Friday
Aug082008
Friday Links: Let the Conductors Do the Talking
Bonnie GibbonsIn the links below, two conductors, David Robertson, offer their thoughts on music and audiences.
Saturday Seminar
Entries by Bonnie Gibbons (51)
Friday
Jul182008
This Summer's Debate: Boring New Music
This summer we’re being challenged by The Guardian’s Joe Queenan to fess up to the unlistenability of modern classical music. Queenan’s writing is excellent when he reigns in the snark — and he does, sadly, find examples that resonate — not that this makes him right.
Tuesday
Jul082008
Classical Music Beach Reading
t has been a shamefully long interval since our last post. Of course, our lack of posting fervor can in no way be attributed to any form of summer laziness. But for those in the audience who find themselves in a “beach reading” mood, here are some of my favorite light books on classical music. None of which, I promise, will get you any better at musical analysis.
Monday
May192008
Steinway Buys ArkivMusic
Steinway acquires ArkivMusic for $4.5 million.
ArkivMusic is certainly the “little” store that could… coming fairly close to offering everything classical that’s buyable on CD. With opera DVDs galore and every classical CD in print (and many out of print through their on-demand ArkivCD program), they are the “Amazon killer” for the classical market. According to Steinway’s release, they will continue as a wholly owned subsidiary.
As a web producer I hope the cash brings improvements to their site search capability (why can’t I combine the various search parameters?). On the other hand, I hope they do nothing to compromise Arkiv’s ease of use compared to Amazon (littered as it is with business development opportunities).
Wednesday
May142008
In Praise of ALDaily.com
Arts & Letters Daily has been on our blogroll for awhile now and is always worth a visit for any elitist looking for a good read in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Several Holde Kunst posts and discussions have been kicked off by articles found there. (Yep, it’s so elitist that it’s a service of the Chronicle of Higher Ed.) I thought I’d spend a few minutes taking note of the classical music items currently gracing AL Daily. Among them are some topics I’d love to write about but don’t know when I’ll get the time.
Tuesday
May132008
Art of the Fugue is iTunes Classical Chart-topper
Jan Swafford in Slate discusses the new solo piano recording by Pierre-Laurent Aimard of Bach’s Art of the Fugue (Read Wikipedia):
“It’s as if you told a physicist that Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity was topping the best-seller list. It’s not supposed to happen. This is because the 14 fugues and four canons that make up The Art of Fugue constitute one of the most esoteric musical works ever written.”
Monday
May052008
Wolfgang Wagner Decides Not to Decide
Wolfgang Wagner will step down on August 31, leaving Bayreuth in the hands of BOTH his daughters, Eva and Katharina.
Saturday
Mar292008
Michael Tilson Thomas - "Keeping Score" Web Site
Keeping Score is a program by Michael Tilson Thomas that combines live performances, a book, DVD series and web site, and PBS programs to focus in depth on a few pieces and why they are influential. This is an ideal resource for John’s “What to Listen for in Classical Music” and “Intro to Music Literacy” students, but this former music grad student enjoyed playing with it too.
Monday
Mar242008
A Dream Tristan I Never Dreamed Of, But Should Have
Every winter it seems like “something’s going around at work” but this is ridiculous! Six singers have made unscheduled Met debuts in the past two weeks, and one, the American tenor Robert Dean Smith, offered a Tristan that ought to go down as one of those “Were you there?” moments.
Wednesday
Mar192008
Most Transformative Classical Compositions Ever?
Vote on the classical pieces that “changed the game” and select the musical program for the 2008 Chicago Humanities Festival.
