I do not listen to as much instrumental music as I would like and when I do listen, I often have it on as background while I do something else. This makes me miss out on actually appreciating the music. I have wanted to listen to all of Beethoven's symphonies in order for a while now. What better way than to exercise to them? Since many musicologists, who are far more academically qualified than I, have analyzed these masterful symphonies, I shall give you, dear reader, my general and exercise-related impressions.
The particular rendition I listened to is Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic. I chose it because Bernstein's interpretations are legendary, as is the New York Phil. Also, it is easy to find on Spotify. The first movement has a lot of energy, but the beat was too fast to match to my jogging pace. The terraced dynamics make for interesting listening, but didn't help my energy. On a side note, I love the unsettling opening chords. It really got my attention from the beginning, especially since I was expecting a pompous "PAY ATTENTION RIGHT NOW! THE PIECE IS STARTING AND HERE'S YOUR HEART ATTACK FOR TODAY" tonic chord. The second movement created this buoyant, lovely atmosphere that made for a scenic and relaxing end of my jog. Again, though, it was just the wrong tempo for my step. A little too slow this time. Movement three came on during my cool-down walk. It is adorable and exuberant. Wrong tempo again, but fabulous if you need a short palate-cleanser in the midst of a pop playlist. Movement four has excellent, driven energy. This is a perfect addition for a long-distance jog playlist. The tempo is a tad too slow for my short-person stride, but there is so much wonderful forward momentum in the music that it would be ideal for the end of a lengthy jog. Stats: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 I. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio (9:09) II. Andante cantabile con moto (7:42) III. Menuetto - Allegro molto e vivace (3:18) IV. Finale. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace (5:43) Total Time - 25:52 Verdict: Not quite right for my workout, but I enjoyed it: mezzo-piano.
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I discovered this buried in my drafts. Apparently I finished it, but never posted it. Oops! The performance was on April 26, 2014. Enjoy! The setting: The not-so-distant future, when overpopulation and global warming have made water and other natural resources very, very scarce. The cast: A traveling acting troupe, a gaggle of orphans, and a tribe of desert people. The fare: Theatre of the Absurd bookended by environmentalist surrealism. Opera Parallele's presentation of two one-acts warning of selfishness and decadence was excellent. OP seamlessly melded the two works and crafted them into a play-within-a-play form. They presented it as a wandering theater troupe who stops to present a morality play for a group of desert people. The staging was a bit static in a couple places and the acting unfocused at times, but the singing was very good throughout. The least exciting moments came in Mahagonny at the beginning. The ensembles are very challenging, so the director catered to that, clumping the unsavory gentlemen beautifully singing the quartet ("Auf nach Mahagonny") together for a card game at the edge of the stage. This was fabulous for the sound and the cohesion between the orchestra and singers and was in keeping with the narrative and characterization, but visually and emotionally it was somehow not engaging. The set design was inventive, with a full-sized, functioning boat on wheels that had a foldout platform attached as the biggest and most impressive set piece. Unfortunately, it was quite heavy, and it seemed the cast had not had enough time to play with and get used to it. The lighting catered and contributed to the atmospheric changes onstage. The costumes were interesting but not distracting. In short, the design team did a great job. All of the performers were top-notch. Even the chorus was engaged and vibrant. They sang well, with good verve, volume, and cohesion. The children, culled from the San Francisco Girls' Chorus, were charming with a healthy dose of annoying (when they were supposed to be so). The main cast was quite excellent. Rachel Schutz particularly stood out and did a good job changing her physicality for her different characters. Her lovely and expressive voice carried clearly through the hall. Throughout his life, Bertolt Brecht was adamant that theater should make the audience THINK, not FEEL. He put forth that theater should be a call to action; the audience should leave the theater uneasy and wanting to DO something, rather than feeling cleansed by and reveling in the catharsis they just experienced. However, his Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect) tends to not be very endearing. People enjoy being immersed and lost in a narrative; escapism is the name of the game, with fantasy films (yes, superhero movies count as fantasy) and comedies topping the movie box office charts. OP struck a working balance between call to action and narrative. It was a cerebrally and emotionally engaging and thoroughly enjoyable show. Washington Concert Opera's concert production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi was sublime. End of story. I wanted to write something insightful and nuanced about this experience, but I really don't have much beyond the fact that it was practically flawless, deeply moving, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Antony Walker's conducting was splendid. He literally jumped up and down on the podium and had incredible energy through the whole opera. I started smiling literally seconds into the overture; he was so into the music and the orchestra played so brilliantly together that I knew this was going to be a great show. Walker also kept the tempi moving, which was lovely because there is nothing worse than lugubrious, self-indulgent Bellini. Bravo Maestro. Kate Lindsey (Romeo) stole the show. Apparently this was her first time performing the role, but you wouldn't know it to experience her sensitive phrasing and nuanced acting. Her voice was warm and even through the registers. Her consummate artistry had me riveted and breathless almost the entire time. The entire cast was wonderful. Nicole Cabell (Giulietta) gave a beautiful and committed performance. The role of Giulietta can easily drift into wallowing teenager mode, but Cabell gave her character exactly the right amount of sadness and was never over the top. David Portillo (Tebaldo) really made an impression with his clarion, pleasant voice and engaging presence; after Kate Lindsey, he was my favorite performer of the night. Jeffrey Beruan (Capellio) sang with a lovely round tone. The weakest performer was Liam Moran (Lorenzo), but even he sang very well and delivered a solid performance. I enjoyed every second of this excellent production. Bravi tutti! |
AuthorMaayan is a Manhattan-based opera singer. Archives
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