Pop Stand

Welcome back to "Where In the World Is JoAnn Falletta?," the show wherein we track and trail our globe-trotting maestra around the wide, wide world.

Last time we played this game we were a few miles off. It turned out our divinations were not completely accurate. Falletta was in London, not where we said she was. Well, we were close! Getting there was half the fun.

Today we are absolutely sure! So, without further ado ...

Where in the world is JoAnn Falletta?

She is in this city.

Here is a hint. The city's name means "Northern Capital."

Let us take another shot. It is of ancient fortifications!

Here is a clue that is closer to home.

Think food.

Got it yet? JoAnn Falletta is in ...

Beijing!

That is the Great Hall of the People above. And above that is Peking Duck. Before it was Beijing, Beijing was Peking.

The Tonawanda map will lead you to Beijing Garden.

The picture above that is of the Great Wall where JoAnn Falletta went wandering the other day according to an email she sent to Pop Stand. That's right, this is direct information!

"I am here in Beijing, conducting the Beijing Symphony - What a fascinating city- I went walking today on the Great Wall  (actually quite challenging- it is VERY steep) and went to the Ming Tombs and the Olympic Stadium, she writes.

She adds: "The concert will actually take place in the Forbidden City!"

Pop Stand wrote back to Falletta telling her not to get persecuted, that from what we were reading, a lot of people in Beijing were getting persecuted.

She replied:

"So far it has been wonderful! The environment is very different, but somehow musicians must have the same chemical makeup.  We really enjoyed our Tchaikovsky and Beethoven together today. No discussion of politics! Just music-making."

BPO Concertmaster Michael Ludwig is making his debut in Beijing. He is playing the Wieniawski D Minor Concerto which goes like this.

That is an earlier Michael on violin. It is Michael Rabin. What a romantic piece that is.

The Forbidden City is echoing with it even as we speak!

I haven't yet seen "The Help," the movie set in 1960s Mississippi, but I've heard it makes you hungry.

Hungry for justice, for equality, for mutual respect among all human beings? Probably.

But I was really just talking about food.

Don't laugh! I didn't give myself this idea. One food site got Viking Range On-Line Chef (there is a job that sounds like fun) to come up with recipes in tribute to "The Help," "to celebrate the opening of this empowering movie."

Another gave the recipe for Minnie's Chocolate Pie.

Even august Food and Wine weighed in with a list of recipes from "The Help" including Cucumber-Rye Tea Sandwiches, German Chocolate Cake and Tomato Aspic.

Is anyone actually going to make this tomato aspic? It seems to me that aspic is one retro food we will never see come back. Just the name!

Also, tea sandwiches. If anyone in Buffalo makes tea sandwiches as a result of this movie, I would love to hear about it.

See, this is the mark of a really good movie.

It gives you a lot to talk about!

-- Mary Kunz Goldman

This is the game wherein we take on the challenging task of locating our effervescent, unpredictable and globe-trotting Buffalo Philharmonic Music Director.

In this round -- Round 4, I think, it is -- the answer is especially exotic.

This time, it jumped out at me pretty quickly! I found out on Facebook, is what happened. Because of a post -- elementary, my dear Watson -- by the British author Norman Lebrecht. Norman Lebrecht, who in addition to his books writes the music blog Slipped Disc, is something of a globe-trotter himself. He is also a Facebook friend of mine. Let me say this right now: Anyone who knocks down Facebook and Twitter has no idea what he or she is talking about. Facebook and Twitter have been awfully darn good to me.

Norman Lebrecht wrote on Facebook this morning that he is having lunch with JoAnn Falletta .... where?

Here is a picture.

 
That is a cab in front of their City Hall!

By the look of the cab you get the idea that we are not in Kansas any more, or even in America. You are correct!

But where are we? Where in the world is JoAnn Falletta?

Here is another picture. This is where the orchestra plays.

Here is a musical hint. This is a famous song sung by a tenor I love.

Now you are getting warmer! But it is not enough to say the country. You must say the city!

While you are thinking, you may listen to the song sung by the great Irish tenor John McCormack. You know me, I love my John McCormack.

I did not want to give away the tune's actual official name but now I have. It is from Londonderry.

JoAnn Falletta is in ...

... Ulster! 

She is the new music director of the Ulster Orchestra -- that is, when she is not here in Buffalo -- and that is where she is today having lunch with my Facebook friend Norman Lebrecht. And might I add that I introduced the two of them. Norman Lebrecht visited Buffalo last fall, reading from his new book "Why Mahler?" And it was my great pleasure to introduce Norman to JoAnn over a beer at Founding Fathers.

That is a picture up above of a pub in Ulster.

I hope JoAnn Falletta and Norman Lebrecht are having a beer there!

-- Mary Kunz Goldman 

In the blink of an eye...

In the sparkle of a sequin...

And before you could say "Stayin' Alive"....

The World's Largest Disco sold out!

"This includes both the VIP and General Admission events. We expect there will be some cancellations, so if you are interested in signing up for our waiting list please do so," the disco organizers announce in an email.

Oh, no! Perhaps it was the last two days' of relentless disco talk on PopStand that did it! We have been on kind of a disco kick.

The grim bulletin continues:

"As previously promised, there will be a small allotment of tickets (300) that will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, August 13th at 10:00am thru Ticketmaster.com.  These tickets will be sold at a cost of $65 but will include all regular Ticketmaster services charges. Star 102.5 will also be giving away tickets on the air over the next few months so be sure to listen in for your chance to win tickets."

The disco is Nov. 26 at the Buffalo Convention Center. Above is a Buffalo News file photo taken at last year's bash, of a Toronto guy dancing the night away.

Those of us unfortunate enough to be left out in the cold may get on the waiting list by clicking here -- or here for the VIP waiting list.

So... that's that.

We now return to our previous programming.

-- Mary Kunz Goldman

When the spirit moves us, Pop Stand is going to review books we find edifying. Today we brake for a new book called "Bar Hopping Thru America."

This merrily casual paperback is by Terry W. Lyons, a Western New Yorker now in his 70s and living with his wife in Florida. The back cover blurb reads, in part: "The inspiration of this book followed completion of a course, 'Searching for the Lost American Bar,' at the Chautauqua Institute. Who knew Chautauqua taught a course like this? Where do we sign? If you've taken any of those Forgotten Buffalo tours, this would be a way of taking your scholarship to the next level.

So, what everyone wants to know is, what does the book say about Buffalo?

Not as much as it says about Olean, I will say that. Lyons grew up in Olean, and his hometown gets a lot of ink. When he was 17, he used to hang out at a place called the Wheel Restaurant and Bar. He writes: "Unlike teenagers today, economic circumstances usually prevented any one of us from having too much to drink." He describes shuffleboard, which sounds like fun. Only boys would drink, Lyons remembers. Girls did not.

There was also an upscale bar called the Capitol, with a bandstand and a dance floor. Wow, Olean had a lot of bars! Lyons knowledgeably discusses Welch's, where you could place off-track bets. And a few dives: the Brown Bear, Dinty Moore's and the Cabin. "They opened early in the day and, as far as I could tell, never closed."

About Buffalo, Lyons takes time out to discuss our town's brewing history. The Anchor Bar makes it onto the list at the end of the book of bars not to miss. The Place also has a place of honor. Lyons presents it as an example of an endangered old-time tavern. He knows all about its Tom and Jerrys, the drink the bar serves at Christmas time. He has clearly put in his time there.

Lyons is a charming Irishman and rambles through history and geography not really caring what goes where. He interjects quotes. ("I never met a man I liked who didn't drink." -- Will Rogers. I never heard that!)

There are a lot of typos. "Yeats" is spelled "Yates." The absolute last sentence, on p. 241, is a classic: "Ray Brush provided a wonderful final editing of the book" it reads. With no period.

But so what if the book is a somewhat rough, er, draft?

What better mark of authenticity could it have?

-- Mary Kunz Goldman

Where in the world is JoAnn Falletta? We like to play this game from time to time, track the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's music director, JoAnn Falletta, and see where she is and what she is up to.

As Joe Williams used to sing: "Baby, I want to know where you're going, what you're doing, and who are you doing it with." Well, not quite. But any excuse to quote Joe Williams.

While looking forward to JoAnn's next appearance with the BPO -- which happens 7 p.m. July 28, at Artpark -- one might well wonder where she is right now. She has been out of town for a while. And, it turns out, there is a good reason for that.

Because JoAnn Falletta, The Buffalo News has learned, is in ....

Here is a hint.

She is in Chile!!

Or at least she was just a few days ago.

Not only that but she is talking about us.

A South American publication features JoAnn talking about Buffalo. The headline reads: "Mi Barrio Favorito: Buffalo Centro, N.Y."

There is mention of "El Oliver's" and "El Cole's." JoAnn is talking about restaurants she loves!

Spot Coffee and Studio Hart also get a mention.

A picture captioned "Parque Japones de Delaware" gives a very flattering glimpse of Delaware Park.

And JoAnn says this about Kleinhans Music Hall: "Tiene una acstica espectacular
y es una de las salas de conciertos más famosas y aclamadas en todo Estados Unidos." I do not speak Spanish but, well, maybe I do. I think I understand what she is saying. She is saying it is one of the most famous and acclaimed concert halls in the entire United States and its acoustics are spectacular. Someone, correct me if I am wrong!

JoAnn has been in Chile conducting the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile in Santiago at the Teatro Universidad de Chile. Jacek Muzyk, the BPO's Principal Horn Player, was there too, soloing in Kenneth Fuchs' "Canticle to the Sun." That is a picture of Falletta and Fuchs at the top of this post.

The composer's Web site has a clip of them rehearsing it. And there is also a review.

Donde el mundo es JoAnn Falletta?

Ya sabes!*

-- Mary Kunz Goldman 

*That is "Where in the world is JoAnn Falletta? Now you know!" in Spanish, according to a translating page I found on the 'Net. Please pardon that I do not know how to do the upside-down question mark. Gracias!

Michael Ludwig, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's concertmaster, is in Russia. He is going to be performing in the Tchaikovsky International Competition.

Ludwig, pictured at left in a News file photo, is not a contestant. He is performing at the special request of composer John Corigliano, who is one of the jurors, and the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra. He will be playing Corigliano's "Red Violin" Concerto.

I associate the concerto with Michael because he has played the piece here -- and his performance with the BPO has been broadcast on Performance Today. Looking on YouTube just now, though, reminds me that an impressive number of violinists play the piece. Joshua Bell played the music in the movie "The Red Violin." Here he is discussing the piece.

Hahahaha... I like watching Joshua Bell in this interview. He looks like a baseball player, sitting there.

It will be fun to hear from Michael how his visit to Russia goes. I am sure he will have stories to tell.

The Tchaikovsky Competition is a complex endeavor. It began June 14 and winds up June 30. Right now they seem to be at a midpoint, with 12 violinists, 12 cellists and 12 pianists all advancing to the next round. One of the pianists, Eduard Kunz, distinguished himself in the last Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. I wonder why I remember his name? Other than that, none of the names looks familiar.

If you register with the Russians (it's free) you can watch the competition live. Hmmmm... I just did. Be warned: A lot of the competition -- speeches, and captions -- will still be in Russian, no matter what language you choose.

It is fun to look at the hall -- large and grand, dominated by a huge portrait of Tchaikovsky.

Michael's concert is sometime on Wednesday.

-- Mary Kunz Goldman

Not long ago we played the fascinating game of "Where in the World is JoAnn Falletta?" Now it is time for Round 2!

Shrewdly, I noticed that Falletta was not in evidence at Kleinhans Music Hall this weekend. The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is being conducted by Associate Conductor Matthew Kraemer, who is presiding over a tribute to ABBA. (Want to go? The show is sold out, but it it whispered that standing room is still available.)

So... where is JoAnn Falletta?

We call on timpanist Matthew Bassett to give us the drum roll... 

Falletta is in ... recognize this town?

Omaha, Neb.!

She is conducting the Omaha Symphony in Prokofiev’s “Cinderella: Suite,” Mendelssohn’s “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage,” and Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.” The program also features 19-year-old cellist Julian Schwarz performing Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor. Julian Schwartz has performed with Falletta and the Virginia Symphony but not with the Buffalo Philharmonic. You can watch him in action in this clip of him performing the incredibly beautiful slow movement from Schumann's Piano Quartet.

Back to Falletta. Interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald, she said she is thrilled to be back in Omaha. The last time she was there was in 2005 and she conducted Beethoven's Ninth, in addition to "Purple Rhapsody" by Joan Tower.

Let us poke into the doings of the Omaha Symphony. The orchestra's music director is Thomas Wilkins ...

 
... who is also principal guest conductor at the Hollywood Bowl. Wilkins has conducted here in Buffalo, but not recently. The last time seems to have been in 2002, when he conducted Handel's "Messiah." I wrote at the time that he conducted the choruses with great gusto and you could sometimes see him shaping the music with his hands. Wilkins has a blog on the Omaha Symphony's Web site. He is a little bit behind with his blog! He has not checked in since April 7. Get with it, Maestro! We are up to date here at PopStand.

The Omaha Symphony recently turned 90 years old. It performs at the Holland Performing Arts Center which opened in 2005. That is the hall pictured at the top of this post! Here is what it looks like inside.

 
Where in the world is JoAnn Falletta?

Now you know!

-- Mary Kunz Goldman

Conductor Michael Christie, who is from our town and is now music director of the Phoenix Symphony, is in the news this week. Christie is at the Minnesota Opera, conducting "Wuthering Heights," an opera by the great film music composer Bernard Herrmann. That is a poster for it at left. The opera, which is almost never performed, opened April 16.

It is too bad "Wuthering Heights" is so seldom performed because it seems to have very wide appeal. Witness that the opera was written up not only on something called the Bronte Blog but also on a blog subtitled "Twin Cities Hub For Hip Jewish Stuff."

You can read about the opera, listen to it and hear an interview with Christie on this Minnesota Public Radio page.

"It's not just wind blowing on the moors," Christie says. "It's about what people feel when the wind is blowing on the moors."

The Wall Street Journal, reporting on the opera last weekend, opined that the music was beautiful but that the opera was too long. Reading up on the opera I learned that its length has thwarted performances in the past. Apparently Julius Rudel was ready to conduct it years ago but asked for cuts, and Herrmann would not agree.

From what I hear of the music it sounds extremely intriguing. Christie calls it somewhat Wagner-esque which occurred to me too. In case you are new to the wild world of movie music, Bernard Herrmann wrote the scores to "Vertigo," "Cape Fear" and, most famously, "Psycho." He was the master of suspense and intensity.

Here is a scene from Herrmann's "Wuthering Heights" that shows Cathy and Heathcliff (singers Sara Jakubiak and Lee Poulis).

 
 
I have a problem in that I am married to the 1939 movie. I wish an opera based on "Wuthering Heights" could have just have used the wonderful music by Alfred Newman. The music will always be tied up in my mind with that story. Wow, look! I am not the only one thinking of "Wuthering Heights" in this gloomy brooding afternoon. Someone posted the original trailer for the movie, just today.

Prejudices and hangups aside, though, I admit, the opera intrigues me. It continues at the Minnesota Opera through Saturday.

I wish I were there!

-- Mary Kunz Goldman

As The Buffalo News' classical music critic this is a game I play a lot, hunting down JoAnn Falletta, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's much-traveled music director. There is always something I need to ask her and she is very nice about putting up with me.

This weekend, you can tell she is probably not in Buffalo because the concerts Saturday and Sunday, featuring guest violinist Jennifer Koh, are being conducted by Associate Conductor Matthew Kraemer. Elementary, my dear Watson!

So, where is JoAnn? Emails and cell phones make it easy to find out, but it is still entertaining, to find out where she is. I emailed her lastnight, and today the word got back to me. JoAnn Falletta is in .... timpani roll please ....

Fort Wayne, Indiana!

She is conducting the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Fort Wayne Phil, as it is known for short, is led by Music Director Andrew Constantine. This is a kind of cultural exchange we have going here, because Constantine was in Buffalo just this past February, leading the Buffalo Philharmonic and pianist Terrence Wilson in a concert in honor of Mozart's birthday. I remember I liked him. He had an unhurried, low-key style.

Let us continue to probe the Fort Wayne Phil. The orchestra's Web site is a kick. All week they have Constantine interviewing Falletta and each day he asks her a different question. Today's question is about how JoAnn feels about traveling. She says she enjoys exploring new cities and that she rides her bike and does yoga. "I think yoga sometimes is the only thing that keeps me going," she says.

Darn, and all this time I thought I was keeping her going! Me and my endless phone calls and questions.

Also on the Fort Wayne Phil's site is an ongoing thing called "Classical Cackles" -- "a weekly online comic, game or video that will hopefully provide some levity during the middle of the week." I am laughing already! There is also a very entertaining long and rambling history of the orchestra.

The Fort Wayne Phil performs in the historic Embassy Theatre. A lot of orchestras in mid-sized cities perform in 1920s movie palaces. It makes me realize what an exception Buffalo is in that we have world-renowned Kleinhans Music Hall. Our situation really stands out.

That having been said, the Embassy looks like a wonderful place. That is its lobby pictured above. It has a beautiful marquee.

The Embassy was a vaudeville house in addition to a movie theater. Scanning its history I see that all my favorite greats performed there -- Cab Calloway, Donald O'Connor, Chico Marx. Here is Chico Marx playing "All I Do Is Dream of You," a song Michael Buble sings now. Perhaps Chico Marx played that at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne, Ind.!

JoAnn is not the only ambassador from Buffalo to grace the stage at the Embassy. The theater's Wikipedia page has a picture of the Goo Goo Dolls performing there.

This weekend in Fort Wayne, JoAnn is conducting Max Bruch's First Violin Concerto, with soloist Clara-Jumi Kang. Also on the program are John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherezade." The concert is called "Tales From Afar."

We have explored some tales from afar right here, today!

I wonder where JoAnn will be next time I go looking for her?

-- Mary Kunz Goldman