Classical Music Forum

Tim Page is the chief classical music critic for The Washington Post and the author or editor of a dozen books, including "Dawn Powell: A Biography," "The Glenn Gould Reader," "The Unknown Sigrid Undset," "William Kapell: A Documentary Life History of the American Pianist" and the forthcoming "Tim Page on Music" (Amadeus Press). He won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1997 for his writings about music for The Post.

He has also worked as an artistic adviser (the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra), a radio host (WNYC-FM in New York), a record producer (BMG Catalyst) and, in his younger days, a rock musician and cocktail pianist. A graduate of Columbia University, he lives in Washington with his wife, Julieta Stack.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Tim Page: Good afternoon, and it is a wet one up here in Baltimore. The season is really starting to explode -- City Opera opened last week with Strauss's "Daphne," Washington Opera opened with Giordano's "Andrea Chenier" and the Baltimore Symphony began its season. The National Symphony Orchestra is also back in town, but it's official opening doesn't take place until the end of the month -- right now we're in the middle of "Prelude Concerts" whatever that means.

Looking forward to "Billy Budd" this weekend. I've only seen the Met production, which was kind of a big cutaway of a ship -- very impressive but not very intimate.

I've been loving the new recording by Leon Fleisher. It's entitled "Two Hands" and is the first disc he's done using both of his hands in about four decades. Amazing that this great artist has finally recovered the use of his right hand. His recording of "Sheep May Safely Graze" (in the Egon Petri arrangement) is the soundtrack for my life right now.

Well, let's see what is on the collective mind today.

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Oakton, Va.: I am a love of piano music, and a fan of concert pianists. I am attending Ivo Pogorelich's recital at George Mason on Oct. 31. I'm on the fence though about seeing Pollini at the Kennedy Center that same month; his program is focused on Beethoven. Pollini is a great pianist certainly, but one whose accounts of Beethoven have not won many fans. What do you think? Is this a concert to go to?

Also, can you recommend any up and coming pianists on the local recital schedule this year? Much thanks!;

Tim Page: I'd never miss Pollini in anything -- and I've liked his Beethoven a lot. I have liked Pogorelich somewhat less -- I've found him rather willful and arbitrary in the past -- but I am going to make it out to George Mason to hear him, as it has been some time.

In general, the WPAS Patrick and Evelyn Swarthout Hayes Piano Recital series at the Terrace Theater is an excellent one. The concerts take place on Saturday afternoons, and I've heard hardly a dud in my years on the beat. Right up there with the Vocal Arts Society among Washington's most reliable concert presentations.

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Kansas City, Kan.: Tim,

Just a comment and 2 questions for you. Two weeks ago you were mentioning good music schools and you left three off your list that are great schools - CCM, SMU and Rice.

What do you think of hearing orchestras on tour? It has been my experience that on tour orchestras want to show off a bit and play above their usual level. How can you effectively evaluate their true level if you don't have the budget to fly all over the world?

What is your take on the Cincinnati Symphony? Paavo is a good up and coming conductor do you think that they have what it takes (budget, personnel, will power) to take the orchestra up a level.

Thanks

Tim Page: Yes, as it happens, my dear niece has just begun her studies at Rice -- and she's taking a lot of music courses. I don't know if I'd put any of these schools, fine as they are, on the level of Curtis, Juilliard, New England Conservatory or Indiana, though.

I agree with you -- orchestras usually prepare their best and most daring material to take on the road. I found this out in St. Louis, which was thought to be somewhat radical outside the city but had to keep pretty close to the mainstream to sell tickets at Powell Symphony Hall. I remember one sad evening in particular -- Hans Vonk had worked on a sublime Bruckner Eighth Symphony and we were only able to see about one-third of the tickets.

Haven't heard Cincinnati with Jarvi -- am much looking forward to it.

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Bethesda, Md.: I was sorry to see that Hans Vonk had died. I know you worked with him in St. Louis. How do you think he will be remembered?

Tim Page: Hans was a rare and glorious example of a vanishing breed: a central European maestro in the grand manner, consecrated to his art with a near-priestly devotion. For the business aspects of the music world -- publicity, selling tickets, wining and dining Symphony donors -- he cared nothing at all. Nor was he especially interested in contemporary music. Rather, Hans was concerned with perfecting his long-meditated interpretations of Beethoven, Bruckner, Mahler and Stravinsky, and those
performances glisten in the memory.

Hans led the St. Louis Symphony during a troubled time, when the orchestra was facing what seemed insurmountable financial difficulties and morale was very low. Still, week after week, the musicians rewarded him with some of
the most beautiful orchestral playing I've ever heard.

He referred to himself as a "stubborn Dutchman" -- and, indeed, there was no way to get Hans to do anything he didn't believe in, as I found out repeatedly (and sometimes to my dismay) during my tenure in St. Louis. Yet
there was never any questioning his integrity, his passion, his fundamental musicianship. I liked him, I admired him, and I learned from him.

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Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: You were much too kind to that horrible production of "Andrea Chenier" at the Washington Opera. I wanted to walk out from the very beginning. Why do directors do such terrible things to great operas?

Tim Page: Not much caring for the opera, I sort of liked the production. Maybe we can post my review?

In that review, I made a prediction that those who liked the opera would probably be offended by the decidedly wild and raucous production. If a director had done this kind of makeover to "Les Troyens" or "Orpheus ed Euridice" I think I'd have been outraged, too. As it happened, I found the production fanciful and often more interesting than the opera itself. But that's purely personal, as I tried to convey in my review.

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San Vicente de la Barquera -Cantabria, Spain: Dear Sir:

I have listen your conversation with Glenn Gould and my question is:
1-Do you prefer the Bach ´Golberg Variations version by Gould in 1955 or the second, with a very "reposed" tempo made in 1981?

2-Could you, please , tell me if you should listen first Beethoven ´s Archduke trio or some of the Goldberg variations?

Thanks for your attention
Eliseo, in San Vicente de la Barquera.Cantabria (Northern Spain)

Tim Page: Great to hear from Spain.

I prefer the 1981 version, although 1955 has qualities that are missing from the later recording (notably Gould's early delight in his technical mastery, speeding joyfully through the score, with such exhilarating velocity).

Gould never recorded the "Archduke" Trio, not even on a "pirate" disc. Comparing the intrinsic quality of the two compositions seems an impossible task to me -- apples and oranges, as it were, from different centuries. Both are wonderful works.

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Baltimore, Md.: Hi Tim,

The other day I heard someone say, "Thank God modernism is dead." I don't think this is quite true, but what do you think modernism's role is in music today, and do foresee it ever returning to its former glory?

By the way, I notice that your bio doesn't yet reflect the fact that you are a now a proud Baltimorean.

Tim Page: It seems a frivolous statement to me -- a little like saying "Thank God romanticism is dead." It is both true and untrue, and will probably remain that way. The romantic impulse in music is still recognizable in works ranging from John Corigliano to the late Ralph Shapey (in very different ways!).

I should think that the quest for new musical languages will also continue, albeit with a little less urgency than it did between, say, 1908 and 1973 (to put a not-quite-arbitrary limit on the history of high modernism in music). I DO think that the grammar of music is less important to our contemporary composers than it was 30 years ago -- that content now trumps form and syntax, at least for the moment. But that could change again. Or not.

There was such a strong emphasis placed on making things "new" for much of the 20th century that the very act of unprecedented newness grew somewhat old and tired. Modernism took on an unwonted grayness and academic correctness that was not part of the original plan. It's funny to think of a work such as David Del Tredici's "Final Alice" as radical, but so it seemed in 1976. It broke all the laws of modernism with just as much glee as the modernists broke the laws of the academy 70 years earlier.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hello Tim,
I hope you are settled in in your new Baltimore location. Can we expect regular reviews of the BSO now?
Also, how would you compare the acoustics of the Meyerhoff vs. KC Concert Hall? My opinion is that the Meyerhoff is significantly superior; KC CH is just too 'dead'.
Thanks.

Tim Page: Loving Baltimore, thanks -- although the late night commutes are exhausting. Still, Baltimore is really no further away than Reston or the far side of Springfield, and it has the inestimable blessing of regular train service. And I'm crazy about the city -- funky, friendly, eccentric, and beautiful. Also wonderfully inexpensive.

Can't really venture anything authoritative about Meyerhoff vs. the Kennedy Center yet. But we will be covering the Baltimore Symphony just about every week from now on. As of February, it starts to play a weekly series at Strathmore Hall and so I consider it very much a local orchestra now. The Washington area is the only metropolis in the country I can think of with two full-sized orchestras offering weekly programs throughout the season.

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Washington, DC: On a local public radio station, I heard a live performance at the Grammy Awards by Aretha Franklin of "nessun dorma" (spelling?). Apparently, Pavarotti was supposed to sing it but cancelled, and she was asked to fill in at the last moment. On technical merit, she wouldn't rate high, but on the purely personal, visceral and emotional scale, it was a knockout-- there's a reason why AF is called the "Queen of SOul." Oh yeah, some of it was sung in Italian, some in English. Have you ever heard this performance and what do you think?

Tim Page: I must say it sounds rather grotesque on paper -- but if it worked, why not? Aortas is a great singer and if she wants to take on a tenor aria in a language she doesn't speak, I might cock my head but I'll still listen.

Music is mysterious. Two friends of mine were married about 18 years ago and the music they chose was one of Sarastro's arias played by a young woman on the guitar. (The aria, from Mozart's "Magic Flute," is written for deepest bass.) Sound strange? To be sure, but it couldn't have been more beautiful.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hi Tim!;

I have attended the opening night concert of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and I have a question, pardon my ignorance. The concert started with the "Star Spangled Banner". Is it customary for orchestras to open their seasons with the National Anthem? I have been attending concerts for a while right now but this may have been my first ever season opener; I usually skip these concerts because mostly they are gala-type events.

Having said that, I enjoyed the concert enormously. I will repeat what I said here a few times: that the BSO is the better orchestra, that it has a wonderful string section ( the heart of any orchestra ) and that the Meyerhoff hall is ideal. Too bad Temirkanov is stepping down...

Thanks!;

Tim Page: Opening nights are often preceded by the National Anthem -- and probably more so during tense times.

I, too, thought the concert was a fine one -- so good to hear such a searing Brahms first. Joe, can we post that review?

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Washington, D.C.: Is Jonathan Yardley's move from Baltimore to D.C., and your move from D.C. to Baltimore, part of some kind of official cultural exchange program? What's up with that?

Tim Page: No cultural exchange program -- although I'm sorry not to have Jon for a neighbor here. (In fact, he WAS a neighbor on Capitol Hill in Washington, where he's been living for about five years.)

As for my move north, I simply couldn't afford to live in Washington or any close suburbs. We looked on the Metro route but couldn't find anything that was suitable and affordable. So I took a hard look at Baltimore and loved what I saw. Mark my words -- there are going to be a lot of Washingtonians making the commute before long.

There's an excellent Web site singing the praises of Baltimore -- Baltimore Home Center. This is a remarkably comfortable and simpatico city, and only about 35-50 minutes away by train. I hope to live here for many years.

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Fairfax, Va.: Do you have a favorite classical clarinetist in your CD library?

Tim Page: I'm very fond of the work of Reginald Kell, who was an elegant, poetic, somewhat florid clarinetist who made recordings in the 1930s-1960s. Many of his discs have been reissued and are well worth hunting down.

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washingtonpost.com: Here's the review - On the Bill in Baltimore: Coming Attractions

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Twin Cities, Minn.:
Minneapolis (Minnesota Orchestra); St. Paul (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra) have two orchestras, although the latter, of course, is not full-sized. Both are outstanding, however, and their halls are only about 15-minutes apart.

Interesting article locally this week about guest artists at the Minnesota Orchestra. They are doing more concertos with first chair players this year because they are finding it harder to justify spending the $65k-$75K/performance that the top stars (Perlman, Ma, etc.) require. It makes sense to me, especially as I've tired a bit of seeing the same faces all of the time. The M.O. box office also has is benefitting from the star power of the new conductor, Osmo Vanska, who is making a huge impact here, so maybe they don't need as many star soloists as much as before.

Tim Page: If you get very, very lucky, Strathmore and the Kennedy Center are only about 15-20 minutes apart, too. And I wasn't forgetting the Twin Cities: St. Paul is a lovely group, but not a full sized orchestra.

Of course New York has not only the Philharmonic, but a lot of chamber groups, the Met orchestra, and visiting ensembles throughout the year. But I do think that Washington is the only place with the same two major groups offering dueling concerts, week in, week out. Let's not forget that a lot of the NSO's subscribers live out in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac -- and Strathmore is a lot closer to their homes than the Kennedy Center. (Plus there is free parking.)

The whole move promises to be very interesting, not without challenges for all concerned.

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Fairfax, VA: Re: Cincinnati Symphony: I find Paavo Jarvi a little too aggressive for my taste, but there is never doubt of the excellence of the orchestra. It's up there with the very best. And of course, credit to that should also go to Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Jarvi's predecessor.

Tim Page: That's good to hear. Cincinnati has such a lovely old hall -- I always enjoyed my visits to the May Festival.

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Grosse Pointe, Mich: Hi, Tim-

1.Is this the year James Levine is due to take over at the BSO? Is there any news (or rumors) on his health status?

2. Do you have any knowledge of a youngish American conductor named Hugh Woolf? I recall hearing some spectacular broadcast performances of his, and reading some adoring reviews of him in the N.Y. Times. And then he just suddenly seemed to disappear.

Tim Page: Levine begins his tenure on October 22, with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 8, the so-called "Symphony of a Thousand," in Symphony Hall. Talk about starting things off with a bang! I wouldn't miss it.

I have no first hand knowledge of Levine's health status. When I interviewed him a couple of years ago, I watched him carefully for hand tremors and saw none (he has long been rumored to have Parkinson's Disease or a Parkinson's like ailment). Of course, he may have been having a good day. I hope he is well, for he's an extraordinary musician and I think he'll be just what the Boston Symphony Orchestra needs.

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Lancaster, Calif.: On Saturday, I'll be going to the Los Angeles Opera's production of "Ariadne auf Naxos." Since I was unfamiliar with opera, I watched a video of it. But I'm puzzled by it. I found it humorous -- especially the first half. Is it supposed to be?

Tim Page: Oh yes -- a good "Ariadne" should be hilarious. Imagine turning the Marx Brothers loose in a Greek tragedy and you have the basic idea behind this opera. It is one of the first great works of post-modernism -- humor and high tragedy, slapstick and cosmic ruminating, all co-existing within the same crowded acts. It's a glorious work -- I hope the production is a solid one.

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Washington, D.C.: I, too, am looking forward to Billy Budd ... finally, some Britten! I saw the Met's Billy Budd, and though it was huge, it still punched the emotional buttons. And with that orchestra! But I'm leery of Francesca Zambello after Die Walkure of last year. I've seen lots and lots of Rings and Walkure's and even like fresh interpretations, but wanted to yell out "Stop all the excess!!" The Ride of the Valkyries was ruined by all the extra creatures throwing mummies around and writhing and dancing! Can't we let the music speak for itself? The distractions were maddening. Will she let Billy Budd alone?

Tim Page: I have no idea what Francesca Zambello will make of "Billy Budd." She is most unpredictable. We'll find out this weekend, I guess.

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Minneapolis, Minn.: Tim:

Having been a resident of the D.C. area, I share your views about the quality of classical radio in that area. I stopped listening when I lived there.

Until now, we here in the Twin Cities have been blessed to have two classical stations -- one run by Minnesota Public Radio and one by St. Olaf College. Both are very good stations -- along the lines of what WETA was years and years ago. However, WCAL, the radio station currently owned by St. Olaf College, has been sold to Minnesota Public Radio (pending FCC approval) and spokesmen for MPR have strongly suggested its format will be changed. There is a Web site being run by the opponents of the sale -- http://www.savewcal.org/ -- but I fear the sale will be permitted and MPR will turn WCAL into a WGMS or talkie-talkie WETA. MPR may damage itself in the long run, because it may lose listener dollars at pledge time -- one may ask why it needs to run pledges if it can easily buy other stations.

Thanks for listening.

Tim Page: Thanks for calling this to our attention.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: My mother is coming to visit for the month of December from a small California town where she does not often have the chance to hear/see live performances. She has already said she wants to go to Handel's Messiah. I know there are many performances in this area, but which one will be the "best"? I don't want a sing-a-long, but a true performance where the music is at the heart of it.

Thank you. (I'm posting early because my kids get out of school at 3:00.)

Tim Page: Perhaps I'm getting easy in my old age, but I've found most of the "Messiah" performances I've heard around D.C. pretty strong. Choristers love to sing it, and bring an enthusiasm to their work that isn't always apparent in other pieces. The NSO usually does a good "Messiah"; likewise, a number of the local choruses.

On the other hand, I can't think of any "Messiah" that I'd guarantee a priori. You'll be able to find a lot of performances in December -- and only a few of them are sing along.

I hope you have a good visit.

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Twin Cities: Regarding Hugh Wolff,

He conducted the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for 12 years or so then left around 2000 to lead the orchestra in Frankfurt.

Tim Page: I'm sorry -- I'm typing so fast I didn't get to answer the secondary query about Hugh Wolff.

I, too, find him a compelling musician. He did a fine job with the NSO here a couple of years back.

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Washington, D.C.: One more thing about Aretha. Yes, it does indeed sound strange, but I was captivated by the performance even before I knew who it was. the radio announcer said got so many calls that she played it again. She also said Aretha sang it as a tenor- is that possible? I believe this performance is on some kind of anthology but have never spotted it.

Tim Page: I suppose it's possible she sang it as a tenor -- or at least in the tenor range. Still, her voice has a markedly different quality from that of Pavarotti -- it's not really an operatic voice. At least, I wouldn't have thought so.

I've got to track this down.

Many thanks to all who joined us today. We'll talk again in another two weeks.

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