Palestine in Brooklyn

Palestine in Brooklyn

Uncategorized

norman lebrecht

March 06, 2014

The inimitable Charlemagne Palestine is let loose for the first time in New York tonight on the beast of instruments.

Palestine originally developed his organ technique in 1964 at the Unitarian Church on Central Park West, gave his first public performance in Holland in 1979, and has since played internationally on the instrument. In this concert he performs on one of New York City’s most distinctive instruments: the Aeolian-Skinner organ at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights, known for its “American Classic” sound.

Doors open at 7:00pm. Concert begins at 8:00pm sharp.

 

UPDATE: Frrst review, by Allan Evans:

Charlemagne Palestine’s organ work conceived 50 years ago was first played here tonight. Hipsters strolled in during the opening, disturbing his sounds by their naive vulgarity. An hour of modal unfolding clashing with outside pitches released changing densities of vibrations that he subtlety shaped like a breathing with surprises. Some were raga scales. The layered sustained sonic blocks, often beyond fifty simultaneous pitches, were the most active music I’ve ever experienced. The performance ended as he sat in rapt silence for nearly five minutes, the church in darkness. Only an infant’s occasional sounds penetrated the calm that aimed to resolve the saturation. While receiving applause he held his drinking glass to salute the organ which he praised in a speech as the most remarkable instrument extant. He has performances again in April, reviving works that originated in the 1960s. Backstage, with cognac in hand, he joked about people referring to him as a Minimalist.

 CharlemagnePalestine

Comments

  • ras qball says:

    Charlemagne Kid:

    I was eager for your show

    At the Palestine Plymouth – (Beecher Stowe Brooklyn, broken snow Brooklyn:

    What was that preacher’s name?)

    But the crowd was disenchanting:

    None can make you feel lonelier

    Than NYC aesthetes.

    So Instead I kicked ice

    Up and down Orange Street.

    There was plenty of dirty ice to be kicked:

    It’s been a long winter. It was a long walk home.

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