mazzrick

Ed and all,

I've been traveling the last week or so to a few European cities that might be considered musical centers of the world. One even calls itself the music capital of the world. My trip has taken me from Berlin to Prague to Vienna to Paris where I am right now. I have seen a good few concerts so far.

Berlin : Berliner Philharmoniker - 15 euros front row seat
Birwhistle : The Shadow of Night
Strauss : Ein Heldenleben

- - Didn't go to this because it was a Gala concert and tickets were from 100 euros and had been sold out for months- -
Prague : Prague Royal Orchestra (comprised of players from the all the big Czech orchestras and operas)
Smetana : Ma Vlast
Dvorak : Symphony from the New World

Vienna :Wiener Statsoper - 9 euros 2nd level box seat
Puccini : La Boehme

Vienna : Wiener Symphoniker (in the Musik Verein) - 5 euro standing room
Schubert : 8th Symphony in B minor (Unfinished)
Bruckner : 7th Symphony

Ok now to my point. All of these orchestras were playing music perfectly programed to their demographic. Strauss in Germany, all Czech composers in Czech Rep., all Viennese in Vienna. Also, all of this music must have been played for these audiences at least a few hundred times since it was premiered. However, the Birtwhistle piece will probably only be played that one program by the Berlin Phil. and then put away for a long time. Maybe they'll play in again in five years or so.

I think that a major reason these audiences so love these pieces is that they are familiar with them. They can sing a bit when they go in and they leave with the music stuck in their heads for the week. Something I've noticed with orchestras who try and put a modern work of each program is that they seem to play a different piece each time and they play it once and then put it away. I think that if the Berlin Phil took Birtwhistle's "The Shadow of Night" and played it each season for a few years, people would become familiar with it and would then flock to the concerts because of that.

After a while you would see each of Berlin's 8 or 9 orchestras playing Birtwhistle in the same season instead of having 7 Beethoven 5's and 6 Beethoven 3's this year and 4 nights in a row or Turangalila Symphony played by 3 different orchestras (not that that's a bad thing).

I think, especially with more academic or complex music, that audiences need more than one listening for the music to really start catching on. Thoughts? Also where else can you get opera tickets for 2.50??!!

Matt

Pete Anderson

I'm jealous, and I agree

ecarroll

Matt,

Fun trip you're having. Please give us a report from Paris. . .

I've always favored "Festival" style programming. More about this when I have time, perhaps over the weekend -- I'm swamped at the moment with a concert tonight at Calarts: Takemitsu (Paths and Garden Rain), Berio (Sequenza V) , Tenney (Harmonium #1), and Ruggles (Angels) for those interested. . . and it costs 0.00 Euros.

Best,
EC

rowuk

Matt,
you are exactly right, although many of those pieces did not "challenge" the audiences accepted tonal expectations, even when premiered.

More modern music does deviate from those expectations, sometimes quite substantially and would have a harder time reaching GENERAL acceptance even if performed quite often.

Will you be in Frankfurt for the Musikmesse next week?

ecarroll

Matt,

To expand. . . I'm very taken by the LAPhil's concept of miniature festivals that happen within the context of their broader, more diverse, season.

Here's an example from the LAPhil website:

"Under the guidance of Festival Director David Robertson, Concrete Frequency is a multi-disciplinary series of events designed to examine and celebrate the elements that define a city, and how they are affected by, and reflected in, music. Anchored by three stimulating orchestral programs, this unique exploration will be enhanced by a film festival, a view of urban and pop culture through dance and music, and thought-provoking symposia."

Packaging like this creates a buzz and helps the music to stand out from the many listening options available in a big city. It reminds me, in a sense, of the seasons for opera, ballet, and concerts before such disciplines became available to audiences year-round. If you don't go out of your way to attend, you'll miss it.

Thoughts, anyone?

Best,
EC

rowuk

Ed,
selling the concept like that means that they will draw in much more than just the normal concert-going folk. I have often notices that even in "local" church concerts, you have a different audience for Gospel, sacred Jazz, Christian Rock and Classical and wondered what it would take to get everybody together. The LA Phil seems to be breaking ground. Too bad I live so far away........ (although there is a lot going on in Frankfurt too - just not packaged together like this)

mazzrick

Ed,

When you mentioned festival programming, I was expecting something else. I was thinking Mozart festival, Tchaikovsky festival, American composers festival... that sort of thing. But clearly the LA Phil has had success with their seasons. What I see as a problem with these big-deal-events like these mixed media concerts is that if orchestras still wish to fill a full season of music, they can't be expending energy and resources like those concerts require, for every week for a full season. Obviously, shorter festivals like Ravinian, Salzburg, Lucerne, even Tanglewood (though they only have one large group) manage to pack this intensity in for a short time; but for orchestral seasons it's a bit harder.

My thought was less about the presentation (adding multi / visual media) but about the actual programming of the pieces themselves. I don't want to think that audiences need videos in order to like a piece of music. If Beethoven can stand alone, then newer works should be able to as well, or else it resembles an admission that these are substandard pieces of music. Sometimes it can be an art form of its own to add an additional sensory delivery to music and I love these types of things when they're done well but it shouldn't be a necessity.

I know that I will fall asleep from time to time in concerts of music that I don't know (shameful I know) but will be ever intent through music that I know because there is the knowledge of what lies ahead and a familiarity with what I'm hearing. I can't remember the last time I heard a 20th or 21st century piece twice other than the ones that I've played and I think that is a problem.

Matt

MJ

Sounds like LA is thinking outside of the box and it's working!

mahaberio

Matt,

I think you're absolutely right. I also like Berlin's idea of coupling something new with something as familiar as Heldenleben. Perhaps this can (and should) apply to trumpet recitals?

-Matthew

ecarroll

Matt,

It's all in the packaging. I'm all for attending events in a "Romantic Music Festival" or "Choral Music Festival" within a season, but wild horses couldn't drag me (not that many are tempted) to a festival of a single composer.

This isn't about contemporary music verses other musics, naturally. It's about creating mini seasons-within-a-season and I believe that it's a recipe for (momentary?) success.

Matthew,

Don't we/you do that already? (thinking about a recent audition that I heard featuring Haydn along with Kagel, Antheil, and Higdon)

MJ,

Many places are re-inventing their programming, not just the LAPhil. They, however, have a perfect space for presenting anything they want in traditional or non-traditional ways (including a small open-air theater on the roof and REDCAT -- CalArts' black box theater that is also in the building) (Thank you, Mr. Gehry) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Concert_Hall

Best,
EC