MUSIC
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16
8:00 PM

Talea Ensemble
Time Spans Festival
Mary Flager Cary Hall, DiMenna Center for Classical Music
450 West 37th Street, Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan

$20; $10 students/seniors; $50 five-concert Festival Pass
http://timespans.org/concert/2018-concert-iii/

This year's Time Spans Festival features so many personal favorite composers that, if I were even more narcissistic than I am, I'd think they were programming just for me.  Tonight the formidable Talea Ensemble presents works for large ensemble by Oscar Bettison and Felipe Lara.  Bettison is one of those composers whose surprising and enjoyable music would have a large audience, if only masses of people were willing to listen to contemporary classical.  Lara's music is a tougher nut to crack, but his experiments with rhythm and texture are ultimately as dedicated to pure sonic voluptuousness as say, Richard Strauss -- but, at least to my mind, a lot smarter.

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT:  In a rather stunning reversal, the Major Food Group has opened a place that is not ruinously expensive:  the Tiki bar (with snacks) The Polynesian.