No images? Click here July 10, 2023 An otter in Santa Cruz is hassling surfers and stealing their surfboards. A viral video shows the California surf-loving otter climbing over a surfboard and refusing to get off. +++ In today's email:
CLASSICAL CHARTS THE BIG IDEA Luminate's Midyear Music Industry Report: Old Tunes Rule, Vinyl Isn't Dead, and Language MattersEach year, Luminate (previously known as Nielsen Music) releases two of the music industry's most followed reports. The annual and mid-year reports offer insiders light-level insights into the music industry's ever-evolving landscape. Now that we've reached midyear, we’ve done the heavy lifting and combed through it to highlight only the most significant findings. Key Findings: Old Tunes Rule, Vinyl Isn't Dead, and Language Matters Run-through:
Digging deeper: These insights highlight the evolving nature of music consumption. While streaming remains popular, 'Catalog' music is seeing significant demand, vinyl sales are growing, and shared languages influence streaming patterns. These trends are crucial for artists and industry professionals strategizing in this ever-changing landscape. Bonus: Access the entire report for free [HERE]. TOUR DE HEADLINES André Watts Photo: David Bazemore André Watts, internationally acclaimed pianist, dies at 77 — Virtuoso pianist André Watts has passed away, leaving behind a silence in the world of classical music. | Washington Post Protesters Crash First Night of Proms, Demanding Action on Climate Change — Two eco-activists disrupted London's iconic Proms concert, demanding the government halt new oil and gas projects, prompting mixed reactions from the audience. Despite the interruption, the show went on, proving that not even confetti cannons can outshine classical music. | BBC Josh Jones, the Kansas City Symphony’s first Black tenure-track musician, speaks out about his experiences working at the organisation — Josh Jones has given us a glimpse behind the curtain at the Kansas City Symphony, and it's not a pretty sight. | The Pitch The 'Heavy' Reality of Unwanted Pianos — Jenna Warriner found out the hard way that
offloading a 1921, Canadian-made upright piano was as tricky as playing a Liszt concerto. | CBC OPERA Maria Callas.(Photo adapted via an original image by Sony Pictures Classics) Royal Opera House Celebrates Callas Centenary with New ExhibitThe exhibit joins worldwide celebrations of Maria Callas, the famed opera star who died in 1977. Why all the fuss?2023 marks 100 years since the birth of the Greek opera star and has been declared the UNESCO Maria Callas Anniversary. Callas was known to her fans as La Divina, and Leonard Bernstein once called her the “Bible of Opera.” She captivated audiences with her voice, musicality, and stage presence, and offstage had a scintillating personal life. She publicly rivalled opera star Renata Tebaldi and had a longstanding love affair with the husband of Jackie Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis. Almost fifty years after her death, Callas remains one of the industry’s most best-selling recorded artists. Terence McNally’s Tony Award-winning play, Master Class, about a public class Callas gave at Juilliard towards the end of her career, is regularly performed worldwide. In 2020, a hologram of Callas went on a worldwide tour accompanied by a live orchestra. Earlier this year, the Greek National Opera held a festival dedicated to her. What’s happening now?The Royal Opera House’s exhibition will feature rare images of Callas and stories and anecdotes related to Callas’ relationship with the famed opera house. Those who can’t make the trip will have to settle for archival recordings. Or, maybe a hologram. The exhibition will run until November 2023. STRINGS Amati 17th Century Five-String Cello New York’s Metropolitan Museum Acquires Rare Five-String CelloThose who think they’ve heard Bach’s cello suites played with historical authenticity may want to make a trip down to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to see their newest musical acquisition. What’s happening?New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has acquired a five-stringed cello made by the Italian luthier Girolamo Amati (1561-1630), c. 1610. The instrument is the only known five-string surviving cello in its original state from that period. What makes this cello so unique?The Amati cello is connected to a musical dynasty. It hails from Cremona, Italy, the birthplace of Stradivarius instruments, which was declared a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. Stradivarius studied with Girolamo Amati’s son, Niccolò Amati, and Girolamo’s father, Andrea Amati (c. 1511-1580), is considered the inventor of the modern violin family. The cello acquired by the Met has a five-hole pegbox, short C-bouts and a processional hole on the back, suggesting it was likely played in a procession. (Read more on cello anatomy here.) It was discovered at an auction in the 1960s with its fifth peg hole blanketed off. J.S. Bach famously wrote his Cello Suite no. 6 for the instrument. Where have I heard this before?You probably haven’t. However, in 2018, the 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason played a 1610 Amati cello at the Royal Wedding. It had four strings, though. Hear cellist Keiran Campbell play Bach’s 6th cello suite on the “Amaryllis Fleming” five-string Amati Brothers Piccolo Cello here: QUIZ Which composer was famous for keeping a frog in his pocket?A: Frédéric Chopin B: Kaija Saariaho C: Edvard Grieg D: Claudio Monteverdi Scroll down for the answer… AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: George Frideric Handel Water Music, HWV 348-350 premieres in 1717 on a barge with King George I on the River Thames in London. 👀 Cure boredom: Let your musical dreams take flight with Google’s new AI virtual virtuoso that lets you play some of classical music’s most incredible melodies. 🗺️ Interesting: Check to see if they're any hidden or unusual things to do in your town listed on Atlas Obscura. 🧪 Get smarter: This website showcases a new molecule each month. Apparently, it’s one of the oldest chemistry websites in the world! 🐾 Aww: The look on this dog's face when she realizes she's going to a new home. INSTRUMENT OF THE WEEK Russian Bassoon (Serpent)Russian bassoon—a mischievous musical impostor! It's not Russian or a bassoon, but a sneaky bass horn from France. Developed from the serpent, it's vertical design and straight pipe made it marching-friendly. With six holes, three keys, and a dragon-inspired bell, this is an instrument with a twist. Composers such as Mozart, Haydn, Berlioz, and Wagner all wrote parts for it. QUIZ ANSWER C: Edvard Grieg (1843-1907). The composer had three figurines, and one of them, a "lucky frog," was his concert companion. Before stepping onto the stage as a pianist or a conductor, he would rub the lucky frog in his pocket for good luck. How did you like today's email? |