The Orchestra Philharmonique de Radio France is devoting its two Taipei concerts next weekend exclusively to music by Maurice Ravel. The main work on May 7 is his version of Pictures at an Exhibition, and on May 8 his Piano Concerto in G Major.
At the beginning of the 20th century many composers were trying to liven up the sound of the traditional symphony orchestra. Richard Strauss led the way in the German musical world, creating sounds you still feel you’ve never encountered before. Stravinsky followed suit, and in the sphere of French music the leader in this exercise was Ravel.
Ravel is normally considered an impressionist. Following in the footsteps of the introspective and somewhat more “feminine” Claude Debussy, he continued the push to make music conjure up atmosphere rather than follow a set structural pattern in the tradition of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. But his works are more vigorous and dazzling than Debussy’s often dreamy, albeit exquisite, productions.
Pictures at an Exhibition was originally a series of piano pieces by the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, each item intended to evoke a different painting at a particular gallery. But in adapting this for orchestra Ravel produced something far more extraordinary. He managed to create an instrumental sound that was more astringent and “modern” than anything heard from the sonorous 19th-century heavyweights. Anyone wanting to hear an outstanding recent performance should acquire the DVD Live From Salzburg by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela (DGM 073-4515). There have been several other arrangements of this music — incidentally, one for small orchestra by the Taiwanese composer Chao Ching-wen (趙菁文).
Ravel’s only piano concerto (other than one for the left hand only, written for a pianist who had lost his right hand in World War I) is characterized by its liveliness and eagerness to incorporate jazz rhythms. The soloist next Saturday will be Roger Muraro, winner of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, and frequent performer of the original piano version of Pictures at an Exhibition.
Next Saturday’s concert also includes the two suites Ravel made from his music for Daphnis et Chloe, a ballet premiered in 1912 by Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, with Nijinsky dancing the part of the goatherd Daphnis. Stravinsky considered the score “one of the most beautiful products of all French music.
Both concerts will be conducted by Myung-whun Chung, the orchestra’s musical director since 2000. Born in South Korea, he’s nowadays a very prominent figure in the Parisian musical world and is probably the most distinguished Korean in the classical music sphere. The great French modernist Olivier Messiaen, who based his musical style on birdsong, dedicated his last work to him — an honor that, for musicians of this kind, can’t have many equals.
Japan is celebrated for its exceptional levels of customer service. But the behavior of a growing number of customers and clients leaves a lot to be desired. The rise of the abusive consumer has prompted authorities in Tokyo to introduce the country’s first ordinance — a locally approved regulation — to protect service industry staff from kasuhara — the Japanese abbreviated form of “customer harassment.” While the Tokyo ordinance, which will go into effect in April, does not carry penalties, experts hope the move will highlight a growing social problem and, perhaps, encourage people to think twice before taking out their frustrations
Two years ago my wife and I went to Orchid Island off Taitung for a few days vacation. We were shocked to realize that for what it cost us, we could have done a bike vacation in Borneo for a week or two, or taken another trip to the Philippines. Indeed, most of the places we could have gone for that vacation in neighboring countries offer a much better experience than Taiwan at a much lower price. Hence, the recent news showing that tourist visits to Pingtung County’s Kenting, long in decline, reached a 27 year low this summer came
From a Brooklyn studio that looks like a cross between a ransacked Toys R Us and a serial killer’s lair, the artist David Henry Nobody Jr is planning the first survey of his career. Held by a headless dummy strung by its heels from the ceiling are a set of photographs from the turn of the century of a then 30-year-old Nobody with the former president of the US. The snapshots are all signed by Donald Trump in gold pen (Nobody supplied the pen). They will be a central piece of the New York artist’s upcoming survey in New York. This
In the tourism desert that is most of Changhua County, at least one place stands out as a remarkable exception: one of Taiwan’s earliest Han Chinese settlements, Lukang. Packed with temples and restored buildings showcasing different eras in Taiwan’s settlement history, the downtown area is best explored on foot. As you make your way through winding narrow alleys where even Taiwanese scooters seldom pass, you are sure to come across surprise after surprise. The old Taisugar railway station is a good jumping-off point for a walking tour of downtown Lukang. Though the interior is not open to the public, the exterior
RSS