Black Swan (2010)

The latest film by Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan, offers another psychological odyssey for his main character in which a return to his/her original state has little probability. In the case of Black Swan, it is the journey of Nina Sayers (played incredibly by Natalie Portman. The director of a ballet company based in New York City, Thomas Leroy (played fiendishly well by Vincent Cassels) is directing a new production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake where the same ballerina will perform the roles of the Odette (the white swan) and Odile (the black swan) instead of using separate dancers. Thus begins the journey of the frail and timid Nina Sayers. Leroy resorts to various measures to coax out the Black in Nina. The use of black and white costuming and set design and production aids brilliantly as the plot moves along; including a glimpse into a room at Leroy's apartment that is decorated in chromatic colors, with a Rorschach inkblot poster for good measure (a little psychological nod to the character and his motive).

Since the film centers around Tchaikovsky's ballet, naturally music plays a key and prominent role throughout the film. We open with Nina alone on stage with a bright white spotlight shining down on her. The music playing is that of the prelude to the ballet, and hence the prelude to her journey. If you are unfamiliar with the ballet, relax. Nina announces this after she wakes from her dream. Not only is the coordination of the music as it appears in the ballet correspond with the function of the film, but the action presented in this brief prelude offers a taste of imagery to come. The best visual component of the film for me was having the cameraman immersed in the dance scenes. And this was not executed using a Steadicam. The camera work is jostling and jerky, but its close proximity to the actors and dancers providers the viewer with a perspective rarely experienced in ballet.

The score by Clint Mansell, who has collaborated with Aronofsky on all of his major motion pictures, uses quotations and borrowings from the ballet to represent the isolation and psychological state of Nina. The isolation is accomplished through the use of a solo piano with brief borrowings from the ballet that either correspond with the swan depicted by Nina or through aligning the plot of the film with that of the ballet. Kudos go to the entire music production crew for using and editing the orchestral performance of the ballet to heighten the psychological journey. There are certain portions of Swan Lake that sound broodish, plaintive, and ominous on their own, but how and where they are incorporated into the film brought new life and energy to them. One scene i particular that was musically and visually striking came when Nina danced the Odile coda requiring the dancer to perform the celebrated 32 consecutive fouettés, as shown here:

At this point in the film, Nina transforms into the Black Swan in spectacular fashion.

Darren Aronofsky comes through with another great journey into a realm where delusion and reality are blurred, and the amazing process of getting there. A Best Director nod is well deserved. Natalie Portman will certainly receive nominations and wins for her performance. And I would like to see some accolades come Vincent Cassels way as well. I highly recommend Black Swan.

The Dissertation Chronicles, Op. 9

After a long period of time collecting sources, pilfering through sources, listening to symphonies, reading along with scores, and analyzing scores, actual dissertation writing will begin. I decided to start with instrumentation and orchestration because it should be a fairly easy place to start. That was the thinking anyway. But as it often occurs, more laid beneath the surface, and things began spiraling out. The question one must ask is, "At what point do I stop and say enough is enough?" Well, I have finally drawn a line in the sand. I have a wealth of topics and information to discuss, so much so that a chapter that was going to be dedicated to instrumentation and orchestration will now become two separate chapters, one devoted to instrumentation and the other to orchestration. I am starting on the instrumentation chapter first because it should be the easier of the two. The basic distinction between instrumentation and orchestration is the former simply examines the instruments called upon by the composer for a specific work, and the latter is how this instrumentation interacts among the different instruments.

A Not-So-Tangled Web

I wandered outside late at night last night (okay, maybe not exactly wandered, but I went out on my patio behind the house) and saw someone working the late shift.

Adolescence Found

Today I meandered to Half Price Books in Colerain, searching for who knows what. I looked in the classical music books section because I found some great buys there before. No such luck today. I then perused the nonfiction sections, computer games, and finally the CDs. I was surprised, and so excited, by what I found in the clearance section at the bottom of the CD display case. THE recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony that had been part of my formative years during high school. It is the recording by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the RCA Victor label. I remember having this recording at home in Alabama, and it managed to make the move when my parents moved, but during my recent trips home I noticed it disappeared. I was going to buy it through Archivmusic, which would cost me $10, but through my miraculous find at Half Price Books, it costs me a little over $1. A small cost to pay for a recording taking one back to moments of his adolescence. I remember I was a new driver and was lost in a neighborhood, and the first movement of Beethoven's Ninth was playing. I was lost directionally just as a listener was trying to figure out the form of the first movement. I am so glad I somehow found this recording for immediate consumption, and for such a low price. And it makes me wonder if others out there have specific recordings of their own that take them back in time.

Roman Festival

Yesterday, I did something I have always wanted to do but couldn't, until the opportunity presented itself to me. I attended a Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concert on Friday at 11:00 a.m. In the past I have been unable to do this because I was either in class or at work. With a Friday off, I could finally take advantage of this opportunity. Slated for the concert was music director, Paavo Jarvi and viola soloist Isabelle van Keulan were grounded in Europe because of the volcanic ash from Iceland's erupting volcano. In their places, Julian Kuerti (second in command behind James Levine at the Boston Symphony Orchestra) and Nokuthula Ngwenyama (from one of my alma maters Indiana University) stepped in to perform in their absence. The concert opened with Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture led greatly by the maestro. I have not heard the overture performed live, and this was certainly a treat. Whenever one has a chance to experience Berlioz live, it is an event not to be missed. It is music that just isn't served justice through recording. Though the first work went of well, the second work, Harold en Italie, had some shaky moments. The orchestra was not together in some passages, and the conductor did little to bring them together (at times it felt like this was a Steve Reich phase arrangement). It was somewhat disappointing. But they managed to solve their issues by the finale, which was impressive, certainly given the closing tempo Kuerti insisted, which was the quickest I have heard the work close on. But it was effective and performed with precision.

The second half began with Berlioz's overture to his opera Benvenuto Cellini. This shared the great ensemble tightness the Roman Carnival Overture had, and was performed flawlessly by the orchestra, and kudos for Kuerti on his interpretation. The program concluded with Respighi's Pines of Rome, and what a treat to finally experience this work live! Kuerti's direction was spot on, and the orchestra matched it to great heights.

Since I have not been to one of the daytime concerts, the audience should be noted. Most were elderly, though I did come across those within my age range, and younger. But I had the pleasure of sitting across from a group of what appeared to be people with Downs Syndrome. Before the concert began I was wondering if they would have the attention span to last the entire concert. But I was surprisingly wrong by how entranced and attentive they were at hearing a live performance. Some of them were especially grateful for the experience and vocally cheering to themselves over the performance they just witnessed. Just another indication of what music and the arts can do for all minds alike.

Snowy Delight

Yesterday and overnight a Winter storm passed through the Cincinnati area, and many other places. This was a huge band of precipitation. I couldn't help myself from grabbing the video camera and going on a walk to the nearby park. Enjoy!