TT

 

 

 

Se eg Ba tn

Fred,

Though three days dead, (with the fluid swelling hisihead)

 

The Other Press Press

November 22, 1985 page 5

~ Classical Jive Music

Music is always more enjoyable
when you know a bit about it. It’s
easier to identify with a piece when

 

by Jeremy Bloom

 

 

you know a bit about the circum-
stances of its composition, the frame
of mind the composer was in, the
overall state of the music scene at the
time.

That is the point behind the VSO’s -
CP Air’s ‘’Musically Speaking’’
series. Each concert is given a brief
introduction by a celebrated guest
host. Last month R. Murray Schafer
was the host, speaking on his new
Flute concerto. On November 9, the
host was music critic and author Eric
McLean, and he chose to speak on the
different physical appearances of
Johannes Brahms and_ Sergei
Rachmaninoff. He chose this area, he
said, because it’s totally irrelevant.

“Lots of people put faith in looks
composers; | want to show how wrong
this is.’’

Brahms’ famous statue in Vienna is _

8 feet tall, he noted, while Brahms
himself was only 5’4’’! ‘‘In photos,
Brahms was always alone and usually
seated.’” He made up for this size by
developing an enormous girth, by
cultivating a hugh, bushy beard, and
by assuming a very. gruff persona -
‘‘he didn’t know how to be nice.’’
Rachmaninoff, on the other hand.

was big. A. contemporary described ~
a performance as: ‘‘A great ugly giant ~

with a face like granite hulking over
the piano, and this golden sound
coming forth.’’” He was over six feet
tall, had long arms, and hands ‘‘the
size of seal flippers. If you are a
musician,’’ explained McLean, ‘‘you
are in spite of the body you have.’’
Brahms was terribly intimidated by
the responsibility of following
Beethoven. He once said, ‘‘I shall
never write a symphony. You don’t
know how it feels to be dogged by

that giant.’’ He did write his sym-
phony, ‘although it took him over 20
years before it was finally completed.
The viennese, who had been awaiting
the work with great anticipation,
immediately dubbed it ‘’The 10th’’,

as the true successor of Beethoven’s
nine.

In contrast, Rachmaninoff’s Third
Piano Concerto was written in one
summer, as a new work for his 1909

 

American tour. He hadn’t wanted to
travel, but found the financial rewards

‘too tempting. (When asked what had

inspired his brilliant C sharp minor
prelude, he responded ‘’40 rubles’’)
The piece proved ‘wildly popular and
everywhere he went there were long
lineups for tickets to his perform-
ances.

There was contrast, as well, in the
performances of the two works. The
symphony was flawless, masterfully

omega organum

Looked at his pulsing watch
And screamed, ‘‘Frogs!’’ (amphibbbbiannn)

Gangrene,

With lapses in memory (irregular Bowelmovements)

In Paleoneospeciousverbaedaemon? (Yes, likely, squid?)
‘‘Nagych’’, cried the Non-Hungarian, (also non Tasmanian)

\ Poker...

s

““Nagych. ae

Would it that vitality could return (Burn Burn)

(And the skulls sing,
Love on a Bats wing)

But hey, Baby, (not infant but pick up woman)

Said the chaplain,
Hey, baby
How ‘bout we play (Oh, yeah!)

(Not me...)
\ Defugere, DAEMON!
\ DEFUGERE, FELIS!

x QUIA DEUS SEMPER SUPERARE ESOTERICA!

\ But the Bahgwan just

\ \_LLAMOS! YAMOS.

chants, and chants, and chants...
“Never put spermicidal lubricant on Bran Flakes.’’

interpreted by Maestro Barshai and
company. The final movement, always
inspiring, was particularly well bal-
anced.

The same cannot be said for Alexis
Weissenberg’s wildly uneven per-
formance of the Rachmaninoff. The

New York Times has described
Weissenberg as ‘‘in a class by
himself’’. That he was. The Third

Concerto is a very difficult work, to
which he brought no finesse whatso-
ever. In the delicate parts he was too
delicate, barely tickling the keys; and
in the heavy parts he was far too
heavy. And he was, frankly, sloppy.
He was not always in time with the
orchestra; worse, he was not always
in time with himself. As a concert
pianist, the idea is not merely to get
all the notes out; it is preferable to
engage in some sort of feeling for the
music. Unfortunately this did not
happen.

Upcoming:

December 28 and 29, the UBC
Collegeum Musicum presents a per-
formance of Renaissance and Baroque

vocal and instrumental music. 228-
3113 for info.

December 1, 2, 3, VSO presents the
‘outrageously — talented’’ _ pianist
Cecile Ousset, performing Prokofiev's
stunning Piano Concerto no. 3, in a
program which — will _—_ feature
Stravinsky’s Firebird.

December 6 and 8 pent oA)

Cantata Singers present the first
Messiah of the season, call 921-8588
for more info.

December 7 and 9, VSO presents a
program featuring Moussorgsky’s
Night on Bald Mountain, Mozart's
Masonic Funderal Music, Prokofiev’s
Third Symphony, and pianist Janos
Solym in Bartok’s Third piano Con-
certo. ©

of

BW thetheGd ari

Point

 

43574575

Pt be

 

iby P. Mollusc

 

Interest

Did you know?, that on the 3rd
floor north side, in room 3417 near the
social sciences dept., is a display
room which recently had a_ very
interesting, well done display called
The Wild Harvest and is now showing
a display called Seashore Plants of
B.C. (a travelling exhibit of the B.C.
Provincial museum).

Did you know?, that on the 4th floor
north side, in the lobby of the
performance theatre is a petite gallery
which will be having an exhibit called
The Horror Show Nov. 22 to Dec. 2.
to coincide with The Curse of the
Werewolf, the play being presented
by the D.C. theatre students. CHECK
IT OUT! Take advantage of what
Douglas College has to offer! ,