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Kronos Quartet and Matmos and Michael Einziger and Terry Riley
The first of two Big Festivals of Contemporary Music this season, embedded in the LAPhil subscription season – can you imagine such a an idea in Chicago?

I discovered my seat was moved “for production reasons” to Orchestra East, which is where my Green Umbrella seat is – so I was not unhappy. In fact , since this was a sound system event entirely, it was a great advantage as the on-stage loudspeaker unit was in – line with Kronos, so directional realism was good, for a change. Also, overall, this was the best quality amplified sound I have heard here.

A couple of other technical points: Matmos included videos with a couple of their pieces. As you might expect, this near Hollywood, image quality is excellent. The concert hall has a rigging system and a lighting system and a major collection of stage lifts and designers who can use the equipment, so they can make events look 1000 times better than anywhere else.

I estimate about 1200 – 1500 people attended – about the same size that attends Green Umbrella. “For production reasons ” was code for “you are one of the very few people who bought a ticket in Terrace East and we can’t afford to hire another dozen Ushers, so we have moved you”.

LAPhil / Dudamel / Gil Shaham played a 2pm concert, leaving the crew little time to carpet the stage floor (black on the orchestra risers, red on the flat floor for Kronos); hang lighting trusses and intelligent lights and projection screens, move the organ console onto stage, plug in a jillion amplifiers, processors, laptops, keyboards ; place a perimeter ring of (sound-absorbing?) thick, black flats behind the performers.
And do a sound check.

The printed program was a little mysterious, not indicating that the performers would be doing joint ventures, nor stating on the first page the names of the compositions. You have to read the details to find out the names / dates of some of the compositions.

Kronos opened with “It Got Dark” by Thomas Newman (1955-) for amplified string quartet, recorded sounds and text and possibly some live processing, controlled by Jeffrey Zeigler, their cellist. A lovely, gentle piece, except for one mad-bowing movement.

Matmos was next, but Kronos did not leave the stage, joining them for – I’m guessing here – “For Terry Riley” with video. Matmos is a duo: Drew Daniel & MC Schmidt, electronics and keyboards and stuff. Then a piece for Matmos alone “Supreme Balloon” with video. Similar idea for both of their pieces — an electronic beat is established and they improvise on top of it — “Bolero” for the 00s. The second piece concludes with one of them carrying a couple of sound – making devices in to the audience, traveling the aisles, sounding a lot like an electronic bagpipe – west coast of Scotland maybe?.
After intermission , Matmos returned to accompany Michael
Einziger, electric guitar – a short prelude to Michael’s big piece of the evening :: “Forced Curvature of a Reflective Surface” for 12 electric guitars and 2 dbass & 6 violins & 6 celli. This is second piece that I know of inspired by Gehry’s building. Clearly Michael is the local guitar hero. (I learn he is a founding member of Incubus)

Then Terry Riley moves to the on-stage organ console and the entire cast plays a piece by Terry. Ah……remember those glorious days in Haight-Ashbury in 1968. Every one is done except Terry, who moves to the permanent console integrated into the pipes — Hurricane Mama! Is the name he has given to the Disney organ Improvisations. He loves those bass notes and those Tibetan chimes and bells.

At 12:30p I had to bail out.

http://www.laphil.com/tickets/festival-wclc.cfm
Opening Event: Eureka!:: 21 Nov 2009 – - – 9:30pm! (Surely, a matinee in Venezuela)

WDCH::: Ron Burkle / Ralph’s Food 4 Less Foundation Auditorium
(Note: the building is the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The LAPhil performs in Ralph’s – the LA supermarket chain, equivalent of Jewel Foods – one of several facilities in WDCH)

Teddy D. Boys