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MUSIC

Nico Muhly’s New, Most Unusual Setting Of Christ’s Passion

"In The Street, a new evening-length cycle for harp, narrator, and singer(s), composer Nico Muhly and librettist Alice Goodman treat the 14 stations with the immediacy of a witness — at one moment a passive, descriptive onlooker, at the next a malicious actor who intentionally trips Jesus." - San Francisco Classical Voice

An AI Brain-Powered Opera

There were three singers — “ambassadors” to the sun, space and life — as well as a percussionist, a violinist and a flute player. Thake, sitting silently to one side of the stage with a simple, inexpensive EEG monitor on her head, was the “brainist,” feeding brain waves into Anadol’s A.I. algorithm. - The New York Times

How To Fabricate The Severed Head Of John The Baptist For “Salome”

Makeup artist Liz Rathke explains just how she put together a tricky, icky prop that has to look convincingly like the star baritone — except with blood dripping out at the right time (and only the right time). - Wisconsin State Journal (Madison)

The Great Virtuoso Diva Of The Toy Piano: Margaret Leng Tan At 76

"'I've always had aspirations to be a sit-down comic – not a stand-up one!' she says. 'The toy piano gives me that golden opportunity.' She is not limited to the piano either: in one arrangement ... she simultaneously plays toy piano, bicycle horn, bicycle bell and train whistle." - The Guardian

How AI Is Changing Music

Machines have been facilitating music-making since instruments were invented, but computer technology is a seismic shift on a par with the advents of sound recording and electrical amplification. - Irish Times

Why Streaming Platforms Haven’t Taken Down Kanye West’s Music

Industry analysts say the decision to take down Ye's music is complicated by several factors, including contract requirements streamers may have with record labels and publishers, free speech considerations and whether it is appropriate to take action against an artist's behaviour outside of their music. - Toronto Star

The Death Of Music Tours?

“So I had a tour that had me making no profit – and possibly a loss – and the only incentive was to stay in the public eye. And that’s the biggest fear for any musician: if you are not constantly in people’s faces you will not last.” - The Guardian

John Mauceri: The Political Power Of Music

Those who believe the trope, then, that classical music has little or no currency are mistaken. At least the leaders of Russia and Ukraine believe it is very important indeed. - The New York Times

All About The Chemistry: What Makes A Stradivarius Extraordinary? New Study Suggests…

That quest for answers got a boost from Italian researchers in a paper published by the American Chemical Society that outlines the findings of their chemical analysis of two venerable violins. - Ludwig Van

Quixotic? One Man Tries To Recreate The Orchestra Mahler Would Have Heard

Mahler would be appalled at the recorded perfectionism of the modern Vienna Philharmonic. He changed his mind from one rehearsal to the next. His music is about living in the moment. That’s what Steinaecker’s Toblach ensemble achieved. - The Critic

Schirmer To Publish Hundreds Of Scores By Jewish Composers Silenced By The Nazis

"The list of music to be published includes more than 300 songs, 100 chamber music pieces, 50 orchestral works and other pieces, in genres including classical, opera, jazz and film music. The first works will be published next spring." - The New York Times

France’s National Railroad Refuses To Allow Double-Bass Players To Travel With Their Instruments

Says one musician: "We are afraid of not being able to arrive at the place of the concert, of losing our (paid) commitments. Traveling with these old, fragile, expensive instruments is already stressful, but at the moment, anxiety dominates when buying an SNCF ticket." - The Strad

Mindful Music Programs And Mental Health

In the U.S., teachers are turning to music to aid students of various ages with increased levels of depression and behavioral issues. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Conductors And The Cult Of Personality: “Tar” Nails It

“TAR” is uncomfortably spot on. It’s more about abuse of power than music, though the classical trappings are a convincing gilding. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tip Of The Iceberg: Spotify’s Latest Tool For Defining Your Music Taste

Icebergify collects data from your top 50 artists in your short-term, medium-term, and long-term listening trends, according to Icebergify. So the artists on your chart might be musicians you haven't listened to in a few months, or maybe are bands you've only just started listening to now. - Mashable

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