This blog was started about a month ago, and I’ve been gradually adding links to my blogroll (see left-side column). Here are a few highlights.
Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise
As far as I can tell, everyone’s linking to this blog, and with good reason. Alex Ross writes on music for The New Yorker. His blog is fun, and well written. It’s not all about music either, which I like. Sometimes it’s about cupcakes. Please read Alex’s views on the magic chord conjured up by the President recently when he was photographed holding a guitar (and probably should have been doing something else).
Sandow and PostClassic
These are both hosted by ArtsJournal.com, which is also worth taking a look at. Here music journalist Greg Sandow and composer Kyle Gann (respectively) each bring up interesting topics relating to the state of “classical” music and prospects for the future. Voices of reason, in my opinion.
Listen
Composer and critic Steve Hicken’s blog is primarily devoted to a list of 101 “essential pieces of 20th centruy concert music”, that he wisely is leaving open to revision. This is interesting to me, not least because it’s something I’d never take the time to do myself. I know, I know… show me ten composer/critics, and I’ll show you ten completely different lists. I don’t think that’s the point. Steve explains it better than I could in his inaugural post. Interesting also to see how it has evolved a year later.
Suburban Scene
This is a relatively new blog by a very articulate and opinionated college student. His (her? I really don’t know) views on music are particularly interesting to me, because I don’t really know anyone in that age group any more. The post “Unstuffing Classical Music” brought about a very lively debate whose participants included know-it-all composers like me, a working performer and an interested concertgoer, among others.
I’ll write more about some of the other linkees as I get to know them better.
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