Category: music

“The puzzle of how to produce a new opera that will not tank at the box office, and that may even last as long as a Volvo (to borrow a phrase from Leonard Cohen), has become a minor fixation of opera companies all over North America, including the San Francisco Opera, which on Saturday raised the curtain on an adaptation of ‘Dead Man Walking’. In many ways, the opera is a textbook example of current received wisdom on how to introduce new work into the deeply conservative opera world.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada)

San Francisco Opera premiered its new opera “Dead Man Walking” this weekend. “There is nothing musically offensive about ‘Dead Man Walking’, but to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, there’s not much there there. The aesthetics of ingratiation take an artist only so far, and this is subject matter with far greater needs.” – New York Times

“An opera by a composer of great musical heart.”  – Boston Herald
“A crowd pleaser created by artists who are also crowd pleasers in all that they do.”  – Los Angeles Times
“We feel worse when we leave “Dead Man” because misery has been hammered home with music, and a point is made, unmusically.” – Orange County Register
Musically, Heggie’s ‘Dead Man Walking’ is an impressive piece of work. Morally, it’s a washout. – Washington Post

Keith Jarrett has returned to the concert hall after a debilitating illness. “Jarrett, fortunately, is not in that twilight zone, and there is no smell of death in what he is doing. Even so, his recent frailty has intensified his appeal to his followers, a kind of worshippers-come-nigh charisma that has gilded any shortcomings in his own performing.” – New Statesman

Women are still a rare site behind the conductor’s podium, and Italian conductor Elisabetta Maschio is acutely aware of the prejudice. “A woman conductor is still a new idea in my country as well as in all of Europe. Every time I stand on the podium, I can feel people giving me a curious look behind my back.” – Korea Times

Pianist Uri Caine is rewriting Bach (Mahler and Schumann too) and has some ideas about connecting jazz and classical music. “The success of a project like this depends on Caine demonstrating to the classical players that improvisation is not desecration; and convincing the jazz players that Bach’s discipline still allows them room to manoeuvre. ‘If the musicians are open to it, it works’.” – The Independent (UK)

Simon Rattle has made a pretty good career for himself as a conductor. But it wasn’t his first love. ” I grew up wanting to be a jazz drummer. My dad was a little depressed when I crossed over to what he saw as the other side.” – The Independent (UK)

Alberto Vilar has become the Daddy Warbucks of the music world. In the past few seasons he has given some $150 million for projects he likes. “Mr. Vilar has not been shy about demanding displays of gratitude commensurate with such gifts. At the Met, for example, an operagoer may now sit in the Vilar Grand Tier or dine at the pricey Vilar Grand Tier Restaurant. As a result, he has become an easy target for critical barbs, particularly in Europe.” – New York Times

The Los Angeles Philharmonic just chose 12 new players to fill orchestra vacancies. More than 1000 musicians auditioned, chosen from the thousands more who applied. The decision process of finding players for the modern elite orchestra is an arduous murky road. – Los Angeles Times

A Los Angeles judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought against a Welsh choir. The plaintiff contended that the choir wasn’t Welsh enough and that by calling itself Welsh it was “engaging in deceptive practices. – BBC

The Audubon String Quartet has played together for 26 years. But a dispute among the members that started last February got out of hand and when three of the players tried to fire the fourth, he went to court and got a restraining order. Now the quartet plays under court order to remain together. “The judge can’t make them like one another, or speak to each other. For now, though, he can sentence them to make creative harmony, until further notice.” – The Guardian