Category: music

As part of ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, the orchestra management is asking for major changes in its residency agreement with the Kimmel: reduced rent at the very least; at most, arrangements that would give the orchestra more control over the box office, ushers and other points of interaction with customers.

“With the launch of MyTunes Monday, users can download up to three songs per week and 150 songs per year from Sony’s catalogue of more than a million songs without costing a thing.”

“The beleaguered New York City Opera may be facing a new hurdle: questions” – raised by the company’s unions – “about whether its move from Lincoln Center would place much of the company’s dwindling endowment at risk.”

“The Bolshoi has digitalized around 20 percent of the archives, under a project it embarked on two years ago. The results will eventually be made available online. The cream-colored, eight-columned ballet and opera house suffered three fires during the 19th century and much of the early archive collection was destroyed.”

“Musicians have reacted angrily to the suggestion a casual ensemble could operate as effectively. The group of 69 full-time players accused management of shutting them out of planning their future.”

“Chinese opera’s influence on pop culture has remained strong, and its mythologies crop up in kung fu films, comic books and television series. But traditional theaters have all but disappeared, except for the Sunbeam and a few others in far-flung locales.”

“This is the oldest known commercial recording. Made by Thomas Edison late in 1888, it’s a prototype for a line of talking dolls Edison hoped to bring to market.”

“Two more members of the board of New York City Opera have resigned in the wake of the company’s departure from Lincoln Center and artistic changes.”

“Rumours are circulating that Orchestra Victoria, which supports performances by opera and ballet companies in the Arts Centre, risks being cut in half because of continuing operating losses. … This would abandon the current program of regional touring and education programs by the orchestra.”

Every year there “are dark mutterings that the Proms isn’t as serious as it was, that the Proms in the Parks events and the Comedy Prom and the Horrible Histories Proms are hogging the limelight, and the serious events are being overshadowed. It’s fascinating to see how a series of orchestral concerts has become a focus for all our anxieties about culture.”