A couple of short composer interviews I conducted have surfaced on the internet in recent weeks (Doug Cuomo / ACO composers). In all cases, the point of these pieces was to provide a little amuse bouche for potential attendees. If I did my job, they serve as the warm oven of the concert hall. Want a taste of this? Well, walk this way.
Grabbing a quick drink after the BAM production of Cuomo’s Arjuna’s Dilemma, my concert companion said she really enjoyed the show, but pointed out that she wouldn’t have had any idea what was going on if she hadn’t read the composer interview before she arrived at the theater. It made me wonder how many other audience members had come in cold Friday night after a long work week and had to just hold on as tightly as they could to what was unfolding (partially in Sanskrit) before their eyes. Is it an unspoken rule that he who buys a ticket to any performance is responsible for his own research? He who arrives too late to the theater for program note reading is lost? Or are we failing patrons when we don’t provide some level of context within the parameters of the production. All I could think of later was what a difference, “In fair Kurukshetra, where we lay our scene…” might have made in this case. Or maybe not, but you see my point.
Later, I also had the chance to listen as my friend explained what we had seen that evening to another patron in the bar. It was striking only because her description was absent of any of the lingo I would have probably fallen into using. It made it a little less precise to an insider’s ear, perhaps–a “cool little show” rather than a “chamber opera in one act”–but more present. And it served as a reminder of how vital it is to talk about this kind of work with people outside its often insular world if we want to maintain a language that we all comprehend.
*Photo by Stephanie Berger@2008, pictured Tony Boutté as Arjuna.
Thank you! It is absolutely the same way in the Visual Art world. One big happy Artspeak ghetto.
I was thinking about the issue of “doing homework” before a concert in relation to movies. Before seeing a movie, you’ve got kind of an idea of what the movie’s about. Maybe we should start making trailers for concerts.
Molly says: True, but the trailer is just made from clips of the movie, not extra “program note”-y information (unless you count that awesome disembodied voice in your ear). Arguably, all the information you’re going to get from a movie is already inside. Does familiarity do the trick?
Well, the new music trailer would have to be a little different in that respect. It could include “program note”-y info along with clips of the piece. Who would be the best new music voiceover though? Hmmm…
Molly wonders: Yes, who is the Garrison Keillor of new music?
I continue to hit a wall whenever I promise online to provide some “notes” for a piece of music I am in the process of composing. It may be that I’m just not that talented as a writer or critic. But I have to say that my experiences in rehearsal with fellow musicians, the conversations we have regarding a piece, and the frustrations that inevitably bubble up in the process whether you’re creating a piece for one instrument or an elaborate piece for dancers, film, and music – all of that stuff is private. It’s sacred. I DON’T want to share that part of the process with a bunch of strangers. Brian, can you relate? Or no?
Trying to anticipate the intellectual and emotional needs of my audience strikes me as incredibly condescending. I understand what we’re discussing here and don’t necessarily disagree with your points. But you’re presenting your points as questions. So I have to ask (and I’ve asked it before) – why is it on us the artist to explain ourselves in advance and somehow try to assure the experiential “comfort” of our audiences?
Are we really in danger of “losing” people? Not making money? Confusing people who thought they had tickets to a Taylor Swift gig?
It may be that blog culture assumes that we should just let it all hang out. So anyone who might questions similar to mine may not even be reading this discussion…
Thoughts? I promise to be reactive…