What are we expecting when we go to hear an orchestra perform? All too often we go hoping to hear the depths of our soul explored profoundly in sound. We arrive at the hall hoping for a transformative moment of technical perfection and artistic mastery. If you went to Singletary Center of Friday night to hear the UK Symphony Orchestra seeking a moment like this, you probably left disappointed. That is, unless you were the mother of one of the bepimpled Tubists who had their first chance, and likely their last, to take center stage and play a melody, a real melody. So what if it was the Dies Irae, a tune about the day of wrath, your boy finally got to be a star. But I digress, the evening wasn't a perfect performance, and no ones life was changed. If your standards for evaluating a performance depend on technical perfection, this was just another night amidst what will be a lifetime of musical disappointments.
The evening started with Les Torreadors from Bizet's opera, Carmen. The piece doesn't really relate to the others performed, but it seems that conductor John Nardolillo wanted to start the evening with energy and excitement, and Les Torreadors did the trick.
The premiere of Pasatieri's first Symphony was nice. It avoided tired cliches and presented a number of bright young performers the opportunity to show their capacity to tackle a challenging solo and make good art. This one movement symphony is unlikely to make its way into the repertoire of any major orchestra, but it is also unlikely to disappoint an honest audience when it is played.
Symphonie Fantastique, went like it usually does; the audience and performers alike, just waiting for the final two movements to arrive. The orchestra had some really nice moments, particularly at the high energy bits. The more exposed parts were somewhat less successful, even predictably so. An english horn betrayed its english hornist in the way that english horns so often do. And the varied attacks on the strings sections unison pizzicatos reminded everyone just how hard it is play together. But all in all, the mistakes were not too egregious to ruin what was otherwise a really nice performance. No, lives weren't changed and history was not made, but music was, and I'm glad I went.
Disclaimer - I do not know if the tubists were "bepimpled" or not. I thought it was just a funny stereotype to poke fun at... this may be over the line, and if I had to turn this in to a newspaper, or publication of some kind I probably wouldn't include it without seeking many other opinions first. But with in the spirit of learning from others, I figured I'd throw it out there. Feel free to tell me if you think it is unacceptable and crossed a line. I'll take it in the spirit of constructive criticism.
ReplyDeleteNathan, I didn't take offense at the "bepimpled" tubists, reading it as they are young kids whose hormones had not settled, but it is edgy and for some (brass players or their parents), it may be over the line. Maybe "freckled faced" would be less offensive.
ReplyDeleteBut your review reads ambivalently. Were I to have read just the first paragraph, I would think the concert was a failure, as they did not deliver on what you assume people "all too often" hope to experience: "to hear the depths of our soul explored profoundly in sound." [Or is "feel" a better verb than "hear" when you speak about the soul being explored?]
But your last paragraph, which proclaimed the performance "really nice." save for some mistakes that were not too egregious.
I don't know if you think context and the particular situation matter as I do. The UKSO is not the BSO or the NYP or CSO--Boston, NY, Chicago. These are mostly young students who had three weeks to put the program together and they played their hearts out.
I'm not sure I go to concerts expecting my soul to be tickled and transformed, but mine actually was, and I am so proud of these students.
When Anthony Tommasini was here some years ago and got to hear the UK orchestra (not nearly as good as it is now), he commented that they had something the NY Phil didn't, and that was a youthful vigor and enthusiasm that is too often lacking in professional orchestras. I feel that whenever they play a concert. But perhaps I am not critical enough to be a critic!
Thanks for your review though. It's inspired me to counter it!
Dr. Brunner,
ReplyDeleteI think I fell short of the mark i was intending to hit. The goal of my review was to take a shot at those who wouldn't appreciate this concert due to a few minor mistakes. you're right that the first paragraph reads as a negative review. I had hoped that the last paragraph would temper the first and challenge those over-harsh critics' perspective. The final sentence of the first paragraph seems to indicate that I felt the concert was a musical disappointment, which is not accurate of how I experienced the concert. I was only hoping to point out that those who expect too much will never appreciate music, but will instead lead a disappointing musical life.
I've reworked the opening paragraph below. I hope this help make my perspective a little clearer:
"What are we expecting when we go to hear an orchestra perform? All too often we go hoping to have the depths of our soul explored profoundly in sound. Do we arrive at the hall hoping for a transformative moment of technical perfection and artistic mastery? If you went to Singletary Center of Friday night to hear the UK Symphony Orchestra seeking a moment like this, you probably left disappointed. But that sort of performance perspective prevents one from enjoying a concert like Friday's; A concert in which students overcame challenges and made some really good music. I don't think you have to be one of the mothers of the bepimpled Tubists, who had their first (and likely last) chance to take center stage and play a melody, to have enjoyed this exciting concert. But if your standards for evaluating a performance depend on technical perfection, this was just another night amidst what will be a lifetime of musical disappointments."