Category: music

Composers from five Nordic countries have asked the European Commission to conduct a full antitrust investigation into a proposed $20 billion merger between Warner Music and the EMI Group. “The composers are opposed to the merger because they believe that Warner-EMI would control nearly 50% of all music publishing in Sweden and 70% in Finland.” – Variety

Free downloads of indie band music has been one of the marks of the internet digital download music revolution. But now many of the indies want to get paid for their work, and there are (predictably) some websites to help them. – Wired

• More than 600 cellists from 45 countries, including Yo-Yo Ma and Janos Starker, got together last weekend in Maryland for the third annual World Cello Congress. The multiethnic, multigenerational festival stressed one message over others: that the cello is “the mating call of the orchestra.” – NPR [Real Audio file]

Bobby McFerrin is a “deeply talented” artist. But can he conduct? Why not – This week he led the Baltimore Symphony in a performance of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. “In short, McFerrin is learning to conduct on the job. With curiosity and perseverance and many years of experience, he might well develop into an interesting conductor. Right now he’s granted access to major orchestras not for his musical insights but because he fills the seats.” – Washington Post

Classical music recording companies may be dumping the big established stars, but they have room for Linda Brava, a Playboy Playmate and moderately talented violinist. She’s being promoted by EMI Classics, no less. “Recording companies are no longer satisfied with a decent return on an investment that may take several years to realize. They want profits, they want them big, they want them now.” – Philadelphia Inquirer

The latest development in the digital music wars: MP3Board.com (an online music-search site) has filed a lawsuit against the Recording Industry Association of America (which has been trying to shut the web site down) on the grounds that providing hyperlinks does not constitute copyright infringement. – Wired

Despite doomsayers who claim programs like Napster and the rise of teen pop bands spell looming losses for the recording industry, the past few months have been the most successful the music business has seen, with three albums selling more than $1.3 million in their first week. So why aren’t the execs overjoyed? “Imagine if this summer three Hollywood movies shattered the opening week box-office record, boom, boom, boom, one after the other. The town’s top executives would be bruised from so much backslapping. The music industry, though, gnashes its teeth and pines for simpler times.” – Inside.com

The Australian government is alarmed at the lavishness of Opera Australia’s productions. The company is $6 million in debt and the government says it will help, but only after a thorough review of the company’s spending. “The review would examine the possibility of selling some of the company’s buildings in Melbourne and Sydney and outsourcing production of its sets and costumes.” – The Age (Melbourne)

For the past 49 years the directorship of Germany’s Bayreuth Festival (the Ground Zero of Wagner worship) has been held by the composer’s grandson Wolfgang. Now, as Wolfgang’s succession draws near, a jockeying for position among the Wagner clan.  – New York Times

A few weeks ago the US Federal Trade Commission announced the end of minimum pricing rules that it says artificially boosted the prices to consumers of CD’s. Now the recording companies are fuming over the way the announcement was made. Seems they think the feds made them sound greedy. Hmmmm. – Salon