I really enjoyed the music in tonight’s performance. All three compositions (by Barber, Hummel and Satie) were new to me. I’ll probably never hear Satie’s “Socrates” live ever again, so I was glad I was there.

I discovered Mark Morris in a video of his collaboration with Yo Yo Ma, “Falling Down Stairs”, created for a Bach cello suite. It included an intriguing discussion between the artists about the creative process. Then I was thrilled to be able to see the MMDG in person at the Power Center. I also found Morris’comments on his life in choreography in “Speaking of Dance” by Joyce Morgenroth. Now I’m reading a 1993 biography, “Mark Morris,”by Joan Acocella. His amazing childhood “explains” how a person of such unique personality and musical genius came stand before us with his living art, the dancers in performance. I hope to explore some new resources that continue the story from 1993, and was happy to hear Mark Morris say he’s only “mid-career” at the moment. Thank you, Mark, for your passionate faithfulness to the music and to the embodiment of “freedom of expression.”

I discovered Mark Morris the same way Diane did. I thought the performance was extraordinary. Mark’s vocabulary of human movement is fluid, expressive and imaginative. His choreography connects with the audience, the music and the text (!!) (where there is text) on multiple levels. The dancers were elegant, graceful, witty, beautiful, joyous, piteous, pitying, courageous, mischievous, curious, full of wonder, grief stricken, in love, ebullient, life weary, on the verge of collapse, collapsed. Disciplined, magnificent. I would have said “not automatons”, but they may have briefly portrayed automatons in the first piece.

This was a thrilling performance.

I am a long time devotee of MM. Love his musicality and dance vocabulary. My comments come from an exchange with another audience member specifically about Socrates.
I do believe that it is very difficult to finish an evening with a work like Socrates, folks like to go out with a bang. On the other hand it is also somehow wrong to follow it with something lighter and energetic because those who have entered into the world of spirit and contemplation that it evokes want and need to stay there to allow it to resolve.
The dance vocabulary for the piece was more subtle than the earlier pieces and that gave my guests the feeling that it somehow was a lesser work. This came especially from the balletomane who really still has trouble “reading” modern dance in my opinion. Another problem was the layers of vocal, titles, dance and music. It was more sophisticated and demanding than an Opera in that the number of bodies in motion needed more focused attention than a mostly static Opera requires.
Anyway, I actually felt I would enjoy it more the second time I see it. Also, next time we are in NYC (Dec) we need to take a good look at some of the reinstalled Greek urns and friezes!