So we had not seen Gustavo Dudamel conduct, and that was something that we needed to change so the beloved did a two-in-one-blow and got us tickets for the Philharmonic's debut of John Adams "The Gospel According to the Other Mary" with Dudamel conducting the Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Chorale. I must say that it was riveting musically and I love watching 100 people on that intimate stage making music. The percussion stands were full of BIG DRUMS and cow bells and all manner of things to make noise, and they did! I spent a lot of time wondering when this or that piece of percussion would get hit, the anticipation was fun. The music was incredible and very moving, though sometimes I felt the texts got in the way of the story. I liked watching the chorus too, they wore black and had notebooks of white pages like doves flying across them when they sang.
However, reading the review of the show in
The New Yorker made me realize what a musical dilettante I am. My reaction to the music was primal and not influenced by references to "El Nino" or other composers (I love Adam's "Nixon in China" a text I know so well that the Beloved and I have had a running joke for the past 15 years about Madame Mao's aria. But here, in the New Yorker was a knowledgeable opinion about the opera. Who knew all that was going on?
We also went to the Broad a while back to see the Fado singer, Ana Moura. She really has one of the unique voices of the 21st century, and hearing her in person made me realize how recording can dull a resonant spark. Her voice was so much warmer and powerful in person. The other person who I think has a one of the great voices of the 21st Century is Concha Buika, the flamenco singer, and I must make a point of getting tickets the next time she is in town, no matter how expensive.
Finally, I was in the Kinetic Theory Student Cabaret and Stephanie put a really quick little video montage of the three shows up on YouTube. I have about 10 seconds in it,
which you can see here, I'm on a trapeze with red tights - spinning and prancing. I'm the only one on the trapeze with red tights but if you clink you'll miss the cuts.
So we had not seen Gustavo Dudamel conduct, and that was something that we needed to change so the beloved did a two-in-one-blow and got us tickets for the Philharmonic's debut of John Adams "The Gospel According to the Other Mary" with Dudamel conducting the Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Chorale. I must say that it was riveting musically and I love watching 100 people on that intimate stage making music. The percussion stands were full of BIG DRUMS and cow bells and all manner of things to make noise, and they did! I spent a lot of time wondering when this or that piece of percussion would get hit, the anticipation was fun. The music was incredible and very moving, though sometimes I felt the texts got in the way of the story. I liked watching the chorus too, they wore black and had notebooks of white pages like doves flying across them when they sang.
However, reading the review of the show in The New Yorker made me realize what a musical dilettante I am. My reaction to the music was primal and not influenced by references to "El Nino" or other composers (I love Adam's "Nixon in China" a text I know so well that the Beloved and I have had a running joke for the past 15 years about Madame Mao's aria. But here, in the New Yorker was a knowledgeable opinion about the opera. Who knew all that was going on?
