When taking a glance at the 2005-06 season of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, I instantly scoffed at the large number of movie-related programs (i.e. A Salute to John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch’s Night at the Movies, Searching For Superman). As I grabbed the reins of my high horse, I pondered, “Why can’t people listen to orchestral music without giving more money to George Lucas?”
Then I thought of my initial reaction to the classic tango, “Por una Cabeza,” which my enchantingly cultured wife had been recommending to me for years. When I finally got a copy of the song and gave it a spin, the first thing that popped into my head wasn’t a sultry Argentinean sunset – it was Arnold Schwarzenegger dancing in a tuxedo. “Por una Cabeza” was featured in the opening sequence of Arnold’s summer blockbuster True Lies, a movie I saw in theatres (and thoroughly enjoyed) in the mid-‘90s.
As I remembered laughing at Tom Arnold’s boffo physical gags and cheering on Arnold and Jamie Lee Curtis as they murdered the evil terrorists, I realized what a hypocrite I truly am. It’s no secret why orchestras have had trouble drawing young folks for decades – classical music isn’t considered cool – but the sheer fact that it seeps into our brains nonetheless is a testament to its power.
“Orchestras have had problems attracting young people for the last 50 years,” comments Dan Hart, Executive Director of the BPO. “The only solution for future generations is education. We need to expose as many young people as possible to classical music. When we hold concerts specifically for children, they really get into it; they’re the best audience you can imagine.”
BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta believes that no matter how old you are, once you’re through the door, there’s a good chance you’ll get hooked. “There’s a bit of fear in people, that they won’t enjoy it or understand it,” Falletta observes. “So many people have come up to me after seeing us for the first time, and they almost always say, ‘I didn’t know it would be so exciting!’ You don’t need a classical background to be swept away by these compelling musicians; you just have to be a human being.”
Carbon-based life forms of all kinds should be happy with the classics lineup, because it’s all worth seeing, including an opening night gala with Yo-Yo Ma (Nov. 17), a celebration of Mozart’s 250th birthday (Jan. 28-29) and a fiery, Latin-themed program centered around Ravel’s “Bolero” (June 3-4). A few of the pops concerts are fantastic as well, most notably a two-night stand by pop songwriting king Burt Bacharach (Oct. 28-29) and two New Orleans jazz smorgasbords – The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Oct. 7-8) and trumpeter Byron Stripling (Feb. 24-25).
While there’s something for everybody on the calendar (unless you’re strictly into death metal or Christian rap), there are two programs in particular that will stir anybody’s soul. The first is the Cameron Baird Centennial Concert (Dec. 3-4), honoring what would be the BPO founder’s 100th birthday. The profound influence that Baird has had on our city is impossible to measure, but the lineup that conductor JoAnn Falletta has put together certainly does justice to his legacy, including compositions by two famous friends of Baird: Aaron Copland and Paul Hindemeth. The night will open with Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” probably the most triumphant piece in the history of American music. The brass and timpani-heavy composition spills over with the majesty and conviction of the American laborer. It might as well be the official song of our struggling Rust Belt city. After the orchestra explores German composer Hindemeth’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis”(a tribute to Germanic musical hero Carl Maria von Weber), it will tackle one of the most towering and ambitious symphonies ever written: Beethoven’s Ninth.
Since it was first performed in 1824, Beethoven’s final, most extravagant symphony has been the stuff of legend. Written in the twilight of the composer’s life (he died in 1827), after he had gone completely deaf, the ninth or “Choral” symphony is absent of the gloomy skies and bitter landscapes one might expect from an artist who is not only aware of his impending death, but has also lost the ability to experience his one true passion. Instead, it is profoundly bold and brilliant, resulting in an almost mystical sensibility. It is a documented fact that the artist was in the depths of despair while writing his symphonic swan song, making it a work of stubborn optimism, and a colossal achievement.
Beethoven takes the traditionally morose key of D Minor to glorious heights, with a bombastic peak in the middle of the first movement, the immediately recognizable violin octave jumps in the second, the woodwind-fueled calm of the third, and the coup de gras – the choral “Ode To Joy.” If you’re a fan of music, of melody, harmony and percussion, the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth demands your attention. It starts slowly, focusing on soft string whispers and quick brass utterances. Then the universally renowned theme is introduced, its simple ups and downs massaging the ears, then picking up steam until the introduction of the chorus, which lends a spiritual power that swells through the concert hall. In the capable hands of Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus (another group that Baird founded), the performance is sure to do justice both to Beethoven’s otherworldly magnum opus and the legacy of Cameron Baird.
For the more adventurous listener, the brightest spot on the schedule is a program that Falletta describes as “an attempt to unite East with West” (Nov. 19-20). The first half of the show features two renowned Chinese compositions, starting with “Ge Xu (Antiphony)” by Chen Yi. “Yi is one of the most important Chinese composers,” Falletta raves. “Her work is really vibrant, filled with the folk songs of her country.” The second piece is “The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto,” by Chinese composers Chen Gang and He Zhanhao. The piece will be led by guest soloist Xu He, the internationally renowned master of the erhu, an ancient, two-stringed “vertical violin” that is reminiscent of the human voice. Coincidentally, Xu He is a resident of Buffalo, and has cancelled concerts in Japan for the chance to perform with the BPO.
Inspired by a Chinese folktale that plays like a Shakespearean tragedy (although it probably predates good ol’ Billy Shakes by a few centuries), the concerto is split into three parts. The first depicts the blossoming relationship between two lovers, named Shanbo and Yingtai. The second documents their downfall, as Yingtai is forced into an arranged marriage. Shanbo dies of depression, and as Yingtai weeps on his grave, the force of her despair causes the earth to crack beneath her. She commits suicide by hurling herself into the abyss. The third section, dominated by flutes and harps, illustrates the couple reincarnated as butterflies, finally allowed to be lovers without any obstructions. It’s easily the most romantic piece of the season. (FYI: If you’re more into the “you had me at hello” or “love means never having to say you’re sorry” brand of romance, don’t fret. Check out “He’s Playing Our Song” (Feb. 10-11), a Valentine’s Day program where Marvin Hamlisch is sure to dish out all the schlock you can take.)
The second half of the evening will feature works by Western composers that were inspired by the East. Igor Stravinsky’s “Song of the Nightingale” is a dense, disjointed and wonderful symphonic poem based on the story of an Emperor who must let go of a nightingale that keeps him in good health. As he lies on his deathbed, the nightingale returns to save him. If you think nobody experimented with musical forms and messages before the ‘60s, Stravinsky’s piece will be a wake-up call. The finale, “The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Kahn” by American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes, is inspired by the classic Coleridge poem. It’s music that attempts to reflect the surreal contradictions of the poet’s imagery (i.e. “A sunny pleasure dome with caves of ice!”), and it’s yet another work that’s worth the price of admission.
As somebody who wasn’t exposed to much classical music as a child, I know from experience that nothing takes up residence in our subconscious like a famous classical theme. Since I cut off my bad teenage mullet and started to proactively listen to classical music, I’ve discovered countless pieces that I didn’t realize I already loved. I never gave a crap about those “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner” commercials, but they were my introduction to “Hoedown” from Copland’s Rodeo ballet. American Airlines never took me anywhere, but I never forgot their theme, which was taken from Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue.” I got a good Beethoven tutorial from A Clockwork Orange, but not from the movie Beethoven (I wouldn’t recommend renting it, unless you like Charles Grodin, German shepherds and wacky consequences).
Classical music is everywhere, even if we’re not looking for it. We need to forget the powdered wigs and stuffy know-it-alls, because this music is no more pompous than your average Rolling Stones song. It’s powerful, passionate, beautiful stuff, and it’s being performed right in our backyard. As the Californians always say: If it’s good enough for Schwarzenegger, it’s good enough for us.
Appeared in the May/June 2005 issue of Buffalo Spree.