Alex Ross's Blog, page 35

For Russia's victims in Ukraine

Meeting Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter, one of our most musical Presidents, took an interest in the Suzuki method of string education and enrolled his daughter, Amy, in classes. On November 20, 1977, according to the Carter Presidential Diary, he went to St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, in Northwest Washington, to attend a violin recital by students of the local teacher Ronda Cole. At the time, Amy was enrolled at Hardy Middle School, across the street. I lived with my family in the neighborhood — I was nine at the time — and news quickly spread that the President was coming. He greeted people outside, and I shook his hand. A little later, before the recital began, I wandered inside the church and found myself in a meeting room. As I recall, three men were standing there: two in suits, presumably Secret Service, and, off to one side, the President, presumably waiting to make a last-minute entrance. If I hadn't been a little boy, I doubt I would have been able to gain entrance, but the two men paid me little heed. Along one wall was a table on which were laid foodstuffs for a post-concert reception. I gazed somewhat awestruck at the President; I also gazed at the table. President Carter looked at me, looked at the spread, and said, "Would you like a brownie?" I nodded, and was presented with a brownie. There was no mistaking the quiet kindness that emanated from this singular man.

Dudamel to New York

A Cultural Comment on the New Yorker website.

Stay, little Alban Berg Valentine, stay

PAINTER: You are mine, I have nothing more since I have you. I am entirely lost to you.

LULU: Don't get so excited.

                            — Lulu, Act I

Previously: An Alban Berg Valentine, Another Alban Berg Valentine, Yet Another Alban Berg Valentine, Return of Alban Berg Valentine, Nothing says forever like an Alban Berg Valentine, Alban Berg Valentine (10th anniversary edition), Alban Berg Valentine (2017 edition), Will you be my Alban Berg Valentine?, Eternity, by Alban Berg Valentine, My Bloody Alban Berg Valentine, Saint Alban Berg Valentine's Day Massacre, It wouldn't be Valentine's Day without Alban Berg Valentine.

Editor's note: Everyone here at Alban Berg Valentine was tremendously pleased by our recent mention in the New York Times. Much thanks to Melissa Clark of the Cooking section.

Friedrich Cerha in memoriam.

A Michael Mann and Dika Newlin moment

A recording of Honegger's Viola Sonata with Michael Mann, son of Thomas Mann, and Dika Newlin, a favorite pupil of Arnold Schoenberg.

Nightafternight playlist

New and recent releases of interest.

Mazzoli, Dark with Excessive Bright and other works; James Gaffigan conducting the Bergen Philharmonic and Tim Weiss conducting the Arctic Philharmonic, with Peter Herresthal, violin (BIS)

Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 (trans. Liszt), Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20 (trans. Alkan); Paul Wee (BIS)

Aperghis, 14 Récitations; Stéphanie Lamprea (New Focus)

Eric Richards, The Consent of Sound and Meaning and other works; Andy Kozar, loadbang, Ekmeles, Laura Cocks, Olivia de Prato, Curtis Stewart, Hannah Levinson, Chris Gross, Robert Black, Caitlin Cawley, Jude Traxler, and Steve Beck, with Jeffrey Gavett conducting (New Focus)

Mozart, Symphonies Nos. 1 and 41, Piano Concerto No. 23; Maxim Emelyanychev and Il Pomo d'Oro (Aparté)

Kotoka Suzuki, Shimmer, Tree and other works; Spektral Quartet, Javier Hagen, Cristina Valdes (Starkland)

Mompou, Música Callada; Stephen Hough (Hyperion)

Vicente Lusitano, Motets; Marian Consort (Linn)

Handel, Suites, Brahms, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel; Seong-Jin Cho (DG)

All Quiet on the Western Front

A Cultural Comment on the New Yorker website.

For this article I consulted on Wilhelm von Sternburg's Als wäre alles das letzte Mal: Erich Maria Remarque: Eine Biographie as well as Brian Murdoch's The Novels of Erich Maria Remarque: Sparks of Life, Thomas F. Schneider's Erich Maria Remarque: Leben, Werk und weltweite Wirkung, Gavin Schmitt's Karl Freund: The Life and Films, Lesley L. Coffin and Marya E. Gates's Lew Ayres: Hollywood's Conscientious Objector, Harlow Robinson's Lewis Milestone: Life and Films, and Joseph Persico's Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918. Much thanks to Michael Agger for editing, Daniel Ajootian for fact-checking, and Carlos Colomer for copy-editing.

An Erika Vega moment

Erika Vega · Icebergs breaking under cloudy skies (2017)

Vega's No oyes ladrar a los perros was the highlight of last night's Green Umbrella concert at Disney Hall. Icebergs breaking under cloudy skies, above, was premiered by wild Up at the LA Phil's 2017 Noon To Midnight Festival. Vega's website can be found here.

Hildegard of Bingen

The First Composer. The New Yorker, Feb. 6, 2023.

MTT in LA

Farewell Symphony. The New Yorker, Feb. 6, 2023.