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Cabrillo Music Festival
#1
Tributes 2 8/12/17 SC Civic

Stacy has been going to this since we moved back here but this was my first time. 4 pieces - all world premieres.

Moby Dick - excerpts from the opera reworked into a symphonic collage. Echoes of Glass, Ives & Horner. Accessible like a soundtrack. The trumpeter removed his mouthpiece to make blow hole sounds. My fav of the night. Moby Dick always reminds me of KB because he luved it so.

La Heine - interpretation of a film I've not seen. Sounded like bug music to me. I imagined those mosquitoes at Sunrise in Yosemite listen to concerts like this. Included lots of dissonant sounds like bowing styrofoam and drumming pillows. Lots of work for the percussionists. The program notes said it was based on well dressed snakes watching a ballet in lime jello so I wasn't too far off.

Field Guide - collage based on sound samples gathered while hiking by a cute blonde 26 year old composer in a nice tie dye dress. More bug music but it reached a climactic crescendo. Liked the previous piece better tho.

Prisoner - ode to a Guantanamo inmate named Latif, held for 10+ years, who died there (autopsy is classified). Quotes from his letter were sung by an opera baritone. Dreary. I started to nod off, despite a lovely nap I had this afternoon while trying to get netflix to work (Stacy told me later that she cut us back to single user to save some money). Wasn't into prisoner. Preferred Moby or more bug music.

There was free cake and champagne after as this was the end of the festival. We couldn't eat cake (diabetes or gluten) but we enjoyed the champagne.
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#2
After Dixieland 8/4/18 

Well, no RotR 2018, which I've whined about enough here already.  I could make it for Jerry Day up at McClaren Park today, but I'm opting to rest, to conserve my energies for the next 2+ weeks.  Nevertheless, there was this.  

The Church Street Festival was going on outside, and I enjoyed a lovely Cape Horn meal of African food and some music from The Joint Chiefs.  Stacy bought some homemade soap from an old client from our Riverdeck days.  

Dust Devils: A swirling intoxicating piece, but it drew the most lackluster response.  Maybe it was primacy effect.  Maybe it was because composer Vivian Fung was the least well spoken. But I liked it.  I was sorely tempted to try grab a selfie with Fung and 'gram it.  

Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra: Clearly the crowd fav.  William Boicom was the professor of the following two composers and well respected. His intro was an amusing cascade of name dropping that I couldn't follow because even though I put on airs about understanding new symphonic music, I don't have that great a grasp on it, less even then my knowledge of Hip Hop or EDM.  This piece celebrated Boicom's 80th, and it was a complex 4 movement work that was all over the place, darting from child-like lullabies to ominous dark dirges.  Enjoyable and surprising, got us all giggling at some of the hairpin turns.  The guest violinist was amazing.

After the break, conductor Cristian Macelaru added an extra piece in honor of immigration.  It was short, lovely and poignant but I didn't get the name.  He requested that we refrain from applauding, which was a bit awkward.

Rain On It: I never heard the rain.  Kirstin Kuster was by far the most entertaining composer in her intro.  A respectable piece nonetheless.  Full of textures and a workout for the percussion, which is really all I listen to in the symphony.

Walkabout: Concerto for Orchestra: Gabriela Lena Frank gave a passionate intro about diversity and immigration and said this was about finding her roots in Peru.  I never heard Peru.  Instead, there was a coach's whistle used in it that ruined it all for me. Whistles, banjos and bagpipes have no place in the symphony to my way of thinking.  There was a trio of xylophones, which was cool, and that huge 2 meter square piece of hanging sheet metal used for thunder noises played - what is that called?  I don't know. But it's an awesome instrument, far superior to the whistle. 

New symphonic works are work. They challenge the ear in new ways, evoking a lot of sophisticated musical ideas like jazz, but my musical education isn't academic enough to keep up with it all.  Typically this kind of music is only heard in soundtracks, as secondary to the film, so it's really delightful to hear it presented live as its own art form.

I never quite got why this was called 'after dixieland'.
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#3
8/3/19 Contrasts

We scored center seats in row C.  Sweet.

After a long tiresome tournament, I fought beach traffic to get home and then we walked downtown for the Church Street fair where I picked up a capresa arepas for dinner (tasty but $9 and it was a $5 portion).  Lovely night tho.,

Kraken by Du Yun - Y'all know my love for kraken, but this piece opened with kazoo and I felt a bit cheated. Kazoo? In an 80+ piece orchestra? Then it launched into bombastic cacophony which turned around about midway through when I could totally envision Capt Nemo and the nautilus fighting off a kraken. Very soundtracking with lots of twists and turns. It was a bit much to open, the only piece that didn't get a standing ovation, but Stacy's fav.

Dance for cello and orchestra by Anna Clyne - based on a poem by Rumi, I had the perfect view of cellist Imbal Segev, who was dramatic and emotive while playing with her long wavy hair.  A very romantic lush piece, the softest of the night, and my fav.

The work at hand by Jake Heggie - based on post-diagnosis poems of a cancer victim, sung by mezzo-sopranon Jamie Barton, evoking origami, warrior 1 in yoga and sunsets. Very poignant and Barton has such a powerful voice, but I think I prefer operatic style singing in foreign languages because it's more abstract.  Nevertheless, the poetry was very powerful.

Levante by Dan Dediu - Dediu said someone described it as 'Jurassic Park meets Romanian folk dance' and I'm inclined to concur.  More soundtracky cacophonic bombast. Dediu's opening statements on the root meanings of levante, orient, oriental and orientation got me thinking - I'll poach that for some article intro someday.  

We have more tix for next week.  I may go down again tonight. I'll probably head down soon for the street fair at least.  I was hoping to make it up for Jerry Day, but my ride seems to have bailed.  They don't check tix after intermission and it would be easy to sneak in.
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#4
Hit up Church St Fair for Watsonville Taiko & Raizes Do Brazil. Both were enjoyable. It was hot and too many slow moving people so I didn’t stay beyond that. More to come next week.
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#5
Secret Songs 8/11/19

God Music Bug Music - Hannah Lash: This is based on 5 repeated notes and variations. Started out very dissonant.  I thought the god music was the bug music and vice versa.

Psalm without Words - Preben Antonsen: Seven long single phrases, but it was shorter than I thought it was going to be.  It seemed to end abruptly.

Earworms - Vivian Fung: Allegedly based on 'The Wheels on the Bus' but was really based on Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'.  It worked well - reminded me of Chuck Jones Bugs Bunny music at times, and soundtracks at other times.  New orchestral music often reminds me of soundtracks.

Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women - Tan Dun: No Tan Dun wasn't there, but this was the centerpiece of the show - symphony for 13 micro films with a harp solo, based on research of oppressed women of Nu Shu village - a secret language and culture passed down through women since the 13th century.  I was excited to hear something non-soundtrack by Tan Dun (he's the John Williams of Chinese cinema, if you didn't know - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was his, along with all the other artsy mainland martial arts films - http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...p?tid=3402). I was disappointed at first with the video turning this too into a soundtrack, but soon captivated by the multimedia story and thoroughly engrossed. It inspired me to write a op-ed essay on tradition in Kung Fu in my head - I'll publish that on the ezine someday, after I write it.  It touched on so many ideas, and this is why I consume so much music - for that inspiration.  Music is my muse, or one of them.  

Note 1 - I had another devastating allergy attack and was suffering through the whole show, just like with Pride & Prejudice 2 weeks ago (http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...4#pid33874 ).  Not sure what's going on with me.  My qigong practice has fallen apart with my office downsizing and my mom's caretaking.  I must struggle to get back to a regular routine.  As some of you know, my allergies are crippling - a curse, an achilles heel, my kryptonite is plants having sex in the air.  Get a goddammed rooms, feckin plants.  

Note 2 - We invested in season tix last year before our combined financial catastrophes of our house tenants destroying our house (still haven't caught up with the repairs and being unoccupied for 6 months), my mom's expenses (so many out-of-pocket expenses - she pays for the big stuff but the little stuff is like the death of a thousand cuts), and not getting financial aid this summer for Tara's university.  These tix will be our last indulgence for a while. Must buckle down after.  But man, row C center aisle seats have been a treat.

Note 3 - Tonight is the final concert.  WYNTON!
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#6
WYNTON!!!
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#7
Bravo! Bravissimo!
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#8
Yeah, I’m gelatinous. Those Marsalis fellas are all good.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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#9
(08-11-2019, 11:55 PM)Dr. Ivor Yeti Wrote: Those Marsalis fellas are all good.

Right?  I saw Wynton in the Cruz back in '16 (http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...p?tid=3877) and Branford back in Jan (http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...p?tid=4810) who I also saw sit in with the Dead in another time's forgotten space.  

Last night was two compositions by Wynton.  He didn't play but he introduced him with that Marsalis wit and intelligence that is so engaging.

The first piece was composed for Nicola Benedetti, a violin virtuoso, and you know she's got chops because Wynton composed this piece just for her.  She's the full package, a stunningly beautiful woman in a gorgeous red evening gown and my gawd can she play.  Amazing from every angle.  So delicate and refined to so romantic and sexy to the sheer audacity of bold playing.  It's like she could out fiddle the devil without even breaking a sweat.  

The second piece was Wynton's tribute to the blues in 7 movements.  It was a bit of an overview, clever and observant, full of humor and bombast, very enjoyable.  

This was a great run for the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.  And a great run for me personally - 4 nights of fun live music.  Such fun.  

Until next year.
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#10
8/5/2023 Tears of Nature

I had a ticket for Friday’s show but I was at STS9. I bailed on the 2nd STS9 show tonight & opted for this. I also bailed on Jerry Garcia Day in SF, and missed the 33rd Annual Japanese Sword Show because I just found out about it today and already have overcommitted tomorrow to too many work tasks (It goes for another day tomorrow at the SF Airport Marriott if any other D00Mbro is interested).

But I was ecstatic about tonight’s CMF show because it was the best one Ive heard - amazing!
 
The theme of this year is percussion. I luv percussion.

Relapse by Peter Shin was inspired by smoking a fat blunt and staring in a mirror according to him. He had an identity crisis about being Korean Asian-American, and this piece reflected that. Woven around a traditional Korean folk song, intense percussive crashes disrupted the melody. It was quite good.

Carlos Simon’s Tales - a folklore symphony was the black experience told in 4 10 min movements. Simon explained it all when introducing the piece and it was described in the program but I got lost in what it meant. I liked the 4th movement which was based on John Henry.

Andrea Reinkemeyer’s Fire Sings Water was a creation tale of Ursula from the Little Mermaid. It imagined her violation that turned her evil. It built up to a tremendous crescendo.

All three pieces prior to the intermission were full of anger and heavy drumming. We both enjoyed that.

The centerpiece was another Tan Dun (and no, once more he did not appear). The Tears of Nature featured soloist Wang Beibei - recommended by Tan Dun for this piece. She may be the greatest drummer I have ever heard. She had an array of instruments that included 3 xylophones, a gamelan set, a cowbell set, conventional trap without a kick drum, a monster orchestral drum, a rain stick, and some rocks. She started with the rocks. 

There were also 4 back up drummers. The best part was that her set up was at the front stage left, directly in front of our seats. We had the best seats in the house for her. She was only 25 ft away. We were the closest. 

With the rocks, she worked her way up to the kettle drums and just took command. Such perfect drum rolls and the skill to expand and contract the kettles from fearsome to sweet. Then she worked her way back to her set and tore into every instrument there. She broke away, drumming on the floor and the conductor’s platform, which the audience loved but Stacy & I weren’t impressed compared to the rest. At the end, she was flying back and forth between instruments with unbelievable speed - absolutely mesmerizing. 

She’s also a tiny Chinese woman - couldn’t be more then 5 ft tall. I’m used to rock drummer with orangutan arms. What she lacked in reach, she made up for in speed and precision. She got four standing ovations. I need to listen to more Wang Beibei.

Great show. One of the best so far. Truly enjoyed Wang and hope to see her again someday.
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