Two Shows at the Schnitz

By way of random luck and a stupendous Valentine's present, I got to see two concerts in Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland last week. First, the second one:

Sunday night I went and saw the following pieces performed by the Oregon Symphony.

MOZART: Symphony No. 36 (Linz)
RACHMANINOFF: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
LINDBERG: Feria
RAVEL: Bolero

Many will sigh, scoff or guffaw to read me say it, but Mozart usually only captivates for short stretches. I love his playfulness, but he only moves me in short bursts, and with moods that are too gentle for my taste. In the Rachmaninoff, there was some scintillating interplay between the hardcore piano soloist and the symphony, and anyways that composer is always mightily dramatic, which I need in classical music in order for it to keep my attention. The Ravel was just a rather hilarious novelty piece that made middle o' the road rap beats seem complex by comparison--all of Bolero is just the same old melody orchestrated different ways for some 14 minutes while a snare drum plays the same riff the Entire time. It was amusing that such a Serious composer wrote such a piece.
The real thing of interest to me was Lindberg's "Feria," because it's actually a modern piece of music (of which there is far, far to little in classical halls around this country). Not being at all familiar with either the composer or the piece, I was curious to see how the Finnish fella dealt with the everywhere-at-once state of classical music in our day n' age. I was not enthralled by the composition, though it had its moments. Of course, I've learned that I can't judge any music by one listening. Let me hear the piece five different times on days when I am in different moods, and then I'll pass judgement. That said, it was interesting, but not interesting enough for me to seek out more music by this guy who is apparently a big deal in the Finnish classical scene.

The most entertaining part of the concert was the introduction given to "Feria" by the conductor (who I believe was also a Fin), who was funny and set up the audience for the music by talking briefly about the form and ambition of the piece.

The first concert I saw at the Schnitz last week was Merle Haggard & the Strangers onstage with Kris Kristofferson, we were sittin' in the third row. Wonderful show. Merle has written some great songs, no doubt, but I was only familiar with his most popular tunes, and again, he didn't play in anything that encouraged further investigation. What he offers are beautiful melodies and well crafted lyrics that soothe and tickle, but don't transform. No doubt if I was one of the older folks with a thirty year long relationship to his music I would talk different. The Strangers were all clearly fine musicians, but the one who switched between guitar and fiddle shoulda played way more fiddle (who needs three or four acoustic guitars strumming the same chords?). The most striking part of Merle's backup was his 16 year old son who sat on the side of the stage and played a sparkly electric guitar throughout--he could really, Really play for how young he was. I should also mention that Merle got off a few good ones in his own solos.

Kristofferson was onstage the whole night, basically just trading songs with Merle, and occasionally the backup band would join in with Kris. His songs were the ones that knocked me out--he's got poetic candor, elemental imagery, the force of wise simplicity. He's the one that had me walkin' away going, "Ok, I gotta get my ears on every Kristofferson recording I can rustle up." Of course I knew "Me and Bobby Magee" and a few other of the more popular ones, but the man played some ballads that demanded I get to know his work further.

So, the show I just talked about was sold out, and the classical concert was not. That, of course, does not reflect the value of either form of music, it only goes to show who's got more going for 'em commercially. But still--I think you gotta bring in the groundlings along with the snooty sniffers in order to really make an appreciable impact on the culture. The classical music audience is mostly old, except for the students of classical music in attendance. Now, the country songs concert was also very much an older crowd, but I attribute that more to economics than to appeal. You could get a symphony ticket cheaper than a country one.

Ultimately I'm just glad that there's room in the world for both classical and country music, not to mention everything in between the two. But down deep I'm a country boy, especially when the country songs sound more radical than the modern Finnish classical music.