The cost of high culture in music has long troubled audiences. High ticket prices can discourage a much-needed spirit of adventure in concert programming by inducing managers to restrict performers to familiar, crowd-pleasing work. Music lovers sometimes feel themselves doomed to hear the same Beethoven cycles by the same arthritic pianists and string quartets, or the same Dvořák concerto by a cellist who played it better a quarter-century ago.
Happily, there is a splendid alternative awaiting anyone with a bit of time and an appetite for the unexpected: the free recitals and performances offered by students at conservatories like Juilliard, Mannes, and the Manhattan School of Music, as well as the CUNY Graduate Center. Many of these performers are top-level talents who, because of the vagaries of the classical music business, may disappear into a regional or foreign orchestra and rarely be heard again in solo recitals here; very few will have major recording careers. Failing to hear them now, at the peak of their training and youthful ambition, means possibly never hearing them again. So here are a choice few of these upcoming events, all free:
• On May 17 at Juilliard’s Morse Hall a concert will be given by the Manitoba-born cellist Victoria Bass, who specializes in music by modern masters such as György Ligeti and Witold Lutosławski, but also performs her own arrangements of Handel and Bach. She is a member of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, whose website announces that as a girl in Manitoba, Bass would “go out into the fields and tip over sleeping cows.” (Thanks to Juilliard, Bass’s concert is as free as her spirit.)
• Juilliard also offers two programs, one from its pre-college orchestra and one from its pre-college symphony, played by high-school students and a smattering of gifted pre-teens. Among the Juilliard pre-college division’s wonders is the pianist and composer Conrad Tao, born in 1994, whose works and pianism, available on CD on his own website, are expressive and preternaturally accomplished.
• Juilliard is not the only place to experience music at a high level for free. The New School’s Mannes School of Music is presenting on May 19 a concert by the Mannes Philharmonic and Senior Chorus of music by Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.
• The Manhattan School of Music is especially generous to its audience, presenting from May 17 to 19 free performances of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into The Woods by the school’s musical theatre ensemble, while on May 31, the CUNY Graduate Center will offer the soprano Brooke Bryant—a student of early music—in recital of the music of Baroque women composers.
If you like what you hear at these and other free concerts, and have the means, why not make a voluntary contribution to the particular school’s scholarship fund? That would be the best way to give thanks for these student performers and their generosity, which has become all-too-unexpected in the heavily commercialized climate of classical music.
“His record is practically devoid of any clues as to whether he’ll be adept or inept at this key component of leadership.”
And that, in of itself, speaks volumes. Are we to believe that he has risen to this lofty perch without encountering difficult political choices? Certainly not. We know what his answer to those types of conundrums is – “present”.
Barack Obama–judgment honed by inexperience.
I somehow don’t see Obama making the tough decisions. For starters, he’s got minimal experience. This was a concern for many of us during the campaign and such inexperience as President suggests to me that he will shy away from making against the grain and bold decisions after January 20.
Also, as far as we can determine, Obama has been more interested in making nice than he has been in making a risky decision that might make “un-nice.”
Most importantly perhaps – do we really want Obama to be making “Reykavik” and “Surge” like impactful decisions? I think I prefer that he avoids such decisions. I have no faith that he would make any bold decision to the liking of the majority of us Commentary readers. I fear that any such bold move by Obama might be anathema to what I would consider a net benefit for this country. Something along the lines of inviting Mahmoud A to the White House so we can finally hash out our “misunderstandings.”
We can certainly hope for Harry Truman. As a bet; I would have to put my money on Jimmy Carter. President Bush’s legacy includes near constant ridicule from the “learned” opposition of his use and misuse of the English language. But most; agree or disagree, knew what of he was speaking. His predecessor and successor are both exquisitely talented speakers; who excel at saying nothing, beautifully. While that may provide welcome relief to the NY Times and Wa Po; our allies and antagonists may end up scratching their collective heads while they calculate what pollicy ramifications are being described. Like the rest of us in this country, I’ll have to be satisfied with the Obama administrations actions. Their words likely won’t match, but then words are to be discounted, as they were in the Clinton 90′s. As the book says; “this too shall pass”.
For the record: Harry Truman had much more executive experience than Obama. He was the presiding judge (an executive position) of Jackson county (where KC is located) and under his watch today’s road system and county buildings were largely built. He was no ‘community organizer’.
Obama will not make difficult decisions, he’ll punt. And that will be hailed as statemanlike composure and careful judgment by the media.
Barack obama did not run a campaign, expert or otherwise. His campaign managers ran it, and they ran it poorly. He was the product America wanted, and that’s the only reason he won the election. That and the voter apathy that produced a lower tutnout than in the 2004 election. The Anointed One has never accomplished anything other than career advancement, and he did so without earning it.
Yeah, it’s a mystery how he’ll govern.