Word: minore
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...high point of the recital, though, was Chang's stunning rendition of Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor. Chopin never wrote violin music; the Nocturne that Chang performed Friday night is a transcription of the original piano part. The Nocturne is unfalteringly sublime--in this adaptation, the violin part is elegant and the accompaniment somber and unintrusive. For this piece, Chang abandoned her usual fiery bravado for heartbreaking tenderness. Individual notes melted and the music rang with the unearthly sonority of a human voice. Its only fault was that it was tragically short, leaving one wishing that Chang...
...second supporting character likewise outshines Bruckmann: Jung Oh '00 as the unimpressively named Second Woman is fabulous. In marked contrast to Dido's cautious strains and pensive, almost petulant facial expressions, Oh breaks into her minor lines with unrestrained power and wonderful clarity. Her articulation is superb, though at times she seems to rush through the music in her enthusiasm. However, her performance distinguishes her as one clearly bound for greater roles than that of "second" anything...
...very clear, strong vibrato. The witches' scene, however, is too highly lit, giving the impression of a parody of a scene of darkness and evil. The sorcerer sings at the scene's opening, "Wayward sisters, you that fright/The lonely traveler by night...." Frightening lyrics, set to suitably dark, minor music. But when undermined by the sexy, ingratiating main witches and the white-sheeted children mugging and giggling, as though for the benefit of Mom and Dad in their first appearance, the whole effect is simply laughable. Or it would be, if it weren't so pathetic...
Dido's acting problems do not end with the minor characters. Aeneas (Christian Quilici '01) smirks slyly to himself all the way through the scene in which he is first introduced to Dido. Coyly, he looks off to the side, away from Dido and all the other actors with whom he is supposed to be interacting. He beams like a bridegroom, embarrassed but already certain of his prize. Fortunately both the fated lovers sing better than they act, delivering consistently competent, and sometimes lovely passages. However, neither lead ever wins the audience's heart. The end of Dido...
That's right, there's a love plot, and an underdeveloped one at that. The writers have taken Mandy Nichols (Alison Eastwood, Clint's daughter), a relatively minor character in the book, and turned her into a nubile tart for Kelso to romance. You can almost hear the producers saying, "Let's get some old-fashioned heterosexual love into this story...