Why do some musicians capture the imagination of the public, while others, perhaps just as gifted, do not? “Nathan Milstein, popular though he was, never became as big a celebrity as Heifetz, and the reason for this can be found in his personality. Unlike Heifetz, an introverted man with few passions outside of music, Milstein was both outgoing and wide-ranging in his cultural interests, and he embraced the act of public performance with an enthusiasm alien to Heifetz’s tightly wound nature.”
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Understanding Islam Through Art
In Europe there is more and more serious interest in presenting Islamic art. The Louvre is spending $60 million on new Islamic art galleries, and in London, the Victoria & Albert Museum is introducing a new Islamic wing. “Obviously, this has a political dimension. It’s a way of saying we believe in the equality of civilizations. Many immigrant youths do not fully adhere to our culture, nor do they know their own culture of origin. It’s good to show that the republic respects, displays and studies this culture.”
Moravec Wins Music Pulitzer
American composer Paul Moravec has won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for music for his “Tempest Fantasy.” Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Piano Concerto No. 3 by Peter Lieberson, and Cello Counterpoint by Steve Reich.
Watch The Robot Conduct Beethoven
Let’s see – we’ve replaced musicians with “virtual orchestras” in theatre pits. And more and more movie scores are being synthesized. What’s next? Conductors. A robot has successfully(?) conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Japan. “The 58-centimetre-tall humanoid robot led the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in a unique rendition of Beethoven’s 5th symphony during a concert held at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo on 15 March.”
Country Song-Writers Fall On Hard Times
Nashville’s country music songwriters are singing the blues these days. “Radio homogenization, corporate mergers and music piracy have made it tough for songwriters to earn a living. ‘We’ve lost more than half of America’s professional songwriters over the past decade. The ones staying alive have really had to adapt.”
What If The Music Industry Is Wrong About Downloads?
The recording industry has been fighting music downloads as piracy, saying that the recording business is being hurt by downloads. But “what if the industry is wrong, and file sharing is not hurting record sales? It might seem counterintuitive, but that is the conclusion reached by two economists who released a draft last week of the first study that makes a rigorous economic comparison of directly observed activity on file-sharing networks and music buying. ‘Downloads have an effect on sales which is statistically indistinguishable from zero, despite rather precise estimates’.”
Mamma Mia! It’s A Hit!
When it opened in London in 1999, Mamma Mia was considered a small “filler” show. But it’s become a huge hit. “Currently generating more than $8 million a week in ticket sales, “Mamma Mia!” has grossed more than $750 million worldwide, including $200 million on the West End and $150 million in New York. If the current box office activity continues, the show should easily pass the billion-dollar mark set by “The Phantom of the Opera.”Mamma Mia!” has yet to open in a city or country where it hasn’t clicked, whether you’re talking Korea, the Netherlands, or Australia. The show claims to have been seen by almost one in every 10 Australians.”
Where Have The Blockbuster Touring Shows Gone?
“We are coming off what I call the 15-year feast, which basically started with the British Invasion – Cats, Les Miz, Phantom (of the Opera), Miss Saigon – segueing into Lion King. That period of time built the subscriptions up, it built buildings up all over the country in these 2,500- to 5,000-seat theaters. Now where are the shows to fill these barns, and what do you do?”
Virtual Orchestra Wins The Road
Broadway musicians are fighting against the “virtual orchestra.” But “the war has already been won (or lost, depending on your point of view) on the road. Almost all touring shows, whether union or nonunion, travel with fewer musicians than the composer intended. If you’ve been to a musical in the past few years, undoubtedly you’ve heard synthesizers, samplers or even a Sinfonia in place of strings, woodwinds and other instruments.”
Beware: We’re Not On Broadway Anymore
“Some shows that are part of a “Broadway” series have as much to do with Broadway as Velveeta has to do with cheese. Blinded by the “Broadway” moniker, familiar logos and memories of past performances, theater goers can easily be duped into thinking the show they will be getting is straight from Broadway. Many are knock-offs, cheap shows that reflect little of the original production. Look at their programs, and in the actors’ bios you’ll find they are just-out-of-school kids in starring parts whose major credits include work on cruise ships, theme parks and university productions.”