Coutorture

New York Philharmonic Ensembles Begin in Two Weeks

coutorture — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:56:41 -0700

There is something magical about a full philharmonic experience complete with box seats, gloves and gown but those intimidated by the idea of classical music might require an easier more intimate introduction to live works. New York Philharmonic Ensembles are just the ticket for those hoping to preserve and praise a smidgen of Western Civilization's rich musical heritage without feeling like the doofus who doesn't know an arpeggio from an andante.

Their chamber concerts highlight each instrument, each note, and every nuance of a piece helping bring even the most timid closer to the music. Beginning in two weeks, every Sunday afternoon at the Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center the Philharmonic will present composers or performers at their most enjoyable and intimate best. Combine this experience with Lawrence Kramers's Why Classic Music Still Matters and you might just be on the road to keeping America a great cultural economy! Consider it your civic and cultural duty

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Johann Wilhelm HERTEL Concerto a cinque in D major
Margarita ZELENAIA August. Sunset Bloom (World Premiere)
Osvaldo GOLIJOV Last Round
Richard CARRICK Duo Flow
Vladimir TSYPIN Three Songs
BRAHMS Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 101

Sunday, November 16, 2008

MARTINU Three Madrigals for violin and viola
SMETANA String Quartet No. 1, From My Life
JANÁCEK Concertino
Paul MORAVEC Chamber Symphony

Sunday, January 25, 2009

SCHOENFIELD Café Music
D'INDY Clarinet Trio
FAURÉ Piano Quartet No. 1

Sunday, February 15, 2009

ROSSINI Sonata No. 4 for Wind Quartet
KRÁSA Passacaglia and Fugue
ZEMLINSKY Clarinet Trio, Op. 3
DEVIENNE Duo for Flute and Viola
KORNGOLD Piano Trio

Sunday, March 15, 2009

BEETHOVEN Serenade, Op. 8
BEETHOVEN Wind Quintet, H. 19
BEETHOVEN Piano Trio, Op. 71, No. 1, Ghost

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Roger KELLAWAY Dance of the Ocean Breeze
MENDELSSOHN String Quartet No. 2, Op. 13
ROSSINI Sonata a quattro No. 4
R. STRAUSS Metamorphosen (Chamber version)

Reclaiming Paris for Americans, Again

coutorture — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:31:36 -0700

The nostalgia and yearning of city life has been an inspiration since antiquity. While pastoral idealism has certainly had its impact on many creative processes, fashion has always sat squarely in the camp of urbanism.

While Atonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, in E Minor "From the New World" is our favorite for a certain kind of longing and aspiration that speaks to the hard scrabble world of American immigrant urbanism that built our textile industry, there is another kind of urban symphony that speaks to American dreams.

They are dreams are not of longing, but of completion and success. Naturally we are referring to George Gershwin who is our go to guy when it comes to a certain era of cosmopolitan creation. It is inspiration for those that have already made it. He plays on a kind of perky insouciance that says there is no hoping only being as the kind of cocky optimism that plays out across the American cultural heritage. He gave us An American in Paris which practically defined the genre of American cross cultural ownership of the urban landscape. Strangely nothing is more American than a pretty lady and her beau swanning about Paris claiming French haute couture for a certain quirky American constituency.

But with the Euro beating the dollar the kind of naive ownership that American style have long had over modern cities even beyond our borders is crumbling. We cannot borrow and reinvent against other's cosmopolitan culture anymore. We simply can't afford it. We say however to let go of Dvorak and go again for Gershwin when dressing in our American Not Quite in Paris staycation attire.

Let us hope that these style inspirations help us remember more of the Gershwin and less of the Dvorak in our urban landscape. This kind of confident ownership is sure to turn our currency around and annoy the crap out of the Parisians as we again claim rights their crown jewel. Even if we have to do it from a café next door on our staycation we say emulate the Parisians. After all, we are a nation of comeback kids and second chances. We say be dressed to be an American in Paris, since any day now a chic pair of black pants and a black shift might be required as we traipse about humming Gershwin on a wild spending spree at our favorite Right Bank boutiques.

Our Fall Top Five: Yves Saint Laurent Fall 08

coutorture — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:04:00 -0700

YSL is on our list for two reasons. First, that we can't deny our love for the traditional YSL aesthetic. It is, above everything else, classic. Fall 08 gave us just what we asked for which was suiting, suiting, suiting, office-appropriate frocks, and the occasional overtly sexual garment. Secondly, because somewhere along the line the whole Fall 08 show became decidedly Brooklyn hipster. First off, Someone Great by LCD Soundsystem was the soundtrack to the show. The song, eponymous about six months earlier in Brooklyn, was almost as shocking to hear in Paris as was seeing the mop haircuts the models were sporting. Now matter how many people now attribute the haircut to YSL, we'd like to say, for the record, that it was already all over the place in Brooklyn and downtown. In fact, it was Mandy Coon, wife of LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, whom we first saw sporting the haircut and, in the song's video, so does the main character (one of your editors is also in this video though regrettably sans mop top). The energy of this collection, the way it hit home without remotely departing what we know and love about YSL, made this collection a really special one. Months later, when couturier Yves Saint Laurent passed away, it was solidifed in our minds that this would be a show and collection we would never forget.