I want to amend what I wrote in previous posts about the American Composers Orchestra. I mentioned (and very happily) upcoming events featuring composer/performers, September 27 at Joe's Pub in New York, October 13 at Zankel Hall (New York again), and October 15 at Irvine Auditorium in Philadelphia. See their website for details. I think this is important, and very positive, for the future of classical music. But what I didn't say is that their entire season is devoted to composer/performers, branded under the title "Composers Out … [Read more...]

The new episode of my book (about the future of classical music, of course), went online last night. As I said in my last post, I'm writing now about the things that happened, in the 19th century and the 20th, to make the classical music world what it's like today. I realize that I'm going at this a little backwards. The changes I'll detail bear some responsibility, I think, for the decline that classical music now has to fight its way out of. But I haven't yet stated the statistical measures of that decline -- most obviously the falling … [Read more...]

On Monday, I'll be posting a new episode, the first since last spring, of my in-progress online book on the future of classical music. In the last few episodes, all still available online, I looked at the days when composers like Haydn and Mozart were active, but the concept of classical music didn't yet exist. Concerts were lively; audiences reacted freely; most of the music played was new; and the musicians often improvised. I don't claim that this was a golden age (concerts also weren't well rehearsed, and the sound of all the first … [Read more...]

Two items -- and not small ones -- that I should have included in my honor roll of new directions for classical music institutions, in my last post: First, the Metropolitan Opera! Details have now been announced about Met productions being streamed live to movie theaters, something Peter Gelb announced in the spring. Now it's a reality. Not to mention the open house, free for everybody on September 22 (though you have to get tickets in advance), which includes the final dress rehearsal (free, as part of the open house) for the opening … [Read more...]

In my last post, and often earlier, I've said that the biggest orchestras have suffered falling ticket sales to their core classical concerts for well over a decade. But now, on the grapevine, I've heard something hopeful--sales were slightly up last season. Not all of the biggest orchestras showed an increase, I hear, but most of them did, and their aggregate sales were definitely up. This is wonderful news. And what's the cause? I'm going to make a hopeful guess. I'll guess that sales are up because the orchestras--and of course … [Read more...]