By Sarah Hong '21, Hopkins Center Arts Ambassador Have you ever gone to a classical music concert and wondered when to clap? At the start of his concert in the Hop's Spaluding Auditorium on Wednesday, April 25, pianist Inon Barnatan eased the audience’s fears when he announced that for the first half he would play a continuous 45-minute program without break. The program was his rendition of a Baroque dance suite, incorporating pieces by different composers across different centuries. His suite featured diverse works from Handel, Bach, Rameau, Couperin, Ravel, Ades, Ligeti and … [Read more...]
Unpacking the music of Riyaaz Qawwali
By Ugur Yavuz ‘21, Hopkins Center Arts Ambassador On the night of January 19, we had the pleasure of having Riyaaz Qawwali, a qawwali group based in Austin, Texas, on the stage of the Hopkins Center for the Arts. A music not very well known by Western audiences, qawwali is a form of devotional music that originated in Northern India and Pakistan, stretching back for more than 700 years. It has its roots in the Sufi tradition. Sufism represents a mystical aspect of Islam characterized by asceticism and music that has a doctrine of spiritual intuition of the divine truth at its center. As … [Read more...]
Inside view: A Coast member talks about the exciting music and inspiring guests of the February 24 concert
By Sarah Hong ’21, Hop Arts Ambassador The Barbary Coast is Dartmouth’s student jazz ensemble. They will be performing this Saturday, February 24, at 8 pm in Spaulding Auditorium. I recently talked with Connor Quigley, a ’21 who plays the tenor saxophone, about his experiences in the Barbary Coast. Q: How did you get involved with the Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble? A: When I was here visiting at Dimensions, I walked by the rehearsal room and saw a band playing there. I saw a poster on the wall that said Dexter Gordon plays with the Barbary Coast, and was, like, “My god, I have to play … [Read more...]
1984: The story of a story told on books, radios, stages and screens
Anindu Rentala '21, Hop Arts Ambassador The Dartmouth Department of Theater's 1984 is characterized by its mixed-media adaptation. Various video clips are woven throughout the play, including Bill Maher’s interview with Yale Professor Timothy Snyder and a video made by the cast, depicting the scene in which the character Winston is tortured. Created by director Peter Hackett, this adaptation uniquely contextualizes the play’s relevance in 2018, highlighting creeping bits of post-fact authoritarianism in America’s democratic-republic. The 1984 that recently played on Broadway was also a … [Read more...]
1984: A lot to think about
By Ricardo M. Serrano-Smith, Hop Arts Ambassador The lights dim, the audiences hushes, and an ominous message appears on the screen: “Big Brother is Watching.” The play begins with a old-fashioned and relaxed tone; actors are reading off of a script in a radio broadcast center, and it feels unnatural. However, as the play continues, one realizes that there is no fourth wall that separates the actors from the audience. In fact the audience in The Moore Theater is intended to be the audience of the radio broadcast. This took a little time to realize, as it was non-traditional, however the … [Read more...]
“1984” is “scarily relevant” to today, says cast member
By Sophia A. Koval '21, Hop Arts Ambassador Savannah Miller is a ‘21 in this term’s mainstage production of 1984, which runs February 16-25 at the Hop. Miller is a prospective theater major who has always had a passion for the arts. Here, she weighs in on her experience in Dartmouth’s theater program. Q: Describe your involvement in the arts at Dartmouth. A: I am a person of Oceania and a prisoner in 1984. I am also going to be a theater major. Last term, I was an assistant stage manager for Cabaret as well as an Arts Ambassador, and I write for the Arts section of The Dartmouth. Q: … [Read more...]
A bluesy baritone thinker’s powerful, loving music, February 13
By Aditya H. Prasad, Hopkins Center Arts Ambassador Gregory Porter’s masterful understanding and practice of vocal jazz is never quite as evident as when he belts out music that he himself has written. Backed by a talented band comprising a pianist, a drummer, a tenor saxophonist, a bass guitarist and a particularly outstanding organ player, Porter shook Spaulding Auditorium with his emotional, powerful and deep voice when he performed there February 13. An obvious follower and disciple of Nat King Cole, Porter also performed the legend’s song, "Mona Lisa." However, his strongest piece of … [Read more...]
Two contrasting singer-songwriters in one evening
By Khia E. Hollyer '21, Hopkins Center Arts Amabassador Jose Gonzalez and his opening act, Bedouine, performed a great show at the Hop February 6. Both are alternative solo-guitarist-musicians; however, they command different sounds. Rich, sensual and dissonant notes characterize Bedouine’s music, composed of a dichotomy of light and strong guitar strokes and chords; and euphoric and cacophonic notes. Her persona is shy and awkward, yet charming. Abashed, humor-laced statements like, “They say I’m Joni Mitchell on Xanax,” and “Come at me, Dartmouth students,” tickle the audience. Her … [Read more...]
A Muslim Musical Tradition With A Home in The Heart of Texas
By Rik Abels '21, Arts Ambassador People take their seats and the lights are dimmed, on the evening of January 19, in the Hop's Spaulding Auditorium. A group of men in traditional South Asian dress walk onto the stage. A silence overtakes the auditorium. The leader of the group, a charismatic 33-year-old from the heart of Texas, invites the audience to join him on a “spiritual journey.” This is Riyaaz Qawwali. Qawwali is a form of devotional music founded in Sufism, which is often referred to as Islamic mysticism. Its roots trace back to the late 13th century, when it … [Read more...]
New Kid in “Cabaret”: Nine lines and he gets to kiss the lead
By Sophia Koval '21 Edward Lu is a ‘21 from Andover, Mass., and is one of the few freshman cast members in this term’s mainstage production of Cabaret. He is also a Dartmouth Aire. I sat down with him to talk about his experience in his first musical on campus. What is your role in Cabaret? My role in Cabaret is Bobby/ensemble. He is just one of the ensemble members but he has a few speaking parts (which I think is pretty cool - I get nine whole lines), and I get to kiss the lead. What performance experience did you have before coming to Dartmouth? Before I came to Dartmouth, I … [Read more...]
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