10-08-2017, 07:49 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2017, 08:00 PM by Drunk Monk.)
Season opener and we've got the series (seats above the percussion no less). This marks the 60th anniversary of the Cruz symphony. And what a great opener!
Vivaldi - 2 dozen strings & a harpsichord, all standing except the keys and standing basses. It was a workout for young Nigel Armstrong who just took over 1st chair, but the kid is a rock star (even did an ecnore of Here comes the sun solo). I never knew there were words to the 4 seasons - they were projected on the super titles and gave new context to very familiar concertos.
Holst - This might be my favorite of all. I've only heard Mars live, not the whole thing, and not with an 80+ piece orchestra. It's the sourcepoint for so many soundtracks. Williams poached so much of the Star Wars theme from Mars and Neptune. Even the incidental Twilight Zone music echoes Neptune (so what ifHolst lifted some of Dumas for Neptune - it's towards the end). And live, it's just fantastic, the soundtrack to the solar system. The boom of Mars and Jupiter. The way Mercury darts about the whole orchestra. The soulfulness of Venus and inevitability of Saturn. The drama of Uranus. They hide the choir for the finale so the voices came mystically. Bravo! Daniel Stewart brings out the best in his players. So wonderful.
Vivaldi - 2 dozen strings & a harpsichord, all standing except the keys and standing basses. It was a workout for young Nigel Armstrong who just took over 1st chair, but the kid is a rock star (even did an ecnore of Here comes the sun solo). I never knew there were words to the 4 seasons - they were projected on the super titles and gave new context to very familiar concertos.
Holst - This might be my favorite of all. I've only heard Mars live, not the whole thing, and not with an 80+ piece orchestra. It's the sourcepoint for so many soundtracks. Williams poached so much of the Star Wars theme from Mars and Neptune. Even the incidental Twilight Zone music echoes Neptune (so what ifHolst lifted some of Dumas for Neptune - it's towards the end). And live, it's just fantastic, the soundtrack to the solar system. The boom of Mars and Jupiter. The way Mercury darts about the whole orchestra. The soulfulness of Venus and inevitability of Saturn. The drama of Uranus. They hide the choir for the finale so the voices came mystically. Bravo! Daniel Stewart brings out the best in his players. So wonderful.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse