November 27, 2023

Pew Research Center is tired of blaming Gen Z and millennials for everything — it’s retiring the whole concept of generational framing. Wait... Does this mean millennials killed generational framing?

+++

In this week’s email:

The big idea: Lost Salieri ballet to receive first performance in over 200 years
Orchestral maneuvers: New York Phil presents first black woman composer played by orchestra after almost 60-year hiatus
Streaming: Netflix's Season 6 of the Crown premieres with new classical soundtrack
Rare instrument of the week
Around the web: Random trivia generator, an article on internet gaming disorder, plus more curious internet finds.

CLASSICAL CHARTZ

Weekly selections are based on sales numbers and albums we simply love and think you NEED to hear!

For the complete top 20, tune into Classical Chartz with the New Classical FM’s Mark Wigmore every Saturday from 3-5 pm EST!

THE BIG IDEA

Lost Salieri Ballet to Receive First Performance in Over 200 Years

After more than 200 years, music by Italian composer Antonio Salieri, once thought lost, has been rediscovered. PhD student Ellen Stokes from the University of Huddersfield found it in an Austrian library, tucked within the pages of four manuscripts.

Find of a lifetime

The work is a ballet composed for Salieri's opera "Europa Riconosciuta". Stokes' discovery came after meticulous research at the Austria National Library in Vienna, where she managed to piece together the scattered fragments of Salieri's first international operatic success.

What makes it special?

It's a rare occurrence for a composer to have written both the opera and the accompanying ballet in the 18th century, and this particular ballet had been missing in its complete form for centuries.

The upcoming performance by the Lincoln Pro Musica Orchestra is not just a concert; it's a revival of a piece of music history, unheard in its intended form in modern times.

Stokes, demonstrating exceptional dedication to her craft, navigated through archives and decoded watermarks to reconstruct the ballet. Dr. Steven Jan, Stokes' PhD supervisor, commended her research skills, highlighting the importance of musicology in uncovering and understanding historical evidence.

Mozart rivalry

Salieri, recognized as one of Europe's most renowned composers at the time of his death, gained notoriety amid rumours involving the mysterious death of his contemporary, Mozart — a story that gained widespread attention with the play and film "Amadeus."

The performance of "Pafio e Mirra" promises to be a significant event, offering a rare glimpse into an 18th-century musical world.

It's scheduled to take place at 15:30 GMT at the Central Methodist Church in Lincoln.

Zoom out

Here are a few other historic finds:

2006: Vincenzo Bellini's lost opera "Adelson e Salvini" found in a private Spanish collection. Originally written during Bellini's student years, this was his first opera, previously known only through fragments.
2012: Johann Baptist Vanhal's long-lost symphony uncovered by a German librarian in a Berlin library. Vanhal, a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn, saw this work presumed destroyed in World War II; its discovery deepened our understanding of the classical era.
2018: The complete score of "Le Roi et le fermier" by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny located in a French attic. Monsigny, a prominent composer of 18th-century French opera comique, had this work rediscovered, further enriching the classical music heritage. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

Johan Lundgren (Photo courtesy EasyJet)

He Wanted to Be a Trombone Player. Instead, He Ended Up as CEO of One of the World's Biggest Airlines — Johan Lundgren's journey from aspiring trombonist to CEO of easyJet is a testament to the unpredictable nature of life's path, where embracing the journey and the people you meet along the way can lead to extraordinary, unplanned success. | Business Insider

Toronto Symphony Signs Three-Year Recording Deal with Harmonia Mundi — The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has embarked on a three-year recording journey with Harmonia Mundi, a milestone for the Canadian orchestra in the world of classical recordings. | Ludwig van Toronto

'One Man Waited 18 Years for a Harpsichord': Inside the Rarefied World of Period Instrument-Making — The niche industry of period instrument-making involves artisans crafting handmade replicas of historical instruments for a dedicated market, combining traditional designs with modern materials to create durable, playable versions of rare instruments like the harpsichord and theorbo. | The Telegraph

David Pickard to Step Down as BBC Proms Director — After nearly a decade as director of the BBC Proms, David Pickard will step down in 2024, having expanded the event's reach and diversity, and featuring performances by prominent musicians and ensembles. His tenure included notable developments like the first Proms festival outside London and the premiere of works by acclaimed composers, contributing significantly to the event's success and evolution. | Classical-music.com

Classeek Introduces “ClasseekLink” Networking Platform — Classeek has launched ClasseekLink, a free online platform for classical music professionals and enthusiasts to network, collaborate, and showcase their talents through customizable profiles and public portfolios. The platform aims to democratize access to classical music and foster a global community by connecting musicians, industry professionals, and music lovers for professional development and shared passion. | ViolinChannel

ORCHESTRAL MANEUVERS

Julia Perry

New York Phil Presents First Black Woman Composer Played by Orchestra After Almost 60-Year Hiatus

The New York Philharmonic presented Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater for the first time this week.

What’s Up: On November 22nd, the New York Philharmonic presented American composer Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater for the first time. It featured mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges in a performance of the Black composer’s “undeservedly forgotten” 1951 work for voice and orchestra. Conductor Dima Slobodeniouk conducted Perry’s work in between pieces by Holst and Ligeti.

Refresher: Julia Perry’s compositions achieved widespread acclaim during her career, which was cut short by illness. She was the first Black woman to have a piece performed by the New York Philharmonic in 1965. Her output is currently largely unplayed due to copyright issues and a lack of an heir to control licensing, although a lawyer hired by the Akron Symphony is currently investigating this.

Digging Deeper: Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Perry’s birth, which many orchestras will celebrate by programming her “obsessively meticulous” and “logically and beautifully written” works. Further information about Perry can be found on the Akron Symphony’s The Julia Perry Project website. — SS

STREAMING

The Crown, Netflix promo image

Netflix's Season 6 of the Crown Premieres With New Classical Soundtrack

The series’ sixth season includes new compositions by Benjamin Britten’s godson, Martin Phipps.

What’s Up: On November 16, Netflix released season 6 of The Crown, focusing on Princess Diana’s final days with a classical soundtrack to go with it. The score was composed by Martin Phipps, Benjamin Britten’s godson, who also scored the previous three seasons of the series. The soundtrack is performed by the Chamber Orchestra of London.

Refresher: Classical music features throughout all six seasons for Netflix’s The Crown. Rupert Gregson-Williams composed soundtracks for the first two seasons before Martin Phipps took over for season 3. Season 6’s soundtrack also includes 90s hits by Smashmouth and Radiohead, and classical music by Mendelssohn and Chopin.

Digging Deeper: Those in the know can interpret classical music choices to uncover foreshadowing in the Netflix series. The Crown’s’ title track by composer Hans Zimmer is reminiscent of Purcell and Handel’s coronation music. In earlier seasons, the Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem can be heard as WWII looms or smoke envelops London. Season 4, focusing on the relationship between Princess Diana and Charles, included excerpts from La traviata and Fidelio to evoke Prince Charles’ prison-like marriage and Princess Diana’s doomed fate. — SS

QUIZ

AROUND THE WEB

📅 On this day: Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel launched the first Nobel Prize in 1895.

🧠 Cure boredom: With this random trivia generator.

🎮 That’s interesting: An in-depth article on "internet gaming disorder" and the efforts of parents confronting tech companies regarding their children's gaming addictions.

🐦 Aww: These birds can cut a rug!

RARE INSTRUMENT OF THE WEEK

The Piganino

The Pianino, also known as the Hog Harmonium, the Schweineorgel (pig organ), was Intended by Abbé de Baigne at the request of Louis XI of France.

Each pig was cruelly laid out on a flat surface, smallest to largest, with a nail connected to a keyboard. Pressing a key poked the corresponding pig, resulting in a squeal. The instrument was invented 200 years before the piano.

How did you like today's email?

Today's email was brought to you by Sara "Classical Framing" Schabas and Michael "Piganino" Vincent.

CONTACT US