Blueberry Pie

I had a revelation tonight I want to tell you about. I feel it is a novel idea, but I am sure R&O thought of it when they were writing or some scholar has already made note of it, but the personal revelation was quite cool.

I am reading a bio on Mary Martin and saw a picture of her as Nellie, so I listened to "A Wonderful Guy."

Here is my revelation:

Nellie Forbush is upset with Emile de Becque. This is made obvious by her song "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair." Even later, when
Emile kisses her, she get's upset at the cat calls from the girls and doubts herself. Because of her anger, she is confused of her true feelings. Nellie's real discovery comes during the course of "A Wonderful Guy."

The song begins in a minor key. The angst is made apparent by the percussive, staccato interjections by the orchestra. This minor section comes across as very abrasive as she proclaims she does not like Emile. Then, you hear a silver lining occur in the words "Fearlessly, I'll face them and argue their doubts away..." She becomes open to the idea as if she is asking herself "Wait, why am I so stubborn?" Her heart begins to flutter as the orchestra leads into the up beat waltz meter.

"I'm as corny as Kansas in August" is Nellie's girlish, singing way of blushing. The music naturally starts to lilt and one just pictures Nellie sway
side to side as a smile grows larger and larger on her face. The music seems to swirl, climaxing when she sings "I'm in love..." in a metric, typical 4 + 4 cadence stating "I'm in love" 5 times. Nellie is so filled with joy, she can no longer sing and has to dance (ie, the natural progression). Well guess what, dance break.

As Nellie calms down a bit, the dance "slows" allowing Nellie to sing again. The women join Nellie in a supportive, making-fun-of-her-because-she-is-so-fickle kinda way.

Now comes the really cool part. Unlike the previous, guessable 8 bars of "I'm in love..." the music drops down in orchestration and dynamic. The waltz slowly builds alternating Nellie, girls, Nellie, girls. Now, we, as the listener, expect "I'm in love" only 5 times. When the "I'm in loves" continue, it is rather shocking. We expect it in 4 more bars, equaling a very natural 12. But, the excitement/orchestrations/dynamics grow as Nellie can no longer hold it in and R&O give us 4 more bars, equaling 13 statements of "I'm in love" which culminates in an exciting, brassy, full orchestra, rip-off-hat moment. Nellie is in love a wonderful guy.

I might be way off, but this is what I think.
You can listen to Mary Martin sing the song here

What a week

I have had a great week.

Monday, I went and saw Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the HBO Bryant Park Summer Movie Festival.

Tuesday, I had a masterclass with the Shanghai Quartet followed by their concert. Their concert was breathtaking, especially Schubert's Death and the Maiden. The beginning of the second movement was where the real magic began. Their

understanding of the "Lachrymae-esque," choral was sensational. The colors they were able to achieve blew me away. At the end, does Death win over the Maiden? I have heard both sides of the story. Personally, I think Death has one last trick up his sleeves. The Tarantella was pristine! Crazy good, and they used such little bow on the shoe-shine stroke. So good.

Wednesday, I was able to sit in and observe the pit of Book of Mormon. I met Entcho, a crazy-awesome violin player. We talked about instrument makers, quirky pictures in Musician magazine (for 802 members), his improvisations of the score because the string can never b

e heard in pieces like (Haf Ta) Man Up and Spooky Mormon Hell Dream. It was really great to see all the professional musicians in action--how perfectly they played every single note, how one person is talented enough to play 10 different instruments from flutes, recorders, oboes to two types of saxes and more flutes, how jokes are played and the environment is fun. Anyway, I learned a great deal about perseverance and never giving up. All it takes is one good contact to change everything.

Thursday, I performed during Fresh Ground Pepper's Lay Miz which was a hodge podge of different acts interpreting the musical Les Miserables. To start off, it was on Bastille Day. Anyway, I opened the show with a solo viola arrangement I made from the nine minute material called "Prologue." I really enjoyed the arrangement I made, and it made the audience laugh. That was awesome. I have heard chuckles during my playing, but laughter is one I have never heard when playing a solo. A great change, most definitely. There were some amazing numbers. I thoroughly enjoyed this guy play Stars in a "douche-bag" arrangement on the guitar. He had a great voice. Also, the dance troupe that interpreted Bring Him Home... I was blown away by that number! It was creepy and sacrilegious while being very religious at the same time. It was beautiful. At the end, to bookend the show, I played an arrangement for violin solo I made of "Turning/Beggars at the Feast/Wedding." I loved how I made "Turning" into false-harmonics. Such a great, spooky touch. The whole event was a great success.

Friday, my quartet finally performed Brahms! I have enjoyed studying with Marion Feldman the Brahms A minor String Quartet. What a great, complicated work. I have really enjoyed getting to know the notes, the dynamics, the syncopations and the idiosyncrasies of Brahms. He is much like Bach. Also, both are EXTREMELY difficult. I feel like I played well, which is all I can ask for.

Saturday, I did a short recording session for Joe Moser. It was a short little piece, but I am happy to get back into recording.

BANG!

And the week of stress has begun!

Note: I am not complaining.

Day 1, Saturday: NYU "Works in Progress" Concert. Brahms A minor quartet Mvts. I and II. Played like [insert explicative]. Bang. There goes self esteem. Arrange "Turning, The Wedding and the Beggars Feast" from the musical Les Miserables into a captivating 4-minute piece for solo violin. The material from the "Prologue" for solo viola was much easier.

Day 2, Sunday: Finish the piece for Fresh Ground Pepper's Lay Miz. (my only day to relax!)

Day 3, Monday: String quartet rehearsal 10-3. Coaching with Marion Feldman. Master class with Shanghai String Quartet? Maybe meet up with friends from BYU...

Day 4, Tuesday: More Brahms rehearsal 10-3. Coaching with Marion Feldman. Master class with Shanghai String Quartet? Lesson with Stephanie Baer (YAY!) at noon. Shanghai String Quartet concert.

Day 5, Wednesday: Even more Brahms rehearsal 10-3. Coaching with Marion Feldman. Run over to 49th and the Eugene O'Neil Theatre to sit in/observe the Book of Mormon. (AH!)

Day 6, Thursday: Penultimate day of Brahms rehearsal 10-3. Coaching with Marion Feldman. HAPPY BASTILLE DAY!! Run over to Brooklyn, The Irondale Center, for Fresh Ground Pepper's Lay Miz tech and performance (I have never played solo material for 200 people before...)

Day 7, Friday: Last day of Brahms rehearsal 10-3. Coaching with Marion Feldman?? Performance of Brahms--let us hope it goes better than day 1.