Classical Mandolin Society of America Convention (CMSA) in Baltimore and Brazilian Choro Books
Posted by Elena Como with Atlantico Books on October 20, 2011 · 3 Comments
Mando for Kids at CMSA 2011
Friday night’s concert started with “Mando for Kids.” These are young people who are mentored by members of the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra, especially Laura Norris, Joyce Adams, Kitty Brown and Lorin Brown. Mando for Kids introduces children to the playing and hearing of the mandolin as a classical instrument. The kids entertained with familiar old tunes! BMO is doing a great thing, introducing young people to the mandolin.
Next up was the Baltimore Mandolin Quartet. They play the old-style bowlback mandolins and their instrumentation (3 mandolins and a mandola) is a “quartetto romantico” in the Italian tradition of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They play a lovely mix of classical works by the old masters and new arrangements and original compositions by mandolist Jonathan Jensen. Their performance was spell-binding!
Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra at CMSA 2011
Members of the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra performed a variety of tunes, including a lively British Isles Suite and some very fun songs, like “The Fox” (and English Folk Song), O Solo Mio, and Ose Shalom. Vocalist Gary Burdick was a pleasure to listen to, and I especially liked seeing that the membership of the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra were all different ages–it’s great to see a new generation playing mandolin.
The Providence Mandolin Orchestra closed the show, with a performance of contemporary Greek composer Victor Kioulaphides’s “Sinfonia a pizzicato” an homage to composer Felix Mendelssohn in the year of his bicentennial (2009). It was the US premiere of this work. The Providence Mandolin Orchestra features a wide range of musical styles from Renaissance dances to Baroque concertos, from turn-of-the century nostalgia to avant-garde expressions. Within its wide range of musical tastes, the Orchestra is probably best known for its lively interpretations of traditional music from sources as diverse as Appalachian folk ballads and Brazilian chorinho. In addition, the PMO’s unique tonality has inspired exciting new works by composers Will Ayton, Stephen Funk Pearson, Michael Nix, Robert Martel, Owen Hartford, and others.
Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra at CMSA 2011
The members of CMSA are from many different mandolin orchestras in different parts of the USA. There are also mandolinists here who aren’t in orchestras, and even a few who travelled from Canada, Bulgaria, and other parts of the world! My mom is a member of Aurora, a mandolin orchestra based in the South San Francisco Bay Area, and several of the Aurora members are here. There are also members of the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra, and the Providence Mandolin Orchestra. Mandolin orchestras are featured at concerts during the convention, and there’s also the En Masse group–the biggest group of mandolin and guitar-players I’ve every seen, made up of many people who are here for the convention. The CMSA is a chance to meet other musicians, hear some great music, and also take workshops with accomplished mandolinists like Carlo Aonzo and Chris Acquavella. I can tell the musicians are having a blast! And I’m really enjoying the ongoing music all over the convention.
Bass-Mandolin Player at CMSA 2011
The mandolin is a beautiful little instrument–quite easily portable and not very expensive. It is a favorite in many styles of music, including Brazilian choro. One composer and musician I admire is Jacob do Bandolim, Jacob of the Mandolin. Jacob do Bandolim was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1918. He became one of the best-known choristas in his short life (he died in 1969). He composed over 100 choros in his lifetime, and he recorded many more. His book of choros, Tocando com Jacob PARTITURAS & PLAYBACKS, includes some of his best tunes, like Rosa, Carinhoso, Vou Vivendo, Naquele Tempo, Descendo a Serra, & Lamentos. The book includes 2 great CDs, one with Jacob’s original recordings with his band and the other with just the band, minus the melody, so a “play-along” CD with a fabulous band to accompany you while you play his choros in the book!
[...] with American mandolin players in recent years and Choro workshops have often been featured at CMSA conventions. There are number of books on the market these days that offer fun and interesting approaches to [...]