thirteen ways

Above, Maestro DeSantis at work on his funny electronic gadgets.

This was the second time we had given the strange imaginary remix show a good rock-solid go. The first was in Chicago, at our second concert in the Harris Theater, and you can read about the sometimes stressful preparation for that show. Even on the night of that performance we had little idea of the quality of the show, but since the performance was very well received by critics and audiences at the time it seemed natural to bring it to our beloved second home, Richmond VA (where we are Ensemble-in-Residence). 

Why do we love doing this show? First and foremost, working with Dennis is far too much fun: he is unfailingly polite, incredibly skilled and a very flexible collaborator. Also, the works on the program are of a consistently high quality (not something I can say about all of our concerts!) and adding electronics to the mix can draw in ears that are more comfortable with that sound-world than with the “old-fashioned” world of all-acoustic programs.

Below, the Alb mid-croon at the end of the Radiohead tune we cover for this program, Dollars and Cents. It’s fascinating to watch such an unfailingly intense performer mimic the somewhat alien world of the laid-back indie-rock moan.

We fought with feedback problems in Camp Concert Hall’s (gorgeous for acoustic instruments but problematic for electronics) acoustics, but the biggest hiccup came when Herr DeSantis, who is a very careful, controlled, organized person, found that his electrics were failing. “In case it all shuts down in the middle, are there any pieces that you can’t get through without me…?”

Below, my attempt at an unposed, caught-on-the-wing post-concert photo of the gang: (l to r) the Ing, the Duv, the Phot, the Alb, the Mac, the Kap and the DeSantis.

This was a positive week in another, more unexpected, way. Alexander Kordzaia, the Georgian-born conductor of the University of Richmond Orchestra, has done wonders with his charges since he began at U of R just one year ago. The ensemble still has plenty of problems, and relies on a few wind and brass “ringers” from other universities, but I can say with great pride that University of Richmond truly has a fully-functioning orchestra with great potential! They played a concert on Friday night, and the fact that I look forward to hearing the recording shows you how far they have come. Good onya Alexander, and let’s hope the best is yet to come!