Frank Levy a “musician’s composer”

My friendship with Frank Levy began over 15 years ago.  He is one of the most prolific composers I have ever known and Ive had the privilege of premiering numerous works of his, many written for me. Ive recorded two CDs for Naxos featuring his viola music and this weekend I will give the world premiere of his Concerto for Solo Viola, Winds, Brass and Percussion in Omaha.  This is the second concerto for viola and wind ensemble written for me.(the other “wind -concerto” I premiered in Melbourne by Sydney-based composer Houston Dunleavy)  Ive always been interested in performing with winds and unconventional groups.  I remember a wonderful week in Bologna where I gave the premiere an entire program of works written for me for viola and celli and basses. I’ve also have many wonderful multi-movement works written for viola and choir.

What I specifically love about playing with winds is the fact that I constantly learn about phrasing from them.  Us string players can breathe and even speak while playing but a flutist or clarinetist cannot do this. In fact, much like a singer, a wind player must make the breathing process a part of the music.  They are constantly working on breathe control. Us string players could learn much from them. I often use the metaphor of the bow as gills of a fish or the lungs of a singer because the same principal applies with sound production, spinning the sound, projecting an idea and making a long-arching phrase. This is why for over 13 years I have performed with the Halcyon Trio(a viola, clarinet, piano trio which I co-founded)

Frank levy has written 2 trios for my group and I have had the pleasure of performing other amazing works by Frank such as:

Sonata for Viola Alone

Suite for Solo Viola*

Apostrophe for viola, piano and xylophone*

Duo Concertante for viola and guitar*

Mythic Transformations for viola and clarinet*

Toot de Suite for viola and bassoon(for me and my son, Graham)*

Trio for viola, clarinet and bassoon*

Three viola and piano sonatas*(1st sonata was written in the 1960’s but third sonata was in fact written for me)

Ten Songs on Love and the Mind for mezzo(or baritone), viola and piano*

Double concerto for viola and piano and strings(to be premiered next season in Los Angeles)*

Triple concerto for viola, bassoon and piano and strings (also to be premiered next season in L.A.)

and his very first viola concerto written for me for solo viola and full orchestra*

I have also been a part of the world premiere of his Bass Quintet*

To Peace, with Love for viola, clarinet and choir*

(*composed for, dedicated to  and premiered by me)

I think Frank’s genius is in his tonal language which is very evocative of central European “Bloch-like” octatonic scales combining beautiful melodic lines and folk dance rhythms.  There is a “Mystical” quality to his sound world that is both haunting and also enriching to hear and to perform. Being a cellist for many decades he really knows how to write for strings, especially viola and cello.  He is really a musician’s composer, much like a theatre or film director who is called an actor’s director.  He is one of us and that is a great advantage when attempting to bring to life an idea.

Personally he is almost one of most flexible composers to work with.  Although he has decades of experience(over 14 quartets and 4 symphonies to his credit) he always listens to my questions, comments, and even sometimes criticisms.  This humility and desire to make the end product really “work” is one of the many things I find so satisfying about working with Frank.  I always try to perform through a new work in his apartment in Northern New Jersey which I always find to be both illuminating and somewhat inspiring.  He has such a great ear and always gives very helpful and probing insight to the music and to my playing.  

I feel privileged to have and worked with him for so many wonderful years.  It is a musical relationship and special friendship I treasure and hope will continue for many more years to come!

Well Im back from Brazil where I had a fantastic time. The International Music Festival in Gramado took place last week. After a 26 hour day of getting there with two plane delays I woke up to this view from my bedroom window:

and breakfast was:

So I didnt mind too much that my luggage took two extra days to find me. After food like this I sincerely doubted my clothes would fit anyway...I immediately began looking for stores that sold affordable "stretch pants."

Teaching from 9-12 every day was so much fun. The students were of all levels from very beginning to professional level and, while I had to rely on all my ideas to help everyone, somehow we all managed to have a great time!

                   

Another great pleasure was making so many wonderful new friends from the orchestras of Brazil who attended as faculty teachers.

We performed a chamber music/ solo concert Wednesday evening at a lovely church in the center of town. I performed Frank Levy's solo sonata and my own transcription of Summertime (since it was actually summertime there now!) 

someone made a video of my performances

so here they are:

Frank Levy solo sonata

Summertime (arranged by Brett Deubner)

some press:

http://www.gramado.rs.gov.br/noticias/id/professor-americano-de-viola-visita-a-prefeitura-de-gramado

Each evening a concert took place in the outdoor Galleria in downtown Gramado where the young children gave concerts of both classical and folk music. The audiences were so appreciative!

https://www.facebook.com/bdeubner?fref=photo

So many incredible meals we had! Great lunches from traditional Italian immigrant style food to evening fondue restaurants! Its a minor miracle I could actually fit into my airplane seat home!

The final event was the festival orchestra performance, led by the charismatic Maestro Linus Lerner. He led the orchestra in a week-long intensive journey of orchestra playing and did a spectacular job in the final performance!

I thoroughly enjoyed performing Bruch's Romance for Viola and Orchestra with these lovely people!

                               

here is a rough video of the performance:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205605485994085&pnref=story

To be able to travel and perform beautiful music as well as pass on what I have learned to eager students, there is no greater way to spend a week!  I look very much forward to my return!

A warm thanks goes out to the administration staff , the amazing faculty and guest artists, the incredible conductor and most importantly the founders of this festival Leandro and Allan!

 

with Allan the Founder of the festival 

                  with Maestro Linus Lerner

with some of the amazing administration

Hope to see you all very soon!

Brett

Tranquillo: go with the flow

I have a special love for Ecuador. 

It was there that I really learned the meaning of “tranquillo.” I was invited to give the world premiere of a new viola concerto with the festival orchestra. I remember my first time landing in Quito. The city is 10,000 feet above sea level! Such wonderful weather too. People there say all the seasons occur everyday. Rainy in the morning, dry and sunny in the afternoon and chilly in the evening. So, after being there for three days I go  to the rehearsal with the orchestra where I first meet the conductor.  He appeared very excited to see me. He said,”Maestro, welcome to Ecuador. Im afraid we cannot play your concerto.”  Attempting to contain myself, they explained that the orchestra parts never arrived.  Of course my first instinct was to blurt out,”Why didnt you tell me this a long time ago?” For some reason I held my tongue and just took it all in. “Well, Ive travelled a long way to play with you all, so what do you want to do?” He said that they did have one viola concerto in their library, the Telemann G major concerto...without the solo viola part.  So I asked them to show me to their office where after several attempts to remember my password to some free download sheet music site I managed to print out the solo part.  Id taught the piece numerous times but never learned it or performed it myself. So that night in my hotel room I practiced the piece ( with cadenzas I was not familiar with) and the next day had the “final rehearsal.”  they were wonderful! Such warm people. We got along wonderfully. That night we gave the performance in a lovely 17th century colonial period cathedral for over two thousand people plus live TV!  

It was explained to me that here in Ecuador you need to be “tranquillo” and just know that things will work out. It was a great lesson.  Two years later I was engaged to perform the Bartok concerto with the Orquesta Sinfonico del Loja and this time, when the prinicipal violist contacted me to say they did not have the orchestra parts to the piece I was much more laid back about it. I simply called my good friend from Caracas who happens to be the president of El Sistema and he overnighted the parts to Loja.  Rather than freaking out and being indignant I decided to be “tranquillo” and reach out to a friend. The result was the very first performance of the Bartok viola concerto in Ecuador! Sometimes when something happens unexpectedly our first impulse is to freak out but being there amongst those wonderful people made me realize that you must go with it, roll with it and trust. Things have a way of working out, perhaps not the way you imagined, but if you are “tranquillo” the music will happen.

There is a simplicity and humility in Ecuador that is refreshing. They love their local music, their Latin dances and their sense of family. It is a great place to go and “recharge” my battery.  The brass section of the orchestra can often be found playing in a a salsa band at night.  There is an amazing El Sistema youth orchestra in Quito that performs at such a high level the Ecuadorian president declared them to be a full time professional orchestra! When I go to solo with one of the big city orchestras there such as Loja and Quito I am always expected to not only give viola masterclasses  for the young people, but also conduct sectionals and often multiple private lessons with the viola section! At first this was a bit uncomfortable for me. Regardless of how good these players were, they were the local pros, the ones everyone went to for their lessons.  One would never do this in the US or Europe. But these pros realized they wanted to get better and that was all that mattered. What I found amazingly refreshing was how humble and earnest in their willingness to learn they were. It really was an amazing experience for everyone. I found that even though I did not speak Spanish, simple imitation and demonstration often sufficed.  There was a child-like eagerness in their eyes. After the group lessons we would all go out to dinner with their families at some smoky outdoor barbeque restaurant eating and laughing for hours. It was like being a part of a big family. 

And the economic situation there for professional musicians was so different. These top level musicians were making  less than 1/4 of many regional US orchestras,(less than 800/month) and they often lived in very small apartments with their extended families.  But you dont miss what you dont have or dont know. They live simply and are wonderfully content.  And people would talk to one another, not stare at their iphones! What a way to live.  Many wonderful musicians from Europe would retire from their jobs there and move to Ecuador to live more simply. I remember playing Harold in Italy one season in Quito and started talking to one of the cellists of the National Symphony. He looked European as he was quite tall and had light skin. Indeed I was amazed to learn he was a former member of the Vienna Philharmonic and moved to Quito to play in their orchestra and make soaps for a living! Every day there seemed to be something to celebrate. Such a joyous people where family and music were central to their lives.  I recommend this wonderful country to everyone. Though sometimes I get wrapped up in the day to day craziness of my life, Ecuador and its amazing people taught me all about “tranquillo” and to just go with the flow.

   Its Saturday morning in December. I got up at 6 am to make breakfast and pack a lunch for my son who takes a 7 am train into New York City to Juilliard Pre-College.  He’s a bassoonist and simply loves it.   My youngest daughter plays the piano, but not too seriously. My role as Dad can be a challenging one when there are other family members who play music.  When someone is practicing I try (but mostly fail) to resist the urge to pounce on them and sit there. Sometimes a helping hand is needed but mostly positive encouragement is whats most helpful.  We all have such busy schedules that my most common “aside” to them if I hear them practicing inefficiently or repeatedly too fast will be to simply “slow down.”  We all know how practicing slowly is the quickest way to really learning a piece and having it stick.

   Speaking of stick, just as soon as I finish teaching a student at the house this morning, I will be drive my youngest son to his lacrosse game. His lacrosse sticks are on the floor in the kitchen...almost tripped over them as I drive to the train station. My oldest daughter comes downstairs and tells me I need to make an appetizer dish for the high school dance tonight.  We are going to think of something fun to make that is not too hard. My youngest daughter, the pianist, has a swim meet this afternoon which I hope to make. I think its possible as long as I get back from the lacrosse game in time. Of course she also hopes we can get the Christmas tree today...no comment. 

   As soon as the swim meet is over I should get home just in time to teach another student. He is a senior in high school and is auditioning for Juilliard, among other schools. Helping my older students prepare for their next chapter in music and life is such an important and daunting task I find.  Writing letters of recommendation, getting them ready for their auditions, advising them on the schools I think are best for them are such crucial roles we play as teachers and mentors. When his lesson finishes it will be 5 pm.  Ill then make that appetizer I promised Id make for the party and make dinner for everyone while Im at it. 

   My son, the bassoonist, was offered two tickets to the NY Phil tonight; Dvorak 7 is one of my favorites. so muscular and exciting! I think I will give my ticket to my wife who works so hard during the week as an English teacher. She deserves a break and I think going into town and spending some time with him will be nice. Tonight, while I wait for my oldest daughter to get home from her high school dance I should have time to practice a bit...but for now, more coffee and dreaming of Monday when I can really practice and prepare for my upcoming concerts. But for now, I'm Dad and I would not change it for the world.

Sir William Walton Concerto for Viola and Orchestra

Dear friends and fellow violists,

     This blog has not only served as a place to talk about fun trips and travels with my viola but also to discuss some viola and career topics. With spring less than a month away and the snow ceasing to relent its icy hold on us, thoughts of summer come to mind.

I thought I would post a link to some master classes I have done the last few seasons that touch on some important issues I bring up during classes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn7vsHpIlec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4k1-cTM6X0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXA_Pr6gyWM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEkhnqEm1-s

http://vimeo.com/14042638

This summer I return to the incredible heat of Texas where I will teach and perform at the International Festival of Round Top.  www.festivalhill.org 

Later in the summer I will return to Tuscany and perform/teach at Musica Horti Negli before heading to Provence where I will host my first "viola class" in beautiful Lourmarin, France.                   http://www.musicaneglihorti.it/?lang=en

I hope everyone has a great spring-summer full of great musical experiences!

Brett

Musical Practicing

Last week I was invited to give a master class at La Guardia Arts High School in New York City.
While I was struck by the wonderful talent there, I saw a recurring pattern in the way young students prepare music. Even more advanced students at festivals and chamber groups with which I work suffer from a practice method that often doesn't work.  Here is my take on the problem: 

Learning a new piece usually is broken down into two parts.

part 1: slowing learning "the notes, understanding the rhythms, figuring out the bowings, fingerings..."

part 2:  after mastering all the "technical aspects" of the piece, is the musical side: the phrasing, developing the singing quality of the line(vibrato, dynamics) and gaining a better understanding of how a piece in its totality it put together(a quartet, or a sonata, or a concerto.)

Here is the problem I see with this process...it takes twice as long.
Why not combine the first and second parts? I think the key to combining these two parts is Slow Practice.

Everyone knows that slow practice is key. We are always told this. If I hear my son practicing too fast I cant resist advising him to slow it down. We are taught to do passages in rhythms and to implement the metronome, building up the tempo.  Ive heard many students build up the tempo and then when they "perform" , it falls apart. Here in lies the problem with the conventional method of slow practice: when practicing slow one tends to only incorporate part 1 to slow practice and not part 2.

Combine parts 1 and 2 in your daily slow practice:

Playing musically is a technique in itself. Use slow practice to work on connecting bow strokes, develop continuous vibrato from one note to another, make you shifts slower, more fluid and seamless while, at the same time learning the notes...slowly.  When we practice a technical passage slowly, something in our brain turns off. Its like Commander Data from Star Trek: he turns his "emotion chip" off and goes into computer mode.  Why not "always" have your "emotion chip" on, especially when practicing slowly?  This will end up saving you time in the long run.  And as an added benefit, the more you practice "musically" the better prepared you will be when you find yourself in a stressful situation such as an audition or high stakes performance.  The musical practice you did "while learning the technique" will help carry you through especially if nerves are a factor. 

So give this a try for the next new piece or etude you prepare. From the onset, practice the piece slowly AND musically.  You may feel like you are learning a piece slower, but you may surprise yourself at how much quicker you are really preparing this piece and future ones!  And besides, its more fun to practice slowly while keeping the music going!