Hill Auditorium – Page 19

Review: The date with Messieurs Thibaudet and Ravel

December 13, 2009December 13, 2009 krithika

Saturday, Dec 12th ’09

I buy my concert tickets ahead of time and earlier today morning, I thought that I would be losing precious time at a concert when I should be really working on the zillion other things on the to-do list. But then I had a “”brain freeze” (when you can’t think anymore and the brain is just dead -something like sleeping with your eyes wide open) and I could no longer stare at the code I had been working on the whole day! So the concert proved to be a blessing and a nice break .

I am comparatively recent to the world of Western Classical music and as I go to various performances, I get to learn more about the composers and their music. So today, it was an introduction to French Composer Ravel and his music.It also included a taste of the work of Brahms from his younger years.

Ahhhh… the French! They are so different from the rest. Their language, cuisine, culture, style and of course, music- it ees something deefferent (trying to speak french in eengleez and that seems to be an attempt in vain). They stand a class apart as does M. Thibaudet’s superb playing.

The evening’s performance made it clear that Mr.Thibaudet loves Ravel. Contrary to what I had posted in the preview, his love for Ravel was majorly influenced by his teacher, Lucette Descaves, a friend and collaborator of Ravel. As for M. Ravel himself, he is like a painter who evokes these images with a certain sensitivity of a poet. There is such a complex arrangement in his music and it is so full of color. Let me try to explain this more. Some directors show violence blatantly (for example, you can actually see a guillotine chopping off a person’s head and the head with the eyes wide open with terror falls down with a thud in the wicker basket). Other directors just hint that something gruesome had happened (they show the blood spatter on the guillotine and a wicker basket covered with a blood-soaked rag) and leave it to the audience to picture the violence. And the second approach proves so much more effective (and often gets the Oscars!). Similarly, Ravel falls in the second category. His music just leaves so much to the listener to interpret and the result is brilliant.

The first piece “Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess) was very different in the sense that I would start forming a certain opinion about the mood of the piece and then suddenly, there would come an unexpected string of notes that would make me change my mind about it. The music felt as if the composer was trying to portray one’s wavering mind. I loved the ending of this piece as it just felt conclusive as if someone had finally made a decision. This is one of the pieces that just grows on you.

The second piece, Ravel’s “Miroirs”, a suite of musical portraits was something I was looking forward to. It just turned out to be fabulous. Each movement was so beautifully executed. I loved the third movement, “Une barque sur l’océan (a boat on the ocean) the most. Here’s my interpretation. There was a slow melody (like the red wave in the picture below representing the movement of the boat as it goes over the large waves) and then a complicated faster melody(like the green wave representing the rocking of the boat).As for the picture, maybe my mathematical mind wasn’t completely switched off yet. But, somehow, it seemed as if the composer was looking at this boat and was trying to portray the emotions of the oarsman as well. This movement was definitely the highlight of the evening for me.

Underlying theme for Ravel's third mvmt in "Miroirs"- my interpretation!

I feel that the skill of a pianist lies in how well he can create a distinction between the various sounds that can be made on a piano- for example, like pianissimo and fortissimo. M. Thibaudet is definitely one of those truly gifted pianists who can do this really really well (you should have heard him play the fifth movement, “Valley of the bells”). At the end of the pieces that called for a soft ending, M.Thibaudet would press the sustain pedal and you could hear the dying sounds so well. The clarity was amazing (I was seated in the third row, yeah!) and as for the staccatos and the legatos, they were so perfect that I wanted to just run to the stage and hug M. Thibaudet. Ravel’s work is very complicated and it is not for the faint. M. Thibaudet pulled it off with perfect grace.

The next program was Brahms’ sonata No.3 which Brahms had composed when he was still in his late teens (Wow,what a genius! It makes me feel so small and insignificant). This piece showed the difference between German and French music clearly. Brahms’ sonata was so full of a sort of authoritativeness and had a clear underlying structure and there was heaviness mixed with doses of high energy! Ravel’s music, on the other hand, had this fluidity to it and a certain grace that only the French know how to do ( You see this in Monet’s paintings and can hear it in Ravel’s music). The musical difference is as distinct as differences between the German and French languages themselves.

Somehow, in spite of Brahms’ excellent “teen” work and M. Thibaudet’s flawless playing, I wasn’t particularly attentive to this piece. Could be that I was so used to Brahms (I listen to his symphonies and concertos on a regular basis) and you know, “familiarity breeds contempt” or in mycase, “inattentiveness”. Isn’t that so strange that when we are tired, something novel immediately gets our attention and yet we always crave for the familiar during other times? Ok, that didn’t make sense to me either. Still in my “brain freeze” stage, people!

Anyway,the encores (one other piece from Brahms (which was more uplifting ) and Chopin’s Nocturne(Oh, I love this one)) left me so content and satiated.

At concerts like these, I just wish I knew more to comment intelligently as the great music critics do and I feel so small and stupid when I realise how little I know about Music theory and the technicalities of Western music.

As I walked back from the Hill against a gale of wind that threatened to blow me away, there was a car that went past that “honked” Jingle Bells (it was very good) and I just had to smile! And I had this epiphany that the real purpose of music is just to please the heart and sometimes it is okay to listen with the heart and not be a “cerebral” listener. At the end of the day, the arpeggios or the cadenzas or the 101 techniques the artist had employed don’t matter. What matters is the euphoric feeling with which you leave the concert.

From the heart ,

Krithika, [art]seen reviewer

Preview: Ready for some Ravel by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet?

December 10, 2009December 10, 2009 krithika

The noted French pianist, Jean-Yves Thibaudet will be playing at the Hill Auditorium on Dec 12th, saturday @ 8 pm. Mr.Thibaudet is very talented and has earned quite a reputation for himself, both as a soloist as well as a performer at a symphony orchestra. He is known for his unique interpretation and his superb mastery of the piano. He studied with Aldo Ciccolini who was an ardent advocate for the piano music of French composers Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and Erik Satie (courtesy Wiki). So we will be getting a taste of Ravel’s music.

The program for the evening includes two solo piano compositions by Ravel and a Brahms sonata.

Now, Ravel, a famous impressionist music composer, is known for his intricate and chiseled compositions that are so precisely arranged. The first of Ravel’s works for the evening is “Pavane pour une infante défunte (“Pavane for a dead princess”). This slow piece is daunting and will test any pianist’s skills. It will be interesting to see how Mr.Thibaudet executes this!

The second Ravel piece is “Miroirs” (Reflections). This is such an interesting ( and apparently very difficult) composition. There are five movements in the suite and each piece is intended to make us visualise a reflection when a certain person looked into the mirror (hence “reflections”). Ravel dedicated each of the movements to five people he knew. What an interesting poetic approach to music! I am looking forward to listening to Mr.Thibaudet’s version.

Then we have Brahms’ Sonata No. 3 in F minor, another challenging work that requires a lot of skill. Brahms often found himself in the shadow of Beethoven and this sonata, celebrates Brahms’ love for Beethoven as we can hear the motif from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (Yipppeeeeeeeee…one of my favorites!) .

Tickets are available at the Michigan League Office or at the Box Office before the performance.

I could do with some end-of-semester stress-busting and listen to some good piano music (even if it means braving howling winds and the treacherous black ice). What about you?

Krithika, [art]seen reviewer

Krithika is now listening to Strauss’s “The Blue Danube Waltz”

REVIEW: A night to remember with Patti LuPone

November 21, 2009November 22, 2009 krithika

Patti LuPone’s “Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda” at the Hill Auditorium on Nov 20, 09

The one and only Patti Lupone — The one and only Patti LuPone

You gotta love a woman who starts a show with “Go Blue” and “Buckeyes suck”. To those of you who don’t know Patti Lupone (come on now, really? 😉 ), she’s one of the divas of Broadway whom you just gotta see. If you love musicals, then you would have definitely come across her.

The list of her awards- including Tonys, Best Actress in a Musical, etc. – is almost as long as her list of stage credits. She is one of the most illustrious stars of Broadway. Her critically acclaimed roles include Evita (she was the original Evita!), Sweeney Todd, “Fantine” in Les Miserables, Rose in Gypsy, just to name a wee few.

Patti LuPone was in town yesterday for her one-woman show “Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda”. This show is about the roles and songs that she could have, should have and would have done “had she been asked or had she been around or had she been a guy” (I faithfully quote her). She also delighted us with the roles she did play (oh yeah, she has had a great run).

Now, in concerts, the relationship between an audience and the artist is so different. Some artists are so god-like (and hence so cool and aloof) that the listeners, with a mingled feeling of respect and awe, sit up straight in their chairs, afraid to shift their bulk around. You can compare this to watching Zeus in heaven use his thunderbolts or the Berliner Philharmoniker perform, for instance.

Some other artists are so down-to-earth and warm that you feel as if you have been invited to a party in the artist’s very own living room and you kick off your shoes and swing your legs up on the chair in front of you. This would be like going to a party that playful musically-gifted Hermes throws or watching Patti (see, she made us feel so at home that I feel like I have known her for a really long time and I want to call her by her first name instead of the socially appropriate Ms. LuPone) perform.

Now about the show.

There was only Ms. Lupone’s magnificent brassy (and unique) voice and Mr. i-never-miss-a-beat-or-tune Joseph Thalken’ s piano sounds on stage.

Ms. Lupone, started off with a lovely opening melody followed by “An English Teacher” from “Bye, Bye, Birdie”. She then regaled us with tales about her own career in between the songs. She was just so hilarious that you gotta see it. There was never a dull moment to the show. Her choice of songs was great and that is very important for any artist. Had Patti played those roles, she would have definitely owned these too. Throughout her show that night, you could see the stamina, the mannerisms and the unmatchable multi-tasking ability of a true Broadway actress. Only an actress from Broadway can sing, act, pose, mimic, dance and look fabulous while doing it all.

Here’s a list of songs that she performed and my comments about them. I wish they had posted the list in the program notes. But then again, it would have ruined the surprise. I am giving this list as I want people to go check these out. They are the perfect songs for a gloomy winter day (sigh, we will be having so many of those soon).

An English Teacher- Bye Bye Birdie (hilarious!)

A Wonderful Guy- South Pacific

Don’t rain on my parade- Barbra Streisand (Oh, this was so power-packed and she rocked this song)

Easy to be hard- Hair (the high notes she hit in these were just mind-blowing)

Everything’s coming up Roses- Gypsy

She won a Tony award for her performance in this musical. You will know why when you listen to her.

You mustn’t be discouraged- Fade out Fade in (my second favorite)

This was her audition song for Juilliard. This song is set in one of those make-you-feel-good tunes…until you hear the lyrics.

“When you think you’ve hit the bottom
And you’re feeling mighty low,
You mustn’t feel discouraged –
There’s always one step further down you can go.”

The song only gets better and everybody was cracking up and I was laughing so hard that I almost fell off my seat (the guy sitting next to me didn’t notice as he was busy guffawing too).

Meadowlark- The Baker’s Wife

A boy Like that/ I have a love- West side story

Oh, this was so good- like eating fresh Creme Brulee at La Dolce Vita (hey, i just LOVE their desserts and am not advertising for them, ok).

A quiet thing- Flora the Red Menace (Originally sung by Liza Minelli)

Never Never Land- Peter Pan

This song is from the 1960 production of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, with Mary Martin as Peter. Aww…this was so good. I would love to be in a place where time is never planned. Wouldn’t we all?

Don’t Cry for me Argentina- Evita

My first favorite. This was so awesome. This is “her” song and she owns it. It doesn’t get better than this. You could see her transform into Evita (or Evita as we know her from musicals) almost instantly. The humor was gone and was replaced with the pleading in her voice that also conveyed power and charisma. I had to see it to believe it. This alone was worth going to the show.

Oh what a beautiful morning- Frank Sinatra (It was definitely a very beautiful evening for me.)

Trouble in River City (“Ya got Trouble”)– the Music Man

You just gotta listen to this song. Patti never missed a beat and it just suited her voice so well. She just fired all her guns and sang it at a faster pace than Robert Preston. I love Patti’s version better now. Wish she would release a recording of that. Sigh! Patti, are you listening?

How to handle a woman- King Arthur’s lament from Camelot

Cole Porter’s “So in Love”- from Kiss me, Kate

Sleepy man– Robber Bridegroom

This “duet” was awesome. Mr.Thalken did the background vocals while flipping the pages of the sheet music while continuing his smooth playing of course. I just love it when a person multi-tasks. 🙂

As long as he needs me- Oliver!

She then did a Sondheim Set. What a great composer Stephen Sondheim is!

I never do anything twice (the Madam’s song)– from the film The Seven-per-cent solution

Anyone can whistle-Anyone can whistle

As per the lyrics: “What’s hard is simple. What’s natural comes hard. ” What ??? I think will have to see the original musical to understand.

Send in the clowns– A Little Night Music

My Way- Frank Sinatra (loved this). With this perfectly apt song, Patti ended the absolutely beautiful evening.

Did you think that we let her go so easily? We begged for more. She sang Sondheim’s “Ladies who lunch” from the musical “Company”, Kurt Wiell’s “September Song” and a classic Sinatra “The way you look tonight” (she sang this without the mike and it was just so beautiful).

We were greedy and still wouldn’t let her go. The evening ended with the entire audience standing and Patti singing Sinatra’s “A 100 years from today” sans the piano and sans the microphone. The air was electrifying and there was complete silence except for Patti’s golden voice. The scene is still etched in my mind and that I feel is what every artist strives for- the undying adoration of a devout audience.

Still enchanted, Krithika, for [art]seen

Krithika is learning to whistle and if you hear sounds like the squeak of a trapped mouse or a horribly out-of-tune piccolo on campus, just ignore.

Disclaimer: If I have left out any song from the night’s performance or cited the wrong song, do lemme know. Folks, I am striving to be politically correct here, ok. 😉

Review: Woh, Berliner Philarmoniker

November 20, 2009November 28, 2009 Bennett

It’s the Berlin Philharmonic. They tell me that Berlin is one the greatest orchestras in the world today – maybe the greatest. So, how does this kid prepare for a taste of high culture? Roll out the tie and iron the slacks. Unfortunately, it is officially No Shave November so the scruffier-by-the-day beard effectively brought down the class level a few points. Nonetheless, roomie Evan and I looked relatively ready to face off against the suits that dominate the culture of classical music (a few pulls of the whiskey later, we felt ready as well). Again, in another affront to our front of respectability, running late, we rolled up our right pant legs and took the quick ride to Hill Auditorium, locking up the bicycles next to the heavily Cadillac’d valet service (at least they’re American, right?).

Now inside Hill, we raced to beat the bells telling us how many minutes until showtime (count the lobby bells – one bell a minute until takeoff at the typical Broadway show) – we quickly learned that, in Germany, there are only 25 seconds in a minute or the orchestra was really in a hurry to start. Finally, relaxed and seated in the velvety, red chairs of the Mezzanine, the show began.

Even for this inexperienced symphony-goer, it truly was a magical evening. I expected a very disciplined, accurate, and direct expression of the Brahms and Schoenberg on the program as this is a fairly common stereotype of German art and culture. Instead, we witnessed extreme emotional expositions from the 128 world-class musicians and their conductor and artistic director, Sir Simon Rattle. Rattle seemed to prompt the emotional outpouring with his long, white, curly, unkempt locks. Throughout the evening, Rattle flailed his entire body to all parts of the conductor platform engaging every member of the orchestra (and audience) in every movement of the orchestral pieces.

Simon Rattle Going Nuso — Simon Rattle Going Nutso (not at Hill, unfortunately)

In cooperation with Rattle, each musician moved with the flow of the music. At all other symphony performances I have attended, the musicians seemed intent on showing little personal emotion, letting the music have full control of the auditorium. The musicians would move nothing outside of the requisite for creating the note on the page in front of them. The musicians of the Berliner Philharmoniker, instead, more intimately evoked the headbanging performances of The Ramones (“The Berliner Philharmoniker Live @ CBGB! One Night Only!”). Each musician, on the edge of his or her (almost entirely his, unfortunately) chair, rolled back and forth with each note, expressing anguish in face and movement.

Oh, right, and the music. Hill Auditorium -the Ann Arbor stop in the middle of the New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles tour – was filled to capacity with the full sounds of the Brahms’ 3 and 4, and slightly challenged with the quieter, more internal study of Schoenberg’s ‘Music For A Cinema Scene’ (Begleitmusik zu einer Lichtspiel Szene). The symphony is a musical phenomenon, in itself, in its ability to so intensively align so many musicians in a common musical goal. The Berliner Philarmoniker fully accentuates this characteristic, totally engrossed in their communal need to be one.

And so, after 15 minutes of loud clapping and attempted whistles, we left amazed and emotionally drained. Although very much out of the comfortable habitat of $5 cover and over-power amps, we fit into our ties on Tuesday evening, forgot the cultural implications of classical music, and fixed ourselves in the orchestral experience.

Bennett. bstei@umich.edu.

REVIEW: When the Berliners held us captive

November 19, 2009November 19, 2009 krithika 1 Comment

It is a pleasure to be in Ann Arbor (thank you,UMS) which enjoys such exclusivity that it is often a stop along with the “other music capitals” on the tours that the best and the brilliant artists make. The pleasure turned into pure bliss when the Berliner Philharmoniker was in town yesterday.

Berliner Philharmoniker at the Hill auditorium

The Berliner Philharmoniker, one of the oldest as well as the best orchestras of today, is currently on a coast-to-coast seven-stop U.S. Tour. In September 2009, the orchestra released a recording of Brahms Symphonies (four in total), conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Hence on the U.S. tour, these symphonies play the centrepiece of their concerts along with Brahms’ other compositions and Schoenberg’s (an ardent lover of Brahms) creations too.

Sir Simon Rattle conducts with such precision and clarity (probably as was an orchestral percussionist himself) that even the listener will attune his emotions to the conductor’s movements (or so I felt). A far-sighted visionary with big plans for the Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Rattle is one of the main supporters of the Digital Concert Hall (I love this concept, check it out).

: Sir Simon Rattle

Now back to the performance.

Brahms’ Symphony # 3: the first piece of the evening

This symphony, in F Major is such a beautiful piece. First, a little on the structure of the symphony. The first movement ( in the tempo allegro con brio) starts very vigorously with a three note opening, the energy of which startles the listener, making him sit up straight and pay attention. There is a brief lull where the strings play an expressive melody and the opening theme comes back with full vigor. The notes go back and forth between the major and the minor modes. The theme is recurrent and there is a sense of foreboding and urgency.

The second movement is a slow one with a recurring theme, almost conversational, I feel. The horns,bassoons and the strings seem to be having a dialogue. There are many variations of the theme and it borders on being sad in a restful quiet way.

The third movement is faster and more melodious. I LOVED this the best. There is a mode change and the theme is briefly optimistic before returning to a sad melody.

The final fourth movement starts in hushed tones. But then suddenly, you hear the theme from the second movement, with the dynamics completely different this time, played in a loud confident manner. The ending is soft and inconclusive.

In this symphony, there isn’t much percussion. But then the staccatos and the abrupt note changes of the strings almost keep a rhythm going. There are so many layers of emotions to this symphony that it is unbelievable.

My interpretation of symphony No.3

As I was listening to the symphony, I could imagine a story unfolding. The first movement starts with news of the war (the brisk energy). There is panic and the womenfolk mumble softly among themselves (the strings). Then the Prince leaves along with the warriors (the resounding ending).

The second movement is about the conversations of the womenfolk left behind. The Princess and her friends talk among themselves about their men. There is talk of separation( the quiet melancholic tone) and of pride in the Prince’s valor ( the buoyant tone, especially of the horn). I also “saw” the mixing of the sad and buoyant tones this way- “Someone was about to burst into tears but then they changed their mind as if they suddenly remembered something to be happy about.”

As for the third movement, news from the battlefield returns and the town is mourning for the lost Prince, also feared to be dead (the almost sad theme). There are some rumors that he might be alive (the minor-to-major mode change). But then that is not so and the princess mourns along with her subjects (the main melody played by the horn and taken by the string section).

In the finale, they are still mourning (hushed voices). There is more sadness (theme from the second movement). There is finally good news that the Prince has returned triumphant and all rejoice (the resounding trumpets and the entire orchestra). The princess tells the Prince about what she went through (the second movement theme again) and there is a quiet and thankful rejoicing (the first movement theme returns). It all ends with all wondering if there would be another war (the mysterious ending).

Back to the performance

Moving on to the performance of the Berlin Philharmonic in particular, their rendition of Symphony #3 was out of the ordinary. I was seated in the second row and I could see the players so close. They were completely one with the music (some were playing it by heart) and I felt that the beauty of Brahms’ work shone through purely because of the conductor’s and the musicians’ interpretation. In this symphony, the horn, bassoon and the contrabassoon hold such a key part and the players were absolutely brilliant. The string section was of course amazing too.

Arnold Schoenberg’s “Begleitmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene”

After a 20 minute intermission, the orchestra treated us to one of Schoenberg’s works.

Titled “Begleitmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene” (music to accompany a film scene, this was so different. It is a perfect example of Schoenberg’s 12-tone system and it was disturbing. It had three sections- danger, fear and catastrophe. The first thing that came to mind was that it was perfect background music for a classic Hitchcock movie, especially “Birds”.

Brahms’ Symphony No.4

Next, the orchestra performed symphony #4 in E Minor. This was Brahms’ final symphony and is considered one of his most celebrated works.

To me, the first movement was the many bests of the evening. There are two themes (rhythmic and lyrical) to this one that keep entwining about one other, one soft and the other energetic and the final coda is an explosive outburst that brings the two themes together. I absolutely loved the soft melody of the strings and the exuberant end of this movement. The second movement also has a similar thing going on.

The third movement, the only real scherzo of Brahms’s symphonies, is so energetic and triumphant.The clarity and sharpness given by the timpanist as well as violins was so clear here.

The fourth movement is like a roller coaster ride- with a initial bass theme followed by one of the most beautiful violin melodies and then a resounding crescendo. Then the tempo slows down and there is a flute solo followed by other solos while the violins are softly playing in the background. In the end, we hear the turbulent opening theme of the finale again and there is a somewhat sad ending that leaves you wanting for more.

And we wanted more too as we pleaded in vain with Sir Rattle for an encore. Alas, we didn’t get an encore and while I believe in moderation- in-everything, it definitely does not apply to doses of divine music like these.

Krithika, [art]seen reviewer

Krithika is still in heaven after the night’s performance and will resume earthly duties only when it is absolutely impossible to procrastinate any further. 🙂

PREVIEW: Berliner Philharmoniker

November 15, 2009November 16, 2009 krithika

Berliner Philharmoniker

Sir Simon Rattle, conductor
Tuesday, November 17, 8 pm
Hill Auditorium

This is THE perfect orchestra experience you have been looking for. Founded during UMS’s third season in 1882, the Berliner Philharmoniker has long been considered one of the world’s finest orchestras.

To quote from the UMS website:-

Sir Simon Rattle, their new music director, has conducted many of the world’s great orchestras. In addition to his duties in Berlin, he regularly guest conducts the Vienna Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and other celebrated ensembles. Rattle makes his UMS debut with this appearance, which features Brahms’s final two symphonies as well as film music composed by Schoenberg. This exclusive tour will include only a handful of US cities — New York, Chicago, Boston, and Ann Arbor.

Please note that the Berliner Philharmoniker has requested that late seating for this performance occur at intermission — after the first complete work on the program.

Program
· Brahms : Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90 (1883)
· Schoenberg : Begleitmusik zu einer Lichstspielszene, Op. 34 (1929-30)
· Brahms : Symphony No. 4 in e minor, Op. 98 (1884-5)

On 18 December 2008, the Orchestra announced the creation of a Digital Concert Hall: this new Internet platform will enable music fans all over the world to see and hear the Philharmonic’s concerts – live or on demand. There was a free performance sponsored by the Deutsch Bank around two months back. But I had missed it. So I am so excited to see the real deal.

Student rush tickets are difficult to get. But there might be some rush tickets at the box office on the day of the performance due to cancellations. See you there, folks.

Krithika, [art]seen reviewer

Krithika loves to get comments 🙂