The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: Singer David Daniels is accused of drugging and raping a young opera singer
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By Jacob Stockinger
More allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault keep emerging from the world of classical music, even as the #MeToo movement is again in the headlines with accusations and denials about the movie star Asia Argento having sex with a minor.
The latest allegation is an accusation by a young opera singer who says that in 2010 he was drugged and raped by David Daniels (below), who is world-famous as a countertenor and who teaches at the University of Michigan, where he is now on leave.
Included in the allegation is Daniels’ husband Scott Walters, who is a conductor and who is accused of participating in the drug and rape incident.
Here is a well-researched and well-reported story from National Public Radio (NPR):
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/22/640945881/opera-singer-david-daniels-accused-of-rape
And here is a link to the story in The New York Daily News, the newspaper that first broke the story. That version also has photos of the accuser and Scott Walters.
Tags: #AsiaArgento, #DavidDaniels, #MeToo, #MeToomovement, #MetropolitanOpera, #NationalPublicRadio, #NewYorkCity, #OperaMusic, #OperaSinger, #OperaStar, #OrchestraConductor, #Same-sexmarriage, #samesexmarriage, #SantaFeOpera, #ScottWalters, #SexualAbuse, #SexualAssault, #SexualHarassment, #SexualMisconduct, #TheMet, #TheNewYorkDailyNews, #UniversityOfMichigan, #World-famous, accusation, allegation, Arts, Asia Argento, Baroque, choral music, Classical music, Compact Disc, conductor, countertenor, denial, drug, drugged, Early music, film, George Frideric Handel, headlines, husband, Jacob Stockinger, Madison, minor, movie, Mozart, Music, New York City, Newspaper, NPR, opera, photo, rape, raped, reporting, research, Same-sex marriage, Santa Fe Opera, sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, singer, star, symphony, the Met, The New York Daily News, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, vocal music, Wisconsin, world
Classical music: A new opera takes listeners back to The Bad Old Days of anti-gay America – and reminds us of the bigotry today that camouflages itself as religious freedom
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CORRECTION: Yesterday’s post about the fourth annual Handel Aria Competition had a mistake about when it will be held. The correct time is next FRIDAY, July 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall. The Ear regrets the error. General admission is $10. Here is a link with more information:
By Jacob Stockinger
Issues pertaining to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people are much in the news these days.
Of course there were the shootings and mass murder at the Pulse gay bar in Orlando, Florida.
And there were the so-called “bathroom laws” enacted against transgender people and designed to protect “normal” people who ere never really threatened.
In contrast, the military announced that transgender people could serve under the usual conditions and regulations.
Then President Obama declared the Stonewall Inn (below) in Greenwich Village in New York City, a national historical landmark. In 1969 a police raid against the gay bar led to riots that, in turn, sparked the gay liberation movement to secure human rights and civil rights for homosexuals.
This week saw a U.S. District Judge in Mississippi ruling against so-called “religious freedom” laws that many states have enacted in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage a year ago.
Such laws were ruled to discriminate against LGBT people and to unconstitutionally favor certain religions or forms of religion.
A lot of the proponents of such laws seem to have a false nostalgia for the good old days.
Well, maybe they were good for some people. But they were terrible times for many others, including LGBTQ people.
Gregory Spears’ new opera, called “Fellow Travelers” (below is a crucial scene in a photo by Philip Goushong for the Cincinnati Opera) has an interesting take on that historical era with its “Lavender Scare” that parallels the Red Scare of McCathyism.
Here is a story that aired on NPR or National Public Radio:
Tags: aria, Arts, bisexual, choral music, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Opera, Classical music, Florida, freedom, gay, gay bar, George Frideric Handel, Homosexuality, Jacob Stockinger, Lavender Scare, law, lesbian, LGBT, LGBTQ, mass murder, mass shooting, McCarthyism, military, Music, National Public Radio, New York City, NPR, opera, Orlando, Pulse, queer, Red Scare, reigionf, religious freedom, Same-sex marriage, service, Stonewall Inn, Supreme Court of the United States, transgender, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, vocal music, YouTube
Classical music: The Ear celebrates marriage equality or same-sex marriage with a piece by Francis Poulenc and a list of LGBT composers. What music would you play to celebrate the occasion? And how many composers can you name?
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By Jacob Stockinger
Less than 50 years ago, you could go to prison or jail for being gay.
But now, given Friday’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that same-sex marriage is legal across the country — IS indeed The Law of the Land under the U.S. Constitution — the same people can now be heading to the chapel (or city hall) where they’re gonna get married!
And have it recognized in all 50 states.
So how can one celebrate this long-awaited occasion, which so many gay composers would have wished for and benefitted from?
One way is to feature a piece by a gay composer.
The Ear chose the lovely slow movement from the Concerto for Two Pianos by Francis Poulenc (below), that tuneful and forthright 20th century French composer who said, “If I were not homosexual, I could not compose my music.”
You can hear the music, performed by the composer at one of the keyboards, at the bottom in a YouTube video.
What piece would you choose to mark the occasion? Leave your answer and, if possible, a YouTube link to a performance of the work in the COMMENT section. The Ear wants to hear!!
Now, how many LGBT composers and songwriters can you name?
Here is one pretty impressive list with a lot of names that even The Ear didn’t know.
https://musescore.com/groups/lgbt-composers-and-songwriters/discuss/83075
Tags: Arts, bisexual, Classical music, composers, concerto, Equal Protection Clause, France, French music, gay, Homosexuality, Jacob Stockinger, lesbian, LGBT, LGBT rights in the United States, Madison, Marriage, Music, Orchestra, Piano, Piano concerto, Poulenc, queer, rainbow flag, Same-sex marriage, songwriters, Supreme Court of the United States, transgender, United States, United States Constitution, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin, YouTube
Classical music: Court victories favoring same-sex marriage equality and an extended Valentine’s Day weekend add up to a magical and loving mix for musical partners, including opera star Patricia Racette, who comes out as a lesbian.
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ALERT: If you are undecided about going to this afternoon’s concert at 2:30 p.m. in Overture Hall by the Madison Symphony Orchestra with Norwegian trumpet soloist Tine Thing Helseth (below), here are links to positive reviews by John W. Barker for Isthmus and by Greg Hettmansberger for Madison Magazine’s blog “Classically Speaking”:
http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=42078&sid=4d977189e5be9d039af0d641c547219f
By Jacob Stockinger
Well, when a holiday falls on a Friday – like Valentine’s Day this year — one can be forgiven for prolonging it over the weekend, don’t you think?
But it seems a good chance to blend two recent stories and trend lines that are increasingly coming together.
And coming out.
One is the recent various court victories for marriage equality, or same-sex marriage, or gay marriage. Whatever you want to call it, it seems to becoming more and more a legal and social reality with every week that passes.
And those legal victories lead to more and more gays and lesbians coming out, including the star football player and top NFL draft possibility star Michael Sam (below top) and “Juno” actress Ellen Page (below bottom).
Here is a link to a New York Times story about Michael Sam:
And here is a link to a Washington Post story about Ellen Page:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/juno-actress-ellen-page-comes-out-as-gay/2014/02/15/f3327800-9627-11e3-ae45-458927ccedb6_story.html
As for Valentine’s Day, imagine what how rewarding it could be to work cooperatively in the performing arts with your life partner and love.
That is exactly what was documented in a recent story on NPR’s great blog “Deceptive Cadence.”
NPR highlighted various musical couples in classical music who met in a musical setting and fell in love while working, and who now get to work together.
And for good measure, they included the Metropolitan Opera star soprano Patricia Racette (below top, out of costume, and below bottom in the title role of Puccini’s “Tosca”), who openly talks about what a great marriage she has with her female partner. (You can hear Patricia Racette as the title character Cio-Cio-San sing the finale of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” at the Metropolitan Opera in a popular YouTube video at the bottom.)
Of course, most of the couples are heterosexual in the story just as they are in real life. And we have seen some of them – tenor Stephen Costello (below top) at the Madison Opera‘s Opera in the Park as well as cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han (below bottom) at the Wisconsin Union Theater, in Madison.
But it is both sensitive and brave of NPR, which is always under the gun and budget knife of the self-righteous and nutty right-wing extremists and homophobes, to do the story.
Here is a link:
One can only hope and imagine the chain reaction that is to happen as each coming out brings several more, as bravery and tolerance build, and as the visible becomes visible.
Saint Valentine -– at least my Saint Valentine — would be very pleased.
Tags: Arts, Chamber music, Classical music, David Finckel, Ellen Page, football draft, Friday, gay, Gay Lesbian and Bisexual, gay marriage, Giacomo Puccini, homophobia, Jacob Stockinger, lesbian, Madama Butterfly, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, marriage equality, Metropolitan Opera, National Football League, New York Times, NFL, NFL draft, NPR, opera, Patricia Racette, Puccini, right-wing, Saint Valentine, Same-sex marriage, Stephen Costello, Tine Thing Helseth, Tosca, Valentine's Day, Washington Post, Wisconsin Union Theater, Wu Han, YouTube
Classical music: The Ear salutes marriage equality and the wedding of two close friends in Seattle.
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By Jacob Stockinger
Today is a special day for two special people.
They are close friends of The Ear.
Their names are Rodney Hammer (below top), who is an accomplished professional interior designer, and the Rev. Michael Ingersoll (below bottom), who is the Communications and Creative Director of the expanding Center for Spiritual Living.
Today marks their 16th anniversary together.
It also marks their wedding day in Seattle.
Some of us have been waiting a long time for this kind of legitimate recognition to happen to gay and lesbian relationships. But when you think about it and compare it to other civil rights movements, it has not really been all that long.
Many of us never would never have guessed back in 1969, the year of the Stonewall riots and the beginning of gay liberation, that marriage equality – or same-sex marriage – would be accepted by the general public, sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court, endorsed by the President of the United States, enacted by more than a dozen states and remain a fast-rising tide by 2013.
So today I celebrate a private and personal joyous event, but also a social and historical event that these good friends, along with others, have brought me into and made me a part of. Thank you.
Cheers, I say, to them and to all the gay men and lesbian women who love each other and make a public commitment to that love, despite what various hate-mongers, bigots and misguided religious zealots try to say about that love and denigrate it as a “lifestyle” or “agenda.”
I am proud and fond of them, so I toast Rod and Michael with music.
Here is a little something as a “wedding gift” for them — a piece by George Frideric Handel that I chose precisely in order to use some of the same Christianity that has been so misused against gay and lesbian marriage to celebrate it. It is sung by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Chicago. For full effect and full fun, click on the FULL SCREEN icon so you can watch while you listen:
Tags: Center for Spiritual Living, Chicago, Christianity, Defense of Marriage Act, gay, Gay Lesbian and Bisexual, George Frideric Handel, lesbian, LGBT, Politics, Same-sex marriage, Seattle, Stonewall riots, Supreme Court of the United States, The United States Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court, United States, United States Supreme Court, US Supreme Court
Classical music: The Ear gives a hearty “shout out” to the politically progressive musicians in the Minnesota Orchestra who publicly support marriage equality and oppose a proposed state constitutional ban against same-sex marriage.
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By Jacob Stockinger
Here’s a well-deserved shout out!
The Minnesota Orchestra has done some remarkable work and made noteworthy and prize-winning recordings in recent years under the direction of Finnish conductor Osmo Vanska (below). They include acclaimed cycles of Beethoven, Jean Sibelius and Anton Bruckner symphonies and concertos.
But to The Ear, the musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra (below) were especially brave when, as a group that depends on public sponsorship and public patronage, they publicly went on record as supporting marriage equality and opposing a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the state of MInnesota.
Here is a link to the story:
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/07/27/mn-orchestra-publicly-opposes-marriage-amendment/
That is the enlightened and compassionate stand to take, and I say congratulations to them for taking a progressive stand in a progressive state that has lately earned a reputation as a conservative Republican state because of Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann and possible Mitt Romney vice-presidential choice, Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Minnesota Progressives, including Hubert Humphrey, would be proud!
And so is The Ear.
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