Chaconne #17 – October 27, 2013 Private performance

5 P.M.   NY, NY

We were a lovely gathering of people, including one musician, in a beautiful apartment that was perfectly suited for live music; after the music we all sat together for quite some time sharing reactions and questions.  I noticed that there was a large degree of ease and comfort among the group of listeners for  silence,  which to me is a testament to the power of the music.

Our location was new to me, and I had decided that would arrive and just start playing, without excusing myself to another room to warm up…in lieu of the warm up I repeated the first part of the opening movement  (Allemande).  It sort of worked; however, in the future I will explore a warm up that is in effect an open improvisation that leads into the work itself.

I felt slow overall, but calm and attentive, so instead of pushing and driving the music arbitrarily, I simply relaxed and tried to open myself to the flow of the work, and let it come to me and take me where it wanted to go.  I also noticed that while in my preparation of the previous three of four days I did *not* run the whole work for continuity (probably would have been a good idea), the parts I did practice were really fine.  

 

 

6 thoughts on “Chaconne #17 – October 27, 2013 Private performance”

    1. Michael that is a VERY interesting question: one of the approaches I am wanting to test out is to capture listeners’ reactions on video immediately after the music finishes and then edit them together and post…to explore that as an alternative mechanism to writing after-the-fact…thanks for your comment!

  1. Dear Shem,

    I just read your comment and it seems that you feel you were not at your best. I believe everyone that was here – certainly including me – thought it was terrific. For me it was a unique experience. The vibrations that i felt in my body brought me to a new understanding of classical music.

    Thank you, Marsha

    1. Marsha, you are *most* welcome! I think what I was wanting to express was a preference for a performance more rhythmically “on-the-edge”, maybe more sharply organized is a better way to say it. What you write about vibrations in your body is *so* true, and is one of the characteristic elements of live, in-the-room performance…

  2. Shem, thank you so much! This was a marvelous, transformative experience. At times I felt reflective and quite. Other times I felt exuberant and joyous, the way I feel when running in the surf. Combining the music and the sound of the ocean would be magical.

  3. Thanks a bundle, Shem & Marsha, for a unique & special evening. I’ve always felt that music is best experienced in smaller venues, and your playing, coupled with the intimacy of this gathering, provoked a range of feeling for me, from highs to lows / joy to almost tearing up. Also, I found the discussion afterward really thought provoking, and I’d love to host one of the hundred at my loft in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, & if you like, we can perhaps combine it with art &/or video for even more varied stimulation. Warm wishes.

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