tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33751512024-03-07T01:38:19.131-05:00Phil's Occasional MusingsThe home of Five Guys Productions, founded 1994.PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.comBlogger1141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-24921330887734259152022-12-18T13:06:00.001-05:002022-12-18T13:06:21.324-05:00Where to find me as of December 2022<p>I had a link to my link tree from my profile on a certain social media site but apparently that’s banned now. </p><p><a href="https://linktr.ee/philcatelinet">https://linktr.ee/philcatelinet</a></p><p><br /></p>PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-34691350883130128112017-02-06T00:31:00.001-05:002017-02-06T00:31:38.451-05:00Super Bowl LI party recipes<div>
For anyone who saw my various posts on my party and wanted to know what I made:</div>
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<a href="https://www.evernote.com/l/ACUmhOYBWQFCt62baV-ZRkuIfTm3p2bckw0" target="_blank">Salsa del Norte</a> (from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Border-Cookbook-Authentic-American-Southwest-ebook/dp/B002POEQNG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486358791&sr=8-1&keywords=the+border+cookbook" target="_blank">The Border Cookbook</a>)</div>
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This salsa is delicious and ridiculously easy to make and I can't believe I don't make it more often. It's smoky from the roasted tomatoes and the chipotle peppers give it a kick.</div>
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Guacamole (4 avocados, 1 red onion, 2 Roma tomatoes, 2 seeded jalapeños, 3 cloves minced garlic, 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, juice of 3 limes, salt to taste)</div>
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I doubled my usual recipe since we had 6 people. We ate all of it.</div>
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<a href="http://sarahsprague.com/2011/11/16/smoky-chipotle-bacon-pimento-cheese-football-foodie-quick-hit/" target="_blank">Chipotle bacon pimento cheese</a> (from Sarah Sprague)</div>
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This pimento cheese is another recipe that I should make more often. It's also simple and delicious and great for a party or a picnic. I'll use the leftovers to make grilled cheese sandwiches.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-barbecue-beef-sandwiches/cbec01a5-9445-4f76-842f-01a5d1b84d28" target="_blank">BBQ Beef sandwiches</a> from a Betty Crocker recipe</div>
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I wanted to do BBQ beef sandwiches. My father found this recipe online and I liked it because it had peach preserves for that Georgia touch. I browned the beef before I braised it, so it would have a little texture. I think mine had a little too much onion, and if I made it again I'd cook it in a Dutch oven in the oven rather than in the crock pot. </div>
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<a href="https://www.evernote.com/l/ACWFInL7Z1tGuJRzNLiNWp_ut2u48qXnDq4" target="_blank">Baja potato salad</a> from The Border Cookbook</div>
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I've had The Border Cookbook for many years and it's always a great source of Southwest Tex-Mex recipes. I wanted to make a potato salad that would complement the sandwiches but with a little kick. The rice vinegar in this potato salad was just what I was looking for. I went for about two tablespoons of mild, minced pickled jalapeños so my version probably had less heat than the authors intended. But the tang of the vinegar worked really well. I'll make this one again. </div>
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<a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/golden-grahams-smores/5a2f5df0-3c93-4bed-9fbe-20c1ebafc8b3" target="_blank">S’mores cookies</a> from Betty Crocker</div>
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This recipe is one difficulty level higher than Rice Krispie squares but no less of a crowd pleaser.</div>
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PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-42112240662581365102017-02-03T17:42:00.000-05:002017-02-03T17:42:12.500-05:00A review of my new MacBook Pro<div>
I saw David Pogue’s <a href="http://pogueman.tumblr.com/post/156721613787/i-paid-3000-for-my-macbook-pro-and-got-emotional" target="_blank">review</a> of his new MacBook Pro and had a couple of thoughts about my own recent purchase. Also, I had at least one person ask me for a review of the Touch Bar after I’d had a chance to use the laptop for a while. So here we go.</div>
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This is my third MacBook Pro. I had a late-2007 15” model and a mid-2012 13”. I loved both of them and I’ve become a big fan of macOS so I had no desire to get a Windows 10 laptop. I was willing to trade off the lack of compatible USB ports and the loss of a MagSafe power adapter in order to have a computer that didn’t show me the macOS “pinwheel” anytime I launched another application or opened a tab in Safari. So I bought a 13” version with the Touch Bar, 8 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of SSD space. Since I use iTunes Match to store all of my music in the cloud, I moved my 140 GB of music to a portable drive at home and just copied my Photos database from my old laptop.</div>
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<b>Things I love:</b></div>
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The TouchID power button that logs you in with a fingerprint is so convenient that I wish I could do it on every computer I use. Also, I don’t have to type my master password in 1Password anymore, so I’m using it more on my laptop now than I used to. It can also be used to pay for purchases with Apple Pay, but I haven’t done that yet on the computer.</div>
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The Touch Bar is still a little gimmicky for me, but I’m starting to appreciate it more and more. I added a Lock button to the standard row of keys (accessible when you tap the < next to the omnipresent brightness, volume, and Siri controls), so I can lock the laptop with two taps. I like the ability to tap and drag to change the volume or the screen brightness. Other things, like having tap access to your Safari browser tabs, are less useful features. You can’t see enough detail on the tabs in the TouchBar to be able to switch between them. I haven’t used the auto-complete feature that much yet. I do like having access to emoji on the Mac now. I’m sure there was a way to type them on my previous laptop but the Touch Bar suggests emoji replacements the same way as on iOS, so it’s much easier now.</div>
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The speakers aren’t quite positioned where the holes in the top case would make you believe they are, but the sound is loud anyway. I almost always listen to music with headphones or external speakers anyway, but the audio is excellent. </div>
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It’s ridiculously light and thin. My previous MBP weighed about 4.5 lbs. This one is supposed to weigh 3.5 lbs but it feels much lighter, and it’s half the thickness of my previous laptop. I hardly notice it’s in my backpack.</div>
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The Retina screen is gorgeous. When I have to connect to my office network and use a Citrix remote session, it’s noticeably less sharp than the native macOS apps. My photos have never looked better.</div>
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I like the larger touch pad and I don’t have the accidental cursor problems Pogue describes, even with “Tap to Click” turned on. I do have some issues with click and drag, so I need to tweak the settings. But the touchpad is fine and I don’t know why anyone would deface their laptop by taping a piece of paper over part of the top case.</div>
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<b>Things I don’t love:</b></div>
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The keyboard is a little too lightweight and click-y for me. I loved the keyboard on the 2007-era MBP, and moving to the “chicklet” keys on the 2012 MBP took a little getting used to. I’m adapting to this keyboard, though. If I can type on an iPhone or iPad, I can get used to typing on this. It is a fast keyboard, and find myself making fewer mistakes with it. This review is the most I’ve typed on this laptop to date, though.</div>
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<b>Things that are fine:</b></div>
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The USB-C ports are great as long as you have compatible cables or adapters. The day I ordered the MacBook I ordered three short USB-A to USB-C cable adapters and two USB-A to USB-C adapter plugs. I also ordered a spare Apple 61W charger and a USB-C to HDMI adapter for my 21” monitor on my desk at home. I had factored the expense of these adapters into my purchase price, and I spent about $130, the bulk of which was the spare AC adapter ($70). Thanks to the flexibility of USB-C, I could have bought an off-brand backup charger for the office, but I didn’t want to take my chances connecting my brand-new laptop to a knock-off charger, even at a lower voltage. But it’s a possibility if you want to do that. </div>
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I don’t miss the SD card slot from my old laptop, as I hardly use my standalone digital camera any more. I might need to get a USB-C to Ethernet adapter at some point, considering that my main job is computer networking. But most of my work is with Wi-Fi, and I can’t remember the last time I had to connect my old laptop to my router at home, let alone a switch at my office.</div>
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I also didn’t buy a USB-C to Lightning cable. I connect my phone to my MacBook about once a year. With iCloud and Apple Music and iTunes Match, I only need to connect my phone if I need to back it up through iTunes or recover from a fatal problem. I can use one of my adapters in that case.</div>
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I haven’t had a chance to test the overall battery life. Most of the time, my laptop is connected to AC power, either at home or at the office. I ran it down to 40% or so the other day over a couple of hours. It charges faster than any Mac I’ve ever owned, so I don’t see how the battery life is going to be an issue for me. I also don’t live off this laptop the way I do my phone, where I obsess over battery life. </div>
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Overall, I’m extremely happy with my new MacBook Pro. It’s lighter and faster than my previous one, with an improved display and a Touch Bar that I think will be a great addition as more third-party applications support it. I’m going on a short trip for work at the end of the month and I look forward to seeing how I get along with it on the road.</div>
PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-85333382301711427352016-06-27T08:30:00.000-04:002016-06-27T08:30:22.624-04:00How I shared photos from my old camera on our vacation<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
On my recent vacation to England and Scotland, I had a photo problem. Yes, I took too many. But also, how would I share online photos that I took with my old point-and-shoot camera? On previous vacations, I took pictures with that camera and shared them when I got home. But it’s 2016 and wi-fi is everywhere, so why wait? I would be able to upload pictures that I took with my iPhone, but I didn’t want to rely on just a phone for pictures of Scotland’s green hills and valleys. I had a few options:</div>
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1) take my laptop and upload photos the old-fashioned way. But I didn’t want to shlep my laptop on this trip just for pictures.</div>
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2) buy a new camera with wi-fi capability. I looked at a couple of cameras on Amazon, but I don’t use a point-and-shoot camera often enough to make a new one worth the expense. </div>
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3) buy a wi-fi-enabled memory card. I thought about this too, but I have four 4 GB memory cards for my camera and I don’t need another one, for a camera I don’t use often.</div>
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What I settled on was option 4: use my wi-fi travel router to copy pictures from my camera’s memory card to my phone and upload them that way. I purchased a <a href="http://www.hootoo.com/hootoo-tripmate-elite-ht-tm04-wireless-portable-router.html" target="_blank">Hootoo Tripmate Elite</a> travel router/backup battery in 2015 for the few times a year that I need a wi-fi extender for bad hotel wi-fi. It can turn a wired network into a wireless one or extend the range of an existing wireless network. It can also provide a private wireless network without Internet access. And it has two USB ports for charging, one of which doubles as a USB storage input. It doesn’t have a SD card reader slot, so I bought a $7 USB SD card reader on Amazon. The router automatically mounts the SD card reader as a storage location on the wireless network. The documentation on Hootoo's website suggests you can use the router to back up photos and videos from your phone to the USB storage, but I did the opposite. I have 128 GB of storage on my phone, so the phone would be my backup "drive."</div>
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At the end of each day of our vacation, I took the memory card out of my camera and inserted it into the card reader, then the card reader into the travel router. I turned on the router and joined my phone to the router’s private network. Then I used Hootoo’s router management app on my iPhone to browse the files on my memory card and copy the pictures to my phone. The app is a little confusing to use: it’s not clear that “Local Device” means your phone when you’re choosing a destination to copy. I get the feeling engineers designed the user interface without user input. But I was able to copy my photos from the camera card to the phone, then reconnect my phone to the hotel or B&B wi-fi so that I could upload them to Facebook and iCloud. This way, I could share my photos while we were traveling and I had the benefit of cloud backup. Even if I’d lost my camera or my phone, I’d have backups of all of my photos. </div>
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One extra benefit of using this method to back up my photos is that with Apple’s confusing iCloud photo backup system, I can never be sure if the photos on my laptop’s Photos application are backed up into the same place as my photos on my phone. But the photos on my phone always wind up in iCloud and in Photos on my Mac and I don’t worry that I’ve lost anything. I should always copy the photos off my camera this way. Or Apple could simplify their photo management options. I won’t hold my breath on that one.</div>
PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-58210704102864306092016-05-23T12:12:00.000-04:002016-05-23T12:12:05.673-04:00Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony with the Columbia (MD) Orchestra <div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">
It's a few days later and I'm still thinking about the Columbia Orchestra performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" on Saturday night. It's my favorite Mahler symphony and one that I don't get to hear in concert that often. It calls for a massive orchestra with offstage musicians and a chorus, and it's tremendously difficult to play and conduct. I know one of the musicians in the orchestra well (my brother) and I’ve met a few others, so I feel a bit of a personal connection to the group. Also, I know the piece inside and out, so I was attuned to every entrance, every phrase and cymbal crash. (I had a good view of the cymbal player.) It felt like a bit of a high-wire act for everyone involved. </div>
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It was a phenomenal performance. Music Director Jason Love conducted without a score, something I dream of (but also have nightmares about). Everyone involved played beautifully. The soloists were fantastic and the chorus sang with emotion. There were a few missed notes and a couple of places where the strings rushed a bit and things threatened to pull apart just a little, but it all held together. The music had drama and excitement and the massive crescendos and climaxes were thrilling. Love's grasp of this music was clear not just from his conducting, which was precise and energetic, but also from his "behind the music" mini-lecture before the performance. He discussed the themes of the piece and illustrated them by having the orchestra play brief excerpts. Even for an experienced Mahlerian like me, it was a valuable refresher and pointed out a few things I hadn’t noticed before.</div>
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From the opening tremolo to the glorious E flat major chords at the end, I was engaged with the music in a way that was totally different from when I've heard this piece performed by professionals like the New York Philharmonic. Maybe it was my relationship to the orchestra, or maybe it was the high-wire feeling, or maybe it was just that I was sitting closer to the orchestra than I’ve ever sat for this piece, but it was a most exciting performance that I won't soon forget. </div>
PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-58802336149009937902015-06-01T10:53:00.001-04:002015-06-01T10:53:51.380-04:00Augustin Hadelich wows audiences, Manfred Honeck shines with the New York Philharmonic
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I should have known it would be a great night with the New York Philharmonic. They usually play well for Manfred Honeck (music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) and it was a stellar program of Johann Strauss, Mozart, and Brahms. The orchestra gave a spirited reading of the overture to Die Fledermaus, full of the melodies and dances that make the opera so popular. Then violinist Augustin Hadelich joined them for Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 and captivated the audience for a half hour. Hadelich's cadenzas were particularly impressive for being his own compositions and yet well suited to the concerto. I have rarely had the pleasure of hearing an artist at the beginning of his career with such control and artistry. I also enjoyed the enthusiasm of the basses and celli in the “Turkish” section of the last movement. The audience applause at the end of the concerto called for an encore. Mr. Hadelich delivered, with Paganini's Caprice No. 5 which he played with what seemed like incredible ease. His fingers flew up and down the fingerboard so fast that I could have sworn I saw wisps of smoke. I am certain that if he wanted to keep playing all night, we'd all still be there listening. </div>
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Brahms' symphony no. 4 was the second half of the concert. Honeck led the orchestra through a dark, energetic and dramatic performance. The strings and winds sang in the second movement, and the third movement was lively and almost raucous. The passacaglia in the fourth movement brought the work to a stormy conclusion and the audience brought Honeck back out for several ovations. It was a truly impressive evening and a great end to my subscription for the season. Next up: Concerts in the Parks!</div>
PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-18583445986898206252015-05-10T21:50:00.003-04:002015-05-10T21:50:55.840-04:00<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I spent my whole weekend playing Carmen with the </span><a href="http://www.nyoperaexchange.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">New York Opera Exchange</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">. We played a show on Friday, two shows on Saturday, and a closing matinee on Sunday. We played in a church social hall with no central air conditioning and a too-cramped pit for the orchestra. It was ridiculously hot and on Saturday my back hurt and on Sunday my fingers were so sweaty it was hard to play. And yet I had the time of my life. I’ve had some amazing musical experiences in New York and this one is high on the list (along with playing Mozart’s The Magic Flute in February 2014). I am incredibly lucky to get to play music like this in this city. There are times when I wonder why I’m doing this, when I’m shlepping my viola through a crowded subway car on my way to another rehearsal. I will think of weekends like this one the next time I think about saying no and sitting at home watching TV.</span>PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-40221319241761454552014-12-19T14:42:00.000-05:002014-12-19T14:42:25.388-05:00A few quick thoughts on The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies<div>
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We need shorthand for this movie. BOFA? Five Armies?</div>
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The Star Wars trailer looks gorgeous in 3D. </div>
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I'm a little sad. That's the last time I'll see a Tolkien book as a movie, unless someone convinces the Tolkien family to sell the rights to The Silmarillion to someone other than Peter Jackson.</div>
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It's nonstop action, except for a few scenes that move the plot along. But what action! I was never bored. It all makes sense, mostly. Most of the fighting is shot close up, so sometimes it’s hard to tell who's an elf, a dwarf, or an orc. That's my only complaint. I was smiling with giddiness, on the edge of my seat (because they keep changing things, I didn't know who might live or die), or near tears for most of the film.</div>
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Once again, the music cues are great. There's a really fantastic cue near the end. And the visual effects have never been better. </div>
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Spoilers follow...</div>
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There's some effort to make more of a story about Thorin's madness but it's not really there. There’s not enough time dedicated to it to make it effective. Lee Pace has more to do as Thranduil here but he's still kind of an asshole. Or maybe I just think Lee Pace is an asshole because I watched a full season of Halt and Catch Fire.</div>
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I could have used more Dain. Billy Connolly was a great choice. More talk about military strategy than I expected. It was fun to see Galadriel and Elrond and even Saruman fighting again. Christopher Lee is in his 90s. I’m sure he didn’t do any stunts, but it was fun just seeing him up there on the screen. And fighting Gandalf! (He's fighting with them, not against them, though that would be cool to watch.) </div>
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I still can't tell who half the dwarves were. Dwalin, Fili, and Kili have the most to do here. And Balin as Bilbo's friend. But the rest are just there. I think I know which one was Ori, and Bombur was the fat one. But the others are just faces. To be fair, I don’t think half the dwarves had lines in the book. </div>
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What was the resolution with Tauriel? She loses Kili. Does she go back to Mirkwood? Is she still captain of the guard? </div>
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Also, I don't know if I like Legolas leaving for the North to look for Aragorn. How does he wind up in Rivendell to represent the woodland elves in the Fellowship? Does his dad send a raven? Does Thranduil have another heir to his throne?</div>
PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-33050992116354842372014-10-27T15:02:00.001-04:002014-10-27T15:19:08.421-04:00Bartok and Bruckner with Bronfman and Gilbert<br />
I love Anton Bruckner's symphonies and I rarely miss a chance to hear them played by the New York Philharmonic. The Philharmonic's stellar brass section is well-suited to Bruckner's sonorous chords and powerful blasts. But Bruckner's music is dense and complicated, with long phrases and meandering melodies. It's sometimes difficult even for an enthusiast like myself to fully enjoy a performance of one of his symphonies without checking my watch or thinking about what kind of gelato I'm going to get after the concert. If the musicians aren't fully involved, or the conductor is hesitant or unsure, the piece can be long and dull and have everyone looking for the exits well before the conclusion. Happily for me and a thrilled audience, Saturday night's concert was none of these things.<br />
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Before the Bruckner, the Philharmonic and soloist Yefim Bronfman gave a light and colorful performance of Bartok's Third Piano Concerto. I'm not that familiar with Bartok's music, but I enjoyed this concerto far more than I expected. Mr. Bronfman played with a sparkling quality that reminded me more of Beethoven than a 20th century work. But this playing fit well with the tone that Maestro Gilbert elicited from the orchestra. They brought Bartok's harmonies and angular melodies together with a fully satisfying result. <br />
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But that was just an appetizer. The performance of Bruckner's 8th Symphony (my favorite) was one of the most exciting and energetic experiences I've had with this music. Maestro Gilbert and the musicians had me hanging on every note. The brass section, augmented with four Wagner tubas, led the way and balanced well with the strings and winds. The first movement was menacing at times, the scherzo bright and almost cheerful. The third movement was an emotional ride from valley to peak and back. And the finale was every bit as terrifying as I wanted it to be. I felt chills when the music built to a crescendo and brass chords and timpani drumrolls filled the hall. I didn't want the piece to come to an end, even as Bruckner moved from darkness to light. This was a performance I don't want to forget.<br />
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P.S.: I had a scoop of pistachio and a scoop of hazelnut gelato at Grom after the concert.<br />
<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-9355523296854122142014-10-02T15:50:00.002-04:002014-10-02T15:53:39.941-04:00Nielsen night at the Philharmonic<div style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">We attended the New York Philharmonic's performance of Carl Nielsen' Symphonies 5 and 6 last night, part of their multi-year Nielsen Project. Previous concerts featured his earlier symphonies and some of his concertos. They opened the concert with Nielsen' Maskarade Overture, which was a five minute overview of everything I love about Nielsen's music. It was frenetic and melodic, with loud boisterous blasts from the brass. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nielsen's Symphony No. 5 reminded me more of his 4th than of his other works. Like the 4th, the 5th had frantic string passages and long brassy melodies. But it also had persistent rattles from the snare drum, threatening to disrupt the proceedings more than once. Music Director Alan Gilbert spoke before the work and said that the music evoked a battle scene. While there was obvious conflict in the score, the musicians performed brilliantly in bringing Nielsen's music to life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nielsen's Symphony No.6 followed after intermission. This piece, in its New York Philharmonic premiere, was one of the more idiosyncratic symphonies I've heard. The opening movement was unmistakably Nielsen, but the composer took a turn into dissonance as the work progressed. The later movements had odd harmonies and twisting melodies from the wind section. The theme and variations in the last movement were the most unusual, as the theme journeyed through the instrument families, even taking a turn in the percussion section. There was a bit of disarray within the first violin section near the end of the piece, perhaps underscoring the Philharmonic's unfamiliarity with this particular work. But it was brief and for all I know part of the piece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The orchestra and Maestro Gilbert enjoyed long ovations after both symphonies. It's clear that audiences love Nielsen's music and this orchestra is well suited to perform it. I've bought two of the planned four recordings in the Philharmonic's Nielsen cycle, and I look forward to picking up the last two when they are released.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, the Philharmonic handed out free "I [love] NIELSEN" buttons, and we were all too happy to wear ours.</span></div>
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PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-59016976405163386882014-07-03T16:03:00.000-04:002014-07-03T16:03:09.573-04:00Philip Smith retires from the New York PhilharmonicI really enjoyed <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/07/philip-smith-master-trumpeter.html" target="_blank">this article in the New Yorker</a> about Philip Smith's career as principal trumpet with the New York Philharmonic. I was at one of last week's concerts for Glenn Dicterow's final appearances with the orchestra, and I realized that I was also hearing Smith for the last time. Smith has been a joy to hear over the years, from Beethoven concertos to Honegger suites to Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 5. It's going to be odd to see and hear someone else playing those parts in the future. <br />
<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-4235420110682370222014-05-17T00:49:00.001-04:002014-05-17T00:49:01.936-04:00A rant about cell phones at the New York PhilharmonicI would love to write about how much we enjoyed the music at Friday night's performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 3 by the New York Philharmonic. We really did enjoy the music! It was sublime. But what almost marred the concert were the multiple cell phone alerts that went off during the symphony, especially in the last movement.<br />
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It had rained off and on all day. Starting at about 9:15 PM, in the middle of the symphony, we heard a faint emergency alarm noise, like the emergency broadcast system alert on TV. It was quiet so it was hard to distinguish it from the music. But when I heard another alarm a few minutes later, it was unmistakably a cell phone alert. These alerts were coming from all over the hall, but they were quiet enough that it didn't seem to reach the stage. We didn't know what was going on, but it was obvious that some people had not turned off or otherwise silenced their phones at the beginning of the concert.<br />
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In the middle of the utterly gorgeous final movement, one of these cell phone alerts went off in the row behind ours. It went quiet a few seconds later, but it was distracting. Then it went off again a few minutes later. This time, it almost caused a fight. I turned to look and the phone's owner was cursing under his breath and trying to shut off his phone. The man next to him said, above a whisper, "You have to leave! Get out! You have to leave!" To his credit, the man with the noisy phone left the hall. But it had already ruined the moment for me. I was distracted the rest of the piece, wondering if the next alert would sound close to the stage and force Mr. Haitink to stop the orchestra. Why is it always Mahler whose music is interrupted with cell phone noises? Thankfully, there were no more alarms and the symphony reached its glorious conclusion without interruption.<br />
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The alert turned out to be a flash flood warning for the metro New York area. With that many alarms going off during one of my favorite pieces, I hoped that it was actually the end of the world. Flooding was a disappointment.<br />
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It's clear that people either do not know how to silence their phones, or they don't care enough about common courtesy to bother to do so. It's infuriating and insulting to the rest of us who want to enjoy the music or movie or whatever we're doing without hearing phone noises. If you don't know how to silence your phone, you should turn it off. If you don't know how to turn off your phone, you shouldn't own one. I have to make an announcement about turning off phones before Saturday evening's New York Repertory Orchestra concert, and I have to restrain myself from turning it into a rant. Maybe if I post the rant here, I'll make a short and sweet announcement on Saturday.<br />
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I don't know what the solution is. Cell phone jammers are illegal. You can't force people to turn them off. All you can do is make these announcements and hope that people get better about following them. But this epidemic of ignorant, self-involved cell phone users at concerts makes me want to reconsider going to New York Philharmonic concerts. I can avoid people talking on their phones during movies by going to sparsely attended showings at out-of-the-way theaters. But I can't avoid idiots at Avery Fisher Hall. Not going to concerts might be my only option. And that's a shame.<br />
<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-39532772974471355702014-02-24T08:30:00.000-05:002014-02-24T08:30:01.963-05:00A review of this weekend's NY Opera Exchange production of The Magic FluteIt was a lifelong dream of mine to play in the orchestra for Mozart's The Magic Flute, and after this weekend I can check that accomplishment off my list. I had a wonderful time playing one of my favorite operas with a talented cast of singers and musicians.<br />
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Here's <a href="http://vocedimeche.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-magic-of-flute.html" target="_blank">a review of the production</a> from Voce di meche, an opera blog about chamber opera companies in New York. I only got to see a few hints of the full production from my seat in the pit, but I think they've captured the spirit of the show. It was such an honor to be involved in the production and I look forward to many more!<br />
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<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-16208767775959555522014-02-03T01:15:00.000-05:002014-02-03T01:15:09.984-05:00Super Bowl party recipe roundupBecause a few of you asked me (or my wife) for recipes from photos I posted:<br />
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<a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/alaska-smoked-salmon-dip-113269" target="_blank">Smoked salmon dip</a><br />
This dip was a big hit. We went through almost all of what we made. We served it with pita chips but it would also work well with a sliced and toasted baguette.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/2014/01/chorizo-dip-queso-fundido.html" target="_blank">Chorizo queso</a><br />
This dip didn't come out quite as well as I'd hoped. The cheese coagulated quickly and turned stringy and watery. It might have worked better if I'd had a smaller cast iron skillet, and if I'd thought to pre-heat the skillet in the broiler or oven. It was still delicious but it was difficult to get it onto a chip.<br />
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<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/beer-braised-short-rib-sandwiches/13870/" target="_blank">Braised brisket sandwiches</a><br />
These turned out to be one of the best sandwiches I've ever made. I used beef stock instead of beer and brisket instead of short ribs. I browned the meat in a Dutch oven, then browned the vegetables and deglazed the oven with the stock and poured it all into my slow cooker. 8 hours later, I strained the vegetables, added the horseradish sauce and reduced the broth, and sliced the meat against the grain. I put everything back (except the vegetables) into the slow cooker and let it warm until halftime. I didn't make the pickled vegetables, so I just served the sandwiches with a slice of cheddar cheese on a toasted baguette.<br />
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<a href="http://sarahsprague.com/2011/01/25/28-days-of-super-bowl-recipes-orzo-pasta-salad-because-you-are-a-good-guest-who-brings-a-dish/" target="_blank">Orzo pasta salad</a><br />
I wanted a starchy side dish for the sandwich but I didn't want to make anything with potatoes. I also wanted to make something from my friend <a href="http://www.sarahsprague.com/" target="_blank">Sarah's</a> massive football recipe collection. I will definitely make this pasta salad again when I need something to bring to a cookout or a party.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2010/09/fat-witch-brownies/" target="_blank">Fat Witch Brownies</a> and <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/03/22/oreo-cheesecake-cookies/" target="_blank">Oreo cheesecake cookies</a><br />
We always challenge ourselves to make dishes for the Super Bowl that are in some way associated with the teams playing in the game or the city hosting the game. To celebrate the Super Bowl in New York and New Jersey, my wife made these brownies from New York's Chelsea Market and these Oreo cheesecake cookies. Both of them were amazing.<br />
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The game was a blowout but it gave all of us at the party a chance to catch up and talk about things other than Manningface. Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks and their fans! Maybe now they'll stop complaining about Super Bowl XL.<br />
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<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-83988091915066993122013-12-12T16:15:00.002-05:002013-12-12T16:15:48.338-05:00A few quick thoughts on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
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I got to see the movie two days early thanks to a vendor that wants my business. Spoilers after the jump.</div>
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It's still a little long. One action sequence with the dwarves near the end went so long that I forgot that Legolas was in the movie, then he reappeared, continuing an earlier fight sequence. But the movie is definitely shorter than the first film, and has an ending that will leave you wanting to see the third movie immediately. I was never bored, which I couldn't say about the first movie (where I checked my watch at least three times).</div>
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There are some new plot points not necessarily directly mentioned in the book. There's a hint of romance between Kili the dwarf and Tauriel the elf (who's completely invented for this movie so who cares). Orc armies massing at Dol Guldur. Laketown politics! Stephen Fry is perfect as the Master of Laketown.</div>
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There's a really long but exciting battle between the dwarves and Smaug in Erebor that I don't remember from the book. We see more of Erebor than we did in the first movie.</div>
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There's so much Legolas. His father Thranduil is barely mentioned in the book, so there's easily 30-45 minutes of Legolas here that was invented just for this film. Benedict Cumberbatch is great as Smaug. And wow that dragon look cool. I know it's all in a computer, but Smaug rampaging through Erebor was fun as hell to watch.</div>
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Peter Jackson has a "blink and you'll miss him" cameo at the beginning of the movie and Stephen Colbert has one in Laketown. Sadly, he was not playing a mime.</div>
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The spiders in Mirkwood are scary as hell. I'm no fan of spiders but I didn't think I was squeamish about them until I was on edge for that whole sequence. Peter Jackson still knows how to make a good horror film.</div>
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It has a tremendous cliffhanger ending. The third movie should open with a hell of a fight scene that ought to take a good 20-30 minutes in Jackson time. Then we'll have an hour of the Erebor siege and more action at Dol Guldur. We'll see Dain and elves from the Iron Hills. And we'll finally get the Battle of the Five Armies which in Jackson's hand will make the Battle of the Pelennor Fields look like a Orc-Elf skirmish outside Angband. You guys know what I'm talking about. And I assume the resolution of the Dol Guldur story will happen at the same time as the Battle of the Five Armies, because that's how these things usually work. I can't wait to see Gandalf, Galadriel, Radagast, and Elrond(?) driving the Necromancer out of Dol Guldur. </div>
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PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-46557222904038607792013-07-15T21:46:00.001-04:002013-07-15T21:46:12.441-04:00The DJ's view of our wedding<a href="http://wp.me/p1GofA-39">http://wp.me/p1GofA-39</a><div><br></div><div>Gary was the DJ for our wedding last Saturday and he did a fantastic job. If you're getting married in the Cleveland area or just need a DJ for a party, Gary is your man.</div>PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-17905793288279551112013-06-30T17:59:00.003-04:002013-06-30T17:59:48.957-04:00"Petrushka" at the New York Philharmonic: Everyone's a dancer!Last night's performance of Igor Stravinsky's "Petrushka," a collaboration between the New York Philharmonic and Giants Are Small Productions, was 35 minutes of sheer joy and exuberance. I haven't been that entertained by the Philharmonic and its musicians in weeks (or at least since our previous concert at the beginning of June). The musicians were fully integrated into the ballet, wearing Russian hats and scarves, stomping their feet, drinking tea from a full Russian tea service, miming shots of vodka, dancing and changing seats during the scene changes. At several points the musicians stood up and moved around as they played the music of the Shrovetide Fair. Violist Rebecca Young showed some heretofore unheralded talents, juggling scarves and dancing in the middle of the stage. Maestro Alan Gilbert led the musicians from the podium, but he also played the role of the Magician, who brings to life the puppet characters of Petrushka, Columbine the ballerina, and The Moor. These characters appeared as puppets on screen and on stage, and as live-action characters played by opera singers Anthony Ross Costanzo and Eric Owens, with Sara Mearns as Columbine. In addition, the master puppeteers and scenic designers of Giants Are Small filled the stage with miniature Ferris wheels, snow sled runs, chuck-a-luck wheels, merry-go-rounds, and other rides found at fairs, all filmed and projected live on the screen overhead. I couldn't stop smiling the entire time. It was one of the most entertaining things I've ever seen at Avery Fisher Hall.<br />
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The first half of the program, Stravinsky's "The Fairy's Kiss," featured lovely music strongly reminiscent of Tchaikovsky. I had to keep reminding myself that this was not music of that Russian master had he lived another 20 years, but Stravinsky's musical tribute to his forebear. The ballet that accompanied it did not follow the original story of the program, so it was more difficult to follow the action. But it looked lovely, and Giants Are Small provided more miniatures and camera work to add to the story's illustration. The two works had as a connection a brief post-intermission piano interlude by Louis Durey called "Neige" that showed Mearns' transformation from the ballerina of the first half into Columbine for "Petrushka." I'm not sure it was completely necessary, but the music was a refreshing palate cleanser leading into the magnificence that was "Petrushka."<br />
<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-10543891525158574052013-06-02T01:37:00.000-04:002013-06-02T01:37:03.971-04:00Jazz night at the New York PhilharmonicThree years ago, the New York Philharmonic premiered Wynton Marsalis's <i>Swing Symphony</i> on opening night and I wrote about it in my <a href="http://www.fiveguysproductions.com/2010/09/new-york-philharmonic-opening-night.html" target="_blank">review</a> of that concert. My memory must be going in my old age, because I remembered little about watching that concert on TV other than thinking the piece was good but nothing remarkable. When I saw tonight's concert on my schedule, featuring a variety of jazz and jazz-like pieces by Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Copland along with Marsalis's work, I thought that it would be great to see Mark Nuccio (acting principal clarinet) play the Copland Clarinet Concerto and that the Marsalis piece would be interesting to hear live. But that was it. I wasn't prepared for just how much I'd enjoy actually hearing the work in person.<br />
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The concert opened with Igor Stravinsky's <i>Ragtime</i> for 11 instruments, which sounded like a Scott Joplin piece as translated by a Russian living in Paris writing avant-garde music at the end of the First World War. I liked the odd twangy sound of the cimbalom, not a typical orchestral instrument but one that fit right in with Stravinsky's unique sound. Next came Dmitri Shostakovich's <i>Tahiti Trot</i>, a piece that we would better know as "Tea For Two." There were some giggles from the audience as the familiar melody passed from one group of instruments to the other, from harp and celeste to winds to brass to strings and finally to the whole orchestra in unison. Assistant Conductor Case Scaglione was right at home running the orchestra through these two vastly different yet similarly jazzy works.<br />
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Mark Nuccio took the stage for Aaron Copland's Concerto for Clarinet and Strings, composed in 1950 for Benny Goodman. His playing was sublime, tender and fluid in the first movement and fast and furious in the frenetic second movement. Alan Gilbert did a fine job of managing the orchestra in the first movement though I wished the strings could have been softer in the second movement so that the rapid-fire notes of the clarinet would have come through more clearly. <br />
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Wynton Marsalis's Swing Symphony was the featured work on the second half of the program. It took a few extra minutes to get the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra all set up. They occupied the middle of the stage, with saxophones, trombones and trumpets, plus upright bass, piano and drums, with the rest of the orchestra surrounding them. There was a larger than usual battery of percussion at the back of the stage, and throughout the piece the Philharmonic percussion section made full use of it. Marsalis balanced the jazz orchestra's involvement with the rest of the orchestra. There were sections that only involved the jazz musicians taking solos, and in other places they sat while the Philharmonic played. But most of the work had both groups playing together, bouncing melodies off each other and sharing lines. Oboes picked up a fugal subject that the solo clarinetist in the band introduced. Concertmaster Glen Dicterow took a solo turn, as did principal cellist Carter Brey. And each member of the jazz orchestra got a chance to show their talents, including Mr. Marsalis, which had me sitting in my seat thinking "that's Wynton freaking Marsalis playing in the same room as me!!" Yes, I was more than a little excited by this piece. My favorite parts were the Philharmonic percussionists in their white ties and tails, playing bongos, Cuban rhythms on drums, or just clapping rhythmically in places. You don't know what you're missing until you've seen the Philharmonic timpanist put down his mallets and clap along with the other members of the percussion section. I think the <i>Swing Symphony</i> works much better as a live concert piece than as a recording or on video, but I would love to hear the piece again, even recorded, just to hear what I might have missed.<br />
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The seven movements of the work (expanded from the five performed on opening night in 2010 to include more recent jazz elements) took the listener through the entire history of jazz, from ragtime and New Orleans to the big band sound of the '40s to bebop and Coltrane and modern jazz. And the conceit worked extremely well. I could imagine that I was in a New Orleans bar, then a jazz club in the Village, then (of all things) a big band concert back home in Johnstown, PA. The audience applauded at the end of each movement, and it didn't seem at all unusual for a concert like that. The spirit of jazz seemed to have taken hold of everyone in the room. I listened to most of the piece with a huge smile on my face, enjoying every minute. Mr. Gilbert appeared to be enjoying himself as well, smiling when he made a cue or started another section with a new jaunty tempo. The members of the jazz orchestra, dressed in suits and long ties as opposed to the Philharmonic in their tuxedoes, had their own ways of communicating with each other. They whispered to each other during the piece and Mr. Marsalis occasionally leaned over to groove along with his drummer. At the end of the piece both Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Marsalis received long, loud ovations from the audience, as did the jazz orchestra. The jazz group favored us with an encore, which started with a solo from Mr. Marsalis followed by each member of the group. When the bass player finished his solo he gestured toward the Philharmonic's bass section. We couldn't tell what was going on at first, but then one of the Philharmonic's bassists did his own pizzicato solo. This led to a few minutes of dueling bass solos between the jazz orchestra's bassist and the Philharmonic's bassist. I haven't seen anything like that since the last time I was in New Orleans, and that's not even close to the same thing.<br />
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It was quite possibly the most fun I've had at the New York Philharmonic in years, and I always enjoy the concertgoing experience there. I haven't seen an audience reaction to a piece like that in a long time. It's so exciting to see that. We're going back at the end of the month for two Stravinsky ballets (with the help of the geniuses at Giants Are Small) and we can't wait to see what the Philharmonic has in store then.PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-84775884238392934552013-05-09T10:55:00.004-04:002013-05-09T10:55:58.236-04:00Jeanne Cooper passes awayI was saddened this morning to hear of the passing of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/arts/television/jeanne-cooper-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless-dies-at-84.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">Jeanne Cooper</a>, star of "The Young And The Restless" on CBS. My mother has watched the show since it started in 1973, and Ms. Cooper had starred as Katherine Chancellor almost since the beginning. I grew up watching the show with my mother, at first during the summer when I was home from school, then sometimes at night when we would record that day's show and watch it on the VCR. About a decade later, my then-wife (who is also a longtime fan) would watch the show on VHS or on our DVR. So I spent at least 20 years off and on watching Ms. Cooper on the show. My mother said she feels like she's lost a member of our family, and I feel the same way.PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-13853967344888405212013-01-14T17:41:00.002-05:002013-01-14T17:41:44.467-05:00A few quick thoughts on Friday night's New York Philharmonic concertOn Friday night, we attended the New York Philharmonic's performance of Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 and Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 6. Pinchas Zukerman was the soloist, with Christoph Eschenbach, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, conducting.<div>
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Bruch's concerto has long been one of my favorite works, but I don't think I'd heard it performed live until Friday evening. Zukerman was of course outstanding and Eschenbach kept the orchestra out of his way. Some of the tempi were a little slower than I like but that relaxed pace helped in the romantic second movement. Zukerman received a long ovation after the energetic finale. I've seen him perform once or twice before with the Philharmonic and I think I enjoyed this appearance more than the others. I'd heard him play some of Bach's "Brandenburg" concertos a few years ago but I think his tone is better suited to Bruch's work than Bach's.</div>
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After the intermission, Eschenbach led the orchestra through a powerful reading of Bruckner's Sixth Symphony. The horns in particular stood out, as their fanfares were wholly distinguishable from those of the trumpets and trombones. I enjoyed Principal Oboe Liang Wang's work in the Adagio movement, and the strings and winds were crisp and forceful in the scherzo. Eschenbach led with a moderate amount of movement on the podium, using his upper body and keeping his feet mostly in place on the podium. I left Avery Fisher Hall humming some of the brass fanfares from the piece, and they stuck with me over the weekend.</div>
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PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-90916969351599278012012-12-21T16:05:00.001-05:002012-12-21T16:05:32.115-05:00From last week: quick thoughts on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?-->
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I loved revisiting this universe. From the opening showing the dwarves at the height of their power, to hints of Smaug, to Hobbiton, Gandalf, Frodo(!), and the elves, it was great to be back. I especially enjoyed all the musical cues. All the themes Howard Shore used in the Lord of the Rings saga came back here, along with new music for the dwarves at Erebor and The Company. I grinned with sheer joy whenever I heard a musical cue for the elves, the eagles or the Hobbits theme.</div>
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I knew it was going to be a long movie with far more material than we needed, like Radagast, the backstory with Azog the Pale Orc, hints about the Necromancer, and so on. I don't care. I didn't mind that extra footage at all, and in fact actually enjoyed it. The 3D was better than I expected, but it didn't add that much to the movie. I started to get a headache near the end, but I may have been sitting too close (2nd row from the center aisle). I'll sit further back the next time I see it. Also, I saw it in regular 24FPS 3D, not the 48FPS version that some have said looks too real. What I saw looked good enough to me. I'd be fine with a 2D version, in fact.</div>
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Peter Jackson made these movies for LOTR fans, and as a huge LOTR fan I have a well-established bias. If you loved the first trilogy then I think you're going to enjoy this movie. If you didn't see the original trilogy or were bored, The Hobbit isn't going to change your opinion. </div>
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PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-34638259489834832722012-10-23T18:22:00.000-04:002012-10-23T18:22:52.867-04:00Rush might have sounded great, but I couldn't tell<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcatelinp%2Fsets%2F72157631835469701%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fcatelinp%2Fsets%2F72157631835469701%2F&set_id=72157631835469701&jump_to="></param>
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The Barclays Center in Brooklyn had a long and twisting path from dream to reality. It took years just to sort through the lawsuits designed to stall or prevent its construction, then once construction began, those of us who live in Park Slope and Fort Greene endured traffic jams, noise, and dust. Finally, late last month, this new arena opened just blocks from my apartment. Monday night's Rush concert was my first opportunity to see the arena and hear a band I've enjoyed for years (and seen live once before, in 1994).<br />
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I liked the massive entranceway, with its high ceiling and what should be a gorgeous view of the basketball court as you walk in. The wide concourses looked inviting and the Brooklyn food vendors beckoned with local options like burgers and Fatty Cue barbeque. As we took the escalator to the upper level, I gawked at the club level's carpeted lounge. As we found our seats, while I didn't like the narrow aisles and gaps between rows, I loved the sight lines. The steeply raked upper deck meant that we had an excellent view of the stage below and to the left of us, with no heads in front of us blocking our view. I can only imagine how good the view would be for basketball or, dare I say it, hockey. And I really enjoyed the convenience of walking to and from the venue, a first for me.<br />
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Unfortunately, the sound in the upper level was absolutely awful. The bass thrummed throughout the arena, but the notes themselves were so muffled and lost within the space that I sometimes couldn't tell what Geddy Lee was playing. Alex Lifeson's guitar didn't fare much better. Neal Peart's drums sounded great during his solos, except when the bass thrumming shook the entire building and covered him up. The worst part were Geddy Lee's vocals. I'm not kidding when I say that I could barely understand a word he sang or spoke. Most of the set list consisted of newer material that I didn't know, and since I couldn't really hear any of it, I found myself checking Twitter and catching up on the presidential debate. The free wi-fi worked much better than the sound, by the way. Even when the band played songs I know by heart, like "The Spirit of Radio" or "Subdivisions," I couldn't pretend to sing along because I couldn't follow the vocals.<br />
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I've never been more disappointed in an arena show. Rush is an amazingly talented band that's been playing for 40 years, and their songs got completely lost in the Barclays Center. I don't know if it was a failure of the band's sound technicians or the arena's acoustics, but something was terribly off. I'm going to wait a while before I go to another concert at this arena.<br />
<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-42724401875277458302012-10-07T10:57:00.001-04:002012-10-07T10:57:35.414-04:00Bach, Schoenberg, and Mozart: 3 German-speaking guys walk into a concert hall...I hadn't heard any of the works on Saturday night's New York Philharmonic program live in concert before. Of the three, I was most familiar with Bach's Piano Concerto in D minor, which soloist Emanuel Ax played to perfection. I enjoyed the balance between the piano and the strings, which brought out harmonies from the second violins and the violas. Ax had not played this concerto before, an amazing fact when you consider the scope of his career. <div>
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Prior to performing Arnold Schoenberg's Piano Concerto, Ax and music director Alan Gilbert spoke to the audience about the work and twelve-tone compositions in general. Gilbert said that 12-tone music didn't need to be frightening. He said that while some composers had taken the concept and applied it to their works with mediocre results, it was possible to find beauty in this type of music. Ax and Gilbert then highlighted some of the key melodies in the concerto, as guideposts for the audience. I've seen Gilbert do this sort of talk before pieces in the past. I think it does help an audience that's likely to be unfamiliar with a work and perhaps apprehensive about it. I was able to follow the structure of the piece and identify the elements that Ax and Gilbert had noted. But I had a difficult time "getting into" the work. Without a tonal melodic frame of reference, I didn't have anything to latch onto and follow on a deeper musical level. Near the end of the piece, my mind wandered and after a few minutes I realized I hadn't been paying attention to the music at all. I don't want to dismiss atonal or 12-tone music completely, but it's just not for me.</div>
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After intermission, the Philharmonic closed the program with Mozart's Symphony No. 36, "Linz." I adore Mozart's music, so one of his greatest symphonies was just the palate cleanser I needed. The orchestra and Gilbert turned in a sparkling performance. I wouldn't say they found something new in their interpretation of the music, but I'm OK with that. Listening to the New York Philharmonic play Mozart in concert is like listening to Bob Dylan sing "Like A Rolling Stone," or Pavarotti sing "Nessun dorma." It's the greatest orchestra in the country playing music they know inside and out, with a skilled music director on the podium. I think you take that performance every chance you get.</div>
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PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-9523125785051714552012-09-19T01:19:00.001-04:002012-09-19T01:19:31.157-04:00All-streaming music, all the time? Not for me, yet.Lifehacker's Whitson Gordon wonders whether we as music consumers are ready to give up our personal music collections and move to <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5944216/why-spotify-and-rdio-arent-ready-to-replace-your-music-library" target="_blank">streaming services full-time</a>. He discusses the pros and cons of Spotify and Rdio vs. iTunes or a MP3 collection on a mobile device. His conclusion is that the streaming services aren't quite there yet. Between missing artists and awkward handling of local tracks that they don't own, getting everything you might want from a streaming service isn't possible yet.<br />
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I don't have an opinion about any of the streaming services. I still have two CD racks in my apartment that I haven't decided what to do with yet. I haven't taken any of them off the shelf in at least a couple of years. Some of them haven't moved off the shelf since I moved into this apartment four years ago. And while I haven't taken an official inventory, it's possible that I have twice as much music on my computer as I have on those shelves. But I hang onto these CDs, especially the rock CDs, as if they're some sort of lifeline. I have this irrational fear that if I sell the CDs and keep the music on my computer, that someday the RIAA will track me down and make me pay exorbitant rights fees for my own music. (I wouldn't get rid of the classical CDs, in some cases because of the excellent liner notes, and in others because they're rare or more meaningful to me.) If I'm not ready to part with my actual CDs, the physical representation of the sound, I'm definitely not ready to erase the 100+ GB of music files on my hard drive and rely on the Internet to provide my entertainment.<br />
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Let's try this again in five years. Maybe by then the various services will sort out this mess and ubiquitous Internet connections will make my computer's hard drive obsolete.PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375151.post-53216567188269572352012-08-24T15:43:00.003-04:002012-08-24T15:43:49.041-04:00About this Lance Armstrong news...Ryan Hudson at SBNation has <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cycling/2012/8/24/3265776/lance-armstrong-usada-doping-doesnt-matter" target="_blank">some thoughtful commentary</a> on Lance Armstrong's decision not to continue fighting the USADA's doping charges against him. Go read his piece, then come back. Or don't; I won't be upset.<br />
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I'd long held the opinion that Armstrong was clean, largely because no one was able to pin a beyond-a-shadow-of-doubt positive drug test result on him. I saw the continued efforts by French news organizations and anti-doping agencies as witch hunts, or people with axes to grind. But as more positive tests took down other riders (Floyd Landis, Tyler Hamilton, Alberto Contador) and the drumbeat against Armstrong continued, I stopped thinking about Armstrong's claims of innocence. If he was guilty, they'd eventually find something, even if the statute of limitations had expired or the positive tests came decades after his Tour victories. Well, here we are. By essentially pleading "no contest" Armstrong will lose his Tour wins (despite tenuous USADA authority to remove them) and be banned from a sport from which he retired years ago. It doesn't matter. At this point I assume everyone in cycling is on something. I assume it about all sports, actually. Humans are not meant to ride 100 miles a day for three weeks. What difference does it make if they're riding while on EPO or extra-oxygenated blood or horse testosterone? How is that any different from having a faster bike or a better organized team?<br />
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I give up. Everyone is on something. Every athlete wants a competitive advantage, and if it's not available legally then they'll get it illegally. And what's stopping them? Everyone else is doing it.<br />
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I'll tell you who's riding clean: I am. I ride my bike three or four times a week on water and Clif bars. I used to idolize Lance Armstrong and imagine him riding up the hill in front of me, "dancing in his pedals" as one of the Tour commentators once said of him. But that was years ago. Now, I don't need his inspiration. He doesn't need to be my hero. And he shouldn't be yours either. None of our star athletes should be.<br />
<br />PhilCatelinethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961683190124476565noreply@blogger.com1