This reminds me of a chef constantly using new ingredients. As if new and different were better than delicious. Why on earth write songs that strain a master singer? To what end? Only ego I'm afraid.
3
It makes me very sad that this and other performances by this unique singer are presented by the Armory as elitist, limited-audience "boutique" events for which tickets are extremely scarce, available to a precious few outside the magic inner circle of insiders.
8
Art is not a popularity contest. As a visual artist, I'm excited to hear Barbara Hannigan for the first time this Thursday. What she and John Zorn are reaching for - aurally, musically, are the stars - that most of us cannot see.
5
For those of you who may care. I am a visual artist and I find it fascinating that the abilities to experience one art form never cross over to another at their highest levels. NO musician and no visual artist reach the extreme heights of perception in the other form. I’m talking absolutes here; yes I am. I’m sure some will argue, and feel free. Within my general field, architects and designers quite often have NO feel for painting. I find that amazing, sad and then interesting. This leads to the question no one has an answer to: Why.
8
@Billy Evans : I know many visual artists (painters, sculptors, etc.) who gladly announce what great artists they are, yet have no appreciation or interest in the performing arts whatsoever. Perhaps they are so full of themselves that they just don't have room in their minds for any other art forms.
2
Wow. I beg to differ. I am a classically trained musician who is also a classically trained oil painter and a writer. There is remarkable similarity in the expressive tools embedded in each medium. What I learned from music is directly applicable to what I do in paint and in words. It is all about the desire to communicate. What you have to say matters far more than what you use to say it. And using your medium skillfully will make the message clear.
3
@Elaine B
Elaine, I’m not here to judge your competency in these media. Goodonya as the Aussie’s say. But You entirely missed my point.
There's a sad irony irony at work here: music that almost no one wants to hear that almost no one can sing. no wonder serious music is almost defunct.
20
@John When people got on Beethoven's case for not writing more Mozart (which he could do) he said: "Our art demands of us that we not stand still."
7
@cquinn : Yet, people are listening to Mozart and Beethoven centuries later. How many people listen to Schoenberg? As he himself said, "I have no audience!"
8
@John You think works like this should be banned then? I have no sophisticated appreciation of this kind of music and singing. Yet I was overwhelmed by the artistry, power and complex vision of the composer and singer. Silly ironic me.
1