Another week that I (Will) find myself floundering with the NTT.
The music itself is quite lovely, and sounds like perhaps a variation from a set of themes & variations. Joseph left the door open for this being the centennial year of the composer's death, and certainly the tonal language would mean that this music could come from the 19th century, but of course, that could be a feint.
Saint-Saëns? Or maybe it's a rustic American writing in an older style, someone like Henry Cowell. (Not putting Cowell in my basket — timeline is way off.)
The piano makes things so difficult by reducing everything to a much simpler sonic landscape than something with more instruments, where you'd get so much more information about the stylistic writing.
I know that Bruckner's 200th anniversary is this year, but I don't know if that counts as "centennial" (i.e. if that term is a stand-in for any multiple of one hundred.)
I guess I'm going with Saint-Saëns. I'm too tired to guess anyone else!
Will, thanks for the tip about "She Came to Me" - I'd been looking forward to seeing it. I liked it even more than I thought I would. Somewhat disjointed, but quirky, funny, and poignant. The composer's "real life" encounters, and how they inspired and morphed into opera scenes, worked particularly well.
And what an unexpected and delightful surprise to see bass/baritone Greer Grimsley in a cameo role as the Generalissimo at the end of the movie in the Space Opera. He's been a long-time favorite of Seattle Opera subscribers, including me.
Just ran across this discussion between filmmaker Rebecca Miller (daughter of playwright Arthur Miller) and composer Bryce Dessner that might be of interest to those who have seen the movie:
NTT: I would also guess an American composer. Piano - a bit syncopated, a touch jazzy perhaps, early 1900's.
Joey's clue that "this composer has a centennial this year (I’m not saying whether birth or death)" prompts me to think he's trying to lead me down a straight garden path with no chance to wander and explore along the way.
Hmmmm. What if the centennial isn't tied to either the composer's birth or death, but to something in between instead. Such as celebrating 100 years since a composer's iconic piece was created and premiered?
So, I'm going with Gershwin (even though I know nothing of his piano-only pieces, if any). Because this year is the centennial for his "Rhapsody in Blue."
Pianist Jeffrey Biegel created a 3-year 50 States Rhapsody National Initiative to celebrate around that centennial and to commission a new Peter Boyer composition "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue" to perform with it at all those concerts.
And unrelated to that large project, many other orchestras have Rhapsody programmed this year, including at least one of mine.
So, even if Gershwin is not the correct NTT answer, I'll still take this opportunity to promote our 4/6/24 Harmonia Seattle concert because it features a couple of folks well-known to Tone Prose readers:
Music Director Will White, who is also premiering his brand new opera-oratorio Cassandra.
And Rhapsody guest soloist - tadah - Joey Vaz! None other than the provider of this week's NTT!
NTT: not much clue. I’m also leaning towards the centennial being death related, but maybe Joey’s turned a trickster. I’m thinking along the same French or American lines as Will. I don’t know any Americans that work out timeline wise. Saint-Saëns definitely came to mind but I think the dates don’t quite work. Others…Fauré? Massenet? I feel these fall afoul of the more populist turn of the NTT but I really have not much clue here. Could it be some odd (for him) Satie?
Another week that I (Will) find myself floundering with the NTT.
The music itself is quite lovely, and sounds like perhaps a variation from a set of themes & variations. Joseph left the door open for this being the centennial year of the composer's death, and certainly the tonal language would mean that this music could come from the 19th century, but of course, that could be a feint.
Saint-Saëns? Or maybe it's a rustic American writing in an older style, someone like Henry Cowell. (Not putting Cowell in my basket — timeline is way off.)
The piano makes things so difficult by reducing everything to a much simpler sonic landscape than something with more instruments, where you'd get so much more information about the stylistic writing.
I know that Bruckner's 200th anniversary is this year, but I don't know if that counts as "centennial" (i.e. if that term is a stand-in for any multiple of one hundred.)
I guess I'm going with Saint-Saëns. I'm too tired to guess anyone else!
Will, thanks for the tip about "She Came to Me" - I'd been looking forward to seeing it. I liked it even more than I thought I would. Somewhat disjointed, but quirky, funny, and poignant. The composer's "real life" encounters, and how they inspired and morphed into opera scenes, worked particularly well.
And what an unexpected and delightful surprise to see bass/baritone Greer Grimsley in a cameo role as the Generalissimo at the end of the movie in the Space Opera. He's been a long-time favorite of Seattle Opera subscribers, including me.
Just ran across this discussion between filmmaker Rebecca Miller (daughter of playwright Arthur Miller) and composer Bryce Dessner that might be of interest to those who have seen the movie:
https://youtu.be/rBTg9P9nlTc?si=Fj0n6OX8dV0vZbyS
NTT: I would also guess an American composer. Piano - a bit syncopated, a touch jazzy perhaps, early 1900's.
Joey's clue that "this composer has a centennial this year (I’m not saying whether birth or death)" prompts me to think he's trying to lead me down a straight garden path with no chance to wander and explore along the way.
Hmmmm. What if the centennial isn't tied to either the composer's birth or death, but to something in between instead. Such as celebrating 100 years since a composer's iconic piece was created and premiered?
So, I'm going with Gershwin (even though I know nothing of his piano-only pieces, if any). Because this year is the centennial for his "Rhapsody in Blue."
Pianist Jeffrey Biegel created a 3-year 50 States Rhapsody National Initiative to celebrate around that centennial and to commission a new Peter Boyer composition "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue" to perform with it at all those concerts.
And unrelated to that large project, many other orchestras have Rhapsody programmed this year, including at least one of mine.
So, even if Gershwin is not the correct NTT answer, I'll still take this opportunity to promote our 4/6/24 Harmonia Seattle concert because it features a couple of folks well-known to Tone Prose readers:
Music Director Will White, who is also premiering his brand new opera-oratorio Cassandra.
And Rhapsody guest soloist - tadah - Joey Vaz! None other than the provider of this week's NTT!
It's going to be epic. Hope you can join us!
https://www.harmoniaseattle.org/concerts/2024-04-06
Tix for in-person or streaming
******
NTT: not much clue. I’m also leaning towards the centennial being death related, but maybe Joey’s turned a trickster. I’m thinking along the same French or American lines as Will. I don’t know any Americans that work out timeline wise. Saint-Saëns definitely came to mind but I think the dates don’t quite work. Others…Fauré? Massenet? I feel these fall afoul of the more populist turn of the NTT but I really have not much clue here. Could it be some odd (for him) Satie?