the b-sidel Thursday, October 19. 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 3B Shostakovich in concert at Hill Take note, heroines: Harder is hotter By Christina Choi Daily Arts Writer By Priya Bali Daily Arts Writer "I suffer for all who were tortured, starved or shot to death, whether by HitlerorStalin. I feel eternal UMS pain for each presents of the victims. The Kirov My sympho- Orchestra nies are tomb- stones." Friday and For years, Saturday at8 p.m. the words of Sunday at 4 p.m. Dmitri Shosta- $10 -$75 kovich have been recog- At Hill Auditorium nized as a reflection of the composer himself, a man who struggled internally as an entertainer and as a human being. As part of the Shostakovich Centennial Celebration,theKirov Orchestrawill honor the composer's genius starting Friday and continuing through Sun- day at Hill Auditorium. Erika Nelson, marketing assistant for UMS, the concerts will be "a wonderful opportunity for students to experience a world-renowned orchestra in U of M's 'Other Big House,' Hill Auditorium, and to dis- cover one of the finest Soviet com- posers of the 20th century." In this weekend's celebration of Shostakovich, the audience should expect to hear six of the composer's 15 symphonies composed anywhere between 1905 and 1969. Much of Shostakovich's repertoire has been influenced by Russian politics in the days of the Soviet regime. For instance, "Symphony No. 12" is a tribute to the Bolshevik revolu- tion of 1917. "Symphony No. 11;" is recognized as a memorial to the revolution against the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II in 1905. The chaos and hostility is communi- cated in the dramatic and haunting language of each composition. The cello, viola, violin, French horn and flute, to name a few, all contribute to the soft melody that transforms into a lively climax, a trademark in Shostakovich's symphonies. Founded in the 1700s, The Kirov Orchestra of the historic Mariinsky Theater is St. Peters- burg's leading symphony orchestra. Over the years, the theater has been a home to some of Europe's most renowned composers, including Hans von Bulow, Otto Klemperer and Bruno Walter. "The Sleep- Conductor and musical director of the Kirov Orchestra Valery Gergiev. ing Beauty," "The Nutcracker," "Tristan und Isolde" and "Prince Igor" are only a few of the great masterpieces from ballet and opera history that were born on the stage of The Mariinsky Theater. This weekend's performance will mark yet another appearance by Valery Gergiev, music director and conductor of the Mariinsky Theater since 1988. Among Gergiev's many awards, the director has won the Golden Mask Award and the Peo- ple's Artist of Russia Award. Gergiev has crossed the Russia's borders into forty-five other coun- tries where he has toured with the group in Europe, South America, North America, Australia, China, Japan and Israel. In January 2007, Gergiev will become the Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. When listening to Shostakovich's workthe listenermay hearthe trage- dy of war and inevitable revolutions, or he may hear the cry of a man who wanted nothing more than to experience a better world. Whether his musical expression is a record of political history or simply a memoir of the soul within the composer, The Kirov Orchestra's interpreta- tion will be a reflection of some of Shostakovich's most profound and timely works. $10 student rush tickets are available the day of the perfor- mance at the Michigan League Ticket Office. Half-off tickets will be available at the door the night of the performance beginning 90 minutes before the event. A forced viewing of "Terminator 2: Judg- ment Day" this past weekend evoked some conflicted feelings. On one hand, I was proud of Gov. Schwarzenegger for rising so far above his days of kicking cyborg ass. On the other, I cringed at Linda Hamilton's inability to kick ass at all. When the wife-beater clad Hamilton march- es out of a motor home, Rambo-style, with guns and ammo strapped to her back, the word "cool" doesn't exactly come to mind. "Psychot- ic breakdown" is more like it. Accordingly, her mission to kill a scientist fails when she col- lapses in tears in front of his terrified family after she barely manages to wound him. As distant as the 1991 debut of "T2" is, action-film heroines haven't progressed much since. They are consistently del- egated to some of the worst scripts in Hol- lywood, roles that frequently involve more fluff and sex appeal than action. While the sex inevitably sells, isn't it sad when the only thing memorable about "Catwoman" is Halle Berry's skintight leather costume? But then again, how sexy is a purring 38 year old anyway? But "Catwoman" isn't the only action flop in recent memory to go down at the hands of a female lead. She has plenty of com- pany with the likes of "Elektra," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and the especially atrocious "Ultraviolet." None of them will ever catch a whiff of an Oscar, no mat- ter how many miles Demi Moore runs in a skimpy black bikini. The problem with these films is their fixa- tion with keeping their characters stereo- typically female at heart. Love interests, children and deep-seated insecurities com- prise the uninspired weaknesses of these heroines. Even Kate Beckinsale's vicious and cold-blooded vampire in "Underworld" ends up falling in love with a man - which then prevents her from killing him when she has the chance. Male heroes are allowed to handle this differently. If the Termina- tor were in "Underworld," he would simply shoot the source of the problem in both legs and call it a day. In the bloodbaths of "Kill Bill," Uma Thurman appears to be immune to these weaknesses. Her vengeful character is able to enact her rage both skillfully and convinc- ingly. In addition to single-handedly ripping out a fellow woman's eyeball, Thurman can also pound her way out of a buried coffin with just enough blood and pain to make it knuckle-breakingly realistic. However, her most recent film - aptly entitled "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" - has made me re-evaluate DAILY ARTS. I my faith in Uma's credibility. Perhaps the only contemporary Hol- lywood woman who's thus far proven to consistently deliver a competent hero- ine is Angelina Jolie. Sure, her legendary looks are partly responsible for the modest success of "Tomb Raider," but at least no one laughed at her in the process. Instead, Jolie's character is able to pull off the type of shaken-not-stirred confidence that accompanies any great fictitious hero. And she is also capable of genuinely falling in love with a man and killing him upon the discovery that he's a gold-digging traitor. Beckinsale should take notes. Jolie's confidence carries over into her "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" role as a domesticated assassin who finds out that her husband, played by the savory Brad Pitt, is a rival assassin who must be terminated. While love predictably prevails, it's not without an extensive fistfight between the two that highlights Jolie's left hook. Like the mantra of "America's Next Top Model," Jolie has mastered the art of being both fierce and feminine. But with the exception of Jolie, the future looks bleak for action heroines. Currently, there's nothing on the horizon but "DOA: Dead or Alive," a video-game-inspired film set for release in December. Its most talked-about feature to date consists of a three-minute-long beach-volleyball scene. Clearly, another exciting Oscar-nominee season has begun. TOP: Angelina Jolle in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." BOTTOM: Uma Thurman in "My Super Ex- Girlfriend." Art for whose sake? The role of student publications By Alex Dziadosz This is because the media How about when they quit the Daily Arts Writer also exists to inform the public day jobs? - to point out new and inter- The line is hard to find, bi Last week the pages of this esting trends without judging it's there somewhere. paper hosted a denouncement and to help those who deserve a It's hard to imagine that th( of one Ann Arbor's most popu- chance at success get one. Daily condemned University lar student acts, the previously The trick is to figure out dropout Iggy Pop's immatur( unscathed Tally Hall. Arts edi- what combination of inform- sound as he and The Stooge tors' inboxes were flooded with ing and persuading is appropri- thrashed their way to promi responses. Some were clearly ate or necessary. When college nence on the stages of the Unio articulated and reasoned, some art hits the level of popularity and Blind Pig. But there's noth were unintelligible. Nearly all currently enjoyed by Tally Hall ing wrong with the music sec of them were furious. - yes, whatever its quality, tion calling his 2003 releas Clearly, the Daily's criticism Marvin's Marvelous Mechani- Skull Ring "uninspired." of this semi-casually attired cal Museum can and should be Not that Tally Hall and Th( "wonky rock" troupe is a touchy considered art - the boundar- Stooges have much in commo subject. But why? ies get a little blurrier. apart from their local origin Regardless of the review's Most bands have to make but the comparison is a goo( quality, much of the debacle artistic sacrifices to get their blueprint for this sort of issue. rests on a basic question of what music played, and it's silly to In the end, what's importan the relationship between student assume that Tally Hall - about is that both parties realize wha media and student art should half of whom seem to be going role they are able to play. Fo and should not be. The same to medical school - aren't now, Tally Hall is still a buncl article might have incensed aware of this. of 20somethings, staving o people had it run in the Los So when does an artist "make medical and grad school t( Angeles Times, but probably it," and when does the media's make a living off of music for not to the same degree. responsibility shift from while. The Daily is and alway) All media, the Daily includ- informing the public of that will be run and written by sti ed, exists in part to persuade the artist's existence to critiquing dents, also trying to make it. public. Professional columnists the quality of their work? Is it Neither role is comfortable and critics are expected to accu- when they get played on Vhl? but they're both necessary. mulate knowledge and powerful opinions, then convince others of their point's legitimacy. This is important. Like anything else, culture needs arbiters - experts who know a lot about it, think a lot about it and are able to articulate- ly convey their conclusions. It's why The New York Times has an Arts section. It's why people can make a career out of criticism. Still, when a student show -s at the Work Gallery opens, the #i Daily is expected to write about why it is there, how long it will be there and perhaps tell the story of the artists on display. The Daily is not expected to closely analyze and critique the - art. It would be in poor taste to deride the work of a spo more sculpture major who just landed his first gallery show last week. ' It's assumed there will be time for all of that when and if W they "make it." n 1thU SEASON 20061 2007 World-class performing artists. Cheap tickets for students. SHOSTAKOVICH CENTENNIAL FESTIVAL Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre Valery Gergiev conductor Men of the UMS Choral Union U-M Men's Glee Club FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 8 PM SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 8 PM SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 4 PM Hill Auditorium Esteemed conductor Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra return for the final installment of the Shostakovich Centennial Festival, a series of concerts celebrating the 100th birthday of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. ALL-SHOSTAKOVICH PROGRAM (FRI 10/20) Symphony No. 11 in g minor, Op. 103 ("The Year 1905")(1957) Symphony No. 6 in b minor, Op. 54 (1939) ALL-SHOSTAKOVICH PROGRAM (SAT 10/21) Symphony No. 12 in d minor, Op. 112 ("1917, or Lenin")(1961) Symphony No. 14 in g minor, Op. 135 (1969) ALL-SHOSTAKOVICH PROGRAM (SUN 10/22) Symphony No. 8 in c minor, Op. 65 (1943) Symphony No. 13 in b-flat minor, Op. 113 ("Babi Yar") (1962) The Shostakovich centennial Weekend is presented with supporttfrom Kaydon Corp. and the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation. The Friday night performance is sponsored by 4 U-M students can purchase Rush Tickets to each performance for $10 on Friday, October 20 from 9 am to 5 pm at the Michigan League Ticket Office, or for 50% off regularly published ticket prices at the Hill Auditorium box office beginning 90 minutes before each performance. The Saturday night performance is co-sponsored by BORDERS. - *rop Funded in part by the Wallace Endowment Fund. Media Partners WGTE 91.3 FM and Observer & Eccentric Newspapers These are CLASSICAL KIDS CLUB concerts. PRECONC[RT[ECTUR[: "Mass Murder, Memorials, and Music: Babi Yar And Its Politics" SUN, OCT 22, 2 PM Zvi Gitelman, Preston R. Tisch Professor of Judaic Studies and professor, U-M Rackham Auditorium Department of Political Science, leads a special pre-concert lecture prior to the (915 East Washington St.) final performance of the Kirov Orchestra featuring Shostakovich's Symphony Free admission No. 13 in b-flat minor, Op. 113 ("Babi Yar"). This historic composition memorializes the Russian Jews killed at Babi Yar during World War I. A collaboration with the U-M Center/for Russian and East European Studies. c um s Call or click for information! V. scs 747428Iw wuso so/ 734-764-2538 I www.ums.org -~~