“Neoromanticism has almost always been regarded with suspicion by critics, even though it has been embraced by at least as many composers as has neoclassicism. (The second edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians devotes twice as much space to neoclassicism as to neoromanticism.) Is this because neoromantic music is inferior in quality? Or is it merely the last gasp of the same prejudice in favor of innovation for its own sake that once led avant-garde composers and their critical sympathizers to dismiss all tonal music as “useless”?”
Category: music
Will New UK Law Kill Live Music?
A new law governing live music venues in the UK threatens to decimate the country’s live music scene. “New research shows that almost seven in 10 owners or managers of small music venues are unaware of the implications of the 2003 Licensing Act, which requires them to reapply for their live music licence by August 6. The research warned that at least 56,700 venues face possible closure if they do not reapply by the deadline. Almost half of those those currently stage live music, and it is predicted that the number of gigs taking place every day in the UK could fall from 4,500 to fewer than 2,250.”
Montreal Symphony Strike Threatens Season
Talks have broken down in the Montreal Symphony musicians strike, and the impass could threaten the start of the orchestra’s new season. “The players’ proposal would have increased wages by 45 per cent over five years, as well as maintain current work rules governing recordings, overtime and rehearsals on tour. Management had offered an 8-per-cent raise over five years, as well as lump-sum amounts to counter the effects of a two-year wage freeze. The players have been without a contract since August, 2003.”
Philly Orchestra And Philly Pops Talk About Combining Forces
The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Philadelphia Pops are talking merger. “The orchestra and the Pops are very different kinds of organizations. The orchestra has a much larger budget, listenership and season schedule. Each has its own distinct board and audience. There is some small overlap in musicians. Still, many U.S. orchestras maintain both a serious-repertoire ensemble and a pops series or pops orchestra – most notably, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which also operates the Boston Pops.”
Cuppa Joe With Your CD?
One of the hottest new markets for CD’s? Your local coffee shop. “The Seattle-based coffee merchant Starbucks, which sold its first Blue Note Records jazz compilation in 1995, is flexing its marketing muscle by providing the very thing that the beleaguered music industry has been so desperate to find: a new outlet where music fans will eagerly spend their money on full-length, full-price CDs.”
Pittsburgh Symphony Deficit: Pops Up, Main Season Down
The Pittsburgh Symphony ends its season with a $500,000 deficit. The orchestra’s main season suffered from lower ticket sales. “This year, ticket sales for the classical subscription series generated $2.6 million, $400,000 short of projections. By contrast, revenue for the pops series, conducted by Marvin Hamlisch, exceeded the projected $2.65 million in sales by $30,000.”
Classical Music – CD’s Still Rule
Music downloading is still not the preferred way classical music fans get their music. CD’s are more convenient and their sound quality is better. “The 1.3 million downloads of Beethoven at the BBC created a stir among classical music labels and artist managers, who immediately raised a stink about giving professional performances away for free. But this reaction assumes that all the people who downloaded the music would have gone out to buy Beethoven anyway. The downloads have made classical music more accessible to fans of other genres — a trend that emerges as one peruses the growing web of classical music fan blogs. The iPod may not be tolling the eventual death of the disc, it may be ensuring its continued livelihood.”
Public Library Puts Music Online
The recording company Naxos made its catalogue (90,000 recordings) available online for a fee (only for listening, not for downloading). So the Oshawa, Ontario public library bought a subscription, and now library patrons have free access to anything Naxos… Will it hurt the company’s sales? Naxos thinks not.
World’s Largest Chamber Music Fest Expands To World Music
The annual Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival is the largest in the world. This year the festival has decided to expand its definition of chamber music to include world music. “While the festival is well-attended by music fans – about 60,000 yearly – organizers have decided to broaden the definition of chamber music to attract new audiences. This year, the two-week celebration will include music from India, Persia and Indonesia.”
The Met: Feeding An Opera Addiction
The Metropolitan Opera has put its archives online, and you can now search the records of every production ever performed at the Met. “For countless opera buffs, the database, which includes entries on all performances since the Met’s opening in 1883, has already become more than a repository of information,” it’s an addiction…