Category: music

If you think the piece is not antisemitic (and I, along with the vast majority who have seen the Met’s production – directed by Tom Morris, it was first seen at English National Opera in 2012 – agree with him) then you cannot also hold the position that the opera would exacerbate “rising antisemitism, particularly in Europe”.

“The cancellation of the international telecast is a deeply regrettable decision and goes far beyond issues of “artistic freedom,” and ends in promoting the same kind of intolerance that the opera’s detractors claim to be preventing.”

The Met decided to cancel its planned Nov. 15 Live in HD transmission of “Klinghoffer” to movie theaters and a radio broadcast after discussions with the Anti-Defamation League. The league praised the Met’s decision, saying that “while the opera itself is not anti-Semitic, there is a concern the opera could be used in foreign countries to stir up anti-Israel sentiments or as a vehicle to promote anti-Semitism.”

Some independents say they are being offered “highly unfavourable terms”. Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien accused Google of trying to “strong-arm” labels into accepting low fees.

“The effort to bring Wagner’s Ring cycle to Connecticut with digital samples instead of a traditional orchestra has been postponed. Organizers announced Monday that they were canceling their first offering, a production of Das Rheingold planned for August, saying that several artists had withdrawn, citing threats to their careers.”

With union contract talks heating up, a tax filing for 2012 indicates that general manager Peter Gelb earned pay and benefits of $1.8 million, chorus and orchestra members average around $200,000 in pay and $85-100K in benefits, and that three of the five highest-paid employees are stage technicians.

“While classical music is in robust health, its future popularity is not guaranteed unless more children and young people are exposed to it.”

“In the scope of human history, the era of recorded sound is a blip—and yet the volume and fragility of what’s been created in that time is overwhelming.”

“Particularly in smaller cities, some opera companies have drastically cut their offerings or have closed completely, and symphony orchestras want to pick up the slack and vary their programming, while lacking the resources or appropriate hall for a traditional production.”

“Four or more years of musical training in childhood was linked to faster neural responses to speech, even for the older adults who had not picked up an instrument for more than 40 years.”