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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Gary Karr obituary
The American virtuoso bassist Gary Karr, who has died aged 83 after a brain aneurysm, brought the double bass into the limelight as a solo instrument. He embraced the skills of his bass predecessors Domenico Dragonetti, Giovanni Bottesini and Serge Koussevitzky, then raised the bar to a new level through his sheer joy in playing and communication of his love for the instrument, combined with an unrivalled technical skill. Hugo Cole in the Guardian, recalling Karr's visit to the UK in 1978, likened him to an ostrich suddenly becoming a nightingale and remarked that his 'breathtaking solo bass playing is surely one of the wonders of 20th-century musical performance'. One of the elements of Karr's playing that set him apart was the way he used the bow. 'I've always considered myself a lyrical artist. My first desire was to be a singer, so I have always been determined to sing on the bass.' He drew his individual, intense sound with long slow bows, playing close to the bridge, and projecting differently from the traditional back-of-the-string-section sound familiar from his youth. He applied many of the techniques of the upper strings to the bass. Karr was strongly influenced by the mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel, who mentored him in the vocal skills of breathing and phrasing. In 1962 she enabled a private audition with Leonard Bernstein, who engaged Karr to perform Bloch's Prayer and Paganini's Moses Fantasy variations as part of the Young People's Concert series with the New York Philharmonic. 'I don't know when I've heard anything like it since the great Koussevitzky,' said Bernstein in his introduction to the concert. Bernstein had asked Karr whether the Paganini had an orchestral part. It didn't, so Karr arranged one, and it was this performance, televised to millions, that launched his career. As a soloist, he was to play with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. His first recording, entitled simply Gary Karr plays Double Bass, was issued later in 1962 by Golden Crest Records. That was the year in which Herman Reinshagen died, a teacher who greatly influenced Karr: 'He exuded such enthusiasm, and although he might have held me back a bit by forcing the old traditions on me, in retrospect I only appreciate the positive things.' The same year, after the groundbreaking concert, Olga Koussevitzky, convinced the spirit of her husband lived on in Karr, gave him Serge's 1611 Amati bass (now thought by experts to be French, about 1811, but still a significant instrument through its history). Later Karr donated it to the International Society of Bassists, an organisation he founded to create and nurture a network of bass players. Karr's family came originally from Vilnius, in Lithuania, where generations had played the bass. Once in the US, they moved to Los Angeles to work in Hollywood movies. His father, Joe (who changed his surname from Kornbleit), a shoemaker, could not read music but played the bass in dance bands; his mother, Miriam Nadel, was an oboist. The 1939 film They Shall Have Music, with Jascha Heifetz playing himself, features an orchestra that included all but one of the Nadel-Karr family. Karr's sister Arla Capps was a harpist, playing the instrument with a dark projected Russian sound that Karr said influenced his pizzicato. Karr started the bass with Uda Demenstein, who had taught his grandfather, uncles and cousin. As a child he began to adapt pieces such as Ravel's Habanera and the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria, and arrange baroque repertoire (later studying, playing and recording his teacher Stuart Sankey's many baroque transcriptions). Many of the celebrated players of the day (Heifetz, André Previn, Artur Rubinstein, Isaac Stern) were soloists with the California Junior Symphony, in which Karr played, and left lasting impressions, technically and musically. He took lessons from the Hungarian cellist Gábor Rejtő, and was inspired to use the technique of four fingers in his left hand, rather than the three promoted by the bass pedagogue Franz Simandl, and also benefited from tuition from the cellist Zara Nelsova. An audition for the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, run by the violinist Efrem Zimbalist (who had arrived from Vilnius at the same time as Karr's grandfather) was successful – but only if Karr changed from an underhand German bowing technique to French overhand. Karr refused – though later in life he experimented more freely with his bowing technique. For his application to the Juilliard in New York, he was required to fulfil the same entrance requirements as brass players; the bass was not included in the string department and his bass teacher there, Sankey, was a member of the brass department. Later he taught at Juilliard and Yale, and other top music departments and summer schools, but devoted much of his enthusiasm to teaching in schools, mixing psychology, parenting and humour. He kept his performance schedule alive in the summers. 'I knew of no other concert artist who had interrupted his career to teach in public schools,' he recalled. 'But I loved the controversy and hoped to make an impact, to change the music education system and reverse the worldwide trend of aging classical music audiences.' He met his long-term pianist and life partner, Harmon Lewis, in 1961. Together they created an engaging stage presence, Karr supplementing his almost magical technical facility with enthusiasm and a jokey manner. His discography shows his wide range of technical accomplishments in arrangements, and acknowledgement of his mentors such as Koussevitzky and Dragonetti. Carr was a master arranger and instigator of new repertoire in his commissions – Hans Werner Henze and Lalo Schifrin were among many who wrote for him. He wanted to engage a younger audience in the bass. Students tell of his support. One recalled how, on a junior camp in 1979, the conductor was being consistently unfriendly to the participants and Karr, a soloist there with Yehudi Menuhin, led him on a merry dance, extending the cadenza without prior warning. 'We owe Maestro Karr big time.' Lewis and Karr lived in Connecticut for many years before moving to Victoria, British Columbia, in 1995 and taking Canadian citizenship. Karr retired from performing in 2001. Lewis died in 2023. Gary Karr, double bass player, arranger, composer and teacher, born 20 November 1941; died 16 July 2025
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Christine Ledbetter: Renaming the Kennedy Center Opera House for Donald Trump's wife? It's not a hotel.
When the Kennedy Center opened in 1971, the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein's 'Mass,' a theater piece for singers, dancers and musicians, was performed in the Opera House. Dignitaries included Rose Kennedy, Eunice Shriver, Sen. Edward Kennedy and his wife, Joan, along with artists such as Aaron Copland, Helen Hayes and Isaac Stern. It was a glittering event that would signal the beginning of the monumental importance of the nation's cultural center for the next 50-plus years. Founding Chairman Roger L. Stevens said the Kennedy Center 'more than any predecessor lent dignity to the role of the arts and its place in society.' The center, before its completion, was designated a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination, to honor his contributions to the arts, which included launching a $30 million campaign to fund the center. Additionally, he and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy initiated a series of Concerts for Young People as well as regularly inviting artists and writers to the White House. Now comes news that Congress wants to name the Opera House after first lady Melania Trump, to acknowledge her 'support and commitment to the arts,' according to Idaho GOP Rep. Mike Simpson, who introduced the amendment. Wait, what commitment and support? The first lady has never been known for her arts contributions. Sure, she was named an honorary chair of the center, as were Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton. But she has rarely attended performances there. Last month, she did go to the opening night of 'Les Misérables,'' where she and the president were booed and which a dozen cast members boycotted. The former model is better known for her designer wardrobe. Vogue noted she was wearing a black Bottega Veneta gown and silver stilettos to the event. Naming the Opera House after her is as far-fetched as renaming the National Museum of African American History and Culture after Donald Trump, who has targeted that institution for its 'divisive narratives.' The Opera House is the second largest of the center's seven stages with 2,347 seats. It is home to the Kennedy Center Honors, which recognizes lifetime contributions to the arts, and which the Trumps famously skipped during his first term after honorees criticized him. Presently, the only theater at the Kennedy Center identified for an individual is the Eisenhower Theater, honoring former President Dwight D. Eisenhower who signed initial legislation creating an earlier-named National Cultural Center in 1958. Congress pandering to the president's ego and megalomaniac desire for branding is nothing new. Republicans have suggested Trump's face be carved into Mount Rushmore and that Dulles International Airport be named after him. The Kennedy Center should not be treated like a hotel with the Trump name plastered all over it. Statements about the first couple's contributions to the arts are simply not true. Indeed, the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to federal arts agencies such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts have caused states to scramble for funds, including 192 organizations in Illinois. Since Trump's hostile takeover of the performing arts center in which he fired top administrators and board members while anointing himself as chair, ticket subscription sales are down 36% over last year. Artistic advisers Ben Folds, Renee Fleming and Shonda Rhimes fled. Artists and productions such as 'Hamilton,' Rhiannon Gibbons and Issa Rae canceled their dates. Conversely, the Kennedy Center cut performances by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington in an unsurprising move. Claiming the center has celebrated 'radical left lunatics' and 'woke culture,' Trump vows to make it great again by perhaps personally hosting the Honors and asking Congress for money to renovate the building. In Trump's Kennedy Center, there are 'NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA—ONLY THE BEST.' That sentiment is the antithesis of Kennedy's vision of the arts. 'If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth,' he said in October 1963, a mere month before he was killed. Sixty-one years later, truth is what Trump says it is: Art is funded only if it fits his vision, history is redacted, books are banned and diversity is discouraged. But the giant on the Potomac with its acres of red carpet, Hall of States and Nations displaying flags of 50 states and over 190 countries, and its Grand Foyer featuring 16 crystal chandeliers and an 8-foot-tall bronze bust of Kennedy, will likely stand for another generation. Because despite dwindling ticket sales and flailing artistic reputation, Trump's domestic policy bill provides over $250 million to the center, six times the amount normally allocated. Trump, always the developer, will not let the building fall.
Boston Globe
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Free July events: Shakespeare on the Common, Art on the Plaza, plus the Moth Ball
The Boston Landmarks Orchestra will perform free concerts every Wednesday through Aug. 27. Michael Dwyer Advertisement PARK PHILHARMONIC Boston Landmark Orchestra performs free concerts every Wednesday on the Charles River Esplanade. This week's program includes familiar favorites by Leonard Bernstein and John Williams, and highlights works by Florence Price, a pioneering Black female composer. The concert will be preceded by a performance from the Boston String Academy, a primarily middle- and high-school-age student ensemble, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. DCR Hatch Memorial Shell, 47 David G. Mugar Way. Advertisement Shakespeare on the Common's performance of "The Tempest" in 2021. Ben Stas for The Boston Globe ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE For the 29th year, July 23-Aug. 10, performance times vary. Boston Common, Parkman Bandstand. 139 Tremont St. CURB APPEAL School may be out for the summer, but some campuses still have plenty on offer. The MassArt Art Museum's yearly Art on the Plaza offers family-friendly musical activities to get the blood pumping. Grab a complimentary scoop of ice cream, join a follow-the-leader dance session, play a game of hopscotch, or jam out to featured artists July 24, 6-9 p.m. RSVP required. MassArt Art Museum, Arne Glimcher Plaza, 621 Huntington Ave. Need to show off your Shark Week knowledge? Try your luck at Craft Hall's shark-themed trivia night. Uncredited/Associated Press AS SEEN ON TV Can't get enough of Shark Week? Test your chops on your favorite elasmobranchii with a shark-themed trivia night. Winners of each of the four rounds will win a prize. The competition is free, but participants can choose to order food from the Craft Hall's restaurants, including a selection of wines, beers, IPAs, and batch cocktails from a self-pour tap wall for 21+ contestants. July 25, 6-8 p.m. RSVP required. Craft Food Halls, 35 Cambridgepark Drive, Cambridge. Advertisement SAND ART Looking for a beach day with a view? Over the weekend, the 21st annual International Sand Sculpting Festival will bring participants from around the world to compete over three days to make the most impressive sculptural art piece out of Revere Beach sand. This year, contestants are encouraged to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in their sculptures. If you want to make a day of it, the beach's vendors sell a variety of treats, from lobster rolls to egg rolls. July 25-27, 10 a.m. Revere Beach, Revere. The Boston Race Amity Festival will return to Faneuil Hall on July 26. Boston Race Amity Art and Music Festival INCLUSION AND ICE CREAM Faneuil turns musical on Saturday for the annual Boston Race Amity Festival, which features a wide variety of music with the goal of inspiring cross-cultural unity. The eclectic list of performers includes folk-rock band Fantastic Cat, African diasporic music group Zili Misik, and Cambridge DJ Trigga Tre, among many others. Attendees can contribute to a big collaborative mural all day, and Ben and Jerry's, the event's cohost, will be serving free ice cream from noon-5 p.m. July 26, noon -6 p.m. Faneuil Hall, 4 South Market St. Send info on free events and special offers at least 10 days in advance to . Ryan Yau can be reached at
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
I Took 58 Walks in My 58th Year
It was an odd scavenger hunt, to be sure. Four of us wandered Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, searching for tombstones of notable New Yorkers. With every wrong turn on our way to Jean-Michel Basquiat or Leonard Bernstein, we consoled ourselves with the knowledge that we were increasing our step count. Bob, the resident comedian of our group, cried out for 'Lenny!' when the paper map his wife, Hope, held proved useless. Eventually Bob, as well as Hope, my husband, Jay, and I found our way to Bernstein's tomb. We snapped a few photos, declared victory and laughed our way to Industry City, adding a few more miles — plus some delicious Korean food — to our outing. The day — exploring, laughing and talking with friends — was exactly what I'd envisioned when I turned 58 and decided to take 58 walks with friends, each one at least 5.8 miles long. My dad had died suddenly, at 59, and our regular walks are a memory I cling to over 35 years later. As I approached a stage of life he never experienced, I wanted to honor him. But I had other goals, too. I hoped to pair two favorite activities — walking and talking — with small excursions around New York City, where I live, and during my travels elsewhere. Some walks went much farther than the 5.8-mile goal. Sarah and Tony, longtime walking buddies, organized a breathtaking 12-miler, traversing the Hudson River on the longest footbridge in the United States. Sarah brought fantastic chocolate chip cookies. As a bonus, I learned how to spell Poughkeepsie. I didn't hold others to the Sarah-Tony standard, though. A few people, because of injury or a lack of appetite for long walks, did their 5.8 miles in stages. Some were creative with the prompt: Patrick, an artist, took me to see a Käthe Kollwitz exhibit at MoMA, where we visited the fifth floor, found Gallery 8 and snapped a photo. I wanted to widen my circle, not limit it. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
He's Bringing Rossini to Philadelphia and ‘West Side Story' to Rome
It was the morning of the dress rehearsal for Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story,' at the Baths of Caracalla, the ancient ruins that are the traditional summertime venue for the Rome Opera, and the show's director, Damiano Michieletto, was concerned. 'Some of the Jets have problems with precise pronunciation,' he said. After deciding to do the musical in English rather than in translation, he did not have the funds to hire a full American cast for the Jets, a gang rumbling to take the streets of New York. You could tell, he fretted. (The diction was less of a problem with the Sharks, the rival Puerto Rican gang, he said, 'because Italian, you know, that works.') That might have been his least concern. This year, Michieletto was given free rein to come up with the program for the Rome Opera's summer Caracalla Festival, which runs until Aug. 7, keeping in mind that 2025 is a Jubilee year for the Catholic Church expected to draw millions of pilgrims with varying musical tastes to Rome. In a break from past programming, he decided that the first major new production would be 'West Side Story.' A musical — gasp — was headlining one of Italy's most highbrow cultural stages and was an unusual choice in a country where musicals are considered a minor genre and often dismissed. That did not faze Michieletto, who over the past 20 years has built a reputation as a visionary, nonconformist, at times over-the-top, director whose work is in demand across Europe. In September, he will make his debut at a major American opera house with Rossini's 'Il Viaggio a Reims' at Opera Philadelphia. There he will be presenting a revival of a much-lauded version first staged in Amsterdam in 2015 and reprised several times since. For his new work at the Caracalla Festival — which this year is titled 'Between the Sacred and the Human' because it casts a wide musical net, from a staged production of Handel's oratorio 'The Resurrection' to 'West Side Story' — he opted to focus on the electric energy of a work that was directed and based on an idea by Jerome Robbins, one of the great choreographers of his generation. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
