Conducting Business
200 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 9 years ago - ★★★★★ - 8 ratingsThe latest articles from Conducting Business
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For New Classical Christmas Albums, Less is More
November 27, 2013 05:00 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBIt’s that time of year again, when orchestras across the land are dusting off their holiday pops programs and choruses are warming up for Messiahs and sing-a-along carol extravaganzas.
For New Classical Christmas Albums, Less is More
November 27, 2013 05:00 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBIt’s that time of year again, when orchestras across the land are dusting off their holiday pops programs and choruses are warming up for Messiahs and sing-a-along carol extravaganzas. But for the recording industry, Christmas music has changed. The big orchestral albums of the sort that conductors like Arthur Fiedler or Eugene Ormandy used to make have fallen by the wayside. So have the grand star vehicles, with a sequined opera diva belting out Christmas songs backed up by a choir and or...
After the 'Mozart Effect': Music's Real Impact on the Brain
November 06, 2013 19:50 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBIt stopped just short of promising eyesight to the blind or rain from dry skies. But disciples of the 1993 "Mozart Effect" study made impressive claims: Listening to music, they said, could boost Junior's math scores and maybe even get him into Harvard. The idea sparked a cottage industry of CDs, classes and books for babies and toddlers. But the now-famous study was vastly misconstrued, and 20 years and many studies later, neuroscientists are giving us a broader understanding of how music...
After the 'Mozart Effect': Music's Real Impact on the Brain
November 06, 2013 19:50 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBIt stopped just short of promising eyesight to the blind or rain from dry skies. But disciples of the 1993 "Mozart Effect" study made impressive claims: Listening to music, they said, could boost Junior's math scores and maybe even get him into Harvard. The idea sparked a cottage industry of CDs, classes and books for babies and toddlers.
On Major Podiums, Still a Man's World?
October 24, 2013 04:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBThe absence of women conductors at the world’s top orchestras is no longer news, but it stands out more every year, as women scale male bastions in business, sports and entertainment. Of the 20 largest orchestras in the U.S., only the Baltimore Symphony has a woman music director: Marin Alsop, who last month made history as the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms concert in its nearly 120-year history.
On Major Podiums, Still a Man's World?
October 24, 2013 04:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBThe absence of women conductors at the world’s top orchestras is no longer news, but it stands out more every year, as women scale male bastions in business, sports and entertainment. Of the 20 largest orchestras in the U.S., only the Baltimore Symphony has a woman music director: Marin Alsop, who last month made history as the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms concert in its nearly 120-year history. In New York this season, women conductors are noticeably scarce, their sc...
State of the Arts: Behind the NEA Survey
October 03, 2013 16:00 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBAll the people clamoring to get into Broadway shows like "Wicked" and "The Book of Mormon" – or museum shows like the Rain Room at MoMa – are apparently the exception, rather than the rule. That's the conclusion of a new survey of public participation released last week by the National Endowment for the Arts. It shows an overall decline in arts consumption by Americans, with a particular drop-off in museum and theater attendance. There were smaller dips in classical music and ballet audience...
State of the Arts: Behind the NEA Survey
October 03, 2013 16:00 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBAll the people clamoring to get into Broadway shows like "Wicked" and "The Book of Mormon" – or museum shows like the Rain Room at MoMa – are apparently the exception, rather than the rule. That's the conclusion of a new survey of public participation released last week by the National Endowment for the Arts. It shows an overall decline in arts consumption by Americans, with a particular drop-off in museum and theater attendance. There were smaller dips in classical music and ballet audience...
Is Timid Programming Classical Music's Biggest Threat?
September 12, 2013 23:55 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBWhen times are tough, a lot of arts groups go for the sure thing. For orchestras, that means a Beethoven symphony cycle over Schoenberg or Cage. For an opera house, it's Carmen and La Boheme over a risky modern opera.
Is Timid Programming Classical Music's Biggest Threat?
September 12, 2013 23:55 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBWhen times are tough, a lot of arts groups go for the sure thing. For orchestras, that means a Beethoven symphony cycle over Schoenberg or Cage. For an opera house, it's Carmen and La Boheme over a risky modern opera. But some companies think differently. In the face of all its hardships, New York City Opera planned a season that includes J.C. Bach's Endimione, Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, and the U.S. premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Anna Nicole – hardly proven audience bate. So what’s...
Protesting or Praising, Classical Music Fans Become Activists Online
August 28, 2013 20:25 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBBefore the Minnesota Orchestra locked out its musicians in a season-long labor dispute, the orchestra's administration had already locked down a large number of domain names – buying up at least a dozen website addresses that were variations on "Save Our Minnesota Orchestra."
Protesting or Praising, Classical Music Fans Become Activists Online
August 28, 2013 20:25Before the Minnesota Orchestra locked out its musicians in a season-long labor dispute, the orchestra's administration had already locked down a large number of domain names – buying up at least a dozen website addresses that were variations on "Save Our Minnesota Orchestra." The bulk purchase was uncovered by Emily Hogstad, a Wisconsin-based blogger who was trying to set up a website to rally support for locked-out musicians. She quickly discovered that many of the obvious URLs had alr...
Musicians Use Beta Blockers as Performance-Enabling Drugs
August 16, 2013 14:22 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBAnyone who has had to give a speech at a wedding or deliver a Powerpoint presentation at the office knows the symptoms: sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, even nausea.
Musicians Use Beta Blockers as Performance-Enabling Drugs
August 16, 2013 14:22 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBAnyone who has had to give a speech at a wedding or deliver a Powerpoint presentation at the office knows the symptoms: sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, even nausea. That age-old curse, stage fright, is nothing new. But for classical musicians it's come with a considerable stigma. Despite the fact that famous artists like Vladimir Horowitz, Renee Fleming and Glenn Gould have all experienced crippling performance anxiety, a hush-hush attitude has long prevailed. "The reason people don't tal...
Wagnerites: Classical Music's Most Obsessed Fans
July 23, 2013 17:09 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBWhen a new production of Wagner's Ring Cycle is planned, opera administrators bank on a significant portion of their audience coming from the ranks of Wagnerites or "Ring Nuts," a breed of Wagner-lovers known for traveling globally to feed their unrelenting hunger for opera's greatest epic.
Wagnerites: Classical Music's Most Obsessed Fans
July 23, 2013 17:09When a new production of Wagner's Ring Cycle is planned, opera administrators bank on a significant portion of their audience coming from the ranks of Wagnerites or "Ring Nuts," a breed of Wagner-lovers known for traveling globally to feed their unrelenting hunger for opera's greatest epic. Wagnerites are classical music's super-fans. They gather in Wagner Societies, sign up for group ticket offers, attend conferences and debate finer points of productions and recordings. Many are enthrall...
Nashville Symphony's Near-Foreclosure is a Warning to Orchestras
June 26, 2013 21:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBA symphony orchestra gets a gleaming new concert hall. It’s a symbol of cultural ambition, civic pride and even a centerpiece of urban renewal. Or, is it an albatross and a money pit whose costs ultimately come back to bite the organization?
Nashville Symphony's Near-Foreclosure is a Warning to Orchestras
June 26, 2013 21:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBA symphony orchestra gets a gleaming new concert hall. It’s a symbol of cultural ambition, civic pride and even a centerpiece of urban renewal. Or, is it an albatross and a money pit whose costs ultimately come back to bite the organization? As we hear in this edition of Conducting Business, the recent history of orchestras in Philadelphia, Detroit and now, Nashville, has led to questions about the "build it and they will come" philosophy. Some argue that, in the push to build or renova...
In Philanthropy, Why Naming Rights are the Name of the Game
June 05, 2013 14:08 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBEarlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art said it will name its newly remodeled plaza and fountains for David H. Koch, the billionaire conservative activist who gave $65 million towards the renovation. Koch has his name on a few prominent buildings around town, including the former New York State Theater at Lincoln Center and the American Museum of Natural History's dinosaur wing. Koch presents one of the most visible examples of naming rights, a trend that some say is a necessary p...
In Philanthropy, Why Naming Rights are the Name of the Game
June 05, 2013 14:08Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art said it will name its newly remodeled plaza and fountains for David H. Koch, the billionaire conservative activist who gave $65 million towards the renovation. Koch has his name on a few prominent buildings around town, including the former New York State Theater at Lincoln Center and the American Museum of Natural History's dinosaur wing. Koch presents one of the most visible examples of naming rights, a trend that some say is a necessary p...
Nazi <em>Tannhäuser</em> Renews Debate Over Radical Opera Stagings
May 13, 2013 20:08 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBLast week, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf cancelled a Nazi-themed production of Wagner's Tannhäuser, when the premiere performance prompted booing, mass walkouts and even reports of audience members getting sick. With scenes that reportedly showed Jews being murdered and dying in gas chambers, it certainly shocked — but it was hardly the first revisionist opera production.
Nazi <em>Tannhäuser</em> Renews Debate Over Radical Opera Stagings
May 13, 2013 20:08 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBLast week, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf cancelled a Nazi-themed production of Wagner's Tannhäuser, when the premiere performance prompted booing, mass walkouts and even reports of audience members getting sick. With scenes that reportedly showed Jews being murdered and dying in gas chambers, it certainly shocked — but it was hardly the first revisionist opera production. In this podcast, Naomi Lewin asks three prominent opera-watchers whether Düsseldorf was right to cancel the ...
100 Years After Stravinsky's 'Rite,' Can Classical Music Still Shock?
April 29, 2013 18:05 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBOn May 29, 1913, the Paris premiere of Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring provoked a riot: whistling and booing, catcalls and fisticuffs overran the performance and the police were called in to quiet the angry crowd. It became one of the most celebrated scandals in music history. Today, The Rite of Spring is practically an audience favorite and rioting in concert halls is unthinkable. But is this a good thing? Does classical music need more shock value, more scandals?
100 Years After Stravinsky's 'Rite,' Can Classical Music Still Shock?
April 29, 2013 18:05 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBOn May 29, 1913, the Paris premiere of Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring provoked a riot: whistling and booing, catcalls and fisticuffs overran the performance and the police were called in to quiet the angry crowd. It became one of the most celebrated scandals in music history. Today, The Rite of Spring is practically an audience favorite and rioting in concert halls is unthinkable. But is this a good thing? Does classical music need more shock value, more scandals? In his late...
Does Classical Music at Train Stations Really Deter Crime?
April 08, 2013 19:29POLL: Should classical music be used to fight crime and loitering? Move along, hoodlums. Antonio Vivaldi is playing at Newark Penn Station. When New Jersey Transit upgraded the public address system at the Newark transit hub a year ago, they began piping in classical music along with the announcements on train arrivals and connections. The authority subscribed to a music service and station agents could select from different channels, which also include easy-listening and jazz. The idea, ...
Does Classical Music at Train Stations Really Deter Crime?
April 08, 2013 19:29 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBPOLL: Should classical music be used to fight crime and loitering? Move along, hoodlums. Antonio Vivaldi is playing at Newark Penn Station. When New Jersey Transit upgraded the public address system at the Newark transit hub a year ago, they began piping in classical music along with the announcements on train arrivals and connections. The authority subscribed to a music service and station agents could select from different channels, which also include easy-listening and jazz. The idea, ...
Does Bach Need 'Rescuing' from Period Instruments?
March 20, 2013 22:00 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBIn recent months, symphony orchestras have returned to the music of J.S. Bach with a vengeance. The New York Philharmonic is in the midst of a month-long Bach festival with the expressed goal of reclaiming the master's music for modern instruments. At the Philadelphia Orchestra, Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Brandenburg Concertos are on the calendar this spring. The orchestra also plans to re-record the Bach transcriptions of Leopold Stokowski – those sumptuous, technicolor arrangements th...
Does Bach Need 'Rescuing' from Period Instruments?
March 20, 2013 22:00In recent months, symphony orchestras have returned to the music of J.S. Bach with a vengeance. The New York Philharmonic is in the midst of a month-long Bach festival with the expressed goal of reclaiming the master's music for modern instruments. At the Philadelphia Orchestra, Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Brandenburg Concertos are on the calendar this spring. The orchestra also plans to re-record the Bach transcriptions of Leopold Stokowski – those sumptuous, technicolor arrangements th...
Ode to Joystick: Video Game Music Earns Points with Orchestras, Composers
February 07, 2013 17:00 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBFor the first time a soundtrack for a video game has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category usually reserved for movie scores. The composer Austin Wintory's score for the wildly popular PlayStation 3 game "Journey" has been given a nod for "Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media," pitting him against film-score giants like Ludovic Bource, Howard Shore, John Williams and Hans Zimmer. The awards take place this Sunday in Los Angeles. The nomination comes as video game scores p...
Ode to Joystick: Video Game Music Earns Points with Orchestras, Composers
February 07, 2013 17:00 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBFor the first time a soundtrack for a video game has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category usually reserved for movie scores. The composer Austin Wintory's score for the wildly popular PlayStation 3 game "Journey" has been given a nod for "Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media," pitting him against film-score giants like Ludovic Bource, Howard Shore, John Williams and Hans Zimmer. The awards take place this Sunday in Los Angeles.
Have Cancellations in Opera Gotten Out of Hand?
January 11, 2013 21:38 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBWith influenza reaching epidemic proportions in the United States — and the common cold not far behind — opera singers are dropping out of productions at an alarming rate.
Have Cancellations in Opera Gotten Out of Hand?
January 11, 2013 21:38 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBWith influenza reaching epidemic proportions in the United States — and the common cold not far behind — opera singers are dropping out of productions at an alarming rate. Of course, cancellations happen for all kinds of reasons. The voice can be a delicate instrument and various personal and professional issues arise. There are also cancellations of a cloudier, more debatable variety. Regardless, with the relative ease of modern air travel comes a more mobile generation of artists, e...
The Best and Worst of Classical Music in 2012
December 19, 2012 21:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThe year 2012 supplied plenty of headline-making moments in classical music. There was the infamous marimba ring tone at the New York Philharmonic, the opera singer with the controversial tattoos, the composer accused of plagiarism, and cellos booted off airplanes. It was a tough year for American orchestras and a good year for entrepreneurship.
The Best and Worst of Classical Music in 2012
December 19, 2012 21:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThe year 2012 supplied plenty of headline-making moments in classical music. There was the infamous marimba ring tone at the New York Philharmonic, the opera singer with the controversial tattoos, the composer accused of plagiarism, and cellos booted off airplanes. It was a tough year for American orchestras and a good year for entrepreneurship. In this podcast, three highly opinionated critics give us their reviews of 2012: Anne Midgette, classical music critic of the Washington Post; St...
Avery Fisher Hall's Extreme Makeover
December 06, 2012 19:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBWhen the news emerged last week that Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center is to finally go under the knife in 2017, reaction was swift and vocal. "Tear the place down!" wrote more than one commenter on a recent WQXR.org blog post. "The dimensions are all wrong," said another. Some familiar complaints about hall were heard — concerning its acoustics, uncomfortable seats, dated restrooms and even the lack of a pipe organ. Others argued that a facelift should respect the integrity of the 1962 b...
Avery Fisher Hall's Extreme Makeover
December 06, 2012 19:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBWhen the news emerged last week that Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center is to finally go under the knife in 2017, reaction was swift and vocal. "Tear the place down!" wrote more than one commenter on a recent WQXR.org blog post. "The dimensions are all wrong," said another. Some familiar complaints about hall were heard — concerning its acoustics, uncomfortable seats, dated restrooms and even the lack of a pipe organ. Others argued that a facelift should respect the integrity of the 1962 b...
How Arts Groups Can Recover Post-Sandy
November 07, 2012 19:22 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBLast week was basically a write-off for many of New York City's arts organizations. Superstorm Sandy shut down theaters, knocked out power to downtown clubs and submerged art galleries. For many individuals, it destroyed paintings, musical instruments and recording equipment.
How Arts Groups Can Recover Post-Sandy
November 07, 2012 19:22 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBLast week was basically a write-off for many of New York City's arts organizations. Superstorm Sandy shut down theaters, knocked out power to downtown clubs and submerged art galleries. For many individuals, it destroyed paintings, musical instruments and recording equipment. Kate Levin, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, said the impact was widespread. "There are organizations that have had pretty severe property damage," she noted. "But almost everyone ...
The Dangerous Business of Being an Opera Singer
October 12, 2012 17:22 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBIn the old days, opera singers were expected to just "park and bark," as the static style of performing on stage is referred to within the business. But that’s a thing of the past. Singers now not only have look to like their characters, but also bound across raised platforms, fly through the air and undertake graphic fight scenes. With this growing emphasis on HD-quality realism, what physical skills must an opera singer have to make it today? Is opera becoming too dangerous? Recent accide...
The Dangerous Business of Being an Opera Singer
October 12, 2012 17:22 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBIn the old days, opera singers were expected to just "park and bark," as the static style of performing on stage is referred to within the business. But that’s a thing of the past. Singers now not only have look to like their characters, but also bound across raised platforms, fly through the air and undertake graphic fight scenes. With this growing emphasis on HD-quality realism, what physical skills must an opera singer have to make it today? Is opera becoming too dangerous? Recent accide...
Eccentric Genius: Is it Time to Rethink the Cult of Glenn Gould?
September 24, 2012 19:36 - 23 minutes - 22 MBIn 1955, Canadian piano prodigy Glenn Gould made a recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations that made him world-famous. But Gould became just as famous for his eccentricities – humming along while he played, wearing gloves and overcoat in summer, middle-of-the-night phone calls and quitting the concert circuit at the height of his career. It’s the 80th anniversary of his birth, and Gould continues to provoke fascination, with tribute albums, books, DVDs, an app and even a Glenn Gould confere...
Eccentric Genius: Is it Time to Rethink the Cult of Glenn Gould?
September 24, 2012 19:36 - 23 minutes - 22 MBIn 1955, Canadian piano prodigy Glenn Gould made a recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations that made him world-famous. But Gould became just as famous for his eccentricities – humming along while he played, wearing gloves and overcoat in summer, middle-of-the-night phone calls and quitting the concert circuit at the height of his career. It’s the 80th anniversary of his birth, and Gould continues to provoke fascination, with tribute albums, books, DVDs, an app and even a Glenn Gould confere...
How Troubled Orchestras Can Bounce Back – And Flourish
September 14, 2012 20:36 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBRecently, WQXR.org polled listeners on what's needed to help troubled orchestras in several major American cities. Focusing on major symphonies in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Paul and San Antonio – all of which face contract disputes and bulging deficits – the responses varied considerably. Some listeners called for for management shakeups; others advocated more innovative programming and concert formats. A few said that orchestras need to take on a greater educational role i...
How Troubled Orchestras Can Bounce Back – And Flourish
September 14, 2012 20:36 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBRecently, WQXR.org polled listeners on what's needed to help troubled orchestras in several major American cities. Focusing on major symphonies in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Paul and San Antonio – all of which face contract disputes and bulging deficits – the responses varied considerably. Some listeners called for for management shakeups; others advocated more innovative programming and concert formats. A few said that orchestras need to take on a greater educational role i...
The Pitfalls of Carrying Musical Instruments on Planes
August 27, 2012 20:57 - 22 minutes - 21 MBU.S. airlines are more punctual and less likely to lose your bag than at any time in more than two decades, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of Bureau of Transportation data. Fewer than three suitcases per 1,000 passengers were reported lost, damaged or delayed from January through June, a record low.
The Pitfalls of Carrying Musical Instruments on Planes
August 27, 2012 20:57 - 22 minutes - 21 MBU.S. airlines are more punctual and less likely to lose your bag than at any time in more than two decades, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of Bureau of Transportation data. Fewer than three suitcases per 1,000 passengers were reported lost, damaged or delayed from January through June, a record low. But a recent spate of stories concerning musical instruments on airplanes suggests that the skies aren't always friendly for musicians. Paul Katz, a former member of the Clev...
In the Wake of Austerity, Europe Grapples with Arts Cuts
August 06, 2012 04:00 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBThe headlines from Europe this summer are as persistent as a bad sunburn: the Dutch government has slashed arts funding by 25 percent, Italy’s La Scala opera house has announced a $9 million shortfall, and Madrid and Barcelona's main opera houses have both implemented cuts in productions and staff. Portugal abolished its ministry of culture altogether. Yes, dire news about arts organizations isn’t just for Americans any more. Throughout much of Europe – most notably in Italy, Portug...
In the Wake of Austerity, Europe Grapples with Arts Cuts
August 06, 2012 04:00 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBThe headlines from Europe this summer are as persistent as a bad sunburn: the Dutch government has slashed arts funding by 25 percent, Italy’s La Scala opera house has announced a $9 million shortfall, and Madrid and Barcelona's main opera houses have both implemented cuts in productions and staff. Portugal abolished its ministry of culture altogether. Yes, dire news about arts organizations isn’t just for Americans any more. Throughout much of Europe – most notably in Italy, Portug...
Music Criticism as Contact Sport
July 12, 2012 17:53 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBAs almost anyone with a Facebook account knows, classical music criticism is going from spectator sport to participatory activity. Some people read the comments on articles or news feeds just as avidly as the actual reviews that precede them. Meanwhile, as newspaper arts coverage is cut back in many cities, blogs and Twitter feeds are a growing force in shaping conversations about the art form. But where does this leave classical music? Is the Internet giving us a more democratic form of co...
Music Criticism as Contact Sport
July 12, 2012 17:53 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBAs almost anyone with a Facebook account knows, classical music criticism is going from spectator sport to participatory activity. Some people read the comments on articles or news feeds just as avidly as the actual reviews that precede them. Meanwhile, as newspaper arts coverage is cut back in many cities, blogs and Twitter feeds are a growing force in shaping conversations about the art form. But where does this leave classical music? Is the Internet giving us a more democratic form of co...