Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tis' a Gift
There are two songs that always move me to tears: The Christmas hymn "Angels from the Realms of Glory," and "Simple Gifts," the old Shaker hymn. For me, the most moving part of the inauguration ceremony was the supergroup (Yo Yo Ma on cello, Itzhak Perlman on violin, Gabriela Montero on piano and Anthony McGill on clarinet) playing a John Williams piece which had at its core the beautiful melody from "Simple Gifts." You may recognize it, too, from Aaron Copeland's "Appalachian Spring," which borrowed from the same source.
'Tis the gift to be simple,
'Tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
to bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed
To turn, turn, will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning, we come round right.
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Prof. Osler,
In light of your post, I thought you might find this interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/music/23band.html?_r=1&em
In light of your post, I thought you might find this interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/music/23band.html?_r=1&em
I know why they did not play it live though - because of the extremely cold temps, the cello and the violin may have cracked or been permanently damaged. I guess they were worried about the piano too, breaking stings.
They played it along with the recording they did two days earlier, and they used newer less valuable instruments. People criticized this and it baffles me.
First, this music was supplemental to the amazing occasion, and should not have been the true focus of the event. Also this was not like a Milli Vanilli or Ashley Simpson deal: there aare some times when great artists just cannot perform live. The last time Pavarotti sang, like days before he died he did it to a recording that he had made a few days earlier. After he died, people were still critical, that the last time he sang he lip-synched. the man could barely stand.
I thought the music was incredible and so appropriate and I love that piece of music and I always have I have never heard it performed so beautifully, and it really enhanced that historic day. I don't know why people have to be so critical about this. WHO THE HELL is going to take a Stradivarius - with its priceless construction and ancient finish, etc, OUTSIDE and then PLAY IT - ask it to move and resonate be compliant - when it is SO COLD??? NO ONE. I could not even get the string quartet at my wedding to play in direct sunlight for like 10 minutes.
I know how these guys with their stringed instruments are. They are ten times worse than any guitar player. If MLK himself had made an appearance from the Great Beyond they still would have left those things at home.
They played it along with the recording they did two days earlier, and they used newer less valuable instruments. People criticized this and it baffles me.
First, this music was supplemental to the amazing occasion, and should not have been the true focus of the event. Also this was not like a Milli Vanilli or Ashley Simpson deal: there aare some times when great artists just cannot perform live. The last time Pavarotti sang, like days before he died he did it to a recording that he had made a few days earlier. After he died, people were still critical, that the last time he sang he lip-synched. the man could barely stand.
I thought the music was incredible and so appropriate and I love that piece of music and I always have I have never heard it performed so beautifully, and it really enhanced that historic day. I don't know why people have to be so critical about this. WHO THE HELL is going to take a Stradivarius - with its priceless construction and ancient finish, etc, OUTSIDE and then PLAY IT - ask it to move and resonate be compliant - when it is SO COLD??? NO ONE. I could not even get the string quartet at my wedding to play in direct sunlight for like 10 minutes.
I know how these guys with their stringed instruments are. They are ten times worse than any guitar player. If MLK himself had made an appearance from the Great Beyond they still would have left those things at home.
It's more than just the instruments (because players of their caliber can make a cheap POS instrument sound decent), it's the strings. Although strings are no longer made of catgut for just this reason, the synthetic innards do stretch and constrict according to the temperatures. Extreme cold combined with vigorous playing can snap a string in an instant. Although the NYTimes is usually my news source of choice, I was pretty ticked to see them compare the string players to the brass band and choir that did not use a recording. Cold is good for voices, but on strings, it's murder.
Ha. Tyd is right - string players get aggressively defensive about their instruments...
Ha. Tyd is right - string players get aggressively defensive about their instruments...
Which is why they should have "gone electric" a la Dylan at Newport. Who wants a bunch of wimpy strings? AC/DC is on tour. Shoulda asked them to play. They'd have done it live!
# posted by 
: 9:36 PM
: 9:36 PM
Iplaw:
AC/DC! Now THAT would have been an INAUGURATION!!!
As long as they did not play Back in Black.. I am trying to think of exactly what AC/DC song would have been the best....
hmmm not "YOU SHOOK ME all night long," that would have been more appropriate for Clinton's Inauguration.
This might require some thought.
AC/DC! Now THAT would have been an INAUGURATION!!!
As long as they did not play Back in Black.. I am trying to think of exactly what AC/DC song would have been the best....
hmmm not "YOU SHOOK ME all night long," that would have been more appropriate for Clinton's Inauguration.
This might require some thought.
I thought it was a really beautiful piece, too, and I'm glad I heard the pre-recorded version so it sounded good. I used to play violin (not a Stradivarius, though!) so I know how strings can get affected by cold . . .
What I can't figure out is exactly how they did the substitution: I mean they were obviously playing during the inauguration. It's kind of hard to play along with a recording . . . did the people up there hear the live and less-than-perfect version, then, at the same time as the recorded version was coming over the speakers? IT must have been strange for the people sitting around the musicians . .
Standing out there on the mall waiting for Obama's swearing-in, the music came at a time of great anticipation. Everybody was shivering, moving around to stay warm. It took a minute, but the music finally calmed me down. I would love to hear it played again inside, when I'm warm and can enjoy it in a different way. I thought it was a beautiful arrangement of Simple Gifts.
What I can't figure out is exactly how they did the substitution: I mean they were obviously playing during the inauguration. It's kind of hard to play along with a recording . . . did the people up there hear the live and less-than-perfect version, then, at the same time as the recorded version was coming over the speakers? IT must have been strange for the people sitting around the musicians . .
Standing out there on the mall waiting for Obama's swearing-in, the music came at a time of great anticipation. Everybody was shivering, moving around to stay warm. It took a minute, but the music finally calmed me down. I would love to hear it played again inside, when I'm warm and can enjoy it in a different way. I thought it was a beautiful arrangement of Simple Gifts.
# posted by : 8:22 AM
: 8:22 AM
Live or Memorex - I enjoyed it immensely.
As for Dylan - I suggest the new double CD. It has been playing through my head for a while.
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As for Dylan - I suggest the new double CD. It has been playing through my head for a while.
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