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MUSIC

Can There Truly Be “New” Opera Without Saying Goodbye To The Old?

In short: There can be no history of operatic modernity that is not also a memorial, no production of new opera that does not account for generic death, no opera written that does not, in its own way, undertake the work of mourning. - Van

It’s Been 35 Years Since The Pacific Symphony Last Picked A Music Director. The World Has Changed

Carl St.Clair is currently the longest-serving music director of a major American orchestra, and under his baton the ensemble has flourished: It’s now the largest U.S. orchestra founded in the last 50 years. - CultureOC

What’s The Secret To The Songs That Make People Want To Dance? Syncopation, Says New Study

But not too much — just "a moderate level of syncopation to the point where our brain can still extract the periodic beat from the melodies. (These researchers) contend that the brain is essentially trying to anticipate upcoming beats amid a melody’s syncopation. The result is the impulse to dance." - Scientific American

London’s Wigmore Hall Announces Endowment Campaign To Eliminate Its Public Funding

The venue has an annual grant of £344,206 from Arts Council England (ACE) but John Gilhooly, Wigmore Hall’s artistic and executive director, says that it is “already 97% self-funded”. - The Guardian

Inside San Francisco Symphony’s Budget Issues And What They Say About Priorities

Given these “significant financial pressures,” where does the multimillion-dollar Davies renovation project stand, certain to pose challenges even if the cost of application and licensing is covered by donation? - San Francisco Classical Voice

Meet The Organist For The Boston Red Sox At Fenway Park

"It’s (Josh) Kantor’s job to punch up the action when it’s going well on the field and soothe fans’ frayed nerves when it’s not. Through ... social media, he interacts with fans in real time, taking requests. … He’s made himself an integral part of the Fenway experience." - The Boston Globe (MSN)

For The Second Time Since 1987, Vinyl Records Outsold CDs Last Year

People bought 43 million vinyl records last year, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That’s 6 million more than the number of CDs sold in 2023, marking the second time since 1987 that’s happened and reflecting the steady 17-year-running growth of vinyl sales. - The Verge

There Are Lots Of Music Subscription Experiments Going On. How About This One?

The term “blockchain” has dropped out of the public consciousness since the calming of the NFT frenzy of the early 2020s. But the technology – essentially data hosting by verified authors – offers a simple solution for fans wanting to demonstrate their investment in a musician’s work. - The Guardian

How Censorship Changed Opera

How did the opera get past censorship, when it utilized the same script of Hugo’s banned play? Well, this was thanks to the genius of Giuseppe Verdi. - El Pais

Study: Link Between Formal Music Training And Working Memory

Study author Maria Chiara Pino and her colleagues noted that people with formal musical background i.e., individuals who had formal musical training tend to show better working memory functioning. - PsyPost

Facing Pressure To Keep Salonen, San Francisco Symphony Leadership Defends Itself

"We would love nothing more than to be able to immediately restore the number of SoundBox performances, semi-staged productions, and new commissions; to resume touring; and to reinstate Concerts for Kids. The limiting factor prohibiting us from doing so … is solely a lack of immediate financial resources." - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

France’s Most Popular Living Singer Will Perform At The Paris Olympics — And This Is A Major Controversy

"The possible choice for the opening ceremony of Aya Nakamura, a superstar French-Malian singer whose slang-spiced lyrics stand at some distance from academic French, has ignited a furor tinged with issues of race and linguistic propriety and the politics of immigration." - The New York Times

Report: Global Music Business Up 10 Percent In 2023

Subscription streaming revenues grew by 11.2% YoY last year, accounting for 48.9% of the global market, which in dollar terms, means that subscription streaming revenues reached $14 billion in 2023. - Music Business Worldwide

Why Piano Competitions Need To Address Gender Imbalance

"The report contained personal accounts that showed not only that inequality is still pervasive in the world of classical music, but that women are enduring an unacceptable level of sexual abuse and harassment, often being silenced with non-disclosure agreements to protect those in power." - The Guardian

Bach Is Everywhere At Easter

Yes, his various Passions are common right now - but he’s everywhere, all of the time. And “indirectly, we are also indebted to Bach for the ability to attend public concerts." - El País (English)

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