Author Archives: Stephen Ng

The One and Only Tosca

Tosca, the name is so simple but the opera behind it is so complex. The opera was situated in none other than Lincoln Center. It looked great outside too, but I underestimated how big it was inside. The opera hall was huge and grand, with rows of balconies lining away all to the top to the ceiling. The chandeliers were quite pretty, but the amazing part was that they moved. They retracted back into the ceiling when the opera started.

Giving a very brisk outline about the opera, I thought Tosca was something I had never seen before. Granted I never saw an opera before, but this was unlike any production I had ever seen. The orchestra meshed really well with the singing from the cast; it resonated and mirrored the setting around the characters or what the characters were actually singing. A great example of this is the motif that occurs with Angoletti; it was distinguishable, frantic, and a panicky tune that played whenever Angoletti appeared onstage or was even mentioned. The cast was great as well; they performed their lines flawlessly. Tosca, in particular, did a great job of portraying a jealous yet devoted diva to Cavaradossi.

In the end, I was stunned by the performance. There was nothing in my life that could measure up to this opera. It’s so much of a surreal experience when you are actually at the opera, as opposed to watching it via video. The applause was well deserved at the end; I clapped enthusiastically  throughout the cast’s as well as the conductor’s bows. I also clapped for the orchestra, who silently left the stage without bowing. It’s a shame, because they really did a great work with the music in Tosca. I walked away from the Lincoln Center into the cold and brisk night, but inside, I was bubbling with excitement of the drama that can only happen in Tosca.20131211_223916

Music Has Theory Behind it?

Music really has a whole lot of depth behind then what it seems. Most people listen to music without really considering how it was formed, or why certain notes are placed in a certain way. I was one of those people, and even worse for me, I played music without understanding it. But in high school, I took an AP Music Theory class, which really helped me see music in a totally different light.

I’ll try to explain how there is some logic behind all types of music, from movie music, electronic music, popular music, virtually all kinds of music.

As some may know, there are 7 notes that are primarily used in music: C,D,E,F,G,A,B. After B is a C, and the process repeats and repeats. When a composer creates a song, he or she usually sets it in a key, which is a group of notes that belong to that specific key. An example of this is the C Major Key, which consists of C,D,E,F,G,A,B, or the F Major Key, which consists of F,G,A,B flat (the note a half step below B), C,D,E.

The I (one) chord, known as the tonic,  is created by three notes that start with the first degree of the key, all with 3 half steps in between each note. So for the C major key, the I chord is C,E,G, and for the F major key, the I chord is F,A,C. The tonic chord is usually known as the chord of resolution and grounding.

The V (five chord), known as the dominant, is created by three notes that start with the fifth degree of the key, with each note having three half steps in between. So for C major key, the V chord is G,B,D, and for the F major key, the V chord is D,F,A. The dominant chord is usually know as the chord of tension and drama.

Most composers create music that revolve between the I and V chord, between the resolution and the tension. That’s how the basis of music is formed! I’d love to tell you more about different kind of chords and such, but I’d end up writing an essay or a book by that point.

Artist Interview: Bing Huan Chen

Hello, this is my interview with artist Bing Huan Chen. He moved here from China during the cultural revolution, and did a lot of contract work for governments and buildings in order to stay financially afloat. Eventually he settled down in NYC area and started to teach art students in his home studio! Unfortunately, I was unable to get any pictures of his art; he had it stashed away in some forgotten corner of the house. But nonetheless, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVb_MfEU-vA&feature=youtu.be

 

 

Complexions, The Ballet

I’m hardly the dance/ballet expert, so it was quite hard to follow the performance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, at the Joyce Theater. So all I could do was watch the ballet in an earnest fashion: marveling at the way the dancers moved and performed but not understanding why or how they dance.

It was entertaining to watch the dancers move with utter grace and fluidity. They would do stretches and poses that looked impossible to do if I tried to replicate there moves. It was passionate, and at times, extreme how they tried to portray the feelings through nothing but dance. There wasn’t a word that was uttered during the dance; you only could hear deep and time breaths, the slapping of their hands, and the pounding of their feet.

The first few dances to me were quite abstract. It was trying to portray some sort of feeling; I found it to be happiness. They were all dancing collectively, as if they were expressing happiness and good will as a human force. The music that they danced too was often quite positive and happy; it consisted of piano, strings, and often brass.

The dances after the first intermission conveyed a much different emotion to me. It was sadness and desperation as the dancers usually danced separately. The music was much more mellow and depressing, as usually a single violin or viola played music to which the dancers dramatically danced to. It made me feel sad and disappointed inside about how the dancers expressed their movements and the music that was being played.

The last set of dances after the final intermission was in stark contrast to the ones done before. It was jazzy, it was upbeat in that you wanted to follow a long, and it was something you’d just want to be part of. You could even see it on the dancer’s faces; they smiled and gave even a quiet chuckle as they danced to the groove. I personally preferred the first two set of dances, even if the third one was memorable and entertaining. There’s something more in-depth about the first two that draws me in.

Complexions was a great ballet to watch; it definitely gave me a new impression about ballet itself!

Towards the MoMA we go!

The Museum of Modern Art.
It’s quite funny how we keep mentioning and reference this museum, and I haven’t been there before! So it’s quite a journey and an experience to be at the MoMA.
Entering this modern building and dropping off my supposedly too large backpack, I turned and faced towards the entrance of the MoMA. I was greeted with this exhibition:
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It was strange. It was awkward. Yet if you didn’t focus on the exhibition, the objects and the floor didn’t seem that out of place. The “spacemen” almost created this feeling of being in space, as if you were in space and visiting the MoMA. It was strange stuff, but I’m sure this is what “modern arts” is all about.
I made my way to the second floor, where something like a movie was just about to begin. I sat down, and was greeted by a myriad of black and white pictures. It faintly reminded me of Rorschach test, these “inkblots” were open to interpretation. I sat there confused, not knowing what to expect.
And then I was greeted with the main character:
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He was nameless, but the story around him was fascinating. His roommate who lived him, in contrast, was well groomed and respectable. The main character was impulsive and disorganized. The main character is tortured by being unable to leave, placing all the blame on the roommate. Was it justified? The roommate pointed out that he was free to leave whenever, and that the main character was holding himself back. The main character lashes back that it was his roommate who twists his words. It was like watching a ping pong game, the ping pong bouncing back and forth. The roommate even tried to make a move on the main character when he was at the most hysteric. Who was right and who was wrong, I really don’t know. But the film did an excellent job displaying the conflicts we often have in our lives.
The film was made by Mark Kelly, titled “Extracurricular Activity Projective Reconstruction #1 [A Domestic Scene]).This was 1 out of 36 film projects he intended to create, all of them centered around the gaps created by suppressed memories.
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It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience trying to piece together the main character’s life, and I’d highly recommend checking that exhibition out when you’re (hopefully) back at the MoMA!

Trip to the Met

Admittedly, I have never really known about the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Before getting there, I even confused it with the Museum of Modern Art (which I now can’t imagine how I got to that conclusion). But upon entering the Met, I was blown away by the size and the grandeur of the museum. It was definitely a memorable and distinctive museum.

There was always one section of art that really had a large impression on me: Greek and Roman art. It’s hard to describe it when you first walk into a room with architecture from that time period. It’s grand, it’s bold, and it’s something so monumental it leaves you in awe.

Take this column featured prominently, for example:

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Upon learning from a classmate, the column was originally too tall to be placed into the room, so it had to be cut down in order for it to be displayed. T most interesting part to me was the way the column was presented. I’m used to seeing the long, sleek, and white columns usually found in Greek architecture, but the broken up column found here really was in stark contrast to what I’ve assumed all Greek columns to be. Digging into the column’s history, it was apparently made during in the Hellenistic period and made out of marble. It originally came out of the Temple of Artemis, a temple that honored the goddess of hunt. I certainly got the impression that it was and exquisite and grand column. Looking at the top and bottom closely, it looked like a meticulous work of art, rivaling to that found in paintings. It seemed really strange that so much work was put into a column, but seeing as it came from a temple dedicated to a goddess, I understand why it was important to really make sure each contribution to the temple was finely crafted.

As I walked through the towering pillars and wide open spaces, I decided to finally look at the various artifacts the museum presented.  I was pleasantly surprised that these artifacts are just as interesting as the architecture. One object that really caught my eye looked like an upside down chandelier:

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Apparently it was a vase made for offerings, called the Terracotta kernos. It was from the Cycladic culture, which is a culture that began in the early Bronze Age around the region of Greece. I was awestruck about how this vase’s purpose was to house offerings. It seemed like a rustic piece of furniture; I would have never imagined it to be a sacred artifact. The brown lines that streak across the vase seemed really well done in an era where technology was significantly absent.

These were only a few artifacts I decided to highlight, and even the fewer of artifacts that exist in the Met. It’s certainly an impressive museum; it houses so many exhibitions that if I were to go through them in one day, I’d probably have my mind blown.

 

All in all, this was a wonderful detour of a trip!

Another Fun Home Review

Hey look at this! Another fun home review. But that’s alright, since there is really so much to say about this play.

The Good

There is really a lot of great things to say about this play. It was punchy, it was peppy, it was all around exciting to watch. Just when you’d least expect it, all the kids in “Fun Home” would break out into a musical note that all left in awe and in tears. It wasn’t just the kids either, but teenage Alison held our attention just as aggressively. With her teenage awkwardness that most of us can relate to, she really gave something that we can all relate to. She wasn’t short in comedy either, especially in her musical bit where she sang about “studying Joan”. Despite all this, she really advances Allison’s character overall. Adult Allison brings a more serious tone overall, something that really makes us stop and think. It really captures the conflict in her life, and especially conflict with her dad. The small group of musicians also did a fine job in producing music so perfect for the setting.

The Not So Good (probably subjective)

While I did enjoy the play, there were aspects of the play I didn’t quite like. In my opinion, the book made Bruce really a strong character who did not falter at all. It made the transition from the righteous and strong Bruce to the Bruce who was charged for “giving a minor a beer”. In the play, it always felt like he was always nervous and never gave off any feel of resolution. It was always almost cringing to see Bruce nervously tell Roy to take off his shirt or for Bruce to nervously sing a song for Alison to sleep. Another aspect of the play I didn’t like was the role of Alison’s mom. She was made into a minor character, when in the book, her actions served as an irony to what the main story was progressing through. I understand the time restraint for the play, but it did pain me to see her mom brushed off to the side, when in the book, she struggled and reached as much as the other characters. Also the play took a really happy tone, something which I felt was a little too upbeat.

Conclusion

It’s definitely a play you should consider worth seeing. There are moments you absolutely won’t forget, and I’d gladly recommend this play to anyone.

Visit to Rox Gallery 10/1

“Rox Gallery”

As we made way to the Rox Gallery, showcasing the “Delusions” exhibit, it’s great to think that any artist, whether small or large, can find a gallery to showcase their work. Tom Smith, who was the artist and our personal tour guide, showcased both the main floor and the basement of the Rox Gallery.

 

By far, this was one of the more “modern” galleries I have ever stepped into. Did I expect art with curse words to be hung behind the main counter? Or a naked man and woman posing with something over their heads? Or a man lying stark naked in the middle of a Russian main street? Of course not, and it was startling to see such exhibitions to be so proudly displayed on white walls.

The basement was just as crazy and loopy as the main floor. Huge pictures of different colors of leaves, body parts entangled, and just general confusion as you look on each piece.

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For example, this picture of 4 limbs attacked to a central mass, if there even is a mass. What is the artist trying to display? As the Rox Gallery’s website describe, these photographs were intended to raise questions, to create metaphors through photographs or paintings. This creation of something that does not exist is a huge contrast to the realistic background. It’s the juxtaposition of something utterly bizarre onto something much more believable. I imagine this creation to be like a spider on a neglected house. Instead, the “spider” aspect is blown into human proportions that give us a very uncanny effect when we look upon it.

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Stepping further into the gallery, there you can see Tom Smith’s work. A discordant array of colors that seem to be digitally made rather than made by artist, as Smith reveals. It was colors contrasted by textures contrasted by arrangements. The room that was displayed by the picture above seemed like something out of a color and furniture dystopian world. It really hits me how color makes this much more vibrant and thought provoking. If there wasn’t any coloring, the wires wouldn’t be as noticeable. The light bulb wouldn’t be distinct. Without color, this setting could have been easily mistaken as a room in an old and worn out building. Smith shows us how color can really impact what you see, how you see it, and why you see it.

Leaving the Rox Gallery, it’s really great to see different genres and categories of art being displayed. It really makes you think what defines art.

Visit to Pace Gallery, “Poppy Fields” 9/24

During our trip to the Pace Gallery at 534 West 25th Street, we were greeted by one of the strangest paintings I have ever seen. Immediately after, I see a very similar painting in a different color and size only a few feet away from the first painting. I was appalled and stunned. Even more than that, I was confused.

It turns out that this was the “Poppy Fields” exhibition by none other than the artist Zhang Huan. According to his biography on the Pace website, it describes him as “one of the most vital, influential, and provocative contemporary artists working today.” (1) All of these are just so true, especially the provocative part.

Hey look! Colors on a board!

Hey look! Colors on a board!

From far away, the painting looks like a mesh of colors. It’s quite impossible to tell what the painting is trying to convey.  But, in an NY Times article about the exhibition, Zhang Huan describes it as: “The paintings represent the hallucination of happiness and the hallucination of fear and loneliness in this life as well as the hallucination of happiness in the next life.” It’s quite a stretch to give this painting such a wide range of emotions when it simply looks like an assortment of random colors. (2)

 

These creepy skulls stare straight into my heart...

These creepy skulls stare straight into my heart…

But, close in, you get to see the details of each and every skull. You could see how each skull isn’t on the same plane. One’s a little higher than the rest; another one is a little lower than the rest. This almost gives the painting a 3D aspect, making the viewer examine the painting even more. The painting itself was incredibly detailed. There’s so much labor involved, making each skull individual. It almost gives the impression that each skull was created separately, and then collectively put together. Also equally noticeable is each smile of the skull, it was near unnoticeable from far away.

What do I think this painting means? I’d take a more as an outsider viewing humanity. From far away, you really can’t tell what humanity is like. It seems like a mess, just as the painting. But, as you move closer, you can see that each individual is different. I personally don’t see the “hallucinations” described by Huan, but everyone has their own take on paintings and exhibitions.

 

Some sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/arts/design/zhang-huans-colorful-skull-paintings-at-the-pace-gallery.html

http://www.pacegallery.com/newyork/exhibitions/12596/poppy-fields