2005 Mandarins - 2005 DCI Audio Archive APD

Show: Loves Me... Loves Me Not...

• Adagio from Spartacus
• Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (variation 18)
• Vibraphonissimo
• Nuevo Tango
• Symphonic Dances Mvt III

The Good: Love the sound of the unusally large hornline Mandarins had this year. This was a very Phantomesque show for the Mandarins and I feel they pulled it off. I thought the Piazolla portion of the show was the most energetic, complete with park and blow moment and screaming sopranos. The end of the show even has a final statement with mellophone 16th note runs while they run around in circles, which is another thing Phantom has done the past couple of years.

The Bad: Drumline is pretty dirty, a problem that was painfully obvious at the beginning of the season. The hornline might actually be a little TOO passionate for this passion-themed show, not that I can blame them.

The Ugly: Love means never having to say the show's ugly.

Overview: I'm hoping the sudden growth of the corps means that the corps is ready to keep moving up the ladder, maybe make a run at Finals in the near future. This show is very fun to watch and listen to and I can't wait until I have the CDs.

Website: http://www.mandarins.org/

2006 Auditions: December 10-11