Category: Music

REVIEW: William Hill III at the Blue Llama

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November 30 | 10:30pm | Blue Llama Jazz Club

 

 

No better place in Ann Arbor to see live jazz than under the magenta-blue lights of the Blue Llama Jazz Club. These dimly lit corners have housed some of today’s most esteemed jazz players since its opening in 2019, featuring all-star players from our own Detroit and beyond.

Tonight’s late-night set featured the spunky William Hill III, a pianist and composer currently based in Manhattan. Hill’s trio included Detroit-based players Dylan Sherman on the bass and drummer Sam Melkonian. I have seen a few of his sets at the Llama now, where he performs standards from the Great American Songbook along with his original tunes. And to celebrate December 1st’s icy debut, he wove in some holiday favorites.

It’s easy to return to Hill’s sets—he is overflowing with creativity and vibrancy in his playing. His improvisational language is deep and complex, with nods to the great Red Garland and Oscar Peterson (favorites of mine). Combined with his technical virtuosity allows for a really interesting exploration of the Songbook tunes we all know and love. He released his debut album “Three’s Company (Live)” this past July, recorded live at Detroit’s historic Cliff Bell’s Jazz Club.

The sound in The Llama is the second best reason to go (the first being the fantastic musicians, obviously), but the space resonates nicely for such an intimate setting and allows for both a beautiful visual and aural experience (at least from the tables along the back wall). A piano trio fills the stage and the sound in the room super nicely.

The very first tune included a tight bass feature from Sherman. He’s got a pliable sound, with light, effervescent improvisational ideas, making his interaction with Hill such fun to encounter. Never underestimate a swingin’ bassist.

I couldn’t catch the name of every tune but a few caught my ear: A striking version of John Coltrane’s “Moments Notice”, the Strayhorn classic “Take the A-Train”, and “Chant” which seems to be an original composition of Mr. Hill’s. He also included a favorite of mine from his record: “Jilly”, a sweet tune, one that captured the audience amidst its meditative waltz-i-ness.

Holiday tunes included: Duke Ellington’s “Sugar Rum Cherry” (a la Tchaicovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy); a jaunty and playful “Winter Wonderland”; and a burning “Sleigh Ride” accompanied by Detroit trumpeter Jauron Perry to complete the set.

I expect Will Hill III does well in Manhattan—he’s breaking out in the industry almost as fast as he can swing.

 

 

 

Images thanks @bluellamajazzclub Instagram.

REVIEW: Hänsel und Gretel

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November 14th | 8:00 pm |Power Center For The Performing Arts

 

 

Is everyone on drugs in SMTD’s Hänsel und Gretel? That is a question I don’t know the answer to.

Director Gregory Keller brought an eccentric new take on the classic fairytale last weekend, one that was unanticipated by opera’s more familiar audiences. Traditionally, this story is pretty straightforward: young mischievous kids, absent parents, the candy house, the witch and the oven, the whole sha-bang. But Keller took everything up a notch—and academia seems like the right place to do that, right?

Mr. Keller has spent twenty-six seasons at a little place called The Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where he’s staged vibrant and thought-provoking revivals of some of opera’s most notable works. He’s eager to try new things, but is opera itself ready?

This charming opera was written by German composer Englebert Humperdinck with libretto by his sister, Adelheid Wette. His Wagnerian influence is clear in his richly textured orchestration and memorable, complex, and emotional melodies. His magical, atmospheric score lives in a lighthearted fairytale world, but make no mistake—it’s not an easy sing. This production showcased some of the Department of Voice & Opera’s finest talent.

The production took us back to the 1970s: trading in brooms for vacuums and the witch’s oven for an oversized microwave. The dramaturgy note mentioned their intention to mirror the political landscape of the 1970s to today, providing clearer context to the artistic choices made. Hänsel (Daiyao Zhong) and Gretel (Ingrid Kuribayashi) start the opera deprived of food in their home, parentless, and bored. When Mother and Father (a stunning Christina Parson & commanding Andrew Smith) return, they bring battles of their own: a quaaludes addiction and rampant alcoholism.

Hänsel & Gretel’s house, Scene I, Act I.

Ms. Kuribayashi and Ms. Zhong make a playful pair onstage, displaying vocal mastery over Humperdinck’s lush, folk-inspired melodies. They both portrayed a commitment to the fanciful youth of the music and had enjoyable presences onstage (along with stellar vocals). They both seemed to be pushed up an age bracket from the original story: Hänsel is sporting a mustache and smoking cigarettes while Gretel’s lively physicality makes me think she is within the realm of a frisky preteen. Perhaps the age shift brings accessibility to college-age audiences?

 

Ingrid Kuribayashi (left) and Spencer Vandellen.

Mother and Father’s chaos sends them into the woods, where they meet The Sandman (Madeline Surroweic), an Alice In Wonderland adjacent Caterpillar-like ghost who sends the children to sleep with a backpack of hotboxed smoke. The angels (who are supposed to protect the children while they sleep) are replaced with an entourage of leather jacket-wearing goons who send them up mysterious white stairs into the sky, ending Act I. I couldn’t exactly read what was going on— Were they ascending to heaven? Drugged by the Sandman? Part of some master plan orchestrated by The Witch?

They are awakened by the Dew Fairy (Anne-Marie Attanga, who sparkles vocally) in a brief and shimmering aria, right before the children realize they are outside the cottage of The Witch (Spencer Vandellen) decorated in colorful drag. This role was written for a mezzo voice but is also standard to be performed by tenors. Vandellen has a stellar upper range and navigates vocal passages with ease, without sacrificing an ounce of drama from the exuberant Witch.

Perhaps Keller’s unusual choices support deeper messaging regarding Hänsel and Gretel’s need to escape the demons of their own home: addiction-ridden parents, food deprivation, and an understated need to explore layered with teenage angst. All ambiguity aside, the eccentricity of the production kept me intrigued from start to finish.

I’m sure Keller’s nuanced take on this Brothers Grimm tale startled traditionalist opera-goers, but it seems academia is hungry to shake up this 400+-year-old art form, and I appreciate that. With or without drugs, I think it’s time for opera to embrace its hot takes from ambitious directors. Better sooner than later before opera is the next thing in the Witch’s oven.

 

 

Hänsel und Gretel runs November 14-17 at the Power Center for Performing Arts. Images thanks to @umichsmtd on Instagram.

REVIEW: “Duos” by Anda Jiang

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November 5th, 2024 | 8:00pm | McIntosh Recital Hall

 

Election Day is not normally a day I opt to see a recital. Yet, on this particularly tense Tuesday, I dropped into violinist Anda Jiang’s “Duos” at The School of Music. I thought it an interesting theme for this uniquely divided day, and I wondered how it was relevant to the duality we’re facing in the United States currently.

Ms. Jiang programmed five pieces on her recital, all staples of the violin repertoire. The set began with an angsty Zoltán Kodály work, Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 (1914). Jiang performed only the first movement, “Allegro serioso, non troppo“ with cellist counterpart, Lauren Matthews, a technically versatile player with a magnificent buttery sound. The two had a striking musical presence together and masterfully navigated abrupt tone shifts throughout the piece. Kodály knits beautiful melodies alongside overt messaging of tension—the duo is in harmony, and suddenly there’s friction. The piece was composed in 1914, during the brink of WWI in Kodály’s home country of Hungary. Perhaps this sonata contained a response to the growing tensions in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The program moved to an effortlessly expressive Schubert, his Fantasie in C Major (1827). Ms. Jiang performed four movements alongside the stunning Rena Wu on the piano. This piece is known to demand extraordinary technicality from both the pianist and the violinist, an ambitious repertoire choice that entirely paid off. Ms. Jiang’s sensitivity to the piece struck me—her ability to take charge with engaging string melodies while leaving adamant space for Schubert’s brilliant contrapuntal piano lines to shine through, especially in the second movement, “Allegretto”.

Anda Jiang and her mother, Lydia Qiu.

The penultimate set included Debussy’s La Fille aux Cheaveux de Lin (1910) and Beau Soir (1891), which recruited Lydia Qiu to the piano—hilariously noted on the program as (pianist, mother). This set of two tunes is characterized by sweeping nostalgia and colorful impressionistic sounds, a favorite performance of mine from the evening. In addition to the performing familial duo, Ms. Jiang mentioned that her father built the violin she plays on (how cool!), which houses a stunningly bright and shimmering sound.

Joining the closing piece was dynamic pianist Aleks Shameti, one of the recent winners of the 2024 SMTD Concerto Competition. The two performed one of César Franck’s most well-known compositions, all four movements of the Sonata for Violin and Piano. The piece contains beautiful cyclic themes, opting for a satisfying finish to the set. With an absolutely enchanting performance, I hear a duo full of harmony emotionally and melodically. Funny enough, Franck wrote this piece in 1886 as a wedding gift for the 28-year-old violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, which was premiered publicly with Ysaÿe and pianist Marie-Léontine Bordes-Pène, who performed it first at his wedding. I suppose unity was implied from the beginning.

This recital reminded me why we make music—to comment, to express, to find unity in our strange human experience. Duality exists naturally in life— marriages, disputes, families, and mere instrumentation. On a day like November 5th, the messaging of duality becomes more complex and cynical, when it doesn’t always have to be. I’m not sure if Anda Jiang’s “Duos” was intended to be political commentary or not, but regardless, she reminded me of the sheer power of harmony.

 

 

Images thanks to Anda Jiang.

REVIEW: The Music of John Williams

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On Saturday, October 19, I attended the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) concert celebrating the music of John Williams. As expected, given the popularity of one of cinema’s greatest composers, the line at the Michigan Theatre was incredible—possibly the longest I’ve ever seen for an A2SO concert. The crowd was notably diverse, with attendees of all ages, and I even recognized friends who don’t typically attend orchestra performances.

Under the baton of guest conductor Damon Gupton, the program showcased some of John Williams’ most famous works. The first half, in program order, included “Superman March” from Superman, “The Shark Theme” from Jaws, the main themes from Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, “Devil’s Dance” from The Witches of Eastwick, “Love Theme” from Superman, and the “Throne Room & End Title” from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

I loved seeing some musicians—and even some instruments—in costume on stage. Paired with the quick beat and lively brass in “Superman March,” it set high expectations from the start that this would be a fun and exciting concert. Damon Gupton’s theatrical side shone through as he conducted the iconic, suspenseful opening measures of “The Shark Theme.” With each new phrase in the music, he would glance apprehensively behind him, as if watching out for danger lurking—an amusing touch that drew laughter and reflected his background as an actor. 

The order in which the repertoire was performed made me feel as though I were watching a movie, with each piece shifting the tone and taking me in a new direction. After Jaws, the uplifting main theme from Jurassic Park brought excitement, followed by the somber theme from Schindler’s List, which featured a sorrowful violin solo by the concertmaster. “Devil’s Dance” then introduced a thrilling energy that transitioned seamlessly into the sweet melody of “Love Theme,” before the first half concluded with the universally recognizable soundtrack from Star Wars.

The orchestra also performed the Olympic Fanfare and Theme, “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “Hymn to the Fallen” from Saving Private Ryan, “March” from 1941, “With Malice Toward None” from Lincoln, and finished the evening with “Adventures on Earth” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. 

Since I haven’t seen the films Olympic Fanfare and Theme, “March,” and “With Malice Toward None” come from, I had never heard them before. This allowed me to fully absorb the emotions conveyed by the music, without the influence of imagery associated with the movies. The catchy rhythms and bright trumpets in Olympic Fanfare and Theme and “March” made it easy to visualize social festivities. Meanwhile, the strings in “With Malice Toward None” evoked a strong bittersweet feeling. 

On the other hand, I’ve already heard “Harry’s Wondrous World,” “Hymn to the Fallen,” and “Adventures on Earth” performed live by the Michigan Pops Orchestra (MPO), who also played the same versions of “The Shark Theme,” themes from Jurassic Park, and Star Wars from the first half of the concert. It was interesting to compare how the A2SO and MPO interpreted these musical scores. The MPO has a much larger string section, which allowed their strings to stand out more, while the winds shined more in the A2SO. Though each had a different dynamic, this experience only deepened my admiration for our school’s student orchestras, as I didn’t find them lacking in musical quality compared to a professional ensemble.

Overall, with its diverse selection of pieces, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra’s performance felt like watching a film without the visuals, beautifully celebrating the genius of John Williams.

Pictures are provided by A2SO

REVIEW: London Philharmonic

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Photos are provided by Peter Smith Photography

On October 18th, the London Philharmonic returned to Hill Auditorium after 13 years. The concert was especially thrilling for me, as it was my first time experiencing the London Philharmonic live. The repertoire, performed in order, included Britten’s Sinfonia de Requiem, Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in a minor, Tania León’s Raíces (Origins), and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major.

I found it unusual that they chose to open with a requiem, given the somber, darker tones typically associated with such works. Yet Britten’s piece turned out to be grand in its own right, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to it. The quality of the music drew me in immediately, largely due to Edward Gardner’s conducting—I found my eyes fixed on him from the very beginning.

I consider the conductor to be the heart of an ensemble: the musicians move and breathe to the beat of the baton, and the phrasing of each lyrical line relies on the tiniest of gestures. A captivating conductor is vital to the quality of an orchestra’s performance, and Gardner’s skills truly shone, especially when every instrument joined in a musical passage. The contrasting dynamics filled the auditorium with a depth of sound that made me feel one with the Sinfonia de Requiem, despite being in the audience. 

Although I had never heard Shostakovich’s first violin concerto before, the eerie dissonant intervals and unsettling lack of vibrato in the opening unmistakably evoked his distinctive melancholic style. Once the second movement began, the intensity of the piece immediately shifted my attention to violin soloist Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The clean harmonics and intonation of her double stops were breathtaking. Furthermore, she preserved Shostakovich’s voice by weaving between the lack of vibrato characteristic of the first movement and the vibrato that expressed her own musicality.

London Philharmonic Orchestra performing with Edward Gardner and Patricia Kopatchinskaja in Hill Auditorium, October 18, 2024.

Like the preceding pieces, the introduction of Raíces was quieter and calm. What made it stand out from the rest of the program was the lively beat that picked up in the latter half; in this section, the woodwinds and brass melodies particularly shone, establishing themselves as the main characters of the piece.

Sibelius’s fifth symphony continued the trend of opening with a peaceful first movement, which made me hopeful for a triumphant ending to conclude the night. Instead of achieving an impactful ending by increasing the tempo, the last movement made its mark through the layering of instruments. The full volume of the brass rang beautifully through the hall, yet I could still hear the violins complimenting them with a gorgeous melody rich in luscious notes. The concluding measures were also unexpected; rather than maintaining that full sound, they transitioned into a series of single note chords played by the whole orchestra.

However, I must confess that for me the highlight of the concert was actually the encore: Variation IX, Adagio “Nimrod,” from Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations. It was another calm piece, but rather than a somber sound, it featured sweet tones and a yearning melody that lingered with me long after the performance. It provided a perfect change of pace accompanied by a bittersweet emotion that proved to be more memorable than a loud and exciting ending.

REVIEW: Twelfth Night

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Photos are provided by Peter Smith Photography

From October 10 to 13, the School of Music, Theatre, & Dance presented a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The witty script combined with the students’ incredible singing and dancing made it such an enjoyable experience that I ended up watching it twice. 

The performance took place in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, which although a little small, is actually my favorite venue for musicals. The charming, comfortable velvet seats and the excellent acoustics ensure that every line and lyric is crystal clear. The actors also make creative use of the entire space by entering and exiting through aisles and side doors instead of always walking backstage, and this added interaction with the audience made the show feel all the more immersive. The set design for Illyria, a mythical city surrounded by water, was stunning: the intricate details of the staircase, balcony, and guardrails added realism, while the bright colors and decorations created a whimsical atmosphere.

The first musical number that stood out to me was “If You Were My Beloved,” performed by Viola, Olivia, and Orsino. Viola’s youthful, endearing voice accidentally captures Olivia’s heart, embodying the innocence and purity of the kind of love Olivia has been longing for. Olivia’s bright and powerful voice conveys the excitement of newfound love, radiating optimism and hope for her future romantic pursuits. Lastly, Orsino’s deep, charismatic voice reflects the depth of his persistent and long-held admiration for Olivia. Despite their conflicting interests while singing these lyrics, the trio harmonizes beautifully, hinting at the tangled and humorous love triangle filled with misunderstandings and unexpected twists.

Another memorable number was “Is This Not Love?” Feste’s soulful tone beautifully captured the yearning and frustration that come with being in love. This exasperation was further amplified through the choreography where Viola and Orsino would reach out for each other without ever fully connecting, underscoring the emotional distance between them. A particularly powerful moment featured Orsino spinning Viola in the air; despite their physical closeness, their emotions remained unspoken.

Funnily enough, it was “Count Malvolio” that left the deepest impression on me. I loved the playful costumes of the backup dancers that mirrored Malvolio’s outfit, and their addition allowed for a grand choreography filled with silly gestures that perfectly captured Malvolio’s ambitious dream of becoming a count. With its humorous lyrics and catchy chorus, I found myself singing it for days afterward.

Overall, each musical number was a joy to experience, and I left the theater excited to listen to them again. However, I found myself disappointed with the recordings I found online, since they lacked the vibrancy and emotional depth that made the live performances so special.

Watching the show from two different perspectives—the main floor the first time and the balcony the second—provided me with more ways to experience the performance. From the balcony, I could appreciate the full scope of the choreography, from the various formations to the synchronization. On the main floor, however, the experience felt more cinematic; the singing was more immersive and the actors’ facial expressions brought the romantic tension and developments to life. Honestly, if given the opportunity, I would happily go back to watch the musical a third time and re-experience the beauty of Illyria once more with SMTD.