Triple Treat: Rachel Barton Pine, Mark O'Connor and Liz Carroll together in concert!

March 19, 2008 at 11:41 PM

winter double whammy

My last two trips were memorable for some unmistakable signs of winter: the flu and a blizzard.

It was wonderful to work again with the Jupiter Chamber Players in New York. You can’t beat the combination of terrific musicians and exciting repertoire! Unfortunately, I came down with a fever, congestion, and a nasty cough on my first night in the city. Slogging through five-hour rehearsals and a double concert day was challenging. What do you do if your nose starts running on stage and you don't have enough measures rest to discreetly grab a tissue? Just keep playing and no one will notice! (At least, my friends claimed it wasn’t visible…)

I had just a few hours in Chicago to repack my suitcases before heading off to Dayton, Ohio. I was really looking forward to revisiting Roque Cordero’s Violin Concerto, with all of its Panamanian-flavored rhythms and interesting orchestral colors. The rehearsals with the Dayton Phil went well, but sadly both performances were canceled due to extreme weather conditions (see below). The concerts have been rescheduled for next January (unless the weather gods intervene again).

REVIEW: “It's snow joke: DPO guest puts on show”

Dayton Daily News (OH)
March 12, 2008

The weekend's weather forced the program to be canceled, but violinist Rachel Barton Pine can't be stopped.

By Carol Simmons

After the weekend's extreme winter weather forced the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra to cancel its planned program Friday and Saturday nights, March 7-8, at the Schuster Center, DPO Music Director Neal Gittleman told a robust gathering of about 200 ticketholders on Saturday evening that the weekend had been the most disappointing he had ever experienced in his professional career.

His disappointment at not being able to perform the works prepared for the two evenings was palpable. At the same time, he noted that because of the extreme graciousness of the orchestra's guest soloist, violinist Rachel Barton Pine, March 8, 2008, would likely go down in Philharmonic lore as the night the DPO "made lemonade."

That's because, while the orchestra musicians — some of whom lived in such "level 3 emergency" locations as Cincinnati and Columbus — couldn't get into Dayton for Saturday night's concert, Barton Pine was already there — and she was not only ready, but raring, to play.

And play she did, presenting a full solo recital of unaccompanied violin works that ranged from such anchors of the classical literature as a Bach Sonata and a Partita set to more obscure pieces from a variety of sources.

Proving to be a delightful hostess, Barton Pine played with the kind of joy and perfection that comes when you're playing for the pure love of it. The result was lemonade with a kick.

New podcast format: Violin Adventures with Rachel Barton Pine

I’ve just revamped my podcast. Each episode includes a main topic, upcoming events, Inquiries from my Inbox, and a Random Musical Thought. Please be sure to let me know what you think of the new format! To listen, please visit rachelbartonpine.libsyn.com.

Episode 27 – Mozart’s amazing Violin and Viola Duos with guest violist Eric Nowlin. A discussion about Mozart's compositions for viola with guest artist Eric Nowlin, particularly the Violin and Viola Duos. Includes musical examples (played by Rachel and Eric) from Mozart’s Violin and Viola Duos and Michael Haydn's earlier Duets. Rachel also tells the story of how Mozart came to the rescue of Michael Haydn by composing his duos. Inquires From My Inbox: sonofaguitar asks, “Where do you find the music for the Pibroch (Mackenzie’s Lament) that you play on your YouTube video?” Random Musical Thought: Another difference between classical and non-classical music: familiarity with the repertoire, and whether or not the audience is listening one step ahead or one step behind.

Episode 26 – Preparing for Chamber Music Rehearsals: How to Expedite the Process. Learning chamber music in a hurry, a step-by-step process: Using highlighters, studying the score, marking things into your part, listening to recordings, and more. Inquires From My Inbox: Fastopen asks "Who is your violin luthier?" Random Musical Thought: I believe that musicians who are full of great joy can create music that is just as profound as that of musicians who are full of angst.

Episode 25 – Meet the Viola d’Amore, a 14inged Cousin of the Violin! All about the viola d'amore: its construction, its history, what it sounds like, how it's tuned, learning how to play it, famous composers who wrote for it, and where to call for information about buying one. Inquires From My Inbox: Caveman147 asks "Do you use the same violin when you play Sweet Home Chicago?" Random Musical Thought: Why can't you buy embroidered patches of classical composers or performers?

Episode 24 – Memorization: The Conscious and the Subconscious Working Together. How to be confident that your piece of music is programmed into in your muscles and reflexes (your subconscious, physical memory) and securely in your brain (your conscious memory).Inquires From My Inbox: Fiddlerfrank asks "Will you be recording the Bach 6 Sonatas and Partitas soon?" Random Musical Thought: Excerpt from violist Richard Young's book "Echoes from Calvary"

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on Violin Adventures? Just send your question in written form or as an MP3 attachment to rachelbartonpine@aol.com. Please also let me know if you have any comments or suggestions. If you use iTunes, be sure to subscribe!

2 new YouTube videos

Rachel Barton Pine answers audience questions about her life as a violinist and the difference between baroque and modern violin bows on May 27, 2007.

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine performs Airs Tziganes by Cesar Espejo on May 27, 2007.

To watch all of my YouTube videos, please visit www.youtube.com/RachelBartonPine.

Photos with fans!

Click here to see the whole gallery on Flickr. Do you have a photo of yourself with me you’d like to add? Just email it to rachelbartonpine@aol.com.

This weekend - concerts (and a party!) in Jacksonville, Florida

I will be performing three concerts with the Jacksonville Symphony and Maestro Fabio Mechetti for “Rachel and the Red Violin.” My repertoire will be Corigliano’s Red Violin Chaconne and Ravel’s Tzigane, and the orchestra will also play Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. The concerts will take place on Thursday, March 20 at 7:30pm, Friday, March 21 at 8pm, and Saturday, March 22 at 8pm, at the Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville, Florida.

Please join Maestro Mechetti and me one hour before each concert for a pre-concert conversation where we will discuss the repertoire.

Also, before the Saturday March 22 performance, I’ll appear and perform at a special pre-concert event, “Ladies in Red Night” at Plaza III – The Steakhouse, located in the Hyatt Regency Riverfront. I’ll be joined by JSO Concertmaster Philip Pan, who has collaborated with me at the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Philip shares my love of rock and fiddle music, so we will play duets by Mark O’Connor, Wieniawski, and Metallica. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Ladies’ attire is red. Admission is free with concert ticket. Cash bar and complimentary appetizers are included.

Following the Saturday performance, Maestro Mechetti and I will present a “Talkback,” where you will have the opportunity to ask us questions.

For more information, please call 904-354-5547 or visit www.jaxsymphony.org. To read program notes about this concert, please click here.

I hope to see you there!

3-29: Dvorak in Georgia

On Saturday, March 29, at 7:30pm, I will perform the Dvorak Violin Concerto with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Maestro George Del Gobbo at the River Center for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Georgia. The concert will also include Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 and Variations on a Theme of Haydn.

Please be sure to join me and Maestro Del Gobbo at 6:30pm for a pre-concert talk.

The dress rehearsal, Saturday at 12:30pm, is open to seniors over 60, fine arts students from CSU, and children under 12.

For more information, please call 706-323-5059 or visit www.csoga.org.
To read program notes about this concert, please click here.

save the dates

April 7 – master class for the Northwest Indiana Youth Symphony
April 14 – Jupiter Chamber Players in New York City
April 17 – Beethoven Concerto with the Northwest Indiana Symphony
April 18 – period instrument concert in Chicago
April 19 – Mendelssohn Concerto in Chicago
April 20 – period instrument concert in Skokie, Illinois
April 25&26 – Beethoven Concerto with the New Philharmonic in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
April 27 – recital in Lake Forest, Illinois

To check out all of my tour dates through June 2008, please visit www.rachelbartonpine.com/tourdates.php.

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Triple Treat: Rachel Barton Pine, Mark O'Connor and Liz Carroll together in concert!

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