Category: music

“According to this research, people who spend many hours in the practice room not only process information unusually efficiently, but they also do a superior job of not letting occasional errors derail them.”

The Dallas City Performance Hall “still hasn’t established a strong identity – there’s no sign or marquee outside – and attendance has often been disappointing. But performers, presenters and critics praise acoustics in the 750-seat auditorium, with welcoming public spaces and a helpful staff.”

“Recent studies have shown that improvisation in music triggers areas of the brain to do with individuality and creativity, so not only can our music help in calming babies, but their minds are being gently stimulated by hearing truly creative music as well.”

“In scenes reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie, a Dutch film-maker has started digging in a Bavarian town, believing annotations made by Hitler’s aide Martin Bormann on a piece of sheet music will guide him to the gold.”

“With a weekend deadline fast approaching, the two sides in the Minnesota Orchestra dispute are talking intensely and confidentially. But if there is progress, it has not been visible. Meanwhile, sources say private efforts are underway to raise money that might help bring a contract settlement before Sept. 30.”

“Observing Chopin’s 200th birthday in 2010, Dunn conceived an ambitious project: Raise money with a Kickstarter campaign to hire a professional orchestra to record the 245 works of Chopin and make them available on Musopen to anyone who might want a moment of Chopin in his or her life.”

“If Mr. Levine’s mobility is still impaired, little else seems to be, as witnessed by his focus and engagement as he has prepared for his 2,443rd performance at the Met, a company he has shaped for more than four decades. The return of Mr. Levine, who is the Met’s music director, is one of the most keenly anticipated events in the opera world.”

“When we weep at the beauty of sad music, we experience a profound aspect of our emotional selves that may contain insights about the meaning and significance of artistic experience — and also about ourselves as human beings.”

“We stand against the significant human rights abuses that take place every day in many countries. But as an arts institution, the Met is not the appropriate vehicle for waging nightly battles against the social injustices of the world.”

“Just as the number of composers have risen, so too have the conduits through which audiences can discover and explore new music. This expansion in numbers has created a growing need-or at least an opportunity-for guidance and, for lack of a better term, taste-making.”