September 2010:
Don't Read a Street Dance by It's Headscarfs
(image: scene from Rachel Portman's opera, The Little Prince)
It’s September 10th, and I am already missing summer. So much so that, as a usually fanatical bike commuter, I drove downtown in rush hour traffic because I was too wimpy to brave the “cold”. And that’s coming from a Vancouverite, on a day that was not even raining! I was reminded how much I hate traffic. But the slow pace allowed for one of my favorite pastimes - to people-watch on busy streets. For several minutes, I was dead-stopped near the back alley of a major commercial strip. I began to notice several 20-something, Arabic-looking men, one by one, descend from different directions towards the rear entrance of what looked to be a seedy bar, many of them in traditional dress. I was ashamed to realize that I entertained even the slightest racially-profiling thoughts about the questionable nature of this gathering, quickly dismissed them, and then proceeded to my destination. Several hours later, I was intrigued by the sounds of celebratory music. So, I followed them until I came back to the same block where I had earlier seen the young men. Only now they were all filling the streets united in a joyful dance. How had I forgotten? September 10th ends the month of Ramadan. These guys were high on the ecstasy of finally filling their fasting bellies. Reality could not have been further from my warped preconceptions.
Such is often the case. And I believe that classical music often suffers from similar, commonly-held misconceptions. For one, most non-listeners think it’s “only for old people”. Though a modern symphony concert hosts its fair share of the blue-rinse crowd, many venues are succeeding in attracting a younger audience. For example, in our visually-oriented culture, more and more 20-40 somethings are attending the opera. Since its debut production of Mozart Marriage of Figaro, the Met’s Live in HD series has had great success garnering new Gen X fans. Hosted at movie theaters around the world, tickets are only $20 compared to the $80 + prices that people have to pay for a Lincoln Center seat. However, recent studies show that 92% of attendees say their experience at the movie theater will influence them to purchase a ticket for a live event. New York City Opera has also been increasing the life expectancy of their followers with their “Opera for All” series, launched in 2005, premiering the young British composer, Rachel Portman’s adaptation of The Little Prince. Similarly featuring affordable $12-30 tickets, but for live events, they prudently cast emerging artists which also helps them draw younger crowds.
And opera is not the only myth-busting classical music medium. Series like Vancouver’s Music on Main buck the image of the genre by serving beer & wine at their cabaret seating events, which feature world-class chamber music by the likes of the St. Lawrence String Quartet and Gabriel Kahane, who perform in jeans and street clothes. A new term has even been coined for artists like the latter. As a post-classical musician, Kahane, who avoids categorization, truly represents the classical music’s hipness. A New England Conservatory drop-out and son of the concert pianist, Jeffrey Kahane, Gabriel performs his own, self-proclaimed compositional blend of Alban Berg and Rufus Wainwright, most notably represented in his Craigslistlieder, a song series based on personal ads from this well-worn website (with a free download available on the included link). And conversely, the crooner from a famous family of singer/songwriters, Wainwright has recently written his own opera,Prima Donna, premiered last spring in Manchester, England, by Opera North. Though not itself a parody, this classical Spinal Tap weaves the tale of a retired diva considering a comeback. Once again, it all comes back to Christopher Guest (see Lady Gaga entry).
In conclusion, I believe that the time is ripe for classical music to make its own resounding comeback. The aforementioned examples prove that presenters of our art form can adapt to the general culture’s expectations and sensibilities without compromising artistic integrity. If we continue to cultivate resilience and sensitivity, there remains infinite potential for us to demonstrate classical music’s relevance to modern audiences.
