Klarinet Archive - Posting 000097.txt from 2008/11

From: Wayne Thompson <wthompson7274@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Doctor Atomic
Date: Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:28:35 -0500

I saw the Met production also.=A0 Perhaps I have less experience with opera=
and with modern music than Steve Heinemann or Dan Leeson;=A0maybe my viewp=
oint is more representative of less experienced opera goers.=A0 I was very =
moved by the drama, and wanted to be moved by the music.=A0 Now, 24 hours l=
ater, I can't remember the music, and I wish I did, but there was not=A0tun=
es=A0for me to grab onto.=A0 I suppose this is my unfamiliarity Adams music=
or the genre in general.=A0 I loved the poetry, the individual words were =
so lovingly enounced and presented, and the close ups of the video producti=
on made the language even better.=A0=A0 In the last aria of the 1st act, Op=
penheimer sings words from the poetry of John Donne, and it was incredibly =
moving for me, yet I didn't understand the poetry or the music to say why i=
t was moving.=A0 Interesting; this must be how in beginners in any art enjo=
y a good work.=0A=0AAnd I heard the Contrabass Clarinet, too, Dan, and thou=
ght it wonderful and effective.=0A=0AWayne T=0A=0APS=A0 These live Met HD b=
roadcasts are great!=A0 We discovered them last season with Hansel und Gret=
el on New Years Day.=A0 I recommend them without reservation.=A0 They have =
the precision and content of good DVDs, but they also have a least some of =
the ambience of a live Met matinee.=A0 Great fun.=A0 The next is November 2=
2, The Damnation of Faust.=A0 Research your local movie theaters; here in B=
akersfield, California,=A0there seems to be no advertising at all.=0A=0A=0A=
=0A----- Original Message ----=0AFrom: Dan Leeson <dnleeson@-----.net>=
=0ATo: klarinet@-----.org=0ASent: Sunday, November 9, 2008 12:42:23 PM=
=0ASubject: Re: [kl] Re: Doctor Atomic=0A=0AThanks for you input on the mat=
ter of Dr. Atomic, Stephen.=A0 I was not as =0Aimpressed with the music as =
you were, but I thought that its dramatic =0Apurpose=A0 was sensational. Th=
ere was nothing wrong with the music, I just =0Afound it too angular. But i=
t was the instrumental usage that fascinated me, =0Aparticularly the use of=
what I think was at least one contrabass clarinet.=0A=0ADan Leeson=0Adnlee=
son@-----.net=0A=0A----- Original Message ----- =0AFrom: "Heinemann, St=
ephen" <sjh@-----.org>=0ASent: Sunda=
y, November 09, 2008 11:17 AM=0ASubject: [kl] Re: Doctor Atomic=0A=0A=0A> O=
n 11/9/08 4:01 AM, Dan Leeson <dnleeson@-----.net> wrote:=0A>=0A>> Saw =
the production of Dr. Atomic from the Met in NY and in several=0A>> section=
s I heard what has to be the loudest contrabass clarinet I ever=0A>> heard =
or else two contrabass clarinetists blasting away.=A0 There was also=0A>> w=
hat I think may have been an A-flat piccolo clarinet (or else an I-flat=0A>=
> clarinet player who could play up to high A).=A0 Anyone know about the=0A=
>> clarinet needs of John Adams=A0 Dr. Atomic.=0A>>=0A>> The opera is very =
effective dramatically, but musically, that's another=0A>> matter.=0A>=0A> =
Sorry, I can't help out with any clarinet specifics.=0A>=0A> I saw Doctor A=
tomic early this year in Chicago and thought it was one of =0A> the=0A> mos=
t profound works of art I've seen.=A0 I was especially impressed with the=
=0A> music, which I found to be powerful and moving -- harmonically and=0A>=
melodically convincing, rhythmically fascinating, and brilliantly=0A> orch=
estrated.=A0 To each his own.=0A>=0A> Just to be sure, I went to the local =
dodecaplex yesterday and saw the same=0A> performance that Dan did.=A0 My i=
nitial impressions of the music were=0A> reinforced, and I'm looking forwar=
d to the release of the recording.=A0 The=0A> staging and sets (by a differ=
ent director and designer) seemed very static=0A> and were not nearly as co=
mpelling as those in Chicago, although that may=0A> have been in part an il=
lusion forced by all the close-up camera angles.=0A>=0A> Steve Heinemann=0A=
> Bradley University=0A>=0A>=0A> ------------------------------------------=
dwind.org,=0A> klarinet-digest-unsubscribe@-----.org if you get the dige=
lp: email klarinet-owner@-----.org=0A> =0A=0A=0A------------------------=
-unsubscribe@-----.org if yo=

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