Wonderful Wednesday- arrival from across the Pond

9:00 a.m. class with Graham Johnson-it was odd to see him after all these years.  The last time I saw him, my life situation was quite different, but we were studying the same music so it was an odd deja vu and yet not. Don't know- it's hard to describe.

Britten was the focus, and Mr. Johnson has a very high expectation of Britten so there were some pointed moments.  He gave a great overview of Britten's style and artistic relationship with Auden.  Mr. Johnson's way of speaking is so descriptive and almost poetic-it is amazing to think that he is just singing extemporaneously.  I don't know anyone else that sounds like he does in this type of situation.  You wish you could write every sentence down, but alas, you can not keep up.

We heard all the songs of "On This Island" which Johnson several times said was better for tenor than soprano, and he actually questioned the strength of the first song in particular--apparently the text is very political, and about a specific British situation.  We also heard some of the folk song arrangements.  A lovely performance of "The Last Rose of Summer" by Laura Choi Stuart.  The class was done at 12:00 spot on.

At 1:00 there were supposed to be simultaneous masterclasses of Katz and Johnson, but the Johnson was canceled.  So, I attended Katz's class on "Dichterliebe." A different set of singers and pianists did the first half of the cycle last week, and we heard #10 to the end.  Katz is in his prime working on Schumann and his work with both singers and pianists was fantastic.  He really focused on the feelings and images of both the poem and the piano part.  For instance, his subtext for the final postlude is "Do I dare to close this scrapbook?  Nope, I can't do it.  I'll try again.  OK, it's closed."  We get over it, but it is still there.  Very moving.

After about a 3 minute break (I seriously don't know how Martin Katz does it), we moved right into a Spanish Song masterclass by Katz.  I did not hear the entire thing, but did really love "Elegia Eterna" by Granados for high soprano and "Llorad, Corazon, que tennis razon" also by Granados, neither of which I knew previously.  Turina's "Cuando tan hermosa os miro," which I have done fairly recently, was programmed and I heard the beginning of it before leaving for our mentor class.  The class was at 3:30 and was called "Composer and Singer." It featured Bolcom/Morris and Musto/Burton.  Burton and Bolcom had the most to say, with Morris coming in third and Musto only speaking when directly asked.  Which I did several times!  We talked a lot of about their musical relationships and the composers both said they don't like to set poetry they don't "feel" or poetry that they don't think they can "Clarify the text" for.  Mostly it was nice to get to know them a bit personally- I really like all four of them.

After class, I took off for a trip to see old Downtown and the old Broadway Theatres.  Less than 10 minutes away from Colburn is an old Los Angeles that doesn't even resemble the parts of it I have seen before.  Grand old buildings with small tchotchke shops, cheap clothing, cell phone, and jewelry stores, and restaurants--Broadway is bustling with people living their lives and seemingly not even looking up and noticing what they live amongst.

These photos just don't capture it, but it'll be in my memory--like a film noire. When I get home I am going to buy a good book of photographs, maybe in black and white, of this fabulous architecture and the stars of yesteryear that used to populate the theatres.

I found a wonderful Mexican-American bakery where you get a big tray and a pair of tongs and pick what you want out of the cases.  All for $6.50!  Num!

Bakery

One of the many things I love about LA- blooming trees and plants everywhere.

Lots of jewelry stores with private security out front, discount clothing stores (I bought a leather belt with South Africa colors on it for $5!), and lots and lots of people.  Much of downtown isn't very busy with pedestrians but here it is vital with all kinds of people.  I wandered around so long (I almost got into one of the grand old theaters until I realized that I would be part of a Christian revival in Spanish if I went in!  Some of the theaters are used as churches now, two are still open for special events, and the others have small stores in them.  Old downtown is ripe for investors and renovation in my opinion.  It is spectacular down there!) that I missed the Grand Central Market-I must go today.  Local produce and ethnic food.  I found a little salon and bought shampoo and conditioner in travel sizes- I didn't bring enough.  Got back in time for a wonderful concert of Bolcom music in the main recital hall here, Zipper Hall.  Nathan Wyatt sang the world premiere of Bolcom's "Gettysburg: July 1, 1863" which was just stunning.

Rachel Schultz and Tomasz Lis gave a searing performance of the cycle "Briefly It Enters, and Briefly Speaks" with texts by Jane Kenyon.  Rachel was absolutely fabulous and the music fantastic.  I spoke with Amy Burton afterwards and she was also struck by it, especially "Otherwise."  Wow.  A complete performance of the "Mini-Cabs" by some of the younger singers (completely charming),  and a wonderful performance of "Let Evening Come" by Laura Strickling, Laura Pearson (viola), and Liza Stepanova.

The entire cast with Bolcom/Morris, and the one guy who sat in the front row and whose head is in every picture I took.  Annoying.

I can't remember what I did after that except revel in the fantastic performances I had just heard.  Seriously, I don't think I've ever heard this many terrific performances in a short period of time.  And I really like looking at the cute guy in the apartment across from my window :)