Category Archives: Politics (9/11, Year of Turkey/ Occupy Wall Street, etc.)

Show of Hands, Please: Who Can Buy Art?

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It is truly a coincidence that we are about to begin discussing the relationship between the economy and the arts in New York, and that I stumbled upon this article in the New York Times. It talks about the activities of different art gallery auctions in New York and abroad, and basically says that on the whole, most of these auctions are unaffected by the economic downturn.  As the article puts it, “Despite the debt crisis engulfing Europe and an Occupy Wall Street protest directed at Sotheby’s [an art gallery], life inside the art bubble remained effervescent, buoyed by a marathon of flawlessly orchestrated parties, invitation-only dinners and blue-chip openings.” The Rose Art Museum in Waltham, MA actually had Occupy Wall Street protestors march in and shout “Shame on you!” to the art bidders, but were simply escorted out, and the auction continued on normally. Paintings from these auctions are still being sold at ridiculous prices. The art collectors who go to these art parties seem to be Class A snobs the way we defined “snob” way back in the beginning of the semester.

To read the original article, click here.

Of Art and Politics

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When Thursday’s class veered off into a discussion about art with political implications, I found myself wracking my memory for artists who promoted this kind of expressive propaganda. I realized that there are actually quite a few. This post will not be concerned with weighing the effectiveness of these endeavors. All I wish to do here is point out that there have been many (sometimes inadvertent) attempts in recent years to fuse the academies of art and politics.

First, let’s talk aural art – by that I mean music. We pointed out in class that there is no band that accurately captures the zeitgeist of the recent political turn this country has taken. While I agree with that observation as a generality, I think there are modern musicians who do concern themselves with some politics from time to time. Take Coldplay, for example. Their last album “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends” was teeming with political themes. Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People,” the well-known illustration of the French July Revolution of 1830, graced the cover, while within the album itself, tracks like “Violet Hill” and “Death and All His Friends” carried unmistakable political implications. There are other examples from contemporary musicians, like the punk-rock mavens of Green Day, popular hip-hop artists Jay-Z and Kanye West, and the notorious John Mayer. These efforts are not confined to modern music. Sociopolitical commentaries have been surfacing in music for centuries. Just look at Mozart’s Don Giovanni – while it might be a stretch to say that the opera is predominantly politically charged, there are quite a few sociopolitical inferences (like the dichotomy between the upper and lower classes).

Political themes in visual art are even more ubiquitous. A mere cursory look at my favorite genre – photoconceptualism – will render a plethora of politically active photo-conceptualists. There’s Barbara Kruger and Martha Rosler, who in their respective “Untitled (Questions)” and “Bringing the War Home, House Beautiful” use visual means to question American foreign and domestic policy, among other political messages. There’s the notorious Viennese “Actionists” (more accurately, anarchists) of the sixties like Rudolf Schwarzkogler and Hermann Nitsch, who staged daring actions that they photographed. Their usage of frightening iconography was plainly meant to convey their dissatisfaction with the sociopolitical conventions of post-war Vienna (I’d rather not provide a link to these two, since the images are WAY too disturbing. Google at your own risk). Even artists with whom most people are familiar – like Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock – could not resist incorporating some political undertones (click on their names to see examples). Perhaps most noteworthy is Banksy, the notorious graffiti artist who I’ve blogged about before. Not just some, but MOST of his work is political in nature.

Elsewhere in the arts, we have Alvin Ailey’s “Revelation,” which deals with themes of slavery and discrimination through the medium of dance and Wallace Shawn’s “The Designated Mourner” as an example of political theater. Architecture is perhaps in a league of its own, since most of the political controversy it generates is unintentional. In my Urban Studies class, we did a unit on the militarization of public space, where we pointed out that a lot of the city’s architecture is designed to keep “undesirables” out. The Frances Howard Goldwyn Library in Hollywood, California is the best illustration of this phenomenon – the library, which is supposed to be a public space like all public libraries, has been designed to look like a high-tech fortress. The assumption is that the library’s imposing presence will intimidate or discourage certain unwanted people from entering. And this is just one of many examples of using art and design to further a political agenda.

With so much political infringement on art, the obvious question is whether or not political messages are successfully conveyed through the artistic medium. I think the answer is yes, but I readily welcome a more thorough analysis on the issue. On second thought, maybe I’ll just blog about that next time…

New Art or Old Art…It’s All The Same

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This Photo does not belong to me, though it can be found at http://www.nyc-arts.org/events/6682/joie-de-vivre

It is said that a classic is a piece of work that transcends time. A classic affects and belong to all generations, as many people relate and find meaning in an art piece that pre-dates themselves. With the ongoing outpouring of discontent with the economic situation currently in the U.S., the young, old and in between have gathered in Zucotti Park to “Occupy Wall Street”.

In the center of all the cries of economic woes, lies a sculpture that was made almost 50 years ago for a different protest. Mark Di Suvero’s ” has become the center of attention in Zucotti Park, as people use this sculpture to capture the attention of the crowd and to speak to the masses. This sculpture’s original intention was to symbolize the artist’s anti-war sentiment during the Vietnam War. Just like the protests of the Vietnam War, the “Occupy Wall Street” protest founded its roots in the grievances of the youth.

Recently, “Joie de Vivre,” has been barricaded because of the protestors that use it as a platform. In response to this barrier, protesters have reached out to the artist to allow his artwork to be liberated for use of the “Occupy Wall Street” cause.

Although it would seem that no great art has yet to emerge from “Occupy Wall Street”, maybe it is not needed. Art is meant to transgress the chains of time and space, and to find meaning in all generations. People still watch Operas and concertos from centuries ago and yet they still find entertainment and meaning in it. Maybe it isn’t so strange then, that we find the people of “Occupy Wall Street” using music and art from before they were born to help the cause they are fighting for. The opportunity that Mark Di Suvero is being poised with is one I would think most artists dream of. Instead of his sculpture being a thing of the past, it will now be able to effect today’s generation and have a possible ripple effect on the generation of tomorrow.

 

If anyone is gong to Zucotti Park anytime soon, I recommend looking out for the sculpture that has surpassed time.

The Arts in New York and Occupy Wall Street/ from Prof. Smaldone

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Dear Class,

The Occupy Wall Street movement has received more and more attention in recent weeks.  Our “Arts in New York” seminar is not centered on politics, but the role of politics in the cultural life of the city (and the relationship between culture and politics cultural through artists’ reactions to politics) is a significant aspect of the Arts throughout history and throughout the world.  The essential battle cry of the Occupy Wall Street movement is the claim that 1% of the population hold 99% of the wealth.  This sounds strangely similar to the cries of 18th century revolutionaries, who complained of a similar disparity between the aristocracy and the rest of the European world.  The American and French Revolutions were a fact of the political landscape at the exact time that Mozart and DaPonte were composing their greatest works for the Viennese Aristocracy.  (It is also no surprise that the “Arab Spring” uprisings have found cause in the similar disparity between the wealth of the ruling class and the general populations).  We will explore the relationship between the 1% and the 99% as it relates to the Arts.

The distinctions of wealth and class have always played a profound role in the arts.  The internet has served as an enormously powerful tool to bring some aspects of the arts to anyone with a computer (or mobile phone) connection, but going to the Theater, the Opera, the Symphony or a museum (and certainly OWNING art), is still (and always has been) a distinct feature of the lives of a rich upper class. (And the wealthiest class has also typically been the ruling class.  This is a natural outgrowth of the most famous “Golden Rule”; “He who owns the gold, makes the rules.”

The Occupy Wall Street movement is primarily concerned with the financial disparity between the 1% and the 99%, but the movement provides an opportunity for us to explore the relation of this struggle to the arts in general, and the Arts in New York in particular.

Because of a number of events taking place this week, we will devote a class assignment to the Occupy Wall Street movement. The purpose of this exercise is to explore the movement and its meaning for us (specifically what it has to say about the relationship between art and commerce; art and wealth; art and political expression; etc.).

Here is what is going on this week:

•Monday November 14, 2011
A Conversation About  The 99% Occupy Wall Street
Where: Rosenthal 230 (Library Lower Level 2)
Time: 12:15pm – 1:30pm
Meet organizers of the Occupy Wall Street Movement
Learn about the causes behind the movement
Ask questions, seek answers/ Sponsored by Queens College Provost’s Office

•Wednesday Nov. 16 – Homelessness in Focus @ Patio Room (Dining Hall) – Free Hour (12:15 – 1:30)

•Thursday Nov. 17 – OWS Teach-In from 9am – 3pm @ Patio Room

•Thursday Nov. 17 – Mobilize for Economic Justice – The PSC (the Professional Staff Congress, the union to which the Professors at Queens College belong) will take part in a peaceful, permitted rally and march that will begin at Foley Square at 5:00 PM before winding its way around City Hall and across the Brooklyn Bridge.  Our members will meet at the intersection of Broadway and Worth Street at 5:00 PM, before marching together into Foley Square. Earlier in day, people’s assemblies will be held near subway stations around the boroughs, and the organizers of the march are also planning civil disobedience actions. If you are interested in being trained and participating in a planned act of civil disobedience, contact Deirdre Brill (Dbrill@pscmail.org).

•Other information available at:  nycga.net * takethesquare.net * occupytogether.org * wearethe99percent.tumblr.com – click here

Here is your assignment for this week:

1 – Attend – Everyone is required to attend at least one (preferably 2)  of these events and report back to the group by posting about your experience on the Blog.
2 – Research – augment the experience of attending these events by reading some of the information found on the web sites listed above, and by reading and reporting about additional articles from major news sources (print, online, etc.).
3 – Focus – Your blog post can be general in nature, or focussed on a particular aspect of the movement, (or the rallies, or the experience, or historical connections, etc.) depending on what comes up in your research. remember to focus your blog post on the issue of how the Movement reflects issues that have resonance in the arts.  What does the movement have to say about the position of the arts in general and the Arts in New York, in specific?
4 – Write – The actual assignment is to create a single, detailed and substantial blog post on this topic. These posts should all be in the “Politics” category I have just created and include “Occupy Wall Street” in the title.  Your blog post should include links to articles you cite. Due Date: Monday, Nov. 21.

Further plans:
1 –  I will be attending the “Mobilize for Economic Justice” event in Manhattan and will be at Broadway and Worth Street on Thursday.  If anyone wishes to accompany me, we can travel together, or meet there.  Take my cell phone number so you can find me: 516-850-9536.
5 – I cannot attend the conversation on Monday at 12:15.   I would like at least a handful of volunteers to attend that meeting and report to the class at our regular meeting on Monday at 3:05.

This is a rare opportunity to engage in a major political movement that is right outside our door.  I am especially interested in exploring ways that this movement informs the questions we are asking about the Arts in New York.  Your blog post should address this aspect specifically.  We will relate what you learn this week to the experiences in the arts we have had already this semester.

See you on Monday.  The blog post on “Occupy Wall Street and the Arts” is due by Monday Nov. 21.

Best,

ES

Prof. Edward Smaldone, Director
Aaron Copland School of Music
Queens College, CUNY
Kissena Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11367
718-997-3800

Turkey Lecture # 2: Elena Frangakis-Syrett (Extra Credit)

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On November 9, 2011, I attended another lecture held at Queens College to further my knowledge of Turkey and its history. Having previous experience with the lectures about Turkey that Queens College offers, I knew that this one was sure to not disappoint. I was correct in my assumption when Elena Frangakis-Syrett educated the attendees about Turkish empires, particularly, the Ottoman Empire. The lecture consisted fascinating information about the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire as well as information about the women that possessed power during the time of the Ottoman Empire. The combination of her lecture and the outside research that I conducted, I was able to learn the following facts.

Frangakis-Syrett explained that a strong empire was created due to a number of working factors. These factors included possessing a strong military, having exquisite knowledge of war and artillery, having economic growth, taking over the right lands at the right time, setting up an efficient trading system, creating alliances, ruling flexibly by not converting the people that the empire took over, cooperating with Europe (in the case of the Ottoman Empire), allowing a proper system of tax revenue to exist, and having a group of loyal administrators. The Ottoman Empire successfully used these factors in order to rise and it stayed very powerful and thriving until other factors contributed to the empire’s downfall.

Difficulties and issues arose during the course of history that caused the Ottoman Empire to collapse. These issues included the revolution of soldiers due to their unhappiness with their lack of pay, bad climate conditions, disconnection between economic growth, society, and demographic growth, falling prices and the inflation that followed as a result, wars in Europe. Perhaps the biggest issue that contributed to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire was the fighting the occurred among the Turks. With everything from economic failings and bothering climate conditions to revolutions and wars working against the empire, a collapse was not only inevitable but also expected. After seven hundred years of flourishing as one of the strongest empires, the empire collapsed and became a legendary story to pass onto future generations. The Ottoman Empire serves as a great example of how to obtain power.

Frangakis-Syrett really captured my attention when she mentioned that women started to gain their own power during the era of the Ottoman Empire. She provided the sultan’s wife and mother as examples of such women. She further explained that these women were often used in peace talks and also formed alliances with other women of power in different countries that were in the same position. This stimulated my question about the women in our country. Is the amount of power that these women from the past held the same as the power that the women of our country hold today?

Frangakis-Syrett’s lecture was not only an enjoyable and educational one but it was also one that raised many questions for me to pursue. I plan to purse these questions in my own time as well as at the next lecture, which will take place on December 7, 2011 and will contain information about Sufism. I look forward to learning more.

Herman Cain uses late night T.V. to diffuse charges

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Herman Cain appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live defending himself against the charges of sexual harassment that he has been facing. This was a strategic decision: Usually politicians have formal conference for rebutting such charges, and appear some time later on talk shows to act as if it has blown over. Cain did the opposite, and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel before his scheduled press conference. His appearance gave him a chance to get his opinion out, and and to use humor to deflect the allegations. His appearance also continues to promote his image of being a normal American, while a serious press conference would give off the impression of “politics as usual”. Appearing on a talk show is not by any means a new idea for politicians: Soon after his election, it seemed that President Obama couldn’t get enough of talk shows! This political motive behind some talk shows makes one wonder what other examples of art could have been distorted for political reasons. John Berger lays out a complex theory that art has become “mystified” for the common man for a political purpose in his essay Ways of Seeing. People have been alienated from art and led to believe that it is only for the rich to understand so that they don’t question the context in which these paintings were painted. For example, Frans Hals painted some portraits that might have displayed his contempt for the higher class. The higher classes try to alienate us from art so that we do not contemplate the inequities of those time periods, which may lead to a modern contempt for the rich. Whether this theory is true or not, it is something worth contemplating the next time one investigates a piece of art. Try to visualize what the artist was thinking when he painted it, and what happened in history during that time that may have influenced or manipulated the artist. The original article can be found here. John Berger’s essay can be found here.

http://youtu.be/_FhuhwhoDdI

Turkey Lecture: Lawrence Kaye (Extra Cred.)

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Lawrence Kaye led a lecture at Queens College on October 26, 2011 in honor of the Year of Turkey. Kaye’s lecture introduced the issue of Turkey trying to safeguard and recover its cultural heritage. The lecture is held from a legal point of view and shows examples of what Turkey must overcome when dealing with the art world. There are many cases, both in the past and in the present, that are representative of these issues and many of them were illustrated during this Turkey lecture.

A prime example of Turkey’s cultural heritage being jeopardized would be the Metropolitan Museum of Art court case. The museum was suspected of controversially acquiring a set of golden treasures. The museum was accused of taking and holding in secret, the “Lydian Hoard” which was taken from the tombs near Sardis, Turkey. The MET kept the story low key until one day someone recognized a new set of coins at the museum that closely matched the description of the Lydian Hoard. Obviously, the evidence of the museum’s guilt was becoming clearer. Not only is theft shown in this case but also the issue of identity theft arises when these same Turkish coins are labeled as “East Greek Treasure”. This case is one among numerous that depict Turkey’s struggle to keep its identity intact.

Lawyer and archaeologists have been working together on cases such as these to restore Turkey’s heritage and to reunite Turkish artwork with its proper locations. After many long and complex legal battles, some positive results have been attained. In the case of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, after a six-year legal battle, an agreement was made to return more than 200 gold, silver, and bronze objects from the sixth century B.C. to the Turkish Government within 30 days. A success story for Turkey and it’s cultural heritage preservation. This is a success that doesn’t only make lawyers proud but it is one that can also make artists such as myself very happy. Artwork deserves to be and must be credited properly. The locations of art pieces should be agreed upon with the museums and the artwork’s original country. This way all threats of improper identification and theft can be resolved.

This lecture definitely exposed me to the legalities found in the art world, which I had no knowledge of before, and also reminded me about my philosophy pertaining to art. Every day there are copyright law cases, plagiarism, and other incidences where people try to take credit for someone else’s work. Kaye expanded my concept of this by showing that this problem doesn’t only occur between two people or two companies but it can happen between two countries as well. Overall, this lecture was phenomenal and I look forward to attending the next one.

Turkey’s safeguard of its cultural heritage

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Today, I attend Lawrence Kaye‘s lecture which is about Turkey’s recovery of its cultural treasure.

Gold hippocampus brooch

Mr.Kaye’s efforts and commitment to to help other countries to recover their cultural antiquities are really admirable. Mr.Kaye help Turkey recover its “fabled Lydian Hoard antiquities, long held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art”(QC website). the Met bought these antiquities from dealers without knowing where do they obtain these treasure and the Met later display these antiquities in June 1984, mislabeling them as treasury from East Greek deliberately. When the authorities of Turkey demanded their antiquities return, the Met refused to comply. Turkey suit the Met in 1987 and after 6-years effort, Turkey finally get its “lost children” back in 1993.

In my opinion, the antiquities should definitely belong to the country of origin. Antiquities represent a country’s culture, history and part of its heritage. Illegal transaction of the antiquities should not be tolerated and indulged. The stealing of a country’s cultural treasure is like kidnapping someone’s child which violate both legal and moral rules. All nations must achieve a mutual recognition on carrying out policy or laws to punish the dishonorable behaviors of looting, robbing, stealing or illegally dealing of other countries’ antiquities. At the meantime, the country itself must carry out actions and policies to protect its cultural treasure. The antiquities looted during the war must be returned to the country of origin unless that country allows the usage of exhibit by other countries. Turkey is not the only country that is suffering the lost of its cultural treasure; many Asian countries lost massive of their cultural heritage during World War II. There are still many lost antiquities that are hold by foreign owners. However, hope is not gone. Some people living abroad voluntarily use their own money to buy those lost treasures and contribute them to their native country. Their are true heroes.

 

Not a Moot Art

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Until this morning, I associated quilting with Little House on the Prairie and Betsy Ross.

Little did I know that, according to this article, quilting is actually a thriving urban art, complete with a Manhattan’s Quilters Guild. The passionate quilters know that the beauty of the art lies in the fabric, and midtown Manhattan’s City Quilter is the Mecca to which they flock. City Quilter provides resources beyond batik and Japanese prints– they provide workshops for various skill levels, attracting both the curious hobbist and the involved artist.

Current exhibits of quilts include the 9/11 Peace Story Quilt at the MET. The artist in charge of the project is Faith Ringgold. She designed the quilt to represent the importance communications between cultures, and symbolically, the quilt was put together by students all over New York City.

I think, just this once, I will let the older generation out do me on the hipness scale, and leave the quilting to my grandmother.

Twice the Sigificance : LIVE+REMEMBER

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On September 11, I attended the Yeshiva University 9/11 memorial ceremony. This memorial was unique in a number of ways. In accordance with the Jewish laws of mourning, no live instrumental music was played; instead, the crowd recited Psalms on behalf of the deceased, and stood as the Prayer for the Welfare of the United States was read. In many ways, this sums up the theme of the event; honoring the dead, while simultaneously respecting the living.

One of the speakers, Mrs. Anat Barber, was nineteen years old on 9/11. She described her experiences watching over the deceased at Ground Zero. Jewish tradition requires that shomer, or a protector, stay constantly at the side of the deceased and to recite Psalms, as an act of honor to the dead. Anat spoke of the surprising connections she made with people from every walk of life as they waited for the remains of the victims to be identified.

Rabbi Willig, Assistant Head of the American Court of Jewish Law, on the other hand, spoke of the important commitment we have to the living. He was involved in investigating missing people on behalf of their family members. Rabbi Willig described, case-by-case, the different evidence that was considered, from Metro card records to floor plans, witnesses, and DNA tests. No detail was ignored in the search to determine the status of lost husbands, ultimately allowing many wives to rebuild their lives after the tragedy, and to remarry, should they so desire.

Today marks the tragic day on the Jewish calendar, the 22 of Elul. Let us remember the loss, but live for what remains.

 


We Will Never Forget!

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Although it has been 10 years since the horrendous attacks on September 11, 2001, the feeling of anguish and mourning are still ever present. Last Sunday, on the anniversary of 9/11, I attended a local commemoration of those that perished in the attacks 10 years ago. The small gathering of the tight knit community of the Five Towns made the sentiment of the day hit home, closer than ever before. Throughout the ceremony, many speakers, including New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, came to recall their memories of the cool perfect September morning gone wrong.  The ceremony’s apex occurred when there was the reading of the 9/11 granite markers of the local heroes that perished on that fateful day. Memories were shared, as tears were chocked back by everyone that was affected by the horrors of 9/11.  The ceremony concluded with the Lawrence High School Philharmonic playing a set list of patriotic songs, selected with the proper emotions in mind for this solemn day. The songs included: “Fanfare for the Common Man”, “God Bless America”, “Someone to Watch Over Me”, and several other songs. Although time has passed, the memories are still fresh, may we never forget those heroes that have fallen:  Neil D. Levin, Thoman E. Jurgens, Kevin O’Rouke, Betina Browne Radburn, Joseph Rivelli, Jr., Ira Zaslow, and the countless others that have not passed away in vain.

Two videos of the performance can be viewed right below.

Ana’s 9/11 Experience

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Unfortunately, I was unable to successfully upload my video of Ana’s experience.

I will give a brief summary of what she shared with me.

Ana was eight years old and in the third grade on the day of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. She doesn’t remember much of the specifics, but remembers that she did have to leave school early. What was most memorable to her, on this day, was that she and her family ate at a diner that same night. She remembers hearing her parents discussing what had happened on that dreadful morning and being confused about the tense whispers. So instead of trying to engage in her parents tense conversation, she and her brother entertained themselves by reading about the presidents on their children’s placemats.

Because she was so young and didn’t live in the city, Ana had a completely different experience than of those who were old enough to understand what was going on and lived in the city.

9/11 in The Temple of Dendur

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September 11, 2011. The Temple of Dendur, The Sackler Wing, Metropolitan Museum of Art. 3:30 P.M. The Wordless Music Orchestra will be performing the world premiere of Maxim Moston’s orchestration of William Basinski’s “Disintegration Loops, dlp 1.1” in 45 minutes. Throngs of people have come out to watch the event. Only I’m not one of them. On account of a twisted knee, I am instead by my desk at home, laptop at hand, patiently reading up about Basinski’s piece before NPR Music’s and WQXR/Q2’s live audio broadcast begins.

Three other pieces are also being performed by a string quartet from the orchestra: Osvaldo Golijov’s “Tenebrae,” Ingram Marshall’s “Fog Tropes II,” and Alfred Schnittke’s “Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled with Grief.” As Thomas P. Campbell, director of the Met, introduces the event, I am filled with a strange amalgam of apprehension and anticipation. I don’t know much about music, but I think that a lot of it is about how it makes one feel. And on a day like this, I’m not sure if I’m really ready to go through that – to arrest all my other senses, and for the first time, just hear September 11th. No visual stimulation, no tactile sensation. Nothing other than those sonic waves of sadness and despair, of hope and glory.

[image courtesy of nytimes.com]

The first piece played is Golijov’s “Tenebrae.” I sit stoic and unmoved when the strings start to sing their story.  But as the piece progresses, I am suddenly infused with a powerful sense of what I think the music is trying to convey: a combination of destruction and hope, a synthesis of the present and the future. The glistening sound seems to oscillate, bearing its distinct message that there is something greater than the “here and now,” something that transcends time and place.

By the time the second piece, Marshall’s “Fog Tropes,” commences, I am profoundly moved. The blaring of the foghorn in the beginning is distinct and melancholy.  I note to myself that it sounds almost like a deep wail – like what I would imagine the collective laments of a devastated nation sounds like. At one point, the music rises to a thunderous and frightening crescendo. There are foreign voices and strange sounds that I do not recognize. Those give way to the faint and soothing sound of what might be the squawking of seagulls. The rest of the piece becomes this ebb and flow of fear and calmness, war and peace. My sense of security wanes, but it is restored with the piece’s triumphant conclusion.

Schnittke’s piece, “Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled with Grief,” is profoundly elegiac. It’s like the orchestration of a heart destroyed, as if tears are traveling with the sound waves. The piece fills me with a frantic anticipation – for something extraordinary to poke through, for life to be renewed, for joy and animation. The void is not filled. The piece just ends, dying down in a faint, sad hum.

Basinski’s piece is last. Before the orchestra begins, there is a brief intermission, where the hosts of NPR Music and WQXR/Q2 interview the conductor of the orchestra, Ryan McAdams, and Basinski, who tells the background story behind “Disintegration Loops.” Around the time of 9/11, he had pulled out his twenty-year-old tape loops to archive and digitize. As he played them, they began to disintegrate. “I was recording the life and death of each melody,” says Basinski. Days later, he found himself on the rooftop of his friend’s apartment. It was the morning of September 11. He watched the towers fall while the disintegrating tape loops played. As the last bits of daylight were fading, Basinski recorded the rising smoke from the towers. “Disintegration Loops” became the soundtrack to the harrowing footage.

The piece begins on a vaguely martial note, with a sound that could be the pounding of war drums. With the music’s context in mind, listening to it becomes a strangely cathartic and redemptive experience. There is a keen sense of hope that surfaces with each beat. I recall Alexander Pope’s oft repeated “hope springs eternal in the human breast.” The piece is repetitious, and I wonder how it can possibly end. The repeating belies its inevitable, eventual mortality – kind of like life while one is living it.  The music starts to unravel. It’s a slow wind-down, and in that way it almost feels like the piece is protesting against its end. Like the towers did. Like New York City always will. Like humanity always has. And with that, the evening concludes.

A recording of the performance is available here. The performance can also be downloaded for a limited time only.

Memorial Service at the Riverside Church

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I attended the memorial service at the Riverside Church in Manhattan this past Sunday. The service included a concert in memorial of those who served us on 9/11 and those who were affected by the earthquake in Japan this past Spring. The service began with a memorial service honoring those who have served our country and remembering the ones we have lost during that tragedy. A performance followed by the Queens College Orchestra and Chorus and the Japan and U.S. Memorial Orchestra and Chorus. I was particularly touched by Mozart’s Requiem KV626 because of its drama and numerous changes in tempo and dynamics.

Courtesy of Flickr

I found it captivating yet unsettling how the piece was divided into many movements which structured the long piece and also gave it fluidity and kept it from being strenuous and redundant. It gave it contrast between movements which commands attention. The origami paper cranes given out at the end of the memorial served as a nice and joyful touch to this time of mourning.