“Campaigners are urging the government to take “four pragmatic steps” that would disrupt the touts and help get more face-value tickets into the hands of fans. Meanwhile, gig goers are being encouraged to sign up at fanfairalliance.org where they can share their experiences and stories, and there are plans to produce educational guides for fans and music businesses.”
Category: music
How Did Dudamel Do With West Side Story?
And, by the way, is it an opera or isn’t it?
Neuroscientists Are Still Struggling With Why Some Music Sounds Better To Us Than Other Music
“Some chords sound good—they’re consonant—and other notes grate when they’re played at the same time. Unraveling why that is could explain something basic about how humans perceive the world. Maybe people are just wired that way. Or maybe, as a paper argues today in Nature, it’s a product of human culture.”
Nico Muhly Is Ambivalent About Commissions And Deadlines (But *Loves* Cavafy)
“If I tell people I got a commission, they say ‘Congratulations!’ But a commission is almost like being challenged to a duel. … Or it feels like one of the tasks of Hercules. In this span of time, you have to solve this crazy problem which can be artistic or emotional or musical. … Deadlines are very odd. They’re these constantly shifting sources of anxiety. There’s no way to predict what they actually mean.” (audio)
Bach Manuscript Sells For $3.3 Million At Auction
“Likely written between 1740 and 1745, the Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in E-flat Major (BWV 998) is a favorite among both harpsichords and lutenists. Like many works by [Bach], it can be played on different instruments, which is expressly indicated on this score in the composer’s handwriting: ‘Prélude pour la Luth ò Cembal‘ (for lute or keyboard).”
Palmyra And Its Warrior Queen: Return Of A Forgotten Rossini Opera (Whose Overture You Already Know)
Aureliano in Palmira, which gets its U.S. premiere next week, “tells the story of Roman emperor Aurelian’s 272 A.D. campaign against Queen Zenobia of Palmyra … [It] has had a fascinating journey – from highly anticipated star vehicle to underwhelming opening night to obscurity to recent rediscovery as one of Rossini’s most beautiful works.” And you’ll probably recognize the opening notes immediately.
Nice Jazz Festival Cancelled Following Bastille Day Attack
The event, which had been scheduled to run from Saturday through next Wednesday, was to have featured George Clinton, Laura Mvula, Avishai Cohen, Abdullah Ibrahim, and Youssou N’Dour, among others.
What Happened To America’s Mid-20th Century Composers?
“I’ve never understood why the music of America’s midcentury modern composers disappeared from our concert halls. Not only is it “entertaining,” but it speaks to ordinary listeners in a direct, immediately comprehensible way, just like the better-known music of Copland and Samuel Barber. Don’t take my word for it—try listening for yourself.”
Classical Music In China Represents So Much More That Classical Music
The story of western classical music’s trajectory in China summons a vast canvas, featuring priests, revolutionaries, heroes and emperors.
America Spends A Lot On Military Bands. Should It?
“The value that the military bands offer is far greater than a small percentage point reduction on a budget line. The historic precedent for Pentagon funding for these programs stretches back to the United States’ founding.”