Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Oct. 31, 1985, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
8. The Daily Tar Heelthursda OctoHer 3ffi9d5 displays aMheMicMy By ELIZABETH ELLEN Arts Editor "Ancient" is a word with multiple connotations. To many, it conjures up images of primitive tribes or Roman ruins. But in the context of the British group Academy of Ancient Music Chamber Ensemble, the word refers to the period of the Baroque and early Classical compos ers. The Ensemble demonstrated its special brand of authentic perfor mance Tuesday evening at Memorial Hall in a concert sponsored by the Carolna Union. The performance was visually colorful, from the female string players' lavender gowns to the orange-red harpsichord. More importantly, the performance included an impressive palette of tone colors. The sound , of the plucked harpsichord was in marked contrast to that of the resonant wooden flute. The string quartet and harpsichord, the group's basic per forming unit, had a clean delicate sound due to the. gut strings and straight bows used by the players. The performers generally worked together very well. With equal adeptness, they moved from sprightly allegros to songlike ada gios. In Suite VinG major however, some violin passages were noticeably out of tune. David Thomas, bass, joined the strings and harpsichord in two Handel cantatas. While he certainly was not a bad singer, he was not overly impressive either. His voice was pleasant and strong but some how lacked brilliance or unusual warmth. Part of the problem was probably in the music itself. In Cantata No. 20 several pseudo- music cadenzas were so disjointedly archaic that they became comical. To modern sensibilities, the overly poetic lyrics left much to be desired. The subject matter of both cantatas was the anguish of a lover who had displeased his mistress. What a -blessing that Thomas sang in Italian, for had he sung an English trans lation, he would have uttered lines like, "In compassion for my suffer ing, may the arch of your brow always be a rainbow of peace." Fortunately, such romantic slush -was disguised by a foreign language. The two beautifully-rendered Vivaldi flute concertos testified to the possibilities of authentic perfor mance. Soloist Lisa Beznosiuk played a wooden flute, a hauntingly resonant instrument, which is far less shrill than its modern counterpart. Despite the difficulties of playing intricate passages on an early instru ment, Beznosiuk executed fast sec tions with precision and apparent ease. Her interaction with the accom panying strings was so close that occasionally the lines merged until the flute seemed to be playing double stops. The Ensemble's style of perfor mance is certainly unusual and refreshing in this world of Roman ticized early music. This group must be listened to with some attention, for it cannot overwhelm the listener with power or volume. Instead, it impresses the adventurous and discriminating listener with vitality, vigor, precision and quaint charm. By ALEXANDRA MANN Staff Writer The place is England, the time is near the end of World War II, and the issue is pigs. Not just any pigs, but black market pigs. And nice people are breaking the law to get them. This is the setting for A Private Function, a film starring Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) and Maggie Smith. The film is basically a comedy, but it's a comedy with a twist, an underlying message of sorts, which makes the laughs not quite as hearty as they otherwise might be. Palin has given up his Python-esque roles for that of a somewhat meek, unassuming pedicurist. He is married to Smith, a piano teacher, whose main concern is to become a part of the "elite" society she feels she is missing out on. But this is not Palin's concern. He is concerned only with feet, and only by accident does he stumble upon hi and his wife's ticket into "society." That ticket, of course, is pigs. Food, during the war, was being rationed, and most people were forced to get by on very little. But Palin, by spending so much of his time beautifying the feet WEEKS E cinema of upper-class ladies, eventually discovers that their comfortable lifestyle pivots on the fact that they get much of their food, mainly pork, on the black market. He decides that his entrance into the mainstream will require him to join the ranks of the black marketeers. This is one of the "private functions" in the film. Another is a wedding reception, which must be kept private because the main course is pork. During the second half of the film, the plot follows Palin as he steals the wedding pig, and what occurs once he brings the smelly thing home. They are so afraid to kill the animal that it hangs around for a few days relieving itself of its own private functions all over their kitchen floor. If the plot sounds confusing, that is because it is so easy to get wrapped up in the plight of the two main characters that anything outside of their situation is difficult to pay attention to. Palin's performance is unlike any he has offered before, but it works. He plays the part of a coward in the face of swine murder, and takes his clients' feet very seriously, though it is difficult for anyone else to do the same. He plays the part with just the right amount of timidity mixed with charm, a combination which makes him hopelessly endearing, Smith, as always, is sophisticated and cool, even when their contraband pig appears in their parlor during a young girl's piano lesson. Smith always seems to be blessed with aloof and daring roles like this one (Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun being just one), and the effect is perfect. Director Malcolm Mowbray is to be commended for his characters' various reactions to the ridiculous situations they are in, and for the story itself, which he created with Alan Bennett. The movie is an overall success, but a success with some gaps. The comedy element is not quite slapstick, but it is funny nonetheless, and Palin is hard to get used to in a quasi-serious role. But once over these obstacles, A Private Function is a refreshing change of pace, for its combination of a variety of elements is definitely unique. TODAY " Nosferatu the Vampyre will be shown at 7 O JLand 9:30 p.m. in the Union Auditorium. Return of the Comet is the current show at the Morehead Planetarium. Call 962-1248 for more information. Awareness Art Ensemble will perform through Friday at 10 p.m. at the ArtSchool. Call 929-2896 for more information. Snatches of Pink, Bad Checks and Southern Culture on the Skids will perform at Cat's Cradle. Call 967-9053 for more information. Terminal Mouse will perform at Rhythm Alley. Call 929-8172 for more information. FRIDAY IGhostbusters will be shown at 4:30, 7 and 9:30 p.m. and at midnight in the Union Auditorium. Call 966-3128 for ticket information. A cis and Galatea will be performed by the Society for Performance on Original Instruments through Saturday at 8 p.m. in PlayMakers Theatre. Call 962 1039 for ticket information. Annie Marra, Pomegranate Rose and Ruth Rocchio will perform at 8 p.m. at the Church of the Reconciliation. Call 967-9633 for ticket information. Mart "Guitar" Murphy will perform at Rhythm Alley. Call 929-8172 for more information. SATURDAY 2 Saturday Night and Sunday Morning will be shown at 7 and 9:30 p.m. in the Union Auditorium. The Graduate will be shown at 9 and 11 p.m. in Carroll Hall. Call 942-4057 for ticket information. Gabriel Yacoub will perform at 9 p.m. at the ArtSchool. Call 929-2896 for more information. Norman Blake will perform at Rhythm Alley. Call 929-8172 for more information. SUNDAY 3 Gone with the Wind will be shown at 2 p.m.. and Confidence will be shown at 7 and 9:30 p.m. in the Union Auditorium. Call 929-3128 for ticket information. A Mother's Love will be performed by the UNC Lab Theatre through Monday at 4 and 8 p.m. in 06 Graham Memorial Hall. Surely You Jest will be performed by Karen Hawkesworth and Dr. Elliot Engel at 2 p.m. at the ArtSchool. Call 929-2896 for ticket information. Art by Raymond Chomeau and Be Gardiner will wmmm V H r 0 HP, w W :Sti:S::?5S "J :.. . ; V, '''4. 4 IT'" v ' X- ... r i be displayed through Nov. 30 at the Somerhill Gallery. Brother Yosuf Salim will lead an open jam session at 7 p.m. at the ArtSchool. Call 929-2896 for more information. MONDAY 4 The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith will be shown at 7 and 9:30 p.m. in the Union Auditorium. Joyce Ladner will lecture on "Children Having Children: The Feminization of Poverty Revisited" at 7 p.m. in Gerrard Hall. WEDNESDAY 6Kornog will perform at the ArtSchool. Call 929 2896 for more information. MOVIES Plaza lKrush Groove at 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 today. Death Wish starts Friday at 3:20, 5:20, 7:20 and 9:20. Plaza II American Ninja at 3:20, 5:20, 7:20 and 9:20 ends today. Krush Groove starts Friday at 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30. Plaza III Remo Williams: The Adventure Continues at 3, 5:15, 7:35 and 9:45 ends today. To Live and Die in L.A. starts Friday at 2:45, 5:05, 7:25 and 9:45. Varsity I Kiss of the Spider Woman at 2: 1 5, 4:30, 7:15 and 9:30. Varsity l Plenty at 2, 4:15, 7, and 9:15. Varsity Lateshows Kiss of the Spider Woman and Fright Night at 11:45 Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Carolina Blue Jagged Edge at 2:30, 4:45, 7 and 9:15. Carolina White Private Function at 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 ends today. Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins starts Friday at 7 and 9:30. Carolina Classic You Cant Take It with You at 2:15 and 4:45 ends today. Lawrence of Arabia starts Friday at 2." Carolina Lateshows The Exorcist at 1 1:30 and Mad Max at 1 1:45 Friday and Saturday. Ram I After Hours at 7 and 9:10; weekend matinees at 2 and 4:10. Ram II Better Off Dead at 7 and 9; weekend matinees at 2 and 4. Ram III Sweet Dreams at 7 and 9:15; weekend matinees at 2 and 4: 15. Ram Lateshows The Big Chill and The Wall at 1 1:45 Friday and Saturday. Compiled by Elizabeth Ellen, arts editor. (Har announcements PUT YOUR FRENCH TO WORK! Learn about France's businesses, banks, workers, unions, transportation, com munications. STUDY BUSINESS FRENCH. Spring 1986, French 95, 2, 10 MWF. Classified Advertising 1 can't go out of town this weekend, I'd miss the 13thannual APS Auction Nov. 2 & 3 at the Chapel Hill Community Center. Gary Phillips will be auctioning stamp collections, pottery, vacations, and much, much more. There will be a white elephant room also. I picked up an auction catalog at the Animal Shelter, and I can't miss the auction this year. Call 967-7383 for information. Rattling around in the room with not much time for breakfast. The cereal idea is getting old and you want a change, well, Burger King Franklin Street has that change. Two sausage croissants for $1.19, inexpensive and fast! The UNC Year-At-Seville Program will hold an informational meeting on Monday, November 4th, 1985; 3:30 to 4:30pm in Room ; 303 Dey Hall. Anyone -interested m leaming; about the Program is invited to attend. CAROLINA PRIDE and PHI KAPPA SIGMA present SKULL BOWL DAY. 20 of all receipts on Halloween day go to the Amer ican Diabetes Association. Skull Bowl T shirts on sale all week at store and in pit. The Chapel Hill Historical Socie ty's 1986 calendar, "How We Looked" is now available for only $3.50 at the Ballshead Book Shop, Student Stores. PEPPI'S SPOOK SPECIAL. ITS SO GOOD, ITS SCARYUust come into Peppi's Halloween night between 5pm and 10pm and get regular 12 inch 1 topping pizza and 2 soft drinks for only $5.00. NO COUPONS NECES SARY! Only at Peppi's! 208 W. Franklin St. 942-5149. CARRB0R0 10K !AL featuring BROOKS CHARIOT Reg. $59.95 NOW 5295 (Available in wide) RACE STARTS AT 2 PM SUNDAY NOV. 3 ALL RUNNING WEAR 10 -30 PRO SHOP WILL OPEN 11:30-1 and 3-4 SUNDAY, NOV. STEVE FRIEDMAN'S am AND RUNNING CENTER i i ... , ....-iiii.iinni ,11 mini , i.iiii.ii.m.ini nir, irri,.irn 1.1 n n in., I..iiin,iiii i r i i , - , , r , r ,,, n , , Santa's Corning Earlij With Christmas Cash For You! Sign a 9 Month or 12 Month Lease And Your 3rd Months Rent Is Absoluelif Free! (limited offer) (5) Brand new 2 bedroom townhomes on 54 Bypass between Greensboro St. and Jones Ferry Road (on J busline). (Eantcrbunj auuincliamc Managed by Hunt Pfoperties.lnc. v let I i ll: r
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 31, 1985, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75