Furniture Music #5: Classical Music For Free
Publications from The Oregonian to The New Yorker have been writing articles lately about how to get one’s classical music fix on a tight budget. I’ve read many of these with interest because, well, as a freelance writer with a part-time day job, I need all the financial assistance I can get to keep this year-long project alive.
I have yet to take up the suggestion to try and get a rush ticket to the Portland Opera or the Oregon Symphony, mainly because as I understand it you have to be a student, a senior or a member of the Armed Services to take advantage of them and I am neither of those things. Instead, I spent much of the free time I had last month seeking out free concerts and recitals around the area.
Attending these performances, though, felt just like going to a house show or some other small venue rock concert, as the audiences were most often populated by the lifelong classical obsessive’s who will go anywhere to get their fix alongside dozens more who were related to or friends of the musicians.
This was particularly true of the performance by Portland State University’s Women’s Chorus. The young women singers spent a fair amount of time before they hit the stage giving their boyfriends a rundown on how to use the camcorder or chatting with younger siblings. Whether it was the presence of these loved ones or not, the early parts of the program felt very tentative and shaky. But post-intermission, particularly during their rendition of Veljo Tormis’ challenging Modal Etudes, all the nerves were gone and the ladies provided some stirring moments of raw beauty.
For the Clark College Orchestra, the nerves held strong through the majority of their recent performance. It was fairly understandable considering the fact that the group was tackling a never before heard work by Vancouver-based composer Matt Doran. To add to the tension, Doran was in attendance to hear his Symphony #5 for Orchestra brought to life.
It was a fascinating work, reminiscent of some of Aaron Copland’s rousing symphonies with a bit of 20th century dissonance thrown in for good measure. Music director Dr. Donald Appert seemed to relish the moment, but the band played with a stiffness that held back some of the piece’s more interesting moments. You could almost feel the collective sigh of relief by the Orchestra when they settled into the last piece of the night, playing a comfortable sounding version of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
If I’m honest with myself, I have to admit that I wasn’t terribly surprised to hear a bit of wobbly playing from these regional groups. I figure the price of admission alone frees them of any harsh scrutiny on the part of a neophyte like myself. But, I did come across a group that could command at least a nominal fee for their services on the strength of their playing, but instead perform for free out in the hinterlands of Southeast Portland.
The Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra played an incredibly strong group of pieces last month when I saw them, free of any cautiousness and with few distracting hiccups. They tackled everything from a lilting concertino by early 19th century composer Carl Maria Von Weber to a very cinematic sounding work by Aaron Copland, each piece sounding distinct and purposeful. It’s concerts like this one that make me so happy that I decided to take on this odd little project and leave me hungry for the next concert or recital. Who knows—I might actually be willing to pay for the music next time.
Furniture Music cartoon by Casey Jarman
Related posts:
- Furniture Music #4: Classical Revolution PDX Part of my
- Furniture Music #1: An Introduction For the en
- Furniture Music #3: Music For 18 Musicians Even among
- Furniture Music #2: Cappella Romana A cappella
- Music Millennium Hosts Its 17th Annual Custumer Appreciation BBQ (With Free Music and Food) Music Mill
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Chris Robley
says:Hey Robert,
I bet the Symphony, Opera, and Ballet might be interested in parting with one free ticket if they knew it could turn some new folks on to their programs. Have you told them about this Furniture Music series and that it is meant to reach non-concert hall geeks? Anyways, always nice reading these entries.
I believe the children are the future.
Teach them counterpoint and let them lead the way.
-chris
Posted @ May 8th, 2009 at 4:25 pm (May 8th, 2009) | Flag this Comment | permalinkjim
says:…because as I understand it you have to be a student, a senior or a member of the Armed Services to take advantage of them and I am neither of those things.
*Neither* of those things??? You guys have an editor?
Posted @ May 8th, 2009 at 7:40 pm (May 8th, 2009) | Flag this Comment | permalinkDouglas Jenkins
says:Thinking about this classical music for free idea, I remember when I was in high school the Honolulu Symphony used to open up the concert hall for free for the last rehearsal before every performance. I think it was like 10am on a Thursday or something, and I’d skip school to go to it. That was the rehearsal the soloists were at — (soloists usually only play that one rehearsal with an orchestra, even while the rest of the orchestra rehearses 5 or 6 sessions per performance — it’s crazy).
Anyway, if I liked the piece I’d go buy a ticket because I’d want to see it in its uncut form in performance. If I wasn’t so into I didn’t buy a ticket and didn’t go to the show. I wouldn’t have bought as many tickets, though, without going to those rehearsals for the preview.
I don’t understand why more symphonies don’t do that. I miss it. It definitely cultivated my ear for not only the music but the musicality…
It would be sweet while unemployed to get to go just hang out informally in the Schnitz for 3 hours on Thursday mornings and get an ear for it all!
Posted @ May 8th, 2009 at 8:23 pm (May 8th, 2009) | Flag this Comment | permalinkRobert
says:Oh that I’ve tried, Chris. Neither the symphony nor the opera have responded to my multiple queries about this column nor its intentions. The smaller groups are willing to let a free ticket go for the sake of exposure.
If you’re out there Portland Opera and/or Oregon Symphony, I’m ready to listen.
Posted @ May 8th, 2009 at 10:04 pm (May 8th, 2009) | Flag this Comment | permalinkCarl Herko
says:I’m puzzled why you’d write that “neither the symphony nor the opera have responded to my multiple queries,” since you’ve never contacted me to ask for a ticket or anything else that I’m aware of.
For the record, let me state the obvious: Yes, the Oregon Symphony — like every orchestra and every arts group everywhere — wants and needs to attract new audiences of all sorts. The question I’d ask is: Why do you seem to think that newcomers would be interested in discovering what the Oregon Symphony (or classical music in general, for that matter) is all about only if they can get in for free? Certainly you wouldn’t dream of suggesting that in order to widen their appeal, movie theaters should let everybody in for free. Or rock promoters. Or restaurants. Or Nike, every time they come up with a new shoe. Why only classical music?
Fact is, even if you don’t qualify for our $10 student rush tickets or half-price senior discount, you can get in to hear an Oregon Symphony concert anytime you want without having to fork over big bucks. We make all sorts of other ticket discounts available throughout the season (go to our web site, OrSymphony.org, and sign up for our e-mail alerts to find out what they are). Even our regular tickets for most classical concerts start at a mere $15, not much more than the price of a movie or a couple of beers. And for that you’ll get to hear an entire evening’s worth of music made by Portlanders for Portlandsers. It’s fresh, live and local — and maybe even unforgettable.
We like to think our audience is getting really great value for the money they invest in us. Happily, our crowds are way up — by double digits in each of the last two years — so lots of Portlanders seem to agree. If you haven’t been among them so far, isn’t it worth a few of your hard-earned bucks to discover what you’ve been missing?
Carl Herko
Posted @ May 11th, 2009 at 3:14 pm (May 8th, 2009) | Flag this Comment | permalinkVice President, Media & Public Relations
Oregon Symphony
Douglas Jenkins
says:I don’t think Bob was saying everyone should get free symphony tickets. I think he was saying it’s normal for a music organization to communicate with journalists. It’s also normal to give journalists free tickets, if for no other reason than because they give musicians free press, and they’d be broke if they had to pay for shows every single night. I give journalists free tickets to Portland Cello Project shows and I’m grateful for all of their feedback over the years — positive and negative. It’s affirmation to me that I’m doing something that’s an important part of society — for good and bad.
I don’t know.
I appreciate what Bob’s doing with this Furniture Music Series. I like the honest and down-to-earth tone he brings to his research. Even though I’m already immersed in the worlds of both classical and indie music in Portland, Bob’s said some stuff that has opened my eyes and made me think about our city’s culture and my place in it as a cellist.
But on the Oregon Symphony’s behalf — they are doing things that no other group in town is doing. Buried in with the standards they are doing edgy things and more musical crossover than anyone gives them credit. It’s sad that the economic barrier and the traditional associations with symphony orchestras are creating this barrier we see clearly manifested in this discussion/misunderstanding.
Posted @ May 11th, 2009 at 5:02 pm (May 8th, 2009) | Flag this Comment | permalink