Music
1939 results
Page 129
Jazz struggles for survival
Who will rescue jazz?
Sometime after World War II, jazz musicians stopped communicating with their audiences and began playing only for themselves and elite musicologists. Grassroots jazz bars— the lifeblood of this uniquely American art form— are making a comeback. But it's a struggle, as I discovered recently.
Articles
4 minute read
The Marlboro mystique: Pros and cons
Marlboro at 60: Incubator or pressure-cooker?
After 50 years, the Marlboro festival remains a remarkable incubator where promising young musicians form disciplined ensembles. But it's also a pressure-cooker that can squelch an individual musician's personal expression.
Articles
4 minute read
Boston Symphony at Tanglewood: A Romantic mixed bag
What Sarah Chang could learn from Yuja Wang
Romanticism in music has had its ups and downs. A recent weekend of Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts at Tanglewood suggests that much of its success depends on the nature of the performance.
Articles
5 minute read
Philadelphia Orchestra on the brink
When musicians leave, who's responsible?
Add trumpeter David Bilger to the growing roster of Philadelphia Orchestra musicians leaving for more secure if not greener pastures. But the executive and board leadership should walk the plank instead.
Articles
3 minute read
Allen Krantz revives Wencelas Matiegka
Reviving the guitar (with a little help from the Internet)
Beethoven's contemporary Wencelas Matiegka wrote 11 solos for guitar that were forgotten after his death. Now, thanks to the Internet and the guitarist/arranger Allen Krantz, they've been resuscitated.
Articles
4 minute read
Menotti's "The Consul' at Princeton
A Cold War surprise
I had begun to believe that Menotti's The Consul was an unworthy relic of an outdated era. In Princeton last month, to my astonishment, it demonstrated both dramatic and musical strength.
Articles
4 minute read
Russian National Orchestra with gymnasts at the Mann
Musical muscle
Cirque de La Symphonie is a troupe of aerialists, acrobats and tricksters who perform with classical orchestras. In our visual age, what better way to stimulate fresh interest in serious music?
Articles
3 minute read
Wister Quartet's "Summer Bits and Pieces'
Shorthanded in Fairmount Park
The Wister Quartet, reduced to a trio, responded by showcasing the overlooked talents of its three remaining members.
Articles
3 minute read
How today's orchestras succeed
Earth to Philadelphia Orchestra: It's the Internet, stupid
While the Philadelphia Orchestra struggles in bankruptcy, many major orchestras around the world are flourishing. These “21st-Century orchestras” have seized the marketing and PR possibilities of the Internet in imaginative ways that have so far eluded the timid Philadelphians.
Articles
5 minute read
Dolce Suono at Laurel Hill
High-level High Baroque
The Dolce Suono Trio manages a successful hop between 20th Century America and 18th Century Europe.
Articles
4 minute read