ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

MUSIC

The Frick Museum Needed A New Piano. Here’s How They Went About Choosing It

With a team that included Raj Patel, the acoustician who worked on the auditorium, Ney assembled a trio of pianos to choose from, all Model D Steinways but with distinct sounds based on when they were made and where. - The New York Times

Bucking The Trends, Houston Grand Opera Is Growing

“With many opera companies in a doom loop of shrinkage caused by rising costs and stagnant (or worse) earnings, Houston has proved an exception. Driven by creative leadership and generous donors, its programming budget has risen steadily, (as has) its endowment.” - The New York Times

A New Opera About A Historic Supreme Court Case, Directed By Denyce Graves

“This month, Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony will present the world premiere of composer Damien Geter and librettist Jessica Murphy Moo’s Loving v. Virginia, an operatic retelling of the events leading to the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision that declared laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional.” - The Washington Post (MSN)

Making Opera Local Again

“If you want to find a creative space, it doesn’t necessarily need to be in Manhattan or Brooklyn. … It’s where you are.” - The New York Times

The Coachella Experience Has Declined. An Identity Crisis?

The livestreams haven't calmed the complaints about Coachella's lacklustre audiences — many who watch online have commented that the crowds aren't as hype as they believe they would be if they were in attendance. - CBC

Ambient Music? An Online Archive Of Soundscapes From The Environment

“The Sonic Heritage project is a collection of 270 sounds from 68 countries, including from famous UNESCO-designated sites such as Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal, … a monarch butterfly sanctuary, … wind turbines, rare whales and the Amazonian dawn chorus.” Also, sea lions who sound like drunk frat boys. - The Guardian

Lessons From The Taliban’s Extreme War On Music

Since their return in 2021, the Taliban have waged a war on music, claiming that it causes “moral corruption”. According to figures from its own Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the group has destroyed more than 21,000 musical instruments over the past year. - Index On Censorship

Why Multi-Hour Classical Works Are Way Too Much Of A Good Thing

“It’s not that these are great pieces that happen to be long; the length itself is the point. The language – ‘endurance’, ‘epic’, ‘marathon’ – is that of extreme sport. Test yourself, we’re implicitly urged. … In that moment, an act of artistic engagement … becomes solipsistic and a self-congratulatory cultural flex.” - The i Paper (UK)

More Staff Layoffs At Nashville Symphony

The orchestra is facing “financial challenges driven by inflation, shifting consumer behavior, an increasingly competitive landscape and broader economic uncertainty.” - Nashville Business Journal

All About The Ocarina

This odd wind instrument, whose name is Italian for “little goose,” was invented more-or-less by chance in 1853 in a little town near Bologna. That town now manufactures hand-crafted ocarinas, boasts an ocarina septet which tours internationally (and sells out concerts in East Asia), and hosts an international ocarina festival. - Atlas Obscura

Coachella’s Tickets Are So Expensive People Buy Them On Installment Plans. Good Idea? Or Financially Reckless?

Coachella’s payment plan is just this: For a $599 GA ticket (including fees), fans had the option to put $49.99 down when tickets went on sale in November 2024, then pay off the remainder of the balance in monthly installments through March of this year. - Los Angeles Times

The Man Behind Philadelphia Pianos

For the past several decades, Greg Sikora has tuned and voiced pianos for the biggest musical artists to play this region, from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga and everyone in between. He also served as the chief concert piano technician for the Philadelphia Orchestra for many years. - Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Expanding The Repertoire For Harp Is A Tricky Business

Parker Ramsay: “Could you conceive of a world in which a harp work occupies your attention like an opera or a violin concerto? That might be a stretch, but I’ve been able to commission music that makes me think it’s possible.” - The New York Times

Do We Even Know What Classical Music Is These Days?

Like every other sector of cultural life, classical music has been roiled over the past decade by intense debates about the field’s ongoing lack of diversity, among performing artists, composers, and leaders of musical organizations. - The Atlantic

How Spotify Is Ruining (Not Saving) Music

While music discovery used to be a social event, now most of us cower to simply accepting whatever the Spotify algorithm feeds us. While there is convenience in turning off our brains and mindlessly listening to an AI-generated lo-fi beats playlist, there are real world negative consequences for both the artists and listeners. - SoundGuys

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