Classical Revolution--Great Idea or Sacrilege?

[charith]

Last Sunday night we celebrated our 3rd year anniversary at Revolution Cafe (our home), which is how Classical Revolution got its name - playing classical music at Revolution Cafe.
We had 5 full hours of live music - the crowd spilled onto the sidewalk outside the open air cafe.
I would say there were well over 100 people who heard our music there that night, which is pretty typical for our Sunday night events.
Our crowd is mostly in their 20s-30s.
In the past 3 years, we have presented nearly 300 events in San Francisco, in venues where classical music has not previously been present. 
The musicians are really into the idea and keep coming back to play.
The audiences never realized how much they enjoy listening to live classical music.
Our musicians (over 300 different musicians have performed at our events) are a diverse group.
They range from conservatory students to amateur chamber music enthusiasts to local freelancers to members of professional orchestras (LA Phil, Cleveland Orch, Berlin Phil, SF Symphony, among others) to international concerts soloists (Anne-Akiko Meyers, Julie Albers, and Julien Quentin have performed).
The repertoire ranges from baroque to classical to romantic to 20th century to brand new world premiers to improv jam.
The core instrumentation is strings, but we have also featured piano, winds, brass, singers, guitar, harp, and pipa.

Our weekly events are built around the idea of the "Chamber Jam", or public reading sessions.  This is usually not sight reading, as our players are very familiar with the chamber music repertoire, and it is more like a jazz jam session, in that we sit down and read down the standards.
These sessions are also open to rehearsed performances, and have featured some incredible music, including Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Charles Ives Piano Trio, Shostakovich Piano Quintet, Elliot Carter Second Quartet, Schoenberg Pierrot Lunaire (this past Sunday - clip below), and several world premieres and recent scores.

The Classical Revolution brand has spread to other cities around the world.  Current chapters are active in Portland, Reno, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Berlin, Cincinnati, Ann Arbor, Melbourne, Banff, Cleveland, Belgrade, and DC.
Folks in several other cities have threatened to start up, including Seattle, Los Angeles, Eugene, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Houston, Kansas City, Calgary, Toronto, London, Boston, Amsterdam, Atlanta, and Miami.
The idea is that wherever you go, there can be a place where you can hear (or play) live chamber music in a casual environment for free or cheap.

This is a great experiment, it is completely grassroots, with zero budget, and we are all figuring it out as we go along.  As long as the musicians keep wanting to play, the audiences keep coming out, and the venues keep hosting us, we'll keep the Revolution going.


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Program for Classical Revolution's 3 Year Anniversary Celebration
Sunday November 15 2009 7pm-midnight
Revolution Cafe 3248 22nd Street, San Francisco
Featured guests: Vinca String Quartet

Selections for solo guitar played by Mark Abdilla (amplified), joined by Meghen Engel (violin) and Mehmet Aydin (viola) for gypsy-ish improv jam
Mozart String Quartet in d minor (complete): Corey Mike and Baker Peeples (violins), Charith Premawardhana (viola), Erin Wang (cello)
Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire (parts 1 and 2): Kevin Rogers (violin), Annie Suda (cello), Annie Philips (clarinet), Justin Lee (flute), Amy Foote (soprano)
Mozart Clarinet Quintet (mvmts 1-3): Jessica Tong and Aaron Requiro (violins), JT Posadas (viola), Annie Suda (cello), Annie Philips (clarinet)
Brahms Piano Quintet (mvmts 1 and 3): Jory Fankuchen and Meghan Sherlock (violins), Jenn Chang (viola), Jamie ____ (cello)
Mozart Viola Quintet in c minor (complete): Jessica Tong and Aaron Requiro (violins), Charith Premawardhana and JT Posadas (violas), An-Lin Bardin (cello)
Mozart Viola Quintet in g minor (mvmt 1): Jessica Tong and Aaron Requiro (violins), Jory Fankuchen and JT Posadas (violas), An-Lin Bardin (cello)

http://www.youtube.com/v/EEtV4h1qp8o

[secondwind]

Well, tonight I'm headed to LaPorta's restaurant in Alexandria, VA, to hear the debut performance of Classical Revolution in DC.  Beethoven, Turina, etc., and crispy fried calamari--sweet!    I'll post my impressions tomorrow.

[jochanaan]

Well, tonight I'm headed to LaPorta's restaurant in Alexandria, VA, to hear the debut performance of Classical Revolution in DC.  Beethoven, Turina, etc., and crispy fried calamari--sweet!    I'll post my impressions tomorrow.

Mmmmm!

[secondwind]

The Classical Revolution debut event was fun (for me, anyway--hubby had a different opinion), but future events will be much more fun if a way is found to lower the background noise to a dull roar so that it is possible to hear more of the music.  Trying to enjoy the music on Thursday night was a little like trying to enjoy a Shakespeare in the Park outdoor performance while standing out in pouring rain in the middle of a thunderstorm.  It was LOUD in the club, and the sound level seldom went down at all when the music began--if anything, people spoke (or shouted) louder to be heard over the music!  All of which caused me to wonder if the larger society is actually hostile to classical music, or merely indifferent and unaware. 

Yes, it is nice to be able to eat and drink while listening to 3-4 hours of classical music.  And it is nice to be able to make a comment to a companion during a piece, rather than hoping I'll still remember my brilliant observation by the time the piece is over (a risky proposition at my age).  But it would be nicer still to be able to hear the music without a roar of conversations, clanking of glasses, and clattering of flatware on china.  The Classical Revolutionaries will have to pick their battles and their battlefields carefully if they want their music to be heard and if they want to attract and retain music lovers at their events. 

I was both amused and bemused by the two big-screen TVs over the bar that remained on throughout the evening, one tuned to a sports channel and one to a news channel, with the sound turned off and subtitles running.  Evidently it would be unthinkable to rob the patrons of the TV access for the evening.  So Beethoven, Mozart, Albeniz, Scriabin, et al. had to compete with the Tiger Woods scandal, the carjacking of a senator's daughter, and a couple of football games for the hearts and minds (or at least attention) of the patrons.  Tough competition! 

For the musicians, I expect the experience of playing in a situation like that would aid their ability to concentrate in any circumstances.  A cell phone going off in the middle of a concert or audience members being seated during a performance would be minor distractions compared to the hubbub at the restaurant.  I sometimes wondered if the musicians could hear one another well enough to keep their performance coordinated, but somehow they usually did, probably relying on visual cues when the sound level was too high to count on the auditory ones. 

I was able to enjoy the music even through the roar of the bar crowd.  The players were good, and they did their best to turn out first-rate performances.  My husband, however,  found the noise an overwhelming negative.  I doubt I'll get him to another Classical Revolution evening unless I can offer assurances that there will be less non-music noise and more attention paid to the music. 

Oh, and sadly, the calamari weren't crispy; in fact, they were a bit soggy.  I was disappointed because I can clearly remember how wonderful the crispy calamari were 30 something years ago when I got them from street vendors in Madrid. . .   I think it must have to do with the heat of the oil. 

There are pictures and a couple of videos from Thursday night on the Classical Revolution DC website.  Here's the link, for anyone interested in more information:
http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=195662091627&ref=nf

[Opus106]

Thank you for that review, secondwind. I agree, there was way too much noise, and I empathise with your husband. Just sampled the Vivaldi, and even the video was unbearable (due to the "extraneous" sounds, of course ). It reminded me of that scene from Titanic where the string quartet plays in all the commotion.

[jochanaan]

... All of which caused me to wonder if the larger society is actually hostile to classical music, or merely indifferent and unaware. 

It's probably best described as "willful unawareness."  It doesn't affect them--so they think--so they see no need to bother with it.

...
For the musicians, I expect the experience of playing in a situation like that would aid their ability to concentrate in any circumstances.  A cell phone going off in the middle of a concert or audience members being seated during a performance would be minor distractions compared to the hubbub at the restaurant.  I sometimes wondered if the musicians could hear one another well enough to keep their performance coordinated, but somehow they usually did, probably relying on visual cues when the sound level was too high to count on the auditory ones...

I've done a fair number of "party" gigs, mostly wedding receptions.  In such a setting you expect to hear a bunch of noise, and because it's expected, it's easy to tune out.  You don't expect a camera flash or a cell ringtone in a concert where everyone is supposed to be intent on the music. And it's also true that visual cues are very important, not just in party gigs but in recitals and concerts.  Most often, auditory cues come too slow for me to react, and although after all these years playing I catch up quickly, there's still that initial out-of-sync moment that may throw others off and cause a "train wreck."

[secondwind]

Opus106, I told my husband about your comparison to the quartet playing on the Titanic.  He thought that was pretty funny, and then he said, "but the bar never sank!"  I think there came a point Thursday night when he would have been happy to see water rising around the bar!

Jochanaan, you're right that this was a lot like a "party gig" for the players--they knew a large number of people were paying no attention to them, just like at a big reception where the music is there as audio window dressing.  It is my hope that the Classical Revolution folks in DC find situations in which they can be better heard than was possible this past week.  I just listened to the clip of Pierrot Lunaire posted by Charith (from a Classical Revolution performance in San Francisco last month) for comparison.  Although it is possible to hear some conversation and other restaurant sounds in the background, the decibel level of the competing noise is nowhere near what it was in LaPorta's.  I trust that our local musical missionaries will likewise eventually find ways to deliver their message where it can actually be heard. 

[Teresa]

  I'm too late to vote, but Chamber and solo music is what TURNED ME OFF OF CLASSICAL MUSIC for the longest time.  It was not until I heard Emerson, Lake and Palmer's recording of "Pictures at an Exhibition" and then bravely bought the Karajan and Berlin Philharmonic DGG LP of the same back in the 1970's that I discovered I LOVE classical music if it is for orchestra and has LOTS of percussion.

For people like me who like Art/Progressive Rock, this will be a BIG turnoff and likely keep them away from Classical music for good and away from what ever establishments play this crummy chamber and solo music.  I listened to the terrible music at the Classical Revolution website and I am scarred how this could damage the future of classical orchestral music as new listeners will wrongfully believe this is what classical music is and never be exposed to the exciting orchestral works that are still being written today. 

I think letting people know that the orchestral music used in Science Fiction and Adventure films has it's roots in traditional classical orchestral music is the clearest way to get youngsters to either listen to orchestral music live or at least check out some CDs from the library.  With exposure to chamber and solo music, they likely would never mess with exploring the great classics as performed by the world's greatest orchestras.  And that is a real shame!

[Opus106]

But there can be so much chamber music that sound "orchestral" (Brahms comes to mind), gut-wrenching and loud, and even highly dissonant. Chamber music was (and is) not restricted to Eszterháza, you know. (No offence meant, Gurn; I'm just trying to get a point across. )

[drogulus]

Yes, it is nice to be able to eat and drink while listening to 3-4 hours of classical music.  And it is nice to be able to make a comment to a companion during a piece, rather than hoping I'll still remember my brilliant observation by the time the piece is over (a risky proposition at my age).  But it would be nicer still to be able to hear the music without a roar of conversations, clanking of glasses, and clattering of flatware on china.  The Classical Revolutionaries will have to pick their battles and their battlefields carefully if they want their music to be heard and if they want to attract and retain music lovers at their events. 

      The great recordings that Bill Evans made at the Village Vanguard in 1961 are considered among the finest in jazz history, and they feature conversations and clinking glasses throughout. Something tells me the psychology of classical music has gone very wrong in the way it seeks to compel attention, forbidding any kind of informal access to the music. That's OK for those of us willing and even eager to hear music that way, but it acts as a barrier, raising the entry cost even higher for those who might be interested but easily discouraged by the forbidding atmosphere, as they would experience it, that surrounds orthodox classical music making. Isn't that the idea behind this revolution, to break down that barrier?

      Teresa, I don't think your route into classical is the only way but you have a point. Many young people get their start in classical music in precisely the way you did, and I shudder to think what will happen if films leave classical music behind.

But there can be so much chamber music that sound "orchestral" (Brahms comes to mind), gut-wrenching and loud, and even highly dissonant. Chamber music was (and is) not restricted to Eszterháza, you know. (No offence meant, Gurn; I'm just trying to get a point across. )

      If they played Shostakovich and Schoenberg that might quiet some of the conversation. And I think they should. It's a mistake IMO to think that you have to spoon feed "light" classics to new listeners. I think Teresa is at least partially right here. Let's get away from the powdered wig stuff* and kick some ass!

      _{* Nothing against Mozart/Haydn etc., it just feeds the stereotype of classical music as elitist, an "inconvenient truth" that should be downplayed.}

[Teresa]

Let's get away from the powdered wig stuff* and kick some ass!

      _{* Nothing against Mozart/Haydn etc., it just feeds the stereotype of classical music as elitist, an "inconveniwent truth" that should be downplayed.}

How about a kick-ass Classical Revolution, hard driving, lots of percussion, rhythm and beat?  The Evil God and the Dance of the Pagan Monsters from Prokofiev's Scythian Suite could be our theme tune. 

BTW I still love Rock music if it is exciting, I don't like that sappy Pop stuff.   Same thing with Classical music, it has to get down and move me.  I love kick-ass music of all kinds.

[jochanaan]

How about a kick-ass Classical Revolution, hard driving, lots of percussion, rhythm and beat?  The Evil God and the Dance of the Pagan Monsters from Prokofiev's Scythian Suite could be our theme tune. 

BTW I still love Rock music if it is exciting, I don't like that sappy Pop stuff.   Same thing with Classical music, it has to get down and move me.  I love kick-ass music of all kinds.

I've got one name for you:  Kronos Quartet!  They kick major ass. Seriously, they've made their name the hardest possible way, playing challenging contemporary music of all kinds.  Any number of composers have written music for them.

[Teresa]

I've got one name for you:  Kronos Quartet!  They kick major ass. Seriously, they've made their name the hardest possible way, playing challenging contemporary music of all kinds.  Any number of composers have written music for them.

The Kronos Quartet even sometimes has guest percussionists!   I like Joan's Blue from the Reference Recording In Formation.  Didn't really care for the other pieces though.  Also I liked some of the compositions from "Pieces of Africa" with traditional African instruments and percussion.  However I cannot stand string quartets alone without percussion, to me percussion is like spices on food, necessary for me otherwise food and music are bland.   

[some guy]

future events will be much more fun if a way is found to lower the background noise to a dull roar so that it is possible to hear more of the music.  Trying to enjoy the music on Thursday night was a little like trying to enjoy a Shakespeare in the Park outdoor performance while standing out in pouring rain in the middle of a thunderstorm.  It was LOUD in the club, and the sound level seldom went down at all when the music began--if anything, people spoke (or shouted) louder to be heard over the music!

Does this mean that if the voting were opened back up that this choice, "A terrible idea--great music cannot be appreciated under cafe conditions" would get more than zero?

As I've said before, I've been going to concerts of music (non-pop) in cafes and bars and art galleries and museums and abandoned factories and city squares and embassies and hotels for almost thirty years now. Very rarely was the noise of the "audience" distracting from the music. Of course, very never was the music being played something from over a hundred years ago. (Usually it was from less than ten years ago.) That's one difference. "Classical music" to the cafe crowd that "Classical Revolution" is attempting to convert/seduce/intrigue means "old music by dead white guys" pretty much, and the music "CR" plays plays right into that mistaken notion.

I'm coming around myself to the idea that perhaps the term "classical" has outlived its usefulness.

Another difference is that a certain amount of music played at the concerts I've been going to is what I would call "hospitable music." Most western art music is not hospitable, of course, but a fair amount of recent western art music is hospitable. Play the ur-hospitable piece by Mr. Cage in your noisy cafes. Wow, that's a noisy piece, there. And how interesting how all the individual voices turn into undulating strands of sound, punctuated by random clangs and clashes from the kitchen.

Or play, as Teresa has suggested, some extremely inhospitable music, but do it right, not with a couple of wimpy drums added to a string quartet, but with a couple of innocent little laptops hooked up to a sweet sound system.

Seems to me like CR started and stopped with the notion of taking Mendelssohn to the masses. Started and stopped with the notion of "classical music" as an over and done with historical artifact kind of thing. Started and stopped with the idea that these notions of theirs were the only notions going. Maybe it's time now for some rethinking?

[some guy]

James, do you never get tired of that knee of yours jerking the same way to the same stimuli? I know I do!!

Are you incapable of understanding that there are members of this group, "those of us that know & value what quality art is," who do not share your opinions?

[some guy]

Wow. What an incredible non sequitur. Truly masterful.

Let's get back to the discussion at hand, though, why not? Classical Revolution. Music in bars and such.

The possibility of mentioning someone like Cage without James' knee jerking about.

But, it's gonna have to be someone besides me. Anyone?

[bhodges]

I think classical music in alternative venues is a fine idea, as long as it's not the only way of experiencing it.  In NYC there is a venue called (Le) Poisson Rouge (a.k.a. LPR), established in 2008 (IIRC) in the site of the former Village Gate.  LPR is the brainchild of two classically trained musicians, David Handler and Justin Kantor, who were weary of some of the rituals of classical music and wanted to try a more informal approach. 

Well, some 16 months later, the place has become a huge hit, presenting everything from pianist Simone Dinnerstein (playing Beethoven) to the Jack Quartet (playing Xenakis).  Among other things coming up, violinist Hilary Hahn is hosting a "Bach party" in a few weeks.  The schedule is roughly 50% classical, with the other half a mix of rock, jazz, world music and music tough to classify.

The basement space holds around 800 people (less with tables and chairs, which is usually the set-up when I've been), and waitstaff serve drinks and food.  Yes, there is some light extraneous noise, from the ordering and consumption of food and drink, as well as the air conditioning and heating system, so it's not suitable for all types of concerts.  (I don't think Salvatore Sciarrino's ultra-quiet music would survive here.)  However, the casual atmosphere is apparently one that many listeners find pleasing--and not just young ones, either, from the crowds.  I've been there maybe two dozen times, for many different types of concerts, and the experiences have been mostly good, especially as the place has refined its security, traffic flow and other issues. 

Now, would I want to hear music only here, and not at Carnegie Hall?  No way...

--Bruce

[jochanaan]

...However I cannot stand string quartets alone without percussion, to me percussion is like spices on food, necessary for me otherwise food and music are bland.   

Then you'd probably like George Crumb's Black Angels.  Each of the string players doubles on percussion of many kinds, and the music, like the Kronos, kicks major ass. But it's definitely in the avant-garde category...

[Andante]

If I may go back to the OP post,  You do not hear Classical music you listen to it, I have never experienced this with type of venue with classical and fail to see what it would achieve, I have played Jazz in this type of venue and that is different again it does work, most Jazz clubs have quite noisy patrons

[charith]

The debut of Classical Revolution Records: "Nuevo Chamber" by the Musical Art Quintet is available now at http://www.classicalrevolution.org
Kick ass music!
classical meets Latin