First, a little bit about this project, and what gives me the right to join the blogosphere. I'm a junior voice performance major at Boston University, and I'm spending this semester studying voice at the Royal College of Music in London. I'm living in Kensington, which is the posh part of the city, so I'm surrounded by even more wealth than our corner of Boston. This means that as I walk to class every day, large, white flats flank wide, tidy streets. Porsches, Ferraris, Mercedes, and BMWs line the the streets, and every other flat is some embassy or another. With that, you'll understand that this isn't some third world country experience. As much as I'd love to stretch my bounds that far, BU has given me this choice only. That doesn't mean I don't mean to jump completely out of my comfort zone into one of the most international cities in the world. So what gives me the right to write? I'm an American student, a musician, in England. Same language, totally new world.
I've been in London now for 5 days now, and I've already come up with a hefty list of impressions. As a musician, I'm always interested to see how the arts are treated and presented in different cities, towns, countries. I'm from a very, VERY small town in upstate New York, and the arts are a big part of our North Country culture. At least the crafted arts. Let me focus now on classical music, and the art that the world at large has deemed to be "dying." For years, I've seen the local classical music concert series struggle to keep audiences and find a balance of classical and "popular" artists. Personally, I was most excited when Renée Fleming came a few years ago to our little town. But Renée is someone we all know as a big name artist- someone who can carry ticket sales with a name alone. No one cares what she's singing, so long as she shows up and sings an hour-long encore. Other than that, a lot of really great music goes unnoticed. If there is a real attempt at gaining the interest of the masses, marketers always need to have the "popular" spin. This is where the "crossover" artists come in. I digress from THAT topic... The point is, small towns in the US have a pretty difficult time of grabbing the interest of the general public when it comes to classical music. The comment I heard most at home is "It's just so BORING." Sure, sitting still and quiet in a darkened concert hall for an hour and a half would be boring if you didn't know or care about the music being presented. The general lack of education about our own American musical tradition is abysmal, but again, that's another story. But if there's a lack of interest in our OWN tradition (American's are supposed to patriotic, right?) then there's even less of a reason for us to care about the Western tradition of music as a whole. What does Mahler's internal metaphysical struggle have to do with an American? Why do I want to know about the girl's orphanage at which Vivaldi taught? There's a whole ocean between an American's attention and those particular histories.
This attitude doesn't stand quite as strong in a city like Boston. Classical music could truly be said to be alive and well in the Bean. It's easier to have an opera company, a concert hall, and an orchestra in a large city. The BSO is one of the top orchestras in the world. But the last time I went to a concert at Symphony Hall, the average patron age was about 60. That's great for the older generation, but where were MY age compatriots?
Two nights ago we had the chance to cross about two streets and walk to the Royal Albert Hall to attend a Proms Concert. Lang Lang played Chopin's Concerto No. 2, and the Staatskapelle Dresden played the Alpine Symphony (yes, we were all drooling and swooning). The Royal Albert Hall is a huge, beautiful hall, and it seats about 5,500 patrons. It's circular and tiered, and it has standing room at the bottom center and around the top. On a Thursday night, the Hall was nearly full. The average age was about 30. And the most interesting difference of all? You can eat and drink in the hall! This concert was Alpine Symphony with a side of beer breath. See, not only does the UK subsidize its arts, but it lets its patrons drink and enjoy Strauss! But why should I be surprised about that? It makes perfect sense. Alcohol has a completely different role in British (and European) society than in the US. In America, we drink to get drunk. Not so here. We have a glass of wine with our Prom. No pong tables, no cheap beer, and certainly no shit-faced teenagers. Basically, it's not a big deal. It's part of the culture- just like, wait for it, CLASSICAL MUSIC.
In the US, I'm often categorized as an over-achieving weirdo for my choice to pursue classical music. For one thing, I'm not going to make any money performing (I'm NOT Renée Fleming, as much as I might wish it). It's jut not the cool thing to do to sing French chansons about cradles and spleens and giving away my heart. Or some take the opposite opinion: It's terribly impressive that I've committed myself to all those hours of practice. I must be classy and intelligent (and good at math-NOT) because I study classical music. Maybe I am, but I study music because I love it. It's cathartic and makes me feel better about the world around me. I had just as much public schooling as any other 20-year-old, I just pay attention to details a little more. That's not BECAUSE I study music. I'm good at music BECAUSE I pay attention to detail. So, over here, when someone hears that we're studying music at RCM, they are most likely to be able to have an intelligent conversation about it. No "ohhhh, that's impressive/crazy/classy/weird..." Instead of reactions, we get tips to concerts and festivals. The point here is: classical music is the tradition of Europe. They lay claim on both Mahler and Vivaldi. They've got the history, and the state wants to celebrate its history. In a way, it's a little unfair that Europe has a few hundred years of modern musical history on the US, but I think the US (government) could do just a little more to encourage the rich history of its own.
Ok, I'll get off my high horse enough for these last comments: I LOVE LONDON. Seriously guys, I was made for this city! RCM classes haven't started yet, but I've been to a few of the major sites around London in my urban architecture class. I'm sure I'll get some pics uploaded at some point.
For now, cheerio!
