I have been disappointed by a handful of recent conservatory experiences. A faculty evening of Beethoven Trios never got off the ground. A student performance of Don Giovanni was marred by a soprano who could barely cover the role of Donna Elvira. In a work as iconic as Don Giovanni this is unacceptable. You have to start with 100% of what's written and then layer your interpretation on top of that.
Tonight I went to the New England Conservatory for a vocal recital by a masters student. The event had been on NEC's concert calendar for months, and I was looking forward to hearing an up-and-coming soprano. When I got to the facility a security attendant checked his system and showed that the hall was dark for the evening.
Either his system was wrong and a hopeful audience was being turned away, or the event had been canceled and no one had updated NEC's calendar. Either way it was a fruitless night out, and now I am even less inclined to go to student recitals.
A second implicit question is why do I go to so many professional concerts? I go in the hope of witnessing excellence. Most of the time that hope is fulfilled, enough so that I can look beyond any flaws. On rare occasions I witness transcendence, and those are the moments that justify everything.
Either his system was wrong and a hopeful audience was being turned away, or the event had been canceled and no one had updated NEC's calendar. Either way it was a fruitless night out, and now I am even less inclined to go to student recitals.
A second implicit question is why do I go to so many professional concerts? I go in the hope of witnessing excellence. Most of the time that hope is fulfilled, enough so that I can look beyond any flaws. On rare occasions I witness transcendence, and those are the moments that justify everything.
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