Classical

Because classical music depends mostly on the work of dead composers, but still feels the need (like every other form of entertainment) to have some kind of current hook to draw people in, centenaries and anniversaries — basically, any round number of years since something happened — are the life’s blood of the business. And because Gustav Mahler was born in 1860 and died in 1911, he gets two, two, two anniversaries in one. This year was the 150th anniversary of his birth, and we’re moving into the 100th anniversary of his death. Orchestras perform and record a lot of Mahler anyway, but this gives them an excuse.

After noticing the increased use of classical music as a young-people repellent — in libraries, in subway stations, in the Manulife Centre in Toronto where I seem to hear Haydn every time I go in — Colin Eatock writes a good piece about the various problems classical music has in attracting new audiences.

Once a musical pariah, composer-conductor Gustav Mahler is now, 150 years after his birth, box-office gold

From the archives: An interview with the violinist who toured with Arcade Fire, and newly announced Oscar nominee

Paul Wells has a great post about Beethoven symphony recordings, and asks for my input. I don’t know how much I can add, because all his choices are excellent (I agree in particular that the David Zinman set is a great bargain), but here are some other recordings I’ve liked.