The M Icon: My Story

Majestic showman. Fashion icon. Artistic innovator. Affable humanitarian. My reflections on the death of Michael Jackson, musical genius and theatrical pioneer. This will undoubtedly be my most personal entry to date and its contents may surprise those of you who've assumed all along that this blog deemed Mozart as my one and only man in music. Michael, in fact, represents my musical advent. He was a significant part of my early artistic life, instilling in my childhood compass the righteous marriage of music, drama and ideas. He redefined the popular music genre with the deliverance of autobiographical sentiment, sophistication and intelligent craftsmanship, adding new dimensions of depth and creativity. His vocabulary of dance was limitless. He revolutionized the music video and made it an art form. His choreography and dramatic staging concepts combined with cutting edge technology changed concert culture and performance art forever. His artistic and fashionable avidity shall never be met by the talent and fervor of any other individual.

Indeed, there are two significant silhouettes in my musical life, and the word “silhouette” describes each figure, perfectly. Michael and Mozart. Lives in profile. Divinity in motion. They gave everything of themselves to ensure that the world would always enjoy a contented existence in music, their music. From one cherubic prodigy to another, my love of music was born. From one dramatist to another, my understanding and passion for musical theater evolved, and is still evolving. The charisma and exuberance that radiates from their music gives me strength, hope and purpose. Their characters are rich and full, their similarities, striking. (Reference my entry Michael and Mozart: A Corresponding Virtuosity)

Musicology focuses so much on Mozart's premature death and the unwritten compositions which are forever lost to us. With Michael's early departure, we face this loss now, in our own lifetime, not just in the pages of history. I dearly love these two spires of musical ingenuity and this historical recurrence is almost too much to endure, but I must celebrate and carry these legacies forward with love and honor. This tribute video beautifully combines Mozart's Lacrimosa from his unfinished Requiem mass with Michael's resounding imagery.

Michael reminded me of myself in many ways; extroverted artistically and introverted socially with a sometimes inhibiting shyness, yet embodying an astonishing sense of independence and mission. Michael was my first crush and consequently, my first "boyfriend." I ignored the fact that he was courting the imaginations of millions of other girls worldwide! My twin sister Sheryl and I owned albums, dolls, shirts, jackets, even a phonograph with the picture of Michael looking handsome in his yellow vest and bow tie. I remember receiving only these signature gifts for many birthdays and Christmas seasons in the 1980s, a wonderful period in my life. We knew his signature moves and attempted to emulate them through our impromptu performances in the family living room.

We visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where I saw Michael's costume from the Bad short film, a staunch favorite that was directed by Martin Scorsese. I love that he conquers an impending violent confrontation with the use of ballet, aggressive swagger and clever lyricism ("You're throwing stones to hide your hands") while donning his belted bravado (Sheryl just LOVES to tease me about this!). He was merely 30 years old when the Bad era delivered him to the stars. The Pepsi commercial from this period was so magical to my childhood eyes. I wanted to see it during every commercial break. I was certain there was a piece of divinity in his cameo, when he asked, "Lookin' for me?" with the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen. Sharing Michael's music with my sister over the years has been a very special and extraordinary gift. I can't remember exactly when we became fans, but our memorabilia dates back to age five. Our father was born in Rensselaer, Indiana, so of course the distance to Michael's childhood home in Gary, Indiana has been calculated. To be exact? Only 52 miles!

Michael's intense affinity for classical music drew me closer to his artistry. I could feel the influence in his work. It also had a tangibility. In interviews, he constantly referenced his love for this genre, mentioning Mozart, Debussy and Tchaikovsky. This photo of Michael playing his Bösendorfer piano is one of my favorites. He was very much like Mozart in that there were two levels to his artistry: the popular recognition and a lesser known perspicacious capacity. When Michael died in June, it was revealed that he was working on an album of classical music. It was surprising to the majority, but certainly not to me. It made sense. This was Michael. He shared the stage with Luciano Pavarotti and The Three Tenors for a benefit concert in Modena in 1999. I didn't have the opportunity to meet Michael in person, but I saw The Three Tenors in concert and also met Placido Domingo during my apprenticeship with the Washington National Opera last spring, so this is my operatic connection, so to speak!

In regards to opera, Michael's unique fame and voice have been compared to the famous castrati (male sopranos) of a bygone era. Maestro Riccardo Muti was quoted recently about this connection. "He is without a doubt one of the most legendary, controversial (and beloved) singers of all time... His controversial story, his weaknesses, the extreme restlessness and his exhausted last days remind me of the lives of the great castrati like Caffarelli or Farinelli, who became objects of adoration and idolatry. And they often became victims of this adoration."

With this connection in mind, I was vying to hear Michael interpret his own version of the lamenting aria Lascia ch'io pianga from Händel's opera, Rinaldo. Imagine! Its soaring melodic consciousness and dramatic intention suits Michael's maligned life incredibly well, focusing on liberation of the individual. "Let me weep over my cruel fate and sigh for my lost freedom. May the pain shatter the chains of my torment with mercy."

Andrew Lloyd Webber recently disclosed that Michael had approached him in the 1980s, after the stage premiere of The Phantom of the Opera, about possibly taking on the title role himself in a movie version. This is hardly surprising, given his love of musical theater, the genre used to showcase his talent for the first time at age five with Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music in a school talent show. In his article from London's Telegraph on 27 June, Webber brings to light Michael's genius from a theatrical perspective which I find incredibly fascinating, for it reveals his core artistic being. "The story got to him. I think he had a connection with the lonely, tortured musician. He found the idea of somebody working through music and having a girl as a muse very intriguing – and he loved that there was illusion in the show. Of course, he was a great showman himself, but he found the whole stagecraft of musicals extraordinary."

A lack of good timing kept my sister and I from the concert experience. Michael's Bad tour (1987-1989) was his last in the United States and we were far too young for our parents to allow us to attend such tumultuous concert affairs in Europe in the 1990s! We just missed him in New York in 2001. On 7 and 10 September, Michael had given two concerts at Madison Square Garden to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his solo career. We were so thankful that it was televised on CBS! Click here to see his stellar performance of Billie Jean! We were in the city just a few weeks later with our collegiate marching band on 29 September to perform for a New York Giants football game. On 7 November, Michael made an appearance at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square to promote what would be his final album, Invincible. Afterwards, he retreated into social and musical exile.

However, over this past year, Sheryl and I remained excited and hopeful about Jackson 5 reunion rumors which surfaced now and again. And when Michael held a press conference in London for his This is It tour in March, we were over the moon. This was our chance to finally see the artist we had admired from just beyond toddlerhood, but fate would not hear of it. Tragedy struck in June. A part of my childhood, my own musical history, died with him. Don McLean's "The Day the Music Died" will never sound the same again. Denial, anger, countless tears. I had just returned from Prague a week prior and had thought about Michael in the Bohemian capital upon seeing Madonna's tour posters everywhere. Michael will soon be on the scene again, I thought, and he's going to be bigger than ever. The reality of this loss was painstakingly dark, especially as I watched his haunting rehearsal footage over and over again, which displayed his ever powerful voice and unparalleled command of dance. A singer's vocal prime is roughly between the ages of 35 and 50, so Michael still had his legendary sound. Perhaps the most chilling aspect revealed in this footage was the lyrical content from the song itself, They Don't Really Care About Us.

Sheryl and I entered the lottery for tickets to the memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, but our names weren't chosen, so we watched the coverage on television all day, wore commemorative t-shirts and even designed a cake for the occasion. Although we weren't able to attend this significant event, Sheryl and I are incredibly excited to have tickets to the Tribute 2009 concert event in Vienna on 26 September! The Austrian capital was chosen because Michael cherished this city for its musical history and Hapsburg imperialism. Mozart spent his greatest years here. The tribute event will be staged at the Hapsburg summer residence Schloss Schönbrunn where Mozart famously performed for the young Marie Antoinette. I've been to the palace twice for tours and classical concerts, and to Vienna generally to pursue Mozartian history, but I never would have guessed I'd be visiting the city to celebrate the artist I've known since childhood, the artist who first opened my heart and mind to the musical spheres. It's estimated that the televised tribute will reach an audience of one billion.

I've learned an abundance from Michael's artistry. Where do I begin? It would take far too long to write on this topic, so I'll attempt to summarize! His musical benevolence has greatly inspired my own love of sharing music with others and volunteering my time and resources towards musical outreach activities. Michael used his musical gifts for philanthropy, supporting over 30 charities with more than $300 million dollars, surpassing any other celebrity in history.

Internalizing Michael's poignant voice at such an early age led to my development of a preference for the high-attuned male voice across several genres. For example, my affection for Mozart's tenor arias is far greater than those belonging to the female characters of his operas and scenas. I love material written originally for castrati (male sopranos), now performed by countertenors and mezzo-sopranos. I associate Michael's higher register and physical virtuosity with the melisma and athleticism of the Baroque voice. Michael's extravagant sets, costumes and employed classicism corroborate opera's ideal. One of my favorites by Händel is Doppo Notte from the opera, Ariodante. Mozart originally wrote the motet Exsultate Jubilate for Venanzio Rauzzini, a male soprano who had performed in his opera Lucio Silla in 1772, but this piece is mainly performed by women today.

In terms of popular music, I'm taken by the expressive tenor voices of Doo-Wop, Rock and Soul from the 1950s and 1960s. As a teenager, I was the proud owner of Time Life's Dick Clark collection and along with my sister and friends, simulated a session of American Bandstand for our school's drama club. Frankie Lymon's Why Do Fools Fall in Love is certainly on my A-list! And never to be forgotten from this period is 10 year old Michael's Who's Lovin' You from 1969. Every song is remarkable from his early years, but this song, in its singularity, shows his genius quite radiantly. As Berry Gordy said, "He sang it with the sadness and passion of a man who'd been living the blues and heartbreak his whole life." In terms of more recent popular music, the voice of Savage Garden's lead singer Darren Hayes caught my attention in the 1990s with the song I Knew I Loved You.

The above image is from Michael's 2007 photo shoot with Ebony magazine in celebration of the 25th anniversary of his immortal album, Thriller. This is one of my favorite images of Michael, not simply because he's stunning and dapper in his top hat, but because I believe it readily portrays him as he wanted to be perceived and accepted: as a serious artist with classical sentiment, notwithstanding his signature edge and attitude with modernity's style and finesse. This is certainly how I'll remember him. I started drafting this entry on 6 July, but I've not had the time or energy to finish it until now. And I can't think of a better way to end this account, further capturing my sentiment, than disclosing a poem I wrote in honor of Michael's legacy, recalling my fondest memories. It's simply entitled, Michael Jackson: Memory. This tribute photo accompanies my poetic meloncholia and reflects my love of the Bad era.

Silhouette in adorning fashion. Love. Humility. Flash of contour, flash of light. Gains of a thousand words. Faintly come distant, shining bright. / Cherubic prodigy. Gentleman artisan. Blanketed in stunning, amplified blessing. Darkest eyes of benevolence and mysterious splendor. Consummate love expressing. / Precision. Pathos. A generous embrace. Lyrical sentiment, oh gentle lyre. Relentless genius. Truthful existence. Virtuous imagination, fantasy and fire. / Dramatic innovation, humanistic connotation. Unbreakable line. Promenade of recognition, through barriers risen. Protagonist of music and ideas. Divine. / Ethereal vibrato. All-encompassing bravado. Childhood memory and jest. Tender innocence, soulful smiles and abiding laughter. God be praised, we were blessed.

Sherry

New Mozart Death Theory

Mozart May Have Died of Strep Throat Complications
CNN.com By Shahreen Abedin
Copyright Health Magazine 2009
August 17, 2009

Many of you have been notifying me of this piece of news over the last few days, which is brilliant! Thank you! I share the same opinion as the quoted medical professionals: strep is plausible, but not definite. I didn't realize that thorough examination of Vienna's daily death registry had previously gone amiss. This incident teaches us never to assume anything, but to continue our rigorous and restless investigation for answers. The above portrait is an inauthentic rendering of Mozart's death from an anonymous 19th Century artist.

Sherry

Mozart Compositions Unveiled

Two New Mozart Works Presented in Austria
By Veronika Oleksyn, The Associated Press
ABC News, August 2, 2009

*Click here for video from CBS News Online!

Michael and Mozart: A Corresponding Virtuosity

A striking image depicting the fictional meeting of child prodigies: Wolfgang Mozart and Michael Jackson. This photo was taken in 1997 at the Grévin Museum in Paris where Michael's waxed likeness is also on display. It takes my breath away for its implications and imaginings. As a compliment to The M Icon: My Story, this entry will discuss the profound similarities between these musical masters. There exists an uncanny congruence between Michael and Mozart, both of whom died in a cloud of suspicion while on the verge of revivals following unwarranted plateaus.

Michael was the seventh child in his family, as was Mozart. Lucky number seven! As children, they possessed a musical maturity which granted fluency of expression. Daines Barrington of London's Royal Society wrote a detailed report in 1770 about Mozart's ability to extemporaneously capture emotions such as love in his music, emotions that he could have hardly experienced himself at nine years of age. The same applies to little Michael. Motown's Berry Gordy described him singing "Who's Lovin' You" by Smokey Robinson: "He sang it with the sadness and passion of a man who'd been living the blues and heartbreak his whole life."

Mozart also sang on tour as a prodigy. By contemporaneous accounts, he also had a softer, delicate voice like Michael, but it was incredibly powerful when necessary. And of course everyone is well acquainted with Michael's vocal prowess! I found this image at Personality and Spirituality Wordpress and thought it would be interesting to include here! The portrait on the left dates from Rome in 1770 and is unauthenticated, but it's still enjoyable to imply imagination!

For all of the doting and fame that ensued, these brilliant artists were sensitive and concerned about being loved. As a child, Mozart was inquisitive and would constantly ask others if they loved him. It seemed to be his utmost concern. Andreas Schachtner, Salzburg court musician and friend, said: "He would often ask me ten times in one day if I loved him, and when I sometimes said no, just for fun, bright tears welled up in his eyes, so tender and kind was his good heart." Michael said in his 1993 interview with Oprah: "I love what I do and I would love people to love what I do and to be loved. I just simply want to be loved wherever I go."

The fathers of enterprise certainly ruled with an iron fist and both artists were estranged from their exploitive paternal patronage at the end of their lives. But despite having experienced these burdensome father-son relationships, Michael and Mozart were deeply involved in the lives of their own children as exceptional fathers. Michael had two sons and Mozart had two sons (who survived into adulthood). Both artists highly regarded arts/music education for their children and they implanted the foundation themselves. There are numerous accounts, by journalists, friends and family members, describing the loving environment Michael provided. Moments were often musical and his voice could be heard accompanying playtime. "He taught them about art and music," said family attorney, Brian Oxmon. "They are bright, they are so intelligent, they’re so talented. They are just wonderful children, they are a reflection of Michael Jackson."

As for Mozart, it was unheard of for an 18th Century father to be so attentive and nurturing. His final letter to his wife in October 1791 concerns his elder son Karl's manners, his studies at the boarding school and their trip to the opera. Danish actor Joachim Daniel Preisler visited the Mozart family once on a Sunday and wrote about his experience there: "This small man and great master improvised twice on a pianoforte with pedal, and so wonderfully, so wonderfully it staggered belief! He interwove the most difficult passages with the loveliest themes. His wife cut quillpens for the copyist, a pupil composed, and a little boy of four walked about the garden singing recitatives. In short, everything surrounding this splendid man was musical!"

Mozart's father was dishonest about Wolfgang's age to prolong his childhood novelty. Jackson biographer Taraborelli says that "Motown's public relations team claimed that Jackson was nine years old, two years younger than he was, to make him appear cuter and more accessible." This came at a price. Their publics readily reminded them that they preferred their former, younger selves, which made growing up markedly painful. Mozart wrote about this from Paris: "...these stupid Frenchmen think I am still seven years old." He was no longer the cherubic prodigy, but a pockmarked young man with disproportionate features, namely a larger nose. Even a newspaper had called him "Great-nosed Mozart."

Also facing an aesthetic transition, Michael dealt with severe acne and familial taunts about his appearance. Like Mozart, his nose was a prime target. His father teased him relentlessly, calling him "big nose" and "ugly." In the Bashir interview in 2003, Michael talked about how affected he was by a woman in the crowd who kept asking "Where's little Michael?" She had scanned the crowd and easily overlooked him. When somebody finally pointed him out, she glared at the teenager's face and said, "Ewww! What happened to YOU?" This clearly had a profound affect. "I could have died right there," he said solemnly in the interview, decades later.

Michael and Mozart shared a love of dancing and they learned this artform as children. Mozart's first public performance was not as a musician, as you would easily assume, but as a dancer at age five in a Latin play, Sigismundus Rex, the same age Michael began his own career. His love of dance is well documented by contemporaries and by his own admission. In fact, Mozart's friend Michael Kelly wrote in his memoirs that "His talent lay in that art (dance) rather than in music." That's quite a statement!

Dance only occupied a part of their energetic existence. Such playful dispositions inevitably led to games and pranks, a sense of humor that provided a necessary diversion to musical genius. It was ritual for Michael to surprise his crew with water balloons and flying whipped cream pies after wrapping up on the set of a music video. There are countless stories of Michael's antics at Neverland, many of which you can see in videos made public online. Mozart created many jokes in his music and through word-play. Schachtner once said: "But before he had begun music, he was so ready for any prank spiced with a little humor that he could quite forget food, drink and all things else."

An affinity for opulent fashion was also a shared likeness and it's one of my favorite topics to discuss about these gentlemen! Michael and Mozart both performed for crowned heads and found themselves courting aristocratic circles. Their sense of fashion was not influenced by this societal notion, but it was rather an outlet of creativity and imagination where they flourished, inventing and re-inventing themselves as spectacles, men of the theatrical realm. Michael liked military details because they "demand attention...have clean lines and they fit almost like dance clothes," explained tailor Michael Bush. Mozart's contemporaries noted that his dress was often garish and this has certainly been said of Michael's stylistic preferences. Mozart biographer Piero Melograni made an excellent point which I think can be attributed to both artists: "It is true that Wolfgang always sought to compensate for his physical limitations by an elegance in dress. The care he took with his clothing and his hair must have helped him deal with the powerful on an equal basis." The photo below from the LA Times (May 26, 2005) depicts Michael's penchant for 18th Century fashion. He wore many elaborate silk waistcoats and jacquard designs. He even wore pieces of British and Austrian regalia.

Michael and Mozart reveled in the fact that their music brought joy and happiness to others. Taking on various forms of prejudice, such as racism, classism and elitism, they were all the more happier to deliver progressive sentiment with their artistry. Michael's lyrics and monumental humanitarian efforts speak for themselves. He expressed sincere love and appreciation for his admirers at every turn. And it's impossible to forget the vivacious remark by Mozart about his revolutionary "Figaro" living in the streets of Prague amongst average folks, away from the exclusivity of aristocratic salons. "I looked on with the greatest pleasure while all these people flew about in sheer delight to the music of my Figaro, arranged as quadrilles and waltzes. For here they talk about nothing but Figaro. Nothing is played, sung, or whistled but Figaro. No opera is drawing like Figaro. Nothing, nothing but Figaro. Certainly a great honor for me!"

Despite such lavish success, which was often intermittent, thoughts of premature death were articulated. "I never lie down at night without reflecting that, young as I am, I may not live to see another day," Mozart wrote at age 31. Towards the end of 1791, Mozart became convinced of his demise, despite his wife Constanze's efforts to redirect him. Something very similar had happened in Michael's case. According to former wife Lisa Marie Presley, Michael told her (while also in his 30s) that he thought he would die early like her father, Elvis. She wrote on her blog after Michael's death: "At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty: 'I am afraid that I am going to end up like him.' I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that."

Michael and Mozart worked tirelessly, often neglecting their own care, as they faced various ailments and rigorous performance schedules over the years. Physical appearance seemed to trumpet the end. Josepha Duschek described her friend Mozart in September 1791 on his visit to Prague, three months before he died: "His face looked like cheese and his eyes were dark and full of melancholy." Doctors did not agree on Mozart's cause of death, although in retrospect it is assumed to be rheumatic fever. Due to funeral customs of the day, Mozart was buried in an unmarked communal grave, a location that has never been, and never will be, established. At present, the cause of Jackson's death is still being debated and the location of his body and burial site are unknown. Mozart's sons had no heirs and thus the lineage ended with them. The Jackson paternal debate may prove that his lineage also ended with his death.

In his interview with Good Morning America in August 2008, Michael said he hoped to "be myself" in future works. He was planning a film adaptation and a classical music album amongst other projects. Mozart reflected during his final illness: "I must leave my art now that I am no longer a slave to fashion, am no longer tied to speculators; when I could follow the paths along which my spirit leads me, free and independent to write only when I am inspired. I must leave my family, my poor children, just when I would have been in a better position to look after their welfare." Mozart's referring here to financial debt that was to be eradicated by new commissions and opportunities, just as Michael's This is It tour was also to remove a significant financial burden. Amongst ideas and plans Mozart had for the future? Just like Michael, tour performances in London.

These are chilling parallels, to be sure, but the greatest denominator, in my opinion, is their passion, mastery and innovation of musical drama (another topic deserving of its own attention!). As the greatest of opera composers, Mozart redefined the genre. With his theatrical stage performances and short films, Michael redefined popular music with sentiment, sophistication and intelligent craftsmanship, adding new dimensions of depth and creativity. He was a singer, songwriter and dancer, but above all, he was a dramatist.

Sherry

Mozartstadt Prague

Mozartstadt. City of Mozart. A more than appropriate title for the Bohemian capital of Prague. During the three years that I've authored the Chronicles, I've often mentioned Prague's centricity to the Mozart biography. The citizens of Prague held the first signifcant memorial service for Mozart, they were the first to erect a memorial in his honor in 1837 and Czech native Franz Xaver Niemetschek wrote one of the earliest biographical accounts of the composer in 1797. Niemetschek wrote, "The Bohemians are proud that he recognized and honored their good taste with so noble a work (Don Giovanni), coming from the depths of his genius." The photo above was taken during my visit to the Villa Bertramka, the home of Mozart's friends and fellow musicians Franz and Josepha Duschek, where Mozart stayed as a guest. "Meine Prager verstehen mich," Mozart exclaimed. "My Praguers understand me."

One week ago on 16 June, I departed the beloved city and other loyal devotees with whom I had been on a level of professional and personal exchange in the good name of Mozart. And without hesitation, I'll simply gush! The conference delivered brilliant scholarship, exquisite dining (with too many courses to mention!), delightful concerts and redolent visits to Mozart landmarks. MSA President Kathryn Libin surpassed all expectations with her instigation of this grand event and I'm incredibly grateful to her for giving me the opportunity to attend.

So, da capo! (from the beginning!) On 8 June, after a restless red-eye flight across the Atlantic, I found myself enveloped in a magical morning in Prague. Unable to take a much-needed nap at my friend Zuzana's flat due to overwhelming excitement, I ventured out into the city. I spent most of my afternoon strolling on the 13th Century Charles Bridge where I took in the stunning cityscape and the language of musicians. It would be quite easy to spend several days there! I took pictures and curiously observed the passersby. The 17th Century Crucifix and Calvary on the bridge drew my undivided attention in regards to my faith and the Mozart history. These were overwhelming moments. I reflected on my purpose, my devotion, the people in my life who have supported my passion, and was caught up in tears and poetic nuance...

The crucifix where you pondered, is now where I wander. Your darkness, my light, in my heart your music has sight. With tears in my eyes as you so often penned, how lovely it is to meet you again.

Shortly after these renderings of poetry, I met my friend Ruediger Mandry from Dresden. After a bit of walking and browsing in a music shop, we had dinner in the Old Town Square and attended a performance of Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" at the Estates Theater, where Mozart himself conducted the opera. It was certainly a highlight of my week! The photo below was taken in the theater following the performance that evening.

Speaking of highlights, it's best if I adhere to this format, as it would take me forever and a day to describe the entirety of my trip! As I've been to Prague twice before, I'd already seen the most significant Mozart haunts, but this time I saw some of them from a different perspective and of course there were new additions! Highlights included attending a service at the Strahov Monastery to listen to the organ that Mozart improvised on in 1787, seeing manuscripts in the Beethoven Room at the Lobkowitz Palace, which included Mozart's arrangement of Handel's "Messiah" in his own hand, visiting the Czech Museum of Music and seeing a basset horn from 1791 which is significant for Mozart's writing for this instrument in his opera "La Clemenza di Tito" which premiered in Prague in 1791 and visiting the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Lesser Town where Mozart's memorial service was held on 14 December, 1791 to a congregation of 4,000 Czech citizens.

Another noteworthy adventure was my trip to the Kanzelsberger music shop, where I discovered the first Prague edition of a Mozart sonata for four hands. It did not have a KV number or a date, but I was permitted to take a few photos of the exterior and score, so I was able to later identify it as KV 521, Sonate in C für Klavier zu vier Händen (Sonata in C for Keyboard for Four Hands) which dates from 29 May, 1797. At the moment, I'm researching the date of the Prague edition. This photo was taken holding the sonata in question!

Scholarly discussions aside, the conference was simply about people! I had the opportunity to meet scholars from Denmark, Austria, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, North America and the Czech Republic. My dialogue with musicologists, theater scholars, fortepiano experts and artists offered reassurance for my chosen path. The biggest surprise was a visit by Prince William and Princess Alexandra Lobkowitz, descendants of Mozart's aristocratic patrons. This occasion also granted yet another visit with a dear friend, Zuzana, who is so fortunate to be a native of this unparalleled city. It was through her invitation that I came to know Prague for the first time in 2004 and she's also responsible for consequent visits which I hope will continue! Děkuji, Zuzana! And never to be forgotten, there were several people not present at the conference who encouraged my travel to Prague and I certainly carried their loving support in my luggage! Specifically, my family and beloved friend, Stephanie Cowell.

When on a pilgrimmage such as this one, where our aim is in part to absorb as much as possible that still exists from Mozart's world, a certain emptiness surfaces sooner or later with the realization that no matter hard we try, we'll never be able to touch him, talk to him, or hear his music as he intended it to be heard. There's so much we'll never know and this notion leaves a void, a stark dissatisfaction. However, the advantage for me personally is the resulting encouragement and inquisitiveness that drives my passion onward in hope of further musicological discovery. Hours after writing the previous little poem, and shortly before the performance of "Figaro," I was yet again encouraged to take up my pen and dash a little something on paper...

The streets you once knew, voice their story of you,

but you are not here, and soon the clouds seem shear.

Where to find you? Within these walls from time?

No, no, in the stave, beyond masonry and grave.

Let it be known to all, who seek a tangible story,

that you are not here, but singing God's glory.

Sherry

En Route to the Musicopolis...

It's now Saturday, far past the midnight hour, and I'm only a day away from my departure for Prague to attend the Mozart Society of America conference. My travels will take me to the city that adored Mozart, where his music met with unrivaled success. Indeed, the Bohemian musicopolis is the most appropriate place in which to celebrate Mozart's life with musical performance and scholarly applause. The conference will address Mozart's relationship to Prague with lectures, concerts, museum/residence tours and so forth, representing an impressive array of activity any admirer would only concoct as dreamy happenstance.

Perhaps you'll recall the previous entry concerning my Figaro Year. I kept wondering when and where I'd come across the opportunity to see a performance, but the search has ended with the best of scenarios, quite unexpectedly! On Monday evening, I'll attend a performance of Mozart's Figaro at the Estates Theater, which is shown above. Little did I realize until a few months ago that this opera would be performed during my visit by the National Theater troupe (Narodni Divaldo). This is the venue where Mozart himself conducted the opera in 1787 in addition to the premieres of Don Giovanni later in 1787 and La Clemenza di Tito in 1791, just a few months before he died. In 2004, I attended a performance of Don Giovanni in this historic theater, so Tito will be my aim to complete the trio on a future visit to the city! For now though, allow me to be still a moment and reflect on what is to come...

Adieu! I'll write upon my return!

Sherry

The Musiker from Maastricht

After years of following his PBS performances and admiring the joyful transference that occurs between the Maestro and his audience, I finally had the opportunity to see André Rieu perform live in concert. Despite the size of the crowd, the atmosphere felt more intimate, much like old friends gathering for a musical evening. I had soon forgotten myself, my surroundings, all of my misfortunes. I was suddenly back in Vienna and so happily in love with the music! Nothing else mattered. I saw genuine enchantment in his face, reflecting the pleasure of musicianship in sharing these beloved compositions. His 1667 Stradivarius violin was all the more striking for Franz Lehár's Silber und Gold Walzer, the very piece that secured his passion for Viennese music. My smile is endless when I see him take up his instrument. And heaven be praised, he never forgets Mozart! He certainly doesn't please purists with his presentational style, but that was never the idea.

Rieu's convivial disposition and comedic antics, his dialogue concerning the music itself, and his sincerity about bringing this music to the fore was gracious. At one point during the performance, he recalled attending a classical concert as a child in Maastricht. How joyful the music was to his ears, but how cold the hearts of the people, how rigid, how unreflective of the melodies! He set out to remedy this offense when founding his Johann Strauss Orchestra at the age of 29 and now, in 2009, he's celebrating his 30th year with a worldwide tour. He inspires us to enjoy the music, which is exactly what we forget to do amidst analysis and criticism. He aims to do what I aspire to achieve professionally. That is, to remove the elitist stigma from the genre and create awareness of the music's purposeful existence which is benevolence and joy for all, not an exclusive constituency. Click here for excerpts from André Rieu: Live in Vienna. I'll close with an excerpt from Dr. Alexander Weinmann's notes from the 1962 album Creampuffs from Vienna: Rare Old Vienna Dances with the Boskovsky Ensemble.

"Dance, a musical form that has adorned life from the earliest times, holds a prominent place in Viennese tradition. It is an engaging expression of a people's life, polished with high artistry, that's intertwined with the heart and mind and music of other peoples. It has the spark of eternal life and can be savored affectionately today. The notes loosen and blossom forth into treasures of melody and rhythm, with a sweet and bitter intimacy, with roaring furiosos that alternate with profound melancholy and pungent impudence. A bygone time comes to mind, clear and uncontaminated."

Alles Walzer!
Sherry

Beethoven: My Encore with Classical Film

Fulfilling my role as Marketing Manager for the North American release of Phil Grabsky's stunning film In Search of Mozart was a highly pleasurable experience, one that I will always adore. We enjoyed a successful run which lasted nearly a year and a half with the film gracing screens in New York, Chicago, Boston, LA, Seattle and countless other cities, filling hearts and minds with divinity from Grabsky's film-making and the Salzburger named Mozart. For me, there's nothing more satisfying than bringing his music to others and with cinema being popular, progressively popular as a platform for opera and classical music, who could ask for a more perfect medium or opportunity than what was before me?

Well, the truth is that I'll never be able to retrieve such an experience again. However, a film about his famous could-have-been pupil from Bonn would more than suffice as an encore to my experience with the classical documentary. Yes, you heard this correctly! As of last Wednesday, plans are in motion for our collaboration on In Search of Beethoven. I can't express just how thankful I am for this second opportunity to advocate classical music on such a level.

The film is currently in the UK, the Netherlands and New Zealand, and it will surely sweep more countries with its passion and originality, just as Mozart did in recent years. The U.S. premiere will be in Chicago in July at the Gene Siskel Theater, where Mozart broke a box-office record in 2007. Speaking of the late critic Gene Siskel, Beethoven has already received a fantastic review by his British equivalent, Philip French from The Observer: "One of the finest movies about a great musician I’ve ever seen." An excellent interview with Grabsky can be found on MusicalCritisicm.com by Dominic McHugh.

The meeting of Mozart and Beethoven has been debated and naturally fantasized. Given the documentation that does exist, many scholars believe that the young men probably met in Vienna in April 1787 when Mozart was 31 and Beethoven was 16 years old. Having studied and pursued public relations within the context of classical music, I find it amusing that a strategy found its place even surrounding this supposed "meeting of the masters." Legend proclaims that after hearing Beethoven play, Mozart said something like "...someday he will give the world something to talk about." What an accolade for the promoter's artillary!

Beethoven admired Mozart tremendously and studied his music in depth. Because of his talent, I think expectations were even greater for him to emulate the genius than Mozart's own son Franz Xaver, who himself was praised as being one of the finest pianists of his day. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, one year after Mozart died, to further his musical career. Johann Heinrich famously wrote to him: "Mozart's genius hovers over you and, smiling at you, lends its approbation."

Do take a gander at the official Beethoven site and read more about the Mozart-Beethoven nexus. There's fascinating history to be found there!

Sherry

Mozart im Frühling

Is there any greater feeling of pleasure constructed than from one's imaginings of a Rococo spring? This painting by Francois Boucher, The Four Seasons (Spring) from 1755, is one of its most superb renditions. I'm as guilty as any other who is caught in this breadth, its playful, wistful and seemingly ideal existence. Mozart's Haffner Serenade comes vividly to mind as I admire the young couple in view. Afterall, it was written for performance on the eve of a summer wedding in 1776.

When casting oneself into such a perfect state of being, as many do when experiencing art from this period, a recollection of reality is due, a sobriety found in the history itself. One needs the performance aesthetic (bliss) but also informed musicology (reality). If you attend a Mozart opera and knows nothing of his biography aside from the program notes, it's a reinforcement of this idealogical state, especially if the opera is staged as a pastoral playground. You see and hear the 18th Century just as one views the above portrait: prim, proper, perfection. Mozart's life is often painted as picturesque as his own era, but let's brush some black and white on those pretty pastels, shall we? Charles Dickens is appropriate here...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

Mozart's music is so beautiful and generous to our souls that one finds it simply unbelieveable that this man lived anything other than the happiest of days. This is one of the most popular myths in circulation and it has an insatiable appetite! It's not to suggest that he led an afflicted life which diminished the light radiating so brightly from his métier and personality, but it's vital not to ignore historical blemishes as they make our love and understanding for his story even more profound.

Sherry

Life's a Pitch: Arts Publicity

I've interviewed artists, directors and novelists for The Chronicles, but never a publicist. Given my background in public relations via Mozartiana, it's long overdue, I must say! Perhaps the issue was that I simply didn't feel a connection with anyone I'd met or read online, but as of last week, I had a eureeka! moment.

Upon reading Amanda Ameer's blog, Life’s a Pitch, I discovered how much I identified with her frustrations concerning publicity and marketing for the arts. She disclosed stories of her own experiences on the scene in New York which elicited witty, candid and fresh assessments. We have matching philosophies. She seeks to desegregate genres and artists to unleash an array of possibility. Yes, classical music CAN live happily combined with jazz and 21st Century texts! As I read on, I discovered information about her company, First Chair Promotion, which she launched in 2007 after departing IMG Artists as Publicity Manager.

My experience in public relations has been organizational to this point and with Amanda, I knew I'd found a good opportunity to learn more about the artist-publicist relationship, so I wrote to her to request an interview and the rest, as they say, is history. Of course, discovering that she was Hilary Hahn's publicist brought forth yet another incentive! (You're #1, Hilary!) Click here to see her perform the final movement of Mozart's violin concerto in G major, K. 216. I tremendously appreciate Amanda taking time from her busy schedule to answer a few questions and cast light on curiosity. Sincerest thanks. And now, on with the show!

Sherry

*An Interview with Amanda Ameer*

Sherry: Your client roster ranges from the illustrious classical violinist Hilary Hahn to the vibrant new sounds of Gabriele Kahane, composer of Craigslistlieder. In fact, all of the artists you represent display a passion for contrast in their artistry, merging and experimenting with various styles/genres while maintaining standard repertory. Given the current landscape of classical music and opera, this trait is undoubtedly desirable and marketable. Although these new ideas are welcomed by countless communities, significant adversity exists from purists who influence programming decisions. This sentence from your site addresses the divide between these two publics. “First Chair will bring its clients to new audiences while introducing long-time fans to fresh artistic experiences.” Is tackling this polarization one of the most challenging aspects of artist promotion?

Amanda: I should mention that I don’t, as a publicist, book artists or work with presenters on programs. That said, in my opinion, the key to representing unique artists to different communities is that, no matter how confusing their genre or lack thereof may be to some folks, each client performs or composes at an exceptional level. Despite writers’, presenters’ and eventually audiences’ tastes, it’s difficult to question a certain degree of artistic excellence. That doesn’t mean I’ll be able to get stories for every client in every media outlet I pitch, but it does mean I can confidently encourage journalists to take risks on stories they may not have otherwise written.

Sherry: Hilary Hahn is known for expressing sincere appreciation to her admirers and seems to be quite exceptional in this manner. Artists interact very differently with their fans. How has marketing dramatically changed the fan-artist relationship with the latest generation of classical artists?

Amanda: Artist blogs, in addition to sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and to a lesser degree now, MySpace, have all completely changed the expectation for fan-artist relationships. When artists blogs are actually written by the artists - like the excellent blogs of pianist Jeremy Denk and composer Nico Muhly - I find myself enjoying their performances 100% more than I would if I didn’t have that public insight into their personalities and professional lives. I was furious when a friend at a record label forwarded me Jeremy’s “interview” of Sarah Palin and asked if I thought his publicist wrote it as a PR stunt. Of course his publicist didn’t write it! Read his other blog entries! That interview is very clearly Jeremy Denk, and it’s cool that I can say that about a pianist I’ve only met in person a few times. Similarly, people always ask if I write Hilary’s Violin Case’s Tweets. (I don’t – who has the time?) That skepticism exists because publicists look at high-trafficked artist blogs, YouTube channels, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages and think, those are good marketing tools - I’m going to make my artists (or organization) sign up for them, or worse, blog/Tweet/update for them! That’s always painfully transparent, because the real deal – Hilary, The King’s Singers, Jeremy, Nico – are out there! I update a few of my artists’ Facebook and MySpace accounts, but it’s made very clear from the tone that they are official, not personal, pages.

That said, a commitment to interacting with fans at that level is incredibly time-consuming. Thirty years ago, artists had to show up at a venue, perform, and maybe do a few newspaper and radio interviews; now they’re expect to vlog what they had for dinner and post it on YouTube. I encourage my artists to do what comes naturally to them, that is, if they like to write they should blog, if they like on-camera interviews, they should utilize YouTube. If not, they can always connect with fans the old-fashioned way: in performance, imagine that!

Sherry: Americans for the Arts estimates that the U.S. could lose up to 10,000 arts organizations this year due to the recession. Opera and classical music communities have proven to be more recession-proof than their counterparts in the past, but they cannot avoid disruption altogether. Artists will rely heavily on the resourcefulness of their managers and publicists. What can we expect to see during this economic downturn?

Amanda: While times are indeed tougher than usual, when did arts organizations and artists really have money to spare? I think we actually live in ideal times to not have marketing budgets: the best ways to market are free. Can’t afford to buy TV ad spots? Put your ad on YouTube. Don’t want to invest in buying e mail lists? Set up an interesting, unique and informative Twitter account and offer sales and special offers (that expire in five minutes) up there. I’ve done one big CD mailing since I started working on my own and the postage cost $192, not including the padded envelopes, labels, business cards, paper press release, and album itself. I will never do that again, but rather, have been e mailing critics download links and offering physical copies by request only. If Great Depression Take 1 resulted in a renaissance of artist creativity, I think our Depression is generating a similar flourish of marketing creativity.