Endless Immersion by Dosia McKay

"Parachute" by Dosia McKay: click here to see more of her artwork

This review is too many weeks late and several hours short on sleep, but I need to tell you how amazing this album is.

I'm not just a musician, I'm a creative

Recently, I was lamenting to a friend that I felt overwhelmed by work and the fact that I have so much to do, all the time, full stop. What she said to me changed my world view, or at least, my world view of myself.

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture by Jessica Curry - the future of video game music, or just another soundtrack?

Is this score a revolutionary view into the future of video game scores, or is it just another soundtrack?

The Other Mozart - perfectly poignant, even in 2015

photo credit: TheOtherMozart.com 

(Posted earlier today on Classical Diary)

One might think that presuming to write the story of Nannerl Mozart is arrogant, pompous, and above all, a grave disrespect. 
 
You would be wrong. 

As the show opens, Nannerl Mozart (played by Sylvia Milo) stands in 18th century undergarments littered with notes, letters, and music. She carries a toy piano and quotes rave reviews: ''A female composer, tres tres chic!'' ''Nannerl Mozart, the new Saint Cecelia!'' These reviews, however, were never written. Though her brother's letters and effects were all saved and treasured, hers have been lost to time. As reality dawns, the light dims as she says, ''I am only my brother's pupil.'' 

It may be 2015, but only 5 women have won the Pulitzer prize for music since 1943. Judith Weir is the very first Master of Music to be a woman. Strides are being made, but we have an embarrassingly long way to go as of yet. Last year, I wrte an article for Polonious Music about the critical reviews that women composers have received in newspapers. We've been told that we are ''pining after masculinity,'' ''delicate and feminine,'' and erased entirely, our works being credited to other men, in the sad case of Fanny Mendelssohn. In 2014, I wrote a piece about Francesca Caccini, a Baroque composer who had half her life erased because a prominent musicologist preferred to write that she had died young of mouth cancer ''a fitting end for a loud woman,'' instead of living out her years as a teacher, performer, composer, and producer of new music. (link)

Though this is, in essence, a straight play, it is nothing less than mandatory viewing for any would be classical music enthusiast. Even today, in 2015, women composers are considered a niche subject in music history classes across the globe, with lessons heavily favoring male composers and their achievements, while the rest are overlooked and ignored. 

Photo credit: TheOtherMozart.com

The Other Mozart avoids the painful awkwardness that many one-person shows can bring, with Sylvia Milo bringing Nannerl Mozart to life and injecting the same vigor and enthusiasm that musicologists know her brother to have had. The moments of humor, with Nannerl calling Wolfgang a ''little shit-eater'' juxtapose against the gut wrenching moments when she realizes that her life isn't going to turn out as planned. Music plays admidst her speeches, with recognizable pieces by W.A Mozart and Leopold Mozart, and fresh new atmospheric pieces by Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen. Throughout the show, heavily symbolism surrounding lighting design and the looming presence of the cage-like dress frame penetrate the narrative and drive home the devastating story of how she was passed over because of her gender. 

Sylvia Milo's primal screams when Nannerl learns she is being left behind for the first time will tear your heart open; the incredible weight of reality will sink in your stomach. Left behind, looked over, passed up. When our beloved and cheery Nannerl succumbs to the cage, we weep for the lost potential. We weep for what might have been. It leaves a thought - how many other incredibly gifted women have been silenced? 

The Other Mozart is nothing if not an insightful and emotional journey into the life of Nannerl Mozart, who I refuse to refer to as ''Mozart's sister.'' A stunning and impressive musician in her own right, she was swept under the rug in the name of society and decorum. This one-woman show, written and performed by Sylvia Milo, was eloquent, emotional, and a painful reminder of why women composers who lived before the 20th century have been all but forgotten. 

My only regret is that I couldn't attend tonight's performance (September 16th, 8pm), which will be followed by a panel of impressive names like Jessica Duchen, Sally Beamish, and Alice Farnham, to talk about women in music after the show. The show closes on Saturday (September 19th), so if you're in London, head over to the St. James Theatre and see this amazing, insightful show. Tickets start at £17.50.

As always, if you love these reviews, please follow me on Bloglovin' so you don't miss exclusive interviews on the Women in Music podcast, coming up soon!

Buy. This. Book.

Are you a composer? Indie developer? Professional musician, video game enthusiast, proprietor of gaming delights? Buy this book.

Opera, the Undoing of Women - A book review

Opera, the Undoing of Women by Catherine Clément is still the foremost work on the inherent an latent misogyny in the beloved operas across the centuries. The book is written like a traditional opera guide, with short but insightful vignettes for each featured opera, which ranges from Turandot, to The Magic Flute, to the Ring cycle. This book was recommended to me by Alexandra Wilson (@amwilson_opera on Twitter - go follow her, seriously!), and it was one of the best recommendations I have ever received. 

Did Anna Magdalena Bach Write the Cello Suites? Who Cares!

Source: Wikipedia

Articles and think pieces about how Anna Magdalena Bach may have written the Bach Cello Suites and other pieces are making the rounds again, but it seems that everyone is missing the point. Who cares if she DID write the pieces - the point is, she COULD have.

Anne Louise Kershaw: "Collections"

Musically Notable is back from a new music hiatus with this masterful piece of sound art. Get your headphones out, readers, you're going to want to hear this in high-def.

"Plynie" by Marina Fridman

This piece, for string quartet and electronics, sounds like it belongs in the next Resident Evil video game (which would be Resident Evil 7) - maybe the game developers should take notice of Marina Fridman, because she's destined for great things.

"Bluegrass Raised," by Berry and Company

This week, I am obsessed. I love bluegrass, and I LOVE songs that incorporate old folksy music. I also love the sound of this group, which is so smooth and delicious, I could vomit rainbows.

"From Where We Stand" - the new album from Ward Thomas

I know some people hate country - but they are wrong. I grew up in Chicago, not exactly the country music capital of America, but that's where I fell in love with it. When I moved to Texas in 2008, I discovered that country music was how people did things, and I was in heaven. This new album from up-and-coming group, Ward Thomas, is everything country music needs to be these days: fun, energetic, and full of that down-home feeling.

Kina Grannis' Elements - Refreshing and Engaging

After hours of listening to new releases, my ears were fatigued and my head was throbbing. That all came to a screeching halt when I heard the first track of Kina Grannis' new album, Elements. 

Women In Music - #YesAllWomen with Sally Whitwell

Check out the new podcast in the sidebar for a fantastic interview with Australian performer and composer Sally Whitwell!

Top 10 All-Time Guitarists

This is my wife's guitar. Shiny. 

In a world of guitarists, who comes in first?

"Dark Morning: Snow" by Anna Lee Hirschi

This string quartet by Hirschi is deep, introspective, and rich in color. This week has brought a lot of writing assignments, and so along with that comes a need for amazing instrumental pieces, and "Dark Morning: Snow" is just the ticket.

Overcoming Writer's Block - A Story of Angst

This modest collection of tweets is only a snapshot into the consuming hellfire that is writer's block. I had never experienced this phenomenon which leads to an inescapable existential crisis, so I had zero skills on how to combat it. (caution: animated images!)

"Home," by Esther McLaren

I took a lot of long walks this week, trying to clear my mind of all the pressures and stresses of life that cloud and prevent creativity. In the midst of our current immigration situation, my wife and I have spend a lot of time trying to figure out where "home" really is, or if we've even found home yet, and realizing that home is wherever we both are.This gut-wrenchingly heartfelt song by Esther McLaren has been ripping out my insides all week - can't stop, won't stop listening.

Weekly Music Roundup - Week Ending May 24th

Wow, what a week! The opera world exploded with the story of Tara Erraught, the Irish mezzo-soprano who was brutally attacked by several music critics writing for prominent publications. You can read my thoughts on that here and here. Most music blogs and publications are abuzz with this story, and rightfully so. Why shouldn't opera be about the voice? That in mind, here are the other stories in music news this week:

Words on the Rosenkavalier Debacle from a Self-Proclaimed Fat Singer

Me, circa 2011, as a dead opera singer in the musical Ghosts. Please excuse the duck face.

I am a fat singer. I am 5'10" and I my weight has fluctuated between 210 and 270 pounds. Here's why the Tara Erraught Rosenkavalier critic situation matters to me on a personal level.

Body Shaming and Misogyny from Rupert Christiansen

Photo courtesy: the Telegraph

Today, prolific and well-known reviewer and critic for the Telegraph, Rupert Christiansen, released an article on Glyndebourne's production of Rosenkavalier, and oh, is it a train wreck rife with body shaming and misogyny.