Baritone Will Livermore and DJ King Rico have adapted Rossini's Barber of Seville into a work called The Factotum, "blending operatic writing with a kaleidoscope of styles like R&B, funk, hip-hop, gospel, rap and, of course, barbershop quartet" — opening next week at Lyric Opera of Chicago. - The New York Times
The gehu, an instrument which was introduced into Chinese orchestras in the 20th century and then replaced by the cello, "has four strings, a fingerboard and a horizontal cylinder." One Berklee student wants it to make a comeback. - The World
At USC in Los Angeles, faculty at the Thornton School of Music are working with neurologists, otolaryngologists, psychologists, physical therapists, and other health care professionals on ways to treat, and to prevent, the repetitive-motion neuromuscular disorder that can end musicians' careers. - San Francisco Classical Voice
Baritone Peter Braithwaite: "These folk traditions are really strong; they’re about resistance and they’re about remembrance of former freedoms, but they’re also about laying something down that can be passed on to future generations." - The Guardian (UK)
"It was not well received, and I was devastated by the reaction. ... It was way too long in San Francisco and Amsterdam. The stories are still great, but it's considerably shorter now. I've made significant changes that I think focus on the fates of these characters." - San Francisco Classical Voice
With the Academy's nod for his score for Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, the 90-year-old composer has tallied 53 nominations (and counting), trailing only Walt Disney (with 59) for the most individual Oscar nominations in history. - The Hollywood Reporter
"It seems ironic that music, one of the fields hardest hit by the global pandemic, may prove to be an effective treatment specifically for COVID-related inflammation, according to a study." - Ludwig Van
Their reasoning: "Patronising claptrap. So, young people will only accept opera if it’s put on in a car park. The lower orders can make do with an aria in a pub. And the rich and middle-aged have their country-house operas. It is deeply depressing." - The Independent (UK)
"In a forthcoming book, Why Beethoven, Norman Lebrecht presents evidence that the Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor has been known as Für Elise (For Elise) purely due to a misreading of the dedication on the now-lost 1810 manuscript." - The Observer (UK)
‘Nothing,’ Beethoven once said, ‘is more intolerable than having to admit to yourself your own errors.’ In the Pastoral he lets us into that furtive admission. - The Spectator
Mahler's Fifth is "a wide-open work, ripe for individual interpretation and impeccably suiting a film that doesn’t provide easy answers." - The Guardian (UK)
Performers have to meet all kinds of requirements for visas, ranging from the precise addresses where they're staying to financial statements to tickets home - on the same airline. Even then, they're regularly denied access to European venues and tours. - The Observer (UK)
The arts presenter removed the Philly Pops as a resident company, "shutting the group out of Verizon Hall and removing customers’ ability to buy Pops tickets from its website." - Philadelphia Inquirer
Noisenights are run via a crowdfunding model—events are announced, artists and venues secured, and when audience members buy tickets, they are helping to create a fully-funded event. Each of the 17 noisenights so far has sold out. - Van
"(The venue) has told the Philly Pops that unless it immediately comes up with rent from its just-finished holiday run, as well as advance payments for upcoming concerts in February, the Pops will have to vacate the Kimmel and will no longer be allowed to perform there." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
