All Classical Portland is thrilled to announce that the GRAMMY® award-winning Navona Records label released AMPLIFY, our Recording Inclusivity Initiative (RII)‘s inaugural album, on Friday, October 28, 2022! The album marks the 1,000th release from the PARMA Recordings label group.
On October 28, 2022, the station aired a special On Air CD Release Party, sharing the world premiere of music from AMPLIFY on the radio. This special program was hosted by Suzanne Nance and Adam Eccleston, and featured music from the album, interviews with Raúl Gómez-Rojas and All Classical Portland Artist in Residence María García, and more.
Listen to the On Air CD Release Party on demand.
All Classical Portland’s Recording Inclusivity Initiative is a response to the classical music industry’s longtime need for greater diversity, with the purpose of increasing awareness and opportunity for previously marginalized artistic communities. Learn more at recordinginclusivity.allclassical.org.
Comprised of leaders from the radio, recording, publishing, and performing arts industries, the RII Panel and Executive Advisors selected five winning compositions from a pool of over 100 entries for inclusion on AMPLIFY. Including three pieces from living composers, and two posthumous works, the album was recorded at the NM Bodecker Foundation’s Halfling Studios in Portland, Oregon.
The full album was released on Friday, October 28, 2022, and featuring works by All Classical Portland Composers in Residence Jasmine Barnes, Keyla Orozco, and McCall. AMPLIFY will also include two posthumous works by Mélanie Hélène Bonis (1858-1937) and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004).
AMPLIFY’s album cover artwork was created by Monica Obaga, an illustrator and graphic designer focused primarily on producing artwork in support of women, the environment, and positive African media representation.
ABOUT
Broadcasting from the heart of the Pacific Northwest, All Classical Portland is consistently ranked in the top three classical music radio stations in the United States. Creator of the award-winning Recording Inclusivity Initiative (RII), All Classical Portland is leading the public radio industry nationwide by amplifying composers of our time and expanding access to outstanding classical music recordings. RII seeks to address the gap of classical music composers and musicians from underrepresented communities that make it onto the airwaves. All Classical Portland is globally recognized for its unique programming, innovative collaborations, and community outreach.
PARMA Recordings works with artists across genres, backgrounds, and borders, effectively bringing musical projects to completion with accuracy. By beginning with the end in mind and keeping quality at the forefront, we create projects recognized by the Recording Academy, Billboard, Gramophone, and BBC Music, and performed onstage at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and more.
Navona Records offers listeners a fresh taste of today’s leading innovators in orchestral, chamber, instrumental, and experimental music as well as prime pieces of classic repertoire. Since the label’s foundation in 2008, Navona Records artists have been breaking barriers and breathing new life into the traditions of classical music. Our music is meticulously performed by the finest musicians and handpicked to ensure the most rewarding listening experience. Navona Records is a classical imprint of music production house PARMA Recordings.
Sophie Lippert, concert pianist and All Classical Portland’s 2022 International Arts Correspondent, is currently living in Tel Aviv, Israel. In this edition of Musician Abroad!, she takes us on a journey through Tel Aviv’s culinary landscape, showcasing savory and sweet delicacies and delights.
Sophie enthusiastically shows off an Israeli spread of appetizers at a cozy seaside joint in Herzliya, Israel.
Food has always been one of my favorite ways to connect with a culture. It’s an amazing miracle for me to take a “sensory trip” to experience the essence of a place by sipping a cup of steaming soup, eating a bowl of aromatic noodles, or devouring a delicious dessert.
I find music and food to be strikingly similar in the way they allow us to travel (with our senses) to different places, and connect with the flavors or sounds of a foreign country and culture without getting on a plane.
Transcending, Connecting, and Traveling through Taste and Sound
I notice food’s resemblance to music in several noteworthy ways:
They both serve as conduits of connection, and transcend language boundaries.
They both are vehicles for bringing people together in community.
They both give us a chance to experience a culture outside of its particular geographical location; a vantage point into the sensory experience of a place, without physically being in country.
These are part of music and food’s “special sauce,” and part of what makes them so priceless and precious.
A bodacious spread of home-grilled meats at a Saturday Sabbath meal in Be’er Sheva, Israel.
There were many times during the pandemic when I longed to expand my cultural horizons, but was stuck at home in Portland. The thing that helped me most was to either listen to—or play!—music from a different country, or cook a meal that utilized and showcased foreign flavors and ingredients. Listening to infectious rhythms from Senegal, Africa, or cooking an Indian recipe that utilizes freshly-ground cardamom pods and coriander seeds, might not be quite the same as traveling to Senegal or India—but it creates a great sensory experience, and allows me to travel—in my senses, at least—somewhere outside of my own home.
(One of my favorite things to do is to pair the music I’m listening to with the type of cuisine I’m eating! So, if I’m cooking a Chinese-inspired dish, I’ll find some traditional Chinese music to listen to. What a great way to expand my horizons.)
Given the strong parallels in my life between food and music, it feels only appropriate to spend some time profiling Israel’s amazing cuisine / culinary landscape!
A Melting Pot of Flavors
The Mediterranean Sea runs the western length of Israel’s border, and because of this, it’s no surprise that the primary flavors here pull from Mediterranean cuisine. Street stalls are filled with pungent olive oils and rich dates and nuts; dairy stands sport dozens of varieties of feta cheese; cucumbers and tomatoes are paired with parsley to form the nation’s famous “Israeli salad.” Alongside this, however, there’s a decidedly Middle Eastern flare that also plays into the richness of Israel’s culinary landscape. Spices like cumin and coriander are used liberally in many applications; the quintessential “Za’atar” (a mix of sesame seeds, sumac, salt, and herbs like thyme, oregano, and marjoram) tops bowls of creamy hummus and soft breads and savory pastries; kebab meat makes an appearance at nearly every Israeli restaurant. And then, with the prevalence of Judaism comes an abundance of kosher and other religiously-influenced food products: beef-based sausages and deli meats abound (it’s rare to find pork on a menu!), special sweets make appearances for the Jewish holidays, and challah is baked fresh at all the bakeries in time for Friday’s sabbath dinner. Much like many aspects of Israeli culture, I find the food here to be an amazing melting pot of different traditions; heavily influenced by the many different cultures and people who have lived in this region over the centuries.
Sophie’s husband Noah in his happy place: with a falafel sandwich at Tel Aviv’s famous HaKosem eatery.
There are three main areas I’m excited to showcase: the pita (what I might call Israel’s signature dish); the love of salads (and the first thing we need to do is define that term, as it’s different than what you might expect!); and a run-down of the country’s favorite sweets.
Meals in a Pita
Israelis love their pitas. And, for good reason! Color me biased, but I’d like to boldly state that until you’ve tasted a pita from the Middle East, you’ve never gotten a full experience of the incredible art form that is this beloved pocket bread.
Yep: I’m just talking about the pita itself—even before it’s filled with all sorts of tasty treats! The Israeli pita tells a complex and intoxicating story. It features a fluffiness, lightness, and buoyancy; the flavor is mild, the texture is rich, and the combination creates a taste that’s irresistible in nearly every iteration. And how something so intoxicatingly airy manages to be hefty enough to be stuffed to the gills with vegetables and meats is beyond me.
Another delight: for anyone who doesn’t eat gluten, many restaurants carry gluten-free pitas that are just as delicious as their glutinous counterparts!
The pita is rarely just eaten on its own, though. Its simplest application is perhaps dipped in bowls of hummus, and served alongside slices of raw white onion, tomato, and pickles. (Hummus restaurants can be found on nearly every street corner in Israel, and deserve a whole post in themselves!)
Hummus garnished with ground meat serves as the crown of this seaside meal in Acre, Israel—served, of course, with irresistible pita!
The pita is also the centerpiece of nearly every street food here. The most common three are the following:
Shawarma. This tasty shaved meat is cooked on a giant rotisserie or spit. It’s a pretty dramatic endeavor: the meat is shaved thin and then shaped into a huge cone, then shaved off in a circular fashion. It’s almost always served in a pita with a variety of accouterements: tahini-garlic sauce, pickles, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions, and some other variety of pickled vegetables and cabbage slaws. There’s another sauce, which is mango-based and a bit spicy and sweet, which is also common as a final topping. And french fries on the side are optional, but very much suggested.
Falafel. I’ve had plenty of falafel in my life, but much like my experience with pita, until coming to Israel I never realized the extent of complexity and deliciousness that could be contained within these little fried balls made primarily of ground garbanzo beans. Generally smelling and tasting faintly of parsley, garlic, scallions, and cumin, these fritters are most commonly deep fried, then stuffed into a pita with a similar assortment of accompaniments to the shawarma: raw and pickled vegetables, and then sauces on top: tahini, and an amazingly herbaceous spicy green sauce (a little packs a real punch!). Our favorite local falafel joint layers the ingredients so beautifully that the finished product truly DOES look like a piece of art—and tastes like one, too. Unbelievable.
Sabich. Perhaps less known globally, this trendy street food is wildly popular in Israel. Apparently it originated in the 1940s and 1950s as a simple breakfast, using the easiest ingredients on hand: leftover eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, and maybe potatoes for kicks. Now, it’s become a competitive phenomenon: the debate rages around Tel Aviv as to which sabich shop executes their sabich with the most craft and finesse. The centerpiece of a sabich is the crispy fried slabs of eggplant—which, in the hands of a skilled cook, are even incredible eaten alone: oily and crispy exterior, soft and almost sweet interior. In a sabich sandwich, however, they’re paired with eggs, that Israeli holy trinity (tomatoes, cucumber, onion), parsley, and—you guessed it—tahini to top everything off. Though sabich is tasty at any time of day, it’s still most common as a breakfast or lunch dish; in fact, like falafel, most joints close by 4 or 5pm.
A shawarma vendor shaving off meat on a busy street corner in Tel Aviv, Israel.
An indulgent falafel sandwich stuffed to the gills, with pickles hiding beneath layers of tahini sauce. And yep, both the pita and falafel are gluten free!
A beautifully-adorned Sabich sandwich, with strips of fried eggplant galore.
Now that we’ve explored pita in its many iterations, let’s take a left turn to another quintessential feature of the Israeli dining scene: salads.
All The Salads
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So many veggies!
First, it’s important to define what “salad” means in this context. Upon first arriving in Israel, I was surprised to find that salads seemed like an “all-inclusive” experience here— A spread of Israeli salads consists, essentially, of anything cold that can be served in a small dish as an appetizer.
When dining at a traditional Israeli restaurant, get ready: you’re in for all sorts of treats beyond those that you order. It’s still typical to order an entree per person (in Tel Aviv, that’s almost always a cut of meat or fish); however, before you receive your chosen dish, you’ll be bombarded with a smorgasbord of incredible small dishes—which fill the center of table with festive colors and textures. Sometimes, there are up to TWO DOZEN different options to nibble on.
Some of the offerings often found in an Israeli “salad” spread are as follows:
Hummus
Baba ganoush
Thinly-sliced ribbons of cabbage with dill in a mild vinegar dressing
Greens with chunky tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, sumac, and lemon
Fried eggplant
Roasted cauliflower
Shredded carrots with candied walnuts
Chunky roasted beets with parsley
Parsley-heavy tabbouleh salad
Cucumbers with onion
Lightly-steamed corn kernels with red peppers and spices
Tuna salad
Pasta salad
Pickled jalapenos or pepperoncini peppers
Saucy tomatoes
Shaved fennel
…and the list goes on!
Sophie’s mother and father-in-law are all smiles before diving in to their salad course in a sunny, beachside Jaffa restaurant.
Pita is always served as an accompaniment, and sometimes, there’s another baked bread covered with melted cheese, or olive oil and za’atar, or chunky roasted garlic.
There’s something for everyone—and, if you’re like me, nearly everything is finger-licking good!
That said, I wish that salads came with a warning, as I’ve had to learn the hard way to pace myself. The small plates are generally refilled numerous times during the meal, so it’s easy to get completely full on the vegetables even before a main course has arrived!
In fact, my husband Noah and I have occasionally opted to order ONLY the salads for our main meal. Usually a restaurant charges a fee of about 35-40 shekels per person—about $12—but it’s unquestionably the best deal in town!
Salads on their own can serve as a perfectly satisfying and delicious meal in Tel Aviv. Despite the absence of a “main course,” Sophie and her husband Noah were stuffed after this filling feast!
Another difference: salads are served and eaten at any time of day. Yep: even breakfast! In fact, a traditional Israeli breakfast spread consists of bread or pastries, and perhaps a side of eggs—and then, an array of all those amazing aforementioned vegetable dishes.
But, enough of savory—let’s turn now to the treats!
Make Way for Sweets!
Sweets: different sub-categories, but “local desserts” (not European-style cafes or bakeries) are commonly nut and honey-based, and often a sweet crunchy semolina noodle is used. Also: LOVE OF ICE CREAM.
Fruit: tropics! In-season is key; the fruit at the market changes dramatically depending on time of year & what’s available. Watermelon, grapes, plums, mangos, FIGS. Always: citrus of all types, avocados (though different varieties pop up at different times!), bananas (huge banana groves in Eastern Israel!),
Drinks: soda is much more common here than in the United States! Also, the types of varieties of sugary drinks at any given convenience store is pretty damn impressive. (Twix in a bottle? Guava puree? Sparkling fruity mixers? You name ‘em, they’ve got ‘em.)
SWEETS.
Honey-based. Candy. International. Ice cream.
Even More Diversity of Deliciousness
Before I wrap today, I want to be clear: this is a non-comprehensive foray into Israeli food. There are so many different culinary experiences that can be had in Tel Aviv—it is a huge international city, and offers an impressive array of different flavors and types of food! I neglected to include a few particular enticing local treats: Jachnun, burekas (basically, dough stuffed with any array of savory things), and the food and drinks that accompany the Israeli love of what I’d call “cafe culture” (long hours spent leisurely sitting, sipping, and supping). There are also some very interesting “fusion”-dining experiences here—you wouldn’t believe what they manage to fit in sushi rolls! (Yep, that includes shawarma meat!) There’s so much diversity and deliciousness to experience here!
Sushi done right at the popular Moon Sushi in Tel Aviv, Israel.
An exploration of Tel Aviv wouldn’t be complete without mention of the beautiful spices, too—an enticing array of flavors and aromas that waft from spice shops across any of the local street markets. And though other ethnic foods can be hard to find, there are a few great restaurants that showcase foods from different parts of the world: Mexican tacos, Thai curries, Chinese dim sum, Indian thalis. There’s even excellent Ethiopian food, served on spongy injera and eaten with no utensils!
An excellent Ethiopian feast at NAME, a hidden gem of a restaurant in east Tel Aviv.
[And Yahweh knows I could wax poetic on hummus alone—the shining centerpiece of Middle Eastern food—for many more hundreds of words.]
If there’s one thing I’ve learned and confirmed about Israeli food while being here, it’s that there’s a tremendous pride and art and joy that it contains and instills. People here are voracious, joyful eaters; food serves as a conduit for community and connection, and a centerpiece for celebration and ceremony. I’ll miss these dazzling tastes when I return to the United States—but hopefully, will find opportunity to travel back to Israel through my senses over salads for breakfast, pitas stuffed with fried eggplant or falafel for lunch, bowls of silky hummus for snacks, and pistachio-studded baklava for desserts.
And I’ll never stop being grateful for the way that music and food both serve as conduits of connection and togetherness! Listening to music, and having a meal filled with delicious food, are equal-opportunity experiences; both allow people of all different backgrounds, cultures, languages, physical and mental capabilities, and socioeconomic statuses to connect and share experiences. And what a gift to share sounds and flavors with people around the world.
Wishing you all experiences with meals and music that transport you outside of your normal sensory stomping grounds!
Stay tuned for the final blog in Sophie’s Musician Abroad! series coming this winter! You can also learn more about Sophie at sophielippert.com.
On Saturday, October 29, 2022, host Andrea Murray presented at a very special episode of Club Mod, featuring the recent live performance of John Cage and KennethPatchen‘s 1942 radio play The City Wears a Slouch Hat, performed by some of your favorite All Classical Portland hosts as part of 45th Parallel Universe‘s Radio Happening event. This episode of Club Mod also featured interviews with All Classical Portland Artist in Residence María García, and Ron Blessinger, 45th’s Interim Executive Director.
45th Parallel Universe‘sThe Gemini Project performed The City Wears a Slouch Hat at The Old Madeleine Church in early October 2022. Louanne Moldovan directed the cast of All Classical Portland radio hosts Warren Black, Robert McBride, Suzanne Nance, Brandi Parisi, John Pitman, and Sarah Zwinklis.
Radio Happening, a concert event featuring several works by John Cage, explored the powerful role that radio has played in advancing artistic risk taking, innovation, and sharing classical music with wider audiences.
WATCH
Enjoy this video recording of the entire October 2022 performance, featuring James Shields, clarinet; María García, prepared piano; The Gemini Project: Sergio Carreno, percussion, Jon Greeney, percussion, Chris Whyte, percussion Gordon Rencher, percussion; Raúl Gómez-Rojas, conductor; and Ron Blessinger, producer, script writer, sound effects.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The City Wears a Slouch Hat was composed in 1942 by John Cage in just under a week, after his original vision for the radio drama was deemed impossible to produce. Initially calling for only the use of “sound effects” as instruments, the original score is thought to be lost.
Instead Cage wrote, assembled, and rehearsed a more modest take in just four days, using tin cans, gongs, alarm bells, foghorns, and other unconventional instruments. This version premiered on the radio in Chicago on May 31, 1942, with a script by Kenneth Patchen.
Slouch Hat tells the tale of a man called “The Voice” who wanders around an imaginary big city, encountering surreal circumstances and mysterious characters. The premiere broadcast received mixed reviews, and as a result Cage’s follow-up projects were cancelled. Today, the work, Cage, and Patchen are now considered pioneers of the American avant garde movement, and are credited with encouraging experimentation in music, technology, radio, and instrumentation.
Thank you to KGW-TV host Lacey Evans and the entire Hello, Rose City! team for welcoming All Classical Portland President & CEO Suzanne Nance and Recording Inclusivity Initiative Chair Adam Eccleston on their program to discuss RII and our first-ever album AMPLIFY! The groundbreaking album is now available to purchase in the All Classical Portland Gift Shop, and available to stream and download on your favorite music site like Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more.
Learn more about the exciting album and RII in our segment on Hello, Rose City!on the KGW website.
KGW’s Hello, Rose City: All Classical Portland releases AMPLIFY
BEHIND THE SCENES
All Classical Portland’s Recording Inclusivity Initiative is a response to the classical music industry’s longtime need for greater diversity, with the purpose of increasing awareness and opportunity for previously marginalized artistic communities. Learn more at allclassical.org/recordinginclusivity.
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new album by British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. The album is called “Song,” and is available now on Decca Records.
Back in January 2022, (which simultaneously feels like yesterday and a decade ago) I interviewed both Sheku and his sister, Isata Kanneh-Mason, about their debut album, “Muse.”In that interview, the siblings talk about the joys and challenges of working together while forging individual artistic paths.
Now, just 9 months later, Sheku has released “Song,” which he considers his most personal album yet. And he’s not alone. There are some beautiful tracks on the album that illustrate the “singing” tone of his instrument and playing style. He also brings in friends from the classical, jazz, and pop worlds to perform both new arrangements of older music and new compositions by Sheku himself. You will get a better sense of what Sheku was striving for – and accomplished – in my conversation with him. His enthusiasm, cheerfulness and humor come across, as does his absolute seriousness when it comes to making music.
All Classical Portland and the International Children’s Arts Network proudly announce 14-year-old composer and musician Elaina Stuppler as our 2022 Youth Roving Reporter! Over the next few months, Elaina will work with the producers and hosts of ICAN and All Classical Portland to learn about radio production during her Youth Roving Reporter mentorship.
“I’m most excited about sharing my love of music and creating compelling, uplifting, and inclusive content from a youth’s perspective,” Elaina shares.
Host Amy Faust interviewed Elaina in November 2021 for On Deck With Young Musicians. Hear her episode again.
November 2021: On Deck with Elaina Stuppler
ABOUT
Elaina Rae Stuppler is an award-winning composer and singer. She attended Crossroads School for the Arts in Santa Monica, California, where she studied vocal arts, composing, trombone, and violin, and recently received the U.S. President’s Education Award.
She played trombone in the Colburn School of Music’s Jazz Ensemble and was selected for both the California and Oregon All-State Honor Band. Elaina was a member of the Premiere Ensemble of the National Children’s Choir, has performed in Annie at the Hollywood Bowl, and was invited to sing this spring at Carnegie Hall.
The Oregon Symphony named Elaina as their first Luna Composition Lab recipient, where her piece, Anxious Alignment, had its world premiere at their 125th Gala Anniversary. The Portland Youth Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony have also commissioned works by her. Elaina is a member of the Young Composers Project and will have her orchestral composition debuted in 2023.
YOUTH ROVING REPORTERS
Youth Roving Reporters is an arts journalism mentorship program. Through this innovative, educational program All Classical Portland on-air hosts mentor selected Youth Roving Reporters (ages 14-18), providing them with guidance and insight on what it is to be a broadcaster and arts leader in their community.
All Classical Portland Program Director John Pitman shares his latest review of a new collection of works by William Grant Still.
Regarded by many as the most important black classical composer of the 20th century, and indeed called “Dean of Afro-American Composers” in his lifetime, William Grant Still (1895-1978) remains an important figure in the history of American music. He composed over 200 works, including symphonies, ballets, operas, choral works, art songs and chamber music, and broke social and artistic barriers that helped pave the way for those who followed. Despite his many accomplishments, prejudices left a number of works unrecorded, even long after his death. Fortunately, Naxos of America is taking steps to right this wrong, with their latest release “Summerland,” featuring several world premieres.
John Pitman recently spoke with Avlana Eisenberg, music director of the Boston Chamber Symphony, and renowned public radio journalist Celeste Headlee. Headlee’s maternal grandparents were William Grant Still and pianist Verna Arvey. She holds Bachelors and Masters of Vocal Performance degrees, and has written a thematic catalogue of her grandfather’s music.
Eisenberg shares the story of how this recording came about, while Headlee shares fond recollections of watching Still work, as well as his encounters with artistic bias and racism in American society, which nevertheless did not deter him from breaking barriers and creating beautiful, exciting, and original music depicting the lives of all Americans.
In the world of classical music, it’s easy to get lost in the mystique and lore surrounding its musical figures. At All Classical Portland, we strive to connect to the real, living humans behind the music. What better way to get acquainted with these renowned composers than through their hobbies? Perhaps in doing so, we can form an even deeper connection to their music.
Additional editing and research by Rebecca Richardson, All Classical Portland’s Music Researcher & Digital Producer.
Felix Mendelssohn, visual artist
Gewandhaus by Felix Mendelssohn (1836). Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Felix Mendelssohn’s artistic achievements were not limited to music. From an early age, Mendelssohn was also inspired to draw and paint with watercolors. Visual art became an essential creative outlet for the composer both during periods of joy and grief. His painting titled “Gewandhaus” was likely created as a memento for a performance he conducted in 1836 in the venue of the same name.
The drawing at the top of this article is also by Mendelssohn, titled “Baumgruppe in Interlaken” (“Group of trees in Interlaken”).
Antonín Dvořák, trainspotter and pigeon fancier
Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.
The Czech composer of “From the New World” symphony had two notable passions outside of music – trains and pigeons. Dvořák was fascinated by the technological advancement that trains provided. He almost obsessively tracked the records of trains traveling to and from his local station.
At his summer house in Vysoká, Dvořák meticulously maintained a pigeon loft that included birds gifted by Queen Victoria. While he spent time abroad in New York, the composer visited a zoological garden in Central Park every week to see the 200 pigeons housed there.
Gioachino Rossini, gourmand
Gioacchino Rossini by Étienne Carjat (1865). Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Gioachino Rossini achieved such an unprecedented level of fame and success from his operas that he was able to retire in his 30s. So how did the Barber of Seville composer spend his time during his decades of freedom? He cultivated his passion for cooking excellent cuisine, drinking fine wine, and hosting lavish parties. Several culinary dishes were named after Rossini, including Tournedos Rossini (filet mignon with foie gras and truffles), Macaroni alla Rossini (a creamy baked pasta dish with truffles), and the Rossini Cocktail (a spin on a Bellini using strawberries in place of peaches).
Sergei Prokofiev, chess player
Image courtesy of ChessBase.
Sergei Prokofiev is known as one of the giants of 20th-century music, but did you know that he was also an avid chess player? Prokofiev’s passion for the game began as a child and evolved into competitive infatuation throughout the rest of his life. Through this hobby, the composer befriended notable world chess champions such as José Raúl Capablanca (even beating him at a match) and Mikhail Botvinnik.
George Butterworth, dancer
Image courtesy of WarComposers.co.uk.
English composer George Butterworth was especially passionate about preserving and promoting English folk music and dance. In fact, he is known to have said, “I’m not a musician. I’m a professional dancer.” Butterworth co-founded the English Folk Dance Society in 1911 and participated in its dance demonstration team. This video showing Butterworth (among others) performing Morris dancing is the earliest known example of English folk dance captured on film.
Video of George Butterworth dancing.
Arnold Schoenberg, painter and game designer
Chess board designed by Schoenberg. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
As the “father of modern music”, Arnold Schoenberg is known for fostering new methods of musical composition. While pushing the limits of classical sonority of the time, Schoenberg also occupied himself with several other creative pursuits, including painting self-portraits and designing toys, games, chess sets, and playing cards. Historians speculate that Schoenberg used painting to help process periods of crisis and struggle while the design of games helped the composer harness and expand the creative innovation within his music.
Alexander Borodin, composer (wait, what?)
Alexander Borodin by Ilya Repin (1888). Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
You read that heading correctly! The creator of Prince Igor and In the Steppes of Central Asia was a respected researcher and professor of chemistry by day. Borodin considered composing music to be a source of relaxation from his scientific work, so really, composing was Borodin’s hobby. Borodin was a founding member of the Russian Chemical Society in 1868, and in 1872, he started the first medical courses for women in Russia.
If you enjoyed this article, we have a feeling you’d also enjoy our recent post on musical friendships exploring historical instances of friendship in classical music.
Thank you for joining All Classical Portland’s 39th Birthday Party! It is through your support that we are able to keep the music playing year round and share our limitless concert hall with local musicians and listeners in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
As an extra special birthday gift in appreciation of your support, we’d like to share with you two exclusive performances by María García, All Classical Portland’s 2022 Artist in Residence. In March 2022, María performed live on Thursdays @ Three in the Roger O. Doyle Performance Studio. Following the live broadcast, she continued playing, and we gladly kept the microphones on and the cameras rolling.
Enjoy these intimate performances of works by Frédéric Chopin.
ABOUT
A celebrated performer and music educator, María García is an enthusiastic proponent of classical works by women and composers of color. As the station’s 2022 Artist in Residence, she is using the opportunity to educate and inspire listeners to explore beyond the traditional canon of the genre.
Sophie Lippert, concert pianist and All Classical Portland’s 2022 International Arts Correspondent, is living and working in Tel Aviv for the year. In this latest version of her Musician Abroad! series, she takes us on a journey through three distinct and colorful components of Israeli culture.
Two mopeds butting heads in front of a cacophonous art display in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Over the past 30 years of playing classical music, I’ve come to be a huge appreciator of contrasts.
Music is full of them!
Contrasts in dynamics: from bombastic fortissimo to whispered pianissimo.
Contrasts in tempo: from scurrying presto to languid largo.
Contrasts in articulation: from sharp, piercing staccato to smooth, undulating legato.
Contrasts in emphasis: from melody weaving a narrative, to rhythm creating an infectious beat, to harmony emerging as a powerful unifying element.
Using these musical tools—dynamics, tempo, and articulation, plus melody and rhythm and harmony—performers are able to convey remarkably different moods, emotions, and ideas. And, often, it’s thesecontrasting elements that make a piece of music so compelling, exciting, and magical.
Chopin: will you provide us with an example?
Sophie Lippert performs an excerpt from Chopin’s Ballade 2, Op. 38, at Classic Pianos Portland.
To illustrate just how amazing contrasts can be, let’s take a section from Chopin’s 2nd Ballade. Chopin begins by employing a soft dynamic, a slow tempo, a legato articulation, and repetitive harmonic and rhythmic patterns to create a sensation of sublime calm and warmth. The soothing sound of this opening section reminds me, in fact, of rocking a baby in a cradle: the music gently undulates back and forth, back and forth.
Just 30 seconds in, however, Chopin does a 180-degree turn and transitions, abruptly and fantastically, to a flurry of right-hand arpeggios that move wildly up and down the keyboard! The mood is anything BUT soothing and calm; there is tremulous turbulence in the cascades of notes, a wild cacophony of emotional expression that sounds, to my ear, distraught and angry. Both the melodies and harmonies are ever-shifting and unsettled; the dynamics fluctuate between booming and explosive fortissimos to murmuring, muttering mezzo-pianos.
And then, amazingly, Chopin leads us back to calm again: drawing from the tropes he used in the first section to lull the piece back to peaceful repose. As the Ballade progresses, Chopin never stops to juxtapose these contrasting moods; the piece continually shape-shifts from one extreme to another, creating an amazing sensation of dynamism, scope, and excitement.
(Note: Chopin’s 2nd Ballade is an incredible representation of pianistic and compositional virtuosity and mastery; I encourage you to listen to all 7 minutes to get the full effect!)
From Chopin, to Tel Aviv!
Sophie gazing over the Mediterranean Sea in Israel.
My appreciation for contrasts leads me now to Tel Aviv, Israel, where I’ve been living since December 2021.
One of the most amazing things about creating a life in Tel Aviv has been observing and experiencing the many remarkable contrasts that Israeli culture contains.
Today, I’m going to focus on three areas in which the contrasts have been particularly astonishing:
The Weather: the bright, searing sun and the expansive, cooling sea.
The Sabbath: a calm weekly respite amidst the wildness of normal life.
The People: the sharpness and softness found in cultural mannerisms.
The People
A festive costume party in a popular alleyway near Shuk Carmel, one of Tel Aviv’s busiest street markets.
Israelis often describe themselves as “rough on the outside, soft on the inside.” There is an undeniable abrasiveness in many of the verbal correspondences that take place here—detectable in the words spoken, the tones of voices used, and the accompanying mannerisms and body language cues. In all these areas, the energy and behavior is sharp, strong, loud, and sometimes even outright aggressive.
Underneath their tough exterior, though, most Israelis have hearts of gold. They are quick to share information, to help when help is needed, and to volunteer support of all stripes—even when the person they are engaging with is a total stranger. In one moment, they’ll honk loudly and impatiently while zooming down a busy city street; in the next, they’ll stop their car to help someone who’s visibly lost or confused. (Sometimes, that person is me!)
When my partner and I were looking for an apartment, a taxi driver spent our entire ride calling his friends in real estate, asking them what units they had available on our behalf. New friends have invited me to share beautiful Sabbath feasts with their families, welcoming me so warmly that I instantly feel at home. And I can’t tell you how many times fellow shoppers have helped me dissect food labels and pricing in the shops, bodegas, and street stands where I buy my groceries.
The Sabbath: Calm Amidst the Storm
Carmel Market on the Sabbath: what is usually a cacophony of shoppers and vendors disappears completely into quiet!
Tel Aviv is a huge, dense, metropolitan city. There is, therefore, noise and activity all the time. Every hour of the day (and night!), people are out and about: walking, shopping, eating, hanging out at cafes, drinking coffee or cocktails. The sounds of the city have a distinct flavor during the middle of the night: the planes on international routes leave between the hours of 11pm and 6am, so the air is filled with sounds of huge jet planes in the wee hours of the morning. And even the cats make noise in the middle of the night—I often hear them yowling when I wake between dreams!
And then, Sabbath rolls around. Between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday, the majority of storefronts around the city close their doors and discontinue services. This includes all types of business: from restaurants and convenience stores, to record shops and even the cavernous, enormous, maze-like Dizengoff Mall in downtown Tel Aviv. The most common greeting you’ll hear during this 24-hour period is “Shabbat Shalom” —translating roughly to “Wishing you a peaceful Saturday.”
While observation practices vary, many people in Israel have adopted some form of a “Sabbath practice”. And things really do feel significantly different on Saturdays than any other day of the week. The popular walking streets are thronged with families, as are the beaches and the seaside promenade. And, while the pedestrian traffic increases, the car traffic decreases by over half!
Many people refrain from using any technology during the 24 hours of the Sabbath, which means a dramatic altering of lifestyle. The invitation to turn away from my phone and my computer, and to turn instead to nature, the people around me, and cooking and sharing a meal with loved ones, inspires me–and I hope to bring this inspiration with me when I return to the United States.
The Weather: Bright Sun and Cooling Sea
A quintessential Tel Aviv summer day: the Mediterranean Sea crowned by a cloudless sky.
Arguably, Israeli weather contains very little contrast—especially in comparison to places where the weather varies widely between hot and cool temperatures. Here in Tel Aviv, there’s a pretty narrow window of variation, and there are a few things that are most pervasive:
Wide-open skies, Bright, oppressive sun, Miles and miles of shoreline kissing the Mediterranean Sea!
Cold weather in Tel Aviv is classified by anything below about 65 degrees Fahrenheit; whenever temperatures dip into the low 60s, the majority of Tel Avivians don their big puffy jackets, winter hats, and fur-lined boots. In February and March, while I was swimming in the sea as much as possible, the people walking past me on the beach would be dressed in full winter attire. “It’s freezing!” my Israeli friends moaned.
And that’s because, for the rest of the year, it’s Really Darn Hot. The UV index is impressive, too—it takes only 10-15 minutes in the height of day to be gifted with a mean sunburn. So, one has to be careful—even when escaping into the sea for a much-needed cooling dip!
Speaking of: thank goodness for that water! The Mediterranean Sea is an incredibly important and tempering force in a region of oppressive heat. My daily swims provide welcome relief and respite from the heat hanging in the sky; the water is masterful at both cooling down my physical body, and pacifying the intense energy that the heat brings.
Israel is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on its entire west side, and though there are certainly less coastal regions of the country, the sea’s tempering, soothing energy is a powerful presence throughout the country.
In Conclusion: An Appreciation of Contrasts
Contrasting hearts on contrasting doors in the quiet Kerem HaTeimanim neighborhood in Tel Aviv.
There’s no question that my musical background has deepened my ability to appreciate—and celebrate—the contrasts contained in Israeli culture. Rather than seeing these opposing elements as disparate or conflicting, I see them as necessary equals; flip sides of the same coin; components that balance each other, and temper each others’ intensity.
Much like the incredible range and scope of Chopin 2nd Ballade, I love the way that Tel Aviv demonstrates the power that can be found in both hard and soft, calm and cacophony, oppressive heat and recentering cool. I’m eager to continue experiencing and embracing these contrasts, and the beauty they contain.
Again, music can be a teacher here: almost always, despite the intensity of contrasts contained within a piece of music, the composition closes with a unifying, stabilizing, and pacifying element: harmonic resolution.
Despite the dissonance and disparateness that precedes it, harmony prevails.
A weekday visit to the bustling Hatikva Market in east Tel Aviv, Israel.Sophie and partner Noah on a sunny stroll in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park.A post-yoga sunset stroll down the Tel Aviv beach.A bright array of street art on a popular pedestrian thoroughfare in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Stay tuned for the next blog in Sophie’s Musician Abroad! series coming in the fall! You can also learn more about Sophie at sophielippert.com
