They deal with whiny patrons who want to text, happy patrons who love the musicians a little too much, and heart attacks that happen “inevitably a minute before curtain.” They’re ushers. Don’t mess with them – or with the orchestra.
Category: music
The Audition Of A Lifetime (And Where The Stick Went Wrong)
For a classical percussionist, news of openings at the Boston Symphony Orchestra spur a frantic attempt. “Tetreault says he spent almost a year preparing for the audition. This was his life during that period: After working a full day of patchwork gigs scattered across Colorado, he’d go to his practice space until about 1 a.m., then drive home and be asleep by 2 a.m. And then at 6 o’clock, he’d get up and start all over again.”
Don’t Even Try That Handwritten Manuscript Thing With Modern Musicians; Engraving’s Where It’s At
“It is now completely within any composer’s grasp to control the look and feel of their music to the nth degree and as more of us become fluent in truly professional engraving techniques, the more attention we can give towards the actual content of the music itself.”
Russian Baritone Leaves Bayreuth Over Nazi Tattoos
“A German television program broadcast Friday showed old footage of a bare-chested Evgeny Nikitin playing drums in a rock band, in which a swastika tattoo partly covered by another symbol could be seen. The festival said Nikitin made his decision amid questions from a German newspaper about the significance of some of his tattoos.”
Want To Be A Jazz Apprentice? Look Hard (In And Out Of School)
“Why are jazz apprenticeships so vital in the first place? For one thing the music essentially models a community, with every ensemble thriving on communication, a code of ethics and an implicit grasp of roles. Jazz is also still a young music, with about a century of precedent, imperfectly captured on record and poorly served by written notation. Its lifeblood is the direct transmission of a vast, intangible body of knowledge.”
They Don’t Write Those Jazz Standards Like They Used To
Apparently, no new jazz standard has been composed since 1974. Ted Gioia says that’s because right around then, the repertoire was becoming codified – standardized.
Arizona Opera Finishes Season With Profit
“Buoyed by a 7 percent boost in single-ticket sales and soldout performances of Aida last spring, Arizona Opera ended its 41st season in the black. The company, which mounts productions in Tucson and Phoenix, also raised two-thirds of its inaugural $7.4 million capital campaign during the 2011-12 season.”
Ottawa’s Mayor Campaigns For Its Opera Company
“Opera Lyra, like a tragic heroine of the stage, is fighting to overcome the forces that oppose it. The Ottawa company has financial troubles … The company is going on the marketing offensive with a new series of promotional videos, each featuring one of ‘our city’s most recognizable names and faces,’ … The first ‘champion’ is Mayor Jim Watson.”
Melbourne’s Top Concert Hall Ready After Two-Year Revamp
“With its Hollywood interiors and showpiece auditorium, Hamer Hall was the jewel in Melbourne’s cultural crown when it opened three decades ago. Now – after multimillion-dollar renovations over two years – the landmark venue reclaims its glory with a slick design that embraces the river, a four-day mini-festival of celebrations and, best of all, a much-needed acoustic overhaul.”
Strike Worries At Both Twin Cities Orchestras
Both the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra “face severe budget shortfalls and are exploring deep reductions in costs. Some fear that could lead to a walkout by musicians on both sides of the river.”