Composer John Adams and Theatre Director Peter Sellars have both had storied careers in the operatic world, notably for both Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer. When you hear either of them speak about their art, it’s clear that they have a child-like curiosity that keeps them engaging with the changing world. For […]
I saw the ambient group Stars of the Lid last Monday at the Echoplex.
Ambient is one of those genres that elude genre itself. Its sounds are often electronic. Its concepts come from minimalism. Its grandeur comes from classical. I mean, besides quoting Mahler’s Symphony #1 and Wagner’s Rhinegold Prelude (used to great effect in Terrence […]
There’s no such thing as “air conducting.” We’re all familiar with “air guitar,” where someone imitates a guitar soloist without having any real guitar ability. But there’s really no such thing as imitating a conductor, because the conductor himself is the instrument. His movements are exactly what the orchestra is responding to in their performance. […]
Some of you may know Alex Ross as the classical music critic of the New Yorker. There is another Alex Ross who does comic book paintings…so not him.
Anyways, I’ve been reading his brilliant book, The Rest is Noise, which is a very engaging and detailed look at how the classical world reflected or affected the […]
Following the presentation at South By Southwest last month, Steve Reich is coming on strong in 2008 with at least three new things:
1. Today marks the Nonesuch release of Daniel Variations. The piece commemorates Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and killed as a journalist (and Jew) in Pakistan. Included is Variations for Vibes, Piano, and […]
