Three Concerts - Research Paper Example

Three Concerts I. “Awake Live” A Josh Groban Concert The concert of Josh Groban on August 28, 2007 at the Energy Solution Arena, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to promote his album “Awake,” was well attended, the fifteen thousand sitting capacity of the venue was filled up, with screaming fans who longed to shake the hands of Josh Groban. In this concert, classical and romantic songs were blended with pop music. I particularly did not like the attire of Josh Groban, because even though he is now considered a star in the music world, but in his denims and t-shirt and casual coat, he downgraded the concert. His violinist Lucia Micarelli and the cellist Vanessa Smith were elegantly dressed, which was quite appropriate as they were envisioned to have been the leads of the ensemble. I wish somebody will do something about the hair of Josh Groban, it did not look cute. However, his abbreviated sheepish smile that seemed to carry a message, was charming. The opening number “Don’t Give Up,” with the sudden fantastic display of lights was quite moving. The alternate playing of the violin and other string instruments enhanced the depth of the message. In the songs that followed which were mostly new, there was a well-rounded effort with layered musicianship, the musical pieces find the audience exploring both familiar and fresh territories. At times, the addition of sweeping violin and a touch of ballad helped me ignore the dullness of the lyrics of some of the newer compositions and the bass added flavor. I found the music of Josh Groban in foreign language that gushed from his heart, quite engaging to listen to, even though I did not understand the lyrics. I have seen several concerts of Josh Groban, but now that his voice had become well-trained, I liked his earlier concerts more, when he was still shy and less confident. He was great in piano while singing. Up to now, in between songs, he still murmurs his words when he talks to the audience, as if he was just talking to himself. I loved the solo performance of the violinist, Lucia, and later she was joined by the group. The entry of the drums and percussions made the instrumentals very much alive. It was after this rendition that for a change, Josh Groban came inside the arena from one of the side bleachers. He was so gracious in shaking the hands of his fans, who were screaming for joy that he passed by them. On the over-all, I found the concert a little boring, because I missed the more popular songs that were made by David Foster for Josh Groban, It was a good thing he sang my favorite which was “You Raise Me Up,” that I could not help but raise my hands into a sway. I may not be a musician, but I love music, it is soothing to the nerves, that it takes the stress away. There is not a single day in my life that passes without music. Unfortunately, it is difficult to show that a value judgment can stand for anything that is even remotely true about music, as opposed to standing for something that is merely a personal whim on the part of the critic, since there is no such thing as an organized body of knowledge called “musical criticism” (“musical criticism.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2010). II. The Concert of Andre Rieu in Vienna On August 5, 2007, the concert of Andre Rieu in Vienna, which is the city of dreams, together with his Johann Strauss Orchestra, seemed to have transported me to another world, of vibrant music and dance. The concert was to celebrate the one hundredth year of Johann Strauss and his orchestra. When we speak of dances in Vienna, it can mean only one dance, the waltz. As a Dutch violinist, Andre Rieu delights in articulating how we feel about the music in the early twentieth century. The admiration of the audience, was apparent as Andre Rieu begun the concert with the music, Vienna Blood. The best thing about the concert of Andre Rieu, is that there is no strict rule or protocol as to how the audience should behave, although, the audience behaved as expected, very quiet when listening to the orchestra, and very proud in their applause every time Andre Rieu and his orchestra bowed. Even the performers themselves, had teased each other with smiles and smirks, while they were playing with their violins, their brass and trombones. I definitely liked the costumes of the female performers, so fitting to the classical theme of the event. Andre Rieu is a conductor, but he was more of a violinist as he led his orchestra, that took the cue every time he played the first notes in his violin. I enjoyed his accent, in the way he explained the brief background of the musical piece, Drausen Sievering. He exuded confidence and charm as he played the violin with fun. I always feel energized as I listened to Perpetuum Mobile, which was supposed to be a never-ending rendition of songs and movements. The rest of the music such as On Holiday and Casanova and Cachucha Galepp, urged me to put my hand in my heart and felt the beats of excitement. I saw almost everybody, either swaying to the tune or tapping their foot with the rhythm of the violins, with the bang of the cymbals or the gentle beat of the drums intermittently. The flutist who was at the center, had spawned an alluring dreamy sound. I realize now, that although the flutist gave highlights to most of the classical music played during the evening, he cannot have a solo concert ever. I would not like the single sound of the flute, but only if it is combined with the string instruments and the contemporary wind instruments. For me, the best part was when the orchestra of Andre Rieu played the Blue Danube. At this time, the audience could not contain themselves but had to dance the Waltz in the aisles. Waltz music has been written in 2/4, 6/8, and 5/4 time, but the standard remains the 3/4 beat. The 1-2-3 count of the music traditionally has only one chord per measure. Even contemporary composers have been inspired by the waltz (Dance Pinoy Magazine. 2009). After the Blue Danube, they played the Spanish March, and multi-colored balloons fell from the ceiling, and, wow, one should see how the older people played with the balloons like little children, all because of the marching rhythm. For the younger generation, they scoff at the sound of the classical music, but in my case, young as I am, I feel privileged to have watched this concert live, and in a sense, it had elevated my place in society, somewhat. III. Concert of Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany on July 27, 2006 What is it about music from faraway places that makes me feel good? Perhaps it is the soothing melody unlike any I have heard before and the exquisite atmosphere of the outdoor setting, that made me experience light-hearted moments. The concert of Andrea Bocelli on the evening of July 27, 2006 held at the Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, Tuscany, was organized by its producer Mr. Humberto Gatica, a professional expert in the field of musical concerts. They could not have chosen a more magnificent setting like the Teatro del Silenzio, considering that it is in Lajatico, Tuscany, which is the hometown of Andrea Bocelli. It was a view in the middle of nowhere, that all I can see around are combinations of hills, fields of grass and silhouettes of mountains. It was really stunning and beautiful. It was hinted that all the artists rehearsed for three days, and the producers felt the pressure in those three days, as they arranged the stage and the audience area, which without a doubt, turned out to be well-organized. Although it was already evening, when the concert begun, the sun was still up, and Bocelli was escorted in by two older boys in their fencing uniform, and in the background string instruments and piano were playing as an introduction to his first song, “Melodrama.” When Kenny G played his sax, Bocelli was in the piano, yet as he sang, his voice was so controlled and well-modulated, that the sound of the sax sounded so sexy. The concert was a combination of opera and pop, all arranged beautifully, like the song “Vivo per lei,” as the vocalist Heather Headley joined Bocelli in this number. Bocelli is lucky to have the support and friendship of Mr. David Foster, a great composer and musical arranger, a very passionate one, that in one of the pieces sang by Bocelli, David Foster was so carried away and kept playing the piano in a standing position as he ignored the chair. When Bocelli sang the newest composition of David Foster, a very interesting Chinese pianist, Lang-lang, played the piano with such grandeur, accompanied by violinists. The way Lang-lang played the piano was so smooth, that I envy him, because I had always wanted to learn to play the piano. This number was followed by a solo performance of Lang-lang, for the piece entitled “Hungarian Rhapsody.” At this point, the sky was getting dark, and all the fabulous lights were turned on. The strokes of Lang-lang on the piano keys were effortless and very light, that in contrast to the complexity of the music, it sounded like more than two hands were playing. He looked like he was in a world of his own while performing, and in the end, it elicited a standing ovation. Various guest artists who were all amazing in their personal choice of musical instrument, lent more excitement to the concert. When the great trumpet player, Chris Botti accompanied Bocelli for the song Italia, the sadness was truly felt. Of all the wind instruments, Chris Botti’s favorite was always the trumpet. At the end of the song, Bocelli and Botti prolonged the last note for as long as they could hold, and the audience enjoyed it very much. I have always been a fan of Sarah Brightman, and watching her in matching white gown with the white wardrobe of Bocelli as they sang the final song, Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partiro), made me wish that the concert would not end yet. On the overall, the audience was generally appreciative of all the eighteen musical pieces, while I can truly affirm, that no matter what the genre, music works best when it has the power to move a soul, and indeed, I was so moved at all times during the concert. The voice of Bocelli had never sounded better, which gave me a sweet chill, and made me dwell on the dreamy thought about longing for all-consuming love. Works Cited: Dance Pinoy Magazine. 2009. http://dancepinoy.com/dance-library/waltz. “Musical Criticism.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 05 April 2010. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/399158/musical-criticism. Read More