By Guest Blogger, Chuck Holdeman
Chuck is a regional composer of lyrical, contemporary classical music, including opera, orchestral music, songs, chamber music, music for film, and music for educational purposes. www.chuckholdeman.com
Tuesday evening's Delaware Symphony concert — the second in its elegant chamber music series in the Hotel DuPont's Gold Ballroom — was perhaps the quirkiest ever presented there. It featured bassoonist Jon Gaarder impersonating Elvis, in full regalia, performing composer Michael Daugherty's Dead Elvis, written in 1993 and incorporating the well-known chant for wrath of judgment day, the Dies Irae. As a former DSO bassoonist myself who performed this work in 2008, I took great pleasure in witnessing the whole wacky spectacle from the outside.
Daugherty chose the same instrumentation as Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale, a septet mixture of woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion, the work which comprised the second half of Tuesday's concert. And speaking as primarily a composer now, I can continue to wonder — how did Stravinsky do it? There is a certain thinness in the texture with so few colors from each family of instruments, but this results in a wonderful clarity, a bracing zap to the ear of each instrument's declamation.
Perhaps the most poignant and plaintive movement was the duet for Gaarder's bassoon and Jonathan Troy's clarinet — so few notes and so much expression. The chorales near the end were gorgeous, but how 'bout the romping rhythms of the marches, the ragtime, and other dances? DSO concertmaster David Southorn was brilliant in the athletically demanding violin part; in time his Tango may become even more sly. All this is in the service of a Russian folk tale, a version by Swiss author C. F. Ramuz, originally in French. Conductor David Amado explained how the standard English translation can sound stilted and even boring, and so Amado undertook his own edited revision, very successful to this listener.
I particularly enjoyed the use of lots of rhyming, and also references to our time and place- the soldier marches "between Lums Pond and Bear," and at another point is treated to chicken wings. Three readers told the story: OperaDelaware's Brendan Cooke as the soldier, joined by two Delaware Theater Company executives, Bud Martin as a wittily sarcastic Devil, and Charles Conway as the Narrator. The large audience was uninhibited in both laughter and applause.
For Dead Elvis, Gaarder chose a sparkly white jumpsuit, white shoes, a thick (not really greasy) wig, and giant shades. He sauntered on stage with characteristic Elvis gestures and wiggles, and also smoothed his locks during the music's sudden pregnant pauses. The music is a study in zany extremes, the bassoon screaming to its ultimate high E or plummeting to its grotesque low B-flat. The tiny E-flat clarinet screeches, the trombone wails its glissandi, the drummer, the DSO's veteran master Bill Kerrigan, flails his collection of bells and other high-pitched gadgets.
I highly recommend this most entertaining and musically rewarding show which will be repeated Friday night, January 31 at 7:30 PM at the Queen Theater, World Cafe Live. The next two DSO concerts at the Hotel DuPont are on February 25 and April 1.
See www.delawaresymphony.org.
By Guest Blogger, Chuck Holdeman
Chuck is a regional composer of lyrical, contemporary classical music, including opera, orchestral music, songs, chamber music, music for film, and music for educational purposes. www.chuckholdeman.com
The fourth annual spirituals concert at Wilmington's Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew was heard by a large and appreciative audience on Sunday evening, January 26. Led by the church's music director David Christopher, the varied program featured choral music, two vocal soloists, The Chamber Choir of the Wilmington Children's Chorus, as well as Christopher performing organ solos. His relaxed presentation of each piece kept the whole audience in his hand, providing fascinating background about the music's African-American roots, including the Go Down Moses organ fantasia by the late Nigerian-American composer Fela Sowande, who left no device untried, from Bach to Max Reger, from tragic to triumphant.
Included was a nod to the choral tradition of Fisk University — Rockin' Jerusalem by John Wesley Work III. The program also included masters of the genre Harry T. Burleigh (the sung version of Go Down Moses) and William Grant Still (Here's One). While most of the selections were part of the older spiritual tradition, one selection was, in Christopher's word, "gospelized," Mark Hayes' dancing version of This Little Light of Mine. The evening's two soloists were the church choir's irrepressible Tina Betz and the young professional mezzo and UD graduate, Melody Wilson. Wilson possesses a rich colorful voice, especially in the middle register. This spring, Wilson will participate in the recording of Terence Blanchard's jazz opera Champion. Wilson will sing in the chorus, also serving as understudy to Denise Graves.
The Wilmington Children's Chorus, under the direction of Kimberly Doucette, sang André Thomas' Keep Your Lamps, accompanied by the solo djembe drum of associate director Phillip Doucette. The young group of about 40 sang with wonderful precision and tone — even the young bass singers sounded convincing and full. The djembe part seemed to be intended to give life and variety to the many verses in slow tempo, but nevertheless came off as an add-on, somewhat out of the style of the song.
The church choir was augmented by members of Christopher's Delaware Valley Chorale. It was a pleasure to see seasoned artists like Dana Robertson there to add luster to the music. Audience participation was also part of the mix, and Clayton White's arrangement of Ain-a that Good News from Horace Boyer's African-American Hymnal (LEVAS II) was a stand out. Christopher told me afterward that he was impressed and delighted by the big sound of the audience's voices!
13, The
Musical by Jason
Robert Brown (music and lyrics) and Dan Elish and Robert Horn (book) is the
story of a 12-year-old New York City boy (Evan) who's preparing for
his Bar Mitzvah while hisparents are preparing for divorce. Due to
the circumstances, Evan and his mother are forced to move
to an Indiana suburb. While adjusting to life in a predominately
Christian 'burb, he's also trying to make new friends who will attend his
Bar Mitzvah. The problem is -- will he settle for only inviting his unpopular new
friends or try to impress the cool kids to attend?
13, The
Musical has a
simple story that's been told before, but it's pure FUN with an
infectious Top 40 style score. The all-teen cast provides a
great opportunity for parents to introduce theater to 'tweens and young
teens alike. But, don't worry parents — there are plenty
of gags and jokes for both the young and the young at heart to enjoy!
Director Nick
D'Argenio has assembled an extremely talented group of teens — Amanda
DeFilippis (Kendra), Branden Fletcher (Richie), Karalyn Joseph (Patrice), Katie
Loftus (Cassie), Kyra McKillip (Charlotte), Wyatt McManus (Eddie), Lyndie Moe
(Lucy), Nolan Moss (Simon), Gianni Palmarini (Evan), Felipe Rocha (Brett), Will
Rotsch (Archie), Evelyn Schiavone (Molly), and Jacob Tracey (Malcolm) — and
gives all of them the opportunity to take center stage and shine.
Palmarini is
an exceptional performer who perfectly conveys Evan's conflicted feelings of
wanting to fit in with the in-crowd, but yet wanting to remain loyal to his
underdog friends (Patrice and Archie). Palmarini is a true triple threat, commanding
the stage but never upstaging his fellow cast members. Joseph as Evan's outcast
friend Patrice captures the strengths and insecurities of the character. She's
working on having a friendship with Evan, but doesn't let down her guard or
sacrifice her own convictions in the process. Rotsch as the terminally ill, yet
confident underdog, Archie is hysterical, especially during the number
"Terminal Illness" when he comically uses his illness to convince
Evan's mother to purchase tickets for an R-rated horror movie for the
protagonist's popular friends.
Although the
cast has a scaled-down set for its performance, the boisterous
choreography by Tommy Fisher-Klein keeps the show flowing. Mr.
Fisher-Klein merges current dance steps with flips and other acrobatic moves
that delight the audience. With musical direction by Anthony Vitalo, 13,
The Musical's infectious score will have you smiling and wishing you were
13 again!
13, The
Musical runs
through February 2, at the Wilmington Drama League. Visit Wilmingtondramaleague.org or
call 302.764.1172 for additional information and tickets.
