Kueer Kultur

Kueer Kultur Review
The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Chamber Concert
at the LGBT Community Center, NYC
Feb 10, 2002
by Ruby Lips
On Sunday afternoon, seeking the proper casual look, I put on my high heeled penny loafers and stumbled downtown to d’billitch to hear The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps perform a chamber concert at the newly refurbished Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center. Whew, what a mouthful; it takes so much wordage to be politically correct. I could have said LGBT, but that sounds like what I had for breakfast on toast. Lets see, that's Lesbian, Bacon, and tomato... oops (NOT kosher!). The show took place in a third floor performance space, which is Noo Yawkeze for a large room done up in retro-modern-industrial décor with exposed beams, giant air ducts, and humungous windows (but with the asbestos and peshkis removed). Gone, alas, from the new modern center is the famed transgender pissoir of days gone by where, upon entry, one could choose to be a boy or girl as the mood of the moment (and urgency) struck you. To squat or stand, decisions decisions; now there is only a men's or women's room, with all the fun of in-your-face micturation forgotten.

The audience in the chamber was a full house of mustachioed and bearded men wearing rimless spectacles, and checked flannel shirts or turtleneck sweaters, plus a scattering of intense women. There was even a gay daddy with his little boy upon his lap, and cuddling couples. It was so relaxing to be at home in our own space, a roomful of gay folks on a Sunday afternoon with classical gay musicians. Subtleties abounded; Erik Peterson, the dapper musical director, conducted his ensemble with pinkie finger delicately extended. The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps is one of the most politically correct groups that I have seen, a multicultural and gender diverse group of earnest musicians. There was no need for Out Camp since it was a gay group in a gay centre with a gay audience, an exquisite existential normality for those present. The only queer comment heard was when a sax ensemble musician explained the versatility of the instrument and added that the instrumentalists are reputed to be versatile as well; cough, bemused chuckles.

I had expected a short performance in the nature of 'a brief introduction to chamber music for brass;' but, bloody hell, it turned out to be a two and a half hour major show of virtuosity with practically nothing left out, even including the finale to the Third Brandenburg Concerto transcribed for sax. They began with the Fanfare from “La Peri” (The Farie, as was carefully pointed out least anyone miss the point) by Paul Dukas. And followed with Handel's Classic March, Giovanni Gabrieli's Canzon Septimi Toni No.1, Giles Farnaby's Giles Farnaby: a Self-Portrait (lovely bassoon work by Erik Peterson), Gaspar Sanz' Two 17th Century Spanish Dances, and the favorite and familiar Haydn's Divertimento #1 (of which I liked the Rondo the best, and indeed was followed by very enthusiastic applause). But, all that was but the warm up to much more. There was the foot stomping delight of the Sousa One-Step which set me swaying (although the rest of the audience remained snottily stoic; kryst, New Yorkers are hard to please). Least any element of arcane chamber music compositional arrangement be neglected, they performed works by Shostakovitch (Fugue #5), Bach (Fugue #2 in C minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier), and Castérède (Flûtes en Vacances). The percussion ensemble performed Keiko Abe's Tambourin Paraphrse and a lively rendition of If I were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof. And finally, to bring this most enjoyable afternoon to an enchanting close at dusk, the hauntingly familiar Quintet for Piano and Winds in Eb, K 452 (Mozart) was played so ethereally that I could feel my highbrows bushing and growing in delight. (And this was despite the regretful fact that the LGBT Center's piano turned out to be sadly out of tune).

Fashion Rant: A classical music recital review generally does not include comments on the attire of the musicians, but this is a gay review, so get over it. The costume of the day for the various ensembles was suits, rather over-dressed for the West Village. Black turtlenecks might have been better for the intellectual image which I think was intended. The percussion ensemble was a bit more daring, they wore Aloha Shirts!! hmmm, sigh, tsk; excuse me, but this is not Idaho; Get these kids some Glitter, fer krissake!!!!

Overview: A rude slut trash queen like me rarely gives unbridled praise, but the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps does everything right. On the Kueer Kultur Gay Image Scale of 1-10 they get an unprecedented 8 (minus 2 points for the silly suits).