August 5, 2024

Tickets for Anna Netrebko’s upcoming Florida performance are $1,250. For that kind of money, you'd think you were buying a plane ticket to the concert, not just a seat!

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In this week’s email:

• The big idea: Why your favourite music might outlast your memory
• Making news: Putin loyalist Anna Netrebko returns to perform in United States 
• In Memoriam: German contemporary music composer Wolfgang Rihm dies At 72
• Laugh of the week
• Around the web: Bathroom reading, visual guide to depression medication, exploring old Versions of MacOS, 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

Why Your Favorite Music Might Outlast Your Memory

Turns out, your favourite tunes might outlast your ability to remember where you left your keys. A new study from the University of Lincoln, led by Sarah Sauvé, suggests that our musical memory stays sharp even as other cognitive functions fade with age. Published in PLOS ONE, the research highlights that familiar music can be remembered and recognized regardless of age, offering a potential lifeline for those with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

How the Study Worked

The study explored how familiarity and aging affect our ability to recognize and retain musical memories. Participants, ranging in age from 18 to 86, were exposed to live and recorded performances of three musical pieces: Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and two specially commissioned compositions — one tonal, one atonal. They were tasked with identifying these themes as they were played, whether they experienced the music live at a performance by the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra or in a lab setting.

Key Results

Interestingly, the results showed that recognition was most accurate for the familiar Mozart piece, followed by the new tonal piece, with the unfamiliar atonal piece scoring the lowest. What’s fascinating is that age and prior musical training didn’t significantly affect the participants’ ability to recognize the music. Instead, familiarity was the key factor. This suggests that while our ability to learn new information may decline with age, our capacity to recall familiar, well-established memories remains robust.

The Science Behind It

Cognitive neuroscientist Steffen Herff of the University of Sydney, who commented on the study, pointed out that emotional connections to music could play a significant role in this resilience. The emotional processing center of the brain, the amygdala, might act as an “importance stamp,” helping to secure these musical memories against the effects of time.

Why is it Important?

The study offers a better glimpse into how memory operates, and in practical terms, a possible tool for therapists. As the paper’s author Sarah Sauvé noted, there is already anecdotal evidence that musical memory can withstand the harmful effects of neurodegenerative disease. The study offers more proof. If music is largely immune to the effects of cognitive decline, it could be used as a therapeutic tool to help people with conditions such as dementia which impairs memory. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

Still Life with Musical Instruments, Books, and Sculpture. Courtesy Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam

Realism Was a Revolution in Music, Not Just in Literature — This article explores the parallel evolution of classical music and the modern novel, highlighting how both forms transformed storytelling through innovative structures and harmonies. It contrasts Purcell’s intricate but static compositions with Haydn’s dynamic and narrative-driven symphonies, arguing that these changes in music reflect the broader shift toward realism and depth in literature during the 17th and 18th centuries. | Aeon

Fierce Debate Ignited as Soaked Orchestra Plays ‘Olympic Hymn’ in Rain Covers at Opening Ceremony  —  At the Paris 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony, the French National Orchestra performed in the rain, with musicians wearing rain covers but their instruments exposed to the elements. The event featured a mix of classical music, including works by Dvořák, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, and Ravel, creating a memorable and visually striking display despite the weather. | Classic FM

Introducing the Symphonina, an Orchestral Form for the Digital Age — Introducing the Symphonina, an Orchestral Form for the Digital AgeThe "symphonina" is a new orchestral form created for the digital age, designed to appeal to modern audiences with shorter attention spans by condensing symphonies into 10-12 minutes with movements lasting three to four minutes each. Developed by Dr. David Fogel and Gary Gray, this format aims to attract younger listeners to classical music while maintaining roots in traditional symphonic structure, with the hope of bridging the gap between classical music's timeless appeal and contemporary listening habits. | Ludwig van Toronto

An Opera About John Singer Sargent and a Male Model — The Des Moines Metro Opera's summer season featured three significant productions: Debussy's "Pelléas et Mélisande," Strauss's "Salome," and Damien Geter’s new opera "American Apollo." "American Apollo" delves into the intricate relationship between painter John Singer Sargent and his Black model, Thomas Eugene McKeller, combining traditional opera elements with documentary material to craft a thoughtful exploration of art, identity, and desire. | The New Yorker

MAKING NEWS

Anna Netrebko (Photo: Courtesy of the artist)

Putin Loyalist Anna Netrebko Returns to Perform In United States

The Russian superstar Anna Netrebko will perform in the United States for the first time since 2019. Netrebko will headline a gala performance at the Palm Beach Opera in February.

Driving the news: This week, the Palm Beach Opera announced that the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko will headline its opera gala next February. It has been half a decade since the Russian superstar last graced the opera stages of the United States. Netrebko, once the darling of the Metropolitan Opera, has been shunned due to her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Opera houses around the world have been divided as to whether or not to re-engage the soprano, who has recently returned to a busy European schedule of performances.

In case you didn’t know…: When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the soprano Anna Netrebko expressed opposition to the war but refused to criticize President Vladimir Putin. Netrebko has spoken favourably of Putin since 2012, including sharing Instagram posts endorsing him in elections, and donating to Russian efforts to take over an opera house in Donetsk, Ukraine. 

James Barbato, Palm Beach Opera’s director of artistic administration, described the soprano as a cultural icon whose return to the US is not to be missed. Tickets start at $1250 USD. — SS

IN MEMORIAM

Wolfgang Rihm (Photo: Ensemble C Barré Direction Sébastien Boin)

German Contemporary Music Composer Wolfgang Rihm Dies At 72

Wolfgang Rihm, Germany’s most-performed contemporary music composer, died last week of unspecified causes. Rihm composed over 500 works of classical music.

The update: Last week, the music publisher Universal Editions announced the death of the German composer and scholar Wolfgang Rihm at the age of 72. Rihm’s death was also immediately announced on social media by the Berlin Philharmonic, for whom Rihm was the 2024/2025 composer-in-residence. The cause of Rihm’s death remains unreported at this time, although he had been treated for cancer since 2017. 

Catch-up: Wolfgang Rihm was born in Karlsruhe in 1952. An important voice in Germany following WWII, Rihm’s work gravitated towards historical allusion and emotional expressionism. He differentiated himself from the pre-War, Second Viennese School composers that explored structuralist concerns.

Wolfgang Rihm has been described as one of the most prolific voices in classical music and composed over 500 works. His recent prizes included the 2014 Robert Schumann Prize for Poetry and Music, a lifetime achievement award from the Venice Biennale, and the 2003 Ernest von Siemens Music Prize. 

Never heard Rihm? Check out his riveting settings of Shakespeare’s Ophelia’s songs or Anne-Sofie Mutter and the Chicago Symphony playing his “Gesungene Zeit.” — SS

GAMES

Nothing says Monday like a mini-crossword.

AROUND THE WEB

📅 On this day:  Russian dancer and innovative choreographer Léonide Massine, one of the most important figures in 20th-century dance, was born in Moscow 1896.

📚 Useful: Someone made a website that gives you something to read when you're in the bathroom.

🧠  Mental Health: The best visual comparison between the most common medications for treating depression.

🤓 Get Nerdy: This website allows you to try old Versions of MacOS from System 1.0 to version 9.0.4.

🐕 Awww:  Who doesn't love a good frolic?

LAUGH OF THE WEEK

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Today's email was brought to you by Sara "Opera Loyalist" Schabas and Michael "Key Results" Vincent.

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