The problem is that paper doesn’t make a sound. Nor does “It looked good on paper,” because paper doesn’t look.
We are all in favor of people who are doing their best in addressing classical music’s important issues, like bringing new (and younger) audiences to the concert hall.
Personally, I admire and seek out artists who are thoughtfully and responsibly changing the classical music concert going experience. There’s a lengthy list of artists and ensembles doing just that.
Yanick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Time for Three, Kronos Quartet, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Tallã Rouge, the Imani Winds, Brooklyn Rider, Attacca Quartet, harpist Abigail Kent, Akropolis Reed Quintet.
There’s a trap that all of us can fall into when we want to advance our music in new and innovative ways.
"It sounded good on paper.” "It looked good on paper.”
On paper, it looked good to accompany a performance with visuals and video showing above the performer(s).
On paper, it sounded like a clever idea to put two microphones on the piano. And then, through a technically brilliant software program, whenever the pianist played notes and phrases, the program generated colorful shapes, figures, and lines on the screen above the pianist.
The problem:
*The able pianist on this performance has consistently brought great thoughtfulness, expression, and virtuosity to everything they play. This able pianist doesn’t need any outside help.
*The pianist was playing Ravel.
*Ravel doesn’t need any extra help either when it’s in the hands of a pianist who consistently brings great thoughtfulness, expression, and virtuosity to everything they play.
The accompanying videos were a distraction that took away from what was happening on the keyboard.
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There are two examples where Aaron Copland is conducting “Appalachian Spring” and his Clarinet Concerto. “Appalachian Spring’s” opening is plaintive, sublime, and highly expressive…on its own.
After stopping the orchestra at the recording session, Copland says calmly (paraphrasing) “It’s already there; you don’t have to force it.”
He gave the same direction to the clarinet soloist performing his clarinet concerto, both in the concerto’s slow and sublime opening. And then later in a section that poses the question, is this classical or is this jazz(?), Copland tells the clarinetist that it’s neither Jazz nor Classical.
“Just play the notes as written on the page; it’s already in there.
***** *****
Are you old enough to remember the commercial for Prego Spaghetti Sauce? The father scolds his son, and disrespects his daughter-in-law, for using pasta sauce from a jar.
Dad: “The ingredients of a successful marriage…a good sauce is like a marriage: Garlic…
Son: It’s in there
Dad: Little bits of herbs and onions…
Son: It’s in there.
The Dad takes a taste.
Dad: IT’S IN THERE
Some things don’t require an extra push or “outside help.”
Often, committed, thoughtful, expressive, and gripping performances are simply more than enough.
