Category Archive: In the media

Orchestras take on The Harlem Shake

Posted at 11:46 AM on February 21, 2013 by Fred Child (0 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

If you live within 50 miles of this wacky thing called "The Internet," good chance you're aware of the latest meme, the Harlem Shake. (According to our friends at YouTube, as of last week about 4,000 Harlem Shake videos were being uploaded to their site...every day.) The videos are usually 33 seconds long, beginning with one crazy dancer who goes unnoticed by the rest of the crowd. At a particular moment in the song there is a sudden cut, and everybody is dancing wildly, often in costume. Several orchestras have contributed recently, including The Knights (a chamber orchestra based in New York):



Now watch it again, and notice...what appears to be Frieda Kahlo, sitting perfectly still in the lower left. (That's flutist Alex Sopp, in full Kahlo regalia.)

How about an orchestra from Puerto Rico?



(again, with reference to a famous painting in the lower left!)

German Orchestra creates Star Wars theme flash mob

Posted at 11:57 AM on October 18, 2012 by Brett Baldwin
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Making the rounds at Classical MPR today is this little video gem.

Known for adept adaptations of 20th C. and contemporary music, the WDR Symphony Orchestra based in Cologne, Germany surprised passersby with a growing flash mob presentation of the theme from Star Wars.

A little bit of history on this particular orchestra: it was founded after World War II in 1947 by Allied occupation authorities.

More at their site: wdr.de. (Google Translate may be helpful)

On the Air This Week

Posted at 4:09 PM on October 2, 2012 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, On the air

Highlights from Oct. 2 to 9

.
Wednesday, 6 pm: Carnegie Hall Live: Live from New York, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Orff's Carmina Burana.
Thursday, 3 pm hour: Regional Spotlight: pianist Ivan Konev and violinist Natalia Moiseeva play Beethoven.
Sunday, 6 am: Pipedreams: Some Last Curley Cues.
Sunday, noon: From the Top.
Sunday, 1 pm: SymphonyCast: The Minnesota Orchestra, playing Kernis, Beethoven, and Sibelius.
Monday, 8 pm: Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra: two Brandenburg Concertos and Stravinsky's Pulcinella (complete ballet version).

Must-Listen: Unraveling Bolero

Posted at 1:18 PM on July 26, 2012 by Brett Baldwin
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

"Unraveling Bolero" by Anne Adams

Another great story from the folks at RadioLab. This one is about the amazing connection between Ravel's most well-known work "Bolero," and a woman, Anne Adams, who quit her job to become an artist -- a painter -- full time. She worked on a piece that ascribed colors, size and depth to the notes and their duration in "Bolero."

The painting was called "Unraveling Bolero"; what's most interesting is that both Adams and Ravel appear to have suffered from the same medical issues that caused them to lose their memories.

An enthralling listen; well worth 20 minutes of your time.

Reawakening the Sacred: A Jeremy Denk Book Review

Posted at 3:31 PM on April 16, 2012 by Samuel Kjellberg
Filed under: Awards & Accomplishments, Fun finds, In the media

Jeremy Denk, the compelling and persuasive artist, American concert pianist, avid chamber musician, exploratory in his choice of repertoire has now moved from the ivory keyboard of his Steinway to his dimly lit laptop to become a writer for none other than the New York Times' book reviews.

Last Thursday (April 12th, 2012), Denk was published in the New York Times Book Review, an honor not stopping at simple publication. His review boasts the largest thumbnail picture on the page — the featured article!

The book: The Great Animal Orchestra written by Bernie Krause, a self-proclaimed child prodigy, folk musician, author and soundscape recordist in a newly coined term called biophony.

Krause's book comes years after his short stint with folk ensemble The Weavers, some exploration into electronic music, creating the synthesizer group Beaver & Krause (which you can hear with bands such as The Monkeys, The Byrds, The Doors and Stevie Wonder) and then years spent in the Muir Woods recording the sounds of nature.

As Denk puts it, the book "resembles a howl more than an argument" as Krause exposes our abandonment and exile of the world's sound. Krause uses scientific data, his own observation, and some hearsay in order to criticize our entire human culture as wall-building and ignorant of the beautiful array of sound in nature that is as much creative as it is practical.

This prominent review is no doubt a great honor for Jeremy Denk. But isn't this a story Westerners have been hearing about for quite some time — disillusionment and numbness to our world. As we continue down the overstated economic downturn, as education continues to be left to simmer on the back-burner, as our political system becomes unconscionably polarized (and no less corrupt), and as our religious and spiritual selves become bankrupt we are left with no choice but to turn toward nature, to seek refuge for some morsel of the sacred.

It is not as though our experience with nature is in anyway unique, quite the opposite. Rather, it seems a bit uncanny because of its nostalgia and necessity, a sort of overcompensation.

I can remember that during college the only refuge I had from the abundance of assigned papers, endless nights cut by the wedge of a coffee-induced stare, countless performances and the occasional breakdown was the soundscape piece by Steve Reich called "Music for 18 Musicians." This hour-long, harmonically swirling pulse would drive me into a trance. Often I would find myself with arms wide, leaning back, head held erect as I mentally wandered the mountain ranges of Montana (the place where I spent my summers), forgetting that I was sitting in a crowded computer lab lit by florescent bulbs.

Whether your experience with societal life is a positive or negative one, Jeremy Denk's review sheds light on the offerings of Bernie Krause's book The Great Animal Orchestra, a reawakening to the harmony and melody of nature.

After you peruse the review and maybe even the book, take time to notice the sounds of the world and think of your own refuge...

On a side note (and shamelessly promoting the Twin Cities music scene)... Jeremy Denk will be playing two separate concert series here in Saint Paul this weekend. The first, a series featuring works by Charles Ives, Mauricio Kagel and György Ligeti is showing from April 19-21. The second, featuring works by Edward Elgar, Hugo Wolf, Sergei Prokofiev, Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák showing from April 20-22. Get your tickets at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's website.

New DVD shines light on Mozart's Sister

Posted at 12:16 AM on February 14, 2012 by Luke Taylor
Filed under: Composers, In the media

Hilary Hahn, Hélène Grimaud, Dawn Upshaw, Sarah Hicks, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Alison Balsom ... the list of female luminaries in classical music stretches endlessly. But there was a time in the history of classical music when most women would have been discouraged -- if not excluded outright -- from pursuing a musical career.

Mozart's Sister, a 2010 film by French director René Féret, explores one such story. Distributed by Chicago-based Music Box Films, Mozart's Sister gets released on DVD in the United States today.

Mozart's Sister re-imagines the story of Wolfgang's elder sister, Marie-Anne, familiarly known as Nannerl (and played by director Féret's daughter, Marie Féret). The film is loosely based on the Mozart family's 1770s visit to the royal court of France. Nannerl is known to have accompanied her younger brother in performances, and historic correspondence suggests Nannerl may have even composed music herself. Sadly, none of her compositions are known to exist today; in Mozart's Sister, writer/director Féret attempts to answer why that may be.

One explanation Féret offers is the sexism endemic to the 18th century. In a moving scene, Leopold Mozart (Marc Barbé), the father and music teacher of Wolfgang and Nannerl, offers composition lessons to his son but refuses his daughter's request for instruction. "You must know the rules of harmony and counterpoint," Leopold tells her dismissively. "These are beyond most people, especially women."

Despite her father's discouragement, the teenage Nannerl can't ignore her inexorable urge to compose; director Féret even suggests some of Wolfgang's works were actually penned by her. Féret also hazards a heartbreaking supposition as to why Nannerl's manuscripts have not survived. Nannerl's best friend in the film, a royal princess, offers scant consolation when she posits, "Imagine how different our destinies would have been had we been boys ... We would both reign."

Ultimately, the film is about a teenager struggling with her identity and her role in life in the face of the realities that surround her, which places Mozart's Sister on similar thematic ground as 2010's Winter's Bone. Certainly Nannerl enjoys much more love and security than Winter's Bone protagonist Ree, but her circumstances are no less crushing.

Variety described Mozart's Sister as "a treat for classical music lovers and cinephiles alike." Indeed, film fans will likely enjoy the period costumes and ornate sets (much of the film was shot on location at the Palace of Versailles).

For classical music lovers, the original music by Marie-Jeanne Séréro -- who bravely accepted the task of imagining how Nannerl Mozart's compositions may have sounded -- is certainly beguiling. And soprano Morgane Collomb, a student at the prestigious Académie Vocale de France, supplied the singing voice for actress Marie Féret. But the vocal dubs are obvious, as are the clearly pantomimed music-performance scenes. For a film so steeped in music, it's regrettable the musical sequences may elicit winces from classical aficionados.

Despite that vital shortcoming, Féret tells a compelling story that leaves viewers musing on the life and talents of Nannerl Mozart ... and what might have been.

Simply Stupendous!

Posted at 1:36 PM on February 7, 2012 by Samuel Kjellberg
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, The blog

Since November of 1969 the children's program Sesame Street has brought the world educational television that uses the addictive powers of television to promote good — to be cliché — while preparing and educating children about school, morals and social practice.

A vast number of guests have graced the show's set, a list whose Wikipedia article requires its own alphabetical listing page. These visits typically will consist of some particular moral, grammatical, biological or social concept — I remember seeing Robin Williams explain what it means to be alive as he filled his own shoe with a banana, peanuts, confetti, water and dog food; in the end, the conclusion was that the shoe was not alive!

Recently — February 6, 2011 to be exact — world-renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel paid a visit to Sesame Street to help Elmo explain the word "Stupendous," which is taught to be something "very, very great and amazing!" Something Dudamel is most certainly aware of.

In this segment, Dudamel conducts three small chamber groups: a sheep playing a violin, an octopus playing percussion (pretty impressive section created by all its limbs), and finally a penguin choir singing the "Ode to Joy" theme from Beethoven's 9th Symphony, a fairly significant piece to Dudamel if you keep up with his El Sistema efforts and his film "Let the Children Play."

If you look closely, I believe Dudamel is mouthing the words:

Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!

The Liberating Invitation from the Artworld

Posted at 1:55 PM on January 26, 2012 by Samuel Kjellberg
Filed under: Concerts, Events, In the media, Musical philosophy, Musician stories, The blog

"With its stylization and its larger-than-life emotions, opera has never been about unbroken narrative or cinematic realism. It is about going in and out of the drama, in and out of realism." (Zachary Woolfe, New York Observer; October 5, 2011)

To bridge the gap, to break through the translucent historical and pedestal'd barrier between the stage and the commonplace, is seen as something of a taboo in the classical world. As an artistic audience, we don't know how to handle incorporation and conversation with the stage world, the world of moral fragility, the world of the dilemma that pries us from any comfortable choice, a world perfect in its scenarios. We like to sit cozy, knowing that these experiences are at a distance, thinking that the stage world couldn't possibly portray our own daily experience and struggle with the world, meaning and purpose... But it does.

By all of this I simply mean the act of breaking character on stage, a small aside or reaction that emerges from within the production and addresses the outside world. Throughout history there has been disdain circling this issue.

Recently, Metropolitan operatic star René Pape, while acting the role of Méphistophélès (the Devil) in Charles Gounod's Faust, broke character by parting with the French language and addressed the audience with an aside in English.

Let me paint the picture: It is Act 4, a scene in Marguerite's garden. She has just sung the famous "Jewel Song" after having received a box covered in jewels, which happened to have been from Faust through Méphistophélès, who is helping Faust gain the love of Marguerite. After Marguerite's aria Faust and Méphistophélès reenter the stage and begin their recitative. Amid one of his French sighs Méphistophélès (played by René Pape) turns to the audience and says, in English, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." The laughter that followed seemed strained with an underlying current of judgment.

You can see how this would outrage the public, and it did. The concern is duly noted and understandable; classical art should not be tampered with or tarnished. However, allow me to play the part of Méphistophélès's attorney for a moment (Devil's advocate, if I may).

The living aesthetician, Arthur C. Danto, rocked the art world in 1981 with the publication of his book "The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: A Philosophy of Art." The mission, as the subtitle suggests, was to create a philosophy of art, which he thought, up to that point, had been slightly ambiguous and undefined. (Claim to fame: That the history of art is finished. A disturbing statement likened to Nietzsche's "God is dead. And we have killed him".)

His book was a reaction to the history of art, which in the decades previous to its publication brought what some might consider strange artistic developments and freedoms. He philosophically addresses these controversial pieces of art, namely Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" (a urinal with "R. Mutt 1917" written on it), Andy Warhol's "Brillo Boxes" (a stack of boxes with the logo of the Brillo soap pad brand), among other Avant Garde works.

The pinnacle example is a short, passionate dialogue regarding the statue of a cat that was located in a rotunda on the campus of Columbia University in New York City. For a long time this statue sat there, unmoved, sitting near a staircase. He passed this everyday with little notice. However, one day as Danto walked by he noticed that the statue had been freshly chained to the stair case railing. This provided him a door into the question of where the artworld line is drawn and the ambiguity of the border between art and commonplace.

For Danto, the chained cat could have meant one of two things: an attempt to counteract possible burglaries of the statue, or an attempt by the artist to gift some morsel of artworld status into and onto the commonplace. He chose the latter.

Like the chain, the broken character is an invitation to incorporate the audience in the artistic experience, as a way for the actor to connect their own character to the audience as if to say, "Yes, I am here with you. Let us see the world together. Isn't this fascinating?"

Of course, it is easy to say that when an actor breaks character they are breaking the tradition and sanctity of that particular artwork. However, under the Dantonian lens it seems that the breaking of one's character truly is an invitation for involvement, an acceptance between the audience and the artist, a most liberating and inclusive characteristic of art.

Art speaks on behalf of culture, it follows our desires and passions, opening doors, and with such an invitation we as an audience are transcendent up and into the artworld, living, breathing and drinking every morally fragile theme.

You Buy It, You Break It

Posted at 10:31 AM on January 4, 2012 by Hans Buetow
Filed under: In the media

A startling story emerged late last night about an eBay purchase that ended with the destruction of an antique violin.

It's hard to know what's worse - the circumstances, the PayPal policy that led to the destruction, the apparent relish the destroyer showed, or the photo.

A Twist of Xmas

Posted at 4:56 PM on December 16, 2011 by Hans Buetow
Filed under: In the media

This time of year, when even the moments of quiet contemplation are bought and paid for by a car manufacturer or jeweler, where does one go for some real Holiday feeling? Where are moods that reach beyond jolly?

Collin Rae, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing at Naxos, has an answer. He and his team have combed through more than 2,500 recordings to gather together a truly lovely disc of music - A Twist of Christmas - that won't make your tummy ache from the sweetness.

Although, looking at the cover, you can't be exactly sure what it will do to your tummy. This is, you will quickly note, not your typical Holiday CD.

"I think the cover art infuses the 'darkness' I was pulling from the music, while it also infuses a cute sense of humor as well," says Rae, who feels that, in our world of "dark cartoon culture," these two extremes go together well.

Darkness is, indeed, the focus of the disc, with candles to light our way instead of blinking neon signs. The album moves beautifully through the centuries and across a range of textures, highlighting the essence of a season dedicated, at its core, to embracing both the darkness in the world and the brightness of the creative and emotional mind. "It leans," says Rae, "towards dark and somber beauty without the jarring and scary elements."

Rae and his team achieve this blend, moving deftly among Tchaikovsky's seasonal Classics, William Byrd and Thomas Tallis, Arvo Part, and even Krzystof Penderecki. "I can hear the sounds and pick the century of music I want to use to achieve that sound and flow," says Rae. "I think the severity of the stylistic differences placed side by side, flowing into one another, made this haunting and effective. It won't always work, but when it does, it's magnificent."

A Twist of Christmas is a follow-up to the well-received Naxos release Music for the Zombie Apocalypse, a beautiful and haunting collection born of Rae's deep and lasting love of horror films and Zombies that started when his father took him and his siblings to a midnight showing of The Night of the Living Dead in the 1970's.

As with A Twist of Christmas, the Zombie-inspired disc shifts across the centuries; with tone, feeling, and character all nicely blended and shifted to create an engaging and interesting listening experience. This matching of sounds is necessary for Rae's vision, as "It needed to flow from the stark beauty of Faure, Mozart, and Rutti to the fierce and darker works or Coates, Penderecki, and Schnittke. I've seen people purchase this who would have never bought a recording by, say, Gloria Coates, or Penderecki, or even Faure. I find this very, very encouraging."

Exposure to new kinds of music is important to Rae, who spent several decades in the record business building a love of a wide range of musics. Included in his lists of influences are (mostly European) soundtrack music from the 60's and 70's, electronic music, noise, jazz, punk, post-punk, and all those old cartoons. "I'm hoping that not only lovers of deep and more obscure pieces will gravitate towards this, but also those who were into the zombie album. It's for people who are truly tired of the same old Christmas collection, and in my mind it's great music for a get-together, or even Christmas dinner."

Celestial Altercation

Posted at 6:30 AM on December 8, 2011 by Samuel Kjellberg (1 Comments)
Filed under: Composers, Concerts, Events, In the media, Musical philosophy

As we approach the coming of our special event this Friday, December 9th, the New York Polyphony Holiday Concert at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, we will take a look at an original work that was recently commissioned for and premiered by New York Polyphony this past November.

The work is titled Missa Charles Darwin, composed by American composer Gregory Brown and was set to text edited by New York Polyphony's bass Craig Phillips. You may think this title is counterproductive and contradictory, taking a structural paradigm of the Catholic faith and juxtaposing it with the principle text of evolutionary science. However, the piece seeks to exemplify the creativity and ingenuity of the human spirit, as well as portraying the unique position humans have within our reality.

Even though the composer claims this not to be a political statement, his purpose of exemplifying human language, human's curiosity into reality and its multi-functional viewpoints is certainly a spiritual and poetic one.

Under this light, this work could be considered one of the most important musical works of our time — perhaps not in a purely musical sense, but as a statement of cooperation among seemingly disagreeable mediums, between spiritual understanding and an understanding based on facts.

As humans we question the world, whether regarding the creation and meaning of our existence or to simply understand and grasp the world around us. This work shows that there is beauty in both the spiritual and the scientific and each can assist the other in the collective human effort to grasp and understand reality!

CSI: Minnesota?

Posted at 3:44 PM on November 30, 2011 by Samuel Kjellberg
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Radiologist Dr. Steve Sirr has been using the process of medical forensics scanning to record and analyze stringed instruments for close to 22 years now. But recently, Dr. Sirr has teamed up with St. Paul luthiers Steve Rossow and John Waddle of John Waddle Violins Inc. to use the radiology process of CT scanning and analyzing to recreate one of the world's most famed violins, the 1704 "Betts" Stradivarius.

In essence, this is a cloning process. Like DNA, a violin can be scanned and analyzed for its physical structure — shape, density, wood type, etc. — and with that knowledge, specialists can essentially recreate any violin.

Setting aside all fantastical images of cloning we see from the sci-fi films, we need to know that these are not exact copies. The replicas are not time-traveled and perfectly molded, but are modern instruments that take into consideration the luthier techniques, shape, style and wood type of the famed violins throughout history.

All instruments leave fingerprints and a bread crumb trail. Like crime scene investigators, the scanning process exposes that history and tells the unique and individual story of each of these instruments. The methods can then be used to ensure the preservation process of these remarkable instruments.

While you further your reading, what I might challenge you to keep in mind are the implications of what may come from this ongoing project. Prior to this point in scientific history, the highest quality violins, namely those in the Stradivarius catalog, have been reserved for the extremely wealthy or the musically accomplished that can be financially supported in obtaining them.

What Dr. Steve Sirr, Steve Rossow and John Waddle have done is narrow the gap of accessibility to quality. They are offering replicas of world-class instruments at more affordable prices that will empower and enrich the playing of young beginners and amateurs.

Spotify: Aesthetics and Accesibility

Posted at 4:51 PM on September 2, 2011 by Hans Buetow
Filed under: In the media, Musical philosophy

On Wednesday we talked about what Spotify is, and then yesterday we outlined some of the financial issues that Spotify raises for Classical composers.

Today we will explore some of the more abstract issues surrounding Spotify.

"SPIRITUAL" LOSS or MUSICAL GAIN?

Pipedreams host and executive producer Michael Barone said in a meeting the other day that "there's no such thing as too much good music." But, is that true? Spotify has resurrected exactly that conversation amongst some classical music composers and bloggers recently.

On one side you have the argument that this emphasis on access devalues the music, making it harder to listen to anything at all. Turning music into wallpaper and taking away the incentive to value it through a transaction is, according to some, surrounding us with more music that we can use - I once knew a man who had collected so many chairs in his house that you couldn't find a place to sit.

Gabriel Kahane, son of virtuoso pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane and hugely talented musician in his own right, illustrated this point of view earlier this week on his Tumblr blog.

The next day, a blogger with the handle ulyssestone posted a response from the other side, saying that the world has changed, and that no one benefits from bemoaning the loss of the old ways. Ultimately, he seems to conclude, we should embrace the shake-up that the access to music that Spotify presents.

Kirk McElhearn, another blogger, also weighed in on the subject, engaging Gabriel Kahane in a back-and-forth where his main original point, taking issue with Gabriel Kahane bemoaning the degradation of "serious" listening, caused Mr. Kahane to amend his post to remove the word.

TRUE ACCESSIBILITY

The question still remains, though, about how accessible the music really is on Spotify. Sure, there might be a lot of classical music on Spotify for us to listen to, but another complaint about Spotify echoes an old complaint about most digital music services - how on Earth do you find what you're looking for?

The particular problems of classical music taxonomy are unique in music, and have yet to be adequately addressed by everyone from Google to Apple to Spotify. We here at MPR deal with this problem every day, as classical music requires far more variables than most music software can handle, thereby making it difficult to adapt tools for use with the music.

The problem stems from the relationships between the many parts of a classical piece of music. In every other type of music besides classical, there are only 4 major considerations for organizing a song:

Song
Album
Artist
Writer

Nearly all digital music management software is set up along these lines - just look at iTunes - and it works great. The problem is when you try to fit into those categories most classical music, which uses 6 related, but ultimately different organizational elements:

Piece
Movement
Composer
Conductor
Ensemble
Soloist

You see this problem constantly when labels are forced to merge "Piece" and "Movement" into the slot for "Song". And, of course, there is the perennial problem of who belongs in the "Artist" category - the composer, conductor, soloist, or ensemble? Different labels tackle that question in different ways, with some even putting all four into that one field.

It is this difference of structure, combined with a lack of standards amongst labels, that can make searching for a particular recording a difficult and sometimes frustrating activity.

Steven Smith, critic from the New York Times, fills us in on how Spotify stacks up on this issue.

There are, of course, other issues that have been raised about Spotify by classical musicians, composers, and audience members over the last two months, but they live in the technical realm, and will probably be addressed in subsequent updates to the service.

1. Playback is not gapless (there is an ever-so-brief pause between each track), which is not how many Classical tracks are designed to be consumed.

2. Sound quality is an issue for some audiophilic Classical fans, as free accounts can only stream at a maximum of 160kbps (a CD is around 320kbps.) This is not as much of an issue if you want to put up $9.99 per month for the Premium service that allows you to stream at the coveted 320kbps, except that reports are that only about 30% of available music is offered at that higher quality.

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, streaming services like Spotify have come, in the last few years, to signify a new dominance in music distribution. While it may not mean the end of the physical musical object, or of the composer, or of the audience, it feels to many like the musical landscape is shifting, and will continue to shift as we intuit our way forward. As with previous models for distribution, the unsustainable portions will hopefully be identified and addressed with an attention that comes from exactly this conversation.

A new way of consuming music, and of having your music consumed, may ultimately affect the music itself. This is a necessary adaptation that is the natural byproduct of any intersection of technology and art. How we address that issue, when it starts to become apparent to us, will shape a new generation of musicians, and will hopefully give us all a new way to listen.

Spotify: The Money Problems

Posted at 4:54 PM on September 1, 2011 by Hans Buetow
Filed under: In the media, Musical philosophy

Yesterday, we outlined what Spotify is, and why it's pretty cool. There have been, however, some classical music composers, players, bloggers, and audience members who aren't so thrilled.

Any new technology has its naysayers. The written word was heralded as The End, as was the printed word. Sheet music was seen as an encroachment, and recorded music in each of its many and varied delivery systems over the years has been criticized as being the death of an art form.

And it's true that with every technology there is a give-and-take that occurs with the old paradigm. With Spotify, the argument of its detractors is that the take is a lot more than the give.

As with most things, it all comes back to money. One of the largest and most vocal criticism of Spotify since it landed in July has been the compensation model that it uses for artists.

Here's how that model works:

Every time anyone plays enough of a track to be considered a "play", Spotify pays that record label (reportedly) one-third of one cent. That record label then pays the composer and the artist their share from that one-third of that one cent.

It seems like a pretty straightforward they-pay-as-you-play model, but when you look closer you see that the formula heavily (some would say cripplingly) favors major pop labels at the sacrifice of the rest of musicdom.

To elaborate --

Major Labels:

It's a simple issue of scale.

In its first week of sales in early May, the new Lady Gaga album, "Born This Way," sold 1.1 million units. Contrast that with the statistic that only around 25 classical records (not including crossover) have ever, in the history of recorded music, topped a million in total sales over the entire lifetime of the album.

With such a small per-play rate, you need to have millions of listens in order to make any meaningful amount of money. Small, and even mid-sized independent labels, who don't get those mega pop star numbers, are looking at paltry returns on their investment.

Additionally, as some those smaller labels would argue, each of those plays on Spotify for which they get so little represents one CD - the current "model of sustainability" with it's $9 price point - that they weren't able to sell.

Pop Labels:

Think about this - classical tracks can run 30 minutes, for which the label gets $0.0033 for every play. A pop tune lasts 2-4 minutes, for which the label gets $0.0033 for every play. Therefore, if you were to play a full Beethoven symphony (4 tracks) on Spotify, the label would get $0.0133 (or, more dramatically - one and one-third cents) for your listen. If you were, however, to play that full Lady Gaga album with 14 tracks, the label would get $0.0462 (or just about four-and-a-half cents).

Further Reading:

Brian Brandt from Mode Records outlines his frustration with the Spotify model and why he doesn't want his label to be a part of it.

A breakdown of what an artist earns through various sales media.

TOMORROW: How well does Spotify actually work? And are we better listeners for having this much access to music?

Spotify: An Introduction

Posted at 4:44 PM on August 31, 2011 by Hans Buetow
Filed under: In the media, Musical philosophy

Spotify is something you may have heard about. For some, it is a long-awaited music streaming service. For others, it's just something else they don't use that might or might not (and who really cares?) be like Pandora, Rdio, iCloud, Jango, Slacker, Maestro, Grooveshark, last.fm, MOG, or Turntable.

But whether you are excited about it or ambivalent towards it, Spotify is here, and Spotify is changing music distribution.

That change has been met, as all changes are, with skepticism, anger, elation, and all of the other reactions produced by the friction of that change. The rub from Spotify has been keenly felt, and discussed, in the classical music community recently, causing conversations and even arguments in the Twitter and Blog-spheres for months.

So, for those of us who aren't following the exact conversation, what exactly is Spotify, and why is it causing all of this hubbub?

For the next three days, Classical MPR will explore those questions and hopefully give some clarity about what Spotify is, why people are upset, and why others think it's great.

So, let's start with a little context.

First, what is Spotify?

In short, Spotify is an online music library that you can access, completely free of charge. Think of it as an iTunes account that has been pre-populated for your use by several major record labels (including Universal, Sony, EMI, and Warner Music Group) with their music catalogues. Imagine, if you would, waking up tomorrow to find that overnight your iTunes library had been expanded to include a large portion of all recorded music. Well, imagine no longer, because that is the reality of Spotify.

Once you sign up, which you can do with a free, but limited, account, you can search out and immediately stream (to your computer) any song or piece of music that has had rights cleared to be in the database. That database is currently over 15 million songs, and is growing every day.

There is a social element to Spotify as well, which can link to your Facebook and Twitter accounts to share playlists with friends. Through Facebook you can even "send" songs to friends, highlighting for them something you've just discovered, or an old favorite you love. You can also collaborate on playlists, allowing multiple people to add songs to the same playlist.

So, Spotify is a huge collection of recorded music that I can listen to at any time for free? That sounds pretty cool.

TOMORROW: So, why are people so upset about Spotify?

Top Score: Live Performance of a Journey song (no, not THAT Journey)

Posted at 3:14 PM on August 11, 2011 by Hans Buetow
Filed under: Concerts, Fun finds, In the media

The orchestra who plays the Video Games Live concerts in Los Angeles, the Golden State Pops, recently teamed up with 'cellist Tina Guo to showcase a brand new piece of music from the upcoming game Journey (not the band Journey,) the highly anticipated follow-up game to the huge indie success Flower, both by the innovators at thatgamecompany.

Austin Wintory, who is doing the music for Journey, will be our guest on Top Score in the upcoming season. We'll be talking with him about the luscious music for Journey that we've been getting previews of, and talk to him about how sound works in the game at influencing play.

See the video of the performance and read Austin Wintory's interview with Gamespot here.

Is Andre Rieu Amazing?

Posted at 9:47 AM on July 7, 2011 by Hans Buetow
Filed under: In the media, Musical philosophy

In the great debate of integrity and relevance, every art form has its pulp and its grit.

Recent cinema releases include both Tree of Life and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Restaurants flourish that feature Tater Tot Hotdish on a paper plate and others that showcase a slow-cooked short rib, hand-picked baby green bean, porcini béchamel, and hand-made "tater tot" hotdish deconstruction.

You can find in your local Big Box Book Shop both David Markson's Wittgenstein's Mistress and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's Here's the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades, and Getting your GTL on the Jersey Shore.

And in the Classical Music world, we have Andre Rieu.

Andre Rieu does not, and will not (as far as I've been told) publicly perform the Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin in D Minor by Bach, Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto, or Beethoven's Violin Concerto. These are, some would argue, serious pieces that take some serious listening.

He will, however, premier a new Waltz by none other that Sir Anthony Hopkins. Yes, the guy who played Hannibal Lecter.

Notice how genuinely happy Sir Anthony is with Mr. Rieu. Notice the tear shed by his wife as she is genuinely moved by the moment. Then go to YouTube and watch an endless parade of clips from stadium concerts full of chanting, singing, dancing fans being equally moved by Andre Rieu's version of Classical Music.

Which leads me to the question - is Classical music a serious business?

Yo-Yo Ma, Lil' Buck & Spike Jonze

Posted at 3:19 PM on April 20, 2011 by Daniel Gilliam
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

via Spike Jonze

Debussy on Mercury

Posted at 10:38 AM on March 30, 2011 by Daniel Gilliam
Filed under: Claude Debussy, In the media

I don't know if you've followed the Messenger mission, but it's the first spacecraft dedicated to orbiting Mercury - our innermost planet. It was launched in 2004, and just a week ago made it into orbit.

The first pictures arrived yesterday, and I was fascinated by the choice of Messenger's first photographic return: "Debussy and Its Hundreds of Miles of Rays." "Debussy," in this case is a crater, with prominent rays that extend hundreds of kilometers out.

Your Top 10

Posted at 4:33 PM on January 11, 2011 by Daniel Gilliam (7 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

New York Times writer Anthony Tommasini has opened the flood gates on public opinion. In his January 7th article, he imagines creating a Top 10 list of composers of all time and starts pitting Bach against Handel (assuming only one could make the list). In his follow-up he names the "Vienna Four": Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. With no lack of space in the digital world, comments on Facebook, Twitter and emails Classical MPR hosts have already begun flowing. So here's your chance: What does your Top 10 list look like? Don't be shy!

Update: Who will make the 20th Century list?

Eat, Listen and Be Merry

Posted at 1:02 PM on January 10, 2011 by Elena See
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Here's a weird question: What does the most delicious pizza (or steak or pasta or cheesecake or ice cream - insert your favorite here) you've ever eaten have in common with Samuel Barber's music?

Answer: Both pizza and Barber will make you happy. Well, of course, you say. Pizza tastes good and Barber sounds good. So, sure, yes, they'll both make me happy. What's the big deal?

The big deal is that now science has proven that music makes you happy. According to Malcolm Ritter and the Associated Press, "people like music for the same reason they like eating or having sex: It makes the brain release a chemical that gives pleasure."

That chemical is dopamine and the music that resulted in the greatest increase in dopamine production? Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, Claude Debussy's Claire de Lune and the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

The study used PET scans and MRI scans to track the increase, release and flow of dopamine. More dopamine was released when study participants were listening to their self-acknowledged favorite pieces of music than when listening to other music and the study only used instrumental music - not vocal music. Who knows what might happen when the divas start to sing.

Eat on! Listen on! Be happy!

Jay Leno meets Gustavo Dudamel

Posted at 11:22 AM on January 5, 2011 by John Birge
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

The Tonight Show host welcomes the LA Philharmonic's Music Director, and learns about trombone, a puppet orchestra, and The Dude's Hair, a la Justin Bieber. Queen Latifah is amused as well:

Classical Music Busking

Posted at 3:35 PM on January 3, 2011 by Elena See
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

It seems like it's not an unfamiliar news story these days: a musician (sometimes famous, sometimes not) sets up shop in a public place, usually near some kind of public transit, opens his or her (or their) case and starts to play. Some of them do it for money, some of them just do it to do it and some music students do it for practice.

Cellist Dale Henderson is the latest in the series of musicians who have been profiled in news articles. His area of choice? The subway system of NYC. And his music of choice? "I could sit alone on top of a mountaintop playing the Bach suites and be happy. They're like the Bible for cellists," he said.

So, I know it's something we've probably all read about before...but on this snowy January day in St. Paul, it just really felt like an encouraging story to share - classical music is alive and well in the world! And you don't have to go to a concert hall to hear it.

Mahler and Schreker separated at birth?

Posted at 12:02 PM on January 5, 2011 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Gustav Mahler put the finishing touches on his masterpiece Das Lied von der Erde in the final year of his life. It was published and premiered posthumously.

His funeral was only a short-lived memory when his wife Alma - in the prime of her life and well-off - began a torrid affair with a married composer and conductor Franz Schreker.

Things started off with him sending a photograph of himself to her. (Mahler is on the left, Schreker on the right)

"Ah, why DID you leave me your picture? - now I'm done for..." she writes. Likely it was the fact that he looked so much like her late husband, she could not resist.

The affair was intense but short-lived and didn't end before Schreker would irritate both his wife and Alma's new lover by dedicating his latest opera to Alma.

Both composers will be represented on this week's SPCO concert broadcast live on Classical MPR at 8:00 this Saturday including one of the greatest pieces in classical music - a song-symphony, Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.

First the paint and now the podium...

Posted at 3:14 PM on December 23, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

So, let's review - (from my buddy Hans Buetow)

7 feet, 1inch, and 325 pounds of basketball playing fury with five studio albums, 11 movies, and his own reality show. He's had a record go platinum, has been nominated for a Razzie (in 1997 for Steel), is a reserve officer with the L.A. Port Police and Miami Beach Police, and an honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal.

But never has Shaquille O'Neal had such success as when he recently conducted the Boston Pops in a rendition of both Sleigh Ride and Queen's We Are the Champions.

Conducted, you say? Like, with a baton?

Yes, indeed - a baton, tails, and a heap of head-bobbing, arm-waving, and finger-wriggling. Staring down the orchestra with an expression normally reserved for charging point guards, O'Neal controls and excites both the players and the audience, leaving us all with the obvious question: is there anything that Shaq CAN'T dominate?

Caroling Caroling through the ages

Posted at 8:53 AM on December 20, 2010 by John Birge
Filed under: Events, In the media, Musician stories

Yesterday morning Philip Brunelle, director of the VocalEssence chorus in Minneapolis, was on NPR's Weekend Edition talking with host Liane Hansen about Christmas carols.
Where did Christmas carols come from? How did they start? And how have they evolved?
Here's a link to their conversation.

And tune in tonight at 8:30p to hear Philip Brunelle conduct VocalEssence in the annual "Welcome Christmas!" concert. It's a tribute to the great composer John Rutter. Here's VocalEssence singing one of Rutter's most famous carols:

My Top 5 Contemporary Picks

Posted at 10:39 AM on December 17, 2010 by Daniel Gilliam
Filed under: In the media

If you're looking for that last minute gift for the new music enthusiast in your life, here are my recommendations. Our friends at NPR Music provide sample clips, and some brief words from me about why I chose these five discs.

What are your picks?

A 3D Holiday Classic

Posted at 2:26 PM on December 16, 2010 by Elena See
Filed under: Events, In the media

For a lot of us, it's a Christmas tradition - listening to the music from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" or, if we're lucky enough to have a ballet company near us, going to see it.

If you're not familiar with the story, here's a very brief synopsis (with thanks to the Houston Ballet's website): It's the story of a little girl named Clara who wakes up one night at midnight to find herself being attacked by giant mice. Life-size toy soldiers come to her rescue and they are led by a Nutcracker who, after he wins the battle with Clara's help, turns into a prince.

After the battle, the Nutcracker Prince turns Clara's house into the Land of the Snow and we meet the Snow Queen and the Snowflakes. Clara and her prince jump into an enchanted sleigh and head toward the Kingdom of Sweets. When they arrive, they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy who arranges for dancers to entertain them while they feast. Eventually, Clara drifts off to sleep...and when she wakes up, she's back in her bed.

Sounds like just a lovely tale, doesn't it? And Tchaikovsky's music is beautiful. So I admit I was intrigued when I heard that director Andrei Konchalovskiy was making a movie based on the ballet, The Nutcracker in 3D. With the addition of several storylines, lyrics by Tim Rice (some set to Tchaikovsky's music) and some pretty heavy political satire, the reviews have not been great. So it brings up a question: Mess with a classic? Or just leave it alone? And if you've seen it - well, what did you think?

Dear Nutcracker: Does this tutu make me look fat?

Posted at 5:47 AM on December 14, 2010 by John Birge
Filed under: In the media

'Tis the season for Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, and George Balanchine's Nutcracker at New York City Ballet is causing a bit of a scandal, after the New York Times dance reviewer criticized one of the dancers for her weight. Alastair Macaulay said ballerina Jenifer Ringer, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, "looked as if she'd eaten one sugar plum too many."
The fact that Jennifer Ringer has been public about her history of eating disorders started a lively discussion about ballet and body image.
Here's a link to the brouhaha, including a Today Show television interview with the ballerina - and critic Alastair Macaulay's excellent, nuanced response.

The whole incident brings to mind the Royal Opera's firing of soprano Deborah Voigt when she couldn't fit into the cocktail dress.

Brave New World

Posted at 4:58 PM on November 19, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media

Here's an article that's making the rounds: advice to classical musicians on how to remake themselves to compete in the new marketplace. For starters, don't plan on lifetime employment with a major orchestra. The full story, and readers' comments here.

Alex Ross blogs about the MSO concert this weekend

Posted at 9:01 AM on November 18, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Alex Ross - Music Critic at the New Yorker - writes today on his blog about the upcoming concert of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra - a tribute to American jazz great Dave Brubeck and a 90th birthday celebration.

Dudamel on the Big Screen

Posted at 9:04 AM on November 10, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media

By a funny coincidence, two of the day's most emailed stories in the New York Times have to do with what could be loosely called the visual side of music.

It seems like an unlikely concept, but obviously it's popular.

One story is on a music publisher's archive, the other --and this has a bigger classical connection -- is about showing orchestral concerts in movie theaters, using High Definition technology.

Would you go to such a broadcast? How much visual sizzle would it need to have?

While you're pondering those questions, here's a pretty famous combination of music and video, from the pre-HD days.

More Cancellations in Detroit

Posted at 10:49 AM on November 9, 2010 by Ward Jacobson (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has canceled three additional weeks of concerts due to the musicians strike, beginning with four classical performances Thursday through Sunday that were to have been conducted by music director Leonard Slatkin.

In addition, Pops Series concerts next week and an additional weekend of classical concerts Nov. 26-28 have been canceled. A total of 27 concerts have now been canceled since the five-week old strike began Oct. 4.

Read more about it here.

Meanwhile, Viktoria Mullova plays Beethoven this week with the Minnesota Orchestra.

I've Got a Little List

Posted at 2:41 PM on November 4, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

In the news: the historic Savoy Hotel in London has been renovated and newly re-opened, in the presence of the Prince of Wales and other notables.

For music lovers, its name will always be associated with the adjacent Savoy Theatre, the home of Gilbert and Sullivan. In honor of the occasion, here's a clip from a Savoy opera, as they're called--although the star performer here comes from a different performing tradition. . . .

Alice Dancing under the Gallows

Posted at 9:24 AM on November 3, 2010 by Alison Young (3 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The oldest Holocaust survivor in the world considers herself lucky - she has friends, her health, an optimistic outlook, and her music. Watch this spectacular short film about 107-year-old Alice who gave over a hundred concerts in Theresienstadt, a place where music became more than mere entertainment, it became a religion and beacon of hope.

Renee Fleming drops a few octaves to sing pop covers

Posted at 12:31 PM on October 1, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Concerts, In the media, Musician stories

Renee Fleming returns to the Ordway next Thursday for a recital of Mahler, Korngold, Puccini as well as a work written for her by jazz pianist Brad Mehldau. For the most part, she'll be singing in the soprano tessitura.

Her project with Dark Hope is something wholly different - and sung in a much deeper range. As always, Renee pulls it off with panache!

It's a job. It's a sign of the times. It's weird.

Posted at 1:17 PM on August 25, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

I've been closely following the unfolding drama in Cleveland over the re-assignment of Donald Rosenberg - the senior music critic for the Plain Dealer after he wrote a series of scathing reviews of the Cleveland Orchestra's Music Director.

Sadly, the job of music critic for many papers around the country has all but disappeared. But in an unusual twist Timothy Mangun of the Orange County Register will be moved off the classical music beat to cover the "People" section of the paper.

He writes on his blog "I'll be covering the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dr. Laura (did I spell those right?) and all the other worthies whom readers can't get enough of. Drunken tirades, courtroom dramas and sex scandals will be the grist of my mill. No joke."

Opera at 30,000 Feet

Posted at 11:32 PM on August 24, 2010 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

And now for something completely different.

On a flight from Manchester to Prague, U.K. based Bmibaby airlines invited members of the Prague State Opera to perform. Check out the video below as soprano Vera Likérová did the honors.

From the Musical America website:
"The spectacle was the first event in the airline's 'enterplanement' season," reports The Telegraph, "which will showcase the best acts from its European destinations over the coming months."

Mozart Mortality: Multiple Choice

Posted at 12:58 PM on August 24, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

OK, class. The death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was caused by:

a. Poisoning
b. Infection
c. Cardiovascular disease
d. Kidney failure
e. Other

What's the right answer? Actually, there's no clear consensus, but one researcher has at least grouped the various conjectures--over 100 of them-- into the five main categories above. Check out this New York Times article for all the theories that are fit to print. (Registration required.)

(By the way: the Austrian National Library has put a huge amount of its newspaper holdings online, going back to the 18th century. You can go to this page to see the death notice for "Hr. Wolf. Amadeus Mozart" on December 5, 1791, the fifth line down. It's in the old blackletter type--harder to read, but for modern eyes, it only adds to the somber mood.)

A Mozart Piano?

Posted at 3:50 PM on August 10, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

In a somewhat Antique-Roadshow news story, an 18th-century piano, owned by a German instrument builder, may now turn out to be a piano that Mozart played.

Of course, if that turns out to be so, the price that it could fetch will go up, many times.

There's no question of its age, but the Mozart connection remains to be firmly established. See the whole story here.

Perfect pitch

Posted at 10:23 AM on August 5, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

What do you call a 150-ton diva who lives underwater and never sings off-key?

A Northern Blue Whale.

Science News reports that whales found off the coast of California hit the pitches of their mournful songs with better accuracy and more consistency than opera singers.

The results published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America conclude "blue whales are capable of very fine control over the pitch of their call -- both in reproducing their call at the same pitch every time and in synchronizing their pitch with others."

Music Therapy

Posted at 11:20 AM on August 4, 2010 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Listening to Mozart may not make you smarter, but a new study says it can make you happier.

Sergio Castillo-Perez headed up the research at the University of Oaxaca in Mexico and says, "Music offers a simple and elegant way to treat anhedonia, the loss of pleasures in daily activities."

As well, music aids in pain management, though several patients at first weren't interested in music. But in time - and as their symptoms improved - they asked for more music.

Bring it on!

The 260th anniversary of Bach's death

Posted at 12:32 PM on July 29, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

July 28th was the 260th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach.

To celebrate and honor "The Great One" Michael Lawrence - the producer of BACH & friends - shared a new segment not on the web nor in the film - Zuill Bailey's performance of the Saraband from Sebastian's 6th suite for unaccompanied cello (BWV 1012).

Mike writes "Bach's remains may be buried in Leipzig but his music is alive and resonating from the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, Maryland!"

Daniel Schorr, Music Critic

Posted at 12:35 PM on July 23, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The death of Daniel Schorr reminded me that he briefly thought of being, not a news reporter, but a classical music reviewer.

That revelation appeared in this interview with Robert Siegel. (It's under six minutes, but the classical part begins at about three minutes in.)

Minnesota Mahler?

Posted at 3:54 PM on July 21, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media

It was a nice surprise to open the Star Tribune, and see not one but two letters to the editor on musical topics.

The topics were both stimulating ones: music education for kids, and suggestions as to what the Minnesota Orchestra should record next. The writer put in a plug for Mahler, as you'll see here.

A Haiku for Anne Akiko Myers

Posted at 11:04 AM on July 16, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

It's not just rock bands who are using social media to reach out to their fans, and let their fans reach back.

The violinist Anne Akiko Myers is asking her fans to listen to a cut from her upcoming album--and respond with their poetry.

Read all about it, and maybe even contribute, here.

George Steinbrenner, Opera Fan: 1930-2010

Posted at 9:21 AM on July 13, 2010 by John Birge
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

New York Yankee's owner George Steinbrenner has died, nine days after his 80th birthday on the Fourth of July.

Thanks to the Opera Chic blog, we learned then that Steinbrenner was not only one of the most successful owners in baseball history, but also a big opera fan. Check out her blog for a great photo of George conducting the New York Pops Orchestra.

LeBron Likes Classical Music?

Posted at 1:48 AM on July 9, 2010 by Ward Jacobson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Seems the HEAT has been very much in the news this week. First you had those triple digit temperatures from Washington D.C. to Boston. Then there was the Miami Heat, and their newest superstar, NBA king LeBron James. Maybe you heard about that Thursday.

Well, even though it never came up on last night's hour-long show announcing the team James would play for next year (although having to fill an hour on a ten-second announcement makes me wonder why it DIDN'T come up!), it turns out there may be a little Mozart and/or Beethoven on LeBron's ipod.

Check it out here.

"Mozart Effect, Schmozart Effect"

Posted at 12:23 PM on June 30, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

The saga continues on whether playing classical music has any real effect on the intellect.

Turns out that all music stimulates the brain - so if you love Mozart, your brain will love it too and hence focus a little bit better.

Then again, if Nine Inch Nails is your soundtrack choice, you will experience a similar effect.

Classical Vuvuzela: It's about time!

Posted at 7:51 PM on June 23, 2010 by John Birge (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

With all the fuss about the annoying sound of the Vuvuzela at the World Cup in South Africa, it's high time we heard it put to other uses.
A tip of the hat to the Opera Chic for listing this today, and to the trombone section at the Berlin Konzerthaus:

Meanwhile, some other wacky German Vuvuzelaphiles in Hamburg, test the acoustics of the spectacular new concert hall that's under construction in Hamburg, and designed by Herzog and De Meuron, the architects that gave us the new Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis.

Being Pavarotti

Posted at 6:25 PM on June 8, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Christine Sweet recommends a wonderful new film Being Pavarotti

She writes: "I have a bad habit of turning on the TV late Sunday nights when I should be getting ready to turn in. Last year on one such occasion I stumbled upon a documentary film in progress on PBS and stayed up way too late to watch the rest of it.

Now I'm an easy mark for a true story about someone who pursues a life of music against difficult odds. But this film captivated me with a context outside my experience and imagination.

Elton, a South African teenager from a poor family is given a Luciano Pavarotti cassette by his cousin, falls in love with the voice, and is determined to "be" Pavarotti."

The film is available for stream on-line

There's "Baby Mozart" and now there's "Microbial Mozart"

Posted at 10:49 AM on June 3, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

We may or may not think playing Mozart to our babies makes them smarter, but in Berlin, it's all about the dulcet tones of Mozart making biomass-eating microbes at a sewage plant work harder.

This is no joke! If their theory works, the facility can save about 1,000 Euros per month.

Dudamel on 60 Minutes

Posted at 1:19 PM on May 17, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel is not exactly an unknown figure in the classical music world. Still, it's safe to say that last night's story on 60 Minutes introduced him to a whole new audience.

(And if that piqued your interest in the Venezuelan phenom, check out Julie Amacher's New Classical Tracks feature on his "Discoveries" CD .)

Violinist's career saved

Posted at 11:25 AM on May 13, 2010 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Roger Frisch is the Minn Orch's associate concertmaster and a couple of years ago he was diagnosed with Essential Tremor - a career ender.

But thanks to the Mayo clinic - and a device from Medtronic - he's back playing.

Here's the story (and video with Roger playing his violin while in surgery!)

Italian Opera on the Picket Line

Posted at 4:25 PM on May 6, 2010 by Rex Levang (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Labor. money, and turf issues are closing down opera performances in Italy, the land where opera was born. This New York Times article* has details, and in the headline, one of the stereotypes that refuses to die.

*Registration required

Minnesota Orchestra's latest disc wows the Brits

Posted at 12:42 PM on April 9, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Awards & Accomplishments, In the media

Reviews from London are in and Osmo, the Minn Orch and Stephen Hough get high marks.

The London Times writes "Every concerto features incisive conducting from Osmo Vanska and the chiselled splendour of his Minnesota Orchestra."

The London Observer: "Osmo Vanska's suave direction of the Minnesota players allows Hough's brilliance to shine through."

You can listen to a re-broadcast tonight at 8:00 of one of those live sessions with Stephen Hough playing Tchaikovsky with the Minnesota Orchesra.

Met Opera GM Rolling the Dice

Posted at 1:10 AM on April 8, 2010 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: In the media

The latest edition of Vanity Fair magazine examines the challenges facing New York's Metropolitan Opera, specifically a $47 million deficit. General Manager Peter Gelb isn't backing down though. Read more about it here. Some fascinating insights on how the world of opera functions on its greatest stage. So what do you think? Is Gelb going about it the right way?

Villazon Is Back; RIP Blanche Thebom and Susana Walton

Posted at 4:51 PM on March 24, 2010 by Rex Levang (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

Some classical news stories from the last few days:

Rolando Villazon, whose vocal problems had forced him to take a hiatus, is back --triumphantly back--on the opera stage.

Blanche Thebom, the American mezzo, is dead at 91. She may be most remembered for participating in the classic Wilhelm Furtwangler recording of Wagner's Tristan, where she took on the secondary, but indispensable role of Isolde's lady-in-waiting.

Let's also note the passing of Lady Susana Walton, widow of composer William Walton. After her husband's death, she devoted herself to the spectacular gardens at their home in Italy--check out these photos.

Two days to learn new role - no probs!

Posted at 1:03 PM on March 24, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Concerts, Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

Soprano Marlis Peterson had two days to learn a new role for the Met's new production of Thomas' "Hamlet."

Natalie Dessay was scheduled to play Ophelia and dropped out at the last minute. Marlis was already singing in Vienna, so had to show up in New York for a crash course.

She got rave reviews - you can hear her performance with the Met Opera broadcast this Saturday at noon on Classical MPR.

Dr. James Black: Saving Lives, and Saving Symphonies

Posted at 9:29 AM on March 24, 2010 by John Birge
Filed under: In the media, The blog

The New York Times says "[His] discoveries are considered among the most important medical advances in the 20th century, and the drugs have been among the most prescribed in the world."

Nobel Prize-winning pharmacologist Dr. James Black died March 22, at age 85.
He developed two of the world's most important medicines - H2 antagonists, used for treating gastric ulcers, and beta-blockers, effective against heart disease.

But there's more to beta-blockers than heart disease. They're also widely used by professional musicians for treating symptoms of stage fright. A survey by the International Conference of Symphony Orchestra Musicians revealed that 27% of the musicians in the 51 largest orchestras in the United States had used beta blockers for performance anxiety related issues.

In 2004, the New York Times reported on this phenomenon, with stories from many distinguished musicians who find beta-blockers to be an invaluable tool in an extremely high-stress profession where missed notes can cost you your job.

So next time you're at a symphony orchestra concert, enjoying a highly polished, musical performance, there's a good chance that some of the credit goes to Dr. James Black.

Good News for Ogren, Bad News for Levine

Posted at 8:50 AM on March 23, 2010 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Conductor James Levine, who missed the beginning of the 2009-10 season due to health problems, will now miss the final weeks as well. While that's bad news for him, it gives a high profile gig to St. Olaf College alum Jayce Ogren, who will replace Maestro Levine in a world premiere performance this weekend with the Boston Symphony.

Sticky melodies

Posted at 12:35 PM on March 18, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Why is it that I oftentimes immediately forget the name of someone who has just introduced themselves to me, but not for love or money get a commercial jingle out of my head?

A recent Q&A on the New York Times website points to the success of "earworms." It's "music characterized by simplicity, repetitiveness and incongruity with listeners' expectations is most likely to become 'stuck.' "

Good news for advertisers I would think!

The Greatest Orchestra in the World

Posted at 5:08 PM on March 16, 2010 by Gillian Martin (2 Comments)
Filed under: Awards & Accomplishments, In the media, Musician stories

You may have heard us congratulating the Minnesota Orchestra for their fabulous review in this week's New Yorker.

Music critic Alex Ross wrote about the large number of different orchestras which had performed in Carnegie Hall recently, and concluded the piece with this bold statement:

For the duration of the evening of March 1st, the Minnesota Orchestra sounded, to my ears, like the greatest orchestra in the world.

You can read the whole piece here.

Applause, Applause

Posted at 4:17 PM on March 10, 2010 by Rex Levang (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

When to applaud at classical concerts . . . when not to applaud . . . are there rules, and where did they come from--all this makes for an recurrent and robust theme of discussion in the classical world.

Critic Alex Ross has given this some thought, and in this recent speech, gives some history, some personal observations, and some suggestions.

The Skaters Waltz

Posted at 12:20 PM on February 26, 2010 by Alison Young (5 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

As Fred Child pointed out Friday on Performance Today, while the classical music chosen for many of the Olympic ice skaters was wonderful, the music got so chopped up it almost loses its meaning.

It's hard to fit a 45-minute symphony into a 4 ½ minute program, but for me the skaters that used bona-fide classical music in their presentations really made an artistic statement - and I think it just might have given them the edge they needed to win.

I already wrote about Evan Lysacek skating to Stravinsky's Firebird, and then he went on to win gold with selections from Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." Yu-Na Kim pulled off the highest score ever and dazzled us with the dazzling "Concerto in F" by Gershwin. The Canadian Ice Dancing pair skated to one of the most profound works in ALL classical music, Mahler's "Adagietto" from his fifth Symphony.

Anne Midgette of the Washington Post has a lot to say on the matter. How do you feel?

---

I've listed the medal-winners below who used classical music and what those pieces were:

Pairs:

Gold: Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China used Albinoni's Adagio in G minor in the free Skate
Silver: Pang Qing and Tong Jian skated to "The Impossible Dream" but then used Bizet in the short program, 'Je crois entendre encore' from "The Pearl Fishers"
Bronze: Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany started off with Stephen Sondheim and ended with film music by John Barry from "Out of Africa."

Men's

Gold: Evan Lysacek blew me away skating to Stravinsky's 'Firebird' and Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Scheherazade'
Silver: Evgeni Plushenko skated to the slow movement from Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" in his first place short program.
Bronze: Couldn't keep my eyes off Takahashi Daisuke skating to 'La Strada' by Nino Rota in the free skate.

Ice Dancing:

Gold: Canada's Tess Virtue and Scott Moir were so elegant in a flamenco dance played by Pepe Romero but brought us to tears with Mahler's' Adagietto' from the Fifth Symphony.
Silver: Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States used selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" for the free skate.

Women's:

Gold: Kim Yu-Na of Korea started out with music from James Bond, but then classed up with a Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F for her free skate.
Silver: Japan's Mao Asada skated her short program to selections from Khachaturian's "Masquerade" and later Rachmaninoff's Prelude in c#, also known as "The Bells of Moscow".
Bronze: Joannie Rochette of Canada skated an emotional free skate to selections from Camille Saint-Saens' "Samson and Delilah,"including the "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" and the "Bacchanale."

Bernstein on TV

Posted at 2:18 PM on February 22, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Leonard Bernstein's initial outings on TV are well-known--the famous image is of him and his musicians, standing on a huge blow-up of the score of Beethoven's Fifth. But they haven't been widely available on video till now. This New York Times article* recalls those golden days of television.

(Check out the video clip of Bernstein the vocalist, doing lines from "Macbeth" in the style of a blues.)

*Registration required

Skating to Stravinsky

Posted at 2:58 PM on February 18, 2010 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

I'm an Olympics junkie - and maybe even more - a skating junkie.

So I was blown away by American skater Evan Lysacek's short program accompanied by a highly-condensed version of Stravinsky's "Firebird."

The video is here - it's AMAZING!

It's true the music was written to dance to - but what was required by this athlete was to communicate that he understood the music - its structure, its surprise, its depth.

The music might threaten to be too big and overwhelming and Evan's triple lutz and triple toe loop combinations would end up being like so much baggage attached to something more meaningful than merely a sport.

Lysacek's ability to "get" the music and internalize it physically enhanced his performance for me - it was truly a wonder and I can't wait to see what he'll do tonight.

He's currently in second place by a just a smidgen.

50 Great Voices

Posted at 4:17 PM on February 17, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

You might just remember that at the end of last year, NPR was soliciting ideas on singers--the greatest, the most distinctive, the most important, etc.--which they would then boil down to a list of 50, to be presented on the air.

Those 50 great voices are now being rolled out, and the choices so far include one very well-known opera singer.

There's a member drive going on--thanks to all of our contributors!

Mozart and Schubert in Super Bowl Ad

Posted at 2:25 PM on February 9, 2010 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Personally, I think the Super Bowl ad phenomenon peaked about five years ago, but I did take notice of Hyundai's shout out to Mozart and Schubert in one of their 30-second ads promoting the new Hyundai Sonata. The ad referenced both Mozart's B-flat major piano sonata and the Schubert A-minor piano sonata. They chose the 2nd movement Adagio from the Mozart to back the commerical. Don't know if they won any "Best Ad in the Super Bowl" award, or if they'll sell any more cars because of it, but it was nice to hear the music.

Most Performed Composers

Posted at 5:11 PM on January 29, 2010 by Rex Levang (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Here's a list for your Friday. Like a lot of lists, it's interesting, puzzling, objection-provoking .... So with that caveat:

A media company called Instant Encore has surveyed classical performances during the past year and calculated composers who were played most often. You can find a few details, and the list itself here.

No surprise that Beethoven and Mozart rank high. I'm a little surprised to see a composer like Bohuslav Martinu come in fairly high. He never composed a "bestseller," though he does have a long list of pieces to his credit. Leonard Bernstein, who does not have a huge list of sonatas, symphonies, chamber works, etc., also shows up fairly high--maybe all those Broadway performances of "West Side Story"? Anyhow. I'm quibbling, so maybe the list is doing its job.

(Disclosure: We sometimes partner with Instant Encore in offering downloads to you, such as this recent recital by Susan Graham.)

James Galway Can't Play the Flute

Posted at 12:35 PM on January 27, 2010 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Well, not with two broken arms, he can't.

Apparently Sir James took a nasty fall around the start of the New Year, shattering the elbow on one arm and breaking his wrist on the other. Ouch.

While he's cancelled all his February performances, he hopes to be back in the game by March, according to a statement on his website.

When he gets to Michigan in early March to play with the Detroit Symphony, I'm sure he and conductor Leonard Slatkin will compare notes about unexpected medical leaves.

Minnesota Opera Gets it Right

Posted at 8:14 PM on January 25, 2010 by John Birge
Filed under: In the media

Anne Midgette, classical critic of The Washington Post, highlights Minnesota Opera as a success story. She gives credit to "staying true to artistic soul" in the recession, and she calls Minnesota Opera unique in its investment in new opera. You can listen to Anne's comments here.

And to whet your appetite for this week's MN Opera opening of Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, check out the great Slovak soprano as Queen Elisabeth going to pieces in the final scene of the opera. Out of jealousy, she's ordered the execution of the (much-younger) man she loves, and "wigs out" -- literally! -- in a tidal wave of remorse and resignation to her age and her fate. Watch through the 4-minute mark! Then continue to the end to relish the transformation on the face of the new heir-apparent, James of Scotland:

Classical on the Small Screen

Posted at 10:41 AM on January 20, 2010 by John Birge
Filed under: Concerts, Events, In the media

A couple PBS specials of note, tonight and tomorrow.

Tonight on Great Performances: "The Audition," a documentary about the finalists in the Metropolitan Opera's young artists competition. Here's a trailer:

By the way, the next wave of young talent in the Metropolitan Opera auditions will be in St. Paul on February 6 for this year's regional contest. Winners here go on to the semifinals at the Met in NYC.

Tomorrow night, it's Live from Lincoln Center with Josh Bell & Friends, incl Jane Monheit, Marvin Hamlisch, Nathan Gunn, Regina Spektor, Chris Botti, and Sting. It's a live concert based on his new album, based on his house concerts:

Cleveland Orchestra Strike OVER

Posted at 2:25 PM on January 19, 2010 by Ward Jacobson (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

It looks like the Cleveland Orchestra strike was short-lived.

For what the New York Times had to say, click here.

Cleveland Orchestra Musicians Go On Strike

Posted at 1:48 AM on January 18, 2010 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

"We may be considered to be amongst the best in the world musically, but we are a far cry from being compensated that way or treated that way," say the musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra.

The orchestra's board of trustees, on the other hand, said it recognized the musicians' "incredible artistry" but was committed to "ongoing prudent cost control."

That disagreement led the musicians to go on strike as of midnight Sunday night. Read more about what both sides have to say here.

On a facetious note, as the musicians picket in the chilly Cleveland weather this week, I wonder how many of them will wish they'd waited to strike until after their Miami residency?

It's pays to be nice!

Posted at 12:46 PM on January 15, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

How cool is this - to have your kind words on using kind words get picked up by the Wall Street Journal?

That's what happened to Minneapolis-based flutist Linda Chatterton. Her techniques on using kind, true and helpful words with students and avoid gossip ended up in a larger piece by WSJ Senior Writer Jeff Zaslow.

Conan O'Brien News

Posted at 8:44 AM on January 14, 2010 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

I refer of course to tonight's appearance by violinist Hilary Hahn (assuming no last-minute changes. . . .)

Are we in danger of losing Burt Hara?

Posted at 1:43 PM on January 13, 2010 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Clarinetist Stanley Drucker retired from the New York Philharmonic last year to huge fanfare since he had been playing magnificently with the band for 60 years.

How can one replace a legend? Well, the NY Phil has had a tough time, so after many rounds of auditions they are now inviting Principal Clarinetists from around the country to sit in with the Phil - though they don't want anyone to know who they are.

None-the-less, our very own Minnesota Orchestra Principal Burt Hara was a real stand-out in a recent concert and got a write up in the Times.

Vancouver Symphony Just Says No to the Olympics

Posted at 10:11 AM on January 5, 2010 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Remember the fuss when the big name classical performers at President Obama's inauguration did not play live at the event, but mimed to a recording of themselves?

Or the lip-synching controversy that erupted after the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics?

My personal view is, "Well, that's show biz," at least when it comes to enormous public events in which music is only one small part.

But Bramwell Tovey, conductor of the Vancouver Symphony, took a much harder line when the organizing committee for the upcoming Winter Olympics asked the orchestra to pre-record. See what he had to say here.

Caroling, Caroling...

Posted at 2:38 AM on December 23, 2009 by Ward Jacobson (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Is Christmas caroling a lost tradition in this fast-paced, instant gratification, digital world we live in? Maybe not - at least not in the Twin Cities. On three different nights this past week I've spotted carolers out and about, braving the cold. One group even had luminaries! What a wonderful holiday tradition carried out by some hearty and musical souls.

Jay Leno v. Chanticleer

Posted at 7:10 AM on December 17, 2009 by John Birge (7 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

First, Jay Leno spoofed Chanticleer's performance on the Today Show. Then Chanticleer spoofed back!!

"Gigantic Chin," indeed.

More on the "Is Mozart good for you?" debate

Posted at 7:26 AM on December 13, 2009 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Researchers may argue over whether listening to Mozart makes one smarter, but a new study shows it helps preemies thrive.

Israeli scientists found that playing "Baby Mozart" helped slow premature babies' metabolism, therefore enabling the infants to gain weight.

But what's not clear is whether it's Mozart in particular or classical music in general that is to be credited.

Minnesota, where the support of arts is above-average

Posted at 9:33 AM on December 11, 2009 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

A piece in the Star Tribune caught my eye this morning. A recent survey reports Minnesota ranking high in arts patronage.

But watch out, we're getting edged out by our neighbor to the west!

Workout Tips from the (Opera) Stars

Posted at 3:04 PM on December 10, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

Here's an article on singer Nathan Gunn and the things he does to stay in shape. It's a pretty good workout plan, from the looks of the photos.

No prizes, but do you think it appeared in:

A. Opera News?
B. Men's Health ?
C. Wall Street Journal?

For the answer, and all the details, click here.

Conductors and Batons

Posted at 1:41 PM on December 10, 2009 by Gillian Martin (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

No matter what your line of work, just the right tool can make a big difference in how you perform. For most conductors, that tool is the baton:

The baton is a "living thing, charged with a kind of electricity," Leonard Bernstein once said, "which makes it an instrument of meaning in its tiniest movement."

Read more about conductors and their intimate relationships with their batons in this article.

Warning to the grammatically sensitive: In the course of this article one esteemed conductor uses the word "architect" as a verb. Just so you know.

Rachel Barton Pine...Die-Hard Metalhead

Posted at 3:34 AM on December 10, 2009 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Heavy metal. Yep, it's hardcore, down and dirty and classical violinist Rachel Barton Pine absolutely LOVES it. As she puts it, "metal grabs you by the throat, hits you in the gut, tears you down, lifts you up, and makes you feel ALIVE."

She's even in her own metal band. (They're playing in Chicago and Milwaukee this weekend)

Check out Rachel's blog for Decibel Magazine's website on The Top Five Most Metal Pieces of Classical Music. Works by Bartok, Stravinsky, Mahler and even Beethoven crack her Top Five.

Our own Julie Amacher will have more on Rachel Barton Pine in the days to come, and probably not so heavy on the metal.

Iraqi musicians swept up in recent violence

Posted at 4:31 PM on December 9, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The Iraqi National Orchestra director Karim Wasfi told an audience just last week that "you have a choice in life. You can choose a weapon, a Kalashnikov, or you can try a musical instrument."

But the orchestra itself has been in the middle of the renewed violence in Baghdad, including the most recent suicide bombing that claimed 127 lives on Tuesday.

As of this writing, it is unlcear if any musicians are among the dead.

It Wasn't the Varnish

Posted at 1:19 PM on December 7, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

One of the persistent questions about the sought-after string instruments made by Antonio Stradivari has to do with the varnish. Why are Stradivari's violins prized above all others? Could it be the varnish had some secret ingredient, some special blend whose mystery died with Stradivari himself?

One more myth has been punctured: we're now told that the varnish itself was nothing out of the ordinary; more details here.

There's an interesting quote buried in the article: "He was an outstandingly skilled craftsman who had mastered the art of violin making." In other words, the reason that Strads are so good could be the same reason that Mozart symphonies are good: they're made by someone who was very, very good at making them.

That said, I suspect we haven't heard the last about varnishes, glues, the quality of 17th century wood, etc., etc., etc. The idea of the "secret of Stradivari" may be too enticing to let go.

High Prices Keeping You Away?

Posted at 5:28 PM on December 3, 2009 by Rex Levang (5 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, The blog

Our colleagues, over on the MPRQ site, pose a Question of the Day, and today the question was: Does the price of a ticket keep you from attending classical music concerts?

(As Gillian Martin recently noted in this space, pop music events can come with a high sticker price too. But in light of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's news about lowering prices, that's how the question was framed.)

Read the responses here.

Classical Grammy nominees

Posted at 10:43 AM on December 3, 2009 by John Birge (2 Comments)
Filed under: Awards & Accomplishments, In the media

This year's Grammy nominees were announced this morning. Putting aside Beyonce for the moment, the Classical music categories include some musicians with strong Minnesota ties, including pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard (former St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Artistic Partner), guitarist Sharon Isbin (St. Louis Park native), and the Enso Quartet (in residence last year with the SPCO).

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra:
Bartók: 3 Concertos
Pierre Boulez, conductor (Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Neil Percy, Tamara Stefanovich & Nigel Thomas; Berliner Philharmoniker & London Symphony Orchestra)

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra):
Journey To The New World
Sharon Isbin (Joan Baez & Mark O'Connor)

Best Chamber Music Performance
Ginastera: String Quartets (Complete)
Enso Quartet

Also noted and nominated:

Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham's new French recital CD w/ Malcolm Martineau, much of which they performed at the Ordway in St. Paul just last night!

Pop trumpeter Chris Botti, who plays Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis this weekend.

Jazz singer Kurt Elling, who recently performed at his MInnesota alma mater, Gustavus Adolphus College.

Winners will be revealed on January 31. Complete list of nominees in all 109 categories here.

A Trailblazing Music Scholar

Posted at 5:05 PM on November 24, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media

The death of H. C. Robbins Landon has just been announced. His name may not be current in every household, but lovers of the Viennese classic composers, especially Haydn, are in his debt for the scholarly work he did. This Telegraph obituary focuses (maybe too much?) on one incident in his career that he no doubt would have liked to forget, but also suggests the range and importance of his work.

The Myth of High-Priced Tickets

Posted at 9:55 AM on November 23, 2009 by Gillian Martin (6 Comments)
Filed under: Concerts, In the media

I was very disappointed to see this comic strip in yesterday's Star Tribune advancing the myth that "only rich people can afford" tickets to the symphony.

(Especially since I had just read this article about ticket scalpers asking over a $1000 a piece for tickets to an upcoming U2 concert a 2007 Hannah Montana concert.)

Tickets to major orchestras (like the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony or our own Minnesota Orchestra or Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra) are comparable in price, and often cheaper, than tickets to pop/rock acts such as Bon Jovi, U2 or Taylor Swift.

I don't hold comic strip creators to the same professional standards as reporters, of course, but would a little fact-checking be so bad?

Melbourne Symphony Wonders: Is Music Director Necessary?

Posted at 1:14 PM on November 16, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The Melbourne Symphony recently parted ways with its Music Director, Oleg Caetani, a year before his contract ran out.

This fact, and the success of a recent guest conductor, has the orchestra's president wondering if they need a single music director at all. Wouldn't a series of specialists be better?

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra asked the same questions a few years ago, and came up with an answer that works very well for them.

And by the way, the SPCO welcomes its newest artistic partner later this month.

Time to Weigh in....

Posted at 4:34 AM on November 14, 2009 by Ward Jacobson (10 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, The blog

My colleague Julie Amacher shared this entry from Friday's Arts Journal website.

The question? Which 10 living composers will still be played in 50 years' time? The Arts Journal site paired it down to five locks: Birtwistle, Boulez, Rautavaara, Reich and Sondheim. Then came the probables, followed by the possibles.

So what do you think? We'd love to see YOUR top 10.

Can orchestras survive with "business as usual?"

Posted at 8:52 AM on November 12, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Earlier this fall, Michael Kaiser, the President of the Kennedy Center, made his way to Saint Paul to talk with about 250 arts presenters. Many of those anxiously hung on every word of the Turnaround King's advice for staying in business in this economy.

Michael Kaiser's pep talks come from his own experience on saving organizations on the brink of collapse. But recently in his blog in the Huffington Post, he admitted some groups are just going to fail.

Oldest Orchestra West of the Rockies Files for Bankruptcy

Posted at 4:49 AM on November 9, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The Honolulu Symphony had struggled financially for the last couple of years. Its musicians have sometimes gone months without paychecks.

Now its board has cancelled the rest of its 2009 concerts and filed for bankruptcy.

Virtuoso or "finger-merchant?"

Posted at 10:33 AM on November 6, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musical philosophy

Just read an interesting piece about pianists as super-heroes, raising the issue of whether a piano soloist's job is to wow us with pyrotechnics or make beautiful music (hopefully both.)

It brought to mind a conversation I had with the visiting artist Kirill Gerstein about playing even etudes musically!

Composing Well Is the Best Revenge

Posted at 5:39 PM on November 4, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The financial and legal ordeal of composer Peter Maxwell Davies, who had been defrauded by his former manager, has reached some kind of closure. Details here, including the revenge that the composer is mulling over.

Another American Conductor on the Disabled List

Posted at 11:26 PM on November 3, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

While conductor James Levine's medical leave keeps getting longer, another American conductor has cancelled a couple of weeks worth of concerts.

Current Detroit Symphony music director Leonard Slatkin gave new definition to the phrase "the show must go on" Sunday night in Rotterdam.

He suffered a heart attack, but managed to finish the concert before undergoing surgery later that night. Read more about it here.

Interactive Ives

Posted at 4:58 PM on October 23, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

If you remember our series The MTT Files (MTT being conductor Michael Tilson Thomas), you'll be interested to know that new episodes of the related TV series, Keeping Score, have now been released.

They're accompanied with abundant amounts of online information--text, images, video, and interactive pages. Here's one that lets you be your own Charles Ives. It combines Taps, played by a single trumpeter, with a marching band. The trumpeter stands in a skiff on a New England pond; with your mouse, you can place him off in the distance, or bring him in to shore, as the band plays on (or not). Charles Ives had a fondness for this kind of aural scene-setting--give it a try for yourself.

Messiaen as performance art

Posted at 2:47 PM on October 23, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

When Olivier Messiaen was a prisoner of war, he composed one of the most astonishing pieces of music of the 20th century: "The Quartet for the End of Time."

It's said that Messiaen suffered from Synesthesia - the neurological condition that blurs the senses. Messiaen called it "colored hearing." So it seems only natural that the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center would create a music video of painters in the act of creating vivid and colorful art to the music of Messiaen.

Thanks to Michael Barone for finding this video!

Levine: The Arrangement is Perfect

Posted at 4:32 PM on October 22, 2009 by Gillian Martin (2 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Conductor James Levine found himself taking an unexpected medical leave a few weeks ago, as we reported previously on Classical Notes.

He was supposed to be back in action tonight with the Boston Symphony, but now he'll wait until October 30th.

With this being his third medical leave in the last five years, some wonder if his jobs as music director of both the Metropolitan Opera (in NYC) and the Boston Symphony are too much for him to handle, but he says no:

"The way it works is much more stimulating and much more in balance in terms of artistic growth and artistic content than it would be if I did one or the other."

Compared to holding jobs in New York and Munich, as he used to do, it's a piece of cake. And everybody else is doing it. Read more about it here.

First Listen to Cecilia Bartoli, via NPR

Posted at 4:05 PM on October 20, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Cecilia Bartoli has a new disc coming out, and NPR is offering listeners a chance to listen, and to download a track: the aria "Ombra mai fu," also known as""Handel's Largo."

(This disc is meant to be noticeable not just musically, but also visually--check out the cover art.)

When in Stockholm, Take the Stairs

Posted at 9:14 AM on October 20, 2009 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

There's a subway station in Stockholm that's making it much more interesting to take the steps instead of the escalator.

Volkswagen came up with the idea in an attempt to get more people to exercise. The subway stairs have been transformed into a giant, functioning piano keyboard, like the one made famous by Tom Hanks in the movied BIG.

Check it out for yourself here.

A full subway recital by some nimble musician can't be far behind. Stay tuned.

(thanks to Blythe Riske for sharing)

Classical is back, baby!

Posted at 12:35 PM on October 18, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

The "dude's" in his new gig and the city of angels is going wild.

Quincy Jones offered his opinion: "Gustavo is the ultimate classical rock star. What he brings to Los Angeles is a transcendence of musical talent. Classical is back, baby!"

Who Cares if You Boo?

Posted at 2:28 PM on October 15, 2009 by Rex Levang (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

Here's a note from the website of conductor Leonard Slatkin, about "change in the air" at the Detroit Symphony.

It dates from September 23--but there's more than a whiff of April 1 here . . .

The Metropolitan OPRAH?

Posted at 4:04 AM on October 2, 2009 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

This is not a quiz - but I'm guessing just about everybody reading this is more than a little familiar with the term opera.

Across the pond though, it seems the average Brit's ignorance of classical music has been exposed. In fact, according to a new survey, over half the people of Blackpool (population 150,000) think opera is the name of an American chat show host. Turns out, all but 25% of the U.K.'s entire population has not been to a live opera.

Oh, but there's more. Like Beethoven....a mutt?

Read more about it here.

You can't please 'em all

Posted at 12:18 PM on September 27, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Programs

I was subbing for Steve the other day on Friday Favorites. I love hosting that show because it's always interesting hearing what you like (and what you don't like!) and what you want to hear more of.

One gal wrote a long missive begging us (with lots of explanation points and all-caps) not to play "On the Trail" from Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite" but to PLEASE play one of the other movements. "Help me get that donkey song out of my head!!!!" she wrote.

Another listener asked us to play a very long piece by John Adams that he heard for the first time as a teenager and ever since has been a new music afficionado. Needless-to-say e-mails poured in from those not quite as eager to hear 20 minutes of Adams.

So I laughed when I read this in the Times this morning about other displeased audiences.

Boos at Met Opera's Opening Night

Posted at 4:22 AM on September 22, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: Concerts, In the media, Musician stories

A preview piece in yesterday's New York Times predicted that "the Tosca that makes its debut tonight at the Metropolitan Opera is bound to annoy a least a few opera patrons." That proved to be an understatement.

The crowd was enthusiastic about soprano Karita Mattila in the title role, and had great applause for James Levine and the orchestra. But when Swiss stage director Luc Bondy and his production team came out to take their bows, the booing from the audience was so vehement that the management brought down the curtain.

Bondy's production replaced a traditional and much-beloved Franco Zeffirelli production that had been in the Met's repertory since 1985.

Read more about the new production and the audience's reaction to it here.

Read Mr. Zeffirelli's rather catty remarks about Mr. Bondy and his work here (registration required).

Dancin' with the Opera Stars

Posted at 9:25 PM on September 21, 2009 by John Birge (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories, The blog

A recent New York Times profile calls her "Opera's Coolest Soprano."

While I'm always a little suspicious of the press-agency hype lurking behind such epithets, Danielle de Niese certainly is a performer of charisma and pedigree. She just released a new Mozart CD, and this summer found her back at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, where in 2005 she showed off not only her ability to fearlessly tackle Handel's soprano fireworks, but also to do so while showing off her considerable Terpsichorean skills. The New York Times profile mentions that she travels with 20-30 pairs of shoes. Presumably some of those are dancing shoes. Check out the moves:

How Long Have You Been a Fan?

Posted at 4:22 PM on September 21, 2009 by Rex Levang (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musical philosophy

When did your interest in classical music begin? Childhood? Late in life? In between?

Here's an article by Matt Aucoin, a nineteen-year-old college student, who goes to symphony concerts (when not listening to Radiohead and Arcade Fire), and asks that question of his fellow concertgoers. The answer he gets prompts his own thoughts on the much-debated theme of the "graying of the audience" -- and his own recommendations.

Improv

Posted at 4:33 PM on September 16, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musical philosophy

Andrew Sullivan's page at the Atlantic Monthly tends to be about things like foreign policy and health care, but a recent entry by Jonah Lehrer (prompted in turn by an Alex Ross article) is about musical improvisation.

If I get his point about the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and so forth, improvisation is less about "just playing something" than being in a "unique mental mode." (Which makes sense--otherwise couldn't we all be Mozarts and Miles Davises?)

Hooray for the Home Team!

Posted at 10:28 AM on September 16, 2009 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

He's not just an American in Paris - but a Minnesotan in Paris!

Organist Joseph Ripka is from Cambridge, Mn and studied at St. Cloud State. He won the Dublin International Organ Competition last year and is playing on the 5-manual, 100-stop, 1862 Cavaillé-Coll organ at St. Sulpice in Paris - the same organ played by Widor and Dupre.

Check out how the stops have to be manipulated by an assistant (resident organist Daniel Roth) and the conversation never stops throughout the performance!

Thanks Michael Barone for telling us about this cool behind-the-scenes video!

It's easy being green

Posted at 6:16 PM on September 6, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Microsoft and Intel are behind a new study that found that downloading music is substantially better for the environment than buying compact discs.

In fact, one can reduce her carbon imprint by 40 to 80 percent.

But that would be if she drove her car to the store. If she preferred to bike or walk, the carbon offset of buying vs. downloading is "nearly equivalent."

Boheme, Two Ways

Posted at 1:57 PM on September 2, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Glimpses at two very different cinematic takes on La Boheme.....

This first one, due for US release this month, has a traditional look and a starry cast (Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon).

Meanwhile, director Werner Herzog contrasts Puccini's music with images of Ethiopia and the Mursi people.

Listening to music is just monkey-business

Posted at 1:37 PM on September 2, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musical philosophy, Musician stories

He's a cellist and composer but his study has all the hallmarks of scientific research.

David Teie is working on a theory that explains the effect of music on emotions.

It sounds simple enough: we react to music that reminds us of familiar sounds like laughter, heartbeats, or a mother's cooing. But he's not using humans to prove his theory, rather he's using our ancestors, monkeys.

Nadja and Conlon cut to save money

Posted at 1:00 PM on August 25, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Yesterday the Star Tribune reported the Minnesota Orchestra would cut James Conlon's October concerts and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg's February concerts "for budgetary reasons."

Read more here.

Gramophone Awards--The Nominees

Posted at 11:13 AM on August 25, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Awards & Accomplishments, In the media

The nominees for this year's awards (including the Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vanska) are now online.

Imani Winds on SPS and in the WSJ

Posted at 10:32 AM on August 23, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories, Programs

Great article in the Wall Street Journal about our featured guests on Saint Paul Sunday .

Ukuleles En Masse

Posted at 3:40 PM on August 22, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: Concerts, Events, Fun finds, In the media

What is the sound of 1000 ukuleles playing Beethoven's Ode to Joy?

Well, it's quieter than you might expect.

The "world's greatest classical music festival" hosted the world's largest ukulele ensemble recently. Read all about it here.

A Handy Man for Classical Music

Posted at 1:19 AM on August 20, 2009 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

I have always been a big fan of James Taylor.

Now I'm an even bigger fan.

The singer/songwriter plans to donate his $500,000 in earning from a five-day music festival at Tanglewood next week to the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The Boston Globe reported that Taylor decided to donate his earnings because he and his wife are concerned about diminishing support for classical music. The couple also donated over $700,000 between 2005 and 2008 to the orchestra, which makes is summer home at Tanglewood in western Massachusetts.

Bravo, JT.

Understanding Tone-Deafness

Posted at 8:37 PM on August 18, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

If a person can't carry a tune, it's not the ears that are at fault, but the brain--or so a new study suggests.

Read a layman's version of the results here, or a more sophisticated version here.

Mozart's Death: Strep Throat?

Posted at 8:51 AM on August 18, 2009 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

There has been plenty of speculation about what caused the premature death of Mozart a month short of his 36th birthday in 1791. Watch the 1984 movie Amadeus and you may come away thinking Mozart was poisoned by Antonio Salieri. Personally, I never bought into that. The latest theory? Perhaps it was a bad case of strep throat that ended Mozart's life. Thanks to Performance Today's Suzanne Schaffer for the heads up.

Adulation for Osmo

Posted at 12:32 PM on August 17, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: Awards & Accomplishments, Concerts, In the media, Musician stories

"The high quality of the Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä's work is beyond dispute."

That's the kind of review anyone would be proud to send home to mother, and it's the opening sentence in today's New York Times review of the Minnesota Orchestra music director's gig at the Mostly Mozart Festival this weekend.

The review is not just a gush-fest, though. Read the whole thing here (registration required).

"Is there a pianist in the house?!"

Posted at 9:19 AM on August 14, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

For your Friday, a heartwarming story of how conductor Bramwell Tovey saved the day for one grateful young couple.

Thanks to Performance Today's Suzanne Schaffer for the tip.

Grand Opera, from the Shower to the Soccer Stadium

Posted at 8:54 PM on August 10, 2009 by John Birge
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, The blog

Sure, the Three Tenors started out at the 1990 World Cup soccer finals.
But when it comes to soccer, they've got nothing on these opera stars from down under:

And as a bonus, a slightly more, um, intimate operatic television spot from our friends at Minnesota Opera, featuring the sudsy tenor James Valenti.
Call this one a soap opera:

Music soothes during tough times

Posted at 9:45 AM on August 7, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media

Orchestras left and right are cutting budgets, slashing wages, reducing pension contributions and putting the freeze on hiring, when all the while more and more people are listening to classical music.

At least in England. Their radio stations Classic FM and BBC Radio 3 have both benefited from stressed-out audiences turning to the soothing sounds of music as respite from the pressures of this recession.

Hear the New Mozart

Posted at 1:21 PM on August 4, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Programs

In case you missed it: some recent discoveries of music by the young Mozart got a lot of press over the weekend, when the "new" pieces were performed for the first time in Salzburg. To hear them, go to the Performance Today Web site.

We sing how we feel

Posted at 9:17 AM on August 4, 2009 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musical philosophy

Playing one of the most tender songs by Schubert this morning with words that celebrate music itself, I happened to glance at the New York Times and noticed an article in the Health section: Does a Nation's Mood Lurk in Its Songs and Blogs?

New research from the University of Vermont argues that studying lyrics give us clues as to a nation's well-being.

For Americans, analyzing the lyrics from pop-culture might give us a different result than from the classical world. Think Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" or Charles Ives "He is There!" or Old American Songs arranged by Aaron Colpand; all filled with optimism, wonder and a little humor.

Mozart can make you smarter, but only if you're not a musician

Posted at 11:35 AM on August 3, 2009 by Alison Young (2 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

Eating my lunch in Saint Paul's Mears Park the other day, I was accompanied by a bubbling brook and a Mozart concerto from the loud-speakers. It certainly made me feel relaxed and focused, but not a whole lot sharper.

This is because the whole "Mozart Effect" - that listening to Mozart would make children progress quicker, students study harder and everyone just a notch above-average - has been proven to be bunk.

But a new study out by researchers in London says "stop the music!" There is indeed a Mozart effect, just not quite what was once expected. Only non-musicians experience better cognitive skills (at mental rotation tasks) after listening to Mozart. Musicians notice no change because they're already more proficient in those tasks than those who don't make music.

So maybe you should take up those singing lessons afterall!

More Signs of the Recession

Posted at 3:14 AM on August 1, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

The recession has hit the arts hard, and things could get worse as funders, audiences and sponsors continue to reassess their own financial positions.

Here are a couple of recent examples:

In Baltimore on Thursday, the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony accepted a significant pay cut--not their first concession this year.

In Ireland, the Arts Council has proposed cuts that would eliminate the country's three existing opera companies, and replace them with a new one: but "staff in the existing companies would not automatically transfer to the new company."

Do music and sports mix?

Posted at 11:32 AM on July 30, 2009 by Alison Young
Filed under: In the media

Omaha's only full-time classical music station has found a way to both balance their books and stay local and relevant: beginning in August, they'll broadcast football, hockey and basketball games from the University of Nebraska.

Although the change in programming will provide students a way to catch live games outside the arenas as well as provide an influx of cash to the KVNO coffers, airing sports has unleashed a backlash from longtime listeners.

That may be because no one bothered to mention to listeners what was coming up next...

Mozart's Magic Bells

Posted at 5:21 PM on July 29, 2009 by Rex Levang (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

An Australian ensemble has "rediscovered" the sound of the bells that play a big part in Mozart's "Magic Flute"--a sound which, it's claimed, has been lost for generations.

How to be certain that this is the same sound that Mozart knew? .... Well, I suspect there's a lot more scholarly research behind this than this article can go into. Meanwhile this instrument is fun to hear and to look at (check out the slide show and audio).

Remembering Michael Steinberg

Posted at 2:32 PM on July 28, 2009 by Rex Levang (2 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

As you probably know by now, Michael Steinberg died over the weekend. He had been a critic, an artistic advisor to orchestras and festivals, and above all, a writer whose books and program notes set the standard for knowledgeable, elegant writing on music. He was a revered figure (and these words somehow fail to do justice to that).

Here in Minnesota, where he made his home, he was more than that. For many, he was a personal friend. For many of us who didn't know him personally, he was still a kind of personal presence: as a lecturer at Orchestra Hall, as a guest on MPR, or sometimes just a fellow audience member, since his attendance at musical events was indefatigable.

Online remembrances and obituaries have begun to appear, with more to follow: here's just one, that blends the professional and personal nicely.

Do you have your own recollections of Michael Steinberg, or thoughts on the contribution he made? Share your memories below.

Classical Cronkite

Posted at 11:03 PM on July 21, 2009 by Ward Jacobson
Filed under: In the media

Eleven years ago, I did a half-hour interview with Walter Cronkite. It is one of the highlights of my career.

Lost in all the talk this week of his epic work for CBS news is the fact that Cronkite was a big fan of the arts.

A private funeral service for the legendary CBS anchorman is scheduled for Thursday at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York.

A memorial is to be held within the next month in Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, according to his longtime chief-of-staff Marlene Adler.

Oh, and by the way....Cronkite will still introduce "The CBS Evening News" after his death. That decision was made earlier this week.

Fickle Finger

Posted at 4:03 PM on July 21, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Here's wishing a full and speedy recovery to Andrew Litton, conductor, and particularly pianist, after a recent injury to his finger.

Wagner Controversy at LA Opera

Posted at 10:42 AM on July 20, 2009 by Gillian Martin (2 Comments)
Filed under: In the media, Musician stories

Opera companies must plot seasons out years in advance. So when Los Angeles Opera puts up its new production of Richard Wagner's 4-part Ring cycle next spring, and the two-month long, region-wide cultural festival associated with it called Ring Festival L.A., you know the plans have been in the works for quite some time.

But some in LA want a change of plan. Last week, an LA county supervisor called for LA Opera to "delete the focus on Wagner and incorporate other composers."

Read more about the controversy here.

Read a response from the music critic of the LA Times here.

Music & Medicine

Posted at 3:12 PM on July 16, 2009 by Gillian Martin (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media

At the risk of getting the FDA involved, I wanted to point out a couple of recent articles about the health benefits of listening to music. Any kind of music, not just classical.

One study shows that listening to music can help stroke patients more quickly recover their memory and their ability to concentrate.

In another study, surgical patients who listened to music post-operatively spent less time in intensive care.

The doctor in the second study concludes, "The financial cost of utilizing music with ICU patients is relatively small compared to the potential economic benefits." Maybe classical radio stations can get in on health care reform somehow...

Handel Controversy at Edinburgh Festival

Posted at 10:48 AM on July 14, 2009 by Gillian Martin (1 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

One might expect some experimental new piece of music to cause controversy among audience members. But at this year's Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, a 262-year-old Handel oratorio has some Festival regulars "quite disturbed."

It's not the content but the context of the piece that they're angry about. Find out why here.

Michael Jackson and Classical Music

Posted at 10:51 AM on July 13, 2009 by Rex Levang
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

According to one musician who met him earlier this year, Michael Jackson had more interest in classical music than you might expect. Details here.

Another Good Year for MN Opera

Posted at 6:25 AM on July 12, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musician stories

At a time when so many arts organizations around the country are folding, or on the brink of doing so, I was excited to see that the Minnesota Opera finished its fiscal year in the black yet again. Read more about it here.

Is it live, or is it Memorex?

Posted at 10:46 AM on July 9, 2009 by Alison Young (2 Comments)
Filed under: In the media

I may be showing my age by quoting that ad for a cassette tape, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind when I read a piece today about a man who sued for live music, and won.

I know, I know that's the ad for Maxell, not Memorex...it was a good one, but I digress. The story takes place in Manchester, England with a father taking his kids to see "The Wizard of Oz." The singers were live, but the orchestra was taped.

He felt he'd been misled into believing that all players would be live. While this fellow was the only one who filed suit, the judge in the case used the Trade Descriptions Act as precedent and ordered the theatre to refund the plaintiff's money.

I wonder if the many ballet companies and other musical theatre companies in the United States moving towards taped performances will see similar backlash?

Recovery Money Stimulates MN Arts

Posted at 9:26 PM on July 8, 2009 by Gillian Martin
Filed under: In the media

Remember the political fight back in February about including additional funding for the National Endowment for the Arts in the stimulus package? Eventually the legislation included $50 million for the NEA.

Well, yesterday the Endowment announced the recipients of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Direct Grants, and just over $1 million of that money will stimulate the economies of 26 Minnesota arts organizations (including MPR).

You can see the whole list here.