see change?

today my wife deb and i volunteered to hang flyers telling voters where their polling place is. our area was the neighboring community of south pasadena (pasadena lite?) that generally is a staunch republican stronghold. we were pretty surprised to see only a single sign supporting bush, and most streets were blanketed with kerry signs. for a place that tickets you if you put have a for sale sign in the yard, a sign of things to come?

steve reich-you are (variations)-la master chorale performance

disclaimer

1. this should be obvious, i am not a professional music critic. my opinions are just that. think of this as a technical review.
2. you should also know that i had vocal and instrumental friends that performed tonight.
3. i was at the dress rehearsal and sat in the front of the hall. in the performance i sat in the upper balcony. this is the third master chorale concert i have attended.

observations

1. i was down front for the dress rehearsal and i really had trouble hearing the vocalists clearly. the amplification doesn’t seem be effective until you get to the middle of the hall. in the performance i could hear them very well. although the treble sound quality of the sound system sounds like my car with no woofer.

2. the violins sounded strange. either they were having intonation problems or the pickups that were using cuts out their natural sound. i know they also use them at the hollywood bowl, but i like the sound of the condensers better. i also had nothing to compare it too because only the violins only played on the reich. also there were no monitors on the stage, with all the amplification in the hall, hearing through the ensemble could have been a bit of a problem.

3. with all the sound reinforcement used (everything was miked), the woodwinds really had the hardest time cutting through the ensemble.

4. i think my main problem is with the hall and not the performance. compared to the rest of the program, the reich had the least dynamic contrast and visceral effect. i wouldn’t say this had to do with the performance or the composition. it has more to do with the hall. this was my 3rd concert at disney, and i think the hall is better suited for full orchestra. its strength is the ability to articulate the large dynamic contrasts that an orchestra or chorus can deliver. you can really hear the intimacy of a polyphonic motet or the colors of stravinsky’s orchestration. at disney when you amply the ensemble it clouds the clear waters.

5. i really like the orchestration choices. instead of writing for full orchestra, reich continues to stay with an ensemble to fit his aesthetic; woodwinds, strings, percussion and vocals. the work is also compelling meditation on his texts; no angels or fireworks like adams, but a road trip to inner peace. i would like to see more ensembles like this in the concert hall, but i think the main problem is adapting the rock and roll sound for an acoustic venue.

other thoughts

1. i really like going to master chorale concerts. from the programming to the personable introductions from grant gershon, the concerts make me feel like paying $50-$100 to see a concert. i can't always say that for the la opera or la phil.

2. disney hall is a great place to see a concert. sure the seating is a little crammed in, but aurally it is amazing and unique. because of its barn-like shape (now i know i will be hunted and killed) the sound goes straight up instead of forward. the effect is like looking at the ground from an airplane. you can really hear things you never could before. from this viewpoint comes the main paradox/sacrifice, we can experience the transparency of the orchestration, but the musicians don't always have that comfortable warm-chair feeling when performing. there will be some performances that are now a must see, but others will probably never work there.

3. overall i think it was a good first performance. the crowd really seemed to like it. i think it would have a more successful performance in different hall. i would be interested to compare this concert to another hall that pushes the sound forward. (royce?)

steve reich-you are (variations) dress rehearsal

just got back from the la master chorale dress rehearsal of the new steve reich piece you are (variations). It is a great new work in the style of desert music and eight lines. I probably will review the sunday performance, but my initial impressions are strong. here are some of the highlights.

the ensemble is more steve reich than orchestra. (might be off a little, i could not see exactly all the instruments)
the ensemble is amplified strings, keyboards, woodwinds and vocals

6 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, 1 bass
4 pianos, 2 xylophone, 2 marimba
2 flutes, oboe, english horn, 3 clarinets
16 vocalists, SAT (no bass)
everybody is miked and mixed through house pa

program notes

the piece has a break near the middle. i will have to read the program notes to see how the text is divided. overall it seems to be composed the same techniques as desert music and eight lines.

i think the piece is constructed like this:

a group of 12-15 chords that are introduced
contrapuntal lines are added
vocalists enter
tonal structure is repeated and varied
new section

this could sound like a very simple description, but the combination of the counterpoint and text creates the magic.
one thing i have learned from studying his pieces, a major reason they succeed (imho) is that the structure is clear and simple, and the craftsmanship is superb.

aside from the music. being at the dress rehearsal was very exciting. i'm not sure if they all are like this, but the large audience, a crowd of 75-100 looked mostly under 30. there was also a large group of those "in the know" i didn't recognize all of them, but did see cluster hanging out with peter sellars.

i felt really fortunate to see it. thanks to 'my divas' nicole, nike and sueb for getting me into the dress!

added-concert review

long beach

after a few days to ponder, i can say that i have mixed feelings about last weekends performance in long beach.

the great thing was that it was a big audience, especially for a new music concert (classical/alternative?). we are starting to draw beyond our 'friends and family', which is the typical for most independent chamber ensembles/new music groups in los angeles.
we all do our thing, but most groups pull 15-50 people a night, with at least half the audience being 'friends and family'. this concert was a big step for us. we also got an assist from ellen griley of the OC Weekly. she put a great plug for us in their classical section. thanks ellen!!

in the actual concert we did play pretty well, but didn't find our footing until the second half. retrace was much tighter and act III went especially well. nicole gave it a B+, i think it was probably a B-.

i really wanted to play the whole concert at a higher level.

i am addicted to that feeling you get when the ensemble is tight.

we all know it

nothing needs to be said

time stops

all of the problems disappear

the audience is transported

those little moments make life worth living

wash, rinse, repeat

although there is so much work surrounding concerts can be overwhelming(rehearsals, press releases, setups, sound checks....) i find myself reflecting on what is all of this about.
last week leading up to our concert in long beach it hit me.

it's all very simple.

1. write good music
2. play great
   
3. put people in the seats

wash, rinse, repeat

october surprise-pbe rehearsal, monday 10/11/04

last monday night rehearsal @arroyo arts collective gallery

check out the october surprise

links to more pictures

upcoming concerts-jouyssance early music ensemble and jacaranda music series

must see concerts

saturday, october 16th, fullerton 8pm
sunday, october 24th, santa monica 3pm
jouyssance early music ensemble, music of dunstable, power, josquin, palestrina, and monteverdi
the music director/vocalist Nicole Baker is my great friend and is the featured soloist in my new vocal spectacle retrace our steps

saturday, october 24th, santa monica 8pm
jacaranda concert series, living room music, music of john cage, lou harrison, and terry riley.

Peering Into Classical Music’s Future

Drew McManus talks about a possible future of classical music and the orchestra. he seems to be the only critic who has connected the dots of audience size, attendance and expenses. he also points out that besides these big problems, the orchestra has stopped having any cultural signifigance.

"But there are a few facts which can’t be ignored. The current decline in active participation has directly influenced how much classical music’s impact has on the overall American cultural consciousness. So even with the increase in revenue from sources such as federal and private philanthropic funds you still have to have a certain level of the population interested in what you do in order to justify your existence."

given the state of art music these days i figure that those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, but... as you can see in my blog, it is easy to find many symptoms of the poor health of classical music and the orchestra. the discussion that comes up when i talk about this with my orchestra friends is a general agreement of the problems facing the orchestra and the following questions; if the audience is not sticking around for 'classical music' these days, what is next?

pbe upcoming show, long beach-sunday oct 17th, 3:30 pm

we will be playing in long beach next sunday at 3:30pm.

we will be playing my new vocal/instrumental spectacle: retrace our steps, and music from summerland as well as michael bayer's law and order.
the concert is sponsered by the first congregational church's new music series.

off to rehearsal.. hope to see you there