A great aside from Bill Eddins, who I now really want to come conduct here in Portland, if only to have drinks with him after a concert.

This leads to another rant - I hate Christmas. I have two reasons for this: I particularly dislike the rampant materialism that is now part of this holiday. I’m sick of BUY! BUY! BUY! There’s another reason though - I can’t stand the incessant Christmas music. I only have to hear the first 3 notes of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer to have that damn song stuck in my head for hours on end, and this is only one of a thousand Christmas songs that one cannot avoid hearing during this month. Malls, radio, whatever - you simply cannot avoid them. It’s this time of year that I keep threatening to move to a predominantly Muslim country. Of course, that has it’s own issues.

UPDATE (11/12): Yet another follow-follow-up article from the New York Times:

But before addressing the news media, Mr. Pak, the permanent representative of his country to the United Nations, met briefly with orchestra officials and their public relations advisers. They agreed to avoid discussing North Korea’s nuclear program, a major concern of the United States. “Otherwise the atmosphere will be politicized,” Mr. Pak told them.

North Korea invited the Philharmonic to play in Pyongyang, the capital, and the orchestra has accepted. It will spend 48 hours there, performing on Feb. 26 after a tour in China. The State Department has fully backed the trip and has provided advice and planning.

A follow-up article from the New York Times:

If North Korea keeps its promises, potentially millions of its isolated, tightly controlled citizens are likely to hear their national anthem played on the radio by the New York Philharmonic. And then they will hear “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a quintessential American symbol, in a place long subjected to anti-American propaganda.

A blog entry by conductor Bill Eddins:

In case you are living in a cultural cave (why then are you reading this blog of all things?) the NYPhil just announced that they are going to play in North Korea at the end of their Asian tour. This has generated a fair share of controversy. No less of a pundit than Terry Teachout is pretty dead set against this idea, as are various National Security advisers, etc. They argue that this act will merely legitimize a totalitarian regime. Not to start a blog war between myself and Terry, someone who’s opinion I happen to take very seriously, but he is dead wrong.

A blog entry by Drew McManus:

As such, unless there are indisputable facts that support the conclusion that the New York Philharmonic’s trip will directly support oppression, it is time to trust that the universal language will begin to forge bridges across rivers of misinformation and propaganda. As Bill wrote “God knows it may take a while but this can and will be a first step.”

Another article from that lively online journal Crosscut, this time about the new South Waterfront District and what’s happening in terms of new development in light of the slowing real estate market and how the area is faring as a neighborhood (and whether it deserves the designation just yet).

[Read more →]

Crosscut Seattle reports:

Seattle Symphony conductor and music director Gerard Schwarz broke his left leg and ankle last Thursday in a skiing accident. He faces surgery later this week, the SSO reports, with full recovery expected.