New York Times Publishes Profile of Corey Dargel
- Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times
Steve Smith wrote a feature profile on Corey Dargel for the Sunday, May 1st, 2011, edition of the New York Times. As a bonus, the online version of the article includes streaming and downloadable versions of Corey’s new EP Last Words from Texas. Below is the text from the article, and here is a PDF of a scan of the newspaper.
A VOICE WHERE ROMANCE AND DYSFUNCTION MEET
by STEVE SMITH
“ARE you really going to ask me that?” the composer and vocalist Corey Dargel inquired near the end of a sprawling conversation one recent evening, his measured tone briefly betraying impatience and resignation. What bothered him was being asked how he felt about his constant characterization as an artist whose work concerns bridging the gap between classical and popular music. Though not inaccurate, the description has become convenient shorthand, warding off deeper investigation of his work.
“It’s not something I think about,” Mr. Dargel said. “When I sit down to write, I don’t (more…)
Thirteen Near-Death Experiences
photo by Hiroyuki Ito for the New York Times
Thirteen Near-Death Experiences is an art-pop song cycle about hypochondria performed by Corey Dargel, with amplified chamber ensemble–an additional six performers on flute/alto flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, piano, violin, cello and percussion/drum set. It comprises the first CD of Dargel’s critically acclaimed double-album Someone Will Take Care of Me.
“Dargel spins quirky, lyrical tales of dysfunction and delusion… Imagine Franz Schubert composing a song cycle about hypochondria after listening to AM radio Top 40 and studying Thelonius Monk…” -eMusic Editor’s Pick, review by John Schaefer
“…wryly witty and often hilarious, crafted with a charming, angular lyricism, the deft lyrics recalling the best work of Warren Zevon and Randy Newman… What lifts these songs from merely comic throwaways is their graceful charm, mixing a lyric delicacy with an unsettled rhythmic line that reflects the hypochondriac’s nervous tension… Dargel’s scoring for sextet shows great skill and ingenuity.” - Chicago Classical Review
“These songs are peopled by twelve-year-old alcoholics; a Ritalin-stunted child who feels no emotions… I saw [Corey Dargel] perform selections from this album the other night, and was impressed with the balancing act he pulled off; he was playful, but never tipped completely over into mean-spiritedness; he was empathetic, but not manipulative; he made people uncomfortable, but didn’t seem interested in empty provocation.” -Jayson Greene at 17dots
New York Times review of the premiere performance featuring Dargel performing with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and David T. Little (drums) at Performance Space 122.
Thirteen Near-Death Experiences can be presented by itself as a short concert (approx. 50 minutes). For a longer concert, it can be paired with any of Corey Dargel’s other projects.
Photos from the premiere performance:
