# Classical clubbing? Interesting.



## Ephemerid (Nov 30, 2007)

Interesting article in The Guardian today HERE.

"What [this club] is not known for is high art. But, on a grim Monday last month, this former power station in east Berlin played host to a rather different event: a classical music club night featuring the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In front of a young crowd knocking back beer and cocktails, the musicians played Schumann's Violin Concerto and Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony. Before and after the set, DJs spun classical records as video artists projected edgy visuals on the screens...."


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## Ephemerid (Nov 30, 2007)

Oh, and here's the club's website, though it all appears to be in German:

http://www.yellowlounge.de/


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## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

How wonderful it would be if there were places like that here in the states particularly close to my home.
On the news (could have been on pbs.) there was a story about a club in NY (I think) that was similar to the one mentioned above except it was opera that was performed. I am not an opera fan (yet) but it sure would be "cool" to relax in a lounge like atmosphere listening to classical/opera.


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2008)

I go _mostly_ to bars and clubs to hear music--classical music.

There and hotel lobbies and coffee shops and living rooms and art galleries--and the occasional music hall in a university.

Classical music, at least that by living composers, has largely left the concert halls for these other places.

So I hear classical music in clubs all the time. There's a concert coming up, in fact, at the Towne Lounge here in Portland:

*Branic Howard and Brandon Conway--Electronics, kitchen implements, etc.
*Adam Reese--Composer/Performing original works
*Jordan Dykstra (viola) and Bob Jones (upright)--in a first-time improv-collaboration!

The last concert of the Portland New Music Society was terrific. It took place in a bar called Valentines. You can read about that one at www.asymmetrymusicmagazine.com. Click on Events, then scroll down to "LIVE AT VALENTINE'S."


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## hawk (Oct 1, 2007)

Boy I wish that were Portland Maine you were talking about!


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2008)

Yeah, sorry!

I moved here a little over a year ago. Been pretty happy with the place so far.

I live a couple of blocks from Music Millenium, several more from Anthem Music and Timbuktunes, and a short bus ride from all these bars that host new music. It's a pretty happenin' little town, for sure.


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## Beethoven (Oct 19, 2007)

Haw haw I lol'd


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2008)

some guy said:


> I go _mostly_ Classical music, at least that by living composers, has largely left the concert halls for these other places.


Not in NZ, It is government policy to have a local quota at concerts and on the radio, the concerts that I went last year all had a piece by a living composer and/or a local composer, at first I would rather it had been all the old masters, but I have changed my attitude and enjoy hearing something new.


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## EricIsAPolarBear (Aug 18, 2007)

Did anybody watch the video on the club's website. It looks great, showed some of the performances and djs.


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## Ephemerid (Nov 30, 2007)

Andante said:


> Not in NZ, It is government policy to have a local quota at concerts and on the radio, the concerts that I went last year all had a piece by a living composer and/or a local composer, at first I would rather it had been all the old masters, but I have changed my attitude and enjoy hearing something new.


Wow. Yet another reason for me to love New Zealand.  I didn't know that... 

I know in Chch there was a LOT going on-- from Part's Passio, the Chch Symphony Orchestra doing everything from Holst to Beethoven to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (no easy feat!), and various other concerts around town of Bach... Sadly, during my 3 month stay I didn't get to attend any of these (my girlfriend and I almost went to see a concert of a couple of Bach's Brandenburgs).

It was funny too, my girlfriend does some stuff on TradeMe for extra money (like eBay but based in NZ) and we would go to some garage sales picking up some items to sell and I thought it was strange how many families were selling classical music and a fair number were playing classical music on their stereos (not like every home, but enough to make me realise that it wasn't unusual-- but that was unusual to my experience, being from the States).

I'll be going back for two weeks in November 2008-- I may look in advance to see what's on so we can go to a concert together!


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2008)

Well, we do have a few living composers featured in symphony concerts here in the U.S. though doubtless fewer than in Europe or New Zealand. 

I was referring to a larger trend, that of composers writing for other groups than symphony orchestras and performing and being performed in other buildings besides concert halls. That trend has been going on for several decades.

After all, a piece for tape or for laptop can be performed anywhere. You only need enough space to set up the equipment and seat a few (hundred?? dozen??) people, and you're good to go. Oh, and electricity. 

There are people still writing for symphony orchestras, and there are even some orchestras that will play those pieces. Fewer.

Does New Zealand radio play electroacoustic music much?


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2008)

some guy said:


> Does New Zealand radio play electroacoustic music much?


I am not aware of any regular radio programmes that cater for this type of music, how ever one of our past local composers "Douglas Lilburn" who studied under R Vaughn Williams turned to this medium in the latter part of his life much to the disgust of hardened traditional classical lovers such as me. lol. Some of our living composers do make use of native [Maori] instruments, but again this is not for me.


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2008)

I haven't listened to Lilburn's electroacoustic work enough to have anything approaching an opinion about it--I'm more familiar with his students' works, particularly the third generation people. But his _reasons_ for devoting himself to electroacoustic music exclusively are only delightful!

There's certainly plenty of New Zealand electroacoustic music. And plenty good enough to deserve air time.


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