Tuesday, September 20, 2016

A Delicious War Erupts at the Delaware Theatre Company

The North American premiere of Warren Adler’s tour de force black comedy The War of the Roses opens the Delaware Theatre Company (DTC’s) 2016-17 season. This devilishly witty play exposes the dark side of divorce and invites the audience to savor in its mayhem.

Christina DeCicco & Jake Noseworthy play the doomed couple.
The story is mostly told through flashbacks while the couple – Jonathan Rose, a high-powered Washington, DC lobbyist and his “arm candy” wife Barbara – are meeting with their lawyers to discuss divorce. The play takes the audience on a journey from their first encounter as naïve, idealistic 20-somethings at an auction to the deconstruction of their 18-year marriage in their lavish home.

Over the past 18 years, Jonathan has become successful in the DC political scene, while Barbara (who quit college to marry the then-struggling law student) has accompanied her husband to countless business dinners and parties, while raising their two children. She completed decorating their grand home with fine furniture and art and now she’s ready for a new project – making and selling her gourmet pâté.  Jonathan is not interested in supporting his wife’s new venture; instead, he wants her to remain the perfect wife and mother. Unhappy with his lack of support, Barbara begins to fall out of love and eventually wants a divorce.

Since Barbara worked years creating the perfect home, she feels that Jonathan should be the one to leave…but Jonathan has no plans to move.  To try and rectify the problem, Jonathan and Barbara are instructed by their lawyers to annoy the other one to the point that one of them will leave. The couple goes beyond annoying each other and begins a battle royal when their children leave for camp, escalating into a full-fledged war of will and wit. Director Bud Martin has a keen ability to execute dark, menacing scenes while finding the humor in them. Thankfully, he has a stellar cast ready to tackle the physical and emotional challenges this piece demands.

Jack Noseworthy and Christina DeCicco are spectacular as Jonathan and Barbara. They are tasked with making their characters likeable while demonstrating appalling behaviors, a feat not easily done. These seasoned actors understand the importance of fully developing their characters so the audience connects with them and finds humor in their despicable actions.
  
Lenny Wolpe as Jonathan’s lawyer, Goldstein, and Cameron Folmar, as Barbara’s lawyer, Thurmont, are also delightful. Mr. Wolpe, a rabbi-turned-lawyer, provides Jewish proverbs to help guide Jonathan through the divorce, while the waspy Thurmont seems to get bored with Barbara’s antics, focusing more on sporting activities while meeting with her. The rest of the ensemble cast including Adam Altman, Eric Kramer, Brian McCann, Kerry Kristine McElrone, and Karen Peakes are hysterical as members of the DC elite during an explosive dinner party scene.

As with most recent DTC productions, the set is an important character. Designer Paul Tate DePOO III has meticulously created the Rose’s magnificent two-story home from the fine furnishings to the gigantic crystal chandelier that plays an important part in the outcome of the war. Unfortunately, the gorgeous set is destroyed by the end of the play – much like the characters’ marriage.

The War of the Roses is the perfect guilty pleasure. Don’t miss it before it closes on October 2nd. For tickets and additional information, visit www.delawaretheatre.org.   

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Ladybug Festival Hits Milestones, Announces Exciting Strides

Just over a month ago, something truly breathtaking happened in the 2nd & LoMa (Lower Market Street) area of downtown Wilmington (catch a glimpse of it all in the video at right) --- over 7,000 people from neighborhoods throughout our city joined with folks as far as Baltimore and New York City to celebrate women in music.  For readers unfamiliar with Wilmington's Ladybug Festival, here’s a quick rundown. 

Back in 2011, local entertainment company Gable Music Ventures wanted to produce an event to serve as a free, local alternative to the newly announced Firefly Festival. Why? Gable owners Gayle Dillman and Jeremy Hebbel had heard from musicians and fans alike a need for more presence for Delaware artists and an affordable musical festival option. 

2016 Ladybug Festival. Photo by Moonloop Photography.
Gable Music dove into action, delivering a free, live music "block party" in just six weeks, with 20 local female artists in five locations on Lower Market Street in Wilmington. The concept proved a hit, especially under its moniker of Ladybug --- the official state bug of Delaware. 

The Festival's popularity has grown each year, and 2016 was a groundbreaking year for Ladybug in attendance and scope: Ten stages of music ran throughout the day with headlining national acts Mary Lambert and Caroline Rose.  The generous outpouring of support from the community over the past 5 years has led to a pivotal decision from Gable: To expand the event into a two-day festival in Summer 2017.

The decision comes as a result of astounding response from artists across the country, notes Dillman, with nearly 3,000 artists showing interest.  Gable will take on the Herculean task of paring the list down to just 55 artists, when the event will take place on Thursday, July 20 and Friday, July 21.

The expanded footprint Gable will present also has plans for educational seminars on Friday, July 21, with music industry professionals coming together to mentor Delaware artistsFriday evening will be another musical block party, celebrating women at a yet-to-be-determined location.

Thanks to Drexel alumna Erica Dillman, who attended this summer's Ladybug Festival with associate Tristan Seyek, for capturing and sharing the wonderful video footage here! 

Monday, August 22, 2016

CD Review: Richard Raw's "Word Warrior"

The opening track of artist and activist Richard Raw’s Word Warrior, called Intro: R.A.P, is a short and detailed history of rap, from Melle Mel to now. It’s a fitting intro, as Raw represents the now in every way --he speaks on racial injustice and the current climate of discord as Black Americans are once again standing up to systemic racism.

That may sound like bleak subject matter, but Raw goes for inspiration as he speaks directly to the Black Community of Wilmington and beyond to Rise Up, Don’t Let Them Take Your Crown, and Shine Yo Light, three melodic tracks that lead into the Afrocentric Chaka Zulu then on to the reggae beat of Word Warrior, featuring Jahiti of BrownFish. True to its name, the title track uses words and rhyme to spread his message of empowerment.

Word Warrior isn’t all about activism; about midway though, it shifts with Cool, followed by what should have been the hit of the summer, At the BBQ featuring Ann Letreece. It’s a celebration of Black culture and community (and, of course, food). Ain’t Nothing Like a Woman is all about respect and love, while Watch Your Health is a hip-hop PSA that reminds folks to eat healthy while still managing to groove. While the topics on the back end are less political, they still focus on the Black experience: Close-knit communities, faith, family, music, and culture.

Raw knows the history of those that came before him, both as a musician and an activist, and he weaves them into the stories he tells with humility. There’s no posturing, no glitz, no hype. In a time when using words against the status quo can be downright dangerous, Raw really is a warrior.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Serafin String Quartet Welcomes Violist Sheila Browne

Post content courtesy of press release from Serafin String Quartet...
Serafin String Quartet (SSQ) is pleased to welcome Shelia Browne as its new violist. Ms. Browne replaces Esme Allen-Creighton, who stepped down after four years with SSQ to pursue a degree in music therapy.

Ms. Browne has also recently been named the new Assistant Professor of Viola at University of Delaware's Department of Music. She joins both the University and the Quartet from her position at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she has been on the faculty for 10 years.

The Quartet is delighted that Ms. Browne has accepted the position. They will be working together this summer to prepare for an exciting first season, with performances at the University of Delaware, where the Quartet has recently accepted re-appointment as Quartet in Residence for the next three years.

A preview of SSQ's 2016-2017 season, including performance dates on local series at The Arts at Trinity and The Music School of Delaware, will be announced soon.

See www.serafinquartet.org.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Candlelight (Re)Introduces You to the Classic, "The Music Man"

New Candlelight Theatre's production of The Music Man.
Photo by Ken Grant
By Guest Blogger, Ken Grant
Ken Grant has worked in Delaware media, politics and marketing for 25 years. He and his Lovely Bride enjoy Wilmington's arts and culture scene as much as they can.


Meredith Wilson was born in Mason City, Iowa in 1902 and played flute in John Philip Sousa's band from 1921-1923. He went on to a full and successful career in music, radio and film. This background and experience was clearly the inspiration behind his biggest hit 
– The Music Man.

The musical is based in the Summer of 1912 and centers on the exploits of a two-bit con man with no expertise who gets the town of River City, Iowa convinced that there's a danger to the town's future and their only hope is to buy what he's selling. Thank goodness we live in 2016 and everyone is too sophisticated to fall for such fear-mongering from such a blatantly dishonest and opportunistic fraud. :)

Fortunately, the good people at The Candlelight Theatre in Arden are able to transport us back in time to enjoy a summer of pageants in the small town that grows to to accept and even live the con man. The con man 
– "Professor" Harold Hill  is portrayed pitch-perfectly by Bob Miller. Through Miller, the audience can see the gears turning as he charms the town's women and convinces the men to join voices and divert attention away from his lack of credentials.

While the town's transformation occurs at a steady pace throughout the production, Hill's growth is more of a slow burn that reveals itself late in the second act.

The primary inspiration for that growth is the town's librarian and legitimate music teacher, Marion Paroo, played by Lauren Krigel. She exudes strength, smarts and clarity, seeing through Hill's deceptions, but also seeing a way to challenge him into becoming more than he expected.

The more than 20 cast members bring River City to life
 with voices and choreography that fills the entire theater space.

The heart and soul of The Music Man is, of course, music. With such iconic songs as Trouble, Seventy-Six Trombones, Gary, Indiana and Shipoopi (to name a few), the audience finds itself smiling and toe-tapping during the production.

Whether you've seen the film, enjoyed the cast album or have yet to experience Meredith Wilson's masterpiece, you should make your way to Arden to enjoy this fun production (and tasty buffet dinner included with your ticket price).

The Music Man plays through August 28 at The Candlelight Theatre.


Monday, July 18, 2016

Wilmington’s Creative District Unveils Veterans Freedom Mural

Content of this post courtesy of press release from the Creative District Wilmington...


Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) and Creative District Wilmington dedicated the Veterans Freedom Mural on Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at Marcella’s House in downtown Wilmington. Governor Jack Markell and Secretary of State Jeff Bullock were among the distinguished speakers at the event.

The Veterans Freedom Mural, Getting Back to the World, is the inaugural project for Wilmington’s first-ever free public art training program, entitled Public Art Prep Program (PAPP). Creative District Wilmington and Connections Community Support Programs, Inc., partnered to develop PAPP as an opportunity for local artists to learn new skills as well as expand their experience in neighborhood mural-making by combining community engagement practices and public art-making techniques.

The Veterans Freedom Mural is on the exterior wall of Marcella’s House, a 31-unit veterans’ residential facility owned by Connections Community Support Programs, Inc. at the intersection of 9th and Washington Streets. Mural-making at its core is a community process, and the Veterans Freedom Mural is a collaborative effort that engaged a number of key stakeholders in community planning meetings and community paint days.

Muralist Eric Okdeh was the lead artist on the project, and facilitated workshops where artists observed and learned from his process, practicing the techniques while creating the Veterans Freedom Mural. Okdeh facilitated community engagement meetings, teaching participants how to elicit feedback and distill it into mural imagery. Participants learned how to use the parachute cloth method to create the mural and the actual installation of parachute cloth. They also learned how to create and install glass mosaic. Participants who

completed the Public Art Prep Training workshop series received a non-credit certificate of completion.

See www.creativedistrictwilm.com.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

DelShakes' The Comedy of Errors Delivers Madcap Fun Under the Stars

By Guest Blogger, Ken Grant
The Comedy of Errors stage at Rockwood Park. Photo by Alessandra Nicole.

Ken Grant has worked in Delaware media, politics and marketing for 25 years. He and his Lovely Bride enjoy Wilmington's arts and culture scene as much as they can. 

Before the Stooges and the Marx Brothers, there was The Comedy of Errors.

The play, one of William Shakespeare’s earlier works, is a madcap, slapstick, double mistaken-identity romp.

True confession: While driving to the opening night performance at the beautiful Rockwood Mansion, this reviewer asked his Lovely Bride to pull up the play synopsis on her smartphone and read it to him. Arguably, to offer a written synopsis of the play will lead to frustration and confusion for both writer and reader – The Comedy of Errors simply must be experienced.

And the experience with this cast and musicians under the direction of David Stradley is delightful, fun and surprising.

Luke Brahdt and Brendan Moser play the identical twins – both named Antipholus – separated at birth by shipwreck.
Chase Byrd and Sean Close play the identical twins – both named Dromio – separated at birth by shipwreck.


(L-R): Brian Reisman (Dromio of Ephesus), Luke Brahdt (Antipholus
of Ephesus), Abdul Sesay (Officer). Photo by Alessandra Nicole.
Go back and re-read those last two sentences, and you’ll see why a written synopsis can be confusing and frustrating.

[Quick side note]: If you are a high school English teacher who only has your students read Shakespeare’s plays, please stop. Allow the students to experience the power, comedy, drama, tension, fullness, beauty, grittiness and even the silliness of Shakespeare through a live performance or even a video – you will help to shape a better future for all of us. [End of side note.]

The performances by this cast are wonderfully over-the-top, the dialog is downright musical, and the choreography has all of the fun of slapstick with none of the pain.

Everything about this comedy supports the creativity and innovation that is associated with the Delaware Shakespeare Festival: a long runway for a stage with doors on wheels; colorful lighting, costuming that is at once colorful and useful (remember, two sets of twins – the costumes really help in keeping the whole thing straight); and a jazz trio – saxophone, bass, percussion – that perfectly sets and elevates the tone throughout the performance.

If you're ready for a lighthearted, fun, engaging evening, you'll want to get these tickets, pack your lawn chairs or picnic blankets and come out to Rockwood Mansion. Oh, and read the signs on the sidewalk on the way up; there’s some great information there that will make the show that much more enjoyable.

The Comedy of Errors runs for 13 performance this month, Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30pm with gates opening at 6:15pm for preshow entertainment and picnics. Sunday performances begin at 6:00pm (gates open at 4:45pm). No shows are scheduled for Monday or Tuesday nights, although Tuesday, July 26 is a rain date, if needed.

The fourth annual Janssen’s Market Picnic Contest – in which patrons bring their best spreads to compete for the coveted Picnic Contest trophy and bragging rights – will take place on Saturday, July 23. General admission to the festival is $18 (some of the most affordable live theater tickets around). Tickets are $16 for seniors (65+), and active military (and their families), with identification. Student tickets are $14. Children 5 and under are free at every performance.

Every Sunday is Family Night, with special activities for children 12 and under admitted free with a paid adult admission.

See www.delshakes.org.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Delaware Symphony Orchestra Closes Its 16-17 Season at Gold Ballroom

By Christine Facciolo

One of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra’s greatest strengths is its roster of talented musicians that can be called upon to organize performances in a wide range of complexity and moods in a single evening.

The result is often a delightfully strange assemblage of pieces and the orchestra’s final chamber series concert of the season — “David Amado and Friends” 
 in The Gold Ballroom of the Hotel du Pont was one of the most curious, featuring Schubert’s richly lyrical Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 99, Shostakovich’s polystylistic Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 67 and Ysaye’s virtuosic Sonata No. 4 for Solo Violin.

The first item on the program — the Ysaye Sonata 
 was also the most notable outlier. Though not as well-known as Nos. 2 and 3, this sonata is fiercely expressive and violinist Erica Miller captured its virtuosity perfectly. Her mastery of the instrument was complete: her downbow attacks were strong, her intonation precise. She took a rhapsodic approach to the opening Allemnda, showed a reverent calm in the Sarabande and delivered the pyrotechnics of the Finale with poise.

The rest of the pre-intermission portion of the concert was taken up with the Shostakovich trio, one of his most enduringly popular compositions. It was written in 1944 in memory of one of the composer’s closest friends, polymath Ivan Sollertinsky, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack that same year. Shostakovich had also lived through the siege of Leningrad and his anxiety about death permeates the entire work.

Cellist Naomi Gray opened the trio with a note that would be challengingly high, even for a violin. Gray succeeded in striking a delicate balance between beauty and pain which continued as the other instruments joined in. Violinist Luigi Mazzocchi executed the relentlessly jabbing notes of the second movement without sacrificing clarity or intonation. DSO Music Director David Amado’s dramatic phrasing and scrupulous attention to dynamics carried the third movement which consists of a series of heart-wrenching variations over the piano’s bass line. The work culminates in a dance-like finale which features Shostakovich’s first use of Jewish klezmer music, a reference to the influences of the Holocaust around him. The performance concluded with barely audible notes in each instrument’s highest register, moving the whole affair into a different realm.

After intermission, the musicians offered a glittering performance of Schubert’s Piano Trio in B-flat Major, D. 898. This piece was a perfect showcase for the players’ keen sense of ensemble. The performance was a true dialog between piano and strings as well as between the strings themselves. The first and second movements featured song-like phrases from each other players while the scherzo received a sense of urgency. The Rondo finale was full of surprises as the musicians accommodated the sudden accents, key changes and false endings that permeated the movement.

All in all, the trio played with a joyous emerging that brought Schubert’s trio and the concert — and season — to a rousing conclusion.


Delaware Chamber Music Festival Wraps 31st Season

By Christine Facciolo

The Delaware Chamber Music Festival (DCMF) turned to Scandinavia for the penultimate concert of its 31st season, programming works by some famous and not-so-famous Nordic composers.

The concert opened with a performance of Handel/Halvorsen’s Passacaglia for violin and cello. Halvorsen (1864-1935) was a celebrated violinist, conductor and composer best remembered today for this brilliant extrapolation of Handel’s passacaglia for an intrepid duo of two masterful musicians, in this case Hirono Oka, violin and Burchard Tang, viola. DCMF Music Director and Violinist Barbara Govatos noted that the piece is primarily used for educational purposes, so it was a real treat to hear it performed in concert.

It is indeed amazing to hear how much music a composer can coax out of the scant resources of two stringed instruments. Some of the variations require numerous double and triple stops and multi-note chords to achieve full four-part harmony while others employ swift melodic lines to create a linear harmonic effect over time. The result was a jaw-dropping dialog between two virtuosic performers.

The brilliance of the Handel/Halvorsen segued to the serious of Sibelius’ String Quartet in D minor (Voces intimae) delivered with strength and sympathy. The four musicians showed polish and clear phrasing in the opening Andante; conveyed purpose and excitement in the perpetual motion of the Vivace; captured the dream-like quality of the Adagio; charmed in the Allegretto and brought frantic energy to the closing Allegro.

The final offering of the concert was Grieg’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 27. Like Sibelius, Grieg attempted the genre several times but left only one mature effort in the form. The Quartet tells the tale of minstrels who sell their souls to a water sprite in exchange for virtuosity. Grieg manages to imbue the work with a richness and scope that evoke the power of an orchestra with just four string players. The ensemble did a stellar job of capturing the romantic drama of the piece. Cellist Clancy Newman offered some remarkable playing at the end of the first movement. All in all, the ensemble maintained a good balance, blend and clarity to the rousing conclusion.

Pianist Marcantonio Barone joined the quartet for Sunday’s finale, which featured a work each from the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries.

Barone and Govatos joined together for a performance of David Finko’s Sonata for Violin and Piano (2010). The duo sounded determined to show just how easily they could dispatch this Russian-American composer’s deliberately taut and acerbic music and they did so quite impressively.

Cellist Clancy Newman brought a big rich sound, thoughtful musicianship and technical capability to his performance of Prokofiev’s Sonata in C Major for cello and piano, Op. 119. The sonata opened with grave, low cello phrases, but quickly moved into outbursts of pizzicato around heavily marked themes in the piano. The composer’s naturally good humor returned in the scherzo-like second movement where the piano assumed much of the action. It was prominent again in the third movement but Newman and Barone were never anything less than an equal pair as the cello’s arpeggios were accompanied by piano figures that swept the keyboard.

The concert — and the season — wrapped up with Govatos joining Newman and Barone in a spirited performance of Schubert’s Piano Trio in E-flat Major, D. 929. It’s hard to believe this lighthearted work was composed the same month (November 1827) as the more somber Winterreise song cycle but we got a gentle reminder in the C minor Andante con moto, with a melancholy exchange between cello and piano. The players showed themselves to be completely in Schubertian sensibility from the dramatic rhythms of the opening movement to the jaunty delivery of the final movement, where despite moments of sadness, Schubertian bonhomie reigned.

See www.dcmf.org.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Summer in the Parks Returns to Wilmington

Blog content courtesy of a press release from The Grand Opera House...
The Grand Opera House is pleased to announce the start of Wilmington’s Summer in the Parks 2016! This week launched the first of the 9-week season featuring FREE arts activities in 10 different park sites throughout the City of Wilmington.

The programs run Monday, June 20 through Friday, August 19, with 86 daytime events of FREE music, dance, arts & crafts, theatre and storytelling for kids of all ages. Activities will take place Monday through Friday (except July 4 and August 12) at 9:30-10:30am and 12:00-1:00pm, in combination with the City’s Summer Food Service, which distributes breakfast and lunch for neighborhood children.

Please note that the West Side Neighborhood site has moved to Madison Street Tot-Lot, just across from the entrance to William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center, and we look forward to returning to One Love Park after they completed a beautiful upgrade last summer. Come out and join us!

Weekly ScheduleEvery Weekday Morning @ 9:30-10:30am
  • MONDAY | Prices Run (BBW Park at N. Locust & E. 23rd Streets) 
  • TUESDAY | Woodlawn Park (4th & Ferris Streets) 
  • WEDNESDAY | Tilton Park (N. Franklin – W. 7th & 8th Streets) 
  • THURSDAY | Madison Street Tot-Lot (504-506 N. Madison Street) 
  • FRIDAY | Holloway/Compton Park (N. Lombard & E. 7th Streets) 
Every Weekday Afternoon, @ 12:00-1:00pm
  • MONDAY | One Love Park (N. Tatnall & W. 24th Streets) 
  • TUESDAY | Barbara Hicks Park (Bradford & B Streets) 
  • WEDNESDAY | Kosciuszko Park (Sycamore & S. Broom Streets) 
  • THURSDAY | Judy Johnson Park (N. Dupont & W. 3rd Streets) 
  • FRIDAY | Haynes Park (N. Franklin – W. 30th & 32nd Streets) 
So many wonderful artists – many returning and several new this year – provide a safe and creative outlet for neighborhood youth. Artists include: Alfie Moss, Alia Moss-Koonce, Almanac Dance Circus Theatre, Dave Fry, Delaware Art Museum, The Delaware Contemporary, Delaware Shakespeare Festival, Elbert-Palmer Percussion Ensemble, First State Ballet Theatre, Fly Motivation, Gabrielle Kanter, GCJ Uniques, Griots Wa Umoja, Illstyle & Peace, Jill Perry Carpenter – Walt the Street Dog, LaFate Gallery, Leslie Carey Band, Minas, The Music School of Delaware – M&M and Friends, Nature Jams, New Wilmington Art Association with Barrel of Makers, Pegasus Trio, Philly Vibes, Pieces of a Dream, Street Xpressions, TAHIRA, Terrance Vann, Vanity Constance and Wilmington Drama League.

Weekly evening concerts will be hosted at selected park sites for all ages to enjoy – including the premiere performance at The Sugar Bowl Pavilion in Brandywine Park!
  • June 29, 6:00-7:30pm, One Love Park | Alfie Moss/Dexter Koonce Project 
  • July 6, 6:00-7:30pm, Haynes Park | Suzzette Ortiz Latin Jazz Ensemble 
  • July 14, 6:00-7:30pm, Tilton Park | Richard Raw 
  • July 21, 6:00-7:30pm, Union Park Gardens | Diamond State Chorus & Simple Gifts 
  • July 27, 6:30-7:30pm, Stapler Park | Diamond State Concert Band 
  • August 4, 6:00-7:30pm, Judy Johnson Park | Pristine Raeign 
  • August 5, 6:00-7:00pm, Stapler Park | Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance 
  • August 10, 6:00-8:00pm, Sugar Bowl Pavilion | The Souldaires with Elbert-Palmer Percussion Ensemble 
Keep up to date with the Facebook page and website, which will be updated with news, photos and individual park schedules.

The Grand would like to thank the City of Wilmington for its generous support to make this important program possible. A special thanks also to Wilmington Parking Authority, Wilmington State Parks, the Friends of Wilmington Parks, and to ALL of you for your ongoing support and participation. We’ll see you this SUMMER in the PARKS!

For information, visit TheGrandWilmington.org/Parks or call 302.658.7897 x3105.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Richard Raw Ends Inaugural Week of Music & Community with CD Release Party at Queen

By Guest Blogger, Ken Grant
Ken Grant has worked in Delaware media, politics and marketing for 25 years. He and his Lovely Bride enjoy Wilmington's arts and culture scene as much as they can.

Richard Raw makes it clear, hip-hop is still in its formative years – it is still a young art form, and those who are involved need to change the some of the stereotypes associated with it.
The first stereotype is that hip-hop artists are only out for themselves – whether it’s a matter of proudly proclaiming (in song) how great the artist is or denying any outside help or influence in the business.

At the June 11 Richard Raw CD Release Concert for his new album, Word Warrior, at World Café Live at the Queen, Richard and his team of musicians, singers and friends went out of their way to credit those who have gone before and to pave the way for the next generation of artists. In song, word and action, Richard showed the audience that he benefited from parents, mentors and other artists who made sure he was successful both as a musician and as a human being.


Richard also showcased the talents of other singers throughout the evening. Maya Belardo, Ladyy Defined, Aziza Nailah and Ann Letreece each had time at center stage to share their voices with the audience.
The second stereotype Richard Raw is out to change is the misogynist message some in hip-hop have been parroting.

Between inviting his mother to sit in front of the audience while he sang A Song For Mama and inviting all of the men in the audience to come forward and join him in singing Ain’t Nothing Like a Woman to all of the women in the audience and preaching about the importance of showing respect to the women in our lives, Richard made it clear that he expects hip-hop to change for the better.

The entire show was marked with high energy and a sense of purpose – with themes ranging from reclaiming a proud heritage to dealing with oppression in the workplace to advocating for healthy diets and lifestyles.

With the recent passing of Muhammad Ali, there was little doubt about the song Richard would offer as an encore, once again with words of appreciation to a role model.

By the end of the experience, it’s clear that Richard Raw takes the title of Word Warrior seriously – and he’s ready to use every tool at his disposal to fight for his art, for his community, and for the young artists following in his footsteps.

Set List:
Fela Kuti - Lady
Runaway Slave
Rise Up "Part 2"
How We Get So Low/Solo
Lose My Religion
Diamond (by Maya Belardo)
Say Yes (by Ladyy Defined)
On and On (by Aziza)
Shaka Zulu
Watch Your Health
Don't Let Them Take Your Crown
At The BBQ
Let's Groove
Ain't Nothing Like A Woman
I'm Every Woman (by Ann Letreece)
A Song For Mama
Shine Yo Light
Muhammad Ali

Thursday, June 2, 2016

In Heaven with Brandywine Baroque

By Christine Facciolo
No other composer in the history of Western music compares to J.S. Bach. He excelled in virtually every genre — except opera — and invented quite a few himself, including the keyboard concerto.

Brandywine Baroque devoted the entire program of this year’s Harpsichord Heaven to a performance of the composer’s complete set of concertos for one, two, three and four harpsichords.

Although the piano has dominated the concerto literature for more than 200 years, the keyboard came late to the ranks of concerto soloists. Baroque composers generally regarded the harpsichord as a “utility” orchestral instrument; one that filled in harmonies as opposed to presenting melody. Even Vivaldi — who composed more than 500 concertos — never wrote one for the harpsichord. (He did, however, manage to compose one for the lute.)

Bach was probably the first to compose concertos for the harpsichord. But even these are re-workings of his compositions for other instruments, usually “melody” instruments like the violin or oboe.

As it does every year, the festival brought together an impressive roster of performers and scholars. In addition to Founding Artistic Director Karen Flint, the event featured harpsichordists Davitt Moroney, Arthur Haas, Luc Beausejour, Janine Johnson, Leon Schelhase and Joyce Chen.

Accompanying them were Martin Davids and Edwin Huizinga (violins), Amy Leonard (viola), John Mark Rozendaal (cello), Heather Miller Lardin (bass), Rainer Beckman and Lewis R. Baratz (recorders). John Phillips provided care and tuning of the harpsichords.

The true stars of the event were the harpsichords, as Moroney stated in his pre-concert remarks. Instruments from the Flint Collection included two by the famous Flemish manufacturer Ioannes Ruckers (Antwerp, 1627 & 1635), one by Nicolas Dumont (Paris, 1707) and a recently acquired representative by father-and-son harpsichord builders Nicolas and Francois-Etienne Blanchet (Paris, 1730). Filling out the quarter was a representative by Joannes Goermans (Paris, 1748) on loan from a private collection. The instruments were chosen because they contain d’’’, the highest note of Bach’s harpsichords, explained Moroney.

Oddly enough, the event opened with a performance of the Concerto in A minor for 4 harpsichords, BWV 1065, a faithful transcript not of a Bach composition but of Vivaldi’s B minor Concerto for Four Violins (Op. 3/10). Bach, however, makes it his by expanding both the counterpoint and harmonies and imbuing the solo parts with greater complexity and clarity. Of particular interest is the middle movement where each soloist — Moroney, Flint, Johnson and Chen — produces a different kind of arpeggio on a central propulsive fragment.

Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056 is believed to have been based on a lost violin concerto in G minor. It is unusual in that it sets the soloist off rhythmically from the orchestra, with the strings playing in strict 2/4 time and the soloist playing almost exclusively in triplets. The lovely second movement provides a lyrical respite before a return, with only a slight pause, to the rhythmic vitality of the final movement, replete with felicitous echoes between soloist Luc Beausejour and the orchestra.

Arthur Haas and Leon Schelhase joined together to perform the Concerto in C minor for two harpsichords, BWV 1062. Bach’s well-known Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043 provided the basis for this transcription. The opening and closing movements feature much contrapuntal weaving of themes. As for the middle movement, the orchestra takes a back seat as the soloists engage in a kind of Baroque vocal duet. This beautiful movement seems both intense and calm at the same time and one could easily see the emotional involvement on the faces of violinists Davids and Huizinga.

The mood brightened as Karen Flint offered the Concerto in A major, BWV 1055. As always, Flint’s playing was flawless. The outer movements of this concerto are lovely but the middle movement is unbelievably beautiful for its extremely long musical lines which weave so deftly when played, as here, at the proper tempo.

The highlight of the evening, though, was the less hummable — but most frequently performed — Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052. In this virtuosic tour-de-force, Janine Johnson and the accompanying strings wholly delivered on the drama and high-speed prowess of the outer movements, while reaping all poignancy of the middle movement.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Mélomanie Closes 2015-16 Season with "Big Band" Concert & Another Premiere

By Christine Facciolo
There’s something about a season finale that whets the appetite for more.

In a season full of not-to-be-forgotten performances, Mélomanie closed its 2015-16 season on Sunday, May 8, with not one — but two — World Premieres, some neo-Baroque jazz, the usual suspects and an obscure delight.

Mélomanie harpsichordist and Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director Tracy Richardson dubbed the event a “big band concert” for the many special guests participating. Joining the ensemble’s core group were Rainer Beckmann on recorder, flutist Eve Friedman and cellist Naomi Gray. The additions made for a lively program of interesting material and musical combinations.

Ensemble with guest artists (L-R): Donna Fournier, Naomi Gray, Tracy Richardson, 
Christof Richter, Eve Friedman, Kimberly Reighley, Rainer Beckmann.
Photo by Tim Bayard.
The concert opened with a superb interpretation of Johann Christian Schieferdecker’s Musicalisches Concert 1 in A minor. Great fun was had in the galloping rhythms which drove the Overture. The fast dance movements were executed with appropriate gusto while the slower ones were affecting. The suite also contained a fine example of a Chaconne, a Schieferdecker favorite.

The program also contained an appropriate pairing of works by Jean Baptiste Lully, arguably the quintessential French composer and inventor of French opera, and his contemporary Michel-Richard Delalande, who succeeded him at the court of Louis XIV. The former was represented with a spirited performance of the Passacaille from his operatic masterpiece Armide; the latter by the impressive chaconne from the obviously Lullian Les fontains de Versailles.

Mélomanie was also impressive in its rendering of the Piece de Clavecin en Concert 5 in D minor by Jean-Philippe Rameau, one of the most important French composers and theorists of the Baroque. Their playing was agile, warm-blooded and expressive and they listened carefully to what the harpsichord was doing, which is of vital importance.

If ever there was a composition suited for Mélomanie, it would be Matthias Maute’s It’s Summertime: A Trilogy (1998). Maute not only pays tribute to George Gershwin, he demonstrates the recorder’s abilities to play all styles of music. The work is made up of three movements. The first — “Don’t you cry” — is a ballad that quotes Bach’s Sarabande (from Partita in A minor for solo flute). The second — “The livin’ is easy” — is a jazz-oriented ballad that features a type of hidden two-part writing found in Telemann’s fantasies for flute. The third — “It’s Summertime” — is basically an arrangement of Gershwin’s tune of the same name.

The ability to play different types of music demands a mastery of different techniques, and Rainer Beckmann sure has the goods. His intonation was impeccable and his technique, thrilling and infectious. He had the audience fully engaged. He was supported in his playing by Naomi Gray on the modern cello. That combination of the Baroque and the contemporary was absolutely stunning.

The program also included the World Premiere of Liduino Pitombeira’s The Sound of the Sea and a first performance of his Impressoes Quixeres. The latter featured Kimberly Reighley and Eve Friedman dueting on modern flutes. This piece imparts the composer’s view of the city in northern Brazil employing free atonality as well as 12-tone serialism. But in the hands of Reighley and Friedman, you stop thinking about tone rows and respond to the playfulness and ferocity of the music.

The entire ensemble presented the premiere of Pitombeira’s The Sound of the Sea. This three-movement work is inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem of the same name. The titles of the three movements — “First Wave,” “Solitudes of Being” and “Sea-tides” — take their names from moments in the poem. Longfellow’s poem gives the composer much to draw on as it is a poem about sound, about the rhythm of the sea and that rhythm is reflected in the musicality of the lines and the score. Just as the poem, the music was meant to mirror the sound of the sea in all its fury and tranquility, and Mélomanie did the composer’s intentions proud.