Groovin'
Steve gave me tickets for the Messiah performed by the Seattle Symphony. Both he and Paula's day jobs are at the YMCA, and there is a patron who knows Steve is a musician and has given him tickets for several performances he couldn't attend. Sadly Steve has not been able to go to any himself, and this time Beth and I were the beneficiaries.
The Seattle Symphony and Seattle Symphony Chorale performed spectacularly. I found my critique was very much from a theatrical point of view, a personal revelation of sorts. The pluses first.
Awe inspiring. The music made my eyes water and my entire face grin. The music and song were spectacular. I grew up hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's recording in the house during the Christmas and Easter seasons. I'm not familiar with many classical music pieces, though I love classical music. It was great to hear one of the few I know well. I still hear mangled lyrics, and had no desire to look at the actual lyrics. The baritone sings a refrain something like "The Lord God is Great." I heard it as a kid as "The food here tastes strange!" I got chewed out for singing it wrong, and have never wanted to hear the 'real' words. The other one that sticks with me is where I hear "Constable! Constable!" instead of "Wonderful counselor." I think I remember those fractured lyrics, because they are two of my favorite sections of the Messiah.
They had four guest artists. A soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, and baritone. Normally baritones are my favorite, but the tenor had so much life and clarity he was by far my favorite male voice. The mezzo soprano was my favorite female voice. She felt richer and deeper. Was I happy that the only time the guest artists sang together was a duet for the tenor and mezzo soprano. One of those times when my eyes were watering and face grinning at the same time.
The chorus and the symphony were stunning. I could detect individual voices, but they sang and played as one. Incredible. Even the violin trills were in perfect synch. I was in heaven.
The Hallelujah chorus came along. I like it, but it is not actually my favorite part. The whole audience stood up for it, and the musicians and singers caught fire. I'd been impressed with their energy and presence before, but this was a whole new level. Their love and connection with the chorus and each other stopped your breath. I was stunned and slightly disappointed at the same time. It felt a bit like actors reciting lines, and only becoming alive for their favorite scenes or the ones they understood the best. I felt the same disappointment in the last year with Seattle Shake's production of King Lear and the Seattle Rep's production of Romeo and Juliet.
I know theaters often bring in musicians and conductors to productions. I couldn't help but think they needed something similar, bringing theatre professionals to the symphony. I wondered to myself, what if the symphony and chorale warmed up with something like the Hallelujah chorus, and brought that energy and connection with them from the start. I would love to experience a piece of music like that with the performers fully committed, present, and connected for the duration. The phrasing of the music (and conducting I'm sure) gives the changes which are needed, and would be all the more spectacular for the added life.
All in all, I'd love to shake everyone's hand who performed or crewed, look them in the eye and say "Thank you." I was motivated by the performance, and just did some music shopping. The version of Messiah I heard as a kid, a higher rated one, Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (the Bernstein version which I listened to as a kid), The Planets Suite (probably not the version I remember as a kid), Rigoletto, Lohengrin, and several other pieces.
The Seattle Symphony and Seattle Symphony Chorale performed spectacularly. I found my critique was very much from a theatrical point of view, a personal revelation of sorts. The pluses first.
Awe inspiring. The music made my eyes water and my entire face grin. The music and song were spectacular. I grew up hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's recording in the house during the Christmas and Easter seasons. I'm not familiar with many classical music pieces, though I love classical music. It was great to hear one of the few I know well. I still hear mangled lyrics, and had no desire to look at the actual lyrics. The baritone sings a refrain something like "The Lord God is Great." I heard it as a kid as "The food here tastes strange!" I got chewed out for singing it wrong, and have never wanted to hear the 'real' words. The other one that sticks with me is where I hear "Constable! Constable!" instead of "Wonderful counselor." I think I remember those fractured lyrics, because they are two of my favorite sections of the Messiah.
They had four guest artists. A soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, and baritone. Normally baritones are my favorite, but the tenor had so much life and clarity he was by far my favorite male voice. The mezzo soprano was my favorite female voice. She felt richer and deeper. Was I happy that the only time the guest artists sang together was a duet for the tenor and mezzo soprano. One of those times when my eyes were watering and face grinning at the same time.
The chorus and the symphony were stunning. I could detect individual voices, but they sang and played as one. Incredible. Even the violin trills were in perfect synch. I was in heaven.
The Hallelujah chorus came along. I like it, but it is not actually my favorite part. The whole audience stood up for it, and the musicians and singers caught fire. I'd been impressed with their energy and presence before, but this was a whole new level. Their love and connection with the chorus and each other stopped your breath. I was stunned and slightly disappointed at the same time. It felt a bit like actors reciting lines, and only becoming alive for their favorite scenes or the ones they understood the best. I felt the same disappointment in the last year with Seattle Shake's production of King Lear and the Seattle Rep's production of Romeo and Juliet.
I know theaters often bring in musicians and conductors to productions. I couldn't help but think they needed something similar, bringing theatre professionals to the symphony. I wondered to myself, what if the symphony and chorale warmed up with something like the Hallelujah chorus, and brought that energy and connection with them from the start. I would love to experience a piece of music like that with the performers fully committed, present, and connected for the duration. The phrasing of the music (and conducting I'm sure) gives the changes which are needed, and would be all the more spectacular for the added life.
All in all, I'd love to shake everyone's hand who performed or crewed, look them in the eye and say "Thank you." I was motivated by the performance, and just did some music shopping. The version of Messiah I heard as a kid, a higher rated one, Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (the Bernstein version which I listened to as a kid), The Planets Suite (probably not the version I remember as a kid), Rigoletto, Lohengrin, and several other pieces.
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