Reviews
©
Original author and publication (credited when known). Used
here with permission or permission being sought. If you are
the rightful owner of any of these reviews and have not yet
been reached or do not agree to the use of these reviews in
this context, simply contact us at webmaster@canbrass.com
and we will remove the article in question.
Canadians with a lot of brass and good humor
By Jessica Wood, Santa Barbara News-Press Saturday,
August 12, 2000
It would not be at all surprising if 100 people
woke up Wednesday morning with an itch to take up the tuba.
The Canadian Brass gave a jump start to their
premier residency with the Music Academy of the West in a
sold-out concert Tuesday night at the Granada Theatre. With
a sound as brilliant as their 24-karat gold-plated instruments
and a delivery as stylish as their maroon, patent leather
sneakers, the 30-year-old quintet proved, if nothing else,
that "tuba player" is no longer the derisive insult it used
to be.
It started with a choreographed march up the
theater aisles, playing a jubilant Dixieland-style version
of "Closer Walk." This led into a spoken introduction by tuba
artist Charles Daellenbach, whose comedic remarks became one
of the hallmarks of the evening.
The first half of the concert was approached
in a relatively conventional manner, complete with music stands,
chairs and straight faces. In a tribute to the 250th anniversary
of Bach's death, they played excerpts from his "Goldberg Variations"
and his famous "Toccata and Fugue in d minor." The "Variations"
were performed with grace and expansiveness. Fast sections
were played with the fluidity of the most agile keyboard virtuosi.
Trumpet players Ryan Anthony and Jens Lindemann did a miraculous
job of passing the melody back and forth, so seamlessly that
it sounded as if played by a single instrument. The "Toccata
and Fugue" was similarly successful, also with breathtaking
technique. The overall clarity in articulation, tone and phrasing
made the perhaps overplayed work both interesting and moving.
Trombonist Eugene Watts introduced the "Porgy
and Bess" excerpts, warning the audience of upcoming moments
of boisterousness in his own solo. Each excerpt featured a
different instrument; those playing backup seemed to enjoy
the soulful riffs of their colleagues.
The ensemble added some serious tones to the
mix in a somber performance of Barber's Adagio for Strings.
Standing in a row, facing a different direction at various
points in the piece, it was an effective presentation, particularly
when the lights dimmed to darkness at the end.
But it was the group's humor that was most memorable
about the event. Among the three Beatles tunes they performed
was an unforgettable rendition of "Come Together." Daellenbach
explained it to be a psychological investigation of a person
who would want to take up the trumpet, and granted the audience
permission to cover its ears. Basically, it involved trumpet
players Ryan Anthony and Jens Lindemann playing faster, higher
and louder than one thought possible even from these chop-heavy
superstars. The other members scooted their chairs back crying
out in pain at one deafening moment.
And if this Beatles selection showed the range
of what the musicians could accomplish technically, the ensemble's
theatric potential was realized in its abridged version of
Bizet's Carmen. Complete with wigs, hats and a rose, they
offered a delightful spoof of the opera, poking fun at the
pitiable state of Don Jose. Daellenbach gave a masterful portrayal
of the bull (a role he claimed was mistakenly omitted from
the opera). Chris Cooper and Anthony were also humorous in
their portrayal of the interactions between Don Jose and Carmen.
That the whole piece was beautifully played seemed like mere
icing on the cake.
As an encore, Canadian Brass treated the audience
first to a selection from its Grammy-nominated CD, "Take the
'A' Train." Then, after Daellenbach's final speech (in which
he announced that bed check for the academy students was at
11), they concluded with "Tiger Tuba Rag." This may have been
the high point of the whole evening. Daellenbach had warned
the first 2O rows of the audience that he might lose hold
of his tuba during the performance. One honestly feared this
might happen, for all the flinging and whirling around he
did with it. He promised that he would rotate the instrument
360-degrees while playing a low B-flat - which he surely did
but not before an attempt that involved the tuba being stuck
between his legs.
Various other antics made this a hilarious romp
- as the trumpeters tried to crowd Daellenbach out of the
lineup, and as they sang a falsetto version of "Hold That
Tiger," with Daellenbach swinging his tuba and wailing on
it. The piece ended with Daellenbach sinking to the floor,
playing the lowest notes in the register, until he was flat
on his back for his final note.
FOR REFERENCE ONLY. NOT TO BE
REPUBLISHED.
|
