Monday, Dec. 17, 2001; 2 p.m. EST
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" (to be published in September by 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.
"Throughout the chaos and waste of human history, exceptional men and women have managed to create works of rich and lasting art that can truly be called classics. My beat is the world of opera, symphonic and concert music, but I am interested in good music of all kinds and cannot imagine limiting my listening to any one genre. Welcome in."
Philip Kennicott: Welcome. This will be my last chat as classical music critic. I'll miss these, but perhaps I'll have a chance to return in my new position as the Post's Culture Critic. Tim Page, who was classical music critic before I arrived at the Post, will carry on with the discussions. I hope you'll all return when he takes over. Enough inside news. Do send questions.
Ex-Club Cipro :
I hear via the jumgle tympani that you and Tim Page have switched assignments. You will be the "big picture" writer and he will write reviews. Is this true?
Philip Kennicott: That's right. The Culture Critic will take a broader view, report on issues that impact the arts in general, and from time to time, "review" things that we might not ordinarily cover, whether it's exhibitions that fall between the definition of the arts, or performance art, or coffee table books. As an ex-editorial page writer, I'm looking forward to it.
Alexandria, Va.:
I am thinking about getting a copy of Handel's Judas Maccabeus in order to contribute to the Chanukah atmosphere around my house.
Do critics consider Judas Maccabeus to be one of Handel's better works, or did it fail in comparison to the much better-known Messiah?
Philip Kennicott: In terms of popularity nothing really compares with the Messiah; in terms of quality, Handel was very consistent and though the inspiration made wax and wane from work to work (not all the operas are of the same quality) the craft is always consistent. Judas Maccabeus is one of his best, I think, and also one of the most "tuneful" in the same sense that the Messiah is tuneful.
wdc:
I watched a tape of the 2001 Van Cliburn piano competition on PBS last night. How prestigious is this competition? How political is the judging...generally do the most talented musicians win?
Philip Kennicott: The Van Cliburn is very prestitious, but at the same time, there's been a real critical drift away from competitions, especially those that put enormous pressure on young artists to play well a handful of times. Think about, that's a pretty poor way of assessing the long term artistic power of a young player. You will learn something about their nerves and their technical accomplishment; but will that musician have anything to say in 20 years? And will the competition bring them more performance exposure than they can handle at thier age?
Competitions make good press, and not much else. There's an inherent drama in the event, just as their is in the Olympics. Think of the journalistic possibilities for tales of adversity and triumph; acres of backstory on each player.
Yawn. I've pretty much avoided writing about competitions while at the Post because I don't have much respect for their prognostication success.
That said, any kid who wins the Cliburn is worth looking out for. It's a major competition, it focuses national attention on the winners, and they make an effort to support their winners after the competition is over.
Was the tape interesting?
Arlington, Va:
So Tim Page will return to covering the NSO, etc.?
Philip Kennicott: Yes. Tim did his first review of the NSO on Thursday night; check the Post archives for Friday and you'll find it.
Alexandria, VA:
What do you think of the Kennedy Center Honors? I see they honored two classical artists, Pavarotti and Van Cliburn. Did you or another music critic attend?
Philip Kennicott: I went to the Honors for the first time last night, and I enjoyed myself. I think Post writer Paul Farhi got it just right in his story: this is by definition a mixed bag event, and there is lots of potential for excitement and absrudity in equal measures.
Random impressions from the event: Angel Corella is an amazing dancer, and despite the sense that half the audience was yawning during the ballet number, the other half was gasping in astonishment; Renee Fleming sounded in better voice at her KC recital a few weeks ago; the "funny" stories told about Luciano Pavarotti all seemed to have to do with his rapacious appetite for money, which doesn't seem very funny anymore; Carol Burnett might give up singing without any real gnashing of teeth from the critical establishment; no matter how good I was, I wouldn't want to sing Julie Andrews' big hits for Julie Andrews; and watching a clip of Jack Nicholson smoking dope while the President of the United States sat in his box was totally a kick. Culture clash; tacit approval?
NWDC:
I've very much enjoyed your reviews and look forward to following you in your new position.
Philip Kennicott: Thank you very much.
Metro Center:
I need a good Bach starter kit CD. Something with his popular concerti, and maybe some other of his Greatest Hits.
Have any ideas for me? I want a CD that is performed by a good conductor (like Serkin doing Beethoven's 'Emporer' piano concerto; arguably the best interpretation)
Philip Kennicott: I'll try my best to give you an answer, but here are some of the issues involved: There has been an enormous amount of Bach recorded, and while there is lots of stuff that is very good and some that is very bad, there isn't by any means an agreed upon definitive interpreter. Or even a definitive intepretative style. Second, I don't know what has been complied into a Great Hits format; I collect recordings based on individual works or intepreters, and there is so much repackaging that it's hard to know what's in the story moment by moment.
That said, here are some names to watch out for. For large vocal things, like the cantatas, try the English Baroque Soloists, or Nicholas Harnoncourt's recordings; for keyboard on piano, the Glenn Gould recordings are benchmarks; you can't go wrong with the Yo Yo Ma cello suites, though I'm really enjoying Matt Haimovitz's new recording of them right now; for the Brandenburgs there are many possibities, but you can probably find Ton Koopman's with the Amsterdam Baroque folks fairly easily.
Washington, D.C.:
You did a very unfavorable review of the Philip Glass 5th Symphony performed at the Kennedy Center a few weeks ago. It is a fact, however, that at least ninety percent of the audience was on their feet applauding at the moment the concert ended. Would it not be appropriate for a reviewer who is voicing a very negative opinion of a work that probably none of the readers have ever heard, to disclose to the readers the fact that the vast majority of the audience appeared to disagree with him? Or are the audience all idiots and you a genius?
Philip Kennicott: Sometimes critics mention the audience's reaction, sometimes they don't. Classical music reviews tend to focus on the music, the text, the comparison between the performance and the text; and the comparison between the performance and other performances, including those on recording. What the audience thinks, or is wearing, or does during intermission, while all interesting from a social reporting angle, isn't usually included. It all depends on what you want from a review. By virtue of being made a critic, the writer is give the freedom to say "here's what I thought" without always having to say "I thought..." or "it seems to me..." All of that subjectivity is simply assumed in the fact that it's a review.
Is the audience made up of idiots and I'm the only genius? Certainly not. On any given night there are plenty of people who may know more about the specifics of the work in question than I do, including other musicians and academic scholars and serious connoisseurs. The critic is a generalist and presumes to have the most in depth knowledge he can stuff in his head, but by no means a monopoly on the many subjects he or she must cover.
But let's turn the question around. Why does the authority granted a critic, the freedom to say what he likes, both you so much? In other words, what's so threatening to your own sense of enjoyment about the critic's reaction?
Downtown Dc:
I've just discovered the joys of downloading music and burning my own cds. Are there any sites you'd recommend for classical music? I'm particularly interested in early music, but open to everything.
Philip Kennicott: Thanks for asking a question I'm asking myself. I don't download classical music because I haven't the technology yet. But if you do, please post an answer, or email me at kennicottp@washpost.com. I'm particularly interested in people who have downloaded major works, meaning, not just a track here or there, but an entire symphony. etc.
Alexandria VA:
Congratulations on your new position!
What's good that you can recommend for the local DC music scene of a seasonal nature (and please DON'T suggest the Messiah sing-alongs, ugh--the last thing I want to be part of is a lot of people trying to keep up with the runs in "For unto us a Child is born...")
On another subject, I've noticed that Naxos, that very innovative budget label (and not just classical, either) has announced that they're setting up to have downloadable CDs available. Seems like the real future of classical recordings? Will those shadows that used to be the big labels be able to keep up? They only seem able to make upteen crossover recordings, then delete the rest of their catalog so fast that none of us get to be able to buy them. Sort of a death spiral, if you ask me.
Philip Kennicott: On Tuesday, the big and don't miss it your soul may shrivel musical event of the Christmas season takes place, the visit of Les Arts Florrissants to the Kennedy Center. They perform French baroque music, and this concert is devoted to Charpentier. Their recordings of Charpentier are spectacular.
You're right about the death spiral. Sad, but the major labels seem to have reached a classical crisis mode: Either they adapt quickly, or they'll be toast.
Washington, DC:
Mr. Kennicott--
Three questions:
(1) I understand that you are trading positions with Tim Page. He will be covering classical music, but I'm not sure what your beat, if any, will be. Could you enlighten us?
(2) Saw a picture of President Bush and his wife attending the Kennedy Center Honors. Was this his first visit to the Kennedy Center?
(3) Do you have any idea if the President or Mrs. Bush has any interest in classical music ?
Thanks for your response(s) to my questions.
Philip Kennicott: President Bush, and Vice President Cheney were both at the awards, as was Colin Powell. I'm not sure whether this was the President's first visit or not; the First Lady was acknowledged for having attended a KC memorial concert for the victims of the terrorist attacks. I have never heard anything that suggests the President has an interest in classical music; I suspect it's not high on his list of ways to relax. Too bad, but not uncommon. Carter was probably the last president with an interest in the subject, though Reagan certainly liked the status that classical musicians brought.
Washington DC:
Good Afternoon Mr. Kennicott,
I'm trying to find a recording of a Renaissance-era choral piece called "The Red Book".
The song, in English, was discovered in the 20th century, and the author is unknown, natch.
I heard it on the show "Millenium of Music" on WETA-FM on 10/6/2000. I never received any replies, however, to my requests for the playlist of that particular show.
I have asked at a couple of local record stores that sell classical CDs and no one has heard of it. I have also searched on Amazon.com for recordings which might have the tune on them, to no avail.
Do you know any other resources that I might be able to use to look for a recording of this tune? Thanks in advance and good luck in your new "job"!
Philip Kennicott: I hate it when I don't know the answer, but in the hope of finding one, I'll put my ignorance out there for all to see.
This much, however, I can say. The music of the early Renaissance and earlier eras is often known by the collection in which it has been preserved. For instance, the Eton Choir Book or the Old Hall Manuscript from the 15th centuries. These collections have become short hand, sometimes, for large bodies of music, like the Carmina Burana, which is a collection of bawdy songs from the middle ages. Often you'll see the term "codex" which is another way of referring to a particular manuscript copy.
As for the specifics of "The Red Book" I must ask for help. Send suggestions, or answers, folks.
Washington, DC:
My son is starting violin lessons. He's 6 now. Is there any place in DC you can recommend him see. I'd really like for him to see good violinists in the area.
Thanks
Philip Kennicott: You could take him to an orchestra concert, but I wonder if at the age of six something in a smaller venue would be appropriate. Orchestras can seem very far away and difficult to decipher for kids; chamber music is much more intimate. I have seen very young kids at the Kennedy Center for violin recitals, even big ones in the concert hall, and often they look mesmerized. I would check with the Kennedy Center web site for family oriented concerts; and then look out for other groups, like the Washington Chamber Symphony which have a real commitment to educational concerts. The web is a very good source for this information. Shameless plug: So is the Washington Post Sunday arts section.
Red Book:
Tell the questioner to e-mail Radman-weta.org for the playlists and not WETA directly. I've always gotten a response.
Philip Kennicott: Consider him told. Thanks.
DC:
You have championed Thomas Ades in the past. Is there a recording you would particularly recommend?
Philip Kennicott: The piece I was suggesting is called Aslya, plural of asylum. As far as I know there's only one recording, and luckily, it's very good. The orchestra is the City of Birmingham Orchestra, conducted by Simon Rattle. The label is EMI.
Alexandria, Md. :
I'm assuming the questioner doesn't mean Burt Bacharach's "My Little Red Book." Great tune, anyway.
Philip Kennicott: These guesses are making me feel so much better for not knowing the answer. Keep 'em coming.
Capitol Hill:
Thanks for these chats. I've read them all and participated in some. I don't always agree with your statements and interpretations, but you explain them well and I appreciate the thought that goes into them. Best of luck in your new position.
Last night on the radio, I heard the infamous performance of the Brahms 1st Piano Concerto with Glen Gould, Bernstein, and the N.Y. Phil, from April 6, 1962. It starts off with a several minute talk by Berstein in which he disavows the interpretation. The first two movements are nearly a train wreck. Slow, slow tempi. A solo passage in the second movement took so long that the orchestra could have gone offstage for tea and cookies. Much ragged playing by the orchestra. Oddly things started to come together by the end of the piece. Maybe they were just happy to be done with it.
Are you familiar with this performance and how could something go so bad? Those rehersals must have been fascinating to watch.
Thank you.
Philip Kennicott: There have been some interesting oddities along these lines. It was just last season, I believe, that Ivo Pogorelich came through town and played a concerto so oddly that it was disavowed by several conductors, even Leonard Slatkin, I believe. If the soloist and the conductor can't come to any agreement you probably are doomed to get one of these classic trainwrecks. Worse, if the conductor makes manifest his disagreement, it's hard to get the musicains to give it their all; everyone works to undermine everyone else. So a paradox: Concertos dramatize the individuality of the soloist; but to perform them, a lot of committee agreement is necessary.
Silver Springs:
Did you ever marry your dog? That was a plan you mentioned in regards to that dog thrown into the highway. Just curious. Is Tim Page married to a dog?
Philip Kennicott: My dog is very independent minded and realized he was getting the best deal he could expect. Why agree to marriage? He gets love, food, shelter and a considerable amount of freedom. I could only tie him down, and so often these formalized commitments bring with them a creeping sense of obligation. So no. We remain cohabitants and nothing more. Tim Page is not married to a dog either.
Why do you ask?
Ex-Club Cipro:
It seems to be that this chat has generated some topics you may want to write about at length now that you have world enough and time:
1. Philip Glass. Why? -
2. Will the Internet be the final nail in the coffin of recorded classical music?
3. Why isn't the NSO better? Can Kaiser fix it?
-I still like much of his work.
Philip Kennicott: Glad to here you're now ex-Cipro. In the order you asked:
1. Philip Glass: The musical equivalent of being famous for being famous.
2. The internet will not kill recording (the major labels will); it may, however, reinvigorate the importance of live performance.
3. The NSO has been told it's good enough, so why should it be any better? Kaiser, if he has time to focus on the orchestra, will probably do very good things.
Downtown DC:
Are you familiar with a British chamber group called Red Priest? I heard them on WETA in a broadcast of a concert at Dumbarton Oaks. They sound like showmen of the Kronos Quartet variety, but they put a fantastic spin on early music and were startlingly refreshing to this ear. Know anything about them?
Philip Kennicott: I do know the group, though I missed the Dumbarton concert. Are they the elusive Red Book?
Cambridge, MA:
Sad to see you leave the classical music perch ... i've greatly enjoyed the passion and intensity you brought to the job ...
This holiday season, there'll likely be ubiquitous muzak-ed versions of the "ode to Joy" performed. A question about the original: why did Beethoven opt not to close the Ninth with the Ode? It is a wonderful theme, sublime when played by the low strings, powerful when sung by the chorus. The fourth movement largely establishes the Ode. But in the final movement, the Ode blasts forth after about four minutes, then disappears. The rest of the movement seems anti-climatic.
What was Beethoven thinking?
Philip Kennicott: Without going into the master's head, here is one possibility. At the opening of the fourth movement, Beethoven reprises the three major themes of the earlier movements, as if running through a life story, or a long narrative. They are posed like questions, to which the ode to joy theme is the answer. It does return throughout the movement, but perhaps your sense that it disappears is based on the elaboration around it, and the fact that it's first statement is so sublimely simple and effective. In a symphony by Beethoven, the melody is usually just a starting point; what happens to the melody is the real event.
Arlington, Va:
Culture critic? What does that mean exactly? Will there be a new classical critic, will you still cover the NSO, etc.?
Philip Kennicott: I'll use this question to sign off. The culture critic will continue with many of the same ideas that we often talked about in this chat: the role of art in our society; the difficulties facing those who make; the way art establishes communities; the way art is understood in democratic society. And what moves us. I hope to be back with some kind of internet discussion in the future. I'm sorry to leave these chats which I very much enjoyed. But with Tim Page focusing full time on the classical music, he's the best person to run this forum, and I'm sure you'll all enjoy getting his perspective. Goodbye, thanks, and always feel free to send me ideas and questions at my email address: kennicottp@washpost.com
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