Blog Archive
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tinoviews | Tinocast
Finally! The podcast of Tinoarts is up and running, on http://tinoarts.mypodcast.com/. This will make the any updates and recording of any Tinoarts (Santino Lo) affiliated events more accessible for all listeners and followers. The first serious will be called Tinocast. Enjoy, world wide web!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Music | Parallel Brass at Port Chester High School
These pictures were taken by Olivia Green, when Parallel Brass attended Port Chester High School's annual National Arts in School day.
From left: Colin Mainella, Claude Fried, Santino Lo, Jake Rensink, and Zach Wilson.
Jake, and Santino.
From left: Colin Mainella, Claude Fried, Santino Lo, Jake Rensink, and Zach Wilson.
Jake, and Santino.
Tinoviews | 2008/09 Concert Reviews. X
Feb. 13// Senior Show Dance Conservatory
Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion
Choreographed by Jamison Goodnight
Philip Glass: Einstein On the Beach Dance 1
Choreographed by Gilbert Small
This is arguably one of the best shows I have been to this year. Really, I have this new found respect for dancers after this show. (This is also the first dance show I have been to.) When you see these dancers around campus, they are loud, rowdy, some what arrogant, and full of pride. Yet, this is another case that proofs you cannot judge a book by its cover. There were two performances on this show that was especially memorable. The dance recitals are set up so 5 dancers share a show. Each is required to perform a solo piece, choreographed by an established, professional dancer. Then each is also required to choreograph a piece. Hence there would be a total of 10 pieces. The two pieces that was I was most impressed with was a solo piece with Jamison Goodnight, and a piece choreographed by Gilbert Small.
Jamison Goodnight (she’s also Claude Fried’s cousin) did a really interesting solo piece, with music Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla, who is famous for writing tango music for the concert hall and the stage. Yet just because the piece is tango, Jamison did not do a typical red dress-leg kicking tango. She was in simple, knee-length loose dress, and instead of having a partner (as they usually do in tangos), Jamison danced to a rotating mirror. The interaction between her and the mirror was superb and out of this world. For a second I felt sorry for whoever that was next because it was hard to imagine any one doing better than Jamison’s performance.
Then the next piece started, and I was immediately sucked in. It was interesting how I could visually see the choreography as three lines of music. Like a fugue, there were call and response, intertwining lines, and the piece also ends in an unexpected canon. This is the first time I could really see the connection between music and dance, and how a person can analyze a dance piece with the knowledge of music. After this show, I have been to six more dance shows. Like I said, I now have this new found respect and admiration for dancers, and their work.
Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion
Choreographed by Jamison Goodnight
Philip Glass: Einstein On the Beach Dance 1
Choreographed by Gilbert Small
This is arguably one of the best shows I have been to this year. Really, I have this new found respect for dancers after this show. (This is also the first dance show I have been to.) When you see these dancers around campus, they are loud, rowdy, some what arrogant, and full of pride. Yet, this is another case that proofs you cannot judge a book by its cover. There were two performances on this show that was especially memorable. The dance recitals are set up so 5 dancers share a show. Each is required to perform a solo piece, choreographed by an established, professional dancer. Then each is also required to choreograph a piece. Hence there would be a total of 10 pieces. The two pieces that was I was most impressed with was a solo piece with Jamison Goodnight, and a piece choreographed by Gilbert Small.
Jamison Goodnight (she’s also Claude Fried’s cousin) did a really interesting solo piece, with music Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla, who is famous for writing tango music for the concert hall and the stage. Yet just because the piece is tango, Jamison did not do a typical red dress-leg kicking tango. She was in simple, knee-length loose dress, and instead of having a partner (as they usually do in tangos), Jamison danced to a rotating mirror. The interaction between her and the mirror was superb and out of this world. For a second I felt sorry for whoever that was next because it was hard to imagine any one doing better than Jamison’s performance.
Then the next piece started, and I was immediately sucked in. It was interesting how I could visually see the choreography as three lines of music. Like a fugue, there were call and response, intertwining lines, and the piece also ends in an unexpected canon. This is the first time I could really see the connection between music and dance, and how a person can analyze a dance piece with the knowledge of music. After this show, I have been to six more dance shows. Like I said, I now have this new found respect and admiration for dancers, and their work.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Tinoviews | 2008/09 Concert Reviews. IX
Jan 27// Stephen Buck, Tanya Bannister, Eduardo Leandro and Svetoslav Stoyanov
Recital at Purchase College
Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion
Crumb Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III)
I must say that this was one of the best faculty concerts I’ve ever been to. Not only because of how well the musicians played, but more about how interesting the compositions was. I have never seen a double piano piece live, never the less a double piano plus percussion. Also, to make it even better, the pieces are by Bartok and Crumb! In my opinion, they are some of the most interesting and finest composers there were. I did not discover Crumb’s music until this year, but a lot of his compositions are very interesting. The creativity, and the general feel is definitely where I would like to see the new music composition style leads.
First of all, there is the Bartok, which is the first piece of such instrumentation. The work consists of three movements. First, there is “Assai lento - Allegro troppo”.
This movement is in a kind of expanded sonata form, where the "mysterious" motif of the introduction returns in the "Allegro" bit of the movement, then there is a distinct conflict between two themes. The movement ends with a fugue coda in which the opening motif returns. The second movement is Lento, which displays a classic turnery form. The third and last movement, “Allegro non troppo” starts with the hammering of luminous C major chords on the pianos, over which the xylophone and percussions play an up tempo melody. The piece gets really loud and exciting, yet Bartok throws us off with a long development section, resulting in a very soft, pianissimo ending.
The Crumb piece is no less interesting. There are many extended techniques that are required from both the pianists and percussionists. The piece, at times, really treats the piano as a percussion instrument. There are whistling and bowing the vibraphone, there are plugging of the strings in the piano. There are brushing the strings with a pick. Despite the almost excessive use of extended techniques, there never is a point where it was not appropriate, which was the thing I was most impressed with. Often times, especially with young composers in Purchase, I feel people get carried away with extended techniques and how “cool” they are. But if one uses different techniques over and over again, it loses that effect of being special. That was however, not the case in Crumb’s piece.
Recital at Purchase College
Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion
Crumb Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III)
I must say that this was one of the best faculty concerts I’ve ever been to. Not only because of how well the musicians played, but more about how interesting the compositions was. I have never seen a double piano piece live, never the less a double piano plus percussion. Also, to make it even better, the pieces are by Bartok and Crumb! In my opinion, they are some of the most interesting and finest composers there were. I did not discover Crumb’s music until this year, but a lot of his compositions are very interesting. The creativity, and the general feel is definitely where I would like to see the new music composition style leads.
First of all, there is the Bartok, which is the first piece of such instrumentation. The work consists of three movements. First, there is “Assai lento - Allegro troppo”.
This movement is in a kind of expanded sonata form, where the "mysterious" motif of the introduction returns in the "Allegro" bit of the movement, then there is a distinct conflict between two themes. The movement ends with a fugue coda in which the opening motif returns. The second movement is Lento, which displays a classic turnery form. The third and last movement, “Allegro non troppo” starts with the hammering of luminous C major chords on the pianos, over which the xylophone and percussions play an up tempo melody. The piece gets really loud and exciting, yet Bartok throws us off with a long development section, resulting in a very soft, pianissimo ending.
The Crumb piece is no less interesting. There are many extended techniques that are required from both the pianists and percussionists. The piece, at times, really treats the piano as a percussion instrument. There are whistling and bowing the vibraphone, there are plugging of the strings in the piano. There are brushing the strings with a pick. Despite the almost excessive use of extended techniques, there never is a point where it was not appropriate, which was the thing I was most impressed with. Often times, especially with young composers in Purchase, I feel people get carried away with extended techniques and how “cool” they are. But if one uses different techniques over and over again, it loses that effect of being special. That was however, not the case in Crumb’s piece.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
