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obf – passing the baton

It was my final performance at the Oregon Bach Festival for 2013, and it was quite a historical event for the festival. This concert marked the symbolic ‘passing of the baton’ from founding Artistic Director Helmut Rilling to the Artistic Director Designate Matthew Halls. Rilling conducted a family affair first half, consisting of the Double Concerto for Violin and Cello by Johannes Brahms, with daughter Rahal and son-in-law Dávid Adorján playing the solo roles. In addition, his other daughter Sara was playing on the first stand of violas, and his other son-in-law Gabriel Adorján sat concertmaster. The soloists played beautifully, dealing with some ensemble issues in the performance that would have stymied less steely constitutions.

After the intermission, Matthew Halls took over for serene performances of two lesser-known choral works: the Psalm 95 of Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms’ sublime Shicksalslied (Song of Destiny). The future of the festival is in good hands with Halls. His energy and passion for the music that he conducts is infectious, and he has a keen eye for programming that will make for some adventurous future festivals, I’m sure.

The highlight of the night was the special presentation given after the close of the official concert. Festival president and executive director John Evans came out and announced that in honor of Helmut’s final season as Artistic director and his 80th birthday, the festival had commissioned a choral work by Scottish composer James MacMillan. Entitled “Alleluia”, it was a major new piece for a capella chorus, and was given an absolutely stunning performance by the always excellent Berwick Chorus of the festival. Even more exciting, it was announced that MacMillan had accepted a commission to write a St. Luke passion for the festival in 2016. Heady times, indeed!

UPDATE: Here is an image of the title page with the inscription, as well as program notes by the composer, and the composer’s biography, courtesy of the Oregon Bach Festival.

19 replies on “obf – passing the baton”

How long before Oregon Arts Watch, Willamette Week et al start scolding the Festival for not commissioning an Oregon composer to write the Passion? I mean, this is the Oregon Bach Festival, right? So how dare they commission a Scot???

How wonderful to welcome the former president of the Oregon Symphony, however belatedly, to the ranks of those who believe that Oregon classical music institutions should invest in the music of Oregonians. Judging by the sparse number of commissions they’ve offered to Oregon composers, one might imagine that they believe Oregonians just aren’t good enough to deserve their support. I’m glad to know that’s not true, although I’ll really believe it when I see them commissioning Oregon composers for every concert.

In fact, MacMillan (one of my favorite composers) is a splendid example of exactly why OBF, the OSO and other institutions SHOULD be commissioning Oregonians. How did JM reach the artistic zenith that qualified him for the OBF commission? In large part, it was due to early support from his regional music institutions — the kind that backward-gazing organizations OBF and OSO have failed to provide Oregonians.

Before he was 30 years old, the young Scot received performances and commissions by at least THREE of Scotland’s major music festivals, in Edinburgh, Orkney, and Glasgow, to write his first major pieces. Then, in 1990, he was appointed composer in residence of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, which supported his composing for years. In fact, SCO gave MacMillan a crucial commission when he was 28, and he soon received other commissions and performances from other the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Which under-30 Oregon composers have received comparable sustained support from the state’s festivals and orchestras?

Shortly thereafter, MacMillan composed his breakthrough: the searing Confessions of Isobel Gowdie — another commission by a British music festival, the Proms, supporting one of its own. MacMillan was composer and conductor with the BBC Philharmonic from 2000 to 2009, and curated the Philharmonia Orchestra’s contemporary music series (the kind no Oregon orchestra bothers to sponsor), providing him with the time and resources and musicians to realize his artistic vision. Few composers are going to write a symphonic work without knowing that an orchestra or festival will be willing to perform it, and provide the support that gives them the time to do so.

In other words, thanks in part to the support he received from Scottish and British classical music festivals and orchestras, unlike those in Oregon, James MacMillan became an international star and helped revitalize the Scots classical music scene that had demonstrated such faith in his early promise.

How often have Oregon music festivals or orchestras commissioned Oregonians to do what Scotland’s classical music institutions did for MacMillan? Those who care about the future of Oregon arts were very happy to see Chamber Music Northwest do the same for Oregon’s Darrell Grant this weekend, with excellent results, but that’s sadly been a rarity when it should be an annual (at least) investment. Had Oregon festivals and orchestras shown similar faith in our creative artists back in the 1980s and ’90s, maybe that plum OBF/NEA commission could have gone to an Oregonian rather than a Scot.

So thank you, Elaine, for providing such an excellent example of why Scotland (population 5 million) has succeeded in cultivating its native composers, and Oregon (population 4 million) hasn’t. A big reason is that shortsighted Oregon political and classical music institutions have failed to invest in our state’s creative artists. Scotland’s classical music institutions have had artistic leaders who recognized the value of its own artists and supported them, producing music that made its people proud. Oregon’s, by and large, haven’t.

Still, let’s not be too hard on the Oregon Bach Festival, shall we? As I’ve written for years, it should indeed be commissioning a new piece from an Oregonian each year, in addition to the superstars like MacMillan and Arvo Part. But let’s give it credit; after all, for years, unlike other major Oregon classical music institutions, the festival has occasionally commissioned major contemporary composers like MacMillan, and biennially sponsored a Composers Symposium devoted to the cultivation of new classical music. Maybe other Oregon classical institutions could follow its lead — or better yet, Scotland’s. Why, if our classical music organizations only had the visionary leadership to help nurture him or her, they might find the next James MacMillan right here in Oregon. But until they step with some actual $upport instead of just snark, I guess we’ll never know.
Brett Campbell
Oregon ArtsWatch

Bob, for shame. Think what the scolds at Oregon Arts Watch would say. Is Carlos music director of the Canadian Symphony Orchestra?
Does the New Jersey Symphony play music by New Jersey composers? Atlanta, Atlanta? New York, New York? Minnesota, Minnesota? Oops, bad example.

well, i somehow had the impression that you believe murray to be one of the most significant composers of our time – american, canadian, german, french, what have you . . . if i’m not mistaken on this, perhaps you could’ve helped broker a schafer/kalmar/pdx encounter of sorts, no?

additionally, you may recall that you & i exchanged a few emails on the very topic of kalmar possibly programing something of murray’s here in PDX & that you were gonna do what you could to get some scores & recordings before the maestro’s eyes & ears. remember? did you ever do this? if so, thanx very much for trying.

ps
actually, we all know the ny phil have &/or do program quite a bit of music by new york composers; carter, corigliano, tower, etc., no?

as for minnesota, i’m not sure but i believe they have quite probably programmed a goodly schmattering of argento, paulus & others along the way.

so, yes, oops indeed, bad examples.

now… now… we are straying from Oregon Bach Festival. I was there in the audience. I thought the MacMillan was stunning and evocative. I just wish that the commissioned St Luke Passion was coming in 2014 instead of… 2016! A long time to wait. But, I look forward to hearing more from this composer – even though he IS Scottish.

I have another question, since we have so many educated minds attending to this discussion. What is the protocol if the cellist blasts in, on his first introductory chord of the Brahms double concerto, off key? I am just an uneducated, but appreciative audience member, and it was a jarring beginning to what was otherwise an outstanding performance. Would it be unheard of for the conductor to rap the music stand (oops, Rilling doesn’t use music, but there must be some way to stop everyone) and quietly say (as my high school conductor would do) “Measure 50” and then we get a good clean beginning? Or is that bad protocol, and the best to do is to simply ignore the mistake (as was done in this case), damn the torpedos and continue fearlessly on. A couple nights before, a musician did re-play part of her piece, when she discovered… oops… the end of the piece, only she had not yet ended. Admittedly, this was a chamber ensemble, but she laughed, turned to us, the audience, and paid her mea culpas “it was not his fault!” she said of her fellow musician, “it was mine! What would you like. Shall we go back and do it again?” And, of course, we were hers, heart and soul, and we all enthusiastically said “DO IT AGAIN”, which they did. Perfectly, this time. So… would that work with an orchestra? Just wondering.

That would be pretty unprecedented. Things sometimes happen in live performances, and you just have to roll with them. A slightly out of tune entrance is one thing, but having a total ensemble collapse is quite another. I have to admit that I was not bothered by David’s opening cadenza in this case.

Yes, you would have heard it played faultlessly several times prior in rehearsal. I can see that it would be a minor and momentary glitch, not worth mention. My sister, with whom I discussed it afterwards, and I both had the same reaction of startlement, waiting for more of the same, and concerned that this was going to be the norm, rather than the exception in this man’s performance. I have often heard glitches in a soloist’s playing – even the very best musicians drop notes and hit one off key at times in performance. We tend to be quite forgiving. And, as was the case this time, the overall presentation is so well executed, the mis-cues are totally lost and forgotten in the enjoyment of the totality. Except, that is, when it is the FIRST note. And, not knowing much about the soloist, you fear for the next several notes! 🙂 As I said, I am only one audience member, giving my impressions. I have so far gone to every performance this year. The festival holds a special place in our hearts, and this has been a great year, with a wealth of variety and depth of material. We are very interested to see how the OBF modifies and grows with the new leadership. So far, Matthew Halls seems energetic, dynamic and he pulls great beauty out of the players. Hopefully the orchestra and musicians feel the same.

i once witnessed a “start over” that was deeply shocking:

buddy rich big band
live @ whisky a-go go
early 70s?

one of the players flubbed-up at tune’s beginning – rich stopped the band – pointed his drum stick at the offending musician & said loudly with a snarl; “don’t fuck it up again” – counted things off & resumed . . .

now, buddy was a great drummer AND a wholesale prick!

That is hilarious. Though perhaps not at the time. Certainly, obviously, memorable. And undoubtedly true. I mean, the editorial comment. Not that numerous orchestra members have not had the same thoughts, at one time or other, about their conductors, I am sure!

Rebecca, I think the most important point you made is the way the off-key opening made you nervous for the soloist throughout the performance – or at least, some of it. (I expect you relaxed after a while.) I don’t disagree with Charles that it was best to keep going, though. Stuff happens, I guess, but it’s too bad when it changes they way the audience is listening. Some of the audience, anyway….

That is a tough opening note. Lots of pressure to blast out a low D mixed with nerves can be dangerous. That being said, I also was not at all bothered by David’s entrance. I have heard major players bonk this note and I don’t think David was even close to bonking! Mistakes happen in live performances and I think its best to just keep going unless it becomes impossible to continue. Players perform at such high levels these days that even small mistakes are much more noticeable in an otherwise nearly perfect reading. But I think this is the wonder of live concerts-real human beings playing CONSISTENTLY nearly flawlessly never fails to amaze me.

Hi Heather – I agree that live concerts are wonderful, and I prefer a live performance with mistakes any day over a perfectly rendered recording. There is a synergy in live performance which I love, and a part of that is probably the constant raw possibility of error! But also the wonder of all these people working so dynamically together. Every concert is a small miracle of creative cooperation – I feel so priviledged, these two weeks of Bach Festival, to enjoy an unbroken string of nights of extraordinary music. I’m now fresh off of an evening with Jeffry Kahane. My soul soars with Beethoven and his unstoppable plethora of notes.

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