Category Archives: Orchestral

Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony – Week 1: The Medley

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1329274635 80 Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony – Week 1: The Medley

Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony – Week 1: The Medley

Written By: Kirsten Grove-White

When I heard that there was going to be an orchestral album released with Skyward Sword in honour of the Zelda franchise’s 25th anniversary, I was over the moon. I’m that special breed of video game geek that seeks out orchestral versions of most pieces and that attends symphonic video game concerts when I can (Video Games Live was an excellent show). When I saw that it was only eight tracks long, that didn’t dishearten me – they would be wonderful in every way, I was sure. When I finally heard the album, I was unfortunately less than blown away, but I’m very persnickety. But the more I listen to it, the more I hear the merits in every track – and there are certainly a couple of real gems in there.

So starting today, until March 14, 2012 (that’s when the Zelda Symphony performs at the Orpheum Thetre in Vancouver BC, Canada), I’m going to be analyzing the various songs played by The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD once a week. 

The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Medley

We start off strong, with the most conceptually-interesting and mature piece of the entire album coming first.

The opening is very film-score, with sweeping run-ups in the string making it sound like an emotionally-overflowing moment in a drama. This is accented by cymbal crashes and a lush character to the tone of the opening theme, which is the Triforce Chamber music from A Link to the Past. We soon slip into a wildly different tone: a folksy, playful arrangement that befits the source, as it’s the overworld music from Spirit Tracks.

The theme quickly gets given a fuller, more traditionally orchestral feel after establishing the initial spirit of the piece. Just as quickly, we head into Dragon Roost Island’s Theme from Wind Waker– this transition feels seamless and easy, and is a testament to Kondo’s skill as an arranger. The meter changes back and forth between 4/4 and 3/4 a few times during the presentation of Dragon Roost Island, and it’s honestly difficult to catch unless you’re actively counting. While I love most of the music from Wind Waker (as you’ll soon read), I feel like too much time is taken on it; two minutes of the eight. Granted, it’s certainly not boring.

There’s variation on the theme, such as the sustained 4/4 version of it with modified harmonies (more angsty, minor sounding) and there are bouncing trumpet lines to add a bit of spark that wasn’t present in the original – and later, elegant trumpet countermelodies that lend a maturity to the theme. I also really love the tambourine in the opening and closing parts of this section, as it adds a lot of vivacity. The transition into the main theme’s section is very smooth and organic. A plaintive, solo violin establishes the theme for us – a technique that will be echoed later on in the album. Then we get a lovely, delicate section for the Triforce Chamber theme – the harp line is especially nice, as is the graceful solo flute playing a descant-ish melody overtop – before it opens up into a lusher sound befitting of, well, the majesty of the Triforce. But my love for the pretty section will never, ever surpass my adoration for what comes after.

Kondo teases us for a good 30+ seconds, from 5:08 to 5:41 with the iconic ostinato (an ostinato is a repeated piece of music. Famous example is the Habañera from Bizet’s Carmen listen to the bassline at the beginning. If you listen carefully, you’ll notice that it persists throughout the piece)

growing and growing and layering new things, for example a rhythmic bass and later a high sustained note over everything else. The first time I listened to this, I was agape during the GP (grand pause – yes, we musicians need a fancy name for a pause) at 5:41, thinking and dreading, ‘oh no, he’s going to build us up and up and then launch into a different theme right now, isn’t he?’ Thankfully, my fears were unfounded, as what comes next is my very very favourite moment on this album: a full-orchestra presentation of the Dark World overworld theme from a Link to the Past. This is one of my favourite themes from Zelda and it has only improved with age, filling its orchestral boots easily, with great French horn lines (a necessity for any rousing orchestral piece) and some beautiful timpani rolls (also a necessity).

We see the same technique as was used before in Dragon Roost Island, with the drawn-out presentation of a theme and the addition of something more rhythmically interesting going on against it. This beautifully segues into Zelda’s Lullaby and a section that makes us very aware that ‘this is the end of the piece!’ Yet Kondo manages to give us a bit of a fake-out: I was absolutely sure that the piece was going to end at around 7:37, with that high trumpet on the dominant note falling to the tonic with a fanfare-y, brassy chord to finish us off. Instead, Kondo gives us a deceptive cadence (one of my favourite things) and instead gives us a gentler-feeling section with some call-and-response between the sections of the orchestra with the iconic theme before pulling things into a more refined, gentler ending. Personally, I would’ve preferred the fanfare ending, but that hardly weakens the rest of the piece.

What I find so captivating about this piece is that it shows Kondo’s ability hasn’t waned over the years. It features some of the oldest music from the series, the main theme and two themes from A Link to the Past, and contrasts them with music from the newer, cel-shaded incarnations of Zelda, Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks. They mesh so beautifully, though, that you would never guess that parts of this piece were written nearly twenty years apart. It exemplifies Zelda’s past, present, and future all in elegant style. This piece is representative of Kondo at his best – and it’s truly magnificent.

About Kirsten:

Kirsten is studying biology at university currently, but has studied music extensively for most of her life. She has won awards in musicology/music history and performance in both piano and voice. She was also a choral scholar for four years, studying and performing primarily medieval church music. She was introduced to video games as a little girl by her grandfather (weird, right?) and has fought her older sister for controller time ever since. She has a particular passion for video game music, naturally, and is vocal in the fact that she believes it’s some of the best modern music out there and is grossly underrated.

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Interview: Guido

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1327856228 68 Interview: Guido

Bristol’s Guy Middleton, more commonly known as Guido, should need no introduction. Swapping tunes and tapes in Bristol since the mid-2000s, his music finally made the jump outside of Bristol city limits with the release of his “Orchestral Lab” single on fellow Bristolian Peverelist’s Punch Drunk label, a single that took the bass music world by storm. Guido’s unforgettable melodies, expressed through vivid palettes of strings and other instruments, were a remarkable twist in a scene so focused on percussion and rhythm. His melodic infusions, among many other things, owe much to the catchier side of early grime music, and he’s often lumped in with a number of other Bristol producers who channel the same influences into different sounds, sometimes known as the “Purple Wow” collective. The Purple Wow sound is perhaps less prominent than it was in 2009, in no small part due to the massive success of Joker and the sudden silence from Gemmy, but Middleton himself sees logic in the comparisons and associations: “I’ve known them for a long time, we’ve all been influenced by the same sounds and swapped beats from early on. We’ve all got roots in the Bristol grime scene.” For him, it’s a community-minded thing — referring to Joker, he says “he’ll always be a part of the grime scene.”

“If I wasn’t from Bristol, I guess my music wouldn’t be the same. People are always influenced by their surroundings no matter where they’re from.”

The city itself has become somewhat of a buzzword — it’s the first word in this article, after all — for its flourishing music scene home to a number of different styles and trends, and a thriving bass music community driving some of the most forward-thinking music doing the rounds. While it’s easy to make convenient geographical associations, it’s more than just editorial laziness or coincidence, as Middleton makes clear: “If I wasn’t from Bristol, I guess my music wouldn’t be the same. People are always influenced by their surroundings no matter where they’re from.” Indeed, Guido’s first release came mostly as a result of Bristol’s musical fertility, explaining it as “I was selling my mixtapes through the record shop Tom [Peverelist] works at, Rooted Records, so I know him from back then. Tom was into the music and we made the decision to put out a single on Punch Drunk.” A year later and he’s dropping one of the best albums of the year.

“It’s my soundtrack to a futuristic otherworldly refuge.”

The LP, titled Anidea, is a stunningly confident statement, an album that sums up the essence of Guido and the Purple Wow sound while building on that same blueprint, exhibiting a slightly more mature, stripped-down sound than his earlier tracks — along with the requisite grimy bangers and the already infamous “Mad Sax.” Even the album’s title is striking, sounding like some exotic far-off locale, but the real story is more interesting: “It’s the words An Idea put together, pronounced ‘an-nid-e-er.”” The painted cover art is like primitive sci-fi, futuristic but dreamlike, fitting what Middleton calls “my soundtrack to a futuristic otherworldly refuge.” The album is a “mixture of old and new,” reflecting the amount of time spent conceiving Anidea — “I’ve been working at this for a while. It takes time.” Far from being forced, the idea of making an album “just made sense and came together naturally. I chose the order, it’s what makes sense to me.” Considering Anidea is his debut LP, the sequencing is impressive and displays a keen grasp of cohesion and the dynamics of tension and release.

The inclusion of previously-released tracks on albums is a bit of a sore point for some, often seen as a sign of stagnation or resting on laurels, but for others it’s just giving great tracks their dues, and Guido falls firmly in the latter camp: “Beautiful Complication and Orchestral Lab just made sense.” One of the biggest talking points surrounding the album is the flip to his first single, “Way U Make Me Feel,” newly updated with a vocal from Bristol diva Yolanda (who featured on Pinch’s ubiquitous “Get Up” in 2008). What may have been blasphemous to some came natural to Middleton, ever the sensible, logical individual: “I always heard a vocal on that track. It took a while to find the right singer. It has always been a favourite track of mine which is why I wanted to release it on my debut 12” single. It stands up on its own as an instrumental, but Yolanda smashed it with her vocal cut. She’s an amazing singer.”

“I just built beats in my room. Nothing has changed.”

The music of Guido, rooted in grime as it is, is most commonly described as dubstep. Given that his ‘Purple’ contemporaries are some of the bigger names in dubstep and that most of his music falls somewhere around the universal dubstep tempo of 140 beats per minute, this doesn’t seem far-fetched. Placed in this sometimes-narrow template though, Guido’s music has larger implications with his penchant for live-sounding instruments and catchy melodies. The man himself insists he’s not concerned with such trifling matters: “I’m just happy people like my tunes. I don’t get caught up in genres.” When questioned about dubstep specifically, he gets a little more defensive: “I have never once said I make dubstep. Dubstep is just what is happening at the moment. In Bristol, that doesn’t mean a certain sound, it’s just producers doing their own thing and people are open to that.”

Even as his reputation swells larger and larger and his work gets more recognition, Guido remains grounded and humble. When asked about the increased attention and whether or not it has affected his work, he stubbornly replies “I just built beats in my room. Nothing has changed.” Part of the increased attention means more gigs, “lots of DJ bookings in the pipeline,” but he remains tight-lipped about his plans. “That’s all for the future,” he says. Indicating that releasing on another label is “of course” a possibility, he reiterates, “but that’s all for the future.”

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Eclectic, Electric: Composer, Violinist and Musical Entrepreneur Nina DiGregorio Rocks Yamaha

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1327792627 95 Eclectic, Electric: Composer, Violinist and Musical Entrepreneur Nina DiGregorio Rocks Yamaha

Indianapolis, Ind. (PRWEB) January 12, 2012

Yamaha Artist Services Indianapolis is pleased to announce the signing of Nina DiGregorio, founder, lead violinist and musical arranger of the innovative rock quartet Bella Electric Strings. A pioneer of the electric violin, DiGregorio plays and owns a diverse arsenal of Yamaha electric string products, including the Yamaha SV-255. DiGregorio’s illustrious career started at age six, with classical piano training that soon morphed into a lifelong love of stringed instruments. Her impressive talent led to her first concert solo at age 14, which she performed with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. DiGregorio obtained a Bachelor of Music from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she served as concertmaster for the university’s orchestra and earned numerous coveted solo appearances. She also obtained an MM in violin.

Her fascination and experimentation with electric instruments like the Yamaha Silent Violin led to ongoing engagements as a traveling demo specialist, educating orchestra directors and students on the uses, techniques, sound effects and potential of these new tools.

“The one thing I wish I’d had when I was younger is an early knowledge of electric instruments,” recalls DiGregorio. “Their versatility is unparalleled and they inspire a higher level of creativity. They’re also incredibly practical,” she says, adding that the Silent Violin eliminates feedback issues associated with hollow bodied instruments. In addition, electric instruments allow her to move freely around a stage, can be used with pedals and offer better control of the sound.

According to DiGregorio, proficiency with Silent instruments can also expand an artist’s professional horizons. “When you consider how limited the opportunities are in terms of making a living in music, it makes sense to make yourself as marketable as possible,” she notes, adding, “you’ve got to be well-versed in many different genres of music, as well as to sight read and improvise, particularly in rock and jazz.”

A self-proclaimed “accidental entrepreneur,” DiGregorio founded and currently fronts Bella Electric Strings, a highly successful performing ensemble. Initially conceived as a single group, Bella became so popular that DiGregorio created a second group, both of which have busy performance schedules, sometimes gigging three or four times a day. To fuel this hectic performance activity, DiGregorio relies on her collection of Yamaha instruments – two electric cellos, two silent violins and five electric violins, citing their outstanding quality, durability and reliability.

Working as a solo artist and with her bands, and armed with her Yamaha instruments, DiGregorio has performed with legendary entertainers, including Jay-Z, Michael Buble and The Killers and recently performed for President Obama. Next up for DiGregorio and Bella Electric Strings is a scintillating album with original music combining both rock and classical tunes.

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, email infostation(at)yamaha(dot)com or visit yamaha.com.

About Yamaha Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.

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Thierry Escaich performing for St Albans International Organ Festival

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1327760233 62 Thierry Escaich performing for St Albans International Organ Festival

INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed composer, organist and improviser Thierry Escaich, is giving the next concert in a current series.

He will be performing music by JS Bach, Brahms, Durufle, Vierne and his own compositions at the International Organ Festival Society’s concert in St Albans Abbey next Saturday, January 21.

Thierry tours as a performing artist combining a large repertoire with his own works and improvisations. To date he has written more than 100 works for which he has won the Prix des Lyceens, the Grand Prix de la Musique Symphonique and on three occasions, the Victoires de la Musique.

Most recently he wrote a ballet for the New York City Ballet which premiered in May 2010 and took up a position as associated composer with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris in September 2011.

Entrance to the concert, which begins at 5.30pm, is free with a retiring collection in aid of the International Organ Festival Society. Afterwards the audience will have a chance to meet Thierry.

Full details of all concerts in the 2011/12 series can be found at organfestival.com

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Mozart as concertmaster will be channeled by guest concertmaster as soloist in Grand Rapids

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1327682227 40 Mozart as concertmaster will be channeled by guest concertmaster as soloist in Grand RapidsCourtesy PhotoViolinist Steven Moeckel, concertmaster of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, will be guest soloist with the Grand Rapids Symphony in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5.

GRAND RAPIDS – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is best remembered today as a composer of operas and symphonies and as a virtuoso pianist who dazzled Vienna with his proficiency.

But his first professional job on his own, beginning at age 17, was as violinist and concertmaster of the court orchestra in Salzburg, where he wrote his first violin concertos.

Grand Rapids Symphony’s own concertmaster, James Crawford, was scheduled to play Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 this weekend with the orchestra, but he bowed out for personal reasons.

Stepping into the soloist spotlight will be violinist Steven Moeckel, concertmaster of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, to play the concerto nicknamed “The Turkish.”

It’s not absolutely certain Mozart wrote it for himself. But it’s certain beyond a reasonable doubt, Moeckel said.

Mozart likely wrote all five of his violin concerts in the same year – 1775, while holding the concertmaster’s post in Salzburg.

“That was the time when more and more soloists were emerging,” Moeckel said. “But any composer who would play as many instruments as Mozart certainly had performance in mind.”

What’s more, not just any violinist at the time could play it, said music director David Lockington.

“It’s a very challenging concerto,” Lockington said. “It requires great panache and precision.”

Lockington will lead the orchestra on Friday and Saturday in a program of staples of the repertoire by Mozart and Beethoven from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, beginning with Carl Maria von Weber’s dramatic overture to his opera “Der Freischütz,” a supernatural folk tale about a marksman who contracts with the devil to acquire bullets that never miss the target.

The programs in DeVos Performance Hall end with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, the composer’s final, early symphony, before the stylistic leap forward that led to his “Eroica” Symphony No. 3.

“It’s classical and pushing the boundaries way beyond his usual style,” Lockington said.. “It really should be heard.”

Mozart’s final violin concerto doesn’t sound anything like Turkish music. But 18th century Austrians used the term liberally to refer to anything that sounded exotic.

“The threat of the Turkish invasion was always there,” said Moeckel, a German-American who once lived in Salzburg, just blocks away from Mozart’s former home.

“I think it had more to do with the percussion instruments they were using,” he said.

Turkish or not, Mozart’s final violin concerto is his most popular among audiences, and a work that violinists look forward to playing, though it isn’t as easy as it looks.

“It’s always difficult to play Mozart. It’s supposed to sound easy and light and everyone smiles, but it’s so transparent and so difficult,” he said. “You’re standing there and everything has to be so pristine. It has to seem easy. But you’re just naked.”

Challenging or not, it’s a piece he’s looking forward to playing.

“Getting called and getting to jump in an play a concerto is so thrilling,” Moeckel said. “And I’m so lucky because a lot of violinists never get to perform it.”

Here’s Steven Moeckel playing and chatting about Pablo de Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy”

E-mail Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk:

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La Prensa Articles

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1327601826 98 La Prensa Articles

Beck Center collaborates with the Cleveland Orchestra to present PNC Musical Rainbow Concerts for Preschool Children

Lakewood: In partnership with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Beck Center for the Arts is presenting two west side PNC Musical Rainbow concerts specifically designed for preschool children on Saturdays, January 21 and April 28, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. on the Mackey Main Stage.

Actress and singer Maryann Nagel hosts the 30-minute programs for young children, which includes narration, demonstration, short solo selections, and audience participation. The Cleveland Orchestra’s PNC Musical Rainbow concerts are sponsored by PNC and the PNC Musical Rainbow Series is endowed by the Pysht Fund.

On Saturday, January 21, at 10:30 a.m., The Tricky Trombone will be presented, featuring trombonist Ed Zadrozny, followed by Percussion Partners, on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. featuring percussionist Mell Csicsila, who will share the wonderful world of percussion with preschoolers.

Children ages 3 to 6 years will enjoy this fun, interactive way to learn about the instruments of an orchestra. Young listeners have the chance to sing, clap, and move to the music as they have fun learning all about a featured orchestral instrument.

Concert tickets are $5 per person. Purchase tickets online at beckcenter.org or call Beck Center Customer Service at 216.521.2540, ext. 10. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

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Debussy’s “Martyr”: A Poisoned Arrow

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1327575427 66 Debussy’s “Martyr”: A Poisoned Arrow

On last week’s VoiceBox, composer and blogger Brian Rosen and I explored the theme of “badness” in vocal music. You can read Brian’s accompanying blog post on the broadcast here.

Towards the end of the show, we talked about songs that possess many of the qualities shared by sub-par efforts and yet somehow transcend things like inane lyrics, wavering intonation, a dirge-like melody and inept musical instrument mastery to enter the rarified realm of the “so bad it’s good.” Brian presented a compelling case for The Shaggs in this regard.

I was thinking about this transcendent category of bad music while attending a performance by the San Francisco Symphony over the weekend of Le Martyr de Saint Sebastien, a lavish musical spectacle created by Claude Debussy based on poetry by Gabriele d’Annunzio.

The piece is a misfire on a massive scale. Even the program notes allude openly to its “perfumed” writing and overall sense of “kitsch.” Program annotator Michael Steinberg even goes as far as to quote the impresario who produced the premiere, Gabriel Astruc, as saying: “I don’t understand it at all. I have brought together the greatest musician, the greatest poet, the greatest designer, the greatest choreographer–and it’s bad!”

Michael Tilson Thomas, who led the orchestra in the concerts which drew on the forces of a massive orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and a coterie of soloists helmed by the great vocalist Frederica von Stade in the spoken role of The Narrator (Sebastian himself), obviously thought that the work was worth resuscitating.

I’m afraid I disagree. Even Frederica von Stade with her beautiful French accent couldn’t bring life to d’Annunzio heavy-handed and stilted prosody. The video projections featuring a lightly-clad male dancer cavorting and a big supine lily, and the soloists billowing gospel-singer-like robes added a layer of camp silliness to the proceedings. Debussy’s music has something going for it, at least. There are spine-tingling spectral moments and ardently lush choral episodes. The orchestra and chorus acquitted themselves well. But with all the stage business going on, it was hard to really home in on whatever musical merits the work possesses.

I’m grateful that the Symphony played Janacek’s silvery Sinfonietta in the first half of the program. It’s one of the greatest pieces ever written for an orchestra and it created a sharp contrast with the much more highly-hyped puff piece that made up the second half.

The fact that Debussy composed the music for Le Martyre in the same year that San Francisco Symphony was founded (1911) is not a good enough reason to resurrect the work for the orchestra’s 100th anniversary season.

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Akron Ohio News – Cleveland Orchestra heads engaging tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

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1327463837 29 Akron Ohio News Cleveland Orchestra heads engaging tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

1/19/2012 – West Side Leader      

By Roger Durbin Annual celebration marked by satisfying, standout performances

CLEVELAND — The Musical Arts Association and the city of Cleveland presented a special concert in celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. at Severance Hall Jan. 15 under the direction of conductor Chelsea Tipton II.

The 32nd annual presentation included a solid variety of classical and gospel/sacred tunes that made for a very fresh and satisfying celebratory evening.

After introductory remarks from local politicians (Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and others) and the announcement of award winners for public service and the advancement of community harmony, the orchestra led off with a rousing chorus of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which the NAACP captioned as “The Negro National Anthem” and has historical allusions to Abraham Lincoln and the promise of emancipation.

The orchestra was backed up by a 175-voice mass choir and scores of audience members. The sense of oneness — of performers and audience alike — set a tone of engagement and anticipation. Further tributes to King came when Central State University Chorus singers sang “Thanks Be to God” from Felix Mendelsohn’s “Elijah” and “Three Gospel Songs” and then joined with about 100 voices of the volunteer Celebration Chorus for Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Let All the World in Every Corner Sing” and a rendition of “We Shall Overcome” arranged by Uzee Brown Jr.

Rarely in choruses of this scale can one expect to understand the words. However, the articulation of particularly the Central State group was gratifying for establishing the dark and aspiring moods that are integral to these choral pieces. Too often when the combined choirs sang their words were dwarfed by volume and the strain of a few more strident voices standing out from the other singers.

The Cleveland Orchestra added to the festivities with Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festival Overture,” which features strong percussive sections and cymbal playing in order to enliven things. Later, the orchestra played Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Overture to Fidelio” and “Danse Negre” from “African Suite” by Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

Frequently heard from orchestra leader Tipton and choirmaster William Henry Caldwell was how astounding the Cleveland Orchestra can be. The praise was certainly not unwarranted on this evening. As a kind of highlight and added sparkle to the evening, the orchestra played Maurice Ravel’s “Tzigane.” This work is designed to make the usual tones produced by symphonic instruments sound different to the audience — the “colors” of the instruments, as it were. Led by soloist Alexandra Alvarado Switala, the overall effect was disarmingly appropriate and resonant. The audience responded enthusiastically to the orchestral effort.

The celebration event was free to the public, although tickets were required. The evening’s performance was sold out for this year. The house was packed and in the mood to enjoy the experience. After 32 years, the performance has remained fresh — new pieces, different performers, an altered mix of audience and orchestra players. It is well worth attending.

Roger Durbin is professor emeritus of bibliography at The University of Akron. To contact him, email .

     

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Professional Trumpet Player Praises ‘Wonderful’ Shen Yun

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1327375027 87 Professional Trumpet Player Praises ‘Wonderful’ Shen Yun

TORONTO—“Very beautiful and visually stunning” was how professional trumpet player Norman Engel described the classical Chinese dance in the Shen Yun Performing Arts production he attended on Friday night in Toronto.

Mr. Engel, who teaches trumpet at the Claude Watson School for the Performing Arts in Toronto, performs extensively as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player.

He has worked with the Toronto Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, Santa Fe Opera, National Ballet of Canada, and the Stratford Festival, among others.

He is also active in Toronto’s thriving theatre community, having performed in the orchestras of several operas, including “Miss Saigon,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” and was the first trumpeter to play the world premier production of “Lord of the Rings” in Toronto.

Mr. Engel’s career has taken him across Europe, to Asia, New Zealand, and throughout most of Canada and the United States. On Broadway, he has performed as lead trumpeter for “Mary Poppins” and “Lord of the Rings.”

Mr. Engel was impressed by the Shen Yun Orchestra, with its unique blend of classical Western and Chinese instruments.

“I’m a musician myself and I can relate to the sound of the orchestra from a Western perspective, and it’s even more interesting when you combine the Chinese instruments with the Western instruments.” he said.

“I thought the combination of the Chinese elements with the strings and the brass was a fantastic idea. I love to hear the traditional instruments mixed in with the standard Western instruments.”

“Whoever played the trumpet did a very good job,” he added.

—Professional trumpet player Norman Engel

New York-based Shen Yun, the world’s premier classical Chinese music and dance company, is bringing about a revival of China’s authentic traditional culture that has been all but destroyed as a result of the communist regime’s campaigns such as the Cultural Revolution.

“I thought it was wonderful, with the colours and the dancing and the drumming and all of that—it’s fantastic, and I loved that aspect of the show,” said Mr. Engel.

“It’s wonderful to see this part of Chinese culture,” he noted. “[Shen Yun goes] back in China’s 5,000-year history and presents that as visually beautiful.”

The New York-based performing arts company is known for its colourful costumes, intricately choreographed dances, and vivid animated backgrounds digitally projected behind the dancers on stage.

“I thought the backdrop was very interesting the way they used the live dancers coming out of the screen. I thought it was actually a very good idea,” Mr. Engel said.

Chinese traditional culture, as explained on the Shen Yun website, has a deep spirituality that embraces values such as compassion, honour, propriety, and reverence for the divine.

The songs by the bel canto soloists, whose lyrics were displayed on the backdrop in English, brought out this spiritual essence, said Mr. Engel.

“It’s the same message that most people I think would want, to lead a life that’s full and complete … just being a decent human being and not inflicting any kind of negativity into the way you deal with your life,” he said.

Reporting by Sound of Hope and Joan Delaney

Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company is in Toronto for two more performances Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.

For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.

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Magix Music Maker MX review

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1327365428 66 Magix Music Maker MX review

There isn’t much music-production software designed for home users these days, but Steinberg Sequel 3 sets a high standard. Magix’s latest offering squares up pretty well in terms of features. There are 64 tracks with eight effect slots on each, plus eight virtual instrument types – welcome improvements on Sequel’s 48 tracks with three effects each and three virtual instruments.

Quality is more important than quantity, though. There’s a new analogue synth called Lead Synthesizer, but sadly, its controls and sounds are as uninspiring as its name. Also new is Loop Designer, which takes a drum loop, manipulates it beyond recognition and throws in a bassline for good measure. It reminds us of Steinberg LoopMash, which comes bundled with Cubase. Like LoopMash, the results tend to be fairly off-the-wall, but those who embrace bizarre noises should get some mileage from it. Drum Engine takes a no-frills approach to electronic drum sounds, with high quality results. They join the instruments from previous versions, including LiViD, which provides auto-accompaniment drum performances, and Vita, with its generous library of convincing orchestral and pop instrument emulations.

I play synth… we all play synth

Ultimately, though, Sequel’s instruments are less diverse but they have the edge for quality. They also benefit from a library of MIDI phrases, so users can press them into action if they don’t own a MIDI keyboard.

Music Maker now supports VST plug-ins to expand on the built-in effects and virtual instruments. Only two of the eight effects slots per channel can be used for VST effects – the others are hard-wired into the signal chain. However, while Sequel can only use VST3 plug-ins, of which there are very few, Music Maker works with VST2 plug-ins too – of which there are thousands.

The bundled loop library is another highlight. It’s not huge but it’s well organised by genre and instrument, and the quality is unusually high for a consumer package. We’re used to wincingly cheesy sound libraries that could have been knocked together by the work-experience boy, but Music Maker MX’s are performed and recorded to a high standard. Best of all, the harmonic samples are presented at seven pitches – not simply pitch-shifted but re-performed so they can be used together to create chord sequences.