Category: music

Opera In The Living Room: An Old Tradition Reappears In Italy

“Such private concerts were common in the 1750s … They started in France when musicians began to host events to show off their work – and their new status. The practice expanded to Austria, Germany, England, and Italy. It was also the way friends and families simply spent time together – as any Jane Austen book illustrates – before the onset of radios, televisions, and iPhones.” Now the Festival Verdi in Parma is trying out the practice anew.

Four Million People Visited Hamburg’s New Elbphilharmonie In Its First Year

The highly-praised, wildly-over-budget venue “has taken in up to 17,000 guests a day, with people from all over the world streaming in to attend concerts or just have a look around the distinctive building. In total, more than 62,000 people have thus far taken a tour of the building and 660,000 people have attended the concerts held there.”

You Can’t Sing? Science Begs To Differ

A study of undergrads at Queen’s University, found that about 17 percent reported themselves as being tone deaf. It’s such a common fallacy in our society that it has led to a world of singers — the small minority — and non-singers — the vast majority. But is that really based in reality? Science — and those vocal teachers — say no.

Wu Han And David Finckel’s Model For The Modern Musician

“What makes them particularly interesting is the way they’ve become forerunners in the new world of artistic endeavor. It’s long been clear that it’s no longer enough to be a superb musician, no matter how driven. Everybody’s driven. The new trinity is performing, promoting, and entrepreneurship. You could argue that the last two are much more important than the first. The principles according to Wu Han and Finckel are unchanging: you court patrons, trust the audience, deliver excellence, and remain flexible. And keep humor next to your breast at all times. To do all that effectively and consistently over a long period of time, you need to be a fanatic.”

Sony Has Released All The Outtakes From Glenn Gould’s 1955 ‘Goldberg Variations’. Would Gould Be Horrified?

Says Howard Scott, who produced the original recording, “If Glenn knew Sony Classical was going to release those outtakes, which he rejected – he did not like what he had done in those performances – he would probably come down and shoot anybody who allowed them to be released.” (Sony included this quote in the coffee-table book accompanying the new release.) Gould’s longtime friend Tim Page isn’t convinced.

Peter Gelb Talks About The Heavy Lift To Keep The Metropolitan Opera Afloat

“Instituting change in a 400-year art form hasn’t been easy. Grand opera is the most complex and complicated of the performing arts since it involves a full-size symphony orchestra of 90 or more players, a full-sized chorus of 80 or more singers, and scores of principal singers dancers and supernumeraries,” Gelb said. “It’s no wonder that one of our board members is fond of quoting an aphorism he attributes to Winston Churchill, that ‘the only endeavor more complicated than grand opera is war.’

Pop Musicians Are Frightened On Tour – And Increasingly Taking Steps To Protect Themselves

“There’s a heightened sense of understanding that these types of situations are entirely beyond the control of the artist. Regardless of how good a security plan you have for your tour, there’s not a manner in which you can completely prevent these types of things from playing out, especially as it relates to the live music community. There seems to be a target on the back on the live music community, as we’ve seen now here in Las Vegas.”