http://portlandovations.org/blog/blog PCA Great Performances brings a world of performing arts to Portland, Maine. Keep track of our activities with the PCA Blog. en Copyright 2012 2012-05-07T15:22:45+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/jennifer_koh_transports_with_solo_violin/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/jennifer_koh_transports_with_solo_violin/#When:15:22:45Z I used to have a violin player as a neighbor. I never met this neighbor and don’t even know what their gender is - not that it’s important – but I never had any interaction with this neighbor beyond hearing the sounds of music that crept in to my little corner of the world from time to time.  I don’t want to say that this violin player was anywhere on the level of Jennifer Koh, but they were good and I used to love sitting out on my deck and listen while they would practice, or even more so when they would invite friends over and play together. But there is something truly amazing about the expression created from a single violin, I realized this Thursday evening that it’s especially amazing when it’s in the hands of a talented violinist like Jennifer Koh. Bookending the concert with two pieces by Bach (Sonata No.1 in G minor and Partita No.1 in B minor) along with two more modern pieces, Bartók’s Sonata for Solo Violin Sz. 117, BB124 and Mazzoli’s Dissolve, Oh my Heart, the program was grounded in the past but drew comparisons to more contemporary works that were built upon similar chords and themes but often spiraled away from the familiarity and structure found in Bach’s work. While the first and last pieces transported me to European streets lined with fountains or large estates with well-manicured lawns, the middle two pieces felt more like a soundtrack to a Hitchcock film; the background a shadow-filled metropolis with its denizens scurrying about in and out of complicated trysts.  The constant, however, was the expression and passion that Koh brought to each piece. I realized when I heard Jennifer Koh’s solo violin this past Thursday how much I missed hearing my neighbor practicing the violin (as they have since moved away). There’s something about the sound of one person embodying themselves in an instrument that’s spectacular to listen to, to know that it’s not a recording, that a human and an instrument are creating a new way of communicating emotions and thought. I can only imagine the years of practice it has taken to get to the level that Jennifer Koh is at now, but if her neighbors are within earshot when she’s practicing these days, they should consider how lucky they are! For the rest of us, well, I guess that’s why we have Portland Ovations. 2012-05-07T15:22:45+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/alvin_ailey_american_dance_theater_does_it_again_with_gusto/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/alvin_ailey_american_dance_theater_does_it_again_with_gusto/#When:14:33:07Z The capacity crowd at Merrill Auditorium in attendance for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance roared with applause, not just at the end of the show, but at intervals throughout the show as well! Somewhere during the first number, “Streams”, I realized I wasn’t necessarily going to understand what was going on and decided I should just enjoy the show. The artistry, athleticism, and the beauty of the dance being performed was enough to behold that I didn’t necessarily need to “get it”. So, I just allowed myself to be swept away; by moments, by pictures created with bodies, by dancers alone or in relationship to others, by graceful agility and by explosive power. The program for the evening was a combination of dance styles and pieces from different choreographers. The aforementioned “Streams” and the quintessential “Revelations” are both repertory pieces choreographed by the company’s founder Alvin Ailey, while the bottle-rocket of a number, a solo piece titled “Takademe” was created by current Artistic Director, Robert Battle, and the electric yet melancholy “Home” by Rennie Harris was inspired by those living with or affected by HIV. It’s amazing that pieces that were originally created in the 60s and 70s can be brought back today and still have such power and life to them. The juxtaposition of the different styles of dance and music worked perfectly to show off all that this talented troupe has to offer and I really could not have asked for more. If there are more gems to be found and re-staged in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s repertoire and more great works from Battle and Harris to be discovered and presented, I think Portland will be in for another treat from this great American dance company yet again – I just hope they come back a little sooner next time! 2012-04-25T14:33:07+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/streams/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/streams/#When:21:03:29Z I wasn’t going to see the Ailey Company here in Portland until I saw the repertoire announced.  I was stage manager for the company when Alvin choreographed “Streams” and that piece being in the program for the 4/24 performance threw me over the edge to come see.  I didn’t know it was back in the company’s rep.  It’s been with the second company for years.  Alvin had a very tough time figuring out the counts for the score, “Eight Inventions” by Miloslav Kabeláč, performed by Percussion de Strasbourg.  We had less than two weeks for Alvin to create the piece and he was beside himself with frustration over the music.  Judy Jamison and I would go home every night with tape recording in hand (I was a percussionist), we’d write down our musical counts or rhythm patterns for each movement, compare them in the morning, and then tell Alvin what he had to work with.  Through this exhausting process, he was able to complete an average of a movement a day. The seventh movement was one that neither Judy nor I could figure out, so Alvin choreographed it as a “random” movement, giving the dancers time and space to do certain steps without link to the music.  “Streams” is still an amazing piece he created, even in just that movement.  I think it is one of his greatest ballets, though underrated by critics. “Streams” was created as a tribute to the tribe based on the members of the company at that time, a time when there were strong personality conflicts between dancers, and Alvin was trying to find a way to heal the family back together.  I think he succeeded admirably.  The opening movement is an honoring of each member of the company at that time, a literal parade from up left to down right, each dancer owning the stage one at a time at their entrance.  We had 14 dancers in the company then.  If you knew them as well as we did, you would see each personality reflected in their movements.  Each succeeding movement was set on dancers that either loved each other or didn’t like each other: Alvin’s way of getting them to reconnect.  It worked admirably.  When we premiered the piece at Brooklyn Academy in the spring of 1970, the company was reunited. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to see this wonderful dance again, that I helped create. Now the only thing you could do to make the evening perfect is to convince the company to perform “Lark Ascending.”  I gave Alvin the music for that.  We were very close friends and I miss him to this day.  What a great artist and great person he was.  Thanks for all you do to bring great dance art to Portland.  We don’t get enough of it! 2012-04-19T21:03:29+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/the_language_of_music/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/the_language_of_music/#When:17:15:37Z Having looked forward to the Bombino performance all season long, the time had finally come yesterday when Bombino arrived in Portland to perform an acoustic mini-concert at Bull Moose on Middle Street and later that evening at Hannaford Hall on the Portland campus of USM.  I have a great appreciation and generally enjoy music from all genres but have always been convinced that was because of the songs lyrics and the way I could relate to the stories being told. Bombino, his guitar, his energy, the tone in his voice and his band made me realize that it is not always the lyrics of the music that I am connecting with but instead the emotion coming from the instruments and the performer. It did not matter that I was unable to understand Bombino’s spoken language last night because he was communicating the struggle, the joy, the journey and the strength of the Tuareg people through the language of music. An incredible guitar player, Bombino put on an energetic, soulful and brilliant performance highlighting why he is one of today’s young stars on the global music scene. If you have not experienced Bombino I suggest you pick up his album Agadez or better yet try and see him play live during his North American tour.  The audience at Hannaford Hall was thrilled they did as many were dancing in the aisles, clapping along or tapping their feet to the highly energetic and powerful language of music coming from the stage. Have you experienced the language of music through Bombino or any other performer recently? 2012-04-05T17:15:37+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/trey_mcintyre_project_vivid_and_indelible_to_me_what_about_you/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/trey_mcintyre_project_vivid_and_indelible_to_me_what_about_you/#When:13:54:30Z I’ve taken a few dance techniques classes in college that have given me a basic understanding of the fundamentals of dance, however, there’s still so much I don’t know. Beyond my own visceral reaction when watching dance pieces, it’s difficult to evoke, in words, the experience of seeing a dance performance - especially one as multifaceted and amazing as what Trey McIntyre Project performed this past Thursday night! Grateful for two Q&A sessions: one before the show for Ovations members and another post-performance session open to the general audience that provided me with insight to the works I experienced that evening. For me, it was particularly interesting to to learn that the work “The Bitter End” was inspired by the events after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and was debuted there in 2011. This helped me contextualize the piece on a whole new level. I am embarrassed that I didn’t come to this conclusion on my own, especially with the female dancer’s costume emblazoned with the words “What Now” on them, but this knowledge certainly enhanced my understanding of the piece. Now, the imagery, feelings, and emotions I had just experienced were as akin to the images I had seen in news reports of people trapped on rooftops or crowded into the Superdome. Hearing that the prevalent imagery of crosses, from the X that was spray-painted on three of the male dancers at the beginning of the piece, to the design of the umbrellas (which was meant to invoke graffiti artist Banksy’s ‘Umbrella Girl’,) were all symbolic of the X’s that were drawn on houses to identify if they had been searched for bodies after the flooding, made the piece all the more indelible in my mind. Throughout all three pieces performed during the evening, there were moments that awed me, struck me with beauty and power, or just made the hairs on my neck come to attention. I know that my reaction to a work and the emotions I felt may differ from another person’s, which leads me to ask: did you attend the TMP performance, too?  Did you have a favorite moment?  What were some of your reactions? 2012-03-28T13:54:30+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/south_pacific_an_enchanted_evening_or_afternoon/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/south_pacific_an_enchanted_evening_or_afternoon/#When:19:30:32Z I often take trips to New York to see Broadway shows, however, sometimes I miss the shows that I really want to see and have heard great things about. Such was the case with the most recent Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. Luckily for me, Portland Ovations brought this incredible revival to Merrill Auditorium this past weekend. Unlike some touring productions, this one didn’t feel like it had been stripped down to the bare minimum for easy travel; in fact, it felt like the Broadway show had been picked up and placed in Merrill Auditorium. The sets were impressive - evoking the many locales of the story while the period-styled costumes were plentiful, colorful, and gorgeous. Perhaps what excited me the most about this production were the amazing performances by the whole cast. At the center of the show’s story, Marcelo Guzzo’s operatic baritone invigorated the songs of Frenchman, Emile de Becque, in such a manner that would make nearly anyone swoon, while Jennie Sophia was far from being “as corny as Kansas in August,” but instead embodied the conflicted role of Nellie Forbush with humor and humanity. Along with the incredibly talented ensemble, numbers like “There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” are true classics. However, in the end the show is not just about the ways our service men and women distracted themselves from the conflict of war with good fun. It deals with the consequences of actions and shows that love and war both have their own costs. It also grapples with racism and how it is “Carefully Taught” from one generation to the next – a theme that was as relevant in 1950’s as it is today. It is truly great to see this company keeping a piece of musical theater history alive and strong.  Was this your first experience with South Pacific? 2012-03-21T19:30:32+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/a_memorable_irish_feast/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/a_memorable_irish_feast/#When:17:04:42Z Feeling the fatigue of a long stretch during our 2011-12 season the traditional Irish ensemble Danú was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits and re-energize my soul. Before all of the regular and routine St. Patrick’s day revelry begins here in Portland, Danú had Merrill Auditorium shaking Thursday evening as they encouraged the audience to hoot, stomp and clap along to the energetic Jigs and Reels played with fervor and joy by the six member group. While keeping the energy high almost all night they did find appropriate moments to bring the audience to a serene calm with ballads sung celestially by the only woman in the group, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Danú‘s performance brought me back to my only visit to Ireland during a post-college trip with friends. One of my friends was Irish and still had family there. He invited us over to meet his relatives who treated us to a home cooked Irish meal and within minutes of stepping through the door had me feeling like part of the family. Sitting around the table listening to stories and enjoying good food and drink one couldn’t help but feel comfortable with such gracious hosts. Danú, with their spirited music, humorous stories and a genuine admiration for its audience had like my friends relatives - welcomed us all in and made us feel part of one big family. 2012-03-16T17:04:42+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/good_fortune/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/good_fortune/#When:21:18:57Z This past Friday at 10am Portland Ovations connected 1,905 students to the performing arts with a sold-out School-Time Performance of Golden Dragon Acrobats at Merrill Auditorium. The buzz of excited children ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to High School filled the theater to the rafters (literally) and that buzz continued through the 53 minute performance with each feat of daring athleticism and finely tuned skills performed by this incredible troupe. On the way out one student was overheard declaring, “That must have been a dream.” The Merriconeag Waldorf School from Freeport reported back to us, “Our kids are buzzing with excitement and inspiration.” A Merrill Auditorium full of students inspired and connected with one another by experiencing live performance together is an extraordinary thing. Within a two-hour evening performance the Golden Dragon Acrobats—a group of young Chinese performers who range in age 17 to 24 and who begin their training as early as age 5—accomplished a near similar feat of inspiring, connecting and delighting an audience of 1,600 at Merrill Auditorium. Starting with stunning and unbelievable contortion mixed with balancing crystal to a first act finale that included two brothers who astounded with their feats of strength and power. The highlight within both the School-Time and evening performance was “Tower of Chairs” that had both audiences holding their breath in awe as one brave acrobat stacked chairs almost reaching the top of Merrill’s proscenium and balanced upon them with incomprehensible agility and focus. The performance is a splendid one to behold and with its bright costumes, enchanting music, and rare feats of human ability it appeals to all audiences no matter the age or cultural background. 2012 is the year of the Dragon within the Chinese Zodiac and is considered one of its’ luckiest years. We had the good fortune to have had the opportunity to share the experience of the Golden Dragon Acrobats with so many from the ages of 4 to 84 on Friday. Were you lucky enough to attend either performance? What did you think? 2012-03-12T21:18:57+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/not_as_easy_as_it_looks_-_the_vancouver_chamber_choir/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/not_as_easy_as_it_looks_-_the_vancouver_chamber_choir/#When:21:38:09Z The Vancouver Chamber Choir made one of their northeastern stops in Portland on Sunday and delighted the crowd with an impressive program that showcased the talent and passion of this world-renowned group. From Elizabethan magdrigals to Medieval Bestiaries, to choir director Jon Washburn’s own “Dona Nobis Pacem”, the program displayed impressive talent, whimsical folly, and moments of sensational beauty. As someone who has sang with choirs through the majority of the formative years of my life, I know that singing in a choir is a great experience but not as easy as they like to make it look on “Glee!”  To have the opportunity to hear a concert like the one the Vacouver Chamber Choir gave on Sunday, is to have the chance to hear the culmination of hours upon hours of practice and personal commitment. As USM professor Robert Russell explained in the pre-performance lecture, the process of choral music begins with people who are interested in singing. Once the auditions are complete and an ensemble has been found, it’s time to make those selected voices start to sing together. This is not always an easy task – however, if you listen to the Vancouver Chamber Choir, you might think it was all too easy! They made complex works sound effortless and performed to perfection. The encore sent the audience off with two songs that reminded me what joy singing in a group can offer.   It made me wonder how many other people in the audience have been a part of a choir before? Do they look on those times as fondly as I do?  If they hadn’t been a part of a choir before, what drew them to this concert today and what was their experience like when watching the show?  I’d be interested to know, so please share in the comments area below. 2012-03-05T21:38:09+00:00 http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/vaesen_noun_noise._essence._spirit/ http://portlandovations.org/blog/archives/vaesen_noun_noise._essence._spirit/#When:16:42:28Z The Swedish word väsen translates into English most prominently as noise, essence or spirit and our experience yesterday with the trio Väsen included each of those meanings and much more.  Arriving late night from Sweden and never stopping, the trio first took their beautiful “noise” and their fun and infectious spirit to Bull Moose on Middle Street for a free in-store, mini-concert and CD signing. Then they went onto Hannaford Hall for an open sound check and “musical conversation” with young string students from 317 Main Street Community Music Center. The trio then performed last night to an audience that welcomed them to Maine and who in return were warmly welcomed by Väsen to join them in a trip through parts of their lives and culture, expressed through music. Not only does Väsen embody the many definitions of their name so did the day itself. With great friends (thank you June Vail for your illuminating pre-concert lecture!) and collaborators, the day embraced the true spirit of Portland Ovations: connecting with our community through the performing arts and the power of music as a global language that brings people together to share in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lastly, there was noise but not just noise, beautiful, incredible music that had the hall reverberating with ¾ time polskas, laughter and pure enjoyment. Did you feel it too? 2012-02-17T16:42:28+00:00