composer's notebook
essays & criticism on musical matters
commentary
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
New? Sort of.
Better Half attended a dress for the Met's new production of Handel's Rodelinda yesterday, and reported in on a gorgeous production and great performances, but all in service of an endless opera, interminable in its baroqueness and saddled with a turkey of a libretto. When someone has figured out why opera companies insist on spending lavishly on new productions of unknown (at least to all but the wonkiest of devotees) baroque operas that they know are terrible, call me with your sage counsel 'cause I'm at a loss. Every couple of years one of the Bigs parades out a production like this as new and interesting because they know no one's ever heard of it (and there's usually a really good reason for that), when they could do something actually new and have at least a 50/50 shot of it being good. They're obviously so fearful of new opera that this to them is a safer bet, but the fear is completely misplaced ... I mean, have you ever sat through a 4 hour baroque opera?
Friday, November 26, 2004
Bite that reed
I've finally posted a review of last Friday's PRISM Saxophone Quartet concert at Symphony Space, in the criticism pages. Enjoy it with leftover turkey and a plastic cup of water, so your reed doesn't dry out...
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Carter 1, Beethoven 0
From today's NYTimes Arts & Leisure:
When questioned after a recent James Levine-BSO concert in Boston, where he conducted Beethoven Eroica, and Elliott Carter's Symphonia: Sum Fluxae Pretium Spei, Milt Karamechedis, 70, said
"I think Levine has to be very careful about how much contemporary work he gets into the program. Ozawa brought a great deal of contemporary work when he came, and he lost a lot of subscribers to the symphony permanently."While Amy Toner, 19, responded with
"I was very pleased at the hiring of James Levine. We used to come with my band in high school, and he was just amazing. I love Elliott Carter's music. I actually love him more than Beethoven."Now, which person's opinion should carry more weight? The dude who's going to be dead in 6 years, or the person who will be buying tickets for the next 60? I give the point to Carter.
Friday, November 19, 2004
The Modern
Re-opens on Saturday. I'm not sure I'll be there on Saturday itself ... that is, I can't imagine that people won't be camped out the day before in order to get in the door on opening day, so I'm guessing I can probably wait a couple of days. The pre-game reviews so far: the NYTimes has been publishing something like 3 glowing articles a day about it—they just are drooling. And there's a terrific piece by John Updike in this week's New Yorker, which lovingly describes every inch of the not-quite-finished MoMA (in Updike's brilliant purple prose, of course...scr*w you Updike! It's an architecture review -- you don't need to bring your A-game to everything. Write something bad for once -- now that would be something...). And the few pictures I've seen so far of the (empty, unfinished) galleries, are sort of spectacular. So by all accounts we're in for a treat...
Welcome
Words on Music. Schumann, Berlioz, Rorem ... Newman? Well, you've got to start somewhere. The site testing is (hopefully) complete, and so I am pleased to unveil this new website feature. Right now I've got a few essays up (more coming as soon as they are edited) and one review of a recent NY opera production. Look to this front page for frequent commentary on the contemporary arts scene. Enjoy!
Friday, November 12, 2004
Anticipation
As Carly Simon said, is makin' me wait. Looking forward to consistent, if not daily postings, and a regular diet of reviews and articles. Until then, the site testing continues...