The Well-Tempered Ear
Collaborative pianist Ingrid Haebler has died at 93
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Austrian pianist Ingrid Haebler (below) has died at 93.
I call her a collaborative pianist but, like so many other pianists, she was also a soloist.
That is inherent in learning the piano, especially at the beginning.
Here is an obituary, with links, where you can read more about her and her her music-making:
Truth be told, Haebler made quite a few recording as a soloist, include all the piano concertos and piano sonatas by Mozart, as well as other Austrian and German composers, including Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven. The Viennese school was her forte.
But what stands out to The Ear are her early duets (below) with Henry Szeryng and Arthur Grumiaux in the violin sonatas of Beethoven and Mozart. She knew how to blend rather than to stand out, and clearly was more interested in musicality than virtuosity. In fact, critics often praised her gentleness, clarity and transparency rather than her assertiveness or boldness, especially in Mozart. Not for nothing was a tulip named after her.
In a word, she was an ideal collaborative pianist back in the days when they were still called accompanists and received second billing.
Indeed, along with Gerald Moore she was one of the performers who brought currency and respect as the term “accompanist” as it morphed into the more accurate term “collaborative pianist.”
Of course that is just my opinion. You might disagree.
Decide for yourself. You can listen to and sample many of her solo and collaborative recording on YouTube, including the video below one of my favorite violin sonatas by Mozart, the Violin Sonata in e minor, K. 304, played by Haebler and Henryk Szeryng.
Do you know Ingrid Haebler’s playing?
What do you think of her as a soloist and as a collaborative pianist?
Which side of her career do you think is stronger?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #BlogPost, #CollaborativePianist, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #Music-Making, #YouTubevideo, accompanist, accuracy, accurate, Arthur Grumiaux, Arts, audience, Austria, Austrian, Beethoven, beginning, blog, bold, boldness, career, Chamber music, clarity, Classical music, collaborative, composer, Concert, concerto, critic, currency, death, decide, die, Facebook, favorite, flower, Franz Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, gentle, gentleness, Gerald Moore, German, Germany, Haydn, hear, Henryk Szeryng, Ingrid Haebler, Jacob Stockinger, learn, link, listen, Ludwig van Beethoven, morph, Mozart, Music, music critic, musicality, obituary, opinion, Orchestra, performer, Piano, playing, respect, school, Schubert, share, solo, soloist, Sonata, symphony, tag, term, think, transparency, tulip, Vienna, Viennese, Violin, violinist, virtuosity, vocal music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, yourself, YouTube
Real-time online playlists return to Wisconsin Public Radio
5 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
Good news!
Really good news!
Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) has finally returned to posting real-time playlists on both its online website and its mobile app.
Now you can see and identify what has been played and what is being played (below, displayed in yellow) — AS it is being played as well as after it has been played.
The only recent exception was Saturday when there was nothing posted until later in the day when all-day programming was listed at the same time. No reason has been given for the suspension or tardiness.
The playlists are especially good given the many unknown composers and compositions that are increasingly being aired.
The Ear also finds the playlists helpful to see what is playing and who is performing — along with the record label and catalogue number when you click “More” — when he hears part of a piece and is interested but didn’t hear the introductory information or can’t complete listening to it.
Please leave kudos and congratulate WPR for serving its listeners and supporters.
Try it and see.
Will you find the online real-time playlists helpful and use them?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #YouTubevideo, app, Arts, audience, Baroque, blog, catalogue, Chamber music, choral music, Classical music, click, composer, Composition, Early music, exception, Facebook, good, good news, information, introduction, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, label, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Mobile app, Mozart, Music, National Public Radio, news, NPR, number, opera, Orchestra, performer, Piano, play, playlist, Radio, real time, record, return, see, serve, share, Sonata, streaming, suspension, symphony, tag, try, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, unknown, use, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Website, Wisconsin, wisconsin public radio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, WPR, YouTube
Online playlists return to Wisconsin Public Radio
7 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
Good news!
News that deserve a big shout-out!
Online playlists for classical music programming have returned to Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).
The user-friendly move comes after more than a year of absent playlists and, fortuitously, as WPR is conducting a spring membership drive seeking financial support from the public.
There is one major drawback: You still can’t check on pieces and performances in real time — that is, on the same day or even the same moment as you are listening. Now you have to wait until the next day to see the posting.
That is an unfortunate change from the past. And one hopes it will be fixed soon. Maybe WPR will even let listeners know if and when real-time postings will return.
The current one-day delay seems especially odd, given that the pieces played overnight on WPR — from Minnesota Public Radio, I believe — are posted right as they begin to air.
But at least now we don’t have to wait weeks or months to find out information about something you have probably already forgotten about.
The new format seems less straightforward and less user-friendly than the old one, which put the information right in front of you when you went to the home website and clicked on playlists for News and Music Network.
But now you just go to the date bar and choose the day you are looking for. Once you find the piece, you will notice the name of the show on which it aired such as “Morning Classics” or “The Midday.” You also find the time with the composer, title and performer.
If you also click on “More,” you will see additional details such as the record label and catalogue number. Here a link to try it out:
The return of the playlists is especially useful now that WPR is programming so many neglected composers and so much unfamiliar music — something the current pledge drive seems to be explaining and emphasizing.
So let’s offer hearty congratulations and sincere thanks to WPR and its engineers for the move.
What do you think of the return of WPR playlists?
Have you used the new playlists?
What do you think about their usefulness and online display?
Should WPR playlists be posted in real time?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, air, Arts, audience, Bach, Baroque, Beethoven, big, blog, Cello, Chamber music, change, choral music, Classical music, composer, Concert, concerto, congratulations, day, daytime, display, drawback, Early music, emphasize, engineer, explain, Facebook, financial, financial support, Fundraising, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, link, listener, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, major, memership drive, Minnesota Public Radio, money, Morning Classics, Mozart, MPR, Music, National Public Radio, neglected, network, new, news, notice, NPR, old, online, opera, Orchestra, overnight, Overture Center, performer, Piano, piece, playlist, pledge drive, posting, program, programming, public, Radio, real time, share, shout-out, show, Sonata, support, symphony, tag, technology, thanks, The Ear, The Midday, time, title, unfamiliar, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, usefulness, user-friendly, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, WPR
A changing Earth demands changing music to mark Earth Day
1 Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
Today — Saturday, April 22 — is Earth Day 2023.
It is the 53rd annual celebration of the environment that was started on this date in 1970 by the former Wisconsin governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (below bottom).
As the website “Self-Help Africa” says: “Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to highlight environmental issues across the planet and demonstrate support for environmental protection.
“First held in the United States on April 22, 1970, it has since become THE BIGGEST SECULAR CELEBRATION OBSERVATION DAY IN THE WORLD, and an opportunity to highlight the issues and environmental challenges affecting our world.”
Here is the official Earth Day website: https://www.earthday.org/
Music has always been part of how the world celebrates the event.
But lately the trend in music seems to parallel the trends in the global warming crisis and species extinctions.
So, for example, in British composer Debbie Wiseman’s “Carnival of the Endangered Animals” in 2022 is meant to parallel but update the famous “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Other titles of works by contemporary composers that reflect current realities about the natural world are: “The Lost Birds” by American composer Christopher Tin (below top); “Mass for the Endangered” by American composer Sarah Kirkland Snider (below middle); “The Rising Sea” Symphony by British composer Kieran Brunt; and “Glaciers in Extinction” by Italian flutist and composer Roberto Fabbriciani (below bottom).
You can hear these and other contemporary works plus a more familiar and traditional musical celebration of the Earth and nature by Beethoven. Just go this site for Colorado Public Radio:
Do you have a favorite among the new pieces?
Is there other music you think is appropriate to celebrate Earth Day and the natural world as they exist today?
What composers and pieces do you suggest listening to?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #HealthCrisis, #YouTubevideo, Africa, America, American, animals, Arts, Asia, asian, audience, birds, blog, Britain, Brunt, Camille Saint-Saëns, Carnival, Carnival of the Animals, celebrate, celebration, Cello, Chamber music, change, changing, China, Chinese, choral music, Christopher Tin, Classical music, climate change, Colorado, Colorado Public Radio, composer, Concert, contemporary composers, contemporary music, CPR, crisis, Debbie Wiseman, Earth, Earth Day, endangered, England, environment, environmental, event, extinction, Facebook, favorite, flute, flutist, France, French, Gaylord Nelson, glacier, global warming, governor, habitat, hear, issue, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, Kieran Brunt, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, mass, Music, National Public Radio, natural world, nature, NPR, opera, Orchestra, Piano, piece, planet, protection, public radio, Radio, realities, reality, rising sea level, Roberto Fabbriciani, Sarah Kirkland Snider, sea, secular, Self-Help Africa, senator, share, species, support, symphony, tag, The Ear, traditional, U.K., U.S., UK, United States, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wisconsin, YouTube
Music builds brain health. Which composers and pieces would you recommend?
6 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
If you think music education and music lessons are only for young people who are still growing and maturing, you couldn’t be more wrong.
More and more research studies show that in adults and older people, even in Alzheimer’s patients, music has force and can break through.
Music is — like many other kinds of art including poetry, dance and paintings — a key that unlocks the plasticity of the human brain (below is an image from Shutterstock) and the brain’s ability to grow and endure in a healthy manner.
Here is one of the most recent studies that was covered in a story by NPR (National Public Radio), which you can read or listen to:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/03/1167494088/your-brain-on-art-music-dance-poetry
The Ear finds it convincing food for thought.
Certain genres of music, for example, come to mind as brain-healthy. Think Schubert. Art songs which combine music and words, even poetry, seem an especially likely candidate.
String quartets and theme-and-variations also come to mind as artistic and brain-developing genres. So does the sonata form that is used to develop and establish harmonic and thematic logic in symphonies and concertos as well as sonatas.
As for specific composers, The Ear thinks Johann Sebastian Bach (below) stands out as a one whose music requires active listening and critical thinking.
Preludes and fugues by Johann Sebastian Bach (below and in the YouTube video at the bottom where Friedrich Gulda plays the Prelude and Fugue No. 1 of the WTC) in The Well-Tempered Clavier and his many suites and Beethoven’s string quartets, especially the late ones, are individual challenging works that do the same.
Are there musical genres that you think are good for the brain and would recommend?
Are there certain composers you think are especially helpful in building brain health?
Are there any particular pieces that you think also work toward brain health and plasticity?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #YouTubevideo, adults, Alzheimer's, Art, art songs, Arts, audience, Bach, Baroque, Beethoven, blog, Brain, build, candidate, challenge, challenging, Chamber music, children, choral music, Classical music, composer, concerto, connectivity, creativity, critical thinking, dance, develop, Disease, Early music, Education, endure, Facebook, force, Franz Schubert, Friedrich Gulda, fugue, genetics, genre, grow, Gulda, harmonic, harmony, Health, human brain, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, link, listen, listening, logic, Ludwig van Beethoven, mature, medicine, Music, music lessons, National Public Radio, NPR, old people, Orchestra, painting, Piano, piece, plasticity, poem, Poetry, Prelude, read, recommend, research, Schubert, science, seniors, share, Sonata, song, String quartet, structure, study, Suite, symphony, synapse, tag, technology, The Ear, thematic, theme, theme and variations, think, Violin, vocal music, Well-Tempered Clavier, wisconsin public radio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, words, work, WPR, young people, YouTube
Meet Kevin Chen, who just won the 17th Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition
2 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition is one of the most prestigious keyboard competitions in the world.
It ranks right up there with the Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Leeds and Van Cliburn competitions.
It takes place every three years in Tel Aviv, Israel. And this year, it started on March 14 and wrapped up just a week ago, on April 1.
This was the 17th Rubinstein Competition.
And it was won by an 18-year-old Chinese-Canadian pianist from Calgary.
He is Kevin Chen (below). He also composes and seems well on his way to a major career, especially since last year he also won the Geneva piano competition and was the youngest winner ever of the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Budapest.
Winning the Rubinstein has launched many major career from Emanuel Ax, the first winner in 1974, to Daniil Trifnov in 2011.
At the bottom is a YouTube video with a recital by Chen along with a recital by the Georgian pianist who placed second: Giorgi Gigashvili. Chen’s performance of Chopin’s 12 Etudes, Op. 10, for example, begins at 2 hours, 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
You can also find a YouTube video of Chen’s prize-winning performance of Mozart’s last piano concerto, No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595; and a wonderful recital from the Geneva competition. And more solo videos from the Rubinstein are sure to be posted soon.
Here is a fine story, with lots of personal details, from Chen’s hometown newspaper:
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/kevin-chen-piano-arthur-rubinstein-competition
Here is a story about all the winners:
Israel’s Rubinstein Piano Competition Announces 2023 Winners
And for much more background about the competition’s history, the jury members for this year’s contestants, the past winners, repertoire requirements, mandatory stages, rules and so forth, go to:
https://arims.org.il/competition-2023-homepage/jury-2023/
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #InternationalTchaikovskyCompetition, #TchaikovskyInternationalCompetition, #YouTubevideo, Arthur Rubinstein, Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition, Arts, Asia, asian, audience, Bartok, Béla Bartók, Beethoven, blog, Budapest, Canada, Canadian, Chamber music, China, Chinese, Chopin, Chopin International Competition, Classical music, composer, Concert, concerto, Concours de Genève, etude, Facebook, Franz Joseph Haydn, Franz Liszt, Franz Liszt Competition, Geneva, Georgia, Gold medal, Haydn, History, hometown, Hungary, Israel, Jacob Stockinger, jury, Keyboard, keyboard music, Leeds, Leeds Competition, link, Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, mandatory, Mozart, Music, Newspaper, Orchestra, Piano, Piano concerto, prestigious, recital, repertoire, Republic of Georgia, rules, share, solo, Sonata, Suisse, Switzerland, tag, Tchaik, Tchaikovsky, teenager, Tel Aviv, The Violin Channel, Van Cliburn, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, winner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, world, YouTube
Today is World Piano Day. Deutsche Grammophon has a free online celebration
6 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
Today — Wednesday March 29, 2023 — is World Piano Day.
That is because today is the 88th day of the year — and most pianos these days have 88 keys, with the exception of the Austrian high-end maker Bösendorfer, which also makes models with 91 and 97 keys.
Deutsche Grammophon is the world’s oldest recording label and has signed many great pianists in the past and continues to do so today, including two of the Ear’s young favorites: South Korean pianist and 2015 Chopin Competition gold medalist Seong-Jin Cho (below top) and Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olaffsson (below bottom).
Here’s the press release:
“Deutsche Grammophon is set to mark World Piano Day on 29 March 2023 with its fourth international festival of pianism.
“Available to enjoy without charge on DG’s streaming service STAGE+ and the label’s YouTube channel, the festival will turn the spotlight on artists including Joep Beving, Seong-Jin Cho, Brian Eno and Roger Eno, Jan Lisiecki, Hélène Grimaud, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Bruce Liu, Fabian Müller, Víkingur Ólafsson, Max Richter, Grigory Sokolov and Daniil Trifonov.
“Together they will offer a feast of music ranging from the keyboard works of J.S. Bach and Handel to contemporary compositions.
“Music-lovers will be able to tune in free of charge for 30 days by using promo code WORLDPIANODAY. Full details can be found at https://worldpianoday.com.”
Piano students and fans will love the many close-ups and hand shots.
You can also sample the 1 hour, 21 minute-digital celebration on YouTube via this link (be sure to click of HEAR MORE to see the pianist, the piece and the timing) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H5ZRqfDZ7Y.
You can hear one of The Ear’s favorite young pianists, pieces and recordings — a new release — at the bottom.
Who is your favorite established pianist?
Who is your favorite young pianist?
What are your favorite piano pieces?
Do you have a favorite piano recording, old or new, to recommend?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #BösendorferPiano, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BruceLiu, #BuckyBadger, #ChopinInternationalPianoCompetition, #DaniilTrifonov, #FacebookPost, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #KoreanMusician, #LangLang, #Seong-JinCho, #TheEar, #VikingurOlaffsson, #WilhelmKempff, #YouTubeChannel, #YouTubevideo, 88, Arts, Asia, asian, audience, Austria, Austrian, Bach, Baroque, Beethoven, blog, Bosendorfer, Brian Eno, Bruce Liu, Canada, Canadian, celebration, Chamber music, China, Chinese, Chopin, Chopin International Piano Competition, Classical music, composer, Concert, concerto, contemporary, contemporary composers, Daniil Trifonov, Deutsche Grammophon, DGG, digital, Early music, Evgeny Kissin, Facebook, favorite, Gold medal, Grigory Sokolov, Grimaud, Handel, hear, Helene Grimaud, Jacob Stockinger, Jan Lisiecki, Japan, Japanese, Johann Sebastian Bach, Kempff, key, Korea, Lang Lang, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, march, Max Richter, month, Mozart, Music, online, Orchestra, Piano, piece, recital, recommend, recording, Seong-Jin Cho, share, solo, Sonata, South Korea, South Korean, The Ear, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, video, Vikingur Olaffsson, Wilhelm Kempff, winner, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, World Piano Day, year, young, YouTube
They decoded Beethoven’s DNA. Here’s what they found
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
After 200 years, the DNA of Ludwig van Beethoven (below, 1770-1827) has been analyzed by a team of researchers.
The DNA was obtained from some of the famous composer’s hair.
The new study analyzed the German composer’s genes to get a better understanding of the health problems — deafness and liver failure among them — that plagued him.
Read about it — via Apple News, just click on continue — in a story from the Canadian-American VICE magazine: https://apple.news/AgGnJPZZcRyuC3nH2ycFL3A
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #TheU.S., #ViennaAustria, alcoholism, America, American, analysis, analyze, Apple, Apple News, Arts, Austria, Beethoven, blog, Canada, Canadian, Chamber music, choral music, Classical music, code, composer, Concert, concerto, deaf, deafness, decode, disgestion, DNA, Facebook, failure, famous, gene, genetics, German, Germany, hair, Health, health problems, hearing, Jacob Stockinger, link, liver, Ludwig van Beethoven, magazine, Music, news, opera, Orchestra, Piano, problems, research, researcher, science, scientist, share, Sonata, stomach, symphony, tag, team, The Ear, U.S., understanding, United States, vice, Vienna, Viola, Violin, vocal music
Apple Music’s new all-Classical streaming service launches March 28. Here are details
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The long-awaited, overdue announcement is here.
Apple Music’s all-classical service app will launch for iPhones on March 28. Android systems will be a bit later.
Here are details from Wednesday’s press release:
|
Apple today announced Apple Music Classical, a brand-new stand-alone app designed specifically for classical music. Pre-order now on App Store HERE and follow @appleclassical on Twitter
The Apple Music Classical introductory trailer is: HERE
Apple Music Classical is available for all iPhone models running iOS 15.4 or later. Apple Music Classical for Android is coming soon. To listen to music on Apple Music Classical, you must have an internet connection. |
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #DigitalMedia, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #TheEar, #YouTubevideo, access, Android, Apple, Apple Music, Apple Music Classical, Art, Arts, Asia, audience, Audio, availability, Bach, Baroque, Beethoven, blog, browse, catalog, catalogue, Cello, Chamber music, China, Chopin, choral music, Classical music, composer, computer, Concert, concerto, conductor, cost, digital, digital art, Early music, Facebook, Family, Frédéric Chopin, Internet, iPhone, Jacob Stockinger, Japan, Johann Sebastian Bach, Korea, launch, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Mozart, Music, opera, Orchestra, Piano, playlist, portrait, share, Sonata, South Korea, streaming, Streaming media, Student, subscription, symphony, tag, Taiwan, The Ear, United States, Viola, Violin, vocal music, wi-fi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, work, YouTube
Recent Comments
 | samanthacrownoversbc… on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | Ronnie on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | welltemperedear on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | Polly Kuelbs on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
| welltemperedear on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
The Well-Tempered Ear 
How do post-pandemic concert attendance and programming in Madison compare to the rest of the U.S.?
6 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
How has concert attendance rebounded from the covid pandemic?
What kind of programming seems to help orchestras recover the most?
Earlier this week The New York Times published a well-researched story that explored those trends and questions in other major cities, including Cleveland, Detroit and St. Louis in the Midwest.
It includes statistics about attendance figures rising after the pandemic and links the results to certain trends in programming, including scheduling more of the core repertoire that draws people in.
Overall it paints an optimistic and hopeful picture of recovery for symphony orchestras.
It got The Ear to thinking: How are local groups such as the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Madison Opera doing in comparison?
Lessons from other organizations might help to explain why next season’s concerts include an all-film score concert celebrating Pixar and Disney, and a live mariachi band.
Perhaps I missed it, but I can’t recall any local media doing a similar story with hard box office statistics about ticket sales and attendance numbers. But it would certainly be enlightening to see specific data and commentary about how well local groups have rebounded from the pandemic.
Here is a link to The New York Times story. You should be able to read it if you scroll down past the ad that says you need to set up a free account:
Do you have some idea or sense about attendance trends from personal experience?
How do you think orchestras and other groups, including chamber music, have fared as covid fears have eased?
The Ear wants to hear.
Share this:
Like this:
Tags: #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #COVID-19, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #TheU.S., #YouTubevideo, Arts, audience, band, Beethoven, blog, box office, celebrate, Cello, Chamber music, choral music, city, Classical music, Cleveland, commentary, comments, compare, comparison, composer, Concert, concerto, core, covid, data, Detroit, Disney, Early music, ease, explore, Facebook, fear, film, group, hopeful, idea, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, link, local, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, major, mariachi, Michigan, Midwest, Missouri, Mozart, Music, nation, New York Times, news, Ohio, opera, optimistic, Orchestra, Overture Center, paint, pandemic, Piano, Picture, Pixar, program, programming, publish, question, rebound, recover, recovery, repertoire, repertory, research, rise, sales, score, sense, share, Sonata, soundtrack, St. Louis, statistics, story, symphony, tag, The Ear, trend, U.S., United States, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra