by Jarrett Hoffman
IN THIS EDITION:
•Intersections of politics and music: climate protests at the Met Opera, Russian conductor and Putin supporter Valery Gergiev to lead Bolshoi Theater, and two pieces of news related to Spotify — its controversial new payment policies, and its response to a bill in Uruguay requiring “fair and equitable remuneration”
•Almanac: Benjamin Britten (pictured), Frank Zappa, and National Cookie Day
INTERESTING READS:
A production of Wagner’s Tannhäuser at the Metropolitan Opera was notable first because of the company debut of baritone Christian Gerhaher — then because of climate protests that broke out from members of the audience. Writing for The New York Times, Joshua Barone reviews the November 30 performance, including the protests themselves, the “angrily bothered, even violent response from others,” and the struggle to fully engage with the show for the remainder of the evening. Read “Climate Protests Upstage a Debut at the Met Opera” here.
We’ve all heard the hype — “Trust me, you’ve never heard anything like this before.” At long last that cliché proved to be correct on November 4 when the Buffalo-based Genkin Philharmonic presented a jaw-dropping, undefinable show for a capacity audience at the Bop Stop .