Well, the venue turned out to be slightly disappointing, at least for a classical music performance. We discovered that the lighting people really like using different colors as backdrop for the performers. Sometimes the Assad brothers were bathed in a purple light, sometimes red, sometimes blue or green, and this lighting would change color and intensity in the middle of nearly every piece at awkward moments. The house was pitch black and the stage bright, which to me made a greater distinction between performer-audience. Now this is completely natural since obviously they were on the stage and we were in the audience- but to me, making that line more distinct than necessary put more of a boundary between the two parties, making it easy for me to disengage as an audience member and feel more disconnected to the performance at hand. I personally like house lights at a medium level so that the performer can actually see the audience and engage in a more personal way, talking about the music, gauging reactions, and making the performer feel more accessible to the audience. Somehow being shrouded in darkness makes you feel like your presence as an audience member is negligible and that no one would really care if you fell asleep or got bored and walked out. Well, that's not the case at all. Speaking from a performer's perspective, every member of the audience is an essential part of that performance. Especially in intimate settings, even just one person can completely change the energy of a room and increase a performer's connection to both the music and the act of sharing that music with others. I really believe that this connection is essential in making a concert a personal, spiritual experience for both sides.
All that aside, the Balboa Theater is a really nice place. The ceiling is very intricately carved in a 1920's art deco sort of way, with unexpected carvings and flourishes of pink, red and blue everywhere. The most unusual thing is that there are two water fountains on the walls that sandwich the stage. They are running waterfalls that produce the sound of trickling water which were not turned off while the Assads were playing. It kind of made me feel like getting out of my seat to go to the bathroom. The other acts booked at the Balboa are totally different than the show that the Assads put on. They included the Shanghai Circus, the Vienna Choir Boys, and Frog and Toad (the play). The Assads definitely had to adjust to play in such a mainstream sort of venue. The concert was entitled "Brazilian Guitar Festival" and included Celso Machado, an amazing Brazilian folk guitarist/composer/percussionist, Romero Lupe, a Brazilian jazz guitarist, and their sister Badi Assad. She was by far the more outlandish. More than just a guitarist, she is an excellent singer and mouth percussionist. There was a whole piece in which she made rainforest sounds with her mouth, which the audience ate up. In fact the whole crowd started making rainforest noises and the sounds of monkeys, birds and rain filled the theater. It was pretty random.
Still a good show, but it made me a little sad to think that this performance was probably only picked up by the Balboa because it wasn't straight classical, which probably would not have drawn a large audience on a Monday evening. But what is needed in order to sell classical music? Does a classical musician only succeed in playing a venue like the Balboa through crossing over into the worlds of jazz, pop, and folk? And if so, does the concert need to be such an entertainment-focused, flashy event to appeal to the masses? Looking around, I was pleased to see a pretty heterogeneous crowd which definitely differed from some of the other concerts we've gone to places like La Jolla, which is a predominantly white, upper-class crowd. This was a mixed crowd of people of all ages and ethnicities, who were probably attracted not by the name of the Assad Brothers, whom the average person probably has not heard of, but who probably wanted to see a good show at the newly renovated theater and the words "Brazilian" and "guitar" sparked interest. So at the end of it, I'll take that- if it means more exposure for classical guitar to the public despite the flashing lights, running waterfall, and crossover additions, then fine. But it's just disappointing that these days, it doesn't seem like excellent artistry in its purest form is really enough.
If you've never heard of the Assads, check 'em out here!
2 comments:
I feel you on the hurt that simple classical music just as it is is now not enough to sell to the masses. I always thought that the eighth largest city in the U.S. would be far more "advanced" musically, and coming from a small town where the arts are fully funded in every public school this was a big surprise.
There is something so powerful and rich and spiritual in classical music that really does sell itself without the fancy gimmicks and over-the-top stage productions.
You know, I walked past the balboa theatre today and i was telling yen- we need to check it out. and then i read you blog... what a strange place- especially the fountains that are on during a performance! good evaluation, though, of the overall plus... interesting...
yucan
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