May 2021- Spotlight on a selection of MusicTalks concerts, temporarily located in Central Park.
Greetings friends, happy May to all!
Blooming, joyful, and colorful, especially outdoors, a truly uplifting month for all.
Yay!
This week, I am writing, once again about the Performing Arts, and in particular, about incredible live music concerts in New York’s Central Park.
Yay!
Specifically, this week, I would like to feature a wonderful organization, MusicTalks; which has recently launched in Central Park, incredibly moving, personal, informal, relatable, educational, and most importantly, brilliantly performed, awesome outdoor music concerts (check out for more info music-talks.com).
Wow! and yay!
Founded by Elad Kabilio, a brilliant NYC Cellist, MusicTalks, this month, has given, and is still giving a large array of incredible and inspired concerts; ranging from Classical music (from Chamber music to Opera), Dance, Jazz, Broadway, Rock, to film scores.
Yay! and wow!
Performed at sunset mostly, and sometimes in the afternoon.
Yay! and wow!
And before each piece starts, entertaining and educational context about the composer or the piece, is given to the audience, in a few words, by one or two musicians, making the audience pay that much more attention to the upcoming piece, which is always beautifully performed, with utmost grace, and incredible virtuosity.
Yay! and wow!
And listening, while often nursing a glass of wine from a picnic basket, only a few feet away from the musicians, to incredibly rich and diverse live music, amongst chirping birds, joyful gatherings, blooming flowers and trees of Central Park, in a serene and peaceful garden-like setting, on delightfully sunny days, while comfortably seated on a picnic blanket, has been wonderful and novel, and has enhanced even more, the enjoyment of all these intricate performances.
Yay!
Again, more are coming.
Yay!
So in a nutshell, these ravishing MusicTalks concerts played by various (and often string–cello, bass, violin, viola) musicians (sometimes a soloist, a duet, a trio, a quatuor etc…) are not to be missed!
Yay!
These awesome MusicTalks concerts always feature(d) incredible composers works (ranging from Bach, Mozart, Brahms, von Paradis, Dvorak, Glière, Kodaly, Debussy, Delibes, Cassado, Copland, Ellington, Mancini, Glass, to Coldplay, to name a few). And these MusicTalks concerts have all been, for my friends and I, a truly relaxing, soul stirring, joyful, and moving, shared experience.
Yay!
And I wanted to share a few examples of the works I particularly admired:
1) First of course, in the classical music genre, let’s listen to Bach (1685-1750), the most celebrated North German musician and composer from the late 17th century-early 18th century, and regarded as the greatest composer of all times. Played beautifully by cellist extraordinaire, Elad Kabilio in Central Park; let’s listen to Bach’s famous Cello suite No. 1 Prelude, here, wonderfully performed by the great Yo-Yo Ma:
Wow! and yay!
Enjoy!
So spectacular.
2) And now, let’s discover another beautiful Prelude-Fantasy, on the cello, composed a few centuries later, by Gaspar Cassadó (1897-1966), an early 20th century Spanish cellist and composer, also beautifully performed by Kabilio in the Park, and here, also brilliantly performed by Gary Hoffmann:
Wow! and Yay!
Enjoy!
So gripping.
3) And now, let’s discover a less famous piece performed by MusicTalks in the Park, yet an incredibly harmonious, serene and peaceful piece, by Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824), an Austrian musician and composer, (for whom Mozart may have written his concerto #18 in B flat major), a piece by von Paradis, called “Sicilienne” for violin and piano.
Wow! and yay!
And here violin, direction, and sound are by Katerina Chatzinikolau and on the piano: Ani Ter-Martirosyan.
Wow! and yay!
Enjoy!
So serene.
4) And now, let’s discover another favorite of MusicTalks performances, with Reinhold Glière (1875-1956), a Russian and Soviet composer of Ukrainian, German and Polish descent. People’s Artist of the USSR (1938), and his heart breaking “Berceuse”, and here, beautifully performed by Old First Concerts.
Wow! and yay!
Enjoy!
So moving.
5) And now, let’s listen to another MusicTalks piece by Claude Debussy (1862-1918), an illustrious late 19th century /early 20th century French composer, in particular for his system of harmony, which expressed ideals of Impressionism and Symbolism painters; and his famous “Clair de lune”, here played on the piano by Lympany.
Enjoy!
So peaceful.
6) And now, let’s turn to Opera, which MusicTalks adapted for strings for a few lovely performances. And in particular, now, let’s listen now to one example, a beautiful rehearsal of the illustrious “Flower Duet” from Léo Delibes (1836-1891) in his 1883 opera “Lakmé”. The duet is for soprano and mezzo-soprano, and is sung in the first act, by the characters “Lakmé”, daughter of a Brahmin priest, and her servant “Mallika”, as they go to gather flowers by a river. Performed here, in 2017 by soprano Sabine Devieilhe as “Lakme”, and by mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa as “Mallika”, with pianist Alexandre Tharaud and the period-instrument orchestra “Les Siècles” under its founder, François-Xavier Roth.
Wow! and yay!
Enjoy!
So enchanting.
7) And now, let’s turn to Ballet music, with living composer Philip Glass (born in 1937), and his 1983 “Pieces” score, (which reminds me of one of the Glass piece played beautifully on the cello, by MusicTalks, Kabilio). And Glass’ 1983 “Pieces” score you will discover, is incredibly energetic, stirring and urban, and harmonizes perfectly, with Robbins 1983 ballet choreography, for the NYCB. And since we have not been able to attend any ballet in person, for over a year, here is the entire 25 minutes ballet (you can only watch a few minutes of course, but I am sure you will find it riveting), for all you ballet fans out there, and in addition to the amazing choreography and energy, listen to the incredible modern and moving score. This “Pieces” NYCB ballet, is definitely a real feast, not only for the eyes and ears, but for the overall body and soul.
Wow! and yay!
Enjoy!
So energizing.
8) And now, let’s turn to Jazz, with a standard from Duke Ellington (1899-1974), with his upbeat “Take the A train” tune from 1957, also played beautifully by MusicTalks in the Park, and here sang in 1961, by the great Ella Fitzgerald.
Wow! and Yay!
Enjoy!
So uplifting!
9)And now, let’s turn to film scores, and to a favorite of many, Mancini (1924-1994), a musician cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, who won four Academy Awards. And I particularly enjoy Mancini’s scores related to the following awesome films: “The Pink Panther”, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Charade”. And for now, let’s focus on Mancini’s “Moon river” score recorded in 1960, and released in 1961, in Blake Edwards’ “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. MusicTalks founder Kabilio played/plays it beautifully, as a solo and in a duet.
Interestingly, Mancini wrote this “Moon river” song with lyricist Johnny Mercer. The original title was “Blue River,” but Mercer found out another songwriter was using that title. And believe it or not, but “Moon River” is a real river in Savannah, Georgia, where Mercer grew up. His home overlooked the river and he had fond memories of the place. At the time, the river was known as “The Back River”, but was renamed “Moon River” in honor of the song, which won the Academy award for Best original song that year, and Grammy awards in 1962.
Wow! and Yay!
Enjoy!
So charming and beautiful.
And because all of this great music performed in Central Park by MusicTalks, is so inspiring to me, it reminds me, of more music still, to share with music lovers, and I will conclude this musical post, with another great piece of classical music: “A hymn to St. Cecilia”. Short and beautiful written by Britten between 1940 and 1942, and finalized on a Swedish cargo boat, during WWII, as Britten was leaving NYC, to return home, to England. A piece written to a poem by his friend Auden, about St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, who was illustrious for inspiring musicians, as Auden’s delightful refrain, wonderfully suggests:
“Blessed Cecilia/Appear in visions to all musicians/Appear and inspire”.
How about that?
What all musicians aspire to!
Wow! and yay!
And now, let’s listen to this illustrious Britten piece, here beautifully performed, a capella, by a fantastic choral group: Voces 8.
Wow! and Yay!
Enjoy!
Is it not just gorgeous?
Wow! and Yay!
Until next time friends!
Soft…
Fluttering…
Sunny…
Joyful…
Happy…
Loving…
Eternal butterflies 😊