People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s...
Posted: 10/31/14
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All comments by Caitlin Eger
People Are Talking: UMS presents The Hagen Quartet at Rackham Auditorium:
The Hagen Quartet certainly played impressively, with great blend and ability to pass musical lines among the group (one of the greatest parts of these quartets, in my opinion). I will agree with previous posts, though, that it was a bit difficult to remain attentive during a concert of only Beethoven.
People Are Talking: UMS presents Random Dance at The Power Center:
This production of FAR changed my perspective of the human body, the art of dance, and the capabilities of each. The choreography, along with the lighting and music, was very different from other dance productions I have experienced. I truly felt as if I were getting a glimpse into another world. This world was intimate, private, exploratory, and beautiful.
Although I didn’t sense an overarching narrative, some themes I noticed were themes of struggle, urgency, intimacy, and primality. Also, because my seat was so close to the stage, I was able to see the facial expressions of the dancers (which were typically serious), and could watch them breathing. Seeing their breathing, I felt, added life to the piece.
People Are Talking: UMS presents The Tallis Scholars at The St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church:
The Tallis Scholars performed tonight with tight ensemble, impeccable intonation, and captivating sound. Their realization of this program was incredible and inspiring. Gesualdo truly had a talent for using music and text together to create something so extremely moving. The second half of the program was breathtaking as well; I was truly delighted by this performance!
People Are Talking: UMS presents The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra: From the Canyons to the Stars:
Simply put, Messiaen’s work is incredible, and the Hamburg Symphony performed it exquisitely; however, the video was grotesque and irrelevant. I am not saying that the film is not art, nor that it was not well filmed, merely that it polluted the work of Messiaen.
People Are Talking [and Video Booth]: Einstein on the Beach at Power Center:
Einstein on the Beach is definitely an experience to which you need to bring your own meaning. For me, I found some meaning in the contrasts. There was contrast between the somberness and humor of the trial scene; a trial is a serious matter, but then we see the stenographers filing their nails, and later, everyone looking into their lunch bags. I also was delighted with the contrast in the second dance, where the bearded man wore all black and seemed to complement the group of dancers in lighter clothing. I also felt that these individual dance scenes brought contrast to the sharp choreography in other scenes. These are just a few examples, but overall, I really enjoyed the fresh artistry of the opera!