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History
“Like, What The Hell Are We Doing Here?”
Conductor Robert Ames on class in classical music
Opera’s Siren Servers
In its many lives, the platform Operabase has tried to become indispensable. Will its purchase this week by Events.com finally make that possible?
Most read last week
License to Earn
Regional orchestras see film music concerts as a way to generate money and expand their audience. But do these events benefit smaller ensembles, or big intellectual property holders instead?
In Defense of the Program Note
Thoughtful written concert programs are on the outs. But they remain essential guiding lights for listening.
Life After Monsieur
In memory of Hans Messner, who died this week after dedicating most of his life to Pierre Boulez
Opera’s Siren Servers
In its many lives, the platform Operabase has tried to become indispensable. Will its purchase this week by Events.com finally make that possible?
Bach Festival Leipzig Stands By John Eliot Gardiner
The conductor will return to the festival following an allegation of “boundary crossing misconduct”
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Economic realities
The Other Wage Gap
American choristers have long suspected their work is valued less than that of their instrumental colleagues. A detailed quantitative analysis of the pay discrepancy shows they were right to be concerned.
Pay to Sing
Do expensive private courses like the Berlin Opera Academy really benefit young artists?
AI pessimism
“A Call To Action, Disguised As A Symphony”
Through her “Alan” project, lyricist, philanthropist and controversial former surgeon Susan Lim puts forward her ideas about transhumanism. Does the UK’s classical music scene have the strength to push back?
The Intelligence of Bodies
The philosophical and musical failings of “Beethoven X: The AI Project”
The Nobility and Carelessness of Humans
Reimaginings of “Così fan tutte” in Detroit and Minneapolis
Machine in the Gods
For Bayreuth’s next “Ring” cycle, AI will “play a role on stage.” What exactly does that mean?
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New in VAN
Pre-Election Paralysis
Julien Chavaz, the artistic director the Theater Magdeburg, on what an AfD government would mean for his house
Plenty of Fish
Le Poisson Rouge was New York’s leading alternative classical music venue. So how did it end up as a commercial club—and what does its decline mean for classical’s counterculture?
Tristan and Isolde and the Politicians
How political interference almost sunk the first São Paulo performance of Wagner’s opera in nearly 50 years
ELISION Dossier
If I say it’s an experiment, you might think me overeager to abdicate on certitude’s authority. So I won’t say that.
From five years ago…
Fiddling While California Burns
A composer appeals for curators of international music events and touring orchestras to take action
From ten years ago…
Last But Not Least
