A Symphony of Voices

On the face of it, a barbershop chorus and a symphony orchestra have very little in common.

Generally a barbershop choir concert is centered around a group of songs, but is deliberately infused with movement (some choreographed, some simply the movements that each individual singer creates to fully perform their part), and oftentimes punctuated with jokes and other silliness.  A performance is for sharing the fun, entertaining an audience with a performance that has been carefully prepared in many dimensions.

A symphony orchestra has its own set of customs, and performances are generally rife with expectations for demeanor, both from performers and audience members.  (Woe to the unsuspecting audience member who claps or moves or makes noise at the wrong time!)   A symphony orchestra performance is generally a very serious affair, with an expectation of hushed reverence for composers and performers.

So why in the world would a barbershop chorus and symphony orchestra choose to perform together, and how will such an unlikely performing partnership turn out?  The East Metro Symphony Orchestra (EMSO) prides itself in exploring all manner of performing and educational partnerships.  Our belief is that as a community musical ensemble we can learn a tremendous amount about our own music making through the lens of another musical form, oftentimes seeing our own music and practices in a fascinating perspective by putting it alongside another.  We also strongly believe that it is the practice of making music that is of paramount importance, so it behooves us to get to know, work with, and spotlight other groups of people equally committed to making music.  And after all, isn’t it simply fun to get to know your neighbors and share a common and valued experience?

EMSO first became aware of the Twin Cities Show Chorus (TCSC) through one of its members, trumpeter Jim McCarville, whose wife Karen sings in the chorus.  Jim speaks of the chorus, as well as Barbershop and Sweet Adeline music with great fondness and passion.  He describes barbershop as one of the few truly original musical practices, and proposed basing a joint concert around the concept of “American Originals.”  Preparing a joint concert has been an experience of getting to know the individuals, goals, practices and expectations of each other’s organizations.  It never ceases to amaze me that even though two performing ensembles are based in community music making, the way we approach our work (and play), how we organize ourselves, how we create programs, learn and prepare our music can all be surprisingly different.

One of the first things to consider in creating a joint program such as our upcoming one, is what should we perform?  It is all well and good to simply take turns on stage, performing as we customarily do, for each other and our combined audience, but it is only when we find ways to perform together – ways that are not just feasible, but give each other the opportunity to be as true to themselves as possible – that we really get to create something explosively new and exciting for ourselves and our audience.  But that is never simple.  You quickly learn that the places that you go to explore and find music for an orchestra are not the same places that you go for barbershop music.  (And the places you might go for what is strictly barbershop music – written for male voices, are not the same places you go for female barbershop music – customarily known as Sweet Adeline music.)  Through this musical miasma I thought at one point that it would be best for me to simply create orchestral accompaniments for some of the songs TCSC already performs.  However when I began to look at their printed music I was amazed to see that the vocal arrangements are simply complete in themselves: there simply was not a place in them to add an orchestra!  I truly saw for the first time that barbershop or Sweet Adeline music is exquisitely, perfectly complete all by itself.  To me, the person steeped in classical orchestra music, I could only – quite respectfully – describe it as a Symphony of Voices.⁽¹⁾

Working jointly with an organization that simply prepares a different type of music than you are accustomed to – and quite knowledgeable about – can be a fascinating, sometimes challenging endeavor.  But I know of no other way to create opportunities to experience in a new light what is so very familiar – for me, in this case, orchestra music – than to mix it up with another group who are equally committed and accomplished in their own field of music and performance endeavor.  I hope and trust all of our musicians and the audience that both the East Metro Symphony Orchestra and Twin Cities Show Chorus bring to our joint performance will agree.

Elizabeth Prielozny Barnes
EMSO Music Director and Conductor

⁽¹⁾  If you want to see what we ultimately decided to perform together you will simply have to join us on Sunday, January 29 at 3:00 p.m. in the Loft Stage at East Ridge High School in Woodbury.  Please visit our event page or the Twin Cities Show Chorus website for more information.

Why a Piano Concerto Extravaganza?

One of our great delights as a community orchestra serving the far eastern Twin Cities metro is making the acquaintance of other local performing artists and arts organizations.⁽¹⁾  Thus when long-time orchestra hornist Dwight Erickson introduced me to Elena Piastro, a local piano teacher who was also an immigrant from Russia, I knew almost immediately that we could create a very special program together, focusing on the great variety of piano concerti that have been created over the centuries, while providing the extraordinary opportunity for a group of young pianists to perform with an orchestra, by featuring some of Elena’s circle of students and former students.  How could I know this on a first meeting?  Because of my own experience in the 1970s as a piano student of another Russian immigrant, Nina Svetlanova,⁽²⁾ and the 1988 feature film, Madame Sousatzka.⁽³⁾

My understanding that working with Elena Piastro’s piano circle would be a great collaboration was instinctive and immediate.  But trying to explain this instinctive understanding is not so easy, and calls for me to think back on what this experience with Nina was actually like, and why all these years later I find it so compelling.  The following is the best I can do:

Nina

Being a piano student of a great Russian immigrant pianist and teacher connects you to a long, deep and proud tradition of piano pedagogy.  One of the great delights of working with Nina was her ability to explain how the brain functioned to learn a new set of skills – well before our most recent ability to conduct in-depth brain research – and so offered a variety of techniques on how to study and practice based on these understanding.  I continue to value and use these methods to this day.

The Russian culture has historically adored, supported and highly valued music and other performing arts.  Studying with somebody who was raised in that world of deep appreciation allows you to feel deeply valued in your own artistic pursuits and to join a community that treasures the arts.  (Obviously this is not what we generally experience toward the arts in our world here and now.)

What I understood of the nurturing that pianists like Nina received as she grew up was that because they were deeply involved in developing themselves as artists they would in turn be unquestioningly supported by their society.  Thus as teachers today their support of their students is also thorough and unwavering.  For me as a student in the 1970s this might mean that if she thought I was hungry Nina would cook me a meal.  If I needed a place to rest or sleep she would likely offer me a spot in her apartment.  She might suggest I learn a Mozart concerto in A major because I needed to smile more.  Her teaching and nurturing was not just about the piano and not just limited to the hour-long lesson (that would likely run into two hours) each week; it encompassed all elements of my well-being.  In return I would unquestioningly help her in any way she requested.  This might mean helping her to understand an important document she received that of course was written in the English language that was still so foreign to her, or drive her and her son back to school because she did not have a driver’s license.  It might be that such complete nurturing could become oppressive at times to some, but for me Nina’s mothering ways as a teacher provided me with an utterly secure place to grow as a pianist, musician and young woman.

So what about the film?

Shirley MacLaine had the starring role as a Russian immigrant piano teacher in the film Madame Sousatzka, which appeared sometime after my studies with Nina were completed.  I honestly could not tell you much about the film’s plot or characters, but I clearly remember understanding that this character was representing all of the Nina Svetlanovas that exist in the world, and I was utterly delighted to experience that lovely, warm, cocoon of her piano studio as it was depicted in the film.

How this all connects to Elena

When I met Elena Piastro, then when I saw her engage with her piano students (who she so clearly adored) and the family members that constituted the audience at a recent piano recital, then how I saw not just her current, but also her former – sometimes well-advanced in their development as pianists – students gathered around her, I know that the pianists who will perform with us on October 23rd⁽⁴⁾ will create a magnificent experience for themselves, each other, the orchestra, our audience and our community.

Elizabeth Prielozny Barnes
EMSO Music Director and Conductor
and former piano student of Nina Svetlanova

(1) One of the most remarkable opportunities the East Metro Symphony Orchestra has as an orchestra serving the eastern twin cities metro area, is meeting remarkable individuals and organizations in our area and creating performing and education partnership with them.  Our 2010-2011 season alone included partnerships with the Woodbury Dance Center, Woodbury Community Theater, the South Washington County School District orchestra program, the choirs of New Life and Kind of Kings Churches as well as New Life Academy, and the Bavarian Musikmeisters.  As we continue to meet our neighbors in the east metro we are able to develop fascinating performance and education projects that not only create interesting performances for our audiences, but create unique experiences for our community partners as well as our own orchestra members!  (Please visit Current Season page to learn more about our schedule of 2011-2012 events.)
(2) To learn more about Nina Svetlanova please visit her website at www.ninasvetlanova.com.
(3) Visit Madame Sousatzka at the IMDb website to learn more about the 1988 film.
(4) Piano Concerto Extravaganza! at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Woodbury, Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 3 p.m.