People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s...
Posted: 10/31/14
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PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
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All comments by Lisa Murray
Band Photos Contest – Enter to Win Tickets!:
As a fellow UMS staff member, I have to say it is a real treat to see these photos of some of my colleagues. I only wish they were a little larger on the page so that I could see more of the wonderful detail in them.
My next-door neighbor, Goran Bregovic:
It does… another great story! Thanks again.
Lisa, thank you. The meaning of Bijelo Dugme, White Button, is very much related to the traditional Bosnian and Balkan folklore and songs. A girl or a young woman would sew a white button on her dress as a gesture of affection. As the lyrics of the original song “If I were a white button” and their first major hit go something like:
If I were a white button
Girl would button into me (or me into her)
If I were a blue button
Girl wouldn’t know that I slept beside her (plavo/blue and spavo/sleep rimes in the native language
It is the one of the first times that a traditional song was incorporated into a major rock music arrangements in Yugoslav music. Hope this helps.
Endi
"by Endi Poskovic
My next-door neighbor, Goran Bregovic:
Endi, Thanks for such a wonderful story. I had one question: did the name ‘White Button’ for Goran’s former band have a particular meaning that has been lost in translation? Or was it meant to be nonsensical?
People Are Talking About…The Rest is Noise:
Interesting to read everyone's comments so far — thanks for posting. It sounds like some people might have enjoyed something closer to an in-depth lecture/demonstration, while others may have been looking for more of a performance experience. What do you think about the general 'book recital' idea? Would you be interested in seeing more events like this one?
People Are Talking About…The Rest is Noise:
Mary, no need to feel guilty — all comments are welcome, especially thoughtful ones like yours! I agree, Alex Ross did seem a little shy or nervous. Also, it was when I was reading this book that I thought for the first time about purchasing a Kindle-type product (still haven't done it though). I wanted to be able to read a passage, then click on a link and listen to the exact music he was describing right then and there. If I could do that, and if my Kindle-type product could somehow provide me with 24/7 access to Ethan Iverson's piano improvisations on demand, I would be set…
Ross does write eloquently and knowledgeably, but he is disappointing on the stage. Where we were sitting, near the back, he was hard to hear, because he talks (actually, he was simply reading from his book) very fast, swallows his words, and tends to throw away his punch lines by lowering his voice and turning away from the microphone. The piano music was wonderful, and Ethan Iverson amazingly versatile, but I was hoping to learn more; what Ross read did not relate that precisely to what Iverson played. This was a curious hybrid, neither concert nor lecture. It would have been more enlightening to stay home and read Ross's book.
"This, is the first time I have been so disappointed by a UMS performance, and I've attended for years, so I feel a bit guilty for my comments!
by Mary Matthews
People Are Talking About…The Rest is Noise:
Really enjoyed the 'book recital'! I will always think about Schoenberg now whenever I pick up a grapefruit in the market… Curious to hear what others thought of it.
People Are Talking About…The Rest is Noise:
Hi – Lisa Murray here from UMS. I'll be 'moderating' our online conversation about this performance, which starts in less than an hour. I'm told that I don't have to write clever things to be a blog moderator, nor do I need to be an expert on 20th century music (which I'm not) — my job is to faciliate conversation and respond to any questions. I did read Alex Ross's book some time ago and loved it, so I'm excited to see the performance and hear some of the music he wrote about so eloquently. Back after the concert…
People Are Talking: Bill T. Jones & Arnie Zane Dance Company:
Sara, thanks for posting that review. I saw the performance with my sister-in-law, and we both had that same visceral response to the reciting of the Whitman poem. The first time it was read, we were mildly interested and a little puzzled by its meaning; the second time, as we slowly realized we were in the midst of a slave auction, it was physically sickening. I will not forget that moment for a long time.