Alternatetakes2

~ My fouffy blog by Lewis J Whittington

Alternatetakes2

Monthly Archives: October 2011

Classical Philly

30 Sunday Oct 2011

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Musically, the Undark Ages
Philadelphia
Leslie Johnson (soprano), Maren Montalbano (mezzo), Steven Bradshaw (tenor), Colin Dill (bass)
Gwyn Roberts (recorder), Rachel Cama (viola da gamba), Mark Rimple (lute), Choral Arts Philadelphia, Matthew Glandorf (conductor)

Lyric Fest’s Bawdy Bard a survey of music from of medieval composers which wends its way into baroque resplendence of Henry Purcell. With themes of love, desire, lust and all around canoodling in the middle ages seems like it would play out fast, but it was a sumptuous feast of unexpected musical breadth and an illuminating archive.

The four vocal soloists Leslie Johnson, Maren Montalbano, Steven Bradshaw and Colin Dill performed with the estimable Choral Arts Philadelphia. Conductor Matthew Glandorf is so at ease igniting this material with detailed authority and the musicians playing on period instrument with troubadour esprit. Jim Bergwall, a local Shakespearean, narrated short, often ribald thematic passages with well-chosen prologues with passages from Shakespeare, Thomas Wyatt, verse from the Carmina Burana and everybody�s dark ages favorite libertine, Anonymous.

Bergwall�s broken olde English in Chaucer text is a marvel of character and elocution of a dead language.
Also pushing the envelope of dead on authenticity was �Sumer is Acumen In� a Medieval English ditty with unironic �cuckoo� chirps in the refrains. That was quickly followed up by �L�autrier jost�una sebissa� a 12th century pastorale by Marcabru sung by Montalbano and Dill made it a saucy mezzo and basso duet.
�Le Chant des oiseaux� from the 14th century by Cl�ment Janequin is an a capella quartet for the soloists who all displayed both silky technique in the vocal overlays and crisp interlocks in the transitional phrases.

�A Chantar� by Beatriz de Dia had a world music quality, with Ms. Cama�s viola pulsing like a sitar and Johnson�s silvery soprano hovering. This cross-cultural surprise was echoed with Rimple�s �Nouveau Chanson des Oiseaux� composed eight years ago, with themes of chastity but fitting right into this period work with its atmospherics that are both ethereal and earthy. Rimple captivates with an obvious complete understanding of early musical structures. Inspired as Anonymous was, by birds, Rimple builds a medieval song and inserts oblique choral sections as a harmonic field.

�Elslein Quodlibet� or �whatever pleases� by Swiss Renaissance composer Ludwig Senfl, sounded serene and sacred if you didn�t speak German and understand that this is a lusty tale of peasants and trysts in the woods.

Steven Bradshaw captured everyone�s heart singing the a capella Latin for �Can Ve Lauzeta� a troubadour song from the 12th century by Bernart de Ventadorn. �Alas! I thought I knew so much/About love, and I know so little!� a lover�s confession and lament. Gorgeous Gregorian chanty lines spike toward dissonance. The sentiments and vocal ironies all delivered in countertenor and even castrati range by Bradshaw with luminous technique.

The four songs by Henry Purcell show the golden tones and structural contours of baroque. And the soloists on Love songs by Giovanni Gastoldi from the 16th century in the giddy finale. Many of the selections were not notated, still the interpretations seem unquestioningly authentic. Once again Lyric Fest turns in a musical chapter that would otherwise be lost to antiquity.

Botanicals

19 Wednesday Oct 2011

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More fall colors from Jan’s Gallery


Bones by Jan Carroll

DanceMetros

08 Saturday Oct 2011

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Local dance luminaries, fans and friends crowded the lobby of Plays and Players on Delancey St. in late Sept. for the one night only performance of Tommie-Waheed Evans/Crossroads/ made up from Philadanco members and Teneise Ellis, a former ’Danco dancer and Kirven J Boyd, currently with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, all lending their talents and time gratis because of their belief in Evans work.

/Crossroads/ was in motion as we entered the side aisles of the deco-era P&P theater. LaMar Baylor and Boyd in a duet in front of the stage and the rest of the dancers onstage in a dramatic, cryptic slo-motion scenario, with the dancers dressed in floor length purple skirts.

The back half featured a central trio with and sensual duet by Roxanne Lyst and Bozeman with flowy lift patterns. The P&P stage may have been a little boxy for some of the ensemble patterning, jumps and unison work. Evans’ infusion of African classicism, Vogue-y struts, hip-hop brio kept upping the velocity.

Evans transfers to his dancers the qualities he displays-explosive stage presence and penchant for full throttle performance. Great exit phrases- release moves that are ironic, witty and turning into signatures known as Tommie-isms.

Fall Colors

07 Friday Oct 2011

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Acorn Roots by Jan Carroll

All poems by Lewis Whittington unless otherwise noted

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October 2011
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