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 Madeleine Chone
People Are Talking: UMS presents Brahms’s German Requiem at Hill Auditorium:
So much energy! I honestly feel like I could have closed my ears and garnered all of the emotions from the conductor’s movements. He was so fun to watch and very engaging. Obviously the soloists were breathtaking, but I think that he and the unbelievable acoustics of the venue really made the performance for me.
People Are Talking: UMS presents Brahms’s German Requiem at Hill Auditorium:
One of my favorite things to do during performances with such a large ensembles is to pick a performer to focus on closely and follow throughout the performance. Helps me connect more with the show. The oboist was definitely an easy one to chose.
this was a wonderful performance. I thought that the two soloists were spectacular. I actually enjoyed watching the oboist cleaning his instrument — to me that is part of the immediacy of live music (instead of listening to a recording).
"by lorraine gutierrez
People Are Talking: UMS presents Alfredo Rodríguez Trio and Pedrito Martinez Group at Michigan Theater:
I actually loved the pianist’s movement. I did think that parts of his performance were a bit indulgent and overly ornamental, but his physical connection to the music helped to keep me engaged .
It was such a disappointing performance. Generally speaking, everything was too loud, too many dissonances throughout the pieces. This type of music is just not my thing I guess. Also I was so distracted by the pianist because he moves his body too much when he is playing piano. YES. He is definitely talented but his movement on the stage bothered me. Also it seems like he is tight when he plays his pieces which lead his sound rough. There is a balance issue too; I wish the drum sound was less loud so that I could hear more bass and piano sound. Because I was disappointed by first half, I expected better performance for the second half, but it was also disappointing. I even actually thought the first half was better. Overall, I did not like this concert and I feel like I would enjoy typical jazz music more.
"by Yoonji Seo
People Are Talking: UMS presents Alfredo Rodríguez Trio and Pedrito Martinez Group at Michigan Theater:
Guantanamera! Although I had a hard time relating to the sometimes excessively ornate piano solos, I was blown away by the Trio’s rendition of “Gauntanamera.” I’ve never seen a piano played so creatively, and I really enjoyed the unique tones created by exploiting the keys and chords behind the piano.
People Are Talking: UMS presents Compagnie Käfig at Power Center:
I think the intention was to not have a set style, but build on the hip-hop tradition adding influences from all different types of dance!
All I can say is WOW. Compagnie Kafig was an incredible performance that left me in awe. I was not only impressed with the intricate way the performers moved their body and stayed completely synchronized, but also they all looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage. The whole time while watching the show, I couldn’t stop thinking about how tired these men must be, yet they showed no trace of exhaustion and made all their moves look like anyone could do. Having been a competitive gymnast for four years, I understand how difficult some of the acrobatic moves they did are. In terms of the dancing, I thought it was amazing how depending on the music being played, the type of dancing they were doing seemed to be completely different even if the moves were the same. This was especially true for the first half of the performance, where the music started more hip hopy and the switched to being almost Egyptian and then Scottish. The way the performers’ bodies moved to the music made it seem like their bodies were making the music. They didn’t move to the beat of the music but they created the beat with their moves. Overall, I really enjoyed the performance, however, I still could not tell you what type of dance that was. Does anyone know or is it supposed to be open-ended?
"by Mikenzie Ginsberg
People Are Talking: UMS presents Compagnie Käfig at Power Center:
Night and day! While I was consistently impressed and generally enthralled by the performers, there were times that I had a hard time following because of the disconnect between the tempo of background music and their movement. There were moments, especially when their bodies were used to perpetuate rhythms like the act with the feet poles, that everything clicked so perfectly, but, at other times, I couldn’t find or feel the connection between the high adrenaline, fast paced acrobatics and the mellow, at times lugubrious music. Maybe this was a conscious choice to highlight the intensity of their movements?
People Are Talking: UMS presents Kronos Quartet at Power Center:
David Little’s “Agency” was, for me, both the most difficult and most interesting piece. At times I felt that the music was slugging down to a trance as the performers stroked painfully slow and the ambient noises, static feedback, and intentionally monotonous speeches dominated the tracks. These moments almost reminded me of proto-edm music in the vein of Kraftwerk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBGNlTPgQII). Although I had difficulty staying engaged, the anticipation of the next burst of percussion, unexpected instrumentation, or interjecting electric guitar riff, tethered me to the performance.