Macaulay Honors College, Fall 2014
I had the best time at this outing. I never knew I loved classical music so much, so I was pleasantly surprised.
My favorite pieces were Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
I heard the call and response technique often in these two pieces. What I loved about Four Seasons was the story behind it. In the playbill, there was a small story for each season, and I connected the story to the sounds. It was beautiful to listen to and watch
I loved watching each player as they played their instrument. They get so into it. Their facial expressions are serious, then sad then happy, and the way they move their bodies is magnificent.
I loved how Anne-Sophie Mutter would turn around to each player and almost cheer them on as she was playing her violin. She was also a beauty to watch. So elegant, yet so powerful at the same time.
It was definitely an experience I will never forget.
I have never been to an open mic before, or anything similar to the open mic, so I didn’t know what to expect. I was happily surprised.
I was able to tell which performances were from first-timers and which were from experienced students. There were certain acts I absolutely loved, like Robo-cop. I loved the movement on stage, and that it wasn’t just words. I enjoyed the performances as well. Everyone that sang or played the guitar put their heart and soul into their performances, and it showed. I would get goosebumps from certain performers. It was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed, and I am so happy to have attended the open mic.
Brooklyn College has so many talented students, and open mic should be a larger event than it already is. More students should join in and it should be held at the performing arts theater.
CBGB was founded on the Bowery in New York City in 1973 by a man named Hilly Kristal. Originally, the space was meant for performances of Country Bluegrass Blues music, which explains the name CBGB. But later on, it became the home of street rock or Punk music. On with the name is OMFUG, which stands for Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers. Punk bands came out of CBGB, such as the Ramones, Blondie, Joan Jett and the Patti Smith Group.
The club was a very disgusting place. There were writings all over the wall, and the place just looked like a mess. Below are some photographs of the space.
CBGB closed in October 2006, with a final performance by Patti Smith. Today, CBGB produces free large concerts in Times Square and Central Park. The CBGB was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Bowery Historic District.
Hilly Kristal only booked musicians that played their own music, and didn’t copy others. He felt that orginiality was number one, and technique was second.
There is a CBGB movie, CBGB festival, and CBGB is looking to reopen soon as well.
CBGB is the place where Patti Smith first started to perform her music. She would go there all the time and it became a ritual. CBGB is where Patti unofficially created her band, the Patti Smith Group.
Sources:
CBGB & OMFUG Home of Underground Rock. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.cbgb.com
This dance was very, how could I say it, different. Let’s start with the music, which was performed live on stage. It was loud and full of beats. The movements of the dancers were very rigid and almost messy, but that’s the way it was supposed to be. It wasn’t messy in a bad way, but almost in an everyday kind of way. The dance, as written in the playbill, “explores the notion of an ‘offering’: that is, the act of being willfully submissive towards a deity or force beyond physical comprehension.” This was visible in the way one man acted on stage. With every drumbeat, his body moved in such a jerking way along with it. When the beats quickened, so did his movements to the point where he almost looked like he was going to explode from all this movement.
A common movement between the dancers was a bopping movement in the legs. I’m not sure what it is supposed to be; it was very odd seeing the dancers do it. There were a couple of moments when the dancers lined up and danced in unison. It was a very pleasant sight, because, for once out of the whole dance, it was very fluid and smooth and appealing to see.
The lighting also played a huge role. In the beginning it looked like the sun was out, and towards the middle it darkened to this deep blue, signaling night.
The second part of the dance didn’t seem to connect to the first part. In the beginning, everything was hectic and there were a lot of dancers on stage. In the second part, there were only two dancers and the music became calmer. It almost looked like a couple dancing with each other. This part of the dance was also appealing to watch because of the way the two dancers moved with each other. It seemed as if they were one person, just split up. Maybe they were fighting in a way, because there was one dancer just standing to the side watching the whole thing. Maybe he was observing the fight between the two dancers.
Then towards the end, it seemed as if the dancers were praying to this man on stage. They all danced and raised their arms towards him, while he just bounced on his legs. Overall the dance was very moving, and unlike anything I have ever seen.
Papagena had a beautiful young virgin voice, angelic and smooth. It flows, and isn’t choppy.
The three spirits were young children that also had virgin voices. It was soothing listening to them
The three women were in harmony, one was the highest of the all three, one was in the middle, and one was the lowest of all three. They sounded angelic as well when they sang.
Queen of the Night was an old soprano. She had a very superior voice, and it shook me to my core. I loved hearing her sing, though, because I would get goosebumps. She was so powerful in her singing.
Valley of Astonishment
Directions
Art is young
Art is old
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