Tag: 07.10.19

Will Millennials Kill Opera?

“We’re not known for our attention spans, our patience, or our respect for tradition, and we have been subsequently accused of killing avocado, cheese, home ownership, marriage, and the retail industry. Behind these allegations is, of course, the world’s deeply troubled economy, which has effectively made it unlikely that most of us will be able to afford what our parents could.” – Vogue

How ‘Oklahoma!’ Created The Original Cast Album Genre

“Typically, show music was cut down and rearranged for a popular dance band. But [Decca president Jack] Kapp had no time for such niceties” — he was rushing to get a recording of the hit show to market after a long musicians’ strike — “and the musical’s full Broadway orchestra was brought in to accompany the performers. There had been a few, somewhat limited, cast recordings before, but Decca’s improvised innovation came closest to capturing the full experience of attending a Broadway musical.” – The New York Times

‘People Will Say We’re In Love’: How The Perky Operetta Duet Of The 1943 ‘Oklahoma!’ Became The Twangy Country Song Of The 2019 ‘Oklahoma!’

The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization was willing to let Daniel Fish, director of the revisionist revival now on Broadway, experiment with the way the story was told but forbid any changes to the songs’ melody, rhythm or harmony. So why is this duet’s effect so different? Jesse Green breaks it down. – The New York Times

Baltimore Symphony’s Finances Are So Bad Tapping Its Endowment Is Problematic

The BSO’s finances arguably are so unstable that members of the endowment trust supporting the symphony balk at lending or giving it even one penny more than the $6 million it has received this fiscal year. Some trustees worry that releasing more funds to an organization they say is in dire financial straits would be tantamount to pouring money down a drain. – Baltimore Sun

The U.S. Has A Vibrant, Innovative Flamenco Scene — Why Is It Continually Underrated? (Especially When A Dancer Has A Non-Spanish Name)

Alice Blumenfeld, alumna of Flamenco Vivo and now director of the company ABREPASO: “Only as I started to branch out did I realize there are many people breaking boundaries in flamenco in the U.S. in incredible ways that could only be possible in the melting pot that is America.” – Dance Magazine

Violinist Aaron Rosand Dead At 92

“Acclaimed for his performances of romantic repertoire and his sweet tone, Rosand recorded prolifically and appeared with all the major orchestras around the world, making a particularly busy European career during the 1960s and ’70s,” though he never achieved the level of fame that some colleagues of the same generation did. Rosand also spent more than 30 years teaching at the Curtis Institute, where he had studied as a young man. – The Strad

Ex-New York Dealer Charged With Smuggling $143M Worth Of Antiquities From South Asia

“A criminal complaint filed in Manhattan state court said the smuggling was orchestrated by Subhash Kapoor, a New York art gallery owner who was arrested in Germany in 2011 and later extradited to India, where he faces similar charges. … Authorities described the case as one of the largest of its kind, saying the conspiracy began more than three decades ago and involved more than 2,600 recovered artifacts, including statues and ancient masterworks.” – Yahoo! (AP)