Music in Florence

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of music from the established artistic community in Florence in the weeks coming up to Easter. Finances have been difficult in recent years.

Two weeks ago we took in a chamber music concert with the Jerusalem Quartet, a group of four Israeli string players. They played Beethoven and Bartok. They were excellent. 

Before the players came onto stage there was a brief announcement but the public address system was garbled and we weren’t clear what was going on. The Italians who did understand the announcement chuckled. Then the players came onto the stage to polite applause, the two violinists and the cellist dressed casually in jackets and turtlenecks. Finally, the violist appeared wearing sneakers, sweatpants, and a sweatshirt. He had made the trip but his suitcase had not. He didn’t have his concert attire and he didn’t have his own marked up score. A musician who was with us said that the poor guy had to work hard using a borrowed score.

Two US college choirs performed this week, Monmouth College and Concordia College. Both sang in ancient churches where final notes hung in the air for many seconds. Singing among the frescoed saints had to be an interesting experience for the students who were on tour. The Concordia College choir is well known and has recorded many CDs. Their performance under a new conductor was excellent.

The Concordia Choir sang the Randall Thompson Alleluia. One of us had sung the piece under Randall Thompson himself. She told the conductor that she, the Concordia conductor, had used the same slow, stately tempos that Randall Thompson had used when he conducted the piece many years ago. The conductor was pleased. It is a challenge for a conductor to hold their ensembles back as they perform the piece.

Alleluias sung with a little too much swing and sway are common. Here are two examples. Alleluia - Randall Thompson - by Octarium is a little too fast. This performance is a little more restrained:  Alleluia - Randall Thompson - OU University Chorale. The Concordia version was even more settled, more stately, exquisite.

There is a music competition in town for young people. We’ve heard a Serbian choir, an Italian choir, and a string orchestra of adorable young Italian kids. A highlight of the competition for us was Filipino high school string orchestra. Here’s a short clip of their impressive performance:

Of course, there are musicians who earn their living by busking, by playing in public places and asking for donations. There is a team of two accordions and a trumpet that parade around the streets. A young woman sings arias in the main square accompanied by an accordion. The person in the clip below played a interesting instrument, something like a steel drum. He chose a great spot, next to the Palazzo Vecchio and in front of the famous Uffizi Museum. It’s a crowded space with substantial stone buildings that contain the sound well. 

Do you know what this instrument is called? Let us know if you have an idea.