Director's Journal

NYC sights on December 1, 2005

posted by lkaptain @ 4:51 AM 0 comments

LK with New York Philharmonic November 28-December 3

LK with NY Philharmonic Guest Conductor, Ivan Fischer

The road trip continues after a one night trip back to Columbus (from Minneapolis) and then on to New York City to perform with the New York Philharmonic" the conductor is Hungarian Ivan Fischer and the soloist is Leonidas Kavakos.

The work that requires my services (cimbalom) is L’Arbre des songes (Tree of Dreams): Concerto for Violin and
Orchestra, a true masterpiece of color and expression by the great French composer Henri Duttileux.

posted by lkaptain @ 8:06 PM 0 comments

posted by lkaptain @ 9:01 PM 0 comments

Cimbalom at April, 2005 concert with the Minnesota Orchestra

LK's Bohak Lajos cimbalom, and guest conductor Gilbert Varga.

posted by lkaptain @ 9:38 AM 0 comments

How does the cimbalom travel?

The instrument and the shipping cases weigh more than 300 lbs. and travel by air cargo. This is the large trunk--custom made for this particular instrument. A second case (suitcase size) carries the dampening mechanism and legs.

posted by lkaptain @ 9:24 AM 0 comments

Rehearsals and first performance

I arrived late Sunday evening after attending a conference in Boston. The first rehearsal was Monday morning at 10:00AM. The Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 is a work that I hadn't played before. It is full of 64th-note runs, gypsy flourishes, and flashing cadenza-like passages.

There were two full rehearsals (Monday and Tuesday) with a run-through Wednesday morning--the day of the first concert.

Everything I had heard about Osmo Vänskä is true. He is a consummate musician who has an ultra-high sense of small details--yet he evokes broad and expansive playing from the orchestra. What makes him unique is that he demands the fullest, yet does so in a collaborative way. This orchestra plays so expressively with him--it's quite amazing. All of his mannerisms and gestures reflect a trust in and respect for the musicians.

Today is Thanksgiving Day and after I send this posting, I go to the hall and practice the work I will be doing next week with the New York Philharmonic.

posted by lkaptain @ 9:06 AM 0 comments

Concert Series in Minneapolis

It's Thanksgiving week and I'm playing on a very special series of concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra.

The program is a recreation of a 1905 concert. Here is a wonderful link celebrating a marvelous orchestra.

Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 is on the program, and I'm playing the cimbalom part.

Osmo Vänskä is the conductor--one of the most widely praised maestros in recent years. It's easy to see and hear why this is so.

I play with many orchestras--and this is one of my favorites, they are more concerned about making good music than anything else. It's a very friendly bunch too. This is my fifth series of concerts with them. I have also played under conductors Edo de Waart , Stanislav Skrowaczewski, Gilbert Varga, and Kent Nagano.

posted by lkaptain @ 12:31 PM 0 comments