Category: music

Charles Dutoit has conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra hundreds of times, and this fall, with the venerable band still lacking a music director to replace Christoph Eschenbach, he becomes the de facto artistic leader of the organization. “He arrives not merely as conservator but as active restorer, with a stated purpose of initiating the orchestra’s newest members, who might not have been born in 1980 when [Eugene] Ormandy finished his sound-building days.”

“Negotiations between the board of the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the union representing the musicians have hit a sour note in its centennial season… [Musicians maintain] they are the lowest-paid symphony players in the country. If unpaid, individual preparation time prior to rehearsals is taken into account, incomes fall below the poverty line for full-time musicians.”

Six years ago, a wealthy couple gave the struggling San Diego Symphony $120m to stabilize its finances and (hopefully) elevate its standing among American orchestras. Now, the orchestra is hoping to raise another $96m by 2010, and with a newly boosted core of 80 full-time musicians, is seeking to raise its profile nationally and internationally.

New England Conservatory of Music may not be quite as high-profile as Juilliard or Curtis, but it stands as one of America’s top music schools. Still, it’s always a struggle for a school with a $100m endowment to compete for the best young musicians with a school like Juilliard, which boasts a nearly $800m endowment and abundant scholarship funds. NEC’s new president is looking to close that gap.

“What is immediately obvious about Hall One at Kings Place, however, is that the acoustic is warm, clear and absolutely merciless. Classical music sounds terrific in here, with every note, texture and colour perfectly audible over an extreme dynamic range. Yet the acoustic is also capable of exposing the slightest slip in technique or intonation. And it picks up every bit of extraneous noise.”

“Royalties paid to publishers and songwriters for the sale of digital downloads remained unchanged at 9.1 cents per download Thursday. Apple had threatened to pull the iTunes plug if the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board increased the fees paid to publishers and songwriters.”

Another singer has gone public with allegations that, under music director Richard Hickox, the company is sliding into “an abyss of mediocrity” due to declining musical and ethical standards, nepotism and bullying. But what really upsets bass-baritone Bruce Martin is a recent live recording he claims was “manipulated beyond recognition” and made his voice sound “like the bleating of a goat.”

Will the opening of a new concert venue in London result in a performance glut? Norman Lebrecht says that those in charge of some of the city’s mustier venues ought to be concerned over whether they can compete…

“Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra musicians have gone on strike just two days before the orchestra is set to open its 45th season.” At issue are the number of services contracted musicians must attend, and a “peer review” process for musicians.

“‘If the [iTunes music store] was forced to absorb any increase in the … royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss – which is no alternative at all,’ wrote Apple iTunes vice president Eddy Cue in a statement.”