History
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
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
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.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
I remember a long discussion I had
in college about the creation of the album cover for The Beatles’ 1967 release Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
It was a seemingly endless list of pop-culture inclusions and references to
their evolving careers created by cardboard cut outs and props. At the time and
even today it is a shining example of unique album-cover artistry. I began to
think about album cover artwork in general and about what others think on its
offering to the “music experience” as a whole. Does it lend to the excitement
of opening up a new album by seeing the cover and hearing the music for the
first time, or is it a distraction?
A couple images came to mind in the
classical genre: the striking image of a woman in a yellow dress standing in an
ornately hand drawn room on the cover Anne-Sophie Mutter’s Mozart: The Violin Sonatas, or the mural-esque angel of Piers
Lane’s Scriabin: The Complete Etudes. Classical music has never been known for its unique and artistic album
covers, yet genres such as rock ’n’ roll and hip-hop sometimes go over the top
and find themselves facing censorship and taking artistic expression to the
level of risqué. Do you think album artwork is or should be considered a part
of the overall “music experience?” And why do you think its emphasis varies
between genres?
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
Today's guest blog is written by Dileep Gangolli, Clarinetist with the Chicago Sinfonietta
While playing with my wife’s new computer, I stumbled on a desktop prompt for Pandora Radio which connected me to a world of streaming Classical music organized in a highly logical mathematical manner.
I was immediately taken by the way the music is presented and delivered (at no cost to the listener). I am anxious to get the thoughts of others on this method of classical music distribution.
After signing up for Pandora Radio, listeners are invited to create their “own radio stations” that feature their favorite composers. I have stations that feature Mozart, Bach, Schubert, Mahler, and Coldplay among others.
But what is so interesting is that the musical selections are not just of the selected composers but of those that compose in a similar manner either by being of the same time period or by being similar in aesthetic. So Mozart could precede a neo-classical work by Stravinsky that would then be followed by a composition by Varese or Satie. This type of musical organization is a by-product of the Musical Genome Project.
I “Googled” the MGP and this is what surfaced on Wikipedia:
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 7:19am.
A couple of strange things have crossed my computer screen this week and I would really love to get your opinion about them.
Earlier this week a friend emailed me an article about a robot conducting an orchestra. Okay, hold the jokes about conductors for a second. Honda’s ASIMO humanoid robot will take command of the baton in Detroit on May 13 and will conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as it performs Impossible Dream to open a concert performance featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
I think we can all agree that robots are unlikely to replace humans on the podium anytime soon. What’s interesting about this is that Honda is a major donor to DSO, and one gets the feeling that putting ASIMO on the podium might somehow be tied to the sponsorship. I’m all for acknowledging the wonderful corporate partners who support our work, but does this go too far?
Another item that caught my eye was from the League of American Orchestra’s newsletter. Apparently classical composers and folk musicians are collaborating on creating new music for orchestras. Not exactly a new idea given the use of folk music themes throughout classical music history, but up until recently, using folk influences was considered déclassé. How do you feel about this renewed interest in vernacular music?
Finally, speaking of traditional music, the Chicago Sinfonietta will be presenting the world premiere of Three Songs for Blues Singer and Orchestra created by composer/arranger Larry Hoffman on May 11th and 12th featuring Muddy Water’s long-time guitarist, John Primer. We are pleased to offer registered users of this site a “hot deal” to attend this concert that will also feature pianist Leon Bates performing Rhapsody in Blue and Pictures at an Exhibition performed with a never-before-seen video created by astronomer and video artist José Francisco Salgado.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
A good friend of mine who goes by the alias "
Drex Drexler" sent me this article from today's
New York Times, which provides evidence that
Thomas Edison was by no means the first to lay down a track (a recording recently discovered by researchers looks to have beaten Edison to the punch by 20 years).
Check it out: here's the article with audio of the findings.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 11:10am.
I have a favor to ask of you. In November 2008 The Chicago Sinfonietta will partner with the Chicago Humanities Festival in musically exploring the year’s Festival theme, “THINK BIG”. We invite you to help us realize our 'big idea" for a concert by joining us in selecting the most transformative classical music compositions ever written -- works from various eras that truly changed the rules and affected everything that came after. We will perform two of the selections at Chicago's Symphony Center on Monday, November 10th at 7:30 p.m. And to "change the game" even more, we hope to either present a live streaming broadcast that evening (so you can hear the winning selections regardless of where you are) or post the performance as a downloadable video file on our website.
Let your voice be heard! A panel of experts has shared its ideas for “game-changing” nominees and you can vote right now at the
Chicago Sinfonietta’s website. Make your selection from the experts' list, or if you disagree, feel free to write in your own.
Thanks for voting – and please pass this link on to others!
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
Regarding Jim's blog on Dudamel's appearance on 60 Minutes (which agreed is a good piece), I'd like to link to Andrew Patner's
Critical Thinking interview with Dudamel which took place just days before he flew to California (mid-stint with the CSO!) to make his announcement with the LA Philharmonic. Contrary to the last line of the 60 Minutes piece, we in fact heard all about Dudamel on WFMT first.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
I just returned from New York and had an opportunity to talk with my counterpart at the NY Phil about their performance in North Korea. While the general press has been great, they have been criticized in some circles, which is completely misplaced.
I lived in Romania for four years after the fall of communism. They had every bit as cruel a leader in Nicolae Ceausescu who in fact implemented many of his cruelist policies after a visit to Kim Il Sung, the former North Korean leader. I talked with many of my friends there about music and they shared stories about the bootleg Led Zeppelin albums among others that they kept hidden. It was to them just a taste of music and inspiration that was beyond their borders (a place very few of them had the opportunity to see).
I also had the pleasure of meeting many of the young musicians that comprise Daniel Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra when they came through Chicago. This is the youth orchestra of Arabs and Israelis that Barenboim established to bring together young people from these different cultures to show how music can truly bridge cultural chasms. Every one of them was delighted with the experience. To see a Lebanese violinist, a Syrian Clarinet player and an Israeli bass player play together in a late-night open jam session was something to behold. Making music together broke down all the perceived barriers and they all reveled in their new friendships.
I tip my hat to the NY Phil for reaching across the divide. Music can't solve the grand problems of our time, but it can be a way to bring people together, even if for a short respite.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 10/31/2007 - 10:39am.
Last week Daniel J. Levitin wrote
an Op-Ed piece for the New York Times about how odd it is that classical music audiences are discouraged from expressing their enjoyment of music through movement. Levitin asserts that moving to music is innate and that we would probably have more fun if we moved freely.
I couldn’t agree more. For me, it follows the “don’t clap in between movements” rule at classical music concerts that I sometimes find so counter-intuitive. Would it be distracting if half of the people at a concert got up to dance or sway to the music? In some instances, yes. But there are times when the enjoyment of a piece is enhanced by moving to the beat, and if the entire audience joins in doing so, then it can ascend to a higher level altogether.
A great example of this takes place every January at the Chicago Sinfonietta’s Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Maestro Freeman closes this concert every year by inviting the audience to stand up, hold hands, sing, and sway to the pulse of “We Shall Overcome”. The act of moving as a group, and singing together makes this one of the most emotional moments of the season, year after year.
Maybe there are other opportunities like this that would make our concerts more fun and fulfilling. Can any of you share similar moments that you may have experienced in the concert hall?
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
