Mozart’s Magic Flute not only makes little narrative sense, but it’s imbued with weird racist, sexist and other problematic connotations. But it’s performed like mad. Beyond the obvious musical attractions, why?
Category: music
Want The Full Album? You’ll Have To Buy All Of The Apps
Icelandic singer Bjork releases an album, sort of – as 10 apps for iPad, one per song, including interactive games, information and all kinds of other goodies. Is this the way music will go?
Add Music Education For Kids, And Add IQ Points
Visual art training did nothing to help preschoolers’ intelligence, but music education? Yep. “Research suggests cutting music education to concentrate on ‘the basics”‘ is based on a misunderstanding of the way young minds work.”
Music In The Museum. Why?
“What is the goal of music museums? There are, of course, musical instrument museums, designed to preserve specific collections of objects. But “music” is a more abstract concept.”
Israeli Ensemble Drops Female Singer To Appease Ultra-Orthodox
“Bowing to pressure from religious subscribers, the Ashdod-based Israel Andalusian Orchestra” – which specializes in the traditional music of the Sephardic Jews – “has removed a concert from its subscription series featuring a female singer.” The vocalist in question is Françoise Atlan, possibly the genre’s most prominent living artist.
A SoCal Concert Venue With Acoustics To Rival Disney Hall?
Christopher Smith on the Soka Performing Arts Center in Orange County: “[The] acoustic design comes from [Yasuhisa] Toyota, who most famously did Walt Disney Concert Hall. If anything, the sound here in this more intimate, multi-purpose hall has an even warmer sound. … [While] the sound can be as large as a composer ordered or a conductor wants, there is an almost unprecedented level of clarity among the instruments.”
Gramophone Awards Announced
The Manchester-based Hallé Orchestra won the contemporary and choral prizes at the prestigious event in London. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel was named artist of the year.
Scottish Opera, Orchestra To Get Revamped New Homes
“Both companies will redevelop their Glasgow headquarters in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2014, with Scottish Opera upgrading its Theatre Royal venue and the RSNO moving into a new building next to Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.”
Philadelphia Orchestra Contract, Pushed By Bankruptcy Judge, Could Be Near
“A breakthrough in the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case could emerge [soon], as management and labor try to hammer out a deal under the supervision of a U.S. bankruptcy judge.” But the possibility of litigation still looms if the orchestra leaves the musicians’ union pension fund.
In Defense Of Opera Singers Breaking Character
At the Met’s opening night, Anna Netrebko’s big mad-scene aria drew lots of cheers – and the diva briefly flashed a grin. Most of the critics tut-tutted, despite – or likely because – breaking character to bow after a major aria used to be so commonplace. Zachary Woolfe argues that the practice is a good and natural thing for opera.