Saturday, May 19, 2012

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

WHERE IS THE AUDIENCE?

Melissa Smey has taken the reigns of a musical animal that is headed in a very necessary direction. And when very high profile composers are presented such as Lachenmann or Boulez or John Zorn, the audience turn out is wonderful, one can feel the buzz of expectation. But with other portraits, the audiences are more meager, and the attempt to give it that same feeling seems forced.

Let me check, we are in New York City, correct? And yes, this is not music for the masses, nor was it ever thought it should be. As a matter of fact, the general audience that wishes to hear such and such a symphony orchestra play traditional fare, or when something has a buzz like Bang On A Can’s sold-out 25th Birthday Concert at Tully—lots of hype and hoopla and marketing money etc, and a big budget to boost does not hurt, making events like this happen are much easier.

Yes, Miller Theater has acoustic issues, it is dry and lacks sparkle, but with a group like Signal or Ice making it ring with fantastic ambiance, who really cares?

I believe the story goes that Schoenberg began to wonder what he was doing wrong when his works became more “popular,” as it were. And with so much happening on any given evening in NYC, it can be an embarrassment of riches.

But composer’s portraits MUST exist! They must prosper, and the musical intelligentsia in NYC that truly wishes for these efforts to continue must make a more than slightly harder effort to be curious. Remember when people were truly curious? Who is Hilda Paredes? If you did not know her music, be you composer, consumer of things most challenging and exotic or another member of the community in NYC who wishes to be heard when they appear at Miller, why were you not there? Do you study composition at Columbia or Manhattan School or Juilliard? In other words, what is wrong here? Is this pure laziness and apathy? When the New York Philharmonic performs Stockhausen’s Gruppen at The Armory, you can be sure this will be a different event. Does everything have to be all fanfare and bravura to be interesting? Is spectacle what matters is or true substance that is remembered?

Applaud Melissa for what she is doing by supporting this series with your body and your money, and stop complaining that there are not cutting-edge things going on in NYC. They happen all the time, and when you climb to the top of the mountain and look down, Melissa’s Composer’s Portraits are a shining example of what should be welcome and refreshing and a deep curiosity to those who wish to thrive in this world. My guess is there are a couple of thousand in NYC who should be at every one of these concerts, there is simply no excuse not to be there, except unless you are not in NYC at the time, giving birth or dying or otherwise so deeply occupied and you cannot make it. Where are the Q2 simulcasts for these concerts?

By the way, Hilda’s music is gorgeous, simply stunning and it was played with the usual aplomb by Brad Lubman and Signal. And with Irvine Arditti as soloist, a rare event indeed in and of itself…shall I go on?

If you can’t make it, then make a small contribution to the concert you can’t make and buy a few less cappuccinos.

And send Melissa a single red rose for every time she takes the risk! Applaud the effort and stop whining when no one comes to your portrait concert—names will be left out here! Sometimes the greatest things are only a few blocks away, and a few stops by subway. If it is a nice night out, sip your martini afterwards at the outdoor cafĂ©. Exercise your mind and your ears and support what is not always about hype and fanfare. One thing that will never happen is that you will find dullness or sameness.

And is Melissa supporting woman composers of note, you bet!

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