Arts & Entertainment
Music of Frederic Chopin
Piano Recital Featuring Faculty Ivona Kaminska-Bowlby & Chris Bowlby
Ericka Berg
A & E Editor
Spend a Sunday afternoon, listening to the romantic ballads of Chopin.
Sunday, April 25, 3 p.m. in the Campus Theatre Friday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. in the Music Building, Room 818 Tickets: $10 general admission; $8 SCC Students; $4 Children. Call 206-546-4606 for more information. Few other composers are more loved or known than Chopin. Often referred to as the poet of the piano, his music is played and appreciated worldwide. On Sunday, April 25, at the Campus Theatre, music lovers will be treated to an all-Chopin recital featuring SCC music faculty Dr. Ivona Kaminska and Christopher Bowlby. The duo will perform his four ballades, Sonata No. 3 in B minor, and Mazurkas from Opuses 24 & 33. This is the last recital in SCC’s popular new piano series.
On the surface, Chopin’s music has an air of romance; yet, it also evokes strong feelings of patriotism for his native homeland of Poland. In the mid-1800s, Chopin became part of an exodus of Polish artists who fled to liberal Paris to escape oppression in occupied Poland. He missed his homeland terribly, but chose to live his life in self-imposed exile in order to have the freedom to practice his art. He eased his homesickness by incorporating the melodic gestures of Polish folk music in many of his compositions. Though he achieved great professional success abroad, his heart always remained faithful to Poland. It is this heroic spirit of Chopin that performers Kaminska and Bowlby would like to present to audience members.
Over the years, both pianists have forged a deep bond with Chopin’s music. They credit much of their knowledge of him to the training they received in Canada. At University of Alberta in Edmonton, they became the last students of legendary Canadian-Polish Chopin authority, Marek Jablonski whose teachings made a big impact on their playing. After Jablonski’s death, they continued their studies at the University of British Columbia with another renowned pianist/instructor – Henri-Paul Sicsic who was the grand pupil of the famous Chopin performer Alfred Cortot. To top it off, Polish native Kaminska received her early education as a performer at the world famous Frederic Chopin Academy in Warsaw.
American born Christopher Bowlby has been featured several times on Public Radio, and performed with guest cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the University of Nebraska. Kaminska has performed at music festivals all over Eastern Europe, and has taught students of all levels for the past twelve years. When asked about other musicians that they admire, Kaminska responded that they both appreciate the non-academic and experimental music of younger generation American composers, such as George Crumb and Vincent Persichetti.
Currently Kaminska and Bowlby teach part-time in Shoreline’s music department, and continue to perform in Western Canada and the United States. They will travel to Poland in August to perform American music, including a composition by SCC music instructor Jeff Junkinsmith. This concert series benefits the piano student scholarship fund at Shoreline Community College, enabling talented young pianists, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, to take piano lessons.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: A wild ride through Jim Carrey’s subconscious
Ericka Berg
A & E Editor
Welcome to Lacuna Inc. where unpleasant memories are painlessly and easily removed….
What if we could effortlessly erase all our painful memories from the past? Would this quick-fix be an ideal solution to life’s angst? Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) explores this concept in his latest film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” With a script written by Kaufman, you can expect the unexpected. Be prepared for a wild ride through Jim Carry’s mind as he tries to fend off the loss of his memories in this quirky film about finding and losing love.
The story centers on the evolution of a relationship between two miss-matched lovers. Joel (Jim Carrey) is a repressed introvert who can barely make eye-contact with the girls. Carrey holds back on his usual exuberance, but still delivers the laughs with understated humor. Kate Winslet (Titanic, Heavenly Creatures) is excellent in the role of Clementine, an impulsive free-spirit who sets her eyes on Joel. Their opposite personalities complement and conflict with each other. Naturally, the relationship is a tumultuous one. After a painful break-up, Clementine decides to have her memories of Joel eliminated at Lacuna Inc. (a clinic that specializes in the convenient and effective removal of problem memories). When Joel finds out about this, he seeks out the same treatment in retaliation.
During the procedure (in which Carrey looks like a crazed insomniac undergoing bio-feedback), he rediscovers the passion that he and Clementine once shared. Traveling through his crazy subconscious world, we see when they first met, loved and fought. Joel soon realizes that he doesn’t want to lose his memories of her. Things quickly go awry as he tries to escape the procedure in an attempt to save what’s left of their relationship.
Eternal Sunshine is essentially a love story that takes some strange twists and turns. Fortunately the non-linear storyline keeps the movie moving, and the viewer guessing as to how the story will really end. The supporting cast (Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson as the doctor) provide lots of background humor as they bungle their way through Joel’s memory removal. The filmmakers also provide a hilariously low-tech set-up that keeps the viewer focused on Carrey’s mental journey instead of on the special effects. As with Kaufman’s previous works, Sunshine is smart, original and creative. If you want to see a story that provides a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood fare, go see this film.