“The qiyan, the singing female slaves of the Islamic world, invented the key elements of courtly love long before they were known in Europe. I have a whole shelf of books on troubadour love songs in front of me, and not one of them mentions these innovators.”
Tag: 02.08.15
The Woman Who Runs The LA Phil
“Her key accomplishment has been to keep the Phil relevant — and prosperous — at a time when fewer people nationwide want to buy season tickets to the symphony, especially an on-demand young generation that prefers a la carte programming with a contemporary edge. Borda and Dudamel have kept the classics, but they have expanded the repertoire.” (This is the first in a week-long series of interactive stories about the Los Angeles Philharmonic.)
If You’re The Betting Type, You Might Want To Bet On ‘Birdman’ And Its Director At The Oscars
“Alejandro G. Inarritu’s dramedy won the Directors Guild of America’s 67th DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures — aka the DGA Award — on Saturday night, which, on the heels of the film winning the top prizes of the Producers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild, suggests that it will take something of a miracle to stop the film from winning the best picture Oscar on Feb. 22.”
So, Who Won The Classical Grammys?
“The curiosity of the evening was a Best Classical Compendium Grammy for late American eccentric composer and inventor Harry Partch. Accepting the award for his recording of Partch’s Plectra & Percussion Dances, producer John Schneider noted that his musicians had to learn the composer’s daunting 43-note scale as part of their preparation.”