Word: orchestra
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Disney typically gambles big, then hedges its bets. To make F2K an event, it will premiere the film on Dec. 17 at New York City's Carnegie Hall, with James Levine, artistic director of the Metropolitan Opera, conducting the London Philharmonia. The orchestra will also play during the movie in London, Paris, Tokyo and, on New Year's Eve, Pasadena, Calif. Then, for four months, the film will be shown only on the gigantic screens in 75 IMAX theaters. (Our advice to moviegoers: sit in the back!) And to camouflage a high-art stigma, F2K employs genial onscreen hosts: Bette...
...curtain rises, audience members in the front section of the orchestra seats are immersed in pale blue light while characters race up the aisle before mounting the stage. Amidst the ensuing Christmas party and magic show, Dr. Drosselmeyer (Lazlo Bardo), the eccentric godfather of Clara, dominates the first scene. If his distinctive air and cute magic tricks fail to dazzle, then his huge velvet cape undoubtedly will. Whether twirling or flying off after Clara and her prince to the Enchanted Forest, this cape has a life of its own. The other most prominent character is, of course, Clara (Janine Ronayne...
...third consecutive year with S & M, a live recording of the epic concert they held with the San Francisco Symphony last April. It's a risky experiment, but the double disc, which sprawls over 21 tracks, shows that the gambit paid off. The sheer lyrical power of the orchestra blends seamlessly with Metallica's music to staggering effect, as the booming brass and ghostly strings give songs like "Wherever I May Roam" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls" eerie new dimensions. Blistering epics like "Bleeding Me" and "The Outlaw Torn" become even more grandiose in scale, while melodic ballads such...
...sound. The harmonies (always in fourths or fifths) are sweet and solid when it comes to larger chorus numbers, but in the counterpoint lines where soloists sing against the current of larger groups, individual lines get lost in the shuffle of choral lines. Of little help was the orchestra which, while exceptionally strong throughout, could have restrained themselves a little just to give their struggling vocalists a chance. Consequently, a little amplification to boost clarity wouldn't have been amiss. However, it's hard to fault the pit players, because Sullivan's orchestrations are invariably flowing and grandiose...
...imagine and objects you would never dream of, the performers bring a simple toe-tapping, knee-slapping pleasure to the show. From brooms to newspapers to matchboxes to Zippos, the percussionists take the show to new levels of creativity. A rustled trash bag morphs into an extraordinary orchestra of sound. A routine sweeping becomes a rhythmic blast. Set in a hubcap-adorned industrial-metallic garage, the three female and five male cast members turn the beat-heavy sound into something more than just a tribute to the powers of rhythm...