No images? Click here TOGETHER WITH February 13, 2023 Royal Opera flagship Tannhäuser production at Covent Garden started disastrously last week as tenor Stefan Vinke took the stage and lost his voice. Austrian tenor Norbert Ernst sang the role from off-stage as Vinke walked the part. +++ In today's email:
CLASSICAL CHARTS THE BIG IDEA Music in the metaverseBack in 2021, the Korean chamber orchestra Sejong Soloists attempted to put together their own music room in the very new metaverse. The ensemble partnered with a South Korean blockchain and AI company (Common Computer) to develop a space they called a Classical Music Town In The Metaverse. Live performances took place within that metaverse at the Hic et Nunc (Here and Now) music festival that summer. At the 2022 iteration of the festival, NFTs were issued rather than another attempt at metaverse streaming. In November 2022, the Hic Et Nunc NFT art marketplace shut down suddenly. It left artists who had participated in the first-ever NFT exhibitions at the Hermitage Museum and Art Basel wondering what would happen to their work. However, the situation also demonstrated one of the strengths of the new technology. The NFTs were preserved by blockchain technology, and nothing was lost. The artists could choose another platform and keep exhibiting. The story illustrates the ups and downs of the still-nascent technology. Just what is…?The metaverse, for the uninitiated, is a digital 3D world that anyone (theoretically) can enter via a virtual reality (VR) headset. You appear as an avatar that you can customize with various details. In the metaverse, you would live a digital life in a home you can furnish, and in a neighbourhood you can explore. You’ll meet your neighbours, go to work, play games, and do many of the everyday things you can do in the real world, along with much more, of course. Everything is integrated into the digital metaverse without the necessity of switching programs, windows, or anything else. NFTs, music and the metaverseNFTs are an integral part of the metaverse as it is unfolding. For artists and musicians, it’s important because it involves how to facilitate selling your work directly to fans without any intermediaries, among other things. A few definitions seem in order.
The problem with art on the internet is that it is too easy to steal. The new technology looks to solve that issue with an indelible marker of both the time stamp and ownership. Performance in the metaversePop and electronic artists are already performing in the metaverse, and while early efforts may have had aesthetic complaints, visuals have already come a long way. UK electronic music producer Halina Rice will be making their debut in the metaverse on February 9 with a live concert. The artist is partnering with a company called Condense, a UK-based firm that has pioneered taking livestreaming into 3D environments. The performance will feature a binaural mix, which takes surround sound and processes it for stereo speakers, to create spatial audio. Halina Rice will appear in the round as a 3D hologram in a virtual venue created by Condense. Music venues are one of the ways that the metaverse will expand the reach of musicians of all genres. Mixed reality visuals (which can be viewed in both the real world and the metaverse) will accompany the live performance. Audience members to the free event will be able to choose and customize an avatar, and move around the virtual venue. The Hong Kong Philharmonic is enthusiastically embracing the possibilities. In May 2023, the HK Phil, under music director Jaap Van Zweden, will present the world premiere of The Metaverse Symphony by Hong Kong composer Elliot Leung. Hong Kong’s Statue Square will be recreated in the metaverse for an immersive performance. For virtual audience members, the position that you take in the Square during the concert will determine which of the symphony’s four movements you experience. The concert will take place via the Sandbox platform, with a live premiere at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Benedikt Fohr, HK Phil Chief Executive, commented in a statement. “Innovative technology may lead arts of all kinds to new horizons. The HK Phil is proud to present our first-ever Arts Tech programme, connecting emerging composer Elliot Leung and our valued partners in creating the first metaverse-inspired symphony. Down this path we are committed to exploring the world of music with innovative, creative use of technology.” More metaverse for musicMany music artists are already selling music NFTs, which typically add links to images or video along with the audio. In essence, an artist creates a unique digital work which is then attached to a blockchain through an existing platform such as Ethereum. Music NFTs can be customized as one-of-a-kind editions with a guarantee of authenticity. Concert tickets and merchandise can also be sold as or via NFTs. NFTs can be resold, traded or shared in some cases. Unauthorized copying and sharing can’t happen, since the creator of the NFT can limit the number of copies by selling through an existing exchange. On the Royal platform, for example, musicians and artists continue to earn royalties from after sales because of the permanent record of ownership on the blockchain. Some artists have made hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling unique versions of their songs. The user can then listen to it whenever they wish. Since musicians sell directly to their fans, they get all the profits; the advantages are clear. Other artists and organizations are getting creative about monetizing NFTs. Living Opera is a Web3 (or metaverse) community dedicated to making sure classical music has its share of the new digital era. They’ve released a series of NFT projects, including the Magical Mozart NFT Collection. The collection combines gaming with music. It’s based on the idea of Musikalische würfelspiele, a musical dice game that was rumoured to have been invented by Amadeus himself. In the modern NFT version, users get special dice to roll that generates classical music randomly, along with a musical segment the user gets to create themselves, and five layers of digital art inspired by The Magic Flute. The proceeds go towards classical music education initiatives. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra released an NFT to raise money for their musicians during the pandemic. The collection sold for $50,000. The technology may not be perfect, and the lack of centralized authority adds a somewhat volatile edge to the proceedings, but classical music is slowly finding a home in the Web3 world. SPONSORED Are you an aspiring composer?The 2024 Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) are now accepting submissions, and this year's focus is on Choral Music. Don't miss your chance to showcase your musical talent and compete for one of four whopping $50,000 cash prizes. AMP is Canada's largest music competition, celebrating excellence in composition and upholding Fair Access Principles. Regardless of your nationality, faith, age, gender, or experience level, you are invited to apply. As a laureate of the AMP, you'll receive a gala concert premiere, two international showcases, and professional recordings of your prize-winning work. This is your chance to take your music to the next level and gain recognition from some of the world's most influential musical experts. What's new this year?The three existing Azrieli Music Prizes continue in this latest edition: The Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music, The Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music, and The Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music. A fourth prize has been added this year: the inaugural Azrieli Commission for International Music. See your musical dreams come to life! Apply by May 5, 2023. CHART In what was once the music industry's biggest night, the Grammy Awards has been in steady decline over the past decade. In 2012, ratings soared when an estimated 39 million viewers turned in to witness the spectacle. Last week’s Grammy Awards brought in just 12.4 million viewers — it's third lowest ever. What’s happening?
By the numbersThe 2022 Oscars has its second-lowest viewership ever reported. The Academy Awards reported just 15.36 million viewers, which represents a nearly 50% decline since 2017. With just 6.3 million tuning in this year, the Gloden Globes reported their lowest rating ever. THE LATEST Lang Lang (Photo: Olaf Heine) Piano superstar Lang Lang joins reality TV show. The program is entitled "The Piano" and will feature Lang Lang judging amateur pianists playing in UK train stations. The show concludes with a concert finale at the Royal Festival Hall. | Musicradar Burt Bacharach dies at 94. The legendary composer and songwriter was a master tunesmith, writing some of the most recognizable songs in pop music history. His works were recorded by some of the biggest artists in music: Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield, among others. Over six decades, he won numerous awards, including three Academy Awards for Best Original Song Score/Adaptation (for Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid), plus eight Grammys during his lifetime | New York Times Violinist forced says he was forced to miss his flight. A Polish airline told a concert violinist to either check his $5.3m Stradivarius in the cargo hold or miss his flight. The owner had no other option but to miss his plane and take another flight which added 6 hours to his journey. The airline did not reimburse his original $2,000 for the airline ticket. | Classic FM MOVERS AND SHAKERS (Photo courtesy of the L.A. Philharmonic) Gustavo Dudamel leaving L.A for New York PhilGustavo Dudamel, a 41-year-old Venezuelan conductor known for his charisma and skill, has been named music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic starting 2026-27. Dudamel, who has been the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, will become the 28th music director of the New York Phil. Dudamel's appointment comes after a years-long search by the New York Phil for a new music director following the expected departure of Jaap van Zweden later this year. Dream candidate
New York legacyFounded in 1842, the New York Phil is one of New York City's oldest institutions. It has a long history of attracting some of the best conductors in the world, including Gustav Mahler, Arturo Toscanini, Leopold Stokowski, Leonard Bernstein, George Szell, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur, Lorin Maazel, and most recently, Jaap van Zweden. What’s next?Jaap van Zweden is expected to end his six-year tenure at the New York Phil after the 2023-24 season. Because Dudamel extended his contract with Los Angeles just before the pandemic through 2025-26, New York will have to wait three years before he officially starts. He is also expected to continue as the music director of the Paris Opera and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, roles he has held since 2021 and 1999, respectively. ACOUSTICS How Canadian architects helped save David Geffen HallDavid Geffen Hall (formerly Philharmonic Hall and Avery Fisher Hall) serves as a home to the New York Philharmonic — one of the best orchestras in the world. As such, it had better sound good. Since architect Max Abramovitz initially unveiled it in 1962, there have been grumblings about its terrible acoustics. This prompted a $200 million renovation project to offer the New York Phil (and Dudamel) the concert hall they deserve. The new concert hall kicked off its 2022-23 season last fall and lifted the curse of terrible acoustics with rave reviews. Shattering sound barriersAt the ribbon cutting on Oct. 8, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed pride in how the concert hall sounded. Little did she know, there was a secret Canadian maple leaf hidden beneath the ceiling at David Geffen Hall. The Canadian firm Diamond Schmitt Architects was hired for the project on the reputation of their work at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Montreal’s Maison Symphonique, and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. Diamond Schmitt worked with Connecticut-based firm Akustiks, theatre designers Fisher Dachs Associates and New York-based architecture firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien on the project. Armed with a budget, they redesign the space in service of sound — from the building materials to the textiles to the shape of the hall. A leap into the futureThe completion of this renovation project marks a significant milestone for both Lincoln Center and Diamond Schmitt Architects. The renovation has not only improved the acoustics in David Geffen Hall, but has also enhanced accessibility and upgraded technology, making it a more modern and inclusive space for both artists and audiences. AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: Richard Wagner dies of a heart attack while in Venice, Italy, in 1883. 🐟 Food: New plant-based salmon has 'muscle fibres' and 'connective tissue' just like real deal. 🕯️Long read: Classical Music’s burnout addiction. 🎧 Podcast: Music theory professors talk about about their experiences on the job market. 🤔 Fascinating: 135 facts for people who like facts. 🏈 Super Bowl: Top 5 Super Bowl 2023 commercials you might have missed. 🐼 Awww!: Red Pandas, Cats or Puppies? Who's the cutest of them all? PHOTO OF THE WEEK Photo of the inside a cello How did you like today's email? |