Good morning! I apologize again for abandoning this diary of musical insight from a somewhat well trained amateur musician. It is funny that starting a new blog for work has brought me back to this blog today. Life, again, swept me away from my musical musings, yet life has deposited me again along its soft, sandy shores to write to you, loyal and undaunted reader, my inconsequential and lackluster opinions and experiences in music.
Since last writing, my non-musical schedule has increased, causing me to relax my role in the ever-improving UMBC Symphony. They really are a great bunch of young players and I am excited for my alma mater as they grow better and better musicians and prepare to move into a new facility. The spring concert is approaching and I am only playing on one piece and playing second trumpet, which is just fine with me. I will be performing on Parade by Erik Satie. This was one of my favorite pieces from college when everyday was filled with analyzing the fascinating works of the late romantic, impressionist, and modern music eras. Parade is a ballet with caricatures of different circus acts. The original performance had its sets and costumes designed by Pablo Picasso, concept written by Jean Cocteau, and was written for Diaghilev's ballet, and the choreography by Leonide Massine. It truly was all the mediums of the time merging into one.
To perform the piece is just plain fun. There are typewriters, a lottery wheel, milk bottles, a little ragtime, and of course the siren. The siren poses the only difficulty, which is to not smile and giggle during those sections when playing. The piece, in my opinion, is very successful in recreating the fun atmosphere and transporting the listener to the mood of a circus. Check it out on May 5th at UMBC Recital Hall.
In other musical news, a friend and I attended the Bond and Beyond concert by the BSO. I am a huge James Bond fan (I will not bore you trying to justify my statement). The pieces selected for the concert were quite nice overall. I was happy to hear the main themes from You Only Live Twice, and From Russia With Love, and the guest vocalist did well with the theme from Goldfinger. After intermission, the program strayed to Secret Agent Man, the Soul Bossa Nova (Austin Powers theme), and Concerto for Cellphone, before returning to Bond for the theme from Skyfall, and then a medley of themes they missed to close the concert. The Concerto for Cellphone, which is a charming piece, and not really written to be a mockery, was performed as such. The guest vocalist didn't have the pipes to hold up to Adele with the Skyfall theme, and in my opinion, the orchestra was not putting its full effort into the surprisingly challenging music from the James Bond films. I was also irritated that the orchestra used a synthesizer for the trademark low range electric guitar solos in the principle James Bond theme. The keyboard didn't sound like a guitar, nor did the attack of the notes sound clean or edgy. The intent of the concert was billed to honor the music, while it felt like the concert was made to mock. I understand it was a pops concert, but as a James Bond fan, I felt as if the group was humiliating one of the key characters: the soundtrack. You can't separate the image of Sean Connery riding along the romantic Orient Express without hearing those sweeping strings, or Daniel Craig running through the streets of a city in Madagascar without the flairing brass behind him. The concert left me somewhat heartbroken, to be honest.
Thanks to graduate school and being a grown up, I had to be more selective of my summer music ticket purchases. I chose two shows. Fun and the Lumineers. I will do my best to write about those shows in the near future. Until then, my loyal, loving, doting, reader, I bid you a good afternoon.
Since last writing, my non-musical schedule has increased, causing me to relax my role in the ever-improving UMBC Symphony. They really are a great bunch of young players and I am excited for my alma mater as they grow better and better musicians and prepare to move into a new facility. The spring concert is approaching and I am only playing on one piece and playing second trumpet, which is just fine with me. I will be performing on Parade by Erik Satie. This was one of my favorite pieces from college when everyday was filled with analyzing the fascinating works of the late romantic, impressionist, and modern music eras. Parade is a ballet with caricatures of different circus acts. The original performance had its sets and costumes designed by Pablo Picasso, concept written by Jean Cocteau, and was written for Diaghilev's ballet, and the choreography by Leonide Massine. It truly was all the mediums of the time merging into one.
To perform the piece is just plain fun. There are typewriters, a lottery wheel, milk bottles, a little ragtime, and of course the siren. The siren poses the only difficulty, which is to not smile and giggle during those sections when playing. The piece, in my opinion, is very successful in recreating the fun atmosphere and transporting the listener to the mood of a circus. Check it out on May 5th at UMBC Recital Hall.
In other musical news, a friend and I attended the Bond and Beyond concert by the BSO. I am a huge James Bond fan (I will not bore you trying to justify my statement). The pieces selected for the concert were quite nice overall. I was happy to hear the main themes from You Only Live Twice, and From Russia With Love, and the guest vocalist did well with the theme from Goldfinger. After intermission, the program strayed to Secret Agent Man, the Soul Bossa Nova (Austin Powers theme), and Concerto for Cellphone, before returning to Bond for the theme from Skyfall, and then a medley of themes they missed to close the concert. The Concerto for Cellphone, which is a charming piece, and not really written to be a mockery, was performed as such. The guest vocalist didn't have the pipes to hold up to Adele with the Skyfall theme, and in my opinion, the orchestra was not putting its full effort into the surprisingly challenging music from the James Bond films. I was also irritated that the orchestra used a synthesizer for the trademark low range electric guitar solos in the principle James Bond theme. The keyboard didn't sound like a guitar, nor did the attack of the notes sound clean or edgy. The intent of the concert was billed to honor the music, while it felt like the concert was made to mock. I understand it was a pops concert, but as a James Bond fan, I felt as if the group was humiliating one of the key characters: the soundtrack. You can't separate the image of Sean Connery riding along the romantic Orient Express without hearing those sweeping strings, or Daniel Craig running through the streets of a city in Madagascar without the flairing brass behind him. The concert left me somewhat heartbroken, to be honest.
Thanks to graduate school and being a grown up, I had to be more selective of my summer music ticket purchases. I chose two shows. Fun and the Lumineers. I will do my best to write about those shows in the near future. Until then, my loyal, loving, doting, reader, I bid you a good afternoon.
