March 9, 2008

It’s this week in classical music, an update on what’s happening in the classical music world.  I’m Randy Kinkel.

The Leader of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for nearly a decade, Craig Jessop, has decided to resign.  Jessop had been involved with the Choir since 1995, when he became associate director, and became Music Director in 1999.  In a statement, Jessop said, “I intend to keep active in the musical world including teaching - the career that . . . originally began my musical journey. RaNae and I and our family are looking forward to spending more time together with our children and grandsons." Present associate Music Director Mack Wilberg will step in as interim Director until a new permanent Music Director can be named.

Is it possible to play the cello a new way?  Two cellists say yes, they have come up with different ways of playing their instrument that utilize more than just the two strings that today’s (and yesterday’s ) cellists were able to use.  German Composer and Cellist Michael Bach has developed a curved Cello bow with loosely drawn hairs that can be drawn across all four strings at once, creating a much richer sound; the bow also has a hinge that allows the player to tighten the tension of the bow by hand.. American Cellist and composer Frances-Marie Uitti, now living in Amsterdam, take a different path to the same destination by playing with two bows at once—one in the normal position on top of the strings, and the other between the strings and body of the cello, so that the number of string combinations increases instantly.   Both Cellists were in San Francisco over the weekend for the “Other Minds” contemporary Music festival.

The Chicago Opera is taking a different route in deciding programming for the 2010 season—its asking patrons and the general public to decide—at a dollar a vote—which of three operas  they would prefer among Britten’s “Paul Bunyan”, Rossini’s “Moses in Egypt”, and Mozart’s “La Finta Giardiniera”.  It’s a chance for the audience to get involved in programming and also serves as a fundraiser for the Company, Chicago Opera Theater would be proud to present any of these masterworks in a given season," general director Brian Dickie said of the three "candidates" in a press release. "To pass the choice along to the opera fans and fanatics to see what comes out on top will be very exciting, as well as give much needed support to Chicago Opera Theater."

For more on these and other items and events, go to the website at kbaq.org, be listening every week at this time for another update, and join me each weekday at noon for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries.  I’m Randy Kinkel, for KBAQ’s This week in Classical Music, on listener supported 89-5 KBAQ Phoenix, a service of Rio Salado College and Arizona State University.