Roving Pittsburgher Report: A Resounding Musical Pastiche of Not-To Be Forgotten Hollywood’s Good Guys and Bad Guys by the PNC Pops

Title
Review of _Heroes and Villains at the Pittsburgh Symphony 
From:  Roving Pittsburgher Report and PositivePittsburghLiveMagazine.com
Written By:  Hank Walshak

Heroes and Villains

A Resounding Musical Pastiche of Not-To Be Forgotten

Hollywood’s Good Guys and Bad Guys by the PNC Pops

By

Hank Walshak

Even the most demanding film buff had to be pleased with Heroes and Villains, Conductor Lucas Richman’s October 18 pastiche of film-music nostalgia. OK, to be more specific, the 18 pieces on the Heroes and Villains program carried me back to Hollywood’s depictions of the good guys and the bad guys in films.

Lucas Richman via Pittsburgh Symphony blog

What was not to like? The opening piece, Rossini’s “Finale” to the William Tell Overture, launched long-forgotten memories of that good guy, the Lone Ranger. The program’s conclusion, “The Imperial March” by John Williams from Star Wars, recalled the frightening presence of that bad guy, Darth Vader, from Star Wars.

Musical master, Richman, lived up to his conducting  and recording reputation for film scores like the Academy Award nominated, The Village, As Good As it Gets, Face/Off,  Se7en, Breakdown, The Manchurian Candidate, and Kim Kittredge: An American Girl. In 2010, at the request of John Williams, Richman led the three-month tour of Star Wars in Concert.

To add to our pleasure, Richman introduced each piece and flavored his articulation with descriptions of the many artists he‘d worked with over the years.

The PNC Pops was in ultra-fine fiddle, if I may say so, playing a variety of musical memory rousers. These included not-to-be-forgotten masterpieces like the “Parade of Champions” from Ben Hur, the “Love Theme” from The Godfather, and music highlights from Rocky.   I remembered how Bernard Herrmann’s slicing and chilling “Narrative for String Orchestra” from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. frightened me away from taking showers, but for a short time only.

Sheena Easton, vocalist

The highpoint of Heroes and Villains came in the presence and vocal mastery of Sheena Easton. I loved her rendition of “Nobody Does It Better” by Marvin Hammlisch from The Spy Who Loved Me and Bill Conti’s “For Your Eyes Only” from the movie For Your Eyes Only.

A six-time Grammy nominee in the US, Easton is a two-time Grammy Award winner, winning Best New Artist in 1981 and Best Mexican-American Performance in 1985, for her duet with Luis Miguel on the song "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres". And let’s not forget that she’s sold more than 20-million albums and singles worldwide.

“Heroes and Villains” presented my first opportunity to listen to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Student Chorale, whose members include young men and women vocalists in grades 10 and 12 and college singers.

What a treat it was to hear their youthful voices interpret John Williams’s pieces—“Battle of the Heroes” from Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and “Dry Your Tears, Africa,” from Amistad. Under the Direction of Christine Hestwood, these young men and women touched my heart with their professional, vocal accompaniment.

One segment in particular of Heroes and Villains caught my attention--the “Overture to Tarare" by none other than Antonio Salieri, contemporary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Before this, I had never experienced Salieri’s music on a symphony program. Herr Mozart, I thought, would have been amazed beyond measure had he witnessed this. Truly!

By:  Hank Walshak
Good News and Cultural Reporter

Hank Walshak, Founder and President of Walshak Communications, Inc., helps experts to be read, be heard, be seen, and be known. He assists experts in creating and delivering expertise-related content to differentiate themselves as experts.

He empowers experts to creatively articulate themselves and to stand out in the scarce space vis-à-vis their competitors in the markets they serve. He is adept at helping executives and business owners communicate their ideas in ways that energize and stay with their audiences.

Roving Pittsburgher Report - Exploration of Emotion at PSO’s Haydn & Zarathustra

Exploration of Emotion
A Review of PSO’s 2014 January 17th Concert - Haydn & Zarathustra

A clever start to the concert brought a smile to my face.  Now of course, I should let on that I’m partial to this era of music and the one before it.  So in my opinion Franz Joseph Haydn and his contemporaries of the first Viennese School hit that sweet spot.

What I love about Haydn’s Symphony No. 22 in E-flat major, “The Philosopher” is the cheekiness that

Christoph König
(Photo from PittsburghSymphony.org)

emerges amidst stuffy austerity, a kind of Jane Austen feel.  Guest conductor Christoph König maintained the beautiful dichotomy of this piece in every way.  While the piece begins with an adagio, it can sometimes, unfortunately, be almost dirge-like, but König maintained the perfect and unyielding tempo.

With a continuo that oscillated between solid but not plodding, delicate but not tentative, and firm but not harsh, the perfect foundation was laid for the antiphonal cleverness that Haydn was known for.  Soaring above, and woven into the continuo, were the subtle blossoming of long arching swells in the Adagio, suspenseful rumblings both vivacious and robust in the Presto, and a delightful Menuetto that pleasantly whisks you away.  The Finale begins with an intense drive to reinforce control and above it a beautiful call and response plight.  This work showcases the diverse spectrum of tone created by the French and English horns, from warm to pungent tones paired with mellow but crisp strings.

The concert then turned from flirting with danger to living in danger.  Richard Danielpour’s symphony Darkness in the Ancient Valley depicts the struggle of an Iranian woman living in an abusive relationship, choosing to not respond to violence with yet more violence.  Every night I watch the national news, thankful that I live where I do.  The stories that Elizabeth Palmer reports are unfathomable to me.

Hila Plitmann
(Photo by: Marc Royce)

Danielpour created a beautiful cacophony of sound that dramatically creates whining horn sirens of distress, a careless romp of tyranny, frantic bells attempting to flee, brief melodies of hope, strings crying of agony and a single violin pleading – praying.  Then the terror-filled pursuit continues, full of intense chases alternating with very brief moments of relief, until finally being trapped with no where to turn.

The final movement featured soprano, Hila Plitmann singing an English translation of a 13^th century poem by Rumi.  Her voice soared gloriously above huge orchestral swells of pain and doom.  The Iranian woman’s bewildering and dutiful perseverance are professed, along with ethereal sounds of harp and bells and soaring strings of hope.  And she stands there, takes the final blow, and does nothing in retaliation.  I was baffled by her strength, grace and inner peace.  Her story was that of many who suffocate under an oppression most of us can not fathom.  PSO’s playing and Hila Plitmann’s singing of Darkness in the Ancient Valley left my heart and mind wrenched.

After intermission, a smile returned to my face with the familiar and bombastic grand entrance of trumpets. Oh yeah, some Also sprach Zarathustra, Opus 30 by Richard Strauss! And while I do like this work, what made me smile more was the young gal in front of me was seat dancing – yes bee-bopping in her seat at the symphony, with her date quietly giggling at her.  And one might think this reaction would be confined to young, inexperienced symphony goers. But oh no, a woman a few seats down and probably 40 years her elder was head bobbing rhythmically too – both beaming with smiles.

(Photo from PittsburghSymphony.org)

PSO crushed this one.  From percussive wonderment to lush enveloping hope and ecstasy, the curious pursuit of the unknown to exhilarating happiness, an unraveling dream sequence to sounds tumbling into consequence and despair, tonal sonorities were folded in one over the other, making it growingly more complex like home made bread.   The human quest for understanding kept soaring with what seemed to have no tonal resolution, and when we thought that guy in the front (Noah Bendix-Balgley) couldn’t play any higher, so beautifully, so in tune ‑ it kept climbing and soaring and searching. And then ‑ we were left hanging, wandering

As for the young gal in front of me, well I asked her if she had ever heard the full work or just the opening.  She had, in fact, never heard the whole work, but I enjoyed the enthusiasm she had as she, without being prompted, told me how even though the piece had lots of different parts that had very different feelings that she thought it was cool how she could hear that recognizable theme resurface at various points.  I loved that she enjoyed it and was there experiencing something that seemed maybe outside the normal date-night activity.

That was a well crafted emotional roller coaster of music.  The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra fully embodied the spectrum of human experience and emotion depicted in all three works beautifully.  Christoph König was a delight to watch.  He had stealthy, clean and subtle gestures that commanded rich and accurate sound – and was cute in a non baby ducks sort of way.  Hila Plitmann “shined bright like a diamond, shined bright like a diamond.”  As a fellow soprano I’m probably most critical in this area, but she was exquisite in both sound and performance.

My first night at the PSO #awesome!  I’m putting the PSO on my list of favorites, right up there with Jimmy and Nino Sunseri’s sfogliatelle (which tastes like Christmas in your mouth).  I love to hear precision and passion in music and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has both.

Not to go all Eminem on you, but if you missed this concert, “you’ve got one shot, so don’t miss you’re chance.”  Its Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 2:30 PM.
(c) PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com 2013

Stephanie Curtice

Good News Reporter & Contributing Journalist

PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com
TheNewGirlintheBurgh.blogspot.com

Gamers Dress Up and Interact with Symphony Fans at Legend of Zelda

by Roving Pittsburgher Reporter

Joseph Budd Smith III

On Tuesday October, 8^th The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses returned to Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall with its SECOND QUEST! Conducted by Susie Benchasil Seiter, the symphony is a tour through 27 years of Zelda franchise history. 

Each part focused on a different game in the franchise and incorporates key musical elements from each of those games as well as HD footage of gameplay.  The games focused on were A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Windwaker. A pleasant mixture of sight and sound that touched every heart associated with the kingdom of Hyrule was enjoyed by both symphony fans and gamers.

Each of the four movements was introduced by the composer Chad Seiter, who would provide insight into the motivation behind each part.  Whether you are a savvy veteran of the 8 bit world or a fan of the newer HD titles released through the Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses SECOND QUEST had something for you.  This limited event ran just one night only and your next chance to catch the show is on Oct. 26^th in Columbus, OH at the Ohio Theater.

The Wind Waker or baton of Wind in which the main character named ‘Link’ (for those of you who don’t know) used it to conduct in that game of the same name. Here it was made real as the Ms. Noone used it to conduct the movement dedicated to that particular version of the Legend of Zelda. So why is the symphony called "the Legend of Zelda" and not "the Legend of Link"?

Nintendo's Legend of Zelda is one of the most long-running and storied franchises in video game history.

For non Zelda fans that are symphony fans here is a brief overview from Wikipedia:

Creation of the World

The Goddesses create the world, from A Link to the Past

Hyrule was formed many ages ago through the works of the three Golden Goddesses: Din the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore the Goddess of Courage. Before spirits and life existed, these three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule.^[3][4] Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land, created the red earth, and was thus responsible for the creation of the geography of Hyrule.^[5] Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, bringing order to a formerly chaotic realm.^[6][7] Farore, with her rich soul, created all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru.^[8]

http://zeldawiki.org/Zelda_Timeline#History_of_the_Zelda_Timeline

The series centers on Link, the main playable character and the protagonist of the series. Link is often given the task of rescuing Princess Zelda and the most common setting of the series, Hyrule, from Ganondorf who is the primary antagonist of the series.

Susie Benchasil Seiter

So much for catching non gamers up to speed! This symphony as a result of the game series prominence in pop culture was just a bit different than the ordinary symphony venue with a choir and of course under thirty gamers in the audience hooting and hollering.  A younger than normal crowd of people from thirty down and many dressed in theme costumes from the games attended and rubbed shoulders with the regular symphony fans.  There was a consensus from regular symphony fans that the symphony could have stood on its own but the Zelda followers were there for the fun of the video, the visual effects and the followers of the Kingdom of Hyrule in the audience.

Joseph Budd Smith III is a Retention Specialist for American Income Life Insurance Company.  American Income Life provides life insurance and supplemental health benefits to working families in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland.  Budd is also an adult gaming enthusiast and a Shakespeare fan.

Ho Ho Ho! Holiday Pops 2012

Roving Pittsburgher Review 

Highmark Holiday Pops 2012

By Good News Reporter, Hank Walshak, The Communications Expert for Experts

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Pittsburgh native, Daniel Meyer, delivered a Christmas, musical tour de force to a packed house on the evening of December 20. Whether you were a fan of classical music or not, you couldn’t help but be wowed by the musical portrait of Christmas he put together for this Highmark Holiday Pops.

25' tree in lobby of Heinz Hall added to festivities.

The program contained something for everyone. Renditions of “O Holy Night,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “Silent Night” satisfied one’s traditional, musical taste. Lesser known, but captivating melodies, like “Many Moods of Christmas,” “Lully, Lulla, Lullay,” and “The Wexford Carol” lifted our Christmas spirit with their lilting refrains.

In true, Pittsburgh fashion, we, the audience, got to sing along as our cherished, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, under the direction of Betsy Burleigh, boomed out the “Hallelujah Chorus” from the “Messiah,” “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel,” and “Deck the Halls.”

And the solo performers—ah, the solo performers—they left nothing to be desired. Their artistry rang Christmas bells in each of our hearts

Rachel DeShon

Christopher Sanders, the renowned baritone, played Santa Claus, who spoke, “Ho, ho, ho,” as he strode among us, and spoke in hushed tones with children in the audience. His softer expressions belied his booming, on-stage renditions of “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” reminiscent of Burl Ives.” One could easily image Christopher’s vocal strength and eloquence leading legions into battle.

The sonorous sounds of Grammy nominated violinist, Jenny Oaks Baker, breathed new life into the “Carol of the Bells” with the Mendelsohn Choir of Pittsburgh, “Ding Don Merrily on High” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” She moved through nuances, glissandos, and arpeggios in a way that truly distinguished her playing from other violin impresarios.

Rachel DeShon, 2001 winner of Marvin Hamlisch’s “Search for a Star,” redefined the art of the soprano this evening. Her timbre and animation set her apart as she gave voice to the timeless favorites, “Christmas Eve in My Home Town,” O Holy Night,” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

A Highmark Holiday Pops just wouldn’t be the same without Rick Manning, Pittsburgh native and detective with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s office. He paid homage to our Christmas tradition with his animated interpretation of “Christmas Magic.” Hearing him just this once, made me yearn to hear his rendition of “Danny Boy.”

To cap off the program, he joined the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh in singing the seasonal favorite, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

All in all, this Highmark Holiday Pops by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Mendellssohn

Choir of Pittsburgh, and these virtuoso soloists defined the standard of Christmas musical

expression for years to come. What better legacy to leave in memory of our beloved Principal

Pops Conductor, Marvin Hamlisch.

What a joy to have attended this endearing, musical event.

              Hank Walshak

              Communications Expert for Experts

               Be read. Be heard. Be seen. 

                Walshak Communications, Inc.

               412-831-3023

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               www.hankwalshak.com

And the Angels Sang--Celtic Woman

And the Angels Sang!

Celtic Woman 

"A Christmas Celebration--The Symphony Tour"

by Roving Pittsburgher Zineb Outnouna

Celtic Woman “A Christmas Celebration--the Symphony Tour” was simply amazing. The concert was incredible. The presentation from the lighting to the sound to the instrumentation was flawless. This was beyond what I had hoped to experience.

The concert, as expected, was a collection of popular Christmas carols; but even though I had heard those thousands of times before, the angelic voices of Chloe, Lisa and Susan, accompanied by the sheer talent of Mairead breathed a new life in each song, and gave it a complete new dimension. Their performance of 

‘‘O Holy Night'' ended the first half of the show bringing the house down. In the second half, these amazing singers continued to stir our deepest emotions thanks to songs like “You Raise Me Up”, "Danny Boy” and of course the magical “Ave Maria”, which was absolutely breathtaking and won Chloe a sincere standing ovation.

The evening was PERFECT! Watching these ladies on PBS is nothing compared to watching them perform live. Their unbridled passion for singing is as captivating as it is powerful.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to enjoy such magnificent show, and would recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered about how angels might sound like.  

There are still some great seats available for tonight's performance, December 4, 2012 starting at 7:30 PM.

Celtic Woman is performing tonight at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave in Downtown Pittsburgh,  For tickets: www.pittsburghsymphony.org/ 

If you cannot make it tonight, all is not lost, the ladies announced from the stage that they would return to Pittsburgh in June of 2013,

Zineb Outnouna

CEO and Founder

412-537-1525

zineb@atlasdreamslanguages.com

www.atlasdreamslanguages.com

Atlas Dreams Languages, LLC teaches foreign languages to clients of all ages and educational background. Whether it is for pleasure or business, ADL helps you become fluent in the foreign language of your choice. We tailor the content of the lessons to fit your purpose and skill level. For your convenience, we offer flexible hours and meeting locations.  

Pittsburgh Symphony Orcestra, Thriller with Music of Michael Jackson

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 

A THRILLER with The Music of Michael Jackson

by Jenn Carr, Roving Pittsburgher Reviewer

On a chilly November evening, I attended the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Music of Michael Jackson at Heinz Hall with my son, Noah.  We were both interested to see how the symphony would interact with the King of Pop’s extensive collection of decade-spanning music. 

What a pleasant surprise!!  The Symphony was integrated with a professional troupe of vocalists, electric guitar, bass, keyboards and drum kit.  The solo vocalist was an energetic young man, Jason Delisco who paid homage to the enigmatic MJ without trying to be an impersonation of the man.  He was entertaining and engaging telling stories of how the music influenced him and other musicians.

The audience had come ready to fully enjoy the musical influences of Michael Jackson.  It was demonstrated in the whoops and hollers MJ-style throughout the evening.  Showing a great influence across people of all ages, there were many young children and teens dressed in the “Beat It” signature jacket, sequined gloves and sleek fedoras.  It was not a wasted effort to show your MJ influence as Delisco brought children up on stage to display their best dance moves.  It was not the ominous effects of Wagner or the crystallized delights of Tchaikovsky however; it was a wonderful evening of reminiscing across the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s of one man’s tremendous talents.

 

Jenn Carr, Your Credit Mechanic.com, the maven of credit repair and education can help you raise your credit scores an average of 50-100 points with her “90 Day Credit Makeover”.

Matthew Morrison Sings at Marvin Hamlisch’s Wake

Tamar Cerafici

Pittsburgh Pops!                                                                                                                        
Heinz Hall
September 30, 2012

It might seem the height of folly to review a concert at its last performance. But the Pittsburgh Pops concert series shows so much promise that it’s inevitable I should urge everyone to leave this site and become a subscriber. Go. NOW.

This was a remarkable opening to a fun season that includes a 50^th anniversary tribute to the Beatles and the ever-popular Holiday Pops.

Marvin Hamlisch was supposed to conduct this concert. He had planned the entire season before he died in August. In his stead, Lucas Richman proved an admirable and capable substitute. The concert began with memories of Mr. Hamlisch and his relationship with the Pittsburgh Pops program. I wasn’t aware of the great impact that Marvin Hamlisch had on the cultural lives of Pittsburghers. (Remember I’m new to this venue.)

But when Lucas Richman sat down at the piano, lovingly placed in the “Marvin position” to conduct a soaring “The Way We Were,” I knew I was in for a special evening of tribute. This concert is the beginning of a long goodbye to Marvin Hamlisch. The PSO is going forward with the pops concert as Marvin planned with the stars he wanted, the arrangements he needed, and the orchestra members and audience that he loved so much.

Marvin Hamlisch conducting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Hamlisch

I was surrounded by concertgoers who did have fond memories of Mr. Hamlisch at the podium. They described an engaging and utterly unpretentious entertainer and friend. When I told them I was writing a review for this magazine, all around me started to regale me with tales of Mr. Hamlisch and his contributions to the concerts.

One recounted Marvin’s habit of updating Steelers games from the conductor’s podium during Sunday afternoon programs.

Another told me about the original Hanukkah material Marvin created especially for the annual Holiday Pops programs.

Marvin would see a regular concertgoer in her traditional seat and stop the concert to say hello; he would make sure that the folks in the gallery were having as much fun as the patrons in the dress circle.

Their Marvin was not some Broadway Big shot who’d won an Emmy, a Tony, an Oscar, a Grammy and a Pulitzer Prize (the only one besides Richard Rogers). Their Marvin was someone who loves music, loves the theater, loves telling stories, and above all loves leaving people happier when they left the concert hall than when they came in.

(I have to add here that this is the coolest thing about living in Pittsburgh that is different from the four other places I’ve lived since 2009. People will talk to you. They will share themselves with you. They want you to know their story. I totally love that.)

But enough about Marvin and Pittsburghers; I was there to hear one of the orchestras that provided the soundtrack to my youth in the Intermountain West.

Matthew Morrison

The first half of the concert was a tribute to Marvin’s life and love of music. The overture to Funny Girl was on the program because Marvin would procure chocolate donuts for Barbra Streisand during rehearsals. Lucas Richman’s own composition, Romancing the Cinema, highlighted love songs from the great movies that Marvin loved. (A note to Richman: rather too many references to Titanic thank you very much, but I loved your arrangement of As Time Goes By.) And, since we are celebrating one of the great lights of modern American theater, why not throw in a little West Side Story? The PSO’s animated “Mambo” could have been a trite throwaway, but they performed it with passion and verve.

Oh wait! The guy from Glee! Mr. Shuester! That’s why we’re all here! That explains the bevy of teenagers and college students and the school buses lined up along Sixth Street.

Yes, Matthew Morrison was supposed to be the main attraction this afternoon. And he delivered. His program was part autobiography, part song and dance, and part motivational speech. Between standbys like “It Don’t Mean A Thing If You Ain’t Got That Swing,” “Luck Be a Lady,” and “The Lady Is A Tramp,” we learned about Morrison’s introduction to musical theater. He described his own Glee Club experiences at the Orange County High School for the Arts with pretty decent riffs on some Duke Ellington pieces.  He highlighted his rise to fame on Broadway with medleys from “South Pacific” “West Side Story” and “A Little Night Music” (of course it was “Send in the Clowns”). His choice to join the cast of Glee was difficult because really all he wanted to do was be a song and dance man like Sammy Davis Jr. Then he went on to prove that he would’ve been a very good song and dance man instead of a washed-up Spanish teacher in Lima, OH. Very few of us will forget his moonwalk during “Ease On Down The Road.”

The great strength of his program, though, was his willingness to attribute his success to choices that other people made. While I liked Morrison’s lyrical tenor voice immensely, it was fun to watch him throw a little bit of Mr. Shuester into the mix. He told of a teacher who said “you have three Life Days where you realize that you have a chance to do the one thing that changes your life forever.” He reminded all of us that the world is full of choices, but when you do what you love and live your passion you realize that there never really was a choice to make. 

Tamar Cerafici is an environmental lawyer whose national practice includes nuclear power and sustainable development consulting. She is the author of “Dominate: How Lawyers Crush Their Competition (with these 4 Powerhouse Marketing Techniques),” and the founder of The-Barefoot-Barrister.com as well as LegalShoe, and The Lawyer’s New Clothes, new media channels on PositivelyPittsburghlivemagazine.com that teach lawyers how to build enterprises and find balance in their practices without selling their souls.