ALABAMA ARTS & EVENTS

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Five stars out of five

NATHAN LAUBE, ORGANIST
Sunday
Independent Presbyterian Church
November Organ Recital Series
Series concludes Nov. 23 with Lynne Davis

Nathan Laube, a 19-year-old organist with the musical instincts of an old master, disclosed Sunday why he has been called a "rising star." But if his wide-ranging recital at Independent Presbyterian Church is any indication, he is speeding past that worn-out label.

A fourth year student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Laube is a probing musician, impetuous at times but always in full command. Opening with two contrasting movements from Charles Widor organ symphonies, he displayed unerring confidence, first with technical brilliance in an Allegro movement, then with the supple grace of gently wafting flute melodies in an Andante. A final low note had pews vibrating and air blowing audibly through a 32-foot pipe, a reminder that the pipe organ is indeed an organic monster that only skilled artists can control.

A Mozart Fantasy (K. 594), though simply registered with mostly flute stops, was delightfully and intelligently rendered.

Continue reading "Organist Nathan Laube reveals precocious instincts, mature musicianship" »

There's an old saying that goes, "The best things in life are free." That may be true, but if you want to get out and do something you may have to cough up a couple of bucks.

In honor of keeping some extra green in your wallet, purse, billfold, money clip or garter belt, check out the list to what you can do in Huntsville on the cheap.

Continue reading "Have fun in Huntsville without breaking the budget" »

Patrons of Serda's Coffee Co. are seeing ghosts over their morning brew.

It isn't the caffeine. The walls of downtown Mobile's popular latte emporium are lined with three dozen images that inevitably inspire double-takes and require closer inspection. Is that a real woman in a white dress on an old staircase? What is that amorphous shape drifting across the room? Is that ectoplasm?

The sight of a squinting customer strolling, somewhat bewildered, toward one of his photographs makes David Trimmier smile. This is what is known as the "achieving the desired effect."

Continue reading "The 'Ghostly' visions of David Trimmier" »

Those with more than a passing interest in nature, art and history, or are looking for a secure investment in an unstable economy, would be wise to check out "A Passion for Natural History," a benefit for Aldridge Botanical Gardens.

More than 300 historic prints, some dating back three centuries, will be displayed at the Lorna Road park Wednesday through next Sunday. The exhibition comes courtesy Birmingham native J. Gilbert Johnston, whose company, Antique Nature Prints, deals in original prints and reproductions of birds, quadrapeds, botanicals, insects and other subjects. Some of the world's most renowned nature artists are represented, including John James Audubon, Mark Catesby, Prideaux John Selby, Robert John Thornton and Alexander Wilson.

In his eight years as a dealer, Johnston has seen the value of these works gain steadily despite a roller coaster economy.

"Prices for these original prints can be tracked over time, and you see that they never lose value," Johnston says. "We all know of stocks that are supposed to be secure and all of a sudden they've lost 70 percent of their value. These prints never do that."

An original Audubon "Ruff-necked" hummingbird sells for $20,000, says Johnston, and he has several other selling for "multiple thousands." But don't let that scare you away.

"The William Curtis botanicals are $100 for 200-year-old prints," he says, noting that several other prints sell in that price range.

He also has first-rate Audubon replicas on hand.

"You can get a Great Blue Heron for $1,800, a fraction of the original $200,000. Other reproductions sell for as little as $400. You can get an image of the Sandhill Crane for a very reasonable amount of money."

An avid nature lover himself, Johnston has trekked, backpacked and kayaked in the Arctic, Africa, South America and the Himalayas, and has lectured extensively about his collection. At 2:30 p.m. today, Johnston will kick off the weeklong exhibition and sale with a lecture at Hoover Library Theatre. Here's the schedule for the week:

Today, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Hoover Library Theatre, 200 Municipal Dr. J. Gilbert Johnston, "A Passion for Natural History."

Today, 3:45-4:45 p.m. Hoover Library Theatre. John Hall, University of West Alabama, "William Bartram in Alabama."

Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m. Catered reception. Aldridge Botanical Gardens, 3530 Lorna Road.

Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; next Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Aldridge Botanical Gardens. Benefit exhibition and sale.

All events are free. Call 682-8019 for more information, or visit www.antiquenatureprints.com or www.aldridgegardens.com. Johnston can be reached at 251-7353.

Continue reading "Antique nature art blooms this week at Aldridge Botanical Gardens" »

Classical music industry watchdog Drew McManus has compiled his 2008 rankings of the top 81 U.S. orchestral Web sites, and the Alabama Symphony is above average. Weighing in at No. 22 (up six positions from last year) is www.alabamasymphony.org, which bested heavyweights such as the Houston Symphony (39), Cleveland Orchestra (42) and Cincinnati Symphony (48).

But the rankings, which are listed at www.adaptistration.com, were set before the ASO spiffed up its Web site by adding a podcast link. Among the clickable audio files so far are an interview with Music Director Justin Brown about his mentor, Leonard Bernstein, a performance by ASO of Elliott Carter's "Soundings," and a link to an article about Carter's 100th birthday in the November-December Symphony magazine, in which Brown is quoted.

The comprehensive site also contains photos, concert feedback, a complete calendar, musicians' biographies and a host of other links.

Sharon Louden's gallery and garden installation, "Taking Turns," takes more than a little effort on the part of the viewer. A form of gesture art, Louden employs a process that gives hints about relationships through abstract interactions. It makes missing the point of this experience almost easy. Sparse to the point of barely tenuous connections, she uses projected video animation, a group of conventional paintings and a garden installation of illuminated cable to intrigue the spectator.

Continue reading "Effort needed to make Louden's tenuous connections in Taking Turns'" »

ALABAMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
When: Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $12-$65; go to www.alabamasymphony.org.
Where: Alys Stephens Center. 1200 10th Ave. South.
On the program: Messiaen, "Un Sourire"; Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488; Strauss, "Ein Heldenleben."
Concert comments: 7 p.m., Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall.

Justin Brown is the rare musician who has built a reputation both as a pianist and a conductor. In a previous incarnation, the Alabama Symphony music director was a violinist, and although his violin playing has fallen into the shadows, he regularly solos in piano concertos and performs chamber music at ASO events and throughout Europe. On Nov. 21 and 22, he descends from the podium to conduct from the keyboard in one of Mozart's most melodious and masterful piano concertos -- No. 23 in A major, K. 488.

A tireless advocate of 20th century music, Brown will honor Olivier Messiaen's birth centennial with the atmospheric and reflective "Un Sourire" (A Smile), a work composed in 1991 for Mozart's bicentennial. The concert closes with Richard Strauss' epic autobiographical tone poem, "Ein Heldenleben."

We asked Brown about his increasing multi-tasking, and how ASO musicians are responding.

Continue reading "An interview with Alabama Symphony music director Justin Brown" »