Lincoln Center isn’t just sitting around after the New York Philharmonic announced it will leave for Carnegie Hall in 2006. The performing arts center says that the orchestra has a lease that runs through 2011 and that leaving early breaks the lease. “Lincoln Center intends to be firm and clear about its rights.”
Category: music
English National Opera – A Daunting Job
Sean Doran is only a few weeks into his job of running the embattled English National Opera. “Fresh, if a little bruised and battle-hardened, from his four extremely lively years as director of Western Australia’s Perth International Arts Festival, Doran lets the Irish lilt in his voice sound an optimistic note. ‘One of the reasons I accepted the job was that I do believe ENO is one of the few opera companies that has the ability to develop the art form itself. My ideas will come from continuing to learn exactly how this company ticks and how far I can stretch it’.”
Sandow: A Critic’s Manifesto
Is classical music dying? Maybe. But maybe music critics are partly to blame. “We shouldn’t be boosters. We shouldn’t pretend that everything’s wonderful and glorious, because, first of all, it isn’t, and, even more important, nothing in the world is. I’ll grant that some people idolize classical music, or at least the idea of it, and honestly believe that all classical concerts are wonderful and that there’s no ego or careerism in the classical music world. (Let’s have a moment of silence for that last idea, which I first heard from the bass player in a long-ago metal band, Kingdom Come.) But most of us are more realistic than that, even about things we don’t know much about. So it’s crucial, at least in my view, that classical critics pull no punches when they talk about bad concerts.”
In Praise Of Vinyl
There’s something satisfying and human about vinyl records. “It’s really these imperfections that make records worthwhile. Vinyl can break, bend and scar. Records are organic black slabs stuffed inside sleeves as big as the music itself. LPs are also designed and organized to flip, like chapters in a book. I don’t always want to listen to hours of music. Our culture is bent on maximizing everything: Supersize that DVD with movie extras and bonus concert footage. Sometimes I just want to listen to one side of a record and then fold over my musical bookmark.”
Buffalo – How Do You Trim A Structural Deficit?
A study of the operations of the Buffalo Philharmonic concludes that the orchestra has a $1 million “built-in” deficit, but that the orchestra has cut its budget by as much as it can “without jeopardizing its artistic excellence, according to the study.” Still, there may be some ways the orchestra can earn more money…
Who Makes Money From Music Sales
Even at 99 cents a song for online music downloads, there’s lots of money to be made selling music. So how big a cut do artists get at this rate? Try 12 percent, on average. Here’s a breakdown of who gets what cut when you buy recorded music.
Recording Industry Beginning To See Value Of Downloading
Apple’s iTunes has been a big success so far. “And because of the store’s early success – more than 3 million songs sold in the first month after it opened April 28 – other technology giants like Microsoft, America Online, Yahoo and Amazon.com are considering similar ventures. Record executives believe they are finally on the right track.”
Neither The Best Nor The Worst Of Times
The sky is not about to fall down on the world of symphony orchestras, but neither is the future outlook as rosy as some industry soothsayers think, says Paul Horsley. The fact is that orchestras with responsible fiscal policies are thriving, even in the down economy, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the groups in trouble to dig their way out of the financial hole. The ‘X factor’ in orchestral success remains a commitment to artistic quality, and the orchestras that stay afloat are the ones that can find a way to maintain their standard, even as they cut the necessary monetary corners.
The Next Great Jazz Star?
In April, Universal Jazz beat Sony to sign Jamie Cullum for £1 million. The news sparked a media frenzy. Was the 5ft 5in, Wiltshire-raised 23-year-old worth the hype? When he sang, sighed and emoted his way through “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” on Michael Parkinson’s BBC1 show shortly afterwards, the answer appeared to be yes. Online superstore Amazon ran out of his second CD, Pointless Nostalgic (released on the independent Candid label), the next day.
A String Quartet Too Hot To Handle
“The culture wars don’t often invade the rarefied world of chamber music. But the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival’s directors have decided to omit the sexually explicit and homoerotic narration accompanying a new piece by Pulitzer-winning composer David Del Tredici… To the composer, who is well-known for celebrating his homosexuality in his music, the issue boils down to censorship fueled by homophobia. To James Tocco, who is also gay, the issue is the festival’s responsibility to an audience that includes children. Trapped in the crossfire are the musicians in the Elements Quartet, which commissioned the work from Del Tredici and offered the world premiere performance to the festival.”