New Releases

[kishnevi]

Well of course now sexual objectification is seen as being a sign that you are 'liberated' and 'modern' and if you don't do such things you are prudish and Victorian and hate freedom.

In all fairness it's not just women who are expected to be sexy and glamorous nowadays:

but I think that is a sign of a culture increasingly obsessed with appearance over substance, in which the unattractive are further marginalised regardless of gender, rather than a sign that we are approaching greater equality.

I've always taken it as a sign of how often marketing classical music imitates pop music.  Photogenic youngish musician with the top buttons of his shirt strategically unbuttoned?  Check.  Another example is the cover of several Quatour Ebene CDs, in which four photogenic young men are shown enjoying themselves, no indication of their instruments, no indication (if you didn't know them beforehand, or didn't know the musical content of the CD) they weren't the latest rival to One Direction. 

But those are more logical than some other CD cover photos.  For instance, I received today the newest CD from the Minetti Quartet--three Beethoven quartets; the cover photos show them WITH instruments posing in the middle of a wood, a nice woodland brook running at their feet (actually, the back cover photo shows them without instruments).  I mean, who doesn't drag their 'cello along whenever they take a hike through the forest? (Not that they are dressed for actual hiking.) A previous CD cover was equally inane in a different direction;  their Haydn shows them lounging in a locker room.  (Comparison of the covers also reveals the cellist has changed--the taller one who had enough looks to actually qualify for a boy band has now changed to someone who is cute in a nerdy sort of way because he wears eyeglasses.)

[/rant]

BTW,  I'm playing the Minetti CD now--musical merits seem quite good, regardless of the cover art.  And it's a relatively new release (last month, I think) so it qualifies for this thread.

Yes, fair enough. I would also add that history is a long sequence of suffering being shifted around, whether on the basis of religion or race or gender or sexual orientation or social class or what have you; and many of those groups continue to be effectively marginalised even if they've gained enough political power to become visible again. When's the last time you saw an African American classical musician on an album cover?

They do pop up from time to time (and I'm not counting Noah what's his name for purposes of this conversation).  But before complaining of that, we probably need to decide what proporation of African Americans are active classical musicians, especially among the younger generation.  If relatively few of them are going into classical music, as opposed to pop or hip hop or electronic/dance, then perforce not many of them will show up on classical CD covers, unless the label decides to make some sort of campaign to show how cool and politically correct it is.

[Todd]

When's the last time you saw an African American classical musician on an album cover?

Why African American?  There are a lot of countries besides the United States.

As for me, the last time I bought a recording by a black classical musician, it was by Canadian Stewart Goodyear:

[torut]

Possibly unrelated to this:


Brian Ferneyhough: COMPLETE WORKS FOR STRING QUARTET & TRIOS [Arditti Quartet w/Claron McFadden] (Aeon, 3cd)
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Aeon/AECD1335
Presto release date 21 April 2014

A couple of glances at the Outhere site (including Aeon's pages there) did not yield anything for this release, not even the Arditti 4tt artist listings.
These are the Arditti's second recordings of the whole ~set, and I am psyched about it, having only heard their earlier recording of SQ4 (Montaigne).

This is an exciting news, thank you! All new recordings? I have been wondering why there is no Ferneyhough SQ set. I only heard SQ No. 6 on Neos Donaueschinger Musiktage 2010.

[kishnevi]

Why African American?  There are a lot of countries besides the United States.

As for me, the last time I bought a recording by a black classical musician, it was by Canadian Stewart Goodyear:

Didn't know he was black: the skin tone is somewhat ambivalent.

I've noticed in a lot of advertising that while plenty of blacks are shown, almost are shown with a lighter skin tone than most of the blacks I see IRL (the dozens who come into my store every day, for instance).   The ads are so often like this that it must be a systemic practice.  I wonder if Goodyear's photos have been, uh, adjusted in a similar fashion.  (Todd, have you seen him IRL, or can he be found on Youtube?)

[Todd]

Todd, have you seen him IRL, or can he be found on Youtube?

I've not seen him in person, though if he performs in these parts, I'll gladly attend.  Indeed, I hope the new director of the local piano recital series makes it a point to bring in more young, up-and-coming artists.  There are some YouTube videos.  The stills might be a tad lighter, though some of his web-site shots more or less resemble his album covers.

[amw]

Why African American?  There are a lot of countries besides the United States.

There are a lot of African Americans in America. 15-20% of the population I believe. Along with black Caribbeans they represent the largest populations of the African diaspora in the world (I think). They are a much smaller minority—and, historically, a much less marginalised one—in most other countries.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that many political and social barriers for African Americans have been opened in the past century, but that has not seemed to have a lot of effect in real terms—there are success stories like Tiger Woods and that guy who became president of the United States, but much of the group remains worse off on average than their white counterparts.

As for me, the last time I bought a recording by a black classical musician, it was by Canadian Stewart Goodyear:

Fair enough.

[Todd]

There are a lot of African Americans in America. 15-20% of the population I believe.

It's about 13%, per the Census Bureau.  (Your point about comparative marginalization seems a bit fact-light.)  My point is that your post, while presumably meant to be open-minded or egalitarian, etc, comes across as more US-centric than anything else, which is a bit unusual when discussing an art form where most composers and performers are European, at least in western markets.

[kishnevi]

There are a lot of African Americans in America. 15-20% of the population I believe. Along with black Caribbeans they represent the largest populations of the African diaspora in the world (I think). They are a much smaller minority—and, historically, a much less marginalised one—in most other countries.

My question therefore is (if your statistic is correct),  are 1 in 5 or 1 in 6 classical musicians in America black?
My personal observation (and therefore obviously very limited) suggests that the actual proportion is far less once you get past the youth orchestra level, where I've seen plenty of young blacks.  But how many of them try to make a career in classical music,  compared to their white peers?

[Madiel]

I think we're kidding ourselves a little bit if we think that looks are a NEW factor. People's careers were being advanced by their looks in the 19th century.

[not edward]

Re that Ferneyhough, I'd be curious to hear String Quartet No. 1 if it's included—I don't even know if there is a String Quartet No. 1. It seems to have made itself very scarce if so.

FWIW, String Quartet No 1 = Sonatas and Interludes

The Ardittis are playing Dum Transisset I-IV tonight in Toronto (along with Carter 5 and Lachenmann's Grido). Wish I were going, but live music and painful ear infections are lousy bedfellows.

[PaulSC]

FWIW, String Quartet No 1 = Sonatas and Interludes

Sonatas for String Quartet, he said cagily.

EDIT: I'm sure you knew that; the two titles are easily confused. And I hope you get over that ear infection soon.

[not edward]

Sonatas for String Quartet, he said cagily.

EDIT: I'm sure you knew that; the two titles are easily confused. And I hope you get over that ear infection soon.

Ha. That's a good typo. Thanks for catching it!

[The new erato]

[Willow Pattern]

I will definetely be getting this one!

[knight66]

My review of the new Russian Mozart Figaro.

^{http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?topic=23009.new#new}

Mike

[NLK1971]

I assume this:  http://www.amazon.it/Russian-Music-Ansermet/dp/B00J498SOI/
will include these recordings amongst others:
[asin]B00005ND3M[/asin]

[Octave]

I assume this:  http://www.amazon.it/Russian-Music-Ansermet/dp/B00J498SOI/ [...]

Damn, and they just suckered me into the French set.     "It's too soon"

In other news, maybe not quite a new release: I see that Scott Ross' Scarlatti traversal seems to be getting reprinted/reissued by Warner, ~May 27 in USA. 

[asin]B0009MWAVQ[/asin]


1. Ross in leather.  Really?  Really?
2. Strange behavior among the Amazons.  I distinctly remember the last (~2005) Warner issue being available pretty much consistently from both Amazon US and its Marketplace sellers.  Now all U.S. Marketplace options have vanished and the US "pre-order" price is sky-high.  At Amazon UK, this new (?) cover image seems to have simply supplanted the old box image, with prices remaining similar as before.  I don't see alternative ASINs for this set. 

[Moonfish]

Damn, and they just suckered me into the French set.     "It's too soon"

In other news, maybe not quite a new release: I see that Scott Ross' Scarlatti traversal seems to be getting reprinted/reissued by Warner, ~May 27 in USA. 

[asin]B0009MWAVQ[/asin]

1. Ross in leather.  Really?  Really?
2. Strange behavior among the Amazons.  I distinctly remember the last (~2005) Warner issue being available pretty much consistently from both Amazon US and its Marketplace sellers.  Now all U.S. Marketplace options have vanished and the US "pre-order" price is sky-high.  At Amazon UK, this new (?) cover image seems to have simply supplanted the old box image, with prices remaining similar as before.  I don't see alternative ASINs for this set.

The Ross cult will be enthusiastic.  I still need to journey through Ross' world of Scarlatti.  Now - if I break my leg I will have enough time....hmmm

[Octave]

The ASIN to the Scarlatti/Ross seems to generate the old (2005) cover; I just added the actual Amazon default image/cover, which is one I've not seen before.
EDIT: and a day later, even that has changed....still no word on anything new with this 'new' edition aside from the cover. 

[Moonfish]

The ASIN to the Scarlatti/Ross seems to generate the old (2005) cover; I just added the actual Amazon default image/cover, which is one I've not seen before.

I thought it was Scarlatti dressed in leather...