Sunday, Nov 15 3:00
at Boston Symphony hall from Boston globe
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is coming to Boston.
The program is:
BRAHMS Symphony No. 3
SCHOENBERG Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4
The orchestra is one of the most outstanding Berlin’s three orchestras. Performing about 100 concerts a year internationally, the orchestra creates its benefit through broadcasting, ticket sale, and recording contracts. Also, several noticeable ensembles are included such as the Brandis and Westphalian string quartets, the Philharmonic Octet and the Twelve Philharmonic Cellists, made up from the Berlin Philharmonic's one hundred fourteen members.
Below is the brief background of the orchestra by orderly conductor with their important works.
It was founded in 1862 by Benjamin Bilse under the name Bilsesche Kapelle, and renamed and reorganized as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1882.
Ludwig von Brenner – creating significant musicianship
Hans von Bulow – concentrating on classical and romantic repertoire and attract internationally famous guest conductors such as Tchaikovsky, Brahmas, and Strauss
Between death of Bulow and the next conductor, Arthur Nikisch, the orchestra performed with popular guest conductors, Hans Richter and Richard Strauss.
Arthur Nikisch- lyrical quality for ensemble
Wilhelm Furtwangler – 1)continuing the formal conductor romanticism even during the difficult time, world war I.
2) the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Richard Strauss with his interpretation of Beethoven's Eroica, and also Debussy, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Schoenberg.
Leo Borchard – contemporary repertoire, and killed
Von Karajan-1) major classical and romantic symphonies, and twentieth-century works. New concert hall in 1963, 2) World widely Recording
There are so many opinions and thoughts concerning about how classic music survives and gets close to everybody, but I believe that the most crucial is how touching it is.
<http://calendar.boston.com/performers/show/29152-berlin-philharmonic-orchestra#>
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Second career for a musician?
Once, I was having an audition for the orchestra in Belgium. When I got into the warm up room I felt as if I my head was going to explode – there were around 80 violinists warming up at the same time. And there was only one spot in the orchestra for the lucky one. I didn’t make it to the final. Later, while I was walking down the corridor thinking about what didn’t work in my audition, I ran into a guy who, as I discovered later, was a former member of the orchestra. As we walked throw the city of Antverpen, he told me the story about his friend who was an oboist. His friend was a very good musician and like most of us, was trying to get a job at the orchestra. He auditioned many times but wasn’t able to make it, mainly because of unfairness of the judges because lots of times knowing certain people is important in order to get a job in the orchestra. So, after trying hard for a long time without any results, he gave up. He went to University and got a degree and now works as a lawyer.
Do you ever feel like you don’t get what you deserve because judges were not fair to you? A lot of musicians have to switch careers or work part-time jobs to sustain an income – is that something you are ready to do for the rest of your life? Have you ever thought about what would happen if you weren’t able to perform due to an injury? Do you have a backup plan?
Do you ever feel like you don’t get what you deserve because judges were not fair to you? A lot of musicians have to switch careers or work part-time jobs to sustain an income – is that something you are ready to do for the rest of your life? Have you ever thought about what would happen if you weren’t able to perform due to an injury? Do you have a backup plan?
Monday, October 12, 2009
dazzling dudamel
I was perusing Alex Ross's blog, and one of the first items he has is titled, "Dudamel begins". While Alex Ross does not discuss Dudamel for long on his site, at least not yet, he does include an image from the hollywood bowl where fireworks were set off alongside Dudamel's fiery conducting and the music of Beethoven's 9th. However, Ross also lists that Dudamel made his Disney Hall debut on October 8th, which was live broadcasted on an LA radio station. This announcement on Ross's blog reminded me of the excitement that was paired with the NY Phil's opening concert conducted by their new, young conductor, Alan Gilbert.
Dudamel, the new star of the LA Phil is of similar celebrity-status to Gilbert. However, Dudamel is even younger, at the age of 28. It is amazing to me that a conductor at such a young age could win such a coveted post with the LA Phil. On the wikipedia page for Dudamel, his biography, personal life, and some external links are listed. The biographical section of his wikipedia entry spends a lot of time reviewing his Venezuelan heritage, which is exciting, because it gives credit to their incredible music education program with the Orchestra Simon Bolivar, which Dudamel also conducted starting in 1999. I have been intrigued by this orchestra ever since I became aware of it, because it is a uniquely high level of youth orchestra, and the dedication to artistic excellence for such a young group is somewhat unprecedented.
From Alex Ross's Dudamel plug, I decided to look at the LA times for any reviews of his debut this past week. The article I found, as linked below, was an amazing turn on standard classical music reviews.
This article presented the opening concert as more of a paparazzi listing of the stars who attended the LA Phil's opening night and what the stars had to say about it. I guess this is LA, where celebrities run rampant and may want to attend a classical music concert, but I still found it surprising how positively they reviewed the concert and applauded Dudamel for his conducting skills. As listed in the article, "Celebs in the audience sang Gustavo’s praises.
”Gustavo is the ultimate classical rock star,” said Quincy Jones. “What he brings to Los Angeles is a transcendence of musical talent. Classical is back, baby.” Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, were blown away by Gustavo. “I was sitting there mesmerized,” said Tom. “Truly, his talent is awesome. ”I find it fascinating that classical music can rise to this level of public esteem at this point in our history. It is very encouraging to me, however, that celebs will review this art positively, as it can mean more positive attention, support, and potential funding for classical music down the road. Also, I love that Dudamel, a classical music composer, has been elevated to a level of a quasi-celebratory simply for being great at what he does, which is not always viewed as the most accessible performing art. Also, the program he chose for the opening concert, a premier by John Adams, and Mahler 1, are not the most recognizable classical compositions for audience members to so universally enjoy. I hope this is the revival of a bright future for classical music, with two great American symphony orchestra's presenting young, hot talent to an audience that may have previously been uninterested in attending a classical music concert.
Western Music's Faces
The readings in Music: A Very Short Introduction this week I thought were particularly interesting. As my last blog entry tipped off, I am very interested in the underlying philosophical themes presented by musical practice. In this regards, there were several items in the readings that I found relevant to my own thoughts.
In chapter 5, toward the end, Cook wrote of the orchestra in something of the terms of a business. Perhaps a corporate structure of management and workers comes to mind. Perhaps an assembly line, with notation as a blueprint, is the dominant image; in any case, the idea of a final product for consumption is dominant—whether or not the product is wanted or needed, it is produced. Another image is important, and that is the more religious image, where art is for art's sake, that a “masterwork” has intrinsic worth separate from its context of creation, as an object that exists. In both images, there is little room for the individual—it is all about what is made, and not about the making and the experiencing.
The idea of authenticity is intriguing—the idea of the pure authenticity of a score and of the pure authenticity of performance. As Cook illustrated, the understanding of authenticity as it has been applied—or has been attempted to be applied to music—is actually impossible. Why, then, try so ardently to achieve authenticity? Because there is a system of beliefs behind the music—beliefs of divine superiority, beliefs of permanence, belief of conforming, upholding, and reaching an ideal.
I find this intriguing, because one cannot escape seeing parallels between the systems of Western art music and Western religion—frankly, I think that this idea of art music is impossible without the Judeo-Christian practices of the West. Take, for example, the theory of evolution—it is extremely uncomfortable for many Western religions, because at its heart is the idea of change, of impermanence, that things weren't always the way they are, and that things won't always be the way they are—that, in fact, it is impossible for things not to change.
In terms of music, what does that mean for the masterpiece? What does that mean for performance practice? What does that mean for the composer's legacy, for the performer's legacy? What does it mean for the future of the art form?
In chapter 5, toward the end, Cook wrote of the orchestra in something of the terms of a business. Perhaps a corporate structure of management and workers comes to mind. Perhaps an assembly line, with notation as a blueprint, is the dominant image; in any case, the idea of a final product for consumption is dominant—whether or not the product is wanted or needed, it is produced. Another image is important, and that is the more religious image, where art is for art's sake, that a “masterwork” has intrinsic worth separate from its context of creation, as an object that exists. In both images, there is little room for the individual—it is all about what is made, and not about the making and the experiencing.
The idea of authenticity is intriguing—the idea of the pure authenticity of a score and of the pure authenticity of performance. As Cook illustrated, the understanding of authenticity as it has been applied—or has been attempted to be applied to music—is actually impossible. Why, then, try so ardently to achieve authenticity? Because there is a system of beliefs behind the music—beliefs of divine superiority, beliefs of permanence, belief of conforming, upholding, and reaching an ideal.
I find this intriguing, because one cannot escape seeing parallels between the systems of Western art music and Western religion—frankly, I think that this idea of art music is impossible without the Judeo-Christian practices of the West. Take, for example, the theory of evolution—it is extremely uncomfortable for many Western religions, because at its heart is the idea of change, of impermanence, that things weren't always the way they are, and that things won't always be the way they are—that, in fact, it is impossible for things not to change.
In terms of music, what does that mean for the masterpiece? What does that mean for performance practice? What does that mean for the composer's legacy, for the performer's legacy? What does it mean for the future of the art form?
The Met: Live in HD
Driven by a previous post of mine, To boo or not to boo? (about how the premiere of "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera was not very well received by audiences) I wanted to experience it for myself, and see if it really was worth all that booing.
Luckily, I found out I could "go to the Met" for just the price of a regular movie ticket. The Metropolitan Opera has a program called "The Met: Live in HD" that allows people from all over the world to go to movie theaters and public opera houses to see a live performance from the Met for a very cheap price. The thing to realize about this is that you get to experience the wonderful singing, music and staging without paying hundreds of dollars on tickets and traveling.
You don't just see the production either, you also get to see all of the behind the scenes details, which I found really interesting. There was a woman backstage interviewing cast members before the show, then at intermission there were mini documentaries with rehearsals, interviews, and various other tidbits. Between scenes the interviewer came out to chat with the main characters outside their dressing rooms, allowing you to see how surprisingly down-to-earth these brilliant performers are. It gave a really intimate view of what goes on backstage, and got you up close to the performers and scenery during the show, giving you a much better view than you would ever have if you were sitting in the audience - it was like I was there, sitting on stage.
When I found out that the Met was doing this live broadcast, I just had to get myself a ticket -but it was surprisingly hard. My local movie theater had sold out of them for both of the screens they had dedicated it to. After calling a few other places (all sold out) I ended up traveling a few towns over to get to the theater that still had seats available.
When I got there, I was the only person under seventy in the audience.
Luckily, I found out I could "go to the Met" for just the price of a regular movie ticket. The Metropolitan Opera has a program called "The Met: Live in HD" that allows people from all over the world to go to movie theaters and public opera houses to see a live performance from the Met for a very cheap price. The thing to realize about this is that you get to experience the wonderful singing, music and staging without paying hundreds of dollars on tickets and traveling.
You don't just see the production either, you also get to see all of the behind the scenes details, which I found really interesting. There was a woman backstage interviewing cast members before the show, then at intermission there were mini documentaries with rehearsals, interviews, and various other tidbits. Between scenes the interviewer came out to chat with the main characters outside their dressing rooms, allowing you to see how surprisingly down-to-earth these brilliant performers are. It gave a really intimate view of what goes on backstage, and got you up close to the performers and scenery during the show, giving you a much better view than you would ever have if you were sitting in the audience - it was like I was there, sitting on stage.
When I found out that the Met was doing this live broadcast, I just had to get myself a ticket -but it was surprisingly hard. My local movie theater had sold out of them for both of the screens they had dedicated it to. After calling a few other places (all sold out) I ended up traveling a few towns over to get to the theater that still had seats available.
When I got there, I was the only person under seventy in the audience.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
I am writing for the masses and I am not ashamed of it
Consider these types of musicians:
The historical musician:
Cares mainly about preserving the music that has been written long ago by introducing it to a new generation
The present day musician:
Cares mainly about connecting with the people with the music they can already relate to
The futuristic musician:
Cares mainly about writing / performing music that hasn't been done before by exploring untapped possibilities.
I consider myself a present day musician. My main attraction to music is its ability to bring people together. I would like to connect to as many people as possible, even if this means doing so through music that is popular. I happen to really enjoy popular music as a whole, as I enjoy different kinds of music. I suppose that if symphonies were enjoyed by the masses, I would write symphonies.
I also want my music to be part of a larger puzzle. The puzzle I am trying to solve is the one of helping people by doing what I love to do (write music).
I have boiled my idealistic aspiration into a practical one that will happen over time with a lot of hard work. I aim to write music and put on events that 1) feature speakers that are experts on issues our generation needs to deal with and 2) raise money for these issues.
The music is part of the product. I am going to music school to make a better product than I could have made otherwise.
Since social awareness is the ultimate goal, I can't justify spending most of my waking hours perfecting my instrument. However, it is worth noting that in order to make the 'best musical product' I need the people that do spend their time honing their instrument. I might also need to work with the historical musician and the futuristic musician, depending of what the audience wants to hear.
I urge you to consider the following broad categories and ask yourself which one you mainly want to belong to and why. It has truly helped me think about my career after graduation.
The historical musician:
Cares mainly about preserving the music that has been written long ago by introducing it to a new generation
The present day musician:
Cares mainly about connecting with the people with the music they can already relate to
The futuristic musician:
Cares mainly about writing / performing music that hasn't been done before by exploring untapped possibilities.
I consider myself a present day musician. My main attraction to music is its ability to bring people together. I would like to connect to as many people as possible, even if this means doing so through music that is popular. I happen to really enjoy popular music as a whole, as I enjoy different kinds of music. I suppose that if symphonies were enjoyed by the masses, I would write symphonies.
I also want my music to be part of a larger puzzle. The puzzle I am trying to solve is the one of helping people by doing what I love to do (write music).
I have boiled my idealistic aspiration into a practical one that will happen over time with a lot of hard work. I aim to write music and put on events that 1) feature speakers that are experts on issues our generation needs to deal with and 2) raise money for these issues.
The music is part of the product. I am going to music school to make a better product than I could have made otherwise.
Since social awareness is the ultimate goal, I can't justify spending most of my waking hours perfecting my instrument. However, it is worth noting that in order to make the 'best musical product' I need the people that do spend their time honing their instrument. I might also need to work with the historical musician and the futuristic musician, depending of what the audience wants to hear.
I urge you to consider the following broad categories and ask yourself which one you mainly want to belong to and why. It has truly helped me think about my career after graduation.
The Absence of James Levine
Conductor James Levine will be absent from all concerts at Symphony Hall and the Met for at least three weeks due to back surgery. This medical leave could easily be extended to several weeks. How will this affect the audiences in the upcoming performances? Are there audience members who only attend a BSO concert if Levine is conducting? A descending audience has challenged the BSO this season. They have offered new promotions and incentives, but I think the absence of James Levine will just hurt the audience numbers even more.
Levine’s programming in Boston is unique and quite different from his predecessor Seiji Ozawa’s. Levine really indulges in the “classical” repertoire and that can be heard in the upcoming cycle of the complete Beethoven Symphonies from October 22nd through November 7th. Levine has a specific vision for this cycle and is convinced the experience of performing this repertoire would bring the orchestra to a new level. Will the orchestra have the same experience without Levine, if he is absent from rehearsals and performances? The actual music will be the same, but I doubt the experience could be the same with a variety of guest conductors.
Levine has had to take other medical leaves in the past and it is well known that he is not in the best of health. Is he too burdened with role of music director of the BSO and the Met Opera Orchestra? How will he continue to do both? Levine’s contract ends in 2011 at the Met. I expect him to choose to continue only one position, but which one will that be? Which orchestra “needs” him more?
Levine’s programming in Boston is unique and quite different from his predecessor Seiji Ozawa’s. Levine really indulges in the “classical” repertoire and that can be heard in the upcoming cycle of the complete Beethoven Symphonies from October 22nd through November 7th. Levine has a specific vision for this cycle and is convinced the experience of performing this repertoire would bring the orchestra to a new level. Will the orchestra have the same experience without Levine, if he is absent from rehearsals and performances? The actual music will be the same, but I doubt the experience could be the same with a variety of guest conductors.
Levine has had to take other medical leaves in the past and it is well known that he is not in the best of health. Is he too burdened with role of music director of the BSO and the Met Opera Orchestra? How will he continue to do both? Levine’s contract ends in 2011 at the Met. I expect him to choose to continue only one position, but which one will that be? Which orchestra “needs” him more?
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Virtual Future?
So... I finally had the chance to check out some of Eric Whitacre's blog that I had previously mentioned to the class in my post titled Blog Deficiency. It definitely has some pretty cool stuff on it.
One thing I came across that was particularly striking was a post regarding a virtual choir. This is Eric's second project of this type, and I think it is a neat idea. His first run at the choir was with his piece Sleep, one of my favorites. What he did was post a series of blog entries containing the idea, the sheet music, some instructions for singing, and a video with the piano playing and Eric conducting the piece. People of all voice types were encouraged to submit youtube videos of themselves singing their appropriate part of the song. Once the deadline for entries passed, the videos were all put together and posted as the virtual choir! Check it out!
While it has its faults as far as togetherness is concerned, I am definitely impressed. I am thinking of getting the music for the second project and submitting a video myself if I can find the time to do it.
This may not be something that will pull in new audiences or attract new people to participate, this is a new track for classical music to take. Could this idea be applied to Mozart or Renaissance madrigals? Would it would with instrumental pieces? It can definitely serve as a form of networking and of uniting fellow musicians to say the least. I wonder what Eric Whitacre would think about our class and what his thoughts on the future of classical music are. I do think he is doing his part to keep it alive and to be involved in new technologies to access a wider scope of people.
Thought this was definitely worth sharing. His website again is soaringleap.com.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
a wedding of classical standards...a win or loss for the future of classical music?
This past weekend I played for a wedding of a close friend of mine. The wedding was in Houston, and we had discussed since last winter my friend's interest in having me play for the wedding. She was intrigued by the idea of having a string quartet, but she wanted ideas from me on repertoire choices. Thus, in the early summer, I sent her some standard lists of wedding pieces that could be used for the prelude, processional, and recessional.
At first glance, these lists seem too standard to some brides. For instance, the pieces include, Pachabel Canon in D, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Ode to Joy, among many other classical pieces the general public associates with wedding ceremonies. For my friend, Natasha, the bride, these pieces also seemed too cliche. She wanted to be unique, but still traditional in her music choices. I supported her in this thought process, but I was a little lost as to where to suggest she look for musical ideas. While I agreed with her that Pachabel can get old and tired, it is a beautiful piece of music and always pleases the crowd at a wedding.
When she checked back with me, after looking around for new choices, she had found a lovely idea for a prelude: Appalachia Waltz by Mark O'Connor. This piece has been a favorite of mine for a while, and even though I had never thought of it for a wedding, upon listening to it again, I realized that it could fit quite well in the ceremony. Natasha was still at a loss for ideas on the processional, but for the recessional, she liked the Charlie Brown song, "Linus and Lucy." While this is an adorable song, it seemed even more unsuited for her wedding than Pachabel. Also, in string quartet form, this piece would sound somewhat ridiculous. I warned her of this, but I didn't want to compeltely discourage her, as it was her wedding, and thus I wanted her to be happy with her musical choices. Luckily for me, the church vetoed "Linus and Lucy," as it wasn't appropriate for the sacred setting.
This led us back to the drawing board for the processional and recessional. I told Natasha to look back at the original lists I sent her and see if even though they seemed cliche at first, maybe now, with more thought, they may seem well suited to her wedding. After more thought, she did the unthinkable, and chose to have ultra-standard pieces: Pachabel, Largo from Vivaldi's Winter, and Jesu. I was pleased, but also shocked with her choices. She, who was so originally anti these standards, came full circle and more to pick the epitome of wedding musical selections.
The reason I bring this up in the blog is to look at it with the viewpoint of our class, and if it means anything, or nothing at all for the future of classical music. What I learned from this example, and perhaps what I already kind of suspected, is that even though classical music that is coined cliche or has even verged into the category of pop music, is still chosen to play a role in a siginificant milestone of their lives by the least likely people. This is perhaps good and bad: the future of some classical music lives on in certain cases, and is the first choice for mass gatherings of many willing listeners (weddings). However, this music is so standard, that even though it fits into the 'classical' category, some "high-brow" listeners may question if it has merged into a new category of pop-classical or even just pop music.
If the bride had requested we play contemporary classical music, like John Cage, who knows how the congregation would react, let alone if the church would even allow us to perform this music. In this way, the future of classical music question is still dodgy. But, if you look at the situation from a merely positive viewpoint and realize that despite our modern times, these standard classical pieces were chosen for a bride who likes to live ahead-of-the-times, then the future of classical music seems perhaps not so bleak.
At first glance, these lists seem too standard to some brides. For instance, the pieces include, Pachabel Canon in D, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Ode to Joy, among many other classical pieces the general public associates with wedding ceremonies. For my friend, Natasha, the bride, these pieces also seemed too cliche. She wanted to be unique, but still traditional in her music choices. I supported her in this thought process, but I was a little lost as to where to suggest she look for musical ideas. While I agreed with her that Pachabel can get old and tired, it is a beautiful piece of music and always pleases the crowd at a wedding.
When she checked back with me, after looking around for new choices, she had found a lovely idea for a prelude: Appalachia Waltz by Mark O'Connor. This piece has been a favorite of mine for a while, and even though I had never thought of it for a wedding, upon listening to it again, I realized that it could fit quite well in the ceremony. Natasha was still at a loss for ideas on the processional, but for the recessional, she liked the Charlie Brown song, "Linus and Lucy." While this is an adorable song, it seemed even more unsuited for her wedding than Pachabel. Also, in string quartet form, this piece would sound somewhat ridiculous. I warned her of this, but I didn't want to compeltely discourage her, as it was her wedding, and thus I wanted her to be happy with her musical choices. Luckily for me, the church vetoed "Linus and Lucy," as it wasn't appropriate for the sacred setting.
This led us back to the drawing board for the processional and recessional. I told Natasha to look back at the original lists I sent her and see if even though they seemed cliche at first, maybe now, with more thought, they may seem well suited to her wedding. After more thought, she did the unthinkable, and chose to have ultra-standard pieces: Pachabel, Largo from Vivaldi's Winter, and Jesu. I was pleased, but also shocked with her choices. She, who was so originally anti these standards, came full circle and more to pick the epitome of wedding musical selections.
The reason I bring this up in the blog is to look at it with the viewpoint of our class, and if it means anything, or nothing at all for the future of classical music. What I learned from this example, and perhaps what I already kind of suspected, is that even though classical music that is coined cliche or has even verged into the category of pop music, is still chosen to play a role in a siginificant milestone of their lives by the least likely people. This is perhaps good and bad: the future of some classical music lives on in certain cases, and is the first choice for mass gatherings of many willing listeners (weddings). However, this music is so standard, that even though it fits into the 'classical' category, some "high-brow" listeners may question if it has merged into a new category of pop-classical or even just pop music.
If the bride had requested we play contemporary classical music, like John Cage, who knows how the congregation would react, let alone if the church would even allow us to perform this music. In this way, the future of classical music question is still dodgy. But, if you look at the situation from a merely positive viewpoint and realize that despite our modern times, these standard classical pieces were chosen for a bride who likes to live ahead-of-the-times, then the future of classical music seems perhaps not so bleak.
A Welcoming Party with 18,000 Guests
In this morning’s New York Times, I came across an article in the music section entitled “A Welcoming Party with 18,000 Guests”. It was written by Anthony Tommasini and discussed the first concert of the season (this past Saturday) of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Usually, the orchestra performs their concerts in Walt Disney Hall and it is always a formal occasion, like many classical music performances across the world. However, this concert was a free community concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Obviously, a much less formal audience and atmosphere, but the music was only of the highest quality. New conductor Gustavo Dudamel, celebrating his arrival as the eleventh conductor of the orchestra at 28 years old, programmed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The title of the program was “Bienvenido Gustavo!,” and included, in addition to the orchestra, “a roster of excellent vocal soloists and a chorus of 200, a rainbow coalition of choristers drawn from the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers, the Our Lady of Los Angeles Spanish Choir, the Philippine Chamber Singers and other local ensembles”. There were also other non-classical musicians that performed for more than 2 hours before Dudamel arrived. They included Andraé Crouch, Flea, David Hidalgo, and Herbie Hancock (with actor Jack Black introducing him).
Mr. Dudamel, since arriving in Los Angeles, has reached out to the community in several ways, and has particularly been interested in promoting music education. He has conducted the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and has also started a program to provide students with instruments and orchestra training. Dudamel has been modeling this program after the music education system in Venezuela, where he grew up. One hundred students were selected to perform on this first concert of the season. “The students, mostly from minority neighborhoods in South Los Angeles, gamely played through an orchestral arrangement of the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by Steven Venz, and their families had pride-of-place seating in the first rows of the bowl”. What an amazing way to reach out the community and promote music education.
The concert was extremely well received and included a prolonged ovation. Mr. Dudamel then addressed the audience in English and Spanish. The finale of the symphony was then repeated, this time with fireworks. “At one point his name appeared above the proscenium in marquee lights: a Hollywood touch. But in Hollywood, why not?”
I find this whole production to be very interesting and intriguing. When does a symphony orchestra ever get an audience of 18,000, and one that is so excited and supportive of their music? I think orchestras across the country need to be aware of what is happening in Los Angeles and follow in some kind of foot steps. This may be the kind of event that will help save the classical music. Sure, it was not in a refined concert hall with amazing acoustics, but it was still an audience of 18,000 cheering for Beethoven. What is better than that?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/arts/music/05gustavo.html?_r=1&ref=music
Usually, the orchestra performs their concerts in Walt Disney Hall and it is always a formal occasion, like many classical music performances across the world. However, this concert was a free community concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Obviously, a much less formal audience and atmosphere, but the music was only of the highest quality. New conductor Gustavo Dudamel, celebrating his arrival as the eleventh conductor of the orchestra at 28 years old, programmed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The title of the program was “Bienvenido Gustavo!,” and included, in addition to the orchestra, “a roster of excellent vocal soloists and a chorus of 200, a rainbow coalition of choristers drawn from the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers, the Our Lady of Los Angeles Spanish Choir, the Philippine Chamber Singers and other local ensembles”. There were also other non-classical musicians that performed for more than 2 hours before Dudamel arrived. They included Andraé Crouch, Flea, David Hidalgo, and Herbie Hancock (with actor Jack Black introducing him).
Mr. Dudamel, since arriving in Los Angeles, has reached out to the community in several ways, and has particularly been interested in promoting music education. He has conducted the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and has also started a program to provide students with instruments and orchestra training. Dudamel has been modeling this program after the music education system in Venezuela, where he grew up. One hundred students were selected to perform on this first concert of the season. “The students, mostly from minority neighborhoods in South Los Angeles, gamely played through an orchestral arrangement of the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by Steven Venz, and their families had pride-of-place seating in the first rows of the bowl”. What an amazing way to reach out the community and promote music education.
The concert was extremely well received and included a prolonged ovation. Mr. Dudamel then addressed the audience in English and Spanish. The finale of the symphony was then repeated, this time with fireworks. “At one point his name appeared above the proscenium in marquee lights: a Hollywood touch. But in Hollywood, why not?”
I find this whole production to be very interesting and intriguing. When does a symphony orchestra ever get an audience of 18,000, and one that is so excited and supportive of their music? I think orchestras across the country need to be aware of what is happening in Los Angeles and follow in some kind of foot steps. This may be the kind of event that will help save the classical music. Sure, it was not in a refined concert hall with amazing acoustics, but it was still an audience of 18,000 cheering for Beethoven. What is better than that?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/arts/music/05gustavo.html?_r=1&ref=music
Monday, October 5, 2009
Voceditenore
I had some down time this weekend and I remembered that I wanted to try my hand at figuring out our friend on Wikipedia, Voceditenore. I never found something concrete but I feel as though I was able to make an educated guess and I'm pretty confident in that guess.
A quick walk-through with some links on where I got my information:
I started with just a Google search of the name Voceditenore and then cross-referenced some of the user pages that came up including Wikipedia, a blog, and a sub-site of Wikipedia that is for mobile phone users. The most common thing that kept coming up was the list of tenors that Voceditenore seemed to have a fascination with. And lucky enough the first result in my Google search was a site names Voce di Tenore that happened to have information on some of our friend's favorite tenors including Jose Carreras. After looking around the website for a little, I found the link for the editor's email: jeanpeccei@msn.com. Doing a search on Jean Peccei, I found a link to her editor profile on another website for Jose Carreras. She is from the UK and teaches English (linguistics), both traits of Voceditenore.
Baically, from everything I saw, I was able to deduce that Jean Peccei is our Voceditenore on Wikipedia and a search on her name on Harvard's web site turned up some hits (although nothing concrete, again).
A quick walk-through with some links on where I got my information:
I started with just a Google search of the name Voceditenore and then cross-referenced some of the user pages that came up including Wikipedia, a blog, and a sub-site of Wikipedia that is for mobile phone users. The most common thing that kept coming up was the list of tenors that Voceditenore seemed to have a fascination with. And lucky enough the first result in my Google search was a site names Voce di Tenore that happened to have information on some of our friend's favorite tenors including Jose Carreras. After looking around the website for a little, I found the link for the editor's email: jeanpeccei@msn.com. Doing a search on Jean Peccei, I found a link to her editor profile on another website for Jose Carreras. She is from the UK and teaches English (linguistics), both traits of Voceditenore.
Baically, from everything I saw, I was able to deduce that Jean Peccei is our Voceditenore on Wikipedia and a search on her name on Harvard's web site turned up some hits (although nothing concrete, again).
On Notation
As a composer, I couldn't help but be particularly interested in the chapter on notation in Music: A Very Short Introduction. The idea of notation is something that, as a composer, one struggles with everyday in a way that is very different than the way a performer struggles with notation. I won't write too much about a performer's interaction with notation, as that is more familiar to most people than a composer's interaction.
For me, notation is a very fluid thing. The idea of notation as something equivalent to written gospel is nonsensical. Composition is at times for me more about the design of a dynamic, adaptable system that can yield a number of interesting, meaningful possibilities than about the preservation of any one particular thought or idea; I am more concerned about the spirit or the essence of a composition than in consistent and predictable material substance, a static object. Now, this isn't always the case—at times, I like a definite idea with a concrete implementation, but this is on a case by case basis, born out of what the composition is trying to be, on the impulse that gives rise to the composition. Of course, there are also matters of practicality—in electronic music, there are certain sounds that can only be achieved in concrete form, so a static object is the only possible outcome. However, notation, in general, is something that I treat with a certain disregard—it is not the music, and it is the product of a society that believes in the permanence of an object. I do not believe in the permanence of a musical object. I believe that possibly the only cultural truth (or at least, what is statistically consistent) is change.
To a certain extent, composition is inseparable from philosophy. I think that, as a composer in today's world, it is impossible (or at least, should be difficult) to be unaware of the philosophical underpinnings of the way music is composed. Notation, or lack of it if that be the case, is a very natural extension of a philosophical position.
For example, one of the many important developments in Western classical music is the allowance of performers to play “whatever they want.” This idea is often not appreciated. There is the reaction of contempt for this statement, that the composer is lazy or incompetent; there is a more willing reaction where the performer attempts to play, but it often takes on a very static character, and to my ears, usually sounds very much the same from performance to performance. The reason for both reactions is, in my opinion, a lack of understanding of the philosophy behind this music. Notation, as mentioned, is assumptive of the idea of permanence, of a single, static way that things should be. As it has been the primary means of communicating a musical idea in the West (and mixed with the idea of sacralization of Western music), it seems natural that a certain amount of static behavior would develop in the practitioners of music. The idea of a the player “doing whatever they want” is actually a knowledgeable and pointed attempt at liberating the performer from a system of musical behavior that diminishes their role and assumes, and sometimes encourages, a lack of creativity on the part of the performer, that they merely be a playback device. The composer is honoring the performer and offering them a larger role; it is a form of respect and encouragement.
Unfortunately, I think many composers have merely adopted improvisation as another technique in their academic bag of tricks, and unfortunately, many performers have in response developed what has become a stereotypical style of improvisation to match. But the underlying idea is an important one, and when I sit down to compose, I try to be keenly aware to what extent and in what ways I want notation to have an effect on a piece of music (including, for example, even the idea of authorship; notation is a way of owning a piece of music).
For me, notation is a very fluid thing. The idea of notation as something equivalent to written gospel is nonsensical. Composition is at times for me more about the design of a dynamic, adaptable system that can yield a number of interesting, meaningful possibilities than about the preservation of any one particular thought or idea; I am more concerned about the spirit or the essence of a composition than in consistent and predictable material substance, a static object. Now, this isn't always the case—at times, I like a definite idea with a concrete implementation, but this is on a case by case basis, born out of what the composition is trying to be, on the impulse that gives rise to the composition. Of course, there are also matters of practicality—in electronic music, there are certain sounds that can only be achieved in concrete form, so a static object is the only possible outcome. However, notation, in general, is something that I treat with a certain disregard—it is not the music, and it is the product of a society that believes in the permanence of an object. I do not believe in the permanence of a musical object. I believe that possibly the only cultural truth (or at least, what is statistically consistent) is change.
To a certain extent, composition is inseparable from philosophy. I think that, as a composer in today's world, it is impossible (or at least, should be difficult) to be unaware of the philosophical underpinnings of the way music is composed. Notation, or lack of it if that be the case, is a very natural extension of a philosophical position.
For example, one of the many important developments in Western classical music is the allowance of performers to play “whatever they want.” This idea is often not appreciated. There is the reaction of contempt for this statement, that the composer is lazy or incompetent; there is a more willing reaction where the performer attempts to play, but it often takes on a very static character, and to my ears, usually sounds very much the same from performance to performance. The reason for both reactions is, in my opinion, a lack of understanding of the philosophy behind this music. Notation, as mentioned, is assumptive of the idea of permanence, of a single, static way that things should be. As it has been the primary means of communicating a musical idea in the West (and mixed with the idea of sacralization of Western music), it seems natural that a certain amount of static behavior would develop in the practitioners of music. The idea of a the player “doing whatever they want” is actually a knowledgeable and pointed attempt at liberating the performer from a system of musical behavior that diminishes their role and assumes, and sometimes encourages, a lack of creativity on the part of the performer, that they merely be a playback device. The composer is honoring the performer and offering them a larger role; it is a form of respect and encouragement.
Unfortunately, I think many composers have merely adopted improvisation as another technique in their academic bag of tricks, and unfortunately, many performers have in response developed what has become a stereotypical style of improvisation to match. But the underlying idea is an important one, and when I sit down to compose, I try to be keenly aware to what extent and in what ways I want notation to have an effect on a piece of music (including, for example, even the idea of authorship; notation is a way of owning a piece of music).
'Creating New Score for a Pioneering Woman's Century-Old Silent Films'
from New York Times
There are lots of nice and memorable movie sound tracks such as Mission, Star Wars, Love Story, Cinema Paradiso, Dr.Zhivago and Godfather. Considering how the music could be loved by most people, I think that music also change as the world does. In the past, to entertain people, the resource was going to concerts. There were no mp3, tv show, movie, or CD players. Going to concerts would be a great way to enjoy music, but nowadays there are various methods to do it.
I got an interesting new for it because music for silent film would be made by 4 young woman composers. There approach to how to make it is little bit different (actually more than this to me) from classical music, but I think modern music has been always like this. Now it feels modern, but would do classical in the further future.
The brief news is like this;
The 4 composers make suitable music for copies of the Alice Guy Blache Film score which is made by the French Gaumont company or Solax by Alice Guy Blache own studio.
Tender Forever, Du Yun, Missy Mazzoli and Tamar Muskal are the 4 young woman composers. Music has a important role in the regular movie, but in the silent movie music would be a great part of the movie.
There are lots of nice and memorable movie sound tracks such as Mission, Star Wars, Love Story, Cinema Paradiso, Dr.Zhivago and Godfather. Considering how the music could be loved by most people, I think that music also change as the world does. In the past, to entertain people, the resource was going to concerts. There were no mp3, tv show, movie, or CD players. Going to concerts would be a great way to enjoy music, but nowadays there are various methods to do it.
I got an interesting new for it because music for silent film would be made by 4 young woman composers. There approach to how to make it is little bit different (actually more than this to me) from classical music, but I think modern music has been always like this. Now it feels modern, but would do classical in the further future.
The brief news is like this;
The 4 composers make suitable music for copies of the Alice Guy Blache Film score which is made by the French Gaumont company or Solax by Alice Guy Blache own studio.
Tender Forever, Du Yun, Missy Mazzoli and Tamar Muskal are the 4 young woman composers. Music has a important role in the regular movie, but in the silent movie music would be a great part of the movie.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Performer's Paradox
In our reading for this week, Cook quotes both Mozart and Beethoven in regards to their view on notating their compositions. Both methods were remarkably similar, in that they would hear the composition in full in their head, manipulate and adjust, and then begin physically writing it down on paper. The experimentation happened mostly before taking the pen to the paper.
He also discusses the limitations on musical notation. As an assignment for a class I am in with Dr. Evans (Analysis Toward Performance), I had to transcribe a sentence into musical notation, while paying particular attention to rhythms and speech contours. I found it quite difficult to find an accurate way to capture the rhythm of my actual speech. We don't think about note patterns or durations or whether or not we speak in triplets when we are having a conversation or reading aloud. I feel like this is how creating music is for some composers, at least to start. I am no composer, and would even go so far as to say I have an aversion to attempting to write music form scratch. I think part of that has to do with the challenge of writing it down.
It is interesting to think about the composer vs the performer. A composer has to deal with the charge of writing their pieces out and differentiating between a quarter or an eight note... trying to find the exact notation to document their ideas. While we as performers are challenged with interpreting the language on the page, trying to get into the composers mind, and get the music into out own head. The music takes the path out of one's brain, to a paper, from the paper, and into another's brain. I had never really thought about music in that direct way.
Does this mean singer/songwriters have an advantage? Do composers who perform their own music trump those who don't have to overcome that boundary of notation? What does it mean if you love to perform the music of others, but never want to come up with your own?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Shi-Yeon Sung saves the day
James Levine found himself incapable of conducting last nights Boston Symphony Orchestra concert featuring Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Mozart’s Requiem. Shi-Yeon Sung, (his assistant conductor) had to step in for him at the last minute, as Levine will have to undergo immediate back surgery, and will be out of commission until early December. A link to the article in the New York Times can be seen here Back Surgery.
This new health issue forming on top of all of the other health problems he has had recently (most notably a cancerous kidney had to be removed, he tore his rotator cuff and had some ongoing hand tremors) are cause for concern. He holds two high profile conducting positions and is the highest paid conductor in the United States, earning over $3 million a year - replacing him would be no easy feat.
Back to the main point here though, stepping in at the last minute like Shi-Yeon Sung did could be a defining moment in her conducting career. Leonard Bernstein did a similar thing while he was the assistant conductor with the New York Philharmonic by stepping in for Bruno Walther at the last minute, making headlines around the world, and truly establishing himself as a respectable conductor.
This is not the first time Shi-Yeon Sung has stepped in for Levine, though. Back in 2008 when he was having his kidney operation, she stepped in then too. This, of course, is her job, but maybe if she does well enough in the coming weeks, she too will get the worlds attention.
I expect more articles such as this will be surfacing in the days to come.
This new health issue forming on top of all of the other health problems he has had recently (most notably a cancerous kidney had to be removed, he tore his rotator cuff and had some ongoing hand tremors) are cause for concern. He holds two high profile conducting positions and is the highest paid conductor in the United States, earning over $3 million a year - replacing him would be no easy feat.
Back to the main point here though, stepping in at the last minute like Shi-Yeon Sung did could be a defining moment in her conducting career. Leonard Bernstein did a similar thing while he was the assistant conductor with the New York Philharmonic by stepping in for Bruno Walther at the last minute, making headlines around the world, and truly establishing himself as a respectable conductor.
This is not the first time Shi-Yeon Sung has stepped in for Levine, though. Back in 2008 when he was having his kidney operation, she stepped in then too. This, of course, is her job, but maybe if she does well enough in the coming weeks, she too will get the worlds attention.
I expect more articles such as this will be surfacing in the days to come.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Goings On
While perusing "The Rest is Noise" blog by Alex Ross, I came across a link to his review of "Tosca" entitled "Fiasco" in the New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2009/10/05/091005crmu_music_ross?currentPage=all
Though his review has not been discussed here yet, the contents of his review follow the same opinions expressed by Opera Chic in Lindsey's post, "To boo or not to boo?". Mr. Ross backs up his title choice by using the audience's reaction of adamant booing: "By the end of opening night, Gelb had on his hands a full-blown fiasco, with boos resounding from the orchestra seats, the upper galleries, and even the plaza outside, where people had watched on a screen for free."
I would like to also direct attention to the blogs the New Yorker publishes:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/index/blogs
The blogs encompass topics from politics to pop music. The two that I believe to be particularly relevant to our discussions here are "Goings On: Cultural happenings in New York and elsewhere, both online and off" and a subset category of "Goings On" entitled "Classical Music".
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/goingson/
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/goingson/classical-music/
The New Yorker also publishes an excellent Blogroll where you can find blogs on music from New York to London and if you explore these links long enough, topics that range from current musical events to marketing the performing arts.
NY Music: http://www.feastofmusic.com/
Marketing performing arts: http://www.artsjournal.com/lifesapitch/
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2009/10/05/091005crmu_music_ross?currentPage=all
Though his review has not been discussed here yet, the contents of his review follow the same opinions expressed by Opera Chic in Lindsey's post, "To boo or not to boo?". Mr. Ross backs up his title choice by using the audience's reaction of adamant booing: "By the end of opening night, Gelb had on his hands a full-blown fiasco, with boos resounding from the orchestra seats, the upper galleries, and even the plaza outside, where people had watched on a screen for free."
I would like to also direct attention to the blogs the New Yorker publishes:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/index/blogs
The blogs encompass topics from politics to pop music. The two that I believe to be particularly relevant to our discussions here are "Goings On: Cultural happenings in New York and elsewhere, both online and off" and a subset category of "Goings On" entitled "Classical Music".
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/goingson/
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/goingson/classical-music/
The New Yorker also publishes an excellent Blogroll where you can find blogs on music from New York to London and if you explore these links long enough, topics that range from current musical events to marketing the performing arts.
NY Music: http://www.feastofmusic.com/
Marketing performing arts: http://www.artsjournal.com/lifesapitch/
Monday, September 28, 2009
Blog Deficiency
I have never been one to seek out a blog before. The only real experience I have had with it up until this point was reading my friends blogs about their adventures in weight loss, about their lives and relationships, or about their children. Ive occasionally glanced over some cooking blogs or what have you in search of specific information, but all in all, im no blog expert.
I did find a blog that I think could be worth sharing. I include the disclaimer that I have not gone much beyond the surface with this yet, but I have a feeling I will enjoy this blog. It is a blog by the composer Eric Whitacre, whom I greatly enjoy. I was introduced to him by a friend who enjoyed his orchestral pieces, and actually ended up singing some of his choral works a few years ago. He is active on Facebook and Myspace, and does as much as he can to keep his fans informed and involved.
His choral piece Sleep is probably one of my all-time favorite pieces. The build at the end gives me goosebumps every time! I found a youtube clip from one of his CDs.
So check out his blog. I know I plan to.
To boo or not to boo?
After reading the article posted several days ago (below, titled "On Booing," seen here Booing) I consulted a few others, but most notably the article from Opera Chic, a pretty good blog I found that mostly deals with opera reviews and related information. Her review of the same performance of "Tosca" that we commented on in class last week was quite similar to the New York Times article in that it detailed the lackluster reception by the audience, and noted the large amount of booing that ensued at the end of the performance. It can be viewed here killing-me-softly-with-a-knife . Opera Chic also describes how uninspiring James Levine was in his role as music director, and how many of the tempo choices were too slow or inappropriate in one way or another. Though his direction was faulty, the musicians were still just as talented, and played just as well as should be expected.
I was inspired to look into this particular subject of audience reception by our discussion last week about whether it is okay to show that a performance was disappointing by booing. I am of the opinion that the performance has to be pretty bad in order for someone to boo at the performers, and personally feel that it is disrespectful, especially when it is coming from musicians like ourselves, who know how good the musicians are that we are booing. If it was the directing that was bad, boo at that group of people, not the musicians (unless they too played poorly, but that's a whole other story...)
The fact is that the interpretation of the opera was not what people expected, so they booed at it. But really, that doesn't mean that the performance was lousy, or that the performers in the orchestra played any less profoundly - it simply means the audience wasn't ready for that change in interpretation and that is not the musician's fault, (in this case it was Luc Bondy's fault, as he staged this "new" version of an old favorite, if anyone should be booed it should be him). The musicians should be praised for a performance they played with exquisite quality, and the audience should be respectful enough to realize that and boo at the people who deserve it, not the ones who don't.
I was inspired to look into this particular subject of audience reception by our discussion last week about whether it is okay to show that a performance was disappointing by booing. I am of the opinion that the performance has to be pretty bad in order for someone to boo at the performers, and personally feel that it is disrespectful, especially when it is coming from musicians like ourselves, who know how good the musicians are that we are booing. If it was the directing that was bad, boo at that group of people, not the musicians (unless they too played poorly, but that's a whole other story...)
The fact is that the interpretation of the opera was not what people expected, so they booed at it. But really, that doesn't mean that the performance was lousy, or that the performers in the orchestra played any less profoundly - it simply means the audience wasn't ready for that change in interpretation and that is not the musician's fault, (in this case it was Luc Bondy's fault, as he staged this "new" version of an old favorite, if anyone should be booed it should be him). The musicians should be praised for a performance they played with exquisite quality, and the audience should be respectful enough to realize that and boo at the people who deserve it, not the ones who don't.
A few different sources and stories
Here is a website I found that has links to tons of different music blogs: Top 50 Classical Blogs. You can browse to your hearts desire and find one that fits your viewing pleasure the most. I spent some time looking at Sequenza21 and enjoyed the information it had on there. It has more current news on it rather than the author's personal opinions. But it's a wide variety of information and I found it entertaining.
But there are some articles from the online version of the magazine Muso that I wanted to bring up because they sort of deal with some of the posts that have been made this week. The three articles that I read are at the following links:
http://www.musolife.com/beer-and-brass-at-liverpool-phil.html
http://www.musolife.com/south-west-camerata-mix-vivaldi-prokovfiev.html
http://www.musolife.com/the-american-contemporary-music-ensemble-announces-two-genre-hopping-new-october-concerts.html
I find myself wondering every now and again what would be a good way to bring classical music to the masses without completely abandoning the actual music. There are tons of people out there who play violin or some other traditional classical instrument but they play rock, ska, etc. rather than classical music. I think that helps expose people to the world a little bit but not very much because we cannot rely on them to take initiative to then go and listen to a classical piece played by that instrument. Concerts like the first one in the third link are a good mix of the two. You have a musician/composer who is well known in the pop world showcasing her classical compositions. I believe that this is a step in the right direction in terms of getting the masses more involved in the classical world through these crossover musicians.
All three stories seem to use good ideas to create a blend between the classical world and the other.
But there are some articles from the online version of the magazine Muso that I wanted to bring up because they sort of deal with some of the posts that have been made this week. The three articles that I read are at the following links:
http://www.musolife.com/beer-and-brass-at-liverpool-phil.html
http://www.musolife.com/south-west-camerata-mix-vivaldi-prokovfiev.html
http://www.musolife.com/the-american-contemporary-music-ensemble-announces-two-genre-hopping-new-october-concerts.html
I find myself wondering every now and again what would be a good way to bring classical music to the masses without completely abandoning the actual music. There are tons of people out there who play violin or some other traditional classical instrument but they play rock, ska, etc. rather than classical music. I think that helps expose people to the world a little bit but not very much because we cannot rely on them to take initiative to then go and listen to a classical piece played by that instrument. Concerts like the first one in the third link are a good mix of the two. You have a musician/composer who is well known in the pop world showcasing her classical compositions. I believe that this is a step in the right direction in terms of getting the masses more involved in the classical world through these crossover musicians.
All three stories seem to use good ideas to create a blend between the classical world and the other.
RE: No Passport Required: Around the World With Five Compositions
In the New York Times from today, September 28th, the article titled, "No Passport Required: Around the World With Five Compositions," caught my eye. This article reviews the first concert of the season by the New Julliard Ensemble, referred to as, "one of the best and most interesting of the Juilliard School’s student groups." I found this opening sentence of the article quite intriguing in itself, for it captivates the reader into an interest for new music. New music is often viewed as less accessible, or pleasant to listen to by the general audience/public attending classical music events. But, by opening an article in the NYT with this praise for the group, it hopefully serves to grab a reader's attention and thus encourage them to become a future audience member at New Julliard Ensemble events.
The mission of the music director, Joel Sachs, to give the ensemble experience playing music from all over "the planet," is fascinating to me. I can imagine that as a music director, especially of a more standard era ensemble, and not just new music, would find this goal a challenge. It is far easier to stick to compositions from certain parts of the globe - western europe, etc. Sachs' goal is impressive, not only in it's potential listening variety for the audience, but also in giving the musicians a wide range of experience with varied kinds of musical compositions.
I especially enjoyed reading about Chris Gendall's piece, "Rudiments," because Chris was a friend and TA of mine at my undergraduate school, Cornell University. I attended many new music performances at Cornell, as the composition department is rich and varied. Thus, it was interesting to read this writer's review of Gendall's work in comparison to my interpretations of his work a few years ago, when we were both at Cornell.
I enjoyed reading this review and it made me hopeful for the future of new classical music, as this writer made it sound exciting and accessible to listen to. He also framed the pieces in a style that made me, as the reader, feel like I could relate to the music on a personal level. Hopefully, his article had this affect on many other reader's, too and will thus help to increase the interest in exciting new additions to the classical music genre.
The New Face of Classical Music
I would like to call attention to an article I read in the New York Times recently. In some ways, this post is something of a response to Ivan's post. Some of what Ivan said, while perhaps a part of the issue of revitalizing Classical music, I believe may miss the mark--to put it another way, I think that Ivan may have looked too much at negative possibilities while perhaps not giving positive possibilities enough of an examination.
It seems to me that the situation in which Classical music finds itself is based upon the active attempt at providing Classical music with its current image--that of elitism, of something special, or at least, of something set apart.
Now, one idea I would like to suggest is the idea of symbols.
Symbols, of course, characterize a thing, an idea, etc., and they hold an amazing amount of sway over perceptions. Think of rock and roll for a moment. What comes to mind? Probably many things, but one thing that surely one would eventually think of is the electric guitar or a drumset. Now, think of classical music. What comes to mind? Probably pianos, violins, and conductors. What is my point? Instruments (among other things) are the symbols of musical style.
Back to the NY Times article. One of the things I think is key in this article is the new context that the symbols of classical music have been placed. They are in a venue alongside cutting edge electronics, where sweet legato phrases are never to be heard, and where the music has a rough edge comparable to certain styles of rock. The symbols of classical music are being re-contextualized with new ways of playing and relating to audiences. I believe that eventually, it won't be a big deal to see someone play the cello--it will be no more special than playing guitar, it will be without elitist associations.
What does this mean for Beethoven and Mozart? Post your comments.
"Chopin and the Ghost of Beethoven"
from j.store
For me, ‘Chopin and Beethoven’ sounds too different, so the title was enough to make me want read this article. As we study, and experience, the two genre’s characteristic is clear.
This is my brief review about the characteristic of each composer
A. Chopin (Romantic period)
-Rubato
-Poetic, lyrical
-Characteristic piece ex) Ballade, scherzo, polonaise, impromptu
-Functional progress
B. Beethoven (Classic period)
-Little invisible rest (accuate)
-His later sonata shows the transition to the next Romantisme .
-Ex) Sonata, symphony
-Much more traditional than Chopin
The writer says Chopin seems not to be inspired by Beethoven, but his influence is seen in his music such as sonata or Impromptu. He tried to prove that in some ways; one is the environmental situation depending on how Chopin moved here and there, second one is some episodes from other musician’s experience with Chopin, and the other one is a specific analysis, comparing Chopin’s music and Beethoven’s one.
Of course, there is an obvious difference between the composers, but I thought when I learn new music for Chopin specially Bb minor sonata and Fantaisie –Impromptu, which is the examples for this article, it would be a good reference for my own interpretation.
www.j.store.org/stable/746802
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Give give give & ...take?
If classical music needs to appeal to a younger generation in order to survive, what are we, the composers, conductors and performers, willing to sacrifice?
Should we only perform the little repertoire that has been embraced by the masses?
- Are we okay with fueling the popular belief that the only two composers worth noting are Mozart and Beethoven?
Should we allow it to be performed at a wider variety of venues?
- Are we okay with having people order beers during the performance?
Should we allow it to share the bill with the rockstars so many worship?
- Are we okay with being opening acts to get the exposure?
It seems that our community needs to unite and discuss if we want to live playing classical music or to live playing music in order to be classical musicians.
With the necessary changes, we can gain the momentum we need to thrive in the years to come.
Should we come together and create a poll in hopes to move in the right direction, what would the concrete sacrifices be?
http://www.artsjournal.com/sandow/ - A blog on the future of classical music with discourse on writing another book about the subject
Should we only perform the little repertoire that has been embraced by the masses?
- Are we okay with fueling the popular belief that the only two composers worth noting are Mozart and Beethoven?
Should we allow it to be performed at a wider variety of venues?
- Are we okay with having people order beers during the performance?
Should we allow it to share the bill with the rockstars so many worship?
- Are we okay with being opening acts to get the exposure?
It seems that our community needs to unite and discuss if we want to live playing classical music or to live playing music in order to be classical musicians.
With the necessary changes, we can gain the momentum we need to thrive in the years to come.
Should we come together and create a poll in hopes to move in the right direction, what would the concrete sacrifices be?
http://www.artsjournal.com/sandow/ - A blog on the future of classical music with discourse on writing another book about the subject
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
On booing
Today's New York Times published 2 stories on the opening of the Metropolitan Opera: one that reviewed the production and one that commented extensively on the booing! (If you need to register to read the story, do so: they don't abuse their registrants.)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Contemporary music: challenges?
When most people see a modern composition which is written in an unusual manner, they get confused because they're not used to that "language". This could be happening because string players become used to certain patterns which are learned while practicing "golden repertoire".For me, since I started playing modern music, it wasn't difficult at all. Maybe it's due to the way my brain works. Or is it a quick reaction where eyes transmit visual image of the score to the brain and fingers. Does contemporary music performance, require perfect technique, good working brain or loads of practice?
Monday, September 21, 2009
As I was wondering what to write about here last week, John Williams kept popping up into my head. After he was brought up in class I decided to sort of further my thoughts on him, his music and some other things that came to mind.
The main point of this point is to dwell on a different rift than the one that we talked about last week between "classical musicians and the rest of the world." Something that intrigues me very much is how we as musicians separate ourselves from each other. Many musicians seem to think that it is a horrible decision to do film music and those that do it aren't true classical musicians and they tend to be pigeon holed as such.
This sort of brings me to Williams. He is most well known for his film scores that have won award after award, but he is also exiled in the mind of many people for doing this. They look at his music and see how he incorporates ideas from "true" classical composers and they ridicule him for this. He is known as a rip off artist who cannot compose his own music.
But how many composers use ideas from previous composers as a little joke, as a sort of dedication to that composer, or simply because they happen to like that one idea a lot. Just about every composer does it at one point or another in there career. So how come Williams seems to be one of the few who gets called unoriginal for that? It's not his fault that George Lucas originally wanted Holst's The Planets for Star Wars but that it didn't fit well with the film so he had Williams write something that had the same sound. As to other pieces, I cannot say for certain how much he uses from other composers. I have not studies scores for all of those pieces so I should not pass judgment one way or the other.
Another quick factor that people quite often overlook is how accomplished a composer he is outside of his film music. He has written 30 something other pieces, he studied at UCLA and Julliard, studied under notable composers, in a notable conductor and so on. These are some pretty good credentials for a hack that can't write his own music.
I'm curious as to what you think about how classical musicians cast off fellow musicians who cross over into another realm of more popular music?
The main point of this point is to dwell on a different rift than the one that we talked about last week between "classical musicians and the rest of the world." Something that intrigues me very much is how we as musicians separate ourselves from each other. Many musicians seem to think that it is a horrible decision to do film music and those that do it aren't true classical musicians and they tend to be pigeon holed as such.
This sort of brings me to Williams. He is most well known for his film scores that have won award after award, but he is also exiled in the mind of many people for doing this. They look at his music and see how he incorporates ideas from "true" classical composers and they ridicule him for this. He is known as a rip off artist who cannot compose his own music.
But how many composers use ideas from previous composers as a little joke, as a sort of dedication to that composer, or simply because they happen to like that one idea a lot. Just about every composer does it at one point or another in there career. So how come Williams seems to be one of the few who gets called unoriginal for that? It's not his fault that George Lucas originally wanted Holst's The Planets for Star Wars but that it didn't fit well with the film so he had Williams write something that had the same sound. As to other pieces, I cannot say for certain how much he uses from other composers. I have not studies scores for all of those pieces so I should not pass judgment one way or the other.
Another quick factor that people quite often overlook is how accomplished a composer he is outside of his film music. He has written 30 something other pieces, he studied at UCLA and Julliard, studied under notable composers, in a notable conductor and so on. These are some pretty good credentials for a hack that can't write his own music.
I'm curious as to what you think about how classical musicians cast off fellow musicians who cross over into another realm of more popular music?
Renee's Revelations
Toward the end of the summer I started reading "The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer" by Renee Fleming. I received it as a Christmas gift, and in looking at the cover alone expected it to be a book which would make me feel insufficient. THe back cover stated it was an autobiography of her voice and the story of her artistic development. I of course expected to read about nothing but instant success and perfect experiences. To my surprise, this was not the case. To read about a famed singer with a dazzling career write of losing competitions and being rejected from various programs was actually quite comforting. It is sometimes hard to remember the path to consistency and a successful musical career is a process.
I managed to find some time after class on Tuesday to get a few pages in here and there, and felt as though Ms. Fleming had been a part of our class. In one part of the book she discusses "The Business", bringing up managers and traveling and organizational nightmares. She also discusses marketing and the releasing of CDs in company with the future of classical music. She uses Andrea Bocelli as an example, mentioning the staggering number of sales of his CD Romanza. This made me think about singers like Charlotte Church and Josh Groban, as well, who were, and possibly still are, musical icons. Bocelli, Church, and Groban have all been played on the radio, and not just the stations specifically for classical music. They managed to break the barrier and venture into the land of pop culture with their crossover repertoire. So it is possible for the music we love to penetrate the everyday lives of the average person.
She goes on to talk about CD sales in more detail, making some good points, but giving an underlying tone of concern for the future of classical music down the line. She says it is our job as young musicians to speak up. The chapter ends with the following quote:
"The music itself will never disappear. Beethoven still makes people cheer, Richard Strauss can thrill, and Mozart can even develop young minds. It's our responsibility to learn how to speak to an audience that is less informed about music, to give it a reason to want to come and see us instead of going to the movies. For me and for the rest of the industry, it's going to take hard work and a lot of creative thinking. But then, thinking creatively is our business."
Just some words of inspiration from someone who is living with a huge career in music. I definitely recommend the book and will be sure to include any other nuggets of wisdom from later chapters if/when I have more time to actually read on!
classical music as mending or adding to cultural divides...
This week's reading from Levine gave much insight into the divide that still exists between those who frequent classical music concerts and those who still find it a bit of an unapproachable genre. I found the history from last week's reading, in the second chapter of the book, regarding concert goers in the early 19th century as a refreshing realization, that classical music hasn't always been so out of reach for all kinds of audiences. However, from this week's reading in chapter three, the origin of the development of the societal gulph that still currently exists, became more clear.
As quoted in Levine, members of high class looked down on the new influx of immigrants and felt they were tolerable, "as long as these strangers stayed within their own precincts and retained their own peculiar ways, they remained containable and could be dealt with" (177). This attitude is so close-minded and narrow, and it sadly set the tone for not only class differences and discrimination, but also for future racism. In some ways, the way Levine describes the behavior of audience members in the concert hall helps to explain why complete acceptance of all people to concerts was a challenge. For instance, there was "a tendency for undisciplined audiences to treat theaters, music venues as entertainment halls, rather than sacred precincts..." (178). The controversy, as Levine discusses, relates to the question of how audience members were meant to show their enjoyment for the music without being boisterous.
He continues to present how as time progressed, docile audiences were praised and encouraged to be passive and polite in the presence of the music. By reading about this happening back at the end of the 19th century, it gives me more insight into why classical music still feels so unapproachable to such a wide majority of our population. In most recent history, audiences respond to a symphony performance with a polite applause, or in rare occasions, a "bravo!". Having grown up attending concerts, this etiquette does not seem foreign to me, and in my eye, seems respectful and an appropriate response to performances. However, I can imagine that for someone who is new to classical music, and has perhaps only attended rock concerts in their life, this kind of reaction to a musical performance, and the fact that you cannot talk or eat and drink during the concert, may seem uptight and unappealing. This is part of where the divide develops, and the question of how to make classical music more approachable and appealing to a wider group of listeners.
How can we broaden our audiences, but still maintain the respect classical music has grown accustomed to receiving? What kind of behavior at a performance would be warranted, if it meant expanding our audience pool and reaching a wider public? Would this effort make a difference in eliminating class and racial differences in our society, or would it widen the gulph by trying too hard to include people from varying backgrounds? These questions certainly play into the future of classical music, though predicting too far down the path for classical music is indeed a tricky task.
Study Questions for VSI
There follow the study questions for Cook, Music: A Very Short Introduction. Please note that page numbers are not consistent from printing to printing: they may be off by as much as 2 pages.
Introduction
1. In what regard does music function as an agent of meaning?
Chapter 1
1. What are some defining characteristics of musical authenticity in rock? In its construct, who is privileged and who is disparaged? What cultural work do such distinctions do?
2. What are our some of our transparent assumptions about music?
3. How do they reflect the structure of a classic industrial economy?
Chapter 2
1. What role does music play in the early nineteenth century’s construction of bourgeois subjectivity?
2. How does Beethoven differ from his predecessors?
3. What is the Beethoven cult?
4. Which two aspects of the Beethoven cult does Cook discuss? What is their significance beyond Beethoven?
5. What components of music’s mystical qualities does the Beethoven cult celebrate? How?
6. How does such spiritualization affect the historic relationship between words and music?
7. What irony ensued?
Chapter 3
1. How have 21st-century realities inverted the basic assumptions of 19th-century musical culture?
2. By what process did modern music become “modern music”?
3. In Cook’s view, what are some signs of vitality in classical music? Which aspects are “beyond resuscitation”?
Chapter 4
1. What is the abiding paradox of musical notation?
2. Discuss the following statement: “[N]otations…transmit a whole way of thinking about music.” (59)
3. What does Cook see as the “basic paradox” of music?
4. How does Cook apply Dakwins’s “river of genes” image to music?
Chapter 5
1. How do our perceptions of “Nikosi Sikelel iAfrica” differ from our perceptions of the “Hammerklavier”?
2. What hierarchy ensues from the traditional understanding of classical music?
3. How does a reception-based approach alter our perception of music?
Chapter 6
1. Why is the concept of a definitive edition problematic?
2. Why can there be no certifiably “authentic” performance?
3. Conversely, how do “authentic” performances mirror our own time?
4. How did musicologists and theorists come to realize the necessity for engagement that had previously been the exclusive province of ethnomusicologists?
Chapter 7
1. What is a transparent system of beliefs? Examples?
2. What applications does critical theory find in music?
3. What is Cook’s antidote to Tomlinson’s extreme pessimism?
Conclusion
1. Comment on the following quote from Philip Brett: “[Music is] an enclave in our society—a sisterhood or brotherhood of lovers, music lovers, united by an unmediated form of communication that is only by imperfect analogy called a language, ‘the’ language of feeling.” (116)
2. In what regards does music have “unique powers as an agent of ideology”?
Introduction
1. In what regard does music function as an agent of meaning?
Chapter 1
1. What are some defining characteristics of musical authenticity in rock? In its construct, who is privileged and who is disparaged? What cultural work do such distinctions do?
2. What are our some of our transparent assumptions about music?
3. How do they reflect the structure of a classic industrial economy?
Chapter 2
1. What role does music play in the early nineteenth century’s construction of bourgeois subjectivity?
2. How does Beethoven differ from his predecessors?
3. What is the Beethoven cult?
4. Which two aspects of the Beethoven cult does Cook discuss? What is their significance beyond Beethoven?
5. What components of music’s mystical qualities does the Beethoven cult celebrate? How?
6. How does such spiritualization affect the historic relationship between words and music?
7. What irony ensued?
Chapter 3
1. How have 21st-century realities inverted the basic assumptions of 19th-century musical culture?
2. By what process did modern music become “modern music”?
3. In Cook’s view, what are some signs of vitality in classical music? Which aspects are “beyond resuscitation”?
Chapter 4
1. What is the abiding paradox of musical notation?
2. Discuss the following statement: “[N]otations…transmit a whole way of thinking about music.” (59)
3. What does Cook see as the “basic paradox” of music?
4. How does Cook apply Dakwins’s “river of genes” image to music?
Chapter 5
1. How do our perceptions of “Nikosi Sikelel iAfrica” differ from our perceptions of the “Hammerklavier”?
2. What hierarchy ensues from the traditional understanding of classical music?
3. How does a reception-based approach alter our perception of music?
Chapter 6
1. Why is the concept of a definitive edition problematic?
2. Why can there be no certifiably “authentic” performance?
3. Conversely, how do “authentic” performances mirror our own time?
4. How did musicologists and theorists come to realize the necessity for engagement that had previously been the exclusive province of ethnomusicologists?
Chapter 7
1. What is a transparent system of beliefs? Examples?
2. What applications does critical theory find in music?
3. What is Cook’s antidote to Tomlinson’s extreme pessimism?
Conclusion
1. Comment on the following quote from Philip Brett: “[Music is] an enclave in our society—a sisterhood or brotherhood of lovers, music lovers, united by an unmediated form of communication that is only by imperfect analogy called a language, ‘the’ language of feeling.” (116)
2. In what regards does music have “unique powers as an agent of ideology”?
I closer look at a little bit of Bernstein...
I was reading some articles by Alex Ross and came across the piece "The Bernstein Files." Some of you may have read it, but if you haven't I really suggest you check it out. I had not realized the full extent to which Leonard Bernstein was monitored by the government. The article contains a lot of FBI files and sound clips from meetings with the president and other staff members that record and analyze the activities of Bernstein - it is eye opening!
Bernstein has always been a favorite conductor of mine and this article made me want to know more, so I picked up both Barry Seldes’s book, “Leonard Bernstein: The Political Life of an American Musician” and some old recordings by Bernstein. The best recording I found, and one I would highly recommend, was Bernstein conducting Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question.” A chamber piece published by Ives in 1906, it consists of strings, a flute quartet and trumpet. The strings provide a background layer of sustained notes, while the trumpet calls out the “question.” The flutes provide an answer to the question, but the trumpet calls again, and each time the flutes try to answer they get more and more frenzied, until the trumpet calls one last time, this time answered by silence. “The Unanswered Question” in one of my favorite pieces because it is so profound, and this in now my favorite recording of it – I urge you to check it out!
Bernstein has always been a favorite conductor of mine and this article made me want to know more, so I picked up both Barry Seldes’s book, “Leonard Bernstein: The Political Life of an American Musician” and some old recordings by Bernstein. The best recording I found, and one I would highly recommend, was Bernstein conducting Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question.” A chamber piece published by Ives in 1906, it consists of strings, a flute quartet and trumpet. The strings provide a background layer of sustained notes, while the trumpet calls out the “question.” The flutes provide an answer to the question, but the trumpet calls again, and each time the flutes try to answer they get more and more frenzied, until the trumpet calls one last time, this time answered by silence. “The Unanswered Question” in one of my favorite pieces because it is so profound, and this in now my favorite recording of it – I urge you to check it out!
Art and Tradition
One of the ideas I found interesting in the readings was the transformation in people's understanding of art and tradition. As we know, even today, there are a great number of people who, actively or passively, adhere to the idea that the masterworks are meant to be played in a certain way in a certain place for certain people. There is a religious quality to this attitude, and I believe, in light of the past readings (Chapters 2 and 3 in Highbrow Lowbrow), that the religious element is shown to be false and baseless. Regardless, people—in the arts and without, “in the know” or not—believe this idea to be a truth about culture, rather than a product of culture.
I would like to point the reader's attention to a blog by Matthew Hindson I came across that I believe exemplifies the various sides on this idea, to various degrees. Make sure to read the comments on the main post, not just the main post itself; there are some posts that are refuted by the readings, and others that share the spirit of the readings, but not the facts.
I would like to point the reader's attention to a blog by Matthew Hindson I came across that I believe exemplifies the various sides on this idea, to various degrees. Make sure to read the comments on the main post, not just the main post itself; there are some posts that are refuted by the readings, and others that share the spirit of the readings, but not the facts.
" A Night at the Opera in Times Square"
" A Night at the Opera in Times Square " from New York Times
When I went to Time Square in New York for the first time, it was like a dazzling gem. The neon signs would make any visitor to the city impressed.
In the place, a interesting event would happen with those L.E.D screens.
Monday night, 6:30 the Metropolitan Opera’s opening- night gala performance of Puccini’s screens in Time Square will be shown through the multiple screens in Time Square, and at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza.
Also, the program includes The new things, with Karita Mattila, Marcelo Alvarez and George Garnidze, will be listened by James Levine, who is also BSO conductor.
Both admissions are free, first come – first served, but tickets must be brought for Lincoln Center.
It would be a good chance to connect common people to classical music with modern technical device.
Here is more thing. It is not about a blog, but very useful; www.imslp.org. If you go to the website, you can see most scores and print out for free.
When I went to Time Square in New York for the first time, it was like a dazzling gem. The neon signs would make any visitor to the city impressed.
In the place, a interesting event would happen with those L.E.D screens.
Monday night, 6:30 the Metropolitan Opera’s opening- night gala performance of Puccini’s screens in Time Square will be shown through the multiple screens in Time Square, and at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza.
Also, the program includes The new things, with Karita Mattila, Marcelo Alvarez and George Garnidze, will be listened by James Levine, who is also BSO conductor.
Both admissions are free, first come – first served, but tickets must be brought for Lincoln Center.
It would be a good chance to connect common people to classical music with modern technical device.
Here is more thing. It is not about a blog, but very useful; www.imslp.org. If you go to the website, you can see most scores and print out for free.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
“Yeah, I don’t know, I love music becaaaaaaause…”
Breaking down the demographic
The following are my thoughts. If you think of anything else, please let me know!
People enjoy listening to music based on its
1) Virtuosity
2) Ability to make you relate to it
3) Ability to make you experience a ‘spiritual elevation’
4) Ability to remind us of things we hold dearly
5) Ability to learn through it
Or a combination of these elements
1) We respect a virtuoso for his / her ability to execute a complex activity with more proficiency than most
2) We can relate to music based on
a. the fact that some of us know how to make some of those sounds, too and we know just how thrilling that physical experience is
b. the fact that the music and/or lyrics of a piece express feelings that we too feel, but have
i. never been able to bring out to the surface
ii. never had a chance to share it with the masses
iii. (both i and ii)
3) We can experience a ‘spiritual elevation’ when the music and/or lyrics make us experience a feeling we cannot get from our daily routine
4) We can be reminded by music of
a. a time in our past that we hold dearly and want to relive
b. a philosophy of life that we want to make sure we still live by
c. (both a and b)
5) We can learn from music when it
a. presents musical possibilities that positively surprises us with
i. a fresh approach to an established concept
ii. a new concept
b. presents lyrics that share an experience we haven’t lived but find engaging
c. (both a and b)
...is there anything better?
The following are my thoughts. If you think of anything else, please let me know!
People enjoy listening to music based on its
1) Virtuosity
2) Ability to make you relate to it
3) Ability to make you experience a ‘spiritual elevation’
4) Ability to remind us of things we hold dearly
5) Ability to learn through it
Or a combination of these elements
1) We respect a virtuoso for his / her ability to execute a complex activity with more proficiency than most
2) We can relate to music based on
a. the fact that some of us know how to make some of those sounds, too and we know just how thrilling that physical experience is
b. the fact that the music and/or lyrics of a piece express feelings that we too feel, but have
i. never been able to bring out to the surface
ii. never had a chance to share it with the masses
iii. (both i and ii)
3) We can experience a ‘spiritual elevation’ when the music and/or lyrics make us experience a feeling we cannot get from our daily routine
4) We can be reminded by music of
a. a time in our past that we hold dearly and want to relive
b. a philosophy of life that we want to make sure we still live by
c. (both a and b)
5) We can learn from music when it
a. presents musical possibilities that positively surprises us with
i. a fresh approach to an established concept
ii. a new concept
b. presents lyrics that share an experience we haven’t lived but find engaging
c. (both a and b)
...is there anything better?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Culture god
“The writers of a time hint the mottoes of its gods. The word of the modern, say these voices, is the word Culture.” - Walt Whitman
In a post-modernist society, is “Culture” still our god?
As a musician I hear culture discussed at every turn - everything from how cultural heritage defines music to how music influences a society's cultural future. I often myself tout music as a communicative tool that transcends cultural boundaries.
As an experiment, I posted Whitman’s quote into my personal blog and facebook status with nothing more than the directive: “Discuss.”
One response addressed the current relativistic and nihilistic leanings of today’s society - that perhaps Self-absorption makes Culture a less relevant “god”.
If I extrapolate that to the concert hall - does this mean if I play a concert that makes the audience feel good about themselves I make the performance relevant (and therefore possibly more profitable)?
As I read through Levine this week I was struck by the need of society to be affirmed in its identity. For instance, music that appealed to the masses was valued earlier in the 19th century America, because Americans, newly established and free from being colonists, needed to know that their identity as democratic republicans was a good thing. Music had no worth if it didn’t appeal to everybody - if each individual wasn’t equally valued. Music that affirmed the republican identity was valued.
Later it seems that music facilitated a need to distinguish class structure. As modernism took root, this god of “Culture”, education, and knowledge became the tool to set one self apart, distinguish oneself among your peers. Class structure did not exist in America as it had in Europe, so knowledge and erudition defined the new class structure.
In today’s society has the “god” shifted from high “Culture” to that of “Self”? Take any of the examples mentioned, from the issue Ivan brought up about appearance triggering a response to Lindsey’s example of a positively bored audience forcing themselves to listen to something they didn’t seem to find enjoyable. The reason people relate to a concert or performance seems to do something with how it makes them feel about themselves.
What if music - instead of being a vessel for affirming that which society holds up as its modern-day “idols” instead became completely free from that? Take music out of the box. I agree with Billy that there is something to be communicated that does not matter about relevance to the culture - something that goes beyond cultural conditioning and has intrinsic worth. The onus then is on the performer - what must be communicated is not written on the page and not tied to cultural heritage and relevance.
In a post-modernist society, is “Culture” still our god?
As a musician I hear culture discussed at every turn - everything from how cultural heritage defines music to how music influences a society's cultural future. I often myself tout music as a communicative tool that transcends cultural boundaries.
As an experiment, I posted Whitman’s quote into my personal blog and facebook status with nothing more than the directive: “Discuss.”
One response addressed the current relativistic and nihilistic leanings of today’s society - that perhaps Self-absorption makes Culture a less relevant “god”.
If I extrapolate that to the concert hall - does this mean if I play a concert that makes the audience feel good about themselves I make the performance relevant (and therefore possibly more profitable)?
As I read through Levine this week I was struck by the need of society to be affirmed in its identity. For instance, music that appealed to the masses was valued earlier in the 19th century America, because Americans, newly established and free from being colonists, needed to know that their identity as democratic republicans was a good thing. Music had no worth if it didn’t appeal to everybody - if each individual wasn’t equally valued. Music that affirmed the republican identity was valued.
Later it seems that music facilitated a need to distinguish class structure. As modernism took root, this god of “Culture”, education, and knowledge became the tool to set one self apart, distinguish oneself among your peers. Class structure did not exist in America as it had in Europe, so knowledge and erudition defined the new class structure.
In today’s society has the “god” shifted from high “Culture” to that of “Self”? Take any of the examples mentioned, from the issue Ivan brought up about appearance triggering a response to Lindsey’s example of a positively bored audience forcing themselves to listen to something they didn’t seem to find enjoyable. The reason people relate to a concert or performance seems to do something with how it makes them feel about themselves.
What if music - instead of being a vessel for affirming that which society holds up as its modern-day “idols” instead became completely free from that? Take music out of the box. I agree with Billy that there is something to be communicated that does not matter about relevance to the culture - something that goes beyond cultural conditioning and has intrinsic worth. The onus then is on the performer - what must be communicated is not written on the page and not tied to cultural heritage and relevance.
"Even a Radiohead fan can appreciate Mozart"
Lloyd Schwartz, Pulitzer Prize-winning music reviewer for the Boston Phoenix called this Boston Globe piece to my attention. Care to comment on it?
an ongoing conversation...
The future of classical music is such a crucial and relevant question for society today, and especially for us as musicians. However, while it feels like an extremely current issue, the fascinating topics discussed in the prologue and chapter 2 of Levine's Highbrow/Lowbrow, revealed that the question of classical music's role in society has been significant far longer than I anticipated. I had previously assumed that classical music fit into a niche of appealing to a "high-brow" audience from the very beginning, and thus, today it still holds that role and the struggle to appeal to a wider audience is one that every classical music organization deals with. This topic is on-going and philosophical - indeed, trying to approach or answering the question of the future of classical music can be an ongoing conversation. For now, I find it most effective in my post to respond to the study question for the prologue, because the topic of defining categories within the hierarchy of culture is a challenge, and somewhat never-ending.
Our current hierarchical system of cultural categories (highbrow, mid, low) seems fixed and immutable. What cultural work is done by a historian who maintains these categories? What error might ensue?
A historian who maintains these categories has been transfixed, by our society’s imposition of cultural categories. As Lawrence Levine argues in his Prologue, the labels of high, mid and low-brow have been assigned by vertical comparisons. As he argues, the question is, what is the point of comparing aspects of life in a scalar mode rather than horizontally, thus with clearer relationships from one aspect to another? The author’s main argument holds that in the 19th century, Shakespeare was considered a popular form of entertainment. He has found references of Shakespeare playing a role with all kinds of people in the 19th c., not just for the category of today’s high-brow audience.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Audiences - Past and Present
An observation I had from chapter two of "Highbrow Lowbrow" deals with the quality of audience that Lawrence Levine outlined as the common group of people generally at the classical performances. The level of musical knowledge of many seemed quite low - in one example cited by Levine, in a performance by the Metropolitan Opera in 1900, a selection of prominent acts from famous operas were performed, but most of the audience had no real knowledge of any of the operas, had no idea who the characters were supposed to be, and seemed to have gone to the concert in the first place due to the names of the famous soloists that were to be featured.
Often audiences were engaged in other activities while listening to the concerts. Theodore Thomas, who had an orchestra he traveled all over the country with, exposing people to popular classical music, often tolerated the almost constant chatting, drinking and overwhelming amount of choking smoke that filled the auditorium.
The audience had tremendous sway over what was played in the concerts as well. Henry Lee Higginson took charge of what is now the Boston Symphony and he did not cater to the audience's wishes and performed pieces such as Bruckner's Symphony #7 and Brahms' Third Symphony, both of which caused upheaval in the audience and many walked out before the concert was concluded. They would not tolerate new or unfamiliar pieces, and were not above walking out in the middle of a performance they weren't enjoying.
I would like to point out that although perhaps classical music is "unpopular" now, the audiences that still attend performances now are much more respectful. Most concert go-ers are generally aware of the basic layout of the music that is in store for the evening (one could argue this is due to the advancement in recording technology), these days talking or walking around during performances is strictly prohibited, as is smoking, and the audience has little say in what the concert program entails, yet they are willing to attend concerts, and sit through pieces they may not find particularly pleasing to the ear. I recently attended a concert with the premiere of the Elliot Carter's Horn Concerto and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. We all know that the Rite of Spring was not received well in its day, and caused riots and general upheaval, but for this horn concerto people behaved differently. I could tell people didn't really like it due to the somewhat inattentive gazes around me, but they didn't talk, or leave the auditorium - they waited patiently until the end, and they clapped politely for the orchestra and soloist, as any good audience should.
Often audiences were engaged in other activities while listening to the concerts. Theodore Thomas, who had an orchestra he traveled all over the country with, exposing people to popular classical music, often tolerated the almost constant chatting, drinking and overwhelming amount of choking smoke that filled the auditorium.
The audience had tremendous sway over what was played in the concerts as well. Henry Lee Higginson took charge of what is now the Boston Symphony and he did not cater to the audience's wishes and performed pieces such as Bruckner's Symphony #7 and Brahms' Third Symphony, both of which caused upheaval in the audience and many walked out before the concert was concluded. They would not tolerate new or unfamiliar pieces, and were not above walking out in the middle of a performance they weren't enjoying.
I would like to point out that although perhaps classical music is "unpopular" now, the audiences that still attend performances now are much more respectful. Most concert go-ers are generally aware of the basic layout of the music that is in store for the evening (one could argue this is due to the advancement in recording technology), these days talking or walking around during performances is strictly prohibited, as is smoking, and the audience has little say in what the concert program entails, yet they are willing to attend concerts, and sit through pieces they may not find particularly pleasing to the ear. I recently attended a concert with the premiere of the Elliot Carter's Horn Concerto and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. We all know that the Rite of Spring was not received well in its day, and caused riots and general upheaval, but for this horn concerto people behaved differently. I could tell people didn't really like it due to the somewhat inattentive gazes around me, but they didn't talk, or leave the auditorium - they waited patiently until the end, and they clapped politely for the orchestra and soloist, as any good audience should.
Classical Music: Going out of Style?
Keith’s previous post on the role of the classical musician in today’s society is something I have thought about quite a bit recently. The second chapter of Highbrow Lowbrow got me thinking about this even more. As a classical musician, I feel like I have a passion for a type of music that is going “out of style”. Other than fellow classical musicians, who else truly appreciates this art form, and is concerned about it’s future? Without “popular” status, why would society not question the need and importance of classical music?
When I go to hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra, or any other performance in the classical genre, I feel as though the average age of the audience is quickly on the rise. Why is that? Who will fill these seats in Symphony Hall in the coming decades if the young audience is not there now? If there is no audience, how will classical music survive?
Non-musicians, when they think or are asked about classical music, often immediately think of “pops” music. The music played at a Pops concert is not the classical music I am passionate about. Non-musicians see a “symphony orchestra” on the stage and think it is “classical”. I tend to disagree. I feel like the integrity of classical music is weakened with these types of concerts. However, if Pops concerts are what will get a full audience, perhaps classical music needs these types of financial support to survive.
There is a serious need for classical music in today’s society, just like every other type of modern art. In order for classical music to survive, it needs to be appreciated by more than just the musicians that perform it. If our society is educated and exposed to this, classical music may have a significant future, but it is the job of every musician out there to make this happen.
Meeting the Met
In class last week I was asked to find out how many seats are in the Metropolitan Opera House. The answer to this question can vary depending upon the performance. There are approximately 3800 seats and 195 standing room spaces. 35 extra seats can also be added to the front of the house for ballets due to the reduction of the orchestra pit. This got me thinking about the capacities of halls which I have performed in.
Boston's Symphony Hall: 2600
Kennedy Center (Concert Hall): 2454
Sanders Theatre: 1166
The Met is bigger in size than any of the places I have sung in as a soloist or as a chorus member at this point in my life. It is definitely a place that has been set apart from all of the others. It is considered quite the accomplishment to "make it to the Met" as a singer. When a singer has performed there, it becomes attached to his or her name. Sondra Kelly, for example, is a wonderful opera singer who has come to Longy to give informative lectures on the business, and to conduct master classes with the voice students. She is introduced to us in our syllabus, and in person, as "Metropolitan Opera Singer, Ms. Sondra Kelly." It marks a level of achievement and indicates a certain status. Following along with the reading from "Highbrow/Lowbrow", it separates the performer, a Met singer, from the audience, us lowly students. It establishes that hierarchical continuum on which we are constantly placing ourselves.
The Met is certainly hailed as a sacred space that one must work up to performing in. It is a high status place for high status singing. The website itself includes phrases such as, "a vibrant home for the most creative and talented artists", and "always engaged many of the world’s most important artists". It is a house for the most creative and most important artists only. How did the Metropolitan Opera obtain this reputation and standard? Is it merely the size of the house? Why is it that house in particular that opera singers strive to perform in? Is an opera diva truly worthy of the term if she has not set foot on the Met stage? These are questions I don't have answers for. For me, it is a learned attitude at this point. The Met has always been discussed as something special and of great importance. It is a place I have never been and am not ready to perform in.
The development of American Opera discussed in "Highbrow/Lowbrow" was quite interesting. It seems almost unthinkable in this day that opera was considered a part of pop culture, when today is is a musical outcast in typical society. The quote, "It is hard to exaggerate the ubiquity of operatic music in nineteenth century America" is quite striking. The change in popularity came partially because people decided operatic music was supposed to be profound and sophisticated. It was not meant to have folk songs interwoven into the score. Is this why attendance in concert halls today is often so sparse? Why aren't audience inclined to come to the opera? Would the Met be the Met if this element of the elite had never been a requirement? It is hard to say. It is definitely something I will be thinking about.
Here are the websites I used for facts included in this blog post:
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/
http://www.gofox.com/tickets/Venue.php?venue=118
http://www.kennedy-center.org/theaterrental/
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~ims/Class/sanders.html
Role Playing
One of the things that interested me in the second chapter of Highbrow Lowbrow was the idea of the changing function and role of a classical musician. Before sacralization, American musicians, it seemed, were entirely popular entertainers. However, with the sacralization of the classical musical world, the role changed from entertainer to artist and, in a sense, to a transcendental religious figure who became increasingly distant from the average person in matters of both musical taste and hierarchical affiliation.
Of course, a great similarity is seen in today's structuring of classical music in America. The classical musician still has—and perhaps even more so—an aloofness from the culture to the point of irrelevance, and the average musical consumer largely, I would venture, views the classical musician as someone detached from society, possibly in a negative way—there is still a tight association between “rich, intellectual snobs” and classical music.
What I suspect is starting to become an important difference between now and then, however, is how the musician views him/herself in today's society. Almost assuredly there isn't agreement as to what that role should be, but from some sources I have come across, I believe there is a certain longing on the part of the classical musician to once again be able to touch the lives of people in a much closer way than the sacralization of classical music has allowed. I would point the reader's attention to an entry in another blog that I came across recently (Read the entry dated March 10, 2009 6:48 PM):
http://swflso.blogspot.com/2009/01/future-of-classical-music.html
I'm curious what the readers think on this subject. Personally, I have not yet decided for myself—this is, in fact, an issue I have struggled with for a good deal of time at this point. At times I find myself sympathetic with the views expressed in the provided link, and at other times, with the great separation from society that classical music currently finds the norm, I find myself almost feeling selfish for pursuing this path in life—frankly, as a composer, who wants or needs my music? Why should I spend time composing when there are other matters in the world which are quite arguably far more important than whether I choose to include an element of improvisation in my next electronic work, or whether or not I should use a more traditional pitch organization in my next piece?
Where does a classical musician fit in society? What should a classical musician do in society?
Of course, a great similarity is seen in today's structuring of classical music in America. The classical musician still has—and perhaps even more so—an aloofness from the culture to the point of irrelevance, and the average musical consumer largely, I would venture, views the classical musician as someone detached from society, possibly in a negative way—there is still a tight association between “rich, intellectual snobs” and classical music.
What I suspect is starting to become an important difference between now and then, however, is how the musician views him/herself in today's society. Almost assuredly there isn't agreement as to what that role should be, but from some sources I have come across, I believe there is a certain longing on the part of the classical musician to once again be able to touch the lives of people in a much closer way than the sacralization of classical music has allowed. I would point the reader's attention to an entry in another blog that I came across recently (Read the entry dated March 10, 2009 6:48 PM):
http://swflso.blogspot.com/2009/01/future-of-classical-music.html
I'm curious what the readers think on this subject. Personally, I have not yet decided for myself—this is, in fact, an issue I have struggled with for a good deal of time at this point. At times I find myself sympathetic with the views expressed in the provided link, and at other times, with the great separation from society that classical music currently finds the norm, I find myself almost feeling selfish for pursuing this path in life—frankly, as a composer, who wants or needs my music? Why should I spend time composing when there are other matters in the world which are quite arguably far more important than whether I choose to include an element of improvisation in my next electronic work, or whether or not I should use a more traditional pitch organization in my next piece?
Where does a classical musician fit in society? What should a classical musician do in society?
Monday, September 7, 2009
Welcome, Colleagues!
Welcome, colleagues from Longy School Future of Classical Music '09!
As soon as you can, please make your way to Alex Ross's blog, www.therestisnoise.com. Though he is still on summer hiatus, he keeps his ear close to the ground. He has a feed, and he provides a list of other music blogs as well. You will also enjoy Greg Sandow's blog, http://www.artsjournal.com/sandow/ .
Looking forward to reading your posts and to seeing you Tuesday!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Thanks FCM team!
If anyone still has this blog bookmarked, I just wanted to thank everyone in the Fall 2008 class for the vibrant discussions which gave me many valuable ideas for setting up my teaching studio now in Chicago. I now invite you to my freshly published studio website here!
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