Live Long and Prosper: Star Trek: Into Darkness - the NSO

This will be a short blog post today since this show was simple but quite good! Coming up on the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek original series, the rebooted series by J.J Abrams came to Wolf Trap with a score played by the NSO. This was the 2nd movie of the series, with the third one being released very recently. Star Trek of course has a very long and successful history and is one of the most popular fantasy series of all time! The original series with Leonard Nemoy and William Shatner aired from 1966 to 1968 and the first feature film was released in 1979. The first film in the rebooted series was released in 2009 and all three have been critically acclaimed and commercially successful.

This show was very easy to manage and because of that, I was really able to get into the music and film. I forgot how good these rebooted Star Trek movies are and the music was really amplified with live orchestra. The audience was very into the movie itself and I couldn't help but get into it too! The only unfortunate part is that it rained almost the entire time and it was pretty miserable on the lawn. Luckily, that also brought down the temperature and the rain did stop by the end of the movie!

I don't know if I have a favorite part of the movie but I was able to get a close look at the orchestra near the pit while they were playing the credit which was very cool!

As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

The USS Enterprise 

Violin Prodigy - Chad Hoopes and the NSO

Despite spending so much time around music, I would be hard pressed to tell anyone what instrument I like the best. Every instrument is capable of playing beautiful music and it's based on my mood or what I'm listening to at the time. If I had to pick my top instruments though, I'd probably say piano, guitar, clarinet, violin, and mandolin. Last night, violin was at the top of my list. Chad Hoopes is only 22 years old but he has already travelled around the world and is making a big name for himself on the classical stage. He has been playing the violin since the age of 3 (how is that possible???) and began his study in the Cleveland Institute. He later studied in violin in a prestigious school in Germany and has since went on tour, playing with a variety of orchestras and symphonies. He has garnered critical acclaim and I'm simply marveled at how young he is, only a few months older than I am!

I was floored by the talent of Hoopes. He's definitely the best violin player I've ever heard in concert and this might be the best classical performance of the year for me! He played a suite by Tchaikovsky, who happens to be my favorite composer! His high notes were a pleasing as any other note and he played with such emotion and grace it seemed he was telling a story through the music. I felt like I was transported to another time and place, guided only by sound! The NSO was a perfect accompaniment and guest conductor Stephane Deneve was great at facilitating the exchange between orchestra and soloist. The NSO also played great pieces by Ravel and Debussy which were top notch, as usual. There wasn't a huge crowd tonight so I really got to watch and listen to a lot of the show. I felt like people knew they were in the presence of greatness and it's so great that Hoopes still has his whole career in front of him! Great show!

My favorite part of the shoe was the first movement of the Tchaikovsky piece! It was absolutely beautiful composition and Hoopes violin flowed effortlessly through the arpeggios and runs. Definitely won't be the last I hear of him!

As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

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Chad Hoopes 

The King of Croon - Tony Bennett

An often used phrase in sports is that "age is undefeated." This year saw the retirements of prominent sports figures like Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning. Music is under the same spell. Every singer has to deal with age and some have dealt with it the better than others. When I heard that Tony Bennett was going to celebrate his 90th birthday next week, I was completely shocked. What an accomplishment to still be singing and touring when you've been around for 9 decades! With a career like his, he deserves retirement more than anyone but he has graciously continued singing to his beloved fans. Tony Bennett started his career shortly after he returned from Europe while fighting in World War II. He made his first recordings in the late 1940's and his first hit came with Columbia records in 1951; "Because of You." He would achieve a number of big hits in the 1950's and the early 1960's with his signature tune, "I Left my Heart in San Francisco", coming in 1962. During this time, he also engaged in the Civil Rights Movement and participated in the March to Selma in 1965. His popularity waned in the late 60's and 70's due to the emerging rock n' roll scene but he revitalized his career in the 80's and continues to tour and record to this day. One of his most recent releases was a duet album with pop star Lady Gaga, a weird matching that shows he's still a big name in the music industry. He has won a whopping 19 Grammys and 2 Tony awards and has sold more than 50 million albums in his 65 year career. He is now considered one of the best pop crooners in history and is certainly up there with Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. A truly remarkable artist!

This whole show I was literally in awe of this man! Backed by a band of only a guitarist, drummer, and piano, he gave a wonderful show and his voice has ages incredibly. He sings with the passion and wisdom of a man who has seen it all and he really hasn't missed a beat. His voice still carries quite powerfully and I wonder how he's been able to maintain his voice for so long! While his music isn't my cup of tea per-say, I have nothing but admiration for his songs and his voice is so soothing and relaxing! I'm quite glad that he put on a good show because everything else that night was crazy. This was the first big rainstorm at Wolf Trap since I've been back and it rained pretty much the entire time. We had a huge amount of wheelchair patrons due to the age of the audience so everyone was running around in the rain and hardly had time to enjoy the singing. But luckily, all the patrons were gracious and were just happy to see this legend still performing. No one seemed to mind the rain on the lawn which was great to see.If that doesn't show the respect Bennett has gained from his followers, nothing does!

My favorite part of the show was when he performed his most popular song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". This was the only song of his that I know and somehow the whole scene was perfect. I was standing in the rain, watching this marvelous artist perform a song he's sang for 54 years and somehow, it sounded like he could sing it for another 54.

As, always looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

 

Tony Bennett 

Guitar Gods - Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy

I always tend to downplay my skill on the instruments that I play. I've finally acknowledged that I've chosen to learn a bunch of instruments rather than learn one instrument really well. I've been playing the guitar for about 2 years and even though I'd say i'm pretty comfortable with the instrument, I'm by no means advanced and I would love to learn how to really improvise. Seeing these artists play showed me what real guitar playing is like. Jeff Beck first got his start in the mid 1960's with the Yardbirds. Taking over from Eric Clapton in that band was a tough task but Beck led them to major innovations in their sound and became well known for his psychedelic playing . He later formed the Jeff Beck group who pioneered the heavier blues rock sound that Led Zeppelin and other 70's bands would emulate later. When that group broke up in 1969, Beck embarked on his own and has released a number of critically acclaimed albums of his own. Although he never achieved the commercial success of players like Clapton or Jimmy Page, he strove to reinvent his guitar playing whenever possible and pushed the limits of what a guitar can do. He has won 8 Grammy awards and was rated as the 4th greatest guitarist in Rolling Stone magazine. Buddy Guy also has a long history. He got his start in Chicago in 1957 when he began to play in the style of Muddy Waters. He released a number of critically acclaimed albums throughout the 1960's and 70's but it wasn't until the 80's when he truly became recognized outside of the musical circle. While he could be called a Chicago Blues artist, his works also incorporates more free form blues and jazz fusion. He has influenced countless guitarists including Clapton (who called Guy the best guitar player alive), Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In a sense, Buddy Guy formed the basis of what Jeff Beck was able to achieve in the peak of his career during the 70's.

This was an incredible show! Buddy Guys is an astounding musician and I simply couldn't believe he is 79. He played with such fiery passion and his voice still sang with the fury of a younger man. You could tell that countless guitarists have tried to mimic his wonderful playing but I simply had never heard the blues done in that way. He even came into the audience and was a great entertainer. Jeff Beck has a much more developed and varied set that included blues, soul, and straight up rock. He was helped by a couple singers who were very good and knew when to take over from Beck or let him have the stage. I can't really explain Beck's playing since it was entirely his own and he played with the confidence of a seasoned musician who has seen it all. While he usually remained inconspicuous on stage, the sounds coming out of his Stratocaster were was probably the best guitar music I've ever heard. Overall, these musicians rocked the house and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen at Wolf Trap! The people on the lawn were as drawn into it as I was and despite one unruly patron, everything went smoothly. It was the 5th day of 90+ degree weather but everyone persevered!

I couldn't decide my favorite part so I went with two. Beck played an incredible cover of "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder and it's soul beat was perfect for his free form playing. He also closed the show with a cover of "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles. Both times, he took a well known song and for that night, it was all his.

As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

Jeff Beck 

Buddy Guy 

Pink Martini and the NSO

When I heard that the band Pink Martini was going to play last night, I immediately thought of a cabaret performance with music that would be fitting in a smoky lounge or even a fancy elevator. But as usual with Wolf Trap concerts, I thought wrong. Pink Martini is a band founded in 1994 by Thomas Lauderdale in Oregon. He initially set to create a "mini" orchestra that would incorporate a diverse number of musical genres including jazz, classical, pop, and elements of music from around the world. They have become popular all over the globe, particularly in Europe. They have released 7 albums since their debut in 1997. In addition, they have performed with a variety of ensembles including the LA Phil, Boston Pop, and the San Francisco Symphony. Along with Lauderdale, they are headed by singers China Forbes and Storm Large.

The show got off to a slow start initially with the sort of cabaret music I thought they would play throughout the night. I'll admit I'm not a fan of that kind of music but I was relieved to find their repertoire spanned many distinct genres and rhythms. They had a couple songs with a latin beat, songs with more of a Bollywood feel, and even some swing songs that seemed to come straight from the 1940's. What I thought was really was that the singers knew a few languages a sang songs in english, spanish, and arabic! It was remarkable how easily the band and the NSO switched between different types of music and each of the musicians in Pink Martini were fantastic, particularly the brass players. In a show that I thought would be relaxing and laid back, they had people up and dancing for a quite a number of songs and the energy of their instrumentation prevented their songs from settling into a mellow trance. A special moment was when Ari Shapiro, the host of NPR's All Things Considered (which has gotten me through a slew of traffic jams on the way to work) came out and sang a beautiful song. He is a man of many talents and seemed super comfortable on the stage! Once again, the NSO took a backseat to another performer but that definitely added to the sound in a positive way and despite it being incredibly hot, I'm sure they liked playing different kinds of music than they're used to. There were a lot of people on the lawn for an NSO show and it was really hot but everyone was nice and didn't seem to mind the weather that much.

My favorite part of the show was the end of the first set when they played a swing song with a kick-ass drum solo. I love swing music as it gives each musician a chance to shine and Pink Martini didn't disappoint!

As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

Pink Martini 

Russian Legend - The Firebird and the NSO

When I heard that last night's performance was going to be a puppet show, I literally thought there were going to be a bunch of people running around the stage with sock puppets. Luckily, it was a bit more complicated than that. The National Symphony Orchestra accompanied a truly unique performance of the Firebird ballet by Stravinsky. But instead of just having a dancers, the performance was done by the Handspring Puppet Company. This South African company is one of the most famous in the world and their work has included the critically acclaimed play, War Horse. Firebird itself is a ballet written by Stravinsky in 1910 that tells a story of Prince Ivan who spares the Firebird from death and with the help of the magical creature, defeats the magician Koschei and frees all the creatures under his spell. The Firebird itself is based on an old Slavic legend of a bird that can be both a blessing and a curse to its owner.

Although the plot was pretty hard to follow throughout the show, it was a very good performance and the puppets were truly amazing! When I say puppets, think of huge models of dragons and birds that have to be manned by several people. The puppeteers themselves are also incredible dancers and the whole performance flowed really well. They did a great combination of choreography combining the subtly of their dance moves with the fanfare of these large puppets and props they were flying across the stage. And this was only the 2nd part of the show. The first part was the NSO itself playing a number of relaxing pieces including selections from Prokofiev and Ravel. But they were not the main part of this show, and the puppets really made this a great performance. I didn't come in expecting much but was really blown away by the artistry! There were a fair amount of people on the lawn but it was a very easy show and despite being blazing hot, the show was an easy one to work.

The best part of the show for me was the climax when the magnificent firebird itself emerged  in its full form on the stage. It took up the whole front of the stage and must have been manned by half a dozen people. I was able to look at it up close and it was so awesome! No wonder these guys won a Tony award in 2011!

As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

The Firebird 

Eclectic Artistry - Sufjan Stevens

I can definitely say that there are a few key things I look for in a good songs. I look for a nice guitar riff, good chord progressions, a nice chorus, and a heavy emphasis on the band sounds. On the other hand, I try not to limit myself to these credentials and remain open to any kind of music I can get my hands on. I had heard of Sufjan Stevens before tonight but I'm now a firm believer that no one knows Sufjan Stevens unless you have seen him live. His performance was one of the most chaotic, yet harmonious concerts I have ever seen and I'm still trying tot decide whether it was all too much or just enough. Stevens grew up in Michigan and recorded his first album,  A Sun Came, in 2000 while finishing up college. He plays a variety of instruments including the banjo, guitar, bass, drums, english horn, and oboe. Since his first album, his recordings have ranged from moody acoustic sets (Carrie and Lowell) to the outlandish and avant garde (Illinois). Over time, his performances have become grand and ornate and Stevens seems to be forever on the quest to change and update his sound. He has released seven albums in total and while he's never had a blockbuster record per say, he has a loyal following and is quite well known. His opener was Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, a local Virginia band who formed in 2003 and have released five albums in the electronic rock genre.

At first, I was taken aback by this show. Let me describe the stage. At the center was Stevens, dressed in a space suit like costume with a banjo draped in banners. Along with his core band, there were several brass players in vibrant suits flanked by three girl dancers who were wearing glow in the dark costumes. Behind everyone was a huge projection of spacey images At one point, there was an inflatable robot that towered over Stevens and the rest of the band. His first few songs was a deluge of sound and even though the band is quite good, they were overpowered by the sheer multimedia presentation of the performance. It was hard to tell where one song ended and the other began and Stevens was perfectly content with not being the center of the sound. For most of the show, I thought everything was too over the top and his artistry was hidden behind a wall of crazed sound. Honestly, i was disappointed. What didn't help was that Thao and the Get Down, Steven's opener, were quite bad.  They tried to be a rock band an electronic artist and ended up being neither. The singers voice was not suited to the type of music and their unrealized musical direction was a little hard to hear. But alas, the show ended on a high note. Sufjan came back for an encore backed by only his banjo and  a guitar. At that moment, I finally got to here the beauty of his music and his great voice. I also began to understand his message of living life and being appreciative of everything around you. His Christian values were a lear influence on his music and it was great hearing an artist so passionate about peace and harmony. In the end, I can't say that Sufjan Stevens is one of my favorite artist, but his concert showed me that he is one of the great musicians of today and I have nothing but respect and admiration for his message and musical style. In the end, isn't that what all musicians want?

My favorite part of the show was when he played Chicago! While this was during the loud part of the show, I think it was one of the few moments when the whole spectacle locked in and brought the song to a whole new level. the audience was engaged and the soft spoken Stevens couldn't have been happier.

As always, looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

Sufjan Stevens

Thao and the Get Down