| Venezuela ensemble inspires audience with variety of music (11/07) | | Print | |
| Written by Glennis Markison | |
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An engaging introduction, passionate solos, a spicy rhythm section, trumpet flipping and a fair amount of booty-shaking were just part of the entertainment at the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble’s performance on Nov 5. The musicians, currently touring the United States, played for free at the Davies Symphony Hall, attracting music teachers and students from schools throughout the Bay Area, including 50 Lowell music students, and as far away as Grass Valley. San Francisco Youth Orchestra conductor Benjamin Schwarz introduced the brass and percussion players, members of the Simon Bólivar Youth Orchestra, and got the large crowd in the perfect mood for the concert. An enthusiastic Schwarz foreshadowed the youthful spirit of the music that would follow. His references to thrilling moments from the players’ concert the night before received cheers from previous concert attendees. After that introduction, everyone’s eyes followed the young, hip musicians as they walked on stage wearing all-black clothes, the men with crisp white ties. The players’ confident entrance, instruments shining and attitude upbeat, increased the energy, and applause filled the hall. Then the fun began. In the group’s first piece, “Fanfare for the Common Man,” the percussion section acted as a fire-starter, igniting the sound of the entire brass section with every beat. When the whole ensemble played together, their crystal clear tone enabled the audience to appreciate their use of dynamics. The sweeping crescendos were like flames growing higher and higher, and the passionate lower notes resembled the calm after the blaze. The third piece, the tango “Canaro en Paris,” showcased the players’ versatility. This exciting Latin-inspired piece provoked some dance moves from the well-respected conductor, Thomas Clamor. His arms and hips moving with the beat of the music, his baton cueing the instruments, the German-speaking Clamor proved that the music’s energy could break though the language barriers between the performers. “The music was alive and vibrant,” band teacher Mitchell Wagner said. “Their spirit is huge in this group.” A later piece, “Tico-Tico,” truly showcased the group’s technical and creative abilities. Not only a perfect performance musically, “Tico-Tico” included elements that the audience never saw coming. The band’s rich sound supported both the soloist’s improvised lines and his composed melodies. The supporting players’ rhythmic punctuations and the expressive and confidant soloist’s clear sound served as the perfect call-and-response balance. Midway through the piece, trumpet players starting flipping their trumpets as the audience’s jaws dropped. Trombone players got up and danced – shaking their butts with such synchronization that some audience members were left wondering how the group pulled it off. “How do you tell them to get up and shake their booties if they don’t speak the same language?” junior audience member Maya Sussman asked. The group ended the performance with the thrilling “Guerra de Secciones (War of the Sections).” As the band left the stage amidst loud applause, Schwarz returned to give the audience one last treat – a chance to hear from the conductor and a few members of the ensemble. The musicians talked about their personal experience in La Systema, the musical program that formed the Simón Bolivar Orchestra. The conductor mentioned how grateful he was for the experience to lead such passionate musicians. The music students left the concert hall chatting about how original the performance was. “I liked how they had the stage acts,” sophomore audience member Leo Boluk said. “I loved the raw energy from the rhythm section.” |
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