Dancing Ghosts and Classical Music

I just got back from Giselle at the Met, and I understand now why Disney decided to name its heroine in Enchanted after the title character in this ballet. Both Giselles are peasants who fall in love with princes, but, as always, Disney takes just a few liberties:

Giselle in Enchanted does not die from the heartbreak of unrequited love. She doesn't come back to haunt her lover as a ghost, and she doesn't bring back with her the ghosts of a whole league of jilted brides, bent on destroying men by dancing them to death. (Anybody thinking Miss Havisham from Great Expectations here? Those Victorians sure enjoyed their unrequited love and revengeful brides!)

Now that you know the storyline, don't you want to watch this ballet? Who could resist a romantic thriller that involves the most gorgeous, athletic dancing you'll ever see? Ballet is anything but boring.

*Pulls out soapbox. (But not really.) Clears throat.*

I. Why YOU Would Love Ballet:

Ballet is a fully-theatrical experience that touches on universal themes that are as relevant today as they were in the 19th century. Plus it's easy on the eyes. The costumes and the set are as striking as anything on Broadway.

Which leads me to. . .

II. Why YOU Would Love Opera:

Don't stop reading! Hear me out. :-) Opera's just like ballet but with more focus on beauty of sound than on beauty of movement.

Did you know that, in Shakespeare's day, people used to say that they had gone to "hear" a performance of Shakespeare, not to "see" a performance? There is beauty in words and in the sounds they create (whether spoken or sung). Opera has the potential to pack more emotional power than almost any other artistic genre I've ever encountered. (And it's not just for stuffy old people! I love it, and I'm young and completely unstuffy.)

As an unstuffy musician who is fascinated by the up-and-coming, I'm excited to attend the premier of a brand new orchestral work performed by the New York Philharmonic tomorrow. I wish I could share the experience with all of you! Indulge me one more time:

III. Why YOU Would Love Contemporary Classical Music:

It's as creative, as genuinely unique, and as experimental as indie music or progressive rock.

Contemporary classical music explores the parameters of sound. It tests or manipulates those parameters to create a final product that could sound like almost anything from Mozart to someone banging on a piano to sound just hanging in silence. (There's actually a piece by John Cage that requires a pianist to sit at the piano and do nothing at all!)

So many types of music fall under this single heading, in fact, that it's almost ridiculous to group them together. Whether you prefer electronic music or acoustic, rhythmic or static, complex or sparse, there's something for you, but be warned: This music demands something. It demands openness; no snap judgments are allowed. Sometimes you have to listen to a piece six or seven times before you love it. Like pupils dilating to accept new levels of light, your ears must adjust to understand a new soundscape.

Now quickly, before you dismiss all of this, give me a chance to ask you one question: Do you know any composers who wrote classical music post-WWII? (And no, as much as I love their music, John Williams and Hans Zimmer don't count.)

Gershwin? (Too early. "Rhapsody in Blue" came out in 1924.)

Any other suggestions? (If you're resourceful, you might remember that I mentioned John Cage earlier!)

If you've got nothing, don't worry; most people are in the same boat. But wouldn't you like to become informed if there were a quick and easy way to do it? Well, good news: There is!

Just visit the following website, and in less than FIVE MINUTES, you can listen to clips of the five of the pieces that Alex Ross (lover of pop, rock, and classical alike) considers the most influential of the 20th century. You don't have to do any prep work; just remember the ONE simple requirement: Listen with open ears.

CLICK HERE

Enjoy!