The Well-Tempered Ear

Live classical music ‘tunes’ its listeners

October 15, 2023
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By Jacob Stockinger

You have probably seen it happen and already know how an orchestra tunes itself.

It starts with the oboe at a pitch of A=440 or sometimes slightly higher for a brighter sound or lower for early music. (If there is a piano soloist the oboe takes its pitch from an A on the keyboard.)

Then the concertmaster tunes to the oboe.

Then the rest of the instruments tune to the concertmaster. (Listen and watch the YouTube video at the bottom.)

Do you like seeing the violins move in unison?

As a listener, you and your body do something similar.

Live performances of classical music synchronizes — or “tunes” — the audience of listeners.

At least that is what a new research study reveals.

Read about the details — including breathing and heart rates and more as measured by wearing electronic sensors during live performances — in this detailed story from the Australian cultural journal Limelight: 

And here is a link to the same story from Newsweek:

https://www.newsweek.com/live-music-synchronizes-audiences-heart-rate-breathing-study-1832160

One wonders: Does it work with smaller groups or even with an individual who listens alone?

Does it happen to the performers and members of the orchestra?

Are you ever aware of “feeling as one” with an audience?

Do certain composers or pieces or performers especially have that effect on you?

What do you make of the phenomenon?

The Ear wants to hear.


The New York Times music critics pick 10 online concerts and operas to watch through the month of November

October 30, 2020
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By Jacob Stockinger

Classical music critics for The New York Times have again listed their picks of virtual and online concerts that will be streamed during the month of November, starting this Sunday, Nov. 1, and running right through Nov. 30. In September, they did the same for the month of October.

The list of 10 highlights includes chamber music, orchestral music and operas as well as lots of new music, world premieres of commissions and even the Cliburn International Piano Competition, now known simply as The Cliburn.

Most of the events are posted and available for quite a while.

Note that all times are Eastern and that on this Sunday, Nov. 1, daylight saving ends.

As the critics point out, the list may be especially helpful and enjoyable now that the weather is turning colder, people are isolating at home during the nationwide spikes in coronavirus cases, and concert halls remain closed to the public.

Well-known institutions such as The Metropolitan Opera (below) and the Los Angeles Opera are featured. (You can sample an earlier Met production of Philip Glass’ “Satyagraha” – about the early life of Gandhi — in the YouTube video at the bottom.)

So are symphony orchestras from Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco and Cincinnati. 

And pianist Igor Levit (below top), who this past year released the highly praised, award-winning complete cycle of 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven and who was named Artist of the Year by Gramophone magazine, is also featured, as is the outstanding Chicago-based violinist Jennifer Koh (below bottom, in a photo by the Los Angeles Times). 

Here is a link to the story: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/arts/music/classical-music-stream.html

What do you think of the choices?

Do you have other concerts or classical music events to add to the list?

The Ear wants to hear.

 


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