The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music news: Men who sing like women go mainstream; Julie Andrews to host PBS’ New Year’s Day in Vienna; more Vivaldi is discovered; the Atlanta Symphony to record itself; and the laws of physics give us moody music.

By Jacob Stockinger

Post-Thanksgiving seems a good times for another edition of The Ear’s Saturday edition of News Clips.

So here are a few:

ITEM:

It started with Alfred Deller (below top) and went through David Daniels (below middle) and Bejan Mehta (below bottom). Countertenors are going mainstream and making a big comeback in beautiful baroque works by Bach. Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi. Consider phenom Philippe Jarrousky:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/magazine/21soprano-t.html

Why not tell The Ear who you think is the best countertenor? And in what piece?

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Julie Andrews (below, back in “The Sound of Music” and now)) will host PBS’ New Year’s Day Live From Vienna for the third time:

http://tv.broadwayworld.com/article/Julie_Andrews_to_Hosts_FROM_VIENNA_on_PBS_11_20101117

ITEM:

Like the London Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra annd many others, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (below) has launched its own label. The move marks the 10th anniversary of conductor and music director Robert Spano who has used new music to breathe new life in the orchestra:

Here’s a great NPR piece about it. Listen other the audio version, not just read the transcript, if you can:

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/23/131551138/robert-spano-champion-of-new-music

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/atlanta-symphony-orchestra-launches-own-label

ITEM:

How do the laws physics music give us moods in music:

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/19/131447060/from-bach-to-beer-bottles-the-physics-of-music

ITEM:

Two sonata by Vivaldi (below) are discovered and receive a partial world premiere:

http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/news/two-previously-unknown-vivaldi-sonatas-discovered