C.Cat
City: 
|
   
Posts: 958
Pictures: 4
Links: 0
Points 4217
|
Post subject: Dame Evelyn Glennie and Philip Smith at the Bridgewater Hall
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:15
|
  |
The concert started with Fluctus by Nebojsa Zivkovic, with just Evely Glennie playing a solo marimba. She then went straight into an improvisation on a waterphone (a unique instrument that has a metal base filled with water, and spikes coming out of it). As she walked across the stage bowing the waterphone, I got the feeling that magic was at work. She crouched down on a mat with another waterphone and bits of percussion and started playing a music box. This got a laugh from the audience, but as she started pulling stops out of the box, the sound became dark and twisted. Then Philip Smith entered and they played Eternity's Heartbeat by Christos Hatzis.
For Drum Dances by John Psathas, she alternated between a drum kit and glockenspiel. It was pretty loud and dramatic, the bass drum sounded like a cannon! Then she played Concerto in C major for Soprano Recorder and strings by Vivaldi, but arranged for vibraphone by herself. She played amazingly fast in the first movement, with the notes blurring together. It then went into a beautiful slow movement before becoming bright and lively again.
After the interval they played Prometheus Rapture by Sean Beeson, who has composed music for video games. It was originaly scored for snare drum and orchestra, but tonight it was just snare and piano. She played with great control, breaking up soft rolls with sudden stabs. Never before has a snare drum been such a good lead instrument. In the next piece, Rhythmic Caprice by Leigh Howard Stevens, she was on the marimba again and had to use special techniques devised by the composer, such as using the mallet head and handle at the same time. This was followed by Los Destellos de la Resonancia by Roberto Sierra. It was written specially for Evelyn Glennie, using an array of cymbals. She really brought out the tonal qualities of the cymbals, making them ring out hard but beautiful, and used a bow for an otherworldly singing sound.
For the last piece, Quasi una Sonata by Nebojsa Zivkovic, she started with a different selection of cymbals and toms before bringing in flurries of vibes. Deeper into the piece, there was creative use of a gong and some dreamy yet slightly sinister piano, and then a threatening beat came out in the final movement. After leaving the stage, she came back for a little talk, saying that "Most of the composers are email-able but I'm still waiting for a reply from Mr Vivaldi!" She and Philip Smith then ended the concert with a short piano duette.
_________________
http://antsdogsapescat.proboards102.com/index.cgi
[url]http://www.myspace.com/ccatthechorltonradiophonicworkshop [/url]
|
|
