Rent (2005 movie) – I was familiar with a good amount of the music from Rent before I saw it. After seeing it, I liked the soundtrack even more. It goes with the plot/book well and is varied in melody and tempo.1 The plot follows a group of struggling artists living the Bohemian life in New York City while dealing with various relationship troubles and HIV/AIDS. It’s based on Puccini’s La boheme, if that gives you any further clue about the plot.
Notable songs: “Seasons of Love,” “One Song Glory,” “La Vie Boheme,” “Without You”
A Chorus Line (1985 movie) – Apparently the original Broadway version of A Chorus Line was supposed to be about aging stars looking for one last chance, not young dancers trying to get their first big break, but if you can get over that, it’s not a bad movie. It takes place almost entirely onstage and depicts dancers auditioning for a new musical. As the day progresses, the auditionees are asked to talk about their lives and reveal their pasts, all while vying to be chosen for the chorus line.
Notable songs: “I Hope I Get It,” “Nothing”
Carousel (1956 movie) – After seeing this musical, I think my last major Rodgers and Hammerstein musical to watch is The King and I. Overall, I liked it, but it was slow, and this is coming from someone who enjoys doing things like making eight dozen of the same sandwich and reading cereal boxes. The plot can mostly be summed up as “do Billy and Julie really love each other?” with some side issues. It’s based on a Hungarian play by Molnár, Liliom. “June is Bustin’ Out All Over” is a fun extended dance break though. [Side note: For some reason, this musical reminds me of the third act of Burning Bright by John Steinbeck, which has little to no relation except both works contain a boat.]
Notable songs: “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “A Real Nice Clambake”
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999 movie) – In this musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber takes on the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors (plus what follows). This version includes an unnecessary (in my opinion) frame story but otherwise is flashy and entertaining, and I am a fan of Pharaoh/Elvis.
Notable songs: “Any Dream Will Do,” “Joseph’s Coat,” “Go, Go, Go Joseph”
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 movie) – And here’s more Andrew Lloyd Webber, presenting a somewhat fictionalized version of Jesus’s last week on earth. There’s an entire subplot involving Judas. Mainly, this musical was a little weird – partly true, partly not, and sung entirely as a rock opera. Then again, someone else wrote an entire musical about the Shroud of Turin (Into the Light, which lasted a whole five days on Broadway, in case you were wondering).
Notable songs: “Hosanna,” “King Herod’s Song,” “Superstar” [Incidentally, “Red Solo Cup” by Toby Keith has a line that sounds exactly like a line in “King Herod’s Song.” It makes for a slightly bizarre listening experience.]
That wraps up another group of musicals, probably my last for the near future. At this point I’ve seen most of the common/popular musicals that the library has, plus I haven’t been watching as many movies in the past couple months.
1Not going to name names here2, but there are some musicals where every song sounds the same, except with different words.
2But . . . if I have a hard time coming up with notable songs for a musical, it’s probably one of those musicals where every song sounds the same, except with different words.3
3Nested footnotes.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Happy Birthday Wolfy
In this episode of “Sometimes I leave my apartment and don’t go to my office, Kroger, the library, band, or church,”1 I celebrate Mozart’s birthday with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) at the Michigan Theater. Because I’m cheap, I only pay to sit in the back of the balcony. Will I be able to hear the orchestra? Will I be able to see the orchestra? Will Mozart be properly feted? Find out next time right after this commercial break by reading the next line.
Yes. It was a good concert. It was the first time I’ve been in the audience at the Michigan Theater instead of on the stage2. I could see and hear just fine, unless scores of people reading this are now going to buy balcony tickets at future A2SO performances, in which case my seat was horrible; there was a pillar three inches in front of my face, you needed binoculars to find the stage, and the acoustics made the orchestra sound like a chorus of kazoos.
The orchestra opened with a premier of a piece by a UM composition student. That was followed by the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, which was the main/actual reason I was at Mozart’s Birthday Bash. This clarinet concerto was composed in 1791 for Anton Stadler on the Basset clarinet and was one of Mozart’s last works. It’s been used in movies – the second movement in Out of Africa and the first in The King’s Speech. During high school, I had themisfortune pleasure of suffering through playing this clarinet concerto under the tutelage of my clarinet teacher. After months of agonizing diligent practice, we produced an instant platinum album a single CD recorded by an iPhone. Naturally, when I found out the A2SO would be playing this piece, I had to get a ticket to see it.
It’s a different experience listening to a performance of a piece that you’ve spent months playing. Being familiar with a piece is one thing; knowing every rest, run, and arpeggio is quite another. But since up through the end of the eighteenth century, many composers used few dynamic/stylistic markings, every publisher (and player) of the Clarinet Concerto has a slightly different interpretation of the piece. Other things of note: the soloist played the concerto on the Basset (A) clarinet instead of transposed for the Bb clarinet, and he wore a neon yellow/gold suit jacket that I could very clearly see from the back of the theater.
After intermission, the second half of the concert featured Mozart’s first and last symphonies. His first symphony was written in 1764 at the age of eight. I was still over a year away from picking up a clarinet at the age of eight. His last symphony, Symphony No. 41, was composed in 1788. It’s a little more complex than his first symphony. Just slightly. It’s three times as long, is scored for more instruments, and includes five themes going at the same time at the end of the fourth movement. But. Both his first and last symphonies contain the same four note motif . . . just surrounded by parts of varying complexity. I think that’s pretty cool.
And so, with a final chord, Mozart’s Birthday Bash concluded. I enjoyed myself, and also the chance to be in front of the stage, instead of on or behind it, for once.
1Seriously, I haven’t left the Ann Arbor city limits in over two months. I have some thoughts on why this feels different from never leaving Ithaca while I was at Cornell, but I think that needs to be its own post.
2The Ann Arbor Concert Band also performs at the Michigan Theater.
Yes. It was a good concert. It was the first time I’ve been in the audience at the Michigan Theater instead of on the stage2. I could see and hear just fine, unless scores of people reading this are now going to buy balcony tickets at future A2SO performances, in which case my seat was horrible; there was a pillar three inches in front of my face, you needed binoculars to find the stage, and the acoustics made the orchestra sound like a chorus of kazoos.
The orchestra opened with a premier of a piece by a UM composition student. That was followed by the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, which was the main/actual reason I was at Mozart’s Birthday Bash. This clarinet concerto was composed in 1791 for Anton Stadler on the Basset clarinet and was one of Mozart’s last works. It’s been used in movies – the second movement in Out of Africa and the first in The King’s Speech. During high school, I had the
It’s a different experience listening to a performance of a piece that you’ve spent months playing. Being familiar with a piece is one thing; knowing every rest, run, and arpeggio is quite another. But since up through the end of the eighteenth century, many composers used few dynamic/stylistic markings, every publisher (and player) of the Clarinet Concerto has a slightly different interpretation of the piece. Other things of note: the soloist played the concerto on the Basset (A) clarinet instead of transposed for the Bb clarinet, and he wore a neon yellow/gold suit jacket that I could very clearly see from the back of the theater.
After intermission, the second half of the concert featured Mozart’s first and last symphonies. His first symphony was written in 1764 at the age of eight. I was still over a year away from picking up a clarinet at the age of eight. His last symphony, Symphony No. 41, was composed in 1788. It’s a little more complex than his first symphony. Just slightly. It’s three times as long, is scored for more instruments, and includes five themes going at the same time at the end of the fourth movement. But. Both his first and last symphonies contain the same four note motif . . . just surrounded by parts of varying complexity. I think that’s pretty cool.
And so, with a final chord, Mozart’s Birthday Bash concluded. I enjoyed myself, and also the chance to be in front of the stage, instead of on or behind it, for once.
1Seriously, I haven’t left the Ann Arbor city limits in over two months. I have some thoughts on why this feels different from never leaving Ithaca while I was at Cornell, but I think that needs to be its own post.
2The Ann Arbor Concert Band also performs at the Michigan Theater.
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