“Seeing a musical or operatic performance from only one performer’s point of view actually destroys the experience. It confuses ordinary reality with the artificial reality that art creates. … If you see [an opera] though the eyes of one participant, the performance is revealed for what it actually is; a bunch of people in fancy dress shouting in a foreign language.”
Category: music
Indianapolis Opera Looks To “New Artistic Vision”, Hires Local Theater Pro
The troubled company, which canceled its last production and lost its artistic director, has engaged the former managing director of the Indiana Repertory Theatre to help program the coming fall season and realize a “new artistic vision and business model that reflect the interests of Indianapolis audiences.”
The Recording Industry’s “Antilabel” – And The Niche Musician’s Lifesaver
“For more than 325,000 recording artists, in genres ranging from folk and rap to polka and bhangra” – and yes, classical, too – “CD Baby has become a vital lifeline. For a fee, the company not only sells copies of their CDs and digital versions of their songs, it can also track, collect and distribute royalties for musicians who don’t have – or don’t want – a big record label or song publisher behind them.”
Violinist Played Instrument During His Own Brain Surgery
In 2010 Minnesota Orchestra associate concertmaster Roger Frisch had a small electrode planted in his brain to stop the tremor that had developed in his hands. But for the neurosurgeons to get the device planted in the right spot, Frisch had to be awake – and to play. Erin Brodwin explains the how and why. (includes operating room video)
Met Opera Sets Another Deadline For Contract Talks
Federal mediators announced that the company’s new deadline for agreement is Sunday, August 17, just five weeks before opening night of the new season. Met general director Peter Gelb has been threatening a lockout if the deadline is not met.
Do Black Composers Still Face A Racial Divide? If So, Where Does It Come From?
African-American composers of three generations weigh in, as does Detroit Symphony music director Leonard Slatkin.
The First Domino? One Of Italy’s Crisis-Ridden Major Opera Houses Goes Dark
Bari’s Teatro Petruzzelli, the country’s fourth-largest opera house, is simply out of money. With both the city council and the regional government having slashed funding, the Petruzzelli has cancelled the two productions it had scheduled for this fall, and no one is sure if or when it will reopen.
Should The Arena Di Verona Get A Roof?
“Northern Italy has been pounded this summer by rain and thunderstorms. About 25 opera performances have been soaked … Determined to bring an end to this unpredictability, mayor Flavio Tosi says that he’s planning to launch an international competition to draw suggestions for how the massive architectural task should be accomplished.”
Can Digital Tech Help Build A Better Piano?
That’s what acoustical scientists at NYU are trying to find out, as they bring banks of microphones and a Disklavier out to the Steinway factory to gather “a very dense acoustical scan of the radiation pattern of the grand piano.” (includes audio)
Opera Lovers Are Divided Over Met’s Labor Issues – And Some Just Don’t Wanna Hear About It
“Several expressed dismay that opera, which at its best offers not just escapism but also catharsis, is becoming mired in a polarizing, all-too-real postdownturn conflict.” Said one Pittsburgh fan, “When people go to the opera, those of us that love opera want to be transported. … This is really like taking away the magic. We just want to go and love it.”