The world rarely arrives in sonata form…
we could all use a good recap.
About this week
Tech was everywhere in the news this week… even in the arts. If you haven’t heard about Threads, you’ve clearly been living under a rock. The tweet wars will wage for a while yet, and the cage fight between chiefs has been volatile, childish, and would be ridiculously entertaining if it weren’t all so sad. We’ll all have to make our own decisions about which platforms we’ll stick to, and it should be an interesting process.
There has also been a lot of transition for the people in the arts this week, including the passing of several international opera stars, even more casting changes in Santa Fe, milestone remembrances for William Byrd, Gustav Mahler, and more.
A little book detour:
Speaking of Mahler, I happened to listen to a fascinating audiobook this week that is worth a look, but it’s about his wife and mother of his children, Alma, who dreamt of being a composer herself, but set that passion aside for quite a few years to help nurture his career. It’s a fascinating story and told well, although the narrator has occasional trouble with the many names and multilingual references that abound in classical music. Ecstasy by Mary Sharratt is available from Audible and aptly titled, as it’s a very sexy book, and can stand up to most of your summer novels.
Now that we’re into the depths of summer, stay cool, keep things moving forward, and take good care of yourselves. We’ll see you next week…
Announcements for the Listerhood
In case you missed it, we’re reviving our Group Coaching sessions on Zoom for four “hivemind” sessions over the summer: two Wednesday nights and two Saturday mornings. These online gatherings allow performers to brainstorm career- and project-related issues like setting goals, expanding followings, building long-term tools and more.
The first session is this week: Wed 7/12 at 7pm. Cost is free for Lauri’s List members at any level, or just $25 per session for others. You can sign up for one session or any combination, but be sure to reserve your seat in advance, as these groups are deliberately small. Hopefully we’ll see you soon!
People & places
Ryan Speedo Green: Opera Star Opens Up About His Journey to Stardom — San Francisco Classical Voice, 7/4/23
Talk about a Cinderella story! In the fall of 2016, Ryan Speedo Green, then a 30-year-old bass-baritone who was raised in a trailer park in Suffolk, Virginia, woke up to find the account of his personal and artistic journey on the New York Times bestseller list.
How William Byrd Influences Music, 400 Years After His Death — The New York Times, 7/4/23
Four popular composers explain how this Englishman’s ideas ricochet through their own works today.
Gustavo Dudamel’s Long Goodbye — Los Angeles Magazine, 7/5/23
“Celebrity has a tendency to reduce talent, even of the most prodigious kind, to a series of narrow gestures, a sort of mimeograph of itself. The Dude sure seemed to embrace the L.A. lifestyle, to take quickly to Soho House and Osteria Mozza, and having a hot dog at Pink’s named in his honor...”
Jane Eaglen: Miss Isolde Talks Shop — The Boston Music Intelligencer, 7/6/23
“It was a decade before Eaglen was ready to sing her first complete performance of Tristan… One of the remarkable things about her during her prime years was that she always sang within her voice… Now that she is training young singers, she is bringing her extensive knowledge of Wagner to new generations.”
Kathleen Battle to be Honored at the New Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame — OperaWire, 7/7/23
The event, scheduled for July 22, 2023, will feature a special interactive kiosk dedicated to celebrating Battle’s remarkable career.
Fascinating’ Tippett letter reveals composer changed by prison — The Guardian, 7/8/23
Exclusive: Pacifist composer’s intimate 1943 jail letter ‘best Tippett discovery for 50 years’
Arts & Tech
What a week it has been!
Generative AI in Games Will Create a Copyright Crisis — Wired, 7/4/23
Best Free Classical Music Download Sources — The Tech Edvocate, 7/4/23
The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Headphones — Lifehacker, 7/5/23
Royal Opera House archive goes global with streaming service — The Guardian, 7/6/23
Dead Beatles, Fake Drake and robot songwriters: Inside the panic over AI music — LA Times, 7/6/23
Robot conducts Seoul orchestra in extraordinary classical concert — EuroNews, 7/8/23
Operabase Announces Upgrades to Its Platform — OperaWire, 7/10/23
Too much fun
Taylor Swift’s songs are already classics. So we chose classical pieces to pair with every era — Classical KC, 7/6/23
10 weirdest instruments ever — Classical Music, 7/6/23
More links
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association to Host Pacific Opera Project Concert — OperaWire, 7/4/23
Wynton Marsalis on classical, jazz and musical ‘sectarianism’ — The Telegraph, 7/7/23 (sub. req.)
Operalia Competition Announces 2023 Participants – OperaWire, 7/10/23
How to avoid new choir members feeling left out in the breaks — From the Front of the Choir, 7/10/23
Have something to share?
Please do Contact us. We don’t cover events in this feature (submit those here), but we’re looking for news and reviews, staffing and casting announcements, congrats and kudos, arts news, and announcements that deserve special attention. Please send us your info, and we’ll help figure out where it fits on our site. Thanks, all!
