brilliant criticism April 30, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : appreciation/criticism, music, add a commentThroughout history, the great works of literature (whether well-received or not) have sparked equally great works of literary criticism. Alex Ross’ brilliant history of music in the twentieth century has sparked criticism of the highest order - most lately by the great British tenor Ian Bostridge, writing in the Times Literary Supplement (think the English equivalent of The New York Times Review of Books).
Thanks to E. for the tip.
Here’s a taste:
Alex Ross’s The Rest is Noise tells the story of what happened to Western classical music in the twentieth century. We all know that the invention of recorded sound around 1900 made possible an extraordinary dissemination of the riches of the classical repertoire - largely composed for the rich and powerful - to the mass of ordinary people. On the gramophone, the radio, television and, subliminally and hence more powerfully, through the movies, the classical sound in all its variants (even the supposedly rebarbative confections of the Second Viennese School) has insinuated itself into the culture at large. Never before have so many people listened to, or liked, so-called classical music. Yet this extraordinary triumph has culminated in a malaise, a feeling, widespread in the musical profession and elsewhere, that classical music is in crisis and that things have never been so bad. Classical music feels abandoned, left behind as history has moved on, sulking in its tent as the real cultural action happens somewhere else.
alex ross on colbert report January 31, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : bloggers, music, television, 1 comment so farI’m sure that many of you may have seen this elsewhere, but for those of you who have not, here is the video: (more…)
alex ross - rockstar January 29, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : News, appreciation/criticism, music, add a comment
Alex Ross, classical music critic for the New Yorker, and critically-acclaimed author of the critically-acclaimed book The Rest is Noise, and bloggie-nominated-finalist blogger, will appear on the Colbert Report tonight, Tuesday January 29, 2008 (guest subject to change, would be the required caveat). Go figure!
Lebrecht gets spanked October 20, 2007
Posted by Charles Noble in : the orchestra world, 1 comment so farIt appears that some dodgy fact-finding on the part of critic/writer Norman Lebrecht may have gotten him into trouble - his publisher has withdrawn all unsold copies (in the United Kingdom) of his most recent book on classical music and will have them destroyed. All as a result of a lawsuit brought by the owner/founder of Naxos Records, Klaus Heymann. Ouch.
From today’s New York Times article by Daniel J Wakin:
For years, the British critic Norman Lebrecht has been throwing firebombs in the world of classical music, denouncing what he sees as industry evils in a provocative style that has sometimes been described as accuracy-challenged.
On Thursday, in an unusually crushing act of contrition, his publisher agreed to recall his latest book, destroy it, say “Sorry” and promise not to do it again — all over a few pages discussing Naxos Records and its founder, Klaus Heymann.
The book, “Maestros, Masterpieces & Madness: The Secret Life and Shameful Death of the Classical Record Industry,” was released in Britain in July. Mr. Heymann sued the publisher, Penguin Books, in the High Court of Justice, saying the book wrongly accused him of “serious business malpractices” based on false statements. He cited at least 15 statements he called inaccurate.
In a settlement with Mr. Heymann, Penguin issued a statement in court saying it apologized for “the hurt and damage which he has suffered.” It agreed to pay an undisclosed sum for legal fees and to a charity. “Penguin Books has also undertaken not to repeat these allegations and to seek the return of all unsold copies of the book,” the statement said.
