Slowly I'm adding to the fine print on the right. In the "Resources" section -- where I mean to build a list of references for anyone who cares about the state of classical music -- I've added a heading called "Useful Articles." It'll cite newspaper and magazine pieces, and starts with two entries, both of which can help explain unfortunate things we might not like, but need to understand. Soon I'll have a section on CDs I've been playing, currently a bewildering list, ranging from the new Annie Lennox album to a few dozen classical … [Read more...]

Just to show that pop singers have no monopoly on classy photos (see below), here's Anne Sofie von Otter, looking smart, glamorous, and interesting. How could you look at her, and not want to hear her sing? More here. … [Read more...]

 This is Renée Fleming, as she appears in a Rolex watch ad, and on the cover of an upcoming CD. I think she looks awful. Ghastly makeup, overdone eyes…what was she thinking of? Let me quickly say that I don't mind classical stars doing endorsements. It's very likely good for classical music, since it brings these artists into the world most Americans live in. And if classical stars are tempted by the money, well, who can blame them? They're only human, and it might well be galling, seeing teen athletes getting all the cash, when you, … [Read more...]

I might criticize the classical music world, but not everything is gloomy. All of us can help to make things better, even in small ways -- and here are three examples of people who did that. The American Composers Orchestra: We've talked here about the passive audience, but the ACO has a page on its website where the audience talks back. "Truly Dreadful," said one back-talker, about a controversial piece (Swirl, by Todd Levin, which combines classical music and techno; I myself like it): "An exercise in the composer's imagined … [Read more...]