Tabloid Tuesday: Tchaikovsky

It’s that day again! This week is Tchaikovsky’s Tabloid Tuesday. I’m extra excited about this week for three reasons: 1. Tchaikovsky is one of my favourite composers; 2. He had a radical and fascinating life; and 3. I love alliteration!

As many people know, it is widely recognized that Tchaikovsky was homosexual. As a public figure in the nineteenth century, this makes his story especially fascinating and dramatic.

Of course his sexual orientation didn’t keep Tchaikovsky from attempting to fit in with the rest of his heteronormative society. But after failing to marry singer Desiree Artot when she suddenly married a Spanish baritone in 1869, it might have seemed a good time to stop trying to be something he wasn’t, but society demanded he be.

Yet Tchaikovsky was not completely deterred from the idea of a heterosexual marriage. In 1877, a woman named Antonina Milyukova wrote to him, and in subsequent letters threatened to kill herself if he would not meet her. A week after their meeting, Tchaikovsky proposed to her on the terms that there could be no physical component to their relationship.

Disclaimer: this method of flirtation is not always as effective as it was for Antonina; use at your own discretion.

As soon as they were engaged then married, Tchaikovsky promptly ran off to compose a few more masterpieces elsewhere – far away from his new wife. That September, Tchaikovsky was forced to return to his Antonina, which proved to be too much stress for our composer. So a few days later he made a feeble attempt at suicide.

He arranged to go back to St. Petersburg for October 7^th, and consulted a specialist who suggested he never see his wife again. His brother then arranged a separation.

For years Antonina made poor Tchaikovsky’s life unbearable by alternatively accepting then refusing a divorce.

At one point Antonina actually moved into the apartment above Tchaikovsky, just to make his life miserable, and for ease of tormenting. I can just imagine it now – wake up, have breakfast, go downstairs to harass her estranged husband. The situation almost seems to be perfectly inspired by the drama from which Tchaikovsky drew from for many of his compositions, which included Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Lord Byron’s Manfred.

Luckily this all worked out in the end for our favourite Russian composer: in 1881 it was discovered that Antonina had birthed an illegitimate child, which gave Tchaikovsky legitimate grounds for divorce. I know, this sounds suspiciously like a Shakespearean comedy. It has movement from imperfect social order, to absolute disaster with both excessive and funny elements (see Act IV, scene V of Taming of the Shrew), finally settling on a renewed and balanced order in which wrongs are righted. Though this comedy, instead of ending in marriage, ended in a happy divorce.

But still, Antonina could reveal at any time Tchaikovsky’s refusal to engage in sexual acts with women. He worried that it may become public at any moment, and so spent a great deal of time out in seclusion in the countryside.

And here is where the comedy switches to tragedy; the ghosts take the place of the wood nymphs.

Ultimately, in 1893, he committed suicide. It seems that the reason is because of an affair the composer had with an aristocrat’s nephew. There was a court of honour to decide how to dispel the scandal, and it was decided that the composer should kill himself.

Even though Michel Foucault, renowned theorist and critic says in his History of Sexuality that the Victorian Era (roughly 1837-1901) is the time that “the homosexual became a species,” it is clear that though distinct, this minority group was far from accepted in Tchaikovsky’s time.

Tchaikovsky struggled his entire life with what his society believed were unnatural desires. There are many rumours and bits of information, none of which I am completely convinced, that I’ve come across regarding the composer’s personal life.

Some sources say that he was surrounded by a close community of men who supported his differences.

Some even say that he was fairly open about his sexuality and frequently engaged in sexual acts with men, but felt shameful about it.

Whatever the truth was about his personal life, it is completely indisputable that Tchaikovsky was a musical genius. And, as some critics suggest, much of the wonderful passion in his music came from his inability to fully express himself in his personal life. So ultimately, his misery led to some of the greatest musical masterpieces we know today.

This season you can hear music by Tchaikovsky performed by the Kingston Symphony on April 13^th, 2014 in Brahms, Schumann & Tchaikovsky.

Tabloid Tuesday: Clara & Robert Scumann and Johannes Brahms

If you thought your trip through the supermarket check-out was ripe with shelves of scandal, you should have seen what was going on in the lives of your favourite composers! This week, we’re featuring Robert and Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

Let’s start with a little background. In 1840, Clara and Robert were married after a Romeo-and Juliet-esque affair (minus the Montague’s) in which Clara’s father strongly opposed their union for years prior to it. However, instead of the curtain falling with an empty vial of poison and a dagger in hand, the lovers took the case to court and won. Three cheers for reason and law!

In the year 1853 on September 30^th, Brahms met the Schumann’s for the first time. Robert Schumann was so taken with the young composer that he wrote a prophetic article, Neue Bahnen (New Paths) praising him.

The following February Robert Schumann had his final nervous breakdown, during which he attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge. He voluntarily went into an asylum for the last few years of his life and passed away on July 29, 1856. The news of Robert’s death sent Brahms back to Dusseldorf to assist Clara, who was 14 years his senior, with the children and her home while she was performing. Did I mention that she was a renowned pianist and composer? The Schumann’s were quite the musical family.

So of course, Brahms’ devotion for Clara quickly developed into something more. If you’ve ever read or heard of Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther, (fun fact: Goethe was actually an admirer of Clara’s piano stylings) it was kind of like that. For those of you who aren’t familiar with German Romanticism, the short notes look something like this:

Young man falls in madly love with a woman who is already taken. He then spends the rest of the novel weeping “delicious tears” at the hem of her dresses and fainting and falling all over the place because of his extreme excess of manly passion. Ultimately, his beloved would not be with him, and he kills himself. It was incredibly popular all over Europe in the Romantic era, and caused a trend called “Werthermania.” Some scholars suggest this led to a string of suicides to match all the Werther-wannabe’s, while to others (including me), it is clear that that the entire continent grossly misread the novel and that it is actually a deeply satirical critique of the culture of sensibility not to be imitated, but mocked. But I digress.

Unlike the ill-fated young Werther, Brahms, fortunately for us, did not kill himself in light of Clara’s love and devotion, which, unlike the man it was for, was undying. Instead, he met Agathe von Gottingen in 1858 and fell in love with her. This came to nothing, aside from tempering his passion for Clara.

The relationship between Clara and Brahms was rife with minor misunderstandings and some wounds which would never entirely heal, though their relationship remained largely affectionate throughout their lives.

In the spring on 1896 Clara died, and in April of the next year Brahms, too, passed away.

The extent of their relationship has never quite been made clear. They destroyed a large part of their correspondence with one another, so who knows what went on with them? One bit of correspondence we do have is that Brahms wrote to Clara in March 1876: “I love you better than myself or than anyone or anything in the world.”

Now, I have read a lot of speculation on the nature of the relationship between Clara and Johannes. As much as I promised a “tabloid” themed post, I fear I haven’t entirely delivered on the gossip, since what you have above here is the most neutral, objective account of what happened between the Schumann’s and Brahms. So here are some of the juicy things I have read which may or may not be true:

Brahms and Clara would frequently travel together and were often seen hugging and kissing one another in public.

Brahms idealized Clara too much to consummate their relationship.

Lastly, there has been speculation that their relationship was consummated, but few credible sources which make that claim.

This season you can hear the music of Brahms performed by the Kingston Symphony on September 29^th, 2013 in Beethoven & Brahms, on March 2^nd, 2014 in Brahms, Mozart & Elgar, and both Brahms and Schumann on April 13^th, 2014 in Brahms, Schumann & Tchaikovsky.

Beaches and Blogs

Dear music lovers,

Happy summer! My name is Ashley and I will be bringing you along on a refreshing blogging adventure to last the rest of the hot and humid summer months. In addition to the fabulous commentary provided by Maestro Fast on the KSA’s season, I will be adding my own input on classical music and those who write and play it while the Maestro's on the golf course.

A bit about this young stranger talking at you: I am a student marketing assistant with the Kingston Symphony for the summer. I am starting my MA in English at Queen’s in the fall after my bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba. I have a rich history working with and around classical music with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and at the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall, and through my own musical studies. But enough about me.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what will make my posts popular and successful. What will inspire each and every one of you to think, “wow! She’s a fabulous and nuanced writer! I must immediately share this with everyone I know!” After some musing and a reality check, I realized that what it comes down to is what you, the reader, want to read about. Leave me some comments and I’ll be happy to find the inside story on what you’re looking for. Until then, I’ll tell you a bit about our season and get you the inside scoop on our musicians, and the scandalous lives of your favourite composers.

Tell me what you’re interested in, what you want to know about the Kingston Symphony, classical music, our guest artists, life in Kingston, or even my cats (I promise, they really are fascinating)! I’ll do my best to get you the information you want and keep you entertained along the way. So stick around and, as Horace would have it, I will both instruct and delight!

Lots of Ludwig!

I can’t believe that May 1 marks the final concert of my 20th anniversary season with the Kingston Symphony. This year has gone by so quickly – filled with great concerts and unforgettable music – and I’m truly looking forward to this final concert.

Not only will this concert feature three beautiful Beethoven pieces, but also three local musicians of outstanding calibre.

Our concertmaster, Gisèle Dalbec, along with our principal cellist Wolf Tormann and local composer and pianist Michel Szczesniak will play the famous Triple Concerto. The program also includes the Egmont Overture and Symphony No. 5.

There are very few tickets left to this concert, so if you don’t want to miss this homegrown musical treat, make sure to purchase yours today!

Our annual Beat Beethoven Run takes place on Sunday, June 5. The orchestra will then play another Beethoven piece, his third symphony, Eroica, as runners embark on and 8-kilometre or 4-kilometre route. This is annually one of the biggest fundraisers for the Kingston Symphony Association, a non-profit organization, and the members of the orchestra sincerely enjoy taking part. We’re hoping this year will be a little drier than last year, but we’ll have a good time no matter what.

So in honour of all this Beethoven, I thought I’d share some fun facts about the sometimes misunderstood master musician.

Did you know that the Eroica was originally titled Bonaparte, and dedicated to Napoleon? Beethoven thought that Napoleon would bring democracy and the enlightenment to all of Europe. Beethoven was so disgusted with the leader when he proclaimed himself emperor, he scratched Bonaparte’s name from the title and left a gaping hole in the paper.

Beethoven started going deaf in his twenties, but kept composing music. In order to hear the notes, he sawed the legs off the piano so he could hear the vibrations as he played. By the time he was 40, he was completely deaf.

Beethoven first performed for an audience when he was seven years old, but didn’t make an impression on his audience. It was when he was 13 that he began improvising his own work on the piano, and was encouraged to publish these sonatas.

Beethoven’s final masterpiece is an ironic one. He suffered at the hands of his violently alcoholic father while growing up, and then his progressive and eventually complete deafness cut his spirits in his adult life. And yet, he was able to compose the Ninth Symphony and its “Ode to Joy,” arguably one of the most beautiful compositions in history.

Many musicians and music critics – including Beethoven’s one-time teacher, Joseph Haydn—actually feared Beethoven’s work because it relied so much on passion rather than the mathematically precise nature consistent with the Classical style of the age.

And this, my friends, is what music is all about. I hope you find Beethoven’s works as powerful as I do. If you can’t make it to the concert on May 1, then stop by Confederation Park on June 5 as we play for the Beat Beethoven Run.

Thank you for supporting the Kingston Symphony in its 57th year, my 20th as music director. It’s been a phenomenal season, and dare I say it, next season will be even better. Stay tuned for more information about our season launch and artists who will perform with us next year.

Movie music mania!

What makes a horror movie scary? The music.
What makes us swoon during a romantic movie? The music.
What makes a car chase so exciting? The music.

Without carefully thought-out soundtracks, movies would not make our hearts race or even keep us interested! Before actors even spoke in films there was music to set the mood.

I can’t wait for this Friday, April 8, when we play some of the most iconic pieces from movies spanning several decades. We go back to 1961 and play some Henry Mancini from his unforgettable work on Breakfast at Tiffany’s; we’ll play parts from the score to Out of Africa; then we’ll honour one of the largest-grossing movies of all time with music from Titanic.

The Academy of Motion Pictures obviously thought these pieces were worthy of its highest honour when they each won the Oscar for best score in their respective years.

What do you think? What are the qualities of a perfect movie score?

As with any music, it’s up to the listener to decide what’s great. And if the romance of the Oscar-winners noted above doesn’t do it for you, how about Raider’s March from Indiana Jones? Or the spine-tingling bass riff from the soundtrack to Jaws? We’ve got an entire collection of John Williams tunes lined up to satisfy those who crave action and adventure.

Then there’s Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission; Barber’s Adagio from Platoon; and some of Hans Zimmer’s work from Pirates of the Caribbean.

We’ll play a few other epic works throughout the evening, all paired with a montage of clips to highlight those movie memories.

I’m very much looking forward to this concert. These are some of the greatest pieces used in movies spanning the last 50 years.

If you haven’t been to a live orchestral performance, this is the perfect introduction to the world of classical music and I look forward to seeing you on Friday night. And if you’re a frequent attendee of our concerts, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

A Villain's Dream

Did you know that the acclaimed Canadian composer Healey Willan’s nickname was "squealy" villain? I guess one can look quite ominous while playing the pipe organ.

But Kingston’s own F.R.C. Clarke didn’t see him as a villain. The former student of Willan wrote his biography and also completed one of his unfinished works – his Requiem.

It was 23 years ago on March 27 that the Kingston Symphony and the Kingston Choral Society premiered this work. Some say that Willan abandoned composing it because it was unsingable – the choral arrangements in eight parts were just too difficult. But the Kingston Choral Society has sung it once and will sing it again, exactly 23 years later, on Sunday, March 27, 2011.

This will be a celebration of the late F.R.C. Clarke and a celebration of music. Not only will we perform the Requiem in its entirety, with help from soloists Jennie Such, Soprano, Janice Coles, Mezzo Soprano, Tim Stiff, Tenor and Bruce Kelly, Baritone, but the program also features Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture and Elgar’s Serenade for Strings.

This afternoon concert will be lead by guest conductor Brian Jackson, former music director of the Kingston Symphony who conducted the premiere of Willan’s Requiem.

It will be a wonderful afternoon of music. I'm really looking forward to this concert and to hearing the orchestra and choir perform from a seat in the hall rather than standing on the podium.

Click here to hear the podcast.

Click here to read about Requiem in the latest edition of Follow the Music Online, the Kingston Symphony’s quarterly newsletter.

The 12 days of Tom Allen

It's March 1. As I count down the days to when CBC Radio 2 host Tom Allen will join the Kingston Symphony for an evening of good tunes and good times, I wanted to give you some insight into Tom's creative and varied background. I'll post a trivia fact about him each day until the day of the concert, when I hope to see you in the audience!

March 1

He was born in Montreal, QC into a family of preachers and raconteurs.

March 2

He joined the high school band, chose to play the trombone, and professes that his first year was not promising…

March 3

He studied music at McGill University in Montreal, Boston University, and earned a master’s degree in music at Yale, before moving to Manhattan as a trombone freelancer.

March 4

He worked as a tour guide at Lincoln Center, and cooked in Tex-Mex, French, and Russian restaurants, and temped on Wall Street while he was trying to pay the bills and trombone gigs were few and far between.

March 5

Was trombonist with the New York City Ballet and the American Symphony Orchestra, and was one of 87 trombonists along the first base line for Carl Yastrzemski’s retirement party at Fenway Park.

March 6

Had a column on "how to acknowledge your male temp on Secretary's Day" published in the Toronto Star in 1991.

March 7

Has been an on-air voice for CBC Radio for two decades, including stints on Morningside, This Morning, The Sunday Edition and hosted A Good Place to Be, Weekender, Fresh Air, Music and Company, and currently Shift.


March 8

He has written three books: Toe Rubber Blues (1999), Rolling Home – A Cross-Canada Railroad Memoir (2001, which was winner of the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction) and The Gift of the Game (2005).

March 9

He’s currently working on his first fiction work, a novel that we can’t give you any details about... sorry!

March 10

He has been called: "the Garrison Keillor of music," "a breath of fresh air," "part historian, part comedian, and part everyman," among other things. Read what others have to say by clicking here.

March 11

Tomorrow, he’ll guide the audience through an evening that explores music history and its connection to society and industry, the sordid lives of composers, the qualities of a masterpiece, why some instruments are funnier than others, and how great music is always relevant to the daily life of any age.