“It was so exciting to be in a jam-packed arena…..I was impressed by the ferocity of the crowd’s emotions. There was such a personal investment and identification with the players. And the mood can change very, very quickly.”
This is a quote by Kent Nagano that appeared recently in the Toronto Globe and Mail. He’s not talking about a concert though…….
He’s describing a Hockey game in an article entitled: An exercise in musical stickhandling by Patricia Bailey (purchase required). What he’s doing just might turn the concert hall into the same kind of environment.
Upon arriving in Montreal he immersed himself in Hockey, reading books, watching games on television, and then attending a game. More than just recognizing the importance of Hockey to the Canadian culture though, he’s literally crossing center ice! He commissioned a work from composer François Dompierre and writer Georges-Hébert Germain called Les Glorieux. This is the description from the article:
In it, the composer incarnates an organist at the Montreal forum advising a young NHL hopeful (Lucien Ratio). Current and retired Canadiens join their conversation on stage or remotely on massive electronic billboards
It’s not bringing down music by doing this, but just the opposite by raising Hockey up, recognizing it’s importance and bringing relevance (and people) into the concert hall. If it was OK for Handel to write Water Music for a party on a barge, then there’s nothing wrong with this at all!
The concert was sold out, and they sold tickets to the dress (even though there was a Hockey game on the same night!). Also on the program: Strauss Ein Heldenleben, and Satie’s Sports et divertissements. When asked if this was a first, he sums it up brilliantly:
“What I’m trying to do isn’t new. Unfortunately we live in a time where fine arts are treated like they are for a certain group of educated people. It couldn’t be further from the truth,” ……. “Classical music was meant to be for everyone. It’s a universal language. It’s part of our responsibility to stay true to its historical roots by keeping the doors to the concert hall open as wide as possible.”
I believe that looking for the keys to open doors is ultimately fruitless. Kent Nagano is breaking down the doors down so that no keys are needed or in this case; the goalie’s been pulled to make it easy to score! This is definitely an audience connection.