1987 Garfield or SCV 2009?

[glory]

And oh yeah ...

Garfield '87 by a mile.

HH

[garfield]

Gah-field....not even close. And that's my own bias aside.

Gah-FIEEELD!

There, fixed to as it is on the tape.

My pleasure.

[david.t]

I'm gonna go with 1987. I'm a huge Copland fan, and Appalachian Spring is one of my all-time favorite orchestral pieces. When I heard that SCV was gonna put a pure version on the field I was extremely excited. When it came down to seeing it live, it just seemed... sterile. There wasn't much of the "drum corps magic" I know SCV can produce. I did love how they arranged it in order and didn't chop it up Cadet style, and that company front and chord was beautiful. In the end, I was more emotionally stirred from even the Mandarins than I was SCV.

[jjeffeory]

It's a little more complicated that that.

Ballet for Martha was the working title Copland used for his composition written specifically for performance by Martha Graham and her dancers. She gave the work a performance title, the actual title by which the music and the dance would be known. Now, the initial score was written so a small ensemble could accompany the ballet. It was later rearranged for a full orchestra.

The original score for a slimmed-down orchestral ensemble is no more Ballet for Martha than the full orchestral suite isn't. The one and only actual title is Appalachian Spring. Ballet for Martha wasn't a title, per se; it was more a way for Copland to keep track.

HH

...and it was what we were led to believe SCV drew upon for their source music. It wasn't the full blown Appalachian Spring. I'm aware of the background, I was responding to the the poster who didn't know ANY of this...

Oh and yea, Garfield by a mile... SCV version was a little sterile and missing a little magic in comparison. Both were VERY enjoyable.

Edited January 22, 2010 by jjeffeory

[garfield]

The disappearing/reappearing company front is still one of the most brilliant visual moments ever.

Oh, you mean the scatter-drill. Yeah, just amazing. The contras running around the back...pause in the middle and re-phrase...then off again to end up at the opposite end of the line. Man, that was just gorgeous. Two solid company fronts and walls of sound in one show, amazing.

I think that was the first year that I came to appreciate the drill resets between songs. They seemed to never stop moving. When others were soaking up the applause, Garfield kept the story going.

And their drill hits, pause, then off in other direction. They held the hits just long enough for you to notice, then exploded into another chart. That Zingali, wow, haven't seen another like him since, IMHO.

I only wish we could hear the closing phrase. That poor sop, worked so hard on a starring role, and we'll never hear how beautiful he probably played it. I feel for him...and us.

Edited January 22, 2010 by garfield

[Schickmeister]

I only wish we could hear the closing phrase. That poor sop, worked so hard on a starring role, and we'll never hear how beautiful he probably played it. I feel for him...and us.

That soprano player used to teach me...I always asked him to play it...he never did.

[wvu80]

I heard both shows live. I loved both shows, no doubt.

The 1987 Cadets was a champion, and had to beat an absolutely fantastic Santa Clara Vanguard show to do it (Russian Christmas Music, Pictures at an Exhibition). The 1987 SCV beats the 2009 SCV as well.

1987 Garfield, by a lot.

[gellio]

Although I am the biggest Vanguard fan, I voted for the Cadets.

While I thought SCV stayed so close to the original, that it was beautiful, Garfield had more impacts and I loved the runs being done by the brass. I want loud and fast in my drum corps. I also thought Garfield's visual package was much better.

[gellio]

87 Garfield. No question.

I was a member at Regiment that summer and got to see Garfield live several times.

That show changed the way shows were written and approached. It was a landmark moment in corps.

The disappearing/reappearing company front is still one of the most brilliant visual moments ever.

You guys were pretty darn good that year too My God, I loved your show so much. SCV and PR were my far and out favorites that year.

[CuriousMe]

This video of Copland is simply the best I've ever seen as a classical music fan.

It's absolutely clear why his music and drum corps go so well together. And I think Tilson-Thomas was right: Copland would have loved drum corps.

to SCV for bringing us '09's version. I don't think I ever tire of Copland's music on the field because they, he and drum corps, were cut from the same cloth.

And I think Bernstein would have been all over the pressbox, hootin' and hollerin' at what a sight it is to see kids playing his music on the field. I think his jaw would have hit the table to see Cadets '09, and yes, I mean in the best of ways (flamebait sentence). It would have astonished him (there's another - INCOMING!).

But then again, Phantom has been my favorite underdog simply because they only play classical.

Just my 2c...

Thanks for the great link!

We were told that Bernstein did see a tape of us (not sure what year). We were invited to Tanglewood the summer of '90 and he was going to conduct us! Unfortunately, that's just when he started to fall ill....so it was cancelled a week or so before we were supposed to go.

As far as the OP question....I have huge and obvious biases, I voted just how folks think I did

I was really looking forward to SCV 2009 this year, and was excited to hear Appalachian Spring on the field again.....although I confess I was disappointed to hear most moving parts in the pit instead of the brass.