For Hollywood, classical music has become the trademark of villains. On screen, orchestral melodies accompany the meditations of mad geniuses and pouting serial killers. Norman Bates practices the Moonlight sonata in Psycho II. Sociopath Lou Ford relaxes to Richard Strauss throughout The Killer Inside Me. Alex Forrest, in Fatal Attraction, plots her revenge while listening to Madama Butterfly. – American Scholar
Category: music
Elgar Manuscript Found After 100 Years And Performed
Composed in 1924, the ‘Andante’ melody had originally been scribbled by Elgar on a sheet of manuscript paper, which he signed clearly with his name. But for more than a century, it was hidden within the pages of a small black autograph book once owned by Lydia Tabb – a Barnardo’s charity fundraiser. – Express and Star
Riccardo Muti Intervenes On Musicians’ Side In Chicago Symphony Contract Talks
The CSO music director said, in a letter to the board of directors, “I hope that the board will remember that theirs is not a job but a mission, and that tranquility and serenity will be given for the artists to do their work.” The musicians have voted to go on strike if agreement on a contract is not reached by March 10 (i.e., by the end of this Sunday’s matinee concert). – Chicago Sun-Times
Daniel Hope To Depart Savannah Music Festival
The star violinist, who runs the chamber music program and is the biggest name among the festival’s associate artistic directors, will step down after this year’s festival, which begins in three weeks and runs through April 13. – Savannah Morning News
Leaders Of Europe’s First Pro Orchestra For Non-White Musicians Talk About Diversity And Inclusion In Classical Music
WQXR editor-in-chief Jacqui Cheng interviews Chi-chi Nwanoku, one of London’s leading double bassists and founder of the Chineke! Orchestra, and Chineke! bassoonist Linton Stephens. – WQXR (New York City)
Departing Conductor Of Savannah Philharmonic Departs Much More Quickly Than Expected
Peter Shannon, who was artistic director of the orchestra for all of its ten years, announced last fall that he’d be leaving his post at the end of this season. But the Philharmonic board said in a release on Monday that it had accepted Shannon’s immediate resignation last week. – Savannah Morning News
Michael Tilson Thomas And The Vienna Philharmonic — Weird Mismatch Or Genius Combo?
Orchestral music’s Mr. Maverick and the very avatar of Austro-German symphonic tradition are touring together, playing Mahler (on which they each have longstanding opinions and practices) and Charles Ives (which MTT says the Viennese players are really picking up). David Patrick Stearns talks with the conductor about how he and the Philharmoniker are getting on. – WQXR (New York City)
Blurred Lines: How Music Copyright Works Today (An Explainer)
Most music copyright infringement cases are settled out of court with shared writing credit — and royalties — as it’s extremely rare for these types of cases to make it to a jury. When it gets to that point, determining fault can be tricky. – Washington Post
La Scala Under Fire For Putting Saudi Culture Minister On Board Of Directors
“Alexander Pereira, the Austrian chief executive and artistic director credited with bringing in more sponsors and creating a healthier balance sheet since his appointment in 2014, said the new board member” — Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud — “would bring in an additional €15m (£12.8m) over the next five years.” Saudi Arabia is, of course, in bad odor among many in the Western arts world, despite the Kingdom’s efforts to use culture to improve its image. – The Guardian
Too Distracting? English National Opera To Cut Back On Supertitles
The opera company said the move had been prompted by a desire to “give audiences even more choice in the new season”, which will be announced in April. “This confirms ENO’s commitment to singing English, and allows those who find the use of surtitles distracting an opportunity to see an opera without their use,” chief executive Stuart Murphy said. – The Stage