“Missa Solemnis” Review
For me, the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique’s performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis was the most anticipated event of this semester. As a violinist, orchestral music holds a special place in my heart. I find relaxation and comfort in playing my violin and I would often find myself in a sweet trance whenever I listened to orchestral music. Prior to the performance, I wasn’t sure what to expect because I mostly listen to music of the romantic era, such as Camille Saint-Saens; Beethoven’s classical style was not as well known to me.
Nevertheless, I knew Carnegie Hall’s display would be breathtaking. From the top balcony, you get a sense of how enormous the concert hall is. The structure of the hall allowed for incredible acoustics, and the red velvet and chandelier were pleasing additions. The orchestra itself was flawless. They were in sync at all times, and not once did they make a noticeable mistake. The silence throughout the hall was also chilling. It’s an incredible feeling when you and the entire room of 2,000+ people share a period of silence. It was especially funny to hear a symphony of coughing when the orchestra stopped playing during intermission.
While the technicality of the orchestra was spot on, the music of Missa Solemnis was a little dry for me. I am used to the dramatic styles and melodies found within Saint-Saens’s compositions. This is not to say I was not impressed by the performance. I enjoyed the beautiful harmonies and strong voices of the singers. I have a lot of respect for all of the artists, but the movements were a little too repetitive for me. There wasn’t much of a build up and as a result, it was hard for me to maintain an interest at times.
Regardless, I still thought the performance was incredible in that all the musicians were a whole and the sounds were distributed beautifully throughout the hall. My favorite movement was Sanctus because it stood out from the rest and, in my opinion, contained a much deeper and richer tone than the other movements. In this movement, I remember hearing a shift in the orchestral sound. The high pitched instruments would die down and the chorus vocals were silenced. As a result, a calm and serene vibe was emitted from the stage. In some parts of the movement, it abruptly changed to fast paced melodies, which also helped capture my attention. In addition, I really enjoyed the violin soloist. It was incredible watching him perform under such pressure. Although the soloist was masked by the rest of the orchestra, thus making it hard to hear the soloist, I could tell how gifted he was.
Overall, watching the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique’s performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis was enjoyable and a pleasing experience. The Hall’s atmosphere and environment was chilling and the sounds produced by the orchestra were beautiful. Although it didn’t meet up to my full expectations, it was still a great treat to watch and listen to this amazing orchestra.
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Although I have never been a huge fan of theatrical plays, I was excited to see Off Broadway’s presentation of “Ivanov” when I heard that Ethan Hawke would be starring in the play. Although Ethan Hawke was the only actor I knew at the performance, he wasn’t the only star; every actor/actress was able to portray their characters effectively and I was able to feel the emotions many of the characters expressed. For example, Ivanov’s depression and struggles felt all so real to me, and Anna’s anger and Sasha’s love towards Ivanov was heart warming. It’s truly amazing to see the actors and actresses lose themselves in the play. They become so absorbed in their performance that at times, chunks of saliva would come spewing out of their mouths; a true talent.
While I was mostly excited to see Ethan Hawke perform, the two characters that constantly grabbed my attention were Borkin and Lebedev. Borkin’s accent was pleasing to the ears and he was full of energy, spoke with a powerful voice and had strong body movements. Lebedev, my second favorite character, possessed such wittiness and humor that he added a comedic aspect to the play. Since the entire plot had a serious message, I enjoyed these comedic scenes in that it provided moments of relief from all the built up tensions. Ivanov was also portrayed very well, but I felt that his scratchy voice was not projected as loud and powerful as characters such as Bolkin and Dr. Lvov.
Overall, I thought the play was very well performed. There were very intimate moments that stimulated my sympathy, such as when Ivanov and Sasha expressed their love towards each other near the end of Act II. I really enjoyed how the actors spoke to the audience, which connected the viewers to the performance. It was especially amazing how some of the actors/actresses were able to cry on cue.
There were some moments where the dialogue would be too quick for me to fully comprehend so I would look at the audience for their reactions. In addition, I would have really liked to see some changes in the scenery. Unlike “L’Elisir d’Amore,” the story of “Ivanov” unfolded within two main sceneries. Multiple sceneries and props would retain my attention a lot better and would have a much better aesthetic appeal. Also, I didn’t expect Anna to have such fury towards Ivanov. This is definitely not to say that she has no reason to be angry, but I did not expect Anna to openly express so much anger towards Ivanov. I expected more of an internal struggle for her.
In the end, I really enjoyed this performance and it has even sparked a possible interest in theatre for me. I would definitely recommend this performance to anyone who hasn’t seen it!
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Review for “Political Mother” Dance Performance
Political Mother was my favorite event thus far. It was unique, entertaining, comical, and powerful. The performance conveyed a dark and evil sensation that gave me goosebumps numerous times throughout the performance. The beat was really intense and powerful, especially in the beginning, and there were even parts that were startling, such as the transition from complete silence to loud banging drums. Even when the music became quiet, the choreography of the dancers was able to keep the beat alive and loud, which shows how in sync all the dancers were. I really thought it was cool how the lighting of the stage was able to change the dimensions of the stage, for example, making it seem like a closed, square enclosure or a multileveled room. The lighting was also very effective at creating contrast in the theatre, which was painful for my eyes at some points.
The dancing itself was very interesting. I have always thought of dancing as sweet, fluid motions as in ballet, or as strong quick thrusts as in hip-hop, but never as erratic, zombie-like movements. It was something I have never seen before. The performance was also unique in that it added a comical aspect at the most unexpected period. When the words, “When there is pressure there is” were displayed, I was expecting a serious and meaningful message, but instead, the word ‘folkdance’ lit up, which I thought was very surprising and funny.
Since Halloween is coming up, I thought we saw the performance at the perfect time since it emitted an eerie environment, fitting for Halloween! The fog, strobe lights, and ghostly music, such as the sudden switch from heavy guitar solos to sweet classical music, reminded me of a haunted insane asylum. The zombie-like movements of the dancers also added to this notion.
As for the plot and meaning of the performance, I believe it is about society and politics taking over the world. The singer reminded me of a wicked dictator controlling the minds of the dancers. I saw the different performers as a hierarchy of evilness, from the drummers to the guitarists to the singer. However, the dancers were trying to break away from the mind-controlling singer, which represented society and politics. Towards the end, the playing of the song “Both Sides Now” signified the dancers breaking free from the tyrannical singer.
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