No images? Click here May 29, 2023 One of the first books available at a California library was recently returned 100 years overdue. The book’s title, you ask? “A History of the United States,” by Benson Lossing. +++ In today's email:
CLASSICAL CHARTS THE BIG IDEA Rare Golden Period Stradivarius Goes up for SaleThe Empress Caterina, a violin crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1708 during his so-called Golden Period, is coming up for auction on June 8, 2023. Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bows of New York will auction the rare violin online, with a provenance that can be established going back almost three centuries. A storied provenanceThe violin has a long history, some of it anecdotal, that spans a turbulent period of Russian history and crosses paths with a number of larger-than-life characters. The violin first appears in official records in 1898 as property of W.E. Hill & Sons. Alfred Hill visited Russia in 1898 and catalogued the collections of Prince Youssapoff. Youssapoff, aka Felix Felixovich Yusupov, is famous for having been one of Rasputin’s assassins, as well as marrying Tsar Nicholas II’s niece, the Princess Irina Alexandrovna. He was also extremely wealthy and owned a massive collection of instruments. Among them, Hill was documented as having “brought back intelligence concerning the existence of 16 more instruments that were unknown to us before”. The Empress Caterina of 1708 was one of the previously unrecorded 16 violins; Hill purchased the instrument for the company and brought it back with a story. A trip through Russian historyAccording to Hill’s account in the company records, the instrument had passed through the hands of the Russian ambassador to Venice, who’d bought it for Empress Elisabeth Petrovna. Empress Petrovna, who ruled Russia from 1741 until she died in 1762, was much beloved, in part for her refusal to execute a single person during her reign. After she died, the violin was passed along to Catherine the Great, who succeeded her as empress. Catherine II supported the arts and Western ideals. Adrian Moïsevitch Gribovsky served as Cabinet Secretary during the last year of Catherine’s reign, a man who was known as a literary writer as well as a public servant. He was also a lover of music with his own orchestra. He often played the Stradivarius himself. Gribovsky, as it turned out, was also fond of gaming, and was not afraid to use state funds to finance his hobby. After Catherine II’s death, he was dismissed in disgrace. When he died in 1834, the instrument went to his son-in-law, Vasily Yakovlevich Guberti, where it passed into obscurity for a period of time before ending up with Prince Youssapoff in the late 19th century. From Russian royalty to musicians to collectorsOnce he had it back in London, Hill’s company sold the instrument on February 16, 1899 for £650 to Mrs. Marie Douglas Stothert, a French violinist. She was noted as a virtuosic player — with a wealthy engineer for a husband. Stothert traded the Caterina back into Hills 12 years later for the 1714 “Dolphin” Stradivari. Hills sold the Caterina again a couple of months later to French violinist Henri Belville. After a few more collectors bought and sold it, in 1982 it ended up in the possession of German-Italian industrialist Giorgio Feige. It’s his estate that is now selling the violin at auction. Stradivari’s Golden PeriodThe instrument comes from Stradivari’s Golden Period, generally acknowledged as stretching from 1700 to 1720. At this point, he turned away from the Long Pattern period and produced more standard-sized instruments. He was successful enough to acquire premium materials such as Alpine spruce, which is often credited for its uniquely dense growth in harsh conditions. He’d honed and improved his techniques over the years by trial and error. Stradivari’s unique use of various woods and varnishes is even now being studied by scientists looking for clues to his genius. Tiny samples from the Empress Caterina, crafted in maple and spruce, were taken and analyzed, including cross-referencing with other known instruments of the area and period, with several significant matches. The violin is reported to be in excellent playing condition, with original main parts, and the original label. It’s the first time a Golden Period instrument has come up for sale in about 15 years, and the purchase includes several certificates of provenance. No official estimates have been announced. However, Tarisio has a reputation for acquiring top-dollar for Stradivari instruments, including the Stradivari record of $15.9 million USD for the 2011 sale of the Lady Blunt violin. Online bidding begins on June 8. TOUR DE HEADLINES (Photo via gustavodudamel.com) Gustavo Dudamel Resigns As Music Director of Opéra National de Paris — Gustavo Dudamel has resigned as Music Director of Opéra National de Paris for personal reasons to spend more time with family. The Opéra de Paris responded by wishing him well. | Operawire What's behind the predominance of Asians in classical music? — The CBC has published an interesting op-ed that asks what’s behind the prominence of Asians in Classical music. Liz Parker argues it’s no coincidence, attributing the hardworking nature of Asian students promotes not only musical proficiency but also cultivates lifelong music appreciation. | CBC Audiences Are Coming Back to Orchestras After ‘Scary’ Sales Last Fall — After initial declines in attendance post-pandemic, many orchestras in the United States have experienced a rebound in audience numbers, with concert sales picking up during winter and spring. However, attendance remains below pre-pandemic levels, and orchestras report an increasing separation between well-selling and poorly-selling programs. | The New York Times Who are the Big Five orchestras in the USA? — The contenders for top orchestra might surprise you. | Classical-music.com Solo violinist’s bow snaps mid-concert — During a concert with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, violinist Stefan Jackiw's $30,000 bow, which he had used for over 1,000 concerts and tens of thousands of hours of practice, snapped unexpectedly. Despite initially feeling panic, Jackiw managed to swiftly swap bows and continue the performance. | The Times Beloved NYC Piano Man homeless, instrument vandalized — Colin Huggins, a well-known busker known for his classical music in Washington Square Park, is now homeless due to soaring rents. His piano, his sole source of income, has been vandalized, and he has no place to store it. Despite the hardship, he remains hopeful and committed to his music. | New York Post CHART Uploaded Music to Streaming Platforms Projected to Increase 27%If you thought the flow of new music online was already fast, it’s about to get much, much worse. New data projections from Luminate are projecting a major flood of new music in the coming months. Option paralysis is realA whopping 120,000 new tracks are hitting music streaming services each day in Q1 2023. (You read that right, every single day!) Let's break it down: We're talking about 10.08 million new tracks uploaded just in the first three months of 2023. If we keep up this pace, we're looking at over 43 million new tracks by the end of the year. This marks a serious acceleration from the 93,400 tracks per day in 2022. What’s causing this flood of new tracks?During Universal Music Group’s Q1 earnings call, Sir Lucian Grainge suggested that much of the music being released is due to AI-produced content, which he claims lacks quality and consumer appeal. AI music is a "content oversupply" that feeds an ever-expanding ocean of content that threatens to flood the marketplace. There are few more staggering statistics than this slide from Luminate that references the vast number of songs — amounting to tens of millions — on music streaming platforms in 2022 that don't manage to garner even one listen. The bigger picture: Learning the lessons of Napster, the music industry has learned to treat innovation with healthy skepticism. According to Martin Clancy, editor of the 2022 book Artificial Intelligence and Music Ecosystem, developments are more than an automated drum machine, computerized synths, or even Napster. He reminds us that AI is different because of its speed, output, and its ability to outcompete human endeavour with volume is unparalleled. Table stakes: While it's great to have a variety of music to choose from, the flooding of platforms with too much music could potentially further dilute the value of music, making it harder for artists to stand out and earn a living from their work. Moreover, it raises new questions about copyright and the potential liability of those uploading AI-made music that violates copyrights. OPERA Opera Revue's Toronto Transit Comedy (Still from the video, courtesy of Opera Revue) Must Watch: An Operatic Video About Toronto's Subway SystemThere is nothing that Torontonians love quite so much as complaining about the TTC, or Toronto Transit Commission. The Opera Rebels, or Opera Revue, include soprano Danie Friesen, baritone Alexander Hajek and pianist Claire Elise Harris, and they definitely have opinions on the subject they want to share in advance of the coming municipal election. Hitting the high notesWith more than 100 candidates vying for Toronto’s top job, the 2023 mayoral election is already shaping up to be one for the books. In their hands, the TTC becomes the Toronto Transit Comedy, and a message delivered with operatic flair. What makes it so great: The Toronto Transit Comedy by Opera Revue is set to the opening duet from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. New lyrics were written by Alexander Hajek, and taped in a performance by Hajek, Danie Friesen and Claire Elise Harris on location. Friesen also acted as video editor, with Michael McKenzie as sound engineer. Opera Revue is establishing a reputation for bringing opera into what might be called non-traditional settings, including opera + burlesque shows, and performances at breweries and distilleries in the area. Bringing opera to the people means making it relevant. Certainly, if there is any municipal story worthy of an operatic treatment, it is the ongoing saga of the TTC and its woes. What they’re saying: “Opera and social commentary have gone hand in hand since the art form's inception. Open rebellion against the ruling class or foreign invaders could get you killed when these pieces were written (Viva Verdi), but not when you put some of the most glorious Western music ever written beneath some witty rhymes, now it’s just a “mythical cautionary tale”,” notes Alexander Hajek in a statement. If you’re in Toronto, Opera Revue has performances coming up in May and June. More info here. AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps) premieres 1913. ✈️ Cure Boredom: A database of Paper Airplane designs. 🧠 Useful: Free therapy worksheets to keep your mental health in check. 🤔 Think about it: Can you solve this riddle? 💬 Interesting: Comic Book nerds, you’ve just hit the jackpot. 🐈 Aww: And now, this cat is waiting for a hug. TWEET OF THE WEEK Ba-dum-tiss! How did you like today's email? |