December 3, 2023

If you send a ‘grievance’ to this Florida newspaper, they’ll print it on Festivus, the made-up Seinfeld holiday.

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In this week’s email:

The big idea: Wishful thinking: debunking the Mozart effect
Turbulent times: Climate protesters disrupt Christian Gerharher’s Metropolitan Opera debut
Power moves: Vladimir Putin’s longtime ally Valery Gergiev appointed head of Bolshoi Theatre
Rare instrument of the week
Around the web: An online bento box exhibit, guess the artwork, 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

Wishful Thinking: Debunking the Mozart Effect

Listen to Mozart while you study, and suddenly, you'll be getting all A’s. That's the "Mozart Effect '' — or so the media spun it.

Back in 1993, psychologist Francis Rauscher's study showed students briefly performing better at spatial tasks after listening to Mozart. The catch? The effect was a mere blip on the cognitive radar – about 10-15 minutes of improved spatial reasoning, no grand IQ boost.

The Study Breakdown

The experimental group: 36 college students subjected to an intriguing auditory test.
The procedure: Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, versus silence or a flat voice.
The outcome: Spatial reasoning showed a brief surge following Mozart's sonata.
The dissemination: A succinct scientific paper in the prestigious journal Nature.

Brain hack du jour

When the findings hit the press, they were amplified beyond recognition. Headlines crooned "Mozart makes you smart," and suddenly everyone was tuning in. Rauscher's phone rang off the hook, journalists camped at her door, and Mozart CDs flew off the shelves.

Then things got really strange…

…As the hype increased, the original point of research became grossly distorted. Rauscher's narrow findings morphed into a sweeping movement that promised smarter babies and brighter futures, all from a dash of classical music. In a bizarre twist, the misquoted research even led to Rauscher facing the music of public outrage — including death threats.

The myth crescendoed to policy when Georgia and Tennessee, swayed by the melody of potential genius, began gifting Mozart CDs to newborns. A symphony of good intentions, perhaps, but one based on a misunderstood tune.

The truth is, Rauscher's study was never the opening act to a smarter society through Mozart. The actual takeaway? Any engaging music can jazz up the mind temporarily. It's not the composer that conducts cognitive sparks – it's the pleasure of the music itself.

The moral of the story

In an age of quick fixes and silver bullets, the "Mozart Effect" struck a chord with a hopeful public. It’s a modern-day lesson in critical thinking and the importance of appreciating the nuances behind the headlines.

But hey, if you’re jamming to Mozart while reading this – don’t stop. Just remember, you’re feeding your soul, not necessarily your IQ. Keep the tunes flowing and the facts in check.

Bonus

Three other notable myths created by misrepresented research:

1. K2-18 b and the Misrepresentation of Alien Life: The planet K2-18 b was subject to sensational headlines that misrepresented scientific findings, suggesting that there was evidence of life. This was a distortion of the actual cautious conclusions drawn by researchers.

2. Vaccines and Autism: A now-retracted study published in 1998 falsely linked the MMR vaccine to autism, which was widely reported in the media. Despite numerous studies disproving this link, the media coverage contributed to a persistent myth that vaccines cause autism.

3. The 10% Brain Myth: The claim that humans only use 10% of their brains is another myth perpetuated by misinterpretations of neurological research and popularized by the media. Scientific evidence shows that we use much more than 10% of our brains. — MV

TOUR DE HEADLINES

Classical music critic Anthony Tommasini (Photo Tony Cenicola//The New York Times)

What a Classical-Music Critic Reads — Anthony Tommasini, the former chief classical-music critic for The New York Times, recommends books and music. | The Atlantic

Welsh National Opera Has Announced the Appointment of Interim General Director — The WNO has announced Christopher Barron as the new Interim General Director, beginning in January 2024. He succeeds Aidan Lang, retiring after four years and a 40-year opera career. | Welsh National Opera

Missing: Violin, Bows and Musical Equipment in Portland, Oregon — Musicians Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas reported a significant theft in Portland, Oregon, losing instruments and equipment from their rental car while on tour. The stolen items, valued in tens of thousands of pounds, included Fraser's Jay Haide violin and four prestigious violin bows, along with other musical accessories. Haas's cello, also taken, was fortunately recovered shortly after the incident. | The Strad

Herbert Von Karajan’s Bust Removed from Theater Aachen Due to Nazi Affiliation — The Theater Aachen in Germany removed a bust of Herbert von Karajan due to his historical Nazi affiliations. The decision followed increasing pressure to critically reassess the renowned conductor's legacy, despite his career starting at this theater in 1935. | Operawire

Afghanistan's First Female Orchestra 'Inspiring' — The documentary "Sisters" follows Dan Blackwell's journey to Kabul to meet the Zohra orchestra, Afghanistan's first all-female orchestra, revealing their profound stories of perseverance and the power of music. Despite facing societal backlash and threats, the musicians have performed globally and continue to unite and play music even after being dispersed following the Taliban's return to power in 2021. | BBC

TURBULENT TIMES

Tannhäuser, Met Opera. (Photo courtesy of the MET Opera)

Climate Protesters Disrupt Christian Gerharher’s Metropolitan Opera Debut

Climate protesters from the group Extinction Rebellion interrupted the Metropolitan Opera’s opening performance of Tannhaüser on November 30th.

What happened? On November 30, climate protesters from the group Extinction Rebellion interrupted Act II of Wagner’s Tannhaüser at the Metropolitan Opera. The group interrupted Wolfram’s description of love as a miraculous spring, shouting from the audience, “The spring is tainted.” Others held a banner reading “No Opera On A Dead Planet.” The Met’s curtain was quickly lowered before security arrived. Met General Manager Peter Gelb apologized for the disturbance before the performance restarted, only to be quickly re-interrupted.

Refresher: The climate protests came in the middle of baritone Christian Gerharher’s Metropolitan Opera debut as Wolfram. Gerharher has been described as “one of our finest living lieder singers” (NYTimes), who brings the subtlety of art song to his operatic depictions. The performance was conducted by Donald Runnicles in a 1970s production by Otto Schenck.

Digging deeper: Frenzy at performances of Wagner operas is far from unprecedented. In Alex Ross’ 2020 book Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music, Ross reports on numerous duels between Wagner-lovers and their opponents. As Ross’ publisher describes, the staunchly antisemitic Wagner’s name is now “almost synonymous with artistic evil.” Despite the unfortunate nature of disrupting this performance, let’s see if these climate protests provoked any good. — SS

POWER MOVES

Valery Gergiev (Photo: Mil.ru)

Vladimir Putin’s Longtime Ally Valery Gergiev Appointed Head of Bolshoi Theatre

Conductor Valery Gergiev was announced on Friday as the new head of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre.

What’s Up: On Friday, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow announced that the conductor Valery Gergiev will become the institution’s new general director. Gergiev already leads the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, giving him control over the two main bastions of Russian classical music culture.

Refresher: Valery Gergiev, 67, has been an ally of Vladimir Putin’s since the 1990s. He has appeared in television campaigns supporting Putin and publicly expressed his support of Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Gergiev has refused to denounce the war in Ukraine, leading to his blacklisting from the many international orchestras and opera houses where he once conducted. He replaces conductor Vladimir Urin, who has led the Bolshoi since 2013.

Digging Deeper: Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, many Russian cultural figures opposing the war have been removed from their posts. The head of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts was recently replaced. Conductor Vladimir Urin’s future has been tenuous since his name appeared on a public petition expressing opposition to the war in Ukraine. Some believe Putin’s wish to have singular, allied control over arts institutions emphasizes his Russian imperialist agenda. — SS

QUIZ

AROUND THE WEB

📅 On this day: Benjamin Britten died in 1976.

⚕️Art: Hospital Rooms is an arts and mental health charity that transforms mental health hospitals with extraordinary creative programmes and artworks. Check out the virtual exhibit here.

🎨Cure boredom: Can you guess the artwork?

🍱 That’s interesting: Explore a bento box of mouth-watering facts about Japan's iconic cuisine.

🦊 Aww: This fox has winter figured out.

RARE INSTRUMENT OF THE WEEK

One of the few pyrophones constructed by Kastner, as seen in 2013 in the Musée historique de Strasbourg.

The Pyrophone

A pyrophone is a unique musical instrument that creates sounds through rapid combustion or explosions, like using burners in glass tubes. This creates both light and sound. It was invented in the 1870s by Georges Kastner, a physicist and musician, who was the son of composer Jean-Georges Kastner.

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