ArtsXpose # 1
Feb 21st, 2009 by erynp
Title of Event: DMA Showcase
Date & Time: Thursday, February 5,2009 at 8:00pm
Location: at the Moore Musical Arts Center in the Bryan Recital Hall
Type of Event: Musical Recital
1) The recital I attended at the Moore Musical Arts Center was a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) Showcase. There was a total of seven performances that all focused around contemporary music. The first performer was a woman named Isabelle Huang who played a marimba with two mallets in each hand striking each key with precision. As the crowd erupted in a round of applause two new performers came onto the stage. A woman named Yeji Kim played a flute while another woman, Yen-Lin Goh, accompanied her on the grand piano in the middle of the stage. After they finished their composition, a woman with a viola played an intense piece that exhibited a wide range of pitches. One note was so high that it was barely audible. Next, a man with three saxophones set up around him played a piece while a prerecorded song played in accompaniment. While constantly switching among instruments, he was able to keep tempo with the recording. This performance was followed by another pianist and then a man playing maracas along with a tape recording of other percussion instruments. The last performance of the evening consisted of three of the pervious performers each playing a composition titled, Water.
2) The first performance proved one of my favorites. I was impressed with the skill and apparent ease exhibited by the marimba player. The simultaneous control of four mallets, attention to dynamics and precision of each note seemed to defy mortal capacity. However, the contemporary piece that I enjoyed the most was the composition done by Olman Piedra, who used maracas and a tape recording to create an almost eerie atmosphere. At one point the sounds of the drums in the recording along with the maracas created the sound of millions of insects flying. While a majority of the piece gave the impression of being immersed in a tropical rain storm the ending sounded as if the sun had parted from the clouds and the audience was transferred to an exotic Hawaiian island.
3) The final performance impressed me the most due to the way each performer used his or her instrument. The piano was played in the usual sense but the strange part was when the pianist plucked the strings within the piano to create a deep and booming sound. Furthermore, the percussionist took a viola bow to the keys on the marimba to create a long high-pitched sound. Finally at the end of the piece the saxophonist placed his horn under the lid of the piano to amplify his notes and then at the climax he screamed out loud.
4) (10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 )
5) I would rate this performance a 9, on a scale of 1 to 10, because the recital proved to be much more than I expected. I am used to seeing performances that feature classical pieces where about midway I find myself dozing off. However, this recital surprised me because the music was original and engaging. I enjoyed listening to all the unique instruments and watching the passion each performer displayed during his or her pieces. Some of the pieces were a bit too repetitive for my taste but the experience was great and I will defiantly return to future showcases.