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Monday, February 27, 2012

Albinoni's Adagio: Sunday, March 4


You've seen this movie before. Or one just like it.
A very slow bass line played on an organ.
The man and the woman stand at the train station.  He must leave to go half a continent away. 
Cue violins. Strung with the nerves of your heart stretched over the bridge, wound round the ebony pegs and turned to an open G. 
They kiss, they part, he boards the train. 
 Suddenly, the music fades. A solo violin comes to the fore ... strange scalar runs. Confusion.  
The trains pulls away from the station.  
The organ, the violins, come back, stronger, tauter than ever.  
The mans stands on the platform behind the woman. He's decided to stay.
And you've heard the music. Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G minor. A great chestnut of classical music, almost a cliché. Except that it isn't.

For one thing, its source is a bit of a mystery. For another, cliché or not, it's beautiful. More about the mystery just a little later.

And so here's an interesting opportunity:

The Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra will perform it live on Sunday, March 4, at 2:30 p.m. in St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 123 Market St., Bloomsburg.

St. Matthew Church has, by the way ... a real pipe organ (above).

The performance is free and open to the public.

Directed by Mark Jelinek, professor of music, this 47-student orchestra will perform, in addition to the adagio, Stokowski and Bach’s Passcaglia and Fugue in C minor, Gabrieli and Welker’s Sonata Pian’ e Forte, Gluck’s Overture to “Iphigenia in Aulis,” Quantz’s Concerto for Flute in G; Morricone (yeah, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly composer) and Longfield’s “The Mission: Gabriel’s Oboe” and Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat.

Soloists will be Ashley Miller, flute; Alan Hack, organ; Karena McCarty, oboe; and Christiana Smith, horn.

About the mystery of the Albinoni Adagio: Albinoni lived from 1671 to 1751, the Italian baroque. I'm no musicologist ... but it's hard to get past the romanticism of the piece and place it in the 1700s. In fact, it just might be a twentieth-century piece. Italian critic, musicologist and composer Remo Giazotto (1910-1998) claimed to have found a fragment of a manuscript of Albinoni's work ... and constructed the Adagio in G minor from that manuscript. Who is the true composer?

In truth, does it matter?

Beauty is truth, truth beauty, —that is all. Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know 

— John Keats
PS: Try this on for a strange version, by of all people, The Doors.

— EGF

V-Day at the Exchange Feb. 29 to March 3

Bloomsburg's Center for the Visual and Performing Arts is bringing V-Day to the Moose Exchange. V-Day is a global effort to stop the violence against women and girls.

This event features the performance of The Vagina Monologues, a play made up of a series of monologues about female empowerment and individuality. Performances will be held in the Grille Room at 8 p.m. from Wednesday, Feb. 29, to Saturday March 3. On Thursday, March 1, there will be a showing of Until The Violence Stops, and readings featuring the Men of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer.

The event is open to the public, however please note that the mature content is not suitable for children. Tickets are available at the door; $5 for B.U. students with ID and $10 for the general public. All proceeds benefit the Women’s Center, Beyond Violence, and Women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

***

Miscellanea


Painter Chet Davis is exhibiting at Artspace Gallery, 221 Center Street, from March 1 through April 8.

The River Poets are holding a reading Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bloomsburg Public Library, 225 Market Street. The featured reader is Richard Kahn and the theme is "Poetry is what you get from crossing lions with lambs." Sue Brook will be the master of ceremonies and there will be an open reading.

The Moose Exchange Stairwell Gallery will host an exhibition through March 8 of archived photographs that share the rich history of the old Moose Lodge. Built in 1949 on West Main Street, the Moose Lodge was a treasured gathering spot for members, their families, and the wider community for many years. This exhibition is part of a “Collective Memory” project that invites community members to share their pictures and stories from the Moose.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Talk focuses on civil, gay rights leader Bayard Rustin

Playwright and performance poet Al Letson (shown at right) will give a talk, “Bayard Rustin: The Untold story of a Civil and Gay Rights Pioneer” on Monday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m., at Bloomsburg University's Multicultural Center.

Bayard Rustin (1912-1987) was a leader of the early civil rights movement in the late 1940s through 1960s, focused his attention on economic justice in the late 60s and 70s, and became a spokesperson for gay and lesbian issues in the 1970s.

Letson is the host of a public radio program, State of the Re:Union, which travels to an American city or town to discover the interesting things that people are doing to create community and transcend their circumstances, while placing focus on the vital cultural narratives.

***

Talking Business

Bloomsburg University faculty member Margaret O’Connor will speak on “Teaching Entrepreneurship in Poland, 2011” Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 4:30 p.m. in the Student Services Center 004. The event is a part of Bloomsburg University’s Institute for Culture and Society. O’Connor, associate professor of business education and information and technology management, will share her perspective as an American professor abroad and the challenges she faced while teaching an entrepreneurship course at the University of Warsaw.



Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Someone's calling ...

The Bloomsburg University Players performance of Dead Man's Cell Phone, opens tomorrow, Feb. 22, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 26.

A cell phone rings, incessantly, in a quiet café. Does someone pick it up? The play by Sarah Ruhl is directed by Directed by David Dannenfelser, visiting assistant professor of theatre.

Showtimes are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3 pm. All performances at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center St, Downtown Bloomsburg. Adults $6, Seniors and Non-BU Students $4, BU Students Free with Student ID. Tickets on sale at the Haas Center for the Arts Box Office.

Friday night is faculty/staff night – Faculty/staff and guest get in free at the door (Please bring your BU ID – no advanced sale). Saturday night is BTE subscriber night – BTE subscribers get in free at the door, dependent on available seating (no advanced sale).

Lots of details.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

What's on the menu at the HoJo? Murder?

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble will stage Murder at the Howard Johnson's  March 8 through 25.
Written by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick, directed by Richie Cannaday, and set in the swinging 70s, this play is dressed in it's best plaid suit and loaded for big laughs. Details.

A performance for Japan

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble will be joining theatres everywhere in Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, on Sunday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Alvina Krause Theatre, Center Street, Bloomsburg. Shinsai is a benefit to support the theatre community affected by the earthquake in Japan. Shinsai [SHEEN-sigh] means great quake in Japanese. BTE actors will read a few 10 minute plays donated by nationally known playwrights for this one-day only event. Elizabeth Dowd, coordinator of BTE's annual Noh Training Project and founding member of Theatre Nogaku, will perform a dance and chant from a classical Noh play, the ancient Japanese traditional theatre. Admission is free, but a collection will be made for donations to help the Japan theatre community.


Monday night culture at BU

Lecture: Coming to terms with a family legacy

Thomas DeWolf, author of Inheriting the Trade: a Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave Trading Dynasty in U.S. History, will speak at Bloomsburg University on Monday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Multipurpose Room B. The lecture and reading is sponsored by BU's Frederick Douglass Institute and is free and open to the public.

About the book: In 2001, Thomas DeWolf discovered that he was related to the most successful slave-trading family in U.S. history, responsible for transporting at least ten thousand Africans. His memoir follows the journey in which ten family members retraced their ancestors' steps through the notorious triangle trade route — from New England to West Africa to Cuba — and uncovered the hidden history of New England and the other northern states.

Celebrate winter with BUSTED

The cast and crew of BUSTED, an ongoing musical comedy series sponsored by residence life about college life, will present Episode 49, entitled “Winterfest,” on Monday, Feb. 20, at 9 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Ballroom. The show follows the adventures of 19 college students live on stage as they work through various life issues.  Doors open at 8:45 p.m. Admission is free.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Adderall Diaries author coming in March

This is  pretty big deal.

Stephen Elliott, author of the The Adderall Diaries, and director of the upcoming film Cherry will speak at Bloomsburg University on Wednesday, March 28. He will give a talk on "Writing for New Media" at 4 p.m., in Kehr Union, Multipurpose A, and read from The Adderall Diaries at 7 p.m. in McCormick 1303.

Elliott is the author of seven books including The Adderall Diaries which has been described as “genius” by both the San Francisco Chronicle and Vanity Fair and was the best book of the year in Time Out New York, a best of 2009 in Kirkus Reviews, and one of 50 notable books in the San Francisco Chronicle.

He is also the director the film Cherry, starring James Franco, Heather Graham, Dev Patel, and Lili Taylor, to be released this spring.

Elliott's visit is part of the Bloomsburg's Big Dog Reading Series.


Monday, February 13, 2012

A celebration of family at the Moose

The Moose Exchange is hosting an exhibit, Family=Love, from Tuesday, Feb. 14, through Feb. 29.

An opening reception will be held Feb. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The exhibit is sponsored by Bloomsburg University's LGBTA Commission, department of Art and Art History, the Moose Exchange, and Gallery 102.


Art Walk-In Thursday

The Moose will also host Art Walk-In on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 4 to 8 p.m.
More than 30 local and regional artists will be joined by musicians and community groups for an art party with live entertainment and art activities for the whole family. The event is free and open to all ages; refreshments from downtown restaurants will be served.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Color Purple

The national Broadway tour of the musical, “The Color Purple,” will be at the Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall, Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. as part of the Celebrity Artist Series.

The show, which honors Women’s History and Black History months, is part of BU’s Celebrity Artist Series. Tickets are $34.50 for adults and $19.50 for children.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, “The Color Purple” follows the experiences of Celie, a young black girl living in the southern United States during the early 20th century. Celie suffers years of abuse at the hands of her father, who then sends her away to marry a cruel man. By telling her story, Celie shares the struggles of her sister and other strong women close to her. Entrepreneur and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey, who played Sofia in the 1985 film adaptation, transformed this tale into a stage musical which opened in 2005. The soundtrack features blues, gospel, jazz and ragtime numbers. The stage performance has received a Tony award and a Grammy nomination.

 Upcoming events are:

  • Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets: $34.50. 
  • Jazz musicians Grace Kelly and Phil Woods, Friday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $34.50. 

For additional information, visit www.bloomu.edu/CAS or call (570) 389-4409.

Literature at the Moose

Bloomsburg University English instructors Randy Koch and Beth Couture will give a literary reading showcase Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main St., Bloomsburg. The event is part of BU’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

Koch has taught at Bloomsburg since 2009. His literary work has appeared in publications such as The Caribbean Writer, Passages North, The Texas Observer, The Raven Chronicles, Revista Interamericana and The Comstock Review. He also writes “Serving Sentences,” a monthly column for LareDOS: A Journal of the Borderlands. His full collections include Composing Ourselves and This Splintered Horse, the poetry chapbook he will read from during the Feb. 21 event.

Couture, who earned her degree from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Writers in 2010, has taught composition at BU for two years. Her work has been featured in journals and anthologies, including Gargoyle, “Drunken Boat,” The Yalobusha Review and “Thirty under Thirty.” Couture will read from her new novel, The Disappearing Children.

Print me a picture

Bloomsburg University's Haas Gallery of Art will exhibit works by Erik Waterkotte from Friday, Feb. 17, to Monday, March 19.

Waterkotte, a print maker and painter, aims to explore popular culture, myth and fantasy. A reception will be held on Wednesday, March 7, from noon until 2 p.m., including an artist lecture at 1:15 p.m. by Waterkotte.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon until 2 p.m. The gallery is closed on Sundays and university holidays.

Shown at left, an etching, 21 by 28 inches. 

Thursday, February 09, 2012

To pick up the phone? Or not to pick up the phone?

This is cool. Later this month, the Bloomsburg University Players are staging Dead Man's Cell Phone, a play by Sarah Ruhl revolving around the themes of technology and communication. Lots of details on Bloomsburg University's College of Liberal Arts blog, which is worth checking out for the extra information. 

Quick ticket information for those in a hurry: 
The play opens February 22 and runs for five performances though February 26. Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3 pm. All performances at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center St, Downtown Bloomsburg. Adults $6, Seniors and Non-BU Students $4, BU Students Free with Student ID. Tickets on sale at the Haas Center for the Arts Box Office.
Friday night is faculty/staff night – Faculty/staff and guest get in free at the door (Please bring your BU ID – no advanced sale). Saturday night is BTE subscriber night – BTE subscribers get in free at the door, dependent on available seating (no advanced sale).

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Gandhi's grandson to speak at BU

Activist and spiritual leader Arun Gandhi will speak at Bloomsburg University on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. in Carver Hall, Gross Auditorium. The talk is free and open to the public.

The grandson of the legendary peace fighter and spiritual leader Mohandas Gandhi, Arun Gandhi will discuss his grandfather’s legacy and their kinship, as well as will speak on “Lessons Learned from my Grandfather: Non-Violence in a Violent World.”

Born in 1869, Mohandas K. Gandhi was considered the father of his country, India. As the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule, Mohandas Gandhi protested against violence in hopes of achieving a political and social balance. He was assassinated in 1948. Arun Gandhi, founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, is the author of “A Patch of White,” published in 1949, which explains the prejudice filling South Africa.  He wrote two more books on poverty and politics in India.

Arun Gandhi is inspired by his grandfather’s words, “If we know how much passive violence we perpetrate against one another we will understand why there is so much physical violence plaguing societies and the world.”


Monday, February 06, 2012

Classics for Friday

Check out a sampling of classical music from different eras Friday, Feb. 10, when the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra performs at Bloomsburg University. Showtime for the Celebrity Artist Series show is 7:30 p.m. in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall.

Tickets are $34.50 for adults and $19.50 for children, a comparative bargain to see a professional orchestra with dozens of players. And maybe not a bad early Valentine's Day gift.

The program includes classical, romantic and modern pieces:

  • Symphony No. 78 in C Minor by Joseph Haydn 
  • Concerto for Seven Wind Instruments, Timpani, Percussion and Strings, by Frank Martin
  • Overture to La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder) by Gioacchino Rossini
  • Pulcinella Suite for small orchestra by Igor Stravinsky

Founded in 1991, the PVCO is composed of musicians from the East Coast, primarily the Philadelphia area. The performance is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour. PennPAT is a program of the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, which is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Upcoming events in the 2011–2012 season of the Celebrity Artist Series, all in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall, are:

  • The National Broadway tour of the musical “The Color Purple,” Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. Tickets: $34.50. 
  • Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets: $34.50. 
  • Jazz musicians Grace Kelly and Phil Woods, Friday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $34.50. 

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Miscellanea: BU students show their stuff

Ten Bloomsburg University music students give an Honors Recital Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. The students were top performers at last semester's juries and include performances with guitar, oboe, euphonium, trumpet, piano, and voice.


Reminder: Sculptor Michael Donovan will have a reception is Thursday from noon to -2, with an artist lecutre at 1:15 p.m.


BU's Department of Art and Art History is hosting its 15th Annual Student Symposium in Art History this Friday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Hideaway. Seven art history majors and minors will present their research papers. Refreshments will be served.
Presentations include:

  • The Oddity of Piero della Francesca's Flagellation of Christ by Marissa Weinger 
  • Artemisia Gentileschi: Proto-Feminism in Italian Baroque Painting by Sarah Halter 
  • Embracing Diego as her Son: A study of the relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera through their Art by Deanna Barnes 
  • The Culture of Sex and Beauty by Rachel Etzweiler 
  • A Female Language: Judy Chicago and her Art by Gunilla Bjerkman-Geise 
  • Deaf, the De'VIA, and Discussion by Ralph Hinkle 
  • Cake: Delectable Art by Shonda Cobb