ARTS The Michigan Daily Monday, November 25, 1985 The Boys rocked... Pdge 5 ...'The Flies' didn't By Neil Galan ter ROUND THIS TIME each year a group of boys ranging in age from 7 to 14 get together on stage...and sing. Sing their hearts out. Who might they be (just in case you wonder)? The Vienna Choir Boys. This past Thursday night, a friend and I trekked to Macomb Community College Center for the Performing Ar- ts in Clinton Township, (Yes, it is in the boonies!), to see the Boys perform a pleasant program of choral pieces and also a short one act operetta. Their director, Ernest Raf- felsberger opened the evening with a contrapuntal piece by the German organist and composer Dietrich Bux- tehude. Wachet Auf enabled the Boys to show what polished and refined skills they have as musicians at such young and tender ages. The fugato elements, and many canonic items fell smoothly into place. Raffelsberger's faults never lied in his conducting, (frequently from the keyboard), which was sleak and agile to say the least. It was more a question of hearing his piano accom- S paniments, and that is where a problem entered the situation. Although an accompaniment is not ever to overshadow a group, it still needs to be heard. Raffelsberger's dynamic level never seemed to rise above a mezzo-piano or a mezzo-forte, and that cheated the audience out of some very melodious playing! Michael Haydn's Alleluja was a marvelous contrast, and was perfor- -med full of energetic bounce on the Choir Boys' parts. Before their operetta, the group performed two short pieces by the English composer Benjamin Britten. Not only do these choir boys sing in their native German tongues, and in English for the operetta, but in the Britten they came through clearly and effectively in Latin. Their diction was smooth and clearly elucidated at all times, which added an extra luster to the pieces. As for the operetta, Viennese Life, by the waltz composer and king, Johann Strauss, it was really only an amusing collaboration of little skits and song numbers. The plots in these little operas are always silly to the fore, this one being no exception: A marriage is arranged for a young maiden,' sie's intefested in someone else, her father doesn't approve, you know the rest. Same story, always. C'mon. Gimme a break! The musical aspects of the operetta were another story. The boys sang brilliantly with all the right theatrical innuendos. Musical numbers were easily followed and always made laid- back, listenable material. And, I must admit, despite the fact that the play dragged on forever, it was quite amusing to see children dressed and imitating adults, some of the boys ac- tually in drag. A song by Franz Schubert, who was a choirboy himself, and a polka, a waltz, and a German folksong filled the last half of the show. The Schubert was marvellously sung. Chordal tex- tures were sweet and harmonious. A trio of three choirboys performing the trio from Mozart's The Magic Flute was equally admirable. There was a sparky, clear and robust tone quality throughout. One of the most entertaining moments was in the second of their two encores, with a Vienna Choir Boys tradition: singing an American folksong. This time it was Home on the Range, and with their German ac- cents, it was definitely a unique American folksong. Their diction, naturally, was not perfect. However, musically they sparkled with radian- ce, and it seemed like the best way to put a finish on the evening's perfor- mance. Although frequently the Vienna Boys' voices lack a full range and scope of tonal colors, they are still quite polished musicians for their ages. Naturally they will outgrow their "choirboy" statuses, and develop into even broader musicians. In the meantime, I'll drive anywhere next Christmas season to hear them again. By Laura Coughlin O NCE UPON a time, the people of Argos feared the wrath of the gods, and the weight of their sins weighed heavy on their hearts. Then one day a model out of GQ magazine came to town wearing a preppy polo shirt, sweet jazz oxfords and a very conspicuous sword. "Go ahead,.make my day," said the expression on his face. Being a freedome fighter and a beloved character of Jean-Paul Sartre's play, "The Flies," he naturally fought for truth, justice and the existentialist way. To achieve this goal, our trendy hero Orestes must murder the evil King, Aegistheus, as well as (oh horrors!) his own mother, Clytem- nestra. And then, to top it all off, he must escape the weight of a guilty conscience, something the Argonians have failed to do. To convey Sartre's message, a weekend production of "The Flies" by the Residential College Players mixed modern dress with classical style to give the play inconsistency. Orestes played by Todd Pisani would have been less humorous and more realistic had he been packing a .357 Magnum. Similarly, Zeus, played by Robert Schall, resembed Lionel Richie at the Grammy's with an outrageous sequined suit. Elliot Jackson, as the evil queen Clytemnestra, is nothing less than "absolutely marvelous." Unlike most of the other players, Jackson's exaggerrated arm movements were totally appropriate to her character. The voice of a mother shines though convincing as the evil queen com- plains that her daughter is late b'ecause she is "lingering in front of her mirror. Anne Schneider, as Electra, fails to achieve the same perfection, as she flails her arms about trying to em- phasize lines which are badly overac- ted. Likewise, Todd Pisani as Orestes and Alan Schulman as the hero's tutor recite lines which are memorized but not inspired. B. David Rickman gets the most valuable bit-player award for his hilarious portrayal of an idiot whose only line is "Hoo," and Framji Mm- walla wins three cheers from female audience members who mistook him for a Foxy Frenchman during a ritual dance honoring the dead king. The people of Argos get ten free visits to a detox clinic to cure them of their uncontrollable body shakes, which they attribute to fear of the gods and of the dead, but should perhaps be blamed on over-direction. * A classic-brought-up-to-date suffers at the hands of over-modernization and overacting. The Vienna Choir Boys made their annual stop to the area with a show that included, among humour, excellent direction, and talent; an inspired cover of "Home on the Range." (Beat that, Paul Westerberg.) Two men. Not soldiers. Not heroes. Just dancers. Willing to risk their lives for freedom- and each other A r k ..... o . ::: ,, , .: r:.: sr. A FsFtir s Y 1t ft ft y4 Allied Health Professions The Air Force can make you an attractive offer - out- standing compensation, plus opportunities for professional development. You can have a challenging practice AND time to spend with your fam- ily. We are now accepting applications. * Medical L ab/Social Work A TAYLOR HACKFORD FILM WHITE NIGHTS COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS A NEW VISIONS PRODUCTION MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV- GREGORY HINES "WHITE NIGHTS" STARRING: GERALDINE PAGE HELEN MIRREN JERZY SKOLIMOWSKIINRODUNISABELLA ROSSELLINI MUSIC SCORE BY MICHEL COLOMBIER MUSIC SUPERVISED BY PHIL RAMONE - CHOREOGRAPHY BY TWYLA THARP SCREENPLAY BY JAMES GOLDMAN AND ERIC HUGHES STORY BY JAMES GOLDMAN- PRODUCED BY TAYLOR HACKFORD AND WILLIAM S. GILMORE DIRECTED BY TAYLOR HACKFORD PG-13 PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED m l ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM AVAILABLE READ THE ABRAMS BOOK QQ E i' I" *I-I I ON ATLANTIC RECORDS AND CASSETTES PORTRAIT OF A FILMN-SELECTED THEATRES "SAY YOU SAY ME" (TITLE SONG) PerLoOmed EYLIONEL RICHIE"nleAvailable Perfrme by l CMotwn Records "SEPARATE LIVES" (LOVE THEME) Performedby PHIL COLLINS and MARILYN MARTIN r'-- .- L - -. - ..1 . . 1 -. Ah w w'