these Official Rules and to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Sponsor, and those working for Sponsor or on behalf of Sponsor, will not be responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, or postage due mail or e-mail, or for Internet, computer hardware and software, phone, and/or any other technical errors, malfunctions, and delays. Entries which are mutilated, incomplete, illegible, inaccurate, forged, irregular in any way, or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules are also void. In the event of a dispute concerning who submitted an entry, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized holder of the e-mail account from which the entry is made. The "authorized account holder" is the natural person to whom an email address is assigned by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.

(d) In addition, the Submission Materials may not contain references which are obscene, crude or vulgar, and/or which contain gang identification, references to commercial products, license plate numbers, phone numbers, personal addresses (physical or email), Web site URLs, derogatory characterizations of any ethnic, racial, sexual or religious groups, references to illegal or inappropriate activity, behavior or conduct, or any other references that could be considered inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion.

3. Our Right to Use Your Work and Information about You.
(a) Submission Materials become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

(b) With the exception of any Sponsor Content:

(i) you represent and warrant that: (A) all contents of Submission Materials are wholly original, have been created and performed entirely by Entrant, have not been taken in whole or in part from any source other than Entrant and do not incorporate or include anything that is owned by any third party or would require the consent of any third party; (B) you own and/or control 100% of all right, title and interest in and to the Submission Materials, as well as all elements contained therein; (C) the Submission Materials do not and shall not violate any law or the copyright, trademark, publicity right, privacy right, or any other right of any third party; and (D) the Submission Materials, or any part thereof, have not been commercially released; and

(ii) you agree that the Submission Materials shall be a "work made for hire," with all rights therein, including, without limitation, the exclusive copyright, being the property of Sponsor. In the event the Submission Materials are considered not to be a "work made for hire," you irrevocably assign to Sponsor all right, title, and interest in your entry (including, without limitation, the copyright) in any and all media whether now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, anywhere in the world, with the right to make any and all uses thereof, including, without limitation, for purposes of advertising or trade.

(c) You hereby hold Sponsor and Indaba Music harmless from and against any third party claim arising from use of the Submission Materials. You waive any right to privacy. You waive any right to inspect or approve uses of the Submission Materials or to be compensated for any such uses. You hereby represent and warrant that you and each person who is identifiable in the Submission Materials are at least 13 years of age and that you have read these Official Rules and are fully familiar with its contents.

(d) By providing Submission Materials in connection with this Contest, you grant to Sponsor, its affiliated companies, and Indaba Music the right, except where prohibited by law, to use your name, likeness, picture, address (city and state), voice, biographical information, Submission Materials, entry form information and written and oral statements, for advertising and promotional purposes in promoting or publicizing the Submission Materials, Sponsor, Indaba Music and their products and services, without compensation unless required by law. You shall have no right of approval, no claim to compensation, and no claim (including, without limitation, claims based on invasion of privacy, defamation, or right of publicity) arising out of any use, blurring, alteration, or use in composite form of your name, picture, likeness, address (city and state), e-mail address, biographical information, or entry. The rights granted under this paragraph shall extend to Sponsor and its affiliated companies with respect to all entrants in the Contest, including the entrants who are selected as Winners and those entrants who are not selected as the Winners. Sponsor and Indaba Music are under no obligation to use the Submission Materials for any purpose.

(e) BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST, YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT: (I) ENTRANT EXPRESSLY AGREES TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THESE OFFICIAL RULES; (III) ENTRANT PROVIDES HIS/HER EXPRESS PERMISSION TO APPEAR IN THE SUBMISSION MATERIALS; AND (II) ENTRANT IS AWARE OF AND CONSENTS TO THE DISPLAY OF THE SUBMISSION MATERIALS ON INDABA MUSIC AS DESCRIBED HEREIN.

4. Selection of Winner / Prizes.
(a) Entries received between October 7, 2008 and December 31, 2008 will compete against each other for the Grand Prize (as defined below). Submissions will be posted on the Website during the Contest Period, thereby allowing consumers to vote for their favorite Submission based on the following criteria: originality (25%), creativity (25%), concept (25%), and musicality (25%), between January 1, 2009 at 12:01 pm EDT and January 10, 2009 11:59 am EDT ("Voting Period"). Limit one vote per email address per person. Any attempt by entrant and/or his/her family/friends to vote more than once by using multiple names or email address and/or any other fraudulent mechanism, as determined by Indaba Music in its sole discretion, shall give Indaba Music the right to disqualify entrant in its discretion. Voting nominates the top 10 entries (“Top 10”) for Grand Prize consideration. In the event of a tie, the final standings shall be determined by which entry received the score first. After the public Voting Period, Yo-Yo Ma will select one (1) winner from all the entries on the basis of the following criteria: originality (25%), creativity (25%), concept (25%), and musicality (25%). The winner of the final round shall be the entry which receives the highest overall score (such winner shall be the “Grand Prize Winner”). For clarity, Yo-Yo Ma, in his discretion will select a winner from all the Submission entries, regardless of their rank as determined by voting. In the event of a tie, the Grand Prize Winner shall be the entry which receives the highest score on originality. One Grand Prize Winner will be selected. For purposes of these Official Rules, the Top 10 and the Grand Prize Winner shall collectively be referred to as the “Winners”.

The Top 10 will be selected on or about January 14, 2009. The Grand Prize Winner will be selected on our about January 12, 2009. The decision of the judges shall be final and binding in all regards.

(b) The Winners will be notified by email, and each Winner (and parent or legal guardian if Winner is under 21) will be required to sign, have notarized and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release (and any other documents required by Sponsor), within five (5) calendar days of notification. Each Winner will also be required to send a copy of his/her passport, driver’s license or birth certificate as proof of age and residency. If a Winner cannot be contacted within five (5) calendar days of first notification attempt, if the prize notification is returned as undeliverable, if a Winner rejects the prize, in the event of noncompliance with these Rules, or if the Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release is not properly executed, the prize will be forfeited and an alternative winner may be selected from all remaining eligible entries. Upon prize forfeiture, no compensation will be given. The Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release must be complete and must include the Winner’s social security or resident alien identification number. The information in Winner’s Affidavit of Eligibility must be correct and must be identical to the information provided in Winner's entry or the Winner will be disqualified.

(c) The Grand Prize Winner will receive the opportunity to record a musical piece with Yo-Yo Ma, as chosen by him. The estimated retail value of Grand Prize will be determined by Sponsor’s decision in the method of executing the recording. The Top 10 nominated by voting will each receive an autographed copy of Yo-Yo Ma’s CD Songs of Joy and Peace. In no event shall the total retail value of the Prizes exceed Four Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($4,800.00).

NOTE: BY WINNING THIS CONTEST THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE SUBMISSION MATERIALS WILL BE USED BY SPONSOR, INDABA MUSIC OR OTHERWISE.

Other conditions and restrictions apply. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitutions or cash redemptions.

(c) By accepting the prizes, Winner releases and discharges Sponsor, Indaba Music, Yo-Yo Ma, Sound Postings, Inc, their respective affiliated companies and the respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies of each, and all their respective employees, officers, directors, representatives and agents from any liability or damage due in whole or in part to the award, acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize or from participation in this Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a comparable prize of like or greater value for any prize, or to pay Winner a cash equivalent (the value of which shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion), for any reason.

(d) If, for reasons beyond the control of Sponsor or Indaba Music (including, but not limited to, tampering or computer virus infection), the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned, Sponsor, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel or modify the Contest, without liability. If a sufficient number of eligible entries (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) are not received by the end of the Contest period, Sponsor reserves the right not to award any or all prizes. All taxes (including, but not limited to, income taxes) are the sole responsibility of Winner. All entrants agree to comply fully with each provision in these Official Rules. Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Contest and any person who does not comply with these Official Rules, will be ineligible for any prize and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

5. Issues of Law.
ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE APPLICABLE. THE NEW YORK COURTS (STATE AND FEDERAL) SHALL HAVE SOLE JURISDICTION OF ANY CONTROVERSIES REGARDING THE CONTEST AND THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL EXCLUSIVELY GOVERN THE CONTEST. EACH ENTRANT WAIVES ANY AND ALL OBJECTIONS TO JURISDICTION AND VENUE IN THOSE COURTS AND HEREBY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THOSE COURTS. THE CONTEST IS VOID WHERE RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED BY LAW.

6. Your Release of Sponsor From Any and All Liability.
Entrants agree that Sponsor and Indaba Music shall not be liable for losses or injuries of any kind resulting from: (i) acceptance/possession and/or use/misuse of prize(s), (ii) participation in the Contest, (iii) individual, joint or collective technical malfunctions of the telephone network and/or transmission line, computer on-line system, computer dating mechanism, computer equipment, hardware and/or software, or (iv) any delay or distortion of an entry resulting from data transmissions that are garbled, incomplete, misdirected, lost, mutilated, delayed, corrupted, mechanically duplicated, illegible or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules. Entrants also agree that Sponsor and Indaba Music are not responsible or liable for any injury or damage to an entrant's or third person's computer related to or resulting from the Contest and/or its prizes. Sponsor and Indaba Music are not liable for damage to a user's computer system (including, without limitation, any server failure or lost, delayed or corrupted data or other malfunction) due, either directly or indirectly, to an entrant's participation in the Contest or downloading of information in connection with the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to modify or cancel the Contest in the event that any portion of any website used to administer any aspect of the Contest becomes technically corrupted.

7. How to Get More Information
(a) To obtain the identity of the Winners, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: "Yo-Yo Ma Celebrate and Collaborate Contest” Sony Classical/Masterworks, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022 by February 15, 2009.

The sponsor of this Contest is SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, 550 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022. Questions regarding the Contest can be directed by mail to "Yo-Yo Ma Celebrate and Collaborate Contest” Sony Classical/Masterworks, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022.

(b) Copies of these Official Rules may be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to "Yo-Yo Ma Celebrate and Collaborate Contest” Official Rules, Sony Classical/Masterworks, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022 (WA and VT residents may omit return postage.) Requests for Official Rules must be received by February 15, 2009. All times and dates in these Official Rules are Eastern Standard Time.

Classical Spotlight: Tempting Tempest

This week we have living composers, conductor candidates and piano recitals besides a visiting string quartet and YOSA!
Kimball Gallagher plays a recital tonight at 7pm at Alamo Heights Methodist Church. On the program is Liszt, Chopin and Villa-Lobos. It's free and open to the public.
Tomorrow and Saturday the San Antonio Symphony performs Copland’s Appalachian Spring; Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, the "Pastorale". Violinist and conductor Scott Yoo is featured each evening at the Majestic Theater, the concerts are at 8pm and a pre-concert talk starts at 7pm. These concerts are in honor of KPAC's 25th Anniversary and will feature introductory remarks by Texas Public Radio personalities Randy Anderson and John Clare.
Sunday afternoon at 3pm, the Prazak Quartet returns to San Antonio with the Chamber Music Society at Temple Beth El. You can find out more about this San Antonio Chamber Music Society concert on our website, and click on Classical Spotlight.
Also Sunday afternoon at 3pm is pianist Brian Holland, who will present a recital of Ragtime music at Christ Episcopal Church.
YOSA, the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio take the stage Sunday afternoon at 4pm with The Good, the Bad, and the Huapango at Laurie Auditorium. Harpist Rachel Ferris and conductor Marlon Chen collaborate in Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, and have Copland's ballet Billy the Kid as well as Moncayo's Huapango on the program. There’s a podcast about Copland here.
Soli begins their 14th season this next week. The program features Joan Tower, Elliott Carter and Paul Moravec on Wednesday November 12th at Trinity University’s Ruth Taylor Recital Hall and Thursday November 13th at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, both at 7:30pm with pre-concert talks at 7:00.

Maestro Interview: Scott Yoo

Texas Public Radio will speak with all the candidates for the San Antonio Symphony Music Director Search and have them on Classical Spotlight. You'll get a chance to learn more about the maestros - don't forget to attend the symphony and fill out the questionaire as well!

(See a larger version here)
This week we talk with Scott Yoo. John Clare asked about the program, music and performing as conductor and soloist.

School Songs

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and America SCORES have teamed up to present its national songwriting mentorship program, ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES. The program was established in 2006 to create a collaboration between songwriters and students utilizing the craft of songwriting and music as another engaging and inspiring way for kids to express themselves, while teaching them to value and respect their own creative work and that of other copyright owners. The ASCAP Foundation, a public charity dedicated to supporting music education and talent development programs, funds the program.
As part of the program, ASCAP selects its talented songwriters from a variety of musical genres to teach three-day songwriting workshops during the America SCORES after-school poetry classes. Each songwriter is given an assignment of co-writing and recording a song with the SCORES kids over the course of three days. The kids also learn about the importance of labeling their own creative work with the copyright symbol, year and their name just as they would see on any published, professional creative work.
This year's program features a diverse group of songwriters visiting schools in five cities across the country:
Boston, MA
Songwriter Dwayne Simmons
Chicago, IL
Hip-hop group Da Internz
Dallas, TX
Americana roots rock artist Johnny Lloyd Rollins Singer-songwriter David Rice
Los Angeles, CA
Rapper, actor and spoken word artist Saul Williams
San Francisco, CA
Indie rock band Birdmonster
Hip-hop artist Psalm One
During the first two years of the program, songwriting workshops took place at schools in Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and Washington, DC.
All 12 tracks from the CD can be heard in their entirety on ASCAP's website at www.ascap.com/playback/2008/summer/action/america_scores.aspx.
About America SCORES
America SCORES is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to use soccer and poetry to inspire among urban youth a lasting dedication to health, literacy, and community service. America SCORES operates soccer teams in urban public schools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods across the country. Teamwork developed on the field is translated to the classroom and the community. The program operates five days per week after-school and has recently been recognized by Charity Navigator as one of the most administratively efficient nonprofits in the country. For more information, visit www.AmericaSCORES.org.

Vocal Recital: Brahms

Unlike the symphony, the string quartet or the piano sonata which belong to phases of Brahms creative output his vocal work spanned his entire life. This arc of more than four decades is bracketed by two masterworks Liebestreu (opus 3, #1 - 1853/54) and Vier ernste Gesange (opus 121 - 1896). It was in fact this early song that so impressed the violinist Joachim that it led to Brahms introduction to the Schumann's. A hundred years later Joachim's granddaughter Irene, a great recitalist based in Paris, recorded Brahms vocal works and will also be featured among the singers in this program.

Celebrating the 175th anniversary of his birth we will hear music drawn from his lieder, ensemble, vocal cantatas and his vast choral production. Performers will include Fischer-Dieskau, Schwarzkopf, Slezak, Lehman, Kipnis, Ludwig, Souzay, von Otter, Bernstein, Barenboim, Norman, Ameling and many others. Please join us at 9pm, November 6th on KPAC & KTXI for Brahms Vocal Works.