MUSIC: Black Violin

by benmweilertNo Comments
Black Violin Pike's Peak Center September 26, 2017 As a fan of classical music, I find myself also enjoying cross-genre takes on it. From the disco-inspired mini-anthologies of Hooked on Classics to the acapella versions created by The Swingle Singers, any unique take on the classical genre merely reminds me of how great the classics truly are. Of course, some of what gives classical music its charm is the full sound of an orchestra, each instrument providing a piece to a greater whole. When this style of music is compared to the heavy beats and synthesized remixing of hip-hop, there’s not very much in common. That’s where Black Violin begs to differ. These two musicians, Kev Marcus and Wil B., use only a violin and viola (respectively) to show how the hip-hop beat (i.e., the “kick, snare, kick, kick, snare”) can fuse with the classical sound typically associated with their string instruments. I know I’m usually turned off of the hip-hop genre due to the lyrics of many rappers,...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – Carmina Burana

by benmweilertNo Comments
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Conductor: Josep Caballé Domenech Date: May 21, 2017 Zones Pierre Jalbert In the final commissioned piece of this 90th Philharmonic season, Pierre Jalbert takes the term "from sea to shining sea" quite literally with his piece, Zones. With the majority of the music conveying the depths of the ocean, it was interesting to hear the various deep-sea creatures as they passed by (most of which seemed to be quite large and dangerous). Eventually, the listener arrives near the surface of the ocean and can hear the rays of light penetrating down into the water. During the last moments of the piece, the listener emerges on dry land and quickly finds themselves in the alpine "zone" of the top of Pike's Peak. Martern Aller Arten (from The Abduction from the Seraglio) / Verdrai, carino (from Don Giovanni) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart These selected arias from Mozart's repertoire weren't that recognizable, but they certainly gave soprano Celena Shafer the chance to show off. Having been in a choir before, I know I...
Read More

MUSIC: Aladdin (2011)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Aladdin New Amsterdam Theatre May 10, 2017 Anyone who knows me will know that Aladdin (1992) is easily one of my top three favorite Disney movies. Not only is the focus of the narrative more on the male lead than the "princess," but the songs were catchy, and the Genie was hilarious. You can then imagine my surprise to learn that this movie was now a Broadway musical (much in the same way Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Lion King (1994) before it). Since I was in New York City on vacation, I had to take in a Broadway show and was glad that this was the one I saw. Knowing that a ~90 minute animated film would need to be padded out to a full, 2-act stage musical, the additions to the plot made sense. Many of the animal companions (if not all of them) were replaced with friends, handmaids, or lackeys in this production. The sub-plot of Aladdin wanting to...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – The Texas Tenors

by benmweilertNo Comments
The Texas Tenors Conductor: Thomas Wilson Date: May 06, 2017 In another night of not precisely knowing what to expect from the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, I was pleasantly surprised. Before seeing them perform this weekend, I had never heard of the Texas Tenors before. Part of me was apprehensive for the performance, as I figured it would be a lot of well-sung country and western songs. Part of it was, but that was OK because the country just happened to be Italy. I think the more accurate assessment of this group is three tenors from Texas, since the primary focus is really on their singing, not necessarily on their southern origins. Their repertoire is quite admirable. From Amazing Grace to Sinatra to The Phantom of the Opera to Bruno Mars, this trio of singers aren't just great at singing; they're also excellent at engaging with the audience. Of course, that makes sense considering they've had many live performances, not the least of which was a stint in...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – Mahler 6

by benmweilertNo Comments
Symphony No. 6 in A minor Composer: Gustav Mahler Conductor: Josep Caballé-Domenech Date: April 22, 2017 Before going to see this performance, I knew very little about Gustav Mahler. Because of a Tom Lehrer song (see video below), I knew he was married to a woman named Alma, and I knew he composed a piece called "Das Lied von der Erde." And while I still know little about Gustav Mahler, I can make some interesting assumptions based on how he composed. After all, when a piece requires over 100 instruments, including two harps, two timpani, a celesta, and an instrument specially made for this singular symphony, you can tell Mahler didn't conform to traditional standards. I can practically hear him instructing his orchestra. I can hear him saying he wants more cowbell, because dang if there isn't plenty of cowbell in his 6th symphony. The richness and diversity of sound produced by this large orchestra leaves the listener with many instruments on which to focus. I'm sure repeated...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – Hindemith: Mathis der Maler

by benmweilertNo Comments
Symphony Mathis der Maler Composer: Paul Hindemith Conductor: Thomas Wilson Date: April 15, 2017 Contrary to what I initially thought, this piece was not by Gustav Mahler or even about Mahler (notice the absence of the "h" in the title). Instead, this symphony was an effective musical representation of an artist's work which itself had a hermit saint as its inspiration. Through the "behind the scenes" provided by the Philharmonic before playing the entire piece, I learned that Hindemith paid a lot of attention to the symmetry and mathematical balances in his music. From utilizing the golden ratio to palindromes to balanced and unbalanced movements, there was more to Hindemith symphony than met the ear. What was also interesting was the artist whose works were inspirations for this symphony (itself being part of a larger opera). Mathis Grunewald didn't have many works to his name, but the ones we do know about are certainly impactful. Just as an example, the piece included in this post was just one...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – Swing, Swing, Swing!

by benmweilertNo Comments
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Conductor: Thomas Wilson Date: April 1, 2017 Much like the Divas of the 60's performance, I had very limited prior knowledge of the music played during this week's Philharmonic pops. I was aware of the basic swing style of music but had little to no exposure to it's complete musical reach. My initial thoughts were that this performance would be very high-energy since swing music is often accompanied by the high-energy dance style of the same name. I was somewhat surprised to find a fair number of the songs were a little slower. Granted, you could still dance to them, but they would have been slow dances instead of swing dances. Perhaps the title of "Swing, Swing, Swing!" was a little misleading. Much of the music was of the "big band" style, which isn't always of the "swing" genre. With the focus on brass and percussion, the addition of strings to the arrangements made for quite the impressive sound, especially on the songs I...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – Peer Gynt

by benmweilertNo Comments
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Conductor: Josep Caballé Domenech Date: March 18, 2017 Enchanted Landscapes: A Symphonic Poem Ofer Ben-Amots Of all the commissioned pieces for the 90th season of the Philharmonic, I thought this was one of the stronger pieces. While it didn't have any of the musical motifs of the original "America the Beautiful," it had an inspiration all its own that conveyed the power of the original. Starting and ending in a somber tone, "Enchanted Landscapes" paints an auditory picture of a cloudy day on Pike's Peak. Then, suddenly, a storm whips up! With thunder and lightning, wind and rain, the peaceful calm are broken by nature's fury. Almost at once, quiet falls on the mountain as snow starts slowly fluttering down. Finally, the storm has passed, and all is quiet on the peak once more. Nänie Johannes Brahms For a piece about death and dying, I found Brahms' interpretation of this poem to be a little more high-energy than I was expecting. Gone are the lamentations of a life...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – Dvořák: New World Symphony

by benmweilertNo Comments
New World Symphony (No. 9) Composer: Antonin Dvořák Conductor: Josep Caballé-Domenech Date: March 11, 2017 This piece. THIS PIECE! I'll be honest; it's probably my favorite piece of classical music ever. Now that I know a bit more about it through the Colorado Springs Philharmonic's Masterworks series, I feel I can appreciate it even more. Although even if I now know the Native American, African American, Czech, Beethoven, and Wagner influences that made this piece what it is, I've loved it for so long I have trouble picking out the references. Nevertheless, being able to identify the small segments that added to the spectacular whole that is this piece just added to my love of it. If anything, the melting pot of musical motifs and themes that help to create a sound that is distinctly American, even from a Czech composer like Dvorak, is what the New World Symphony is all about. The ability for Dvorak to recognize the heritage of the Native Americans and the struggle of the African-Americans...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – 007: The Music of James Bond

by benmweilertNo Comments
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Conductor: Thomas Wilson Date: March 4, 2017 Very few film franchises have been able to stand the test of time. Of course, with the resurgence of reboots and remakes, some long-gone franchises are starting to find themselves once again. The James Bond franchise has had a few bumps over the years, but it continues to maintain its presence in the popular culture landscape. One of the most recognizable aspects of this franchise has certainly been its music. There's a tension in it that oozes action and masculinity. With films spanning half a century, the music has done its best to keep up with the changing styles of our culture. Similar musical styles gave many of the early Bond films' title songs a very consistent sound. I was a little disappointed that the Philharmonic chose to do "The Look of Love" from the 1960's spoof, Casino Royale, instead of the Herb Alpert opening track, but at least it matched the tone with the rest of...
Read More

MUSIC: CSPhil – Divas of the 60’s

by benmweilert1 Comment
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Conductor: Thomas Wilson Date: February 11, 2017 If there was one thing I learned about this performance by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, it's that I really didn't start paying attention to music until the 1970's. Perhaps it was due to not understanding or appreciating the Motown style, but there were quite a few songs during the concert that I just straight didn't recognize. Even some famous songs just passed right by my recognition. This is all likely my own fault, but the experience was still nice, nonetheless. Of the pieces I did recognize, it was fun to sing along, especially with the enhanced music the philharmonic could provide to accompany it. There were times, though, that the music drowned out the singers and I couldn't tell what they were saying, but that also may have been due to my location in the uppermost part of the balcony of the Pike's Peak Center. Either way, the visuals provided by the lights and variety of dresses...
Read More