REVIEW: The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

mcconrad Leave a comment

The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra gave an astounding performance on Thursday at Hill Auditorium. Lead by Semyon Bychkov, the group played three beautiful pieces, each which lead to standing ovations. The audience appreciation at the end was large enough that two encore pieces were played as well, Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances 1 and 2.

Starting off the concert was Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in b minor. Soloist Alisa Weilerstein played absolutely exquisitely for the duration of the 40 minute composition. There was such a fantastic balance between the full orchestra and the melody of the cello. My favorite part of this section was definitely the second movement, which was slower and a lot more lyrical than its preceding or following sections which were marked by faster and brighter sounds. To me, this second part did the best job of showcasing Weilerstein’s skills as well. 

Following intermission, the orchestra next played Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. This is one of my favorite classical pieces, as renowned choreographer George Balanchine choreographed his famous Serenade to this piece. Even as the Czech Philharmonic played the very notes I could already picture the starting formation of the dancers. The string instruments are showcased in this piece and they did not disappoint. For me, it was noticeable that I was not the only one who felt this way when at one point when I looked around me  and everyone was raptly concentrated on Bychkov and the music that was being performed.

The third piece of the program was another by Tchaikovsky, this one titled Francesca da Ramini. Probably the easiest to follow out of the three pieces, it is a musical translation of Canto V  from Dante’s Inferno. It was such an experience to hear this piece played and to know what parts of the story were being referenced. In the beginning, the music was explosive and descending chords signaled Dante’s further descent into hell. This was followed by a transition into haunting and lyrical melodies as Francesca da Ramini explains her tragic story. The last part of the piece is marked by more fiery and ominous music to signal Dante’s horror at the pain surrounding him until he finally faints and descends into another layer of hell. 

It was hard to know what could follow the phenomenal ending of that piece, but the encores were so much different in their intensity levels and actually provided a very fun ending to the program. Each of the pieces was very short, only around 5 minutes, but it was a pleasure to listen to these as the rhythms were very much reminiscent of dances, albeit with an entire orchestra. The first one characterized by really triumphant chords. The second one was just as vibrant, just slightly slower and softer in sound. 

Overall, it was such a privilege to be able to come and see this renowned orchestra perform in Ann Arbor. I look forward to the next time we are graced with their presence and what new pieces they will bring.

REVIEW: Women’s Glee Club Fall Concert

kebishop Leave a comment

The Women’s Glee Club fall concert featured performances from Women’s Glee, the South Lyon High School Varsity Choir, and Midnight Blue. Although this concert seemed to take attention away from just voices, adding a lot of instrumental work, the concert consisted of empowering messages for women, students, and those affected by the Holocaust.

My favorite song was the Women’s Glee Club’s second performance. Called “A Jubliant Song” by Norman Dello Joio, it represented a complex and versatile method of using an entire choir. Each segment of the choir was singing almost the entire time, forming intense harmonies and crescendos. The pianist, Bobby Levinger, was also amazing, showcasing his talent with every note. After speaking with my friend in the choir, I discovered that “A Jubliant Song” was ridiculously complicated to perform, but it stood out to me as the most unique and memorable number of the night.

After “A Jubliant Song,” the Women’s Glee Club performed “Reflections from Yad Vashem,” by Daniel Hall. The song was a juxtaposition of references to the Book of Genesis, prose by Hall, and names of children who were victims of the Holocaust. It was a haunting tune, using a lot of minor key along with a beautiful viola performance by Samuel Koeppe.

Women’s Glee Club then left the stage, making room for the South Lyon High School Varsity Choir. While they were less in number than Women’s Glee, their sound was still resonant and strong. For their last performance, “Bring Me Little Water, Silvy,” all the singers stepped down from the bleachers to form a line across the lip of the stage. They made their own percussion by clapping and stomping, which was a welcome addition to the relatively textbook glee performance.

After intermission, Midnight Blue sang “Praying” by Kesha, a song meant to serve as a message of empowerment for anyone going through hard times. After that they performed “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. Both rather contemporary pieces provided diversity to the concert, allowing for some of the glee singers without solos in the large performance to get their voices heard.

Women’s Glee then retook the stage. For their last two songs, they invited any glee alumni to join them in singing the famous “Yellow and Blue” as well as “Varsity Victors.” As a senior, those were probably my second favorite performances, as they always make me proud to be a student here.

Overall, the fall concert was a great way to celebrate 125 years. I appreciate that the glee club invites high school choirs and alumni to join them each year. Additionally, the use of talented musicians really adds to the performances, although I wish some songs simply focused on the voices of the glee club members.

REVIEW: Skeletons Out of the Closet

Rachel Safir Leave a comment

Auditorium B of Angell Hall certainly isn’t the most beautiful or noteworthy venue on campus, but the Impro-fessionals brought the room to life and quickly made me forget that I was sitting in a lecture space. Each improv comedian was lively and likable, and was able to keep the show moving and interesting for the entire hour.

The show was broken down into several games, all of which I found entertaining. They opened with a debate about a non-controversial topic: Coke vs. Pepsi. Upon hearing the topic choice, I was worried that it wouldn’t be interesting because I have heard many debates about the sodas before. However, the Impro-fessionals took the debate to new and funny places, and I soon found myself laughing along. As the game continued, I was impressed by the group’s ability to keep the scene moving; they quickly and frequently bounced witty comments off each other so that the dialogue never became stagnant.

Another game I enjoyed was “Party Quirks,” in which four comedians participated. The four characters in the scene were a party host and his three guests: a toothpick, an electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) major, and Britney Spears. The object of the game was for the party host to guess the identity of each guest through context clues. This game kept me laughing along; as you can imagine, a toothpick, an EECS major, and Britney Spears are an entertaining trio. As the EECS major bragged about his employability, Britney boasted about endorsing Bush after he invaded Iraq. When the actor quietly broke the fourth wall and clarified that this fact about Britney was true, I couldn’t help but laugh again. I was also impressed by the ability of the “guests” to maneuver the scene in a way which made it possible for the host to guess their identity, all without making the scene feel awkward, forced, or unnatural.

The humor throughout the show was not hit-or-miss. I found myself consistently smiling and quietly laughing along, or occasionally bursting into louder laughter I couldn’t contain. In my past experiences with improv comedy, I have sometimes felt that the comedians went too over the top with their accents and strayed too far from the original topic, so that the scene became difficult to follow. However, the Impro-fessionals did not seem to have these issues. Their accents were well used and not overdone. They didn’t stray too far from the original topic nor did they hug the subject so closely that they restricted themselves. This made for a show that was enjoyable and easy to watch.

If I were to make one criticism, it would be about the long-form game towards the end of the show. In this game, three of the characters were witches who were making a potion, which they then gave to their other sister to turn her into a crow. There was a noticeable moment where one fo the comedians struggled to decide which kind of potion they were making. However, I didn’t think that stalling was a consistent issue during the show, so it was easy to let this moment go and become wrapped up in the scene again.

Overall, I had a very enjoyable time watching the Impro-fessionals perform. It was a great way to destress and laugh for an hour, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend their shows to others in the future.

 

REVIEW: Aida Cuevas

Kianna Marquez 1 Comment

Throughout the days prior to the most anticipated night of the week, I thought about how grateful I was to be able to see Aida Cuevas perform with my parents here in Michigan. On that evening, the sun had set into a dark blue sky and crowds of bundled-up people walked towards the Hill Auditorium to enter the event. My parents and I stopped at one of the glass showcases outside of the auditorium to take a picture with an event poster of Aida Cuevas; she stood proudly in a traditional mariachi suit, looking up and smiling in the light of green and red that surrounded her. Iconic, I thought to myself; I would come to know that the essence of the photo wasn’t exaggerated in any way.

 

Once the doors opened, my parents and I took our seats on the main floor, sitting fairly close and off to the side nearest to stage left. We had another nearby concertgoer take our picture with the stage behind us and I couldn’t help but notice that it was already glowing a dark red. Throughout my life, I have noticed that color in its waving flag, on the accessories worn by the mariachi, in the dress of a woman celebrating her quinceanera, and in the fireworks that burst over the hills of Mexico City with each end to the week. That color has an extraordinary essence that more represents the aspects of traditional Mexico that have persisted throughout several generations. In that respect, I knew that this performance would not be a mere interpretation of what was authentic but would truly be the living, breathing authentic art that upheld the traditional roots of Mexico as if they would never fade.

 

Finally, the lights dimmed for the performance to begin. Within a few seconds, the lights on the stage burst bright in a golden orange color and the mariachi made a robust entrance, kicking up the beat immediately and the several violinists already sounding as if there were a whole sea of them. The music felt so much like home and the Mexico that I knew, and my eyes stung. I could hear my parents cheering beside me, my dad howling like traditional mariachi players do as a way to cheer on the rest of the performers.

  

Soon after, Senora Cuevas made her entrance, showered with applause and cheers as she moved towards center stage in her big, illuminescent magenta dress. She performed each song with raw emotion, dramatizing each word and showing pure passion with each hand motion that emphasized the grand sounds of the band. Near the middle of the performance, she changed into a mariachi traje, which everyone adored as much as the dress. Her deep voice cut through the air with each ballad and I consistently felt comforted by its richness. She presented herself as a such a powerful woman figure, demanding true love and sharing the pride of being Mexicana in her songs. She returned for an encore and finished the performance with “Mexico Lindo y Querido”, a timeless classic that resonates pride and love for belonging to Mexico. As a final remark, she exclaimed, “Estoy muy orgullosa ser mexicana!” and in that moment, I was reminded of the beautiful sensation that comes with being authentic to yourself and being proud of where you come from.

 

REVIEW: G-Fest

Minna W Leave a comment

G-Fest reminded me of why I love live shows so much. The call and response component makes it feel real. I enjoy feeling the swell of anticipation within the audience. When the music builds up, and then it ‘crashes’ back down into a quieter melody, everyone goes wild.

A total of five groups performed during G-Fest: Photonix (performance art group that utilizes glow-sticks and other implements to manipulate light), Oren Levin (singer, guitarist), Revolution (Chinese Yoyo/Diabolo performance art group), The Impro-fessionals (improv group), and the G-Men (all-male a cappella group).

My favorite part of the show was seeing Photonix and Revolution perform. I was mesmerized by the culmination of skill, choreography, and musicality. Also, it was funny to see the members of Photonix rush off stage once the lights came back on. They clearly loved the art form but were not used to being on a bright stage with a large audience—which I find totally understandable. There were at least 500 people there that night; stage fright is real.

During Revolution’s performance, performers made mistakes, but that was okay. The performance wasn’t about perfection. It was about people coming together to celebrate the joy of art. Watching the tricky maneuvers and choreography reminded me that art is a skill.

It was cool to hear Oren Levin’s original songs. This was his third year performing during G-Fest. He clearly had a lot of experience in front of a live audience; he knew how to make the right jokes to make tuning and setting up less awkward. He tried to get the audience to participate in one of his songs which turned out to be a little bumpy, but I appreciated his enthusiasm.

My favorite songs performed by the G-Men were “Day n nite” by Kid Cudi, and “Other Side of Paradise” by Glass Animals. I was enthralled by the lead singer’s vocals; his voice was like liquid gold. The corny jokes the G-Men made in-between songs made me laugh and cringe.

G-Fest was a great way to unwind and relieve stress. It felt like a formal, yet informal way of celebrating art with other people. It was formal in the sense that it was an organized event where hundreds of people showed up, fliers were made, and a host announced each event and group performance. It was informal in the way that there was no pressure for performers to be perfect. I loved that. One of my favorite quotes is: “To live a creative life we must first lose the fear of being wrong” (Joseph Chilton Pearce). A lot of the time, art is about the process rather than the finished product. Allowing other artists to share their skills and passions with others in a nonjudgemental environment promotes creativity and collaboration.

Here are some links to check out the groups and their latest works and upcoming performances: