Monday, June 23, 2008

MusicX 2008

The silence is deafening. After seven days of activity, fourteen concerts, numerous masterclasses, and nightly mingling over German beer, I can hardly handle the sound of a quiet evening.

While it is difficult to summarize such a frenetic week of activity, highlights definitely come to mind. First, the inevitable negatives: Personally, I quickly drank my fill of Rzewski's crotchety anti-Americanism, and was ready to assign one man the Indian name of "Dances with Trombones." Jack Body drew the controversy of the week with his seemingly pro-nambla antics. The week certainly was designed to move on an upswing, however, and any early disillusionment I was feeling quickly melted into wonderful experience.

I happened to draw the most inspiration not from the music of the professional composers present, but from listening to the works of my peers. A generational comparison certainly convinced me that new music may once again be moving in the right direction.

Performance highlights included a very strong and moving piano trio exhibition by brothers Duccio and Vittorio Ceccanti and pianist Emanuele Arciuli. Arciuli would return later in the week to give a solo recital including an impeccable rendition of Charles Ives' Concord Sonata. Steve Reich's visit to the festival was certainly momentous, as was hearing a live performance of his Music for Eighteen Musicians, all while surrounded by talented youth and luminaries in the field. Surrounded by an enthusiastic audience (including the members of eighth blackbird), the atmosphere was absolutely electric.

eighth blackbird gave their performance of "the only moving thing," drawing varied reactions from dismay to (positively) overwhelmed emotions. From my perspective, having seen the program twice now, I found the concert to be musically satisfying and very moving. It certainly pushed boundaries, but definitely gave me a joyous listening experience.

After most evening concerts, all those involved (from the youngest to the oldest, from famous folks to unknowns) gravitated towards the local German pub. While I hesitate to say it, these social activities were perhaps the most valuable part of the week: connections were made, friendships were formed, and a good time was certainly had by all. Personally, I brushed up on how to give toasts in numerous languages, dominated the cornhole competition, planned future collaborations, and made plenty of new friends.


For many of us, MusicX was likely an artistic right of passage. I truly hope that the festival can continue into the future. Many thanks to Hermes for suggesting that I apply, to my generous host Jennifer, my congenial roommate Max, and all of the incredible people I met throughout the week.

May our new ties be strong, and remain far into the future.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The Sacred Arts

I'm at a festival this week, so sadly I have little time to stir the online pot... that being said, the Foundation for Sacred Arts recently posted their utterly wonderful new website. It is definitely worth visiting!

thesacredarts.org

Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

A little inspiration from the Big Apple

Walking through Front Tryon Park, it is difficult to remember that the bustling streets of North Manhattan are mere blocks away. The river winds lazily to a distant ocean, and soon you find yourself in the monastery-like building known as The Cloisters, which houses a lovely collection of medieval art from around Europe.
Why mention a medieval art gallery in blog about new music? The answer is quite simple, requiring only one word: perspective. The Cloisters is a triumph of civic vision and artistic patronage, a literal step back into time in the middle of one of the world's busiest cities. Whether or not it intends to, it stands as a powerful testament to the golden age of Sacred Art, dominated almost entirely by works related to the Catholic Church. Walking through the Cloisters, it is difficult to believe in the skewed modern vision of medieval Europe as an ignorant and oppressed backwater, as ignorant and oppressed people do not produce soaring works of sacred art.
The final bit of perspective I have to share comes in the form of a question you can pose to yourself. If ever you find an opportunity, explore the Cloisters on a calm afternoon, realizing that you are viewing a mere sliver of the religious art of the great medieval age. Realize the brilliance of expression, the powerful naivity of faith and the human condition which is all wound-up in such beautiful art from a difficult time. Ask yourself: If arts patrons in New York City were to assemble a similar museum, several centuries from now, dedicated to (what is now for us) modern art, how would the patrons view our contributions? What would the works reveal about our social order, or our view of God? Would the works now glorified as masterworks be part of this collection, or would centuries of scholarship and the litmus test of historical taste reveal an entirely different set of (currently ignored) masterpieces? The religious art of old Europe seems to hold a particular grip on our imaginations: had medieval Europe been a secular age, would the works be as luminous or inspiring to us?
While it is true that it can be paralyzing for an artist to view his work in the light of the past masters, it can also serve as a catalyst to pursue ever higher grounds of creativity. As an artist, I took profound inspiriation away from my visit to the Cloisters. I will visit again in the future, seeking a deeper link with the past and a sensible road to the future.

Friday, June 6, 2008

College Drop-out Gives Stanford Commencement Address

So what happens when a college drop-out gives the commencement address at Stanford University?

Monday, June 2, 2008

Eighth Blackbird Concert Review

This past Thursday, I was privileged enough to be in the audience for Eighth Blackbird's "The Only Moving Thing." Having received rave reviews nationwide, I was anticipating this latest dose of blackbird quite eagerly.

The opening work was the Chicago premiere of Steve Reich's Double Sextet. Seeing the length of the piece listed at 22 minutes, I settled in for a typical Steve Reich trance-ride. While I genuinely enjoyed the work, it presented nothing truly special to my ears. The use of tape seemed almost superfluous to me, as it did not seem to achieve anything that a different orchestration could not have accomplished.

The highlight of the evening was "The Only Moving Thing," composed by the Bang-on-a-Can trio of Lang/Wolfe/Gordon. The work was clever, moving, and genuinely Mahlerian in how it seemed to confuse the audience's emotional responses. For instance: in one of the slow movements, clarinetist Michael Maccaferri was loaded down with various metal and percussive objects. He stood there uncomfortably, a pleading face directed towards the audience as a poignant flute and vibraphone ostinato tolled pathetically behind him. Slowly, the objects fell from his arms, clattering loudly to the floor in counterpoint with the pathetic sounds behind him. At first the audience laughed, then the laught diminished and turned sympathetic, and finally a general sense of sadness permeated the hall. It was a brilliant musical moment.

After all of the emotional movement of the work, the final movement (composed by Lang) presented the best of what the composer could offer, uplifting the listener with post-minimalist groove and ending in a resounding cut-off which seemed to resonate dramatically with all those assembled.

The evening was brilliant, and Eighth Blackbird certainly continued their tradition of presenting a difficult music in a way which is cool, energetic, and completely relevant. Of all the new music offerings I have seen, Blackbird remain my first choice for taking an "uninitiated" listener to their first new-music experience. Bravo!