Halloween concert a special treat
By Juliet Schoen / Special to The Malibu Times
Words like “ghoulish” and “hilarious” are rarely used to describe classical music concerts but they apply to the presentation offered by UCLA’s Philharmonia on Halloween night. This special free event was called “One Foot in the Grave.” Usually performed at the intimate Schoenberg Hall, it was moved to the larger and grander Royce Hall, which was filled with a happy crowd, mostly students who wore creative costumes.
In the spirit of the holiday, the members of the orchestra were all in costume. It was diverting to see a concertmaster dressed as Julius Caesar, a violinist dressed as a nurse, and members of the brass section dressed in matching ghost outfits, which, fortunately, allowed them to follow the music through eyeholes.
The event started auspiciously with a performance on the organ of Bach’s masterpiece, “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.” As played with verve and passion by Christoph Bull, it had a creepy overtone suitable to the occasion. The organ arose, as if by magic, from beneath the stage. After the piece, the organ descended and there stood the conductor of the orchestra, Neal Stulberg, nattily attired as Dracula. It was all part of the fun since the evening’s event was called a “Spooktacular.”
The program itself could not have been better or better played. The “Pandemonium” scene from Berlioz’s “La Damnation of Faust” was an appropriate opener for the orchestra. This was followed by a dramatic narration of a poem about “The Cursed Hunter,” with actors Monica Payne and Brendon Fox. The orchestral version, by Cesar Franck, followed. Notations and photos on a screen enhanced the experience.
Instead of an intermission, there was an interlude that offered two silent, animated shorts with organ accompaniment. Then, in playing Bernard Hermann’s music for “Psycho,” actual scenes from the movie appeared on the screen. Next, the dark poem, “Lady of Noon,” was offered as both a narration and a musical piece by Dvorak. The grand finale was James Bernard’s suite from the film called, “Taste the Blood of Dracula.” At this point, the fiendish conductor drank from a glass of red liquid. Could it be?