Feb. 19th Concert

I love walking out of a concert burning to talk about what I’ve just heard. For one thing, it means that the music successfully flushed everything else out of my head, and with the stresses of life, who doesn’t need that to happen every once in a while? Additionally, it means that the music fulfilled one of the many purposes of art by begging us to contemplate it in some way. Walking out of last Thursday’s (Feb. 19th) concert at the Strathmore, I had a lot to talk about.

Starting off a concert with a Charles Ives piece is an edgy move that is sure to catch the attention of your audience. The Unanswered Question, the first piece on the program, is no exception. For those unfamiliar with the composer, he was… to put it lightly… ahead of his time. There are stories of Charles Ives, as a young boy, sitting on a street corner at an open-air fair, between two brass bands, and listening to them perform at the same time, their melodies crashing in dissonance inside his head. When this is your childhood memory of music, you are going to write some interesting things. Although it sounds nothing like a brass band, The Unanswered Question does take full advantage of dissonance and lives up to the pensive quality of its title. The piece never gets too loud, although it does layer sounds in a way that forces the listener to ask “where is this going?” As you would expect, this question is not answered by the time the piece fades away. Conductor Marin Alsop’s use of her musicians worked very well for the piece. She only had the flute section on stage, with the strings backstage and trumpets positioned at the side and back doors of the hall. This, obviously, created an unsettling effect. Hearing violins in front of you, you squinted at the stage wondering why you couldn’t see them, only to be shocked to trumpet blasts from the left or right. The concert was off to a great start.

Although more traditional, the concert’s highlight, Saint-Saëns’ 3rd Symphony (AKA The Organ Symphony) was equally notable. This beautiful, sweeping work is really a fine example of a romantic symphony, especially when it is masterfully performed. I have always loved Saint-Saëns for his ability to create something that is just enough outside the ordinary to really intrigue you. And such a diversity of style he had! Among his most famous works, Carnival of Animals is all over the board, from tender to bombastic, Danse Macabre (depicted at left) is the quintessential Halloween piece, and Danse Bacchanale (if you don't think the classics can be edgy, watch that clip) from Samson et Dalila has to be one of the most fun and energetic pieces out there (if you’re into low brass or timpani, you would especially agree with me). The 3rd Symphony, with the incorporation of the massive organ, also does not disappoint. What I love about this piece is the truly restrained use of the organ. It is not a concerto for the instrument, but rather an example of the instrument’s ability to contribute to the texture of the traditional symphony. When the organ first enters, several minutes into the piece, you actually feel it before you hear it, it’s coming in so low and soft. In contrast the stops are (proverbially and literally) pulled out at the beginning of the final movement when it comes through in all its glory.

To think, all this and some Mozart, too. Three centuries of music in three pieces -quite a lot to reflect on, if you think about it.

Towards a new American culture

With the inauguration and the opening of a new Congress, it seems like there has been a lot of political rhetoric in our lives recently, even by the standards of Washington, D.C. Don’t ask me to remember what speech it was from, but one of the things our new President recently said that struck a chord with me was that Americans need to change their culture (or something along those lines). In the context of the speech, President Obama was referring to the culture of greed and materialism on Wall Street and the financial markets which got our economy into the hole it is in, but his comments also made me reflect on the broader concept of culture in America.
What is American culture? It’s a hard question, and I wouldn’t be wise to try to answer it through this medium, but it’s definitely something to think about when you want to give your brain an exercise. Because of our diversity, I think it’s safe to say that American culture is multifaceted and influenced by a massive number of sources. On the other hand, America has been accused of not having its own culture, and of being too young of a people to have truly developed a cultural identity.

Again, this is an argument that entire books have been written on and it would be an injustice to attempt to condense further discussion on our nation’s cultural identity into this short discussion. However, I do feel safe saying that whatever American culture is, we could benefit from more of it. More trips to the symphony or a play, more dances, more books. When I hear the President saying we need to change our culture, I agree whole heartedly – we need to change our culture by become more in touch with it. In my opinion, the arts are selfless and are the antithesis of the greed and corruption which have caused such problems.

Even when the world seems to be too chaotic to deal with, a well performed piece of music, or a well executed play has a way of cutting through the mess outside and making you feel at peace with yourself. Multiple research endeavors have shown that people who regularly interact with the arts lead happier, fuller lives. Increasingly, the arts are even being seen as having medicinal qualities, with stories of people overcoming illness at a more rapid rate when they actively engage in music appreciation, or pick up a paint brush. Therefore, I don’t think it is a huge jump of knowledge to think that a dose of culture can help an ailing nation.

It is unfortunate that in times of economic trouble, funding for the arts is one of the first things on the chopping block, although that is a subject for another day. There is, however, a silver lining as people see this time of challenge as an opportunity to reconnect (or connect for the first time) to an artistic outlet that brings them joy. I recently came across an article about the effects of the recession on philanthropic donations and was pleased to see a quote that reminded me of this. When asked why, in a time of recession, she gave $30 million to the Performing Arts Center of Miami-Dade County which bears her name, Adrienne Arsht commented “to me, the arts are as necessary to our existence as almost anything else.”