Traditionally, it’s the music that speaks from the stage, not the
musicians themselves. By the beginning of the 20th century, the
concert hall and the music chamber were no longer regarded as
appropriate venues for loud conversing, heavy drinking, reckless
gambling, and high-society ogling. The concert, formerly regarded
as a means of light if elegant entertainment, had become a sacred
rite. Musicians and audience members alike were now expected to
sit down, shut up, and focus solely and worshipfully on the music.
If you were surprised or confused by the music, nobody could
help you—except the person who had written the explanatory
notes in the printed program you clutched in your hands.
Today, the atmosphere is a bit more casual, though thankfully
not the free-for-all it had been in the 18th century. Performers seem
more relaxed; their dress is often more laid-back, their body language
looser. And many of them are eager to say a few unscripted
words to the audience, especially if they are introducing unfamiliar
music.
Quite frequently now, an ensemble will arrive in Tucson for an
Arizona Friends of Chamber Music concert expecting to give some
introductory remarks about a new or unusual composition they’re
about to play. Then they open the printed program, read Nancy
Monsman’s notes, and realize that all the essential information is
already there. They end up telling a couple of amusing anecdotes
and urging that people learn more by reading, in their words, “the
excellent notes in your programs.”
resources, and I have strong opinions about how notes should be
written. It is my strong opinion that Nancy Monsman’s program
notes are models of clarity and concision, providing exactly the
information you need before the music takes over. When you’re
seated in the concert hall, waiting for the downbeat, you don’t have
much time to read up on what you’re about to hear. There’s no way
you could get through a chapter of cultural background on each
piece, followed by a detailed technical analysis. You need notes
that, in a very few paragraphs, can set the scene for the composer
and the composition, then provide just enough detail to help you
find your way through the music you are about to hear.
Nancy’s notes provide exactly that sort of guide. And now we
are proud to present that guide in a format you can consult at your
leisure, and at your pleasure, particularly if you’d like on your own
to trace a composer’s career more systematically than you can in a
single concert. Let this be your knowledgeable companion as you
explore the puzzles and delights of European chamber music.
JAMES REEL
President, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music
