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The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts is thought to be the cultural center for the Naples, Florida community. With a background steeped in providing the community with a potpourri of dissimilar artistic performances, the Naples philharmonic stands as one of the city’s cultural providers. Myra Daniels is the founder and CEO of the philharmonic center which she helped establish back in 1982, and is known for her attainments as a young entrepreneur. Back in her early 20′s, Daniels entered the decidedly male oriented world of advertising, and in a little more or less than a year had built a company worth upwards of a million dollars. Obviously she had made an impression. The doors to the philharmonic center were opened to the public in 1989, and the center celebrated it is 25th anniversary three years ago. Daniels proceeds to be at the helm of the center and guides it towards ever more outstanding heights. The Philharmonic boasts a rich history. Started back in 1982 the Naples Philharmonic was in truth conducting performances at Naples High school, in the school’s auditorium. The philharmonic would also make appearances at local churches on Marco Island. More than 20 years later, the philharmonic is now a world class orchestra that features musicians who are internationally recognized from around the world including ensemble musicians from the United States, China, Russia and Europe. Each year, the philharmonic is normally scheduled to carry out more than 100 times for the duration of a season. Some of the performances include family programs, chamber, ballet, pops, and of course classical shows. In 2011, the philharmonic has such performers as Frank Langella, a SCI-FI SPECTACULAR with Jack Everly conducting the orchestra, George Takai, Mr.Sulu of Star Trek fame as the narrator and featured soprano Kristen Plumley. With the introduction of the Naples philharmonic jazz band for 2011, the smooth sounds of jazz will fill the Daniels Pavilion for the firstborn time. The band will have it is primary of four performances, beginning in March of 2011. The band will be performing in the Daniels Pavilion, which is a perfective setting for an evening of jazz inspired music. There will be dissimilar varieties of jazz performed at each of the four concerts and will feature special guest performers who are esteemed musicians in the jazz community. The Naples Philharmonic center is likewise home to the Naples Museum of Art. This three story 30,000 square foot building was built on the Philharmonic’s campus back in 2000. This year the museum will be home to such exhibits as Louise Nevelson’s monumental Dawn’s Forest. This is Nevelson’s last sculpture piece, and is composed of parts of twelve dissimilar structures from 1981 and as portion of this sculpture, featuring sculpture pieces designed as far back as 1971. Another exhibit titled “THE MOUSE HOUSE” features the works from the Olga Hirshhorn Collection. This exhibit features a recreation of Hirshhorn’s home which is referred to by the name of “The Mouse House”. This exhibit is filled with such featured works by De Kooning, Picasso, Giacometti, and a good deal of other recognized artists. The Naples museum’s sole intention or mission to enlighten, entertain and educate through engaging young and old alike. And surely this has been achieved through enjoyment and ofttimes time with wild eyed wonder of the medium of visual arts.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Dawn of the Century Ragtime Orchestra consists of a cornet, a trumpet, a clarinet, a trombone, two violins, a tuba, a piano, and drums. Together the performers have recorded their own arrangements of an assortment of popular music from the first 25 years of the 20th century – cakewalks, marches, waltzes, “coon songs,” vaudeville and other novelty numbers, etc., even the occasional rag. In the liner notes they refer to all of it as “ragtime.” This may irritate some listeners who think of ragtime as a certain kind of music written for and traditionally performed on the piano. However, at the time, the term was often used more broadly than that. Irving Berlin, for example, complained about what he considered to be an overly restrictive definition. He insisted that Alexander’s Ragtime Band was ragtime. (Alexander’s Ragtime Band appears on this album.) It’s interesting to compare this recording with the recordings of the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, another present-day group that has recorded a lot of similar material from the same period. The Paragon has more instruments – a viola, a cello, a string bass in place of the tuba, and a flute (but no piano). In addition to the more rambunctious stuff, they perform ballads by the likes of Jerome Kern, and “serious” music written by black composers of the 1920′s. Someone listening to the PRO is likely to be impressed by their attempts at subtlety and refinement. The DCRO, by contrast, seems not to be overly concerned about these things. Because of that, after awhile, the tunes on this album all begin to sound alike. The group’s leader is the cornet player. He and the trumpet player are front and center on virtually every number. Along with the tuba player, they dominate the album; much of the time it seems like the other musicians are just along for the ride. This is especially true of Richard Zimmerman, the pianist, an accomplished performer of traditional ragtime who is billed here as “featured” but can seldom be heard. When you can hear him, the instrument he has been given to play sounds as if it has sat for a long time in the wet part of somebody’s basement. On the PRO’s recordings, the execution is flawless, and the horns are always in tune. Not so here. In my estimate, a little more musicianship would have made this a five-star album. However: maybe it’s unfair to criticize the album for failing to be something it doesn’t try to be. The tunes are well chosen; the arrangements are inventive. The music is spirited and infectious. There is a lot here to like. 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This CD is pure fun. I enjoyed all of the selections but bought the item because it was one of the few CDs out there that contain the brilliant Repasz Band March. I have the old New World LP of the Pryor Band doing this piece and, much as I enjoy the DofC Orch. I would say on this one they do not come within spittin distance of the stunning record the Pryor turns in (on which the trumpet of cornet carries the melody all the way through. He (or she) must have had some sore chops after that recording was made). One small drawback (at least for me) was that some of the titles of the songs are clearly racially offensive by today’s standards. However, that was 1900 for you. Emancipation was less than 50 years past and TR was in the White House and typified the racial schizophrenia of a nation by dining with Booker T. Washington while speaking of the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon “race” on the other. Like I said, it was a simpler and better time to be an American in only SOME ways. I would not have wanted to be an African-American (especially in Dixie) at this time. However, this aside, the music is brilliantly played and the tunes are all hummable (is that even a word?). It is well worth the few extra dollars to get it while it is still available. Enjoy! Steven Dotson |
Boisterous
I Love This CD!!