Yuja Wang: Turkish March

Published on Oct 26, 2016 by E976
YouTube: CRAZY ENCORE BY YUJA WANG! Turkish March (Mozart/Volodos/Say) Carnegie Hall

Wikipedia: Yuja Wang
Yuja Wang (b 1987) is a Chinese classical pianist. She was born in Beijing, began studying piano there at age six, and went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. By the age of 21 she was already an internationally recognized concert pianist, giving recitals around the world. She has a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon.

Reviews
Wang has received attention as much for her eye-catching outfits and glamorous stage presence as for her piano playing. In a much-quoted 2011 review of a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Times classical music critic Mark Swed wrote:

But it was Yuja Wang's orange dress for which Tuesday night is likely to remembered ... Her dress Tuesday was so short and tight that had there been any less of it, the Bowl might have been forced to restrict admission to any music lover under 18 not accompanied by an adult. Had her heels been any higher, walking, to say nothing of her sensitive pedaling, would have been unfeasible.

Swed was widely criticised for this aspect of his review.

Yuja Wang - Photo Courtesy of Echo Klassik

The New Yorker - Sep 5/2016
Yuja Wang and the Art of Performance by Janet Malcolm
The piano prodigy is known for the brilliance of her playing and for her dramatic outfits.

During the intermission of a recital at Carnegie Hall in May, Yuja changed from the relatively conventional long gold sequinned gown she had worn for the first half, two Brahms Ballades and Schumann’s “Kreisleriana,” into something more characteristically outré. For the second half, Beethoven’s extremely long and difficult Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat, known as the “Hammerklavier,” she wore a dress that was neither short nor long but both: a dark-blue-green number, also sequinned, with a long train on one side—the side not facing the audience—and nothing on the other, so that her right thigh and leg were completely exposed.

As she performed, the thigh, splayed by the weight of the torso and the action of the toe working the pedal, looked startlingly large, almost fat, though Yuja is a very slender woman. Her back was bare, thin straps crossing it. She looked like a dominatrix or a lion tamer’s assistant. She had come to tame the beast of a piece, this half-naked woman in sadistic high heels. Take that, and that, Beethoven!

My Thoughts
I read over the reviews written by Mark Swed and Janet Malcolm referenced above and was amused by the focus on the visual. If this had been a male pianist, I have no doubt nobody would be commenting on his suit or tux. Nevertheless, Ms. Wang is of the classical world, probably noted for its more reserved demeanor. If she were of the pop music world, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga or Madonna, we would expect to be entertained not just with sound, but with sight. Ms. Wang seems to ignoring the stuffiness of tradition and bumping it up a notch. Can a woman be accomplished and be beautiful? Can the world of classical music bring more visual, more entertainment to the proceedings?

Yuja Wang - Photo (c) Ian Douglas

 

References

official web site: Yuja Wang

Facebook: Yuja Wang

The paraphrase on Mozart's music was given a flourish by Arcadi Volodos then jazzed up by Fazil Say. Ms. Wang executes it with aplomb. Man, does she have some chops.

Wikipedia: Arcadi Volodos
Arcadi Volodos (b 1972) is a Russian pianist. His first name is sometimes transliterated Arcady or Arkady.

YouTube: Volodos plays Turkish March (Volodos Turkish March)

YouTube: Mozart-Volodos - Concert Paraphrase on "Turkish March" (audio + sheet music)

Wikipedia: Fazil Say
Fazıl Say (b 1970) is a virtuoso Turkish pianist and composer who was born in Ankara, described recently as "not merely a pianist of genius; but undoubtedly he will be one of the great artists of the twenty-first century".

Chronological list of compositions
5a AllaTurca Jazz ( Mozart ) Piano 1993 Berlin


Uploaded on Oct 9, 2008 by medici.tv
YouTube: Yuja Wang plays the Flight of the Bumble-Bee (Vol du Bourdon)

Yuja Wang by Norbert Kniat DG

2017-06-10

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Bill Domonkos: Nervous96

Vimeo: Nervous96 from Bill Domonkos
An intense juxtapose of disconnect and emotion. NERVOUS96 invokes the chiaroscuro spirit of a woman lonely, desperate, in debt, trying to connect in a desolate world overrun with technology. A seamless integration of film and music, NERVOUS96 casts a powerful spell, embodying the spirit of classic suspense and science fiction.

Wikipedia: Chiaroscuro (pronunciation)
Chiaroscuro is an oil painting technique, developed during the Renaissance, that uses strong tonal contrasts between light and dark to model three-dimensional forms, often to dramatic effect. The underlying principle is that solidity of form is best achieved by the light falling against it. Artists known for developing the technique include Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt. It is a mainstay of black and white and low key photography.

Vimeo: films by Bill Domonkos
Bill Domonkos is an experimental filmmaker and video artist. His work combines computer animation, still photography, live footage and manipulated archive film footage. His work has been broadcast and shown internationally in cinemas, film festivals, galleries and museums.

Tumblr: Bill Domonkos web site: Bill Domonkos Twitter: Bill Domonkos @billdomonkos Facebook: Bill Domonkos

Vimeo: Looking Glass from Bill Domonkos
Music: "To Dolly Argles" by Igor Ballereau
Lettres à des amies-enfants
Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s letters to his child-friends.

2017-06-07

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Angel City Chorale: Africa

Published on Nov 25, 2013 by Angel City Chorale
YouTube: Africa - Angel City Chorale - as of June 3, 2017: 5.6 million plus views
Melody and lyrics by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro
Performed by Angel City Chorale
Soloists Rich Kennedy, Tommy Lamb, Tina Mitro, and Duff Watrous
Artistic Director, Sue Fink
Video edited by, Alex Chaloff, Annika Benitz
Performance inspired by Eric Whitacre and Perpetuum Jazzile.

References

official web site: Angel City Chorale

Wikipedia: Angel City Chorale
Angel City Chorale, conducted by founder/Artistic Director Sue Fink, is a multi-talented, multi-cultural group of 160 singers that aims to reflect the spirit of Los Angeles, the city it calls home. Recognized for its signature blend of musical styles and commitment to community, Angel City Chorale strives to give back to the L.A. community through song, donations, and volunteerism. Offering a diverse selection of musical material including classical, jazz, folk music, gospel, and pop, ACC performs two concerts seasonally, spring and winter, at the historic Wilshire United Methodist Church. In addition to its scheduled performances, Angel City Chorale has performed at venues throughout Los Angeles, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the former Kodak Theatre, the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Staples Center, and the Shrine Auditorium. Angel City Chorale is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Wikipedia: Africa (Toto song)
"Africa" is a 1982 song by the American rock band Toto. It was included on their 1982 album Toto IV, and released as a single on September 30, 1982. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 5, 1983 and number three on the UK Singles Chart the same month. The song was written by the band's keyboardist/vocalist David Paich and drummer Jeff Porcaro.

I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She's coming in twelve-thirty flight
Her moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say. "Hurry, boy, it's waiting there for you."

[Chorus:]
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti
I seek to cure what's deep inside, frightened of this thing that I've become

[Chorus]

[Instrumental break]

Hurry, boy, she's waiting there for you

[Chorus:]
It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa [5x]
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

2017-06-03

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R.E.M.: It's The End Of The World

Uploaded on Mar 16, 2009 by emimusic
YouTube: R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World

That's great! It starts with an earthquake,
Birds and snakes, an aeroplane;
Lenny Bruce is not afraid.

Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn.
World serves its own needs, don't mis-serve your own needs.
Speed it up a notch, speed, grunt, no strength.
The ladder starts to clatter with fear of fight, down height.
Wire in a fire, represent the seven games
In a government for hire and a combat site.
Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry
With the furies breathing down your neck.

Team by team reporters baffled, trump, tethered crop.
Look at that low plane! Fine, then.
Uh oh, overflow, population, common group,
But it'll do. Save yourself, serve yourself.
World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed.
Tell me with the rapture and the rev-'rent in the right, right.
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light;
Feeling pretty psyched.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

Six o'clock. TV hour.
Don't get caught in foreign tower.
Slash and burn, return,
Listen to yourself churn.
Lock him in uniform and book burning, bloodletting.
Ev'ry motive escalate. Automotive incinerate.
Light a candle, light a motive.
Step down, step down.
Watch a heel crush, crush.
Uh oh, this means no fear; cavalier.
Renegade and steer clear!
A tournament, a tournament,
A tournament of lies.
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives
And I decline.

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine (It's time I had some time alone)
I feel fine

It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine (It's time I had some time alone)

The other night I tripped a nice
Continental drift divide.
Mountains sit in a line.
Leonard Bernstein, Leonid Brezhnev,
Lenny Bruce, and Lester Banks
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly beans, boom!
You symbiotic, patriotic, slam, but neck, right? (Right!)

It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine (It's time I had some time alone)

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine (It's time I had some time alone)

It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine (It's time I had some time alone)

It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine (It's time I had some time alone)

References

Wikipedia: It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., which appeared on their 1987 album Document, the 1988 compilation Eponymous, and the 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987. It was released as a single in November 1987, reaching No. 69 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and later reaching No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart on its re-release in December 1991.

Music video
The music video was directed by James Herbert, who worked with the band on several other videos in the late 1980s. It depicts a young skateboarder, Noah Ray, in a cluttered room of an abandoned, half-collapsed farmhouse. As he rummages through the junk, which includes several band pictures and flyers, he shows off various toys and items to the camera and plays with a dog that wanders into the house. As the video ends, he removes his shirt and starts performing skateboard tricks while still inside the room.

Wikipedia: R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, that was formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist/backing vocalist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe.

After considering names like "Twisted Kites", "Cans of Piss", and "Negro Wives", the band settled on "R.E.M." (which stands for the stage of sleep called rapid eye movement), which Stipe selected at random from a dictionary.

official web site: R.E.M.

2017-06-01

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