This evening I went to hear Christian Zacharias play at the Folly Theater.
His program was:
Schumann - Kinderszenen, Op. 15
Beethoven - Sonata in Eb Major, Op. 7
*Intermission*
Schubert - Sonata in A Major, D959
He is a very fine pianist and demonstrated wonderful control over his interpretation. For my taste, the Schumann had a bit too much rubato, I felt like I was being jerked around at times, but the Schubert was simply remarkable.
But you see, even though this was good concert, I found myself bored at times, especially during the first half. Maybe I just got haven't gotten enough sleep lately, or maybe I'm tired of going to piano recitals and hearing nothing but Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, et. al. (That is probably, to an extent, the fault of the Friends of Chamber Music).
But if I want to hear new music, I have to go to a concert such as though done by newEar. These are wonderful concerts, but at the same time I often feel like I'm not hip enough to be there. I'm exaggerating a bit, of course, but sometimes I wonder if a mock turtleneck isn't actually listed somewhere in the dress code. Does the fact that someone likes atonal music mean they are more enlightened then those who like Mozart? Do you have to be pretentious to appreciate some of this stuff?
I guess what I'm saying is that I wish things were a bit more relaxed at times. I want to hear something written after 1940 on a piano recital at the Folly (or, if I'm lucky, something written during my lifetime). I also want to go hear new music in a setting where I don't feel embarrassed to say, "Um, I don't get it," or worse, "I didn't like that."
Is that too much to ask?
His program was:Schumann - Kinderszenen, Op. 15
Beethoven - Sonata in Eb Major, Op. 7
*Intermission*
Schubert - Sonata in A Major, D959
He is a very fine pianist and demonstrated wonderful control over his interpretation. For my taste, the Schumann had a bit too much rubato, I felt like I was being jerked around at times, but the Schubert was simply remarkable.
But you see, even though this was good concert, I found myself bored at times, especially during the first half. Maybe I just got haven't gotten enough sleep lately, or maybe I'm tired of going to piano recitals and hearing nothing but Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, et. al. (That is probably, to an extent, the fault of the Friends of Chamber Music).
But if I want to hear new music, I have to go to a concert such as though done by newEar. These are wonderful concerts, but at the same time I often feel like I'm not hip enough to be there. I'm exaggerating a bit, of course, but sometimes I wonder if a mock turtleneck isn't actually listed somewhere in the dress code. Does the fact that someone likes atonal music mean they are more enlightened then those who like Mozart? Do you have to be pretentious to appreciate some of this stuff?
I guess what I'm saying is that I wish things were a bit more relaxed at times. I want to hear something written after 1940 on a piano recital at the Folly (or, if I'm lucky, something written during my lifetime). I also want to go hear new music in a setting where I don't feel embarrassed to say, "Um, I don't get it," or worse, "I didn't like that."
Is that too much to ask?
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