“Wainwright is writing a full-blown opera, his first, replete with libretto, sheet music and a cast of belters. While certain operatic subject matter isn’t far-off from Wainwright’s own songs – lust, loss, betrayal, death – he’s not in the habit of writing tunes about giants, gods or Valkyries.”
Category: music
Donor Bails Out Troubled Columbus Symphony For The Rest Of This Season
The symphony’s board of directors announced the donation Monday after the board met to discuss its uncertain future. They said the symphony would have shut down Wednesday without the donation.
Accordion In The Halls Of Beethoven (Really)
Lidia Kaminska, 30, “is on a mission to rehabilitate the reputation of her maligned instrument, to make audiences listen again for accordion as a vehicle for the kind of expressive and technical possibilities usually considered the elite preserve of violin, cello or piano.”
Second Second City Opera
Chicago Opera Theater is carving out a niche for itself. “Can the city’s second opera company seduce more potential customers with innovative, ensemble-oriented productions that promise an intimate alternative to the big, star-laden shows Lyric Opera of Chicago presents during the fall and winter?”
The Man Who Made The Cleveland Orchestra Sound
“Yes, Franz Welser-Most is the Cleveland’s current music director, but in many ways, the corporate tonal refinement and tightly disciplined ensemble are the legacy of the 78-year-old intellectual maestro [Christoph von Dohnanyi] who led the orchestra for almost two decades.”
Exit Interview: Christophe Eschenbach
Christophe Eschenbach is on his way out at the Philadelphia Orchestra. He says “he’d never encountered orchestral politics as he did in Philadelphia. His decision to take the job without having conducted the orchestra in four-plus years is one he would never make again. But would he have stayed longer if circumstances had been different?”
Wagners Propose Plan For Bayreuth
“The daughters of Wolfgang Wagner, head of the annual Bayreuth festival, have submitted a proposal outlining their vision for a future co-leadership of the annual event.”
The iTunes Juggernaut Rolls On
“Since its debut five years ago Monday, Apple’s iTunes Store has sold more than 4 billion songs and accounts for approximately 70 percent of digital music sold worldwide. In the next five years, it may well account for a staggering 28 percent of all music sold worldwide.”
Debate: Where Should The Violins Sit?
“Symphony orchestras have two separate violin sections, and there are two ways to seat them: all the violins on the conductor’s left, or ‘divided,’ with the first violins on the left and second violins on the right. This is becoming a big issue for music fans and critics”
When Aaron Copland Went To Hollywood
Copland’s part-time career as a film composer is one of the most fascinating chapters in the story of his professional life. Yet few know much about it.