“At 84, Canada’s great expatriate writer Mavis Gallant complains that the body doesn’t move nearly as fast as the mind, but in person she is still like quicksilver — sly, fast and unpredictable… She carries into every encounter a reputation of ruthlessness, of one who doesn’t suffer fools at all — gladly or otherwise. But she chuckles at the idea that she could intimidate anyone and comes off as open and generous.”
Tag: 11.25.06
When Politics Drown Out The Music
Kurt Masur is one of an elite group of conductors whose names are known in all corners of the world. But Masur carries more than a musical reputation around with him: “if his life were a coin, its two sides would be musical and political. [He] will always be remembered as the man whose appeal for calm, when East Germany teetered on the brink of revolution in 1989, averted violence and possibly saved lives.”
Are We Teaching Kids To Hate Classical Music?
Many in the classical music world have long insisted that regular exposure to the form in childhood is the surest way of cultivating a new generation of listeners. But what if it isn’t? What if, in fact, the constant forcing of classical music on children is driving them away? “If you want someone to like something, the only thing you can do is bring them together, once or twice, and then back off. If you try to force them together again and again, or try to play cute games to encourage familiarity and acceptance, you’ll probably end up creating dislike.”
Speaking Up For Those Who Can’t Hear The Music
Superstar tenor Placido Domingo is teaming up with the Vienna Philharmonic for a unique project designed to bring assistance to the hearing impaired in developing countries. “A key issue is some people’s reluctance to use a hearing-enhancing device for fear of appearing elderly or handicapped, or being ridiculed… Domingo and members of the Vienna orchestra were expected at a Carnegie Hall news conference on Tuesday to announce the new, non-profit Hear the World Foundation, based in Zurich, Switzerland.”