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A very musical weekend
Oct. 1st, 2006 09:21 pmYesterday was the opening day of Silk Road Chicago at the Art Institute. This is a collaboration between the Art Institute, the Chicago Symphony, and Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. It will go on for the next year, and feature all kinds of great programs. I'd originally planned to get to the museum in time for a 10:30 performance by the Silk Road Ensemble, but fortunately decided instead to be there for the opening ceremonies on the Michigan Avenue steps. It began with a lion dance. No, the famous statues did not come to life. The dance was performed by people from a local Chinese cultural organization. There were speeches, and a performance by members of the Silk Road Ensemble. Yo-Yo was there, just hanging out on the sidewalk with the rest of us, though he was induced to take a seat with the dignitaries at one point. Then with a fanfare played by members of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the red silk banners dropped over the entrances, and we all trooped inside.
There were performances and demonstrations throughout the museum throughout the day. I enjoyed a Silk Road Ensemble performance in the AIOC's jewel box of a theatre, Fullerton Hall, which included storyteller Ben Haggarty. He had me in tears with his telling of the story of the birth of the pipa, and then we got to hear Yang Wei play it. Actually, I heard him a few times over the course of the afternoon.
After that, I went over to where the Chagall windows used to be (they are currently in restauro) to watch students of the Natya Dance Theatre perform traditional Indian dances. Their instructor also gave a short talk about the history of the dances and some of the technique. I walked back toward the Asian galleries, stopping off to see a demonstration by a Chinese landscape painter, and then went to the Tadao Ando screen gallery, which I visit whenever I'm at the Art Institute. As I came out, I noticed a few chairs in the adjacent gallery, and then Yang Wei and some other members of the ensemble appeared and began to play. They were, it seems, wandering about the museum, playing here and there.
Then outside again, for a dragon dance, and more of the Silk Road Ensemble. I had decided to walk over to Randolph Street, where the Silk Road Oasis was having a sale. This was a space that has been operating for a few months, since the Silk Road Chicago Project was announced. Artists' demonstrations, sales of goods, and related events have been occurring there. But now they were closing, and selling everything, quite literally, down to the cloth panels that had covered tables. My plan had been to see what they had and then go back to the AIOC to hear an oud player performing Greek music from before the Ottoman Empire. But you know what they say about best laid plans. At the Oasis, I found a large, unwieldy, and totally irresistable object. It's two bunches of branches, lacquered and tied together, from which were hanging numerous origami cranes. They had originally had it hanging from the ceiling, but it's now on the wall above my bed. It's about five feet long, and maybe three feet in height (though we were able to fold it) and rather fragile. And I had to carry it on the bus. I figured the museum would not let me bring it in and probably wouldn't want to check it, either, so I just headed home with it.
This turned out to be a good plan, as shortly after I got back, it started pouring. It stopped, however, before I needed to head out again to hear the first Newberry Consort concert of the season. The program was 16th- and 17th-century Spanish music, and they had a much larger group than usual, four voices (it was supposed to be five, but the mezzo couldn't make it). The soprano also teaches at the place where I'm studying Italian. One of those "small world" things. They are starting the concerts a half-hour earlier this year, slightly shortening the pre-concert lecture. This avoids a half-hour of hanging around between lecture and concert, and gives people an opportunity to talk with the performers afterward and also get home a bit earlier.
Today, I met Bookcrosser Mochagirl for brunch. She's visiting her sister here. Had a very nice time discussing the differences between the legal systems (and professional culture) of the U.S., Australia and the U.K.
Then over to the Art Institute again for me, to a concert by the joint forces of the Oriana Singers, Ars Antigua and one member of Ars Musica Chicago. Called "Echoes of the East", it consisted of Italian music of the 14th-, 15th-, and (mostly) 16th-century. I knew it would be good when I looked at the program and saw that it would begin with a delightful little song that is a favorite of mine, Francesco Landini's "Ecco la primavera". The concert was preceded by a slide lecture given by the AIOC's education director, Mary Sue Glosser, whom I always enjoy, and was followed by a short gallery walk. Both focused on "blue-and-white" porcelains, flowers and silk, and how they traveled to, and appear in the art of, the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, in all this running around, I got no work done on my bookbinding project. I'm very much afraid it won't be done as soon as I'd like. I just hope it turns out to be worth the wait!
(Just so you know it's not all culture and glamour in my life, I also: did laundry, shopped for groceries, paid bills, and watched Jeeves and Wooster on TV.)
There were performances and demonstrations throughout the museum throughout the day. I enjoyed a Silk Road Ensemble performance in the AIOC's jewel box of a theatre, Fullerton Hall, which included storyteller Ben Haggarty. He had me in tears with his telling of the story of the birth of the pipa, and then we got to hear Yang Wei play it. Actually, I heard him a few times over the course of the afternoon.
After that, I went over to where the Chagall windows used to be (they are currently in restauro) to watch students of the Natya Dance Theatre perform traditional Indian dances. Their instructor also gave a short talk about the history of the dances and some of the technique. I walked back toward the Asian galleries, stopping off to see a demonstration by a Chinese landscape painter, and then went to the Tadao Ando screen gallery, which I visit whenever I'm at the Art Institute. As I came out, I noticed a few chairs in the adjacent gallery, and then Yang Wei and some other members of the ensemble appeared and began to play. They were, it seems, wandering about the museum, playing here and there.
Then outside again, for a dragon dance, and more of the Silk Road Ensemble. I had decided to walk over to Randolph Street, where the Silk Road Oasis was having a sale. This was a space that has been operating for a few months, since the Silk Road Chicago Project was announced. Artists' demonstrations, sales of goods, and related events have been occurring there. But now they were closing, and selling everything, quite literally, down to the cloth panels that had covered tables. My plan had been to see what they had and then go back to the AIOC to hear an oud player performing Greek music from before the Ottoman Empire. But you know what they say about best laid plans. At the Oasis, I found a large, unwieldy, and totally irresistable object. It's two bunches of branches, lacquered and tied together, from which were hanging numerous origami cranes. They had originally had it hanging from the ceiling, but it's now on the wall above my bed. It's about five feet long, and maybe three feet in height (though we were able to fold it) and rather fragile. And I had to carry it on the bus. I figured the museum would not let me bring it in and probably wouldn't want to check it, either, so I just headed home with it.
This turned out to be a good plan, as shortly after I got back, it started pouring. It stopped, however, before I needed to head out again to hear the first Newberry Consort concert of the season. The program was 16th- and 17th-century Spanish music, and they had a much larger group than usual, four voices (it was supposed to be five, but the mezzo couldn't make it). The soprano also teaches at the place where I'm studying Italian. One of those "small world" things. They are starting the concerts a half-hour earlier this year, slightly shortening the pre-concert lecture. This avoids a half-hour of hanging around between lecture and concert, and gives people an opportunity to talk with the performers afterward and also get home a bit earlier.
Today, I met Bookcrosser Mochagirl for brunch. She's visiting her sister here. Had a very nice time discussing the differences between the legal systems (and professional culture) of the U.S., Australia and the U.K.
Then over to the Art Institute again for me, to a concert by the joint forces of the Oriana Singers, Ars Antigua and one member of Ars Musica Chicago. Called "Echoes of the East", it consisted of Italian music of the 14th-, 15th-, and (mostly) 16th-century. I knew it would be good when I looked at the program and saw that it would begin with a delightful little song that is a favorite of mine, Francesco Landini's "Ecco la primavera". The concert was preceded by a slide lecture given by the AIOC's education director, Mary Sue Glosser, whom I always enjoy, and was followed by a short gallery walk. Both focused on "blue-and-white" porcelains, flowers and silk, and how they traveled to, and appear in the art of, the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, in all this running around, I got no work done on my bookbinding project. I'm very much afraid it won't be done as soon as I'd like. I just hope it turns out to be worth the wait!
(Just so you know it's not all culture and glamour in my life, I also: did laundry, shopped for groceries, paid bills, and watched Jeeves and Wooster on TV.)
