[In the
following blog—and maybe for some in the future as well—‘contemporary’ is my
code word for any feature of a performance marking it as something happening in
today’s vernacular world, rather than in the heavily protected or subsidized
contexts of concert hall, opera, ballet, or jazz festivals sponsored by cities
or arts centers.]
Suppose we
decide that we want to perform old music or music that references old music—old
music could be only a few decades old—but in a ‘contemporary’ fashion. What tends
to be regarded as ‘contemporary’ can vary a great deal, depending on culture,
country, and so forth. But let’s say that we’re going to do this in a fairly
cosmopolitan town in the U.S. What would this mean? How do we recognize
contemporary music?
Is it
amplified or not? What usage of electronics is ‘contemporary?’ Must it be
presented only as brief “songs” or are lengthy “pieces” possibly appropriate? In
what venue will the musicians play? What is the actual performing space like
within it? Is there a program with program notes? What will the musicians wear?
“Amplification”
could mean that the sound of acoustic instruments is enhanced, but it could
also signify that the music is played primarily or exclusively on guitars,
basses, and keyboards, all electric (with drums), rather than acoustic violins,
violas, and cellos, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons. Saxophones, trombones,
vibraphones, and even flutes might be instruments that are associated less than
oboes and cellos with orchestras playing traditional Western music; are they
‘contemporary’ or do their associations with jazz now make them old-fashioned
as well?
Does ‘contemporary’
access to sophisticated electronics result in the use of a variety of sound
effects made in part by the musical instruments themselves or will it be more
autonomous digital sounds made purely by a computer—possibly recorded ahead of
time—as with many avant-garde performances?
Pieces from
the standard Western repertory (and I’m not even considering opera or long dance
pieces here) can often take a long time to play; is it more ‘contemporary’ to
present music in, say, five minute segments, as is more typical for a hit
recording played on a radio station? If so, how does one present that
repertory, yet in shorter segments of time?
In order for
the event to come off as ‘contemporary,’ should the venue be a theater, an
arena or amphitheater, or a club? Is any of these more appropriate than a
concert hall, “alternative space,” church, or opera house? Is a big proscenium
stage set-up ‘contemporary’ or should it be a flexible, even modular one? Must
the people in the audience be in essentially fixed seats or is it contemporary
for them to move around?
If it is more
“contemporary” not to have programs with program notes in the manner of
classical music performances, then the musicians will presumably announce the
music from the stage. What will be the manner and substance of these
announcements?
Suits,
tuxedos, or gowns may not even be considered for a ‘contemporary’ look, but would
dress shirts (or blouses) and slacks, elaborate costumes associated with some rock
or hip-hop music, or t-shirts and torn jeans be preferred?
Today is for
posing the questions; I won’t answer them yet—that is, if I can answer them at all.
