In celebration of the American Independence Day weekend — and because it was toward the top of the massive “yet-to-be-played” pile — I fired up a Naxos CD release of symphonic music by Roy Harris played by the Bournemouth Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop (catalogue number 8.559609).
Continue reading On the CD Player: Roy Harris, American Symphonist
Now that’s some pretty lousy news to wake up to if you’re a clarinetist, active or recovering (as in my case). Read Charles Strum’s NY Times obituary of one of the great American musical pedagogues — including reminiscences from Richard Stoltzman.
I refer specifically to Persephassa, lighter than the water of Central Park Lake. Tony Tommasini has the details at the NY Times.
[UPDATED 6/21/10] Ha’aretz, via the Telegraph, is reporting that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will leave at the end of President Obama’s second year in office. Unconfirmed but definitely of interest — especially the detail about Emanuel finding Obama too “idealist” — although Raw Story‘s Stephen Webster has questions about the story’s sourcing and bias.
Not two minutes after Sybille Werner forwarded news of the magnificent Maureen Forrester’s passing as reported in the Globe and Mail, Tony Tommasini’s NY Times obit went live. Continue reading Maureen Forrester, 1930-2010
Fleischmann was a giant among arts managers. Mark Swed’s appreciation in the LA Times is here, the NY Times obit is here, BR-online’s obit (in German, naturlich) is here, and you should also check out arts blogger Adolfo Guzman-Lopez on Neville Marriner and Fleischmann.
The story just got posted to the NY Times Web site, one half hour after the Inky broke the news online. The appointment comes as no surprise to many insiders in the music biz.
Just over a month ago, amidst a wave of upheaval that had disrupted (and continues to wreak small waves of havoc with) my life and work, I received a package containing a couple of CDs and a cover letter.
Continue reading The kids are alright — okay, they’re stupendous!
