Hallucinations, Metropolis Ensemble’s recent production at (Le) Poisson Rouge, was a mind-bending juxtaposition of acoustic, orchestral instruments with electronics.
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John Corigliano
Metropolis Ensemble ushered in a packed house of excited audience members at (le) Poisson Rouge on January 27-28 for its surreal Hallucinations concert events.
The Star-Ledger’s Ronni Reich followed Metropolis conductor Andrew Cyr during a recent rehearsal for the Hallucinations concerts and profiled the ensemble ahead of the 53rd Grammy Awards, for which Cyr and Metropolis are nominated.
Cyr’s Metropolis Ensemble spends all day rehearsing electronic-orchestral hybrids in a Gramercy church so cold a piccolo freezes up. Their dedication to Cyr’s vision — and that vision itself — is exactly why the young orchestra has had such success and why Cyr can be considered a conductor in a new mold. Metropolis records all of its performances and uploads them to its website as a marketing tool for its musicians. In deference to audiences’ variable tastes, the group mixes up its offerings — electronica, neoclassical, folk, chamber music. Concerts may be shorter than usual, have flexible seating, include drinks, take place in unconventional venues or begin when it’s convenient for people who work late. “People say it’s the death of classical music,” Cyr says. “Actually, it’s a tremendous growth opportunity.”
The performances by the superb soloists and hair-trigger orchestra are stunning. Grab this and enjoy.
What impressed most was the diversity of approaches that the composers involved took to stretching a more or less conventional chamber ensemble’s sound through electronic legerdemain.