Today the piece is one of the most familiar sections of The Nutcracker, so it's hard for us to appreciate how unusual the music seemed at the ballet's 1892 premiere. That dance's featured instrument, the celesta, was a recent invention, and almost nobody in Russia had heard one. - The New York Times
The orchestra got itself in one legal tangle by cancelling a recital by pianist Jayson Gillham after he made comments about Gaza from the stage. Then it fired its CEO following a staff rebellion and has had to negotiate a settlement with her. This when there's little cash to spare. - ArtsHub (Australia)
Data indicate "that in the US alone, vinyl sales are projected to bring in a staggering $1 billion for record labels in 2024. This means that vinyl revenues will soon surpass those of CDs, a feat that will be replicated globally." - Techspot
Concert halls need to commission young symphonists in the way that enterprising opera houses are engaging with new writers. The symphony may be dead, but it is not beyond resurrection. - The Critic
The value of global music copyright soared to a record high last year, and has overtaken the value of the cinema box office for the first time, according to a new report. - MusicRadar
In 2022, Bésame Mucho’s first Los Angeles festival sold out within 12 minutes. Noting the festival’s cross-generational appeal, NBC declared that Bésame Mucho “created a cultural moment.” - SFGate
For many of Jeremy Reynolds's friends, $40 was too much for taking a chance on the unfamiliar. "It’s the low end of ticket prices that will keep out the casual listener, the friend of someone who wants to go, the young couple interested in trying something new for date night." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Matías Tarnopolsky will become president and CEO of the New York Philharmonic ... after six years heading the Philadelphia Orchestra, a hiring boosted by his long friendship with incoming music director Gustavo Dudamel. … (He) fills a void created when Gary Ginstling quit in July just one season into the job." - AP
"While American colleagues were often skeptical of the ensemble’s fondness for the Medieval, their colleagues in Europe, where the Camerata had begun touring in the 1970s, were skeptical of its exploration into Americana," an early repertoire which the Boston Camerata was among the first professional groups to explore. - Early Music America
Noseda's very active tenure (2007-2018) at the Teatro Regio cemented his international reputation, and he's currently music director at the National Symphony in Washington, DC and the Zurich Opera House. His successor in Turin is 37-year-old Andrea Battistoni, currently chief conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic. - OperaWire
“This one featured a cast of four different artists: Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and the late Juice WRLD. And it turned each one of the large lineup into a kaiju-sized performer.” It’s a game/movie/music mashup first - but it’s just life to the people playing Fortnite. - The Verge
For one thing, it’s good for your brain. “Plenty of research shows that adults could benefit from playing music. Doing so is neuroprotective.” - The Atlantic
The TV series version of Fanny and Alexander is more than five hours long, but the opera (perhaps sadly) has to be shorter. “The key to their adaptation was to capture the look and feeling of the movie with efficiency, and in new ways." - The New York Times
Tech folks would like to think so. "Soon, you'll have the option to subscribe to music on demand where the ‘demand’ comes from your own biometrics, serving you music to calm you down, invigorate you for an exercise workout, help you focus at work, or treat ailments.” - Wired
For instance, for Nickel Boys, "Composers Alex Somers and Scott Alario recorded traditional instruments, children’s choirs and even the sounds of toys, then processed them into something that Somers describes as ‘slow and ambient and textural.’” - Variety
