North Korean Public Largely Unaware of Cultural Exchange
The New York Philharmonic’s visit to Pyongyang made news around the globe, but was not widely reported in North Korea, reports the orchestra and the Los Angeles Times. The concert that the orchestra played was televised but not carried on radio, which is far more available to the general population, say the reports. Electricity is not always available in the evenings, so watching television is often impossible, even for the wealthier segment of the population that could afford the hardware, the reports add.
North Korean moderates won a major victory in having the orchestra play in their capital city, but it seems that hardliners won the day with regard to local broadcasting and publicity, the reports concluded.
www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-korea28feb28,0,6443291.story
www.nyphil.org/korea
Do Critics Have to Hear the Whole Performance?
Maxim magazine has apologized for publishing an unfavorable review of the Black Crowes’ album Warpaint, says the Associated Press. It seems some of the music the magazine reviewed was not on the advance copy of the CD that the record label sent to the publication.
Unfortunately, this sometimes happens with classical music as well. When a critic reviewed a recent concert by The Opera Orchestra of New York, he praised the rendition of some pieces that were on the program but, according to Opera-L, the orchestra did not perform.
opera-l@listserv.bccls.org
www.blackcrowes.com/release_maxim.html
Scottish University Recreates Bach’s Face
Forensic artists at the University of Dundee in Scotland have recreated the face of JS Bach for the Bachhaus Museum in Eisenach, Germany, the university reports. The Bachhaus Museum provided Caroline Wilkinson and her co-workers with a bronze cast of the composer’s skull and the only surviving portrait of Bach. Using a laser scan of the skull along with the painting, documents, and accounts from Bach’s time, forensic artists recreated Bach’s facial musculature and features on their computer system.
www.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/2008/prfeb08/bach.html
Juilliard and the Met to Join Forces for YAP
The Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School have agreed to operate the opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program jointly, beginning with the 2010-2011 season, the two organizations announced. The training program for singers and collaborative pianists will offer Met coaching and performing opportunities combined with Juilliard masterclasses, acting and movement instruction, and academic subjects such as music theory. James Levine will conduct one performance per year at the school.
Currently, the program comprises 13 singers and three pianists. Met General Manager Peter Gelb hopes to expand that to include more singers who perform well in the Met’s National Council Auditions as well as talent from around the world. The program runs for three years and offers each participant a stipend of $30,000 to $40,000 per year.
www.metopera.org
www.juilliard.edu
Canadian Radio to Play Fewer Classics, says Newspaper
CBC Radio executives are rethinking their programming, says the Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail. The executives at the Canadian equivalent of Britain’s BBC Radio have decided to cut back on classical music during the morning drive time and to eliminate it from the evening drive time. CBC will, however, play only classical selections between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Half of all music played must be Canadian and CBC’s classical choices will emphasize the most popular works, said the story. Needless to say, CBC has experienced no shortage of protests from listeners, the story added.
www.scena.org
www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2008/03/04/radio-two.htm
More Melody Might Revive the Popularity of Classical Music, Says Composer
Poet, playwright, and director Bertolt Brecht once said that if the circle of musical connoisseurs was too small it was the duty of artists to expand it. Roger Rudenstein, a contemporary classical composer, suggests that musicians need not only to educate listeners but also to give them accessible music they can enjoy with ease, reports newmusicbox.org. Rudenstein blames some of the late 20th century decline in the popularity of classical music on atonality in new music and a general lack of attention to public taste, said the report.
www.newmusicbox.org/article.numbx?id=5388
In-School Performers Can Help Teachers Use Music in Classrooms
Most schools are no longer teaching children to play any sort of music, according to the New York Times. Performers who present musical programs in schools may be the only musicians with whom most young students come in contact. Artists can also introduce elementary teachers to websites that feature materials designed for educators who are not trained in music. The occasional presence of performing artists in schools can inspire classroom teachers who need a little nudge towards teaching their students simple songs, said the report.
www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/IDEAS_FOR_CLASSROOM_USE.html
www.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/arts/music/25musi.html
San Francisco Opera Loses Its Second in Command
Shane Gasbarra, San Francisco Opera’s director of artistic and music administration, is leaving the company for undisclosed reasons, the orchestra reports. Gasbarra has been General Manager David Gockley’s right hand man, not only in San Francisco, but also in Houston before that, so his departure comes as a surprise.
Gasbarra’s main tasks and major accomplishments involved dealing with the American Guild of Musical Artists and the American Federation of Musicians. He was frequently able to bring about agreements that were acceptable to both sides in a relatively short time. Gockley had thanked him publicly for his help in expanding the company’s broadcasting activities.
www.sfcv.org
www.sfopera.com
