once again, i'm off in a few for the venerable ojai music festival. let me know if there are any comments. hosted by steve reich, dawn upshaw and david robertson (?) this time around.

i guess i'm not supposed to post a url, but it's easy to find.

Artie,

Post the URL. It is not very controversial is it!

George

Every year when you post about the festival I determine to visit Ojai again. It is a lovely place. Maybe next year. Hope you enjoy the festival.

fidelio, what did you think? I was too distracted beforehand to make arrangements to meet you. I was sitting up front in AA section extreme right side. Enjoyable to see all of Modern Times with orchestral sound.

My friend Harry and I have been going since 93 when Adams conducted, about 15 years tho missed a couple. We really enjoyed this one, Robertson was great and the Saturday night performances were beautiful, and the second half, mind boggling intensity. It was a spoken performance by a woman telling the tale of the Trojan Wars from Cassandra's viewpoint (for those not there). I'm not a classic or Greek buff as Harry is, but how she kept that intensity going to the end....Amazing.

I liked the Reich pieces too. It drives some to distraction, but I find them hypnotic. Harry went up to Upshaw to talk in the audience in front, I tagged along, she's really charming. We also got to talk to Frank Gehry at the festival. I said being in the balcony at Disney Hall is like flying. He smiled.
glenn

glenn,

to be honest i've never attended an o.m.f. i didn't greatly enjoy. my girlfriend however reached a breaking point following the elliott carter afternoon at the art center. i think it was cumulative, as she had dutifully sat through an evening ao e.c. at red cat a couple of months ago, and needed a nap i guess (as she took one while i attended the film). one of my son's instructor's, erika, was the cellist.

anyway, modern times was great. i am thrilled to have seen it like that, w/ chaplin's music played by a top notch ensemble (btw, i thought roberts did an excellent job overall and i was relieved to learn he has a sense of humor.) i am not dashing out to purchase any of the sat. night pieces, but enjoyed them nonetheless - where else could you hear such unusual pieces of music all strung together so? hats off to steve reich, too. to be honest, i loved the pergolesi -- have several recordings of it and what a treat to hear upshaw sing it.

i didn't realize you would be there -- we should have at least said hello. next year.

ps. - lawn only!

well glad you enjoyed it. It was quite wonderful. I liked the way Dawn let her pianist have his own time, and the Copeland pieces were wonderful. they were a great match. I loved the pergolesi also. The other mezzo was astounding, great voice, she's young but the right talent should go places.

Nexus is always fun and next year it's 8th Blackbird, that should be exciting.

We don't have to wait a year to meet. Figure something out at the H Bowl or Disney Hall. I'll be at Salonen's Mahler this summer. Can't miss that.

is essa pekka doing mahler at the bowl? while i'm a dch addict, haven't been to the bowl in years. did hear the 2d there once.