Cleveland Orchestra: Time for Three

[The program for this concert can be found at the end of the post]

I know The Cleveland Orchestra doesn't bill itself as a pops orchestra, but when they reach out and find the shining place where classical and pop intersect it reminds us that Clevelanders are lucky to have such a versatile ensemble here. People who know me know my iPod is light on Classical music -- "I can't stand listening to recorded classical or live pop/rock" is a common elevator synopsis of my listening habits.

Having only 37 hours in Cleveland across two weeks -- returning from a week-long trip late Saturday evening an departing for another week-long trip early Monday morning -- I had considered skipping Blossom this weekend, but if I had I would have missed what is, so far, easily my favorite concert from the 2012 Blossom season thus far.

Airport Fun (No TSA didn't tackle me [this time])

I'm in Rochester, Minnesota again, but so far at least, there's nothing particularly notable about my time here. But with a little help from Rachel I had a lot of fun on the way here.

On Saturday Rachel flew to Oklahoma City for her grandfather's Birthday, and she had a connection in Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). When I fly to and from Minnesota, I use MSP -- and that's where I found myself this past Tuesday evening.

Half-joking I suggested that she hide clues for me to find during her time in the terminal. It was an interesting prospect to me on a somewhat ephemeral level: Two close individuals crossing the same physical space separated by time but aware of the others previous or impending existence in the same place.

Given the hyperoverreactive nature of airport security these days, I was somewhat afraid that one or both of us would get tackled, and that gave me slight pause. But there's nothing wrong much less illegal about the idea.

But Saturday came and went: Rachel made her flights and during her time in Minneapolis managed to hide three clues in the terminal. Before my flight left Cleveland Tuesday morning she emailed me three "C"lues. During my flight I had some second thoughts: She was on a different concourse; do I have time to get over there and back to get my luggage? It will just go round and round on the belt until it gets pulled off and put aside. Won't I look somewhat suspicious? Yeah, probably, but how many people are really paying attention?  What if I get tackled? I don't know if I could survive being tackled.

On landing in Minneapolis I was tired but excited: If for no other reason than Rachel had gone to the effort to hide the clues and I was wondering if I would be able to find them -- and if they had survived slightly over three days -- 72 hours -- of thousands of people passing by, blissfully unaware, and if they'd escape the wrath of airport cleaners buffers, rags, and vacuums.

The prize for solving clue #1

So guided by the clues I very quickly made my way to the C concourse upon deplaning on Minneapolis's E concourse. I knew I was close and with a tiny bit of help I found clue #1, 1/3rd of a Post-it Note [coincidentally brought to us by a Minnesota company -- 3M] behind a desk in a quiet little business hideaway.

Though this, as it turns out, was the most secluded of the clue locations I was most nervous here because -- besides being the first clue -- there was only one other human in the immediate area, and I thought for sure he might think it was a bit strange that I was looking under and behind one particular desk. I don't even think he noticed that someone else had joined him in the room-- I probably could have set up a small marching band without him taking notice.

Clue #2 solved and the giant stack of books that sheltered it.

The next clue lead me to a nearby bookstore and when I approached I was somewhat surprised to find the clue simply laying face-down on the tile floor behind a column with a base of over sized books. The clue had a glob of dust on the back of it but was otherwise unharmed. Rachel later told me that it had been stuck to the bottom book in the stack and our hypothesis is that it was just too dusty for Post-it adhesive to stick. I'm not sure how long it had been lying in its vulnerable position but it was quite lucky that it hadn't fallen victim to a mop -- or a curious child -- during its three days in the wild.

The last clue solved and the message completed!

Clue #3 drew me across the corridor to a store known simply as "Minnesota" and this clue gave me the most trouble. Largely because I had missed the "Stay away from the bears" part of Rachel's clue and I had gravitated to the birds. Once I asked for help, I found my third and final reward hiding in the trees far away from the bears but still safely against the wall.

The complete message in hand and gleefully texting Rachel that her efforts had not been in vain I started running back toward the E concourse and the appropriate baggage claim, with visions of my bag idly circling an otherwise abandoned carousel. Getting to the carousel I find a pile of unclaimed bags with mine nowhere to be found and a United employee pulling the last of the bags. He isn't sure if my flight has dropped yet. I suspect it has but look at the few bags circling to make sure the flight number doesn't match. After a few minutes I go to the baggage service office and find that my bag has, apparently, decided to enjoy a little extra time in Chicago and will be delivered to my hotel later in the evening.

Had I known, I probably would have taken a more leisurely and less frantic approach to clue finding. But it all worked out: I found the clues, I got my bag, and there's something somewhat thrilling knowing that although Rachel and I weren't in the same place at the same time, we were able to exchange messages through the same place at different times. (Oh, and I didn't get tackled by TSA or airport security).

I'm in Minnesota the rest of this week, then I'm in Cleveland just long enough to attend a Cleveland Orchestra concert at Blossom before heading to Northern California for work where Rachel will join me and I'll take my first "real" vacation this year while we tour NorCal, Northwestern Nevada, and visit my grandmother in Southern Oregon.

Travel isn't all about the destination. Find new ways to enjoy the journey.

Lincoln

Cleveland Orchestra: Mozart Under the Stars (at Blossom)

Mozart: Symphony No. 36 ("Haffner") in D major, K385
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A major, K622 (Franklin Cohen, clarinet)
Mozart: Overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 ("Jupiter") in C major, K551
James Feddeck, conductor
at Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls.

There are a relatively few musicians who I follow passionately enough to influence my decision to attend a concert -- virtually all of them are members of The Cleveland Orchestra. Franklin Cohen, the Orchestra's long-time principal clarinet and tonight's soloist is one of those few. In all honesty single-composer programs tend to be much less appealing to me -- had Mr. Cohen not been on the program, I probably would have gone for Sunday's concert instead.

But had I skipped tonight's concert I would have missed a sublime summer sunset with the orchestra and  four wonderful pieces  from Mozart.

It was a pleasantly warm -- but not  hot -- evening, the lawn was  full and everything was in the right place when the orchestra started out with Mozart's Haffener symphony. The program note mentions that "...the symphony had originally been intended as a second 'Haffner' serenade to be performed outdoors."and it certainly glistened in Blossom's outdoors. The first movement was festive and energetic with a feeling of an refined outdoor party while the second movement was more subdued and had a more refined feeling of an elegant affair. The final two movements of the piece moved quickly and had an excited punctuation to them.

Second on the program but the star of the show, Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with Franklin Cohen playing the solo part. It was so beautifully and cohesively played that at some point I just let my eyes drift out of focus and listened to the beautiful notes coming off  the stage. Though the resident birds kept quiet through most of the concert they added quick cheeps as accents for color. The second movement was a particularly sweet embrace between orchestra and soloist and almost brought water to my eyes. During a long pause before the third movement there was an awkward, if enthusiastic, burst of applause from the back of the pavilion. The third movement reminded me of my weekly walks with no set route in mind -- confidently striding along for a while before reaching a possible fork in the road and pondering the options before surging forward again.

Following intermission, the Overture to The Abduction from the Seragilio may be the shortest piece by Mozart that the orchestra has played at just about five minutes in performance, but it was a pleasant palate cleanser.

The last piece on the program, Mozart's Jupiter symphony was beautifully played but I had a hard time really getting deep into the music. During the second movement, though, I fell in love with the grace of the orchestra's performance acoustically, while watching a moth gracefully fluttering above the strings.

Everything came together and this is what a Blossom concert can and should be.

Lincoln

Cleveland Museum of Art: Column and Stripe Speakeasy/Youth and Beauty (@ClevelandArt)



Members enjoying the Column and Stripe Lounge

 Youth and Beauty: Art of The American Twenties On view now through mid-September at the Cleveland  Museum of Art is an exciting survey of the art American artist produced during the 1920s. I'll freely admit that the first half  of  the 1900s  contains many of  my favorites both in classical music and art, so it should  come  as no surprise that I enjoy this exhibition's look at the decade.

Of course, in a decade best known for prohibition and sandwiched between the end of World War I and the beginning  of the Great Depression has some exciting inspiration. The Cleveland  Museum of  Art seized upon the inspiration of the decade to offer an exciting event tonight, the Youth and Beauty Speakeasy. Column and Stripe: The new friends of the Cleveland Museum of Art roared to life with its first official event, the Column and Stripe Lounge.

The event was a clear success had an energy of excitement -- a je ne sais qouis like the first Solstice, and enhanced by the beautiful atrium. Although the population was primarily in the "young professional" bracket, people of all ages could be seen mingling and comfortably enjoying themselves while the exhibition was open for casual perusal, bars were open, and a DJ was spinning tunes, though conversations were a plenty as attendees found old and new friends alike to chat with.  

Though costumes were not required -- or really even advertised as encouraged -- a number of people, including Rachel and yours truly, were decked out in period-appropriate clothing contributing to a special feeling for the event.



Rachel trying her hand at 1920s Tweeting

A major attraction was an appearance by Dr. Sketchy Cleveland (Anti-Art Studio: Where Drinking and Drawing is the Norm) allowing attendees to try their talents sketching models with slightly risque takes on pieces form the exhibitions.

Outside the exhibition in the Key Bank Lobby attendees could experiment with a classic typewriter and paper scroll in "1920s Tweeting"

All-in-all it was a great social event at the museum and it was fantastic to see so many younger Clevelanders enjoying a Friday evening at the Cleveland Museum of Art -- and although the crowd had started to thin slightly as the clock ticked away the evening, there was still a good sized assortment of attendees when the museum closed at 9 PM.



Column and Stripe Members enjoying L'Albatros

But for Column and Stripe members the party didn't end -- The nice folks at L'Albatros hosted us for drinks and a late-night happy hour menu.

As members filtered in we took any available corner of the main bar and outdoor patio bar; as we reached critical mass a lovely back room became our speakeasy and rounded out the evening.

Due to impending travel tomorrow morning I had to excuse myself after finishing off a glass of wine but the event was still going strong.

Join us for the next Column and Stripe event -- for more information see http://www.columnandstripe.org/.

Lincoln

Cleveland Orchestra: Great Gershwin, Brilliant Bernstein

Gershwin: Cuban Overture
Bernstein: Glitter and Be Gayfrom Candide (Tracy Dahl, soprano)
Gershwin:  Catfish Row: Symphonic Suite from Porgy and Bess (Bramwell Tovey, piano; Tracy Dahl, soprano)
Greshwin: Songs (Arranged by Bramwell Tovey: The Man I Love; They Can't Take That Away from Me, A Foggy Day (in London Town); Fascinating Rhythm) (Tracy Dahl, soprano)
Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Bramwell Tovey, conductor.

My adventure with classical music in general and The Cleveland Orchestra in particular began with hearing the Orchestra perform Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 (Jeremiah) in Severance Hall not that many years ago. Largely for that reason,  I chose tonight's concert over Saturdays more "classical" programming. By Intermission I was beginning to think that I chose poorly. That feeling didn't subside before the concert came to an end.

The concert started with Cuban Overture, a musical postcard of sorts from a pre-revolution Cuba and had an immediate energy and a Latin flair that was right at home on a warm Cleveland night, but generally felt a little unfocused -- as if the orchestra wasn't fully buying what Mr. Tovey was laying down. The unfocused feeling persisted throughout the piece -- even the more slow and delicate places, and to an extent through the entire concert, though never as acutely as in Cuban Overture.

The saving grace  of  the evening was  Mr. Tovey's banter, including poking good-natured fun at the latecomers ("the piece most of you just heard") and apologizing for not having either of the composers with us ("they're now specializing in decomposing")

For the next three pieces on the program, Soprano Tracy Dahl joined the orchestra and I desperately want to find a positive, but I had a very hard time imagining her as the character whose role she was singing. Each piece she sung seemed to need a certain spunk or youthfullness, and I really didn't get a sense of that in any of them. In Glitter and Be Gay, Ms. Dahl sung the part of a "lady of the night" but I didn't get that feeling, and over-the-top vibrato was both distracting and rendered many of the lyrics almost unintelligible.

With the first two pieces behind us, Gershwin's Catfish Row suite from Porgy and Bess -- not the better known suite arranged by Robert Russell Bennett was great and full of texture. Having heard members of the orchestra, as a quartet, along with Soprano Jung Oh, preform Summertime in a recent Heights Arts House Concert, it was interesting to hear the piece with full orchestra as part of this suite, though the Heights Arts version was more compelling.

After intermission, the concert -- I almost wrote agony -- continued with four Gershwin songs with varying highlights:  A punctuated deep piano (played by Mr. Tovey)  for The Man I Love; a jazzy mood in They Can't Take That Away from Me; Ms. Dahl's best piece of the evening, and a beautiful violin solo in A Foggy Day (in London Town) and when the Orchestra overcame initial lethargy and accoustically overpowered Ms. Dahl in Fasscinating Rythm.

The concert ended with Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story which was the one I liked most from the evening: Full of a variety of textures and reasonably focused it had mystery, danger, excitement, and love intermingled and ending on a questioning note.

Linccoln

Cleveland Orchestra: Emanuel Ax Plays Mozart and Chopin

Von Suppe: Overture to Poet and Peasant
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major, K482 (Emaunel Ax, piano)
Nicolai: Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor
Chopin: Andante splanto et Grand Polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22 (for piano and orchestra) (Emanuel Ax, piano)
Brahms: Three Hungarian Dances (Nos. 1, 5, and 6)
Encore: Dvorak _______ Dances
Jahja Ling, conductor.

To call tonight sweltering would seem to be a bit of an understatement: I think it may be the warmest and most generally uncomfortable climate-wise I can remember. The good news is that for the 2012 season, bottled water is allowed in the pavilion regardless of temperature. Though water is a steal* at $5 for a small bottle, it would have been ugly without it.

The concert began with Franz von Suppe's Overture to the Poet and the Peasant with the first part featuring a lush cello solo mentally taking me to a relaxing verdant green field with clear blue skies; the second part contrasted with the full orchestra giving a stormy feel -- much, as it may seem, for the rain interrupting the clear skies for the 4th of July concerts -- before returning to a calm feeling with both.

Somewhat rare, tonight's guest artist was actually featured in two pieces. Emanuel Ax first joined the orchestra for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22. For the first two movements there were individual moments that sparkled, but neither of the movements as a whole did anything for me. The off-beet cheeping of the sparrows in the pavilion certainly didn't help. The third movement, though, seemed to enjoy a much stronger bond between piano and orchestra and was generally more nimble.

Following intermission, Otto Nicolai's Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor, my favorite from the evening, began with fantastic drama in the low strings, dispersing amongst the full orchestra with hints of a waltz sprinkled throughout.

Emanuel Ax rejoined the orchestra for Chopin's Andanted splanto et Grand Polonaise brillante where the piano and pianist clearly sparkled. The orchestra's role in the work was almost entirely confined to providing punctuation and spotligthing for Mr. Ax's statements.

Last on the published program were three of Brahms's Hungarian Dances. All three of the pieces had a distinct sound that I associate as being Eastern European, though my brain was occupied through much of the piece trying to put my finger on what, precisely, I thought of as Eastern European, I think it was generally a duller, deeper--slightly depressed--sound. Dance Number 5 was particularly interesting in that there were moments where it seemed almost like the orchestra was being played in slow motion, and towards the end a bit of brightness came out in something that could almost be described as a jig. Dance number 6 was the least affected with the "Eastern European" sound but was the most festive and brightest of the three, and to my ear, my favorite selection.

Mr. Ling announced the encore from the podium, but without benefit of a microphone, the middle part of the title was lost to the crowd: I can only assume that it was one of  Dvorak's Slavonic Dances. In any event, it was quite enjoyable -- lively and colorful, and a great way to end a warm evening.

Lincoln
*- That would be the orchestra's concessionaire, Aramark, stealing from the patrons lest there be any confusion.

Heights Arts: Close Encounters: Amaricana, a house concert

Barber: String Quartet Op. 11 (Composed 1938)
Riley: Half Wolf Dances Mad In Moonlight from Salome Dances for Peace for String Quartet
Gershwin: Summertime from Porgy and Bess  (Jung Oh, Soprano)
Dvorak: "American" Quartet in F major, Op. 96
Katherine Bormann, Isabel Trautwein, violins; Tanya Ell, cello; Eleisha Nelson, viola.
At the Dunham Tavern Museum Barn, Cleveland.

There are concerts where I struggle to find a piece I liked; then there are concerts where I like just about everything but I have a clear favorite. Rarely -- very rarely -- there is a concert where I love everything and to attempt to name a favorite is as pointless as trying to name a favorite finger. This was one of those concerts.

All of the instrumentalists on tonight's program are members of The Cleveland Orchestra: Familiar faces in Isabel Trautwein and Tanya Ell, and new to the Heights Arts stage, Katherine Bormann and Eleisha Nelson, viola.

The concert opened with Samuel Barber's String Quartet, opus 11 -- with its second movement being perhaps best known as the basis for the orchestral Adagio for Strings. Though the second movement, with the feeling of a tender caress of a loved one, upstages the neighboring movements, all four of the movements in this piece were gripping. After the deeply touching second movement, the third had a bit of an emotional struggle between Ms. Trautwein's violin and Ms. Nelson's beautiful viola. The fourth and final moment, seemed a bit animated and flighty by contrast.

Ms. Nelson introduced the second piece on the program, as eight minutes from Terry Riley's two and a half hour quartet, Salome Dances for Peace for String Quartet in five movements. Tonight we were treated to the last part of the first movement Haalf Wolf Dances Mad in Moonlight which Ms. Nelson promised would have some "crazy rhythms" but, she added, would be all together. And together they were. And crazy they were. Though the piece was full of repeating patterns the evolution of the sounds in the piece gave an air of suspense and mystery that became more and less imperative as if a passing shadow. It's worth noting that I think this may be the first piece from a living composer has appeared on a Heights Arts program.

Following intermission, Soprano and Heights Arts Board Member Jung Oh joined the Cleveland Orchestra members to voice Gershwin's Summertime from Porgy and Bess. From "Summertime and the living is easy..." the Ms. Oh's songbird-like rendition had me spellbound.

The program wrapped to a close with Dvorak's "American" Quartet which was positively delightful. Dvorak's Symphony 9 ("From the New World") is unquestionably one of my favorite works for full orchestra, so I had high expectations. Those expectations were met with the American Quartet, composed at roughly the same time and in Spillville, Iowa. Like From the New World there's something about the quartet that gives a distinctly American feel to the piece, but I can't quite put my finger on what gives it that sound, unlike, perhaps what may be expected from "big city" America, the American Quartet seems more introspective and thoughtful than its sibling symphony.

There was absolutely nothing not to love about this concert; it was clear that the chemistry between musicians was at full strength.

Lincoln

Cleveland Orchestra/Blossom Festival Band: A Salute to America

[The complete program for this evening's concert is at the end of this post]
Loras John Schissel, conductor.

For each of the now eight years I've lived in Cleveland, I spent my fourth of July with Loras John Schissel and the Blossom Festival Band at Blossom Music Center -- also marking the beginning of the  Cleveland Orchestra's season at Blossom. As with last year, Rachel and I met up with her parents and brother for a picnic on the lawn before the concert started. I'm pretty sure that this was the hottest of the eight years, and from the time we started picnicking just after 5:30 until we excused ourselves to find seats in the pavilion, at about 7:30, if anything I think the temperature went up.

The program, as always, started with The Star Spangled Banner and ended with Tchaikovsky's Overture to The Year 1812 and Sousa's Stars and Stripes. The gooey filling in this musical sandwich was pleasantly varied and a lovely if sweltering evening of music.

No doubt my favorite of this evening's selections was John Williams's The Cowboys' Overture which was full of energy, well paced, and  delightfully textured. The piece conjured images of the excitement on the range, a quiet almost tender (within the confines of tender for a cowboy) evening scene, a sunrise, and even more action.

Sousa's Liberty Bell was more restrained than Williams's Overture and brought about a distinctly naval feeling, most clearly through a somewhat irregular bell clanging making me think of a ship at sea. Later in the program, Grainger's Shepherd's Hey was light and frothy, with hints of a jig. The quick-moving second part seemed almost Disney-cartoon-esque.

The sixth and seventh pieces on the program a march by Victor Herbert and Sousa's March: Nobles of the Mystic Shrine was an interesting contrast. The first seemed a clear march, and more than adequate for music you might encounter in a small town's parade, while the later had quite a bit of pomp and would have likely felt much out of place in the same parade.

The Symphonic Synthesis from Victory at Sea was an impressive piece of music and Rachel leaned over and noted that it makes her want to join a band again. (No word on when she will actually do this, however)
During intermission we checked in with Rachel's parents and a group of our friends out on the lawn -- eyeing the dark skies with lightning on the horizon we suggested that our friends avail themselves of the General Admission seating in the pavilion. As Intermission ended, Mr. Schissel returned to the stage with two announcements -- one encouraging those on the lawn to feel free to migrate to the pavilion, and the other was never made because at that moment the skies opened and the lawn disappeared from behind an impenetrable fog of rain and a mass of people streamed into the pavilion.

Once the human element was settled back down, the concert picked up with Mancini Magic which was interesting, but largely drowned out by the sounds of the downpour.

A tremendous thunderclap punctuated Mr. Schissel's introduction of narrator's Robert Conrad and Harold Walters, Duty, Honor, Country, and smaller thunderclaps followed -- almost as if the heavens were announcing the approval of tonight's concerts.

Lincoln
The program (as performed):
Key/Smith/Sousa: The Star Spangled Banner
Williams: Overture: The Cowboys
Sousa: Liberty Bell
Grainger: Colonial Song
Grainger: Shepherd's Hey
Herbert: Gold Bug
Sousa: March: Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
Rodgers: Victory at Sea, Symphonic Synthesis
Van Alston: In the Dark
Anderson: Sleigh Ride
Sousa: Semper Fidelis
Mancini: Mancini Magic
Walters: Duty, Honor, Country, Robert Conrad, narrator
Traditional: March-Past of the United States Armed Forces
Tchiakovsky: Overture: The Year 1812 

Cleveland Museum of Art: Summer Solstice 2012

The Cleveland Museum of Art's  Summer Solstice is the hottest party of the year. Now in the fouth year it is perhaps the most inclusive as well with people ranging in age from late teens to earily centenarians and clothing ranging from T-shirts and jeans to the height of formal wear.

Unfourtunately, this year didn't have the same level of excitement and verve as the last three, and almost had the freeling that the event had gone coroprate. The first two Solstices were clear celebrations: The first celebrating the opening of the East Wing galleries,  the second celebrating the opening of gelleries in the lower level 1916 Building. The 2011 Solstice didn't have a clear celebratory focus but was nontheless a fun celebration of art with artists performing and working the crowd creating a cool energy, and light food scattered around. I didn't get that fun vibe from tonight's solstice -- the only food was by way of food trucks, I don't recall seeing any artists on the museum's grounds. Nor were there other activities, such as the variations on a "scavenger hunt" theme that provided a interesting way to occupy time for Solstices 2 and 3.

For the first time my expectations were not met, and not met by a large margin. It seems like the singular focus of this solstice was music, and that just doesn't captivate me without some visual connection.

That's not to say that it wasn't enjoyable, it just wasn't as enjoyable as the first three. Rachel and I scoped out the grounds and chateed with coworkers and friends spanning a good 40 years in age. The highlight, for me, of the evening was seeing the atrium now that the "shed" enclosing the escalators in the East Wing and protecting visitors from the atrium construction has been removed, for the first time allowing a view of the full atrium.

The Youth and Beauty exhibition, which officially opens tomorrow and celebrates art of the 1920s was also quite attractive, and a period I particularly like. It was interesting -- if slightly irreverant -- to tour the exhibition with a group of four friends all in varying degrees of "slightly buzed" and attempting to interpert both artists motives and models expressions. I know this is an exhibition that I'll be visiting frequently through it's run.

And of course, tonight's Solstice was the long-awaited official launch of Column and Stripe, the new friends of the Cleveland Museum of Art. At about 11:30 we took over the walls of the 1916 for a short but very cool video piece (I'm told it will be posted on the http://www.columnandstripe.org/ website on Monday

The party contined late into the morning, but with Rachel's feet killing her and mine threatening suicide, after 5 hours we bid adieu to our friends and headed for home.

It seems that Solstice has unfourtunately evolved from a multi-dimensional art-and-museum celebration into an event with a singular focus on music and a side of "see and be seen", which is sad and particularly baffling in the context of the Cleveland Museum of Art. While in previous years the event has tied into the museum's collections and galleries and provided inspiration for the kind of excitement art can foster, this year's Solstice seemingly had no tie-ins whatsoever; it might as well have been at an annonymous fairgrounds; I'm not sure anyone would have noticed the difference. And they probably would have served Red wines.

Lincoln