Sunday Baroque Conversations

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) is often called the first great opera composer, and the opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse (The Return of Ulysses) was one of Monteverdi's late masterpieces. Unfortunately it's not often performed, so The Yale Baroque Opera Project's production in early May 2012 marks its New Haven premiere. The semester-long preparations have brought together talented undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty from Yale's Music and Theatre departments as part of a larger project to promote the study and performance of Baroque opera. Three Yale professors who are working on YBOP, Ellen Rosand, Toni Dorfman and Grant Herreid, had a lively and informative discussion with Suzanne about this thrilling production and their ongoing baroque opera collaboration.

Canadian violinist Lara St. John and French harpist Marie-Pierre Langlamet are old friends who enjoy making music together for fun, and decided to share their enthusiasm and talent on an album featuring Sonatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Since Bach didn't compose any violin and harp music, their collaboration features intriguing arrangements. Hear their conversation with Suzanne about adapting these lovely works, what is special to them about Bach's music, and which Sonata is their favorite.

Rick Steves is a tried and true expert on European travel, so Suzanne invited him to share his advice about hearing great, live music while you're on vacation in Europe. He talked about some of his favorite musical destinations, and gave suggestions for finding the kinds of venues and concerts to suit your tastes. (Make sure you listen for his insider's tip about getting the best seat in the house at Saint-Sulpice in Paris.)

Guitarist Richard Savino and his group, El Mundo, were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance for their 2011 recording The Kingdoms of Castille. Sunday Baroque contributor Amanda Pond interviewed him about the interesting variety of music on the recording, special considerations for performing it, and what it's like to receive a Grammy nomination.

With its 6,183 pipes, 95 stops, 111 ranks, 2 consoles and 7 keyboards, installation of the new French organ at New York City's Church of the Ascension was completed in early 2011. Master builder Pascal Quoirin was chosen to design the instrument by the Church's Music Director, distinguished organist and conductor Dennis Keene. Suzanne Bona visited Dr. Keene to discuss the magnificent new instrument, what makes it so special and his plans to introduce it to the musical community.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein made a big splash in 2007 with her recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations. Jan. 2011 brings her first recording for the Sony label, BACH: A Strange Beauty. The all-Bach recording includes the English Suite #3, transcriptions of three Chorale Preludes, and Keyboard Concertos #1 and #5. Once again, she demonstrates her artistry and her sensitivity to Bach's musical line and harmonic genius. Dinnerstein invited Suzanne Bona for a conversation in her parents' Brooklyn home, where she talked about her passion for Bach's music, her newest recording and her upcoming projects.

Nicholas McGegan is a man of many talents and interests: an art aficionado, avid gardener and epicure, to name just a few. He's also one of the most sought-after experts in baroque and early music - a conductor, harpsichordist and scholar. His zest for life is evident in everything he does, especially when he's leading an ensemble in music he knows and loves as much as George Frideric Handel's oratorio MESSIAH. Nicholas McGegan guest conducted the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus in Handel's beloved masterpiece, and joined Sunday Baroque host Suzanne Bona in the studios of WGUC Cincinnati to discuss his work and Handel's genius.

Harpsichordist and conductor Jeannette Sorrell founded the successful period instrument ensemble Apollo's Fire - The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra in 1992 after an interview for a job as assistant to a famous conductor went terribly wrong. Sorrell spoke with Sunday Baroque host Suzanne Bona about how her passion for music drove her to finagle free piano lessons as a child, what it's like to work with some of the world's leading early music instrumentalists, and why she thinks baroque and early music resonate with so many people.

Karen Marie Marmer and Jorg-Michael Schwarz are co-directors of Rebel, a baroque ensemble they formed in 1991. The group is named after Jean-Fery Rebel, a French baroque era musician who was a daring musical innovator. They talked with Suzanne about how they fell love with baroque music, and each other, and how their provocative performance practices have given the group's name a double meaning.

Swiss-French flutist Emmanuel Pahud was just 22 years old when he landed the job as principal flutist with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1993. A few years later, he also launched a solo performing career and has recorded flute music spanning several centuries, from contemporary works he has commissioned to baroque concertos and sonatas, and a little jazz music, too. Emmanuel Pahud sat down to chat with Suzanne about his remarkable career making music, including how it's possible to juggle international solo engagements while playing principal chair in a major orchestra.

When renowned conductor Nicholas McGegan spoke with Suzanne Bona, he shared his thoughts about how and why artificial barriers went up between baroque & early music and other kinds of music, and he offered suggestions for making the concert-going experience more enjoyable and popular. He also shared his fondness for Oregon pinot noirs and advice on growing roses when one is always traveling, and he admitted to a naughty musical passion.

Jose Serebrier began his life long love affair with music as a child in Uruguay. He began composing as a teenager, and was just 17 when his first Symphony was premiered by the legendary Leopold Stokowski in New York. Soon after, Serebrier became Stokowski's assistant, and later learned from mentors and teachers including conductors George Szell and Antal Dorati, and composer Aaron Copland. Jose Serebrier has conducted many of the world's great orchestras, and recently released a recording of Stokowski's Orchestral Transcriptions with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (Naxos 8.572050). Suzanne spoke with him about his music, his new CD, and why he is optimistic about the future of classical music.

There's a wonderful world of baroque music from Latin America. Musicians such as Ignacio de Jerusalem and Manuel de Zumaya were talented, highly trained musicians in the tradition of Bach, Handel, and others. Unfortunately their music not as well known, but Sebastian Zubieta's job is to change that. He's a composer/conductor and Director of Music for the Americas Society, a non-profit organization with a mission that includes increasing public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas. Sebastian Zubieta recently spoke with Suzanne about some outstanding Latin American music and musicians, past and present, and how he gets the word out about them.

The first use of the term viol d'amore is believed to be in John Evelyn's diary of 1679. He described it by saying of it, "I never heard a sweeter Instrument or more surprising..." Frequently heard in baroque music, viola d'amore resembles a violin, but it has extra resonating strings - sympathetic strings - which give it a rich, sonorous and unusual tone. It's also very hard to play, which explains why the specialized instrument isn't more commonly heard. Suzanne Bona spoke with one of the world's viola d'amore experts, Myron Rosenblum, about the instrument, its history, and why he's such a passionate and enthusiastic advocate.

American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has fast been gaining international attention as a commanding and charismatic artist, and as one of the most compelling women pianists performing today. Suzanne talked with her about her new CD, her career and how motherhood has influenced her art.

Frederic Chiu's intriguing piano-playing and teaching springs from a diverse set of experiences and interests - his Asian/American/European background, his musical training, and an early and ongoing exploration of artificial intelligence and human psychology, especially the body-mind-heart connection. He spoke with Suzanne about his career and his non-traditional techniques.

John Holloway plays "baroque violin" with gut strings and a special bow. He also prefers to use autograph manuscripts of the music he plays so he can learn from the composer's notations and handwriting, and he researches the historic context so they will inform and influence his playing. He's a fan and champion of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Biber, and other 17th and 18th century composers, and has made recordings of their music that are both enjoyable and illuminating. John Holloway chatted with Suzanne about his meticulous and scholarly approach.

Rock musician Sting has a fervent love and curiosity for a wide variety of musical genres. He practices his craft playing Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suites and he learned to play the lute when a friend gave him one as a gift. Sting was so haunted by the life and music of 16th century "alienated singer-songwriter" John Dowland that he finally heeded his friends' urging and recorded some of Dowland's lute songs. Suzanne spoke with Sting and lutenist Edin Karamazov about their collaboration on SONGS FROM THE LABYRINTH, which features Dowland's lute solos, songs, and readings from one of the composer's letters.

Tim Barringer, Paul Mellon Professor of the History of Art at Yale University, and Eleanor Hughes, a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center for British Art, collaborated on a comprehensive interdisciplinary project called ART & MUSIC IN BRITAIN: FOUR ENCOUNTERS 1730 TO 1900. The exhibition combines music, scores, instruments and paintings from various Yale collections, and is on view until December 31, 2006 at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, CT. They talked with Suzanne about this unique project, and especially about the first of the four "encounters," which deals with George Frideric Handel's London from the 1730s to the 1750s.

Robert Wiemken is co-director of Piffaro Renaissance Band in Philadelphia. He sat down with Suzanne to talk about his group, including explaining where the name "Piffaro" comes from. He also talked about the people and instruments in the ensemble, what it takes to find 500-year-old music to play, and gave a surprising revelation that he's not strictly a "renaissance man" in his personal musical tastes.