8-- The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 12, 1996
Twisted 'Voice of the Moon' haunts the mind
By Kristin Long
Daily Arts Writer
Sometimes films have meaning and
symbolism more intense than what we
can easily comprehend during a measly
two-hour screening. Instead of taking a
film lightly, we have to stretch our
minds to understand what the charac-
ters are discussing and feeling.
In Italian director Federico Fellini's
last film, "The Voice ofthe Moon," few
statements mean less than some power-
ful and immense notion. The plot has
heavy meanings that audiences can
hardly take delicately. Its profound story
results in a mix of confusion and plea-
sure.
The film is a stimulating portrayal of
the oddities within human nature. It
follows a moment in the life of Ivo
Salvino (Roberto Benigni), who does
not always view life from the same
standpoint as the average individual.
Having just been released from a men-
tal hospital, Ivo ventures out into the
real world, relying on voices from within
a well to guide him along his path.
"The Voice of the Moon" focuses on
people's longing for those luxuries in
life that are not always so easily ac-
quired - love, happiness and peace
within the environment. A central ob-
ject of focus is the moon; it becomes a
never-ending symbol of something we
all want to reach, but can never quite
attain.
The settings and the scenery for this
film represent some of the finest work
R.EVIEW
The Voice of
the Moon
CORRECTION:
UM School of Music Opera Workshop
Friday, April 12 at 5 p.m. in McIntosh Theatre
(not 7 p.m., as stated earlier)
All events are free and wheelchair accessible unless
specified otherwise. For weekly events listings, call
the Music Hotline, 763-4726. The School of Music
is located at 1100 Baits Drive, North Campus.
The University of Michigan
School of Music
Sunday, April14
Campus Band
Damien Crutcher and Tania Miller, conductors
Hill Auditorium, 4 p.m.
Trumpet Studio Recital
Students of Professor Charles Daval
McIntosh Theatre, 8 p.m.
Faculty Recital
" Schumann: Marchenbilder
" Paganini: Quartetto XV for Viola, Guitar, Violin and Cello
* Hindemith: Die Serenaden, Kleine Kantate nach
Romantischen Texte.n
* Schoenfield: Cafe Music
Yizhak Schotten, viola; Katherine Collier, piano; Matthew
Mischakoff, guitar; Jana de Mita, cello; Kristen Beene, oboe;
Andrew Jennings, violin; Jennifer Ross, violin; Emily Benner,
soprano; Erling Blondal Bengtsson, cello; Anthony Elliott, cello
Recital Hall, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16
Chamber Choir
Theodore Morrison, conductor
" Bolcom: The Mask, based on works of African
American poets
. Brahms: Vier Gesange, op. 17
. Rossini: Vocal Quartets (from The Sins of Old Age)
Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 17
Faculty Recital
Arthur Greene, piano
" Scriabin: Sonata No. 3 in F# minor, op. 23; Sonata No. 7 in
C, op. 64 ("White Mass"); Sonata No. 9 in G, op. 68 ("Black
Mass")
" Beethoven: Sonata No. 32 in C minor, op. 11
Rackham Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 18
Campus Philharmonia Orchestra
David Tang and Bundit Ungrangsee, conductors
" Brahms: Hungarian Dances
" Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
" Borodin: Symphony No. 2
McIntosh Theatre, 7p.m.
Jazz Combos
Gerald Cleaver, director
Rackham Auditorium, 8 p.n.
Thursday-Sunday, April 18-21
Musical Theatre
Grand Hotel-The Musical by Davis, Wright and Forrest
Gary Bird, director; Ben Whitely, music director
Power Center, 8 p.m. (Thu.-Sat.); 2 p.m. (Sun.)
Tickets: $16-$6 (764-0450)
Friday, April 19
Concert Band
Dennis Glocke, conductor
Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 20
Contemporary Directions Ensemble
Tribute to Glenn Watkins, Earl V. Moore Professor of Music
H. Robert Reynolds, director
" Stravinsky: Momentum pro Gesualdo and Two Sacred Songs
" Works of Bolcom, Albright, Chambers, Daugherty, Bassett,
Directed by Federico
Fellini; with
Roberto Benigni
At Michigan Theater
in the renowned Italian director's ca-
reer. Fellini creates each scene without
using time or geographical references;
in this way, he colors the ambiance of
an undefined world. Fellini intended to
make a film with a peculiar plot and
unusual scenery.
While this technique shows cinematic
genius, it occasionally weakens the plot;
National Poetry Month
rolls through Shaman
Drum Bookshop
Shaman Drum Bookshop celebrates
National Poetry Month withthree
weekend events. On Friday night,
catch Vietnam vet writer/poet W.D.
Ehrhart reading from hs latest
collection at 8 p.m. Then, On
Saturday night at 8, it's the After
Hours Poetry Series, featuring
Richard Jones, published poet and
English professor at DePaul
University. Finally, spend a mellow
Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m., with local
poets Keith Taylor, Arwulf Arwuf,
Diane Wakowski and others talking
about their favorite poets. In
addition, two University students,
Richard McMullen and Holly
Spaulding, will read their award-
winning entries from Shaman Drum's
poetry contest.
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EOIAAE
the vagueness of the scenes often leads
to confusion. In one landscape, we see
Ivo in the midst of the typical Italian
environment complete with soft light-
ing and a picturesque village. We don't
know what year it is, but it doesn't
matter because the question never en-
ters our minds. Then, within a few mo-
ments, we have a disco with rancid
Michael Jackson music polluting the
background sounds. It is an unusual
time change, if it is even a change at all.
It is all like a very twisted nightmare,
and with the subtitles, the story is even
harder to fully understand. The charac-
ters are a bit crazy, and their bizarre
mannerisms make the film seem off the
wall.
The presentation of "The Voice of
the Moon" is amazing. Aside from Ann
Arbor, it is only being shown in three
other cities across America. It was first
released in Italy in 1990, and is now
being shown as part of a retrospective
on Academy-Award winning director
Fellini.
Italian comedian Benigni does a great
job as the lost soul in search of some
understanding of a befuddled world.
He resembles a clown with his sad eyes
and innocent smile; throughout the en-
tire film, his words and thoughts cap-
ture our hearts.
The story, however, can catch many
audiences off guard. The significance
of some of its intricate details compli-
cates the plot. Time reference is a prob-
lem because it abruptly changes from
classic scenery to a modern perspec-
tive.
"The Voice of the Moon" offers a
cunning story with a great background.
Fellini provides impeccable cinema-
tography and artistic achievement. The
deep concepts, however, turn a night at
the movies into an extended trip from
all realistic perception.
Take a pilgrimage to Yspilanti's Green Room and
hear the unique sound of Mecca Normal
For more than a decade, the name Mecca Normal has been synonymous with
Intense, intelligent and sometimes abrasive music. With her intense stage
presence and emotive lyrics, singer/poet Jean Smith is reminiscent of punk
poetess Patti Smith; however, Mecca Normal's music is more eclectic and
sparse. On their latest album, "The Eagle and The Poodle," the songs range
from haunting and delicate, like the opening track "Breathing in the Dark," to
sharp and caustic on "The Revival of Cruelty," to hard-rocking and punky on
"Now That You're Here." With just vocals, guitar and drums, the group creates °
a sound that is a perfect foil for Smith's poetic lyrics. Songs like "When You
Build a House Without Doors" and "Her Ambition" work equally well as printed
poetry. As great as albums like "The Eagle and the Poodle" and their Matador
Records debut "Sitting on Snaps" are, Mecca Normal's live shows are even
better, packed with energy and emotion. The band plays tonight in the
intimate confines of the Green Room in Ypsilanti. Even better, Smith's other
band Two Foot Flame opens. Tickets are just $5; call 482-8830 for more
information.
Indian music expands horizons
By Anitha Chalam
Daily Arts Writer
SPIC-MACAY, the Society for the
Promotion of Indian Classical Music
and Culture Amongst Youth, has been
active within the University for a few
years now. In that time, the organiza-
tion has brought to campus several
truly amazing performers. Most re-
cent among these great performers
was Shrimati Aruna Narayan Kalle,
who gave a concert on the solo sarangi
on Tuesday evening. The turnout for
the concert was low, but those who
were in attendance were lucky enough
to experience this very beautiful per-
formance. Though scheduled to start
at 7:30 p.m., the concert ran on Indian
Standard Time, and didn't begin until
nearly 8, lasting approximately an
hour and a half.
The sarangi, a predecessor to the
veena (a common classical Indian in-
strument) is a 36-string, carved
wooden instrument. It is only recently
gaining acclaim as a solo instrument,
even though its sound is most often
associated with the songs of folklore.
Shrimati Aruna is the only female
player of this instrument, having stud-
ied with perhaps the most respected
sarangi player in the world, her fa-
ther, Sri Pandit Ram Narayan, who
made significant contributions in the
playing technique of the sarangi, es-
REVIEW7
- Shrimati
Aruna Sarangi
Rackham Auditorium
April 9, 1996
tablishing the modern standard play-
ing method.
Though she started her studies of
this instrument relatively late in her
life, at the age of 18, Shrimati Aruna
is one of the most gifted players of
this very difficult bowed instrument.
She now plays concerts all over India,
as well as in several other countries,
including Festival of India concerts
in Sweden, the United States and the
former USSR, plus the Parampara Fes-
tival in the former West Germany.
Shrimati Aruna played three songs
that evening, all of them very diffi-
cult, and all of them from memory.
Though the sound of the sarangi
vaguely resembled that of a cello, it
was more ethereal and melancholy.
Also, it was tuned to various ragas,
scales unfamiliar to Western ears,
which accounted for a somewhat dis-
sonant and almost scratchy sound to
the songs. However, the songs did
also sound very typically Indian, just
what one would expect of Hindu mu-
sic, regardless of whether or not on
has ever been to India.
The songs were beautiful, but long,.
approximately 25 minutes each. Al-
though the music was heavily ap-,
plauded, the songs were difficult to stay
focused on for the entirety, because,
they had no meter, typical of Hindu'
music. Because of this, several mcm-i
bers of the audience became tired, and
left after the second piece. But the ma--
jority who stayed were able to hear tl*
third piece, perhaps the best piece ofthe
evening.
Though the majority of each piece
was performed solo, a set of tabalas
(Indian drums) provided an ethnic and
pleasing accompaniment. Both Shrimati
Aruna and her accompanists were cor-
dial, and were well received by the
audience.
SPIC-MACAY's main goal,
course, is to promote the music an
culture of India. Given that a surpris-
ingpercentage of Tuesday's audience
was not of Indian descent, it seems
that the group is operating with suc-
cess. Michigan Student Assembly-
elect Vice President Probir Mehta ex-
pressed his excitement for this. "I'm
really excited that Indian culture is
being promoted among all ofsociety.
It's great for Indians to make some
noise, and it's even bette1.hat the
are being heard."
ThE BEST of ANN ARbOR: COMiNq ThikSday
Make way for The Best of Ann Arbor, when those
wacky kids at Weekend, Etc. wrap up the year asWe
head into finals week. Find out who you thought was
No.1 this school year in everything from cheap beer
to hot music. Plus final columns from your favorte
Weekenders. That's next Thursday, only in the Daily.
A
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