Category: music

Pay Cuts At U.S. Orchestras May Last Beyond The Pandemic

“While musicians at some major ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, have agreed to steep cuts that would have been unthinkable in normal times, others are resisting. Some unions fear that the concessions being sought could outlast the pandemic, and reset the balance of power between management and labor.” – The New York Times

Classical Music’s Real Heroes Of 2020? Video Engineers

“Crowds of listeners gathering in front of crowds of musicians has been all but impossible, so ensembles have rushed to replace in-person performances with online programs — often well produced and sometimes more daring than the live concerts that had originally been planned. In the process, media departments, now much more than promotional supplements, have been the linchpins.” – The New York Times

A Historic Detroit Music Venue To Become An Amazon Factory?

“Amazon, you’re building a new $400-million, 3.8-million-square-foot distribution center on the old State Fair site. The area where the bandshell sits is slated to become a parking lot. The bandshell is an important piece of American music history, as well as Detroit music history. It would be a tragic loss if it were to end up, like so many historic Detroit buildings, as a parking lot. The music industry has suffered greatly in 2020 due to COVID-19 and we’re not out of the woods yet.” – Detroit Metro Times

Discovered: Earliest Known English Church Anthem Composed By A Woman

This setting of the Christmas hymn “Whilst Shepherds watch’d their flocks by night” for unison girls’ voices and organ was written ca. 1785 by Jane Savage, a composer and the daughter of one of Handel’s bass soloists, himself a composer and church musician. She created the piece for the choir of London’s Asylum for Female Orphans; as in Venice at the same time, the English capital in the 18th century had a number of institutions for abandoned or orphaned girls which became fashionable places to worship because the young ladies sang so well. – The Guardian

How Notre-Dame’s Enormous Grand Organ Was Taken Apart For Cleaning

Amazingly, the 8,000-pipe, five-keyboard instrument escaped serious damage in last year’s catastrophic fire. But all the pipes and mechanisms were covered in lead dust from the collapsed roof, and they require decontamination and repair. The organ’s disassembly was recently completed, nearly two months ahead of schedule (!), and it’s expected to be back in place in April of 2024. (But will it be?) – Smithsonian Magazine

Classical Music’s Real Diversity Problem? Class

Today, the genre is grappling with what, on the surface, might seem like an entirely different aspect of its legacy: the historical lack of diversity in its orchestras and ensembles. The truth is that these legacies could hardly be more intertwined: Economic discrimination has produced diversity dramas of all sorts. Yet you’d never know this from recent attempts by critics to wrestle with the genre’s representation problems without so much as a passing reference to class. – The New Republic

Calling 2020 ‘The Year The Music Died’ Is Far More Truth Than Cliche

Where should musicians go, and what should they do? “Everyone in the live music business has asked that question since the pandemic decimated the industry. The damage was relentless and comprehensive, and it’s nowhere near over: tours grounded, beloved venues shuttered, layoffs made permanent and lifelong dreams vaporized. An industry at the crest of a hugely profitable decade has plummeted off a cliff.” – Los Angeles Times