steve reich-you are (variations)-la master chorale performance

disclaimer

1. this should be obvious, i am not a professional music critic. my opinions are just that. think of this as a technical review.
2. you should also know that i had vocal and instrumental friends that performed tonight.
3. i was at the dress rehearsal and sat in the front of the hall. in the performance i sat in the upper balcony. this is the third master chorale concert i have attended.

observations

1. i was down front for the dress rehearsal and i really had trouble hearing the vocalists clearly. the amplification doesn’t seem be effective until you get to the middle of the hall. in the performance i could hear them very well. although the treble sound quality of the sound system sounds like my car with no woofer.

2. the violins sounded strange. either they were having intonation problems or the pickups that were using cuts out their natural sound. i know they also use them at the hollywood bowl, but i like the sound of the condensers better. i also had nothing to compare it too because only the violins only played on the reich. also there were no monitors on the stage, with all the amplification in the hall, hearing through the ensemble could have been a bit of a problem.

3. with all the sound reinforcement used (everything was miked), the woodwinds really had the hardest time cutting through the ensemble.

4. i think my main problem is with the hall and not the performance. compared to the rest of the program, the reich had the least dynamic contrast and visceral effect. i wouldn’t say this had to do with the performance or the composition. it has more to do with the hall. this was my 3rd concert at disney, and i think the hall is better suited for full orchestra. its strength is the ability to articulate the large dynamic contrasts that an orchestra or chorus can deliver. you can really hear the intimacy of a polyphonic motet or the colors of stravinsky’s orchestration. at disney when you amply the ensemble it clouds the clear waters.

5. i really like the orchestration choices. instead of writing for full orchestra, reich continues to stay with an ensemble to fit his aesthetic; woodwinds, strings, percussion and vocals. the work is also compelling meditation on his texts; no angels or fireworks like adams, but a road trip to inner peace. i would like to see more ensembles like this in the concert hall, but i think the main problem is adapting the rock and roll sound for an acoustic venue.

other thoughts

1. i really like going to master chorale concerts. from the programming to the personable introductions from grant gershon, the concerts make me feel like paying $50-$100 to see a concert. i can't always say that for the la opera or la phil.

2. disney hall is a great place to see a concert. sure the seating is a little crammed in, but aurally it is amazing and unique. because of its barn-like shape (now i know i will be hunted and killed) the sound goes straight up instead of forward. the effect is like looking at the ground from an airplane. you can really hear things you never could before. from this viewpoint comes the main paradox/sacrifice, we can experience the transparency of the orchestration, but the musicians don't always have that comfortable warm-chair feeling when performing. there will be some performances that are now a must see, but others will probably never work there.

3. overall i think it was a good first performance. the crowd really seemed to like it. i think it would have a more successful performance in different hall. i would be interested to compare this concert to another hall that pushes the sound forward. (royce?)