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"The Beauty in the Wind" - Reviews |
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Review by Edwin (Ed) M. Willmington D.M.A.
Director, Fred Bock Institute of Music
Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts
Fuller Theological Seminary
www.brehmcenter.com
I was given a copy of the DVD/CD set of Beauty in the Wind and though I knew it was about organs and organ music, I found myself not knowing what to expect from such a unique package. What I discovered was an artistic, educational, and professional musical experience. Jung-A Lee took me on a tour of five organs in Orange County, CA, provided a variety of listening experiences, and some creative views inside of some organs and the sanctuaries that house them.
A part of my education was that I didn't know some of these beautiful instruments existed. I also learned a few things about each organ, such as their builders and unique attributes…organs have diverse personalities. Another part of the experience was to hear a spectrum of organ literature ranging from French Romantic music to hymn arrangements. In the case of the Fullerton Evangelical Free Church organ, we were given insights from Richard Unfried relating to the circumstances and motivations for the original organ installation. A part of Richard's comments were accompanied by a view of the pipes as Jung-A and Richard walked through some of the many ranks…this is a rare view of pipe organs for the average person!
Jung-A Lee is a remarkable organist…which is definitely a part of the inspiration provided in Beauty in the Wind. Her credentials are impeccable, with studies in Europe, and masters and doctoral degrees from Yale and Boston University. As I watched and listened to her playing, I became increasingly aware that she was playing most of the music from memory…amazing! It is not hard to be captivated by the grace and ease with which she expresses the music of all styles.
Beauty in the Wind is also attractively packaged. The organs are nicely set in each church, with attractive lighting and creative camera views of the performances. In many cases the videography is well scripted so that the viewer can observe Jung-A as she changes stops, moves between manuals, presses pistons, see feet movement, and even facial expressions. Again, these are views that are not commonly provided to the average listener. At times, great views are provided of some of the beautiful stained glass windows that are in some of the churches.
Beauty in the Wind is a uniquely packaged volume that in one hour can captivate a viewer/listener with the sights and sounds of five organs in a manner that is highly engaging. The packaging is complete in that there is not only a DVD, but also a separate CD version as well…a definite bonus. Beauty in the Wind would be a highly recommendable gift for the lover of organs and organ music, and would be a great educational package for those who like to see the insides of how things work…and everyone in between!
Review by Don Scott
During my last visit in April to West Point, the fea- tured organist was Dr. Jung-A Lee, who is a well-known and a highly sought-after performer. She is Korean-born and received a good share of her musical education at Yale. She is currently an organist at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, CA, an adjunct professor at Vanguard University, and holds a multitude of other positions to promote music. To add depth to her desire to especially promote organ music, she founded Music Mission International in 2009, and she is chair of that non-profit organization which has 12 board members. A full list of her education and many achievements is best read at www.musicmissioninterna- tional.org. Also, her recording can be purchased on this site, along with viewing her bi-coastal concert schedule. Because I appreciated her fine performance at West Point of Widor's "Allegro (Symphony No.6 in G," I sim- ply had to meet her after the concert. As a result of that meeting, Dr. Lee kindly sent me a copy of her latest DVD/CD set, "Beauty in the Wind." One selection especially fascinated me because of the skill which it required to play on the organ: "A Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky, recorded at the Geneva Presbyterian Church, Laguna, CA. The fairies were indeed dancing with unusual deli- cacy. In contrast on the same organ, "Prelude in Classical Style – G," Jung-A presented a quite robust performance, but needed just a few more Wheaties from her to polish it to a higher level. Other selections that I found worthy on the disc were "Sinfonia from Cantata No. 29, 'We Thank You, Lord, We Thank You' " by J.S. Bach, especially the let-it-all-loose ending on the organ of The First Baptist Church, Santa Ana, CA. Additional perfec- tion is "Trumpet Tune" of Purcell, recorded at St. Andrew's and in a duet with David Washburn; each artist enhances the other. David Washborn holds the position of Principal Trumpet with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and has been the principal trumpet on several movie soundtracks. Also on the like list is "Theme and Variations from Hommage à Frescobaldi by J. Langlasis." The pace and timing just seem to flow in the correct order; I was not agitated and didn't anticipate anything, just experienced calm listening in peace. Overall, I was pleased with the DVD/CD set. No, it is not a block-buster or woofer-smoker. In fact, the sound suffers some digtitus, with rather harsh limiting snafuing the music's wide extreme dynamic range, but the audio quality is still good enough to appreciate the artist, who is exceptional. (Note: I am being super critical.) The DVD duplicates many of the preferred cuts, and appears to have an edge in audio quality. The CD is 5.1 sur- round, the DVD is a two-channel mixdown from 5.1. The video playback quality is excellent.
"The Beauty in the Wind"
Celebrated organist, Dr. Jung-A Lee's recitals have enthralled audiences throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. Generating the same musical excitement that has garnered her worldwide acclaim, Lee is vividly captured in all her resplendent glory by award-winning filmmaker Christopher Charles with this release of her first DVD.
Featuring one magnificent presentation after another, organist Jung-A Lee ignites the screen as she performs classical masterpieces at five Orange County churches. Including a guest appearance by David Washburn on trumpet, and an informative visit with organist Richard Unfried, Dr. Jung-A Lee's triumphant "Beauty in the Wind" is a magical concert for the senses that delights, educates, intrigues and thoroughly satisfies.
Directed by Christopher Charles, Assistant Director Donald K. Bergthold, Writter/Voice Talent by Paul Glen Neuman, Lighting Director Tom Voelpel, Camera Operator Mark Ritzema, Edited by Christopher Charles and Alex McMeekin, Location Recording and Mixing by Ross Whitney, Assistant Engineer David Reeder, Music Mastering and 5.1 Remix by Mark Calice, Director of Photography Christopher Charles, DVD Authoring Mark Calice at Ardenwood Sound & DVD
Venues:
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church - Newport Beach, CA | Geneva Presbyterian Church Laguna Woods, CA
First Evangelical Free Church - Fullerton, CA | First Baptist Church - Santa Ana, CA
St. John's Lutheran Church - Orange, CA | Walt Disney Concert Hall - Los Angeles, CA
The price is $25 plus shipping and handling fees - $3 within USA and $6 outside USA.
For more information, please email us at contact@musicmi.org.