The three decade wait for a fair hearing
Todd Rundgren – Up Against It, De Oosterpoort, Groningen, 19th February 2016
Todd Rundgren – Up Against It, De Oosterpoort, Groningen, 19th February 2016
The roots of this orchestral performance of Up Against It by Todd Rundgren and the Noord Nederlands Orkest go back to both the sixties and the eighties…
In 1967 English playwright Joe Orton was commissioned to write a screenplay for the Beatles’ third film.
The draft screenplay was rejected but before any major re-writes could take place Orton’s lover murdered him (and then committed suicide); the screenplay was regarded as piece of Beatles’ marginalia for many years.
In the mid-eighties Joseph Papp of the Public Theatre commissioned Todd Rundgren to compose songs for Up Against It, in the belief that Rundgren would compose Beatles pastiches.
Todd Rundgren had different ideas.
The multi-faceted Rundgren saw this as a chance to bring out his Gilbert and Sullivan, Bernstein and Sondheim influences but, sadly, the Off Broadway production of Up Against It was not a success.
Flash forward to the present and a gentleman by the name of Co de Kloet.
The NTR radio producer/ presenter had organised a number of orchestral performances by Dutch and international artists, including previous commissions of work by Todd Rundgren; the genesis of the Up Against It performance was a radio interview Co de Kloet did with Rundgren and the idea of arranging an orchestral version of the show.
Tom Trapp, who had written the arrangements for Rundgren’s previously commissioned orchestral shows, became music arranger; conductor Hans Leenders was, like Trapp, keen to ensure Rundgren’s vision for the performance was honoured…
Ironically, after a lot of rehearsal work to get precision from the orchestra and to ensure the arrangements brought out the best in the music, the actual performance started with a mistake from the man himself – Todd Rundgren came in too soon on the first song, the orchestra halted, Rundgren admitted to the mistake and the performance began again.
But that was the only major mistake of a performance with many highlights; Todd Rundgren was in fine voice throughout, Tom Trapp’s arrangements were exceptional in bringing out the beauty of the music and the vocal arrangements all came together.
The complexity of those vocal arrangements was best expressed on 'We Understand Each Other.'
Todd Rundgren’s lead vocal is ahead of the beat, singer Mathilde Santing’s vocal is exactly on the beat, while
a third lead vocal by Wouter Penris interjects sardonic remarks (the complexity of the arrangement was driven by Rundgren’s desire to use the different vocal beats to undercut the lyric musically – the vocalists do not understand each other, that’s why they are not quite harmonising.
Todd Rundgren, as mentioned above, was in fine form vocally – Rundgren is currently singing extremely well and the survival of his voice at the age of 67 is a modern day miracle, considering his somewhat reckless approach to consuming certain substances over his earlier career years.
That said, and as exemplified on songs as the beautiful 'Parallel Lines' and the powerful sweep of 'If I Have To Be Alone,' it’s clear Rundgren takes the craft of singing very seriously; both his vocal range and phrasing put him in leading lights of soul and rock music.
Special note should go young student Pitou Nicolaes who sang lead on 'You’ll Thank Me in the End;' she sang the song like she owned it, no mean feat for someone singing unusual English lyrics such as:
"Christ-like sacrifice! Pass that cup to me."
"I will bear the price, if the puny and insignificant, are to have a glimpse of peace."
A truly special night ended with the unexpected encore of 'Fade Away' from Todd Rundgren’s 1978 solo album Hermit of Mink Hollow (the only non-Up Against It song performed).
Some thirty years after its composition and first performances, Up Against It was finally performed the way it was always envisioned.
The hope now is for an official release of a show you could argue waited three decades for a fair hearing.
And the verdict? Well worth the wait.
Andrew Jones
FabricationsHQ
Photo Credit: Andrew Jones
In 1967 English playwright Joe Orton was commissioned to write a screenplay for the Beatles’ third film.
The draft screenplay was rejected but before any major re-writes could take place Orton’s lover murdered him (and then committed suicide); the screenplay was regarded as piece of Beatles’ marginalia for many years.
In the mid-eighties Joseph Papp of the Public Theatre commissioned Todd Rundgren to compose songs for Up Against It, in the belief that Rundgren would compose Beatles pastiches.
Todd Rundgren had different ideas.
The multi-faceted Rundgren saw this as a chance to bring out his Gilbert and Sullivan, Bernstein and Sondheim influences but, sadly, the Off Broadway production of Up Against It was not a success.
Flash forward to the present and a gentleman by the name of Co de Kloet.
The NTR radio producer/ presenter had organised a number of orchestral performances by Dutch and international artists, including previous commissions of work by Todd Rundgren; the genesis of the Up Against It performance was a radio interview Co de Kloet did with Rundgren and the idea of arranging an orchestral version of the show.
Tom Trapp, who had written the arrangements for Rundgren’s previously commissioned orchestral shows, became music arranger; conductor Hans Leenders was, like Trapp, keen to ensure Rundgren’s vision for the performance was honoured…
Ironically, after a lot of rehearsal work to get precision from the orchestra and to ensure the arrangements brought out the best in the music, the actual performance started with a mistake from the man himself – Todd Rundgren came in too soon on the first song, the orchestra halted, Rundgren admitted to the mistake and the performance began again.
But that was the only major mistake of a performance with many highlights; Todd Rundgren was in fine voice throughout, Tom Trapp’s arrangements were exceptional in bringing out the beauty of the music and the vocal arrangements all came together.
The complexity of those vocal arrangements was best expressed on 'We Understand Each Other.'
Todd Rundgren’s lead vocal is ahead of the beat, singer Mathilde Santing’s vocal is exactly on the beat, while
a third lead vocal by Wouter Penris interjects sardonic remarks (the complexity of the arrangement was driven by Rundgren’s desire to use the different vocal beats to undercut the lyric musically – the vocalists do not understand each other, that’s why they are not quite harmonising.
Todd Rundgren, as mentioned above, was in fine form vocally – Rundgren is currently singing extremely well and the survival of his voice at the age of 67 is a modern day miracle, considering his somewhat reckless approach to consuming certain substances over his earlier career years.
That said, and as exemplified on songs as the beautiful 'Parallel Lines' and the powerful sweep of 'If I Have To Be Alone,' it’s clear Rundgren takes the craft of singing very seriously; both his vocal range and phrasing put him in leading lights of soul and rock music.
Special note should go young student Pitou Nicolaes who sang lead on 'You’ll Thank Me in the End;' she sang the song like she owned it, no mean feat for someone singing unusual English lyrics such as:
"Christ-like sacrifice! Pass that cup to me."
"I will bear the price, if the puny and insignificant, are to have a glimpse of peace."
A truly special night ended with the unexpected encore of 'Fade Away' from Todd Rundgren’s 1978 solo album Hermit of Mink Hollow (the only non-Up Against It song performed).
Some thirty years after its composition and first performances, Up Against It was finally performed the way it was always envisioned.
The hope now is for an official release of a show you could argue waited three decades for a fair hearing.
And the verdict? Well worth the wait.
Andrew Jones
FabricationsHQ
Photo Credit: Andrew Jones