As I’ve mentioned here before, one of the features that makes Los Angeles such a wonderful city is all the hidden gems that abound, teasing you to find them. When you do, the pleasure of having found them really glows inside you for a while. Typically, you’ll find that pretty much everybody who knows anything about the city (and has not already prejudged it by viewing it through the glasses of European or European-wannabe (read: East Coast) models of cities) shares this feeling. This is also why people often hate the city. They can’t find things immediately, they see it from the freeway, and they decide that it is just an awful place, and pretty quickly the stupid cliches about there being “no culture” (which always means “no European culture”, sigh) begin to be repeated.
So imagine my delight when there was an article on Thursday called “Stages of Discovery”, in the Weekend Calendar section of the LA Times. It talked about some of the places in the region you can go to see music concerts of the “classical” (in the broad sense) type, besides the excellent Music Center Downtown, housing among other things the Disney Hall, of which I’ve told you of events several times before. Have a read of the article, by Chris Pasles, here.
Well, I had other things to do on the bus the next morning (which is when I read the Calendar Weekend section…it gives me ideas about what extra activities I might get up to that weekend beyond things already planned) and so I did not read it as thoroughly as I should have. I skimmed through in that way that one does when one is happy to satisfy oneself smugly that one already knows of and had been to at least some of the “hidden gems” already, and then made a mental note to keep the article for later detailed analysis, to learn more about the places that I did not know about.
On the cover was a picture (by Genaro Molina) of a particularly interesting looking performance space, with the Janaki String Trio posing in it:
… and somehow I did not really consciously note where it was. I was to read the article later, of course.
Well, later that evening I was to meet a friend of mine to go to a concert. She’d got the tickets from a friend and I was going along as her guest. I’d agreed to this a long time ago without even knowing what exactly they were for. I knew it was music, and assumed that it was the Disney Hall. Turned out I was wrong. It was at the Doheny Mansion, which happens to be just North of (imho, right next to) the USC campus. Convincing my friend to walk over there from campus (via that wonderful hidden gem, La Taquiza, sampling some excellent mulitas, for dinner), we showed up there in good time for the pre-concert talk, and went inside. Well, of course, you’ve guessed. I went into the splendid historic mansion, walked to the performance space, and was treated to the view above! Without the Janaki, of course. It is called the Pompeian Room.
Here’s a nice link to the Doheny mansion, complete with some history and some pan-able photos of the interiors. Once upon a time, this part of LA was the place to be if you were part of the high-class crowd. You woud have had a well-appointed house here, etc. The Doheny family were as high-class as it gets in these parts: Oil money (La Brea tar pits, etc…). This also explains why there are all those fantastic craftsman houses all over the neighbourhood that people are now giving any amount of money for, but that’s another story. It was not until later that the Beverly Hills’ of this world began to rise in stature, and the high-class set moved away….but the remnants are still here, if you know where to look.
Turns out that there is a society/club whose mission in life is to arrange chamber music concerts in several of these stately homes and other historic places all over Los Angeles County, and this was one of the perfomances I was attending! They are called the Da Camera society, and their website is here. We saw the Avalon String Quartet perfom pieces by Schubert, Schumann and Wolf, and it was wonderful. They arranged the Quartet in a circle (facing inwards), and we the audience surrounded the musicians, sitting very close to them, so it was especialy intimate, and also afforded an interesting hearing of the pieces, since the no-traditional positioning allowed you to separate out the parts in interesting ways. I like to do this a bit in my head when I listen anyway, and so it was nice to be helped a bit by geography. Turned out (I learned from speaking to one of the musicians afterward) that the musicians found it fun to do, since they too had not heard it in that way before. (They are performing the same programme tonight -in a traditional confirguration- in Santa Barbara, for readers up there looking for something to do. They were excellent.) The excellent pre-concert lecture was given by MaryAnn Bonino, the Founding Director of the Society, who I’d met before a lot at Categorically Not!….. I’d previously no idea that she had an office so close to me all this time.
Here’s something different: This was a really dedicated crowd, and not the usual lot that one seems to get in LA (and several other cities in the US, I’ve noticed…but especially LA): (1) They all came back (more or less) after the interval, and (2) They stayed out late! (Contrast with e.g. here). There was food -excellent food- and wine served *after* the concert, starting almost at 10:00pm, and people stayed and chatted intelligently about the music afterwards. In other words, they did not rush off to get on the highway like the building was going to explode, which is the usual pattern you get of concert attendees. Wow. I guess this means they joined the club to do this sort of thing and they really meant it. Excellent. Ironically (given the name of the Da Camera Society -and I know the meaning is different- they were not happy with the idea of anyone taking any photos, so I did not press the point. I cannot offer you any shots of the space or the performers this time.)
I really recommend that you look at the LA Times article and also the Da Camera society’s websites if you live in the area. Especially if you’ve been deceived -as so many have- by the lie that there’s “no culture” in LA. There’s lots to do and see, and lots of great people to meet…. Come on out.
-cvj
April 22nd, 2006 at 9:40 pm
I could come on out…but it would be a LONG way out.
Yes, I’m still reading but not commenting as much.
And…what’s a mulita?
April 24th, 2006 at 1:27 am
From a downtown eating guide, link is http://www.downtownnews.com/dining_guide/latin/
I quote:
-cvj
April 24th, 2006 at 10:16 am
Clifford,
As an East-coast European wannabe, I find it easy to appreciate the Victorian architecture of the Doheny mansion and the European chamber music of Schubert, Shumann and Wolf. I do, however, find it hard to understand why you’re so derisive of this sort of culture in the first half of your post, yet seem so enthusiastic in the second.
April 24th, 2006 at 10:27 am
Similar to Pyracantha, I find the culinary concept of “mulita” quite foreign. Maybe mulitas are simply quintessential products of LA. More speculatively, perhaps mulitas are an indigenous species of the LA area. Thanks of sharing this information on this west coast treat to the wider viewing audience!
April 24th, 2006 at 10:46 am
Hi, er, joke….. You put something there that was not there. I said nothing negative about European culture. I am not derisive of European culture. I am European myself, in fact, and proud of it. I am derisive of the prevailing attitude that it is only European culture which counts as “culture”, which is implicit in the all-too-often hear dismissive statements made about the culture in LA.
As another example, take food. I’m constantly shocked by people coming here from New York (say) and even after being here for a while say that they can’t find any decent food! In reality, you can’t help but stumble on really excellent food here, ranging from all around the world -including Europe. It is just not organised in the way it might be elsewhere, but it is there….. etc, etc, etc …..
It should be clear -sorry if it is not…I sort of assume people have read some of my other posts too- that I love several of those “European-wannabe” (a deliberately playful and not entirely fair term) cities too! I just don’t think that they need be used as the standard for what consitutes the model of a city, and all other cities judged by that standard. In fact, this post was pointing out that if even if you must define culture to mean “European culture”, you can find it here too in quantity….
All I am doing is swimming upstream a bit by pointing out positive aspects of a city that has so many negative things said about it. By doing so, it does not mean -and nobody should assume- that I am attacking other cities. It is possible to like several models of a city….you just need to keep an open mind. It is not hard.
Cheers,
-cvj
April 24th, 2006 at 11:12 am
Fair enough, I completely agree. Although I don’t think I would be happy living there (I love seasons, walking, and high density urban living, and have never owned a car) I know a lot of people who just love LA. I don’t really think the East coast culture is necessarily European-wannabe, though, which is how I interpreted what you were saying. For example, there are clearly established American schools of theatre, music, architecture, cuisine, literature, dance, visual art… you name it. I don’t think I know any east-coasters who think they’re living in an ersatz Vienna, Paris or Berlin.
April 24th, 2006 at 11:19 am
Going out in the evening….I remember it fondly!
This is a tangent, Clifford, but have you read any of Ruth Reichl’s books? She was a retaurant critic in LA in the early 90’s, and then got hired by the NY Times and worked there for several years. Apparently it was quite shocking and upsetting that she wanted to review “ethnic” restaurants in the Times!
April 24th, 2006 at 11:23 am
joke, we do have seasons in California. They’re just not the same seasons as in other climates.
April 24th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Joke, you can walk here, and as Janet said, there are seasons. Also you do not need to own a car (although I agree that we’ve a way to go before you can fully explore *all* of the city’s offerings in an efficient way without one…but you certainly can get around a lot without one, and explore a vast number of things using the remarkably extensive bus system, and growing subway-rail system…. If you don’t believe me, see my post on that issue here).
This is exactly what I’m talking about… more incorrect assumptions based on often-repeated cliches.
Also, you said:
I agree… and said myself that it was a deliberately playful over-simplification…. but that’s also my point. There are so many innaccurate characterizations of LA (examples of which you readily provided above), so I get to use an inaccurate characterization in the other direction just this once….
Cheers,
-cvj
April 24th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
Janet… thanks….. No I’ve not read any of her books, but I think I’ve read articles by her. I will add to the list of things to read. Thanks!
A nice salon interview on the topic (food snobbery) can be found here: http://www.salon.com/nov96/interview961118.html
-cvj
April 24th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Clifford, I read your post on public transportation in LA. I must admit I was sort of surprised, and glad to hear about it.
All these things are relative. Of course it is possible to live happily in LA, walk places, take public transit and not have a car. It is probably even possible to do that in Houston! But it is also true that Los Angeles is less centralized, less walkable, and has more of a car culture and less of a public transportation system than New York City. That’s not hearsay, and there is nothing wrong with it. In fact, many people would find it preferable to living in a dirty, chaotic city, working eighty hours a week to afford a tiny, absurdly expensive fifth-floor walkup, constantly being awoken by car alarms, and living in perpetual fear of a cockroach infestation. These are all stereotypes about New York that happen to be true, to a greater or lesser extent.
April 24th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
All true. Nowhere do I say anything to the contrary.
Cheers,
-cvj
April 26th, 2006 at 5:22 am
Interesting coincidence that only today there was a short number on Swedish radio about Frank Gehry, where the Music Centre was called the most beautiful modern building in the US, and a piece of art in its own right.
After seeing pictures on the web, I must say that I would like to see it in real life too.
April 26th, 2006 at 8:24 am
Hi MJ,
Yes it is fantastic! You can see some interiors of it in earlier posts of mine on music….
Gehry’s extension of that region has just been announced…there will be several new buildings added in the block over the road…part of the rejuvenation of the Downtown area with new residences, shops, cafes, restaurants.
Cheers,
-cvj
April 26th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
It seems appropriate to note here that Jane Jacobs, author of “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” died yesterday.
April 26th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
Janet, Thanks. I did not know that.
-cvj
January 29th, 2007 at 3:03 am
[...] Beverly Hills, that is. The Da Camera Society (a chamber music society I mentioned last year) arranged a concert by the Janaki String Trio in the Beverly Hills Women’s Club. Click the (no-flash, not-while-they-played) photo for a larger version. I’m a Beethoven nut, and so having two of his string trios on the program was excellent. There was also a trio by Shubert that I liked a lot. There were two bonuses however. [...]