The South Dakota Symphony concert I last wrote about in this space has now come and gone. In every way, it fortified my impression that this is an orchestra that deserves to be a national model. The program comprised Lou Harrison’s Piano Concerto and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. That is: it introduced to Sioux Falls an American masterpiece that is … [Read more...] about Curating American Repertoire in South Dakota
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“Shostakovich in South Dakota” on NPR — A New Template for Orchestras
My NPR “More than Music” program “Shostakovich in South Dakota” can now be accessed here. I document the impact of a remarkable contextualized performance of Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony by Delta David Gier and his singular South Dakota Symphony last February – and ponder its significance for the future of embattled American orchestras … [Read more...] about “Shostakovich in South Dakota” on NPR — A New Template for Orchestras
Re-Thinking the Concert Experience in South Dakota and Minnesota
There was a time – the 1990s, when I was running the Brooklyn Philharmonic at BAM – when the practice of speaking from the stage at symphonic concerts was controversial, both among audiences and orchestra leaders. And people debated whether or not thematic programing was a good thing. Those days are finally over. But the next step – fundamentally re-thinking the … [Read more...] about Re-Thinking the Concert Experience in South Dakota and Minnesota
BURIED TREASURE: Farwell’s Forbidden “Hako” Quartet — Take Two
My most recent blog was yet another plea that the music of Arthur Farwell – America’s most important cancelled concert composer – become known. I posted the world premiere recording of Farwell’s amazing Hako String Quartet. In response, I have received an amazing comment from Curt Cacioppo. Since it’s buried in the comments section of my blog, I’m reposting it here so that it … [Read more...] about BURIED TREASURE: Farwell’s Forbidden “Hako” Quartet — Take Two
The Arts in America — Is the Pandemic a Perfect Storm?
In 1987, my Understanding Toscanini was the most discussed, most reviled book about classical music to have appeared in recent memory. Its subtitle was “How He Became an American Culture-God and Helped Create a New Audience for Old Music.” I used Arturo Toscanini -- for decades, the most famous and influential classical musician in the US, hailed as a “priest of … [Read more...] about The Arts in America — Is the Pandemic a Perfect Storm?