THE AMERICAN ACCORDIONISTS’ ASSOCIATION MASTER CLASS AND CONCERT SERIES – THE SEMINARS
DR. WILLIAM SCHIMMEL, MODERATOR/CURATOR
DON’T LIKE OPERA.!?
WELCOME TO OUR SIXTEENTH SMASH YEAR!
MUSINGS BY DR. SCHIMMEL, ACCORDION PHILOSOPHER AND ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
First Opera experience: The Philadelphia Accordion Orchestra and The Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company conducted by Dr. Jacob C. Neupauer – LA TRAVIATA – selections – electrifying – heightened Reality. I loved it. I attended a performance of a full length staged opera later that year – hated every moment – flimsy orchestrations – no accordions – over the top singing – and loooooooooooong!
Vincent Persichetti was one of the first composers asked by the AAA to compose an accordion piece on commission – He declined stating: DON’T LIKE OPERA!
Walked into a restaurant in Turin, Italy – in the back room was a party – complete with glitter cat masks and a drunken painter named Molinari sketching the event. I walked over to a sparkling red accordion and played the Drinking Song from La Traviata – everyone joined in on cue. I left shortly afterwards. I went back the next night – I could not find the restaurant – Yes, I’m pretty sure it happened.
Took a late night walk one evening in Williamsburg. I forget which Williamsburg – Virginia or Brooklyn?! As I approached a dark street I could see an old Rollo-plane ride staring at me. It was shut down for the night. It was some sort of block party, carnival or amusement park. In the distance I could see a shadowed figure strutting back and forth. Somehow, I wasn’t afraid. As I approached, He said he was a MUMMER. He was wearing an accordion but there was no sound. It’s my costume, he said – my accordion, that is. He fanned it out and in – expanding and contracting.
With the accordion, there’s no need for words, lyrics or voices for that matter. All one needs is Franz Von Suppe and an audience of one – YOU!
AND NOW, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEKEND:
What better way to show the accordion’s Built in Ironic (IN YOUR FACE) Duality than with a performance of JESUS G. FAUST and TANGO MEPHISTO featuring King of Ragtime, Dr. Mark Birnbaum.
Dr. Robert Young McMahan will take us through the history of the ACCORDION CONCERTO, which in reality, are more like MINI-OPERAS. He will also premiere his new yearly 12 tone work, composed for the occasion.
WATCHMAN/NEWSMAN is a short opera by Yours Truly – about a vicious murder and even more hideous punishment by beheading, hanging, gassing, electrocution, injection, cremation and urination (pissing) of the ashes.
Jimmy Breslin interviewed a gravedigger at the funeral of John F. Kennedy. Aside from the obvious Hamlet reference, the gravedigger is a perfect metaphor for the accordionist – GIGGING while DIGGING. A new work entitled BREZLIN, tells the story.
LA TRAVIAIDA – an attempt to combine the two Verdi classics and to get to the essence in about 10 minutes. The accordion is the perfect force for compression of time, space and visual/sound drama. We’ll also do CARMEN in about 4 – all of it. We’ll also do L’ODOUR D’ESPIRT, a fifty second reality on a Kurt Cobain masterpiece.
SEEMS LIKE DARK STUFF: ANYTHING LIGHT? ACTUALLY YES – AND SOME OF IT FUNNY.
Paul Stein’s Political Satire stings, bites and at times even burns – and always laugh out loud funny.
THE TUNNEL OF LIGHT AND LOVE, a new interactive video work by the eminent choreographer,director and video artist Micki Goodman will explore the notion of nature, love and rebirth in a pastoral visual elegy – not operatic, but certainly dramatic and life affirming.
ST. MATHEW THE MUMMER – St. Mathew’s Passion retold in a Mardi-Gras Style – in strutting upbeat tempos.
Jazz Accordion great Will holshouser will pull you in with his non-dramatic subtlety and elegance.
OPERA JOSEPHINE – a short opera about Josephine Baker through the eyes of The Pointer Sisters – devised from a segment of WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF NO CONTEXT by George W.S. Trow.
Lee Mc Clure’s digital flute will dramatize any accordion moment.
BEYOND WORDS – A REALITY on Haydn and Gubaidulina, taking the notion of SEVEN WORDS to new heights – dedicated to the mummer, Joseph A. Ferko, who died seconds after accepting an award for 50 years of mummer service. His Seven Last Words were: I HOPE TO MARCH FIFTY MORE YEARS.
Humorist, Ken Laufer, making us see and Stars, Stripes, Scars and Scrapes forever.
TAKING STOCK – A series of Realities on Stockhausen – including TELEMIX, which includes a rap on SURFER BIRD by the TRASHMEN.
A Visual and Sound installation: JUILLIARD 1960’S TO EARLY 70’s showing present day realities and recreations on this famous school’s most Avant Garde period- through the eyes of an accordionist who was there to experience it: CIRCLES become SQUARES, NONO becomes YES/YES, ECLAT becomes ÉCLAIR, PITHOPRAKTA becomes PITHOKRAPTA and PATIENCE becomes LACK OF IT.
Concert Virtuoso Mary Tokarski – knowing the difference between Monteverdi and Montovani.
MISSA TANTRA – showing the sensual side of the liturgical dimension.
Godfrey Nelson and Lorraine Nelson Wolf – new age at its highest peak
Actress Kathleen Tipton charming us with penetrating words and gestures.
MORITAT VON MACKEY MESSIAN – uniting Brecht, Weill and Bobby Darin as Mystics.
Benjamin Ickies, the punk accordionist in your face – famous, infamous and just a dot.
SHO WEST – a work for (Japanese) sho, accordion and violin, uniting GAGAKU with the great western violin concertos as well as Hillbilly ramblings – with Mr and Ms Fukui on Sho and Violin.
Rock Artist John Foti – a jersey shore vibe – more Springsteen than Sopranos.
EXPENSES – a work about life, death and taxes.
Performance Artist Brian Dewan – the funniest person alive – and the nicest.
KAGE/UROTRASHO/PERA – ONE BIG, LONG, CONTINUOUS MELODY, a NONOPERA, uniting WhiteTrash and EuroTrash cultures.
Drone Artist David First plays a drone – an opera emerges.
A FIRST AVENUE OPERA . An Opera designed just for you – with you playing the leading role – by simply walking – with or without an accordion. Sing Arias if you wish – make some up. Create your own walking tempos – speed up, slow down – the ultimate fitness experience. Find your personal Holy Grail.
Post Bop artist Art Bailey performing quint – converter jazz in a new and exciting way. A.A.A. commissioned works to be announced. Cristina Speligene, solving design issues through the accordion. Marni Rice, Chansons/ edge/ grace. Doug and Diane Makofka – accordion/violin/ Von Knorr/Persichetti/ Shostakovich/beyond. Carl Riehl – the Riehl deal – when it comes to Glass and Satie. Ingrid Kvale – from Norway/ a singular sight and sound. Dr. Rocco Jerry – specializing in quintets – every part himself. Michael Century – a minimalist with heart and soul. Maverick Pianist Gary Klein, a rogue years before Palin. Martina Li – from China/maximalist/likes everything. Dr. Ronald Sarno – a writer/ bent toward Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and Limbo. Dave Soldier/ composer/ fights the good fight to the end. Famous Argentine pianist, Dr. Hugo Goldenzweig – Todo Tango/Brahms/ Chopin/Ginastera/Lanza and WS.
Dramatic direction for entire weekend – Micki Goodman
The event will take place at
THE TENRI CULTURAL INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK – 43A WEST 13TH ST-BETWEEN 5th AND 6th AVES
JULY 30, 31 and AUGUST 1, 2010
MASTER CLASSES AT 3 PM – CONCERTS AT 7 PM
$20 per master class – $25 per concert – $40 per day (master class and concert) – $110. Entire weekend