TXMystreaux's comments deserve more than a gut reaction. Some snips and paraphrases from his review: "I thought for two hours about what to write;" this was the performance that occupied his thoughts all the way home. The music seemed to be simply asoundtrack for it all"--i.e., there was an unusual degree of integration and consistency, elements were unified so that each read like the other. "The show was full of spinning," which is to say that it is consistent and focused (as well as appropriately named). I listened to recordings..hornline tight, clean, sections strong. Etc.
We need to separate his observations from his reactions. This poster clearly distinguishes between reaction, or personal bias, and the more objective observations which prompted his reactions.
There is a sense of excitement coming from the Cavaliers, excitement of discovery, of risk-taking, of boldness and of commitment. We are witnessing the evolution of drum corps as an art form. The structural coherence which has been their signature since Four Corners places the leap from entertainment, or artifice, to art within their grasp. The fertile collaboration among the staff seems focused on creating works of, by and for drum corps. They exhibit tasteful diversity and a sense of purpose throughout each show. It is with great imagination that each fragment is interconnected and therefore contributes to and enriches the whole. This consistency and integration is characteristic of art, so I take interest in their evolving style as the emergence of the art form called drum corps. Of course there are stylistic differences and biases which would allow others to aim toward an equivalent level of integration without sacrificing their identities. Such as hummabiliity. I find the motivic-transformational substance of their music engrossing and appropriate. As with Beethoven, the diversity of expression of a single motif/idea is at the heart of the integrity that one also finds in the Cavaliers' compositions. In fact, a tune, which is limited because it can't be ripped apart, turned on its head or distorted without destoying the essence of the tune, may not be the best vehicle for obtaining integration (consider Beethoven's 5th opener, which is repeated over and over with such diversity that it achieves great drama). Mr. Saucedo's compositions are most sophisticated with regard to integrated, concise expression of an idea/motif--in this regard his compositions are classical. And I do find them quite lyrical at times, but my personal inclination toward motivic expression may allow me to hear a hummable melody where most would not. The staff would likely disagree with TXMystreaux that this show is less innovative than their recent efforts of this type. I won't comment, I haven't seen them.
Any new form of expression which has substance will provoke strong reactions. In ballet, the closest equivalent to drum corps in the classical world, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring set off street riots in Paris. The challenge of art is to engage the audience in the aethetic qualities of the performance. Art is never expected to win universal approval. The underlying respect for the Cavaliers, whatever its personal context, is testimony to their achievement on an aesthetic plane. A case in point is TXMystreaux's two-hour reflection on their show.
Stan Collins
No affiliation with any corps, past or present.
