Category: Music

Music Events that Tingle, Caress and Thrill – 1962 to 1965 Pittsburgh

JoAnne Tucker / / Music, Personal Life

In last month’s blog I mentioned how the outstanding concert of the Alma Duo reminded me of the musical events that I attended over 60 years ago.  My husband Murray (who passed away in October of 2020) and I regularly attended the Pittsburgh Symphony and chamber music concerts when we dated and in the first few years of our marriage.

In September 1962, I had finished two years at Juilliard and returned home to begin work in the fall on my undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh.  Murray was starting his graduate studies in economics at the University of Pittsburgh. Our dating consisted of attending sports and music events.    Murray’s father, Joe Tucker, was “the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers” and worked at WWSW, a local radio station.  He received passes to the Pittsburgh Symphony and the YM&YWHA Chamber Music Series, but he rarely went, and so he gave the passes to us.  We loved going.

Our seats were usually in the first row of the Syria Mosque Auditorium.  While this seating may not have been the best for acoustics, it did give us an opportunity to witness the passion and intensity of the musicians, particularly the guest artists.

Syria Mosque was a 3,700 seat performance venue located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Constructed in 1911 and dedicated on October 26, 1916, the building was originally built as a “mystical” shrine for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (the Shriners)…. It was recognized as one of the best examples of Exotic Revival architecture. …. It held numerous events over the years, mainly highlighted by concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria_Mosque

William Steinberg was the conductor of the symphony during the time we attended.  I knew he was very much respected by the members of the orchestra and was considered a top conductor. I had no idea of the extent of his reputation or how outstanding he really was.  In reading about him I learned that he felt a deep connection to the members of the Pittsburgh Symphony.  On his death in 1978 his stepson remembered him:

He moved to Pittsburgh in 1952. His career reached its zenith there. He built the Orchestra into an instrument totally sensitive to his will, his touch. He loved them like his children and criticized them as such. For twenty-five years he made beautiful music with that orchestra. Even when their sound was not as good as that of greater ensembles, they played for him beyond their capacities. He was desolate when he retired, he did not want to let go. https://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/pso_home/web/about-landing/history/history-of-the-pittsburgh-symphony-orchestra

In doing more research I learned that Steinberg was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1899. He showed musical talent at a very young age. He had excellent training and a blossoming career in Europe until 1933 when Nazi brownshirts interrupted a rehearsal and lifted the baton out of his hand while he was rehearsing an opera.  The only place he could conduct was for the Jewish Culture League in Frankfurt and Berlin.  In 1936 he and his wife left Germany for Palestine.  Eventually he migrated to the U.S., where his longest standing position was in Pittsburgh.  Reviews of his concerts show that he turned the Pittsburgh Symphony into one of America’s first-rank ensembles.

I have a clear memory of how he calmly conducted the orchestra.  He was known for having rehearsed the musicians well – hence his quiet conducting style, just to remind the musicians of the dynamics he wanted.

Two of the amazing guest artists whose performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony were musical highlights in my life were violinist Yehudi Menuhin and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

Murray and JoAnne (1963 – dressed to go out, to a concert ??)

There were other very memorable musical events in Pittsburgh besides the evenings attending the Symphony.  The one that stands out most in my mind was when Pablo Casals conducted musicians in two concerts which featured the full six Brandenburg Concertos.  Pablo Casals, in 1965 at the age of 88, spent two weeks in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) where he worked with musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony, and faculty and students from the university’s music department, in all six Brandenburg Concertos.

I found a reference to a firsthand account online:

“Casals’ direction must be seen as well as heard,” the story said. “He was supposed to conduct from a seated position but the excitement of a phrase, the upsurge of a crescendo or the neat realization of a cadence brought him to his feet time and again.”

“He sings a bit here and there, and he is not above stamping his foot to bring an errant musician into the strict tempi he employs,” Mr. Steinfirst wrote. https://www.post-gazette.com/local/pittsburgh-history/2015/04/26/eyewitness-1965-cliburn-casals-credited-with-fine-week-for-culture/stories/201504260062

I remember thinking these were concerts that not only touched me musically but felt like a total theatre experience.  Reading the firsthand account confirms why I felt that way.

I was first introduced to one of the Brandenburg Concertos while a student at Juilliard. It was the music that accompanied a piece by Doris Humphrey and Ruth Currier.  Brandenburg No.4  was performed at Juilliard during the time I was there.  I liked the piece very much, particularly how the movement fit Bach’s music.  Doris Humphrey died while choreographing the piece in 1958.  Ruth Currier finished the piece in 1959 and set it on selected students from Juilliard around 1961 or ’62.  There is an excerpt on YouTube with students from the University of Utah performing the piece in 1991, set from a Labanotation score.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfiw8YK4H8

Screen shot from the 1991 Brandenberg No. 4 – University of Utah

I am not a big fan of listening to recorded classical music.  I like to attend live concerts, and I like to sit up close, where I can see the musicians.  It is the passion of the musicians as they play that inspires me and takes me to a magical place as I feel my breathing change, heart rate responding and limbs tingling.  Indeed, the concerts in Pittsburgh were special shared time with Murray, and now I feel so lucky to have moments like that again in Costa Rica with Alma Duo. (Check out the last month’s blog if you haven’t already read it.)

 

Casa Uno – Labyrinth Number 26 – Camino del Artista (Part 4)

JoAnne Tucker / / Costa Rica, Music

The Labyrinth was completed on a Saturday afternoon and of course I was excited to take my first walk that very afternoon.  As I walked it this first time, I saw the garden and the surrounding property in a new way.  For the next few mornings, I followed a pattern of walking the labyrinth first thing in the morning.  Again, I was surprised at how I saw things differently.  A new flower that had opened or a bird sitting on a nearby tree stump delighted me.  When our garden crew came on Monday, the “head” of the team walked it himself and shared that it wasn’t so easy.  Yes, it was filled with turns and curves.  I found it challenging and helpful in working on my balance.

A flower that just opened and only lasts for a day. Picture taken on one of my morning walks!

My thoughts soon turned to what kind of ceremony to have to honor the designer, Ronald Esquivel, and Jan Hurwitch, who had selected crystals to be buried in the labyrinth.  My good friend and very talented musician Newman Taylor Baker was coming with his daughter to spend some time, and I thought, “How perfect.  Let’s do the ceremony when he is here and maybe he will be willing to play his washboard.”  While Newman has toured around the world as a jazz percussionist, he now has been working on solo programs and small ensembles with the washboard.  He mentioned he would be bringing it.

A date was set, and then it was frustrating that I wanted to invite lots of people but knew with COVID and the limited parking at the house it was important to keep it to a very small number.  In the end we did two celebrations, one that was in English and included eight of my ex-pat friends in the community… that ended up being fourteen people in all when you counted Ronald, Jan, myself, Newman and his daughter, and Manrique the house manager.  The second one was for Manrique’s family who speaks very limited English.

When Ronald and Jan arrived, we discussed how to proceed.  I thought that Newman would play while we walked the labyrinth for the first time, but Ronald said no, we should just focus on walking first and then later Newman could play.  Our focus would not be divided, and Newman would have the option of walking with us!  Before we walked, Jan led us in a beautiful ceremony of planting each of the crystals.  As you remember from an earlier blog, she had selected five different crystals.

I must admit that I was a bit nervous about this part.  While I liked the idea of planting the crystals, I didn’t want this part to get too touchy-feely. Jan led it perfectly. She guided us starting with the black onyx which was planted at the point where we “show up.”  We haven’t entered the actual labyrinth yet, and the onyx is symbolic of releasing negative energy.  Its purpose is both to help the walker let go of any negative energy, and to protect the labyrinth from negative energy.  When Jan asked for a volunteer to plant it, Katy quickly responded, and we handed her the large spoon to use. The black onyx was planted with the purpose of repelling negativity.

Newman volunteered to plant the next crystal, the aquamarine, which represents courage.  It was planted at the most private place, giving an individual the opportunity to go inward and think about what they might want to create or to just be still for a few minutes with their personal thoughts!  The next crystal was planted at the opposite end.  It’s a point where one can look outward beyond the property. The orange agate was planted here by Raquel for the purpose of reducing stress!

Next the whole group moved to the entrance of the labyrinth.  Paul planted  the crystal quartz, which promotes healing and spirituality.  We didn’t follow the actual path at this point but rather just went to the places where the crystals would be planted.

Jan asked me to plant the last agate, the rose quartz, in the center of the labyrinth to represent love and compassion.  She reminded us that love and compassion must always start with oneself!

JoAnne finishing planting the rose quartz. After each crystal was planted, the person who planted it blessed the ground. Other individuals joined in by placing their hands on the person’s back to be part of the blessing. Photo by Stefani Baker

Now that all the crystals were planted, we regathered at the “showing up” place.  A few people had taken off their shoes to walk barefoot which is the most beneficial way.  Some places were ready for us to walk barefoot with lush grass. Others lacked grass and had stones, so I did mention that and some of us kept our shoes on.

Ronald led us and we followed the path into the center. Ronald gave us the option of following the path back out, which is the traditional way and how I do it as much as possible.  A few took that option.

Ronald guiding us as we walked the labyrinth as a group for the first time. Photo by Stefani Baker.
We made a circle in the center when we completed the walk in. Photo by Stefani Baker.

We celebrated with some refreshments and then enjoyed a wonderful intimate concert with Newman playing the washboard.  Everyone was totally mesmerized by his playing and the variety of sound that he could made from just one instrument.

Newman playing. Photo by Stefani Baker
Link to a short excerpt from Newman’s playing. https://vimeo.com/712620130

Our smaller celebration with Manrique’s family challenged Newman’s daughter Stefani and I to describe the labyrinth in Spanish.  We both worked with our teacher Raquel to be able to do this.  It was another wonderful experience that ended with each of the four women spending a minute or two playing the washboard.

I am amazed at how each day my walk on Camino del Artista is different.  Sometimes I am filled with a new idea and at other times I am seeing new things in the garden or far off landscape.  If I am off balance I know it and as I slowly follow the path, I regain my balance.    A deep bow of  gratitude to Ronald Esquivel for creating this special labyrinth and to Jan for selecting the crystals.  I look forward to sharing it with others.

Thank you, Stefani, for documenting the event, and I had to close with this fun selfie you took with your “Daddy” in the background!

[print_link]

Finding just the right music for a film

JoAnne Tucker / / Film, Music

We’ve got the right script for a film and it has been edited.  Now we need to add some music.  Solving the problem of just the right accompaniment has been nearly a sixty-year challenge for me.  I can remember spending hours in the Juilliard library listening to music to find the right piece for a work I was creating for Louie Horst’s choreography class on Group Forms. More recently I have been challenged to find music to go with the films that Healing Voices – Personal Stories has made, related to domestic violence.  Often, the music has been the final step in the filmmaking process, and that was the case with our most recent film, One in 7, which we completed in December 2021.

The earlier films for Healing Voices were focused on women, but this new one was focused on the fact the one in seven men also are victims of domestic violence.  As I watched the early drafts of the film I thought that it might be a good idea to ask my friend and colleague Newman Taylor Baker to create some music for the film using the washboard.  Newman is a percussionist whom I have worked with since 1990, when I directed The Avodah Dance Ensemble.  He provided the accompaniment or an original score for a number of the dance pieces in the company.  I thought this might be a project for him and discussed it with my co-director and co-producers.  They all liked the idea, and my co-director David Lindblom had a good suggestion that Newman also film his hands while he was playing.

Newman was enthusiastic.  We sent him a draft of the film so he could get an idea of what we might use in the opening and then in the credits at the end.  That was where we thought we needed music.  When Newman got the short film of 7:14 minutes he decided to improvise and create a score for the whole film.  He was about to go on a trip to Poland and thought he knew some people in Poland who could film him playing in a studio there.  David and I said sure.  We imagined that we could find sections to use for our original idea, and we were curious what Newman’s music would sound like for the full film.

Then we got his score, and what an amazing surprise it was that we liked the music throughout the film.  It gave a rhythm and intensity that fit perfectly and in fact greatly enhanced the impact of the film.  It was a challenge for David who was doing the film’s editing to sync everything correctly, and I am so grateful that he took his time and worked on it until he felt it was just right.  It was important to balance the level of the washboard with the voices of the speakers in the film too. David also used visuals of Newman playing in different places, and the image of Newman’s fingers inside bullet cases playing on the washboard added another dimension to a story focused on the three men describing violence they had experienced.

The whole experience reminded me again of the importance of how the arts complement each other.  Filmmaking — like theatre, opera and dance — is bringing together more than one art form.  Yes… it may be driven by a script, or choreography, but it is the blending of other art forms with the primary one that makes the work complete, taking the viewer on a total journey.  Newman’s creativity and fascination in experimenting with accompanying the film from beginning to end made a huge difference.  David’s vision of not just hearing Newman but making sure we had a visual of him playing was essential for the final result.

I come away from this project celebrating collaboration and keenly aware of how the right musical accompaniment can drive a work whether it be in dance or in film. A special thank you to Newman Taylor Baker, David Lindblom, The Family Place in Dallas, TX, and the three men who bravely shared some of their story with us.  Here is a link to watch the film.

A screen shot from the film of Newman’s hands playing the washboard!

[print_link]