No images? Click here August 14, 2023 A school in Florida has pulled Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to comply with a new state law to restrict books with instructions about sexual content. +++ In this week’s email:
CLASSICAL CHARTS THE BIG IDEA Taylor Swift Gives A Nod To Opera-Singing GrandmotherTaylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour includes “Marjorie,” a tribute to her grandmother Marjorie Finlay. What’s up?: Clocking in at over three hours and in ten distinct acts, Taylor Swift comes by the operatic scope of her Eras tour honestly. Swift’s maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, was an award-winning coloratura soprano who Swift claims inspired her to pursue a music career. Wait, really?: Yep. Swift was so influenced by her grandmother she wrote a song for her on her 2020 Evermore album, “Marjorie.” Her producer and the co-writer of “Marjorie,” Aaron Dessner, sampled archival recordings of Finlay’s soprano for the final portion of the song. Rolling Stone magazine considers “Marjorie” the centrepiece of Swift’s evermore album. Did Swift herself ever consider a career in opera?: Not so much. Swift described being influenced by Shania Twain, Dolly Parton and The Chicks as a young singer, rather than Callas and Caballé. But the scope of her tour, its costuming, visuals, length and fervour decidedly demonstrate operatic influence. Those lucky enough to have secured tix will enjoy the late Marjorie Finlay’s coloratura soprano pouring through speakers midway through her granddaughter’s set. — SS TOUR DE HEADLINES Siemens Festival - Nights in Salzburg (Photo: Siemens AG / Georg Lembergh) Apple Music Classical Partners With The Salzburg Festival — Apple Music Classical partners with the Salzburg Festival, offering exclusive recordings and curated playlists from past and present events. The collaboration joins a roster of prestigious global musical institutions on the platform. | Operawire New Platform Launched for Emerging String Quartets — The MERITA Platform, coordinated by Le Dimore del Quartetto, offers emerging European string quartets unique opportunities and heritage concert venues. Funded by the EU, the initiative promises innovation in classical showcases.| The ViolinChannel Classical musicians are ‘clone-like’ these days, says Nigel Kennedy — Nigel Kennedy laments today's "clone-like" classical prodigies, praising their technical skills but missing their heart and individuality. Meanwhile, he nudges for broader music funding, cheekily suggesting Beethoven meets Hendrix. | The Guardian Renée Fleming Steps in for Yo-Yo Ma at Tanglewood — Yo-Yo Ma's unexpected pause due to COVID-19 has Tanglewood tweaking its tunes, with stellar soprano Renée Fleming stepping in, swapping Shostakovich for Strauss. Musical chairs, anyone? | Operawire American tourists at the Proms spark row after munching on noisy snacks including popcorn during Royal Albert Hall performance — Popcorn-munching American tourists stirred some salty drama at a Proms performance in the Royal Albert Hall. While popcorn's been sold since 2014, staff say it's under review. | DailyMail How opera is aiming for net zero amid worsening climate change — Opera houses worldwide are actively adopting sustainable practices, with Glyndebourne at the forefront, using initiatives like wind turbines and natural dyes. Amid the climate crisis, these measures, combined with collaborative projects and resourceful adaptations, reflect the industry's dedication to sustainability. | BBC STRINGS Photo courtesy of The Premio Paganini Premio Paganini Competition Prints 3D Copy of 18th Century Cremona ViolinThe international violin competition Premio Paganini celebrates its 70th anniversary by 3D printing a copy of Paganini’s “Cannone” violin. The scoop: Premio Paganini, an international violin competition held annually in Genoa, Italy, seeks new ways to honour its namesake, the virtuoso and composer Niccolò Paganini. This year, Premio Paganini has partnered with 3DiTALY, a 3D printing company, to create a print of Paganini’s legendary 1743 Guarneri del Gesù violin, “Il cannone." Digging deeper: Premio Paganini and 3DiTALY claim the “Cannone” will be an exact 1:1 replica of Paganini’s 1743 instrument. It will be printed and scanned with white resin and red nylon strings. The new violin will be shown in exhibitions and played in concerts in years to come. Why it matters: Marco Bucci, the Mayor of Genoa, sees the replica violin as an opportunity to commemorate Paganini using new technologies in unconventional ways. “All material relating to the scan and the digital model of the ‘Cannone’ is now part of the archival heritage of the Municipality of Genoa,” Bucci said in a press conference. - SS COMPOSER L-R Robbie Robertson; Krzysztof Penderecki (Photo Kingkongphoto/Kontrola/Wikipedia ) What Did Robbie Robertson Have to Do With Krzysztof Penderecki?The Canadian rock legend, Robbie Robertson, who died this week, was best known for his performances as a solo artist, as a member of The Band and as the lead guitarist for Bob Dylan. What classical music lovers may not know is that Robertson was also intimately influenced by the 20th-century Polish composer Kryzsztof Penderecki. BackgroundRobbie Robertson grew up on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve near Toronto, Ontario. Robertson co-founded The Band along with fellow Canadians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and American Levon Helm. They found early fame as the backing band for artists such as Bob Dylan and Ronnie Hawkins before going solo with their first album, Music from Big Pink, in 1968. The StoryWhile touring with Dylan and working on his own musical projects in the 1960s, Robertson developed a fascination with the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. “[His music] stirred a nerve that inspired me to write him a letter of appreciation,” Robertson described, citing his appreciation for works including St. Luke’s Passion (1966), Polymorphia (1961) and Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima (1961). “We were pen pals for a while,” he told the CBC in 2019. The Last [Operatic] WaltzIn 1976, The Band held their last concert, “The Last Waltz.” The performance used sets from the San Francisco Opera’s La Traviata and showcased performances by rock legends, including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and Muddy Waters. The concert was immortalized in Martin Scorsese’s 1978 documentary of the same name. After the project was over, Scorsese and Robertson became collaborators on films including “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013), “Gangs of New York” (2002), and “Shutter Island” (2010). Robertson and PendereckiWhen it came time to score Scorsese’s psychological thriller, “Shutter Island,” Robertson revisited his early admiration for Penderecki’s music. “I said to Marty [Scorsese], I think Penderecki’s music could be a centrepiece for this movie,” Robertson recounted. Scorsese agreed, and Robertson anchored the film’s drama around the Passacaglia from Penderecki’s Third Symphony. Why It MattersThe admiration between Robbie Robertson and Krzysztof Penderecki was mutual. “After he heard some recordings of The Band I sent over,” Robertson said in 2020, “he wrote me back with such kind words of how our different styles of music had deep connections.” Relationships between classical composers and rock musicians are few and far between, with many music lovers in both camps shunning the relationship between the two styles. The deep respect between these two vastly different artists demonstrates shared musical values that transcend stylistic differences. Final Words“We will miss Krzysztof but his sound will live on and on forever,” Robertson wrote on Facebook following Penderecki’s death in 2020. Penderecki might have written a similar tribute for Robertson, who died on August 9th at age 80.- SS QUIZ What type of composition features multiple melodies in counterpoint and usually has three main sections: an exposition, a development and a final entry?
B: Suite C: Sonata D: Concerto Scroll down for the answer… AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: In 1814, Il turco in Italia (The Turk in Italy) by Gioachino Rossini premiered. ✍🏻 Useful: A privacy-first tool that lets you modify pdfs offline in your browser, no upload to server or cloud, no limits on editing, entirely for free. (You’re welcome). 🥑 Health: Is it okay to eat an avocado with brown spots inside? Eat of Toss is a website about whether food is still good for eating or not, depending on different scenarios. 🎲 Games: Play Wipeout in your browser. 🎺 Music: New music from your followed playlists delivered every Monday. 🐕 Aww: Disabled Siberian Husky tries her wheelchair for the first time. INSTRUMENT OF THE WEEK RavenchordThe design firm Whipsaw has conceptualized a radical redesign of the grand piano, dubbed the Ravenchord. Unlike the traditional design, Ravenchord, shaped like a bird’s wing, exposes the piano's inner mechanisms, offering the audience a unique visual experience as they witness the pianist in action. Beyond aesthetics, the design also aims to directly channel sound toward the audience by eliminating the traditional piano lid. While the core features like keys and pedals remain unchanged, it remains to be seen whether the music community will embrace this ambitious reimagining, with potential benefits including portability and a novel sound experience. QUIZ ANSWER D: Fugue How did you like today's email? |