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Thread: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

  1. #1
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    Default Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    The classical mandolin was alive and well this weekend in New York City. This was the 12th workshop that Carlo has presented in Manhattan...the 1st was held in Chaim Caron's (organizer) brownstone with maybe 12-15 participants...Jim Garber & I were there. The number has grown to 30-35 dedicated mandolin family players (mandola & mandocello...this year there were about 5 or 6 of each). By dedicated and comitted to mandolin... I mean some travel from as far away as Canada, Seattle, San Francisco, Memphis...on an annual basis...I think there were only about 5 new attendees this year.
    Let me say a word about Carlo...He is one of the world's greatest mandolin players...yes, his mission is to promote the classical mandolin, but he can and does play Jethro Burns as well as anyone...and also can play bluegrass with & on the level with the likes of the Kruger Brothers & Doyle Lawson (on a Pandini bowlback!)...so take a world class musician that is a world class instructor & conductor...you get a high level mandolin workshop....plus he is a nice charismatic person!...definitely see him on one of his tours!
    When you sign up for the WS the music is sent to you ...
    On Thursday of the WS an optional performance or technique class is held...this year Carlo went into great detail on Riggierri La Fustemberg Variations and Calace II Preludio op 49 ...see Carlo on youtube play LaFustemberg...a great insight to see the maestro break down the fingering, timing,and dynamics in the master class...
    On Friday & Saturday we rehearse from 10AM to 6 PM...Sunday from 10 - 3...with recital @ 5:15...there are breaks & lunch of course...on Friday Carlo has given concerts...this year John Carlini performed with him.
    Chaim, like all of us, has his "things"...and the most prominent one is Bach...we always have a portion of Bach...or BTA (Bach the alien) he must have come from another world to have composed all his remarkable music! We did Bach Suite Number 3 in D and Contrapuntus 3
    Vivaldi Concerto in A minor (LA Minore)...participants of the workshop get to sign up for solos if interested...so I challenged myself to play the solos in the 1st movement Allegro...I have progressed from the 1st workshop to now where I could play this piece...the solos were split with me and Jim Garber...the musicianship has improved greatly over the years of the workshop that I actually felt nervous doing the solos ...the moist hands etc,...and I perform all the time with no problem...I guess this is part of raising the bar to your own playing...
    Then we did two Scarlatti Sonatas...Along the way we were very fortunate to have Victor Kioulaphides and his mandolin attend the workshop...Victor has added his own compositions and arrangements to the workshops...this year he took two of Domenico Scarlotti's Harpsichord Sonata's...and arranged them to be performed by a mandolin ensemble.....Bravo Victor!
    We finished off the performance with Munier Quartetto in Re Maggiore...in 4 Tempi..
    The workshop has evolved and grown...Linda Binder was a great addition to Carlo & Chaim to help out in the overall organization needed to plan & implement this annual classical mandolin event.
    If you are not a member of the Classical Mandolin Society of America, I encourage you to join...check out the CMSA website and the photos of past conventions & videos of the concerts.
    Let me end this by saying I enjoy playing the mandolin...all styles...Years ago I remember practicing some classical Doncla Scales and they triggered a memory...I went to a VHS (remember them?) instructional tape by Sam Bush that I got two years before...Grey Eagle all of a sudden made sense to me...because of classical mandolin.
    Dave Folta
    PS Perform at senior centers and nursing homes...they will appreciate it...play You are My Sunshine and ANYTHING else...you will be better for it in many ways...
    Sorry this became so long...but I don't post too often!

  2. #2
    Registered User Alex Timmerman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Thanks Dave, for your enthousiastic report!

    Best, Alex.

  3. #3
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Thanks, Dave, for the very thorough documenting of this year's CAMW. I, too, took the plunge and worked what is left of my brain and fingers attempting a solo on the Vivaldi -- well half of the 1st movement solo... but that was plenty. I proved to myself that I could play at least a good portion of it. I am ready for next year's challenge. In all a good time and inspiring. My only complaint was that there was barely enough time to socialize but, then again, I needed to catch my train or drive home each night, so I really could not hang out in the evenings. Anyway, I also heartily recommend CAMW to those who would like a taste of classical repertoire and some deep mandolin camaraderie.
    Jim

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  4. #4

    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Ditto on all counts.

    With all due modesty, I must say that my own contribution this time around was truly minuscule. My Scarlatti arrangements are virtually note-for-note "unfoldings" of the original keyboard score into four, separate lines, laid out for quartetto classico instrumentation. So I did virtually nothing— certainly nothing original, or even artistic. It was a pleasure, both making these arrangements and watching them live on, in the hands of my CAMW colleagues, as well as elsewhere.

    Best wishes to all fellow-participants. I hope I get to see you all again...

    Cheers,

    Victor
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  5. #5
    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Not to mention getting to see (and play) some really beautiful instruments and hear some spectacular players. I was a first-timer crossing genres, and I can't recommend the workshop enough. Very warm, welcoming group, great music and a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when it was over.
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    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Quote Originally Posted by Randi Gormley View Post
    Not to mention getting to see (and play) some really beautiful instruments and hear some spectacular players. I was a first-timer crossing genres, and I can't recommend the workshop enough. Very warm, welcoming group, great music and a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when it was over.
    Yes, Randi, good point. How about a little 'post-game recap' of the players and their "Roma/Ferrara (etc) Sluggers"? By now y'all should be used to my demand for photos.

    I've always preferred to LISTEN to baseball on the radio rather than watch it. Even a description of who played/brought what would be a great supplement to Victor's description of his Scarlati arrangement. (We used to call Paul O'Neill "Lunchpail" when he played for the Reds and Yankees. I've nothing but appreciation for the sublime workman-like efforts in whatever context they take place.)

    Mick
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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Well, I figure Dave brought the Dude, and Paul brought his Cohen cello. Don't know what Sue brought. Chaim reportedly has a Lyon & Healy mandola like mine, but did he bring it?
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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Sue brought her Cohen mandola. Max had a 2 point Campanella. Barbara Conrad had a lefty Labraid Embergher copy. Nate Birdsall had a beautiful L&H mandocello. Chaim played his Smart mandocello. Dan Cohen played a nice Kimble 2 point. Matt Vuksinich played his Dan Larson bowlback. Steve Bernstein played his trust Old Wave A-oval. August had a Capek mandola. Mark Bernstein played a flattop guitar by Roger Borys. Carol Bloom played a Smart oval A. Barbara Blumenthal played a nice simple A Junior and there were a sprinkling of other Gibsons. Laura Norris played a Stahl (I think) bowlback and Tony Norris a Suzuki mandocello. Linda played her trademark bandolim. I can't quite remember the others -- sorry for that.

    Here is a pic of the soloists that Sue Lesser took.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Jim

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    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Thanks, Jim!

    Mick
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    Well, I figure Dave brought the Dude, and Paul brought his Cohen cello. Don't know what Sue brought. Chaim reportedly has a Lyon & Healy mandola like mine, but did he bring it?
    Martin,
    Chaim did not bring the L&H mandola...but Mike had a nice L&H A...and it was a pleasure to see, hear & play Nate's L&H mandocello... you would have liked it very much!
    Dave

  11. #11
    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    I think Victor had a modern Calace (?) and I sat in the back with my Eastman.
    --------------------------------
    1920 Lyon & Healy bowlback
    1923 Gibson A-1 snakehead
    1952 Strad-o-lin
    1983 Giannini ABSM1 bandolim
    2009 Giannini GBSM3 bandolim
    2011 Eastman MD305

  12. #12

    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Yup, I brought and played my "workhorse" 2004 Calace Mod. 26. It works-- more than you can say about my rusty fingers :-/

    Cheers (from yet another St. Matthew Passion rehearsal),

    Victor

  13. #13

    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    I was booked to a couple different conferences that week, sorry to have missed the workshop this year, but very pleased to have read of the affair here. Thanks, all.

    ...And, fortunately for me, Carlo and Rene will be performing here in Cow-town, Ohio next week.

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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    A lot of you have already seen this photo, but if not, it speaks for itself (municipal property defaced, and photo taken, by Linda Binder).

    An addition to Jim's extensive iconography: Buss McCormick played his new Pandini bowlback; Kristen Stieler had a nice (no-name) mandola bowlback. I don't think Jim mentioned that he played an exquisite Embergher Model 3.Click image for larger version. 

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  15. #15

    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Man, my Munier Meter was all maxed out, especially up there, in 97th position...

    I must not neglect to say what an enormous pleasure it was to see you all again, each and every one of you, especially those I had a chance to actually talk to amidst all the playing, Kristen, Buss, Linda... also to meet Randi and Al who I had not met before, etc. And the "family" grows as I met Matt's daughter, and Steve Bernstein's wife and daughter, and so many more...

    All in all, the friendship that binds mandolinists never felt stronger, IMHO.

    Cheers,

    Victor
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  16. #16
    Registered User Bussmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	84746I can not describe the amount of fun I had seeing everyone again this year. I am in love with my Pandini. I got back home and found that our lake has become a nesting den for copperhead snakes. I killed one that was 24" long on Monday and have at least three more that are nesting underneath my dock.

  17. #17

    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    Stay safe, Brother Buss! Those things bite-- and I don't mean Pandinis ;-)

    Cheers,

    Victor

  18. #18
    mando-evangelist August Watters's Avatar
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    Default Re: Carlo Aonzo NYC Workshop

    It was inspirational, beyond words, to witness Carlo's conducting and direction of the ensemble. And wonderful camaraderie with some excellent and like-minded musicians. What a great weekend!
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