Author: Yevgeniy Genchanok

On Thursday, November 19, I attended the New York Philharmonic Open Rehearsal at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. This was the first time I had attended an open rehearsal or heard the New York Philharmonic play live. Upon entering, it was interesting to note how relaxed the performers appeared, most likely because it was only a rehearsal and not the real show. As everyone was taking their seats, the performers would come and go as they pleased until the conductor came out and the rehearsal was ready to begin.

The conductor, Riccardo Muti, was rather entertaining during the rehearsal. He would consistently turn to face the audience and talk to us about certain things. It was somewhat difficult to hear everything he was saying, given our seats were closer to the back, but some of the things that I was able to make out were interesting. I felt like this was a good way to keep the rehearsal relaxed, but in a good way. Of course Muti would not want his performers to feel that they do not have to work hard at all, but a little break in between would help calm down any of the performers if they did not play their part right. Muti’s drive for perfection was evident when he would stop the performance, say something to the performers, and the piece would be replayed. Clearly, Muti was not impressed with that portion of the concert, and wanted it to be perfected.

The performers played their pieces very well, which is why they are a part of the Philharmonic. I was amazed at how wonderful the music sounded, wondering how they managed to make all the various instruments work in harmony. In addition, it was interesting to see how all the performers knew exactly when to enter in the piece. Only many years of experience would allow someone to be able to perform that well.

Overall, the Open Rehearsal was a great experience. The music that was performed sounded magnificent, and considering it was a rehearsal, the final concert would most likely have been something to remember. The conductor included the audience in the rehearsal, which made the audience feel better because they were no longer idle spectators. Although this was my first open rehearsal and viewing of the New York Philharmonic, it was certainly something to remember.

Our visit to the MoMA’s exhibit on punk rock was very interesting. The purpose of the exhibit was to inform viewers of the history of this anti-establishment genre of music. Punk rock originated as a way to rebel against the Vietnam War, which was raging on as this form of music began to take shape.

As you enter the exhibit, you are immediately drawn to the collage of newspaper and magazine clippings pasted along the wall. These pieces convey certain information about various punk rock bands that were popular in the time, such as Kiss and Aerosmith. After viewing this part of the exhibit, you make your way to an area where various music from the time is being played. Records are enclosed in cases along the wall, with other various memorabilia from the time being displayed. At the end of the exhibit, you are shown a video of a “game,” where two people move two stones at a time. This video was very odd because you do not know what the purpose of it actually is. However, it can be assumed that the sound of the rocks being put back on the ground is the music in the video.

The exhibit was quite short and the opposite of what punk rock stood for. Punk rock originated in garages, as a way to rebel against the “establishment.” However, MoMA has taken artifacts from punk rock and encased them in an “establishment.” The exhibit was clean and white, while punk rock stemmed from dirty old garages.  Regardless, the exhibit itself was very interesting as it explained the history of punk rock in New York City.

On October 16^th, I experienced my first excursion to a live jazz performance at Garage, a nice restaurant and café located in Greenwich Village. The festivities began around 6:00 PM, as they do most Friday nights at Garage. By this time, almost every table was filled and there were barely any empty seats along the bar. As the lights dimmed around the restaurant, other lights began to shine on the performers, who that night happened to be the Evan Schwam Quartet. The members included Evan Schwam, who played tenor saxophone, Andrew Bemkey, who played piano, Corcoran Holt, who played bass, and Jeremy Carlstedt, who played drums.

From the very beginning, I could tell this performance was going to be lively and upbeat. You immediately begin to hear the drums and the saxophone and you were roused right away. The music progressed nicely over the course of the performance, with the liveliness continuing. I had brought some of my friends along to the restaurant and they also did not have any prior exposure to jazz. After watching the performance, they gained some appreciation for jazz and had a very enjoyable time.  In addition to the music, the food served was very good, although a bit on the expensive side. However, the combination of great music and food made the evening very enjoyable.

Overall, Garage is a great place to listen to quality jazz. The Evan Schwam Quartet did a magnificent job, and it no surprise that Evan Schwam is a well-known jazz musician, having even played for former President Bill Clinton back in 2006. The group’s music kept everyone happy and upbeat, and made the evening pass by in a flash.

The Fall for Dance festival is a yearly dance festival held in the New York City Center. The purpose of the Fall for Dance festival is to introduce people to dance. As someone who has had little, if any, exposure to professional dancing, I would have to say that the performance on October 3, 2009 certainly opened my eyes to the world of dance.

The night began with a performance of Le Spectre de la Rose, a ballet of a woman who has fallen asleep and dreams of dancing with the spirit of the rose that she holds in her hands. The woman awakens from her dream when the “rose” leaps out the window and out of sight. This ballet was nicely executed, as the “rose” had very precise movements. At times, he would make large leaps that made me wonder how it was possible to leap that far. The clothing of the dancers was interesting, as the woman wore a large dress and the man wore very tight, bright clothes. However, the clothing fit the situation because the woman was be returning from a ball, and that is proper clothing for a ball. In the case of the “rose,” the tight and bright clothing made him look as if he were, in fact, a rose. Overall, this was a great performance that got the crowd ready for the rest of the show.

The second performance was called Snow, and was performed by Sang Jijia. I must say that this piece was my least favorite of the night. Although the snow that was falling on the stage was fascinating, the performance was not. I felt that it was dragged on for quite a lot of time, as it appeared to me that Jijia continually repeated the same movements. In addition, I could not see Jijia for about a quarter of the time because he would at times move to the far right of the stage, which made it impossible for me to see him.

The third performance called The Dying Swan was a very short ballet that depicted the final moments in the life of a swan. Although very brief, the performance was very nice, with Diana Vishneva making very specific movements. The musicians that provided music for this piece did a wonderful job, making this performance even better.

The highlight of the night came when Alvin Ailey stepped on stage to perform Revelations. It seemed as if the entire audience had a new burst of energy once the performance began. From the start, everyone knew Alvin Ailey was going to be different from the preceding pieces. The music was upbeat and the dancers were very into the movements. It was interesting how when one piece ended, I thought the next piece could not be more interesting, but as the performance progressed, the pieces grew increasingly livelier and culminated in the final piece, Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham. The female dancers wore flamboyant yellow dresses and used stools as props. The music was lively and the dancing was powerful, very different from the preceding pieces earlier in the night.

At the end of the show, I was glad that Alvin Ailey performed last because it allowed me to leave New York City Center in a happy mood. It was nearly impossible to not be at least somewhat happy after watching a performance like that. However, I did not forget about the pieces that preceded Alvin Ailey, which were also very interesting. Nevertheless, I do not think I would have left the theater that night as happy as I did if Alvin Ailey had not performed.

The performance of The Marriage of Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera on the night of September 22^nd was fantastic. Being my first opera, I did not know what to expect or how interesting it would be. However, from the moment the conductor began his extravagant motions, I knew this would be an enjoyable opera, and I was not wrong.

The opera began with the overture and the conductor was clearly visible by his elaborate motions and gestures. I did not find this to be a problem, as I thought it added more emotion to the opera and showed the conductor’s love for opera. Once the curtain was raised, the opera began in Italian. I was at first a little concerned about this because I do not know Italian and I did not like the idea of having to look at the little screen in front of me to understand the opera. However, as the opera progressed, I grew accustomed to listening to the opera and then reading the translation on the screen. It was helpful that most of the lines were spoken twice, which gave me more time to listen and read.

The singing and music were amazing to say the least. All the performers had amazing voices and the music fit the situation at hand. I found it remarkable how the performers were able to synchronize with the orchestra almost perfectly. In addition to the wonderful singing and music, the story itself was interesting. Although highly unlikely to occur in real life, it was very entertaining to watch. My favorite part was when Figaro discovers that Marcellina, the woman who he is being forced to marry, is actually his mother. This was a very enjoying scene because of its irony.

The only thing that can be compared to the acting of the opera is the set itself. I was amazed when the curtain was first lifted and it looked as if the sun were in fact shining on stage. I wondered how they managed to make it look so realistic, and still do not know the answer. It was very interesting to watch the light change as the opera progressed. As the day progressed in the opera, the light gradually changed from daylight to nighttime. However, when the set began to move, I completely forgot about the lighting. Many people were in awe when the set first began to spin, as was I, for I had no idea this was going to happen. I was surprised that the performers were able to keep their balance, concentration, and continue singing as the stage was moving, for the stage was at an angle, making it very easy to slip.

Overall, The Marriage of Figaro was an amazing opera, especially since this was my first time attending an opera. The singing was great, the orchestra was amazing, and the set was remarkable. The plot kept almost everyone interested and hardly anyone was upset when they left the Metropolitan Opera that night.