Category: Read

Photo Essay: A RARE Soundwalk

1 May, 2009 / 1 comment / 2726 views

[audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_15_16_04.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_15_21_00.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_15_25_38.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_15_33_58.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_15_45_41.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_16_02_49.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_16_07_58.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_16_16_26.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_16_21_34.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_16_36_08.mp3] [audio:http://theomniscientmussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/30-apr-09_16_57_47.mp3] ____________________ This soundwalk took place in the afternoon of Thursday 30th April 2009 at the Rare Charitable Research Reserve as part of the Open Ears Festival in Kitchener, Ontario….

Soundwalk With R. Murray Schafer

30 April, 2009 / 3 comments / 2601 views

Miss Mussel has been terribly remiss in her blogging duties for the Open Ears Festival. The list of excuses is long but desperately boring, so instead she will give a little plug for the RARE Soundwalks that are running nearly…

The Flying Bulgars

25 April, 2009 / 1 comment / 1550 views

The Flying Bulgars, a Toronto-based nouveau klezmer band were in town Saturday night for the first show in the late night concert series at Open Ears. They were, in a word, fabulous. The concert took place in the Upper Parish…

Open Ears 2009 First Weekend Schedule

24 April, 2009 / 3 comments / 7401 views

Hello everyone! Miss Mussel has been recruited to do some blogging for the 2009 Open Ears Festival, which is, by all accounts, the coolest thing happening in the Kdub these days. A big OM welcome to those of you arriving…

Review: Kitchener Waterloo Symphony

2 April, 2009 / 2 comments / 1672 views

Mortivesary (n): the anniversary of a person’s death. Unless the event was unusually tragic (JFK, Kurt Cobain, Elvis et al) mortiversaries aren’t something people usually keep track of. Some may make a small note in their planner in reference to…

Review: Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Music Society

23 March, 2009 / no comments / 804 views

One of the great things about The Music Room is that it gives young performers a place to give recitals. Also, and perhaps more importantly, the performers are free to present whatever material they like, no matter how obscure. Regular…

Can An Evil Person Be A Great Artist?

23 March, 2009 / 1 comment / 7171 views

Pianist Stephen Hough lays out a doozy of a question on his blog this weekend: Can An Evil Person Be A Great Artist? and Is there a moral dimension to music? This is one of my favourite debates, mostly because…

Van Cliburn Index

10 March, 2009 / 1 comment / 1446 views

The 2009 Van Cliburn Piano Competition is getting into gear and the initial batch of 30 participants has been settled on. Miss Mussel is happy to announce that Ang Li is representing Canada. The following is a bit of fun…

Review: DaCapo Chamber Choir

10 March, 2009 / no comments / 795 views

In Monday’s Waterloo Record The DaCapo Chamber Choir’s 10th anniversary season flowed into an exploration of the idea of Water, the second element in a series. The choir and a string quartet made up of Henry and Karen Zielinsi, Elspeth…

Review: Menno Singers

2 March, 2009 / no comments / 910 views

The church was full, a welcome sight for any concert, but given the recent financial wobbles of many area arts groups it was especially heartening.

Webern: 5 Movements For String Quartet

19 February, 2009 / no comments / 9559 views

Anton Webern (1883-1945) Five movements Op 5 (1909) Heftig bewegt, Tempo I Sehr langsam Sehr lebhaft Sehr langsam In zarter bewegung Anton Webern has the dubious distinction of being one of the last casualties of WWII. On September 15th 1945,…

Mozart: String Quartet In E Flat Major K428

12 February, 2009 / no comments / 3458 views

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) String Quartet in E flat major K428 (1783) Allegro ma non troppo Andante con moto Menuetto: Allegro Allegro vivace K428 is part of a set of six quartets Mozart wrote in Vienna between 1783 and 1785….

Beethoven: String Quartet Op 95 ‘Serioso’

4 February, 2009 / 1 comment / 4436 views

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Op 95 ‘Quartetto serioso’ 1810 Allegro con brio Allegretto ma non troppo Allegro assai vivace, ma serioso Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato Beethoven is quoted as saying “The Quartet is written for a small circle of…

Review: Cuarteto Latinoamericano

2 February, 2009 / no comments / 1015 views

In today’s Record Saturday evening, Cuarteto Latinoamericano was in town to give a concert of Latin American music at The Music Room. Those that decided not to brave the elements missed out on an evening full of delightful surprises. Since…

Haydn: String Quartet Op 54 No. 2

29 January, 2009 / 2 comments / 5653 views

Franz Joseph Haydn (1723-1809) Op 54 No.2 (1788) Vivace Adagio Menuetto Adagio – Presto These quartets are part of a set of six (Op 54 & Op 64) published in 1790. They were dedicated to Johan Tost, the principal second…