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(04/18/03 4:23am)
If opera can be compared to dinner, than five courses of weighty, monumental operas were certainly followed up by a tasty and easily digestible dessert. The composer was American, the libretto in English, the time set only 50 or so years ago, and the plot and music quite familiar.\nLeonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" is perhaps misrepresented as an "opera" in the strict sense of the word. It combines elements of music, song, dance and dialogue in such a way as to make elusive any attempt to put a definitive label on its genre. Perhaps it is best described as a musical theater production.\nEqually elusive is its character. The atmosphere constantly hovers between comic and tragic and the theme hovers between love story and social commentary. One side never prevails and the audience is left with a sort of amorphous work with muddled themes and subjects. However, this notwithstanding, the work is very delightful and enjoyable. Many of the viewers could relate to it better than to courtesans with tuberculosis or reality-TV billionaires.\nThe story itself is rather trite. It is another "Romeo and Juliet" production about an impossible love gone awry. The similarities to Shakespeare are so blatant as to make the plot predictable and the expressions of love sound almost like cheap pick-up lines. On the bright side, however, the story does bring to light a major issue in New York at the time, and the characters are very fully-developed. Even though plot is not a strong point of "West Side Story," it cannot be judged exclusively on that alone.\nPerhaps the most surprising and disarming feature that this production could boast was its music. Unlike many 20th century works (and indeed many previous ones), the music is easily accessible to untrained listeners. Much of the music is written in a big-band style with a jazzy feel to it. Other sections were given a blatant Latin rhythm to accompany the Puerto Rican characters. Listeners accustomed to heavier things are not to be disappointed either -- many of the arias and choruses had a definite grand opera feel to them and could rival many Verdi and Wagner pieces. Such an eclectic yet balanced blend of styles made the opera easily accessible to viewers of all tastes and lent a touch of originality to the score.\nThe performers were amazing. It is doubtless that the greatest job was done by Tiffany Rosenquist in her portrayal of Maria, the heroine of the story. Rosenquist's voice was her main asset. She lent an operatic air to a cast in which so many performers dropped depth in favor of a more "pop-like" tone. One must also be appreciative of the members who portrayed the Puerto Ricans by using realistic accents and singing with them, not to mention the well-executed New York accents the white gang used.\nAside from the accents, a great deal of dramatic acting had to be done since a great part of the dialogue was spoken. This fact was probably most overlooked since the work was presented as an opera, but the dramatic element was definitely prevalent in the work itself. \nYet a third element was necessary for the cast's success -- dance. The production was wonderfully choreographed, using graceful movements and beautiful positioning. It was obvious that a lot of work was put into turning brawls and fight scenes into beautiful dances, a strange feat that was done well. The cast did need a little more practice to synchronize the movements, but indulgence should be granted them in light of the vocal and dramatic burdens also placed on them.\nThe scenery was also cleverly done. Surprisingly little scenic elements were used -- only buildings along the side and on the background. Scene changes were conveyed by either inserting a room or dropping a partial background, which made transitions both quick and easy. The scenery was very well-made and was definitely reminiscent of New York's less attractive areas.\n"West Side Story" was definitely an enjoyable and entertaining work -- not too serious, not too heavy, and not too irrelevant. It is a good way to end the season, not on a grand or fantastic note, but on a more pleasant and familiar one.\n"West Side Story" is playing at the Musical Arts Center tonight and Saturday. Unfortunately, tickets are sold out.
(04/01/03 4:31am)
Auer Hall is the site of many recitals. Some are by students, others by faculty and still others by visiting musicians. Sunday night's recital would fall under the category of "faculty recital," but in truth there is no appropriate way to categorize that performance except as "phenomenal." The faculty member featured was Edmund Battersby at the piano performing a good hour and a half of music entirely from memory.\nBattersby has been widely acclaimed as an impeccable pianist and an excellent interpreter of Fréderic Chopin. Sunday's recital opened with two Mozart pieces -- a rondo in A minor and a sonata in the same key. Battersby gave a spirited and deep, if unauthentic, interpretation of Mozart's works. More pedal and much more emotion were used than would be expected of Mozart, but this in no way detracted from the pieces' beauty. \nIn fact, the added enthusiasm only brought out their true potential and made them much more engaging than the usual mechanical Mozart. I could say that Battersby's playing spoke more eloquently than that of Mozart himself probably did, but a new interpretation and one as vivid as Battersby's is what makes music so exciting and alive.\nThe next piece featured was the one Battersby described as dearest to himself. It was the Sonata in G Minor Op. 22 by Robert Schumann (1810-1856). The listener got a keen glimpse of Schumann's suicidal, manic-depressive nature. \nAs a Romantic composer, Schumann was in touch with his emotions and this explosive, highly emotional piece is supercharged with the energies of Schumann's dark feelings. It would be a challenge for anyone to capture the spirit of a piece that expresses emotion on such a personal level, but it sounded as if Battersby captured the atmosphere and feeling exactly. \nBattersby expressed ferocity and savage beauty in this piece, leaving the audience absolutely spellbound. The interpretation of this piece was so well done that one could almost feel Schumann's intense, emotional agony screaming through the keyboard.\nAfter a brief intermission, the program concluded with works by the Franco-Polish composer Fréderic Chopin (1810-1849). Battersby played two nocturnes, an impromptu, two mazurkas and four etudes by this other Romantic composer. The interpretation here was superb, the execution practically spotless and the music incredibly beautiful. The nocturnes, as their name indicates, evoked the mystery of the night. The impromptu and the mazurkas were brighter and faster works that begged to be danced to. \nBut it was the etudes that stole the spotlight in this half with their brilliance and bewitching tonalities. Here was where Battersby's talent as a pianist truly was exposed. Chopin is not an easy composer to play, and these works ranked among his most challenging pieces. So when Battersby gave an almost flawless and wonderfully outstanding performance of the works, it definitely merited the ecstatic acclamations given by the audience.\nTo show his gratitude, Battersby performed an encore consisting of a consolation by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), a work less dramatic than Chopin's but beautiful. It was amazing that Battersby still had enough energy to perform yet another piece from memory.\n"Although the Schumann is dearest to me, they all are dear to me," Battersby said. "I only play things I love."\nBattersby's performance was endearing. It illustrates how a pianist's love of his music can bring forth some phenomenal performances. Sunday was a night not to be missed by music lovers.
(03/07/03 3:32pm)
A poignant story arrived this weekend to the Musical Arts Center. Hailed as one of the greatest operas of all time, it is Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata," first performed exactly 150 years ago Thursday at the Fenice Theater in Venice, Italy.\nSet to beautiful music and featuring impressive scenery, the story features an 1840s Parisian courtesan named Violetta who attracts the love of Alfredo, a young poet. Violetta first scorns him, but then finds comfort from her hectic lifestyle in his words. The plot centers around a traditional love story.\nThe best feature of the opera itself was undoubtedly its music. Verdi's music is phenomenal. His sense of melody is almost superhuman, and his music's effect upon the audience's emotions is profound. Unlike many operas where the orchestra serves as a mere background, Verdi's music would make a marvelous performance all on its own. \nThe Symphony Orchestra under guest conductor Steven White did a remarkable job in bringing Verdi's music to life and expressing the wide range of moods present in the score. The parts written were quite obviously not easy ones, either, so much credit is due to the musicians for their remarkable talent. \nThough the musicians played well, the cast's performance definitely left a deeper impression. The cast consisted of three main parts -- Violetta, Alfredo, and Giorgio Germont -- Alfredo's father, several smaller characters and a chorus. The most demanding role, and the one executed with the greatest ease, was Violetta. Evelyn Pollock displayed Violetta's various facets of pompous courtesan, devoted lover, broken spirit, and dying penitent so convincingly, it seemed second nature to her. Andrew Oakden also stole some of Violetta's spotlight with his portrayal of the severe, uncompromising Germont. And Nicholas Coppolo's thorough and involved portrayal of a highly emotional, love-clouded Alfredo is another major success of which the opera could boast. All three leads gave such a wonderful and forceful performance, drawing the listener into the characters' world.\nThe chorus also played an important role in the plot development. Stage director Mark Clark created a unified chorus that is individualistic enough to be convincing. The chorus's performance added to a believable depiction of bourgeois life in the 1840s without losing any of the force behind the vocal parts, especially considering the formal period costumes the cast wears.\nThe chorus scenes reflect both the grandeur of the age and the impressive scale of the choral part. Colonnades, chandeliers and beautifully intricate design made the impressiveness possible. \nThe scene of Alfredo's country home is much more modest and less colorful, but quite appropriate because it served the backdrop for most of the story and some important arias without drawing attention away from the cast members. \nThe most interesting scene, though, was Violetta's deathbed, a dark, bare and gloomy apartment room with an eerie light sneaking in through the shutters. Stage designer C. David Higgins definitely accomplished the feat of emotional effect through his wonderful set design.\n"La Traviata" has proved to be one of the best operas this season and definitely deserves a viewing. It has many excellent qualities that should attract a wide variety of listeners: beautiful music, phenomenal singing, convincing acting and a quality plot. It is truly a combination of several great artistic feats. \nThe opera plays at 8 p.m tonight and Saturday at the MAC. Tickets range from $15 to $28 for the general public and from $10 to $20 for students with a valid student ID.
(02/28/03 4:20am)
Intrigue, a deathly illness, and courtship figure into the plot of "La Traviata" by Italian opera giant Giuseppe Verdi. \nMany operas have stories about kings and queens of old or of ancient Greek and Roman myths at their hearts. Even biblical stories sometimes serve as the subject. This weekend, however, features an opera with a plot that could hardly be more mundane. "La Traviata" features the story of a Parisian courtesan of the 1840s, who has amassed a considerable degree of wealth and influence through various love affairs. \n"The Lady of the Camellias" by Alexandre Dumas fils influenced the libretto. The novel tells the story of a famous 1840s Parisian courtesan -- Marie Duplessis. In the libretto, Marie is transformed from Dumas' Marguerite into Violetta Valéry, the greatest Parisian courtesan of the 1840s. Despite a myriad of love affairs, Violetta finally falls in love with Alfredo Germont, a young poet. However, before the end, the characters go through a number of transformations and stressful incidents.\n"It is remarkable that Verdi chose to represent an actual situation of his own day instead of historic subjects," stage director Mark Clark said. "He was living with a woman, who was not his wife, which probably gave him a more personal angle on the subject."\nThe cultural interplay within the opera also makes it very unique. The story occurs in Paris, but the opera is written in Italian, so both the theatrics of the French and the emotion of the Italians play important parts in adding feeling to the work.\n"You get the best of both worlds," Clark said.\nHe also added that "La Traviata" contains beautiful, personal and emotionally expressive music. With such theatric and emotional demands, casting played an important role in bringing the opera to life, especially since it contains some of the most vocally and dramatically demanding roles in all of operatic literature. The final casting decision was left to a committee.\n"Although one would think a casting committee to be a bad idea because of conflicting opinions, the opportunity for discussion actually resulted in better casting," Clark said.\nThe committee took great care in casting both larger and smaller roles because every single part, no matter how small, contributes to the overall impression of the performance. In addition, the selection of the chorus was painstaking as the chorus plays a larger role in the plot than usual. The use of a double cast also allowed more opportunities for singers to perform.\nJacqueline Burchett, who sings the star role of Violetta in the Saturday cast saw one enormous challenge -- endurance. Violetta's part is featured throughout the entire opera with little to no room for respite. In fact, it was endurance that determined Burchett's selection as Violetta. \n"Violetta goes through a number of emotions and the challenge is to give depth to the character while still being able to produce a good sound," Burchett said.\nMuch more than singing is required, though. The part requires an actress, who is able to cope with the oddities of the role.\n"I have to cough to show I have tuberculosis, which is actually bad for the vocal chords and almost impossible to do with an orchestra playing," Burchett said.\nBurchett has researched the character of Marie Duplessis in detail. In order to present a truthful image of Violetta, Burchett will add extra pallor of tuberculosis victims to her makeup. Her goal is to provide the most convincing Violetta she can convey.\nStage designer C. David Higgins explained the stage elements and how they affect the production. The general look of the stage is set in period furnishings. The result of a month of preparation is an Italian design with French themes. Higgins described the general appearance of the stage as "Romantic realism" -- fairly literal interpretation to the designs was given a slightly idealized touch.\n"We wanted all environments to reflect the physical and emotional state of Violetta in a highly romanticized way," Higgins said.\nDespite the set's vividness, it is 25 years old and this is most likely the last time it will be used.\nExpectations are high for the performances and the production members have many hopes for the performances' success. \n"I want the audience to be touched by the work," Clark said. "You can't try too hard at this, so it must happen through the music and drama."\n"La Traviata" first premiered in March 1853, making this performance an exact 150th anniversary.\nThe opera opens at 8 p.m. tonight at the Musical Arts Center. Tickets range from $18 to $28 for the general public and $12 to $20 for IUB students with a valid ID. The opera also plays March 7 and 8.
(02/14/03 4:41am)
Exhilarating is only proper to describe Wednesday's University Orchestra performance conducted by Ray Cramer at the Musical Arts Center. The well-chosen program focused on the works of some composers who may not be too familiar to the lay listener.\nThe first composer featured was the Frenchman Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) in his overture "Le Corsaire." The overture featured a vivid beginning and a mellow and subdued first section. Then, after a struggle between the lively strings and plaintive woodwind sections, a final, triumphant theme burst forth with all the grandeur and force that defines Berlioz. No unclear passages were muddled by orchestration in this piece, for the overabundance of instruments was chiefly directed at putting power into the piece and forcing its theme, not obscuring it. "Le Corsaire" was a beautiful and a powerful way to begin the show. Berlioz is never a disappointment.\nAfter the Berlioz, came the "New England Triptych" by the American William Schuman (1910-1992). The "Triptych" was a curious amalgam of three themes from obscure American songs. The work itself was a pleasant listen overall (especially the second movement), but left a little something to be desired. The music adhered to the rules of good sound; it had some very beautiful harmonies and the instrumentation was superb. Musicality was kept throughout the work. Certain passages were purely beautiful, but others sounded like background music from a bad 60s movie and still others seemed so out of character that they should have been left out. These are only small sections of the work, but the entire piece lacked a degree of depth and maturity that would allow it to be taken seriously. It was that one shortfall that barred this piece from being numbered among the greater works of music.\nFor its finale the orchestra played the only symphony (in D minor) of the Belgian composer César Franck (1822-1880). Here was a piece that made up for any depth the second one may have lacked. Its depth, however, definitely did not make this a piece to cheer one up. It was heavy, sonorous, and fluid, with some spots of intensity and force. Its chief stylistic elements were lots of chromatic intervals and lots of lower string melodies. The first movement was quite interesting, featuring a short theme that kept popping up in different spots and a character that mutated through several different moods as the movement progressed. The second movement, marked "allegretto," was beautiful, calm, and serene. The harp's prominent place in the orchestration during this movement was something of a pleasant surprise. Despite its minor flaws in the third movement, Franck's symphony definitely was engaging, formidable, and a very intense piece to listen to.\nToday, faculty members of the School of Music will be featured in a recital at 8:30 p.m. at Auer Hall.
(02/10/03 5:09am)
Those who are up on the drama department's recent doings know of "Lysistrata"'s highly sexual character, graphic costumes and bawdy scenes. And with such IU staples as the Kinsey Institute and the dorm porn, "Lysistrata" just seems like another way of expressing IU's obsession with sex. \nThose who have this impression, however, should go see the play. This production is much more than an opportunity to see partial nudity; it is a veritable masterpiece of comic theater performed in a strikingly unique fashion.\nThe play itself has a simple plot. The Greek women from various cities are sick and tired of their husbands constantly fighting wars and demanding their much-deprived sex during their brief returns home. Lysistrata, an Athenian woman, gathers women from the various Greek cities and they make a pledge to deprive their husbands of sex until the war's end. \nBoth sexes go through much difficulty in dealing with the absence of a sex life, but in the end it is the organized and much more rational women who prevail, resulting in a peace for all of Greece.\nWas the use of sex in the performance in good taste? No. But that's exactly what fits best into the script. Aristophanes wrote an unbelievably hilarious, direct and open comedy about sex and the emphasis placed upon it by so many. \nThe play simply could not be done well without going a bit over the edge to convey the overtly sexual theme. The characters are nearly all sex-obsessed or at least sex-driven, so an effective production about these types of people needs to be brutally realistic.\nThe script itself deserves some attention. The translation (by Ranjit Bolt) used in this production was an interesting one. It used modern dialect but kept the play in its original rhyming verse form. \nAlthough at first rhyme may sound like a quaint and cheesy idea, it was a subtle yet powerful device. It drew the audience further into the lines of the characters. The rhyme also augmented the comic nature of the play. \nAnd the actors! Oh, I doubt there has ever been such an enthusiastic cast as that of "Lysistrata." All of the actors did their best to bring out the complexities of each character. Of these the iron-willed, unyielding Lysistrata herself (graduate student Sheila Regan) and the cold and misogynistic magistrate (Sam Wooten) had the greatest depth and were perhaps the best-executed of all. \nExcellent performances were also given by seniors Eliza Hart as the nymphomaniac Kalonike and Molly Wright as the bubbly Myrrhina. Credit also must go to Theatre and Drama major junior Josh Gaboian as the self-absorbed Kinesias. \nThe male and female choruses deserve a great deal of recognition as well for fantastic singing and a mastery of the choreography. So too do the tramps who provided a bit of light entertainment between scenes. \nWith all the hilarious lines and actions going on, not a single actor broke character. Although not immediately noticeable, this fact alone denotes a top-quality cast.\nThe costumes were definitely important in setting the play's mood. The women's attire was especially racy, resembling lingerie. Quite liberal amounts of flesh were shown, not to mention those added perks like knee-high leather boots, flower-shaped nipple covers and translucent gowns. \nThe male costumes were rather subdued in comparison to the female. Their colors were more toned down and their design less revealing, but they had the added feature of a personalized phallus -- the soldiers had camouflaged ones and the magistrate had a pin-striped one. \nBut far from being a mere shock device, the phalli played quite an important part in the dialogue and were necessary to understand some of the actions (like grabbing the phallus) done on stage. Overall, the costumes were colorful, vibrant and intriguing. The costume team did a wonderful job in bringing out the liveliness in the play through the wardrobe.\nThe setting was very well done also; it was not bland at all but also not intrusive enough to detract from the cast's actions. It was of an ancient Greek style design, but with a more colorful twist. It also had signs of damage to convey the feeling of a war-torn Greece. \nThe Shakespearian two-level stage was also a feature of this production, which in light of the script was a necessity, but it also gave more breadth and scope to the actions done on stage and focused attention at all parts.\nThe music was exciting and appropriate for such a play. A combination of rock, jazz and techno gave the light, comic feel inherent in the play. The songs, too, were quite hilarious spin-offs popular songs set with words that the actors managed to sing without releasing a single chuckle.\nThen there's the play itself. Its most obvious genre is a sex farce. It definitely shows the extremities to which something as minor as sex drives people. Every noble and stupid action is motivated by sex, which adds both a believable nature and a ridiculous one at the same time, making it a comedy with a meaning. \nBut the message also goes deeper than sex. Aristophanes sends a message about the folly of war. In the plot he shows to what drastic measures women have to resort to get the men to stop fighting. And since that is done in an almost laughable manner, it says something about the senselessness of a pointless war like the one the Greeks fought among themselves.\n"Lysistrata" is not only a biting, witty comedy but also has a deeper meaning. When this is performed by wonderful actors with great costumes and scenery, the entire play comes to life as never before. This production truly shows how timeless a classical drama can be.
(02/10/03 5:08am)
This weekend at the MAC saw a momentous and intriguing artistic event that drew a spectacular crowd and focused attention on IU's importance in the art world. It was the U.S. premiere of "Jeppe," an opera composed by IU faculty member Sven-David Sandström.\nThe opera, appropriately subtitled "The Cruel Comedy," featured an interesting plot. Harry Schoenberg, a wealthy and famous publisher has rejected the poetry of Jeppe, which caused the latter to sink into a ten-year period of writer's block. In addition to all his literary troubles, Jeppe's wife cheats on him and ultimately runs off. Soon after, Jeppe becomes convinced that he has died and gone to heaven -- in fact, he's the subject of a reality TV show, a world where he is successful. Jeppe's dream world ends abruptly and violently, though, when he is sentenced to death by alcohol poisoning. He does not die, however; and the opera ends happily when Schoenberg's agoraphobic wife Beatrice falls in love with Jeppe and the two live happily ever after.\nThe plot was unique, practically unknown anywhere else in opera. This feature made it really stand out as completely new, but still carrying on the operatic tradition. The characters were well-developed and displayed a wide variety of moods and an appropriate degree of dynamism.\nAlthough the librettist, Claes Fellbom, did a wonderful job with the general plot and characterization, the libretto itself left much to be desired. The tone did not at all lend itself easily to song. The language was much too conversational to be dignified in an operatic setting and the dialogue did not flow in a logical or direct pattern. Having the opera sung in English translation also added complications like awkward accents and odd placement of stresses. The most important point about the libretto, however, is that it was much too involved. Although complexity is a nice feature in general, setting such a complex plot in an operatic scene tended to distract the listeners from the music.\nSandström definitely deserves a great accolade for managing to create such an astounding musical work. His music cannot be characterized by one single word or phrase. It adjusted itself to the situation.\nBut no matter under what stylistic mask the music was played, it never once lost the quality of musicality that is essential to pleasing listeners. If there was one drawback to the music, though, it would definitely have been the secondary nature it played to the libretto. Since it changed character so much, the music took on an almost secondary role in a way diminishing the full effect it could have had.\nThere were some moments when the performers did some bizarre things. For example, the orchestra would occasionally erupt in dissonance or the chorus use more than their vocal chords to produce sounds. These oddities, however, were few and far between.\nThe stage design was especially interesting. Its main features were metal scaffolding, Christmas lights, multiple screens projecting images taped on stage, and a large, tilted stage surface that rose or descended according to the scene. The first three items definitely added a modern, mass-produced, industrial feel to the scene, which was warranted by the ultra-modern nature of the plot. Having on-stage cameras projecting images was an unique, if at times annoying, idea. Multiple angles, multiple screens, and the performers as well as their images on stage comprised a bit more action than could be adequately crammed onto a stage. However, the overabundance of action communicated a sense of the fast-paced, high-tech modern world, but this occurred at the expense of stage technique. Though somewhat logical in its use, having an excess of action tended to distract and disorient the viewers' eyes.\nOne must also give credit to the performers to be able to sing and walk on a slanted platform without so much as even a slip or a slide.\nThe performers themselves were of an unmatched caliber. It was evident that one not only had to be able to sing, but to speak as well and do both things in a convincing and realistic manner -- after all, the opera is about reality TV. \nThe cast was especially successful in executing the last of these functions, for without realism and convincing performance, the work would almost have seemed silly. The stars of the show were undoubtedly Michael Weinius as Jeppe and Reyna Carguill as Beatrice. One just had to admire Weinius's skillful intermingling of drama and song to create a convincing portrayal of Jeppe. Carguill's main asset was her enchanting voice and impressive range, while she also gave moving tears and smiles on stage. \nAndrew Hendricks's portrayal of the destructive Schoenberg was well done and Kate Lindsey's representation of Dolly, Jeppe's slut of a wife, was moving. It should also be noted that Lindsey made quite a piece of her aria "I Love Men." An especially impressive chorus with a prominent role was a fine buttress for the soloists as well as a wonderful ensemble on its own.\nAs a whole the opera cannot be described as something earth-shattering or phenomenal, but on the other hand it wasn't repulsive or offensive. It was a pleasing opera of average quality. The opera's main distinguishing feature is its uniqueness. It was definitely a break with the grand tradition in focusing on an untouched theme in a modern context. Everything about the opera from the characters to the language was modern and casual. Doing this, however, had both its advantages and its drawbacks. "Jeppe" definitely deserves a viewing based on its sheer uniqueness, if not for its interesting music.
(02/07/03 5:06am)
Today, a very unique twist on a very old play opens at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. It is Aristophanes' comedy "Lysistrata," an ancient Greek classic about Athenian women who refuse to sleep with their husbands until they stop fighting a war with the Spartans. The Theatre and Drama Department presents the play at 8 p.m. today, Saturday and Feb. 10 through 15. Tickets are $15 for general public and $13 for students and seniors. They are available at the IU Auditorium Box Office and by phone or online from Ticketmaster. \nIn this comedy, the Athenians are at war with the Spartans. Concerned with the well-being of their city, the Athenian women refuse to sleep with the men until the latter stop fighting. First produced in 411 B.C.E in protest against the Peloponnesian war, this battle of the sexes has been treated as a cornerstone of dramatic literature. The play runs as part of the 50th Anniversary series of Alfred Kinsey's "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female," as well as Arts Week 2003. \nAdapted by Ranjit Bolt, the play caught director Noah Tuleja's attention because the translation lends itself to the stage easier than a translation produced by a classisist. Tuleja, a third-year MFA student, confronted many challenges when the Department of Theatre and Drama asked him to direct "Lysistrata."\n"Perhaps the most challenging thing was finding a suitable translation," Tuleja said. "We finally found one that works. It may not be the most literal translation." \nOne of the most appealing features of the Bolt translation is its preservation of the rhyme that Aristophanes used in the work. \n"I think it commands the audience's attention better when it is in rhyme," Tuleja said.\nFight scenes, a large cast -- about 20 people -- and intricate choreography created several challenges for Tuleja. However, the task of choreography was made easier by drawing upon the actors' individual talents. \n"We wanted people who would be big and bold and not afraid to go over the top," Tuleja said. "After all, this is not realism, we wanted a cast and a chorus who could understand comedy."\nThe set opens up to fragments of Greek-style colorful buildings and columns intermingled with modern elements -- barbed wire, war-produced holes. The designers tried to lend an authentic feel while also creating a modern reality to complement the ancient architecture. \n"We didn't want this production to be an exactly like it's been done most of the time, with the colorless, rigid classical setting. It grows tiring that way," said Andrew Elliott, sound designer. "What we did instead was take elements of that period and abstract them a bit by adding some modern elements." \nWhat Elliott and his team did was much like what was done in the movie version of "Titus Andronicus" -- they used both classical and modern elements to create a surreal atmosphere with a modern, eclectic feel. The music includes jazz, blues, rock, and techno; the props are colorful, and the dialect is modern. Created by third-year MFA student and costume designer Amanda Bailey, the costumes resonate with this theme.\n"We took part of our basis from Greek clothing, but added some unusual materials in new and unexpected ways," Bailey said. "The play has been done many ways, so we decided to create our own world, not take an historical approach."\nBailey classified the general look of the costumes as "cheeky Greeky." She explained that the costumes needed to be sexy -- much of the women's wardrobe is based off lingerie design; the men wear phalli specially designed to fit their personality. The costumes in general are "peekaboo" types -- one can almost see the particulars but not quite. In all her costumes, Bailey has made the character's personality the most important determining factor in its design.\nThe costume design reveals one aspect of the play which cannot be ignored -- it has a strongly sexually-oriented plot. The production staff recommends the play for mature audiences.\n"It's very bawdy," Tuleja said.\nThe audience should expect revealing costumes, dildos used as props, and a striptease scene at the end. In spite of these overtly risqué features, nothing was done merely for shock value. \n"Nothing we've done was gratuitous," Elliott said. "It's not for shock value only." \nBailey affirms that the phalli worn by the male characters are actually referred to in the script. \nDespite its strong sexual nature, the play is not entirely about sex. \n"It is really a timeless message about the folly of war, which is appropriate in light of current events," Tuleja said. \nThe play explores the relationships between men and women and the effects of war on family life. Although it can be viewed as a sex farce, it has a meaningful message presented in a comic manner.\n"I'm really pleased to see what the cast has done and I'm excited to see what it will look like," Tuleja said. "It'll be fun."\nFor more information about "Lysistrata," visit www.indiana.edu/~thtr.
(01/31/03 4:54am)
Wednesday evening the IU Philharmonic Orchestra performed its first concert of the semester, and what an interesting concert it proved to be. \nAll of the pieces featured on the program were relatively obscure to the casual listener and all featured rather interesting takes on musical tradition. \nAlso, the program was quite obviously dominated by a Hungarian theme, which, if not intentional, was quite appropriate, for the conductor of that evening was Imre Palló.\nThe concert began with the last five of the 21 Hungarian Dances arranged by the famous German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). These pieces were short, lively, and delightful. \nBrahms's colorful orchestration and excellent ear for melody were well represented in these short pieces, which made them instant crowd-pleasers as well as musical masterpieces. And, moreover, each dance had its own particular character, which lent them great personality. \nIt was also nice to hear some of the lesser-known Hungarian dances. Most people are familiar with number 5 and numbers 1 and 6 are relatively famous also, but numbers 17-21 are not as well-known, so their performance was much appreciated. Overall, the choice of these Brahms pieces as concert openers was an excellent one.\nNext on the program was an unknown piece by an obscure composer. It was the Harp Concerto by Reinhold Glière (1874-1956). One truly did not know what to expect of this piece. Fortunately for the listeners, expecting the good turned out to be the right expectation. \nThe harpist, Nai-Wei Hung, demonstrated a skill on par with any piano virtuoso in her deft executions of glissandi and many other tricky points of harp technique, and, more importantly, she gave character to a piece that demanded one. \nThe piece itself was quite emotional, almost reminiscent of Rachmaninov in its sentimentality. But it did not lose any melody or harmony in its effort to display that. Its deep, didactic character made it an excellent contrast to the sprightly, pleasant concert openers.\nThe ballet score "The Miraculous Mandarin" by the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (1881-1945) was the final concert piece and remained something of an enigma. \nThe piece proved an interesting contrast to the Brahms pieces. Whereas Brahms (and Liszt before him) took Hungarian melodies and "civilized" them in their music, Bartók used pure, unadulterated Magyar rhythms \nAs interesting as this may be, the piece had an extreme lack of character. It wandered aimlessly for more than a half hour and led to a sudden and inconclusive ending. \nThere were some enjoyable parts, it is true, but they didn't fit together properly, nor had a discernable melody. The orchestration was the most inflated ballet score ever written. I see no use for a piano, an organ, and a celesta in the same piece. Furthermore, a chorus was far too much to add to an already-packed orchestra, especially when they only sing a few chords. \nAll of this just for a piece of incidental music! The piece would have been more acceptable performed as it was intended: as a ballet. The music would have made more sense with respect to the dancers and would have been more enjoyable merely as a background piece. The piece was monstrously long for a mere concert piece and was coarse and intrusive, which, though Bartók's style, tends to wear down on an audience after a while. That is why the term "tolerable" is a generous term for this piece.\nIn any case, the musicianship in all three pieces was phenomenal; a true credit to an ensemble that has only had a few weeks to prepare for the concert as well as a way to start this musical semester on the right foot.
(12/12/02 5:00am)
Tuesday evening the IU Philharmonic Orchestra staged its last concert of the semester. As expected, it was another fine show. I wouldn't venture to call it spectacular or earth-shattering, but it definitely was a pleasant listening experience.\nChristiaan Crans conducted the first piece on the program, an overture by Gioacchino Rossini. Rossini is also known for his other overtures such as "William Tell" or "La Gazza Ladra," but the one performed this night was obscure. "La Scala di Seta" was written in 1812. Despite its obscurity, it certainly was a pleasant listening experience. \nIt was typical Rossini: light, happy, fast and with infectious melodies. But however easy listening it was, playing it was quite a different story. Some fast and tricky parts were featured on the flute, oboe and upper strings, among others. \nYet the wonderful IU musicians did not falter in their ability to tackle even the most daunting musical passages, which resulted in the proper production of a wonderful piece of music. Overall, the Rossini was a wonderful opening piece to lift the spirits of an evening audience and prepare them for the real meaty works.\nThe second piece, conducted by David Effron, was a famous work by a well-known composer: Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor of 1844. This work is probably one of the best pieces of its genre and shows Mendelssohn at his best. It was forceful yet calm, impressive yet melodic, and dark yet pleasant to listen to. A perfect balance. \nSince Mendelssohn is known for some challenging violin parts, it goes without saying that a great violinist was required to meet the challenge. The man at this concert was Diégo Tosi, the principal violinist in the French Youth Orchestra, who journeyed from Paris to play at this concert. Needless to say, he met the challenge quite well, slicing through every cadenza with the greatest of ease. The resounding applause he met with was indeed much deserved.\nEffron also conducted the final piece, a ballet. It was none other than Igor Stravinsky's "Petrushka," written originally in 1911 but revised in 1947. The orchestra underwent a sudden change at this point. All sorts of percussion toys were added, along with a piano, harp and celesta plus a number of extra wind instruments like the English horn and contrabassoon. \nThe music of Stravinsky was quite different from that of either Mendelssohn or Rossini. That difference lies chiefly in the fact that Stravinsky is considered one of the founders of "contemporary" music. \nBut unlike ensuing "contemporary" composers, Stravinsky's music actually is musical. It had melody, harmony and all the key ingredients of what makes a true piece of music. But that does not mean that this piece was ecstatically wonderful. Despite the fact that there were some beautiful passages and the instrumentation was used to good effect, the piece was severely disjointed. It was like a bad puzzle; the pieces were just not put together the right way.\nI had two other minor qualms with this piece. The first was the overabundance of percussion. Yes, percussion can add color, but this was far too much. I thought I was at a performance of the Marching 500 or something. \nThe other qualm was the use of the piano as a side instrument. A piano is okay at an orchestra if the piece is a piano concerto, but the sound of the piano is just too impressive and versatile to stick it aside and give it a small part. Granted, the piano was featured at several important places and the pianist, Matthew Mazzoni, did an excellent job, but it was just troubling to see such a wonderful instrument relegated to just a section of the orchestra.\nOverall, however, Stravinsky stands as one of the better representatives of the "contemporary" genre. Its shortcomings should not be blamed on the composer, for he does have some much nicer works than "Petrushka." It also would have been more pleasing performed as a ballet, where the music serves as a background for the dance. It was simply too long to serve only as a concert piece.\nThe Philharmonic ended this semester on the right foot and looks like it's ready to begin the next one with a good start. All in all, the musicians did a wonderful job!
(12/06/02 4:49am)
When most people think of Spanish music, the first things that pop into their minds are guitars and castanets. There is a genre however that takes Spanish music out of the saloons and puts it into the cathedrals. It is the music of the Spanish Renaissance. The odd thing about it is that although the music was written by Spaniards for a Spanish audience, not much is distinctly Spanish about it. The instruments are not uniquely Spanish; the words are in Latin and the composers studied in Italy. But its lack of Spanish flavor also made a unique and unexpected impression of the music by flying in the face of common assumptions about Spanish music. It still was an enjoyable experience.\nOn Wednesday in Auer Hall the Pro Arte singers, conducted by John Poole, performed pieces by several Spanish Renaissance composers. Accompanying them was an orchestra of obsolete instruments like the viols, shawm, theorbo, curtal and sackbut, as well as an occasional organ. The orchestra was small because the true focus of the concert was on the singers, whose voices overpowered the listener with their sheer power and harmonic beauty. All the works performed were entirely religious, so there was an additional element of grandeur in the pieces as well. It was incredibly easy for listeners to picture themselves in an immense cathedral in Spain surrounded by the ceremonies of the Mass. It was also easy to see why such music was intended for religious purposes: It uplifts.\nIn addition to being a wonderful and new listening experience, the program was also educational. A little background was provided about the men who wrote the phenomenal religious works. One prominent composer on the program was Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599), whose works included the "Magnificat" and the "Ave Maria" prayers as well as the songs "Ave Virgo Sanctissima" and "Duo Seraphim." Guerrero was probably one of the greatest Spanish composers of the 16th century. He studied in Venice and Rome and for almost forty years was maestro di capella at the Seville Cathedral, one of the most important churches in Spain. It was there that he was in charge of composing works for both chorus only and chorus accompanied by orchestra (as were heard here).\nWorks by Tomás Luís de Victoria (1549-1611) featured on the program were another version of the "Ave Maria" and the song "Quem vidistis, pastores?" After studying in Rome under Palestrina, Victoria returned to Spain in 1587 to become chaplain for Queen Maria, for whom he wrote 20 Masses and 44 motets. Victoria was extremely popular in his time, due in large part to his unique style of composing which emphasizes individual words in the text and their expression.\nAnother feature composer was Cristobal Morales (1500-1553), who was one of the foremost composers of his time. Not only was he famous throughout Europe, but his music was also heard in Mexico and Angola. Only one work by him was performed Wednesday: "Sancta et immacula virginitas."\nA fourth and obscure composer on the program was Sebastián de Vivanco (1551-1622), who was heavily influenced by Italian music. The only work by him on the program was "Christus factus est pro nobis," a song about the Crucifixion.\nAlthough a heavy amount of choral pieces were featured, there were two instrumental interludes. The first was the viols playing Morales's "Sancta et immacula virginitas" and the second was the curtals playing "Canzona due bassi" by Bartolomeo de Selma y Salaverde. The viol is similar to a cello and the curtal is bassoon-shaped, but sounds something like a tenor saxophone. It was extremely intriguing to hear what these antique instruments could do on their own, and the results were rather impressive. The viols were beautiful indeed, but definitely did not supersede the unfamiliar and curious curtal duet, which was accompanied by the organ. Although these two pieces were relatively short, they both gave a unique peek at music from five centuries ago that still fell pleasantly upon the ears.\nThe entire concert was an extremely unique experience. A fascinating new world of Spanish Renaissance music was unfolded in tones and melodies before an audience. It was another interesting and insightful concert by IU's fantastic Early Music Institute.
(11/22/02 4:57am)
Wednesday night saw the Concert Orchestra in an unique concert atmosphere. Instead of the usual overture, concerto, symphony sequence all under one conductor, Wednesday's concert saw six different pieces under the batons of six different conductors. Although somewhat strange, this unique setup gave the audience a sort of "sampler-plate" of a broad range of musical styles and conducting personalities. And here's what was on the menu for Wednesday night:\nItem 1: Overture to Mozart's "The Magic Flute" conducted by Jonathan Canaan. Mozart was indeed a prolific composer. His music definitely has a personal flair to it, but the only problem is that there's so much of it that it is obvious that Mozart wasn't at his full creative potential in many of his works. That is not so in this one, however. This overture has Mozart at his best. The melodies are beautiful, infectious and very Mozartian. And it certainly did not have the flittiness that shows up in some Mozart works. Instead, it can be said that this overture is Mozart "with a bite."\nItem 2: Jean Sibelius's "Finlandia" conducted by Paolo Rossini. They could not have picked a more polar opposite work from the Mozart than this one. If Mozart skipped along the clouds, Sibelius took the listeners to the depths of Tartarus. That is not to say the Sibelius was bad. Not at all. It was enjoyable in a morose sort of way. The work was heavy and loaded with low brass and strings in its orchestration, but it dissolved a bit and then broke out into a triumphant horn and middle string melody. It was loaded with emotion and just left the listener sitting spellbound by its sheer massiveness. \nItem 3: a very distasteful work indeed -- "Fire Cycle" composed by Dorothy Chang (an IU staff member) and conducted by Kelly Corcoran. This was another of those dreaded "contemporary works" which more resemble noise than music. It was full of a lot of…well…nothing. The entire piece was nothing but a cacophony of misplaced runs, blasts, plucking and hammering. And as if one movement wasn't already enough torture, there were three movements to be put up with by the listener. They even had cutesy little names: "Brilliant -- Black," "Sun Rising over Tilled Fields" and "Of Wood and Metal." They all were equally bad, and the third one sounded like the orchestra was lost among some construction zone with all the banging going on. What is it with IU composers? Why does such great potential produce such harsh noise?\nItem 4: Intermission (Ostensibly to recover from Item 3).\nItem 5: Carl Maria von Weber's overture to "Der Freischütz," conducted by Vince Lee. IU has recently done some wonderful work in bringing out Weber's often unfamiliar work. Although this one belongs to his best-known opera, its presence is still wonderful to see. Weber's music in this overture is some of his most creative and emotional, so much so that it is considered one of the hallmarks of the Romantic period. Weber gave this overture some delightful melodies and a wide use of orchestration, making it the most enjoyable piece on the program.\nItem 6: Aaron Copland's "El Salón México," conducted by Dongmin Kim. Although the title says that the piece is supposed to be Mexican, it hardly sounded it at all. Yet it was not entirely removed from a Mexican feel. Perhaps it would be best to call this piece the "Taco Bell of Mexican music." After all, it was written by an American for Americans with a pseudo-Mexican feel. I think it deserves that appellation. And just like real Taco Bell, it wasn't the most appetizing thing in the world, yet still infinitely surpassed the dreaded "Fire Cycle."\nItem 7: Slavonic Dances numbers 5-8 from Opus 46 by the Czech composer Antonín Dvorák. The conductor was Gavriel Heine. These four dances were a nice dessert for the menu. They were pleasant, lively, bright and cheerful. One could easily see why they are called "dances" from their sprightly rhythms and melodies. These attributes, combined with Dvorák's characteristic impressive orchestration made a nice ending and left an overall good impression of the concert.\nWednesday night was a great opportunity for listeners to expand their musical horizons based on the wide variety of musical and conducting styles. It was also a break from the usual heavy symphonic music for a look at the lighter side of the orchestra. Despite its bad moments, the concert is typical of the great musical performances here at IU.
(11/19/02 5:10am)
IU has yet another type of orchestra it can boast about. This past Sunday night saw another performance of the Chamber Orchestra, which is basically a symphony orchestra taken down a notch. It is slightly smaller but still has most of the same instrumentation as the standard symphony orchestra. The only major difference is that a Chamber Orchestra plays music that does not call for a large variety of instruments and does not have any gargantuan scoring, which mostly entails composers before the middle of the 19th century. Although it is smaller, the Chamber orchestra still played some very pleasant music.\nFirst on Sunday's program was "Mozart's Symphony No. 32," which actually was more of a quasi-symphony because it only had two movements. It was typical Mozart -- beautiful, but not exciting. And like most other Mozart works, not much else need be said of the piece other than it was typical of that composer's genius.\nBut the next two pieces featured an instrument that does not typically have solo parts. It was the violin's larger, deeper, and more difficult cousin, the viola. The viola is an often overlooked instrument but it has an incredibly beautiful sound. It is deeper and richer than the violin, but more light and graceful than the cello. \nThe two works featuring violist Robin Hong were very different in character, which allowed the full range of the viola's versatility to be displayed. The first was a "Romance for Viola and Orchestra" by Max Bruch (1838-1920), a very calm and mellow work that showed the viola's soul more than anything else. It was followed by Carl Maria von Weber's "Andante and Rondo Ongarese for Viola and Orchestra," a work with both a flowing lyrical section and a lively Hungarian melody. Here the viola finally got to show what it really could do. Ms. Hong's fingers flew across the strings, deftly producing Weber's brilliant melodies. It was a very unique experience to listen to a Weber viola piece: an uncommon composer writing for an uncommon solo instrument. It was definitely a horizon-expanding performance.\nThe final item on the program was a very special work: Ludwig van Beethoven's fourth symphony. This is probably one of his best symphonies with its spectacular melodies and high demands on technique. The first movement was unforgettable. Perhaps the best word to describe it would be "heroic." It had that certain Beethoven "punch" to it. The second movement was a lyrical masterpiece and the third was an ecstasy, but it was the fourth that was the real eye-opener. The orchestra kicked into full speed on a very complex part, but still retained its musicality and beautiful melodies. The especially hard parts were on the woodwinds and strings in particular, but the overall effect of the piece were amazing. \nThis piece, though often overlooked, truly ranks among the great masterpieces of musical literature. The only fault that can be pointed at the orchestra was a very slight and subtle one that had very little diminishing effect on the piece. They played slightly too mechanically. It was nice that they kept straight tempo and everything, but Beethoven cannot be played like that. He wrote everything with all his heart and soul in it, so to approach it mathematically can only have a deleterious impact on the piece's effect. But the word "slightly" is emphasized. The orchestra still played with enough soul to make the piece appropriately effective.\nThe chamber orchestra featured both the beauty of the viola and magic of Beethoven free of charge for anyone who was interested in listening. It was a great opportunity for enjoyment.
(11/18/02 4:09am)
Looking for an all-around good time? Ever try the opera? If you've seen this weekend's performances of "The Tales of Hoffmann," you know exactly what I'm talking about. This opera has more enjoyable experiences rolled into it than the mind can possibly imagine. It has engaging stories, hilarious comedy, tear-jerking tragedy, incredible singing, imaginative costumes, spectacular scenery and, of course, wonderful music. It was magical yet sophisticated, light yet dramatic, and fanciful yet meaningful -- a work truly appealing to all ages and tastes.\n"The Tales of Hoffmann" was written in 1880 by the French composer (of German-Jewish origins) Jacques Offenbach. Although Offenbach is primarily known for his light and satiric operettas, this work is a grand-scale, full-length and quite serious opera. It was both his last major work and is considered by many to be his finest. It essentially tells the story of a man telling stories. It begins with the muse explaining the story's moral and shifts to Hoffmann and his buddies drinking beer and telling jokes. With Hoffmann is the female muse who has taken on the guise of his male friend Niklausse (yes, there is some cross-dressing), and who stays with him in that form as a sort of guide throughout the entire opera. \nThe dialogue then suddenly shifts from the beer-hall to Hoffmann's three loves and with this the first scene dissolves in clouds to reveal act one. The first act is a side-splitting, riotous comedy about how Hoffmann fell in love with Olympia, who is actually a robot created by the scientist Spalanzani. Needless to say, he is disappointed in this affair. Act two focuses on Antonia, the daughter of the widower Crespel who forbids her to sing because her voice reminds him of her mother. Hoffmann promises to let her sing and almost elopes with her when the evil Dr. Miracle steals her life from her. The third act is the story of Giulietta, a wealthy courtesan, who is mesmerized by the evil Dappertutto to steal Hoffmann's reflection. She does this by making Hoffmann fall madly in love with her, so much so that he kills a man for the key to her room and has to flee. This leads back to the beer-room, where the muse falls in love with Hoffmann, and he returns her love by pledging his undying affection for her. That is, he is now in love with the muse's inspiration over any woman -- a very lofty moral.\nAs far as the production goes, its force and enchantment were far beyond anything offered by "Don Giovanni" or "Julius Caesar," the first two operas of this season. Probably the most enchanting element was the scenery. The sets were massive, intricate and beautiful. They seemed so permanent, yet were moved and shifted with the greatest of ease. The beer-hall scene was, as is necessary, realistic, but the scenes for the three acts were colorful and imaginative. The scenes of Spalanzani's ballroom and Giulietta's Venetian palace were particularly enchanting and magnificent. But nothing is to be detracted from the scenes of Spalanzani's laboratory and Crespel's home, which were equally charming, though not on as grand of a scale.\nAlong with the scenery the costumes captured the audience's imagination well. The three evil geniuses -- Coppelius, Dr. Miracle, and Dappertutto -- had the most interesting costumes. They were original with a dominant element of whimsy, a factor which was everpresent throughout Hoffmann's three stories.\nThe singers themselves could not have done better. One must admire first of all the fact that the entire opera was performed successfully in French, a very difficult feat. Much appreciation goes to Michael Rees Davis's endurance and emotion as Hoffmann, Mi Young Park's range as Olympia and Trent Casey's combination of drama and song as Dr. Miracle. But these are only a few of an overall wonderful cast who certainly deserve much applause for their electrifying performance. And let's not forget the orchestra. Imre Palló and the musicians did a magnificent job in bringing to life the gorgeous and elegant music of Offenbach.\nThis performance of "The Tales of Hoffmann" shows opera at its finest. I frequently found myself being completely engulfed by the engaging plot, the vivid characters and the beautiful music. If you have not seen it yet, I highly suggest seeing this opera; it is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience.\n"Tales of Hoffman" will be playing at the Musical Arts Center Nov. 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. Tickets are still available at ticketmaster.com or the MAC box office.
(11/15/02 4:48am)
Tonight's opera looks to be a very interesting one indeed. "Les Contes d'Hoffman" (The Tales of Hoffman) by the 19th-century French composer Jacques Offenbach, tells the story of essentially a man who tells stories. \nStage director Vince Liotta, described it as "A set of three one-act plays between the 'bookends' of the prologue and epilogue." The prologue begins with Hoffman's narration of the three love stories of Olympia, Antonia, and Giulietta. The opera then ends with Hoffman's epilogue.\nAs with any opera, the main ingredient is its music. Imre Palló, a music professor at IU, will be conducting the show. \nPalló described the music as "the Offenbach that we know and love at his best." He said that although Offenbach is known mostly as an operetta composer, this is his deepest, well-written and well-thought-through work. \n"It is a very difficult piece to play," Palló said. "It taxes everybody, but we hope to do it justice." \nDespite its difficulty, Palló had much praise to offer. The single word he chose to describe the music was "elegant."\nLiotta had much insight to offer about the opera's difficulty. \n"Since it's not a single story, you can't just rehearse it beginning to end," he said and to this he added the difficulties involved in having cast members play multiple parts. "It's had getting them to actually be different people." \nBut despite its difficulties, such a complex plot has its advantages. \n"It offers a different feeling and mood in each act," Liotta said. "And offers more variety in one evening."\nAnother major difficulty encountered by the cast was the language. "The Tales of Hoffman" will be performed in the original French. "French is a notoriously difficult language to sing in," Liotta said. "It is the hardest language in the world to sing, so we had a French language coach for the cast members." Why, one wonders, do they perform it in such a difficult language, then? As Liotta explained, "the audience gets to hear the language combining with the music as the composer imagined it. It would add more force to the music."\nA third major force in putting the production on stage is C. David Higgins, the designer. As with Palló and Liotta, Higgins faced many difficulties in his area of interest. "The stage mechanics of "The Tales of Hoffman" are very complex. There are many special effects and lots of stage business involved, but the end result is impressive." The scenery for the prologue and epilogue is very realistic and in the "grand style of 19th-century operas." But since Acts 1-3 are the stories Hoffman is telling, the stage design in them reflects a more dreamy, colorful and fantastic quality. One especially intriguing effect is the scene change from the prologue to Act 1. This is when Hoffman begins fantasizing as the clouds of love swirl around him to completely engulf the stage and reveal the next scene when they dissipate. It is elements like these that make Higgins look forward to the grandeur of the performances.\nThere was much difficulty to be surmounted on all parts if the opera is to be performed properly, but everyone feels confident that the IU opera theater can pull it off with flying colors. \n"I expect it to be like a well-rehearsed theatrical performance," Liotta said. \nAll parties agreed that everyone has put in much effort that has paid off. But perhaps the best encouragement to see the opera itself comes from Higgins: "If you've never seen an opera before, this one should be your first because it's easily accessible for all ages. It has beautiful music, lots of change, and an engaging story"
(11/13/02 3:47am)
This past Sunday I saw the performance of a very unique and relatively unheard type of orchestra. Yet despite its uncommonness, it was the only type of orchestra that existed for almost a century. That kind of orchestra is the Baroque orchestra, and IU's own Baroque orchestra performed this past Sunday at Auer Hall. The Baroque orchestra is a very up-close-and-personal type of orchestra, having a small number of musicians and a smaller array of instruments. Also, the director plays violin as well, which adds a more personal flavor than the aloofness of the orchestral conductor. Since the Baroque orchestra is from roughly 300 years ago, some of the instruments are relatively strange for the untrained listener like the harpsichord, recorder, archlute, and theorbo. But these are just a few of the things that make the Baroque orchestra a unique experience.\nWhat would the Baroque orchestra be without the music? Nothing. So the music is a key ingredient to the Baroque orchestra's magic. And this Sunday saw works by both the giants and some lesser-known composers. First on the program was an overture by Thomas Arne. Just to differentiate, the Baroque overture is nothing like the orchestral overture: the Baroque one is much longer and divided into movements. This particular overture came relatively late in the Baroque, which meant it had a touch of the later classical style in it. This work was light and enjoyable -- a decent opening piece.\nThis was followed by "Faesiculus VII - Constantia" from the "Florilegium Primum," written in 1695 by Georg Muffat. This eight-movement work which is very obscure featured some wonderful melodies played by a relatively large variety of instruments. It was an extremely beautiful work, and it was nice to hear some lesser-known works being played as well as the important ones. That fact is very much appreciated.\nThe next two pieces were works of the two giants of the Baroque: J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel. The Bach overture of eight movements was performed first and featured a fantastic flute soloist (whose name was regrettably not on the program). The Handel was another overture, this time of only seven movements. Not much can be said of each other than that both are typical of their respective composers' works and that both were a delight to the ear.\nBaroque music is really a wonderful experience. The slow movements sing and the fast ones absolutely fly. There is such a variety of melody and instrumentation that the listener does not know what to expect from the next piece. It also gives listeners a chance to expand their musical horizons and hear unfamiliar works on unfamiliar instruments. It is a highly recommended listening experience and a perfect way to relax on a Sunday afternoon.
(11/04/02 4:50am)
Saturday at Auer Hall saw the commencement of a program dedicated to presenting an exciting new way of looking at music. It is called the Polaris Project. Its goal is to combine music with other forms of artistic expression to create opportunities for interaction between media. Even in concerts that do not employ media other than music (like this Saturday's), a relation between the pieces is presented. And the very first program consisted of two very different pieces put together in a very unique manner.\nThe first piece was J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, a very baroque piece following strict three-movement form and featuring a violin and two flutes. Although not the most familiar of the Brandenburg Concerti, this particular one has very nice melodies and interesting parts on the strings and flutes.\nDon Freund, professor of composition, then gave a very lengthy and detailed introduction to the second piece, Alban Berg's "Chamber Concerto for Piano and Violin with Thirteen Wind Instruments." The piece is about 180 degrees from the Bach composition. It was a contemporary work with a bizarre arrangement of instruments and an extremely complex tonal and harmonic pattern. The piece was not a bad one, but it certainly did not approach the degree of beauty that the Bach had. The best way to describe Berg's concerto is like a puzzle with the pieces put together the wrong way. There were many beautiful sounds on many of the parts, but when put together they made a confusing and rather boring piece. But a splendid performance was done by Ik-Hwan Bae on the violin and Edward Auer on the piano, as well as the other members of the ensemble.\nViolinist Benjamin Sung, creator of the Polaris Project, said the group aims to play a variety of music.\n"One of our goals is to perform music that is not in the standard repertoire," he said.\nAnd by the presentation of a lesser-known Bach and a work of the obscure Berg, the program reflected that attitude. Another thing the program explained was the evolution of the concerto form over time. It noted that although the time difference was only 200 years, the concerto had evolved from Bach's version to a grander orchestral form only to return to the smaller form during Berg's era. It also noted that although the form is similar in both the Bach and the Berg, the musical elements that compose each are very different.\nThe idea for the concert and the Polaris Project as a whole is an extremely intriguing and wonderful one. First of all, music is chosen that is not on everyone's ears. And instead of just throwing the music out and saying "here's Bach" and "here's Berg," the works were presented in terms of the grand scheme -- that is, the evolution of the concerto form between the two. An explanation of form and melody was given and both pieces made sense in terms of each other. And although the concert did not feature any mixed media forms, it certainly was a very educational and entertaining event.\nThe Project's first performance was a definite success. It will offer listeners a great opportunity to hear non-standard works, see media combinations, and gain a new perspective of music all in one concert.
(10/30/02 3:55am)
Those who were looking for entertainment last Sunday afternoon certainly found it. The University orchestra performed its second concert this year under the baton of the world-famous guest conductor Uri Mayer. As is typical of IU's musical ensembles, the orchestra gave a masterful performance of a wonderful program. And perhaps the best thing about the concert was that it was completely devoid of the dissonant monstrosities that slightly dampened most other performances.\nThe first piece on the program was Mozart's three-movement "Paris" Symphony (No. 31 in D Major). Although the work is delightful in its own way, there isn't a horrible amount of anything to say about it. It was typical Mozart - jolly, spirited, playful, and comical. Not flashy, yet not dull. Not fiery, yet not watery. It was just there. But that doesn't mean it lacked beautiful melodies and difficult technique. On the contrary, those two things abounded. After all, if Mozart wrote bad music we wouldn't still be listening to it. Perhaps the music is not attention-grabbing because Mozart wrote music as a career and not as a form of emotional expression. But that's OK - at least the piece is musical.\nThe second piece on the program, however, was just the opposite. It was an emotional whirlwind that took the audience to another universe. It was Richard Strauss's "Tod und Verklärung" (Death and Transfiguration). The piece was relatively long, but it completely absorbed the listeners and immersed them in a flood of some very deep and powerful music. The orchestration was relatively inflated, but it was used to good effect. Every entrance and extra sound made sense and contributed to the overall effect of the piece. It was also a demanding piece for the musicians to perform, but credit goes to them for turning a few printed notes into beautiful music. In one word, this piece is best described as "powerful."\nThe final piece was Chabrier's "España." This piece is a typical late 19th century French orchestral work. It sounds unmistakably like Offenbach or Saint-Saëns, which isn't bad, but it's definitely too French to be Spanish. True, there were some Spanish-sounding passages in the piece, but it still sounded like a Frenchman trying to imitate another style. Like the first piece, this one was just there as well. Nothing spectacular, yet not a disaster either. In spite of this, however, the concert was still well-performed and made a nice Sunday afternoon adventure.
(10/29/02 4:25am)
What story could be more epic than the life of Julius Caesar, one of history's greatest conquerors? This weekend at the MAC the epic story was retold with some of the world's finest music in the form of George Frideric Handel's opera, "Julius Caesar." The opera, whose music is set to Nicola Francesco Haym's libretto, is loosely based on history (and "loosely" is emphasized). It tells the story of Cleopatra, who is vying for the Egyptian throne with her brother Tolomeo and decides to use her womanly charms to gain Caesar's aid in her quest for power. On her side she has the wife (Cornelia) and son (Sesto) of Caesar's rival Pompey, who has just been murdered by Tolomeo. Although presented with many difficulties from Tolomeo and his advisor Achilla, all turns out well for Cleopatra and Caesar in the end.\nListening to a Baroque opera like this one is a very interesting experience. The opera consists almost entirely of solo arias with few duets and two choruses. But the music is wonderful. Handel was one of the all-stars of the Baroque and his music still has its flair after over 200 years. The unique usage of a backstage orchestra as well as a violin solo and a horn duet are delightful surprises to add to the already beautiful melodies. \nThe only real problem with the opera is the libretto (script). It is not the best of plots, it distorts truth more than necessary, and the scenes are extremely disjointed and incoherent. But Handel still made a masterpiece out of it. In fact, the bad libretto only draws more attention to the beautiful music, so nothing is diminished by it. And, as is custom, the orchestra, conducted by David Effron, made wonderful music even more brilliant through their instrumental talent.\nThe vocal performance was also truly breathtaking. The cast had not a single weak link. But the star of the show was without a doubt Alison Bates as Cleopatra. Bates was simply delightful in her performance of a spirited, playful Cleopatra. The ease with which she performed the role showed more an actress than a singer, someone who showed personality in addition to a voice. The title role was performed quite well by Jeremy Hunt, and other notable parts were Sesto, played by Emilio Jimenez Pons, and Tolomeo, played by Taylor Hightower.\nCompliments are also due to the stage designers. The design was very simple, yet it was used to its maximum potential and gave a very powerful and effective scenery change only by rotating and moving a few decorations. Lighting also added the appropriate character to scenes without being flashy at all. However, the costumes were not quite as good as the scenery. The best costume of all was undoubtedly Tolomeo's comfortable yet kingly royal garb with an oddly Egyptian flavor to it. Cleopatra's lingerie-like outfit was somewhat too casual, yet fitted its character's sensuality. The Roman costumes were not very original. They looked like something the futuristic cosmonauts wear in bad sci-fi films. If Tolomeo's and Achilla's costumes still retain an ancient flavor, why must Caesar and his legions look like Captain Kirk?\nOverall, the opera is definitely worth seeing. If the second cast does even half as well as the first, the performances will still be utter vocal and orchestral masterpieces. Not very many people are familiar with Baroque operas, so "Julius Caesar" would serve as an excellent example of the genre, especially at these performances.\n"Julius Caesar" will be performed on November 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets are still available at the MAC box office or www.ticketmaster.com.
(10/25/02 4:47am)
Tonight the IU Opera will perform George Friderick Handel's "Julius Caesar," an opera that tells the story of Caesar's affair with Cleopatra that resulted in her being made queen of Egypt. Dr. George Calder, head of IU's opera department, said the opera (first produced in 1724 in London) is the most popular of Handel's 35 operas. The story, which is based on actual events, is a tale of political intrigue and a woman's use of her charms to gain power. It may be historical, but "The plot is eternal. It could take place as much today as 2000 years ago," Calder said.\nIt is this view that has prompted designer Robert O'Hearn to choose a "strong and abstract" stage design. \n"'Julius Caesar' is a Baroque opera that tells the story of a Roman in Egypt," O'Hearn said. "But we didn't want the design to reflect any period. We wanted rather to emphasize the timelessness of the story."\nThe costumes are designed to fit the characters rather than reflect accuracy. For example, Caesar does not wear the typical Roman soldier dress, and Cleopatra's costume is high fashion. The stage decoration consists only of six large obelisks, but moving and turning them and the use of projections convey scene changes. \n"It is more effective to do more with less," said O'Hearn.\nStefano Vizioli, the guest stage director, also played an important role in the production. "The baroque opera has a very strict form, so it is a major task to breathe life into it," Calder said. "Mr. Vizioli has done a miraculous job of this." \nVizioli has worked with the cast members and their execution of the parts. He said he tries to bring out character through the music and not the words, as well as treating the cast as actors, not singers. \n"Operatic singing should only be 90-percent precise, but it's that 10-percent that allows the singers to personalize their performance of the roles," Vizoli said. \nBased on this personal approach, Vizioli praised both casts and said he looks forward to their performance.\nDavid Effron will conduct the orchestra.\n"This opera is one of the most beautiful of all Baroque operas," he said. "It also has some of the most advanced harmonies and theater techniques, like a backstage orchestra and chorus." \nThe extremely good performances at the dress rehearsals allowed Effron to anticipate great success this coming weekend, he said.\nHandel's "Julius Caesar" will be performed in Italian with English subtitles on Oct. 25 to 26 and Nov. 1 to 2. Tickets are still available for all performances. For more information visit www.music.indiana.edu/opera.
