Comments on: Rinde Eckert – Urban Integration

By: Brian Feldman

Brian Feldman — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:55:53 +0000

Visually, it was very interesting. Sound wise, the surrounding cacophony drowned out the majority of Mr. Eckert’s non-amplified music, with the accordion section completely lost – unless you were standing close, which I was not, until the post-show Carlo Rossi drinking song, which was fun. Kind of wish I’d have been able to hear this piece in the Gerding Theater, which apparently was the site of the very first rehearsal.*
Also, I noticed that PICA was shooting archival video from only three angles. They missed at least two more. One should been from above, perhaps via a r/c helicopter or at least the roof of a nearby tall building. Another angle that would have been cool – behind the center section of the choir facing the crowd and occasionally focusing on Rinde, the accordions and choir director. Then again, maybe someone got footage like this?
*http://tinyurl.com/2nxg4y

By: Justine

Justine — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:05:20 +0000

I have always wanted to see/hear a public piece that seemed to be really made for the space it was in, urban noise, random people coming by, the whole thing. There are those great moments when the inadvertent combination of sounds is far greater than the potential in the original piece, performed as if ignorant of or fighting it’s context. Accidental resonances seem especially beautiful because you know they will never be repeated. Dischord in the environment is merely an awkward moment that everyone gets to laugh at, like teenagers hanging out & trying to ask each other on a first date, flubbing it, but forgiving each other just for trying.

By: Justine

Justine — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:04:10 +0000