Hi Mehgha!

I had the same thought process as I entered Hill. I definitely agree that it was the perfect venue for Brahms’ Requiem; everything about the performance was so rich! I also agree about Nadine: I think she was absolutely incredible, but I wish we would have been able to hear more of her!

Also, I agree that the music was captivating, regardless of my lack of German language knowledge. This particular style didn’t strike me as a language barrier since we had the translated lyrics in the program book. It didn’t bother me like it did for the previous Asif Ali Khan performance, where we weren’t given much explanation of the songs.

BRAVO! Brahms’ Requiem was, by far, my favorite performance I have seen. So many aspects of this performance made it one to remember.

Nadine was absolutely incredible. It was definitely helpful to have met her the day before. As she was singing, I could remember parts of her story that she shared with us; it made the performance that much more special. I definitely felt more personally connected with the performance. The only thing about Nadine is that I wanted to hear her sing more!

Also, it was so interesting to actually hear the different parts of the music that we discussed in class (I was proud of myself for recognizing it during the performance). I am really happy I learned the history behind Brahms’ Requiem. Seeing the video of how the chorus and orchestra prepare increased my appreciation for the show. I was also happy that Hill Auditorium was chosen for this show in particular because the richness of the pieces in combination with the richness of Hill only contributed to the overall lavishness of the performance.

Lastly, I was really happy to see the translations of the songs in the program booklet. It helped in my understanding of the performance, which allowed me to fully appreciate the show.

I just want to say a big thanks to UMS for putting on this production – it was truly fantastic!

I think your comment is interesting because I felt the complete opposite about the performance. I enjoyed the second act much more than the first (mostly because I am more engaged in a performance when there are vocals). Both performers sounded fairly monotonous to me, though. I think I mainly just felt indifferent after viewing the show.

I drifted in and out of the performance during the first half (Alfredo Rodriquez Trio). Although the fast songs were lively and fun, the slow songs were putting me to sleep. I wouldn’t say this performance was particularly engaging for me. I did enjoy their animation and body language during their songs, though. I appreciated the mix between slow/quiet songs and fast/loud songs, mostly because when their songs changed tempo, I noticed and started paying attention to the new piece, especially because a lot of the songs sounded similar. Also, just a general question about the Trio: What was the pianist doing when he was awkwardly standing up and playing the piano? It seemed very odd to me; I had never seen somebody perform in that way.

On the other hand, The Pedrito Martinez Group was more fun than the previous group from the get-go. I enjoyed that audience members were clapping along to the beat from the very beginning. The singing made this group more engaging and lively than the previous group.

Long story short, I suppose I take a liking toward vocal performances rather than strictly instrumental shows.

I think it is very interesting that you saw meaning behind their performance. I had a hard time recognizing this story. Now that I am reading your post, I can see the bicycles, the dancing, and the police officers.

I also really enjoyed the second piece better than the first piece because it felt less chaotic. Rather than people being off doing different things all across the stage, they were all dancing together, in sync. I’m glad you mentioned this because I thought I was missing something since I wasn’t too fond of the first piece.

I also loved when the dancer did back flips while the others threw their cups in the air. So. Much. Energy.

But, I have to 100% agree that the encore performance was my absolute favorite part. I was clapping and dancing along and simply didn’t want it to end.

Calm, cool, and collected: three words that are the complete opposite of Friday night’s performance of Compagnie Käfig. As I sat in my floor seat (for the first time EVER!), I watched the performers, but struggled to understand the meaning behind their songs and dances. Nothing made sense to me. One moment they were pedaling in the air and the next moment they were walking in slow motion. Were they trying to tell a story? If so, that went way over my head. The performance seemed like a whole lot of chaos with different things happening all over the stage.

However, after I finally gave up trying to understand the performance (which was after intermission), I was able to sit back and enjoy it. The element of comedy was one of my favorites. I think their passion showed through their ability to add comic relief to their dances. When they put the cartoon on the screen, I thought that was hilarious (whether or not I understood it is a whole different story…).

I LOVED the dance with the cups. I was amazed when one of the guys did back flips through the cups and then proceeded to spin on his head while everyone else threw the cups (very cool effect!).

My absolute favorite part was the very end when we all clapped along. There was just so much energy and great music and awesome dancing. All in all, it was a fantastic, though somewhat confusing, performance! I would definitely recommend it.

Calm, cool, and collected: three words that are the complete opposite of Friday night’s performance of Compagnie Käfig. As I sat in my floor seat (for the first time EVER!), I watched the performers, but struggled to understand the meaning behind their songs and dances. Nothing made sense to me. One moment they were pedaling in the air and the next moment they were walking in slow motion. Were they trying to tell a story? If so, that went way over my head. The performance seemed like a whole lot of chaos with different things happening all over the stage.

However, after I finally gave up trying to understand the performance (which was after intermission), I was able to sit back and enjoy it. The element of comedy was one of my favorites. I think their passion showed through their ability to add comic relief to their dances. When they put the cartoon on the screen, I thought that was hilarious (whether or not I understood it is a whole different story…).

I LOVED the dance with the cups. I was amazed when one of the guys did back flips through the cups and then proceeded to spin on his head while everyone else threw the cups (very cool effect!).

My absolute favorite part was the very end when we all clapped along. There was just so much energy and great music and awesome dancing. All in all, it was a fantastic, though somewhat confusing, performance! I would definitely recommend it.

I attended the Kronos performance on Friday. I had never been to a string quartet concert before, and it was not at all what I had expected. The first piece didn’t have much of a pattern. I wasn’t sure how I felt when they started playing; however, as the first piece progressed, I found a sense of excitement because I didn’t know what wonderful sounds would overcome me next.

The Laurie Anderson piece, “Flow”, sounded like music from an old black and white film. I found this piece to be very relaxing in contrast to the other pieces.

The last piece before intermission was WTC 9/11. After they introduced the piece, I had a mental image in my head. The piece started fairly slowly, but quickly sped up. The panicked feeling that resulted from the words in the background along with the urgency of the music created, for me, an emotional journey.

The second part of the show had a completely different set-up from the first act. They used gongs and maracas, which made the piece come alive.

Overall, as I sat in my balcony seat, in the second to last row, I was pleasantly surprised by the show as a whole. Every piece was unique, and that only added to the dynamic and lively aura of the performance. It was unlikely anything I had ever experienced before, and it honestly felt so great to broaden my horizons and critically listen (or try to, anyways) to music.