Manuel Göttsching Performs E2-E4; Rhys Chatham Rained Out at Lincoln Center

In spite of the off and on, and off and on, rain on Friday night, the Wordless Music series forged ahead.

Manuel Göttsching performed “E2-E4″ at New York City’s Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park with Joshua White - better known as the The Joshua Light Show.

Not so much the liquid light show of the Fillmore East, but using a more sparkling approach with mirror ball, The Joshua Light Show playfully complemented Gottsching’s sonic, electronica ramblings of “E2-E4″ and the crowd in front of the bandshell responded with a dancing and respectful, Upper West Side mosh pit.

 

We liked the woman in white who walked around with her video camera on stage as Joshua White (presumably) mixed her live video images of Gottsching in action. How does one train for that role? Dancing, cinematography, fashion…all-in-one. Overall, the Gottsching/Joshua White/woman-in-white performance was ridiculous, kitschy and fun. More pics below.

Unfortunately, due to fears of electrocuting 200 guitarists, Rhys Chatham’s “A Crimson Grail, for 200 Electric Guitars (Outdoor Version)” had to be cancelled. Rain had subsided for the most part when it was time for Chatham’s guitar army to let loose, but pools of water remained and they asked all 200 guitarists to kindly power down.

We would have loved to have seen the piece performed (sans electrocution) and hope that this gets rescheduled sometime soon. The rehearsal was a total “bliss-out,” evidently. Before the cancellation, it felt like the world’s largest open mic night at Damrosch Park with 200 guitarists milling about, waiting for their chance to take the stage.

Also of note was the evening’s opening performance of Beata Viscera by 12th-century composer, Perotin. Though Perotin did not attend the show, soprano Martha Cluver, countertenor Caleb Burhans and seven other singers with operatic talents did and they delivered this eerie, “early music” with precision. No doubt the show’s programmers saw a connection between Gottsching, Perotin and Chatham in spite of the 800-year differential.

Here’s a clip of Manuel Gottsching and The Joshua Light Show as we travel from the rear of the venue to the stage:

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 17th, 2008

Entry Filed under: Music, Film, Art