Friends, Oh-I-am-only-halfway through-this-semester-and so-still-stressed-out students and fellow musiclovers,
It’s a rarity that you get to become a kid again at a musical performance. This weekend, Cyro Baptista, the truely innovative percussionist will be performing at the Power Center with his eight member strong band. Cyro Baptista was here last month as a part of “the Luciana Souza trio” and he was amazing. He is like this mad scientist with such a passion for percussion and he oozes such positive energy and enthusiasm that you have to love him for that! His sense of humor and tendency to make jokes with his percussion too make him such a popular figure with kids and adults alike! But he is also known for his serious Brazilian Beats in the music field.
Cyro Baptista's "Beat the Donkey"
Titled “Beat the Donkey” from the Portuguese “Pau Na Mula” which means “Let’s go! Let’s do it”, Cyro’s show is a wild, imaginative and extremely entertaining one with a combination of all types of rhythm and sounds that you could possibly hear. In this show, the musicians adorn funky costumes and do everything including impromtu dances to make sure that you don’t sit ramrod straight with passive looks on your faces!
Show times:
Saturday, March 13, 1 pm & 4 pm
Power Center
Tickets ($16) are available at the Michigan League Ticket Office or at the Box Office before the show.
Come, join this fun foot-tapping riot! It’s your time to be a kid again.
When thirty two voices in different voice types come together and sing without accompaniment (“a capella”) while precisely maintaining tune and rhythm , it is just plain fascinating. That’s how the Swedish Radio Choir started their scintillating performance.
The first piece “Aftonen” was so beautifully done. I can never understand how a soprano and a bass standing together can sing their parts without getting distracted with the other’s pitch/tune. It seems really tough and must need tons of practice.
But anyway, after the first piece though, my interest waned. The rest of the first half were mostly based on religious pieces. I was really bored through the rest of the first half, all the while wondering as to how people can relate to such an art form. For example, Mahler’s piece, “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” was in German and it was tedious. Though an English translation was provided, I felt that the lyrics, a very important part of any music, somehow distracted focus from the music and since there was no accompaniment too, it was tough to digest.
I looked around and there were a lot of people looking around too. It was clear that this art form wasn’t that interesting to all but for the devoted few. I was so bored that I contemplated leaving during the intermission. But my intention to see it through till the end was rewarded by the excellent and intriguing, “Mouyayoum” by contemporary Swedish composerAnders Hillborg . This was the highlight of the evening. This is a wordless work that featured 16 distinctly different vocal parts combining together into a mesmerizing soundscape- it was brilliant. You will be absolutely hypnotized when you hear this and this is the gold test for a great choir. The Swedish Radio Choir was just astounding in this. I loved the sopranos the best.
For over one hour, the singers delivered complex notes and there was never a note out of place. I was thoroughly impressed by their stamina and skill, developed by years and years of rigorous practice, I am sure.
The guest choirmaster, a fellow Swedish native, Ragnar Bohlin was amazing and I loved the way he conducted “Mouyayoum”.
As I left from the performance, I wondered if this art form of Choral music was a dying art. Would the future generations thrill in listening to this kind of music? In this age, where you rarely hear anybody performing without accompaniment, it was a rarity to hear these lovely voices in unison. This is how it all began before we made instruments and a clear melodious voice is such a soothing sound for the ear.
That the Sweidsh Radio Choir is indisputably one of the best choirs around came through very clearly from the flawless performance. But I guess, choral music of the religious kind is just not my cup of tea.
I am so excited that this is the 100th post for [art]seen. To me, writing about the different art events that I go to, has helped me understand and enjoy the performances even better. Yeah for [art]seen!
So this sunday, FEb 21, the Swedish Radio choir are going to be in town. Made up of 32 professional singers and sponsored by Sveriges Radio, this choir is one of the world’s best a cappella choirs that have a very wide a cappella and symphonic choir repertoire.They are the go-to choir for all the leading symphony orchestras in the world.
Maestro Ragnar Bohlin
This tour is led by conductor Ragnar Bohlin, a Stockholm native who also serves as choral director for the San Francisco Symphony. He is another choral legend whose accomplishments are so many that it will take a long time to list them. He is one of the best in the field today.
The Swedish Radio Choir made its UMS debut in 2001 and their rendition of Verdi’s Requiem was a great hit. This time, the program starts with the sure crowd pleaser, Alven’s Aftonen (Evening). Also on the program are many choral pieces from various composers like Mahler, Bach and Sandström ,to name a few. This will be a treat for all of you who like a healthy dose of classical music to make your day.
When: Feb 21,2010 @ 4:00 pm
Where: Hill Auditorium
Tickets at the League Ticket Office or online at ums.org.
You can never get enough of Shakespeare. I caught a part of a soap the other day at the airport and suddenly it struck me as to how many of the twists were taken straight out of a Shakespearen play. We owe so much to the Bard of Avon- for his immense contributions to the English language, his insight into human nature, his amusing and wise quotes and so much more!
This week, University of Michigan’s Musical Theater Department, presents “All’s well that ends well“. Much as I adore Shakespeare, the play “All’s well that ends well” leaves me a bit unhappy as there are parts of it that I just don’t get.
“All’s well that ends well” is about a lowborn beauty Helena who falls in love with a foppish count, Bertram. Due to a set of circumstances, Bertram ends up marrying Helena but he “hates” her. Bertram lays down certain conditions that need to be fulfilled for Helena to become his true wife and goes out to the battlefield. The rest of the play is about how Helena tricks Bertram into accepting her after fulfilling all his ridiculous conditions.
Well, what I can’t get about this play is why a smart woman would go behind an apparently foolish guy who doesn’t see the value in her? Maybe it was so in Shakespearen times!
Ok, so if I don’t like the play that much, why am I going? Well, on paper, it is very tough to understand why Bertram would refuse Helena or why Helena would still want Bertram. But on stage, this confusion can be sorted out by the acting of the performers (which I will tell you in my review!). Will director Malcolm Tulip help smooth the hate-to-love transition convincingly and make it believable? That is what I am looking forward to!
On a certain level, it does show a smarter woman who knows what she wants (why is not ours to question) and gets it and I do love that part. As is typical of Shakespearen comedies, there is a lot of laughs and double entendres in this play. So, do come to the play and may it all end well!
What: Play “All’s well that ends well”
Where: Arthur Miller Theatre at U-M’s Walgreen Drama Center, 1226 Murfin Avenue
When it is Valentine’s Day, it is just impossible not to think of love. The “I love you” balloons, entwined hands, red roses, heart shaped everything, and of course, listening to a Schubert Piano Trio- it is just so difficult not to think of love.
It was a prefect setting to contemplate about love- a beautiful afternoon at the Rackham Auditorium with the best artists to perform a serenade for you and you only. The program for the day comprised of both the Schubert piano trios- the B-flat Major and the E-flat major. Normally, these don’t get performed together. So everyone was excited.
The three artists entered and they took their positions. And the evening started with the mellow sound of the cello followed closely by the violin. Just three minutes into it, and that’s when I fell in love- with Schubert!
Schubert, the genius composer
Schubert composed both his piano trios close to his death (and after the death of Beethoven). So Beethoven’s shadows are seen in these compositions. But what is so impressive about each of the pieces in addition to their clear structure is that if there is a musical definition of love,beauty and life- then this is it! It just doesn’t get better than this.
Let’s consider the B-flat Major. The Allegro Moderato was so pleasant and fluid. The long sustaining notes for the cello echoed by the violin and the piano punctuating each melody and everything complementary to everything else- it was so beautiful. The second movement embarks into a sense of longing and almost contented sighing with solos and duets that were just unbelievable. The third movement goes back into this happy phase- almost playful. The fourth movement was more passionate and aggressive with the piano parenthesising each melody played by the violin and cello and it ended on a triumphant gleeful note.
Artistled Recording
The E-flat Major followed after the intermission and it was a revelation. Each movement was so beautiful that it was just too good to be true. It gave a feeling that you get when you look at the pristine beauty of the majestic mountains of Yosemite from the Tunnel view for the first time or when you look down at the Colorado river from the highest point at Guano point in the Grand Canyon or at a sunset over Lake Michigan at the Sleeping Bear dunes park! It was a piece where each melody seems to cite an instance of happiness and urges you to be happy.
To me, the E-flat Major is a joyous celebration of all there is to love and life when you have not an iota of doubt about a prosperous future or benevolent heavens.You just can’t help feeling happy when you listen to it. The feeling you get when you look a baby’s smile or feel your mother’s touch- it is so so beautiful!It somehow directly connects to that part of the brain that creates happiness.The ending seemed as if a level of matured happiness has been achieved and it was a quiet joyous conclusion!With these pieces, you feel “safely” joyous as it is set in a familiar structure and yet there is so much going on.
David Finckel,Wu Han, Philip Setzer
It is definitely to the credit of the musicians that they were able to bring out of the genius of the composer by executing it so flawlessly. There was a harmony among these musicians and the mastery exercised by each musician over his or her field made the concert what it was- an absolutely beautiful evening!
There was an encore when they played a slow movement from Mendelssohn’s piano trio. Already you could see the difference in beauty between Mendelssohn and Schubert!It’s like looking at the beauty of two different rose buds.
I love the signing that UMS sets up these days after the concerts. It gave a chance to interact with the musicians. These world-class musicians are so down-to-earth and easy-going.
Overall, it was an enthralling evening…when love was definitely in the air in the garb of music.
Same time, last week, I was awaiting with bated breath to hear some Latin Jazz. And why did it take so long for me to post, well.. where do I start! It has been one of those weeks when you never know what you are doing, why you are doing it but you know that you have to keep doing it as your life depends on it- aka exam week! Also, there were three unique performances ( Luciana Souza, Schubert Piano trios and Bela Fleck) in store that week and my musical senses along with my academic were totally overwhelmed. So anyway, here goes….
It started with a very Latin-jazzy tune with Luciana Souza crooning away to the lovely harmonising of Romero Lubambo on his guitar and then Cyro Baptista joined in with his percussion. So at the very beginning itself, I was spellbound by the magical phrasing, the perfect harmonising and the totally crazy but superb percussion!
Luciana Souza Trio
I don’t know which artist to talk about first in the trio! You know what, let me do it in the alphabetical order (Ok, i was lying, i wanted to talk about Cyro first!). So first comes Cyro Baptista. Ok, this man is a crazy genius. He is like a mad inventor who just gets the most fabulous tunes out of ordinary things. He had a gas pipe whistle, a brush, some beads, a wheel like thing with balls embedded in it that made such a distinctive clanging sound, shakers made out of vegetables and gourds, metal sheets, rocks…. he was totally amazing in his percussion arrangement. Apparently, Cyro’s favorite store is Home Depot where he goes looking for new material for new percussion instruments.
Of course, in today’s electronic world, you can get whatever sound you want. But hearing those sounds (like a bird flying away or rain pouring down) live produced from real tangible instruments on stage? Well, the effect is totally different. His superb grasp of the rhythm and the way he blended all the funky sounds from his myriad instruments into the music was just breath-taking.
Cyro Baptista
In his solo, he showed a glimpse of what he could do. You could here the tides and the ocean one minute, then the next moment you were in a jungle with the birds chirping and the whooshing of the wind. But then, suddenly you would be transported ina train to join an army parade. There were so many combinations of sounds – with echos, with tribal sounds, animal sounds- he was a true entertainer.To me, he was the highlight of the evening. But, that said, the others weren’t any less stars.
Luciana Souza has a voice that is made for this genre. She has this pleasant yet deep yet not too shrilly voice (it’s hard to describe it!). She can sing so fast (almost breathlessly) or slip into a very slow soul-stirring song that makes you cry. Her phrasing and the improvisation was impeccable. To me, “firewood” was a very memorable song with very very creative percussion.There was a song about a two exes on the dance floor dancing with their current partners respectively, with the female looking at her ex with a longing (ah…these songs are so melancholic). In this one, Luciana’s phrasing (like tatara or papparapap similar to solfeggios of a sort being put together),matched Romero’s harmonising so well. This was a fast number and she executed it so well.
The charming Luciana Souza
Her song selection is very enjoyable. Her music flows like poetry and she is drwan by the sounds of nature too. “Tide”, “Amulet”- all these songs were thoroughly enjoyable. She explained that she is looking at the bossa nova genre from a new perspective- that of a Brazilian who has settled elsewhere and that is where most of her songs come from. The deep sorrow in most of the Brazilian songs will be somewhat surprising to people from other countries. But it had a tinge of dark humor that was pleasant.
Now about the other star of the trio- Romero Lumbambo. Remember when he had come alongwith Ms. Gal Costa? Well, I saw a different side to him today. He was totally in his element and was making “jokes with his guitar”. His playing was just fun and complimented the singing and the percussion. The spontaneity was amusing and totally entertaining.
Romero Lubambo
When the performers are true friends and have true respect for each other’s work, it shows. The camaraderie and as a result of it, the beautiful music and add the artists’ great sense of humor to it-it was a party that you didn’t want to miss!
At the end of the concert, there was an added bonus! We had a Q&A session with them and learnt so much more. Of course, I had to go ask a stupid question right. I asked them if they rehearsed (ok ,people, I don’t know much. me a jazz novice you see).. And Luciana, smilingly said,” No. We know the arrangement of the song. Then it is based on the audience, the mood of the evening and it’s all spontaneous. Maybe we should rehearse more (with a twinkle)”.
hmmm… nah! these guys are great doing what they do and I don’t think they need any practicing!
As for Latin Jazz- an art form where there is so much room for spontaneity and creativity- I am loving it!
Yours truly,
Krithika, for [art]seen
Krithika is totally looking forward to Cyro Baptista’s ” Beat the Donkey” show on Mar 13th!
