Thoughts & Recommendations from the Artistic Director: February

Ah, February… as I write this, yet another snowstorm is shaking its contents down on Chicago. I’m reminded of an opening line in “A Child’s Christmas in Wales“: “Winter in my memory is as white as Lapland.”

But it’s February. We counteract all this white with RED – fire, love, passion, red hearts, red roses (did I mention chocolate?): Valentine’s Day – the perfect antidote to Winter’s White.

Love… let’s hear what the world has been saying about love and romance:

“Omnia vincit Amor: et nos cedamus Amori.” (Love conquers all things: let us too give in to Love. Virgil, 70-19 BC)

“To be able to say how much you love is to love but little.” (Petrarch, 1304-1374)

“Love, and a cough, cannot be hid.” (George Herbert, 1593-1633)

“Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.” (Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790)

“You don’t know a woman until you have had a letter from her.”(Ada Leverson, 1865-1936)

“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” (Ursula K. Le Guin, 1929- )

“All you need is love.” (John Lennon, 1940-1980 and Paul McCartney, 1942- )

“If grass can grow through cement, love can find you at every time in your life.”(Cher, 1946- )

Words such as these capture love and romance very well. What of music, that “language of the emotions” that doesn’t rely on words to convey? Here, in February, my mind and heart turn annually to the music of Johannes Brahms, or to me, just “Brahms.”

I think Brahms knew all about passion and love. His unrequited young love of Clara Schumann, his mentor’s wife, lasted a lifetime. His music is infused with passion, strength, longing, and tenderness. If I were alive during this lifetime, I’d be found on his door stoop, howling at the moon.

Each February, I turn again to some of my favorite Brahms: the “Liebeslieder Waltzes” (love song waltzes) for piano four hands and vocal quartet, where tenor and bass sing a duet to the text of the poet Daumner: “Oh these women! Filled with delights! I would have become a monk long ago, were it not for women!” and the soprano and alto reply with a duo, “As the evening’s lovely sunset glows, so would I, a lowly lass; to please one many, shining with delight.” The music is lush and luscious: each of the 18 songs of op. 52 like eating an individual chocolate from a box of 18 delights, one more luscious than the next.

And who can think of Brahms without thinking of the great Arthur Rubenstein, whose recording, “The Brahms I Love,” is a cornerstone of every pianist and music lover’s library. For those readers interested in the combination of music, romance and intrigue, Arthur Rubenstein’s biography, “My Young Years,” makes one think he did everything but practice the piano before the age of 40 when he got married and settled down (to practice as well!) Then, of course, he lived well into his 90s (a testimony to marriage and practicing!)

Well, where there’s love, there must be humor, to survive. Rush Hour has something to offer in this vein as well: its “Liebeslieder Polkas” from our 2007 season for vocal quartet and piano five hands – by the infamous P.D.Q. Bach (aka Peter Schickele). The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, It was a Lover and His Lass, and Who is Sylvia? (“beauty shacks up with kindness”) take the nobility of the form used by Brahms into the realm of brilliant hilarity.

All, antidotes for the endless salt-shaker falling from the sky over Chicago this month!

I wish you happy listening, reading and loving this month!

Cheers,

Deborah Sobol

great music for amorous lives

Let Rush Hour’s staff help you celebrate Valentine’s Day with these hand-picked listening pleasures:

• “The Brahms I Love,” Arthur Rubenstein – A Valentine’s “must listen”… a great way to impress a date or lover at any age! – Artistic Director Deborah Sobol

• “Heart, We Will Forget Him,” an SSA (Soprano, Soprano, Alto) choral piece which also features piano and horn, by James Mulholland. Based on Emily Dickinson’s poem, it’s a hauntingly beautiful piece that honors the single woman. – Development Assistant Jen Stapf

• “Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love,” Pink Martini – Equally perfect for a passionate dance with your partner or for rocking out alone in your living room, this song guarantees, at the very least, that you will fall in love with Pink Martini. – Managing Director Julie Hutchison

• “Love Is You,” Chrisette Michele – Be sure to check out this Grammy nominee with a sweet, soulful voice that conveys just the right amount of sentiment. – Intern Joslyn Teng

• “Let’s Get Lost,” Chet Baker – “My Funny Valentine” is a great album and includes this song that always reminds me of my early courtship with my husband. – Executive Director Megan Balderston

Summer Internship Opportunities

Are you culturally curious? Do you love music, food, and meeting new people?

Rush Hour is currently seeking talented interns to join its dynamic summer team. Here’s what past interns have had to say about their experience:

The whole internship involved taking a leadership role.

It was rewarding to see tangible results of our work every week.

One of my favorite parts of the internship was getting to experience new communities in Chicago through my outreach work.

A more detailed description of the opportunity can be found here. Interested candidates should contact Managing Director Julie Hutchison at julie@rushhour.org or 773.338.9480.

Out of the Darkness

It’s February, and here in Chicago we’re having a blast of winter the likes of which we have not seen in recent years. February is the shortest month of the year, but the cold and dark make it feel like one of the longest. As my sardonic Irish father often says, “It’s always darkest before the bottom falls out.” As I recently shoveled the ten inches of snow out of my driveway, I could really relate to that.

Last week I braved the cold and darkness to attend a concert. As I took my seat, I tried to warm up and settle into the right frame of mind to hear and enjoy the music. For me, that means taking a mental deep breath, watching people in the audience, and reading program notes. I often attend concerts alone, so I looked around to see how different groups of people prepared themselves. There was a lot of conversation, a lot of laughter, and excited interaction with those around them. Then, as the lights dimmed and the performers made their way onstage, the hall fell silent and expectant. The dark silence we created was the perfect backdrop for the glorious concert those artists gave us. It made the beauty of the music that much more exquisite.

Francis Bacon said, “In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” Chicago is especially glorious in the spring and summer in contrast to the lingering memory of the dark of winter. February can be tough, but when the first whiff of spring floats by in late March and April, it is intoxicating. Although native Californians might disagree, the stark contrast of the seasons makes Chicago a crazy and wonderful place to live. (I will try to be so cheerful the next time I’m facing down a -20 degree wind…)

The same theory holds true with music. That backdrop of complete silence, even if only momentary, creates a tension and anticipation that amplifies the experience and allows the light of the music to shine with brilliance. Remember as we brave the cold and gloom that warmth and light are just around the corner: Rush Hour starts in four short months!

- Megan Balderston