Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Contrasts

Mr. Monotonous Forest to me, in February: If you had a week to hear any music you could, what would you want to hear?
Ms. Iron Tongue, after some dithering: Music I've never heard before, whether old, new, chamber, orchestral, operatic, or early.

My mother to me, earlier this week, somewhat indignantly: I heard a concert today by the daughter of some people I know. I didn't know any of the music on the program and I don't think I had even heard of any of the composers! (after inspecting the program, she owns that she'd heard of Pergolesi and Handel.) I think performers should take into account what their audiences are familiar with and want to hear.

What I didn't say: So you're only happy if you hear some music you know, by composers you know, in styles you're comfortable with?

What I thought: Sometimes I wonder where I came from, but I'm obviously her daughter.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What are we imagining here, some kind of music festival that you get to program?

I'd want a mixture: part established masterworks that the performers can bring new insights to; part favorites of mine that don't get played enough; and part surprise me: bring me great music, new but also older, that I don't know.

Lisa Hirsch said...

No, not an imaginary festival. A new music festival - I don't know most of what will be at Ojai, for example. The Wexford Opera Festival does unusual and rarely heard works only. The Bard Music Festival always has a high percentage of music unfamiliar to me.

Anonymous said...

No, I mean, what's the premise of the question you're being asked? A music festival, as opposed to a week spent listening to records, or what?

Lisa Hirsch said...

Any live music at all, definitely not recordings. Not a music festival specifically.