Alexander McQueen: 81st St and 5th Ave

You may have heard of the unprecedented success and popularity of the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in the NY Times, AM New York, or any number of other places people go for cultural news so I won't bore you with the details of the actual exhibit.  Rather, I'll share with you the nightmare that was waiting in the over 2 hour long line with no benches to rest on and no water to drink (inside the museum--never mind the wait outside as shown above).  I got there an hour before the museum opened so I could get a decent place in line and I would suggest that that is the best way to minimize the wait, but that is not foolproof either. 

Members can come about an hour before opening and skip the lines.  That is better, but then you'd have to shell out dues for a membership--pretty steep.  Or lastly you can come with someone who is physically incapable of waiting in long lines and hope that they provide you with a "VIP" pass to skip the line--but best be extra-kind and solicitous with the "powers that be," the security guards.

Yes, the exhibit shows some amazing pieces by McQueen.  There are works from his Scottish line (see left), his widow line, his rape line, his extravagant feathered pieces, as well as some of the most extra-ordinary accessories like shoes and head pieces (see right).  But overall, I give the exhibit a 7.5 out of 10.  The only real reason to go see this exhibit and battle these crowds is if you are one of those folks who feel like they have to experience the top shows, exhibits, restaurants, and so on, in NYC.  Do you hate it when friends lord over you with their fabulous experiences after you've told them you missed something?  Would your "friends" do those kinds of things to you to make themselves feel better by making you feel a little worse?  Well, unfortunately, that is a large portion of the population in NYC.  Or perhaps that is a big portion of the population everywhere, just more pronounced here in NYC because we are fortunate enough to have more opportunities than most living in this magnet of a city.

In any event, if you don't want to be one of those people that "missed the BIGGEST show" at the Metropolitan, you have until this Sunday at midnight (yes, they are extending viewing hours this weekend) to catch a glimpse of "Savage Beauty."  Enjoy it if you can.

The Met does have a sense of humor about the waiting.  In fact, they have created a pamphlet that describes the art on the walls and in the display cabinets in the rooms on the way to the McQueen exhibit.  The pamphlet entitled "McQueen Line Trek: The Taming of the Queue" is a kind of abbreviated scavenger hunt about the other artwork that is in the Met's permanent collection (that usually don't get very many visitors I would imagine).

Ok, this was a bit of a rant, but that is basically how I feel.  I'm glad the Met is making a mint on this exhibit (because I think it is a great institution that brings amazing art to the public), but really, couldn't they alleviate the stress of the exhausting lines and make the viewing more enjoyable (less crowded)?

Dyckman Farmhouse: Broadway at 204th Street

The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum was built in 1784 by one of the earliest Dutch farmers of New Amsterdam (now New York City), Jan Dyckman.  Jan's grandson, William, inherited the Dyckman land but during the British occupation fled upstate.  After the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), William returned to find the family home destroyed but rebuilt the building that is currently the museum.

During the war, the British housed their hired Hessian (German) soldiers on the Dyckman farmland, and you can get a good sense of what that life was like through the reconstructed Hessian military hut (there were more than 60 on the farmlands) in the garden (see left).  Needless to say, it was a very austere life in cramped quarters (makes you appreciate the small space you may be living in if you live in the City).

The Dyckman Farmhouse itself was also very small.  With a few of rooms redecorated to their 1815-20 state (when the farmhouse was donated to the City as a museum), the nicely but sparsely decorated main and second floors were like some of the other historical homes I've recently toured (see my blog on the Merchant's House).  The parlor on the main floor was multifunctional for dining, sewing, writing, etcetera (see right).  The second floor bedrooms were plain and had to sleep up to 9 household members.

Unfortunately, the house is small and the half acre garden feels even smaller (see left, view from back patio), especially when one considers the 250 acres that once was a part of this farm (one of the largest in northern Manhattan).  If you are going to take the time to visit this museum in this northern part of the City, I would highly recommend walking the few blocks over to visit The Cloister Museum (my blog will continue next with my visit yesterday). The self-guided tour of the Dyckman Farmhouse is offered for mere $1 and if you have any questions, you can ask the volunteer who mans the museum Wed-Sat 11 am to 4 pm and Sun 12-4 pm (check www.dyckmanfarmhouse.org for current details). 

NY Philharmonic: Lincoln Center

Last night I went to Lincoln Center (see above photo of The Metropolitan Opera House and below photo of the Revson Fountain and David H. Koch Theater) to enjoy a concert by the New York Philharmonic at Alice Tully Hall.

The concert was entitled "Hungarian Echoes IV" and included Haydn's Symphony No. 8, Bartok's Piano Concerto No. 1, Ligeti's Clocks and Clouds, and Bartok's Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin.  I was looking forward to the more traditional Haydn piece that was scheduled to open the concert.  It was melodic and beautiful to listen to, and the 21 minutes of the piece flew by.

The two Bartok pieces were a little more difficult to listen to, but they were dramatic and powerful.  The program explanations of the composer's life and the pieces themselves made the music more meaningful and appreciable as well.  The harmonic and alien sounds of the Ligeti piece made that piece interesting for me, but my brother had a laugh attack and had to apologize to his neighbors for his hysterical laughter.  I would have to agree that the Ligeti piece was foreign-sounding and a bit ridiculous (12 women singing unrecognizable sounds were the focus), but the program's background on Ligeti, including that Stanley Kubrick had used his music in his 1968 film "2001: Space Odyssey," had prepared me to be open minded to what was coming.

In any event, if you are not into avant garde music and are not certain of the music by their titles (like me), I would recommend that rather than purchasing tickets online, you may want to check with the sales person and call for tickets to make sure the performance you are considering is to your taste.  If you are frank with them, they can really be helpful in steering you to the right concert.  A good live orchestra concert can really move you; I've been brought to tears, overwhelmed by the beauty of certain orchestral pieces.

This past winter, I also attended "The Magic Flute" opera at the Metropolitan Opera House and a few years ago I attended a ballet at the Koch Theater.  Lincoln Center also has outdoor dance classes and dances in the summer and hosts the Big Apple Circus as well.  Right around the holidays, they also host the West Point or Canadian Brass Bands and have a fabulous holiday concert (although last year I preferred the holiday brass concert at the theater at The Metropolitan Museum).  There is something for everyone here, so if you are of the mind to "get a little culture" I would highly recommend checking out www.new.lincolncenter.org/live/.

I plan to take an art and architecture tour of Lincoln Center in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, and I'll report back on what I find.  I have high hopes!