Ojai Music Festival
Posted by: Wolf on 14 June 2006
Well, another Ojai (Oh-hi, Chumash indian work meaning birds nest) happened last weekend here in CA, in small mountain town north of LA. Weather thankfully was cool and gray from a marine layer. All concerts are outdoors in a small amphetheater under old oaks and Sycamore trees with birds chirping, traffic noise and planes occasionally overhead.
Friday Night
Eighth Blackbird ensemble played a strange arrangement by Rzewski, A few lines from a dead prizoner fromt eh Attica riot many years ago, it was repeated over and over with varying emotion and intensity. Interesting but not my Favorite by far. Then second half Golijov's 1 act opera Ainadimar which had been reworkd from it's premier 2 years ago in LA which I saw. I didn't notice much different tho he siad he added a song and there were some sound effects. Golijov is an Argentine Jew that studied in Isreal and Spain. He has a wonderful blend of those cultures with contemporary music. Latin rhythums abounded. The story is about the poet Garcia Lorca's death. However, it's told from a woman's perspective who knew him and it's only reference to him being martyred as an openly gay man is a reference military man calling him a faggot. I found that insulting as did my friend who's really into literature and history. He had heterosexualized the whole tale Thru this woman's recollections on her death bed. She was sung by Dawn Upshaw, and Garcia Lorca was a pants role sung beautifully by a mezzzo with a very deep voice, Kelly O'Connor. Typically it starts out festive and turns to tragedy with lots of wailing and regrets. It didn't hit us right, music was wonderful, but it was really about this woman, not Lorca as advertised, and only a couple references to his poetry and plays. It has been recorded by the cast. One friend there said he wondered if Golijov would have written a piece about a Jewish martyr and only referenced his background with a nasty slur. We thought it was offensive.
Saturday
Atlanta Sym and Chamber Chorus Norman MacKensie conductor, Messiaen and Thomas Tallis, O sacrum convivium, and interesting comparison of the same liturgical work. Then Ralph Vaughan Williams' Mass in G Minor, Wonderful work and one soloist Aretha Lockhart had an increadible soprano part. Second half Tavener's Song for Athene, can't remember much of this but it was etherial as he usually is. Then Maurice Durufle's Quatre motets sur de themes gregoriens. Also wonderful, I'm not up on this composer so don't have much reference. then Aaron Coplands early student work with teacher Nadia Boulanger, Four Motets. Early work, traditional but you could definitely hear his voice and unique sound being formed which is why they did this very Amreican work. The whole morning concert was wonderful in retrospect with things not heard often.
Saturday night: Brazilian Duos songs of Jobim sung by Luciana Souza and guitarist Romero Lobamo. Wonderful survey of old and new sambas and other styles of songs. Second half was Manuel de Falla concerto in D Major for Harpsicord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Violin and Cello. try to repeat that 3 times fast. it was interesting but didn't grab me it sounded quite old and modern at the same time. Then his El amor brujo. A series of songs, dances and interludes that was really wonderful and Luciana Souza was vocalist on some pieces which really gave it a natural authentic feel.
Sunday
Dawn Upshaw gave a recital which is traditional Sunday morning fair, Light and fun for a crowd pleaser. She started with Luciano Berios 11 Folk Songs, beautiful and fun but with that 20th Century zing, She was backed by the Eighth Blackbird group with a few extra ensemble players. After intermission She did a song cycle from Osvaldo Golijov called Ayre, 11 folk songs from all over the mediterranean. The translations were very strange with a sinister quality. All I can say is I've never heard anything more involving and thrilling. Each piece was better than the last and it just took on a very surreal aspect with Dawn alternately floating her beutiful voice and then plumbing the depths of dispair or hate. Standing ovation afterward for the group, Golijov and Upshaw and 4 curtain calls, and absolute WOW! i heard she'd recorded them with another group but rumor says it's much tamer than what they did here. the CDs all sold out pronto. Also in the group was Gustavo Santaolalla on guitar, he's won some Oscars for his compositions for films The Motorcycle Diaries and Brokeback Mountain. A very hot up and coming figure in music. Also there was Micheal Ward-Bergman on a "hyper-accordion", It sounded like a symthesizer and at one point had a solo that was really strange and wonderfully wild, wheezing and bending notes. It was a thrill and I've been to 15 of these festivals and nothing like this before. It shows contemporary music can be fun, passionate and really out there.
Sunday night: Atlanta Symphone but with Robert Spano conducting. First up, John Adams' Chamber Symphony. this is a work where he looks to his Schoenberg beginnings yet does strange and wonderful things to those Second Vienese roots. The last movement is fast paced and is a blend with a Road Runner cartoon sensibility from having his son in hte next room watching the TV and that mannic music infiltrated his head. I really like Adams' work as I've posted about him often before. Berio again with Requies from '84 Beautiful and strange music is all I can remember, prickly, bright and edgy. Then Buson's Bareuse elegiaque arranged by Adams. Wonderful etherial music, just breath taking simplicity of aural sounds. Sedond half, Now featured composer Golijov again, Oceana from '96 Stunning work, a poem set to music, he is quoted in teh book, "My aim in Oceana was the transmutation of passion into geometry. This is in my mind the clue to both Bach's and Neruda's work." sung by Suoza with a more formal voice it was a beautiful flowing song of great beauty. Last 2 Bach pieces taken from his last works sung by full choir and Orchestra which closed the festival with a quiet formal elegance.
It was really one of the most wonderful Ojais I've ever been to, and there have been some wonderful times there. At the last performance intermission I said to my friend oh look there's Dawn Upshaw 2 rows ahead, he bolted over there to say something and came back. Said he'd told her he'd never heard a recital as wonderful as that. She said She'd never given a recital like that, and thanked him. Such fun. Live music can be greater than the sum of its parts.
Friday Night
Eighth Blackbird ensemble played a strange arrangement by Rzewski, A few lines from a dead prizoner fromt eh Attica riot many years ago, it was repeated over and over with varying emotion and intensity. Interesting but not my Favorite by far. Then second half Golijov's 1 act opera Ainadimar which had been reworkd from it's premier 2 years ago in LA which I saw. I didn't notice much different tho he siad he added a song and there were some sound effects. Golijov is an Argentine Jew that studied in Isreal and Spain. He has a wonderful blend of those cultures with contemporary music. Latin rhythums abounded. The story is about the poet Garcia Lorca's death. However, it's told from a woman's perspective who knew him and it's only reference to him being martyred as an openly gay man is a reference military man calling him a faggot. I found that insulting as did my friend who's really into literature and history. He had heterosexualized the whole tale Thru this woman's recollections on her death bed. She was sung by Dawn Upshaw, and Garcia Lorca was a pants role sung beautifully by a mezzzo with a very deep voice, Kelly O'Connor. Typically it starts out festive and turns to tragedy with lots of wailing and regrets. It didn't hit us right, music was wonderful, but it was really about this woman, not Lorca as advertised, and only a couple references to his poetry and plays. It has been recorded by the cast. One friend there said he wondered if Golijov would have written a piece about a Jewish martyr and only referenced his background with a nasty slur. We thought it was offensive.
Saturday
Atlanta Sym and Chamber Chorus Norman MacKensie conductor, Messiaen and Thomas Tallis, O sacrum convivium, and interesting comparison of the same liturgical work. Then Ralph Vaughan Williams' Mass in G Minor, Wonderful work and one soloist Aretha Lockhart had an increadible soprano part. Second half Tavener's Song for Athene, can't remember much of this but it was etherial as he usually is. Then Maurice Durufle's Quatre motets sur de themes gregoriens. Also wonderful, I'm not up on this composer so don't have much reference. then Aaron Coplands early student work with teacher Nadia Boulanger, Four Motets. Early work, traditional but you could definitely hear his voice and unique sound being formed which is why they did this very Amreican work. The whole morning concert was wonderful in retrospect with things not heard often.
Saturday night: Brazilian Duos songs of Jobim sung by Luciana Souza and guitarist Romero Lobamo. Wonderful survey of old and new sambas and other styles of songs. Second half was Manuel de Falla concerto in D Major for Harpsicord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Violin and Cello. try to repeat that 3 times fast. it was interesting but didn't grab me it sounded quite old and modern at the same time. Then his El amor brujo. A series of songs, dances and interludes that was really wonderful and Luciana Souza was vocalist on some pieces which really gave it a natural authentic feel.
Sunday
Dawn Upshaw gave a recital which is traditional Sunday morning fair, Light and fun for a crowd pleaser. She started with Luciano Berios 11 Folk Songs, beautiful and fun but with that 20th Century zing, She was backed by the Eighth Blackbird group with a few extra ensemble players. After intermission She did a song cycle from Osvaldo Golijov called Ayre, 11 folk songs from all over the mediterranean. The translations were very strange with a sinister quality. All I can say is I've never heard anything more involving and thrilling. Each piece was better than the last and it just took on a very surreal aspect with Dawn alternately floating her beutiful voice and then plumbing the depths of dispair or hate. Standing ovation afterward for the group, Golijov and Upshaw and 4 curtain calls, and absolute WOW! i heard she'd recorded them with another group but rumor says it's much tamer than what they did here. the CDs all sold out pronto. Also in the group was Gustavo Santaolalla on guitar, he's won some Oscars for his compositions for films The Motorcycle Diaries and Brokeback Mountain. A very hot up and coming figure in music. Also there was Micheal Ward-Bergman on a "hyper-accordion", It sounded like a symthesizer and at one point had a solo that was really strange and wonderfully wild, wheezing and bending notes. It was a thrill and I've been to 15 of these festivals and nothing like this before. It shows contemporary music can be fun, passionate and really out there.
Sunday night: Atlanta Symphone but with Robert Spano conducting. First up, John Adams' Chamber Symphony. this is a work where he looks to his Schoenberg beginnings yet does strange and wonderful things to those Second Vienese roots. The last movement is fast paced and is a blend with a Road Runner cartoon sensibility from having his son in hte next room watching the TV and that mannic music infiltrated his head. I really like Adams' work as I've posted about him often before. Berio again with Requies from '84 Beautiful and strange music is all I can remember, prickly, bright and edgy. Then Buson's Bareuse elegiaque arranged by Adams. Wonderful etherial music, just breath taking simplicity of aural sounds. Sedond half, Now featured composer Golijov again, Oceana from '96 Stunning work, a poem set to music, he is quoted in teh book, "My aim in Oceana was the transmutation of passion into geometry. This is in my mind the clue to both Bach's and Neruda's work." sung by Suoza with a more formal voice it was a beautiful flowing song of great beauty. Last 2 Bach pieces taken from his last works sung by full choir and Orchestra which closed the festival with a quiet formal elegance.
It was really one of the most wonderful Ojais I've ever been to, and there have been some wonderful times there. At the last performance intermission I said to my friend oh look there's Dawn Upshaw 2 rows ahead, he bolted over there to say something and came back. Said he'd told her he'd never heard a recital as wonderful as that. She said She'd never given a recital like that, and thanked him. Such fun. Live music can be greater than the sum of its parts.