Category: music

“The Kentucky Opera might use two pianists and a harpsichord rather than 35 Louisville Orchestra musicians for November’s performances of The Marriage of Figaro.” The players’ union “placed the opera on its ‘unfair list,’ meaning any unionized musician who works for the opera could be fined.”

“Debt, staff cuts and the resignation of longtime conductor Chuck Schneider have silenced the Utica Symphony Orchestra in its 100th year.” Neither maestro nor musicians have yet been paid for last season.

Liszt was “an unrivaled performer (‘A god for pianists’ in Berlioz’s words), a man of unusually catholic artistic interests and the 19th century’s nearest approach to a Hollywood superstar. But although he is surely significant enough to celebrate, the question whether his music is actually any good has never really gone away.”

“In the pre-digital music world, acquiring music below the mainstream radar involved something akin to a treasure hunt. If you grew up in a small town or rural area especially, you often had to chase the music … There was lasting value attached to the prize.”

“The Oxford English Dictionary says it is removing the term ‘cassette player’ from its Concise dictionary. … But cassette devotees say that tapes are underappreciated. They see cassettes following in the shadows of their analog brethren, vinyl records, which are currently enjoying a renaissance.”

“CSO concerts showed a 1 percent increase in subscription sales over the previous season (which brought a 7 percent drop), also a 17 percent increase in single ticket sales, amounting to record income of more than $4.8 million. The main subscription series finished at 84 percent paid capacity sold, much of that because of patron excitement over Muti’s arrival.”

The 153-year-old Halle Orchestra had used the claim in marketing material. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled it was ‘misleading’ after probing a claim the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra was older.”

“Riccardo Muti’s first season as CSO music director saw a record level of fund-raising success. But his two extended absences for illness, and an unprecedented number of cancellations by solo recitalists and an entire sold-out visit by the Cleveland Orchestra meant lost revenues that resulted in the CSO’s first deficit since 2006.”

“For while the Hallé can claim a 153-year unbroken performance record since Sir Charles Hallé first assembled his talented musicians in 1858, it seems the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society may lay better claim to the title – by 18 years.”

“In terms of its work force, the music industry is not large. What is large is the economic return on that small work force. If we were to encourage growth in that industry, we would generate more jobs, resulting in more employed people in Cleveland.”