Hands down, the National Ballet of Canada's Orchestra is talented beyond words. The fact that they played in one of engineering's greatest odes to music, Koerner Hall, made the experience of listening to the orchestra doubly majestic.
Last Tuesday, March 3, 2012, the National Ballet of Canada celebrated its 60th anniversary with a concert at Koerner Hall. A couple of years back, Koerner Hall was opened to the public for a free performance during Nuit Blanche, but alas! I missed it. That fact has been a thorn at my side for quite some time, but last Tuesday, I finally conquered my regret! Bwa ha ha! And boy was it ever worth every penny!
So here's the line up of music played that night. While I loved all the pieces, there were some stand-outs for me, and I've added links to those songs (not to the performances at Koerner Hall, unfortunately):
1. Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky
2. Polovtsian Dances by Alexander Borodin
3. Russian Dance from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky
4. Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev
5. Act III Pas de Deux from Onegin by Tchaikovsky
6. Opening Act III from Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus
7. Prelude and Waltz from Coppelia by Leo Delibes
8. Gymnopedie No. 1 from Monotones II by Erik Satie
9. Suite from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Joby Talbot
10. Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky
11. Mambo from West Side Story Suite by Leonard Bernstein
So why these six pieces? Well, Polovtsian Dances was so elaborate that I could imagine a story unfolding in my mind. I have never seen the ballet for Polovtsian Dances, but when I saw the Youtube version, I nodded to myself and said, "Yup, while the costumes in my mind were different, I definitely imagined a similar scenario." I hope the National Ballet of Canada adds this ballet to their repertoire sometime in the future.
Russian Dance from Swan Lake was amazing because when we watch the ballet, the orchestra is always hidden from view, and you never see how a master violinist serenades you with his or her craft. The Concertmaster for the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra (and the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra!) is Benjamin Bowman. He's an interesting fellow to watch, especially since he moves his two feet backwards and forwards on the chair every time he does some intense run on his violin. I wish I had a video camera to capture it :p His solo was superb!
I liked Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet because all I could think about during the performance was the word "sinister". This song would be the perfect character theme for some madcap villain, like Orwell's O'Brien from the novel, 1984 :p Okay, he's not so madcap as simply deranged and illogically twisted in the brain. Ha ha! Anyway, the tuba in this piece...yikes! I was sitting in the balcony right above the tuba, and wow-eee! The sound on that thing! And the acoustics of the hall! Sinister!
The next two, Gymnopedie No. 1 from Monotones II and the Suite from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland caught my attention because they added new flavours to the repertoire. While Gymnopedie No. 1 is a calm, sad and silent sea, the Suite swept you up on little ballet pointed shoes into Alice's world. The parts that I remember most about the piece (and gosh darn it! I wish there was a full version of the piece on YouTube! Harrumph!) are the fantastic percussion sections.
There was just so much of it going on, from little taps, to scratches and gongs, to the wooden and metal xylophones. I loved it absolutely and hope that a soundtrack comes out. It was so whimsical and magical and...words cannot even begin to describe the feelings and images you get when you listen to the piece. Sigh...
Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird...what can I say? It was a sweeping journey that went from bassoon to french horn to flute and brass, and back again! Not necessarily in that order, mind you. I don't know why, but this piece actually moved me to tears. It was sooo beautiful. Just listen to it!
Other highlights:
The principal clarinetist, Max Christie. Awesome. Period. I played the clarinet in high school, and to hear someone playing my instrument with such gusto and aplomb? Kudos!
The principal oboist, Mark Rogers. Thumbs up and holy cow! I wish sometimes that I had the chance to play the oboe in high school. His playing really makes me want to rent one just for kicks :p
The bassoons! Sigh...we didn't have any bassoons available in our high school band, so it was with great pleasure that I saw and heard some live, up close and personal.
David Briskin, the Musical Director and Principal Conductor, is someone to see. When he points at a section of the audience, or when he jumps up and down during a really intense part of a musical piece, he oozes passion. It was entertaining :D
Colm Feore, the night's host, and his beautiful voice. You just have to listen to him speak to know what I'm talking about.
The FOOD! They fed us after the concert. So sweet and lovely.
In conclusion? A beautiful night I wish I could relive again and again!
