The slight hiatus caused by Easter weekend now being over, we can get back to it...
You can tell we are getting close to the end of the semester, as the UVic Graduating Recitals continue to come thick and fast.
Tonight at 8 you can catch Ayari Kasukawa as she presents her Bachelor of Music graduating recital for saxophone performance.
As ever, the venue is the Phillip T Young Recital Hall and admission is gratis.
And it is the turn of violinist Philip Manning tonight, who will be presenting his Bachelor of Music graduating recital for violin performance (admit it, you'd have been surprised if I'd said it was, to pick a different instrument at random, for trombone performance).
Once again 8 p.m. in Phil's Hall. And again admission is free.
Today is, as you may be aware, Earth Day. And I suspect that everybody who lived through last summer's heat dome and the record low temperatures last December will agree that helping the planet has never been more of a priority.
Which brings me to this evening's recital by the Emily Carr String Quartet, the third in the Earth Songs: Music for Climate Justice series, this one entitled Land.
Once again there are just two works in the programme, by Mozetich and Brahms.
Mozetich would appear to be quite popular: his tonal music borrows much of the vocabulary, if not the syntax, of minimalism. Personally I have yet to enjoy anything I've heard of his, but I will say that at least his web site no longer claims that he is the greatest living composer. Lament in the Trampled Garden — you can see why they chose this music for this day — will be performed and, if you've never heard any of his music before you can get a sneak preview on youtube.
By his own account, Johannes Brahms destroyed the first twenty string quartets he wrote — as with symphonies, he felt the shadow of Beethoven looming large over his efforts — so we are left with just the three that he did allow to be published.
The A minor quartet, Op.51 No.2 is the second of the three and was probably composed around 1869, but not publicly performed (after substantial revision) until 1873.
I must confess that, when planning to listen to a string quartet, Brahms is not often my composer of choice: Haydn, Beethoven and Shostakovich tend to take precedence. However, that being said, I don't believe I have ever failed to enjoy any of his quartets either in person or on record.
The concert begins at 5 p.m. in Christ Church Cathedral. Tickets are available from Eventbrite.
One local organisation whom I have yet to hear — and, alas, I'm going to miss then today as well (read on) is the Hampton Concert Orchestra.
The orchestra will be playing their latest programme twice this weekend: this evening at 7:30 and tomorrow afternoon at 2:30.
I am particularly disappointed to miss this programme, which consists of Brahms' Tragic Overture, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1 and Haydn's Symphony No.99.
Unlike many of his fellow nineteenth century composers (Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann spring readily to mind) Brahms did not write many overtures, in fact there are only two: the Tragic and the Academic Festival both first performed in 1880.
In accordance with the unwritten commandment of nineteenth century composition ("thou shalt not number thy compositions in the order in which they were written") Beethoven's "first" piano concerto was composed after the "second"; however, it was published first and it is generally believed that Beethoven wanted something a bit more impressive than what is now number two (in B flat, Op.19) to make his Vienna debut. In recent years I have come to love this concerto and probably listen to it more often that any of the others, with the possibly exception of the third. David Watson will be the soloist.
Finally, the Haydn symphony is part of that extraordinary sequence of twelve composed for his two visits to London in the 1790s; it is, like the other eleven, a masterpiece.
Although, as I said, I have yet to hear the HCO, as they probably don't refer to themselves, looking at the orchestra's photo on their web site, I do see at least a few faces familiar from other organisations such as the Victoria Chamber, Civic and Sooke Philharmonic Orchestras.
The concert will be under the direction of conductor Charles Encell and both performances will be given in the Silver Threads Service Saanich Auditorium at the Les Passmore Seniors' Centre on Hampton Road.
Admission is by donation.
As I said, I am going to have to miss their concerts, in part because this afternoon, from 1-3:30, the Lakehill Lawn Bowling Club are holding our annual Open House.
So if you have ever wondered about the sport, which is indeed one for all ages (earlier this month I played in a tournament two days before one member of our team celebrated her ninety-second [sic] birthday), or if you have ever wondered what I get up to when I'm not listening to or writing about music, well this is your opportunity. We are at 3930 Lasalle Street, next to Reynolds Park.
We really are a friendly and welcoming bunch...
There are two events on today and, mais naturellement, they are on at the same time.
It has been longer than I care to think about since I last heard the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra perform, so I really can't pass up on the chance this afternoon.
Their programme opens with an overture, in this case Verdi's to La Forza del Destino, first performed in 1862 in — this may surprise you, it did me — St. Petersburg, Russia.
Sibelius' tone poem Finlandia also has a Russian connection: in this case, it was widely viewed as a contribution to Finnish nationalist feelings after almost a century as part of the Russian empire. Indeed, early performances were frequently under a different name to avoid the censor.
Finally, and once again in accordance with the commandment mention above, Robert Schumann's Symphony No.3 (his last symphony, composed after number four), known as the "Rhenish", as it was inspired by a visit he and Clara made to the Rhineland. Unusually, it is in five movements.
It is confession time again: the "Rhenish" is actually my least favourite Schumann symphony, however, experience has shown that if anyone is going to change my opinions, GVYO Music Director Yariv Aloni may very well be the one to do so.
The concert takes place in the University Centre (Farquhar) Auditorium beginning at 2:30. Tickets from the UVic Ticket Centre.
And of course, those who have been paying attention will remember that the other event at 2:30 today is the second performance of the Hampton Concert Orchestra's programme, details as for yesterday.
And I do believe we're done for the week,
Stay well....