ESO Jazz Masters Performance

From the press gallery of the Winspear Centre.

Note: this was writing during the course of the performance, so i apologize in advance for any grammatical or spelling errors

In this performance by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Musical Director Bill Eddins is back with his original conducting technique, this time not only conducting, but accompanying with the piano as well. Opening with a rousing performance of West Side Story by Bernstein,(with amazing, unexpected sound coming from the orchestra member's themselves, such as finger snapping and shouting,) this concert was, more than usual, filled with the outstanding sound of our own Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Of course, accentuating the sound of the orchestra was the amazing Winspear Centre, designed after the famous concert halls of Europe, creating a musical experience unlike any other.

After West side story, the concert continued with a symphomic portrait of Gershwin's "Folk Opera" Porgy & Bess. It opened with a soft lulling section on the French Horn, continuing with a section on the saxophone. This section brings memories from one of Gershwin's other pieces namely the Rhapsody in Blue. This American opera, though it has faced much criticism from many in the classical music business, is an outstanding production and should be a part of everyone's music collection. It has many phrases included in it that bring reminiscence to many classics of Gershwin's time, bringing out melodies similar to some of Stephen Foster's works. Later during the course of this performance, it became much more excitatory (for lack of a better word) and lively. Also, Eddins invited all to travel to Leon this spring, as he will be performing the full version of the opera there.

After the intermission, the orchestra and Eddins at the piano opened with the world premier of a joint CBC/ESO commission of Gilliland's Dreaming of the Masters II - Rhapsody GEB. Eddins stated earlier that this piece was composed to match the creativeness of the Jazz Masters such as Ellington, Bernstein and Gershwin. Eddins revealed the roots of his musical training here tonight, as his prowess on the piano matched many of those whom i have looked up to as masters especially as he played and conducted the entire piece from memory. The orchestra itself also did extraordinary well, and i daresay that it has lived up to the composer's expectations. This performance (to me anyway) brought memories of both a young Bernstein and Gershwin, and i believe that this will live on to equal the prestige of these composers, especially as Gilliland himself received a standing ovation from the audience.

The final piece the orchestra performed tonight was Duke Ellington's rendition of the Nutcracker Suite. Since I have enjoyed Ellington's music my entire life, this was one of my favorite pieces performed tonight. (oh yes, it was a very hard choice) It was very interesting to hear as familiar a piece as the Nutcracker performed in a jazz setting, as it is normally a strictly orchestral performance. It contained revisions of the Overture, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Waltz of the Flowers, Dance of the Reed Pipes and a March, all cleverly renamed to match the jazziness of the performance. Undoubtedly, my favorite section in this performance was the march, was was cleverly renamed as the Peanut Brittle Brigade.

In conclusion, i recommend that all who are interested go and purchase tickets for tomorrow, February 23rd's performance, as the ESO will undoubtedly make another unforgettable musical experience for its guests, as they are so well known to do. Also this concert was recorded by the CBC, so it will probably be heard on the radio very soon.

This is E-J signing off.

The Illusionist - E-J's Take

Sometimes when short fiction or a novella serves as the basis for a feature film, there really isn't enough "story" and the result feels padded. I'm pleased to say that isn't the case with Neil Burger's film THE ILLUSIONIST, loosely adapted from a work by Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Millhauser.

Set in turn of the century Vienna, THE ILLUSIONIST begins with a man on a bare stage as he attempts to conjure the ghost of a deceased woman. The police step in and Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) is then seen recounting what happened to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Uhl sketches in the background of the arrested man, who the audience learns is known as Eisenheim (Edward Norton), although he was born Edward Abramowitz, the Jewish son of a cabinetmaker. As a young boy (played in flashbacks by Aaron Johnson), he falls in love with Sophie, the Duchess von Taschen (Eleanor Tomlinson as young girl; Jessica Biel as the grown up).

When her family rips the budding lovers apart, young Abramowitz is so distraught that he leaves the country and no one really knows what happened to him. That is, until he shows up in Vienna one day now billed as Eisenheim the Illusionist. He does some rather interesting tricks (which were overseen by Ricky Jay and which were generally period specific). Without resorting to an overuse of CGI, Burger manages to enchant the viewing audience as much as the onscreen audience at Eisenheim's show.

Hearing of this magical evening, the Crown Prince attends one of the shows, along with his chosen girlfriend -- who happens to be the grown-up Sophie. She is volunteered to assist the illusionist in an act and as soon as she hits the stage, he recognizes her as his long-lost love. Eventually, the pair are drawn together despite her unofficial betrothal to Leopold. Then, things go seemingly wrong.

I won't spoil the effect of this lovely film by revealing any more of its twisty plot. I will say that THE ILLUSIONIST is a very beautiful movie to watch, with elegant costumes by Ngila Dickson, a sumptuous production design by Ondrej Nekvasil, and gorgeous cinematography by Dick Pope. The score by Philip Glass also adds immensely to one's enjoyment of the film.

The performances, though, are a mixed bag. I have often had trouble with Edward Norton as a lead actor. While he can sometimes be a strong performer, there are other times when he seems to be so lightweight as to disappear on screen. When I watch him, I feel something is missing, a spark, some charisma, something. In this film, he managed to hold my attention, but I didn't feel that he gave an overly strong performance. Perhaps because he was overshadowed by Rufus Sewell who pulled out all the stops to portray Leopold. Sewell flirted dangerously close to the line of hamminess yet didn't quite cross over. He made his villainous character an intriguing one.

The two best peformances, though, come from Jessica Biel as the adult Sophie and from Paul Giamatti as Uhl. Those who only know Biel from her previous work in contemporary films or from television will be surprised at how well she blends into a period film, and how she manages to hold the screen opposite both Sewell and Giamatti. The latter delivers one of his best portrayals as the generally honest police man.