End of an Era

I won't be there. I really fucked up on this one and I feel badly. I knew these last concerts with Esa-Pekka Salonen were coming and I let myself think it wasn't important to me.

It is. It was. It's all sold out now. He's conducting Stravinsky too. I am ashamed.

When I was a music student at University we were fortunate enough to receive free tickets to go hear the Los Angeles Philharmonic every weekend at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion . Walt Disney Concert Hall was not around yet. These were expensive orchestra seats too. I sat in the 4th row many, many years ago (1994 I think) stunned, nervous, excited, fortunate and eager to hear The Rite Of Spring. I had already spent countless hours studying this score for orchestration class. Never thought I'd be going to sit in the front rows witnessing Salonen conduct this massive wall of sound that during it's world premier started a riot.

Around that time we were also fortunate enough to be invited to the rehearsals for the World Premier recording of Lutoslawski's Symphony #4. We all crowded around a copy of Lutoslawski's handwritten score; at the time, I didn't really understand the weight of that moment. I just knew this composer was different and I had an immediate emotional connection with his music. I was about to become acquainted with the composer that for me would legitimize my connection to contemporary music and define what I wanted out of my own compositions. I was a bit tired of the serial approach used in such a way that it never seems to rise above that alone. The strict rules become painfully obvious with so many academics showing that they are not much more than...academics. Lutoslawski rose so far above this structure by using it in a personal way to create such deeply emotional and tragic soundscapes, it crushed everyone else for me. Well, with the exception of Stravinsky-but for me, they are not the same animal by any means.

I could go on and on about those weekends spent listening to the orchestra, and how much of an influence Salonen eventually was to have on my life as an aspiring concert composer. He introduced new music to L.A. in such a way that he almost lost his post back then because of lagging concert attendance. I think I blogged about it before somewhere-during intermission from a 1st half of a program with new music on it, the season ticket holders would leave. I witnessed this with my own eyes and laughed endlessly over it- "yeah look at these fucks...bunch of old richies all pissed off cause they ain't getting their Monteverdi or candy ass Mozart. Go home and stare at that expensive grand piano you got collecting dust in your living room some more...hell, y'all probably got a score of the Moonlight Sonata sitting on the thing and not one goddamn person in the house ever took a music lesson much less knows what a vulgar, angry man Beethoven was!" Not a knock against those composers-it's just unfortunate that many people, particularly the old, rich, pseudo cultured aristocrats and young people- think those guys are all there is to know about classical music (as most would call it).

This has to change. I'll continue to be an ass about it too because the future of concert music depends on it. Without an audience, none of it will matter. But just as well, without the Stravinsky's and Lutoslawski's of the world (just to name 2), and composer/conductors like Salonen who recognize and support new music-who drive an emotionally charged journey for the listener to experience into their compositions/performances; the future of new music will struggle.

For the man trying to impress the woman of his dreams, or to the teen sitting there because mom and dad insist, or the grandparents looking for an evening of emotional journey and reflection, or to the mischievous/opinionated music student suffocating for something new - where you studied, who you studied under, who you think you are and why you matter doesn't mean anything if your music and performance is without passion and a human connection.

Elitism and snobbery is killing the world of so called "art" music and it's future.
And for legitimate reason.