Mark Morris, Master of the Obvious

On Thursday night, I saw the Mark Morris Dance Group, and I have to say, I was not impressed. He has a reputation as a musical choreographer, but, as a musician, I have to disagree. All he does is fallow the melody/foreground. There's no deeper engagement with the music - he's just following along, not adding or interpreting anything. I did think that the choreography itself, the movement, weren't bad at all - I might have liked them better if they had been paired with different music. Morris works in some folk-dancing inspired material that I thought worked well, and the dances had a certain amount of lightness and charm at times.

Bedtime - to Schubert Lieder
I liked the second section the best, because of the use of folk elements. Unfortunately, the third section was a too-literal response to the music "Erlkonig".

All Fours - to Bartok's String Quartet No. 4
This piece was the least interesting to me, precisely because I know and love the music so very well. I kept thinking tow things: I already know how the piece goes Mr. Morris, and Does he get this music? The section to the slow movement with the cello solo almost achieved some interesting engagement with the music, but never made it all the way there.

V - to Schumann's Quintet in E-flat Major, OP. 44
Of the three dances, I liked this one the best. While it still followed the foreground and melody of the music, it contained tantalizing hints at a deeper engagement. And it made even better use of folk-style elements than the first piece did.

Book Review

Spiral Hunt
by Margaret Ronald

I loved this book! It's an urban fantasy set in a version of Boston where magic and those who work it form an undercurrent/underground in both the literal and metaphorical senses. The protagonist, Evie Scelan, has an innate magical sense of smell that allows her to hunt down people and things. The plot (which I won't describe because I will be too tempted to give spoilers) combines elements of urban fantasy and mystery stories in a really wonderful and compelling way. I really liked Ronald's approach to urban fantasy - magic is often gritty and disturbing, something to be careful of and careful with. Plus, I liked that way her conception of a magical Boston isn't just the city with some magic thrown in, it's woven into and wedded to the qualities that make Boston what it is.


(Full Disclosure: I know the author.)