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Santa Clara Vanguard 2010


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You've just done so.

Anyone that can offer up some historical analysis of the original while we wait to to see what SCV gives us? :thumbup:

From Kennedy Center program notes.

The Concerto's final movement is based largely on bagpipe tunes Bartók collected on his field trips in Transylvania about a hundred years ago. Early in the movement is a brisk, unrepeated phrase that seems to echo the first of Grieg's four Norwegian Dances (originally for piano duet, better known in Hans Sitt's orchestration)—possibly an unconscious reminiscence of the time Bartók spent immersed in Grieg's works in an attempt at tracing his inspiration in Norwegian folk music. It fits in seamlessly amid the rumbustious and exuberant proceedings. The entire movement is dancelike, open-hearted and close to the earth in feeling, and is said to represent, in Bartók's words, "the brotherhood of all nations, in spite of wars and conflicts . . . a whirling paroxysm of dance in which all the peoples of the world join hands." The coda, one of the happiest of musical afterthoughts, brings the work to a brilliant and resoundingly affirmative conclusion.

Video of Los Angeles Symphony playing "Fifth Movement—Finale"

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Does it come with a discount coupon for a bottle of Sominex ?

I can be persuaded sometimes.

I agree that this is certainly not a show you leave the stadium humming to, but with the dark, dissonance and scattered visual, its probably one

of those shows that doesn't pop until late in the season when its performed pristinely. In any case, I give SCV lots of credit for stepping outside

their comfort zone perhaps, and attempting something different. Always thought STAR 93 was so daring until I was floored by it at finals. All season

long it just seemed bizarre and depressing. Anyhow, good luck to them for their gusto!

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This! :thumbup:

I really loved BD as a child and even was a pen pal with Jerry Seawright; but, my musical horizons grew with the help of so many other corps to add to the pallet of what BD performed. I would not ever have bought a tape to listen to Ron Nelson's Rocky Point Holiday without first hearing the Cadets play that in 1982. Also, if DC is to pander to what many of the younger generation wants to hear then I most certainly will not attend DC shows.

Yes and yes, again.

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For me, it's a problem of a lack of passion. Not a lack of passion on the part of the performers, but a lack of passion on the part of the composers. I love Copland, Prokofiev and some other composers that may be deemed "modern" to an extent. This show though. Wow - I have been the biggest SCV homer since I first saw them in 1984 and I can honestly say this is my absolutely least favorite SCV show. I never thought I'd see a show I liked less from SCV than their 2003 show, but this one blows that away. By and large, I feel most modern composers have sucked the passion right out of classical music. I know that's broad, but that's how I feel.

I just don't understand for the life of me, with all the wonderful classical music out there, SCV would pick this. I'm not the biggest fan of 1993 Star, but I did like that show better. Every year doesn't have to be Appalachian Spring, Malaguena and Westside Story, especially when we are talking classical music. SCV does Russian well, and Russian classical composers did passion so well. A perfect match. They could play years worth of exciting shows by Russian composers alone and never repeat themselves. Throw in Beethoven, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Wagner, Berlioz, Puccini (to name a few) and there are thousands of shows there. I've never been a fan of Bartok and this show certainly will never make me one.

Maybe like Star 1991, it will grow on me....I hope so. I will give it several chances, but really wish SCV would get back to the Romantic period composers, or dive into the Classical period composers.

At the end of the day, the job of any artistic group is to engage, entertain, teach, and challange your audience. While this show certainly challenges, it does not entertain me in the least, and I believe I will be in the majority here.

Did you hate it when they played Bartok in 2000 and 2007, or when PR played Bartok in 2001 and 2003 (Harmonic Journey--a show that people tend to gush about on here)?

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At the end of the day, the job of any artistic group is to engage, entertain, teach, and challange your audience. While this show certainly challenges, it does not entertain me in the least, and I believe I will be in the majority here.

I agree with this - I got to watch the show tonight on FN for the first time, and while I believe they are playing it well and authentic to the source material, the music is so ugly that it will make me think twice before watching it again. I don't feel I'm qualified to judge Bartok the composer, minimalist or modern music, or anything like that - but I know that I dont' find the selections appealing in the slightest.

Overall, while I love SCV (I really do!) I don't love the show. It won't turn me off forever or anything, but ... yeah.

To add a positive, though, I do think they're actually performing well, and I think this is one of those intricate shows that will start to generate more and more emotion as they gain mastery of the music. It's dirty right now, but I'm predicting now they'll rise once they get on the front end of the curve.

Mike

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Definitely not a show that everybody will latch onto right away, or possibly, ever. That's just the way it goes, as MikeN and so many others have said.

But I simply don't understand the energy that people put into hating a marching band show, SCV or otherwise. What a waste.

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Overall, while I love SCV (I really do!) I don't love the show. It won't turn me off forever or anything, but ... yeah.

Since you're about the most even-keeled person on dcp, when you making a statement like this gets, it gets me thinking... :)

What are your thoughts, then, of Star 1993?

If they're different than your thoughts of SCV 2010, why do you think that is?

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Since you're about the most even-keeled person on dcp, when you making a statement like this gets, it gets me thinking... :)

What are your thoughts, then, of Star 1993?

If they're different than your thoughts of SCV 2010, why do you think that is?

Heh - thanks for the kind words, but I'm just as opinionated as everyone else on here, even if I couch it in milder terms. Even been proved wrong once or twice by others on here, too. :thumbup:

Anyways, I think that comparing the two is a bit of a problem. We've all listened to Star so many times, that for good or ill, it's... well... kind of ingrained, I think. It's difficult to sit down and try to analyze it like a first-time listener, like I just did sitting and watching SCV.

I think the appeal to Star's program was in the Medea excerpts, not in the Celesta Concerto. Medea does have those twisted Bartok melodies, but they seem to be in a much more logical (or at least palatable) form. Which might actually be my problem with SCV as well - that piece in particular is just grating, discordant and illogical. As a casual listener (I don't pretend to be an expert) ... it's just not a pretty piece.

SCV this year just seemed like that Concerto - it didn't have flow, or melody beyond a few seconds. I make no apologies for feeling that way, but I do also hasten to add that I'm not saying everyone should feel the same way either. If it's your cup of tea, have at it. Just not mine.

I do recommend you watch / listen to it and see for yourself, though.

Mike

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Did you hate it when they played Bartok in 2000 and 2007, or when PR played Bartok in 2001 and 2003 (Harmonic Journey--a show that people tend to gush about on here)?

Actually, no. I quite like SCV in 2000 - especially the opening and closing. The rest wasn't bad at all. Even though I hate Glass, The Canyon is one of my favorite pieces thanks to SCV. See they thought me. 2007 was ok. 2001 PR only liked Festive Overture. 2003 Phantom was beautiful.

I didn't mean to imply that all modern classical music is terrible, but as some above said - the music SCV has chosen this year is awful. It was almost painful to listen to.

Like I said above, I'm not done with this show, and I will give it time but man the average audience member is likely not going to like this one.

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