Ensembles around the world are using technology to present classical music in exciting new formats.
Ranging from customizable concerts to an opportunity to conduct your own online orchestra, these online programs are both inventive and fun.
WARNING: Some of these programs may become habit-forming, leading to the uncontrollable urge to play them during work.
Here, then, are Classicalite's Five Best new ways to experience classical music online.
"Computer Orchestra" is a crowdsourcing platform that allows users to create and conduct their own orchestra. Users can choose to upload their own music or download sampled sounds. The motion-sensitive orchestra will "play" based on the conductor's hand movements.
"LSO Play: Bolero" lets you customize a performance of Ravel's Bolero. Use the control panel to choose what sections of the orchestra to zoom in on, as the Bolero theme is passed from one section to another around the orchestra. Or, you can choose to watch conductor Valery Gergiev. This customized concert is presented by the London Symphony Orchestra. This program does require a lot of bandwidth, so it may work better on iPhone or iPad.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic presents an innovative way for patrons to choose which of their upcoming concerts to attend. "Concert Master" offers you concert suggestions based on your tastes, much like movie sites that recommend movies based on a user's tastes. This is a beta version, so the recommending process still has some bugs. [N.B. When I tried this program, it recommended an all-Dvořák concert, definitely something that I would like.]
The ever-inventive L.A. Phil also invites you to watch a 360-degree concert performance. This video lets you drag the viewing field for a full, 360-degree look of the orchestra during the performance, led by conductor/composer Gustavo Dudamel. This program is another real bandwidth hog, but it provides an amazing panoramic view of the entire orchestra.
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra recently launched a video magazine for the iPhone and iPad--RCO Editions. Each issue explores a different composer and musical work, through background articles and interviews with musical experts. The centerpiece of the magazine is a video of a Concertgebouw performance. The expert commentary track can be synchronized with the orchestral performance for an "annotated" concert experience.
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