Clef Notes and Drama Queens: The ultimate 'Ode to Joy,' at a Proms concert in London - Classical music and theater in Baltimore: Critic Tim Smith writes about classical music, opera, theater, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Centerstage, and more

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August 21, 2009

The ultimate 'Ode to Joy,' at a Proms concert in London

I complained a while back about the Baltimore Symphony's nearly annual reprise of Beethoven's Ninth for the summer season, not because I don't like the work or because I don't appreciate its ability to attract audiences, including many first-timers. It's just that I think the BSO should try to shed new perspectives on the well-worn symphony when it offers yet another reprise, and I think I've found the ultimate example.

Thanks to musicalamerica.com for alerting me to a BBC story about a performance this week in London at the venerable Proms that has greatly expanded the previous known boundaries of interpreting the famous "Ode to Joy" finale of the Ninth Symphony -- using nearly 1,000 ukuleles. Can't we be this trendy in Baltimore? Click here for a taste of how it sounded. You may never think of the "Ode" the same way again.

Posted by Tim Smith at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Comments

Listeners can check out the whole concert from this link, for a few more days:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00m68x7

Thanks awfully. I can't wait to check it out myself. TIM

Posted by: Geo. | August 21, 2009 12:48 PM

I'm sure the Ukulele association will be happy to have been called trendy! Trust you've seen this amazing clip: http://ukuleledisco.com/jakeconcert

Posted by: Brian Sacawa | August 21, 2009 1:54 PM

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About Tim Smith

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., I couldn't help but develop a keen interest in politics, but music, theater and visual art also proved great attractions. Music became my main focus after high school. I thought about being a cocktail pianist, but I hated taking requests, so I studied music history instead, earning a B.A. in that field from Eisenhower College (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) and an M.A. from Occidental College (Los Angeles). I then landed in journalism. After freelancing for the Washington Post and others, I was classical music critic for the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida, where I also contributed to NPR. I've written for the New York Times, BBC Music Magazine and other publications, and I'm a longtime contributor to Opera News. My book, The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (Perigee, 2002), can be found on the most discerning remainder racks.

I joined the Baltimore Sun as classical music critic in 2000 and, in 2009, also became theater critic, giving me the opportunity to annoy a whole new audience. In 2010, my original Clef Notes blog expanded to encompass a theatrical component -- how could I resist calling it Drama Queens? I hope you'll find both sides of this blog coin worth exploring and reacting to; your own comments are always welcome and valued (well, most of them, at least).

Think of this as your open-all-hours, cyber green room, where there's always a performer or performance to discuss, some news to digest, or maybe just a little good gossip to share.

Note: Tim Smith now writes about the fine arts at baltimoresun.com/artsmash. This blog will be kept in place as an archive for an indefinite period. Please visit the new location to get the latest Mid-Atlantic arts coverage.
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