Cole Grissom

Check out what's happening this weekend in classical music!

Check out what's happening this weekend in classical music...

With today's society in constant need of visual stimulus, staging oratorio repertoire has become increasingly necessary. Gone are the days where a chorus can stand solemnly still in their tuxes and black dresses, holding their binders at hip height, while soloists sit downstage in bedazzled gowns and teased out hair. At least the days are gone when this would attract a young, fresh audience. To their credit, La Fura dels Baus seems to understand this and executed a visual feast of an evening--akin to a cracked out Ferngully--stumbling only when attempting to drive home the message of their concept. They had a lot to say--but I wasn't exactly sure what it was...

Check out what's happening this weekend in classical music...

Check out what's happening this weekend in classical music.

For those new to the art form, classical music often inspires a false sense of reverie - pomp and circumstance. By subscribing to this false narrative, we're building a Trumpian wall around classical music - forcing an unnecessary impediment to its accessibility. It's impossible to show respect to the art form and strip its humanity by creating a cushion between the music and its consumers. There's a quiet hum of disturbance on the Upper West Side, though. The Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players' Monday concerts are that hum and they are bringing classical music to the people of the neighborhood in a powerful way.

Sunday was gorgeous. So gorgeous, in fact, the first half of the day distracted me-cutting my trek to the Dudamel/LA Phil concert dangerously close. After running home and tossing on my short-suit, I threw myself into the middle of Columbus avenue in a frenzied flail-praying for a lit cab. Luckily, one stopped and I flung myself inside, hopeful this driver knew how to get to Lincoln Center.

Gilbert, of Gilbert and Sullivan, was a lyrical wizard, crafting rhyme scheme and word play that titillates audiences still today - more on that here. His influence has burst through the walls of the theater, permeating myriad markets. And with his influence as far reaching as South Park, it's safe to say that today's lyricists are finding inspiration from him as well: enter Sheldon Harnick.

I recently attended a production of Twist's Symphonie Fantastique, an interesting feast of visual delight choreographed to Liszt's piano transcription of Berlioz's masterpiece – it was Fantasia for adults.

Check out what's happening this weekend in classical music:

Bargemusic took me on a quirky, weird journey that shouldn't have worked, but in a bizarre way, absolutely did – and we didn't even leave the dock!

Abraham Brody is a violinist and vocalist who has recently discovered a wealth of compositional talent. His journey down this path began with an exploration of alternative forms of expression, whose origins were firmly planted in improvisation. From this early manifestation, his compositional language has since found strength and focus with a keen eye on storytelling.

Currently, the New York Philharmonic is presenting the movie masterpiece Amadeus with live orchestrations as part of their Art of the Score series. They have removed the prerecorded orchestral and choral elements from the film and replaced them with live manifestations. It's breathtaking and requires a trip to Lincoln Center.

Check out what's happening this weekend in classical music!

With today's social media feeds providing a variable feast of juxtaposition, it's invigorating to watch Austin McCormick pointedly understand and translate this aspect of modern living onto the stage. He perfectly captures the sensibility of today's generation, one that embraces the ambiguity of life, art, and the pursuit of happiness, at Company XIV - the vehicle for his orgy of artistic creativity.

As classical music presentations continue to innovate in the 21st century, it's paramount that a keen eye remains focused on the purpose of this innovation. Innovation for innovation's sake will fail every time. And, unfortunately, Philharmonia Orchestra of New York (PONY) fell victim to this pitfall with their recent production of La Traviata.

As our current national climate yearns for increasingly definable parameters and ever-distinguishable boundaries - music is experiencing an interesting fuzzy period. Political parties are fractioning, splintering into irreconcilable shards more than ever before, while the genre of classical music, an art form that has so consistently bound itself to structure and definable order, is beginning to see compositional structures that are harder and harder to silo. Classical music is steeped in the tradition of borrowing melodies or stylistic practices from the popular cannon, but rarely, if ever, have these genres shared a sonic landscape - until now.

In the performing arts, people love to talk about the 'it' factor – and it's annoying. Everyone has their own, elusive, definition of what this means, which basically boils down to – you know it when you see it. It's something so intangible and unteachable that being able to pin it down with words is next to impossible. I understand what I'm about to say officially makes me part of the problem, but that is truly the best way to describe the magnitude of Monét X Change. Is she perfect? Hardly. Is she hyper-polished? Nope. Will she text you back? Depends on the day. But does she have the 'it' factor? Abso-f*cking-lutely. And I can't – won't – take my eyes off of her.

Having your artistic brain-children paraded before you in celebration of your life must be a surreal experience - one that John Corigliano is, now, very familiar with. National Sawdust recently hosted his 80th birthday celebration and packed the evening with his compositional gems, peppering the program with videos from colleagues and friends. It was such an honor and treasure to be present-if you still haven't gotten to National Sawdust, you're doing it wrong.

Get yourself to a classical music performance! Check out what's happening this weekend in New York City...