MUSIC
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019
7:00 PM

ACME: Nordic Noir
(Le) Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan

$15-$20
https://lpr.com/lpr_events/nordic-noir-may-7-2019/

Although the participants themselves would strongly deny any such categorization, there are two strands to the current, very vibrant Nordic contemporary classical scene.  One strand is what you might want to call "serious" music (ugh there must be a better word) featuring large structures moving very slowly but with a lot of detail, with sound palettes that are austere but exquisitely beautiful.  Indeed, as dry as that description may sound, "exquisitely beautiful" is not a bad descriptor for this music on the whole (as long as you're willing to accept a good deal of austerity with your exquisite beauty).  The other strand is, you might say, more pop-oriented.  At its worst, it comes off as a combination of prog rock, New Age, and elevator music.  At its best, though, it's accessible melodic music that retains your interest (its being Nordic and all, it's still kind of austere, though).  Tonight the sterling American Contemporary Music Ensemble gives us a taste of both strands with two disparate Danish composers, Ejnar Kanding representing the first and Carston Bo Erikson (a/k/a My Beautiful Decay 1973) the second.  Cool yourself down now that the weather is heating up.

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT:  The guys behind Brooklyn's Mod Peruvian Llama Inn have reconfigured their Village outpost Llamita from a Peruvian sandwich shop into a "Peruvian bistro".  Sounds good to me.