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 - ;;"