ARTS
The Michigan Dailyr
Saturday, April 16, 1983
Page 7
6%2PSoltims6: A happy marriage
By Lauris Kaldjian
A HARMONIOUS relationship empha-
sizes balance and equality. A
disparity in ability, particularly in
marriages between conductors and or-
chestras, leads only to frustration. But
when the insight and dexterity of a con-
ductor is commensurate to his or-
chestra's facility, the result is mutual
satisfaction and beautiful music.
Such is the fortunate case of Sir
George Solti and the Chicago Sym-
phony Orchestra, who gave a standing-
room-only audience at Hill Auditorium
a stellar performance that will not be
forgotten easily.
As Solti mounted the podium with
limber strides, the audience could not
help but admire the maestro. His
aquiline features and impressive ap-
pearance suggest power and self-
confidence. And sure enough, with
complege control, he masterminded a
performance Thursday evening that
glowed with brilliance.
The music began with those famous
Masonic triads from Mozart's Over-
ture, The Magic Flute. From the start,
the woodwinds played with a
homogeneous sound that flowed effor-
tlessly in legato scales. The strings
played vigorously in the many spiccato-
ridden passages, though not quite
equalling the energy of their wind
colleagues. The brass (and oh what
brass!) played their few concluding
notes as if they were preparing for the
Dvorak ... they were ready.
The majority of the first half of the
program consisted of Bartok's Music
for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, a
complex but finely structured work that
can tax the conservative ear. The work
is scored for two antiphonal orchestras
that accordingly toss thematic material
back and forth.
There is no doubt that Solti's inter-
pretation of this work is a result of his
years of study with Bartok himself. The
music's difficulty and potential am-
biguity were wisely, approached by
Solti. His constant, sometimes cautious
beating was obvious throughout the
work. With pulsating baton and lively
cues he provided the structure around
which the musicians could build and the
clarity which made the music under-
standable to the audience.
Old war horses never die, they just
get revived now and then; sometimes,
however, a revival makes both
musician and listener oblivious to
familiarity. The credit goes once again
to Sir Georg who rendered an inspiring
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 (The New
World). He invited his musicians to join
him in a symphony replete with calm,
suspense, and excitement.
The audience's exuberant applause
at concert's end was noticeably ap-
preciated by Sir Georg and his or-
chestra, who probably did not expect
such a warm reception. Had Solti
known he would likely have han an en-
core prepared. Well, maybe Ann Ar-
bor's genial atmosphere and Hill
Auditorium's acoustics will hasten
their return. Let's hope so.
Soli
... happily married
The beat goes on
African drummer Ema Ema brings a little rhythm to the end of the term
with a mini-concert this Tuesday, April 19 in the Michigan Union's Pendleton
Room. The event marks the close of the Union's international music series.
Aluminum Beach,
makes . musica waves
By Jayne Hendel
SWM ORNING, RUDELY arriving at
absurdly early hour, found me
sprawled in a mesh folding chair in an
alien basement. Very much awake. My
aural caffeine replacement was the
music emerging from the amplifier my
feet rested upon; my visual shot of
speed was the four energetic band
members of Aluminum Beach jamming
before me.
The "thrash-bop-surf-a-billy-ska," as
the band describes its sound. is com-
posed mainly of originals. "I think
we're all really creative," drummer
Steve Whitcraft modestly discloses of
the band's musical talents.
Doubling also as students, the four
band members find "schoolwork and
writing/performing music a com-
patable pair. "It doesn't matter how
much work we have," guitarist and
'Economics student Paul Sullivan says,
'if we have more schoolwork, we write
'more songs. It's kind of like an outlet."
Beyond finding time, Aluminum
Beach members easily find the energy
to follow their two somewhat divergent
roles. "It fits with the concept of
Aluminum Beach that we're doing two
things at once," maintains lead singer
and American culture student John
Krivit. "The fact that we're students
and a band is integrative, not
schitzophrenic."
The Jekyll/Hyde syndrome could ap-
ply to the band's name, but bassist Tom
Spademan negates that theory. He says
that the duality of the band is reflected
by connecting 'aluminum' and
'beach'-two terms that seem to have
nothing in common. They do, however,
make sense in the context of the band.
Whitcraft came up with the
pseudonym while spending time on
North Campus as a graduate Architec-
ture student. "There's a nuclear power
plant up there, and all these trees
around it, and it naturalizes these
things that could melt down and turn us
into nothingness." It was the site of the
metallic plant, surrounded by trees,
that inspired Whitcraft with the name.
Their sound, too, reflects the har-
mony of the structure of the music.
Something like our name which doesn't
seem to go together. The same is true
with our rhythms that don't seem to go
with the lyrics . . . The combination is
really interesting," Sullivan says.
Aluminum Beach, winners of the 1983
Battle of the Bands, is excited with the
progress its made so far in their
musical careers, and is looking for
fame in the future. "We're still sear-
ching for the artistic moment," says
Spademan.
The band views their music as in-
tegrative, not imitative. "We're inter-
preting the nature of the music. A lot of
people play high-tech stuff. We play the
Caribbean beat, something with a lot of
feel to it, as opposed to this very high-
tech stuff. People become physically
involved with our music," Whitcraft
says.
Today's music, accoring to
Aluminum Beach, is escapist. The band
feels that there is a current wave of
contrasts within our culture. The mem-
bers see their "happy music" as a
positive influence on the mood of their
audience.
Aluminum Beach is next appearing
at Joe's at a benefit for the University
Women's Varsity volleyball team Sun-
day night.
Had I been a neighbor, my reaction to
the hour and volume may have been
less appreciated, but my private con-
cert sure beat the usual morning
routine. And, lead singer Krivit,
crooning the slow ones to just me and
the Ramone's poster on the wall com-
pletely salvaged my day. I think I'm a
groupie.
In the Dvorak, top honors to to the
English and French - horns that is.
The placid English horn solo in the
Largo was rendered patiently, with a
perfect sweet touch of sorrow. The
French horns, as expected, were con-
sistently superb, hitting notes in the
stratosphere with the ease and con-
fidence of picking grapes. The rest of
the brass followed suit, at times roaring
and cracking like thunder. The strings
shone with a rich, particularly bright
tone that contrasted well with the gusto
of the winds.
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FRI., MON: 7:10, 9:10 (PG)
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Daily Photo by DEBORAH LEWIS
Aluminum Beach rhythm guitarist and lead singer John Krivit rolls off a few
licks while Paul Sullivan strolls with his bass at the recent Michigras Battle
of the Bands.
MayFestival blooms
April showers bring May festivals.
The 90th Ann Arbor May Festival, that
is. The popular event returns to Hill
Auditorium this year April 27-30, cour-
tesy of the University Musical Society.
Once again, the guest ensemble will be
The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the
direction of Riccardo Muti.
The four-night festival features a
wide variety of classical music, from
r ui ii . UZ
F4
Adam Ant tries again
The ants go marching one-by-one
hoorah ... at that pace it's no wonder
it took Adam Ant so long to get to Ann
Arbor-but he finally made it. Adam
rolls into Hill Auditorium Friday, April
22 at 8 p.m. so forget those finals and
come dance to the beat of Ant Music.
Subscribe to The
Michigan Daily
764-0558
Tickets for the cancelled March 2 con-
cert will be honored, or refunds can be
obtained from the place of purchase.
Call 763-2071 for more info.
/ I
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1000 THIS IS AHEILOFAWAY
1215 TO MAKE ALIVING.
2:30 Tootsie
4:45 DUSTIN
7:10 HOFFMAN
9:30 A COLUMBIA IIL E
PICTURES RELEASE
10:00 GANDHI
1:30 The Man of
5:00 the Century.
8:30 PC°UHSPU5ASE
No $1 Tues. WINNER 8 OSCARS
or Discounts inc. BEST PICTURE
10:00
12:15
4:45 $tallionl 1turIS
------A-1
7:00 MEL
9:30 CIBSONa
1:00 MAX
230 DUGAN
5:00 t RETURNS
7:15 ~
9:15 Ar PG ,
Liszt piano solos by Krystian Zimer-
man to a performance of Robert
Schumann's violin concerto Flamenco
guitarist Carlos Montoya will give a
special performance of his own "Suite
Flamenca" on Friday, April 29.
As always, the festival promises to be
a fitting and dulcet conclusion to the
semester. Stick around.
-Ben Ticho
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the Great 3:00
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THE MICHIGAN UNION
Summer Dinner Theater
AUDITIONS
Cast & Crew
May 6 7-10pm
May 7 2-5pm
May 8 2-5,7-10pm
Student Theater Arts Comnlex
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