DOCSLIB.ORG

Vote Now for the Best and Worst Orchestras of 2012

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Vote Now for the Best and Worst Orchestras of 2012 21/12/12 Vote now f or the best and worst orchestras of 2012 an blog | AJBlog Central | Contact me | Advertise | Follow me: Slipped Disc Norman Lebrecht on shifting sound worlds Search this website … Search Home About Contact PostsComments Vote now for the best and worst orchestras of 2012 December 13, 2012 By Norman Lebrecht 139 Comments These are the final choices on the ballot sheet. You can vote for one orch in each category. All votes must be in by Thursday midnight. The criteria for selection are outlined here. All stories can be searched further in Slipped Disc. For best orchestra of 2012 Los Angeles Phil Advanced Brand Dudamel to all four corners of the earth, split a Mahler cycle between US and Venezuela Chicago Despite short strike, sounding happier under Muti, travelling wider Detroit Out of strike zone, online, on-air, looking years ahead. Sao Paolo First Lat-Am orch to go global Tonhalle Zurich Took huge risk on 26 yr-old music director, going boldly for renewal Qatar Phil - Hired 29 yr-old woman as music director in bid to shake off ancient prejudices Orquesta de Extremadura Survived against impossible odds in remote part of Spain @twtrsymphony Breaking new ground Philharmonia Launched a groundbreaking app. Berlin Phil Signed brilliant tech deal with Sony, plus the usual reasons www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/12/nominations-f or-best-and-worst-orchestra-of -2012.html 1/35 Vote now f or the best and worst orchestras of 2012 Worst orchs of 2012 Malaysian Phiharmonic Fired 9 foreign players, got placed on international boycott Johnnesburg Phil Shut down Minnesota Locked its players out Atlanta Likewise, with menaces OSR Geneva Fired new manager, mired in squabbles Israel Phil Still no Arab players, and rough on guest conductors Vienna Phil Lost its trombone section, still resistant to women London Philharmonic Lost 15% of its business, sacrificed player control, played two venues on the same night Berlin Phil Behaved badly in Salzburg, stumbling in Baden-Baden, all the usual reasons. Ulster Orchestra Faces being shrunk to chamber orch There’s still room to add more, but time’s getting short… Share this: 12/13/12 11:36 AM | filed under: main | www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/12/nominations-f or-best-and-worst-orchestra-of -2012.html 2/35 21/12/12 Vote now f or the best and worst orchestras of 2012 Comments 1. Brian says: December 13, 2012 at 1:10 pm My votes: Best: LA Philharmonic. For making tangible efforts to reflect our multicultural society and mostly avoid business-as-usual programming. Worst: Vienna Philharmonic. An over-hyped bastion of backwards thinking towards women. If allowed a runner-up vote, Minnesota would win that hands down. Reply lourdes rdriguez says: December 20, 2012 at 11:51 pm Best orchestra: Orquesta de Extremadura. Reply Raquel says: December 21, 2012 at 12:35 pm My vote is São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP)!!!!!!! Reply 2. william osborne says: December 13, 2012 at 2:37 pm With women representing only 14% of its personnel thirty years after agreeing to admit them, Berlin suffers from problems similar to Vienna’s. They have made progress, but it has been unnecessarily slow. Reply 3. Michael Hurshell says: December 13, 2012 at 2:50 pm Re Vienna: no question that the non-hiring of women would place it high on the “bad” list – IF this were a contest about morals. But the BRAND Wiener Philharmoniker is still as successful as it ever was. The New Year’s concert is still one of the most widely watched events on world wide TV. The recordings still outsell others after half a century (example: Solti Ring). And on top of that they are still one of the most unbelievable sounding bands ever. If the world were a more just place, the VPO’s 3/35 21/12/12 Vote now f or the best and worst orchestras of 2012 attitude toward hiring female players would no doubt have trashed the brand by now… but the world isn’t, and the brand is right up there. As Hofmannsthal says: “San halt aso…” Reply william osborne says: December 13, 2012 at 4:35 pm We should also remember the VPO has a history of discrimination against Asians. Whether or not the orchestra sells records, its name is inextricably tied to racism and especially sexism. That is poor branding. Reply Brian Hughes says: December 13, 2012 at 9:42 pm Despite its problems with discrimination, it is hard to argue with the VPO “brand.” AND, let’s be honest, it’s “their” (the players, right?) orchestra and they should be allowed to operate the organization as they wish. If individuals have difficulties with their racism, sexism, etc. (and I’m not brushing these off lightly) then don’t buy recordings, attend performances, watch the New Year’s gala on TV. The VPO “brand” still stands for tradition and excellence, throughout its history. Reply william osborne says: December 14, 2012 at 10:28 am The VPO is the same orchestra as the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. It is against both Austrian and European law for public institutions to discriminate on the basis of race or sex. Reply Michael Endres says: December 14, 2012 at 11:12 am I do enjoy the unique sound of VPO immensely,and it is absolutely their business how they run their highly successful orchestra. The VPO certainly contributes more to musical life than self appointed PC watchdogs,who’s only interest in music seems to be that a certain quota is achieved. This survey seems to be about extra musical affairs . The Tonhalle , the Philharmonia and the Quatar Phil above the VPO ? This survey reminds me of totalitarian East Germany,where the right political attitude was the decisive factor in all affairs,never the actual quality. PC correctness is the new religion. If one does not comply one’s ” name is inextricably tied to racism and especially www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/12/nominations-f or-best-and-worst-orchestra-of -2012.html 4/35 21/12/12 Vote now f or the best and worst orchestras of 2012 sexism”. The VPO’s is all over the world considered as one of the top orchestras with a unique sound,not found in any other band. But that does not even get mentioned any more, so it seems. It simply does not count. What solely counts is the missing quota…… Reply william osborne says: December 14, 2012 at 12:00 pm People recognize both the musical qualities of the VPO and its social problems. Solving those problems will help insure the future of the orchestra. As one example, almost all of the young players of the Vienna oboe are girls. By resisting women the orchestra puts the Philharmonic’s style in jeopardy. 4. Christopher Oakmount says: December 13, 2012 at 3:22 pm I agree that Vienna has a rotten record on female hiring, however: The VPO lost two excellent players, including ONE of their principals, but they did NOT lose their trombone section which . It is still unclear if they were really bullied out of the orchestra, as many suggest, or if other factors (like interesting job alternatives or simply English native speakers wanting to return to an English speaking country to their families and friends) played a role. Reply 5. Sam McElroy says: December 13, 2012 at 3:47 pm In the last three years I have had fortunate occasion to hear many top orchestras all over the world, most of which are wonderful, of course, but some of which are comatose. BUT, the best SOUND, the best musical experience BY FAR has come from an orchestra that will certainly not feature on the list, because it is not yet a worldwide brand, nor does it try to be, or aspire to be, or attempt to monetize itself. A multi-cultural gathering, it is assembled every summer by audition, holds a residency in a random corner of the Americas, then tours adventurous programs and infectious enthusiasm throughout whatever territory is lucky enough to have it that year. Its leader is the absolutely wonderful Carlos Miguel Prieto. Any guesses? The Youth Orchestra of the Americas, or the YOA as we know it. I will NEVER forget their Brahms no.1 or Shostakovich no.10, in Colombia, 2010. Returning after that summer to hear certain North American “professional” orchestras was like checking out of the George V and into a Motel 6. The work the YOA does, under the radar, is absolutely extraordinary, and I can’t wait to spend next July with them, even if I won’t be performing… http://www.yoa.org www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/12/nominations-f or-best-and-worst-orchestra-of -2012.html 5/35 21/12/12 Vote now f or the best and worst orchestras of 2012 Reply Mark Reneau says: December 13, 2012 at 4:58 pm I can only agree: Carlos Prieto is a wonderful conductor. I was concertmaster during his tenure with the Huntsville Symphony, and my youngest son plays in his trumpet section in the Louisiana Phil. Carlos always arrived in Huntsville exhausted AND highly energized by those tours with the YOA. Reply 6. Eyal Braun says: December 13, 2012 at 3:55 pm The Israel PO recently launched an academy in Shfar’am, an arab city near Haifa ,which recruit the best arab-Israeli young musician, the aim is to add arab musicians to the orchestra in the coming years. Mehta has declared many times that he wants to add Arab musicians to the orchestra and this will probably happen within the next few years.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Los Angeles Philharmonic
    LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC Critical Acclaim “The most successful American orchestra.” - Los Angeles Times “It should be chiseled above the doors of every symphony hall: What an orchestra plays matters as much as how it plays, if not more so. By that measure a strong case can be made that the Los Angeles Philharmonic…is the most important orchestra in the country.” - The New York Times “If ever an orchestra was riding the crest of a wave, it is the Los Angeles Philharmonic.” - The Times (London) “…the most multi-faceted orchestra in the world and certainly the one putting the greatest emphasis on music of our time.” - Los Angeles Times “Under Salonen, the [Los Angeles] Philharmonic became the most interesting orchestra in America; under Dudamel, it shows no signs of relinquishing the title.” - The New Yorker Best Orchestras of 2012 – #1) Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra – “The most talked-about and widely-travelled US orch, carrying Brand Dudamel to all four corners of the earth, split a Mahler cycle between US and Venezuela, advanced tremendous outreach work across its own urban area.” - Norman Lebrecht’s Slipped Disc “The L.A. Phil still boasts the most varied and venturesome offerings of any major orchestra.” - Los Angeles Times “At a time when many orchestras are offering ‘safer,’ crowd-pleasing repertoire picks online, it’s refreshing to see the LA Phil coming out of the gate with programming that speaks to why it is at the forefront of American orchestras today.” - Billboard “‘Blow bright’ is the seventh work commissioned and performed by the L.A.
    [Show full text]
  • PHILIPPE QUINT Biography (Updated July 2016)
    PHILIPPE QUINT biography (updated July 2016) Lauded by Daily Telegraph (UK) for his “searingly poetic lyricism” violinist Philippe Quint is carving an unconventional path with his impassioned musical desire for reimagining traditional works, rediscovering neglected repertoire to commissioning works by contemporary composers. His dedication to exploring different styles and genres with an award winning discography has solidified him as one of the foremost violinists of today. Receiving several Grammy nominations for his two albums of Korngold and William Schuman Concertos, Mr. Quint is in constant demand worldwide appearing with major orchestras at venues ranging from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig to Carnegie Hall in New York. Philippe Quint plays the magnificent 1708 "Ruby" Antonio Stradivari violin on loan to him through the generous efforts of The Stradivari Society®. Highlights of the 2015/2016 season included performances with Colorado, Seattle & North Carolina Symphonies, Luzern’s Zaubersee Festival with pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, and a first visit to Verbier Festival performing with Joshua Bell and Tabea Zimmerman among others. At the invitation of Maestro Vladimir Spivakov, Philippe opened the 28th edition of Colmar Festival dedicated to Jascha Heifetz with Tugan Sokhiev conducting the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in a performance of Korngold Violin Concerto. Earlier this year he was part of the opening of Mary B. Galvin’s new hall in Chicago hosted by Renee Fleming. Winner of the “Ambassador of Arts” award in 2014, presented to Philippe by Brownstone and Gateway Organizations at the United Nations last March, his 2014-2015 season highlights included debuts with Seattle Symphony with Ludovic Morlot, Milwaukee Symphony with Edo de Waart, Kansas Symphony with Michael Stern, Vancouver Symphony with James Gaffigan, and returns to San Diego Symphony with Jahja Ling and Indianapolis Symphony with Krzysztof Urbanski.
    [Show full text]
  • The Life and Death of Classical Music: Featuring the 100 Best and 20 Worst Recordings Ever Made Free Download
    THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CLASSICAL MUSIC: FEATURING THE 100 BEST AND 20 WORST RECORDINGS EVER MADE FREE DOWNLOAD Norman Lebrecht | 324 pages | 10 Apr 2007 | Anchor Books | 9781400096589 | English | United States WHY MAHLER? See all books by Norman Lebrecht. Now go back to your fiddling-diddling. Xav rated it it was ok Mar 22, Norman Mailer Paperback Books. More By and About This Author. Really gives you an idea of how the classical culture and industry operate. The Debussy, says Lebrecht, "shimmered like the English Channel at Eastbourne on a summer's day, a pointillist's paradise. And then after that, it turns out that some of them have just forgotten their violin instead of it having been stolen. You have made mistakes with posting such stories as well. Oct 28, Samuel rated it liked it. Sign Up. Buy It Now. Make an offer:. Log in. I'd pass. While flawed, I liked this book enough that I'd like to add it to my collection at some point, mainly as a reference when seeking out performances. The history is great, and just as good is his list at the end of the book of essential and worthless recordings. An engrossing memoir as well as a lively treatise on what extraordinary grace under extraordinary pressure looks like. I've enjoyed Norman Lebrecht in his earlier books-- "Discord," "The Maestro Myth"-- where he's consistently been witty, engaging, cynical, informed, opinionated and quirky. Please sign up to continue. Probably the last part of the book will get more attention-- his lists of what he feels to be the most important classical recordings of all time, from the s to the s, and the 20 absolutely worst of all time.
    [Show full text]
  • Los Angeles Philharmonic
    LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC Critical Acclaim “The L.A. Phil still boasts the most varied and venturesome offerings of any major orchestra.” Los Angeles Times Best Orchestras of 2012 – #1) Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra – “The most talked- about and widely-travelled US orch, carrying Brand Dudamel to all four corners of the earth, split a Mahler cycle between US and Venezuela, advanced tremendous outreach work across its own urban area.” Norman Lebrecht’s Slipped Disc “At a time when many orchestras are offering ‘safer,’ crowd-pleasing repertoire picks online, it’s refreshing to see the LA Phil coming out of the gate with programming that speaks to why it is at the forefront of American orchestras today.” Billboard “…the Los Angeles Philharmonic tops the list of America’s premier orchestras and serves as a lesson in how to update an august cultural institution without cheapening its work.” The New York Times “Under Salonen, the [Los Angeles] Philharmonic became the most interesting orchestra in America; under Dudamel, it shows no signs of relinquishing the title.” The New Yorker “If ever an orchestra was riding the crest of a wave, it is the Los Angeles Philharmonic.” The Times (London) Walt Disney Concert Hall (January 18, 2013) Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor; Midori, violin KODÁLY Háry János Suite, EÖTVÖS Violin Concerto (world premiere, LA Phil commission), BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra “Barok’s Concerto for Orchestra is an L.A. Phil specialty and Heras-Casado’s performance was meticulous…He dazzles without calling attention to himself. What he did call attention to was the L.A.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ART of CARLOS KLEIBER Carolyn Watson Thesis Submitted In
    GESTURE AS COMMUNICATION: THE ART OF CARLOS KLEIBER Carolyn Watson Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Conservatorium of Music University of Sydney May 2012 Statement of Originality I declare that the research presented here is my own original work and has not been submitted to any other institution for the award of a degree. Signed: Carolyn Watson Date: ii Abstract This thesis focuses on the art of orchestral conducting and in particular, the gestural language used by conductors. Aspects such as body posture and movement, eye contact, facial expressions and manual conducting gestures will be considered. These nonverbal forms of expression are the means a conductor uses to communicate with players. Manual conducting gestures are used to show fundamental technical information relating to tempo, dynamics and cues, as well as demonstrating to a degree, musical expression and conveying an interpretation of the musical work. Body posture can communicate authority, leadership, confidence and inspiration. Furthermore, physical gestures such as facial expressions can express a conductor’s mood and demeanour, as well as the emotional content of the music. Orchestral conducting is thus a complex and multifarious art, at the core of which is gesture. These physical facets of conducting will be examined by way of a case study. The conductor chosen as the centrepiece of this study is Austrian conductor, Carlos Kleiber (1930-2004). Hailed by many as the greatest conductor of all time1, Kleiber was a perfectionist with unscrupulously high standards who enjoyed a career with some of the world’s finest orchestras and opera companies including the Vienna Philharmonic, La Scala, Covent Garden, the Met and the Chicago Symphony.
    [Show full text]
  • The Secularization of the Repertoire of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 1949-1992
    THE SECULARIZATION OF THE REPERTOIRE OF THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR, 1949-1992 Mark David Porcaro A dissertation submitted to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Music (Musicology) Chapel Hill 2006 Approved by Advisor: Thomas Warburton Reader: Severine Neff Reader: Philip Vandermeer Reader: Laurie Maffly-Kipp Reader: Jocelyn Neal © 2006 Mark David Porcaro ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT MARK PORCARO: The Secularization of the Repertoire of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 1949-1992 (Under the direction of Thomas Warburton) In 1997 in the New Yorker, Sidney Harris published a cartoon depicting the “Ethel Mormon Tabernacle Choir” singing “There’s NO business like SHOW business...” Besides the obvious play on the names of Ethel Merman and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the cartoon, in an odd way, is a true-to-life commentary on the image of the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle Choir (MTC) in the mid-1990s; at this time the Choir was seen as an entertainment ensemble, not just a church choir. This leads us to the central question of this dissertation, what changes took place in the latter part of the twentieth century to secularize the repertoire of the primary choir for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)? In the 1860s, when the MTC began, its sole purpose was to perform for various church meetings, in particular for General Conference of the LDS church which was held in the Tabernacle at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. From the beginning of the twentieth century and escalating during the late 1950s to the early 1960s, the Choir’s role changed from an in-house choir for the LDS church to a choir that also fulfilled a cultural and entertainment function, not only for the LDS church but also for the American public at large.
    [Show full text]
  • Justin Solomon 1 Deconstructing the Definitive Recording: Elgar's Cello Concerto and the Influence of Jacqueline Du Pré Accou
    Justin Solomon 1 Deconstructing the Definitive Recording: Elgar’s Cello Concerto and the Influence of Jacqueline du Pré Accounts of Jacqueline du Pré’s 1965 recording session for the Elgar Cello Concerto with Sir John Barbirolli border on mythical. Only twenty years old at the time, du Pré impressed the audio engineers and symphony members so much that word of a historic performance quickly spread to an audience of local music enthusiasts, who arrived after a break to witness the remainder of the session.1 Reviewers of the recording uniformly praised the passion and depth of du Pré’s interpretation; one reviewer went so far as to dub the disc “the standard version of the concerto, with or without critical acclaim.”2 Even du Pré seemed to sense that the recording session would become legendary. Despite the fact that the final recording was produced from thirty-seven takes spanning the entirety of the Concerto, du Pré hinted to her friends that “she had played the concerto straight through,” as if the recording were the result of a single inspired performance rather than a less glamorous day of false starts and retakes.3 Without doubt, du Pré’s recording is one of the most respected interpretations of the Concerto. Presumably because of the effectiveness of the recording and the attention it received, the famous cellist Mstislav Rostropovich “erased the concerto from his repertory” after the recording was released.4 For this reason, it comes as no surprise that in the wake of such a respected and widely distributed rendition, amateur and professional cellists alike would be conscious of du Pré’s stylistic choices and perhaps imitate their most attractive features.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of the Conductors Guild
    Journal of the Conductors Guild Volume 31, Number 2 2014 719 Twinridge Lane Richmond, VA 23235-5270 T: (804) 553-1378; F: (804) 553-1876 Table of Contents E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] . Advancing the Art and Profession Website: www.conductorsguild.org Officers Gordon J. Johnson, President David Leibowitz, Secretary A Conductors’ Philosopher: page 1 John Farrer, President-Elect Christopher Blair, Treasurer Erin R. Freeman, Vice-President James Allen Anderson, Past President Susanne Langer on Music by Michael Luxner Board of Directors Ira Abrams Reginald Houze John Gordon Ross Conducting Agon; page 8 John P. Boyd John Koshak Lyn Schenbeck* Wesley Broadnax Anthony LaGruth Jonathan Sternberg* the Balanchine/Stravinsky Brooke Creswell Brenda Lynne Leach James R. Tapia Contribution to the Development John Devlin Sasha Mäkilä Emily Threinen of a Specialism Thomas Gamboa Jeffery Meyer Julius Williams by Dr. Eugenie Burkett Andrew George Jon C. Mitchell Burton A. Zipser* Jacob Harrison* Michael Mishra *ex officio Claire Fox Hillard Philip Morehead Bruno Walter, page 22 Advisory Council Leonard Bernstein, and Pierre Boulez Michael Griffith Harlan D. Parker Tempo Interpretation in Emily Freeman Brown Samuel Jones Maurice Peress Mahler Scores Michael Charry Tonu Kalam Donald Portnoy by Nathaniel F. Parker Sandra Dackow Wes Kenney Barbara Schubert Harold Farberman Daniel Lewis Gunther Schuller page 28 Adrian Gnam Larry Newland Leonard Slatkin Scores & Parts Max Rudolf Award Winners Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet Herbert Blomstedt Daniel Lewis Gunther Schuller Fantasy—Overture: A guide to David M. Epstein Gustav Meier Jonathan Sternberg preparing a correct score and parts Donald Hunsberger Otto-Werner Mueller Paul Vermel by David Bernard Thelma A.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Jewishness in the Third Movement of Mahler's First Symphony
    Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology Vol. 2, December 2012 Beyond the Caricature: Cultural Jewishness in the Third Movement of Mahler’s First Symphony BENJAMIN ADLER The music of Gustav Mahler has been received as “Jewish” in fulfilment of the various hermeneutic biases of its receivers. Over the past century these socio-political agendas have included anti-Semitic delegitimisation of Jewish-born artists, from the time of Mahler to the Nazi era; the “Jewish pride” of the concurrently burgeoning Zionist movement; Jewish attempts to resuscitate that which was lost in the Holocaust; broader “public expiation” for the Holocaust and World War II; “nostalgia and personal identification” on the part of Jewish artists in the latter half of the twentieth century; and the universal modernist tendency to read in art the “alienation of the modern individual” in the late twentieth century and into the twenty-first.1 Indeed, it would not be an overstatement to claim that, as a result of this reception history, Mahler has ascended to the level of “Jewish paragon” in the western canon. This is evidenced by the significant increase in the number of Jewish readings of Mahler that have percolated into mainstream musicology over the past two decades. An unfortunate consequence of this reception history, however, is that in their eagerness to realise their respective socio-political agendas, writers have simplified the identification and analysis of Jewishness in the music itself. This is evident in three of four avenues of inquiry that appear to dominate the discussion of Mahler’s Jewishness. They may be labelled “biographical,” “musical,” and “paratextual” lenses, and have led to the formation of unhelpful reductionist caricatures.
    [Show full text]
  • {FREE} Why Mahler? : How One Man and Ten Symphonies Changed The
    WHY MAHLER? : HOW ONE MAN AND TEN SYMPHONIES CHANGED THE WORLD PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Norman Lebrecht | 384 pages | 01 Sep 2011 | FABER & FABER | 9780571260799 | English | London, United Kingdom Why Mahler? : How One Man and Ten Symphonies Changed the World PDF Book Stay ahead with Tip Sheet! The main thing that annoys me is that all these composers Mendelssohn, Mahler, and even dear old Fritz Kreisler were in a hurry to deny their cultural heritage and adopt Catholicism for self-advancement. Not, however, Norman Lebrecht, whose fascination with Mahler extends to knowing that the American chanteuse Beyonce Knowles is his eighth cousin four times removed. Anyway, who has the time to wend their way through dozens of versions of a particular symphony symphonies in Mahler's case which are frequently hitting the hour-long mark in order to gauge which interpretation suits them best? The book breaks down each of the 10 - the 10th being unfinished at M's death. I liked the beautiful buoyancy of the orchestral sound still. Each chapter centers on a single, pivotal year, allowing Lebrecht to weave together a collection of anecdotes. He was liberal in his instructions to other conductors performing his music, so much so, that some performances of a particular symphony could vary by as much as 20 minutes, depending on Mahler's mood, or the interpretation of the conductor. It did not give a clear, inter Normally I view reading in the same way that some people view food, the kind who insist on finishing everything on their plate, or I view it in the same way that the Mastermind questioner views his questions - "I've started so I'll finish".
    [Show full text]
  • The Influence of Recording and the Record Industry Upon Musical Activity, As Illustrated by the Careers of Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Georg Solti and Sir Simon Rattle
    The influence of recording and the record industry upon musical activity, as illustrated by the careers of Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Georg Solti and Sir Simon Rattle. David Patmore, B.A., M.B.A. Thesis submitted to the University of Sheffield in part fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Sheffield University Management School University of Sheffield August 2001 Acknowledgements This study would not exist without the initial suggestion of my undertaking doctoral research by Professor Geoff Stone and Professor Anne Tomes, made at the time of the completion of my MBA at the Sheffield University Management School in 1994. I am most grateful for this early support. Further valuable encouragement and advice in the formulation of the research and in the idea of undertaking research into the influence of recording was given by Professor Tomes, working closely with Professors Peter Armstrong and Peter Hill. As a musician Professor Hill gave much advice of central importance at this critical early stage, as well as ongoing support and encouragement that has been greatly appreciated. I am most grateful to the Economic and Social Research Council for generously granting a studentship to allow myself to undertake the study, and to the Sheffield University Management School and Department of Music for being at all times congenial and supportive co-hosts. In the first year of study Professors Armstrong, Hill and Tomes proved to be admirable supervisors. At the beginning of the second year personal and professional changes resulted in the supervisory team being reformed with Dr. Cathy Cassell taking the leadership reigns, and with Professor Peter Hill and Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • UK's Royal Opera House to Perform 'Twitter' Opera 11 August 2009, by GREGORY KATZ , Associated Press Writer
    UK's Royal Opera House to perform 'Twitter' opera 11 August 2009, By GREGORY KATZ , Associated Press Writer music critic Norman Lebrecht said. "I wouldn't put too high hopes on it. It won't produce great opera." He said the use of Internet technology to concoct a collective work of art is not new - but that success stories have been very rare. "In the earlier days of the Internet there were a number of collaborative novels, including some started by major writers, and none of them worked," he said. People walk by the Royal Opera House in central Royal Opera House officials claim it will be the London, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009. The Royal Opera world's first "online opera story." Fans are House said Tuesday it hopes to perform excerpts of an contributing to the libretto line by line, their opera now being composed on the Web by the growing imaginations limited only by the Twitter format, community of Twitter users. The results will be put to which allows a maximum of 140 characters to be music and, if all goes to plan, performed to an audience posted at a time. next month. (AP Photo/Sang Tan) Alison Duthie, director of ROH2, the Royal Opera House's contemporary program, said the use of Twitter is part of a wider effort to get more people (AP) -- It probably won't be "Madame Butterfly," but interested in the art form. it should be fun. "We wanted to engage with audiences in the In an effort to get more people involved with opera, creation of an opera," she said.
    [Show full text]