For my study, I recorded more reviews of Maud Allan's "Vision of Salome" to different Orientalist music. I put out a call on social media for music suggestions (with so many responses!) -- some of these are drawn from people's recommendations.
Richard Strauss' "Dance of the Seven Veils" (possibly the original music that Maud Allan danced to):
"Miserlou" (suggested by Meiver De La Cruz)
Duke Ellington's "Caravan" (suggested by Beto Gonzalez)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QnmwcVxsIBNjTUgc85cFFCd0AE5PExK7/view?usp=sharing
One quick sound note -- I'd like to re-record the Strauss recording at a different level this so my voice doesn't clip, but I didn't have time.
I'm pretty open to any kind of feedback, but here are some questions in case you find that useful.
Questions:
(1) How do the text and music relate in each example?
(2) Any feedback on how I read the reviews?
(3) What do you make of the range of music? What kind of sequence would you put these in (including the recording with Lakme I did last time)?
(4) What possible staging/performance/embodied possibilities do you see for this audio? How would you connect the recordings to the other material we've developed thus far?
Here are all the music suggestions people gave. Since I was recording text over the music, I generally found that songs with lyrics were hard to work with -- this eliminated most of the pop songs and musicals.
Music Suggestions:
Meiver De La Cruz: "The most re-recorded and abused oritalist piece is “Miserlou” (of Pulp Fiction fame). I have used it in performance and it’s very recognizable and effective.
It’s originally a Greek song about an Egyptian girl whom is “sweet.”"
Yiman Wang: music from Anna May Wong's films
Rebeca Hernandez: Shakira, "Ojos Así"
Joan Titus: Verdi's Aida, Borodin’s In The Steppes of Central Asia, Debussy’s Estampes, “Pagodes” (first mvt), Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Turandot, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Bali Hai” from South Pacific
Beto González: Duke Ellington's "Caravan"
Ozgur Basak Alkan: Istanbul Constantinople
Sabrina Hamilton: SAIGON (old radio drama)
Heather Rastovac: "I Wanna See You Bellydance"
Sarah Orem: Selena Gomez, "Come and Get It"
Arushi Singh: Iggy Azalea, "Bounce"
Amy Smith: Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda Yogiji
Gunter Acer: Vico Torriani - Cafe Oriental 1961
Sander Roscoe Wolff: Talking Heads, "Listening Wind"; The Mikado
Loren Nerell: The Vapors, "Turning Japanese"
Ilaan Mazzini: "Little Brown Gal"
Olivia Samad: Madonna, "Shanti Ashtangi"
Alyssa Stover: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I”
Claire Pamment: Char-Lee Chann, "CHU CHIN CHOW"
Richard Strauss' "Dance of the Seven Veils" (possibly the original music that Maud Allan danced to):
"Miserlou" (suggested by Meiver De La Cruz)
Duke Ellington's "Caravan" (suggested by Beto Gonzalez)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QnmwcVxsIBNjTUgc85cFFCd0AE5PExK7/view?usp=sharing
One quick sound note -- I'd like to re-record the Strauss recording at a different level this so my voice doesn't clip, but I didn't have time.
I'm pretty open to any kind of feedback, but here are some questions in case you find that useful.
Questions:
(1) How do the text and music relate in each example?
(2) Any feedback on how I read the reviews?
(3) What do you make of the range of music? What kind of sequence would you put these in (including the recording with Lakme I did last time)?
(4) What possible staging/performance/embodied possibilities do you see for this audio? How would you connect the recordings to the other material we've developed thus far?
Here are all the music suggestions people gave. Since I was recording text over the music, I generally found that songs with lyrics were hard to work with -- this eliminated most of the pop songs and musicals.
Music Suggestions:
Meiver De La Cruz: "The most re-recorded and abused oritalist piece is “Miserlou” (of Pulp Fiction fame). I have used it in performance and it’s very recognizable and effective.
It’s originally a Greek song about an Egyptian girl whom is “sweet.”"
Yiman Wang: music from Anna May Wong's films
Rebeca Hernandez: Shakira, "Ojos Así"
Joan Titus: Verdi's Aida, Borodin’s In The Steppes of Central Asia, Debussy’s Estampes, “Pagodes” (first mvt), Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Turandot, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Bali Hai” from South Pacific
Beto González: Duke Ellington's "Caravan"
Ozgur Basak Alkan: Istanbul Constantinople
Sabrina Hamilton: SAIGON (old radio drama)
Heather Rastovac: "I Wanna See You Bellydance"
Sarah Orem: Selena Gomez, "Come and Get It"
Arushi Singh: Iggy Azalea, "Bounce"
Amy Smith: Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda Yogiji
Gunter Acer: Vico Torriani - Cafe Oriental 1961
Sander Roscoe Wolff: Talking Heads, "Listening Wind"; The Mikado
Loren Nerell: The Vapors, "Turning Japanese"
Ilaan Mazzini: "Little Brown Gal"
Olivia Samad: Madonna, "Shanti Ashtangi"
Alyssa Stover: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I”
Claire Pamment: Char-Lee Chann, "CHU CHIN CHOW"
(1) How do the text and music relate in each example?
ReplyDeleteStrauss plus words felt very melodramatic, like watching a sexualixed horror movie, tantalizing and macabre.
Miserlou plus text felt funny, over the top.
Ellington with text felt like the music and text were competing, rather than supporting each other.
(2) Any feedback on how I read the reviews?
In general the more over the top the better! In Strauss I wasn't sure about a few lines, like the "Giant negro" seemed like it brings up a whole other can of racism worms that I don't know if we're actively addressing? I liked the repetition of white Flesh and Dark Crimson clots, but thought only two words would be needed when repeated, like just "Dark crimson".
(3) What do you make of the range of music?
What kind of sequence would you put these in (including the recording with Lakme I did last time)?
Not sure, each feels very different. Perhaps Ellington first to set nightclub scene/mood. Then I like the more serious and horrific Strauss before the over the top Miserlou.
(4) What possible staging/performance/embodied possibilities do you see for this audio? How would you connect the recordings to the other material we've developed thus far?
Salome: not sure for the staging, but perhaps something along the lines of watching something we cannot see as you mentioned for the Lakme.
Mierlou: could see announcer air guitaring/fake jacking off. Could see all of us in ridiculous costumes parodying the words.
Ellington, perhaps we create a unison movement phrase to the words but don't actually hear the words.
Lakme: I could imagine all of us flocking Cynthia with big shadows making us larger than life.
Regarding number 3, I sisn't put in Lakme, I feel like the Strauss and Lakme are more similar and would maybe choose one or the other.
ReplyDelete