I know I said it in the last post, which just went up not long ago, but I keep thinking it over in my head and I'm just in awe: I've seen every Mahler symphony live.
You might be thinking, "Yeah yeah, Chantal. And?"
But don't you get it? I've seen every Mahler symphony live now. That's a pretty awesome thing to have done. Have you done that? Have you set out any sort of concert-going goal and achieved it?
I don't say that to be like "I'm cooler than you are" or anything like that. (and trust me, YOU are cooler than ME, I assure you).
I guess I'm just amazed that I set out this goal to see all these Mahler symphonies, and now I have seen all of his amazing symphonies live, thanks to this crazy tour of mine.
This Mahler adventure I've been on since October of 2007 has been nothing but pure joy. Never in my wildest would I have thought I'd be out east hearing Mahler 6, and only 6 days later on the west coast hearing that amazing symphony again. (I did that in February of 2008--National Symphony Orchestra and LA Philharmonic). I never thought I'd cry my eyes out before my first Mahler tour concert and during it as well, which happened when I saw Mahler 6 in Chicago. I was an absolute mess. And when did I ever think I'd go to New York City to see Dudamel conduct 5--and see not only the performance, but the rehearsal as well? I certainly never thought I'd leave my house in the morning, drive 10 hours to hear Mahler, and then drive right back the next morning. (Mahler 9, last May in Minnesota). I mean...WOW. Seriously, WOW.
This tour has taken me here, there, and everywhere. I've seen and heard amazing orchestras, and put quite a few miles on my car as a result. I love classical music because I wish to be emotionally affected, and I have driven and flown to hear the music which affects me most: the compositions of Gustav Mahler. This entire endeavor has been wonderful for thousands of reasons, including the tears I've shed at concerts, and the friends I've met (all of whom are very interesting and cool people), and the hours in the car. Actually, the hours in the car are kind of exciting---I'm as giddy as they get on my drive to the concert, with my stomach all in knots of anticipation. The drive back is always great too, as I try to remember every detail of the evening and make sure those details never leave my mind.
One of my favorite things to think about regarding my tour are my seats. I often don't know where my seats are; I've just gotten a nice response from pr stating that my tickets are at will call, under my name. I'm grateful for those tickets, whether they are on the floor or up in the balcony; I'm just thankful I have them. Yet it's such a fun trip when I find my seats and often, they are the best in the house. (Mahler 6 in Chicago is a prime example: lower balcony, best seats I swear) I remember kind of just looking around in shock at that concert, amazed at my good fortune. Of course, when I got home, I immediately checked to see the price of those tickets, which were like, $120 or something, and I was even more floored. Something similar happened a few months ago, in Nashville. I had THE best seat in the house. It was me in the golden seat, no one else! (and that concert was phenomenal, which just made it all the more amazing)
Or, similar to finding your seats and marveling about them, just plain old marveling about the hall! I'm unsure how I didn't trip and fall over everyone and their mother when I was at Disney Hall last year. The moment I stepped in to the auditorium, I was breathless and speechless. If you've been reading me long enough, you know that I'm NEVER speechless. (unfortunately for others). I already was breathless when I was driving in LA and saw the hall in front of me, but when I got inside the hall to take my seat, I was flabbergasted.
I LOVE thinking about these things! I love that there are tons of unbelievably kind people in orchestras who have helped make my tour such a success. I also love that you, dear reader, are enjoying (I hope!) my entries about my love for Mahler and classical music in general.
Every once in a while I find myself in this mood, where I just sit in wonder over this wonderful musical experience, and next time it comes up, I'm going to try to blog about it again. I really enjoy sharing these experiences with everyone!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Mahler 8 at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
This past evening I finally saw Mahler 8 live, meaning that I've now seen every Mahler symphony in concert! It was with one of my favorite orchestras, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of James Conlon.
You might know that one of the nicknames of this great work is "Symphony of a thousand", and it's rather apt:
Yes, that is a huge amount of people on stage. What you don't see (actually, you can see one or two of them) is the children's choir, to the right of the orchestra, seated in the balcony. There was literally no room for them on stage! It worked out ok too, so no complaints here about the kiddos.
I'll admit when the orchestra first started out, I was a little nervous. It didn't blow me back like I thought it would, that amazing E-flat major opening chord. Things didn't always seem as tight as they should be either for a while, until the second "Veni!". When that one came up, it was all I could do to not just raise my hands in the sign of the horns and start head banging. Good stuff, to be sure. The soloists were great, although unfortunately the men were drowned out a bit.
At the end of the concert, people were on their feet IMMEDIATELY. The only time I've seen people leap to their feet like that was in New York City this past January, when I saw Dudamel conduct Mahler 5. People at Music Hall were going bonkers, and there were a LOT of people there---the hall was filled! James Conlon came out and gave quite a few bows, as did the soloists, and by the end, my toes were numb in my four inch heels that I hadn't moved a muscle in while clapping.
I could go in to more detail about the show, but to me it would almost be like missing the forest for the trees. The fact that several hundred musicians were on stage together playing a gigantic symphony, and that they played it well almost says enough right there. This is a triumphant piece of music, that starts and ends that way and it naturally lends itself to success. Add to that a great orchestra and choir(s), and a full hall of enthusiastic concert-goers, and voila! You have what happened there this past evening.
Now, if you've been keeping up with me and my trips, especially my trips to Cincy, you know very well that I like the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra a lot. To anyone who has thought about going to see them but hasn't---go, I tell you, go! You'll not regret it.
It's not only the stuff that goes on stage that makes me like them as much as I do. There's lots of other stuff too, for instance: their media/pr department. My Mahler tour concerts start off with them, in the form of an email from me, requesting this and that. Everyone at the CSO has always been very kind and helpful, and I appreciate that a great deal. (all the orchestras I've dealt with have been great--but I've bugged the CSO far more than any other group, and they are always gracious, which means a lot to me.) That's a little more of a personal reason, but here's something we can all agree on about the CSO, which makes them so kick ass:
They ALL took paycuts recently when they renegotiated their contract. Now, what exactly is it about this that makes them so cool? Allow me to explain: when it comes time to renew an orchestra's contract, most people kinda get this look of worry on their face, and their breathing gets a bit shallow, sweats break out, and many thank their lucky stars that they aren't on the negotiating committee. Negotiations are nothing small, and often when orchestras take cuts, the negotiations take a while. Not with Cincy though. It didn't take them long to sign off on their new contract, and it included big paycuts for everyone--not just the musicians, but Paavo Jarvi and the administration as well. They all decided to accept paycuts because they all knew that's what was needed to survive and continue, and that says VOLUMES about them. They obviously WANT to continue making music at a high level and they did what was necessary to do that, which was take less money. My hat is off to everyone there for that. It was especially heartening for me to see the administration take a paycut in addition to players, because to me that was a show of solidarity on their part.
Another reason I like Cincy Symph so much: I can go backstage afterwards, and shake the conductor's hand. Any orchestra that makes themselves that accessible to the public is way cool in my eyes. It's a terrific way for an organization to reach out to its audience, and I always look forward to heading backstage at Music Hall.
Have I mentioned that I think Paavo Jarvi is an awesome conductor? He's a major reason I like the CSO so much.
They are making CDs and touring---another thing that makes the CSO so cool. I don't know who they'll make CDs with now, now that Telarc has pretty much gone bye bye, but they've put out some GREAT CDs this past season or two. Their tour to Europe was a total success as well. They are not content to keep their awesomeness in Cincinnati, which is yet another reason I like them so much.
I could keep going, although we'd get to some of my more ridiculous reasons why I like them, like how I think it's way cool that supposedly Music Hall is haunted. I think the reasons above pretty much get my point across though, so I'll keep it at that.
Now, I am upset that they aren't playing any Mahler next season, but I'll live with it. I will still happily make the drive to hear this fabulous orchestra again, Mahler or not!
You might know that one of the nicknames of this great work is "Symphony of a thousand", and it's rather apt:
Yes, that is a huge amount of people on stage. What you don't see (actually, you can see one or two of them) is the children's choir, to the right of the orchestra, seated in the balcony. There was literally no room for them on stage! It worked out ok too, so no complaints here about the kiddos.
I'll admit when the orchestra first started out, I was a little nervous. It didn't blow me back like I thought it would, that amazing E-flat major opening chord. Things didn't always seem as tight as they should be either for a while, until the second "Veni!". When that one came up, it was all I could do to not just raise my hands in the sign of the horns and start head banging. Good stuff, to be sure. The soloists were great, although unfortunately the men were drowned out a bit.
At the end of the concert, people were on their feet IMMEDIATELY. The only time I've seen people leap to their feet like that was in New York City this past January, when I saw Dudamel conduct Mahler 5. People at Music Hall were going bonkers, and there were a LOT of people there---the hall was filled! James Conlon came out and gave quite a few bows, as did the soloists, and by the end, my toes were numb in my four inch heels that I hadn't moved a muscle in while clapping.
I could go in to more detail about the show, but to me it would almost be like missing the forest for the trees. The fact that several hundred musicians were on stage together playing a gigantic symphony, and that they played it well almost says enough right there. This is a triumphant piece of music, that starts and ends that way and it naturally lends itself to success. Add to that a great orchestra and choir(s), and a full hall of enthusiastic concert-goers, and voila! You have what happened there this past evening.
Now, if you've been keeping up with me and my trips, especially my trips to Cincy, you know very well that I like the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra a lot. To anyone who has thought about going to see them but hasn't---go, I tell you, go! You'll not regret it.
It's not only the stuff that goes on stage that makes me like them as much as I do. There's lots of other stuff too, for instance: their media/pr department. My Mahler tour concerts start off with them, in the form of an email from me, requesting this and that. Everyone at the CSO has always been very kind and helpful, and I appreciate that a great deal. (all the orchestras I've dealt with have been great--but I've bugged the CSO far more than any other group, and they are always gracious, which means a lot to me.) That's a little more of a personal reason, but here's something we can all agree on about the CSO, which makes them so kick ass:
They ALL took paycuts recently when they renegotiated their contract. Now, what exactly is it about this that makes them so cool? Allow me to explain: when it comes time to renew an orchestra's contract, most people kinda get this look of worry on their face, and their breathing gets a bit shallow, sweats break out, and many thank their lucky stars that they aren't on the negotiating committee. Negotiations are nothing small, and often when orchestras take cuts, the negotiations take a while. Not with Cincy though. It didn't take them long to sign off on their new contract, and it included big paycuts for everyone--not just the musicians, but Paavo Jarvi and the administration as well. They all decided to accept paycuts because they all knew that's what was needed to survive and continue, and that says VOLUMES about them. They obviously WANT to continue making music at a high level and they did what was necessary to do that, which was take less money. My hat is off to everyone there for that. It was especially heartening for me to see the administration take a paycut in addition to players, because to me that was a show of solidarity on their part.
Another reason I like Cincy Symph so much: I can go backstage afterwards, and shake the conductor's hand. Any orchestra that makes themselves that accessible to the public is way cool in my eyes. It's a terrific way for an organization to reach out to its audience, and I always look forward to heading backstage at Music Hall.
Have I mentioned that I think Paavo Jarvi is an awesome conductor? He's a major reason I like the CSO so much.
They are making CDs and touring---another thing that makes the CSO so cool. I don't know who they'll make CDs with now, now that Telarc has pretty much gone bye bye, but they've put out some GREAT CDs this past season or two. Their tour to Europe was a total success as well. They are not content to keep their awesomeness in Cincinnati, which is yet another reason I like them so much.
I could keep going, although we'd get to some of my more ridiculous reasons why I like them, like how I think it's way cool that supposedly Music Hall is haunted. I think the reasons above pretty much get my point across though, so I'll keep it at that.
Now, I am upset that they aren't playing any Mahler next season, but I'll live with it. I will still happily make the drive to hear this fabulous orchestra again, Mahler or not!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wagner Week part 5: The Neard
As many people know, Wagner, despite his musical genius, still had a lot of faults. LOTS of them, actually. Some will get people rather heated, so I won't speak about those. Instead I wish to focus on one of his faults that I believe all of us can agree on:
WAGNER'S AWFUL NEARD.
A neard, in case you don't know, is a neck beard. Did Wagner have no friends? If I had been around at that time, I would have said to him "Good grief man! Shave that hideous thing, and quickly! Get your ass to a barber! Schnell schnell!" I mean, seriously---friends don't let friends have neards. They are simply awful. I mean, look at this hideous thing!
Can anyone name ANYTHING attractive about a neard? Anything? Anything at all????
That's what I thought. There is NOTHING attractive about a neard. It's like...I look at this picture above and can't help but grimace. It's like a car wreck that you don't want to see, but you can't keep your eyes off of it. I mean, I don't think I've ever been so entranced by something so ugly! Add to that the hat he's wearing, and I'm coming close to really clownin' this dude. He almost deserves it for those things.
So, what's the lesson in this blog? The lesson is that even really intelligent and talented people make mistakes and have bad judgement. Case in point: Wagner, and his neard.
WAGNER'S AWFUL NEARD.
A neard, in case you don't know, is a neck beard. Did Wagner have no friends? If I had been around at that time, I would have said to him "Good grief man! Shave that hideous thing, and quickly! Get your ass to a barber! Schnell schnell!" I mean, seriously---friends don't let friends have neards. They are simply awful. I mean, look at this hideous thing!
Can anyone name ANYTHING attractive about a neard? Anything? Anything at all????
That's what I thought. There is NOTHING attractive about a neard. It's like...I look at this picture above and can't help but grimace. It's like a car wreck that you don't want to see, but you can't keep your eyes off of it. I mean, I don't think I've ever been so entranced by something so ugly! Add to that the hat he's wearing, and I'm coming close to really clownin' this dude. He almost deserves it for those things.
So, what's the lesson in this blog? The lesson is that even really intelligent and talented people make mistakes and have bad judgement. Case in point: Wagner, and his neard.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wagner Week part 4: Go see Wagner because the ISO is great!
Technically this post doesn't have anything to do with Wagner. However, it does have something to do with my reasons for wanting everyone and their mother to see Das Rheingold this coming weekend; one of them being that the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra totally rocks. Here's what I said about their concert last weekend in NUVO.
Wagner Week part 3: What is Das Rheingold about anyway?
So, perhaps I've sort of gotten you interested in seeing Das Rheingold this weekend. I hope so. But you might be asking "What is it about???" Here, let me fill you in.
Check it out: so three chicks are takin' a swim, havin' a good ol' time, singing Kumbayah, holding hands, the lot. Then some shorty named Alberich comes along and tries to grab one of the babes, to no avail. Then the sun does what it does best, and shines a fatty light in to the water, creating a beautiful glow (much like bling does). Shorty is like "Woah! What's that??" and the three broads tell him about the Rheingold, and how it's worth fat loot, and whoever wins it gets power over the world---as long as they renounce LOVE. Shorty is then like "love shmove!" and steals the ring away from the three babes.
Then, way up on a mountain, Fricka the goddess of marriage wakes her hubby Wotan, lord of the gods up. (She had really bad morning breath, apparently). Wotan is all chuffed as he looks out at their recently built crib, but Fricka gets on Wotan's frickin' case and reminds him that he promised to give her sister, Freia, goddess of youth to the two uber-big dudes for building their crib. (Fasolt and Fafner are their names) Not long after Fricka's whining, Freia comes running in, followed by the uber-big dudes who are like "PAY UP!" Two other gods, Donner and Blitzen--no, wait, Donner and Froh come in to help out. Loge, the god of fire comes in fired up with a good idea: instead of the uber-big dudes taking Freia, they get the Rheingold from shorty Alberich. The uber-big dudes take Freia as hostage for the time being, and then Wotan and Loge head out to find shorty. Freia, being goddess of youth, is now GONE, so the gods start getting wrinkly, old, and needing dentures and stuff.
Back in shorty's hometown, Nibelheim, home of the Nibelungs, he's trying to get his bro Mime to hook him up with the Tarnhelm, a way cool hat that basically turns the wearer in to anything and can take you any where faster than you can say "Beam me up Scotty". Alberich puts it on his melon and becomes invisible and tickles Mime until he pees his pants laughing. (no, not really, but he does give him a hard time). Shorty then goes and gives some other shortys that work for him a hard time. Wotan and Loge then show up in their Depends Adult Diapers, and Mime tells them about what a punk Alberich has been. Alberich then shows up and threatens to conquer all the gods and put them to work, and Wotan and Loge are like "O RLY?" and Alberich is like "Yah, RLY." Then Loge wants to see how the cool new hat works, and Alberich puts on a fashion show, and turns in to a serpent, and then the idiot turns in to a toad, which the dudes easily capture. Loge grabs the hat as Alberich turns in to his old shorty self, and he gets dragged away.
Back at the ranch, Alberich sends a text message (standard rates apply) to the Nibelung, telling them to come up with the bling for Freia's ransom. He then texted a special number to get his horoscope, which basically said "today isn't going to go well". Loge decides to keep the hat, and Wotan wants the ring. Alberich loves it though, and says he'd rather keel over than give it up. Wotan gets medieval on him and takes the ring, overcome with desire for power. Alberich is like "no!!!1! dey be stealin' mah ring!" and curses it, saying that whoever possesses it will never get laid again, and all they'll do the rest of their life is worry, and get stuck watching really really bad soap operas until they die. Yeah, that sucks. Anyway, he skedaddles, and Fricka and Donner have a homecoming party for Wotan and Loge, who show off their bling. The uber-big dudes come back with Freia . Fasolt, who is way in to Freia, says he'll accept the bling if it completely hides Friea from him, which personally, I don't get. Like, was she ugly or something? Did she look like his sister, or what? Anyway...the treasure gets piled up, including the cool hat, but Fasolt can still see Freia's butt or something. Fafner demands the ring to close up the little gap, but Wotan says "Um, no", so the uber-big dudes start to haul Freia away.
All of a sudden, Erda, goddess of the Earth (and a total badass, might I say) shows up to warn Wotan that the ring is nothing but trouble for the gods. Wotan is like "O RLY?" but Erda runs off and leaves him hangin'. Wotan decides to follow what she says though, and puts his ring in the pile of goods. Alberich's curse on the ring claims its first victim as Fafner kills his brother over the ring. The gods are shocked, and Donner decides to clear the air with a nice lightning show and a few good thunder claps, and then a rainbow appears as a bridge to the crib. Wotan names his crib "Valhalla", and then you hear the three chicks from earlier singing and whining about the loss of the ring. In the meantime, the gods are all smiles, and walk cheerfully to their new home.
That, my friends, is the story, in a nutshell. (many thanks to friends, Wikipedia, and various opera house websites for helping tell the story). Interesting, no? You like drama, right? You love reality shows, right? And don't try to tell me you didn't like the Jerry Springer shows where there were punches thrown and food fights! So, you'll like this opera. Dwarves, giants, rings, bling, babes, badass goddesses---all put to amazing music!! What isn't there to love???
So, Friday at 8pm, or Sunday at 2pm. Be there for some bling, gods, goddesses, and Jerry Springer-like drama. You won't want to miss it!!
Check it out: so three chicks are takin' a swim, havin' a good ol' time, singing Kumbayah, holding hands, the lot. Then some shorty named Alberich comes along and tries to grab one of the babes, to no avail. Then the sun does what it does best, and shines a fatty light in to the water, creating a beautiful glow (much like bling does). Shorty is like "Woah! What's that??" and the three broads tell him about the Rheingold, and how it's worth fat loot, and whoever wins it gets power over the world---as long as they renounce LOVE. Shorty is then like "love shmove!" and steals the ring away from the three babes.
Then, way up on a mountain, Fricka the goddess of marriage wakes her hubby Wotan, lord of the gods up. (She had really bad morning breath, apparently). Wotan is all chuffed as he looks out at their recently built crib, but Fricka gets on Wotan's frickin' case and reminds him that he promised to give her sister, Freia, goddess of youth to the two uber-big dudes for building their crib. (Fasolt and Fafner are their names) Not long after Fricka's whining, Freia comes running in, followed by the uber-big dudes who are like "PAY UP!" Two other gods, Donner and Blitzen--no, wait, Donner and Froh come in to help out. Loge, the god of fire comes in fired up with a good idea: instead of the uber-big dudes taking Freia, they get the Rheingold from shorty Alberich. The uber-big dudes take Freia as hostage for the time being, and then Wotan and Loge head out to find shorty. Freia, being goddess of youth, is now GONE, so the gods start getting wrinkly, old, and needing dentures and stuff.
Back in shorty's hometown, Nibelheim, home of the Nibelungs, he's trying to get his bro Mime to hook him up with the Tarnhelm, a way cool hat that basically turns the wearer in to anything and can take you any where faster than you can say "Beam me up Scotty". Alberich puts it on his melon and becomes invisible and tickles Mime until he pees his pants laughing. (no, not really, but he does give him a hard time). Shorty then goes and gives some other shortys that work for him a hard time. Wotan and Loge then show up in their Depends Adult Diapers, and Mime tells them about what a punk Alberich has been. Alberich then shows up and threatens to conquer all the gods and put them to work, and Wotan and Loge are like "O RLY?" and Alberich is like "Yah, RLY." Then Loge wants to see how the cool new hat works, and Alberich puts on a fashion show, and turns in to a serpent, and then the idiot turns in to a toad, which the dudes easily capture. Loge grabs the hat as Alberich turns in to his old shorty self, and he gets dragged away.
Back at the ranch, Alberich sends a text message (standard rates apply) to the Nibelung, telling them to come up with the bling for Freia's ransom. He then texted a special number to get his horoscope, which basically said "today isn't going to go well". Loge decides to keep the hat, and Wotan wants the ring. Alberich loves it though, and says he'd rather keel over than give it up. Wotan gets medieval on him and takes the ring, overcome with desire for power. Alberich is like "no!!!1! dey be stealin' mah ring!" and curses it, saying that whoever possesses it will never get laid again, and all they'll do the rest of their life is worry, and get stuck watching really really bad soap operas until they die. Yeah, that sucks. Anyway, he skedaddles, and Fricka and Donner have a homecoming party for Wotan and Loge, who show off their bling. The uber-big dudes come back with Freia . Fasolt, who is way in to Freia, says he'll accept the bling if it completely hides Friea from him, which personally, I don't get. Like, was she ugly or something? Did she look like his sister, or what? Anyway...the treasure gets piled up, including the cool hat, but Fasolt can still see Freia's butt or something. Fafner demands the ring to close up the little gap, but Wotan says "Um, no", so the uber-big dudes start to haul Freia away.
All of a sudden, Erda, goddess of the Earth (and a total badass, might I say) shows up to warn Wotan that the ring is nothing but trouble for the gods. Wotan is like "O RLY?" but Erda runs off and leaves him hangin'. Wotan decides to follow what she says though, and puts his ring in the pile of goods. Alberich's curse on the ring claims its first victim as Fafner kills his brother over the ring. The gods are shocked, and Donner decides to clear the air with a nice lightning show and a few good thunder claps, and then a rainbow appears as a bridge to the crib. Wotan names his crib "Valhalla", and then you hear the three chicks from earlier singing and whining about the loss of the ring. In the meantime, the gods are all smiles, and walk cheerfully to their new home.
That, my friends, is the story, in a nutshell. (many thanks to friends, Wikipedia, and various opera house websites for helping tell the story). Interesting, no? You like drama, right? You love reality shows, right? And don't try to tell me you didn't like the Jerry Springer shows where there were punches thrown and food fights! So, you'll like this opera. Dwarves, giants, rings, bling, babes, badass goddesses---all put to amazing music!! What isn't there to love???
So, Friday at 8pm, or Sunday at 2pm. Be there for some bling, gods, goddesses, and Jerry Springer-like drama. You won't want to miss it!!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Wagner Week part 2: You should totally go to the opera this weekend!
You need to go to see Das Rheingold on Friday at 8pm, or Sunday at 2pm. I'm not joking. I'm not kidding. I am absolutely serious and adamant about this. GET THEE TO CLOWES HALL THIS WEEKEND!!
Here's the deal: I went to a rehearsal of Rheingold this evening, and was literally glued to my seat and my eyes to the stage the entire time. I'll admit, there are times in concerts where I find my mind wandering to various things unrelated to the music.....my shopping list, whether or not I remembered to feed the cats before I left the house, etc etc....but tonight my mind--and HEART--was glued to the stage.
First off, it's not just singers and orchestra on stage. It's half staged! There's basically a smaller set and then a screen as well, for the background, and it's way cool. Of course what I saw was incomplete, but it was still cool. There's full use of the pit, and that's actually where the set is, with the orchestra on stage, behind the set. The screen is above the orchestra, right at the edge.
Then, of course, the music! You must trust me--I swear, I am not lying--every single thing you love about music, you can find in opera. Opera has it all, and especially when it's Wagner writing the opera: drama, emotions, a gripping story, beautiful music, the sheer beauty of collaboration between singers and instrumentalists---it's all there, and MORE!! This opera goes by quickly as well (and it's not even a long opera either). Tonight the orchestra started and went for quite a while before they stopped to go back a bit, and I remember thinking "No! Don't stop, keep going!", because I was so involved! Ah friends, I tell you---right now, I'm wishing my blog were named "Wagner Owes Me Ten Bucks", because I am smitten, hopelessly smitten with Wagner.
I am thrilled to be able to go to tomorrow night's rehearsal as well--what a treat! I know I sound like a broken record, but you simply MUST go!! Here, if I can't convince you, check out the Indianapolis Opera's site. They've got a few blogs about the show this weekend, and you can also get great deals on tickets---like, as in 50% off tickets. Seriously, grab a friend, grab a few---or if you come alone, come and find me and I'll be your friend. It will be well worth it, I assure you.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put Wagner in the CD player....until later....
Here's the deal: I went to a rehearsal of Rheingold this evening, and was literally glued to my seat and my eyes to the stage the entire time. I'll admit, there are times in concerts where I find my mind wandering to various things unrelated to the music.....my shopping list, whether or not I remembered to feed the cats before I left the house, etc etc....but tonight my mind--and HEART--was glued to the stage.
First off, it's not just singers and orchestra on stage. It's half staged! There's basically a smaller set and then a screen as well, for the background, and it's way cool. Of course what I saw was incomplete, but it was still cool. There's full use of the pit, and that's actually where the set is, with the orchestra on stage, behind the set. The screen is above the orchestra, right at the edge.
Then, of course, the music! You must trust me--I swear, I am not lying--every single thing you love about music, you can find in opera. Opera has it all, and especially when it's Wagner writing the opera: drama, emotions, a gripping story, beautiful music, the sheer beauty of collaboration between singers and instrumentalists---it's all there, and MORE!! This opera goes by quickly as well (and it's not even a long opera either). Tonight the orchestra started and went for quite a while before they stopped to go back a bit, and I remember thinking "No! Don't stop, keep going!", because I was so involved! Ah friends, I tell you---right now, I'm wishing my blog were named "Wagner Owes Me Ten Bucks", because I am smitten, hopelessly smitten with Wagner.
I am thrilled to be able to go to tomorrow night's rehearsal as well--what a treat! I know I sound like a broken record, but you simply MUST go!! Here, if I can't convince you, check out the Indianapolis Opera's site. They've got a few blogs about the show this weekend, and you can also get great deals on tickets---like, as in 50% off tickets. Seriously, grab a friend, grab a few---or if you come alone, come and find me and I'll be your friend. It will be well worth it, I assure you.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put Wagner in the CD player....until later....
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wagner Week (Mahler is on vacation)
When you think of Richard Wagner, what do you first think of? Come on now, be honest. You probably think of chicks with horned helmets and metal boobs, operas that last, according to rumor, like 8 days or something, and also Wagner's racial prejudices. Now here's something else: what other composer do you know that makes you think of such things first? None! None at all! When we think of Beethoven, our minds and ears immediately hear his famous 5th symphony, and when the name Mozart is spoken, we think of a 10 year old composing symphonies and playing violin concertos. Yet with Ricky, we've got all this baggage.
Can I encourage you to drop it all? Yes, that's right, drop it. Drop it like it's hot.
Let's get past all this baggage, for it is unfair. (or if you are unwilling to do that, make sure you conjure up baggage for EVERY composer you know). To say that his operas are astounding doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. This man takes orchestras and singers to new levels of their craft. The location of his operas are high in the sky above the clouds, on earth, and deep in the underworld. Compositionally, everyone pretty much confesses his operas are sheer genius. You get the point, don't you?
Well, in case not, this whole week is going to be devoted to Wagner, and different things about he and his compositions. You see, I'm quite excited about this coming weekend here in Indianapolis, and wish to celebrate all week! The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is performing a concert version of Das Rheingold, the prelude of Wagner's famous Ring cycle. And guess what? This opera doesn't take 9 hours! It's not boring and drawn out and ever so long like you think all Wagner operas are. It is, however, sonically astounding and captivating. I'm tellin' ya---you will never hear an introduction like Das Rheingold---never have you heard E-flat major so gloriously and beautifully expounded upon, I promise you!! Heck, the intro is reason enough to come to this concert, let alone the rest of this one act opera. If you come in hesitant and with a desire to bolt as quickly as possible, I swear that the intro will glue you to your seat. I'm not joking or exaggerating---I say that because that's what I experienced when I first heard it! I'm chomping at the bit to finally hear it live, and I'm thrilled that it's happening here, in Indianapolis.
So, are you up for dropping all your Wagner baggage, and giving him a chance? This weekend is the perfect opportunity to do so, either on Friday at 8pm (I'll be at that one) or Sunday at 2pm at Clowes Memorial Hall. And to gear you up for it, this week is Wagner Week here at MOTB. Every day I'll be writing something about Ricky, that crazy hat wearing, neck-beard havin' genius composer. I hope that by the end of the week, you'll be as excited as I am to hear this concert. Stay tuned, and welcome to Wagner Week!
Can I encourage you to drop it all? Yes, that's right, drop it. Drop it like it's hot.
Let's get past all this baggage, for it is unfair. (or if you are unwilling to do that, make sure you conjure up baggage for EVERY composer you know). To say that his operas are astounding doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. This man takes orchestras and singers to new levels of their craft. The location of his operas are high in the sky above the clouds, on earth, and deep in the underworld. Compositionally, everyone pretty much confesses his operas are sheer genius. You get the point, don't you?
Well, in case not, this whole week is going to be devoted to Wagner, and different things about he and his compositions. You see, I'm quite excited about this coming weekend here in Indianapolis, and wish to celebrate all week! The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is performing a concert version of Das Rheingold, the prelude of Wagner's famous Ring cycle. And guess what? This opera doesn't take 9 hours! It's not boring and drawn out and ever so long like you think all Wagner operas are. It is, however, sonically astounding and captivating. I'm tellin' ya---you will never hear an introduction like Das Rheingold---never have you heard E-flat major so gloriously and beautifully expounded upon, I promise you!! Heck, the intro is reason enough to come to this concert, let alone the rest of this one act opera. If you come in hesitant and with a desire to bolt as quickly as possible, I swear that the intro will glue you to your seat. I'm not joking or exaggerating---I say that because that's what I experienced when I first heard it! I'm chomping at the bit to finally hear it live, and I'm thrilled that it's happening here, in Indianapolis.
So, are you up for dropping all your Wagner baggage, and giving him a chance? This weekend is the perfect opportunity to do so, either on Friday at 8pm (I'll be at that one) or Sunday at 2pm at Clowes Memorial Hall. And to gear you up for it, this week is Wagner Week here at MOTB. Every day I'll be writing something about Ricky, that crazy hat wearing, neck-beard havin' genius composer. I hope that by the end of the week, you'll be as excited as I am to hear this concert. Stay tuned, and welcome to Wagner Week!
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