tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11380345.post8231434815831222252..comments2024-03-17T12:16:42.048-07:00Comments on Civic Center: The Pallid Prokofiev Piano FestivalCivic Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362422142667230626noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11380345.post-53335337892451655692007-06-29T09:29:00.000-07:002007-06-29T09:29:00.000-07:00Patrick explained "the explanation" perfectly.Patrick explained "the explanation" perfectly.Civic Centerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12362422142667230626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11380345.post-38671286531822038862007-06-29T08:47:00.000-07:002007-06-29T08:47:00.000-07:00Mike can implement or correct this if he wants, bu...Mike can implement or correct this if he wants, but . . . MTT first explained to us that The Rite of Spring was a watershed musical event that caused many other composers to try to write very loud, "primitive" pieces, and the Scythian Suite was one of these attempts, and -- this was the part that really got me -- if it made us think of Maria Montez as the Jungle Queen that was fine and we should all just enjoy the tremendously fun loud noise. My feeling is that if I think of Maria Montez or whatever during a piece that's my web of association, but when the conductor mentions it to the audience in those cozy tones beforehand, the comment frames the piece in a certain way. I thought it was very condescending -- listen to the B-movie track this imitative hack produced!Patrick J. Vazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09279528648512493917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11380345.post-75526021798339437522007-06-29T07:03:00.000-07:002007-06-29T07:03:00.000-07:00What did MTT say? Now you got me curious!What did MTT say? Now you got me curious!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11380345.post-24376657437352112832007-06-28T14:48:00.000-07:002007-06-28T14:48:00.000-07:00Hey Mike, For what it's worth I'm seconding you an...Hey Mike, For what it's worth I'm seconding you and M. C- on Iphigenie.<BR/>Very nice to meet you at last (Billy Budd T-shirts -- bringing bloggers together!) and congratulations on being one of the few ever to take a picture of me in which I don't look like Quasimodo after a bender. Though be prepared not to recognize me next time since about half the time at concerts I'm wearing my glasses instead of contacts and I'm about to cut all my hair off since it's driving me crazy.<BR/>I enjoyed the Prokofiev more than you did, but I only went to the one concert. And I agree completely about the weird slapdash nature of the "festival" and MTT's dismissive remarks about the Scythian Suite -- I shudder every time he turns around on the podium with a microphone.Patrick J. Vazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09279528648512493917noreply@blogger.com