December 23, 2024

🎶 Over at St Mary's Cathedral in Perth, the musical director just got fired right before Christmas — talk about timing. The sudden exit hit such a sour note that some parishioners are now threatening a boycott.

P.S. We're taking a brief intermission until January 6, 2025. Happy holidays from our inbox to yours!

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The big idea: How the Nutcracker became Christmas's greatest show
Talking points:
— South Korean Tenor dies at 39, prompting calls for mental health support
— Female members of the Vienna Philharmonic to present New years’ day concert
Around the web + Laugh of the week

CLASSICAL CHARTZ: BEST OF 2024

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THE BIG IDEA

How The Nutcracker Became Christmas's Greatest Show

Every December, like clockwork, ballet companies dust off their mouse costumes and sugar plum tutus. Theatres fill with dressed-up kids and their camera-ready parents. The familiar notes of Tchaikovsky's score drift through lobbies across the world. But here's the thing: The Nutcracker wasn't always the holiday heavyweight it is today.

From Flop to Phenomenon

When it debuted in St. Petersburg in 1892, critics basically shrugged. They thought the story (based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale) was all over the place, and those dancing kids on stage? Not exactly Swan Lake material. But those "flaws" would become precisely what made it perfect for the holidays.

A Perfect Holiday Recipe

Think about it: A Christmas Eve party. Magical toys. A young hero (Clara or Marie, depending on who's telling the story) is swept away to a kingdom made of candy. It's like someone distilled childhood wonder into a two-act ballet.

Then there's Tchaikovsky's music – you know it even if you think you don't. That twinkling "Sugar Plum Fairy" melody? Christmas. The sweeping "Waltz of the Flowers"? Also Christmas. The score is so woven into the holiday season that department stores probably pipe it in year-round by accident.

America's Holiday Crush

But The Nutcracker really found its groove in the United States:

San Francisco Ballet rolled out the first full American production in 1944, making it their holiday thing. Then George Balanchine and New York City Ballet came along in 1954 with a version so lavish it made other companies think, "Hey, we should do that too."

Smart move. The Nutcracker turned into a financial lifeline for ballet companies – December tickets basically funding the rest of their season. It's like their own Christmas bonus.

More Than Just Ballet

Here's what makes it stick: The Nutcracker isn't just about perfect pirouettes. It's a portal to peak holiday vibes – snow-dusted forests, candy kingdoms, and party scenes that make your family gatherings look low-key. It's nostalgia with a tutu.

Why We Can't Quit It

Just like standing for Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus (you know you do it), The Nutcracker has become one of those shared holiday moments. Whether you're a wide-eyed kid at your first ballet or a parent reliving your own childhood memories, it's more than just a show – it's a December ritual.

So next time you catch yourself humming that "Sugar Plum Fairy" tune in the grocery store, remember: you're part of a tradition that turned Tchaikovsky's overlooked ballet into Christmas's greatest hit. Not bad for a show that started out as a critical flop. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

🎶 Did Handel do it again? While most folks only stand at a concert if the music’s so good it lifts them to their feet, there’s a historical precedent for rising during Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” Spoiler alert: you might want to brush up on your royal traditions before next year’s sing-along. Given the piece’s long-lasting popularity, it’s no wonder that concert etiquette is as debated as ever — but at least this one has a fun origin story.Read more

🇪🇸 Ears on Spain: The Spanish National Orchestra and Choir is shaking things up with a new chief conductor and artistic director. After months of anticipation, the big reveal is finally here — part of a broader push to engage audiences and revitalize the repertoire. For orchestras worldwide, securing high-caliber leadership is key to navigating the post-pandemic classical scene. Read more

🤖 Here’s a new kind of AI lawsuit: Two Massachusetts parents are suing their son’s school district after he received detention and a D for using AI on a history project — something they claim the school did not expressly forbid — allegedly jeopardizing his chances of getting into Stanford. The district’s student handbook forbids the use of “unauthorized technology” and plagiarism, but doesn’t specify borrowing language from a bot. Schools have struggled with when and how to allow AI use since ChatGPT launched in 2022. Read more

MORE NEWS TO KNOW

Notre Dame is back: The storied cathedral plans a reopening concert featuring violin virtuosos and top-tier organists. It’s a triumphant return after years of painstaking restoration — and a chance for the world to experience the venue’s iconic acoustics all over again. Read more
Leroy Anderson gets another look: You know him for “Sleigh Ride” (it’s probably playing in a store near you right now), but Anderson’s comedic flair and orchestral genius go far beyond the holiday hits. Dive deeper into how the composer became a staple of Americana music. Read more
A curtain call for The Musical Times: After gracing the classical community since 1844, the storied publication has turned its last page. The decision marks the end of an era — and a reminder of how quickly the industry’s media landscape can evolve. Read more

TALKING POINTS

Tenor Sehoon Moon (Photo: Sono Artists)

South Korean Tenor Dies at 39, Prompting Calls for Mental Health Support

The 39-year-old South Korean tenor Sehoon Moon passed away on December 18th. His death has prompted calls for mental health support for opera singers.

Driving the news: This week, Vienna’s Sono Artists announced that tenor Sehoon Moon had passed away at the age of 39. Born in South Korea, Sehoon Moon achieved prominence through roles at Teatro alla Scala and high profile competitions such as Operalia and the Viñas Competition in Spain. Career highlights included the role of Rodolfo in La bohème at Glyndebourne and many roles at Sweden’s Malmö Opera.

The conversation: Sehoon Moon’s untimely death by suicide has prompted conversations regarding mental health in the opera industry. Agents report numerous clients receiving treatment for depression, citing insecure job prospects and the difficulties of finding a partner within such a peripatetic lifestyle.

The music psychologist and singer Jane Oakland describes how the demands of the operatic profession frequently lead to body dysmorphia, excessive health anxiety, social phobias, perfectionism, performance anxiety, neuroticism, and depression. Singers frequently experience unemployment and a resulting loss of self-esteem and the majority of institutions and professional companies lack care and prevention programs relating to singers’ health.

Let’s hope this tragedy helps to inspire the change the opera industry so direly needs. — SS

Female Members of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2021 (Photo: Benedikt Dinkhauser/Vienna Philharmonic / Wiener Philharmoniker)

Female Members of the Vienna Philharmonic to Present New Year’s Day Concert

This year, a new ensemble in Vienna featuring female members of the Vienna Philharmonic will present an alternative New Years’ Day concert. The organization is being discussed as a potential critique of the Vienna Philharmonic’s long-standing male culture.

What’s the buzz: On January 1st, 2025, the newly founded La Philharmonica featuring female members of the Vienna Philharmonic will present a New Years’ concert in Vienna’s Ehrbar Saal. Their concert will feature works by female composers curated and narrated by the musicologist Irene Suchy, entitled 1. Neujahrskonzert der Komponistinnen. Featured composers include Gisela Frankl, Anna Gräfin von Stubenberg, Leopoldine Blahetka, Constanze Geiger, Josefine Weinlich, and Mathilde Kralik interspersed with works by Johann Strauss II.

The commentary: While the musicologist Irene Suchy instigated La Philharmonica’s concert, the concert has prompted discussions regarding whether or not the female-dominant concert should be construed as a critique of the Vienna Philharmonic. From 1842 until 1997, the self-governing Vienna Philharmonic was an all-male ensemble. Now, 24 out of the ensemble’s 145 musicians identify as female.

Perhaps La Philharmonica’s concert will inspire increased gender diversity not only in the orchestra’s musicians, but in its programming choices. An all-female composers’ New Years’ Day Vienna Phil concert could be interesting, don’t you think? — SS

GAMES

Dig in to today's mini-crossword .

AROUND THE WEB

🎨 On this day: In 1888, Vincent van Gogh famously severed part of his ear. His resulting self-portrait with a bandaged ear is one of art history’s most talked-about works.

🐦 Video: Curious why Elon Musk bought Twitter in the first place? Check out this quick dive into the business moves, memes, and media mayhem behind the acquisition.

🚀 That’s cool: Explore NASA’s Interactive Exoplanet Travel Bureau — design your own travel posters for alien worlds and see real data on thousands of exoplanets discovered to date.

🕹 Game: Give Semantris a try—Google’s word association puzzle that challenges your brain and your vocabulary skills in real time.

🐾 Aww: A rare white opossum captured in a single snap—check out this adorable pic.

LAUGH OF THE WEEK

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