Page$-The Michigan Daily-Weekend etc.- February 13,1992
A symphony valentine,
by Geoff Earle
"T wo great Threes." That is the
only real connection between
Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3
and Aeethoven's Symphony No. 3
("Eroica"), according to Carl St.
Clair, music director and conductor
of the Ann Arbor Symphony
Orchestra. Both works will be per-
formed this Saturday as part of the
Symphony's "Musical Valentine"
concert, with guest soloist Barbara
Nissman at the piano.
But if there is any love going on
this weekend, it is the love both St.
Clair and Nissman have for these
two composers. Nissman has spent
the better part of her career record-
ing and performing the works of
Prokofiev. She has recorded the
complete sonatas of the composer,
A helpful guide to aural sex
"My abs? I haven't done any sit-ups for the last twelve years. Sex is
about the only exercise I get."
- Anthony Kiedis
(Red Hot Chili Peppers) in Interview
You can't bear the thought of another sweat session in the CCRB. Waiting
hours for 20 lousy minutes on the StairMaster, jostled by huge, smelly no-
necks in the Nautilus room... There has got to be a better way to get in shape.
I've found that there's no better way to brighten up these gloomy February
days and tighten up those less-than-toned muscles than sex, sex, sex!
Attaining a better body through amorous activities is much like any
other exercise -You've got to really move. None of this lovey-dovey, nice
'n slow stuff - We're talking "feel the burn," if you know what I mean.
-One of the best motivators for erotic exercise is music. Big, sexy, loud,
dirty music. While crooners like Lenny Kravitz and Jodeci are great for
setting the mood, those slow, sensual grooves just don't cut it for Carnal
Calisthenics. What you need are mega-bpm's (beats per minute). The more
bpm's, the faster you go. Add some lascivious lyrics, and presto!
Here's a quick cross section of torrid tunes guaranteed to help start you
on your way to better living through sex. This is by no means a comprehen-
siv list, but it will give you an idea of the types of songs that work best for
Carnal Calisthenics.So, make a couple of mix tapes, grab that special
someone, get in there and sweat!
"Let Your Body Learn"(Nitzer Ebb) This track leads the pack ofjack-
hammer sex anthems on That Total Age. I dare you to keep up.
"Special Secret Song" (Chili Peppers) Inspirational dirty-butt funk.
"Girls L.G.B.N.A.F." (Ice-T) Ice cuts the crap and gets right to the
point. Quickly.
Anything by Prince The aural sex master. "Let's Work" and "Head"
are a good place to start.
,"Anasthasia" (T-99) Fast and furious technosexuality
"Big Dumb Sex" (Soundgarden) Just follow the instructions.
"Wildside" (Motley Crue) The denizens of decadence do it dirty.
It Takes A Nation Of Millions... (Public Enemy) This whole album is
a guaranteed aphrodisiac. Trust me.
Stop" (Jane's Addiction) Way fast, but it does have two breaks so you
can take a quick breather.
"Stigmata" (Ministry) Not for the faint of heart. You might want to
w9rk up to this one.
. Special Note: As your mom would say, "If you're going to play in the
rain, don't forget to wear your rubbers." So play safe!
- Scott Sterling
and has played his music in concert
halls all over the world. Nissman
has also performed all five of
Prokofiev's piano concertos, as well
as other piano works.
St. Clair, as well, has a love for
Prokofiev and modern Russian com-
posers in general. Last year he con-
ducted the Ann Arbor Symphony in
performing the composer's Piano
Concerto no. 1, his fifth Symphony,
as well as works by Shostakovich.
St. Clair describes both pieces on
Saturday's program as "powerful
and brilliant."
Indeed, these two pieces are
widely renowned - both from a
popular and technical standpoint.
Beethoven's Third Symphony is a
favorite among American and
European symphonies, and
Prokofiev's third piano concerto is
perhaps the composer's most popu-
lar work in this country.
Nissman, who spent seven years
in Ann Arbor and earned her doc-
toral degree here, studied with
George Sandor, a pupil of the com-
poser Bela Bart6k. She especially en-
joys the third concerto because of its
form. "The entire concerto works,"
she says. "Prokofiev was big on
form and structure, thank God for
that."
Prokofiev wrote the main
themes for the third concerto in
1913, while still living in the
Soviet Union. But the piece was not
rith love
completed until 1918, after the
composer had fled to the West. Its
popularity with American audiences
began when Prokofiev himself per-
formed the concerto with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra at its
American premiere, and has not
ceased since then.
Last year marked the 100th an-
niversary of Prokofiev's birth.
Unfortunately, this event went
widely unnoticed, in part because of
the bicentennial of Mozart's birth.
As Nissman points out, "Prokofiev
had bad luck. (His birth was) over-
shadowed by Mozart, and he died
the same day as Stalin."
Hopefully this won't happen
Saturday night, when Prokofiev is
billed with another great German
composer. Beethoven's "Eroica"
Symphony is, along with his Fifth,
Sixth and Ninth, among the com-
poser's most admired works. It is
filled with luscious contrasts, rang-
ing from a massive finale to a more
light-hearted Scherzo.
The combination of these two
great "Threes" makes for a spectac-
ular concert. And for some lucky
valentines, it will make a great date.
THE ANN ARBOR SYMPHONY
WITH BARBARA NISSMAN will be
at the Michigan Theater Saturday
February 15th at 8 p.m. Tickets are
$12 to $18. Call 668-8397 for ticket
information.
To Woo & To Wed: Poets on Love & Marriage
edited by Michael Blumenthal
Poseidon Press Press/Simon & Schuster
W hether they've used stone tablet and stylus or computer screen and 0
keyboard, poets have continually returned to the subject of love. One of the,
most complex emotions which has endured countless human relationships,
love has both frustrated and inspired poets for centuries. Now the lovepvn
poem blooms in a richly varied anthology conjuring up Valentine thoughts
way beyond your wildest metaphor.
Across cultures, the perseverance of love and marriage has been one of
poetry's most popular themes. To Woo And To Wed: Poems on Love and
Marriage compiles the passionate diction of many great artists.
Don't assume that all love poems are full of trite, Nutra-Sweet stanzas,
however. These creative poets present fresh images in the anthology, with
amorous rhythmic forms and flirtatious allusions. While this collection
celebrates the splendor of love and marriage, To Woo also reveals their
mystery and ambivalence within its collection of over 200 works.
Assembled by poet and Harvard professor Michael Blumenthal, To.
Woo is a trove for not only those in wedded bliss, but also for the neophyte.
cupid. Over 150 poets prove that there are still unique ways to define love. .°
For example, the observation that Sylvia Plath makes about an outdoor >.
union being "wedlock wrought within love's proper chapel," hints at the
book's emotional richness. From "Adam and Eve in Later Life" by Howard
Nemerov to W.D. Snodgrass' poem tenderly describing "A Locked House,".°
musical verses describe a broad range of life experiences.
Love has been pondered and dissected by philosophers and poets alike.
According to Plato, the idea behind marriage is that people are searching to
reunite the souls they inhabited in a previous life. The philosopher's idea is '
just one of several.
Tributes to eternal love by Yeats, Tennyson and Stevens are woven
through the book, capturing the essences of marriage and reflecting on the
personal and the universal. Modern artists such as Margaret Atwood
interpret marriage to be "not/ a house or even a tent/ it is before that, and
colder." The unification of two people becomes a journey with necessary
pains and triumphs. All of the poets in To Woo share the opinion that after
going through the roller-coaster, there remains the *sentiments of the 4
abstract emotion called Love.
-Julie Komorn
4
It's not Four Play, but it's still good comedy
by Diane Frieden
6SIt's an ensemble ... it's a jam.
it's intense," said Mike Blieden
about the new comedy group,
Highly Improvable, formerly
called Four Play. Blieden, along
with Tom Cohen, Deborah Grayson,
Dave Kahn and Matt Price, started
the troupe in an effort to bring im-
provisational theater to Ann Arbor.
All of the members are gradu-
ates of the University's Comedy
Company, which presents scripted
sketches and involves little audience
participation. "This," Blieden said
about Highly Improvable, "will
give us the chance to indulge our-
selves completely in our own
ways." Cohen added, "We have the
opportunity to do a new thing in a
self-contained structure."
Leaving Comedy Company was
part of a growth process for all of
them. "Comedy Company was
wonderful for all of us, equally
wonderful," said Cohen. "Thinking
about breaking away was harder
than actually doing it," said
Grayson, adding, "I learned there. I
want to give back, and teach and
learn more - I thought alright,
maybe I'll do both, but I wouldn't
have had the time, and it would have
been compromising."
Grayson, who plans on continu-
ing her education until she gets her
Ph.D. in Psychology, tried to ex-
plain what Highly Improvable does
on stage in scientific terms. "We
have the basic skeleton of an exer-
cise, and the audience fleshes it out
for us. We are the brains, they are
the neurotransmitters - " Cohen
interrupted. "Who's the ganglia?"
Grayson continued, "We take a
theme, a subject, a game, and then we
go with it."
Collaborating with the audience
is a new experience for most, but all
are quick to adapt to the fast-think-
ing, on-your-toes aspect, and each
performer has a trick to get through
the scene. "I expected I'd be let in
_, 4 ,
ra
v h
Deb, Mike, Tom, Dave and Matt - not the Cosby Kids.
0 0 0 0 0 00 00 O! 00 0 @* 0 0 00 00 00 00.0..0..0..0*
"
"
"
"
s
"
"
"
0
S
We Specialize in Black Hair Care
RFIAYFRS w
f
"
"
"
"
"
"
braidas ,.-
hairweaiving
NAIL
SALON
CcvLa
312 Thompson St.
(near corner of Liberty) :
995-5733:
S.b.0.0. . ".".".!.
on the secret of improv, and the first
day of rehearsal I was like, 'Guys,
what's the formula?"' said Grayson.
Kahn added, "It seems to me that
if there is one, it's to relax and try
to be funny. If it's a bad audience, it
could be a bad show. With sketch
comedy you know what's going to
happen; with us you don't."
Price picked up on that comment.
"Like with Second City," he said,
"they have a plot. With us, we have
no semblance of plot or order. It's
completely created at that moment.
We trust each other; our group
mindset is absolutely in sync."
Aside from Second City's influ-
ence, each member of Highly
Improvable has a personal idol,
ranging from Chevy Chase to Tom
Lehrer to Jack Lemmon to Kahn's
father. "When I was young," said
Blieden, "I brought in a Steve
Martin record to school and lip-
synched to 'King Tut' ."
Comedians from the past defi-
nitely made an impact, but the group
members like to use their own style.
Birke
"Service that bring
They've created some of their own,
frames for improvisation besides_..
borrowing from old standards. For
instance, basing a scene on a trial,
they pull out a seemingly insignifi-
cant detail from some viewer's day
and expand on it to the point where
the audience is deciding whether the
person is guilty of the artificial
crime or not.
Or there's the game that Cohen
called "What Class Am I1
Teaching?" where audience-dictated
frozen motions could be interpreted
as, say, Can Opening 102. "We re-
ally want to get the audience in-
volved, like with Charades at a,
party," said Kahn. Highly.
Improvable sounds like it throws a
rollicking bash.
HIGHLY IMPROVABLE will
perform every Thursday at Jason's.
Sandwich Shop on State Street at 8
p.m. Admission for this Thursday's
is free admission; all other shows-,
will be $2. For more information,
call 662-6413.
mlsteck,
s you to your feet."
istyle
When you're just hanging
out, slip into Birkenstock*
The pure comfort supports
and cradles your feet.
And when you feel
this good, it shows.
9 .
2301 S. State Street Thera peutic massage
Ann Arbor, Mi. available
Call:
(313) 663-9001 for HOT TUBS
information.IN GARDEN
or reservations SETTINGS
I
- ;;"