 |
|
|
Simon Says
The almost-monthly newsletter of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
January 2010
|
|
 |
We love you, Vallejo!
|
|
|
The entire town, it seems, turned out for our first ever concert at our newest venue, the beautiful Empress Theater in downtown Vallejo. The SFCO concerts were packed in Berkeley, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, but we actually had to turn people away from the Empress on January 2. Who knew?
We apologize to those who were turned away and hope you will join us for our next concert at the Empress on Monday night, March 22(Mandolin Magic). Advance reservations and the best seats in the theater are yours if you become a member of the SFCO, for only pennies a note.
Next up for San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Mateo: our second Family Concert, Music and Song with the wonderful young singers of the Piedmont East Bay Choirs and talented string players from three local youth orchestras join the pros of the SFCO. Feb 27/28:click here for details. |
|
Concerto Countdown
|
|
Ten things you need to know about Wolfie
|
|
|
1. Son of a court musician, Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. His full name was Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
2. He first performed in public at the age of five, the same year he wrote his first piano pieces.
3. At seven, he picked up a violin for the first time and played it perfectly.
4. He adored his older sister, Nannerl, and was close to her his entire life.
5. He composed his first symphony at age 9 and his first opera (La Finta Semplice) at age 12.
6. Slight of build, with fine fair hair, he was “not over five feet four inches tall”.
7. He fell in love with soprano Aloysia Weber during a trip to Mannheim when he was 21 (she was 16). After Aloysia dumped him, he married her younger sister Constanze. They had six children, two of whom survived to adulthood.
8. He liked playing billiards, bad puns, and dirty jokes.
9. “I write music as a sow piddles”
10.  Aside from the piano, at which he was a true virtuoso, his favorite instrument was the viola! We’ll prove it next Monday evening at the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley with a performance of one of his greatest chamber music works, the viola quintet in E-flat Major. See below for details on our Mozart Birthday Celebration.
|
|
Who said it?
|
|
|
You are the music,
while the music lasts.
{answer below}
|
|
Happy 254th Birthday, dear Wolfie!
|
|
|
   
Classical at the Freight presents a
Mozart Birthday Celebration
Join us for one of our most popular Freight programs of the year, complete with free birthday cake, our monthly classical music trivia contest, and much much more. Featuring the amazing musicians of the SFCO All-Stars:
Eugene Chuklov & Garrett McLean, violins
Ben Simon & Darcy Rindt, violas
Kris Yenney, cello
with special guest Alicia Telford, French horn
performing the Horn Quintet and the late, great E-Flat Major Viola Quintet
This is a ticketed event. You can purchase your ticket in advance through the Freight & Salvage box office for $8.50, or pay $9.50 at the door. As always, SFCO members get two tickets for the price of one. Just show your membership card at the door and bring a friend for free! Yet another valuable benefit of your SFCO membership. Why don’t you join today? Click here for more information.
|
|
Viola joke of the month
|
|
|
What’s the difference between a violist and a vacuum cleaner?
You have to plug one of them in before it sucks.
|
|
|
Adopt-a-Musician
|
|
|
Who doesn’t need a little more music in their life?
  
Get in on the ground floor of a new fundraising program for your favorite chamber orchestra, wherein you can “adopt” a member of the orchestra for an entire year for a very reasonable sum (and don’t have to provide housing, clothing, or meals… or college…such a deal! ).
Adopt any SFCO musician, of your choice: $500 (violists $495)
Interested? Colleen would be delighted to talk to you (415-692-5297), or email her here.
Your support helps keep our priceless music absolutely free, our concerts more frequent, and our connections with our community stronger. Thank you.
|
|
Math for Musicians
|
|
|
From the Jewelyard School of Music exit exam (doctoral program):
Jethro has been playing the double bass in a symphony orchestra for 12 years, 3 months, and 7 days. Each day, his inclination to practice decreases by the equation: (total days in the orchestra) x .000976. Assuming that he stopped practicing altogether six months ago, how long will it be before he is completely unable to play the double bass?
Got questions? Need some musical advice? Dating a violist?
Ask the Maestro at SimonSays@sfchamberorchestra.org |
|
From the Berzerkeley Dictionary of Musical Terms
|
|
|
Concerto grosso – a concert of, for example, accordions.
Polonaise- a condiment often put on a parrot sandwich
Perfect pitch – throwing the banjo into the dumpster and hitting the accordion
|
|
Write your own review
|
|
|
We’d love to hear what you think of our concerts.
All replies are confidential, except the ones we really like which we will shamelessly promote.
Let us have it! click here! |
|
Who said it
|
|
|
You are the music,
while the music lasts.
T. S. Eliot
English poet (1888 – 1965)
|
|
Video of the month
|
|
|
You can throw all these away when you purchase…
a Viola-matic!
|
|
Simon Says
|
|
|
|
This season, our Very First Concerts and Family Concerts are bringing top-flight classical programs to thousands of young listeners across the Bay Area. Our most recent program at the Crowden School in Berkeley took place on a very rainy MLK Day earlier this week; we sang lots of songs about water and rain plus Happy Birthday, Bingo, and many more. Our next family “feature” is our Music and Song Family Concert with the wonderful Piedmont East Bay Choirs over the last weekend in February (27 & 28). Bring your family, bring your friends, and enjoy our priceless music, absolutely free.
Of course, if you’re able to return our generosity with your own, many thanks for helping to support our mission of making classical music accessible to all. Click here to make your tax-deductible contribution.
Musically yours,
Ben Simon
|
|
|
|
|
