Analyze this amazing performance: Part Deux

monkey587 · Post by **monkey587** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 10:13 am

He does a great job of playing Flatley's setting of the tune

Y'all should hear Sean Maguire's recording of it, on "Milestone at the Garden" and probably others. It's pretty sweet.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:05 pm

Blackwood wrote:keep in mind that the performance is cut in half. During the concert he actually plays it through twice. They did a very good editing job making it seemless, but when they cut from the band kick-off to his solo performance the speed-up seems unnatural as they immideiately cut to his second time through. He had slowly sped it up during the 1st time he played it through.

That build-up is unfortunately missing.

Aha, there's my answer. Thank you, Sven! The buildup was my favorite thing about it on the audio CD.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:07 pm

monkey587 wrote:He does a great job of playing Flatley's setting of the tune

Y'all should hear Sean Maguire's recording of it, on "Milestone at the Garden" and probably others. It's pretty sweet.

Ooh, thanks. I've been thinking about searching out some more Sean Maguire stuff. He's great fun to listen to on the bits I have, especially his duets with his dad on whistle (thank you Mr. C!!!).

monkey587 · Post by **monkey587** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:28 pm

Cathy Wilde wrote: Ooh, thanks. I've been thinking about searching out some more Sean Maguire stuff. He's great fun to listen to on the bits I have, especially his duets with his dad on whistle (thank you Mr. C!!!).

Here it is, 2nd tune in the set. I suppose it was a bit flashy back in its day, but it's pretty sweet and melodic. I'll leave it up for a day or so.

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:57 pm

Here are links to a couple RTÉ programmes about Sean McGuire.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thelatesession/rams/27march.smil

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ceilihouse/1034199.html

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:04 pm

Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:18 pm

Gordon wrote:Nothing wrong with speed in the right hands - Roger certainly seemed be enjoying it. As Jem says, MM was exuberantly showboating and doing a nice job of it, at that. Of course, he wouldn't have played at that speed with others trying to play along, nor to relax and enjoy a nice tune by himself. In the context of this concert hall moment, the speed was just fine. Most players - even good ones - usually lose the lift big-time at that tempo, and ruin the music altogether. MM doesn't, and it's great to see someone actually speed up as they get older...

That doesn't change my very personal opinion about this very performance. In my opinion he played it too fast, technically perfect, but the music suffered. Mostly a showpiece. And even if someone CAN play a tune fast WITHOUT losing control, it still doesn't mean automatically that it's a great performance. As said, impressing for us ordinary fluters regarding technique and control, but the music suffers, IMHO.

That might sound that I don't like Molloy at all, which isn't true - I just don't like this very performance.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:29 pm

monkey587 wrote:I suppose it was a bit flashy back in its day, but it's pretty sweet and melodic. I'll leave it up for a day or so.

Oh, that's wonderful; sweet as can be! Funny; when I heard Molloy's description about how Maguire made everyone cry with it I fully expected madness. Not on this recording, at least .... Lovely. Thank you again!

monkey587 · Post by **monkey587** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:34 pm

Cathy Wilde wrote:Oh, that's wonderful; sweet as can be! Funny; when I heard Molloy's description about how Maguire made everyone cry with it I fully expected madness. Not on this recording, at least .... Lovely. Thank you again!

Maybe it's not the recording Molloy was referring to, but I haven't encountered any other Maguire recordings of it.

SM's albums with Roger Sherlock are fantastic, btw.

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:23 pm

Gordon wrote:Most players - even good ones - usually lose the lift big-time at that tempo, and ruin the music altogether. MM doesn't, and it's great to see someone actually speed up as they get older...

Gabriel wrote:In my opinion he played it too fast, technically perfect, but the music suffered. Mostly a showpiece. And even if someone CAN play a tune fast WITHOUT losing control, it still doesn't mean automatically that it's a great performance.

I think it just comes down to definition of musicality. It's a worthy issue to explore and not really off topic because it allows us to discuss this performance.

Like Gordon, I too find that what sets Molloy apart from other "speed merchants" is that for all of the speed and embellishments he never loses lift. He also includes as many melodic variations as he does technical. Plus the tone and rhythm are crisp and lively. Really all that sets this performance apart from other great performances, like the Bucks Of Oranmore clip, is speed.

And maybe it seems too fast because, as Cat noticed and Sven confirmed, this clip is missing the build up. I was a bit stunned too because when Molloy launches into the solo it's shockingly fast. It's not so bad when he starts off and it's only as fast as the Bucks clip.

So how is the speed beneficial to the tune? It stirs a visceral reaction. You can hear murmurs from the crowd. He was making the most of that moment and not concerned with anything else but giving an exciting performance in a style that paid tribute to the tune and to Sean McGuire who made it his own. Doing that concert in Belfast at the time was bold. McGuire was a bold and impressive musician so it's only fitting that Molloy give such a performance. Using those performance dynamics shows as much musicianship as taking it down a notch and giving the melody more space would show.

Now I know that's not what ITM is necessarily about-- being bold and shocking and fast. And there are tunes where I'm not able to follow Molloy out onto the limb because the speed or technicality don't stir me to enjoy the melody. But in this instance he does several things with the tune that are traditional practices. He puts himself in it, gives the tune its context and never loses tone, rhythm or lift.

groxburgh · Post by **groxburgh** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:53 pm

This is from the same concert as the CD An Irish Evening. Listen to the crowd noises etc. at the end - they're identical.

And Roger Daltry sings on that album.

Aanvil · Post by **Aanvil** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:17 pm

If that was in '91 that is Roger Daltrey for sure.

Was sporting shaggy locks then.

A 1992 Released album

rama · Post by **rama** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:22 pm

now that we're talking about it, i recall seeing matt molloy playing this in concert and the build up of momentum was actually electrifying. so i can see how an edited video can wind up sounding like 'fast playing'. it doesn't seem to capture the whole mesmerizing ride that he takes you on.

where the hell was roger daltry? was he in it too?

Ctrl Alt Del · Post by **Ctrl Alt Del** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 4:04 am

Showboating...? too fast....? maybe, but it's still a great performance and great entertainment (and he clearly enjoyed it!)

thanks for sharing it.

Gordon · Post by **Gordon** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:59 am

Aanvil wrote:If that was in '91 that is Roger Daltrey for sure.

Was sporting shaggy locks then.

A 1992 Released album

Didn't know this was in question -- it's undoubtedly Daltry. Pete, OTOH, was not allowed anywhere near the flutes, as he had a tendency to break things.