Category: music

Sing Out That Protest

Can classical music play a role in political proitest, wonders Kyle Gann. “No one can doubt that music has a big role to play in the world of political protest. The controversial musicians we read about in the papers, though, are mostly from the pop and folk genres. It’s not only that those musicians are more visible, though that’s certainly true as well. Classical music and jazz seem to have a more long-term, measured, even sublimated approach to political protest, slower to react and more deeply embedded in the structure of the music itself.”

Ragtag Iraq Symphony Soldiers On

“The orchestra recently had to move its rehearsals from Ribat Hall in the city center to the U.S.-protected Baghdad Convention Center, in part because electrical outages were forcing musicians to practice on a dark, stuffy stage. Despite a much-heralded June concert here, no additional performances have been scheduled in the capital because the director fears that even loyal fans would be afraid to venture out for a nighttime concert. And the orchestra is having second thoughts about plans to perform in December at the Kennedy Center in Washington amid criticism in the local press that the musicians are kowtowing to an occupying force.”

Taking A Stand For The Music

The world of hip-hop has expanded well beyond its musical roots in the last decade, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. For many of today’s hottest rappers, the music is almost secondary to the culture of intimidation and implied violence which grew out of the “gangsta rap” culture of the 1990s. But not every hip-hop artist is in favor of the genre’s current direction, and Wyclef Jean is one of a handful of high-profile musicians making a direct plea to his colleagues to return hip-hop to its musical roots and put an end to the cycle of real and imagined violence.

Sweet Honey’s Rock To Retire

“You always know what to expect from a name brand like Sweet Honey in the Rock. Despite the comings and goings of 23 singers in its lifetime, Sweet Honey’s rich harmonies and socially conscious lyrics make it as recognizable as a drumbeat, as uplifting as a revival meeting. But what will happen when 61-year-old Bernice Johnson Reagon, the group’s founder, retires in late January, Sweet Honey’s 30th anniversary?”

Grinding Axes In Minneapolis

This summer, the Minnesota Orchestra appointed a new president following a nationwide search, and expressed confidence that Tony Woodcock was just the man to lead the 100-year-old ensemble into its second century. But it seems that not everyone on the orchestra’s board was happy with the way things turned out. “In August, Eugene Sit, a 12-year member who was head of the executive-search committee, resigned,” claiming that “decisions were made by one or two people that should have been made by the board.” The chairman of the orchestra’s board has dismissed Sit’s allegation, pointing out that “out of nearly 60 votes, he could ‘count on one hand’ the number against Woodcock.”

Time For A New Name For New Music?

Greg Sandow thinks it’s time to rename contemporary classical music. “I think we might need another term for what we talk about here. Our genre, obviously, is ‘new music’ — but what does that mean? The words themselves don’t say very much. There are all kinds of new music—new salsa, new merengue, new Christian rap, new Mariah Carey remixes. Which ‘new music’ do we mean? Well, new classical music, I guess.” But that’s not very accurate either…

Tilson Thomas Out Front Again

Since Michael Tilson Thomas took up the reins of the San Francisco Symphony nearly a decade ago, the group’s national profile has steadily increased, and the partnership between conductor and orchestra has led to several critically acclaimed projects designed to bring symphonic music back to cultural prominence. Next year, the SFS will launch a major new multimedia project designed to increase audience understanding of classical music. In addition to national TV broadcasts, “the project will also include the development of a web site and the creation of DVDs. The Symphony is working with Minnesota Public Radio to develop a radio series designed to air concurrently with the TV series.”

Still Striving For Perfection

In today’s instant-gratification world, it is difficult to accept that some things still take time. But in Philadelphia, the team behind the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2-year-old Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is still tweaking and adjusting the hall’s acoustics, striving to create one of the world’s great concert venues. “Almost two years after opening night, hundreds of millions of dollars since the orchestra started dreaming of acoustical perfection, Verizon Hall isn’t quite what it should be, Kimmel and orchestra leaders agree… And so the original acousticians for the hall, Artec Consultants, are being brought back for another round of work.”