Editor’s note: The Sound Post generally avoids covering the recent downturn in arts funding as it does little to help the situation and simultaneously neglects the more important aspect of the industry—the art. But just as the headlines flow about organizations seeing red, there is a similar trickle of news about surfacing grants and endowments. So, this multi-part story will attempt to chronicle the down and up of the music industry; for now we lament the dwindling zeros, but look for updates on how everyone is not only keeping their heads above water, but climbing back into the boat.
As the cooling economy continues to do its number on the numbers of many North American arts organizations, orchestras and opera houses across the US are reevaluating their budgets in an effort to weather the dreary economic climate. View Full Article »
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Basically All North American Arts Organizations Losing Money: Part I
Barely Counts as News Anymore
Study Finds Classical Music Effective Antidepressant
Discover Penicillin Effective Antibiotic
A recent study in Mexico found that 29 out of 41 patients exhibiting low to medium depression showed improvement after listening to Mozart and other classical works for 50 minutes every day. Another group who received a 30 minute psychologist-led counseling session once a week did not see nearly the same results.
Of course, the question begs whether the frequency or quality of counseling is to blame, but nonetheless the study adds validity to what is often accused of being a bubba meinze—that listening to classical music is good for you. View Full Article »
Seiji Ozawa to Return Following Cancer Treatment
Seiji Ozawa, who was diagnosed with cancer in January, will conduct at the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan for the first time since his treatment. While his “real physical strength has yet to come back,” Ozawa will perform at Carnegie Hall in December and plans to return to his post at the Vienna State Opera.
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BBC Proms Underway
Photo: Amanda Slater
The BBC Proms 2010 are currently underway at Royal Albert Hall in London. The Proms, which is an all-classical concert series, began in 1895 and consists of nearly 90 performances this year. While Royal Albert Hall houses the larger shows, Cadogan Hall hosts chamber music events and Proms in the Park includes concerts all over the United Kingdom on the “Last Night.” View Full Article »
Deutsche Grammaphone Releases Kleiber Discography
Fills Entire CD
To celebrate what would have been Carlos Kleiber’s 80th birthday, Deutsche Grammaphone has consolidated his entire discography into one collection. Known for refusing more engagements than he took, Kleiber maintained an esoteric mystique while solidifying his reputation as a foremost conductor of the 20th century. View Full Article »
Jarvi, DiDonato, Lang Lang, Jansen, Kissin win ECHO Klassik Awards
There are more but the title was getting long
Paavo Jarvi, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, has been named conductor of the year by The German Phono Academy in Berlin for his recordings of Beethoven’s 2nd and 6th “Pastoral” symphonies. View Full Article »
Tilson Thomas Opens BSO at Tanglewood
Everyone Freaks Out
What might have been simply a guest-conducted performance of Mahler’s second symphony has since generated significant buzz as people speculate about the BSO’s future.
Michael Tilson Thomas conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra on opening night at Tanglewood, the orchestra’s summer residency in Lenox, Massachusetts. While The Boston Globe praised the performance, and astutely compared Levine’s and MTT’s vastly different Mahlers, other publications addressed the underlying suspicion that Levine will be directing fewer and fewer performances. View Full Article »
Singer Belts Nine Months After Lung Transplant
Charity Tillemann-Dick is a world class soprano with a world class story. Just nine months after undergoing a double lung transplant in tandem with open heart surgery, the tenacious diva regaled her doctor’s with a performance of Puccini’s aria O mio babbino caro.
Before her surgery, Tillemann-Dick battled her condition for 4 years on and off the stage. She continued to perform despite failing health, afraid that a hiatus from singing would stall her momentum. Read on for the CNN video of her performance and link to the original article.
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