The ASO did this last year. Somehow I managed to get access to a free ticket offer, and since this sounded interesting I decided to check it out. Free.
Let's just say I would have been upset had I paid money to hear it. It's interesting, but not worth the price a major orchestra charges for a concert.
So I haven't played it, but that's my opinion as an audience member. Perhaps the best preparation would be not inviting friends and family.
Doug "maybe that was too harsh"
Tan Dun Water Concerto
- windshieldbug
- Once got the "hand" as a cue

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- TonyZ
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Actually, I find Tan Dun's music to be very emotionally satisfying. So the tuba part is not so much fun...does it add to the overall musical message? Is the goal of playing individualistic, or does the music matter most? We are locked in a sad cultural state in that we can't see or think beyond the surface allure of any object. We fail to see and listen deeper. I enjoy our popular culture, but it certainly has numbed our minds to anything that might be gratifying on a much deeper level. I suppose that this is all fodder for a different thread, but it bears saying. Don't blame all composers now for the statements of "...damn the audience" that were made many years ago. Give new music a chance...for performers, that means put aside the bias, and open up to the WHOLE musical experience! Some new music will SUCK, but are you in the right place to make that claim?
This is obviously not aimed at the original poster, but to all of us!
This is obviously not aimed at the original poster, but to all of us!
Tony Z.
