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Surprising classical music stories, every week. Explore the complete archives here. For access to all 513 articles, subscribe now.
In case you missed it
#24 • 22.09.2016
An interview with the composer Jüri Reinvere, on a musical life in the orbit of Ingmar Bergman and Käbi Laretei.
Video of the Week
Cage/Boulez Fanfic
We love classical music fan fiction, and wish there was more of it out there. Here’s an exemplary video interpretation of John Cage’s extended correspondence with Pierre Boulez, where they marveled at the similarities in their compositional techniques. Also featuring mushrooms (Cage), a baguette (Boulez), penises (both), and dildos (?).
Audio of the Week
Perfect Pitch
You can’t really learn perfect pitch. But editor Jeffrey Arlo Brown got sold on the idea by a tacky website anyway. In Episode 4, he asks why classical music idealizes the “internal ear,” and struggles through exercises of increasing difficulty. (The series begins here.)
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VAN Magazine
19 hours ago
The latest documents in the James Levine court case reveal that the Metropolitan Opera is trapped by its own hypocrisy: ... See MoreSee Less
Shush Money • VAN Magazine
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James Levine is suing the Met. No matter what, both parties lose.VAN Magazine
2 days ago
An interview with Niels Rønsholdt on the nature of reality and the value of imperfection: ... See MoreSee Less
A Knife to Reality • VAN Magazine
van-us.atavist.com
Niels Rønsholdt sees beauty in the attempt.VAN Magazine
3 days ago
A playlist of trans composers breaking binaries in their music, by Alex Temple: ... See MoreSee Less
A Trans Composers Playlist • VAN Magazine
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Politics, aesthetics, and the deconstruction of binaries.VAN Magazine
7 days ago
The success of Jörg Widmann amounts to a kind of collective delusion: ... See MoreSee Less
Music of the Middle Degree • VAN Magazine
van-us.atavist.com
How the composer Jörg Widmann became ubiquitous by default.@vanmusicmag
Tweets
24.05.2018 • 03:41
RT @benwritesthings:The Met/Levine lawsuits reveal that the Met is a metonym for everything that’s wrong with classical music. For… https://t.co/mISitYuCXF24.05.2018 • 02:42
The latest Levine court documents reveal that the @MetOpera is trapped by its own hypocrisy. By @benwritesthings: https://t.co/TV8HdUht4422.05.2018 • 02:03
.@moderncomp interviews Niels Rønsholdt on reality, breath, and the dangers of commissions: https://t.co/QSgKvzoSuy21.05.2018 • 04:32
RT @inticomposes:Super honored to be included on this playlist! The dialogue with Alex Temple both around her research and my own m… https://t.co/75RM7ASQf919.05.2018 • 09:07
No shade to Meghan Markle, but King Ludwig II is more our kind of queen: https://t.co/0fTHcnKGsBFollow @vanmusicmag