by Shinnosuke Takahashi
During the overture, the mix of the orchestra seemed like it lacked a firm bass section, utilizing only a single tuba. At first, this threw me off— I had thought to myself, “Isn’t this supposed to be a MET Opera, one of the most refined in the world?” I was right. Upon hearing the interplay between the character’s voices and the orchestra, I had realized that would have been an all out dynamic brawl between the singing and instrumentation is intelligently avoided by the minimal bass section. Overall, the interplay between the two resulted in a beautiful aural landscape.
December 17th, 2013
by Shinnosuke Takahashi
Although the use of music was somewhat scarce in the performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it did not go unnoticed. In certain scenes, the music provided extra emphasis on certain actions of the characters, especially when synchronized. In other scenes, the music gave an extra touch of realism, particularly during the dance scene at the end. Ultimately, the use of music was the key to fully immersing the audience into the world of Shakespeare.
November 14th, 2013
by Shinnosuke Takahashi
Siah Armajani, Prayer for the Sun, 1962
At first, I had not a single clue about what this painting meant. It seemed like a division of water and land, as one orb is blue and the other, brown. However, upon further inspection, Arabic characters can be seen within, perhaps distinguishing between two types of calligraphy.
I was blown away when I learned the actual meaning behind this piece. It represents the border between traditional Iranian art and contemporary Iranian art. I believe that the background is also blue because it tells the reader that that specific painting is contemporary.
William Pope.L, Eating the Wall Street Journal
This piece of performance art is radical, to say the least. It features a toilet mounted on a gigantic platform, surrounded by newspapers, milk jugs, and ketchup bottles. At first glance, I would be surprised if anyone knew what this piece meant.
Upon learning the true purpose of this piece, I was moved. Pope.L ingests the newspaper with the help of milk and ketchup, and regurgitates it onto the audience. Although disgusting, this work informs the victim (viewer) of the exploitation of the lower class. By ingesting the Wall Street Journal, Pope.L is fighting against them, and the regurgitation of the papers is symbolic of the purging of greed from his body.
November 14th, 2013
by Shinnosuke Takahashi
This performance of Romeo and Juliet was peculiar in the sense that there was no set stage. Instead, actors performed in a small space on ground level, surrounded by the audience on three sides. Because there was no stage, lighting played a crucial role in both transitional and emotional aspects. Many scenes, such as the Capulet’s dance party, was only made possible by the erratic and dance-esque lighting.
November 14th, 2013
by Shinnosuke Takahashi
A critical part of any dance performance, lighting accentuates the mood and emotion of the dancers. From the color of the lights to the brightness, lighting provides a subtle yet crucial connection between the viewer and the performer.
November 14th, 2013
by Shinnosuke Takahashi
James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. Although only active between 1963 and 1970, Hendrix established a name for himself as one of the most influential electric guitarists in history. His technical guitar work was best portrayed in his most famous project, appropriately named The Jimi Hendrix Experience with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, with hits such as “Hey Joe”, “Purple Haze” and “Voodoo Child”. Hendrix completely revolutionized all of rock star culture, innovating new techniques, gear, signal processing, rhythm playing, soloing, stage antics, chord voicings, charisma, fashion, and composition. By 1969, Hendrix was the world’s highest paid rock musician, and was given the headlining position at the legendary Woodstock Festival. After four incredible years in the mainstream, Hendrix was found dead in his apartment due to barbiturate-induced asphyxia on his own vomit. Nevertheless, his legacy is unforgettable, and his impact on both guitar-playing and the mainstream media has yet to be diminished.
September 26th, 2013
by Shinnosuke Takahashi
Art is… intricate. This painting is extremely detailed, and created for the sake of it being “art”. The artist must have taken a long time painting this mural.
Art is… simple. This picture was taken by accident. There are simple shapes and similar colors, yet it is still interesting.
