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"The Classical Style," NY Times article

Yes, it's (sort of) based on the Charles Rosen book. And the opera is by the pianist Jeremy Denk and a composer (Steven Stucky) that I actually sort of know because we were at the same college. I'm surprised that I hadn't heard any murmurings about this piece. I wonder if anyone here did.

Here's a part of the article that gives some impression of what's in store:

“The Classical Style,” which will have its premiere this June at the Ojai Music Festival in California and will be performed at Zankel Hall in New York in December, teems with musical jokes and quotations from notable pieces. In one scene, three characters playing the building blocks of tonality — Tonic, Dominant and Subdominant — walk into a bar, only to be frightened by the Tristan Chord. In another, a symposium on sonata form is written in, well, you can guess. There are in-jokes, but listeners will not need Ph.D.s to get them all. Besides looking for laughs, Mr. Denk and Mr. Stucky said they hoped the opera would illuminate some of Mr. Rosen’s insights on classical music, and inspire people to think about its place in the modern world.

BTW I'm not that fond of the Rosen book because some of the things in there really tick me off, like him practically saying that you have to be a moron to like Mozart's Bb Major Sonata, K. 570. But I'll want to see this anyway.

I will definitley see it too. But I am of two minds on this. For one, I like Denk's music making and intellect. His Ives CD was unmitigated pleasure, as was his CD with Joshua Bell. But I am a huge old-fashioned opera fan. Though any opera afficionado is well trained to engage his or her fantasy, I cannot envision great singing about musical jokes and harmonization. But I am ready to be surprised. I also wonder if the subject matter would have much audience appeal beyond music nerds.
I guess Denk is putting his "genius' award to good use.

There you go with that "frog in the pocket" thing again. Unlesssss, it's an opera without words?

Speaking with a somewhat closed mind after reading the description of this new opera, I don't think that, for me, Mr. Denk's work will in any way replace - or even complement - the enjoyment and satisfaction that operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Mozart, Puccini et al provide.

Regards,

I don't think the opera is going to be an attempt to surpass the music of Mozart or Verdi.

Can someone please help me out on the "frog in the pocket" thing....

(And Damon, what's the "again" thing?)


I never would have thought of this in terms of either "replacing" or "complementing" those things.

Yes, it is to be an "opera" -- of sorts. It seems to me like a thing of its own. And, after all, what's wrong with that....I think that's great.

BTW, FWIW, when I play "concerts," it certainly isn't with any thought of replacing or complementing any existing thing in particular.

I really don't much think of things in terms of their labels. I think of them in terms of what they are -- and if they seem to break new ground, as this perhaps does seem to, that can be best of all.

I was writing about my own opinions. Can't you read!

....and I was giving mine!

(What's the problem?)