Posted on 11/29/2004 8:27:37 AM PST by MaineRepublic
You'll love the space, small chamber groups and choral societies from all over Atlanta come to sing here.
The choir had sort of languished under the prior director, but we're recruiting fiercely. The new choir director is a very talented musician, plays like an angel and is doing his best to motivate the choir! He has improved the music 100 percent, lots of chant and good traditional polyphonic anthems.
I'm a recent convert from the Episcopal Church, came from a parish with an amazing choir (we sang at Spoleto a couple of times) but couldn't hack the theology (or lack thereof) any more. I studied piano all through elementary and high school, but my performance experience is with choral groups. All amateur of course, but I'm very serious about producing a quality sound.
Are you a Catholic?
I wish I had written what you wrote. All true!
BTTT
Double BUMP!
I'm not a huge Classical fan but the fact that this kid can write, heck even read, music is great. I probably wouldn't buy anything he writes, but I'm sure many will. I like more Americana rootsy music. There's a 14-year-old girl from here in Texas who writes, plays guitar and sings like a 30 year old. (http://www.marenmorris.com ) I don't know about genius or prodigy but she's definitely ahead of her time.
I call it "emotive depth" and I agree - whatever you want to call it - the kid doesn't yet have it. He is no Mozart. The 9/11 piece was rather flat from beginning to end.
But from what I heard and saw, he is a prodigy of a kind. To attempt to compare him to Mozart is a red herring. He is what he is, and that's nothing to be easily dismissed.
At 15, you were concerned that there was no money to be made in music?
So, what is the difference between a violin and a fiddle?
Oh, I wish you hadn't said that.... Calling all FREEPER BAGPIPERS! Fill this guy in. He has obviously not heard Flames of Wrath, the 78th, Simon Fraser University, Bill Livingstone, Jack Lee, or the great Alistair Gilles in concert.
The difference? Attitude, man...attitude.
Mozart and this boy, Greenberg did not have equal upbringings. Mozart's father rigorously taught him music. Greenberg's parents didn't know anything about music.
From here: http://www.mozartproject.org/biography/bi_56_60.html
Not much is known of Wolfgangs very early life. Probably, his father concentrated on his court career and on teaching. Certainly he tutored Maria Anna, who the family called Nannerl. When she reached the age of seven, Leopold began to instruct her on the clavier -- and soon discovered to his keen satisfaction that she had a gift for music. He continued the girls studies, challenging her with a series of exercises that he wrote out for her in a notebook that he titled Pour le clavecin, ce Livre appartient à Mademoiselle Marie-Anne Mozartin 1759.
The boys curiosity was piqued as well. As Nannerl later recalled, the three-year-old Wolfgang "often spent much time at the clavier, picking out thirds, which he was always striking, and his pleasure showed that it sounded good."
Recognizing his childrens special abilities, Leopold began to devote extra effort to their educations -- with an emphasis on musical instruction. He became a loving, but exacting, taskmaster. Some time later, he would somewhat ruefully describe to a correspondent how from a very early age Nannerl and Wolfgang had learned to wear the "iron shirt" of discipline. The children themselves probably never realized that life could be any different. Wolfgang, no doubt, enjoyed the extra attention and found great pleasure in learning -- and in pleasing his father. It was the start of a relationship that he would never quite break free of, and the beginning of a career that would consume him altogether.
I am quite impressed with the piece that was linked in a prior post (Overture 9/11). It was a bit more understated than I had expected, but it was far more evocative to me than some of the modern musicians I have heard of late. My husband likes to listen to some composer who uses her feet to play the instruments, but I am one of those people who cannot stand to listen to her music because it sounds nothing more than bangings and trumpeting. This young man seems to have some concept of THEME in his music, whereas so much of the modern day composers play music like it was lumps of sound. This young man is actually quite refreshing. Perhaps as he gets older, he'll be able to elaborate on this Overture and produce something even more amazing!
BTTT
nope, but thanks for playing.
The difference is...you don't spill beer on a violin.
Sorry, bluegrass humor (is that an oxymoron?).
I`ll believe it when he writes a Moonlight Sonata. As for now after seeing the show he is doing what anyone else can do, mainly take dictation from random sh*t.
Yeah everyone can compose a score for a full orchestra...
I guess I should have been prepared for the cynical critics that an Internet forum would attract.
Yeah, I think it's reminiscent of late Romantic Russian composers.
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