8 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 10, 1995 Dutch Orchestra masters difficult music By Brian Wise Daily Arts Writer The jazz scene currently flourish- ing in the cafes and clubs of Amsterdam reflects something much greater. It is the high premium that the Dutch place on the arts and culture, even when itisnotinnately theirown. This certainly comes as no surprise, from a society known for its high standard of living, general spirit of openness and tolerance, and enlight- ened government social policies on everything from drug use to public welfare. The Royal Concertgebouw Or- chestra of Amsterdam is a clear ex- ample that an orchestra of interna- tional stature can prosper in country where a visible musical tradition has never really existed. In fact, in the late 19th-Century Austro-German reper- tory, the Dutch rival even the finest of their southern neighbors. This was demonstrated Thursday night at Hill Auditorium, as Riccardo Chailly directed the Concertgebouw in a masterful reading of Richard Strauss's "Ein Heldenleben." A large and difficult work to be sure, it was only one-third of an ambitious pro- gram that included Stravinsky's "Symphony in Three Movements," and Prokofiev's Symphonic Suite from the "Love of Three Oranges." The Concertgebouw has gradu- ally integrated more modern reper- toire into its programs since the ap- pointment of Italian-born Chailly seven years ago. Stravinsky is cer- tainly the touchstone of modernity, and Chailly's clear and sure beats and interpretive skills brought out the idi- omatic and stylistic details of the "Symphony in Three Movements." This 1945 war-influenced work is certainly a workout for orchestra and conductor, particularly as a program opener. With an agitated and disso- nant style framed by a strict formal procedures, the symphony demands the intense focus and virtuosic skill of its performers. Both of these elements were pro- vided throughout the ensemble, be it - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam Hill Auditorium April 6, 1995 the crisp, driving French horn ostinatos and incisive piano outbursts in the first movement, or the irregu- lar,jarring chordal punctations by the entire group in the finale. Stravinsky himself often complained of orches- tras' inability to play correctly on the off beat, and of conductors' inability to navigate mixed meters. Both of these charges were dispelled by the tension-filled rhetorical pauses and vivid sense of contrast provided in the third movement.t Prokofiev was frequently influ- enced by his compatriot Stravinsky, and the strong rhythms of the Suite from "The Love of Three Oranges" were a nod to Stravinsky's early Rus- sian style. It is also a descriptive and vivid sound picture, painted in glow- ing primary colors. Chailly and the Concertgebouw reveled in Prokofiev's splashy orchestration, from the quirky and chromatic trum- pet fanfares to the fantastic wood- wind combinations, to luxurious, Ravelian string textures. From extrovert Russian modern- ism to German late-romanticism, the orchestra moved into its most famil- iar territory. Strauss's "Ein Heldenleben" is the apogee of post- Romantic giganticism in style'and orchestration, and heroic in every di- mension. The Concertgebouw even pro- vided an imposing appearance to this piece. The large battery of per- cussion were flanked by eight French horns on one side, and the remainder of the extended brass on the other. The capabilities of all were fully-exploited by Strauss, and some of the intonation problems that crept up could almost be forgiven on account of this taxing close to a strenuous program. This was never indulgent, heart- on-your sleeve Strauss, but dynamic, incisive and detailed Strauss. The Royal Concertgebouw is an accom- plished orchestra, if only by the virtue that few others could bring such a demanding program on the road and make it sound straight from a Dutch concert house. RECORDS Continued from Page 5 not from a couple of computer nerds who spend hours deciding where a one-second sound blip would work best within the whole thematic con- text of their "art." That image is difficult to block out, and when the music is as bland as this, there's nothing cosmically contractible about Braindead Soundmachine. I'm just looking for some hard dance music I can take to my grave. Haven't found it yet. - Matt Carlson Better Than Ezra Deluxe Elektra Judging by their sudden ubiqui- tous presence on radio and MTV, Better Than Ezra are the latest win- ners in the alternative hard rock sweep- stakes. With the patented grunge gui- tars of "Good" propelling them up the charts, the band seems destined to at least have a very good year - and they would, if they had another song that could follow it up the charts. Although "Deluxe" kicks off with a growling Dinosaur guitar on "In the Blood" and segues directly into the hit single, mostof the album is slightly dingy folk-rock - Dinosaur Jr. with- out the amps... and withoutthe songs. "Good" sounds good because of its production, not because of the song. It's hard to build a song around a chorus that amounts to a sustained whine, but with the thick distortion, stop-start rhythms and gurgling vio- lin/synth, "Good" makes for fine ra- dio fodder. What sinks the rest of 1 01 "Deluxe" is the utter lack of those pop sensibilities and an over-reliance on earnest soul-baring devoid of melo- dies or insight. Without lyrical grace or pop flourishes, Better Than Ezra winds up dead in the water. - Tom Erlewine The Denison/ Kimball Trio Walls In the City Skin Graft Records This "trio," actually a duo, plays atmospheric, moody jazz. It's no wonder, considering that this album, Expert Advice for Job Search Success I FRIARS Continued from Page 5 cheese-in-a-can into each others mouths, the group pulled back the tempo and toned down the comic bits for some heartwarming ballads. Past Friar groups could not pull off the slower songs with the same ease and energy as the up-tempos. But these eight are such fine musi- cians that the more relaxed songs were as tight and exciting as the rest of the program. Some examples: "You took your love away from me" (with a sublime solo by Dan Ryan), "That's the way (it goes)" (a Friar oldie) and "Your Eyes" (featuring aforemen- tioned gifted comedian and impres- sive vocalist Vesbit). But the biggest highlight of the ballads and perhaps of the entire pro- gram was "Bridge Over Troubled Water," an arrangement which de- buted at December's Study Break concert. Matt Laura's arrangement and Dave Hoey's solo stopped the show then and it did on Friday night. Thankfully, the Friars singing backup did not make any attempts to throw in unnecessary comic bits (as Friars have been known to do with Employer representatives will discuss strategies for a successful job search. Tips on writing an effective resume, standing out in an interview, and locating openings will be discussed. "Walls of the City," was originally the soundtrack to a very indepen- dent film. Gently brushed snares and jagged, asymmetrical guitar lines combine to make the entire album a darkly enjoyable walk on, the wild side. Standout tracks in- clude "Cold Light of Day,""Harry's Theme" and "Separate Checks." Each one of the songs elaborates on the Trio's simple-yet successful for- mula, mixing alternative simplicity with jazz's sophistication. "Walls In the City" is cool enough to be anybody's soundtrack. - Heather Phares s ballads to liven them up), which would have interfered with the audience's focus on Hoey. Hoey's solo was, quite simply, beautiful; it reflected a confi- dent grasp of the song's meaning and, simultaneously, a flawless execution of the notes. The song did end on a bittersweet note; it is likely the last time Hoey will sing this song for University au- diences, as he is one of the four de- parting Friars. Still, one can always hope for a reprise performance at next year's 40th-birthday reunion concert. With the glaring exception of that tired let's-introduce-ourselvesjoke, the Friars were pretty good about sticking to relatively new material. They did revive the "Medley of Crap" - which got laughs despite its hackneyed repu- tation - but only as a link to the brand- spankin' new sequel, "AnotherLoad of Crap: Number Two." Smartly arranged by Laura, the comglomeration of TV theme songs this time featured the "Facts of Life," "Wonder Woman;" "The A-Team" and the Oscar Mayer (Friar) commercial, among many others. It proved a worthy follow-up, but a word of advice to the Friars: Don't over-perform it. Another surprise of the evening was the large amount of choreogra- phy the Friars incorporated into their program. They might just develop a reputation for their dancing in addi- tion to their wit, music and good looks. And as the group ended with "A Wim-o-Weh (The Lion Sleeps To- night)," performed by the current Fri- ars, new Friars and prior Friars, the evening glided to a close and the spectacular concert proved a fitting farewell to the four departing Friars - Ryan, Laura, Hoey and Jason Menges. We'll remember their mu- sic, their laughter and their legs in those yellow boxer shorts. Tuesday, April 11 5:00-6:00 pm CP&P Program Room The University of Michigan Career Planning,;Plac ent 3200 Student Activities Building 313 764-7460 Sponsored with the Senior Days Committee t SA"" LLdP A $° GREAT NEWS! It's Not Too Late to Apply for Summer or Fall '95 S'~ ~\Ecuador lNTERNSHI PS r: CEDA Application mmum on ,.' ! , I ® - - - m-! ® -