Leonard Cohen's BOL Inspired GLASS PORTALS-US Premieres

[bridger15]

Lorraine, thanks for the great NYC report, article link and meet-up photo.

I will be seeing Glass Portals in Los Angeles on October 9.

There are a few other Cohenites also going and we have been in touch.

---Arlene

[dick]

Thanks for the post Lorraine....I have been really tied up and didn't get to it.

I thought the music was wonderful, more accesible than many other modern pieces, and Fain is very handsome and a true virtuoso. Picked up on the fact that he was playing a violin made in 1771.

The NYTimes review is worth reading and seems accurate to me. Innovative use of the videos. Missed the Cohen voice on the four readings, but overall was a very exciting place to be for the world premier. Esther had an opportunity to speak with Glass after the show.

Indian food and great company made it a special night.

Look forward to hearing the reactions of the LA crowd after the show there.

[rike]

I greatly enjoyed yesterday's Santa Monica performance of Portals,Tim Fain's violin recital surrounded by a multi-medial presentation of musical performances (Mr. Fain himself and pianist Nicholas Britell), dance, and -- gloriously -- text. The virtuosity of the musicians was impressive, the mixture of the three elements engaging. I found the quirky selection and recitation of Leonard Cohen's poetry by Fred Child quite charming. It was a new look at beloved material -- some widely-known from songs, some not -- and was greeted by the audience with chuckles of regognition or discovery. The music by all involved composers often achieved the sweetness of sound we gladly and voluntarily get lost in, as we are used to do in the work of LC.
Additional bonus: I met Arlene (bridger 15) in person and even got a hug!

[dick]

Congrats on the hug!

Anxious to see what Arlene has to say about the show.

Glad that you enjoyed it.

[rike]

It is such a pleasure to meet someone whom one believes to know from her postings. The meeting was short but sweet and I hope that it will happen again.
Like you, I am anxious to hear what Arlene thought about the performance.
Rike

[bridger15]

Here is the Oct 9 concert review in the Los Angeles Times this morning.
I will post my concert report later after I complete some editing. ---Arlene

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culture ... stage.html

Music review: Tim Fain's 'Portals' at the Broad Stage
October 10, 2011
-- Mark Swed

Photo: Tim Fain at the Broad Stage on Sunday. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times.

The prodigal has returned with “Portals.”

Tim Fain, a 35-year-old violinist from Santa Monica who is now a rising star in New York, brought his new multimedia solo show to the Broad Stage in his hometown Sunday afternoon. “I had Tim in my class,” a woman seated behind me said to her companion.

There was reason to be proud. Fain has the honeyed tone, spectacular technique and engrossing musicality of an old-school virtuoso tied to a contemporary sensibility. His career is based, in part, on new music and new ways of thinking about classical music. He has, for instance, become close to Philip Glass, who has just written a half-hour solo Partita for him, and it was the rivetingly played centerpiece of “Portals.”

Fain has found his way into the dance world as well, collaborating with a number of choreographers and companies. He has waded into film with an appearance in “Black Swan” and dubbing the violin for Richard Gere in “Bee Season.”

All of these interests and connections come together in “Portals.” An interactive film directed by Kate Hackett intriguingly attempts to reinvent the violin recital for a what-you-see-is-what-you-get iPad era. The only problem is that Fain remains far more compelling in the flesh than as a trivialized figment of virtual reality.

The soloist’s partner in “Portals” is a large screen, against which Fain interacts in various ways. On pieces requiring a pianist, the accompanist — Nicholas Britell — is an on-screen pianist. The perspective changes regularly and unpredictably in clever ways, directing attention back and forth between the live performer on stage and Fain and Britell on film.

The full title is “Portals: A Multi-Media Exploration of Longing and Connection in the Digital Age.” Some of the longing comes from Leonard Cohen, whose poetry and lyrics are read by the public radio personality Fred Childs. Some of the connections are made by choreographer Benjamin Millepied and dancers Craig Black, Julia Eichten and Haylee Nichele.

It’s a concept the way music videos are concepts, but not the way inventive video art — say, Bill Viola’s transcendent “Tristan Project” contributions — can be. Hackett’s imagery, while occasionally striking, is often conventional and contains so much Apple product placement that the production begins to look like a commercial for a company that gets plenty of free publicity as it is.

Childs reads Cohen’s characterful lines like the genial radio host he is, grit-free. Cohen is not that man. And Fain, as violinist, amplified (expertly) and attached to the prerecorded business behind him, becomes like bird on an interpretive wire.

The main point of “Portals” is the premiere of Glass’ Partita, which Fain commissioned. Its seven movements, including a big chaconne broken into two parts, clearly recall Bach. Glass has been writing a substantial amount of solo violin music lately (a violin sonata, a second violin concerto and a particularly strong double concerto for violin and cello, which Fain premiered with cellist Wendy Sutter last year in Holland).

So Bachian and harmonically exploratory is the Partita that it has sections that hardly sound like Glass. But the composer has been attached to the violin since the beginning of his carrier, and the Partita is a moody, richly textured and powerful capstone.

As for Millepied’s dance on screen: Boy wriggles out of bed, girl frolics in the fields of a stately estate, they meet and touch, etc. The final chaconne, with its crashing waves of brilliant string sound and furious bowing, benefited from a blank screen.

Before the Glass, there was Lev Zhurbin’s homey “Sicilienne” and Nico Muhly’s “Honest Music,” during which the composer was shown slicing lemons in his New York apartment and operating his computer for the electronic component to a piece made by cutting up attractive, curt phrases. Aaron Kernis’ beatific “Air” followed.

After the Partita, Fain mugged his way on screen and off in William’s Bolcom’s playful “Graceful Ghost Rag” and played Kevin Puts’ “Arches” like a house on fire, in no need of visuals to bring the house down.

A portal can be many things: a gate, a blood vessel through the liver, a video game, a type of website. Fain wanted them all. But he ended up proving that there is still no virtual substitute for, let alone Apple gadget to replace, an exceptional living-and-breathing live performer on a stage. We fetishize the plastic iPhone; we mourn Steve Jobs.

[dick]

Great review

Thanks Arlene!

[bridger15]

My afternoon delight in Santa Monica (Los Angeles) Oct 9, 2011

When I put my ticket in my handbag, I noticed for first time that the ticket bore the shortened name of "Portals." I thought at first this might be a printing limitation. However, the printed theatre program confirmed this was indeed the title. The original press release and early promos listed this event as "Glass Portals". Hence the name of this thread.

When I arrived at the wonderful, intimate Broad Theater, I was able to park my car very close to the Stage Door. I had brought with a paper copy of the Book Of Longing Poster (original is framed) from the Philip Glass/Leonard Cohen collaboration in which Tim Fain played violin and was inspired by LC. I asked the Stage Door man if I could leave it there for an autograph. He agreed. So, the afternoon was off to a good start.

I met Rike for the first time in person after lots of correspondence and we hugged as planned. Rike introduced me to her lovely husband.
Judy Scott (jazz4111) was also at the concert and it was great seeing her again, an original stalwart of our SoCal gatherings.

The first thing I did was check the program to see if Leonard Cohen was given sufficient credit. Some of the early ad promos and videos mentioned LC in passing or not at all. To my delight, the name Leonard Cohen was very prominent in the program. (red highlight mine)


The concert piece was made up of several good parts, superb violinist, great music, interesting choreography and split frame film photography.

But the sum of all the parts just did not work for me.

Tim Fain is indeed superb. As previously reported, he is a hunk to look at and what a exceptionally talented young man. He deserves all the accolades he receives as an acclaimed violinist and rising star

I enjoyed the music very much. However, I was disappointed with the audience. They applauded between movements and sometimes started to applaud in the wrong place. I found that distracting. Tim Fain handled this very well. I have seen other artists get annoyed when this happened. He just smiled sweetly and carried on.

This performance had been promoted with descriptions such as "interwoven" and "multi-media". But, for me it felt like "multi-tasking", work.
I couldn't make sense of the film sequences and the connection with the music or the spoken text. It was not a piece I could just let float over me and absorb.

Now for the best part: the spoken words of Leonard Cohen.

The piece opened with a prologue and it was spoken text by Leonard Cohen. Now, how good is that!

The LA Times review I posted earlier describes the text reader very well.

It was a 90 minute concert (no intermission) and spoken words of Leonard Cohen interspersed during the production totaled 13 minutes.

Delightful.

These 13 minutes (four segments) can be heard here. (The audio is satisfactory given the "circumstances")
DivShare File - SPOKEN 4X TIM FAIN.mp3

After the concert, when everyone was dashing to the parking lot, Judy and I bumped into Robert Kory+fedora and his wife Phyllis. They were both very gracious, stopped for a moment to say hello and agreed to have a photo taken. (Yes, I am wearing my 'I love Leonard Cohen' button')


Then, the Stage Door man appeared in the theatre lobby and handed me my autographed poster. Such a kind man to do that. And so very kind of Tim Fain to autograph it for me.


As I said at the top, it was an afternoon delight.

---Arlene

[dick]

Thanks much for your thorough and candid report Arlene. Have you identified all the sources for LC readings?

[bridger15]

Have you identified all the sources for LC readings?

That is your mission, Dick and Linda, should you choose to accept it.

---Arlene

[MaryB]

As always, such an entertaining review filled with such interesting details - Thank you Arlene!