Category: Music

REVIEW: Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra with Lang Lang

Cynthia

Program
· Prokofiev : Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 (“Classical”) (1917)
· Prokofiev : Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 (1917-21)
· Encore – Chopin : Etude, Op. 10, No 3
· Brahms : Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 (1877)
· Encore : Smetana’s “Dance of the Comedians” from The Bartered Bride

Did you know Lang Lang has his own shoe? Of the facts from the talk at the Arts and Eats Program, that was probably the most interesting one! Never mind that all of the members of the orchestra are all 26 years old or younger (they’re all virtuosos)…a shoe with his picture and his name in Chinese on it. Of course, the first thing I did when I returned to my room was to google it.

Our seats were in the very last row of the middle of the mezzanine section. While these seats are usually pretty cheap, they turned out to be perfect for my friend and me. The person in front of us was at least 6.5 feet tall and if we were sitting down, we would not be able to see anything! We ended up letting the seat fold up and then sit on top of that. The Arts and Eats program turned out to be a pretty good deal after all!

I found the selection of pieces to be very intriguing. The first Prokofiev piece took me by surprise and was much more “cheerful” than I expected. To be honest, I was expecting a loud crash of the symbols, dissonant chords played by the strings and brass, topped off by a smattering of the drums and timpani. Instead, the symphony sounded more reminiscent of a classical symphony, but with a little more freedom and less restriction of the form. The second piece, the piano concerto with Lang Lang had more of modern music that I was expecting. The piece was not hard to listen to though, since the piano melody helped relieve some of the tension felt in the notes played by the brass and strings section.

By the last piece, a lot of the audience was gone. I had a vague impression that the majority of the Asians who had tickets (I noticed there was a larger percentage of Asians at this concert than in previous classical music concerts) were gone. Lang Lang was also done playing. I loved the Brahms symphony though. It turned out to be a very characteristically “orchestral” piece. And throughout, I was sure I heard snippets of Brahms’ famous “Lullaby,” creating the perfect ending to a long day.

PREVIEW: Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra with Lang Lang

Cynthia

Date: Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 8 pm
Location: Hill Auditorium
Tickets: rush tix available at the League today!

Program:
· Prokofiev : Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 (“Classical”) (1917)
· Prokofiev : Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 (1917-21)
· Brahms : Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 (1877)

I have finally taken advantage of the UMS Arts and Eats Program and I look forward to a pizza dinner, talk from an expert, and good seats. Though I have been to many piano and orchestra concerts, I am excited to hear the “biggest, most exciting keyboard talent encountered in many years” (quoted from the Chicago Tribune). I’ll keep y’all posted about the “good” seats and the talk from the expert!

Review: ChristianTetzlaff and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra

krithika

San Francisco Symphony- March 19,2010

They say each symphony orchestra is different than the other in many many ways. Until now, I was really into learning the basics that this concept escaped me. But when I saw the San Francisco Symphony in action, I finally got what they meant. The difference was not only in the arrangements, the music they chose but also in the way they performed as one. They were a more contained unit.

The program started with a piece called “Post-scriptum” by contemporary composer Kissine. No offense, but I didn’t like it. It had this dreading , urgent tone that was disturbing and annoying-a smorgasbord of notes (often jarring and out of place)- no rest for the musician, no rest for the listener. There was definitely an innovative use of the sounds of the entire orchestra. But the piece was abstract and felt purposeless, always aiming towards the dramatic, as if pandering to today’s love for things “abstract”. My frustration sprang from the fact that I couldn’t connect with it at all. There were “bravos” when the piece ended, to my surprise.

Intrigued by this, during the intermission, when I asked a couple of people if they liked it, one (an older person) said that it was uncomfortable and screechy) and the other (younger one)  said that she had liked it for the novelty in the tempo and musical arrangement.  So I guess there was a divided house, based on my pathetic sample size. <Shrug>.

But then the second piece, a definitely classic composition by Tchaikovsky, “Violin Concerto in D Major”  just gave me my ticket’s worth . Listening to the violin solo  felt like stepping out onto the fresh, dew-kissed grass while the smell of the earth lingers in the air after the first rain of spring. Christian Tetzlaff has  perfect technique and when he plays the high notes, especially in the recurrent melody in this piece, you can’t help but bow to his bow.

The brilliant Christian Tetzlaff
The brilliant Christian Tetzlaff. Master of the bow!

This piece touched so many moods but there was no despair of non-comprehension at the end, like the first one. The compelling beauty of the violin was hard to resist. Mr. Tetzlaff  totally owned the piece.

Ravel’s piece was interesting but didn’t leave me that impressed as his other works before. The Liszt work of “lament and triumph” was intriguing and sad. In this piece, I thought that the use of the trumpets and horns as ‘highlighters” in order to emphasize a musical sequence of importance was neat. It started off  on a gloomy note but grew on me.

Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas

Mr.Thomas breezed through these tough compositions and everything was executed so well. I think that kind of clockwork precision comes only with amazing natural talent as well as years of practice and hardwork. Overall, it was a great show.

That night, the triangle was used maybe seven times at the max. On my way back, I was wondering what the musician who played the triangle must feel. Maybe  it is pure discipline. Maybe it is the fact that they know that they are contributing, even though it is a small role. ” They also serve who only stand and wait.”

Krithika, for [art]seen

Preview: The Gender Bender Revue is Finally Here!

Danny Fob

And excitingly queer! I’ve heard about this event since the beginning of the year and have been waiting with desperate patience for its arrival. And here it is J. The Gender Bender Revue is a gender performance variety show; a talent show based on gender expression and sexual orientation. There will be drag kings and queens, acoustic renderings of pop songs, lip-syncs, and other performances all on a fantastic stage in possibly the best club in Michigan, Necto Nightclub! (You must be 18 years or older to enter and have a valid photo ID. Guests under 21 years of age are not permitted to buy, accept, or drink alcohol of any kind at any time.)

This event is always a big hit in Ann Arbor and on campus. The Facebook event already has 83 confirmed guests! FACEBOOK GROUP The tickets are cheap (only $5!) and they get you into Necto for the night, free food, half off drink specials (only for people 21 years and older!!) and this fantastic show!

There will also be a raffle so don’t forget extra money if you have it! All proceeds from the show will be donated to the LGBT scholarships at the University of Michigan. You can purchase tickets at the Spectrum Center or from any of the Stonewall Democrats (who are putting on the event). You can email them at GBR2010@UMICH.EDU. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Once last thing, which I need to tell you before I sign off, the day and time. I can’t believe I almost forgot! The 4th Annual Gender Bender Revue is this Friday, March 27th from 6:30 to 9:00pm. Just to sum up…

What: 4th Annual Gender Bender Revue!!
Where: Necto Nightclub, 516 East Liberty
When: Friday, March 26, 2010, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
How Much: $5 tickets purchased at Spectrum Center, at the Door, or from Stonewall Dems

As Always,
This is Danny Fob: Artist and Art Reviewer

Review: The Qui to Happiness

Danny Fob

“Man of La Mancha” is the adventurous story of a man on the brink of madness. To outsiders he may seem insane or even out of his mind, but to Sancho and Dulcinea, he is perfectly sane, seeing the beauty in life instead of the pain. This story “Don Quixote de la Mancha,” written by Miguel de Cervantes was the first Novel ever written. Pretty impressive. “Man of La Mancha” takes this classic and turns it into a musical fit for the stage, and oh how well it is done. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Power Center during Sunday’s matinee and, judging by the laughing and applause throughout the show, so did my companions in the audience. The student theatre group MUSKET does an excellent job performing and presenting this piece to the campus community.

I remember reading an excerpt of the novel in high school, but that only gave me the general story line of a self proclaimed knight in a time after chivalry, his battles with windmill giants and the evil enchanter, and his quest to be dubbed a true knight with his lady by his side. Incredibly funny! Especially when acted out by people on a stage. It was hard to believe that this man was actually so ridiculous as to think himself a knight, Aldonsa as his Lady Dulcinea, his servant as his Squire Sancho, and the Innkeeper as a mighty Lord of a castle. The presentation was wonderful.

The musical is written to take place in a jail in which Cervantes is being kept to await trial by the Spanish Inquisition. While waiting, he is put on trial by his jail mates. His defense is the story of his eccentric knight acted out by the prisoners themselves. This format flowed really well and the actors transitioned from reality to imagination seamlessly.

And it was so funny. Sancho provided some of the best comic relief AND he had the perfect singing voice to represent his character. You would have to hear it to understand, but it was comedic and sort of serious at the same time.

Then the show got really sad for a few minutes when Don Quixote’s nephew attempted to destroy this beautiful dream, but thankfully Dulcinea saved the dream and helped Quixote remember everything before passing away. “Don Quixote is not dead!” Dulcinea exclaims over the body of the man that had made up this identity. Cervantes’ story lives on today and imagination is key to society. Where would we be without Disney, yesteryear’s Don Quixote?

Definitely one of my top choices of the events I’ve gone to. I’ve enjoyed so many events so far this year that it becomes difficult to write that statement, but I am confident that it is a high ranking event in my arts calendar. And like I always say, get out there and see these things! They’re usually pretty cheap and provide many different times to attend. This is what makes our college experience an experience. I’ve expanded my cultural awareness, artistic involvement, and my own personal boundaries by going out to theaters and performances all year. Now it’s your turn.

As always,
This is Danny Fob: Artist and Art Reviewer

Preview: San Francisco Symphony Orchestra Today!

krithika

What beautiful weather we have been having! No longer does the sun disassociate its  twin functions of producing heat and light and to feel the lovely sunshine while you lay under the cerulean blue skies -it just makes you feel so alive!

Well , you can experience that same feeling of warmth and joy when you come to the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra performance under the direction of  the highly renowned Michael Tilson Thomas tonight. The performance will also feature Christian Tetzlaff, a violinist who is claimed to be the most important violinists in our times for his perfect technique and musical perception . Do I see you raising your eyebrows with disbelief? Then listen to this!

Christian Tetzlaff – Bach Sonata No. 3 (III. Largo)– Courtesy, www.youtube.com

Tonight’s program features works of Kissine, Tchaikovsky, Ravel and Liszt- all masters with such distinct signatures.

What:

San Francisco Symphony

Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Christian Tetzlaff, violin

When: Friday, March 19, 8 pm
Where: Hill Auditorium

Tickets at Box Office  before the show or the Michigan League Ticket Office.

Come bask in the Hill Auditorium as the lovely notes of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra lift you to your heaven!

For [art]seen,

Krithika