Category: music

Universal’s price cuts sound good, but the company was likely influenced in its decision by discount chain stores. “Universal executives downplay the notion that giant discounters directly forced the world’s largest record label to lower the wholesale price of most CDs by 25% and the suggested retail price by as much as 32%. But it was certainly more than coincidence that the amount Universal suggests consumers will now pay for its CDs — around $10 — is the same one that has become common in the weekly circulars distributed by big chains such as Best Buy.”

The recording industry is ready to offer amnesty to music downloaders. But there are conditions. “To be eligible, sources said, people would have to cleanse their computers of all the tunes they downloaded without permission and destroy any CDs they burned with those songs. They’d also have to submit a notarized form to the RIAA, possibly with some official identification, pledging not to run afoul of copyright laws again.”

It may have some superficial similarities to “Jerry Springer The Opera”, but “Newsnight The Opera” has its own rhythm (and special problems”. “There’s an inherent problem in using reports as the basis for an opera: by their nature, they describe events that have occurred “off stage”, and the evening runs the risk of feeling like a string of messenger speeches.”

A new study says that CDs will go the way of vinyl, to be replaced by downloadable music. “On-demand services are the future of entertainment delivery. CDs, DVDs, and any other forms of physical media will become obsolete.”

The Chicago Lyric Opera has made a tentative contract agreement with its musicians. “Salary increases, 5 percent annually during the last contract, would be lower. The orchestra’s annual average base salary, according to the union, was $50,050 for the 2002-03 season. Adding in overtime and premiums such as bonuses for length of service that increase every orchestra member’s paycheck, Lyric management says the actual average salary is $79,409 per year.”

Reactions are mixed to Universal’s announcement that it will cut CD prices by 30 percent. “It as been hailed by some observers as a move guaranteed to revitalize the moribund recording industry, and by others as an act of capitulation by a giant brought to its knees by the revenue-sucking effects of illegal Internet music file-sharing and copying on home computers.”

The opening night gala at the San Francisco Symphony was going off beautifully, with 2,700 patrons enjoying the glitter and glitz of the evening, not to mention some fine music. Over 1,500 supporters had dinner at Davies Symphony Hall, and the orchestra was reportedly in top form for the performance under music director Michael Tilson Thomas. And then, in the middle of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, someone pulled the fire alarm.

As orchestras around North America struggle to stay afloat or, in some cases, rebuild, a split is developing over the issue of what type of management is best for a symphony orchestra. Some orchestras are turning to corporate-style managers with little musical background, in an effort to make fiscal responsibility the first priority. Others are actively steering away from that course, stressing the importance of an understanding that the main focus of the organization is music, and not profit. In the former camp is the revitalized Calgary Philharmonic, which has risen from the ashes of bankruptcy as a bare-bones organization with a skeleton staff, little overhead, and, as it happens, booming ticket sales.

All this talk about symphony orchestras dying has some orchestras feeling unfairly treated. “The impatience orchestras are showing with continued talk of crisis is perhaps indicative of a sea-change in their own philosophy toward their situation. And Orchestra Canada representatives say it’s high time to shift the focus from fighting the short-term fires to eradicating the deep-rooted problems that have been fuelling the flames for decades.”

“The popularity of Apple’s iTunes song service has demonstrated that customers like to pick and choose their songs online. New statistics from the music industry indicate that labels are shipping more singles to stores, too. But whether the stats signal the return of the single is still a bit of a puzzle.” The industry denies that it is making any sort of concentrated effort to market the single more heavily as an alternative to illegal song-swapping, but “faced with falling CD sales for the third year in a row, it’s to the music industry’s benefit to offer music in formats that consumers will pay for.”