All Comments by Author

Please wait...

All comments by Gabrielle Carels

People Are Talking: UMS presents Brahms’s German Requiem at Hill Auditorium:

Elizabeth– I was thinking the same thing about the size the stage. I couldn’t believe I had walked the entirety of the space just a week before and now hundreds of people stood atop. It’s amazing how the performance transformed the atmosphere.

Also, how special to see your high school teacher playing!

In response to:
"
The ambiance, the setting, and the people all contributed to making this performance an amazing occasion. As I sat waiting for the Brahms’ Requiem to begin, I was amazed by the number of people that stood atop Hill’s stage. When I stood upon the stage a week before this performance, I didn’t feel as if it was such a huge stage. But so many different people were combined on that stage, and I heard this as well as the concert started. Instead of watching just one orchestra upon the stage we heard an orchestra, an entire chorus, a soprano and a baritone. It reminded me of the time I played Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Being a part of an orchestra with a chorus surrounding me was surreal and amazing, because they were a whole different entity that we were making music with. I felt a similar experience watching the Brahms.

The second movement was my favorite, particularly because of the amazing French horns. It was even more fun watching and knowing my high school private teacher was playing! In this movement, I could see the happiness and celebration that was behind Brahms’ piece, rather than the sadness and lamenting that a requiem might usually be. It was an amazing experience to watch all these different musicians take the stage.
"
by Elizabeth Cvercko

People Are Talking: UMS presents Brahms’s German Requiem at Hill Auditorium:

I’d been looking forward to this concert all week! Hill auditorium always makes for an acoustically phenomenal performance and the orchestra and UMS Choir formed a beautiful ensemble. Having discussed the Requiem in our “Engaging Performance” class, I really enjoyed following along with the English translation and observing where the change in lyrics (for example, a “but”) prompted an orchestral tone change. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the concert was Nadine’s solo. After hearing her speak in class about her journey and accomplishments as an opera singer, I couldn’t help but silently root for her as she walked on stage. And what an incredible solo it was! She has such a rich voice and I hope I have the chance to hear her again. Come back to Ann Arbor soon, Nadine! Great job to all the performers. Your hard work and talent we’re very much evident and appreciated.

People Are Talking: UMS presents Alfredo Rodríguez Trio and Pedrito Martinez Group at Michigan Theater:

I really enjoyed when Alfredo played standing up. I couldn’t quite see, but I believe he was playing the wires along with they keys? Is there a name for this technique?

In response to:
"
Wow, I totally forgot about Alfredo’s posture but I’m glad that you bring it up because it was very noteworthy! I too was surprised by his posture as most musicians are very poised. I wonder why he chose to stand that way.
"
by Alexandra Pierce

People Are Talking: UMS presents Alfredo Rodríguez Trio and Pedrito Martinez Group at Michigan Theater:

While there’s no question both performers are extremely gifted and talented artists, I just couldn’t get into “the groove” for this concert. I think you have to be in the right mindset for this type of jazz, and after a long day, I was hoping for more relaxing smooth jazz pieces. My mind just wasn’t energized enough on Friday to engage with this genre of jazz. Although this wasn’t one of my favorite UMS performances, I do appreciate the talent– especially Alfredo Rodriguez. Perhaps what I enjoyed most was Rodriguez’s technique toward the end where he played the piano standing up and hitting both the keys and the piano wire ( I believe this was what was happening, right? I was in the balcony and couldn’t see for sure if this was the technique.) I had never seen this before and it really created an interested sound!

People Are Talking: UMS presents Compagnie Käfig at Power Center:

I am interested in learning more about the story they were trying to tell as well. Can anyone fill us in on the narrative behind the choreography?

In response to:
"
This was a really cool show. I’ve never been to anything like this before, so it was new for me. I enjoyed the second half more than the first, but they were both really entertaining. I did feel like there was some sort of story trying to be told during both halves and I didn’t catch on to that. However, it was still enjoyable to watch. I can’t say that I would go out of my way to see this performance again, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth seeing at least once. I would highly recommend it to anybody, even those who don’t particularly enjoy dance.
"
by Matt Chudoba

People Are Talking: UMS presents Compagnie Käfig at Power Center:

Compagnie Käfig blew me away. These guys are absolutely amazing! Their combination of remarkable athleticism and pure passion for the art made for an extremely engaging performance. The choreography encompassed a hip-hop/ballet sequence of intense head spins, backflips, and lifts mixed with playful and graceful movements. Perhaps my favorite part of the performance was the integration of plastic cups and water. Using such simple props, they were able to create quite an intriguing scene. From dancing between rows of cups with water, to the climax of throwing hundreds of cups into the air, these dancers put on an incredible performance. If you didn’t get a chance to attend, I highly recommend you check them out! And next time they’re back in town, RUN don’t walk to buy tickets!!

People Are Talking: UMS presents Kronos Quartet at Power Center:

My favorite part of the Kronos Quartet concert experience was the variety in pieces. As a student studying Digital Media with the hopes of working in Silicon Valley, I especially enjoyed the humorous “surprise” piece at the end of the concert. The concert’s combination of tech and music was unlike any other performance I have seen, and especially relevant in today’s world.

POPULAR most recent most commented

PERFORMANCES & EVENTS

To view all events, visit ums.org