Budapest
Submitted by Bridget McDonough on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 12:52pm.
This is the second of my three-part blog regarding my trip to Vienna,
Budapest and Ekatarinburg
Russia.
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Backstage: CCM Blog
CSO best in US
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 11/25/2008 - 3:32pm.
No one has written about this yet on chicagoclassicalmusic.org so I get to do it. Gramophone Magazine, a British publication, has named our very own Chicago Symphony Orchestra as the number one ranked orchestra in the United States, and the fifth highest ranked orchestra in the world. Congratulations to our friends and colleagues at the CSO. It’s nice to see others recognize what we in Chicago have known for a long time – this band rocks! I am including the full list for those of you who haven’t yet seen it.
I know that some people are uncomfortable with ratings like this. It is, after all, pretty subjective when you look at the top 10-15 orchestras on this list. But there must be something in our mental make-up that draws us to ranking things like orchestras, most embarrassing reality TV moments, best deep dish pizza, and the like. Here’s my question for you. Are there rankings in the classical music world that do make sense, and help us process all of the information floating around? What lists do you like or approve of?
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Tiny Bumps of History
Submitted by Heather Haigh on Wed, 11/19/2008 - 11:16am.
Several years ago there was what could be deemed breaking news in the classical world, news that probably sent shivers up many enthusiasts’ and music-history buffs’ spines. Good shivers, that is. It was the unearthing of 200-plus phonograph cylinder recordings in an old archive in Russia. With low volume and heavy amounts of surface noise, the cylinders hold a brief but invaluable glimpse into the early days of recording and how classical music was performed throughout the years. Some of these cylinders carry the earliest known recordings of works by Bach, Verdi and Schumann, to name just a few.
A selection of the recordings ranging from 1890 to 1923 will be released this month on the Marston label. An article I came across a couple weeks ago discusses the discovery of many of the recordings at auctions and in old archives, and how the plan for their creation and allusions to their lingering existence was discovered in the correspondence between a music-loving businessman, Julius H. Block, and Thomas Edison himself. It is a fascinating article. If you are a fan of juicy tidbits of musical history, give this article a read and perhaps pick up the recording—you just might hear a whistling Tchaikovsky in the background.
Read the original article here: Classical Ghosts, Audible Once Again
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Antares Cellist, Rebecca Patterson
Submitted by BrianBaxterMusic on Tue, 11/18/2008 - 12:03pm.
The Antares, first-prize winners of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition were hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “powerful...striking…razor sharp.” They have won two ASCAP/CMA Awards for Adventurous Programming ('99, '04) and have appeared in concert across the country. The Antares Quartet is based out of New York City and features Garrick Zoeter on clarinet, Jesse Mills on violin, Rebecca Patterson on cello, and Eric Huebner on piano. The group will be performing two concerts at Music in the Loft, one at 8PM on Saturday November 22nd and one at 3PM on Sunday November 23rd. The program will feature the music of Antonín Dvořák, Johannes Brahmes, John Mackey, and the 08-09 Music in the Loft composer-in-residence Matthew Tommasini.
BB: To date, what has been your most memorable musical experience with the Quartet?
RP: I had to think about this one. Performing in Brazil was very exciting because the audiences are over-the-top enthusiastic. It makes for an exhilarating performance experience. Another extremely memorable experience was the opportunity to play Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, for Messiaen’s wife, Yvonne Loriod, at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, NY about four years ago.Click here to continue reading
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Is Barack Obama’s Election Good for the Arts?
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 9:23am.
Like most everyone I know, I was glued to the television on the evening of Tuesday, November 4th. It probably won’t surprise anyone that I was pretty happy about the outcome. After all, I proudly work for our nation’s most diverse orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta, and have spent a good deal of my career working on promoting inclusiveness in the arts. But before anyone gets upset with me about bringing politics onto a classical music website, please note that this post in not about politics. This post is about what Barack Obama’s election might mean to the arts in general, and orchestras in particular. Here are a few of my thoughts, but as always, I’m much more interested in hearing what you think.In the short-term I suspect we won’t see much in the way of discernable impact. The economy will dominate the new administration’s agenda for the first 6-12 months, and if successful, might help orchestra’s institutional donors maintain their current levels of support. The tax changes proposed during the campaign might encourage high-wealth individuals to contribute at higher levels if they are enacted, but we won’t feel those for a while. I would also guess that the National Endowment for the Arts will be funded at its current level, and gradually increase if the economy improves.
This is really about people’s perception of the economy and our country. If we feel optimistic, we will buy tickets and contribute more. I think Barack Obama will help on this front.
Okay, it’s your turn.
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Do you care if you listen?*
Submitted by Jen Glagov on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 3:11pm.
In the South Florida Classical Review, Lawrence Johnson recently shared composer Ned Rorem’s view on current programming among many music groups. According to Rorem (who just turned 85), "The general public couldn’t care at all about what you and I are interested in, in other words, serious contemporary music. …But of course 150 years ago the only music that was played was contemporary music." Rorem theorizes that newspapers and critics ultimately cultivated today’s general dislike of modern classical music. "The general public avoids contemporary music. But of course now most contemporary music is comparatively listenable. It’s a twentieth century thing."
While I may not seek out twentieth-century music, I find that venturing out of my musical comfort zone is intellectually stimulating, and makes me think about my favorite pieces in new ways. Audience reactions to Music of the Baroque’s occasional forays into modern territory (Stravinsky’s "Pulcinella" Suite or our recent performance of Benjamin Britten’s Nocturne, for example) suggest that others feel much more strongly—both negatively and positively.
Do you like listening to twentieth-century classical music? Why or why not?
[*title indebted to Milton Babbitt's 1958 article, "Who Cares if You Listen?"]
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Vienna, Budapest and Yekatrinburg, Russia
Submitted by Bridget McDonough on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 12:47pm.
This is the first of three blogs that will focus on my recent trip to Vienna, Budapest and Yekatrinburg, Russia.
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Crystal Ball Time
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Mon, 10/27/2008 - 2:34pm.
At the end of May I wrote a blog entitled, “It’s the Economy, Stupid”, that posed some questions about how the economic downturn might affect ticket sales and fundraising. One respondent suggested that I was letting the media “blow the downturn out of proportion”, while another recommended that I should be careful about whom I call stupid.
Today, an exceptionally astute reader noted that my May blog was “a premonition of sorts” and asked how I thought the economy might affect the arts looking forward. I should probably quit while I’m ahead, but what fun would that be? Here are some observations, opinions, and thoughts.
We are already seeing lagging ticket sales for some of the bigger events that have taken place this fall, and I personally know of a few funders that are either cutting back or ceasing their arts funding altogether.
I expect that over the next 6-18 months we will see things getting worse. I suspect that the next economic “shoe to drop” will be credit card debt, and my guess is that the stock market will be slow to recover. As a result, I would not be surprised to see a few of the smaller arts organizations going out of business, and most arts organizations operating more conservatively than normal. The big guys will do okay – they have a lot of resources, but more importantly, the type of broad-based community support that makes going out of business almost impossible. No, it’s the smaller organizations that will feel the brunt of this brutal economy. This is a time to hunker down and survive.
Here is my prescription for the arts in a tough economy:
1. Budget for a worst-case scenario and be pleasantly surprised if/when you outperform it.
2. Don’t sacrifice programming excellence or audience development activities. Present brilliant programming.
3. Work hard on advancing sustainable relationships with ticket buyers and donors.
4. Stay focused on executing against your strategic plan and don’t get sidetracked.
5. Develop restructuring options in case the worse happens.
6. Be very thankful you work in the arts and not in the real estate or financial sector.
These are a few of my thoughts. Please chime in with yours. Maybe together we can think our way out of this mess!
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A Punishment Set to Strings
Submitted by Heather Haigh on Mon, 10/27/2008 - 11:50am.
Depending on where you live it has probably happened to just about every one of us, I know for me it is almost a daily occurrence living in the city. Maybe you’ve had a quiet afternoon walk or a private conversation (in your home nonetheless!) interrupted by loud music blaring from inside a passing car, that unmistakable thump thump of a sub-woofer in a trunk, just rattling to get out.
In an article put out by the AP, Andrew Vactor was cited by police for playing his rap music too loud and was given the opportunity to reduce his $150 fine down to just $35 if he spent 20 hours listening to classical music. The article mentioned greats such as Bach, Chopin, and Beethoven as Vactor’s “hard time.” He lasted only 15 minutes before having to scoot off to practice for his University’s basketball team. Vactor claimed it wasn’t the music just the time conflict. Perhaps this unconventional punishment could have future success… barring any extra-curricular activities of course.
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To Commission or Not To Commission?
Submitted by Jonathan Miller on Thu, 10/23/2008 - 3:28pm.
Well, we're in that interesting zone where I'm trying to get all interested parties on board (no pun intended) to support, financially and energetically, a commission for a pretty big new piece for next season. A composer with a good track record, whose pieces Chicago a cappella has done often in years past, came to me with an idea for a very cool compilation of music, which would serve as the scaffolding on which I could create a concert program.
I can't tell you who it is, since we have not finished the process, but you might be interested in the process.
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