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CSC NEWSRICHARDRecommendsRichard SaundersIt’s an unusually eclectic month at the CKS National CulturalCenter in March, with a rich collection of performancesranging from knotty contemporary classical to cool crossoverand the just plain weird. I’m sure I’m being unfair to LaurieAnderson calling her art ‘weird,’ but I never quite got overthe spectacle, as an impressionable teenager, of seeing hercavorting on Top of the Pops (Britain’s leading pop music TVshow for thirty-odd years) in ‘O Superman.’ Anyway, she’s inTaipei on a repeat visit to perform a much more recent work,Delusion (2010). Certainly this recent multi-media piece strikesme as a much more thought-provoking experience than sittingthrough Rock Symphonies, a concert performance of crossoverviolinist David Garrett’s latest album. I’m ashamed to say I knewnothing of Garrett until I paid a visit to his official website, whereI was startled to learn that (according to Garrett himself, noless), “You have to be a world-class violinist in order to record agood crossover CD.” And I always thought all that was neededwas to look cool and sexy, be able to play reasonably well, andhave great marketing.Modern classical music could certainly do with some bettermarketing – it’s my favorite musical period, and an inexhaustiblemine of treasures (although there’s plenty of fool’s gold inthere as well); if only it could shake its undeserved reputationof being forbidding and inaccessible. The ever-adventurousNational Symphony Orchestra are once again trying to sellthe century’s music, with seasons devoted to two of its mostinfluential composers, Stravinsky and Messiaen. Featured thismonth are several early works by the two masters. Messiaenis represented by two rather beautiful efforts dating fromhis twenties (Les Offrandes Oubliees and l’Ascension) whileStravinsky is represented by an out-and-out masterwork, theRite of Spring on March 23rd. It’s hard to believe that thispeerless creation is a century old next year, especially sinceit continues to this day to stir up strong positive and negativefeelings among music lovers; whatever you think of it, itsextraordinarily elemental power always packs a heady punch(especially in a good concert performance).Another work of astonishingly sustained emotional intensity,Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony (played on March 10thunder none other than the great Russian conductor GennardiRozhdestvensky) is a product of the dark year of 1943. This,of course, was in the midst of the Second World War, but forcitizens of Soviet Russia, the misery was compounded bythe existence of Stalin’s brutally repressive regime, and bymemories of the horrific pre-war Purges carried out by thedictator against his enemies. The Eighth is Shostakovich’srequiem to the thousands murdered by Stalin’s henchmen, andin some ways its raw emotional impact makes it a challenginglisten (the third movement scherzo, for instance is one ofthe most intimidating yet exhilarating movements in Westernmusic). On the other hand, it can stand alongside Beethoven’sNinth, Bruckner’s Eighth, and a very small number of othergreat masterpieces, as a work of almost religious profundity.Stalin may be long gone, but these days the work’s stiflingcombination of urgency, numbed grief, brutal violence, and(perhaps) a little hope, seem oddly topical, bringing to mind asit does another country presently suffering unimaginable horrorsunder the hand of a brutally repressive regime – Syria.National Theater & Concert Hallmarch 2012National TheaterMourad Merzouki Yogee TiModern dance from FranceMarch 3-4Peter Brook: A Magic FluteBrook’s interpretation of Mozart’soperaMarch 8-10Hofesh Shechter CompanyPolitical MotherMore modern danceMarch 16-17The King and Queen of theShang DynastyMarch 23-25NATIONAL CONCERT HALLLaurie Anderson DelusionBack in Taipei with a work from2010March 3David Garrett Rock SymphoniesThe cross-over violinist plays hislatest albumMarch 4Wu Tien-hsin Violin RecitalWorks by Franck, Mozart,Schumann and MozartMarch 7Gavriel Lipkind Cello RecitalMusic by Bach, Cassado and LigetiMarch 9Centennial RussiaGennardi Rozhdestvenskyconducts Shostakovich eight!March 10 RRBach St Matthew PassionAmazingly, receiving its firstperformance in Taiwan!March 12-13Lifschitz Piano Marathon:classicBach’s Goldberg VariationsMarch 21Lifschitz Piano Marathon:RomanceSchumann’s Fantasy and Liszt’sPiano SonataMarch 22 RRDrum Beat in Spring TimeOrchestral music by Messiaen andStravinsky, and two concertos forpercussionMarch 23 RRWu Man and Aboriginal FriendsA world-famous Pipa playercollaborates with aboriginalmusiciansMarch 24Lifschitz Piano Marathon:ModernShostakovich’s 24 Preludes andFuguesMarch 25Suor AngelicaPuccini’s short opera, andMessiaen’s l’AscensionMarch 29, 21 RRAlexander Gavrylyuk PianoRecitalThe young Ukrainian pianist givesworks by Debussy, Rachmaninovand LisztMarch 30RR: Richard RecommendsFor full details, please log on to the Culture Express website athttp://express.culture.gov.tw or take a copy of the monthly programfrom CKS Cultural Center, available from MRT stations, bookshops andticketing offices.Publication of the National Theater and Concert Hall schedule inCentered on Taipei is sponsored by Cathay Life Insurance.TICKETING OFFICES: • NTCH: (02) 2343 1647• ERA: (02) 2709 37886march 2012 www.communitycenter.org.tw