Classical Music and Blogs on the Web by Rob Simonds, Violinist
As a violinist in the orchestra I wanted to comment that the Adams Concerto was the high point of my season. In addition to the fact that soloist was extraordinary, playing and hearing the piece changed my mind about a composer I had been fairly skeptical of. For a great example of how technology can help our appreciation of music, especially new music, read this interactive review of one of John Adams' symphonic works. www.post-gazette.com/pg/06071/667818.stm
I am a daily reader of classical music news and opinions on the web and I thought it might be of some value to point out one of pages that has become indispensable to me. www.therestisnoise.com. This is the web page Alex Ross, a "The New Yorker" critic, and for my money the best classical music writer out there. I would encourage everyone, especially those interested in new music to check out his blog and the essays and articles in the archives section. One of the most essential is: therestisnoise.com/2004/05/more_to_come_6.html
One of my hopes is this PSO blog can become a way to have intelligent discussions about the music that is being presented. It could become a place where many questions that may never have been asked can be answered. It seems that anonymity will not be an issue and I look forward to reading the questions, thoughts, answers, and reactions.
I am a daily reader of classical music news and opinions on the web and I thought it might be of some value to point out one of pages that has become indispensable to me. www.therestisnoise.com. This is the web page Alex Ross, a "The New Yorker" critic, and for my money the best classical music writer out there. I would encourage everyone, especially those interested in new music to check out his blog and the essays and articles in the archives section. One of the most essential is: therestisnoise.com/2004/05/more_to_come_6.html
One of my hopes is this PSO blog can become a way to have intelligent discussions about the music that is being presented. It could become a place where many questions that may never have been asked can be answered. It seems that anonymity will not be an issue and I look forward to reading the questions, thoughts, answers, and reactions.
12 Comments:
The Top 100 Classical Music Blogs
http://www.blognoggle.com/classical.html
This is a very interesting, if slightly overly intellectual, short blog entry discussing the nuances of the classical music audiences of the past, present, and future. I think it is a good companion to some of the issues MC has brought up in these comments. It comes from Kyle Gann's blog "PostClassic."
http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/2005/12/botstein_death_greatly_exagger_1.html
The above link works if you highlight it and drag across past the margin.
I don't think the blog should have to be approved by the blog author. I understand that there is going to be a lot of useless stuff posted about who hates what and how much they hate it, but I would rather know that the comments aren't being screened. I can only imagine that we are going to get what the Symphony deems as productive dialogue.
I am not saying this so I can bash everything and everyone without limit. On the contrary, I am very pleased with Maestro Christie and his vision. I guess I just feel a bit cheated by this blog.
Hopefully the blog keeper hasn't deleted this message prematurely.
The comment moderation is in place simply in order to keep content on-topic and productive. As you can easily read from some of the comment areas within these blog topics, critical feedback is certainly not being censored.
Even if a comment is prevented from being posted publicly (whether it be due to obscene language or harmful personal attacks), its contents are always forwarded on to the appropriate administrative or artisitic department within the Phoenix Symphony. Rest assured, your comments are indeed heard. If you ever have additional concerns, always feel free to e-mail info@phoenixsymphony.org and it will be directed to the correct person or persons.
The discussion throughout SoundPost thus far has been thoughtful, interesting and enlightening and we hope everyone will continue participating in these topical conversations as we all work toward the best Phoenix Symphony possible!
My problem here is that the James - and other music on that program - was wonderful. But the music review in the AZ Republic was totally negative. I -- and many others -- would appreciate hearing some more modern music. Maybe the PSO needs to have a series sometime that just features new music. No Mozart, Brahms, or Beethoven. I would sign up -- and I think others would too.
Sorry - not James. Adams.
With regard to azjane's comments about programs and critics I would like to add a few words. First I would like to thank you for your interest in modern and contemporary music. As much as I would like to agree with you I don't think there are enough people out there interested in new music to support concerts of just 20th century repertoire. That is why it is so essential for arts organizations to add diversity to each program. I think from what I have seen the PSO will be playing many works of major 20th century composers.
As far as the local critics go, it concerns me less that they have strong opinions either negative or positive that I may disagree with. Just as it is important to not let one performer or ensemble be your only window into music it is equally beneficial to read a wide variety of what is being written about the industry. If you were at the concert trust your convictions about what you heard.
May I suggest:
www.nytimes.com/pages/arts/music/index.html
www.calendarlive.com/music/classical/more/
www.boston.com/ae/music/dyer/
www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/don_rosenberg/
Azjane said: "My problem here is that the [Adams] - and other music on that program - was wonderful. But the music review in the AZ Republic was totally negative."
Not quite true. Nielsen's review in the Arizona Republic was very complimentary about the performance of both soloist and orchestra in the Adams Violin Concerto. He gave performances of two other pieces on the program, by Bernstein and Copland, very negative reviews. For what it's worth, I absolutely agree with Nielsen. A lot of audience members disagreed, judging both from the applause that Thursday night and from comments in this blog.
Grayce
This thread has gotten a bit off topic, but because it's drifted to the question of a Phoenix audience for new music I'll add a comment. (Maybe the moderator will move these comments to a more appropriate thread?)
Some years ago, the PSO initiated a "modern music" series at SCFA, and played a number of fascinating [to me] works -- and some not so fascinating. The audience typically consisted of about 200 hardy and/or curious individuals, in an 800+ seat theatre. If I remember correctly, the series lasted two seasons before dying from lack of nourishment. I'd like to think that Phoenix is now home to more than 200 people who would enjoy classical music written in the late 20th or early 21st century, but I suspect not.
Part of the problem is exemplified by a PSO concert back when Daniel Asia was composer in residence. The orchestra was giving the world premiere of one of Asia's symphonies, which I found in general to be easily understandable and not at all challenging. However, at intermission that evening, before the Asia performance, a man in the row behind me got up and left, proclaiming loudly that he wasn't going to listen to music composed by anyone born in the 1950s. Sigh. Probably if he had stayed he wouldn't have liked it anyway, because he already *knew* he wasn't going to.
If we could learn to listen to unfamiliar music with the idea that we'll probably like it, we may be disappointed sometimes, but we may also find new pieces to enjoy.
Grayce
The is an excerpt from a review of a recent performance of the John Adams opera "Nixon in China" by Andrew Patner. Of course he is referring to the opera but I think that it could be superimposed on much of Adams's music including the violin concerto performed a few weeks ago.
"It is a part of Adams's unique artistic character that he is able to combine a structural and even populist savvy with a genuine technical facility and originality to create works that, as they say, have legs and take on long and busy lives of their own in the concert hall as well as in the opera house. And his particular take on the deceptively simple (emphasis here on deceptively) rhythmic and harmonic loops of the minimalist system finds a certain depth and psychological as well as aesthetic resonance that moves it out of its initial period of composition and première and comes as close as any recent music has to achieving timelessness."
Youre right Rob. I realize modern/contemporary music isnt as popular here in Phoenix as I might wish. I dont even listen to the local radio station -- I usually listen to Tucson's KUAT because they play more contemporary music.
We did attend the past Scottsdale Center for the Arts Phoenix Symphony concerts of modern/contemporary music. Youre right - the concerts were great but not very well attended. And SCA used to book KRONOS concerts too, but I was told that the audience for that was always the same-small-number of people. I think the Phoenix Symphony does play contemporary music quite well - maybe the artists enjoy learning something new.
Here is an article and links to a very interesting discussion on new music and its place in an orchestra's artisic life.
artsjournal.com/adaptistration/archives/2006/06/a_landmark_disc_1.html
Post a Comment
<< Home