Context has a lot to do with how music sounds — not just in the acoustics of a particular space, but in terms of the energy and vibe a setting lends to the performance. In that respect, it’s hard to image a better match than modern music in the city’s newest avant-garde space, the Museum of Contemporary Art in University Circle.
The Cleveland Institute of Music’s New Music Ensemble did the inaugural honors at MOCA last Thursday, Nov. 15, playing a quartet of contemporary works in the ground-floor gallery. The ambient noise from the adjacent entryway — phones ringing, staff workers talking, heater fans cutting in and out — robbed the performance of gravitas. But the sleek look and sharp angles of the new space inside, and rhythm of urban life with car headlights streaming past the windows outside, provided ideal aesthetics. And the acoustics were surprisingly good, given the bare concrete floor and high ceiling.
This article appears in Nov 14-20, 2012.
CIM Rocks at MOCA….
Who’s the genius?
Well done!!!!!