Jakarta, Music, South Jakarta, Travel

Wolfgang Muthspiel Concert, South Jakarta

I heard from CnJ 99.9 FM, it looked like the only jazz radio in Jakarta at that time, that there would be live performance or Wolfgang Muthspiel Concert at Rasuna Concert Hall Kuningan, Jakarta. The show was held on Sunday, January 14, 2006.

Never before have I heard the musician's name, and never been to the hall either. So I did a small search about that person and looked for directions to the building. I then called CnJ and got the location information of the concert. It's just next to the Festival Market. OK. I also got a phone number to purchase the concert ticket.

Next I called Warta Jazz, and was answered by a journalist. Unfortunately he could not get clear information about the concert. We ended up buying tickets on the spot, assuming that there would be an empty seat. We were not wrong. The ticket price is Rp. 100,000 for the rear rows, Rp.150.000 on the wings, and Rp. 350,000 for VIP. We bought two seats on the left wing.

wolfgang muthspiel concert jakarta
The stage was ready with music equipments and sound systems. There were about 100 people in the 400-capacity room. The Austrian Ambassador, as the main sponsor, gave the opening speech. The Swiss Ambassador was also there. When an ambassador is at a concert event, there should be something special about the performer.

Wolfgang Muthspiel was apparently born in a small town in Judenburg, Austria in 1965. He studied violin at the age of six, then turned to guitar at age 15. He studied jazz and classical guitar in Graz, Austria. He won various national competitions for classical music and also the International Guitar Competition in Mettmann, Germany.

wolfgang muthspiel concert jakarta
At about 8 o'clock, Musthpiels walked onstage, gave a brief opening word, developed a thin smile, and immediately started the show, playing his fingers on one of his several electric guitars that had been set up on stage.

Not long after that I felt like watching a classical music performance rather than jazz, where people sit sweetly and in complete silent, afraid to make a tiny sound, even camera shutter sound. Perhaps because there were important people sitting there, it might also be because people wanted to enjoy music entirely. Together with his brother Christian, a trombonist, pianist and composer, Muthspiel formed "Duo Due" in 1982. "Duo Due" performed extensively in Europe, the United States and North Africa, and had published two albums via amadeo / PolyGram.

wolfgang muthspiel concert jakarta
Muthspiel's gesture when greeting the audience. Seeing him onstage like watching a super impeccable guitar playing technique using his ten fingers, plus his legs in using a sort of sequencer to produce accompanying music and other background music.

For me, unfortunately, it's not a perfect performance I expected. I did not find the entertaining element of a live performance. Except for his incredible playing technique, he was seen too seriously on stage with his guitar and fingers.

In 1986 Muthspiel left Austria and emigrated to the United States, first living in Boston to study at the New England Conservatory with Mick Goodrick and David Leisner. Then he attended Berklee College of Music with a full scholarship, graduating with the title "Magna Cum Laude" in 1989.

wolfgang muthspiel concert jakarta
Muthspiel when he's meeting his fans at a table in front of the room that was reserved for him after the concert finished. A positive thing because it made the audience had opportunity to chat and see in close proximity with the musician.

At Berklee he met Gary Burton, who invited him to fill the guitar chair in the Gary Burton Quintet. Together with Burton, he performed in nearly 200 jazz concerts worldwide. Wolfgang Muthspiel was chosen by Musician Magazine as one of the top ten jazz guitarists in 1994 and was awarded the Jazz Musician of the Year in Austria in 1997 by the Prime Minister of Austria.

He was also awarded the Allstar Award for Outstanding Musicianship; and won the Gold Medal Award at "Musicfest USA," Orlando, Florida, a jazz competition hosted by Downbeat Magazine. But with all the credentials that are so great, the entertainment element is less pronounced. If he played in a Jazz group it would probably be much different.

Wolfgang Muthspiel Cincert

Venue : Rasuna Concert Hall Kuningan, Pusat Perfilman H Usmar Ismail, Jl. Hr Rasuna Said Kav. C No. 22, Setiabudi, Jakarta Selatan. GPS Location : -6.2221905, 106.8328196, Waze ( smartphone Android dan iOS ). Reference : Map of Jakarta, Destinations in Jakarta, Hotel in South Jakarta.

, seorang pejalan musiman dan penyuka sejarah. Penduduk Jakarta yang sedang tinggal di Cikarang Utara. Diperbarui: October 13, 2017.

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