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Symphonic splendor at Clark I « ? Tilson Thomas and the Buffalo Philharmonic customary coughs, sneezes and other assorted bodily functions that always seem to fill the air during rests and soft passages at symphonic concerts. Unfettered by tradition, most of the students were there to simply tune-in the music, leaning forward to get as close to the musicians as possible and rocking to Beethoven, Sibelius and Ravel. Few lost interest and even fewer dozed off. thioughout the piece - but allows the orchestra more textural opulence throughout. The result is a more expansive work than his previous symphonies, thereby making \Sibelius’s 5th,” according _ to Tilson Thomas, \incredibly beautiful and incredibly menacing at the same time.” by Karl Schwartz Undaunted by an atmosphere quite unlike that of the concert hall, Michael Tilson Thomas and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performed three widely divergent 19th and 20th Century works before a marvelously appreciative student audience in Clark Hall Thursday night. Ravel’s \La Valse (1920),” the final piece on the program, is as sophisticated a musical parody (in this case on the Waltz), as has ever been composed. As Tilson Thomas colorfully informed the audience, the waltz was so the rage of 19th Century Vienna that those who could afford to, would spend all of their lives learning how to dance it properly. What made learning to waltz so difficult Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas led the orchestra through Much of the credit for the re.axed but attentive atmosphere must go to Michael Tilson Thomas, the Orchestra's renowned conductor who gave lively and quick-moving explanations before each work. Of the 4th Symphony, Tilson Thomas remarked, \This piece has gotten better over the years,\ as well it has, with more and more listeners learning to appreciate the less severe symphonies of Beethoven. Although far more jovial than the more popular 3rd, 5th and 9th Symphonies, the 4th may well be the richest in musical content of all the Beethoven Symphonies. \Symphony No. 4” by Beethoven, “Symphony No. 5” by Sibelius, and Ravel’s \Symphonic Poem, La Valse.” In addition to offering great music by a fine symphony orchestra, the concert confirmed the populist notion that classical music can by' fully appreciated without the trimmings of a formal concert hall. The formal attire of the Orchestra’s musicians seemed out of place among the mostly student audience, which filled three-quarters of Clark Hall’s gymnasium. Seated leisurely on blankets, pillows and bleachers, the students could have easily passed for a rock concert crowd. The rubber matting layed down to protect the floor emitted a pungent odor, which, if nothing else, was a constant reminder of the unconventional setting. The music was precise and dynamic as I have ever heard from the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the audience was so enthused by the performance — and, unconcerned with protocol — that it applauded enthusiastically between movements of the symphonies as well as at their conclusions. All this with none of the was that each new piece of magic demanded a step all its own. The Orchestra gave credible performance of the three works on the program. The strings commenced the evening in powerful fashion, amply filling the gym with the first theme of the 4th Symphony’s exposition. Etheral interplay Tilson Thomas described Jean Sibelius as a man “obsessed with the exact sounds of natural processes” who was greatly influenced by his native Finland. The audience chuckled warmly at Tilson Thomas’ Finland-Buffalo comparison: \It’s grey - I feel so at home there.\ In both the first movement of the Sibelius and the second movement of the Beethoven, there is an etheral interplay between the winds and the strings which requires the utmost sensitivity and precision. The Philharmonic worked both of these passages well, the mark of a fine professional orchestra. Unfortunately, the Orchestra was not as consistently conscious of proper balance. The string section, for example, often dominated wind melodies wi|h string accompaniment. This Vas most sampling Mich»«l Tilton Thomw —Buchanan Final waves of the baton disconcerting during the last movement of the Sibelius Symphony in which the flute solo that helps build the climax of the movement was barely heard over the violins. The temptation is to put off problems of poor dynamics to the acoustics of Clark Hall. However, I found the acoustics in the gym to be surprisingly adequate, and if —continued on pan* 14— In the \5th Symphony (cl915),’’ Sibelius employs the same kinds of eerie and mysterious motifs that flow through his earlier works - using one or two motifs in varied form A random Among other things, the importance of Random Radar Records is that of saving the genre of “progressive\ from its latent Seventies period and its recent identity crisis. Formed as a non-profit corporation for the dispersing of complicated musical hybrids and refreshing lyrical ideologies, Random Radar has metamorphosized into the prime stockhold of both English and American eccentrics. Direct from the Crimso school of thought - that which encouraged a struggling (and oft times ugly) blend of classical motifs, off-beat rhythms and important electrical defiance - the artists that grace the roster of the Random Sampler present a true return to (and in the case of some of the artists, a continued extension of), the imagistic composing of the likes of Henry Cow or early Gentle Giant or possibly Steve Reich. Of the artists in question — Logproof, Lol Coxhill, Steve Feigenbaum, Mars Everywhere, Fred Frith, Illegal Aliens, The Muffins — the trans-Atlantic split is pretty even; The Muffins, Illegal Aliens and Mars Everywhere being the American by-product of some organized musician swapping at Catch-A-Buzz Studios; Fred Frith and Chris Cutler and Dagmar Krause continuing explorations in the guise of the second generation Henry Cow amalgam: The Art Bears. Beyond their ability to organize and distribute the most viable strains of the \progressive” mode (remember that at this point, with the possible exception of Yes and Gentle Giant, bands such as Kansas, Styx or even later Genesis do not apply to the challenging brand of sounds that were originally termed “progressive.”), the major distinguishing quality of Random Radar Records is that of sincere non-commercialism, which undoubtedly is responsible for the experimental freedom and aesthetic packaging the artists on this label experience. The members of the corporation consider themselves as “a collective, each member having an equal say.” Note that despite their independence, the products emerging from this label are of quality equal to that of the major recording companies. Random Radar’s stock, along with A Random Sampler (on which both of these bands appear). The Muffins are from the Washington, D.C. area and have tailored their unique sound through the extreme usage of flutes, various saxophones, oboes, recorders, along with bass, drums and keyboards. Manna/Miroge is a statement of neo-classical experimentation (?) that meanders and dances the worlds of Gryphon or Ornette Coleman. The Muffins’ sound is as light and refreshing as it is visually powerful and direct. Separate from The Muffins’ instrumental arrangement, Hopes and Fears once more exposes those artists that headmanned the British \progressive” scene in the '.Infamous group Henry Cow: Chris Cutler, Fred Frith and Dagmar Krause. While also employing a wide range of classically exercised instruments — ofttjes, celloes, xylophones — The Art Bears provilj,? a less melodic, more disjoint message with Krause's voice, engaging in what might be termed as baroque beat poetry House Calls Sat. April 28 5, 5,7:15 & 9:30 Sun. April 29 2:30. 4:45. 7. t 9:15 pm IVldei® Kavjs meeting the tuned percussives of Cutler and the prepared guitars of Frith. The results are rebelliously hypnotic. Also involved with the Random Radar movement is a \percussionist and tape fiend,\ Michael Bass, and his album Parches! P!e (with a second release, Painting by Numbers, due soon). With the increasing success of Random Radar Records comes the obvious notions of recording-grassroots movements in cities across the country and the return of aesthetic and artistic freedoms into the hands of those making the statements (a very real consideration when you study the recent legal hassles Frank Zappa ensued). If you’re interested in any of the aforementioned artists, the albums can be obtained by contacting Random Radar Records, P.O. Box 6007, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20906. The albums are all priced cheaper than the major labels. -Tim Swltala MIDNIGHT SHOW Fri. & Sat. The Muffins’ Manna/Mirage and The Art Bears’ Hopes and Fears currently comprise the bulk of UUAB & UUAB FILMS THIS WEEKEND IN THE CONFERENCE THEATER lOMtMC A Rim by SATYAJIT RAy| inns 6HES& inA/sftsi Produced by SURKSH JINDAL I A1IM* NCOlOR ( rratnr /ilmi International ( orp Friday, April 21 B:30, 6:15, 9 pm
