 Adam Lazzarato (@adamlazzarato) is a 19-year-old Intern at The Glenn Gould Foundation. He is responsible for overseeing the Contrapuntal Blog and tweeting for the Glenn Gould Foundation at @GlennGouldFndn. His musical tastes consist of mainly North American indie rock, but over his time at the Glenn Gould Foundation, he has learned to love and respect Glenn Gould’s piano. He will be entering into his second year at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario in September to study Computer Science. |
I recently sat down with the free "Bravo Gustavo" app on the iPhone.
"Ever wonder what it is like to conduct a world-class orchestra? Spend some time in the shoes of Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil's new music director and experience the rush of a maestro. Transform your iPhone or iPod Touch into a conductor's baton or set the tempo by tapping the screen. Your audience awaits!"
- iTunes Music Store
There were a couple things I really liked about the app:
1) Music
There are two (more available to buy) pieces that you can play, both of which are energetic, and exciting, exactly what you would expect from an iPhone app made with Gustavo Dudamel in mind.
March to the Scaffold (Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique)
Dream of a Witches' Sabbath (Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique)
Now, the app is not an mp3 player. It gives the user control of the tempo of the piece, effectively letting the user become the conductor! It is quite interesting to see how the pieces can change when you hand the app to different people.
2) Motion Sensing
Apart from the amazing music that the user has the opportunity to play, the fact that the user can physically wave the iPhone like a baton is quite an awesome feature.
Though, I prefer not to use the motion sensing. I prefer to tap the screen to set the tempo of the piece while watching some of the stunning images of Gustavo and the Los Angeles Philharmonic pass by.
Overall:
I wish there was more selection in the number of songs that come with the app, but since the app is free and there are simply awesome photos of Gustavo and the LA Phil, the poor selection is not a major problem.
Overall, this app scores a 4/5.
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