More Symphony Rambles
Tonight was a program called 'Pan American Mavericks' -- that is, Central and South American. Interesting stuff, with the two halves being very, very different.
But first, a brief digression on the beautiousness (if that isn't a real word it should be :-)) of the conductor. Michael Tilson Thomas is just so lovely to watch (and listen to....) He'll be 57 in a week, and you would never know it to see him (I will find a link to post to the San Francisco Symphony web site, and put it in a different message.) He is one of the reasons that I have *no* problem with Qui-Gon being older. Yum yum yum.
Usually my seats are sort of behind and to the side of the orchestra itself, and I get to see MTT's face and hands & all that (as well as being practically on top of the musicians). The Chorus was in the Terrace seats tonight, so they had to give different seats to the Terrace subscribers, and I ended up in the middle of the 'Orchestra' seats, about half-way back & with a perfect view from the back. He really does have lovely shoulders, etc, etc, etc. It was nice to have the back view for once :-).
Annnnny way. The music.
The first piece was Edgar Varese - Deserts. Very fifties experimental. It had some very interesting moments, and did indeed feel rather like hearing a broadcast from some time and place distant from our own - part of the piece is *early* electronica -- a tape Varese made to go with the instruments, both as kind of interludes and overlapping. But it was well before synthesisers were available.
Then came the premier of Henry Brant's 'Ice Fields' wherein different bits of the orchestra were scattered about the hall -- which, since Brant wrote the piece to be played in Davies Hall, worked quite well -- and the composer himself improvised on the Great Big Organ. Boy was that piece strange.
It was reminiscent of some of the Ives stuff, but didn't have the hymnody underpinning it, so it was often very scattered and not very coherent. A tour de force of playing, though, and all the musicians were having a good time.
After the intermission we gon Astor Piazzolla's 'Tangazo' which is *lovely*. Melancholy and compelling and very sonorous. It went nicely with images of Moulin Rouge's Tango de Roxanne. Just gorgeous.
And finishing off the evening was Heitor Villa-Lobos - Choros No 10. With Chorus :-). Intricate and constantly moving, very rhythmic. There are 17 soloists during the vocal part, and they sing a series of SoAm Indian names and words in a percussive and driving way, like drums in a jungle, and the main chorus sings a Brazilian/Portugese song called 'Tear my Heart'. It has a lot of the emotional punch and balance of Duel of the Fates (which was *not* a drawback!). As MTT said in his intro - rather like the soundtrack would have been had Stravinsky ever collaborated with Esther Williams :-).
All in all very interesting, but I expect I would have appreciated the first half of the program better if I hadn't been feeling headachy & sore.
And I am going to bed now, the electric blanket will have warmed it all up for me.
Pleasant dreams to all.
But first, a brief digression on the beautiousness (if that isn't a real word it should be :-)) of the conductor. Michael Tilson Thomas is just so lovely to watch (and listen to....) He'll be 57 in a week, and you would never know it to see him (I will find a link to post to the San Francisco Symphony web site, and put it in a different message.) He is one of the reasons that I have *no* problem with Qui-Gon being older. Yum yum yum.
Usually my seats are sort of behind and to the side of the orchestra itself, and I get to see MTT's face and hands & all that (as well as being practically on top of the musicians). The Chorus was in the Terrace seats tonight, so they had to give different seats to the Terrace subscribers, and I ended up in the middle of the 'Orchestra' seats, about half-way back & with a perfect view from the back. He really does have lovely shoulders, etc, etc, etc. It was nice to have the back view for once :-).
Annnnny way. The music.
The first piece was Edgar Varese - Deserts. Very fifties experimental. It had some very interesting moments, and did indeed feel rather like hearing a broadcast from some time and place distant from our own - part of the piece is *early* electronica -- a tape Varese made to go with the instruments, both as kind of interludes and overlapping. But it was well before synthesisers were available.
Then came the premier of Henry Brant's 'Ice Fields' wherein different bits of the orchestra were scattered about the hall -- which, since Brant wrote the piece to be played in Davies Hall, worked quite well -- and the composer himself improvised on the Great Big Organ. Boy was that piece strange.
It was reminiscent of some of the Ives stuff, but didn't have the hymnody underpinning it, so it was often very scattered and not very coherent. A tour de force of playing, though, and all the musicians were having a good time.
After the intermission we gon Astor Piazzolla's 'Tangazo' which is *lovely*. Melancholy and compelling and very sonorous. It went nicely with images of Moulin Rouge's Tango de Roxanne. Just gorgeous.
And finishing off the evening was Heitor Villa-Lobos - Choros No 10. With Chorus :-). Intricate and constantly moving, very rhythmic. There are 17 soloists during the vocal part, and they sing a series of SoAm Indian names and words in a percussive and driving way, like drums in a jungle, and the main chorus sings a Brazilian/Portugese song called 'Tear my Heart'. It has a lot of the emotional punch and balance of Duel of the Fates (which was *not* a drawback!). As MTT said in his intro - rather like the soundtrack would have been had Stravinsky ever collaborated with Esther Williams :-).
All in all very interesting, but I expect I would have appreciated the first half of the program better if I hadn't been feeling headachy & sore.
And I am going to bed now, the electric blanket will have warmed it all up for me.
Pleasant dreams to all.