With much media attention, but little celebrated fanfare; the dedicated and hard-working Metropolitan Opera stage crew reportedly disassembled and loaded for transport perhaps the most talked about set in Met history:  “The Machine”.  Its 24 articulating half-diamond shaped planks are to be housed in a warehouse somewhere in upstate New York for an indefinite period of time.  Until now, the most recently “most talked about” set at the Metropolitan Opera (but coming in a distant second place by comparison) was that of the three separate gigantic, and rather beautiful, sets that served as the back-drop for Puccini’s Il Trittico…a production that I sang in twice (Il tabarro) in the last handful of years.  It was considered the largest set(s) to have ever occupied the stage of this august arts facility, requiring some 18 tractor-trailer trucks for transportation.  The difference is that it was believed that the sets from the latter firmly enhanced the underlying music/drama that Puccini so perfectly embedded into his operas.  In the case of “The Machine”, this was less than the majority opinion; with everyone entitled to their own perception.

The effect of “The Machine”, as opined by many, has almost overshadowed the glorious singing, acting, conducting, and instrumental expertise that was so clearly evident and on full display for the past three seasons as the Metropolitan Opera presented Richard Wagner’s time-shifting masterpiece, Der Ring des Nibelungen.  The magnificent casts of singing actors dominated this music-drama in ways that may never be equalled…at least until the next rendering on as major a scale comes down the pike.  Let us never forget that the reason opera companies commission such productions, whether controversial, loved or hated, or otherwise, is because of scores and libretti that scream for such.  I can hardly speak to the cost of this recent Met production (way above my pay-grade), or its impending hiatus from the company’s schedule in the out-years.  All I can say is that I was happy to be a small part of this production, aware of a nod toward history, and to be amongst such talented and gifted colleagues.

Looking ahead:
There isn’t a major musical arts institution that doesn’t dream about bringing The Ring to fruition.  One such organization is currently working on its casting for what may well be the most serious and sublime of ‘Ring’ recordings and presentations in recent times.  I am not at liberty to speak to this matter at this moment; but one thing is for sure…

The Ring will Cycle itself anew…you can count on it!!

djc
5/20/13

March 7-10, 2013 will most certainly go down as a transformative and transitional year for the Vann Vocal Institute in Montgomery, Alabama.  As many now know, my connection to the Capital City goes back some 20 years.  Established in 2007 via gift/bequest from the late Roy D. Vann, the Vann Vocal Institute was created to assist aspiring young vocalists who wish to investigate further, and indeed pursue, the practice of the classical vocal arts.  Each year I bring an impressive faculty with me to help accomplish this task.

Montgomery will welcome its largest and most impressive group of musical professionals to date; 8 in all.  A weekend packed with lectures, coachings, masterclasses, social gatherings, and an Emerging Artists Recital that provides over $1,800 in prize money to four adjudicated participants, will be one of the local arts community’s most highlighted events of the year.  As the Program Director, a post which was offered to me as we established this forum, I take the development of our directive, our faculty, and our participants very seriously.

Originally designed to be an ‘Alabama only’ endeavor, we have now found ourselves experiencing what is known as “The Knock-On” effect.  That is to say, college/university and political officials from neighboring states have ‘knocked on our door’ so many times asking us to provide them with an opportunity to participate, that we simply can no longer refuse them.  As a result of this, we will also be welcoming our largest ‘participating class’ ever…over 80 strong.  Additionally, we will again welcome Beethoven & Co. to the campus of Hungtingdon College.  This is perhaps the South’s leading retailer of music and music books, with a panoply of wares available for purchase to enhance the development of our singers.

It is therefore with the utmost respect that I thank President Cameron West of Huntingdon College for providing his entire campus, music building, and its full performance and meeting facilities yet again.  President West does this as a public service to the community.  I must also thank the complete staff at the Montgomery Symphony who help me administrate this entire affair.  An impressive list of private donors and Foundations that provide funding, accommodations, hospitality, a private jet(!), plus an inexhaustible supply of volunteers, will make this entire event the most successful we have yet experienced.  Special thanks to Mayor Todd Strange, whose support (both politically and personally) has truly given us legs.

Never one to spoil a surprise, a major announcement regarding the future of the Vann Vocal Institute will be made on the evening of March 7, 2013 at our kickoff party/dinner at the home of one of our most ardent supporters.

Stay tuned,
djc

Faculty for the 2013 Vann Vocal Institute:

Alan Held, Bass/Baritone
Kathleen Kim, Coloratura Soprano
Kimberly Jones, Lyric Soprano
Beth Clayton, Mezzo-Soprano
Susan Hult, Vocal Coach
Steven Crawford, Head Vocal Coach
Dale Williams, Masterclass Accompanist
David Cangelosi, Masterclass Instructor, Program Director

Winters in the snow belt of Cleveland, Ohio were brutally cold in the 1970’s.  They were endless, withering, and dumped several feet of snow on the ground due to the dreaded “lake-effect” conditions that haunted cities and towns that were perched along the wide, open swath of Lake Erie.

At one point, the Parma City School District was forced to combine individual schools, and move to half-day sessions in order to conserve heating resources and guarantee a reasonable learning and working environment.  Some of us went to early morning sessions, while others followed in the afternoon.  For the latter, their school day concluded near dark.  Residents of Seven Hills and Parma, Ohio were asked to keep their porch lights on so that the late-day students could walk home safely and in the light… murky as that luminescence was.

My brother Dino delivered our weekly local newspaper, the Parma Sun Post, during the 1970’s.  It was essentially free to the consumer, with paperboys earning chits called “Bonus Bucks” from the local publisher (with which one could purchase essentially worthless junk), along with tips from customers, and an embarrassingly small salary.  The workload was such that my brother soon requested my assistance; or perhaps I should say that I was ‘pressed into service’.  Either way, we shared the same bedroom; and when the alarm clock rang at 4:30 a.m. I had little choice but to rise and greet the day with him, because the Parma Post was to be delivered to a home’s front door (preferably inside the front screen/storm door) by 6:00-7:00 a.m.

In the summer, it wasn’t so bad; we used our bicycles to stream through the neighborhood, handing off papers to each other in a seamless well-oiled fashion as we individually serviced every other house.  We had our large neighborhood memorized, and simply skipped the few houses that opted out of receiving this free offering. In the winter, however, we had to meet this task on foot.  Donning snow boots and deep layers of clothing, we braved the elements after getting a brief lecture on warm dress from our mother before leaving the bedroom area.  No, our parents did NOT help us with this job… they did not drive us around the neighborhood via automobile in order to ensure the deliver of those papers.  By 5:00 a.m. my father was already on his way to work in the industrial “Flats” corridor of downtown Cleveland, with its salt-mines, stone-docks, and sand repositories, on a hellhole known as Whiskey Island.  My mother, who warned my brother that if he wanted this job it would be HIS responsibility, stayed in our house–in bed–but never went back to sleep as we ventured out into the vicious wind and bone chilling freeze…she waited up the entire time until we returned home.  The winter delivery run was the first time I began to join my brother on his paper route.  My recompense??  You guessed it… $1 dollar, paid from my brother to me.

The route in winter, as we trudged through deep snow, took up to 90 minutes.  One especially frigid Thursday morning, my brother promised me a ten-cent tip (one thin shiny dime) if we got the route completed by 6:30 a.m.  This sounded great to me; I would earn an extra 10% for my expedited efforts, plus I would get to go back to sleep for almost one hour and fifteen minutes before having to get up again and ready myself for school!

My brother was a generous and loving soul; he helped everyone, was universally considered to be “happy-go-lucky”, sported a never-ending smile, served all just for the asking, and possessed an animated outgoing personality.  In one of destiny’s unanswerable tragedies, he took his own life at the tender young age of 17.  We worked that paper route at roughly the ages of my 9, and his 11.  So it was actually my brother who helped me earn my first dollar before the age of 10.  That was over 40 years ago.

I must confess that I did not save that ‘hallowed first’.  No sir; I waited until the late spring when the weather turned glorious again, and the Charles Chips man drove through the neighborhood.  Luckily, the Charlie Chip man (as we called him) sold/refilled items other than just Potato Chips and Pretzels; he also sold Candy and Gum.  Therefore, I proudly purchased an impressive bag of multi-colored gumballs!!  The cost?  $.89 cents.  I stared at the $.11 cents change, somehow thinking I was going to get more in return… but math never lies.

And just for the record:

Remember that goal of getting home by 6:30 a.m., and that $.10 cents tip?  Well, the snow and cold was just too much for the both of us and we didn’t make it home until 6:40 a.m.  My brother did not give me a $.10 cents tip that day… he gave me a quarter!  I knew I didn’t deserve it; that was not our deal.  But he gave it to me anyway.  Ultimately, however, he gave me so very, very much more.  You see, I became what I am today, in part, because I have set goals for myself ever since that freezing cold Thursday morning at 3216 Lotus Lane.

djc

On Facebook and Twitter this morning, I posted that second performances are akin to “Low Sunday” in the Catholic Church. That is to say, a letdown compared to all the festivities and poignant lead up to Easter Sunday; or in a way the opening of a new opera production. Now…in no way, shape, or form am I conflating these two very disparate events. I am, however, keenly aware of a phenomenon I have termed “theatrical deflation” (yes, its my own brilliant term!!).  The opening night parties are over, the director has left town, the costume designer is gone, the well dressed swells and donors on opening night are not present in the audience for performance #2, the critics (good or bad) have mostly all weighed in, and we now settle in for a long run of this well worn operatic war-horse. The aforementioned is always a perfect recipe for release.

But this production IS different: it is edgy, unconventional, highly colorful yet dark, frightening while being ‘fantastically foolish’, sexy, fun, and ALWAYS entertaining. The cast that has been compiled is a wonder of fine vocalism, acting, and comedic ability. Inhibitions had to be checked at the door for all soloists, and chorus. We appear in various stages of undress (including virtual nudity for ‘yours truly’) and wild costuming throughout. We are also asked to do some very…let’s say…challenging things throughout the evening.

With such a tall order of frivolity that spans from the time of Freud’s Vienna period to the rise of Fascism (Directorial concept), there is little opportunity to lose our resilience. That is why our second performance last night (Tuesday, October 9) was as fresh and exciting as our opening. But we must also thank our audience; those gathered masses who guffawed, scratched their heads, recoiled with fright (for which I personally apologize…if you see the show, you will understand), and delightfully applauded our efforts.  We will wait for performance #3 to answer this question:

Is this for real…or just a fluke???

djc

I am quite often asked by friends and relatives who are not in the performing arts about the process of getting a production to stage.  After all, they are the ones who only see the “final, shiny, right off the assembly line, fresh from the show-room” product that is sure to dazzle.  There is, as many of us know, a long process that precedes that opening night curtain, and each show experiences it own growing pains.  Then finally, sometimes miraculously, a production hits a few turning points just in time for everyone to say, “OK, we really do have a show here!”

Expectations are always high from audiences who pay from $25-$250 per ticket when that production is on-stage at The Met, Paris Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Covent Garden, et al.; or in this case, Canadian Opera Company (COC).  With a new production of Die Fledermaus soon to debut in Toronto (Christopher Alden, dir.), the expectations climb even higher.  COC is a major international house of import, while Mr. Alden carries a delicious reputation for fiercely edgy, thought provoking productions.  Without giving anything away, it is my pleasure to report that audiences will not be disappointed by the production values, or the talent; and the concept will certainly be wonderful fodder for discussion.

As a principal in this cast, it was marvelous to be a part of–and witness firsthand–the turning points that will now allow us all to meet expectations.  I can identify three such moments in a timeline of rapid fire succession.  Before the “colossal-jostle” begins (the moment we actually move from the rehearsal room to the opera house stage, with the real sets, real costumes, and real props), we had to gel this show.  It had been muddled by choppy dialogue flow (common), complicated staging (decision), and a compressed music rehearsal schedule (common).

Then it happens:

Sunday evening (9/16): A full, non-stop ‘rehearsal room’ run thru with full chorus (it goes great–concentration was high…everyone feels confident…and relieved!).
Monday afternoon (9/17): A full day of rehearsal dedicated only to music.  We address musical pitfalls too thorny to confront in staging rehearsals.
Tuesday afternoon (9/18): A dialogue-scenes only staging rehearsal.  No music whatsoever.

Bang, BANG, BANG!!!

Three legs support a stool, but four legs support a chair (and Die Fledermaus is a big chair, despite its designation as “light-opera”!).  Therefore, it was with great anticipation that we entered the large orchestra room at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts today (9/19) for the Sitzprobe (orchestral run-thru with vocalists).

I arrived at the 11:00 a.m. start time, and was warmly greeted by COC Music Director Johannes Debus who is also conducting this production.  A look of worry crossed his face…”You did get the message that I will not be using the singers until after the first break, right?”  “Oh yes”, I replied; “I just enjoy watching this part of the process too.”  Well watch it I have…since the early 1970′s, starting with the Cleveland Orchestra, I have watched great conductors slowly prepare their charges.  I have now witnessed this exercise world-wide, and rest assured, the process has not changed much in hundreds of years.  It is hands-on, thought intensive, attention hoarding, precision oriented work, for both conductor and orchestra musicians alike.  It is punctuated by a constant stop-and-start tempo of operations that is draining just to watch.  Even the verbal communication has a surgical precision attached to it, while still preserving a colloquial feel.  Commentary such as:
“Let’s phrase it.”
“The energy is right, just a bit less brassy.”
“Bassoons, please YAWN that line.”
“Tympani, more of a definitive shock on that final note.”
“Think Mozart, then exaggerate!”

When words are not convenient, a simple ‘thumbs-up’ to a given section will suffice.

Then there is the pressure-cooker job of the orchestra manager/librarian who is in a constant state of motion as he winds his way (as unobtrusively as possible) through the orchestra.  His task??  Trying to reconcile the individual orchestral part-books against the full orchestral score from the Publisher, and an additional ‘critical edition’ score at his side.  If he hears a discrepancy, it’s up out of his chair and into the fray of trombone slides, and double bass bows to fix the issue with a pencil or quiet explanation.  He is aided by the Assistant Conductor who also identifies errors/misprints, along with the conductor.  Oh yes, he also has to watch the clock!  Since time is money at this juncture, efficiency from the podium is a must…but when it is time to break, it is time to break!!  There are very strict rules that govern rehearsal time.  CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) professionals and Management deal with the unpleasant, reliably frustrating issue of contract negotiations every few years; but when it’s time to get down to business, the professional classical musician is among the most dedicated of any work force…I have witnessed this with my own eyes.  When it is time for a break, believe me, they have earned it!

While the music of Johann Strauss may not be as overwhelming as Wagner, he could indeed pen a melody with as much elegance and empathy as any composer who has ever lived.  Therefore, it takes no less of a musician to do justice to his music.  Perhaps that is why before orchestral rehearsal even begins, you can hear individual players practicing key lines and phrases from their music.  One will witness the tympanist carefully tuning his kettles 4 (with a snappy iPhone tuning app), then silently rechecking the tuning/pitches throughout rehearsal.  In fact, my favorite section of the orchestra is always that of the percussion.  One of my finest music instructors in college once said “You have nothing musically if you don’t have rhythm!”  While all the orchestral forces take their turn at providing rhythmic pulse, it is the basic job of the percussion section to provide this backbone throughout (along with a healthy assist from the double basses).   They do so with tympani and trap sets, bass drums, chimes, bell stands, mounted bells, triangles, spurs, xylophones, wood blocks, and so much more.  Watching them is, at times, akin to a watching a ballet…truly deft.

I often stop and think about what a privilege it is to sing with a full orchestra, and for listeners to hear a full orchestra in bloom.  There may be some times when singers walk into a room with orchestra assembled as if to say “OK, we are here now; let’s get started.”  When in fact, “the starting” started long before the singers ever arrived.  Our vocal cast today was wonderful when it came time to do their part, and our audiences will be delighted as a result of it all.

Expectations and Turning Points; thank goodness we have them.  Or as Maestro Debus put it today after a moment of thought, and quiet pause on the podium:

“OK, number 15 everybody.”

And everyone turned their pages…

djc

Before having dinner with a friend last night (August 22, 2012), he handed me a copy of the August issue of Opera News. While he knows that I am not a voracious reader of most industry publications, he said “A lot of your friends are in this issue; just glance through it.”  Well, glance through it I did.  I delighted in reading about friends/colleagues who have done well, and will continue to do so in the out-years.  I have worked with most of them…being a grizzly old veteran now.  But I also privately chuckled at the fact that I ‘called’ many of the profiles well before the feature, Opera’s Next Wave.  In some cases, years before, in both private journals and at the current davidcangelosi.com.

As an amateur/arm-chair writer, readers have been perusing my public blog for the last few years…for that is only as long as it has existed. In it, I sometimes ‘review’ opera, symphony, or concert performances that I have witnessed; I muse about professional experiences, inner personal thoughts, and the like.  I have also done editorial commentary on interesting things I have witnessed back-stage, or done the occasional profile (as I see it) on up-and-coming companies.  Therefore, you can only imagine how elated I was to read the profile on Alexander Neef, General Director of Canadian Opera Company (COC); because as you will soon see, I made this ‘call’ quite some time ago.  Furthermore, I have loved the writing/interviewing/reviewing styles of F. Paul Driscoll (having been interviewed by him personally), and Brian Kellow of Opera News.  They are fair, get to the facts, and are both descriptive and concise.  But I simply cannot resist the urge to reprint my own assessment of COC and Mr. Neef that I had written in January of 2012.  Needless to say, hardly anyone–by comparison–reads my commentary as they do that of Opera News; but it is nice for me to know that I am, more often than not, “ahead of the curve!!!”  (Compare the two profiles side by side, just for fun…astute minds think alike!!!)

PUBLISHED: January 3, 2012

COC: The most interesting Opera Company in North America???

During a recent industry related conversation, one of opera’s most informed insiders intimated to me that Canadian Opera Company (COC) would, “in five years’ time, become the most interesting (opera) house in North America.”  While it is not likely for me to question the authority of this source, I found the words of Ronald Reagan (politics aside) ringing in my head…”Trust, but verify”.  Our late President used this phrase often as he dealt with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Gorbachev, with regard to the INF Treaty of 1987.  And if it was good enough for him (btw, Lenin used it too!), it was good enough for me to keep in the back of my mind.

It didn’t take too long, however, for me to realize that COC was/is at it’s core a most intriguing organization.  While hardly in its true infancy at over 60 years old, respectively; COC feels young.  They rehearse and administrate from a daring facility that has seen as it’s former lives (late 19th and early 20th century), a Textile Mill, a Gas/Oil concern, and a Maraschino Cherry factory; but converted–via technical and structural build-out–to a full fledged operatic operations center.  Its red brick walls, giant maroon shutters, wooden/bolted ceiling trusses, and large warehouse windows are perfect host companions to this art-form of all art-forms; as we rehearse the more classic Tosca juxtaposed against a far more contemporary Love from Afar (L’amour de loin).

The staff and administration (headed by Alexander Neef–General Director, now only in his late 30′s, and Johannes Debus–Music Director, mid 30′s)  are vibrant, but also unusually experienced on an international scale.  Filling the shoes of the likes of Lotfi Mansouri, Brian Dickie, and Richard Bradshaw cannot be easy (the latter in particular); therefore a company of this stature, with a very new performing arts center, and a loyal audience, for certain, needs forward thinking and energetic personnel.  This characteristic doesn’t begin and end with the front office, however.  My recent costume fitting was as thorough and creative as any I have experienced at the famed Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, or Lyric Opera of Chicago (just to name a few respected venues with whom I have had multiple experiences), the stage management seems prepared for all occurrences, the company employs a female chorus master (something you do NOT see everyday in this business), while the Artistic Administrator(s) are forever “putting out fires” (something you DO see everyday in this business!!).

The artistic planning is both bold and traditional…a high-wire that every opera company must walk with special care these days.  While taking the economy into account, attempting to broaden their gallery, and still appeal to the press; outreach is a priority, and so is energy and innovation.  What else would one expect from the first opera company to employ the use of supertitles for the benefit of their audience??…and that was almost 30 years ago!!!

“The most interesting (opera) house in North America?”  We shall see; but don’t be surprised…the source I mentioned in the first sentence of this posting has rarely been wrong.  So I will trust for now, and verify later!

*For the sake of full disclosure, I have worked at COC once, and will return for a new production of Die Fledermaus just days from now. I have only a business, respectably distanced, relationship with Mr. Neef and COC.*

djc

As the city of Cincinnati continues its incredible renaissance by reclaiming historic neighborhoods, redeveloping long neglected public lands, and renovating the most spectacular collection of Italianate architecture ever seen in the United States, one was struck this past week by the presence of thousands of visitors, and hundreds of choirs, as the city hosted the World Choir Games.  The U.S.A. has never hosted this so-called “Olympics of Choral Music”; but the “Queen” city was given the nod, and has much of which to be proud!  A well organized crew of volunteers and professionals steered, entertained, and hosted this complicated event with the help of smiling (truly) Cincinnati Police, and of course many a local celebrity and politician vying for face-time on local and national television, and as emcees for concert presentations.  We do this for Sports, so why not the Arts??  (So far, so good!)

I took in a concert last night (July 8, 2012) entitled Energy of Youth, in between my own rehearsals for La Traviata with Cincinnati Opera.  It featured the Cincinnati Children’s and Public Schools Honor Choir, the Farnham Youth Choir (Great Britain), and the Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir (China).  Being an Ohio boy myself, I was pleased to walk about town and listen to how much folks were enjoying this great city…triple digit heat notwithstanding.  They gave this recession blighted local economy a great financial boost at shops and restaurants, and provided in return some real musical magic of the choral variety.  Packed theaters, performing arts halls, and major-event arenas are proof positive that this annual (not every 4 year) affair has “legs”.  With over 20 categories, the awards are many; there are opening and closing ceremonies; and the traditional hoisting of flags for winning countries.  (So far…still so good!!)

Onto the concert:
It seems that choirs are not just ‘singing choirs’ anymore, at least not in the traditional sense…no way!  The choirs of today (at least all the youth choirs it seems) must now be “show-choirs”.  They dress in full-regalia costumes or uniforms; utilize props and sophisticated choreography…or at the very least, sway in time to the music or display a sort of free-style movement during their presentations.  Almost all use clapping hands, snapping fingers, stomping feet, thigh slaps, and more.  Forget those old-fashioned choir robes and standing still as you harmonize…nope, this is not “your father’s old-time choir”!  This is its 21st Century grandchild…or great-grandchild, as it were.

Remembering that last night’s concert was a ‘youth’ offering, I do not want to get too critical.  Unfortunately, the Farnham Youth Choir (2nd on the program) fared the worst.  Their rhythmic clapping was out of synch, their voices were out of tune (not unusual–but still not pleasant–for an “upper-voice” choir of about 40…roughly 36 girls and about 4 boys of varying age), and their conductor David Victor-Smith’s choice of repertoire was questionable for voices that would no doubt have been experiencing jet-lag and exhaustion from travel and sight-seeing…not to mention the incredible heat and humidity.  But hey, this is the big-time…and no excuses are valid in this rough and tumble world of show-business.  We now live in the age of Glee, where all production numbers must be perfect each Thursday!!  All in all, they were well received and fairly impressive…but better luck next time.

The Cincinnati grouping (in first position) were the local favorites, of course.  With home-field-advantage, they brought the crowd to their feet with an almost too long program of close to 30 minutes.  Hand held bamboo-like poles pounded out rhythmic beats, fingers snapped, hands clapped lustily; bodies swayed, and two fine young members even took a turn at solo lines (delivering them beautifully).  Robin Lana directed the group with ease and dignity, as did Rollo Dilworth, a specially commissioned composer and guest conductor, who assisted with two encore arrangements of his own, but continued with a too long, ill-chosen ‘encore’ of the encore Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.  (A true pro knows when to leave the audience wanting more…not giving them too much while they are already standing in appreciation of you.)

As we saw in the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese can proffer the ‘Best Show on Earth’.  But is it really necessary for the Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir (who closed the program) to don their youth in rhinestone bodices, multicolored waist sashes, headpieces, separate dance wear, and decorative umbrellas, just to sing a choral piece???  Do we need the over-choreographed dance-break to actually enhance the choral singing???  The answer seems to be ‘YES’, because without such accoutrements, their choral skills and musical selections, while solid, were not that interesting…gold medal designations aside.  I am beginning to wonder as to what criteria these panels are adjudicating upon.  Finally, while I am a huge visitor to China (some 12 trips now)–actually I thoroughly love it there; I really am beginning to be bothered by certain ‘ethics’ that sometimes seem to be at play.  I can never prove it officially of course (and the Chinese would never allow tampering of this sort); but for a Middle School Choir, I surely detected what seemed to be almost adult participants mixed into this group.  Perhaps the “experimental” part of the Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir, is to determine how the choir will respond with young adults in the mix.  Perhaps their definition of “Middle School” is different than our own, or perhaps my reflection is simply mistaken and/or out of line.   But I just don’t get it; the Chinese are a powerful, disciplined, highly educated, innovative people.  I love their culture, determination, and drive…but really???  This seemed like “seeding” to me; but I stress once again, that this was simply an observation as I sat in the audience.  (I reserve the right to be proven in error on the above, and form no accusations proper.)

“So far, so good” now comes to an end:

I subtitled this Post…But where are the attorneys?  Do you wonder why??  I’ll tell you why!  The Cincinnati choral contingent sang works entitled:

Praise the Lord
Holy is the Lord
Jubilate Deo

I heard the word Hallelujah, and Alleluia more times than I could count! I heard God referred to as ‘male’ in gender!!  And these words were sung by a PUBLIC SCHOOL choir!!!  A school that has been sanctioned by the State of Ohio, and which no doubt receives Federal tax dollars!!!!  We have something called “Separation of Church and State” in this country, and it would seem that this type of ‘religious conformity in song’ is in direct violation with some of these beautiful students’ rights to this separation.  If they didn’t wish to sing the words as selected by their director, then they would have likely been disallowed from participation in this event, right???!!!!!  Did the school have these talented, perhaps unwilling, school children or their parents sign waivers or releases??  Were they interviewed as to their religious beliefs, or non-beliefs???  With so many attempts to erase religion and prayer from our Public Schools, all I want to know is this:  Where are all the ACLU attorneys on this one???  Better hurry-up and get in there…these kids looked like they were having way too much fun singing, and believing in what they were singing!!  You had best get to the gate…you have a chance to make big names for yourselves.  Imagine…bringing down the World Choir Games, and being able to set policy for future vocal/choral repertoire that is to be sung by participants from the United States of America!!  How did you miss this one???  And just in case I am the first to plant the idea in your mind…”Your Welcome!!!!”  (Tongue firmly planted in cheek!!)

djc
P.s. Congratulations to Charles Eversole (a schoolmate from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea Ohio), whose world renowned Singing Angels had a spectacular showing this past weekend!

When I have friends over for a meal, and the dinner plates are readied for consumption, I am often the recipient of looks of disbelief from my guests.  “This looks amazing”, “My god David, this looks delicious”, “Oh my god, I can’t wait to start eating”…these are just of few of the predictable gasps that are regularly leveled in my direction.  I jokingly bellow loudly in response, using my best Regis Philbin voice; “C’mon, where you gonna get a meal like this anywhere in town??  Forget it, you can’t FIND a meal like this anywhere around here!!!”.

Bragging is not really one of my long-suits; I have a tendency to self-deprecate normally…except when it’s time to eat.  And while I do indeed admit to a talent for “plating”, that is to say, arranging the food on a dinner plate for maximum beauty and desire to devour (see Facebook photo postings), I simply cannot answer the one basic question that is ALWAYS asked of me:

“Oh please, can you give me the recipe??” “What is the recipe??”  “Where did you get this recipe??”

I then bellow even more loudly:  “THERE ARE NO RECIPES!!!!” (with hands flailing in the air)

That’s because there really aren’t any! You see, I grew up in an Italian family where nothing was ever written down as far as food was concerned. My mother, like her mother before her, and her mother before her, did everything by look, feel, and smell.  Cooking styles were passed down from generation to generation…but not recipes.  One of the most famous dishes ever (Pasta Putanesca) is believed to have been created by unfaithful Italian wives, who spent the afternoon with their lovers while their husbands were out working (not sure what the male lovers did for a living, that their afternoons were free…but I digress).  Having little time to prepare dinner before their husbands returned home, these so-called “putans” (sorry; that is not a nice word) threw together pasta, sauce…and anything else that was in the house in order to have something on the table at the appointed hour…anchovies, olives, capers, peppers, whatever, etc, etc, etc.

Well my style of cooking is not too far from that! While I do not take afternoon lovers, I do admit to spending a lot of time creating a meal based upon whatever spices and assorted food items happen to be around…it’s an artistic thing.  Not one to waste food, I always find an artful way to create a mouthwatering dish with what’s around the house.  I DO, however, have one secret…that is not really a secret…but it requires TIME as its main ingredient.  I will now divulge, and then give an example of how it can ALWAYS be used to perfection.

STOCK (of all kinds)

Here’s how it works:
Got leftovers?? Hate leftovers? Not enough leftovers to use for anything? Got leftover bones from chicken, beef, veal, turkey, or pork? Got leftover veggies, legumes, potatoes, pasta, rice, fish, meat, etc, etc, etc???…don’t throw any of them away!! MAKE STOCK!!!!! (my personal version of it, anyway)

Throw them all into a big pot, along with some broth (chicken or beef) or water, or a mix of broth and water, and just start boiling…slow, steady, and long.  This takes hours; 8 hours (or more) to be specific.  Keep boiling low, uncovered, adding more liquid as you need to because the liquid will evaporate and/or “steam away”.  Stir regularly and don’t let anything stick to the bottom of the pot.  Walk to the kitchen to execute this most wonderful of tasks occasionally while you are studying, watching television, doing housework, or reading the Sunday paper.  We spend more time than we think in our homes, and this little trick will MAKE your home smell like a farmhouse kitchen…deliciously odorous beyond measure.  Boil, boil, boil, slowly until everything melts…and it will, in fact, melt.  Allow plenty of time to cool, then remove and discard any remaining solids.

Once the remains cool, and you remove any fat that collects on the top layer, what you are left with is a gelatinous block of “solid aspic”…pure protein, and all flavor!!!  (Aspic can be stored in the refrigerator easily in an airtight container, and used when you are ready.)

A good example of its use was just last night (June 26) when my girlfriend Tracy and I invited two good friends over for dinner.  I had purchased 4 large, beautiful lamb-shanks (almost always affordable at $5.99-$7.99 per pound).  I seasoned with salt, pepper; and rolled them in FRESHLY chopped Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Lemon Thyme, Garlic, and Parsley–one big pile (not hard to do, btw, but I do the amounts by “look and feel”…I know when it’s right….sorry, it’s an innate talent passed on from Mom).  Braise the meat in a pan until brown (6 minutes) with some olive oil and just a bit of butter (helps to brown).  Set meat aside to cool.  Season by feel and smell (salt/pepper/dill weed/fennel or favorite spices) some veggies (broccoli, mixed sweet peppers, onions, shallots, whole baby carrots, and mushrooms are good examples), and blanch in boiling water (5-6 minutes) but do NOT let them get soggy.  Remove from water, drain in a colander, then put into a bowl or large baking dish and cover with foil…they do NOT need to be refrigerated.

TIP: When you smell your mix of spices on vegetables or meat; if it smells good, it will taste good!!! Use the sense of smell God has given you, and trust yourself!!

Now the fail-safe!!:
Put that giant block of aspic into a roasting pan, add chicken broth (by feel) and stir to break up the gelatin block; add one large can of whole tomatoes, one small can of tomato puree, and a generous pour (or two) of red table wine.  Mix easily until you have a smooth “sauce”.  Place the lamb-shanks into the broth, set your oven to 275 degrees and cover the roasting pan with foil or lid.  Allow about 7 hours to slowly roast those lamb shanks.  Enjoy the smell all day long!!!  Occasionally remove roasting pan from oven and roll the shanks around, add broth if you feel you want more liquid, returning to the oven thereafter.

After 5 hours have passed, add those blanched veggies that have been sitting in that bowl, and raise your oven temperature to 300 degrees.  Allow the final two hours for the vegetable flavors to permeate the smooth velvety sauce that has now been created from the aspic, broth, tomatoes (both whole and puree), and lamb juices that have magically flavored your roasting pan.

Remove from oven at the appointed time and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.  During those 30 minutes, boil some pasta.  Drain pasta, add a touch of butter or egg yolk to pasta, and stir.  Plate pasta, add ladles of sauce and vegetables as desired, place a lamb shank on top, and serve!!

Prepare to be lauded as a cooking-god, food-fashionista, culinary-king, kitchen-queen, goddess-chef, etc, etc, etc., as that meat falls off the bone, and you hear the crunch of those vegetables!!!!!!!!  Have some kind of bread (not a lot, as you already have pasta) to soak up the last bits of sauce on the plate that haven’t yet been consumed!!

This meal takes time…mostly just the oven time, as the prep time is only about an hour…but it is an unmistakeable winner.  Just remember your secret ingredient….STOCK!

And while this may SEEM like a recipe, it really isn’t; because in my kitchen…

There ARE no recipes!!!!!

djc
P.s. I post this after what seems like a thousand requests for my “recipes”…the recipes, that aren’t “recipes” of course.  Just remember;  you can eat anything you want using Julia Child’s simple rule…”One helping, no ‘seconds’, and no snacking in between”.  ENJOY!!!

The passage of time is so sneaky, we hardly note the ‘tick-tick-tock’ of life’s clock.  Then one day we awake and realize that we have grown old(er) {see: Old in San Diego, from the August 2011 blog archive}.  Sometimes it is sad, as when we realized that our childhoods were really over; and sometimes it represents relief, as when I finally exited my 20′s…that Generation-X thing was not for me.  However, during those very early days of my 20′s, I clearly remember the birth of my niece Nichole…I was then still in college and off to Salzburg, Austria to study the German language with my life-long friend Richard.  Now here comes the ‘sneaky’ part…

That little baby girl–which is how I will always think of her (unfair, I know)–has just given birth to her own little girl after a few years of marriage to her fine young man of a husband, Shawn.  Like a shot in the arm, this birth raised the awareness of all my immediate family members, but I must say that it was I who recognized first that my family has 5 living generations.  My grandmother (just shy of 100 years old), my parents (both in their 80′s), my siblings (basically 50-something’s all), my nieces (early/mid 20′s), and now my GREAT niece–which sounds so weird–at scarcely one week old.

Suddenly we are all actually grateful for the passage of time, as not so many families out there can enjoy the designation of having 5 living generations.  But it is really humbling to think of what these family members have seen over the course of 100 years, and indeed, what we have all shared together:  the joys, the withering/mind numbing heartaches, the fun, the food, the arguments, the silly grudges, and the “what’s still to come”.  While my Aunt bravely battles cancer, my Mother seems to defy age; as my Father quietly manages a body shattered by a life of hard labor, my Grandmother lives in the quiet enclave of her mind; as my Sister begins a personal life anew, my Brother watches his three daughters become young women and mothers; as my Nieces have children, or wallow in the glow of their boyfriend, or diligently study and acerbically journal their lives, I continue to wander the world in search of applause and relevance…

But goodness only knows WHAT little Blakely Marie will see in her lifetime!  As Louis Armstrong sang so very well…”They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know…”

Now, if I can only orchestrate the taking of a single photo of these 5 generations, I will have pulled off quite the coup.  Might be hard, as the distance of several states separates us all.  But don’t count it out…what a photo finish that would be!!!

djc

When one tallies the affect and effect of 100 years’ time, we can clearly say “Wow; how things have changed!” as much as we can say “Wow; some things never change!”  My grandmother turns 100 this year.  She lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, enjoyed radio–but also saw the advent of television; she watched men travel to the moon and neighborhood boys go off to Vietnam; she was always aware of “the computer”, and witnessed the rise of something called “the internet”.  Yet even now she will tell you: “Only the spoon that stirs, knows the troubles that are in the pot!!…because some things never change!!!”  (It sounds even better in Italian, btw.)

After ‘The King of the Symphony”, Franz Joseph Haydn, was born (1732) we could look back 100 years later and claim that had he died as early as Mozart, he would not be regarded as widely as he is today.  The reason??  He did some of his best writing later in life.  100 years hence, we were gifted with the likes of Brahms and Bruckner, who similarly wrote works of masterpiece level in the latter portion of their lives.  But while the harmonic language changed considerably over the course of that century, ‘the symphony’ itself remained basically the same with regard to its construction (ie. “some things never change”).

After 100 years of existence (give or take of few hiccups along the road of life), the Dallas Symphony unveiled Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 last night (April 26, 2012) for the first of four performances.  Dallas Symphony audiences have not been graced with this work in 12 years, but what struck me the most during the roughly 75 minute performance of this 4 movement masterpiece was the affect and effect (there are those words again) the composition had on the audience.  Bruckner’s 8th is a work of intense power and beauty that often leaves an audience breathless in between movements, as it did at this performance.  There are ‘edge of seat’ moments and sudden shifts of sweeping legato that carry the listener along a musical wave the way a boat is glided along an ocean of powerful undercurrent.  Jaap van Zweden conducts with passion, but with such sublime dignity that one really does wonder what he is thinking as he leads his forces.  I guarantee you, he is NOT thinking about turning the pages of his score, the occasional rough entrance by the horns, or even the cool, swift elegance of his timpanist.  It is indeed something more, and his audiences level their support for him and his orchestra with instantaneous standing ovations.  Music’s greatness can, and always will, be measured in moments.  Music is of the moment, and is not a captive art; therefore I believe listeners should just ‘go with the flow’, as it will often take them to places they may have never realized even existed.

When one programs a single work for a night at the Symphony, it had better be good.  DSO did this successfully last season with a rendering of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 (see posting: “Death of a Symphony”???….Not so fast!!!).  It is a good strategy, as would also be a 7:30 p.m. start time.  This gives Symphony goers the chance to see a concert, have dinner or drinks thereafter, and TALK about what they have just seen and heard; thus extending and varying their night out.  This Bruckner was just such an opportunity, and I did just that with a friend after the performance.

Dallas arts donors and symphony supporters must realize that Mo. van Zweden brings world-class gravitas to the podium, and lifts this orchestra to world-class levels.  Dallas may be a huge sports town, but its arts district is also world-renowned.  Its musicians are, in fact, the athletes of this art-form and are deserving of respect and admiration.  I know something about world-class:  I grew up with The Cleveland Orchestra, under the likes of Szell, Maazel, and von Dohnanyi.  I have worked with Levine, Boulez, Conlan, Pappano, Davis, and countless others.  Dallas is not the cow-town of 100 years ago (or even 50 years ago by some accounts); you have it…please don’t lose it…you are 100 years YOUNG!!!

djc

*Musical note:  As an opera singer, I love drawing comparisons between symphony and opera.  As many know, Bruckner was a huge disciple of Richard Wagner.  I simply had to smile as the final moments of Bruckner’s 8th seem to be a direct nod in the direction of Wagner himself, as the comparison to the final orchestral moments of Das Rheingold are simply unmistakeable!!!