The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music news: Labor disputes, money woes still plague the New York City Opera and American symphony orchestras. Russian conductor Valery Gergiev cleans up the Tchaikovsky competition while another Russian conductor is the victim of a run-in with Vladimir Putin. The summer BBC Proms continue to thrive. And Spotify comes to the US.

By Jacob Stockinger

The news on from the classical music front continues to be a mix of good and bad, of encouragement and discouragement.

See for yourself:

ITEM: Opera stars try to rescue New York City Opera (below) with protests over the current plan for saving it by moving from Lincoln Center:

http://www.savenyco.orsg/2011/07/complete-letter-from-opera-stars.html

ITEM: The labor dispute with Louisville Symphony Orchestra (below) grows more heated and divisive:

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110711/SCENE04/307120031/1047/scene/Louisville-Orchestra-offer-hits-sour-note-players?odyssey=mod

ITEM: Maybe you didn’t know it needed it, but celebrity Russian conductor Valery Gergiev (below) cleaned up the famed Tchaikovsky Competition:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/teachers-pets-banished-from-tchaikovsky/story-e6frg8n6-1226090117983

ITEM: However, another Russian conductor, Mikhail Arkadyev, has not been renewed because of anti-Putin remarks he made:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8628745/Russian-orchestra-conductor-fired-because-of

http://www.wqxr.org/blogs/wqxr-blog/2011/jul/10/russian-conductor-says-he-was-fired-after-criticizing-vladimir-putin/

ITEM: European online playlist and music-sharing service Spotify comes to the US:

http://www.spotify.com/us/hello-america/

ITEM: The legendary summertime  concerts the BBC Proms (below) continue to thrive in a general atmosphere of anxiety about the future of classical music and live concerts. Why?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/8635216/BBC-Proms-2011-Hope-and-glory-of-the-Proms.html