Sarah Canice Funke's Blog

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

For many classical music fans, a trip to the Boston Symphony Orchestra may only be a rare treat, experienced every once in a while after carefully hoarding up the price of a ticket. But for those who are willing to attend the symphony on a less crowded weekday and to get to the symphony hall a little early, a trip to the BSO is made a more common reality through the affordable Rush Ticket.

Rush Tickets are available for $9 at 5pm on the night of a Tuesday or Thursday performance or at 10am on the morning of a Friday afternoon performance. These tickets are not simply the leftover seats in the farthest balcony, but are often in the very front rows. If ticket prices are the only thing prohibiting a classical music fan from experiencing one of the country's top orchestras, take advantage of the inexpensive but excellent Rush Ticket seats.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The UK lottery fund Awards for All lived up to its name by awarding a grant even to a most unusual group: the Bicycle Belles Orchestra. This group of 30 musicians performs original works for bells and horns, often practicing outdoors. According to Anna Carey, a Bicycle Belles co-founder, these practices are often a great hit: "Our outdoor rehearsals often turn into impromptu concerts as people stop to listen on the promenade."

The bicycle bell players received £1,377, or approximately $2,500 USD, which will go toward turning these happenstance rehearsals into four public performances around Brighton.

The money will also be put to educational uses, as well. The Bicycle Belles Orchestra plans to run workshops at schools and step up recruitment to the orchestra.

The small grant is set to help this group achieve some good, all-around growth: not only should the funds help the Bicycle Belles Orchestra grow its audience, but the money will also strengthen its membership and the ensemble's relationships with schools.

Awards for All, which is the small grants program of the Big Lottery Fund head of the South East region, gave out over £450,000 (over $830,000 USD) in grants to 62 groups in total.

For more information, please read the BBC News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The BBC has developed a new TV show that follows the same format as ABC's Dancing with the Stars: take a group of celebrities, run them through a rigorous course in an arts-related skill, and set them before a panel of judges to determine which is the best newbie of the bunch.

Maestro, a television show that teaches eight celebrities the intricate ins and outs of conducting, will culminate in a final performance with the BBC Orchestra as part of the summer Proms.

Will the finalists be ready? They've certainly gone through an extensive crash course in conducting, studying with experts such as Christopher Warren-Green, Brad Cohen and Matthew Rowe.

The eight celebrities are David Soul, Katie Derham, Goldie, Alex James, Sue Perkins, Bradley Walsh, Jane Asher and Peter Snow. The show is presented by Clive Anderson, a barrister turned comedy writer. The judges are bassist Dominic Seldis, conductor Simone Young, cellist Zoe Martlew and conductor Sir Roger Norrington.

Unfortunately, the show is only available in the UK. Yet even if you are not on British soil, you can still participate in the interactive games on the website. Try your hand at conducting a full orchestra. It's not as easy as it looks.

For more information or to play the conducting game, please visit the Maestro website.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Classical music has always had its jokesters. French composer Erik Satie wrote compositions with quirky titles such as "Genuine Flabby Preludes (for a dog)." Franz Haydn protested his sponsor's refusal to let the court musicians go home to their families with The Farewell Symphony (during the course of this symphony, musicians leave the stage one by one until only a single musician remains).

Now young composer Carl Schimmel is joining the ranks of composers who liked to liven things up with an odd instrument or two. Schimmel is one of the composers who works at the Yaddo colony for artists and writers in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He is known for incorporating unusual instruments into his works, such as squeaky toys and whoopie cushions.

Schimmel has written a work entitled Elemental Homunculi, a Latin phrase which means "little man." The third movement of this composition is scored for tenor saxophone, piano and squeaky toy. While the sax and the piano provide most of the musical material, the squeaky toy chimes in at rather odd moments, sure to provoke a smile on the face of even the most dour listener.

For more information, or to listen to "As Fast As Possible," please visit the NPR Music article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Move over American Idol. No more searching for individual talent. The BBC's new show "Last Choir Standing" is all about rewarding the groups that sing best together, in an effort to find the "nation's favourite choir."

Hosted by presenters Nick Knowles and Myleene Klass, the BBC television show "Last Choir Standing" works in much the same way that American Idol and Dancing with the Stars and a host of other talent shows work: lots of people start out competing in the first few rounds, are judged by a panel of experts and the best ones are sent on to the next round.

The "Last Choir Standing" has a judging panel that consists of opera singer Russell Watson, actress, singer and West End star Sharon D. Clarke and choral conductor and director Suzi Digby.

The show began with 27 choirs that had made it past the audition stage and onto the show. Only 6 of these choirs will make it to the final part of the show, when audiences can start casting their votes as well.

For more information, please see the "Last Choir Standing" website.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

If you happen to have a few musical instruments lying around going to waste, put them to good use by donating them to a homeless shelter. Since musical instruments are rather bulky, most homeless have to give up their music when they live on the streets. However, community workers in the Oppenheimer Park decided that no one should be without music.

Oppenheimer Park is located in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood of Vancouver, B.C. and boasts a community center, among other amenities.

With a $500 grant from the Vancouver Foundation and a few donations, community workers have been able to put a piano and a guitar in the park, for anyone to use during the day. The program is off to a good start but needs many more instruments.

Some of the neighborhood talent is so good that they are collaborating on an entry for the CBC's compose a new Hockey Night in Canada theme contest. This contest offers a cash prize of $100,000 and half of the future royalties.

Could the Vancouver program be the start of a good idea to get music access to everyone, regardless of one's housing status?

For more information, please read the CBC News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The Chinese pianist Lang Lang may be world famous now, but how did he get there? For an in-depth look at the pianist selling out to crowds of tens of thousands, pick up a copy of Lang Lang's new autobiography Journey of a Thousand Miles. With colorful anecdotes and gritty honesty, Lang Lang describes his journey that took him from the small town of Shenyang, China to the world's stage.

The journey wasn't easy. Lang Lang journeyed with his father to the big city of Beijing to try to get into a music conservatory. They eeked out a living on the money his mother was able to send to him while Lang Lang took private lessons from a demanding professor from the Central Conservatory of Music, hoping to be thought good enough to land a place in the school. At the age of 14, Lang Lang's quest for musical greatness brought him to the United States, where he studied under Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

His big break came after three more years of diligent study, when he was ready in the wings to substitute for Andre Watts, who was too ill to perform one evening. Lang Lang performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and sealed his place in the public eye.

For more information, please read the NPR Music article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The BBC Proms Young Composers Competition has some winners! The competition, which runs from March-May, has announced the winners and highly commended composers for 2008 on its website. There are two categories: 12-16 year olds and 17-18 year olds.

For the younger category, the judges recognized three winners: Tom Rose for the composition Moth Lamp, Tom Curran for the composition Searching and Men Gei Li for the composition Triquad Variations.

The older category had two winners: En Liang Khong for the composition Black Rain and Alexander Nikiporenko for the composition Awaiting.

Every year, the BBC Proms Young Composers Competition strives to recognize budding young talent and offer them opportunities to attend workshops and spend time with professional musicians, composers and conductors. Winners and Highly Commended competitors get to attend a special workshop on July 26 and Winners get a special commission from the BBC.

However, even those who didn't win also get a chance to develop their skills: on August 6, anyone who entered the competition will have a chance to work with professional musicians and those in the music industry at workshops held in central London.

For more information, please see the BBC Proms Young Composers Competition website.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

John Cage, known for his experimental compositions that often use instruments in unusual ways or challenge our ideas of what counts as music, gave no instructions regarding just how long "as long as possible" really was when he composed a work by that title in 1985.

The first performance didn't take his title very seriously, executing the work in a mere 29 minutes. The town of Halberstadt, however, has determined to make Cage's music last. The town has decided that modern life is too fast-paced and audiences don't have patience anymore. Everyone wants to get to the end immediately, or at least within their own lifetime, it seems.

Yet harking back to an era when it used to take centuries to build a cathedral rather than months, Halberstadt will take 639 years to perform the Cage's work. Audiences will have to be content knowing that they won't live to hear the end, instead setting up something that will be enjoyed by their descendants.

The piece began in Sept. 2001 and sat silently till the first chord was played in February 2003. Two more notes were played in July 2004. Another change came in July 2005 and another in January 2006.

This new note was played on Saturday, July 5 when Halberstadt officials moved the weights holding down the pedals of an organ in the town's medieval church.

For more information, please read the CBC News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition, a competition known for determining the next generation of classical performers, awarded the top prize of $8,000 to Si Jing Ye.

The young musician, originally from China, currently lives in New York City. In order to win the prestigious prize, he had to compete against a total of 29 contestants. When the panelists had narrowed the competition down to six finalists, Si Jing Ye performed the well-beloved (and difficult) Tchaikovsky's Concerto in B-flat Minor and was declared the winner on Saturday, June 28.

The second place winner, Kenric Tam of Los Altos Hill, Calif., received $6,000 and the third place winner, Jonathan Floril of Spain, received $5,000.

The 10-member jury included chairman Douglas Humphrey of the United States, Rolf-Dieter Arens of Germany, Paola Bruni of Italy, Alan Chow of the United States, Mirian Conti of Argentina, Mieko Harimoto of Japan, Faina Lushtak of Russia, Thomas Schumacher of the United States, Zhe Tang of China and Veda Zuponcic of the United States. The competition took place in the Jeanne Wagner Theatre of the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

For more information, please read the Desert News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Back in 2004, Deborah Voigt had a dazzling career playing lead roles in opera houses round the world. Did it matter if she was heavy if she had a voice that soared? Apparently in today's weight sensitive culture, even the "fat ladies" at the opera are under scrutiny. And when Voigt was denied the lead role in the Royal Opera House's Ariadne auf Naxos because she couldn't fit into the black dress that would serve as Ariadne's costume, the trend was confirmed publicly.

Voigt underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost 135 pounds. Though she stated that she lost the weight for health reasons, she still felt that our culture's attitude toward obesity was "the last bastion of open discrimination in our society." The sopranos who will get what Voigt describes as the "pretty-girl parts" will be the ones with the slim and trim waists.

The weight loss has allowed Voigt to return to the role once denied her: she will be performing in the Royal Opera House's 2008 production of Ariadne auf Naxos, in the same black dress once too small for her figure. However, her new body size has affected her voice and caused some adjustments to the way she approaches singing.

For more information, please see the CBC News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The International Rostrum of Composers, a forum composed of radio broadcasters, released the results of this year's deliberation on Friday, June 13 in Dublin. The group shifts through more than 60 new works each year in order to narrow the decision down to the final Top Ten.

Pieces are submitted to the forum by national radio networks, in order to publicize the new music composed within the last five years.

Nicole Lizée, born in Winnepeg and currently living in Montreal, finished "This Will Not Be Televised" in 2005. The CBC commissioned the piece, which is written for seven turntables and a chamber orchestra.

The work combines a sine wave, a chorus of nuns from The Sound of Music and the vocals of rock artists such as Van Halen's David Lee Roth, the Wu-Tang Clan and Duran Duran.

Accompanying the electronic sounds are two violins, a viola, violoncello, bass and percussion section.

"This Will Not Be Televised" is not Lizée's first composition with turntables. She also included them in works such as RPM and King Kong and Fay Wray.

For more information, please read the CBC News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Get ready for singing cowboys: Brokeback Mountain will be turned into an opera in a few years.

The 1997 short story by Annie Proulx won three Academy awards when turned into a film in 2005. Now composer Charles Wuorinen has been commissioned by the New York City Opera to set the story to music.

Wuorinen says that he has been fascinated by the story, which explores the relationship between two cowboys who fall in love when they meet on the fictitious Brokeback Mountain.

The opera will premiere in 2013. It is the second opera the New York City Opera has commissioned from Wuorinen. His first work for the NYC Opera was opened in October 2004. Called Haroun and the Sea of Stories, the work was based on a Salman Rushdie novel.

For more information, please read the Times article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Earle Hagen created many television worlds: the whistling town of Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show, the cheerful and playful Dick Van Dyke Show and the intense if campy underworld of The Mod Squad. In all, he composed music for over 3,000 television episodes, plots or TV movies.

The quick turnaround and pressing deadlines of TV may be stifling to some, but Hagen enjoyed the creativity of composing for the small screen. He enjoyed being able to hear freshly composed music mere days after putting it to paper. He often tried to incorporate "exotic" or "ethnic" sounds in the music, chosen to reflect the adventures of the characters. Once, he hired Greek musicians for episodes that took place in Greece.

Hagen's talent in composing for television was recognized in 1968, when he won an Emmy for the adventure series I Spy, which starred Bill Cosby.

Yet TV was not Hagen's only claim to fame. Born in 1919, this TV music composer was a man of very diverse talents. Hagen also played trombone with the likes of jazz legends Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey and composed the classic Harlem Nocturne (1939).

In addition, Hagen was one of the first to write a textbook on composing film music.

He had been suffering from ill health for several months when he passed away in his home in Rancho Mirage, California on Monday, May 26. His memorial service will be held on June 1, 2008.

For further information, please read the CBC News article or the Earle Hagen website.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

It may be a long-standing joke that the football teams and the science/business departments are the ones that get all the money at universities, while the musicians languish in the basement. However, that sorry tale is no more. The University of Manitoba has recently received a hefty $20 million gift just for its music department.

The donor, Manitoba businessman and alumnus Marcel A. Desautels, wanted to put his money where his heart was, and his passion led him to give his alma mater its largest gift ever. Although Desautels made his fortune in the credit industry, he had once considered a career in opera.

To be paid out over the course of five years, the $20 million will bolster the music department and the students it can support. Half will go toward building a new department and the other half will help create more scholarships. Not only will more students be able to attend the university, but they will have better facilities when they get there.

The faculty at the University of Manitoba have big dreams for the money. Steve Kirby, who heads the jazz program, wants to see his program become a serious competitor of the Juilliard School of Music's Institute for Jazz Studies.

For more information, please read the CBC News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Leyla Gencer was a frequent performer at the prestigious La Scala Opera House, appearing in over 70 productions. But the singer and teacher will no longer grace the Milanese stage: the 79-year-old Gencer passed away on May 10, 2008 after experiencing respiratory problems and heart failure.

Gencer was born in October, 1928 in Istanbul, Turkey and began studies at the Istanbul conservatory, only to switch to private lessons from the Italian opera singer Giannina Arangi Lombardi in Ankara.

Her career spanned over 30 years and included roles ranging from The First Woman of Canterbury in the world premier of Pizzeti's "L'Assasinio nella Cattedralle" (Murder in the Cathedral) to Elisabetta in "Don Giovanni."

Both the Turkish and the Italian miss this singer: La Scala Opera House and the Turkish Prime Minister expressed admiration for Gencer and regret over the loss of such a moving soprano.

Gencer retired over 20 years ago in 1985, in order to search out new talent and train young singers. She died in her home in Milan and her funeral was held in that city on May 12. Her will called for her body to be cremated and the ashes scattered over the Bosporus in her native Turkey.

For more information, please see the article in the Turkish Daily News.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Depending on how talks go between the Manchester City Council and the Royal Opera House, Covent Gardens, tourists to the east side of England's textile city could be watching kings and queens sing on stage rather than counting the royal figures in a deck of cards.

Manchester is looking for a way to rejuvenate the east part of the city and plans for a casino have been tossed. Instead the city councillors are interested in using opera to renew the area, especially because the Royal Opera House's performance of a circus opera--Monkey: Journey to the West--opened Manchester's 2007 International Festival.

The circus opera, a collaboration between the band Gorillaz and opera director Chen Shi Zheng, suggested the possibilities of making opera relevant and engaging for modern audiences.

So far, talks haven't reached the nitty-gritty stage of determining how many jobs would be created or how much revenue would be generated. But the Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, Tony Hall, is excited about the future potential for opera such a project might suggest.

Will hip programming bring in more revenue and create more jobs than gambling? The answer remains to be seen, but we may get a chance to find out if the Royal Opera House comes to Manchester.

For more information, please read the BBC News article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Henry Brant, a U.S. avant-garde composer, died at the age of 94 on Saturday, April 26 in his Santa Barbara, California home. His death was due to natural causes.

Born in Montreal in 1913, the composer was the son of American parents and eventually moved to the US. As a composer, he experimented in order to find a new music that reflected the hodge-podge collection of sounds in daily life. Simply by walking down the street, the average person can hear jazz from a restaurant, rap from a car stereo and someone's own collection of favorite hits coming from an upstairs apartment.

He was also a composer who liked to put musicians in their places. At least, he enjoyed exploring acoustical space and the effects of placing musicians in different parts of a performance venue. A work such as Horizontals Extending entails two ensembles placed widely apart and a trapset (percussion) on stage; all three groups of musicians then play in a different time.

He played instruments ranging from the tin whistle to the organ and violin. He studied at McGill University in Canada and later in New York. He has also taught at the Juilliard School, Columbia University and Bennington College.

In 2002, Brant was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his composition Ice Field. Brant received two Guggenheim Fellowships and won the Prix Italia, becoming the first American to take home that prize.

For more information, please see the CBC News Article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Most tenors at the New York's Metropolitan Opera House sing an aria and get on with the music. But on Monday, April 21, the audience attending the Met's performance of Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment were treated to something that hadn't happened in 14 years. The tenor Juan Diego Florez encored an aria in response to the crowd's enthusiasm, bringing the production to a halt while he whipped through another 9 high C's in "Ah, Mes Amis."

Purists of the modern age would be disgruntled by the action-stopping showmanship. In fact, the reason encores are so rare is that the Met regarded requests for an encore in the same vein as flash photography.

But the disdain for encores is a more modern phenomenon. Back during the 17th-18th centuries, opera divas were quite willing to encore a favorite aria. Some singers became so associated with a particular number that composers would write that signature piece into the score.

But all that changed with the reform of opera. By the late 18th-century, composers like Gluck were fed up with opera theatrics. Singers must be subordinate to the music, not the other way round. Gradually, doing whatever you wanted to do on stage fell out of fashion.

But post-modernism has been chipping away at the crusty exterior and Peter Gelb, who became the general manager of the Met in 2006, has been loosening some of the rules. Maybe someday we'll forget the plot all together (always rather thin in an opera anyway) and simply create the opera sing-along, in which the audience joins voice with the singers in chorus after chorus of favorite hits.

For more information, please see the NPR article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

In the 1800s, Richard Wagner had a dream to create an all-encompassing, multi-media art experience combining music, art and drama into the ultimate artistic expression. But his plans outstripped the capabilities of 19th-century theaters and he built his own in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth. In 1876, Wagner founded the Bayreuth Festival in order to premiere his colossal four-opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung. Based on Norse mythology, the cycle consists of the following operas:

• Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold)
• Die Walkure (The Valkyrie)
• Siegfried
• Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods).

Over 125 years later, the Bayreuth Festival remains a prestigious affair, still run by Wagners. For the last 50 years, Richard Wagner's grandson Wolfgang Wagner has directed the show. Now 88, he is finally showing signs of retiring. Wolfgang Wagner appears to be ready to hand direction of the festival over to his daughter by a second marriage, 29-year-old Katharina Wagner.

Yet many, including the Richard Wagner Foundation, feel that the younger daughter lacks the know-how to bear such a responsibility. They favor Wolfgang Wagner's 62-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Eva Wagner-Pasquier is an experienced arts and culture manager and would be able to step into her father's shoes quite easily.

One might expect such a rivalry to result in a bitter feud, but the two sisters appear to be making a deal. They are working on a proposal, due April 29, which will outline a plan for the festival's future.

For more information, please read the CBC Article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The CBC is planning to get rid of its Radio 2 orchestra and fans aren't happy about it. Classical music fans protested across Canada on Friday, April 11 in an attempt to prevent the public broadcasting company from dropping its radio orchestra.

Playing music and holding signs proclaiming "Save our CBC," "Classical Music Rocks," "My CBC includes the CBC Radio Orchestra," protesters gathered for an hour in front of CBC branch locations.

But the protests aren't limited to single hour demonstrations: a Facebook group (now the popular way to organize people for social change) has attracted 13,000 supporters.

The CBC, however, cites its decision as one that will enhance musical diversity on its stations, claiming a need to represent more genres on Radio 2. Classical music will still get the most air time, but there will now be room for jazz, folk, roots, R & B and singer-songwriter styles.

The classical music fans, however, disagree. People go to a particular genre station because they want to listen to a single genre. Mixing genres is just a way to make everyone unhappy.

What do you think about the CBC's decision? Should Radio 2 stay true to its classical music fans or branch out in the name of peace, harmony and musical diversity?

For more information, please read the CBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Ralph Vaughan Williams may have been dead for 50 years, but his popularity in his native land lives on, evidenced by the strong support he received through Classic FM's recent Hall of Fame poll.

Vaughan Williams was a British composer through and through, taking much of his compositional inspiration from early English folk music.

Apparently the English public appreciate his dedication to promoting, preserving and championing their cultural history, as radio listeners of the UK's Classic FM radio show have voted one of his works the "best classical piece of music" for the second year in row.

Vaughan Williams' popularity is strong enough that his piece "The Lark Ascending" not only received the number one vote, but his Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis was voted into third place.

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 came in second. The bastion of the classical repertoire, Beethoven, took 4th and 5th place.

Classic FM's list of top classical works covers some 300 compositions, twelve of which were written by Vaughan Williams. Understandably, Mozart, Beethoven and Bach have the most representation, but even Paul McCartney made it on the list this year for Ecce Cor Meum.

For more information, please read the BBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

With a price tag of $3.9 million USD, the Guarneri del Gesu violin sold at auction in February is not surprisingly kept safely stowed and not brought out just for any old house party entertainment. In fact, the violin hadn't been played for over 70 years.

However, all that changed when the violin's new owner, Russian lawyer and businessman Maxim Viktorov, hosted a private concert in Moscow over Easter weekend. Viktorov arranged for violinist Pinchas Zukerman to perform on the violin, considering the virtuoso to be the one worthy enough to coax music out of the world's most expensive instrument.

Israeli-born Zukerman also plays a Guarneri violin himself. Only 150 violins made by the Guarneri family survive today. The Italian family was one of the top violin makers of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Viktorov's violin was built in 1741 and previously owned by Belgian Henri Vieuxtemps, who played for Tsar Alexander II. Viktorov hopes to restore Russia to its great cultural history and make it a country that once again attracts top artists, but the concert met with lack-luster enthusiasm. Zukerman didn't even receive a standing ovation, but the audience did muster up a round of applause for Max Bruch's Violin Concerto in G Minor.

For more information, please read the CBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The 78-year-old Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott died on Wednesday, March 12, bringing to a close a relationship with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales that had spanned seven decades. To honor this partnership, the National Orchestra of Wales is planning to name its new home Hoddinott Hall (in the Wales Millennium Centre).

Hoddinott was a Welshman through and through. Born in Bargoed, Caerphilly, he graduated from Cardiff University and lectured in music at the Welsh College of Music and Drama before becoming a lecturer at his alma mater. His hometown in later life was Gower, Swansea, where he died in the city’s Morriston Hospital.

His appeal reached through the entire United Kingdom: he was called upon to compose music for the wedding of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles. He had also composed music for the Prince’s 16th birthday.

But he was especially loved in Wales. In 1997, Hoddinott received the Glyndwr Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales during the Machynlleth Festival and in 1999 was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arts Council of Wales.

Hoddinott has also worked to foster music appreciation among his countrymen, co-founding and directing the Cardiff Festival. His friend and fellow co-founder of the festival was John Ogdon.

For more information, please read the BBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Forensic artists at the Dundee University offer classical music fans a different face for German composer J.S. Bach (1685-1750). Typically, biographies of the 18th century composer use a portrait of J.S. Bach that depicts the composer as a stern, wigged and large-nosed individual, a bit dusty and far removed from the 21st century.

However, the artists in Scotland have made the Baroque composer seem a little more lifelike. Taking a bronze cast of Bach's skull and scanning it with a laser, the forensic artists were able to use his bone structure to digitally construct facial muscles and skin. Historical records (such as the fact that Bach had eye problems and swollen eyelids) helped to fill in the details. According to the Centre for Forensic and Medical Art's Dr. Caroline Wilkinson, the face is as complete as current science and records can make it.

The completed face will travel from Scotland to Eisenach, Germany (Bach's hometown) where it will go on display in the Bachhaus museum.

To see the recreation of Bach's face or for more information, please read the BBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The New York Metropolitan Opera has seen quite a few shows since it first opened in 1883 on Broadway at 39th. Though it has changed venues since then, hosting over 200 performances annually at the Lincoln Center, the Met's reputation as a bastion of High Culture has never wavered.

To celebrate the 125th season of the Met, the opera house announced that it will feature six new performances and 22 revivals, including a performance using a projection of a set designed by artist Marc Chagall for a 1967 production of Mozart's Die Zauberfloete. New performances include a production of John Adam's Doctor Atomic.

To celebrate the 40 years that Placido Domingo has been with the Met, the opera house will host a gala in March. To honor the one-year anniversary of Pavarotti's death, conductor James Levine will give a free performance of Verdi's Requiem on Sept. 18.

So mark your calendars and be prepared for another good season of opera. If you can't make it to New York, don't worry. The Met has gone HD, offering full-screen versions of its performances at select movie theaters across the country.

For more information, please read the CBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

A tour that has attracted interest for months, the New York Philharmonic's trip to North Korea raised speculations of potential cultural and perhaps political reconciliation between the United States and North Korea. Would the tour achieve a feat of cultural diplomacy, fostering greater understanding and cultural awareness between East and West, Communism and Democracy?

As the tour came to a close on Wednesday, February 26, musicians and directors were buzzing with enthusiasm. Not only did the New York Philharmonic draw packed crowds to its performances, but the American orchestra got to play with the North Korean state orchestra. Players from the NYP also got to perform with North Korean players. The Americans were surprised at the North Koreans' proficiency in Western music (which makes me wonder, what were they expecting? Many Asian nations are quite familiar with Western music). Both sides were extremely happy with the experience, making the North Korea tour a tremendous success.

For more information, please read the CBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

"Is there a baritone in the house?" When bass-baritone Paul Whelen attended a performance of Lucia di Lammermoor at London's Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 16, he probably expected to stay firmly put in his seat. Maybe he expected to pick up some tips on the role of the pastor Raimondo. After all, he was scheduled to play the same part himself in a month.

But on that particular evening, singer Clive Bayley was struggling with a chest infection. Though he valiently stuck out 40 minutes of his role as Raimondo, Bayley finally decided he couldn't continue. What was an opera company to do with this last minute cancellation?

Fortunately, they called on Whelen. The singer barely had time to run backstage for the second scene. However, there was no time left for costume changes. To avoid disrupting the 19th century world created on stage, Whelen stayed in his 21st century clothes off in the wings. He sang the part from there, while Bayley mimed the action onstage. Together, they brought a memorable performance to a successful close. The audience, of course, loved it.

For more information, please read the BBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Tom Service is a music critic for the Guardian and a regular writer for the BBC Music Magazine, Opera, and Tempo. His voice also appears on the air every Saturday afternoon on the BBC Radio 3's program Music Matters.

The program combines music clips with commentary and interviews of conductors and musicians for a weekly exploration of the contemporary classical world. Classical music fans who want a behind-the-scenes look at how a conductor decides how to perform a symphony or an opera director makes staging decisions will find some fascinating material.

The show explores both the themes of great classical works as well as the historical context and difficulties and choices a conductor/musician must make in performance.

Listeners who don't live in the UK can still enjoy this program by streaming episodes off the BBC Radio 3's website. So if you don't have time on Saturday, you can catch Tom Service and some Music Matters at any time of the day or week.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

You can find anything on the internet these days, including virtual music lessons for a wide variety of instruments. Whether you want tips for perfecting your bowing technique, information on how often to tune your piano or where to find a paying gig, the BBC's Play It Again section on their website offers a little help for both the beginner and advanced musician.

Organized by orchestral family (strings, brass, winds, keyboards, etc.), tips on most of the major instruments are available on the site. In addition to text-based material, video clips are also included (though the clips were not working for me when I visited the site). Even if you can't access the video clips, several useful tips are still available. Especially helpful for beginners or those who simply want to find out a little more about a particular instrument, Play It Again offers advice on everything from the electric guitar to the organ.

For those aspiring musicians who want to take their skills a bit farther, Play It Again also offers several links to music organizations and orchestras, in case you want to join an ensemble, find a paying gig or attend a symphony performance (although these links will be most useful for UK residents).

And above all, don't forget to visit the colorful, kid-friendly Guide to the Orchestra and listen to clips of music by Leonard Bernstein, Beethoven, Elgar and Stravinsky.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Do you get tired of trying to find a good radio station? Are you a compulsive channel changer? If you are having trouble finding some good classical music, than you might want to check out NPR's Music Lists Archives homepage. This webpage provides access to hundreds of MP3 clips that can be streamed with the click of a mouse (clips are opened and played through a radio application run by NPR). Though NPR has assembled several playlists of its own, a listener can click on several clips of his or her choice, arrange them in the player, and sit back and listen to the music cycle through in the order selected. Of course, this method requires a little more hunting and arranging than the sit-back-and-relax method of radio listening, but the results are a highly personalized stream of music.

The "Music Lists Archives" homepage offers the listener access to more than just classical music--all of NPR's featured music ends up here sooner or later. So you can mix a little Rachmaninoff with your Radiohead and your Miles Davis.

Since these music clips are available over the internet, you can plug your headphones into your computer at work and enjoy an atmosphere of your own choosing. If you don't get distracted by that beautiful Beethoven, you'll be the happiest and most productive member of the workforce.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Canadian composer Talivaldis Kenins passed away in Toronto on January 22, 2007. Canadian musicologist Paul Rapoport observes that Kenins entered the Canadian classical music scene at a time when Canada was largely dependent on her parent country Great Britain for inspiration. Kenins' central European aesthetic, then, was a distinct voice in 1950s Canada.

This fluency in central European music is no surprise, however, as Kenins was born in Latvia in 1919. In addition, his education also left its mark on his compositional style. Kenins' study at the College de Menton and Lycée de Grenoble, France (where he obtained a "Bachelier des lettres" in 1939) provided him training in neo-classicism.

After completing his studies in France, Kenins returned to Latvia, but only briefly: after WWII, Soviet occupation of Latvia compelled Kenins to flee back to France. After marrying Latvian Vlada Dreimane, Kenins moved with his wife to Canada in 1951, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1956.

Kenins' more notable compositions include his Second Piano Quartet, Concerto for 14 Instruments and Symphony No. 4. He served on the music faculty at the University of Toronto and founded the Latvian Concert Association of Toronto in 1959.

For more information, please read CBC News or La Scena Newswire.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

NPR's recent story on classical music in cartoons demonstrates that this "low-brow" medium has long been used to familiarize American culture with the "classics." Who doesn't associate the Allegro from Mozart's Sonata in C with Tweety Bird? Or Mendelssohn's Spring Song with Bugs Bunny?

The NPR article provided several examples of piano music and orchestral music that shows up in cartoons, but didn't mention where Bugs Bunny seems to end up the most: the opera house.

In the opera house, Bugs Bunny has the most room for upsetting convention, for foiling upper class values and finally giving the slip yet again to blunderers with guns. As Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin might say, the opera offers the perfect place to stage a "carnival," or the reversal of the status quo. "Highbrow" is ridiculous, the underdog wins and "everything is upside down."

Here are some examples of opera gone awry when this rabbit comes to town:

What's Opera Doc? (A parody of Wagnerian Opera, with some ballet thrown in for good measure.)

The Rabbit of Seville (A new take on an old classic. Most of the major themes from Rossini's music is preserved unaltered by anything other than the comic visual graphics.)

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The BBC Proms is joining forces with the BBC Scottish Symphony in order to encourage children aged 12-18 to attend Composer Labs held in Glasgow.

You may have heard of the BBC's Young Composer competition, and perhaps be thinking that these labs are for the genius kids. But the Composer Labs are open to anyone who wants to attend, on a first come, first served basis. At the Glasgow City Halls, you'll have the opportunity to work with musicians from the BBC Orchestras and BBC Singers, as well as with leading composers.

And who knows? Maybe you'll discover that you do have a little muse in you after all and go on to enter the Young Composer's competition, perform in a Prom, go on to be the next year's top composer.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? Maybe we need orchestras and radio stations teaming up to provide classical music interactivity for kids on our side of the pond.

For more information, please visit the BBC website.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Back in 1722, Johann Sebastien Bach wrote a prelude and accompanying fugue for every single key signature on the piano, just to prove how easy the new well-tempered tuning system. Made common in the 18th century, the well-tempered system meant no more retuning the entire instrument every time a performer wanted to change keys. In 1744 Bach repeated the feat, composing 24 more prelude/fugue pairs.

Now a familiar part of any piano students' repertoire, these two sets of preludes and fugues (entitled the Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I and II) have inspired several other several composers after Bach to compose sets of preludes and fugues or simply sets of preludes based on patterns of key signatures, most notably Shostakovich and Chopin. Bach had a pedagogical bent and many teachers today use his sets of preludes and fugues to teach keyboard technique. His fugues are especially useful in developing voicing, or the ability to make one phrase or melody stand out over another that is being played simultaneously.

Now every morning at 8am (Greenwich time), the BBC Radio 3 brings the general public one of J.S. Bach's 48 preludes and fugues. Though The 48 at 8 program is nearly 2/3s over, listeners can still listen till January 17, 2008.

For more information, or to listen online, please visit the BBC Radio 3 website.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

It's not too late to catch some of the best snippets from the 2007 BBC Proms this Christmas and New Year season. From December 24 through January 4, listeners can enjoy select performances from the Proms on the BBC's Radio 3. Hear orchestras from around the world, including the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, the San Francisco Symphony, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The last orchestra will close the 12-day celebration with its Prom performance of symphonies by Schubert and Bruckner.

The BBC Proms take place every summer in London's Royal Albert Hall. The concerts were established in 1895 and have become an established venue for introducing audiences to new music.

For a concert schedule or to listen online, please visit the BBC website.

For more information on the history of the Proms, please visit the Proms homepage.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Julian Kuerti, a Canadian conductor and son of pianist Anton Kuerti, is set to conduct four concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra this coming March. As assistant conductor, he will also be on call to substitute for James Levine or other conductors if illness or accidents prevent them from appearing on a given concert night.

Kuerti will spend three years with the BSO as assistant conductor and has already moved to Boston. The BSO is an unusual major orchestra in that it allows assistant conductors the chance to conduct within the first year. Plus, the prestige of working with James Levine adds a significant boost to the resume.

Though Kuerti is a Canadian, he received most of his training in Germany because he didn't want to succeed in a musical career simply because of his father's fame. He is accordingly having to adjust to the culture of North American orchestras.

For further information, please read the CBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

A Flintshire group is using music therapy to help patients improve their memories. The participants play rhythmic patterns on percussion instruments, in the company of friends and relatives. They also sing old favorite songs. So far the activities trigger long term memories, but don't effect short term memory.

The chair of the Alzheimer's Society's Flintshire branch, 67-year-old Lynne Hughes, wants to promote the methods more broadly if they work. The experiment will run for six weeks at five locations in Flintshire.

The experiment makes sense. Often favorite songs become favorites because of all the memories and associations we attach to them. By accessing one thread in the web of memory--the song--the participant can often access the other threads. At the very least, the activities offer an environment for memory loss patients to interact socially with each other and their care-givers.

For more information, please read the BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Opera singer Maria Field tried to sing opera semi-professionally for 17 years, but finally succumbed to perpetual bad health and left the stage. Even as a child, she was weak and sickly. When she began singing at age 25, she visited doctors, looking for a solution to her health problems. Yet no one could figure out what was causing her poor health. However, two years ago, an x-ray revealed that she possessed two extra ribs which were narrowing her chest cavity.

A rather finicky but successful operation in May removed one of the ribs, and the second rib was removed in November. Now Field can use her diaphragm properly, an essential action for any singer, but especially for opera singers who wish to have their voices carry across stage.

The vascular surgeon who removed her ribs, Mr John Thompson, performed the surgery while listening to a CD of Field's music. Now at the age of 42, Field hopes to return to her passion professionally.

For more information, please read the BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

As part of an effort to increase revenue, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra plans to record its performances (including this season's Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky). The TSO will then release CD compilations of the best recordings as well as downloadable material. Downloads could even be available as early as the beginning of 2008.

With a deficit at $8.9 million, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra has been trying to increase ticket sales and other revenue-generating services. Since record labels typically don't seek out very many classical symphonies, the TSO is taking matters into its own hands and releasing its own records.

Will downloads and record sales decrease ticket sales? Or promote increased awareness and interest in the symphony? The 2007-2008 Toronto Symphony Orchestra's experiments will reveal whether self-published music is a viable aid for classical symphonies in the digital world.

For more information, please read the CBC article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Perhaps many are familiar with the story of Juan and Eva Perón, made famous by the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical Evita. What is less familiar perhaps is what happened after the Peróns died: with permission from Juan Perón's widow Isabel Martínez de Perón, Jorge Rafael Videla used the military to embark on a slaughter of left-wing opponents, eventually ousting Isabel herself.

An estimated 30,000 people simply disappeared during the tortures and killings, several of which were children. Much resistance to the Dirty War (1976-1983) centered in the Argentine town La Plata. Estaba la Madre or The Mother Was There, an opera that opened recently in La Plata, tells the story of the mothers who kept waiting (and searching) for their children to come home.

The one-act opera is by Argentine composer Luis Bacalov. The opera is inspired by Stabat Mater (also translated "The Mother Was There"), a 13th century Latin work that recounts the story of the virgin Mary's grief over her son's death. But despite Bacalov's homage to the Catholic Church's music, Catholic officials are criticized for their role in the injustices.

For a fuller plot description and audio clips of the music, please read the NPR story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Those who want to attend a production of Verdi's Requiem at La Scala Opera House will have to come back another day. A strike involving 800 workers, including 135 musicians and 107 chorus members, necessitated the cancellation.

The strike was staged in an effort to obtain better pay and work schedules for workers at the Italian opera house. Over the course of six years, the number of performances has increased by over 100. The workers have gone on strike twice this week, putting the 2007-2008 season opening into doubt.

Strikes have been successful in the past: in 2005, a strike was staged to protest musical director Riccardo Muti. The director later resigned.

However, the outcome of the current strike is in doubt: La Scala's artistic director Stephane Lissner feels that the demands for salary increases are unreasonable.

The workers, however, want Lissner to reopen discussion and negotiation.

The situation

For more information, please read the AFP story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

A classical musician faces many challenges in the course of his or her career: keeping an audience's attention during performance and negotiating recording studio time crunches are two of the practical real-life challenges that contestants in the BBC's Classical Star competition must face as they strive towards the final performance.

In addition, each potential star must participate in several masterclasses covering topics in composition and performance. Learning how to dance the tango, how to walk on stage, how to sample music, and how to compose film music all teach young musicians insights on rhythms, the body, sound, and mood.

To watch clips of the challenges and masterclasses, please visit the BBC Classical Star Masterclasses website. The final three contestants will perform on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Who will be the next Classical Star? Check out the competition and cast your vote.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Fondly dubbed the "Hoppera," an opera based on five paintings by artist Edward Hopper will receive its first performance in a few weeks. Everyone is familiar with Hopper's evocative Nighthawks, the painting of the urban sophisticates seen through a diner window. Equally evocative are the five paintings that form the basis for "Later That Same Evening," the Hopper opera: Room in New York (1932), Hotel Window (1955), Hotel Room (1931), Two on the Aisle (1927), and Automat (1927). In fact, most of Hopper's paintings are ideal inspirations for drama: peopled with colorful characters located in stark, isolated settings, suggestive of a multitude of story lines, the paintings practically beg to be performed.

For example, "Two on the Aisle," a painting that depicts a theater, provides the story setting for the opera: the characters meet in a theater and even fight over seats. One character, however, stays away: a dancer, based on the painting of a seated woman who is reading a letter, represents an artist who just couldn't make it in the big city. Her letter is intended to be her farewell to her boyfriend and to New York.

A collaboration between composer John Musto and librettist Mark Campbell, the "Hoppera" is set to premiere on Nov. 15-18.

For more information, catch the NPR clip here.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

At 70, Philip Glass is still going strong, adding another opera to the more than 20 already in his repertoire. The latest opera, Appomattox, deals with a theme very familiar to American audiences: the Civil War. The title comes from the name of the courthouse where Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee signed the papers that ended the four-year conflict between North and South. But, Philip Glass notes, the strife didn't end with a piece of paper. Cultural tensions still exist to this day between the northern U.S. and the South. The new opera, while explicitly focused on big names--Lincoln, Grant, and Lee--that died over a century ago, still sets the stage for critical thinking on our own age, such as the more recent 1960s Civil Rights movement.

Philip Glass also draws upon his own experience growing up in a segregated Baltimore during WWII. He recalls the fear and anxiety that the women and children at home felt for their absent loved ones.

The opera received its world premiere during a festival celebration of Philip Glass' music in San Francisco this month.

To hear musical excerpts from the opera, please read the NPR article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

As tenors go, Paul Potts never took the usual routes to professional classical singing. Instead of going to a conservatory, he stacked store shelves and sold cellphones. When he did have some money, he spent three months in Italy studying voice and Italian.

What made him decide to try out for Britain Got's Talent, a reality TV show patterned after American Idol and dominated by pop singers? He flipped a coin, and decided to take a chance. Now he's promoting his first album, One Chance, and giving interviews with major news networks.

Potts' choice to perform "Nessun Dorma" right on the heels of Pavarotti's death may account for his instant rocket to fame. His rags-to-riches story is also a familiar trope that never fails to appeal to Western audiences. But after all the deaths this summer, the opera world could use some new blood.

To read more of Pott's story, please see the CBC article. You can also view the video, if you missed it the first time around.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The Mozart Effect is a term coined after a (debated) study seemed to indicate that listening to Mozart raises a person's IQ. The study was thought to be a break-through in justifying classical Western music lessons at a time when support for the arts was waning. However, many in the academic world felt it privileged Western classical music over several other interesting and worthwhile genres of music.

However, in Kenya, classical music lessons are on the rise. Parents want to give their kids the increased edge in intelligence that the Mozart Effect claims classical music provides. Other students just enjoy the relaxation that playing an instrument brings. Places such as the Kenya Conservatoire of Music have seen increased enrollment over the past few years. But the interest isn't limited to the classical genre: music stores are also selling more jazz instruments.

Will the increased interest in classical music stifle indigenous music forms? Perhaps an ethnomusicologist might worry, but any initiative that encourages personal participation in the music-making seems like a good idea.

For more information, please read the Business Daily Africa story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Born in Edinburgh but currently living in the United States, conductor Donald Runnicles will be returning to his native country shortly. The BBC recently appointed him the successor of music director Ilan Volkov when the latter relinquishes his post with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in September, 2009. Eighteen years have passed since Runnicles conducted regularly in the UK, but the conductor will visit Scotland for a preliminary concert in April, 2008, when he will conduct, among other works, a performance of James MacMillan's Third Symphony. His contract with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra will last for three years and entail at least eight weeks in Scotland every season. His current positions include music director of the San Francisco Opera, principal guest conductor at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and working with the Berlin Philharmonic.

For further information, please read the BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The opera world is full of prima donnas. The 42-year-old Romanian Angela Gheorghiu apparently felt that she was above the normal work ethic that governs an opera production. Skipping rehearsals and leaving the city without permission damaged her work relationship with managers such as Lyric Opera general director William Mason, who spelled out her truancy in detail. Gheorghiu's actions were perceived to demonstrate a disregard for other performers. And since Gheorghiu was playing the role of Mimi in La Boheme, her absence left a considerable hole during rehearsals.

Gheorghiu claims legitimate reasons for her failure to show. She claims that a cold prevented her from attending rehearsals and she felt that she was already very familiar with the role anyway. She left Chicago without permission because her husband is performing at the New York Met.

Theatrics must attract Gheorghiu: she is married to tenor Roberto Alagna, who stormed off a Milanese stage last December when audiences booed his performance.

For more information, please read the Daily Snack.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

If you are a choral ensemble and want to travel to England, consider entering the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year 2008 competition. Contestants are invited to enter their ensemble into the competition now, as the deadline closes Nov. 18, 2007. The competition will start the following spring, but runs all year long (Choir of the Year 2006 didn't end until Dec. 10, 2006).

Similar to the American Idol format, judges give immediate feedback to both the choirs and the audience.

There are four categories:

1. Open Choirs
2. Children's Choirs
3. Adult Choirs
4. Youth Choirs

The only limit on entering is size and instrument: your group must be composed of 8-100 singers. However, all ages and styles of music are welcomed.

If you are interested in entering, please visit the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year 2008's website. Even if you aren't a singing group, but just love music, be sure to mark your calendars for this event.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The singers and celebrities that filled Luciano Pavarotti's life paid tribute to the Italian tenor at his funeral on Saturday, Sept. 8. Andrea Bocelli performed "Ave Verum"; Premier Romano Prodi of Italy, U2 singer Bono, and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan were among the 700 guests at the Modena, Italy cathedral. Thousands more watched the funeral from a big screen in the piazza outside the cathedral. The service featured a 1978 recording of "Panis Angelicus," which Pavarotti had sung with his father nearly 30 years ago in that very same building. Among the world figures to commemorate Pavarotti's passing was Pope Benedict XVI, who praised Pavarotti's contribution to "the divine gift of music."

Diagnosed with cancer over a year ago, Pavarotti's battle with declining health ended on Thursday, Sept. 6. His body was viewed from Thursday evening until the funeral on Saturday. After the ceremony, his body was placed in the Montale Rangone cemetery, where his parents also lie.

For more information, please read the Boston Globe article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

At 5 a.m. Thursday morning, one of the opera world's most beloved tenors died of complications related to his pancreatic cancer. Luciano Pavarotti was 71 years old. Hospitalized a few weeks ago for respiratory problems, the singer was apparently on the mend. However, the pancreatic cancer which caused him to cancel his summer appearances last July finally caught up with Pavarotti, who was still teaching pupils a mere few weeks before his death. He had plans to record an album of sacred songs and to finish his Worldwide Farewell Tour. But the world will have to bid Pavarotti farewell without the tour.

In addition to packing out opera halls, Pavarotti also appeared with musicians such as Sting and Bono. His ability to hit high C's was demonstrated in 1972 when he hit nine of them in a performance of Daughter of the Regiment at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Along with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti was one of the Three Tenors whose renown traveled far beyond the opera world.

For further information, please read the Hindustan Times article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Lose the coat and tails. Now you can enjoy a night at the symphony in the comfort of your own home. Taking advantage of the increasing popularity of the online virtual community Second Life, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is set to perform what the BBC describes as the "first professional music concert" on September 14.

Within Second Life, users can navigate through buildings, shops, and landscapes, communicating with other users via chat. Users choose characters, called avatars, which they then maneuver through the virtual community. Real money is also exchanged, as users buy virtual clothes in virtual shops or purchase virtual islands where their avatars can live.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic won't be the first time that musicians have entered the virtual world of Second Life. Warner Brothers advertises Regina Spektor through a virtual New York loft. Another user poses as U2 and streams the Irish band's music to Second Life. However, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is supposedly the first musical group to actually stream their own music as a live concert.

For a brief introduction to Second Life, please view this short video.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Robert Ward has already performed many of the duties expected of an orchestral principal chair, but only recently was he awarded the official title. The San Francisco Symphony has been searching for a chair since 2000, when principal John Zirbel's tenure was turned down. One wonders why the symphony took so long to fill the chair when they already had someone in their midst. But Ward and Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas were both reluctant to comment on the process of choosing principals.

The principal horn player is responsible for the horn solos within the orchestra, a tall order for an instrument with some difficult pieces in the repertoire. The principal also runs his section of the orchestra. The horn section's unique place as an intermediary between the woodwinds and the brass lends the principal horn player an extra amount of influence.

51-year-old Robert Ward has been with the San Francisco Symphony since he was 24. He is very enthusiastic about this next step in his career.

For more information, please read the article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The BBC Orchestra's Artist-in-Association, John Adams, will be conducting a performance of American music, including two of his own works. The evening will open with Aaron Copland's Billy the Kid (arranged as an orchestral suite rather than as the full opera). The second piece is John Adams' own Century Rolls, a work commissioned by Emanuel Ax and based on the old piano rolls of the early twentieth century. The concert will close with the world premiere of John Adams' Doctor Atomic Symphony, a work inspired by the life of the man who invented the atomic-bomb--J. Robert Oppenheimer.

If you can't attend the BBC Proms this year, don't worry. Go to the BBC website after Tuesday in order to stream an audio file of the performance. Or listen to a clip of the Doctor Atomic Symphony at John Adams' website.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

One of the three Italian tenors suffered from a slight fever and possible signs of pneumonia, forcing him the hospital on Wednesday, August 9, 2007. Luciano Pavarotti also suffered from pancreatic cancer last summer, and canceled his 2006 summer appearances while he underwent surgery. On Thursday, Pavarotti was reported to be in "stable" condition, but because of his past bout with cancer, he was kept in the oncology ward for observation.

Pavarotti is especially known for his interpretation of "Nessun Dorma", an aria from Puccini's opera Turandot. His last opera performance was at the New York Metropolitan Opera in 2004. Pavarotti is 71 years old and still undergoing radiotherapy for his cancer, but his second wife is hopeful regarding his eventual recovery.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

If you have been following the 2007 Proms this year, then you have been enjoying much of the music of Edward Elgar, the English composer who celebrates his 150th birthday this year. To supplement audience appreciation of the "enigmatic" composer, the BBC brings its audience a series of riddles. Correct solutions to the puzzles require some knowledge of Elgar's repertory and the Proms program. Follow along and accumulate bragging points! Readers can also learn about the mysterious counter-melody hidden within Elgar's composition, the "Enigma Variations."

Britain isn't the only country celebrating the composer of Pomp and Circumstance. Bard Summerscape 2007, located in the Hudson Valley is also featuring the life and works of Edward Elgar.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The controversial proposal to build a wind turbine to power the Glyndebourne Opera Company was passed by Lewes District Council. At 230 feet tall, the turbine will hardly blend into the landscape. Local residents of Ringmar objected, as well as the Ringmer Parish Council, the South Downs Society and Natural England. The energy saved by the turbine would be overshadowed by the eyesore of the turbine itself.

Yet advocates for the turbine claim that if beautiful landscape is what residents want, then preventing global warming is the way to go. Nothing will look beautiful if the earth overheats and the ozone fails. Each area of society must do its part to be earth-friendly, and the energy produced by the turbine would be enough to match the opera house's yearly consumption of electricity.

The Glyndebourne Opera Company truly faces a dilemma as it tries to go green: should the company sacrifice the aesthetic beauty of the present landscape in order to preserve our earth for future generations? Is there a way to make the turbine less ugly?

For more information, please read the BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

He studied with the likes of Dame Joan Sutherland and her husband Richard Bonynge. He played roles in Puccini's La Bohème, Mozart's Don Giovanni, and John Harbison's The Great Gatsby, appearing in such prestigious venues as the Metropolitan Opera and in Vienna, London, and Milan. Though his career had slowed down somewhat in recent years, American tenor Jerry Hadley was still appearing in works such as Madame Butterfly.

His ability to morph into whatever character he was playing made his workshops at alma mater Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. unusual and dynamic. Not only did Hadley have a "rich, full voice," but he was able to adapt it to whatever part he chose to play.

However, July 10, 2007 brought all that to a close when Hadley was found with a gunshot wound in the head. He remained unconscious for eight days before passing away on Wednesday, July 18. He was 55 years old. Friends cite impending bankruptcy and depression as possible causes for Hadley's suicide attempt.

For a sample of Hadley's voice, please listen to Leonard Bernstein's 1989 revival of Candide.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Pete Townsend's vision for rock opera started back in 1969, with the production of Tommy. Though Tommy is called the first rock opera, the title is not quite accurate since the work is not really staged. However, Townsend's latest rock opera, The Boy Who Heard Music, will receive a test run at a theatre festival in New York (presumably the opera will be staged eventually, if reviews are favorable).

The Boy Who Heard Music first emerged as an Internet novella published on a blog, a strategy Townsend claims helped him to establish the narrative thread before adding the music. According to Vasser College's website, the story is "a hallucinatory tale about the rise and fall of a band made up of three teenagers from different ethnic backgrounds as seen through the eyes of an aging rock star."

The rock opera received a test run at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, the site of New York Stage and Films' 23rd Powerhouse Theater festival. Originally scheduled for two performances, The Boy Who Heard Music sold tickets so well that Powerhouse director Ed Cheetham decided to add a third performance. Musicians read and sang through the play on Friday evening (July 13) and twice on Saturday (July 14).

For more information, please read the Yahoo story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The opera world lost two sopranos this week. Thursday saw the passing of French soprano/mezzo-soprano Régine Crespin. But earlier in the week, America lost 78-year-old Beverly Sills. Though the coloratura soprano had never smoked, she died of lung cancer in her Manhattan home on Monday, July 2.

Beverly Sills' career began in 1955 with the New York City Opera. She first performed with the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1975. A mere five years later she retired from singing, but kept active in promoting the arts, including serving a ten year stint as general director of the New York City Opera. She also appeared as guest host on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Beverly Sills became a mythic figure in the American eye. Born in the Crown Heights district of Brooklyn to immigrant parents, Sills played out the rags-to-riches story of hard work and the American Dream. When many divas are temperamental, Sills laughed off her successes and made opera seem accessible.

A full obituary can be found at the International Herald Times.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Forget basketball teams: orchestra teams are the new way to keep poor kids off the streets. El Sistema, a program started 32 years ago in Caracas, Venezuela, has given thousands of underprivileged children access to instruments and a chance to perform in a youth orchestra. Now Scottish officials want to import the idea to the Northern Hemisphere.

Dubbed the "El Sistema" initiative, the program will be tested for five years in Raploch, a district in Stirling known for high incidents of crime. Richard Holloway, interim chairman of Creative Scotland, will head the program. The target children will be under five years old. After the five year test period, the children should be able to train their peers, said Susan Carragher, head of libraries, learning, communities and culture.

For more information, please see the BBC story.

The new initiative begs the question: is there anything about music itself that prevents crime, or are these kids simply too busy to learn pickpocketing? Or perhaps giving kids a useful skill and the ability to work hard helps them transition into a part of society that finds it profitable to obey the law.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The man known for his quirky, depressed characters has decided to take on an opera. Allen was persuaded by the general director of Los Angeles Opera, Placido Domingo to try his hand at a new field. Though he freely admits inexperience, Woody Allen will direct the L.A. performance of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (pronounced "gee-awn-y skee-ky"). From this opera comes the classical favorite "O Mio Babbino Caro," an aria that showcases Puccini's gift for soaring bel canto melody. The one-act opera is the third in the trilogy Il Trittico. The first two operas will also be directed by a film-maker, William Friedkin (The Exorcist).

The trio of operas will kickstart the 2008 -2009 season for the Los Angeles Opera. What will an opera directed by such an eccentric be like? Will Woody Allen throw a neurotic New Yorker into the tale of family intrigue, star-crossed lovers, forged wills, and impersonations? Audiences will simply have to wait to find out.

For more information, please read the BBC story or the Yahoo article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

A violinist who performed with the 2006 British Promenade Concerts embarks on a five month tour to raise money for charitable causes. However, instead of booking concert halls, he will be performing on the streets (busking). His tour starts from an Underground Station in London and will cover Germany, Sweden, India, Australia and Mexico, ending up in America. Calling his tour Around the World and Bach, Juritz will perform Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, a challenging program. Along the way, he must raise money for his traveling expenses. Anything extra raised will go to charity. Pre-trip experiments showed that audiences seemed appreciative. Juritz anticipates a good turn-out in terms of donations.

For further information, please read the BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

On Wednesday, June 6, 2007, Austrian police returned a Stradivarius violin (worth an estimated $3.4 million) to the hands of musician Christian Altenburger. The instrument had been stolen a month earlier, in May. Also taken from Altenburger's safe were three bows and another violin. Because other items, such as alcohol and clothes, were also taken with the instruments, the police were able to rule out contracted theft and turned to more local suspects.

The crime methods resembled those of a gang of Georgians responsible for 21 other burglaries, and when Austrian police arrested five members of the gang in Vienna, the violins and bows were found in their possession. The instruments were returned in good condition to their owner Altenburger.

While violin craftsman Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) made over 1,000 violins during his lifetime, only 650 are said to remain, making each specimen a valuable relic.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Zenph, a North Carolina software company, has a new twist on the remaster: instead of taking an old performance and cleaning up the static, why not re-record the performance all together? The first project, ready for release, is a new version of Glenn Gould's 1955 recording of the Goldberg Variations. But Glenn Gould is dead, you say. How will Zenph be able to release a new recording of his performance?

The company has designed software that takes an original recording and reads the pitch, duration, attack intensity, and dynamics. The software is even sensitive enough to pick up acoustical variation. The program is then used to play an acoustic piano. The result duplicates minutely the original performance.

But with any new technology come questions of preference. If Zenph is going to all this trouble to preserve Gould's every artistic nuance, should it also preserve his mistakes? In the interests of artistic integrity, the company opted not to correct the wrong notes Gould played.

Yet the ability to correct wrong notes raises the question: should we do so? There are two sides to the question. To err is human. Recordings already "freeze" live performances, eliminating the dynamic variation that separates one live performance from another. To eliminate mistakes seems to remove the recording one step more from the living human.

Yet on the other hand, such a recording is not totally devoid of human involvement: the programmers are all responsible for the production of this music. Interestingly enough, however, because the emphasis is on one particular human (Gould), who no longer has any active input in production, the reproduction is viewed as a fossil, once a living thing but now gathering dust.

For further information and to hear clips of the original Glenn Gould recordings and the Zenph reproductions, please read the NPR story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The Scottish Opera is currently performing Lucia di Lammermoor in Glasgow. Considering the performance venue, the opera is fittingly based on Scottish author Sir Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor. Though the novel is in English, Italian composer Donizetti wrote the opera in Italian.

Sally Silver, performing the title role, injured her calf muscle during the matinee show on Tuesday, May 22. Despite being unable to stand, the South African soprano insisted on carrying on with the show. She managed to finish the remaining two acts in a wheelchair. General director Alex Reedijk borrowed the wheelchair from one of Scottish Opera's regular supporters. For the evening's performance, the opera company called upon Glasgow soprano Christina Dunwoodie to fill in for the title role.

Though singing with a painful injury is a bit unusual, singing from a wheelchair is no abnormal feat for an opera singer. A typical performance might call upon the soprano to sing full throttle while lying on her side, in the throes of a pantomimed death. But now Sally Silver can add "wheelchair performances" to her resume.

The company hopes that she will recover before the opera goes on tour to other major Scottish cities, including Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

For further information, please read the BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

For one day this summer (June 21st), the streets of New York City will be lined with musicians from all genres and styles. Organized by the Citizens Committee for NYC, this celebration of music and summer will be patterned after similar events in France, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Australia, Vietnam, Congo, Cameroon, Togo, Columbia, Chile, Mongolia, and Japan. The hope is to start an annual tradition that gets enough New Yorkers excited about the event to organize it at the grassroots level.

The Citizens Committee for NYC is organizing the permits for playing music on the streets, easing the logistics of getting this mass outdoor concert off the ground. The only criteria for musicians is that they have some local connection to their community venue.

For more information, please see Make Music New York.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Opening night for the Boston Pops has perhaps never been quite so eventful.

Attending a concert may have been risky back in the days when the gallery gods pelted unsatisfactory performers with rotten foodstuffs. But in today's modern times, one usually thinks of the symphony hall as a staid place where guests sit in quiet enjoyment of the music. However, a brawl in Boston Symphony Hall on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 proved otherwise. With special guest singer-songwriter Ben Folds to appear later in the night, the Boston Pops continued normally enough for about 20 minutes. But when the orchestra reached a medley from the film Gigi, a loud scream in the balcony section distracted audience members. The conductor Keith Lockhart attempted to continue the performance, but more screams and the sounds of chairs being knocked down brought the music to a halt. Security officials escorted two men out of the concert hall and the performance resumed. A standing ovation celebrated the conclusion.

Apparently one guest's request of another guest for quiet sparked the skirmish, resulting in a torn shirt but no injuries. Charges were not brought against the men involved in the brawl.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The BBC is looking for the best and the brightest. Hopeful UK classical musicians under the age of 19, who have reached a Grade 8 level, will have a shot at television coverage and a possible solo career.

However, "Classical Star" is not just a competition. After initial regional auditions (located at various points in the UK), the remaining students will spend three weeks at the Musical Academy, under the tutelage of cellist Mathew Barley. Student musicians will benefit from master classes and interaction with world quality performers.

Applications can be found online here.

The competition "Classical Star" is distinct from the BBC's other competitions for youth, such as the BBC Young Musician of the Year.

The first round of auditions will take place in May 2007. The second round will follow in July 2007. The Musical Academy session will run in August 2007. Each of the three weeks, the Judges at the academy will chose two performers to send home. The remaining musicians will then perform in a televised program. The winner will receive a recording contract.

Like its pop music sister American Idol (or any of its various spin-offs), Classical Star appears to offer a good chance for budding classical musicians to get that coveted recording contract. Even if a musician didn't win the top prize, the television coverage alone would be enough to effectively boost a career. Here's wishing the best of luck to all those youngsters who participate this summer. Play well!

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Known for his active voice against the Soviet regime (and his support of other anti-Soviets such as writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn), Russian conductor and cellist Rostropovich left a legacy that is political as well as musical. Though he lived abroad for many years, he celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall with a special performance of a Bach suite and resumed residence in his native land. Rostropovich will be laid to rest in Moscow's Novodevichy cemetery. Compatriot and friend, the former President Boris Yeltsin, is also buried there.

Rostropovich studied at the Moscow Conservatoire under other Russian giants of the 20th century, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. He boasted quite a concert career, his performances sometimes eliciting standing ovations before he began to play.

However, despite his impressive musical credentials, Rostropovich claims that his most important action was his political dissidence in 1970. But perhaps acting on conscious and professionalism do go hand-in-hand: by moving away from Russia, Rostropovich developed an extensive international following.

For more information, please read the full BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The guests might not be wearing tuxedos or carrying fancy opera glasses, but they sing lustily along to tunes penned by Verdi, Bizet, Mozart, and other great opera composers. Down at Freddy's Bar, a dive bar located off Flatbrush Avenue in Brooklyn, the Opera on Tap program offers monthly recitals of opera classics. Video footage from one such recital shows the bar clientele holding scores of the music, singing along on the chorus of the "Habanera," from Bizet's Carmen.

If the masses won't come to the music (i.e., the concert halls), the program's founder Anne Ricci says that the music can be brought to the masses. Or at least to a demographic of people who would feel stiff and uncomfortable in formal attire. The program also offers the opportunity for classically-trained singers to access another performance venue usually not open to them. After all, if you didn't make the Met, there aren't many other places to sing opera. But best of all, the intimate venue allows for greater audience participation and sparks that charisma between performer and audience. With music sheets at the ready and a classically-trained singer to lead the way, audience members can have a part in creating the music instead of simply listening to professionals. Roland Barthes, a French literary critic writing in the mid-century, once mourned the loss of what he called musica practica. No one made music anymore since they can whatever they like on a record. If Barthes were to pay a visit to Freddy Bar today, the enthusiasm of these beer-and-opera patrons would warm his heart.

The clientele for these opera nights is mainly a group of relatively "cultured" people. That is, attendees are usually somewhat familiar with opera already. But the novel venue draws in a fairly good crowd.

The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. The beer is plentiful. The plots are dramatic. All these factors make for an enjoyable night at the opera sing-along.

For more information or to see video footage, please read the article at NPR.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Finnish-born Esa-Pekka Salonen was only 26 when he first conducted the L. A. Philharmonic in 1984. In an age when classical music is often associated with grey hairs, the youthful energy of Salonen invigorated the west coast orchestra. A passionate advocate of contemporary music, Salonen has given the L. A. Philharmonic a reputation for daring and innovative programming. But Salonen's performance interpretations are not his only contribution to classical music: he is a growing composer as well. His interest in composition has led him to announce his withdrawal from full-time conducting after the 2008/2009 season. However, those who love Salonen's youthful bravado need not worry: Salonen will be replaced by 26-year-old Gustavo Dudamel from Venezuela.

For further information, please read the Rueters article.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Tis the season to enjoy good Easter music. To celebrate, the BBC will be airing several performances of Easter works. Enjoy the Lutheran Protestant St. Matthew's Passion by J. S. Bach. Or experience the Roman Catholic or mystical interpretations composed by Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

For further suggestions on classical Easter music, please see Easter Oratorios.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

British composer Edward Elgar turns 150 this year, prompting the BBC to run a special series featuring the works of this composer. However, the BBC network is calling for listener/viewer participation to determine how the pieces should be ordered in the series. The most popular piece will be featured first in the series and so on. To help determine the line-up, simply go to the BBC's website and cast your vote. However, choose wisely. You can only vote once. Unfortunately the BBC does not provide brief clips for each piece, making participation difficult for anyone but aficionados of Elgar's music. However, everyone who has ever been to a graduation will be able to pick out Pomp and Circumstance, so hurry up and get your vote out today!

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

A clash of performance cultures resulted in a lawsuit, and the classical music representative won.

Back in 2005, New Zealand opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was scheduled to appear with Australian rock star John Farnham in a joint concert touring across their native countries. When she watched a promotional DVD of Farnham's performances, she discovered that his fans threw their underwear on the stage. Unable to condone a practice entirely inconsistent with classical music performance etiquette, she refused to appear with the rock star and canceled her end of the tour.

The concert promoters Leading Edge Events sued Dame Kiri for losses sustained on publicity costs and ticket sales. However, New South Wales Supreme Court Judge Patricia Bergin ruled that negotiations between Dame Kiri's agents and Leading Edge had not yet reached a finalized stage at the time of Dame Kiri's refusal. Accordingly the claim was turned down.

The final verdict on Underwear Vs. Classical Music? We find the defendant not guilty, your honor.

For further information, read the BBC Story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Why don't boys sing? The answer typically given is that boys don't want to "sound like girls," a reason that appears to associate the activity of singing with femininity.

However, the study found that the activity of singing itself was in fact much more highly regarded among boys than researchers were prone to expect. Rather the problem appears to lie in a fundamental shift surrounding the definition of "boy" and what the "boy" voice should sound like.

A high, pure tone was once expected from boys aged 10-15. Now, however, boy bands contain members far past adolescence. The singers in these bands have deeper voices that pre-adolescent boys can't match. Intimated by this inability to achieve the sound and range of boy band singers (natural as the inability may be), pre-adolescent boys are disinclined to attempt singing in public. Boys' choirs, dramatically distant from the ideal projected by the boy band singers' lower register, are the singing groups avoided most. So what is a distraught choir director to do? Hope that some primary school boy bands make the big time, making the high voice the cool voice? The study doesn't offer many solutions, but suggests that getting boys involved in a choir early on may nurture a love for singing that otherwise might have gone unnoticed.

For further information, read the full BBC story.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Music can be a powerful political tool (as the Nazi appropriation of Wagner proves), but music repression can be an even more powerful political tool. During the Third Reich in Germany, the Nazi government not only persecuted Jewish musicians, but censored music exhibiting "Jewish" characteristics.

Albrecht Duemling, a German musicologist, is on a quest to find and restore the music lost during the Holocaust persecution.

There is debate surrounding Duemling's project: should he focus on recovering works by musicians such as Hollywood film composer Eric Zeisl, who fled Nazi occupation and later became famous as an ex-pat? Or should his group try to bring lesser known concentration camp artists to the public eye. After all, the concentration camp inmates experienced the Holocaust much more vividly than those who managed to emigrate did. However, in the interests of raising funds, expanding the scope of the project to include the well-known emigrants appeals to a wider audience (and thus to a larger collective pocketbook).

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

William Barrington-Coupe, the husband of British pianist Joyce Hatto, wanted his wife to be remembered as an overlooked classical music genius. The only problem is that she is being remembered for music she never made: some if not all of the recordings Barrington-Coupe submitted to the BIS Records for release have been faked, passing off the performances of other pianists as the interpretations of Hatto.

BIS Records has released a diplomatic statement that gives the credit for Lizst's Transcendental Etudes where that credit is due.

However, later news stories reveal that the plagiarism might be more widespread than originally suspected, as more recordings are matched with the work of previous artists.

Barrington-Coupe had simply wanted to overdub the sections in which audible groans came through on the recording (Joyce Hatto was extremely ill when she made the recordings), but gradually began to incorporate more and more material from other pianists. Apparently, the iTunes feature which retrieves album information first tipped someone off that the recordings allegedly by Joyce Hatto might in fact be by someone else.

Now the classical music world is buzzing over the repercussions this hoax will bear on Joyce Hatto's memory.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The Cardiff Singer of the World competition heats up as the 25 finalists have been selected from over 1,000 auditions. The competition was founded in 1983 and is held every two years. Several singers have gotten their international start from this event, including Bryn Terfel. Held in the Welsh city of Cardiff, the competition is open to singers aged 18-36. After five preliminary rounds, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales will accompany singers in the final. Competitors hail from all over Europe, Asia, and North America.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Though unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles, Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel nevertheless celebrated the recognition his album Simple Gifts received in this year's Grammy Awards. Terfel's second album to win a Grammy, Simple Gifts features the works of several composers (including Mozart, Pergolesi, Sondheim and a duet by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins) as well as the talents of various performers from the classical music world, including guitarist John Williams.

Terfel's specialty is Mozart, but he has also performed roles from Wagner (Tannhäuser ) and Stravinsky (The Rake's Progress). In 2006, he received the Queen's Medal for Music.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

There are conflicting reports regarding the merit of Gian Carlo Menotti's work, ranging from the condescending to the celebratory, but they do agree on this: Menotti influenced Americans and their relationship to opera. Given that much of Menotti worked in a century when opera maintains less and less popular appeal, this contribution is significant. Menotti did not shy away from utilizing new means of distribution, either. His Christmas-themed Amahl and the Night Visitors is thought to be the first opera composed for television. Two of his operas, The Consul and The Saint of Bleecker Street, have won Pulitzer Prizes.

Born in Italy in 1911, Menotti moved to America in 1928. Nearly all of his operas are in English (three are in Italian), quite possibly another reason for their popularity in America.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Feb.1-Feb.3, Trafalgar Square in London will be the site of an interactive art exhibition called Flock at Trafalgar Square. In conjunction with the ongoing BBC special featuring the music of Tchaikovsky, the exhibit allows participants to enter into the Russian composer's ballet Swan Lake. Stepping into the square activates a personal spotlight which reflects onto shadowy swan images. The exhibit attempts to blur the line between fantasy and reality by situating the ghostly light and movement show in the heavily trafficked, "mundane" Trafalgar Square. Flock at Trafalgar Square was commissioned by the Institute of Contemporary Arts (along with ROH2 at the Royal Opera House) and is free to the public.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Singing baritone is nothing new for Placido Domingo, who began his career in the lower, richer voice range. But that was nearly 50 years ago. In 1960, he switched to tenor, and it is in that capacity that the singer has made his career. His collaborations with fellow tenors José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti are famous world-wide. However, his dream of performing the title role in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra means that he will sing baritone in what the 66-year-old Domingo notes may very well be his final performance before retirement. He will appear at Berlin's Staatsoper Unter den Linden in 2009. Other scheduled performances include La Scala in Milan and the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.

Now that Domingo is dropping down a notch, will that make the famous trio Two Tenors and a Baritone?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Beginning with Swan Lake, the BBC is planning an in-depth look at the life and work of Piotr Tchaikovsky. The series will span several of the BBC's television channels, so be sure to check the listing for times. If you are unable to get the BBC in your area, never fear. The BBC also offers the chance to listen to and vote for your "favorite tune" by Tchaikovsky. The BBC also accommodates all tastes: those with a busy schedule can listen to shorter excerpts of each work while those with a more purist bent can sit down and enjoy the entire piece.

So there is no excuse not to get out your Tchaikovsky vote. But be warned: with choices ranging from The Nutcracker to the Symphony No. 6 or "Pathetique," decision-making may be difficult.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The BBC recently aired an interesting program detailing how Gilbert and Sullivan innovated the stage conventions of their day, in order to make music theater more dramatic, engaging, and, of course, satirical. The pair lambasted every authority structure in British Victorian society: the police, lawyers, politicians, upper crust society, and even the Queen.

Despite being rather topical in criticizing the popular movements of the day (movements that have since passed out of vogue), Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas nevertheless appeal to modern day audiences because the characters depicted are realistic: though comic, the characters are for the most part good-natured human beings trying to negotiate their place in society. Such is a theme that can translate rather easily from century to century. And since England still carries a very strong class consciousness, the underlying critiques Gilbert and Sullivan offered are still relevant.

As an example of their continuing appeal even to American audiences, Gilbert and Sullivan still occupy a very familiar place in the popular consciousness, appearing everywhere from Star Trek episodes to the Simpsons's TV show.

Gilbert and Sullivan were innovative in their approach to theater, with precedence only in the 18th-century's Beggar's Opera (whose attack on prominent politicians of the day was so severe that the sequel was banned from production). The innovations of The Beggar's Opera were its subject matter (lower class characters instead of gods and goddesses) and its tighter integration of narrative within the musical material. Gilbert and Sullivan would return music theater to that integration and concern with "normal" or "natural" characters. They would also give the chorus a more dramatic role (instead of simply using the chorus as part of an immobile set). But even with their progressive treatment of music theater, Gilbert and Sullivan were still firmly entrenched within the plot conventions of bad villians, perfect heroines, and courageous heros so characteristic of Victorian melodrama, using the forms to poke further fun at establishment institutions.

A number of subsequent adaptations of Gilbert and Sullivan's works have attempted to modernize the duo's works while preserving the original social themes: there is The Black Mikado and The Gay Pinafore.

But perhaps the element that will keep Gilbert and Sullivan popular is simply the cleverness of their music. Gilbert, the lyricist, was skilled at manipulating the English language in sometimes preposterous ways. The patter song (fast songs with polysyllabic lyrics) was Gilbert's particular specialty.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Born in 1857, English composer Edward Elgar would be celebrating his 150th birthday this year, if he were still around to blow out the candles on his cake. Elgar is perhaps best known for his set of five marches Pomp and Circumstance, the first of which has become famous as a graduation processional. Yet Elgar is also responsible for several sacred works such as cantatas and oratorios. Elgar died in 1934, along with his contemporary Gustav Holst.

Several commemorative performances are scheduled for this year, including a concert given by an orchestra that Elgar helped found: the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber will present an argument for the superiority and comprehensiveness of classical music in classroom music education programs. Lloyd Weber argues that classical music forms the basis of all other musical styles: a musician trained classically can pick up a variety of other styles such as hip-hop and R&B. On the other hand, Lloyd Weber claims, a hip-hop artist is limited to his or her particular genre. In a debate scheduled to occur in London next month, Lloyd Weber hopes to convince conference attendants that classical music should be emphasized as the predominant musical style in classroom education.

What do you readers think? Is classical music really all-encompassing and foundational to the other music styles? Or is Julian Lloyd Weber trying to privilege white European music over African-American and other ethnic minority styles?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Roberto Alagna, the tenor who departed the stage abruptly when audiences at La Scala in Milan, Italy booed his performance, is now attempting a come-back to the opera house. The understudy, still dressed in jeans, completed the role in Alagna's place, but the management at La Scala dismissed the temperamental tenor. Four days after his ignominious departure, Alagna was back at the opera house, singing parts of Madame Butterfly in the piazza while Aida continued on inside without him.

Alagna attributes his rather unorthodox behavior to his health, claiming low blood sugars caused by stress and emotion limited his ability to continue on with the performance. Others, however, are skeptical, pointing out that Alagna failed to inform anyone of his condition at the time.

Alagna perhaps must realize that he is in good company being booed by the La Scala audience. This notoriously tough crowd simply awarded him the same treatment it had already given to opera greats such as Luciano Pavarotti and Renée Fleming.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Italian composer Ennio Morricone is scheduled to receive an honorary Oscar at the Academy Awards this coming February. Though nominated five times for original score, this will be Morricone's first Oscar.

The composer's score for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, with its electric guitars and whistling, set the sound for a number of later Western films. Morricone's other notable film scores include Days of Heaven (1978), The Mission (1986), The Untouchables (1987), Bugsy (1991) and Malena (2000).

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Richard Strauss, composer of standard opera repertoire such as "Der Rosenkavalier" and "Elektra," made a deal with his librettist Austrian Hugo von Hofmannsthal regarding proper compensation for their collaboration. In exchange for full rights to the librettos, Strauss gave von Hofmannsthal a share in the royalties from performances of the opera. The agreement was further solidified in contracts Strauss made with von Hofmannsthal's heirs following the death of the librettist in 1929.

Somewhere along the line, the royalties stopped. Now von Hofmannsthal's heirs are in the beginning stages of a possible lawsuit against Strauss' heirs. The contracts do not specify a particular expiration date, so the Strauss heirs argue that the royalties should no longer apply to the libretto.

This case, if it comes to court, could raise interesting questions regarding the priority of words or music in an opera.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Primarily made of sounds, music would seem to be an art form inaccessible to the hearing-impaired. But world-renowned tenor Placido Domingo will attempt to counteract that assumption. He and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra are teaming up with Phonak, a Swiss company that makes hearing-devices, in order to bring sounds to the hearing-impaired. Together the leaders in classical music and the manufacturers will run a non-profit organization: The Hear the World Foundation. The foundation will begin operations in January, focusing on bringing hearing-aid technology to hearing-impaired children in the developing world.

This work will allow children (located in areas ranging from Central American jungles, sub-Saharan Africa, and remote areas of East Asia) the chance to experience an aural world.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

According to the BBC, a London symphony orchestra is scheduled to perform what might constitute a milestone in both video game music and classical concerts. Video Games Live will feature the music of games such as the Mario Brothers, Zelda, Warcraft, and Halo 2 in a multi-media presentation that transmits the multi-sensory experiences of video gaming to the concert hall. Of course, the integration of sight and sound is nothing new in classical music: the composer Tommy Tallarico compares the upcoming concert to the advent of opera. And the integration of technology, or computer-generated sound, has given some avant-garde composers plenty of material for experimentation. What makes video game music in concert so unique, perhaps, is the level of complexity that video game music has attained. Music to video games now even sells outside the gaming experience, as separate soundtracks.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

For a millennium now, the choir at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England has been filling the building with beautiful music. And for a millennium, this music has been performed entirely by boys. But back in September, the cathedral formed a girls' choir, and the ensemble is slated to perform its first Evensong this Wednesday. Many are greeting this change with enthusiasm, as a sign of crumbling gender divisions. There are several advantages to including girls' voices in a choral group. For example, girls' voices do not break as dramatically as boys' voices do. Girls can continue singing higher tones past adolescence.

Others, however, are worried. What is happening to tradition? Is the inclusion of girls simply a nod to political correctness? The timbre of girls' voices is different: will the purity of tone that give boys' choirs their particular appeal be lost?

Ely Cathedral is aware of these concerns: the cathedral is not replacing or even mixing its boys' choir with the girls' choir. Sue Freestone, who started the girls' choir at Ely, states that the girls' choir is simply an addition to a rich tradition.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The composer who gave us Peter and the Wolf, Romeo and Juliet, and several symphonies and concertos, was also a prolific writer, keeping several diaries throughout his lifetime. He also attempted to write an autobiography, which totaled 200,000 pages by the time he had covered up to age 17. Thanks to the efforts of translator Anthony Phillips, Prokofiev's diaries have been translated and published. Now fans can get inside, personal insight into one of Russia's early twentieth-century composers.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

It appears that Mozart (or at least interpretations of his work) is once again provocative enough to warrant heightened security at performances of his operas. In September, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Germany had canceled four performances of Idomeneo, deeming the subject matter to be too dangerous to continue. But others, such as the German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and Chancellor Angela Merkel protested such a reaction, the latter calling the cancelation "self-censorship." Reassured by the police regarding safety, the opera company has renewed plans to perform the opera.

What was so potentially controversial about this particular opera? The original plot is about Cretans and Trojans, not Islamic characters. The controversy comes from a scene added by director Hans Neuenfels that depicts the severed heads of Muhammad, Bhudda, Jesus and Greek sea god Poseidon as a commentary on organized religion.

On the one hand, one might call this addition an expression of artistic freedom. But to what extent does a director, composer, or any artist need to be sensitive to cultural differences (of several religions and not just Islam)?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

To honor Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, shot to death a few weeks ago on October 7, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt has dedicated the 2006-2007 performance season to her memory. Orchestras and other musicians performing his works during that time period are to alert audiences of his wishes.

Pärt voiced his esteem and regard for Politkovskaya and her life's work investigating and criticizing political policies under the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Pärt is not the only contemporary composer to commemorate a journalist. American composer Steve Reich composed a set of variations dedicated to Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who died on assignment in Pakistan in 2002. The U.S. premiere of Daniel Variations occurred at Carnegie Hall, New York on October 22.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The 2006 British Composer Awards are coming up, and the BBC invites listeners to stream each submission and vote for their favorites online. Among the nine contestants are the following:

1) Michael Berkeley, a composer who highlights English literature through such works as Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (commemorating the childhood of Rudyard Kipling), Jane Eyre, and Secret Garden.

2) Mark-Anthony Turnage, summer composer-in-residence at the Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival in Boston.

3) Jonny Greenwood, the experimental rock guitarist turned composer-in-residence for the BBC's Concert Orchestra.

Other contestants are Fraser Trainer, Andrew Toovey, Simon Holt, Morgan Hayes, Jonathan Harvey, and Gary Carpenter.

Following the lead of American Idol, voter participation influences final outcome (in fact, the contest is decided entirely by voter choice). So hurry up and cast your vote today!

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

On October 8, the BBC aired English singer/songwriter Sting's performance of music by John Dowland (1563-1626), accompanied by lutist Edin Karamazov. You can catch his performance at the BBC's website for a limited time. Sting intersperses his performance with readings from John Dowland's personal letters and interviews relating his decisions to record Dowland's music and the similarities and differences between early music and rock music. In Sting's singing, one can hear the rough grain of a voice used more to singing in the rock genre. Yet given the purpose of Elizabethan lute songs (they were sung informally in the home), Sting notes that his untrained voice might just be very much in keeping with the period (even though it doesn't quite fit in the genre of classical music).

Could this be considered a third stream project? Probably not. At least, if it is a third stream project, then it is a very subtle one: the performance fits pretty squarely within classical music expectations. However, as noted already, one can detect faint traces of Sting's rock background.

What do you think? Should Sting record more early music?

Review of Songs from the Labyrinth.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Steve Reich celebrated his 70th birthday yesterday (Oct. 3, 2006). Well-known for his experiments in minimalism and phasing music, Steve Reich continues to compose and conduct today (last fall, I had the privilege of seeing him appear at a concert of his works performed at the University of Toronto. The next night, he conducted the works himself). To commemorate the event, NPR chose to feature part of Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" on the radio program Song of the Day. Drawing on influences as diverse as West African drumming and the click-clack of trains on the track, this piece offers some exciting rhythms.

Do you have a favorite Steve Reich piece?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

During the Leeds International Piano Competition, the BBC, in an event entitled "Pianos Everywhere," placed pianos in public places in order to encourage music-making at any level. Locations included Chinatown, Kirkgate Market, and a train station. Potential pianists could chose between ten uprights or a concert grand.

The idea of placing pianos in easily accessible places seems like a good way to encourage people to make a little music on their own. And it makes the statement that one does not need to be at the competitive level in order to get enjoyment out of the piano. I am intrigued to hear if the strategy worked: were passersby willing to break into public space with their music? We are so used to isolating ourselves with ipods or headphones that playing something everyone can hear might seem disrespectful. But I hope that some of the people of Leeds did take advantage of the public pianos.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The New York Metropolitan Opera is opening a satellite radio station (Metropolitan Opera Radio) on the Sirius Satellite Radio network. Listeners can enjoy four Met performances a week, as well as special archived recordings. The first performance to hit the airwaves will be Anthony Minghella's English National Opera staging of Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

The New York Metropolitan Opera has been broadcasting performances on Saturday afternoons since 1931, but now classical music lovers can listen to music from one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world at any time of the day or night.

In addition to this increase in air wave time, the New York Metropolitan Opera has signed agreements to show six of its performances on the silver screen at select locations round North America and Europe.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

In an move calculated to expand audience appeal, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has started releasing 30-minute podcasts, available for free downloading off the orchestra's website. The monthly programs consist of musical excerpts with commentary and interviews. The PodGuide to the Orchestra examines different sections of the orchestra. The Podcast Panel elicits audience response to one of the CBSO's performances. Included with each podcast is a slide show of the orchestra that listeners are invited to view as they play the podcast.

Podcasts could be an effective way to build an orchestra's publicity. Will other ensembles follow suit?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

In a radio commentary, two UK musicians speculate on why certain works, such as Beethoven's 5th Symphony, are widely recognized and remembered, even by those who claim no knowledge of classical music.

Allen Moore, professor of popular music at the University of Surrey, does not think that there is any universal formula: memory is dependent upon each individual's experience. Often a variation of an ordinary chord sequence or rhythmic pattern can set and trigger a memory. However, what our brains will perceive and notice as a significant variation will depend upon our listening experiences, both with the piece itself and in general.

Jeremy Summerly, musician and conductor of the Royal Academy of Music, believes that memorability is related to the rhythm of a piece. Just take Beethoven's 5th, for example. If asked to sing the opening melody or name the harmonic pattern, few but accomplished musicians would be able to comply. But almost anyone can chant "da-da-da-dum...da-da-da-dum." Similarly, it is the rhythms of John Williams' film music that people remember, rather than the actual melodies.

What do you think? How do you recognize a piece, or what makes something worth remembering to you? Is it the melody, the rhythm, the instruments used, the harmonies?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Though several thousand books were destroyed in the fire that ravaged the Duchess Anna Amalia library in Weimar, Germany, the Bach manuscripts in the vault survived. Of these preserved manuscripts, two are especially important as the earliest known examples of Bach's work. These two manuscripts, dating from Bach's teenage years, are hand-written copies of works by Buxtehude and Reinken. Besides being significant records of Bach's growing repertoire, the manuscripts also contained a note indicating that Bach was then studying under organist Georg Boehm. Though researchers have known of these manuscripts since 2002, only recently have they regarded them as important documentations of Bach's musical development.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

According to the BBC, new UK airport flight restrictions regarding carry-on luggage are hitting musicians particularly hard. No longer is that $60,000 violin eligible for personal handling on an aircraft, but must be consigned to the hold with the rest of checked luggage. Due to the likelihood of damage in the hold, insurance companies won't cover instruments that are checked. Instead, the musician is left to bear the brunt of the costs himself. Some are calling for special security exemption for the additional risk their profession faces. Others say musicians should not get any more special treatment than the next traveler. What do you think?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Following the lead of Scandanavian stores, three co-ops in Cumbria decided to air Vivaldi and other classical composers on loudspeakers outside the store premises. The theory is that the music is unhip and will therefore drive loitering gangs away. Store staff and local police seemed to be satisfied with the results, but what if their plans backfire? What if Mozart replaces Metallica as the new hip sound? I am curious to see if future experiments in "social sound engineering" will achieve the desired results.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

According to an NPR article, Mozart's unfinished opera Zaide recently opened in New York. Mozart began work on the opera on his own time, but dropped it when he was commissioned to write Idomeneo. The opera is a demonstration of Mozart's earlier work, just before his operatic writing became a popular success. Though the article makes no mention of the similarity, the plot of Zaide appears to resemble that of Die Entfuring. Both are set in a Turkish harem. Director Peter Sellars contemporizes the setting to a sweatshop, peopled with African-American and Asian workers.

I am curious now about the similarities between this unfinished work and Die Entfuring. Does anyone else know whether Mozart incorporated some of this prior work into his latter German opera?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Born in Germany on December 9, 1915, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf became a British citizen in 1953, the same year of her marriage to her manager Walter Legge. Schwarzkopf is one of the only singers ever to perform under two names in the same production: because of some theatrical tantrums regarding casting decisions in a production of Die Fledermaus, she was nearly removed from operatic performances all together, but was allowed to stay as long as she sang under a different name some of the time. So, for example, in a production of Parsifal, she sang one number under her own name and another under the pseudonym Maria Helfer.

The opera world has a lot of singer tantrum stories. What are some of your favorites?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Because everyone has a voice, it is often described as a natural instrument. But I think this characterization obscures the long hours of training that must go into the production of a beautiful tone, especially in the case of classical singing. Quite frankly, there are some voices out there we'd rather not listen to. What do you think? Is the voice natural or as cultivated as the rest?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London is putting research on the physical effects of music into practice: doctors there claim that the regular performances held in the hospital speed the recovery process. The use of music in medicine might seem myterious and unscientific, but the regulation and structure in music appears to have the ability to regulate blood pressure, heart rate, and stress in the body.

The BBC article asserts that music therapy might just become a normal, even expected medical procedure. What do you think?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The Proms, a summer concert series of classical music events that is covered by the BBC, is in full swing with a program focused on Mozart and Shostakovich in order to commemorate the 250th and 100th anniversaries of their births, respectively. Those anxious to keep up with musical activities across the pond can listen to the concerts here.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Last week's story at Classical Music noted the rather unusual methods a chamber orchestra from Belgium took to obtain financial support. This week, however, they must return to more conventional approaches: after bidding had already surpassed $100,000, eBay shut the auction down. Selling people on the site was illegal, eBay notified the orchestra.

What about you readers? Do you think eBay made the right decision? Is selling an orchestra (a collection of musicians) the same thing as selling human beings?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

A big orchestra can achieve rich, lush sounds, and is often used to represent ideal or universal concepts. The small ensemble (such as the solo, accompanied solo, trio, quartet, etc.) produces a purer, simpler tone and is often used to convey intimate or personal concepts. Film soundtracks often incorporate these distinctions: to write a love theme for a couple on a balcony, the composer might use a single violin. To write a love theme that includes lots of people, such as love of country, the composer might make use of the full orchestra.

The sounds are different, though equally beautiful. Which do you perfer?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

To modernize or not to modernize, that is the question an opera director must often face. A thoughtful modernization can enhance the original meaning of the storyline, making it relevant to contemporary issues. A sloppy modernization, however, aimed at being hip merely for the sake of appealing to a larger audience, can turn an opera into a monstrosity few people will enjoy. The key to a successful modernization is to translate the original story by finding parallel situations in the current cultural context. So for example, rather than throwing an opera such as Marriage of Figaro into the 1950s simply because the costume designer wants to put all the females in poodle skirts and bobby socks, a director might consider parallel issues that are raised in the opera and choose a time period accordingly. Since the issue of class equality is a dominant theme in Marriage of Figaro, setting the opera in the 1960s in order to deal with the Civil Rights movement could be one example of opera "translation." Good modernization, then, involves looking at the opera first and subsequently choosing a contemporary era that fits the storyline, rather than first choosing an era and trying to smash the opera's storyline into it.

Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story is an excellent modernization of Romeo and Juliet, able to stand on its own even if one was unfamiliar with Shakespeare's play.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Do the readers at Suite101 participate in classical music forums?

But just what is a forum in the first place, perhaps you are asking.

A forum is an online discussion group, usually centred on a common topic or special interest. A classical music forum, then, is an online discussion group devoted to the topic of classical music. Most of the time forums are restricted, meaning that a participant has to join the group in order to comment. However, joining a forum is usually free and relatively hassle-free (as long as you can remember your username and password). Classical music forums often offer tips for increasing listening skills, lists of "top ten best" pieces of music, composer tidbits, and a place to play "name that tune" if a member has recently heard a piece of music (on television or in a film or commercial perhaps) but cannot identify it alone. Forums provide a way for members to find and converse with like-interested people, regardless of geographic location.

I am curious to know if there are many readers out there who already take advantage of the benefits classical music forums provide. So the question is out there: do you participate in a classical music forum and why?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The latest poll at Suite101 asks whether folks like to do a little research before going to a concert or whether they like simply to be surprised by the performer. There are certainly advantages to either position. If the music on the upcoming program is somewhat complex, a little preliminary footwork with a couple of good recordings will help the listener pick out and follow the main themes. Reading the program notes also helps highlight some of the important aspects of the work and usually sets it in a historical context. Perhaps the notes might even explain a performer or conductor's particular choice in arrangement: is a Bach prelude, for example, being performed on a harpsichord (an instrument more authentic to his time period) or on a piano (an instrument capable of more artistic nuance)?

However, there are certainly advantages to hearing a piece of music fresh, with as few prejudices as possible. I sometimes like to read the program notes after a performance as a kind of comparison test: in other words, was I able to hear the same things that the writer did?

Concert listening is easier and fuller if preceeded by a little research, but more indicative of aural skill if approached with a fresh pair of ears.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The end of May and beginning of June is a popular time for weddings. The weather is beautiful, and schedules slow down before the summer quarter gets going. But the question that every bride-to-be must face is "What will I walk down the aisle to?" She could rely on common consensus and pick the popular choices: Pachelbel's "Canon in D," Handel's "Largo," or Wagner's "Wedding March" (the "Here comes the bride" number). But what if she is looking for something a little bit more off the beaten path? She wants to stay traditional (nothing like Cage's 4'33", please), but wants to find some good classical music that will surprise and delight her guests. Stay tuned for next week, when the classical music section will feature an article on "Unusual and Lovely" music for the perfect wedding processional. If you have any suggestions from your experience (whether you've planned a wedding or attended a few), please feel free to add them here.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

The year 2006 is the year to celebrate two important composer birthdays. Mozart, born January 27, 1756, celebrated his 250th birthday this year, and September 25 will put the candle count at 100 for Shostakovich's own birthday cake. Concert halls across the world are commemorating these milestone events with special programs featuring the works of these two composers. In particular, the Proms, an enormous classical music event located in London and sponsored by the BBC, will be featuring Mozart's Mass in C minor as well as several Shostakovich symphonies. Mozart was an Austrian, and composed prolificly, free from the restraint of any one patron's censorship. Shostakovich, on the other hand, worked under a highly invasive Soviet government in the time leading up to and during the Cold War.

I sometimes wonder what Shostakovich might have sounded like if he had been handed a sheet of paper with the words "Compose whatever you want!" Would he have been as creative? Can restraints actually help in the compositional process?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

According to the poll listed on the Classical Music page last week, most Suite101 readers preferred their music live and only two voted to listen to their music on an iPod (or other MP3 player, I presume). Yet recently the BBC offered the Beethoven Symphonies in downloadable format for its listeners, and the number of requests surpassed expectations 40 times over. Does this mean there are actually more people out there who enjoy listening to downloaded music? Or is the ability to download simply a matter of convenience? Would most listeners prefer live music, but since they can't always get to concerts, they resort to purchasing and downloading their music from online providers?

This is an interesting question. What do you think?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Last week, I decided to find out what readers of the Classical Music section at Suite101 prefer when it comes to listening to music. The majority of you voted for the live performance, and I must say that I am sympathetic to that choice myself. The live performance allows the audience not only to experience the music itself, but also to interact with the performer. Every performance will be just a little bit different, since the performer feeds off the reaction he or she senses in the audience.

The next most popular choice was the recording. A recording offers the listener a polished version of a work of music, and you don't have to strain to hear the pianissimo sections over the coughing of the person seated next to you.

The least popular choice was the iPod. Apparently most classical music listeners prefer to experience their music interactively. However, as perhaps those brave two voters who chose this option might have realized, the iPod lets you experience music in a space of your own. You don't have to worry about disrupting other people's aural space and you can travel quite easily with this small, portable device.

Thanks all for your participation in this poll, and stay tuned for upcoming opinion and preference polls in the future.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

What makes a piece of music art? Is it the ability to inspire an emotional response? Is it the social message it conveys? Is it the innovation and creativity it demonstrates? Is it because it requires some kind of intellectual education in order to understand it? Is it the degree in which it reflects a certain era's values? Is it the influence it exerts on future compositions?

The answer is, of course, all of the above. However, a particular piece of music may demonstrate one aspect of artfulness more than another aspect. John Cage may not inspire raptuous feelings of sublime delight, but he was certainly innovative and reflective of 20th century postmodern values, including relativity (his music is rarely the same twice) and antiauthoritarianism (the composer's role is minimal). On the other hand, Chopin's nocturnes may not challenge our concept of what music is, but they certainly please the listener with their depth of harmonic resonance and soaring melodies. Beethoven, with his carefully worked out and copiously revised scores, influenced a century's worth of composers to come.

There are many reasons for enjoying a piece of music. What do you look for when searching for good listening suggestions?

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

For a couple of weeks, I plan to take a brief detour away from the current exploration of minimalism. Look forward to articles dealing with the impact of sociological or technological changes on Western Art music. I'll still be adding articles on minimalism (after all, I never reached John Adams), but I'll also feature articles on different topics. Enjoy!

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Have you ever applauded enthusiastically after the first movement of a particularly passionate rendition of a Beethoven sonata or Rachmaninoff concerto only to receive cold stares from fellow concert-goers? When is it appropriate to cry "bravo" as an expression of admiration for an opera singer's talent? Should the audience applaud at times other than the close of the performance? Classical concerts are run by formalities that are rarely expressed explicitly. Instead, learning concert etiquette must be done in the field, as fellow classical music lovers correct our mistakes with the appropriate frown or stare. What are the rules of thumb for the particular scenarios above? Because the smaller units of larger classical works are generally meant to flow continuously from one to the next, don't applaud until the performer has finished all the movements of a sonata. The same rule of restraint applies to the symphonic work or the song cycle. The Italian term "bravo" is masculine, so it must be applied to a male singer. To express admiration for a female singer, use the feminine "brava." To cheer for multiple singers, use the plural "bravi." Finally, it is generally considered polite to applaud the conductor when he appears on stage as well as to applaud the entrance of any special guest performers. If the guest performer leaves at any time during the performance (to signal a break in the program), the audience should applaud every time the performer re-enters the stage. Have you gleaned any further knowledge of concert formalities from your own concert attendances? Please share your experiences with us here.

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke

Ever since my introduction to Steve Reich's "Violin Phase" back in undergraduate days, I have been intrigued by the experimental methods of Reich and other minimalist composers. Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and John Adams opened up a new way of appreciating sounds for me. Last fall I wrote an analysis paper on "Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards," a composition by Steve Reich, that renewed my passion for the works of the minimalist style. A desire to share that knowledge gained in my experience with the music of Reich, Glass, and Adams has prompted me to present a series of articles on mimimalism, focusing on these three major composers associated with the style.