No images? Click here February 26, 2024 During a performance of Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail at La Scala, a mobile phone was launched from the stage, striking an audience member in the head. The phone has remained mysteriously unclaimed. At the risk of losing the plot, there is even more reason to pay attention to the opera. +++ It's Monday. Let's get to it.
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 Sustainability and the Music IndustryHow can the music industry respond to climate change and sustainability? Organized by the Music Sustainability Alliance, the first-ever Climate Summit in North America took place in Los Angeles this month. It saw roughly 300 attendees from across the music industry sectors participate in a day’s worth of panels and discussions on everything from carbon emissions to making environmentally responsible choices regarding food offerings. Organizers had to move the event to a larger venue at the last minute due to a swell of interest, and the mood was enthusiastic. Journalist and sustainability expert Joel Makower was the event’s host. A key concept to the success of any climate-related initiatives is cooperation across the industry, including among organizations and companies that would normally be competing with each other. That kind of cooperation was in evidence at the summit, which saw panels with reps from diverse sources. The music industry itself may be small when measured against other global industries. However, as the summit underscored, it has a much larger influence because of music’s role in shaping contemporary culture. One of the speakers is quoted (anonymously, due to the rules of the summit), in Billboard. “Music makes culture,” they said. It, therefore, helps determine “what things in culture become normalized.” How does sustainability relate to the music biz?There are a few basic areas where the music industry and all its players can look at efforts to achieve sustainability.
Reusables provide a simple solution, and the numbers bear out the necessity. More than 4 billion single-use cups are thrown out at live events every year in the US. One initiative alone that provides reusable cups to venues and festivals has eliminated 43 tons of plastic waste. Live Nation is one of the companies that has initiated a successful switch to reusable cups. Diesel generators are a major source of carbon emissions at live music events. The summit participants noted that better technology (that is also cost-efficient) is required, with a major upgrade to infrastructure. When it comes to fan travel, another significant contributor to carbon emissions, panels and participants noted that providing alternatives to planes and other major pollution sources also requires cooperation at the municipal and regional levels. Where public transportation is lacking, there are few feasible alternatives. Food choices, on the other hand, are an area where better selections can be made right now. That includes everything from switching to plant-based food vendors and tour caterers to using renewable bamboo plates and forks. An online resource tool kit is available, along with additional educational materials. TOUR DE HEADLINES ![]() Danielle de Niese in ‘La bohème’ at the Royal Opera House (Marc Brenner) When Classical Music Is a ‘Foreign Language’ — Isabel Berwick recounts her journey from avoiding "high culture" to embracing classical music and ballet, detailing her transformative experiences and newfound appreciation for the arts. | Financial Times An Opera for the Wrongfully Convicted — "Blind Injustice," an opera based on the work of the Ohio Innocence Project, brings to the stage the poignant stories of those wrongfully convicted, capturing their journey from darkness to liberation through evocative music and visuals. | The New Yorker The 2024 Stuttgart International Violin Competition Announces Winners — South Korean violinist Anna Im won the first prize at the 2024 Stuttgart International Violin Competition, receiving €30,000, a three-year loan of a 1746 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin, and concert engagements with prominent orchestras. | The Strad Deputy Keeps Pianos, Workers’ Rights in Tune — Lei Chunhua, a senior piano technician and NPC deputy, champions Chinese-made pianos globally and advocates for the rights of flexibly employed workers in China. | China Daily Quatuor Arod to Cancel U.S. Tour Following Visa Issue — Quatuor Arod, a French string quartet, has canceled its U.S. tour due to visa delays despite applying for work permits in July 2023. | Violin Channel OPERA SCOOPS Orchestra of the Sea made its La Scala (Photo: Fondazione Casa delle Arti e dello Spirito) Prison-Crafted Instruments Made From Migrants’ Boats Debut At La ScalaLast week, the Orchestra of the Sea made its La Scala debut performing works by Vivaldi, Bach and Kreisler in a project called Metamorphosis. The orchestra plays instruments crafted from the remains of migrants’ boats by inmates at Milan’s opera prison. The Metamorphosis project symbolizes rebirth and rehabilitation for Milan’s prisoners, and honours migrants’ brave attempts to start a new life. Catch-up: The United Nations reports that since 2014, over 20,000 migrants have died or disappeared while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in an ongoing crisis. Prisoners at Milan’s opera prison work for around five hours a day as luthiers, carefully crafting pieces of wood from migrants’ dilapidated boats into world-class instruments under expert instruction. The instruments take around 400 hours to make. ORCHESTRAL MANEUVERS Cleveland Orchestra (courtesy photo) Cleveland Orchestra Receives Epic Donation From Longtime PatronsThis week, the Cleveland Orchestra received a $4.6 million donation from longtime patrons Myrna and Jim Spira. The donation will contribute to artistic programming and pension and annual funding. It also creates the Myrna and Jim Spira Bass Clarinet Chair, currently occupied by Amy Zoloto. Wait, what?: Myrna and Jim Spira, both originally from Cleveland, have been fans of
the Cleveland Orchestra since their 20s. James C. Spira (Jim) is principal of the consulting firm Spira & Company and is committed to giving back to his community. He believes that music allows the heart and soul to move freely and is “a very important part of human life.” QUIZ Nothing says Monday like a mini-crossword. AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: Giuseppe Tartini (1692 - 1770) is born. 📺 Useful: Going on vacation and leaving your pets at home? Here’s a selection of YouTube channels to keep them out of trouble. 🍬 Really?: The Japanese candy that tastes like nothing, and why it has a cult following. 💾 Cure boredom: This might be the nerdiest game we’ve ever seen. Now you can be the operating system! LAUGH OF THE WEEK ![]() Bobby McFerrin counts as his own instrument… How did you like today's email? |