Category: music

Philip Glass’ opera Waiting for the Barbarians had “its September 2005 world premiere at Theater Erfurt in Germany, one of the world’s newest and most technically advanced opera houses. When that same production was transferred to the much older Bass Concert Hall in central Texas for its American debut last week, the producers were faced with a technological puzzle. They knew Erfurt’s state-of-the-art, computer-controlled system would need to be replaced with something a little less precise: a bunch of guys perched on beams above the stage.”

“Having symbolically flung open the Met’s doors, [Peter] Gelb set about electronically universalising the company. He has shrewdly negotiated contracts that allow Met performances to be broadcast live most evenings on a private satellite radio station for subscribers. During daylight hours, addicts are able to hear selections from the company’s archival treasury on the same channel. Over Christmas, the Met began a series of video relays by satellite across North America and in the UK.”

Steve Reich and Sonny Rollins win this year’s Polar Music award. “The Polar Music Prize is an international music prize and awarded to individuals, groups or institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music. The prize breaks down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music.” It was set up and funded by the former manager of the band ABBA.

The president and CEO of the Rochester Philharmonic has resigned to take an equivalent job at Santa Rosa, California’s Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. “[Richard] Nowlin’s time with the RPO included nine straight years of balanced budgets, a growth in the budget from $5.6 million to $9.1 million, as well as growth in endowments, the hiring of current Musical Director Christopher Seaman, a re-establishment of the RPO’s recording program and the introduction of a wider range of concerts and venues.”

The Atlanta Symphony has unveiled plans for a $35 million outdoor concert venue in Alpharetta, Georgia. “The 12,000-seat Encore Park for the Arts, planned for 45 wooded acres… is expected to open in May 2008.” The ASO is also attempting to build support for its new downtown concert hall, but ground has yet to be broken on that project. “Encore Park is expected to boost the ASO’s budget from $30 million to $50 million.”

The Israel Philharmonic will play Los Angeles next month, and extra security measures will be abundant. “A sold-out benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York in January 2002 was delayed nearly half an hour as roughly 2,800 ticket-holders went through metal detectors… Later in 2002, the orchestra canceled an eight-city American tour… asserting that no U.S. security company would agree to guard the musicians and patrons.”

Miami’s new concert hall at the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts has been getting a workout from the visiting Cleveland Orchestra this week, and Elaine Guregian says that it is not only an acoustic success, but a hit as a public space as well. Unfortunately, it sits in a desolate part of town, but the hope is that restaurants, bars, and other development will spring up around it.

The director of the Teheran Symphony is complaining that the orchestra is not supported. “There are delays in paying the wages of the musicians, who only earn their living by working in the orchestra. In addition, the wages fall short of the expenses of an ordinary life, so they have to think of other jobs. Consequently, they have less time for rehearsals, and they are not motivated for their performances.”

In the past ten years the Edinburgh-based Dunedin Consort and Players has been earning a reputation for terrific playing and exciting programming. It gets great press and has established an international reputation. Yet the group is so underfunded that it almost had to cancel the current tenth anniversary season. Its sustainability for the future is in jeopardy.

Finding your niche on the web can be tricky for first-timers, but the key to success seems to be to do one thing, and do it exceptionally well. Tom Regan says that after scouring the web for a textbook case of how to do everything right online, he found no better example than the thriving community of obsessive, compulsive, and devoted musicians who hang around Violinist.com.