The Morgan Library

I went to see a wonderful small show at the Morgan Library of assorted documents and manuscripts from the Bodleian Library.   I love looking some of these very old documents; for example, a copy of Euclid's "Elements", made in the 9th century.

Or a copy of Pliny's "Natural History", made in 1476:

Also, some papyrus fragments of a poem by Sappho from the 2nd century  (Not illustrated)



There was also a sight-specific installation in the main hall of the museum by Spencer Finch, consisting of a number of different translucent colored panels arrayed all around the windows.  Color everywhere!   I had fun taking pictures:

The floor:

Brahms

We heard the Bremen Kammerphilharmonie play an all Brahms concert.  I was excited to hear this concert because it was in Alice Tully Hall, a smaller venue normally used for chamber music; I was hoping to hear a clearer and more detailed sound.  Unfortunately, the conductor, Paavo Jarvi, was more interested in a tempestuous, impulsive version of Brahms, which emphasized fluctuating tempi and extreme dynamics over clarity.  Several extreme pianissimos brought the music to a halt.   The result was exciting at times, but, overall, I don't think Brahms needs that much interpretive reading.  The program included the first piano concerto and the second symphony.   There were two encores from the Hungarian dances, where Jarvi's showoff conducting was over the top.
Still, there is nothing like hearing Brahms orchestral works performed live, and hearing his endlessly (relentlessly?) inventive musical ideas is a treat.
  

Mark Morris

We heard the Mark Morris Dance Company perform Handel's "Acis and Galatea" the other night.   Morris is truly an original, and creates in his own world, which is different from much of contemporary dance.  In this case, the piece was a choreographed performance of Handel's early opera, "Acis and Galatea", in Mozart's arrangement.  To start with, the performance of the orchestra, the Berkeley-based Baroque Philaharmonia, was superb.  It was fascinating to hear Mozart's reworking of Handel; Handel with clarinets!   (The orchestration dates from the time of Mozart's writing the clarinet quintet, etc.)   The chorus was equally superb; and several of the singers were great as well.
What Morris did was to have the chorus in the pit, but have the singers on stage, interacting with the 16 dancers.  So what you saw was a fully acted performance of the opera, with the addition of nearly continuous choreography at the same time.  So your eyes could be attracted to the singers, the dancers, and of course the surtitles for the text. A lot to take in!   Morris's choreography is closely attuned to the music, and very quirky at times.   He sometimes imitates the text in a totally literal fashion; for example, a singer says the word "shakes" and the dancers start literally shaking.  This is goofy stuff, and happens frequently.   Morris also reflects the music literally in other ways, as in when the canonic entries in the music are duplicated in the choreography.   But somehow it all works as a whole in ways that are mysterious to me.  I remember being totally mystified by his "Socrate" the first time I saw it.  The second time I saw it it, I thought it was truly a masterpiece.   I would happily see anything Morris does a number of times.