Celebrity Series of Boston Blog

"Everytime We Say Goodbye," Cole Porter by John Coltrane

Tim Russert (1950-2008)

Sad and very shocking: Tim Russert Dead at 58.

MSNBC web site bio

Tim Russert wikipedia page

On Point interview with Tim Russert (audio)

Charlie Rose interview with Tim Russert (video)

Meet The Press web page

Tim Russert's MySpace page

Siegmund "Sigi" Nissel (1922-2008)

The Amadeus Quartet (left to right): Cellist Martin Lovett, first violinist Norbert Brainin, second violinist Siegmund Nissel, and violist Peter Schidlof

I recently learned of the passing of Siegmund "Sigi" Nissel, the beloved teacher and the second violinist and administrator of the Amadeus Quartet, the top-notch English string quartet that performed together for over 40 years. The Amadeus Quartet was founded in 1947 by three Viennese violinists who had fled Nazi-subjugated Austria for England - Norbert Brainin, Peter Schidlof (who later switched to viola), and Nissel - and the English cellist Martin Lovett.

The Amadeus Quartet disbanded in 1987 upon the death of violist Peter Schidlof. Boston Globe critic Anthony Tommasini wrote of the Amadeus Quartet following their Celebrity Series concert in 1987, their 40th, and last, year together, "...their homogeneous ensemble, their collective palette of coloristic nuances, and their ability to inflect their readings with telling detail all remain marvels." Mr. Nissel was part of that marvel for its entire lifespan, the sort of thing most of us can only dream about.

The Amadeus performed on the Celebrity Series four times: in 1961, '74, '78, and '87.

The Times (UK) obituary

Siegmund Nissel wikipedia page

New York Times obituary

Boston Globe obituary

Telegraph (UK) obituary

The Washington Post obituary

The Independent (UK) obituary

On An Overgrown Path: In memorium Siegmund Nissel

Video of the Amadeus Quartet: from Beethoven's Op. 135 Quartet

Video of the Amadeus Quartet: from Bartok's String Quartet No. 4

Photos of John Brunious' Jazz Funeral

Following up on my earlier post on the death of Preservation Hall Jazz Band trumpeter John Brunious. You can view photos of John Brunious' Jazz Funeral here. The Jazz Funeral took place February 23 in New Orleans.

Grammy Update

I finally got around to looking at the complete Grammy Award list and found a few other Celebrity Series of Boston artists from this season (tons from other seasons, as usual...ahem).

Turns out Maria Schneider and the Maria Schneider Orchestra were nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Sky Blue, and Maria's Cerulean Skies from the same album was nominated for Best Instrumental Composition. Maria and the Orchestra made their Celebrity Series debut November 18 at the Berklee Performance Center.

Not to be outdone, pianist Marc-André Hamelin was nominated in the Best Instumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) for his Haydn: Piano Sonatas album on Hyperion. Mr. Hamelin makes his celebrity Series debut January 26 at NEC's Jordan Hall. Pianist and Celebrity Series regular, Garrick Ohlsson was also nominated in the category.

Bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff (who sang this past November 19 with the Berlin Philharmonic, you'll recall), whose recording The Jazz Album - Watch What Happens (Deutsche Grammophon), was nominated for Best Classical Crossover Album.

Among the many Celebrity Series alumni represented on the Grammy list, well, the ones that jumped out at me, were Eighth Blackbird, with 3 (count 'em!) nominations for Best Chamber Music Performance for their Strange Animals recording on the Cedille label, Best Classical Contemporary Composition (Jennifer Higdon, Zaka) and Best Producer of the Year, Classical (Judith Sherman).

Other nominees that once graced a Celebrity Series stage and may again are Joni Mitchell, Joe Lovano, Paquito D'Rivera, Soweto Gospel Choir, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Sweet Honey In The Rock (Best Musical Album for Children, by the way), Renee Fleming, and Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists. The late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson received three nominations for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs on Nonesuch.

Karlheinz Stockhausen, 1928-2007

Composer Karlheinz Stockhausen

Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the 20th century's most influential composers has died. He had no specific involvement with this organization that I am aware of (usually my requirement for comment on this blog), but his influence was/is too pervasive to pass without comment, in this case, my "comments" take the form of links. Undoubtedly, Karlheinz Stockhausen had an effect on something that took place on one of our stages at some time - probably more than we realize.

Karlheinz Stockhausen official web site

Karlheinz Stockhausen Myspace page

Karlheinz Stockhausen wikipedia page

New York Times obituary (Associated Press)

Los Angeles Times obituary (Mark Swed)

Washington Post obituary (Matt Schudel)

National Public Radio obituary (Tom Huizenga)

BBC News obituary

Canadian Broadcasting Company obituary

Bloomberg News obituary (Mark Beech)

Guardian (UK) obituary (Ivan Hewett)

The Rest Is Noise obituary (Alex Ross)

Karlheinz Stockhausen interview on You Tube

List of works by Karlheinz Stockhausen (.pdf)

Marcel Marceau, 1923-2007

The world-renowned mime, Marcel Marceau has died. My guess is that though many make jokes about mime as an art form, few would dispute Marceau's preeminent status in the genre. Marceau had only one Celebrity Series engagement, a week-long run at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1985, but he appeared in Boston many times.

Boston.com obituary (Louise Kennedy)

New York Times obituary (James F. Clarity and Eric Pace)

Washington Post obituary (Patricia Sullivan)

Christian Science Monitor interview from 1974

"Something to See," TIME Magazine, 1955

Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007

Boston Globe obituary (Richard Dyer)

Boston.com photo gallery

Boston Globe Critic's Notebook (Jeremy Eichler)

Ron Della Chiesa's WGBH interview with Pavarotti from 1972 (streaming)

New York Times obituary (Bernard Holland)

New York Times: An Appraisal, A Master of Italian Operatic Artistry (Anthony Tommasini)

New York Times: Italy Mourns 'An Expression of our Culture'

Chicago Tribune obituary (John von Rhein)

Washington Post: 'Italian Tenor Luciano Pavarotti, Superstar of Opera'
(Tim Page)

Washington Post slideshow/photo gallery

Los Angeles Times: 'Opera's greatest star brought classical music to the masses' (Mark Swed)

Reuters: 'World Pays Tribute to Pavarotti, singer and man

Associated Press: 'Luciano Pavarotti: A Tenor Like No Other' (Ronald Blum)

Associated Press: 'Thousands Pay Respects to Pavarotti'

Discography from The New York Times

Lucianopavarotti.com

Luciano Pavarotti has died. I feel like The Brooklyn Bridge just disappeared.

UPDATE: As a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti, Boston's WGBH Television has scheduled two rebroadcasts of a 1981 Metropolitan Opera production of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. Here is the schedule.

Peter Knapp passes at 75

Christa and Peter Knapp

Peter Knapp, the longtime music critic for The Patriot Ledger newspaper has died and I'm one of many who will miss him. Peter's list of accomplishments and interests is longer than I realized. Did any of us who talked to Peter at concerts know about his work on nuclear nonproliferation? None of it surprises me, but I wish I could ask Peter about it all now. When he was alive, he seemed to prefer talking about his children to talking about himself.

I will miss talking with Peter and his wife, Christa, at performances. I will miss reading Peter's reviews (he was a gentleman, but he didn't pull his punches in print, I can assure you). I will miss his annual letter listing the concerts he intended to review. I will miss our occasional phone conversations and his gentlemanly demeanor. He was a dear man who loved music and Boston's music scene is the poorer for his passing.

I recommend J.M. Lawrence's obituary on Peter Knapp for The Boston Globe as a tiny window into a life well lived.

Beverly Sills, 1929-2007

Beverly Sills (left, oops, right!) singing a blues duet with Carol Burnett

You have probably heard or read the news elsewhere that the great soprano Beverly Sills has died. As someone whose primary image of Ms. Sills outside of her recordings and her work as an arts administrator are her appearances as fill-in host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, I can't add much to the coverage and memorials. However, I can't let the passing of someone so important go unacknowledged. Here are some links to the best of the coverage I have come across:

New York Times: Beverly Sills, All-American Diva, Is Dead at 78 (Anthony Tommasini)

New York Times: Beverly Sills, An Appraisal (Anthony Tommasini)

Baltimore Sun: Sills Opened World of Opera (Tim Smith)

Carol Burnett Remembers Friend Beverly Sills (NPR)

Ms. Sills gave three recitals for the Celebrity Series during her career: October 30, 1970; April 15, 1973; and February 24, 1976, all at Symphony Hall.