How these two Canadian companies chose to respond to our contemporary context of anti-racist calls when interpreting Messiah provides an opportunity to have a conversation about how performers and audiences of western classical music can engage more fully in anti-colonial and anti-racist work. - The Conversation
"Put it this way," writes David Patrick Stearns, "in a year when Berlin, London, and much of the operatic world were abuzz over higher-profile Ring activity, this — (at least) in the Dutch radio broadcast I caught — was the most important Wagner performance (of 2021)." - Classical Voice North America
Since 2013, she has been commissioning scores for a monumental project called “Density 2036”; when it comes to completion, in the designated year, it will have added as many as a hundred pieces to the flute repertory. - The New Yorker
It is one of the most vivid examples of efforts by major arts organizations across the country to bring youth education programs out into communities, rather than concentrating them in city centers or urban arts districts. - The New York Times
With Christmas pop the companies are on tricky ground. As one company executive put it, the Christmas record needs “an indefinable atmosphere.” Sex is not part of it. - The Guardian
Plenty of explicitly Christmas-themed songs will have certain musical characteristics, even though they’re always optional. These include a major key, an accessible pitch range and a moderate tempo, making them both easier to sing and easier on the ear. - The Conversation
to Cairo and asked people there about it — and she found that people, even those who've never seen it themselves, seem generally proud of Aïda and its glorification of their homeland's ancient history. - The Guardian
The scheduled conductor and all four soloists, who'd been rehearsing together, tested positive the day before Wednesday's concert — and, rather than canceling, the orchestra managed to round up another cast and conductor within 24 hours. David Patrick Stearns reports on how it went. - The Philadelphia Inquirer
The geeks among you will recognize that the words “decentralization” and “distributed network” invoke a nearly 10-year-old model of equitable Web-based information flow, one that’s currently on fire because of the Wild West-mood surrounding Web 3.0, crypto, and NFTs. - Slate
A set of young New Yorkers seems to have decided that the Met is cool. Sure, many of them appear more interested in the dress-up-drink-Champagne-and-be-fabulous aspect than in the art, but that's been true for centuries — and others are finding they like opera. - The New York Times
The program will support four new fellows each season by the year 2025, making it one of the larger fellowship opportunities in the country. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
2021 is the 300th anniversary of the six extraordinary works. Mark Swed looks at the slew of recordings marking the occasion, from a spectacular period-instrument account to a reissued version from 86 years ago to a set of six new companion pieces. - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
Jay Nordlinger: "What is the glory of Western civilization? Our political freedom, probably — the rights of individual man. But I would not put music far behind, with Bach leading the way." - National Review
In particular, symphony orchestras, such as those in San Antonio and in Springfield, Mass., which have the twin problems of long-term financial distress and intractable disputes with musicians' unions demanding livable wages are facing serious danger. - The New York Times
New investors, including private equity firms, have poured billions of dollars into the market, viewing music royalties as a kind of safe commodity — an investment, somewhat like real estate, with predictable rates of return and relatively low risk. - The New York Times
