John Adams speaks out in Newsweek on the possibility of a cabinet-level position for an arts leader. Also gets into the state of contemporary music and this whole indie-crossover thing:
“Some of the music that these composers are producing is so simple that it’s in danger of dumbing-down. Not necessarily Nico [Muhly] and Caleb [Burhans]. But there are a lot of young composers in their 20s and 30s who are very anxious to appeal to the same audience that would listen to indie rock. But they are creating a level of musical discourse that’s just really bland. I don’t think it will have a very long shelf life.”
Kudos to interviewer Seth Colter Walls for asking tasty follow-up questions.
Should President Obama not follow Adams’s advice and appoint a secretary of culture, Herbie Hancock may be willing to take the job. One would think that “Rock It,” and that Duets album would make him ineligible. Heck, anyone who’s made a Duets album ought to be ineligible.
On the other side of the world, Andrew Patner helps a Hong Kong resident into a Chicago Symphony concert, a few days after stumbling upon Toru Takemitsu’s barber in Tokyo.
The New York Philharmonic has radio broadcasts streaming of Ludovic Morlot conducting Tristan Murail and La Mer, and Gustavo Dudamel leading Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.