Category: music

How the physical layouts of cities (and the ways people use them) shape the kinds of music that grow up there.

“Paul Meecham, who became president and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra a decade ago after a period of high deficits and rocky morale, and quickly corrected its course, is stepping down at the end of June to take a similar position with the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera.”

“The moment of truth came last summer. For months the group had considered ending their run. No one person led the way. … All options were considered, including bringing in replacements – as problematic as that might be. The quandary included subtle cracks in the foundation, including the normal wear and tear and frustration that occur in any group, particularly in one so often like a marriage.”

“These may not be the best—maybe they will never be the best—but they are intriguing. They play by their own rules, and they grab your attention. A week later, a month later, you’re still mulling over their quirks, their eccentricities, and wondering about their potential for greatness.”

“It is a little disheartening that everybody, including “classical” musicians, has the need to grasp for terms like “classical,” “concert,” or worse, “art” music. Is there not a tacit air of aristocracy or bourgeoisie to the concert-going community? I know that what I do and with whom I do it are privileges, but our products ought to be more publicly digestible.”

“His long-standing health woes seemed to worsen this season to the point that singers and musicians were having difficulty following his conducting. But then … the doctor gave Mr. Levine an 11th hour reprieve, saying that [his] most serious problems could probably be solved by adjusting the dosage of a medication that he has been taking to treat his Parkinson’s disease.”

“The extension, which lasts until July 31, keeps the contract terms the same as the contract that expired last year. … The two parties have been in negotiations since last June and have been far apart on how much musicians should be paid.”

“Mr. van Zweden, 55, is more a maestro of the old school. He is sometimes polite, and sometimes quite blunt, but always very direct in seeking what he wants — the demanding teacher who, instead of giving a B-plus to a passable but unexceptional paper, will send it back riddled with cross-outs, order a rewrite and make it sparkle.”

“Opera is a complex, historic art form, with its own arcane formal language. Rather than think of it as entertainment, it makes more sense to conceive of it as a vast archive of emotional, historical, social and theatrical data. Opera allows us to enter into, understand and actually feel emotions that are culturally and historically extremely distant from our own time and sensibility.”

“Back when he recorded his first tracks, studio musicians weren’t appreciated or even known by name outside the record industry. But Purdie was one of the foremost sidemen to advocate for his own visibility, and few others had his charisma or cockiness. Everywhere he goes, Purdie is called upon to play his defining creation, the Purdie Shuffle, a notoriously complex four-limb beat that he invented (and quickly named after himself) in his salad days.”