200-year-old US arts society to keep classical cool
Print Edition
Before Beyonce, there were the Beatles. Before the Beatles, there was Brahms. And before Brahms was even born, there was the Handel & Haydn Society.
America鈥檚 oldest continuously operating arts organization 鈥 which introduced the nation to composers like Chopin and Strauss, the 19th century editions of Top 40 hitmakers like Jay-Z and Lady Gaga 鈥 turns 200 tomorrow.
But the Boston-based society says its bicentennial isn鈥檛 just about looking back 鈥 it鈥檚 about figuring out how to make classical and Baroque music cool for the iTunes generation.
鈥淲e have to constantly reinvent ourselves,鈥 said artistic director Harry Christophers. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 sit on our laurels.鈥
The laurels have piled up over the past two centuries, as visitors to the Boston Public Library will find when an interactive exhibition goes live tomorrow. Music fans will be able to use iPad stations to listen to a simulation of the society鈥檚 first concert in 1815, and archive photographs, program books, newspaper clippings and other materials dating to the early 1800s will be on display.
When the Handel & Haydn Society was founded on March 24, 1815, it was cutting edge. The venerable society 鈥 older than the New York and Vienna Philharmonics, both of which debuted in 1842 鈥 premiered many important works in the US, including Handel鈥檚 鈥淢essiah.鈥
Its goal was to enrich and influence American life and culture. Its musicians, playing period instruments, brought the Baroque music of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi and the classical works of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven to the masses. Its choruses performed at memorial services for Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Fast-forward two centuries, and it鈥檚 fair to say that classical music has seen better times. Album sales, concert attendance and air time all have been in decline for decades. Audiences tend to be older and white.
Despite the challenges, don鈥檛 play Verdi鈥檚 鈥淩equiem鈥 for the genre just yet, said Marie-Helene Bernard, Handel & Haydn鈥檚 executive director.
鈥淎merica is changing, and we need to reach out and engage these different and diverse communities,鈥 said Bernard, who took over in 2007 and is leaving in June to become CEO of the St Louis Symphony.
Bernard put the society on a solid financial footing. Its budget for the 2015 bicentennial year is US$5.2 million and its endowment is just over US$10 million, with a goal of US$12 million. In 2003, it won a Grammy for its recording of John Tavener鈥檚 鈥淟amentations and Praises.鈥
Music education has become a major thrust for Handel & Haydn, which puts children鈥檚 choirs onstage. It鈥檚 also been working to diversify its audiences and it is reaching out to minority communities.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
