Speaking at an unrelated news conference on Tuesday, Mr. Maazel let drop that earlier in the day he had written a letter to the orchestra’s board putting forth a name. He said he supposed those in the room were curious who it was. He paused dramatically. The room was hushed. “Daniel Barenboim,” Mr. Maazel said.Read the rest here.
Think "The Jetsons". Think piano."Late last week, Sony BMG Music Entertainment underwent a major downsizing. Among the casualties were the key staffers in what has come to be called Sony BMG Masterworks – encompassing Sony Classical, Columbia Masterworks, BMG Classics, RCA Red Seal, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi and pretty much every other classical or classical-related label under the legendary companies once known as CBS Records and RCA Records."Read the rest.
Read the rest here.
Of all the tributes to Mozart for the 250th anniversary of his birth, none could be more exciting and deeply, seriously satisfying than Tuesday's recital by Paul Badura-Skoda.
I CAN STILL FEEL THE THICKNESS OF THE HANDLE IN MY HANDS, hear the horrible crunch and splintering of wood, and the last crashing notes of an instrument played as it was never intended to be played -- by ax head instead of felt-tipped hammer. A wall of sound, the kind of wall they stand you up against before a firing squad.Read the rest here.
"While it's vain to presume what goes on in another human psyche, this physical powerhouse of a man - think Yul Brynner - is arguably a troubled, tortured yet deeply sensitive soul. The result was a string of musical phrases and artistic exclamations that were rendered with unabashed passion. Sometimes achingly beautiful, sometimes menacingly angry, his music making was utterly absorbing.....Plenty of other oddities peppered the evening, as well. Pogorelich opened the program so abruptly that an adjustment of the piano bench and music stand followed awkwardly while he continued playing. Some hefty coughs ensued, which were later explained in the pianist's surprisingly forthcoming remarks. It turns out that he wasn't feeling well and that he will be seeking medical attention during his stay in Denver." Link
Asked what he thinks today when he hears himself described as "eccentric," "arrogant," and "difficult," the pianist said, "That was my image. I worked on it myself like a child making a toy. That was the price a 22-year-old had to pay to make an awful lot of money. People are always after the 'dark power,' like in Star Wars." <Link.
"If you are a band playing any kind of rock, including heavy metal, then you can participate 'ROCK FOR PEACE' in Pyong Yang, the capital city of North Korea. This is the very first time in history that North Korea allows western musicians in the heart of DPRK territory to play capitalist popular music."
William Bolcom is one of 10 recipients of the 2006 National Medal of Arts. Link.
Currently listening to: Sviatoslav Richter - Prelude & Fugue No 5 in D major BWV 850
A long lost manuscript of works by German 17th century keyboard maestro Johann Jacob Froberger, also believed to have been a part-time spy, goes on sale later this month with a price tag of 500,000 pounds ($953,500).
The manuscript includes 18 previously unknown works. More here.
Currently listening to: Schubert - Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 99 D898- 3- Scherzo- Allegro
"After a long and determined campaign by his friends and admirers, the Cornish born composer George Lloyd has at last been granted the accolade of Composer of The Week by the BBC."Details.
Read the rest here.
"the decision is part of an ongoing battle between the RIAA (record labels) and industry songwriters/publishers. The RIAA wanted to be able to distribute ringtones without securing new licenses from songwriters, who technically own the composition."
Fine write up that's more revealing about the nature of the Honens International Piano Competition than anything else.
Key grafs:
"We're not looking for the kind of sensational virtuoso that galvanizes an audience so they're so overwhelmed by the rush that nerve endings are practically sliced off," says Aide, the former head of the keyboard division at the University of Toronto's faculty of music. "We're looking for someone with comprehensive versatility -- someone who has unbelievable technical prowess in the service of the score and can convey a commanding personal response to the score.
and
""I'm not saying we're sexing up classical music, but when you see a young person who is stylish and confident and has it together going out onstage, the audience feels the magic in the air.
"Musicianship is still the most important thing. But if they're going to get ahead, they need the balls to sell themselves."
And just to be sure about it, the winners get a make-over:
"Their first week of career development includes a consultation with a stylist, shopping for performance clothes, a photo shoot with a fashion photographer and a visit to the Banff Centre, where they will be encouraged to start thinking about how to expand their repertoire and develop a niche."
Sounds like a job for the fab five. (just kidding)
Read the read rest here.
Currently listening to: Artur Schnabel - Beethoven - Rondo in A WoO49
Of the five finalists of this year's Honen's competition, the top prizes went to
1st Prize - Minsoo Sohn, Korea
2nd Prize - Hinrich Alpers, Germany
3rd Prize - Hong Xu, China
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4th Prize Finalist, Spencer Myer
5th Prize Finalist, Serhy Salov, Ukraine
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Additional Prizes:
Hinrich Alpers, Prize for Best Ensemble Performance
Hinrich Alpers, Best Performance of Commissioned Work
Gregory DeTurck, Prize for Artist with Special Promise
Congratulations to all.
Currently listening to: Bax: Piano Quintet
"The bass section is where the first rumblings (pardon the pun) start when break time comes near, and one of their rooms on tour is where the best, most liquor-soaked party is to be found (not to mention the possibility of poker and strippers, not necessarily in that order). Bass players tend to be the philosophers of the orchestra, given that they often have so much free time on their hands."We're a long ways from "Rusty in Orchestraville" here.
...the music labels effectively taking a bribe to cause trouble for Google/YouTube video competitors, ignoring YouTube to let it grow for a while, and pocketing all of the money without giving it back to the artists they supposedly represent. The claim is anonymous, but the pieces certainly fit together nicely.Link.
Check out the 92nd Street Y's Blog. It's not just for New Yorker's! There's loads of good stuff to found there for anyone interested in the arts. I found this recent post on music and technology especially interesting. Money quote:"2002 Classical Music Consumer Segmentation Study, which found that of those Americans who consider themselves lovers of classical music, only half attend concerts regularly, with the other half choosing to listen in their cars or on their home stereo systems, computers, etc."Find the rest of it here.
