Category: music

Detroit didn’t particularly appreciate this: “Fine orchestra. Managed to walk to a restaurant without a hint of being murdered.”

“Allan Sherman sang ‘Harvey and Sheila’ about the Jewish exodus to the suburbs. The Simpsons went caroling and sang it to neighbors with the lyric ‘Hava Nice Christmas.’ Larry David downloaded it as a ring tone. Nowadays, you can buy a Harvey Nagila singing and dancing doll and even find the recipe to a Halvah-Nagila smoothie”.

The ailing Oregon, which had been the surprise star of the first Spring For Music Festival in Carnegie Hall, abruptly canceled last week. The newly reinvigorated Detroit Symphony, which was already scheduled to appear on the festival, will step into the series with a second program.

“It adds a certain cachet to a new band to be taken on by a label set up by a hip act. And both the new act and the music-buyer would hope that, with musicians behind the labels, making a quick buck is less on the agenda than with many major-label deals.”

“Mr. Gilbert, 45, is now in the fourth year of a five-year contract, so he will have led the orchestra for at least eight seasons after the new contract ends. His predecessor, Lorin Maazel, was in the job for seven seasons. Before that Kurt Masur held the baton for 11 seasons.”

“When a rabble of different Islamist groups took control of the region in April there were fears that its rich culture would suffer. But no one imagined that music would almost cease to exist – not in Mali, a country that has become internationally renowned for its sound.”

“Musicians with the California Philharmonic say the orchestra hasn’t paid them for concerts that took place this summer, leading them to take action against management … with the National Labor Relations Board.” The orchestra is a freelance group that performs in various locations around Los Angeles County.

“There are more and more pianos reaching extinction, needing to go to the graveyard.”

“The Seattle Symphony and Opera Players’ Organization, Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera have agreed to extend the musicians’ current contract through Jan. 31, the symphony announced late Friday night.” The idea is to allow additional time for negotiations on a new contract without enduring a strike or lockout.

“The Toronto Symphony Orchestra sold 224,000 concert tickets during its 90th anniversary (2011-12) season and earned its highest revenues ever, but still reported a $986,000 deficit at its annual general meeting on Monday afternoon.”