Boston Crusaders

[Bones758]

From the BAC website:

Boston Crusaders Annouce 2007 Production

“A Picasso Suite”

The Boston Crusaders’ 2007 program, entitled “A Picasso Suite” is a musical and visual feast that takes the audience through some of the periods of work of one of the most recognized figures in 20th century art. The four-part program combines exciting, emotional and passionate music with insight into the visual inspiration of a renowned artist’s changing viewpoint.

The Crusaders’ chronological exploration of Picasso’s work begins at the start of the twentieth century with the Blue Period. Portrayed through the dramatic soaring strains of Patrick Doyle’s “In Pace,” Picasso’s Blue Period works express feelings of human distress. His paintings portrayed blind figures, beggars and alcoholics rendered in somber shades of blue and blue-green, only occasionally warmed by other colors.

During his brief Rose Period, Picasso transformed his style of painting through use of cheerful orange and pink colors, in contrast to the cool tones of the previous Blue Period. This period visually reflects many of Picasso’s happy relationships that influenced his work. The Rose Period movement is musically represented through the joyous Latin rhythms that pulsate through Jay Kennedy’s original work, “Cruzados”.

The periods of Protocubism and Cubism are radical in style; Picasso used a picture surface resembling fractured glass that is not easily understood. Monochromatic color schemes, radically fragmented motifs, as well as still life objects served as source material for this Picasso period. Musically, this period is boldly portrayed though Astor Piazzolla’s lush, haunting tango, “Oblivion.”

The last movement of the program depicts the Surrealism Period, widely considered to be Picasso's period of metamorphosis. In the 1920s and 30s, he blended styles and colors, creating many of his most popular and famous works of art. This celebration of his “fan favorites” is depicted through jazz legend Chick Corea’s Spanish tour de force, “La Fiesta.”

The enormous body of Picasso's work remains, and the legend lives on. The 2007 Boston Crusaders program features stirring music coupled with an unusual visual perspective. "A Picasso Suite" takes you through the evolution of the mind of an artist who impacted the world.

[Matt_S]

Heh, if 2003 was a sequel to 2000, can it be said that 2007 is a sequel to 2004? Both came three years later...

I'm a little disappointed that out of the three pieces named, two have already been used. Sounds like it's going to be a high-energy Latin show, should be fun.

[raphael18]

[sarc] Sweet, another BOA show from BAC! [/sarc]

At this point, I think even they can somehow make La Fiesta boring

Edited April 2, 2007 by raphael18

[dcpguy1111]

Heh, if 2003 was a sequel to 2000, can it be said that 2007 is a sequel to 2004? Both came three years later...

I'm a little disappointed that out of the three pieces named, two have already been used. Sounds like it's going to be a high-energy Latin show, should be fun.

The arrangement of Oblivion is pretty different from what Phantom did. Besides, it's not like this is a crime. Also, La Fiesta hasn't been played by a Div. 1 finalist since....1984?

[sarc] Sweet, another BOA show from BAC! [/sarc]

At this point, I think even they can somehow make La Fiesta boring

Who knows, we shall see. The staff seems pretty determined to make this an engaging show. That comment seems a tad rude though.

Edited April 2, 2007 by dcpguy1111

[MikeN]

I think it sounds great. The current version of Boston has always had its greatest successes when they presented music that were slightly less deep and more engaging.

Mike

[strutta]

It's good to see the BAC haters out within just three posts...I love when people criticize a show before it's even seen...

[Keith Laubhan]

Well, we all know how easy it is to bore Raphael18... chance are if he's bored, I'll be digging the show. :)

[Jared_mello]

Heh, if 2003 was a sequel to 2000, can it be said that 2007 is a sequel to 2004? Both came three years later...

for what it's worth, this show isn't intended to be a sequel to any previous show. obviously its easy to compare it to the shows from recent years (they've done sequels before, and it IS latin), but that isn't the staff's intent this year.

i personally have high expectations for it, along with several reasons in mind why i believe it'll succeed, but ill throw the obligatory "we'll see" out there.

[Matt_S]

for what it's worth, this show isn't intended to be a sequel to any previous show. obviously its easy to compare it to the shows from recent years (they've done sequels before, and it IS latin), but that isn't the staff's intent this year.

I was thinking more along the lines of 2004 being based on color, then 2007 being based on paintings, with the Blue Period and the Rose Period in the write-up. :P

[Jared_mello]

oh and also, for those wondering, "cruzados" was the piece used as the opener in 2003. im hoping there's a lot more melodic content than the stuff used back then, since the '03 arrangement was pretty sparse, simplistic, and generally uninspiring (from the point of view of someone who didn't particularly like the show anyway).

my only real complaint about this show is simply that i think boston would be much better suited to be playing pieces that can provide the effect they have in mind without performing ones that most fans remember as having been played recently. its sort of like they're starting out in a hole they that they dug themselves. i think they'll find it much easier to exceed expectations when they're not starting out by putting themselves against other drum corps' past.

that being said, like i mentioned before, i really do have much more faith (and it's more well-reasoned) in the corps than i have in years.