CCM Presents Rachmaninoff’s ‘All-Night Vigil’ at Covington’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption

CCM’s Chamber Choir.

Under the music direction of Earl Rivers, the CCM Chamber Choir performs Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil (Vespers), Op. 37, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky.

The All-Night Vigil (Vespers) is a series of 15 liturgical/concert settings from the Russian Orthodox tradition in 60 minutes, which achieves great heights of expressive power and intensity through “choral orchestration” by continually varying the textures and sonorities. Subscribers have access to a preferred section of best seats at this can’t-miss, free concert. Ask your usher for more information at the event.

All Night Vigil (Vespers) premiered in 1915 in Moscow, just two years before the revolution that brought the Soviet Union into existence and quashed the performance of sacred music in Russia. Some musicologists view this work as the musical grand finale of religiously-minded imperial Russia, as it enjoyed great success just before the Russian revolution. Interestingly, the All-Night Vigil is one of two liturgical works that Rachmaninoff wrote after his devotion to religion flagged.

It is sung in Church Slavonic, which is used by the Christian Orthodox Church. The bass part stretches to a low B-flat; guest basso profundos Cameron Beauchamp and Craig Peterson will join the choir on these incredibly low parts.

Earl Rivers has conducted CCM’s forces in acclaimed regional premieres of John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls and El Niño, J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Bastian Clevé’s film The Sound of Eternity, Tan Dun’s Water Passion after St. Matthew, Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 5 ­­– Requiem, Bardo and Nirmanakaya and Krzysztof Penderecki’s Credo. He has also produced and conducted American university premieres of staged productions of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, as well as Arthur Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake. He has championed early music at CCM with successful productions of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and Music of Love and War that introduced students to guest artists and coaches. He produced the Shakespeare quadricentennial celebration, which featured CCM Chamber Choir premieres of three settings of Shakespeare texts by composers Judith Bingham, Dominick DiOrio and Jake Runestad. Rivers has received Choral America’s Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art, which honors individuals with a lifetime of significant contributions to the professional choral art, and Chorus America’s Director Laureate Award, an honorary title that recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and has had significant impact on the choral field. In June 2017 Rivers will conduct South Korea’s Suwon Civic Chorale and Orchestra in the South Korean premiere of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. He will also give conducting master classes and lessons while in Seoul.

The CCM Chamber Choir has been acclaimed for its staged productions of Bach’s St. John Passion at Christ Church Cathedral and St. Matthew Passion at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, which were produced in conjunction with CCM’s Opera Department. The choir hosted renowned early music artists with its Monteverdi Project, which was produced for public television by WCET Arts Connect, and also advocates for new music by performing contemporary works, including David Lang’s Little Match Girl Passion, Tan Dun’s Water Passion after St. Matthew and Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Choir. The CCM Chamber Choir has performed at the conventions of the American Musicological Society, American Choral Directors Association and the National Collegiate Choral Organization, as well as Chorus America’s Conducting Masterclass. The choir will perform a staged production of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at Christ Church Cathedral, 318 East 4th Street.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption was built in 1895 and was designed to replicate the Basilica of St. Denis in northern Paris, albeit at a smaller scale. It purportedly houses the world’s largest handmade stained glass window found in a church, as well as three pipe organs, an altar carved from Italian marble, several murals and marble floors. Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the rank of minor basilica in 1953. The UC College-Conservatory of Music has held concerts in the basilica regularly since the early 1970’s.

Performance Time
3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6

Location
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
1101 Madison Ave., Covington, KY 41011

Admission
Free and open to the general public, no reservations required. Subscribers have access to a preferred section of best seats at this can’t-miss concert. Ask your usher for more information at the event.

Parking and Directions
The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption is located at the corner of 12th and Madison Avenue in Covington, Kentucky. There are public parking lots to the north and east of the church.

From I-71/75, take the 12th St./Pike St. exit from either direction. Turn east on to 12th Street to Madison Avenue. Turn left on to Madison Avenue. Turn right on 11th Street and enter the lot or go to Scott Boulevard and turn right to access the rear lot.

From Scott Street, travel south to 11th Street. Turn right on 11th, then left into the public parking lot or go past 11th Street and enter the east lot between 11th & 12th facing the Apse.

For additional information, please refer to www.covcathedral.com/directions.
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Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

CCM Performances and Collaborations Highlighted on Several “Best of 2013” Lists

As we ring in a new year, several local arts writers have released their “year in review” lists for 2013. Rafael de Acha, Mary Ellyn Hutton, Kirk Sheppard, Rick Pender and Janelle Gelfand help us take a look back at the year that was:

In his “best of” roundup for Music for All Seasons, Rafael de Acha commented, “(CCM) consistently achieves professional level in its numerous productions of operas, musicals and concerts which approached the four-digit mark this past year.” Last spring’s original production of Into a Lamplit Room: The Songs of Kurt Weill and the recent concert production of Verdi’s Don Carlos, along with CCM’s Mainstage Series productions of Singin’ in the Rain and Owen Wingrave, all received special mention in de Acha’s review.

Mary Ellyn Hutton presented her top 16 performances for Music in Cincinnati, which included three CCM productions: Verdi’s Don Carlos, Bach’s St. John Passion and Britten’s Owen Wingrave. Of Verdi’s Don Carlos, Hutton commented, “This gets my vote as perhaps the single finest concert of 2013 in Cincinnati.”

Compiled for The Snappy Critic, Kirk Sheppard‘s list of favorite theatre productions of 2013 included last spring’s Mainstage production of The Threepenny Opera and the Studio production of Parade produced in collaboration with the Carnegie in Covington. This past fall’s CCM productions of Carrie and Singin’ in the Rain also made Sheppard’s list.

Rick Pender included two CCM productions in his 2013 round up of theatre in Cincinnati for CityBeat. Last spring’s co-production of Parade with the Carnegie and the recent Mainstage production of Singin’ in the Rain received special attention.

Janelle Gelfand also included CCM’s massive concert production of Don Carlos in her list of “Top 13 Classical Music Shows in 2013” for the Cincinnati Enquirer. In addition to her performance-specific list, she published a summary of “arts highlights” for the year, which included the work of the MYCincinnati after-school program in East Price Hill (learn more about CCM’s connection to the organization here) and the new partnership between Cincinnati’s World Piano Competition, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and CCM.

What were your favorite performances of 2013? What are you looking forward to most in 2014? Get a first look at what’s coming up at CCM in 2014 here!

CCM Slideshows: Boeing Boeing

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This weekend is your final chance to see CCM Drama‘s co-production of the Tony Award-winning comedy Boeing Boeing with the Carnegie in Covington, Ky. Directed by CCM’s new Assistant Professor of Drama Brant Russell, this production runs through Sunday, Nov. 24.

In her CityBeat review, Stacy Sims declares, “This winning partnership brings an abundance of talent, youth, energy and physical comedy to the Carnegie’s Otto M. Budig Theater.”

Cincy Whimsy calls the show, “Quite possibly the most humorous play you will see all year” and the Adventure Mom Blog calls Boeing Boeing, “the perfect play to see after a stressful week.” Tickets are on sale now!

CCM Drama Student Recognized by League of Cincinnati Theatres

Senior drama major Shaun Sutton.

We are thrilled to report that panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized featured actor (and fourth year drama major) Shaun Sutton for his work in the CCM/Carnegie co-production Boeing Boeing!

Boeing Boeing is a comic farce featuring the antics of Bernard, a playboy who has juggled his romances with three beautiful flight attendants until a change in their schedules brings them to his flat all on the same night. Panelists particularly praised Shaun Sutton’s “impressive” portrayal of Robert, Bernard’s friend: “His use of facial expressions and body really helped sell the physical comedy of the role.” You can learn more about Sutton here.

CCM and the Carnegie in Stitches Over Tony Award-Winning Comedy ‘Boeing Boeing’

CCM Drama majors Sarah Vargo, Fabiola Rodriguez and Megan Marshall in the Carnegie’s co-production of ‘Boeing Boeing.’

How does one man stay secretly engaged to three sexy flight attendant fiancées at the same time? Make sure they work for different international airlines. Make sure to know the flight timetables. And make sure it’s the ’60s.

This fall, the Department of Drama at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM Drama) and the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center proudly present the Tony Award-winning comedy Boeing Boeing, playing weekends Nov. 8-24 at the Carnegie in Covington, Ky. The production is directed by CCM’s new Assistant Professor of Drama Brant Russell in his Greater Cincinnati debut.

The comedy has Bernard engaged to Gloria. And to Gabriella. And to Gretchen. Three beautiful flight attendants kept secret from each other only by Bernard’s precise timetables of flights in and out of Paris. But when Boeing invents a faster engine, Bernard’s three foxy fiancées converge on his flat at the same time, igniting a mad dash of hidden women and nick-of-time maneuvers as Bernard tries desperately to save his perfect bachelor fantasy.

Throw in a surprise visit by Bernard’s amorous old school chum, Robert, and the reluctant housekeeper Berthe, and the New York Times writes that Boeing Boeing “soars right out of its time zone and into some unpolluted stratosphere of classic physical comedy.”

CCM Announces Fall 2013 Calendar of Major Events

Download a copy of CCM’s Fall 2013 Calendar Booklet today!

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is delighted to announce its fall schedule of major events. The largest single source of performing arts events in the state of Ohio, CCM presents more than 120 major public performances from Sept. 4 through Dec. 14, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

View a digital copy of CCM’s Fall 2013 Calendar Booklet today by visiting on.uc.edu/CCMFall2013. Refer to the listings below for more details.

Event Information
All events listed here will take place in CCM Village on the University of Cincinnati campus unless otherwise indicated. Admission is free to many CCM performances, although some events do require purchased tickets or reservations. Please see individual event information for details and ordering information.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. Visit ccm.uc.edu  or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 for the most current event information.

CCM Jazz Presents the Music of Legendary American Composer Hoagy Carmichael

CCM’s Jazz Ensemble.

CCM’s Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band celebrate a great American tradition with “Heart and Soul – The Music of Hoagy Carmichael” at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11, in UC’s Corbett Auditorium. Scott Belck and Dominic Marino conduct.

In the typical folksy style for which Carmichael was so widely loved, “Heart and Soul” features timeless classics like “The Nearness of You,” “Skylark” and “Stardust,” brought to life in the contemporary arrangements of guest composer Brent Wallarab and the acclaimed stylings of guest vocalist Mary Ellen Tanner. The concert will also feature a special tribute to our veterans and Glenn Miller’s Army Air Corps Band.

Cincinnati Enquirer Previews CCM’s Kurt Weill Festival

This weekend, the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Jackie Demaline provided an early look at CCM’s yearlong Kurt Weill Festival. You can read her preview here.

The festival resumes next month with a Mainstage production of Kurt Weill, Langston Hughes and Elmer Rice’s great American opera Street Scene, conducted by Mark Gibson with stage direction by Steven Goldstein. Street Scene runs Nov. 15 – 18 in UC’s Patricia Corbett Theater.

Visit CCM’s official Facebook page for a behind-the-scenes look at the production!

CCM’s Resident Kurt Weill Expert Featured in New York Times

CCM’s resident Kurt Weill scholar, Associate Professor of Musicology bruce mcclung, was quoted in an Oct. 21 New York Times article on the discovery of a previously unknown recording of Weill’s “Railroads on Parade” composition from the 1939 World Fair.

Record collector Guy Walker discovered the recordings in 2007 and plans to release the music on CD this month, with liner notes by mcclung. Read the full New York Times article here.

CCM’s yearlong Kurt Weill Festival kicked-off earlier this month. You can learn more about that unprecedented series of events here.

CCM Celebrates Iconic Composer Kurt Weill With Yearlong Festival

Theatre composer Kurt Weill in New City, ca. 1945 (photo: Engel). Image courtesy of the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music.

Beginning this month, CCM will celebrate the iconic work and enduring legacy of composer Kurt Weill with an unprecedented series of events. Opening on Friday, Oct. 19, and running through Tuesday, March 12, CCM’s Kurt Weill Festival will incorporate the renowned theatre composer into a broad range of both public performances and classroom exercises.

Perhaps best known for The Threepenny Opera and its opening ballad, “Mack the Knife,” Weill’s work has been championed by performers as diverse as Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, Nina Simone, The Doors, Judy Collins, Teresa Stratas, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Todd Rundgren, Tom Waits, Lou Reed and Sting.

CCM’s yearlong Kurt Weill Festival will include Mainstage opera and musical theatre productions, cabaret performances, collaborative concerts, master classes and more. Funded in part by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, CCM has never before hosted a festival of this magnitude.