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Posts tagged ‘Chatham Baroque’

Joseph Gaines, the Story of Opera and of an Artist

Gaines as Pontio Pilato in the 2008 Glimmerglass Opera production of Wagner's Das Liebesverbot, with Ryan MacPherson as Luzio (Photo: Cory Weaver)

Joseph Gaines as Pontio Pilato in the 2008 Glimmerglass Opera production of Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot, with Ryan MacPherson as Luzio (Photo: Cory Weaver)

Artists pursue a calling in a special way, yearning to participate in an art form often in the face of long odds for making a career of it. What is an artist to do if their calling is opera? Opera has faced some difficult times in recent years, and it is facing an uncertain future. Yet if it is to have a future at all, it must depend on those with unwavering commitment to realizing the form — to celebrating past masters and new works, and to bringing those creative expressions to an audience. Joseph Gaines, a tenor, seeks to serve an art form that he truly loves. In telling his story, we seek to both learn something about the form itself and about the admirable motivations of the artist, motivations from which we might all learn something even if we ourselves are not artists.

To learn of a good narrative about a career artist and to reflect on the nature of opera, we invite you to read our third installment in the opera series from The Muse Dialogue, “Joseph Gaines, the Story of Opera and of an Artist” (click here to read full article).

The Art of Administering

Apart from his artistic success as a brilliant composer and conductor, Gustav Mahler was a well known and effective arts administrator in his day. His tenure as the director of the Vienna Hofoper was tumultuous but largely seen as a success after he settled various labor disputes and brought the organization out of long-term debt.

Gustav Mahler, artist and administrator

Marc Giosi is both an artist and an arts administrator. This talented and well-educated pianist holds the position of Executive Director for the chamber ensemble Chatham Baroque, and formerly worked with Chamber Music America. Consequently, he has seen both “sides” of the equation when it comes to presenting an art form. He understands the management dynamics of development, audience growth, and good financial management. At the same time, he recognizes the challenges to being a working artist and presenting great art. Ultimately the two aspects of his nature combine organically, and so he writes, “The ability to speak genuinely about Bach, Chopin, or Shostakovich reflects commitment to the art form, and the fact that presenting concerts is not simply a day job for me.”

For a fascinating look into the world of art and arts management, read Marc Giosi’s “The Art of Administering” (click here to read full article).

The Best of What You May Have Missed

We continue our year in review today, reposting our second issue: Chamber Music. Chamber music is a fascinating case in the arts. It is type of performance that brings art into intimate settings and encourages personal involvement. At the same time, it is an older art form that now faces a new age of changing tastes and changing technology. Read on for some fascinating writing on the arts, brought to you with pleasure by The Muse Dialogue.

Click here to view the table of contents for Vol. 1, No. 2: Chamber Music

Vol 1, No. 2: Chamber Music

A Performance by the chamber music trio, Chatham Baroque (photo credit: Chatham Baroque)

We are delighted to explore chamber music in this issue. Here we are less looking at the nuances of composers and more the role that chamber music has played and can continue to play in our lives — as music performed in public spaces, as music presented in concert, and finally as music that we  bring to life in our own homes. Join The Muse Dialogue for the second issue of our inaugural year: Chamber Music.

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