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MUSIC

That Punk Beethoven?

Who are the supposed punks of the classical music world? It seems that, for many commentators, any composer who went against the grain in some way was a punk. - The Conversation

It’s Just Too Much Trouble For EU Groups To Hire British Musicians Post-Brexit, Warns Simon Rattle

"People who are normally hired by organisations abroad are being told, 'I'm sorry, we just don't have the capacity to bring somebody from the United Kingdom, it is too complicated and too expensive." - London Evening Standard

Riccardo Muti Extends Chicago Symphony Contract For One More Season

His term as music director was set to expire next summer, but with the pandemic having shut down CSO concerts for the period when guest conductors would have auditioned to succeed him, Muti will stay on until August of 2023. - AP

New Metropolitan Opera Radio Host Named

Only the fifth person to serve in this capacity, Debra Lew Harder follows in the footsteps of former legendary voices of the Met, Milton Cross (1931-1975), Peter Allen (1975-2004), Margaret Juntwait (2004-2015), and, most recently, Mary Jo Heath (2016-2021). - Broadway World

How An Opera By A Black Composer Finally Made It To The Met

The company's certainly had opportunities before: William Grant Still submitted scores in 1919 and 1935; both were casually dismissed. So Terence Blanchard was astounded to get a call from Peter Gelb asking to stage Fire Shut Up in My Bones after its 2019 premiere. - The New York Times

Thirty Years Ago Nirvana Changed Seattle Music Forever

The album represents a moment in time when everything about Seattle culture changed. The very words “Seattle music” meant something different afterward, both in the Northwest and in the world. - Seattle Times

Why Do We Refer To Some Composers With Only Their Last Name?

Who gets last-name-only treatment and who requires a full identification is a weightier, more politically fraught question than it might initially seem. - San Francisco Chronicle

Yes, Music Really Can Be Infectious — Statisticians Apply Epidemiology To Pop Songs

"The pattern of music downloads after their release appears to closely resemble epidemic curves for infectious disease – and electronica appears to be the most infectious genre of all." - The Guardian

Enormous Stage Rock Nearly Crushes Tenor; Court Rules It Was Sabotage

It's the end of Tristan und Isolde at the Capitole de Toulouse. Isolde is singing the Liebestod and Tristan is playing dead upstage when he senses something very large very close: a 467-pound stage boulder that was supposed to stop 30 inches away … - The New York Times

“Pre-Saving” Music And What That Really Means

When you pre-save a song, it may look like the service you use, like Spotify, is the one requesting information about your account. But it’s not. It will tell you which service, label, or company is making the request, and who’ll get your data when you accept. - Wired

Nigel Kennedy Pulls Out Of Albert Hall Concert After ClassicFM Won’t Let Him Play Jimi Hendrix

Kennedy said the “culturally prejudiced” decision amounted to “musical segregation”, with the station he now calls “Jurassic FM” preferring him to play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in Wednesday’s show. - The Guardian

Research: Sexual Abuse Is Rife In The Music Industry

Harassment, abuse and violence take place at all levels of the industry – from grassroots DIY scenarios to corporate setups. Even those scenes that claim to be egalitarian – such as punk – have problems with abuse. - The Conversation

A Giant Violin Revived Shipyards, Musicians, And Venetians In The Darkest Pandemic Days

The vessel set sail in the Grand Canal last weekend. "The craft, called Noah’s Violin, accompanied by an escort of gondolas, and in no time a small flotilla of motorboats, water taxis and traditional flat-bottomed Venetian sandoli joined the violin as it glided." - The New York Times

This Musician Is Considered A Dangerous Criminal In Iran

Why? He employs women as vocalists. - Time

What Happened When Sona Jobarteh Found Her Voice

Or rather, her instrument and her place in society as a griot: "Until Ms. Jobarteh, kora masters had one other notable characteristic: They were always male. By tradition, the playing of the kora is passed from father to son, but for many years Ms. Jobarteh was her father’s only child." - The New York Times

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