December 4, 2022
A new report from the University of Tokyo finds rats have really good rhythm. Their favourite tempo was around 140 bpm, the same speed as Ravel’s Bolero.
In today’s email:
- The big idea: The story behind the rise of the most popular Christmas song of all time
- Study: How just a few weeks of music lessons can transform your brain
- Classical waves: Cello gets staring role in Netflix series, ‘Wednesday’
- Meme of the week
- Around the web: Gorillas caught fixing a door, original Goonies house sells for big bucks, Roman mosaic floors found in Turkey, plus more curious internet finds.
CLASSICAL CHARTS
THE BIG IDEA
The story behind the rise of the most popular Christmas song of all time
Whether it's playing in a store, an Uber, or on your holiday playlist, it's difficult to go a day without hearing Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" during the holidays.
Along with perennial favourites "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Holly Jolly Christmas," Carey's song has become the go-to Christmas pop song.
The Queen of Christmas?
Initially released in 1994, the song first made the charts in 2004 and subsequently peaked every year for approximately 31 days before fizzling out in early January. In the 2010s, the song's time on the charts increased to 40 days before reaching its peak at 78 days in 2019.
Search term: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” worldwide. (Source: Google Trends)
In a statement to NBC, Nate Sloan, an assistant professor of musicology at the University of Southern California. "It has very much to do with the emotional support we draw from this holiday."
Since 2019, Mariah Carey's song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" has debuted at No. 1. With more than 1.25 billion streams on Spotify alone, the seasonal smash is the most streamed Christmas song ever.
Since it was posted to YouTube in 2009, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has received more than 738 million views.
From its success, the pop singer is making a lot of money.
According to an estimate by Yahoo News, the singer has received royalties from the song totalling more than $60 million.
Not so fast
Armed with the popularity of the song, Mariah Carey applied to trademark the phrase, Queen of Christmas. Her application was denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
"I feel very strongly that no one person should hold onto anything around Christmas or monopolize it in the way that Mariah seeks to in perpetuity," said Elizabeth Chan, a composer who specialized in Christmas music, in an interview with Variety. "That's just not the right thing to do. Christmas is for everyone. It's meant to be shared; it's not meant to be owned."
The trademark would have given her the legal rights to stop others from using the seasoned title on music, merch, and other holiday and non-holiday-themed products. Elizabeth Chan, a fellow festive singer, filed an opposition in August to block Carey from obtaining the registration.
SPONSORED
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In addition, the unique media library offers over 700 concert videos on demand. Exclusive interviews and documentaries also offer a look behind the scenes, and curated playlists help you to explore musical treasures from six decades — from the Herbert von Karajan era to the present day.
If you order a 12-month ticket by 25 December, you will also receive a limited Stravinsky edition on DVD/Blu-ray as a gift.
THE LATEST
Opera: Paris Opera seeks to nurture artistic talent in French Guiana.
Conductor moves: Finnish conductor John Storgårds named BBC Philharmonic Chief Conductor.
In Memoriam: American Broadway/opera baritone dies of cancer at 34.
Dance: The Washington Post has laid off Pulitzer Prize-winning Critic Sarah L. Kaufman, leaving the paper with no dance critic.
Score: An original score by Beethoven fetched more than $1.25 m USD at auction.
Industry: 'Artists are about to go on strike': YouTube's Lyor Cohen on his plans to save the music industry.
Research: Music teacher recruitment numbers in peril, according to new study.
Streaming: The founder and CEO of classical platform Idagio talks streaming, immersive experiences and about getting a better deal for artists.
Opinion: Opera and other art should confront controversial issues.
Interview: British cellist Robert Max on playing the 1726 ‘Saveuse’ Stradivari cello.
Long-read: How Korngold molded fragments of his movie scores into a towering memorial.
STUDY
Just a Few Weeks of Music Lessons Can Transform Bour Brain
A new research study suggests that only a few weeks of music lessons can result in improvements to the way we process audiovisual information.
Researchers at the University of Bath published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports in November 2022. In the introduction, they begin by referencing prior research that revealed that musicians have enhanced abilities when it comes to audiovisual recognition. But, they ask, is that an ability that is directly caused by studying and practising music?
In particular, they noted the potential for treatment for people living with autism spectrum disorders or ASD, whose abilities to process audiovisual and emotional information are reduced.
The participants, 31 adults in total, were randomly assigned to one of three groups.
For a period of 11 weeks:
- One group received one hour of piano instruction per week;
- One group listened to music (the same that was practised by group one) for one hour a week;
- The third group was a control who did neither;
- All three groups were tested bi-weekly to compile the results.
The researchers measured several parameters that related to processing audiovisual as well as emotional information. That included the ability to recognize discrepancies between audio and visual stimuli, the ability to recognize moods from facial expressions, autistic traits, as well as stress and mood.
Learning to play the piano
The music training group was given one-on-one piano lessons on a Yamaha P-35 at the University, with parameters that will be familiar to piano students around the world:
- 20 minutes of finger exercises from Hanon: the Virtuoso Pianist, Book 1: in Sixty Exercises for the Piano;
- 40 minutes learning and practising a song from the grade one piano exam list.
As the paper notes, learning to play an instrument is quite demanding, and uses several processes within the nervous system, including the sensory and motor systems as well as cognition at different levels. Student musicians have to learn how to move along to a musical score, and then listen for the results, adjusting as necessary. Visual cues and finger movements become synchronized.
After all that, they have to find a way to play with expression too, using tone, tempo, dynamics and other elements. It’s hardly surprising that musicians would display enhanced abilities when it comes to processing multisensory and emotional information as compared to non-musicians.
Musicians are generally better able, for example, to detect when audio and visual information are out of sync. It’s connected to the areas of the brain that deal with keeping time.
What they found
The results were interesting, and while the authors noted the limits of their single study, they were unequivocal.
- Those who completed music training were the only group to show “significant improvement” in audiovisual processing.
- That group also showed reduced levels of depression, stress, and anxiety.
None of the groups, however, showed improvement in emotional recognition when it came to facial expressions, with one exception. Those who received music training displayed “a greater improvement in accuracy when recognising joy”.
The advantages appeared after only three weeks of training.
The researchers conclude by noting that future studies could delve into the potential for music training as therapy for people living with autism, as well as depression and stress-related problems.
It also adds to the growing body of evidence that reveals the distinct advantages of music education for everyone.
CLASSICAL WAVES
Cello Gets Starting Role in Netflix Hit Series, ‘Wednesday’
Netflix's latest series Wednesday has smashed the streaming service's viewing hours records. The new series surpasses Stranger Things and the Crown for the top spot.
The eight-part series is based on the Addams family's troubled daughter, Wednesday, played by Jenna Ortega.
Her character is seen playing cello fairly convincingly in a number of major scenes.
In one of the episodes, Wednesday practises a cello version of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black" on the balcony of her university dorm room. Later, Wednesday performs Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" with the school band, and the third movement of "Winter" from Vivaldi's iconic Four Seasons. In the 6th episode, Wednesday is seen practicing "Cello Concerto in E minor" by Elgar.
Is Ortega really playing, or is she faking?
According to an interview with Wired, Ortega said she plays the cello in all her scenes behind the instrument. The actor began taking cello lessons twice a week two months before filming began.
"I probably couldn't play too well now," she said. "It is something that I want to continue to pursue. I have immense respect for anybody who plays the cello. I think it's such a delightful instrument".
While she does a remarkably convincing job of miming along to the cello tracks, it is safe to say her cello performances aren't the ones heard on the series' soundtrack.
Who knows. Maybe this series will inspire the next Jacqueline du Pré.
AROUND THE WEB
📅 On this day: Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna, Austria, at age 35.
🎧 Podcast: Listen to this episode of Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast to learn about why film music and why it is sometimes looked down upon in the classical music world
⚒️ Amazing: One of the largest surviving Roman mosaic floors discovered in Turkey. They have a warping effect caused due to earthquakes, creating the impression of a giant blanket.
🏠 Film Buff: The Astoria, Oregon home featured in “The Goonies” movie sold for USD 1.7 million.
🦍 Video: An incredible viral video shows a family of Gorillas fixing a door with tools.
MEME OF THE WEEK
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