Across a Crowded Room (1/6/2024)

This is a New York Public Library–sponsored writing program for budding composers, lyricists, and librettists. The attendees get assigned, randomly, with each other and tasked with writing a 20-minute music theater piece (standalone, part of a larger work, or something that may bridge that gap). It’s a summer program, with the fruits of their labors presented in autumn. Alas, I missed the November 2023 presentation. But there were extras. The program leaders build in the fact that some pairs/trios will fall by the wayside. Guess what? That didn’t happen in 2023, so we were gifted with five new works in early 2024. And I’m glad.

The five works were (and I’m not making this up, you know) – that’s like saying, I vomited your dinner or the I still love you short; Polar Excess; Helen & Cassandra, Gifts of the Gods; CURSES!; and “The Bees”.

The good news is that after each presentation, a panel of two offered constructive criticism to the authors. Sometimes I agreed with the panelists, sometimes not. I tended to be a bit more critical while they tended to be more nurturing, which is only natural. These are budding writers—we don’t want to scare them away.

The first work was my least favorite, and that seemed to be the same with the panelists. Here are my notes: “The breakup of a relationship between two women. Fairly static, dramatically and musically.” The title was almost longer than the finished product.

The second (with the composer at the piano) was a political musical with much more fun music. The characters included two US Senators with opposing views of global warming/climate change. Oh, and they used to be married to each other. Here are my notes: “<Sound effects> Musical motifs included Up, Up, and Away (all five characters got a crack at the motif), and Running Away from a Polar Bear.” The composing included actual harmony while the minimal staging included a kick line. Did I mention fun?

The third was a two-hander (though the composer/pianist had minimal spoken/sung text). The opening number tried to cram too much text into too small phrases. Also (and I’ve noticed this before with composer/pianists) the piano was often too loud. I think they might like their music too much to the detriment of the overall performance. The vocal writing for Helen and Cassandra was a bit too uneven to my ear.

CURSES! had a few interesting twists and turns involving the two characters. The music was a nice mix of sad (which worked well), lovely (a song about seeds, of all things), and hope (which included a deftly done combination of harmony and unison lines).

“The Bees” was a lot of fun and also gave us lots of information about the hive mentality as well as human family relationships. It had simple but effective tunes, leading us to the conclusion that it was sweet and the honey didn’t dry up.

There were no clunkers. Here’s my minor quibble. I know that this is a writing program, but it’s also a performance program. Perhaps the folks in charge could stress to the performers that it’s very important to take a bow. That is their way of thanking us for our applause. OK, off my soap box now. I’ll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for future editions of Across a Crowded Room.

ConcertMeister

Midtown Concerts – Gotham Early Music Scene (1/4/2024)

Angelica Women’s Chamber Choir – A Battle of the Sexes: Italian Composers from 1300 to 1800

Well, that’s quite a mouth full. And Marie Caruso led twelve female vocalists (three of whom also played recorders, with one recordist also being a finger cymbalist, and one vocalist also playing the viola da gamba—I’m not making this up, you know!). The guest artist was Richard Kolb, playing the theorbo. 

Pop quiz. Raise your hand if you remember what a theorbo is. I know I’ve mentioned it two or three times in the past. Ask, if you need a reminder.

There were fifteen pieces on the program, so I’m not listing all fifteen, just as I’m not listing all twelve vocalists—we’d be here all day. Re. the Battle of the Sexes, there was no real battle. But there were female composers. Early music female composers. Let that sink in. Maddalena Casulana (ca.1540–ca.1590); Claudia Francesca Rusca (1593–1676)—but you’re not here for a history lesson, right? 

All of the music was sung beautifully. The theorbo added a bit of a continuo (accompaniment) feel, as did the recorders and viola da gamba, though they were more often used as intervals between the sung portions of some of the pieces. 

The printed program ran to eight pages because it included texts/translations for all fifteen pieces. I will also not include them all here, but I will include one. Fammi una canzonetta capriciosa. This was vocals with theorbo accompaniment. Here’s the translation: 

  Write me a capricious little song,
  such that no one, or only few,
  are able to sing it,
  and to a danceable tune.

  Don’t mind tuning or rules,
  for this is the best you can do.

  Do it as your fancy offers it,
  and embellish it by pretty runs. 

How cool is that? Capricious, indeed! 

Some of the pieces were calm, while some were more energetic. Some were strophic—verse, verse, verse. Some were for two voices, while some were for five. This is slightly misleading because a piece for five voices and a piece for two voices merely meant the number of vocal lines. All twelve vocalists sang all of the pieces, except for when they were playing recorder or viola da gamba. In a nod to early music gender fluidity, one piece (Magi videntes stellam, by Agostino Agarazzi (1580–1642)) was written for three tenor voices. Obviously, it was sung here by sopranos and altos. And it worked just fine. 

All in all, this was a wonderful reintroduction to this enjoyable series of concerts. I look forward to the rest of winter and to the spring, as well.

ConcertMeister

Wreath Inspirations 2023 (12/28/23)

This is an annual installation at the Arsenal (64th? and Fifth Avenue, just inside Central Park). Annual, but with new wreaths every year. I have visited in years past, then I heard about on NY1 this year, and decided it was worth another go. I’m so glad I went. 

Here’s the gist. Artists (public, private, park employees) create wreaths with a combination of chosen materials and found materials. There were thirty wreaths on display this time. Most were round—some were, er, oblong. Materials varied wildly. 

I wrote down a few titles (one of which I’ve already posted on FB). I hope to try to link photos to my blogpost, as well. 

My favorite title was: The Wurst Wreath Ever Made: You Never Sausage a Terrible Wreath. (I’m not making this up, you know!) Others were Tacky Ouroboros, Dealer’s Choice, and Insomnia: Dream. 

Tacky Ouroboros was made almost entirely of tacks, and was a snake eating its own tail. A clever wreath. Dealer’s Choice had lots and lots and lots of playing cards, in order, creating a wreath. Alas, my tablet photo skills could not do it justice. Insomnia: Dream had a main character wearing glasses surrounded by a lot (and I mean a lot!) of googly eyes. It was very effective. Actually, they all were—the four I mentioned and the other 26, too. 

Some were for sale, though most were not. The price range was $100–$6,000. What price, art? 

Will I go in 2024? Yes! Hopefully earlier. The exhibition closed today, 1/4/24.

ConcertMeister

(Alas, it looks like photos are a no-go here.)