Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio Reviewed by the Arizona Republic
Richard Nilsen's enthusiastic review of the world premiere of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio was published online this afternoon. Agree? Disagree? Let us know! Everyone at The Phoenix Symphony is looking forward to our now sold-out performance tomorrow night to round out this world premiere weekend.
Full AZ Central link: http://www.azcentral.com//ent/arts/articles/0208tpsrevu.html
Full AZ Central link: http://www.azcentral.com//ent/arts/articles/0208tpsrevu.html
17 Comments:
That may have been the first ever review of a symphony concert that didn't actually mention the musicianship of anyone on stage. I was disappointed not to hear what the reviewer thought of the orchestra and chorus. A simple repetition of the text sung and a line at the end about how the orchestra played as though they believed it does not constitute a review of a concert!
I thought it was a pretty accurate review. Was there something there the critic missed? We have a very good critic in Phoenix. Have you ever read the reviews by the critic in Colorado for that summer festival? His reviews are like PR and Spin for the Chamber of Commerce. I thought this review was very good.
Thanks not only to the performers and staff of the Phoenix Symphony Association and guests who've worked so hard to make "Enemy Slayer" a reality but also to our patrons who came in such numbers and with such enthusiasm. I met many couples who traveled from as far away as Seattle, Nebraska and California to attend, not to mention those who came from the four-corners region. I also want to humbly thank the Navajo Nation who were our guides and whose trust we were given to share their soul-enriching heritage in this setting. Not only have I learned a great deal about your lives and spirituality, I've also been transported to a beautiful space where some of the most profound aspects of being human can be nurtured and explored.
Many people attended the Phoenix Symphony for the first time this past weekend. For your trust and interest I am eternally grateful.
With sincerest thanks and hopeful aspirations for our future projects at the Phoenix Symphony.
Michael
The Phoenix Symphony accomplished
another unrecognized blessing by
commissioning this Navajo Oratorio.
It brought city people to the remote
areas of Arizona and made them aware
of the culture of that part of our
state and it also enriched the
Navajo people with the great respect
this music gave to them. In the
Navajo Times for today is a report
of the return of Army Spec. Larry
Gomez, a Navajo/Jemez soldier returning from Iraq. An explosive
device under his Humvee tore much
of his right leg off and did even
worse injury to his fellow soldiers. Gomez' remarks were an
re-enactment of the words of
the soloist in the Oratorio. This
performance was real life and very
moving. Bravo to Mark Grey, Laura
Tohe, Deborah O'Grady, Michael
Christie, the whole orchestra and
chorus !!!
Presto the Cat and I were in the audience on Saturday night. We both thought that the 1st half performance of Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite" was one of the best efforts that Maestro Christie and the Phoenix Symphony have put forth together to date. Thanks for taking this American masterpiece out of its usual Pops context.
From the opening pianissimo timpani roll, through the violin and celesta solos, to the gigantic climax after the storm, the orchestra was sizzling. Every section was allowed to play out their solo passages. Bravissimo to the horn section. The only thing lacking was an effective wind machine.
I hope you recorded this performance for a future CD release! It helped that the full orchestra was pushed up towards the front of the stage. I liked it with the horn section to the near left and the percussion and timpani spread across the back.
Hire the guest Concertmaster from the Chicago Symphony now! She showed leadership and fantastic solo playing in both the Grofe and the Grey pieces. Besides, her name will appear on the CD to be released next season.
I hate to be the naysayer to the "slayer," but somebody's got to be a true critic. Yes, it was a momentous occasion. World premiere, multi-cultural, and multi-media. But, musically speaking...
Did the orchestra really play "music?" Or was that a sonic design (background noise) to accompany or help bring forward the libretto? Other than the virtuoso violin cadenza (predictable since Mark Grey has composed a solo and a concerto for Leila Josefowicz), I cannot recall any "music" in the 70-minute experience. The tuba blasted. The drums banged back. There were some tuned cowbells. Perhaps the composer could have simply used his synthesized recording instead of "orchestrating" that.
Was the Phoenix Symphony Chorus really singing out loud? With the orchestra playing in front of them at full volume, the voices could not be heard in the hall. Were you satisfied because there were microphones directly above their mouths? A studio recording session with the tracks to be mixed later? I think it's about time we went back to hiring the gigantic ASU Choral Union for the big orchestral pieces. Or Mr. Grey could amplify them in future concerts.
I had a good view of O'Grady's photographs from the 6th row. Truthfully, they did not add anything to the piece. It was more of a distraction. A scenic tour of Navajoland was totally unnecessary. A few trick photography that incorporated battle zones were too obvious. I wanted to hear the words!
The poetry by Professor Tohe was clear and enjoyable to read. I thought it was only minimally charged with emotions to avoid any controversy about the subject matter of war.
The best aspect of this piece was the operatic acting by baritone, Scott Hendricks. There was nothing said at all by either the composer or the librettist about the vocal interpretation to be given. Or if Hnedricks was involved in any way before the composition went to rehearsal. He sounded great, like a Benjamin Britten anti-hero.
As an usher I get a close up view of many of the performances. I was absolutely overwhelmed with the beauty and passion in the music and the performance of the soloist and visual production. You truly gave a stunning multi-media production that was not only moving but one of the peaks for our phoenix symphony.
Too much hype and too much schtick. There was everything here but a line of dancing girls doing high kicks. Let's get back to the excellence and perfection that used to be the Phoenix Symphony. I'm glad that there were people who enjoyed this spectacle. I would rather see the, "Class," put back in classical. If that happens, all this shameless self-promotion will be unnecessary.
Class, n., “Elegance of style, taste and manner.”
Michael Christie, Mark Grey, Laura Tohe, the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and everyone involved in the production of this exciting world premiere exude class.
Congratulations to you all on this enormous success.
I'm curious about the hype and schtick part. What exactly do you mean? There were three aspects of the performance on Thursday and three on Saturday that were different from a typical PSO performance. On Thursday there was a Navajo prayer, projected visuals and the recording equipment. On Saturday there was no prayer leaving the projections and the recording equipment. The third part of the Saturday performance that was very special for all of us was the fact that it was sold out. I'll look forward to hearing what the "class" in classical means to you. In the meantime, I'm thrilled that we were able to make an event out of one of our classics series programs and for at least some people the piece resonated with cultural significance. Keep you seatbelt on for Golijov's Ainadamar because I'm guessing it will feel similar in terms of impact and interest.
Looking forward to your response.
Those who expect to hear mostly
the music of the great German
classical composers have been very
vocal over the years when music
outside their circle of taste is
performed. The hall on Saturday
evening was packed with people;
let's keep it that way ! There is
a great world of glorious orchestral
music outside of the taste of these
classical aficionados. I hope that
the orchestra brings more music
which will draw a larger public.
How enjoyable and beautiful was
your performance of Ferde Grofe's
Grand Canyon Suite !
The pre-show performance (song and dance) by the Navajo family set the mood for the Oratorio.
The entire performance appeared as if we (the audience, symphony and choir) were in a ceremony setting that was being performed for Seeker (the baritone as the patient). The conductor was like the medicineman when he came out leading the patient (Seeker) at the beginning of the concert (ceremony) and the patient was by his side throughout the ceremony.
The music felt like a big bad thunderstorm with lightening and damage. At the end of the performance the sun came out. We felt all refreshed and the patient had come back from his bad experience. It felt like
our ceremony (concert) had taken effect on the patient. He had recovered and returned to himself at the end of the ceremony (concert).
I am glad you enjoyed the Grofé.
It will take a visionary community for the Phoenix Symphony to strike the balance I feel will most adequately satisfy those who revel in masterful performances of the orchestral canon as well as those who charge us with exploring the full scope of the 500+ years of music symphony musicians are capable of performing.
The community is large enough, entrepreneurial enough and generous enough to enable the Phoenix Symphony to be a true national leader in shaping the future of the role our family of symphony musicians can play in the cultural life of our community.
I believe we are creating an expectation of ever greater performances around our Valley accompanied by five consecutive years of break- even financial discipline.
We need the Phoenix Symphony Association to become a less risk averse company in order to achieve our visionary goals. We need enthusiastic investors to speak with us about projects as well as creative solutions to address our day to day needs.
The Phoenix Symphony Association is full of talented and enterprising people who are proving themselves week after week. I believe we are on the cusp of greatness. Now, more than ever we need the community to determine our ultimate destiny and give us the backing and mandate to be the flagship arts organization of our region and the model 21st century orchestra.
For those naysayers who think that The Phoenix Symphony never gets world-wide recognition, here's some very good news in this cyber world.
Contemporary composer Golijov's website has listed us on their calendar.
May 23 Ainadamar: Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano; Emily Albrink, soprano; Phoenix Symphony, Michael Christie, conductor Phoenix, AZ
March 15 The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind: David Krakauer, clarinet; Phoenix Symphony, Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor Phoenix, AZ
Let's fill Symphony Hall and show the world that we are, in fact, the model of a 21st century American orchestra.
You could be a string quartet in Nowhere-ville and still get listed on a living composer's website as long as you are playing that composer's music. It is there to promote the composer, not the ensemble. I'm not sure if The Phoenix Symphony needs to worry about world-wide recognition. I think getting a good national reputation might be a good start.
The arts in Phoenix are done a disservice by the papers in town. It was nice to finally see something in the New Times and I am glad the Republic got around to coming. I think most of us in town who take part in the arts would like to see more coverage. More press is more publicity of course and the thinking is more publicity is more tickets sold but it can also bring perspective. When I read the critics in NYC, Philly, LA, etc. it is easy to see why they are vital. They offer more than a play by play and a short history lesson. I suppose it is a matter of taste if you like one arts writer and not another, but I feel the level of arts journalism in this town is of poor quality. However, I think that in a way the lack of actual coverage and the limited insight of what we do have gives a different kind of perspective. For one thing I think it shows that the large and even not so large arts organizations in town have outpaced the local media. Again, I thought the New Times article on Mark Grey was a great thing but the failures of the article shows how little knowledge of classical music and in particular contemporary music they have. And why should they? The Oratorio gave them something interesting to write about. Maybe it is only possible in classical music that a group could play very conservative new music by any standard of the last 75 years and be told they are now breaking the mold.
In response to "anonymous" (I know, I'm anonymous too) who is complaining about the Republic not showing up to do reviews... trust me, Phoenix is not special in this respect. Newspapers all over this country are cutting jobs and unfortunately arts seem to be the first to go. I hope you are writing your local paper telling them nicely that you miss their coverage, and support the paper by having a subscription.
I am not sure one can compare Phoenix with NYC, LA, Philly, Chicago or any of the other Top 5 or Big 10 cities with orchestras. Greater Phoenix may be large in physical size and population, but it has only been in recent years that they have had this growth and there is much catching up to do and growing pains that are being dealt with.
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