Artist Allan André applies finishing touches to a mural during the NAC’s “night of classical collisions.” Chloé Fiancette, Centretown NewsHip hop culture had its moment in the spotlight at the National Arts Centre recently during the NAC’s Schumann and Beethoven Festival — bringing the classical composers together with a very modern form of music.
The DJ Skratch Bastid and graffiti artists from the Ottawa scene paid tribute to the two early-19th-century German composers during an Oct. 14 party at the Elgin Street arts complex.
David Bowie’s 1983 hit Let’s Dance was played, remixed by Skratch Bastid, a well-known DJ from Toronto. Stylish guests of all ages danced to the tune, many holding a bottle of beer.
Behind them, four graffiti artists painted large murals on the NAC walls.
This hip-hop vibe was not exactly the kind of sound one would expect in a festival dedicated to Beethoven and Schumann. During this “night of classical collisions,” classical and edgy electronic music were fused.
The murals painted by graffiti artists were also linked to the composers. They were inspired by The Kiss, an NAC-commissioned piece by painter Anita Kunst that depicts the two composers as lovers, engaged in a kiss.
NAC music director Alexander Shelley said the party and artworks were a way to pay tribute to the two composers: “What I wanted at the NAC was to have a great evening, that people come and have fun, but also, on a deeper sense, to identify with what these composers are doing.”
He insisted on the similarities between young contemporary artists and the two composers from two centuries ago.
“They also had improvisation in their blood,” he said. “These were young men — they were actually younger than Skratch Bastid when they wrote the pieces that we’re playing. They were in their early twenties.”
The “collision” reached its zenith when a violinist, clarinetist and contrabassist from the NAC Orchestra joined Skratch Bastid on stage.
It was the most intense moment of the concert, where the artists played samples of a Beethoven piano concerto and a Schumann symphony.
The musicians and the DJ smiled conspiratorially at each other as they performed. In fact, they had just met the day before. “It was pretty much made on the spot,” said clarinetist Sean Rice. “We picked up what pieces we want to do, and then improvised around that,” added Carissa Klopoushak, who played violin.
The three classical musicians listen to all genres of music and said they enjoyed the genre mash. “It was terrifying, but it turned out pretty well,” said Hilda Cowie, contrabassist.
“The classical music is so complex, there is a lot of different movements, whereas electronical music is very structured and straightforward,” noted Scratch Bastid.
“I find sometimes that it takes away from the beauty of what symphonic music is.”
He added: “You almost never see classical music outside of the ampitheatre, outside of the big place,” he said. “I think it’s a really cool idea to bring people to it.”
More than 400 people came to the party. Shelley said the event exceeded his expectations.
“It’s a new step I am very excited about,” he said. “All of us in the building, we’re saying that, well, this is what we want to be doing. We want to show that our minds and doors are open.”