Joseph Dalton is the founder of Hudson Sounds and the author of "Artists & Activists: Making Culture in New York's Capital Region." He has been a freelance classical music critic and general arts reports for the Times Union since 2002. A veteran of the recording industry, he was director of Composers Recordings, Inc. (CRI) from 1990 to 2000 and began his career at Sony Classical. He writes about the GLTB community in in classical music at www.MyBigGayEars.com. www.JosephDalton.net
Used to be that the Albany Symphony Orchestra gave a smattering of events throughout the month of March and at a variety of venues and called it a festival. Then EMPAC opened, the ASO took on new management, and the American Music Festival became concentrated into a few days at the end of the season at a venue that’s the perfect fit. If you’re a devoted ASO follower it makes for a busy time, but isn’t that what makes it a festival? This year, there are five events over four days and the finale is down the hill at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Among the hundred or so composers coming to town (well, at least a couple dozen) is Missy Mazzoli (pictured).
Let’s start with the bad news. It’s not official, but SPAC president Marcia White hinted that next year’s residency of New York City Ballet may last just one week. Steve Barnes reported this on the Times Union arts blog. It was once four weeks. I want to say “here we go again,” but the chipping away at the residency length can only go on for so long or there won’t be any ballet left. Hey, arts activist – still have those SAVE THE BALLET signs? But a better question might be where new funds can be found. If wonder if the SPAC leadership has made sufficient contacts, or had any contact at all, with our newest corporate citizens (namely Global Foundries).
Now the good news: EMPAC has announced that Laurie Anderson has been named its first distinguished artist in residence – a three year relationship that starts later this year. What this will mean for RPI students and the arts going public isn’t clear from the announcement, but it’s hard to imagine a better fit. Actually, it’s hard to imagine any other multi-media artist of Laurie Anderson’s calibre.
But if you’re a classical music purist, don’t feel bad that you’ve not heard of her. I was on a plane last night returning to Albany from a brief vacation and sitting behind me was a friend who holds a prominent post on a local arts board. I told him of these two bits of Capital Region arts news and wasn’t surprised that he didn’t know who Laurie Anderson was. Our arts world – make that our world in general – is so fragmented that nothing surprises me any more. I carry my business cards (for real estate) in a case with a Frank Lloyd Wright design on it. And I’ve found that lots of people don’t know who he was! Even realtors.
Back to Laurie Anderson. Have you heard the T-Mobile commercial that uses her “O Superman” as the soundtrack? If you know the song, it’s impossible to miss. That piece, her only true single, dates back 30 years. I was stunned when I heard the commercial and also happy that she got the licensing deal.
Below is a portion of EMPAC’s press release. And here’s a video of Laurie’s “O Superman.” Now, mind you, this is not high tech anymore. It’s quaintly low tech. This site explains how she used to perform it live as kind of a shadow play. And there are probably college thesis written by now about the lyrics and the metaphor of mom. “Hold me Mom in your long arms, your automatic, your electronic arms.”
Maybe, for us high tech old timers Laurie will perform a greatest hits evening sometime at EMPAC. Who wants to make suggestions for the playlist?
Troy, NY—The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is pleased to announce that Laurie Anderson has been named EMPAC’s inaugural distinguished artist-in-residence for a three-year term beginning in 2012.
As one of America’s foremost contemporary artists; a persistent experimenter at the intersection of performance, media, and technology; and an inventor of tools and instruments, Anderson and EMPAC’s exceptional research and production environment for adventurous new work are an ideal match. The residency provides Anderson with wide access to space, technology, and support for creative experimentation, but as important, brings the artist into ongoing dialogue with students and faculty at the nation’s oldest technology university.
Anderson first came to EMPAC as a resident artist in 2009 to complete work on Delusion, a complex series of stories about longing, memory, and identity commissioned by the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. At EMPAC, she found the ideal working environment to try new ideas and integrate the diverse, multidisciplinary elements of the work, including music, visuals, altered voices, and electronic puppetry. Based on the success of the extensive working relationship between Anderson and EMPAC, founding Time-Based Arts Curator Kathleen Forde and Director Johannes Goebel proposed this new opportunity. “It’s such a great honor to be the first EMPAC distinguished artist- in-residence. Working with the crack technical and production teams and having access to EMPAC’s spectacular spaces and resources is such a dream. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”
The distinguished artist-in-residence is an expansion of EMPAC’s extensive project-based residency program, which supports the creation of new works and research. It marks the first time an artist has been invited for an extended time unrelated to a specific project, with the express goal of sharing the artist’s creative practice with a technology-focused campus and the community through lectures, work in progress demonstrations, web documentation, workshops, and more. Goebel sees a unique opportunity in this collaboration: “With EMPAC, Rensselaer has made an incredible commitment to bridge new technology with new artistic development and to bring together the engineering and scientific world with the experiential and creative approaches of the arts. Laurie Anderson will bring her deeply rooted experience in using technological tools in her artistic work to the campus community.”
Thanks in advance to these folks for their time, insights and desire to help build our local arts scene through contributing to HudsonSounds.
In addition to the voices of these and our other regular bloggers, we invite YOU to join the dialogue. Respond to posts using the “comments” feature. Whether it’s rants or raves, we want to hear from you!
We’re also putting out another call for volunteers to assist with data entry so that the the site stays up-to-date with events (summer is a full schedule and next season’s concerts are already being announced). As thanks you’ll receive free CDs and possibly some tickets, plus the gratitude of music lovers across the region. Use the contact button to get in touch!
Before attending most any night of classical music, I often wonder if there will be anything to write about. Enough has been said about the great masterpieces and it’s easy to run out of adjectives to describe nice playing.
Well, Saturday night at the ASO there was news to be reported – some demonstrative audience members in our midst. What a rare occurrence! I addressed them directly in my review with a thanks and invitation to please return for more (more music, more shouting or both).
Low and behold, a newbie symphony-goer actually did read my column and took the time to email me this morning. Here’s what he had to say…
Joseph,
My wife and I attended the performance of “Carmina Burana” at the Palace Saturday night. I was one of the many newcomers and also one of the few that, inappropriately, shouted out my approval after the first movement. I received quite the elbow from my wife and disapproving looks from those around me for doing so but, I felt I needed to let someone on stage know how, I think, the entire audience felt at that moment.
It was the first performance I’ve ever attended by the symphony. Not surprising to you I’m sure. My daughter is one of the high school apprentice members of Albany Pro Musica. She absolutely loves performing with APM and Mr. Janower. To give you an idea of what we’re dealing with here, I was also at the Springsteen concert on Monday night at the Times Union Center. I guess you could say my tastes are a bit eclectic at best. As are our children’s. My oldest daughter sings opera but listens to head banging music that even an old rock and roller like me can’t stomach. When I attend her performances I try and sit quietly and listen. Saturday I found it difficult to hold in my feelings. What a great performance.
We loved the performance. Both ASO and Albany Pro Musica were incredible. I felt the event did have a bit of a rock concert feel to it, although the audience didn’t, but I didn’t expect them to. My daughter, much to her chagrin, knew right away I was one of the ones that shouted out at the beginning. Next time I’ll know better. And there will be a next time. I can guarantee that. I’m ashamed I’ve waited all these years to experience the ASO.
– Matt
And I was right. He does attend rock music shows – but not exclusively any more!
Saturday night (4/21) the Albany Symphony Orchestra with guest conductor JoAnn Fellata had a smash success with “Carmina Burana” and Elgar’s “In the South” in front of a sold-out and unusually demonstrative Palace Theater. (Times Union review) Interesting to note that there was no new or American music on that program. A coincidence?
As if to make up for lost time, next month comes the annual American Music Festival, which is mostly still at EMPAC. Here’s the schedule:
10 a.m. Thursday 5/17 – Reading sessions of works by young composers (Free)
7:30 p.m. Saturday 5/19 – ASO playing music of Daugherty, Kernis, Tower and Mazzoli
7:30 p.m. Sunday 5/20 – Capital Heritage, a continuation of the series celebrating through music the cultural history of the Capital Region. This time the focus is on the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, with eight new works inspired by its illustrious legacy.
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Joseph Dalton is the founder of Hudson Sounds and the author of "Artists & Activists: Making Culture in New York's Capital Region." He has been a freelance classical music critic and general arts reports for the Times Union since 2002. A veteran of the recording industry, he was director of Composers Recordings, Inc. (CRI) from 1990 to 2000 and began his career at Sony Classical. He writes about the GLTB community in in classical music at www.MyBigGayEars.com. www.JosephDalton.net
Used to be that the Albany Symphony Orchestra gave a smattering of events throughout the month of March and at a variety of venues and called it a festival. Then EMPAC opened, the ASO took on new management, and the American Music Festival became concentrated into a few days at the end of the season at a venue that’s the perfect fit. If you’re a devoted ASO follower it makes for a busy time, but isn’t that what makes it a festival? This year, there are five events over four days and the finale is down the hill at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Among the hundred or so composers coming to town (well, at least a couple dozen) is Missy Mazzoli (pictured).
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