Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002; 2 p.m. EDT
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."
A transcript follows.
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Tim Page: Hello -- and forgive my tardiness. It's been a crazy day: next week is the 70th anniversary of the birth of Glenn Gould and a new set of the "Gouldberg Variations" has been issued. I've been doing some interviews to help with it, as Gould was a very good friend of mine and I revere his memory.
Anyway, let's see what we have in the bank today!
Somewhere, USA:
WETA and 9/11: I know you were critical of WETA a few weeks ago for asking readers to call in with musical suggestions for the week of 9/11, but having heard much of their broadcasts, I thought it was tastefully done and often inspiring. Have you amended your view at all in light of the way they did it?
Tim Page: I didn't hear any of the programming -- I did my best to stay away from TV and radio last week -- but I'm glad to hear it was tasteful.
Somewhere, USA:
Age Limits on the MET Competition: This may be too specific for this chat, but the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions just lowered their age limit from 33 to 30. Starting next year all singers competing in the Met vocal competition will have to be under 30. Why the ageism? Wouldn't it make more sense to raise the age, given that so many young singers--especially tenors--are brought up with much hoopla only to burn out early. Why the focus on youth and not on longevity? When I think of the great singers of any fach, most all of them had long and distinguished careers, not flashes of youthful brilliance followed by obscurity and decline? What do you think? Do you ever get asked to adjudicate these competions? Is there any rhyme or reason to the youth obsession in opera?
Tim Page: Very interesting question. I think I'll throw it open to the floor. Any thoughts?
Alexandria, Va.:
I've been preparing for tomorrow's NSO concert with, among other things, a fine CD of Charles Ives' Three Places in New England by David Zinman conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. (I prefer it to the Cleveland Orchestra version under Christoph von Dohnányi.)
Zinman's Balt SO music directorship was before my time in this area. Were Zinman and the Balt SO a big deal here and/or nationally? And why did he leave?
From the hullaballo we hear now, I would have thought that the Balt SO was nothing special before Termirkanov. My Ives CD certainly suggests otherwise.
Tim Page: The Baltimore Symphony has been a pretty fine ensemble for some time now. I remember a number of excellent concerts there.
River Forest, Ill.:
What is your opinion of George Solti as a conductor?
Tim Page: He was an original -- and if you liked him, you probably loved him. I enjoyed many of his earlier performances -- especially that wonderful "Ring" cycle and the complete recording of Strauss's "Elektra" he did with Birgit Nilsson. Later on, I found him rather mannered -- everything was so BIG, so powerful, so impassioned that I thought it suffered from a certain gigantism. First the strings would drown out the brass, then the brass would drown out the strings, etc. And this wasn't just with Chicago: I heard him endow a youth symphony with the same qualities.
Alexandria, Va.:
Remember you saying a little while ago, during an online chat with The Washinton Post, that you may have thought WETA, 90.9FM stations asking listeners for suggestions to perhaps be out of line (my words), I initially agreed. Until I started to listen to the station this weekend, and found myself stuck to the seat of my car, not wanting to miss a selection. The callers all had wonderful reasons for wanting a particular piece played.
I am sending you the suggested play list.
I even wrote a suggestion to them:
Ralph Vaughn Williams "Dona Nobis Pacem."
The words were taken from Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" book, and talks abut war and consequences. Here's the list.
Tim Page: Thanks for passing this on.
Arlington, Va.:
Tim,
How do you think the development of the electric violin will increase the prominence of violin playing? There are new performers such as Valerie Vigoda of Groovelily who sings and plays simaltaneously and adding to the diversity of pop music.
I speculate that an electric violinist will become the most famous violinst of our era.
Tim Page: I wouldn't be at all surprised if an electric violinist became the most famous violinist. Matter of fact, Papa John Creach, who used to play with the Jefferson Airplane back in the 70s, was probably the most "famous" violinist in the world, even back then. (Rock reaches millions of people who have never heard of Jascha Heifetz or Itzhak Perlman.) But he wasn't the best -- not by a long shot.
A guy named Eddie Jobson with Curved Air managed to play very musical electrical violin. Myself, I still prefer it the acoustic way. But I will check out Ms. Vigoda. Thanks for the tip.
Washington, D.C.:
Did you see the last production of the Sondheim Festival, Pacific Overtures. I thought it was terrific.
Tim Page: I missed it, much to my chagrin. Everybody told me it was fabulous.
Somewhere, USA:
Tenors in Waiting: I trid ask this question last time, but was too late. Given Pavarotti's retirement, and what must be considered the twilight of Domingo's career, who are the leading tenors in opera today? I saw Salvatore Licitra at on the PBS broadcast of the Verdi Requiem and was not impressed. Nor have I been particularly impressed with Alagna and Cura. Any thoughts?
Tim Page: There are some fine tenors around today -- Ben Heppner notable among them (albeit in a somewhat different repertory) -- but nobody who has captured the public interest in the way Pavarotti did. Nor is there anybody with Domingo's amazing breadth of repertory.
I haven't heard much Licitra, but comparisons to Pavarotti are premature at best. Alagna and Cura strike me as solid musicians with good voices but hardly in the Olympian realm. We may have a dry patch.
Any suggestions, folks?
Alexandria, Va.:
Another thought on Ives' Three Places in New England, to be performed in this weekends NSO concerts: one way to prepare for it, and especially for its first movement, "The 'Saint-Gaudens' -Relief Sculpture] in Boston Common," would be to stop by the National Gallery of Art and soak in its remarkable full scale patinated plaster cast of Saint-Gaudens' Shaw Memorial, the inspiration for the movement. Or at least check it the Gallery's online feature about the work:
http://www.nga.gov/feature/shaw/home.htm
Of course another way to prepare would be to rent the movie "Glory" on the same topic as the sculpture--the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first African-American units of the Civil War (which included two sons of Frederick Douglass), and its young white leader, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw.
Tim Page: Thanks for the suggestion.
Fairfax, Va.:
I heard this morning that Dennis Owens of WGMS is retiring. Is this true? If so, who is the replacement?
Tim Page: Paul Farhi had a terrific article about Mr. Owens this morning. Perhaps we can post it here.
Somewhere, USA:
Hello, Tim. In case you are wondering if people pay attention, I was in the classical section of the Tysons Tower Records the Saturday after your survey of good recordings to begin a classical music collection. In the short time I was there, I saw three people with your list clipped out looking for selections from it. The Steve Reich you mentioned was sold out, and I expect the others were, too.
Tim Page: Wow -- that's great! That was a fun piece to do, and I'm happy if it was helpful. Of course, I had to leave a lot out, but I hope it serves as a starting point for some new listeners.
Thanks for the feedback.
Arlington, Va.:
Tim, first time participating in this, and have a lot of questions. But, let me start with this: Recently, there was an article on London's Guardian newspaper by Martin Kettle, where he lamented the fact that there weren't any good concert pianists around anymore. He seemed to be wistful of the bygone eras. What's your thought on this?
I frequent the music forum on the Audio Asylum Web site, where a lot of passionate classical music lovers from all over the world chime in with their two cents. Have you or would you ever participate in a forum of that nature? I know the forum would certainly benefit from your knowledge and insights.
Thanks.
Tim Page: I totally disagree with Martin Kettle on this one. I wouldn't trade Pollini, Argerich, Richard Goode, Peter Serkin or Bruce Brubaker (to mention a terrific younger artist) for any handful of Horowitzes.
Long Beach, Calif.:
I'm getting sick of "Ride of the
Valkyries". Any really good war music I can
crank up to accompany my war drums?
Tim Page: We mentioned Steve Reich -- "Drumming" is terrfically hypnotic and percussive but hardly war-like. Hmmm...really bloodthirsty music? A lot of Wagner. Some of Handel's more martial music. How about the chorus "Guerra! Guerra!" ("War! War!" from Bellini's "Norma"?)
Washington, D.C.:
Tim, we missed you two weeks ago! Welcome back, hope everything was OK when your chat was canceled.
I sing with the Master Chorale of Washington and we're doing the Bach B Minor Mass this fall. This is one of my all-time favorite pieces and I'm getting even more excited as we work on it. I now may take the step, unusual for me, of buying a second recording of it. (Of course it now escapes me which one I already have.) Are there any you particularly favor?
Tim Page: I was on an airplane during the time the chat was scheduled: I couldn't get out of it and Master Control didn't want to reschedule. Thanks for asking though.
My favorite "Mass in B Minor" remains the wonderful Richter performance on Archiv. It seems to strike a happy medium between the grand, romanticized performances by people like Albert Coates and Herbert von Karajan and a more modern sensibility. Also -- wonderful soloists. A great record, all around.
Washington, D.C.:
What do you consider to be the most exciting series this season? If you had to choose between the Washington Opera and the National Symphony, which one would you subscribe to?
Tim Page: I might choose the Vocal Arts Society, which is always excellent, as my "favorite" Washington series -- marvelous recitals in a small auditorium. The series just moved to the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater: it is something Washington can be very proud of.
As for NSO vs. WashOp, I take 'em one by one, week by week.
Fairfax, Va.:
Today's article on WGMS stated that Mr. Owens was the main reason they stayed classical. Now that he is leaving, do you believe the days are numbered for the classical format at WGMS? For myself, I hope to soon get Sirius satellite radio. It seems that WGMS was non-stop commercials, while Sirius has three non-commercial classical channels.
Tim Page: Yes, the internet has really changed the options for classical radio listeners. I confess I rarely listen to radio, simply because I attend so many concerts and have so many discs to catch up with.
I certainly hope WGMS stays classical -- it's hard to find on the airways -- but I do think that the future lies with the internet.
Long Beach:
Your list seems to be Oprahesque in its ability to drive sales! Have you considered a guest appearance? Surely there is a middle ground between Deutsche Gramophone and Reader's Digest's Classical Series of samplings. Your good taste should be spread out on Oprah's platter. Wouldn't it be grand to have the housewives of America singing your favorite arias?
Tim Page: Hey, if Oprah asks me on, I'll be there in a second. I want to reach as large an audience as I can. If I can introduce anybody to this music I love so dearly and that has nourished me for so many years, I feel that the day has not been wasted.
Takoma Park, MD:
Your list of pianists is close to mine (haven't heard Brubaker yet, or even of him). But there are lots of modern soul-less types around too. Your list is mainly older people, middleaged and up. Who among younger pianists would you recommend?
My problem is more with string players. Lots of good mechanics, fewer good NEW players, lots of routine prodigies.
Tim Page: Oh, I almost forgot Kissin, who strikes me as a genuine phenomenon -- the VERY real thing, with a monster technique and real brains to back it up.
Yes, I am very bored with a lot of the current violinists. Mullova is terrific, as is Anne Sophie Mutter at her best. I'm very fond of Maria Bachmann's playing -- sweetly elegant rather than driven and clenched.
There are others...
Arlington, Va.:
Tim, do you think there will ever be a commercial-free 24hr classical music radio station here in the DC area? When I lived in Oregon, there was this wonderful classical station operating out of Eugene, KWAX, that was not limited to playing a movement here and a movement there, nor the same old pieces over and over again.
Tim Page: Even NPR is hardly "commercial free" anymore. I guess my answer has to be "no." But keep an eye on the Internet. Within a few years, you'll be able to pull down any station you want, throughout the world. Yes -- and in the car, too.
Boyds, MD:
Tim: Do you know if the William Kapell Piano Competition will be held at U-MD next year? It's been quite a while since the last one hasn't it? Is it because there are too many competitions?
Tim Page: I don't know that answer about the Kapell -- can anybody out there give us an answer?
Washington, D.C.:
Can you recommend some good sources for background information on the operas Fidelio and Vanessa? I'm looking forward to seeing them both this season.
Thanks!
Tim Page: I should think there would be a vast amount of material available right on the web.
Aside from that, Maynard Solomon's book on Beethoven is splendid: you might also look into some of the other biographies. There was a rather reticent Barber biography a few years ago.
General guides to opera will tell you quite a bit about "Fidelio," somewhat less about "Vanessa." Perhaps the Washington Opera has materials it can send you.
I DO recommend the present "Lucia" production. I've never been so moved by this particular piece.
Los Angeles, Calif.:
Speaking of war music, did you know that an American wrote the Horst Weisel Tune, the Nazi theme song? Putzi Hufnagel was the guy, a personal pal of the big "A", as well as FDR, a former classmate.
Tim Page: I've seen the name -- I recall it from the big Shirer book -- but didn't know he was an American.
Arlington, Va.:
Why is it that Washington doesn't have a classical music store? (Unless I'm wrong, but I've searched.) I've lived in two Canadian cities and both had a store specifically devoted to classical music, and one of the cities only has a population of around 500,000.
Tim Page: We used to have a fine store -- Serenade -- but it closed about 1998. Tower and Ohlsson's do pretty well. Still, I agree that a specialist store would be a great addition.
Washington, D.C.:
On the topic of contemporary pianists: how do you think Yefim Bronfman stacks up? I'm catching him with the Philadelphia Orchestra this weekend (Brahm's Second Piano Concerto), and as I recall he's coming to this area later this season for a concerto and recital.
Tim Page: I've always found him a sensitive and persuasive artist. I don't know his work so well as I would like.
Minneapolis, Minn.:
Do you have a favorite recording of Messaien's Quartet for the End of Time? I don't like the Tashi recording - too much clarinet vibrato. Thanks!
Tim Page: Messiaen himself supervised a recording -- I think the clarinetist was named Guy Depuis (or something like that). I only had it on LP and can't tell you anything more about it.
I happen to like the Tashi recording myself -- although I thought Richard Stoltzman's later performances somewhat mannered.
Long Beach, Calif.:
May I suggest to the Post Magazine
Staff a permanent Tim Page List of classical
choices? I'm sure it would be a great feature, and could be sponsored by an advertising record store or classical record
company. You can say it was suggested by none other than the El Duce of Long Beach.
Tim Page: Suggestion noted!
Takoma Park, Md.:
Speaking of Reich, I've heard very good things about his newish multimedia piece. Any performances upcoming here? Any recordings or DVDs in prospect?
Tim Page: I don't think it is coming to D.C. I know it will be at BAM later this fall. I hope it works: Reich is on my list of major geniuses.
Bowie, Md.:
Ooh,
Your answer about great current pianists begs a larger question.
In some fields of human endeavor, knowledge is always cumulative (most sciences) and skill is constantly improving. In sports, for instance, people debate how great Ty Cobb would have been if transported to the modern day -- would he be a dominant player or are modern players sufficiently better than they were in 1910 that he would be just another one, or even a minor leaguer?
Classical music has been around in much its current form for at least 250 years, and has been recorded for 100. How does a minor opera company today compare to, say, the Met of a century ago or the current Baltimore symphony to the Vienna of many decades ago?
Tim Page: I think there is no doubt that the average pianist/violinist/flutist/instrumentalist/singer is more technically adept than the average P/V/F/I/S 100 years ago. That said, I do think it possible that a certain soulful parlance may have been lost.
Washington, D.C.:
Not that you should toot your own horn, but has "Tim Page on Music" been published yet? And do have any readings planned?
Tim Page: Toot! It is published. No book signings set up yet, but I'm hoping we'll put something together by the end of the year.
Right now I'm hovering at about 1,800,000 on the Amazon charts!
Fairfax, Va.:
Tim,
Just wanted to thank you for your wonderful, poetic reviews. I loved your description of most of Brahms' music as being something like a golden autumun day. We are lucky to have you here in DC.
P.S. Will you be attending (and looking forward to) the Cecilia Bartoldi recital?
Tim Page: Thank you so much. That was a lovely concert. Unfortunately, I will be out of town for the Bartoli event, but Joe Banno is set to write her up, so she is in good hands.
Somewhere, USA:
Pianists/Internet v. radio: I'd put Mitsuko Uchida on my list of pianists . . .
I'm sure you're right about the future of music on the Internet rather than the radio, but I hope there's still a place for radio. Example: I have Internet access at work, but am not allowed to have speakers or use headphones. While I realize that I cannot listen to music at the office with the same concentration that I can at other times, music helps make the work day bearable, and I'd hate to be without it -- which is what would happen if I couldn't access it on the radio.
Tim Page: Uchida is splendid. And, as an old radio man, I hope the medium continues, too. But it has gotten so timid.
Washington, D.C.:
I was disappointed to see that the Post did not do a longer appreciation of the great baritone William Warfield, who died on at the age of 82 August 25. He was probably best known for singing "Ol' Man River" in the 1951 movie version of _Showboat_, Porgy in several touring productions of Gershwin's _Porgy and Bess_, and the _Old American Songs_ of Aaron Copland. But he was also a distinguished singer of Brahms and Schumann lieder and was one of the first vocalists to record early music selections in the 1950s by composers such as Schütz, Perotin, and Monteverdi. As an African-American singer, he was an important musical ambassador of the US on State Department-sponsored tours of Europe and the Middle East in the 1950s and 60s and helped open doors for younger African-American singers. He later went on to a distinguished career as a teacher and as narrator in works such as Copland's Lincoln Portrait. But I heard him singing in Boston as recently as April, and although not every note was spot-on perfect, his phrasing, breath support, and dramatic instincts were flawless.
New York and Boston had fuller newspaper coverage of him, but the Post had only an obituary in which his name was misspelled a few times. I know that he died while you and many others were on vacation, but is there any chance you would still do a longer piece on him? And what's your general assessment of his career?
Tim Page: Warfield was a wonderful artist. I knew him a little, and he sang at a memorial concert for Virgil Thomson that I helped put on. A real gentleman -- and a pathbreaker.
I, too, wish that we had run a tribute. I didn't learn of Warfield's death until several days after it had happened, as I was travelling with my father in late August. So many things affect the placement of a story.
Takoma Park, Md.:
Serenade was terrific. Before that we had the Disc Shop on upper Connecticut.
Some of the more knowledgeable Serenade staff showed up briefly at the Tysons Tower, but are no longer there.
Tim Page: Yes -- it would be great to have a classical record store again in our area.
Washington, D.C.:
At the risk of starting a war among amateur choral groups, which of the many in the D.C. area would you say are consistently the best? In other words, if I had to pick between Choral Arts, Washington Chorus, New Dominon, Masterchorale, Masterworks, Capitol Hill Chorale, Metropolitan Chorus, the men's groups, et al, which would be your bet? I just can't go to them all!
Tim Page: I'd look at the program, then decide.
Somewhere, USA:
MagFields: Hi Mr Page,
I know you're a Stephen Merritt fan. Have you checked out his new CD with one of his sub-groups, Future Bible Heroes? And how does he possibly follow up 69 Love Songs?
Tim Page: Nobody can follow "69 Love Songs." Merritt will have to do something completely different. I'm sure he will.
Haven't yet heard the new F.B.H. disc yet. Something else to look forward to.
Hyattsville, Md.:
Is your famous list still online for those of use who missed it?
Tim Page: Note to Master Control -- can we help this reader?
Somewhere, USA:
Sirius is SATELLITE, not internet: ...set up mainly for the car. 3 noncommercial original classical stations, dozens of others of interest to minority musical tastes plus comedy. paradise in the dashboard!
but not over the Internet. I'm praying Sirius succeeds.
Tim Page: If it doesn't, something like it will. It must.
Tim Page: Well, that pretty much wraps it up. Sorry I was late -- and sorrier still that I wasn't able to answer every question. As somebody in Tennessee or Texas once put it: "Fool me once, shame on...you (?). Won't get fooled again!"
Glad to know people are still listening to the Who.
Join us again next week.
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