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Issue #5, February, 2012
Welcome to our February issue of . . . In Your Ear! This month, we feature Ira Zingraff, recently appointed Principal Trumpet of the Niagara Symphony:
“I gravitate to music that moves me. Music that literally raises the arm hair and conjures goosebumps. Music like: Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Mozart, and Bob Marley. But I'm not going to speak about any of those brilliant composers at this time. Instead, and in order to narrow my choices down from some 100,000 works, I've decided to throw in some parameters. I am going to list three songs, written and performed by Canadian artists, and released within the last 5 years.
"Music To My Ears", Ron Sexsmith, Exit Strategy of The Soul (2008)
As a musician, I am a pursuer and purveyor of melody. Not many other artists can lay claim to producing such prolific and beautiful melodies such as St. Catharines’ own, Ron Sexsmith. I have all 12 of his albums, and love each one for this very reason. Perhaps one of my favourites is his 2008 release, and in particular, the song "Music To My Ears". With a gentleness that begins with guitar and the most sensitive trumpet playing I've heard in a while, Ron delivers pure emotion with his soaring and longing melodies. There is poetry in his words and an unfiltered honesty in every breath and tone he produces.
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/music-to-my-ears/id282588776?i=282588789
"Don't Make Me Wait", Doug Paisley, Constant Companion (2010)
Doug Paisley is a Canadian alternative country artist who was born in Toronto. This song is a duet with Leslie Feist. A beautifully prominent descending piano line forms the framework for this song. It separates the verses that start with Doug, then Feist, then as they sing together as a duet. I am very fond of how two different voices can blend together to produce a unique combination. Kind of a country song, but with a slightly different arrangement and instrumentation. Really, this is an example of how one simple motif (piano) can captivate me and keep me coming back for more.
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/dont-make-me-wait/id441187638?i=441187650
"For The Record", Kathleen Edwards, Voyageur (2012)
Kathleen, from Ottawa originally. Studied classical violin until 12. Now on her 4th studio album. This last album has a much different sound from previous releases. "For The Record" starts with an ethereal wurlitzer, which paints a very dreamy backdrop for the rest of the song. When the breathy vocals enter, there is a distinct melancholia present, but soon, optimism is revealed like sun rays through thunderclouds. This is a very simple song, with a very simple melody. I find strength and beauty in this simplicity.”
http://www.kathleenedwards.com/voyageur/
Ira Zingraff was accepted into the Faculty of Music at U of T with a music scholarship, spent two summers at Domaine Forget, and in May 2004, graduated in Professional Studies from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Andrew McCandless, and Jim Gardiner. Currently, he holds the position of Principal Trumpet with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, and The Canadian Sinfonietta. Other orchestral credits include: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Windsor Symphony, and the Video Games Live Orchestra. Ira records and performs with some of the top popular music groups in Canada, among them Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, Serena Ryder, and The Most Serene Republic. He has founded 2 new bands in Toronto: del bel, and The Pieroglyphics.
We would love to hear from you about the music featured in . . . In Your Ear! Thoughts, comments, questions – please let us know!
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Watch for next month's suggestions ...In Your Ear!
Issue #4, January, 2012
Associate Conductor/ Principal Percussionist, Laura Thomas
“It’s very difficult to narrow my favourites down to three, but here it goes!
My first choice is the first cd I ever purchased, Copland conducts Copland. I had just bought a new-fangled cd player and this release caught my eye and ear. The performances are wonderful and the sound quality is amazing. American composer Aaron Copland conducts the London Symphony and the Columbia Symphony in four of his best known works; Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring, Rodeo (four dance episodes) and Old American Songs. Leonard Bernstein’s recordings of Copland are considered by many to be the quintessential versions. Many of his tempi are faster than Copland’s and, while the faster versions are very exciting, I really like Copland’s tempi. And, it’s really hard to argue with the composer on authenticity.
I have listened to that recording many times for recreation as well as for preparing for concerts. Recordings are an important part of the preparation process for most musicians. Lately, to prep for rehearsals, I’ve been listening to another favourite cd – this one from a completely different genre. When my choir WomEnchant asked to sing Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel, I dutifully got out my recording of the duo’s Live in Central Park cd and listened to it - many times. I love the energy of recordings of live performances, and, for me, these songs are timeless.
I’ve recently started listening to The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting’s first solo album. It was released in 1985 and though I have heard a few of the singles, but I never really listened to the whole album before. The music is pop, but with a lot of jazz and fusion influences. He hired some really great musicians for this cd; Branford Marsalis, Omar Hakim (Weather Report) and Darryl Jones (Miles Davis). Moon Over Bourbon Street has an interesting vaudeville/cabaret kind of sound. I am enjoying the quality and intelligence of the music as well as the politics in many of the songs. It’s great to find new music to listen to, even if it’s not really all that new!”
Laura Thomas is a conductor, arranger, composer, percussionist and teacher. She serves as Associate Conductor and Principal Percussionist of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of the NSO’s acclaimed Summer Music Camp. As guest conductor and performer, Ms Thomas has appeared with orchestras and ensembles across Ontario and Western New York. She is currently Music Director of the Niagara Youth Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Hamilton/Niagara WomEnchant Chorus. Later this month, she will conduct her debut concert as Music Director of the Dundas Valley Orchestra. NSO audiences can look forward to Ms. Thomas conducting our February Fiesta POPS! concert, February 25th & 26th.
Issue #3, December, 2011
Principal Cellist, Gordon Cleland
“When I was in high school I had the magnificent opportunity to take a course in Music History from the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music, an institution in London Ontario that molded many young musicians, with Anthony Milner. He was a brilliant man and his course was about 20th century music and made a lasting impression on me. I became very interested in hearing this music. The composers I listened to as a teen weren’t Bach, Beethoven and Brahms but Walton, Szymanowski and Schoenberg (all of these composers I encourage everyone to experience); as a result it inspired me to work on contemporary musical literature in my own performance.
One recording that I listened to in this period, and one of only two records (it was in the days of vinyl of course) in my life that my reaction was to turn it over and listen to it all over again was a recording by the Gewandhaus Orchestra of the Seven Deadly Sins of Small Town Citizens by Kurt Weill. So much colour. So exciting. A very powerful performance. The other big inspiration was a recording of the Orchestre de la suisse romande of the Petite symphonie concertante for Piano, Harp, Harpsichord and Two String Orchestras by Frank Martin, a piece which I hope our orchestra might play for you one day.
The other record which inspired me to listen to all over again in its entirety immediately afterwards was a recording by my cello teacher, Gisela Depkat. She is my idol as a player. I listened to her live performance re-released on record of the Arpeggione Sonata by Schubert and the Brahms F Major Sonata. Her other record was of the Kodaly Solo Sonata which she sent in to the Strad, the magazine for string players, for which their quote was “Never in the history of this magazine have we received such a recording”, but her Schubert is the one which has touched me the most, and it is an actual recording of a live performance so it is a true account of how she actually plays.
The third record which really touched me was introduced to me at the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. I was a student there and one of the violin teachers at the time was Alfred Lustgarten. He asked one day if I would like to hear a recording of his brother Edgar. It was absolutely beautiful featuring the Valentini Sonata and some other Italian music and I got a copy of the tape from him and listened to it many times. I found the record eventually in the excellent music library at UWO where I discovered that he had been principal cellist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. I returned to Boston after NYO and mentioned to my teacher, George Neikrug, that Alfred Lustgarten had introduced me to his brother’s playing and his reaction was “I thought he was dead!” Mr Neikrug told me that he had convinced Edgar that he should study with the same teacher as himself, Emanuel Feuermann.
Those are the recordings that have really influenced me in my musical career.”
Gordon Cleland
Principal cellist of the Niagara Symphony, Gordon Cleland has performed across North America as a soloist and chamber musician, his strong interest in contemporary and Canadian music reflected in the repertoire he performs. In addition to performances with the Niagara Symphony, the St. Catharines Chamber Society and the Thorold String Quartet, Mr. Cleland has made a strong commitment to music education, teaching cello and string techniques at Brock University, adjudicating music festivals across Canada and running a private studio in Niagara. He also teaches at the Niagara Symphony’s Summer Music Camp and The Academy @ SMC.
Issue #2, November, 2011
Douglas Miller, Principal Flute with the Niagara Symphony, shares his selections with you:
“To identify 3 influential recordings or works is a rather introspective task and there are likely dozens that come to mind over the years. I will share with you an old recording that was a big part of my childhood and 2 other works that have haunted me more recently. They cover past, present, and future, and surprisingly none of them are flute pieces!
The 1955 Capitol recording “Classics For Children - Volume 1”. This recording has some wonderfully evocative music paired with colourful stories, narrated quite dramatically by Art Gilmore. Each story featured a different composer. The Trojan Horse is set to Prokofiev’s “The Love of Three Oranges”, El Torito (The Little Bull) is set to Bizet’s “Carmen”, The Seasons is set to Glazunov’s “Seasons” and of course, the story of Peer Gynt set to Grieg’s orchestral suite. As a kid, I would get lost in my imagination with this recording, and in retrospect I realise it probably opened the doors to the world of classical music. As far as I know, this recording has not been re-released, although copies can be hunted down. If you are the lucky owner of an original . . . I saw one for sale online for over $500!
Schubert Impromptu Opus 90, No 2 dates back to my years as a music student at McGill. I would listen enviously to many of the pianists working on this piece. Its soaring triplets were mesmerizing with such a joyous feeling. 20 years later, the piece was still rattling around in the back of my mind, so I decided to track down the music and start tinkering with it on the flute. After a few years of working with it, I am very pleased to be able to share my version of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIb7Fq4xufo. I am not the only one to have been fascinated with this piece: Brahms arranged a version of it for left hand study, and I recently discovered that the tune “Fly Me To The Moon” is based on the harmonies found in the middle section of the piece.
Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” is a ballad in a style suggesting an Irish air. The lyrics are quite profound, much deeper than most love songs. The cover version by Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is quite heart-wrenching. It is one of those CDs that lives in the car CD player for months, and when the song ends, I push the repeat button a few times before going on to the next track. Her version has a beautiful cello solo that dialogues with the voice. Once again, I visualised version for flute, cello and piano, and will perform it on the upcoming Gallery Players concert. Billy Joel has said that this is one of his favourite songs, but has received the least amount of attention.”
Douglas Miller is an accomplished, versatile soloist who performs with major symphonies and chamber ensembles across Canada. He is also a theatre musician, heard in The Sound of Music, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, and the 25th anniversary touring production of EVITA. A member of the Shaw Festival Orchestra, he has performed in various productions, most recently, My Fair Lady. Mr. Miller is a founding member of The Gallery Players of Niagara and this fall premiered and co-produced Flutes En Route!, his showcase of ethnic flutes from around the globe.
Issue# 1, October, 2011
Welcome to the inaugural issue of . . . In Your Ear! Members of the Niagara Symphony look forward to sharing their passion for music with you on a monthly basis. This month, Niagara Symphony Music Director & Principal Conductor Bradley Thachuk introduces three of his own favourite recordings:
Handel - Giulio Cesare in Egitto
“This is the first opera I ever conducted and it still is in constant rotation. My favourite recording is the old RCA Victor one, conducted by Rudel and sung by the astonishing Beverly Sills. If you are into strict Baroque performance practice, this isn't for you. That being said, it is sung beautifully. Check out the aria "V'adoro pupile". Sills' ornaments in the da capo section are sumptuous. This aria alone haunts me and brings tears every time I listen.”
Beethoven Symphonies 1 & 5
“Ok... I admit I'm a little biased, but I'm hooked on Paavo Jarvi's recent Beethoven cycle with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie. As my teacher and mentor, I recall so many discussions of Beethoven that went late into the night (and occasionally deep into Paavo's wine collection). The tempi are extraordinarily accurate, yet nothing seems rushed or forced. The orchestra is truly a virtuoso group and I can't help but be inspired every time I hear them play.”
Train - Save Me, San Francisco
“In all fairness, I should have listed this one first since I am listening to it more than anything. Since most of the time I'm studying for upcoming concerts, my only real listening time is when I'm running... And rock music is my favourite to run to. The recent comeback album from this Bay Area rock group was a triumph for the band. After numerous hits in the early 2000s, commercial success had surprisingly eluded them. But Train is back ... Melodic rock at its best! From the insanely popular "Hey, Soul Sister" to the catchy title track, to the up tempo yet poignant "Parachute", this is the ONLY album I'm listening to while exercising. Feel-good, sincere, accessible rock at its best. Singer Pat Monahan is in his finest form and shapes the sound of this band that won't go away... And we should be thankful they don't. Quality stuff... If it’s your thing :)”
Bradley Thachuk joined the Niagara Symphony this season as Music Director and Principal Conductor after serving as Music Director Designate and Principal Conductor in 2010-11. Now a resident of the Niagara Region, he comes to the Niagara Symphony following a nine-year term as Associate Conductor of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and an impressive list of engagements as Guest Conductor with orchestras across North America and Europe.
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In Your Ear 
