Brief Reviews

Music at Emory presented a recital by Timothy Albrecht playing the Schwartz Center’s Daniel Jaeckel Opus 45 pipe organ with fifty-four stops and 3,605 pipes in a cherry-wood case. Albrecht is Emory’s University organist.  The program included works ranging from Bach to Keith Chapman.  The highlight was Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E Minor.  This piece demonstrated the power of the organ in a warm acoustical environment.  Liszt’ Hexameron also was a showpiece, especially for the bells and birds of the organ.  Albrecht is talented and the program was satisfying.  Given the quality of the playing, I can forgive Albrecht’s red tie and matching red socks. 

“Music on the Hill” at Atlanta’s Northside Drive Baptist Church is a hidden gem.  The most recent concert included the Piano Trios of Beethoven, Turina and Schumann, play by Olga Shpitko, Violin; Sarah Kapps, Cello; and Peter Marshall, Piano.  The Beethoven was wonderful.  The second movement is dark and cloudy, giving rise to the Trio’s subtitle “Ghost.”  The surprise of the program was the Trio No. 2 in B Minor of Turina.  He is an unappreciated and underrepresented composer who lived until the middle of the last century.  His music is colorful and rather impressionistic.  The Trio bears a resemblance to Debussy’s music, but that comparison diminishes the inventiveness of Turina. The Schumann was also skillfully played.  The Trio No. I in D minor is a good example of the composer’s romanticism.  The chapel at the Northside Drive Baptist Church is perfect for chamber music.  The sound is strong, yet warm and reverberant. 

A Wonderful Celebration.....

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, under music director Robert Spano, presented its annual “A King Celebration Concert” to honor the work of Martin Luther King.  The program included:

Beethoven- Overture to Fidelio

Traditional:  “Elijah Rock”

Brahms: “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” from “A German Requiem”

Schwanterner: “New Morning for the World,” with Narrator Mayor Kasim Reed

Dvorak: Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra

The Spellman College Glee Club and Morehouse College Glee Club were featured in the Elijah and Brahms.  Yo Yo Ma was the cello soloist. 

This concert was sold out and broadcast nationwide.  It was nothing less than spectacular. 

The “Elijah Rock” piece was a show case of the strength of the two Glee Clubs.  The agony, outrage, and triumph of the African American experience were portrayed powerfully in this piece.  The scream of sopranos was potent and heartfelt.  Special kudos goes to Dr. Kevin Johnson for preparing and conducting this piece.
 

The Brahms German Requiem is a magnificent piece, although some call it old fashioned, I find it spiritually moving and beautiful.  It focuses on the sadness of coming to grips with someone’s death and it attempts to provide comfort for those left behind.   It does not rely on Christian views of death and the afterlife, but rather Brahms’ own spiritual journey.   The performance use a Robert Shaw- developed English translation of Brahms’ lyrics.  I found this version to be a bit distracting; I like the mystery provided by hearing it sung in German.  The combined Glee Clubs sang without much subtlety, but what they lost in finesse, they made up in strength. 

I am not familiar with the work of Pulitzer Prize winning composer Joseph Schwantner.  His website describes him as …”one of the most prominent American composers today…” and I will take his word for it.  “New Morning” is an orchestral piece with interspersed spoken quotes from Dr. King.  The work began with a focus on the xylophone and marimba.  I was wary that this would be just one more not-so-memorable composition of modern composers that rely on these two instruments in combination with the tympani.  But, the piece was effective and immediately accessible.  It is not particularly melodic, but it uses the color of the orchestra to great and powerful effect.  Narrating Dr. King’s words was Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed.  After each carefully timed (and  Spano-cued) quote, the score provided a musical reaction of sorts.  The only downside of the performance was the bugaboo of Symphony Hall’s acoustics and their inhospitality to the amplified voice.  The magnificent King words were difficult to understand, which blunted their effect.  Reed’s somewhat thing voice did not seem to enhance the solemnity of the presentation.  But “New Morning” is a great work of tribute to Dr. King.

The second half of the concert was dedicated to Dvorak and YoYo Ma.  It is difficult to describe the experience of seeing and hearing Mr. Ma perform.  There is no doubt that he is a master, a genius, and a gentleman.  I knew that I was hearing a performance that was electric and ecstatic.  Ma plays with such deeply felt emotion that his face becomes transformed with ecstasy. I was transfixed by watching and listening to him.  He has a proper mix of aggressiveness and lyricism, which is a difficult balance to maintain (one need only refer back to the performance of the Brahms’ Double concerto earlier in the ASO season to realize how a work suffers when a soloist does not achieve this balance).  Ma was gracious at the end of the work, in a style that only the most accomplished and assured can pull off.  He thanked Maestro Spano, and each of the members of the orchestra who contributed significantly to the performance.  He actually walked around the orchestra and individually shook the hands of key performers.  He gave special recognition to concertmaster David Coucheron, who played a wonderful duet with Ma during the final movement of the concerto.  At the end of the performance, the audience leapt to its collective feet and shouted cheers of thanks.  All 1700 patrons knew that they had just witnessed a performance by one of America’s great musicians.  It was thrilling.  Mr. Ma then took a seat at the rear of the orchestra’s cello section.  He joined in the orchestra in playing a magnificent version of “We Shall Overcome,” along with the two Glee Clubs.  This version of the protest song began with a plaintive solo by Ma which was eventually joined by the combined forces of the singers and orchestra.  More applause followed in honor of the ASO, the singers, and Mr. Ma.  This was a concert to be remembered. 

It is unfortunate that Symphony Hall does not adequately support the sound of this great orchestra.  I noticed that when soloists perform on the portion of the stage where a pit orchestra would play, the sound of their instruments become unfocused and almost “smeared.”  In fact, Mr. Ma’s wonderful cello sounded more focused when he sat in the cello section.  Here the sound board of his instrument faced the side of the orchestra shell and not directly toward the audience.  Its puzzling how this would make it sound better, but from where I was seated, it definitely did.  On my drive home, I heard an ASO recording of the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances.  The recording sounded so much better than an actual ASO concert.  My guess is that the recording engineers have found a “sweet spot” for the microphones that picks up a magic combination of direct and reflected sound. This adds warmth to the ASO sound and makes the recordings sound rich. It was a nice reminder of how great this orchestra is.

Polish and Schmaltz

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, under Music director Robert Spano, presented the Beethoven Piano concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major (the Emperor) and Edward Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major. Pianist Dejan Lazic was the soloist. 

The Beethoven is a cornerstone of the classical music repertory.  It is a stirring yet very lyrical piece, particularly in the second movement adagio.  Lazic is a most talented pianist.  His slightly awkward demeanor when walking on stage might mislead one into thinking that his playing might be equally awkward, but indeed that was not the case.   Here is a pianist who knows how to play equally well a pianissimo and a grand forte.  Too often, pianists boost the small sounds while toning down the big ones.  In contrast, Lazic understands that part of the drama of this piece lies in the contrast.  This also gives the orchestra a challenge, that is, how to not overwhelm the quiet and to not use its brute strength to overwhelm the piano at it’s loudest.   Maestro Spano navigated the orchestra through this musical slalom with great skill.  It is astounding that the sound of Symphony Hall’s air handling equipment was louder than a pianissimo played by the soloist and orchestra combined.  The string section was also remarkable in the Adagio.  They were warm, in control, and had great ensemble.  This section of the orchestra is evolving and improving to a great degree.  Even their involvement in their playing seems to be increasing over time. 

The Elgar is a long (55 minutes or so) work that was once described as “the greatest symphony of modern times.”  Unfortunately, the person passing that judgment was the same person to whom the symphony is dedicated, that is, Hans Richter.  When a symphony is dedicated to me, I am certain that I too will believe it to be the greatest ever.  This is not to say it isn’t a grand work is, but great it is not.  If a work is going to require the listener to dedicate nearly an hour to it, then it ought to say something important and compelling.  Like some of Bruckner’s symphonies, the Elgar seems to me to be in need of some editing.  If it were a bit shorter, many of the patron’s who were snoozing through it might have been energized to actually attend to it.  This aside, the work is a schmaltzy, inflated pastiche of late Romantic music.  Elgar was not a major creative force like Mahler, or the great developer like Brahms.  His music is the musical equivalent of the “stiff upper lip.”  Elgar, best known for the “Pomp and Circumstance” marches, teeters very close to including similar march-like themes into his symphony, particularly in the first and second movements.  While most composers reuse material that they composed elsewhere (e.g., Tchaikovsky often did this), Elgar’s borrowing might be due to a lack of inventiveness rather than to redeploying a worthy idea.  Spano, conducting from the score, keep a forward momentum to the music, in spite of its interminable length.  This is where a great conductor can show his or her mettle, while lesser talents can lose their way and only provide a beat (which was the case with the ASO’s recent performance of the Sibelius First symphony under a guest conductor who was a last minute substitution).  Elgar’s music has a sometimes dark quality that emphasizes the low brass and violas.  These sections of the ASO were stellar.  The violas played with a rich tone, and the low brasses were precise and warm.   Spano never seems to let the brass drive a piece, and he showed that skill here also.    

The ASO has a grueling schedule- it performs nearly weekly, where other major orchestras perform maybe only two times a month.  I admire the ASO’s hard work, as well as the vision of the orchestra’s management in adding weekly to the rich cultural life of Atlanta.

    

Finally, I have noted Mr. Lazic’s brilliance.  I do wish, however, that he would have his biography edited by someone whose primary language is English.  It currently reads like a bad Google translation!

More rapid reviews....

More briefs:

I finally viewed “There Will be Blood,” starring Daniel Day Lewis.  This is a great film, save the final third, which is rushed and compressed.  While the end is powerful, it speeds along at a pace that far exceeds that of the first third, which is dedicated to detailed character development.  But Day Lewis is top notch.  He inhabits his character is a way that few actors can and do.  From his raspy voice to his tension-filled forehead, he conveys without hesitation the anger that burdens his character.   We are not certain why there is such anger, but anger there is and Day Lewis owns it.  The cinematography is top notch and the sound track appropriately supports the story.  This is a movie worth seeing again.

“Day, Night, Day Night” is one odd movie.  It’s about a 19 year old girl who takes as her mission to become a suicide bomber in Times Square.  We don’t know what her motivation is, or what cause she represents.  Dialogue is minimal and even when she meets with her fellow terrorist, there is little said that would help us glean motivation.   Her accomplices,  whose heads are covered with sacks, help her fit her bomb device, give her instructions, and take a few dollars while leaving her just enough money to buy some food before the big event.  They also supply her with a pair of too-large shoes, which make a squishing sound when she walks, although the Foley artists seem to have been carried away with highlighting the sound as she walks the streets of Manhattan.   While on her mission, the young woman buys two large pretzels and assorted sweet treats.  She tries to screw up the courage to do the deed, but decides not to.  When she finally pulls the trigger, the device fails to go off.  She attempts to call her contacts, but can’t reach them.  The movie ends.  Better it had been called “A Day in the Life of a Would-Be Terrorist.”  This story leaves so much unsaid that I am not sure what the intent of it was, other than to show the mundane life of a suicide bomber.  I suppose that has some validity, but it focuses the story on the humdrum life of the main character, rather than on any political considerations she might have had that prompted her potentially suicidal mission.  I would not recommend this movie- it will be two hours invested that you will never get back.

 

The New Trinity Baroque presented its annual Candlelight Baroque Concert.  The program consisted of:

• Torelli: Concerto In G Minor, Op. 8/6, "Per Il Santissimo Natale"
• Bernhard: Weihnachtskonzert "Fürchtet euch nicht!" for Soprano, 2 Violins and Continuo
• Torelli: Concerto for Trumpet in D major
• Scarlatti: "Oh di Betlemme altera povertà" ("Cantata pastorale")
• Manfredini: Concerto Grosso No. 12, Op. 3 in C major ("Christmas Concerto")
• Handel: Aria "Let the bright Seraphim" from Samson, HWV 57
• Handel: Aria "Rejoice greatly" from Messiah, HWV 56
• Buxtehude: Passacaglia in D minor, BuxWV 161
  and
• Organ Preludes by J.S. Bach, Buxtehude and Böhm

Conductor Predrag Gosta again programmed a series of works that demonstrate the strength of his musicians and soprano Wanda Yang Tempko.  The sound of this group is so delicate and diaphanous that it is easy to loss oneself in the music, which for me, is a desirable outcome.  Tempko is a perfect complement- her voice is strong and clear, but she never overwhelms.  I was very surprised by the works of Buxtehude.  They were hypnotic and a very early kind of space music that floats lightly and never lands.  The NTB opens the door to Baroque music in a way that recordings never can.  The delicate sounds of the instruments, which sound harsh on most recordings, mixed with the reverberation of St. Bartholomew’s Church in Atlanta makes the sound light, yet sumptuous.  I look forward to every NTB concert. 

“The Tree of Life” is the controversial movie by Louis Malle, starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, and Sean Penn.  For me it was a brave new take on movie making and storytelling that combines brilliant cinematography, wonderful music, and careful character development.  This is not a linear story and it uses images, some of which are created by special effects and others from the Hubble, to underscore emotional points, such as a mother wondering why God took her son from her.  Pitt is perfect as a loving but overly strict father, who is frustrated in his life by an inability to get the recognition he feels he deserves for his invention.  He is also frustrated by the fact that he did not become the musician that he really wanted to be.  Sean Penn plays one of Pitt’s adult children.  For me, his performance was overwrought and melodramatic.  Chastain is luminous as Pitt’s cinematic spouse.  She has few lines, but her expressions and movements say everything.  The heart of the film is the relationship between Pitt’s two sons.  The older becomes a rebellious and depressed boy who reacts against his father’s repression.  The younger son, who dies at age 19, is a loving boy who idolizes his older brother.  Malle’s recreation of siblings playing together is stunning.  He sheds light on their maturating relationship related to trusting, loving, imagining, and appreciating life.  I was particularly struck by the character of the younger boy.  He had musical talent, much like his father, and his love for his older brother was touching.  Even when his brother was threatening him physically, he said “I trust you,” and the older boy did not break that trust.  The music chosen for the film was magnificent.  The film ends with Berlioz’s Grand Messe du Mort.  This achingly beautiful music that underscores the promise of reuniting with one’s lost loved ones.  It was the perfect piece to conclude this grand reflection on youth, innocence, ambition, relationships and love.  This movie may confuse, overwhelm, and bore but it will also create wonder and insight. It is one of the best I have ever seen.  

More brief reviews....

The new “Mission Impossible” movie is an intense, action-filled movie that re-establishes Tom Cruise as our national action hero.  The film was shot in some remarkable places around the world, e.g., Dubai, Budapest, and Moscow.  Regarding the latter, this film has some of the best aerial shots of the Kremlin that I can remember seeing.   This movie has more humor than its predecessor’s particularly with the addition of Simon Pegg.   The female lead is Paula Patton, who apparently can pack a punch as effectively as the men.  Cruise (or a stunt man) does some incredible stunts, particularly off the side of the Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world.  I am not sure what was CGI  but it didn’t matter, the effect was so exciting.  The weakest cast member was Jeremy Renner.   He doesn’t have Cruise’s action-hero star power, so he paled a bit by comparison.  Lea Seydoux played a key role as a femme fatale who has the unfortunate distinction of being pushed out of one of the half-mile high Burj Khalifa windows.  She is a beautiful woman and plays her part believably.   I saw the movie in IMAX.  It is a wonderful medium that increases the intimacy and excitement of the stunts.  I recommend “MI: The Ghost Protocol” highly.

I attended a Broadway touring company presentation of “My Fair Lady.”  It was well-staged and performed.  I only stayed until after the intermission.  In spite of the high quality music and lyrics, Broadway musicals, in general, do not engage me.  And “I could have danced all-night” seemed to be inserted into the show, without clearly informing me about what Liza thought she should dance for.  I probably missed something.

I saw the indie film “Another Earth.” The film stars Brit Marling and William Mapother (Tom Cruise’s  first cousin) who has all of Cruise’s facial features, but not put together as well.  Both of these actors were convincing in their roles. The story is about a promising young woman who has a bit too much to drink and drives.  She hears a news report about the discovery of another earth.  While behind the wheel, she cranes her neck to see the new planet and drives head long into another car, killing the driver’s pregnant wife, and the couple’s son.  The driver is in a coma for four years, and she conveniently goes to prison for four years. As part of her redemptive process, she offers her services to him, post-coma, as a housekeeper.  This was part of a strategy to find a way to say she was sorry, but instead falls in love with him.  Fast forwarding, she wins a trip to the new earth.  She instead gives the ticket to her lover in hopes that he might see his family again.  This was possible through a plot device which said that the two worlds and their inhabitants lost synchronicity when the new earth became visible.  He goes, she stays.  In the final scene she meets herself in the back of her house.  I liked the movie while watching it, but after about a week, it seems less compelling.  The plot so stretches credulity that it seems mostly a contrivance.   The notion that he might find his family again was so far-fetched that her self-sacrifice lost its punch.   I was also distracted by the poor quality of the cinematography and lighting.  I appreciate it is a low-budget picture, but think more could have been done it make it a bit more visually appealing.  The soundtrack by Fall on Your Sword was effective in underscoring the storytelling.  “Melancholia,” another recent release (see my review elsewhere) has a similar plot device, i.e., the discovery of a new planet close to the earth, but it is visually stunning and makes its point without having to stretch believabililty.

 

“Homecoming” has proven to be one of the best dramas on television.  The plot involving a possibly turncoat returning prisoner of war is contemporary and compelling.  Claire Danes is spectacular as the obsessed bipolar CIA operative who has no boundaries when it comes to protecting the country.  Danes inhabits the character fully and the scene where she is in full-blown mania is realistic and convincing.  The plot is full of twists and turns and it’s difficult to tell who is patriotic and who is a traitor.   Damien Lewis is also superb as the conflicted returnee and Mandy Patinkin plays the depressed and possibly duplicitous CIA boss of Dane’s character.  Morena Baccarin plays the wife of Damien Lewis’ character.  She is warm, controlled, and beautiful.  She was great in last season’s “V” and is equally good here.  

Hallelujah....

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presented it annual performance of Handel’s Messiah.  Norman Mackenzie conducted the Baroque-sized orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus.  The size of the chorus was a perfect match for the size of the orchestra. 

The opening piece was Bach’s Magnificat.  It was wonderful performance that highlighted Bach’s genius for complex polyphony.  It is a fairly short piece and every minute was well sung and played.

 

After intermission, the Handel was presented.  The four soloists, who also sang during the Bach, were”

Stephanie Washington, soprano

Magdalena Wor, Mezzo-soprano

Richard Clement, Tenor

Gerard Sundberg, Bass.

More comments about them in a bit.

Mackenzie and the orchestra were in top form.  The balances were correct, and the harpsichord played an elegant supportive role.  It didn’t lead, as can happen when the conductor is not paying attention to detail.  The Chamber Chorus is a marvel.  Its diction is precise to the degree that it almost sounds like a single voice singing.  The soloists were variable.  The weakest was Washington.  She had great trouble in the lowest range of her voice, and her sound was almost steely throughout.  Clement was not able to muster the volume demanded for a performance in a concert hall.  He was often drowned out by the orchestra and chorus.  I do not blame Mackenzie for this.  Clement just does not have a big voice.  Wor was wonderful.    She has a large voice that never loses its subtlety.  She is in control even at the extremes of her range.  Sundberg has a great voice that suited Symphony Hall. 

Handlel’s music can be incredibly beautiful.  “And he shall purify…” is a rapturous piece that reflects Handle’s own spiritual bliss.  Of course the Hallelujah chorus is oft performed and is a great crowd pleaser.

For once, I felt that the acoustics of Symphony Hall really supported the performance.  As I have noted in other reviews, it seems best suited to smaller ensembles. 

Brief Reviews

Brief reviews:

Atlanta Opera’s presentation of Lucia di Lammermoor was top-notch.  I am not opera savvy, but this powerful story of madness and love was effectively presented.   Special kudos go to Georgia Jarman who played the title role.  Not only is she a good singer, but she was convincing in the role.   The blood effects were also very well done. 

The ASO presented a program that included Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No.  II,  Mozart’s Flute concerto No. 1, and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2.  I was really tired during the performance and thus I think I became a Grinch.  The conductor was last minute substitution Alexander Mickelthwate, who was the ASO’s former assistant conductor.  The flute soloist was Christina Smith.   Ms. Smith is very talented and played the Mozart impeccably, but I found the piece to be rather boring.  The Beethoven was played quite well- I suspect the ASO members can play it while half unconscious.  I found the Sibelius to be a bit odd.  This composer, like other late-Romantics, could wander off into episodic themes and melodies.  Usually I don’t mind it, but I thought Mickelthwate’s interpretation to lack a grand overarching approach to the music that to my ear made the symphony sound like it was lurching from one thing to another.  Again, maybe I was just tired.

The ASO presented a Pops Concert.  I don’t like reviewing such concerts because I generally find that playing soundtrack music, Broadway show tunes and Beatles music to be nothing short of wretched.   Thin music played by a bloated ensemble.  But this recent pops presentation was wonderful and harkened back to the programs of Arthur Fiedler.  It included such pieces as the Flight of the Bumblebee, Jupiter from the Planets, Also Sprach Zarathustra, the 1812 Overture, a medley of Puccini’s greatest hits, among others.  The only nod to Broadway was a few dances from West Side Story.  This music was played with gusto by the orchestra, under Michael Krajewski’s direction.   There were also some great visuals to accompany the festivities.  I was happy that I went.