No images? Click here April 10, 2023 A local British police department helped save Easter after a man was arrested after allegedly stealing a semi-truck with 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs last Saturday. "The eggs-travagent theft took place on Saturday, 11 February," the West Mercia Police tweeted. +++ In today's email:
CLASSICAL CHARTS THE BIG IDEA Will AI-Generated Art Kill Human Creativity?Reactions to AI-generated art have ranged from polite interest to a disavowing howl. Many artists feel as though their livelihood is being threatened by software that, in a few moments, can generate content that takes them many hours to complete. What’s more, the technology is good. Very good. While there is much media attention on the visual arts, AI-generated music has also made its mark. Drawing from a database of existing compositions and directed by a user prompt, an AI can generate a completely convincing piece of music in a few moments. This technology has been used in experimental applications to complete some of the unfinished works of the great masters; notably, Beethoven’s 10th Symphony, which only ever existed as a few sketches in the composer’s notebook. Currently, the consensus seems to be that musical works produced by technology tend to have minor imperfections. But there’s no denying the fact that the results are very impressive. Proponents of the technology argue that AI will be a boon to artists by reducing the amount of time they spend on the mechanics of the creative process. This may be true, but the artistic process isn’t just the mindless execution of a task — it’s highly interactive and essential to the evolution of the artist’s craft. Iconic bandleader John Philip Sousa once pitched a famous hissy-fit in his 1906 essay, “The Menace Of Mechanical Music”, to which my own article denies any ironic connection. Sousa’s essay predicted an end to amateur musicianship, at the hands of the newly invented gramophone and the player piano. Hans Zimmer, one of the world’s most influential film composers, employs a staff of composers who work out the finer details of his film scores. Zimmer prompts them with a structure, melodic material, harmonic progressions, and exercises veto power on the finished product. If AI helps an artist’s work along, by generating a “mostly completed” work for an artist to refine, then the artist isn’t exactly engaged with the process from womb to tomb, and the human executant is less executor and more editor. Many will say that, in this context, my resistance is just a masquerade for inflexibility. The argument is that I need to adapt to technological advancement. By not doing so, I’m only hobbling my own creative potential. The prospect of AI sharing my artistic practice is troublesome because I worry it may reduce opportunities for me. But the motivation to refine AI to be a creator is mostly financially motivated, and I’m sorry to say, there isn’t really any financial opportunity for AI in the field of contemporary classical music. Finally, I really enjoy being immersed in my own artist practice, and I don’t think I particularly care that AI is out there disgorging musical excerpts in the style of famous composers, writing background music for whatever, or coming up with a new “boing” sound to advertise a product. Part of me has a hard time understanding why we would even want to create a shortcut through the creative process when it’s such an enjoyable part of being a musician. THE LATEST Ryan Speedo Green as Young Emile Griffith in Terence Blanchard's Champion. (Photo: Zenith Richards/Met Opera) Terence Blanchard makes history at the MET Opera again with 'Champion'. The production is part of a yearlong collaboration across Lincoln Center organizations, marking the first time a single artist's work is explored throughout the center. "Champion" tells the true story of welterweight boxing champion Emile Griffith, touching on themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the struggle of being openly gay in the 1960s. | Wall Street Journal The Coronation of King Charles at Westminster Abbey will include a children's choir singing "I Just Can’t Wait To Be King" from Disney's The Lion King. The song, written by Elton John and Tim Rice, was chosen for its relevance to Charles's ascension to the throne, and will be performed by a children's choir drawn from London schools. Two other songs from The Lion King soundtrack have also been chosen for the event. | Classical-music.com Renowned composer Joe Hisaishi has signed with Deutsche Grammophon. The deal will result in new recordings, including symphonic arrangements of his iconic scores from Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro. | The Violin Channel MORE NEWS (Photo: Disney) 'Little Mermaid' Remake Updates Lyrics to Emphasize Female EmpowermentDisney's upcoming live-action remake of 'The Little Mermaid' will include a modernization of the original songs with present-day sensitivities around consent and young girls speaking out. The move was announced by Alan Menken, the legendary composer behind the 1989 classic, in an interview with Vanity Fair. He stated he collaborated with Lin-Manuel Miranda to adjust lyrics in 'Kiss the Girl' and 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' to help emphasize consent and female empowerment. Beyond revisions, Menken stated the remake would feature three new songs, including a power ballad for Prince Eric and a musical rap for Scuttle and Sebastian. Disney magic is for everyone: Disney has also announced new theme park updates to ensure they balance creative integrity and changing audience expectations. Updates include changes to Disney theme parks, such as a 2021 rule that allows cast members to wear 'gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles, and costume choices, and the retheming of Splash Mountain. Can't please everybody: Disney has faced criticism for its perceived "pandering to woke audiences". Critics claim that Disney's "wokeness" puts the company in turmoil, potentially impacting its future success. The highly anticipated remake is set to hit screens on May 25, 2023. VIOLIN Meet the World's Oldest Violin (Sort Of)A 5,000-year-old Bog Oak discovered in Norfolk, UK, has inspired a violin maker to create a one-of-a-kind violin. Initially reluctant to use such ancient, dense wood, Philip Taylor was ultimately convinced by a wood preservation expert after he showed him a guitar made from the same Bog Oak. Despite concerns about the instrument's potential sound and responsiveness, Taylor's Bog Oak violin exceeded expectations with its rich, clear tone. Even the pegs, crafted from the same material, defied the skepticism of Taylor's regular peg maker, proving to be a suitable choice. Video courtesy of Michael Barker. Why it matters: Due to the growing scarcity of traditional materials, violin makers are starting to embrace the exploration of alternative woods for crafting exquisite musical instruments. Violins like the Bog Oak violin mark successful examples supporting non-traditional woods in instrument-making. Eat your heart out Amati: While the Bog Oak Violin has the oldest wood, the oldest actual violin is thought to be the "Charles IX" crafted by Andrea Amati in Cremona in 1564. Some believe another 1500s Amati violin at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the oldest, but there is no way to be sure. AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: In 1970, Paul McCartney officially announced the split of The Beatles. 🌎 Cure Boredom: Have you ever wished you could travel around the world? With GeoGuesser, you can. 🥚 Useful: Post-easter festivities might have you with an excess boiled egg bounty. Here’s a recipe that will put them to good use. ✍️ Make you smile: This university student lost her sister. Her English professor responded by writing this. 🤔 Deep dive: If you've ever wondered what science says humans come from, this Wikipedia outlines it very well. The language gets pretty science-y, but it’s worth it. 🚜 Aww: Watch these constriction workers fill this little boy’s toy truck with dirt, making his day. PHOTO CAPTION OF THE WEEK This photo of Glenn Gould at the beach is just begging for a caption! Reply to this email with your best caption, and we will publish the best one next week. 🕺 How did you like today's email? |