As if it’s not bad enough that they’ve just won the Premier League and the FA Cup, the city of Manchester is also getting a set of Beethoven symphonies next season. Those lucky Mankies.

Not sure it’s the first of the 21st century, tho. What about Gianandrea Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic?

Beethoven, Bernstein and Beyond

The Hallé Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder place Beethoven’s complete symphonies at the centre of their 2011/12 Manchester season

Compelling repertoire combinations and innovative performing partnerships hallmark the Hallé’s programme in 2011/12. The Hallé will present its first Beethoven symphony cycle of the new century, performing the works in order of composition and pairing each with more recent masterpieces, Harmonium by John Adams and Magnus Lindberg’s Violin Concerto among them. Sir Mark Elder, in his twelfth season as Music Director, will conduct five of the symphonies and guide what is a landmark series for the Hallé.  “Beethoven’s adventure remains as fascinating as ever,” comments Sir Mark. “By playing the cycle in order, with each symphony alongside a powerful work written during the last hundred years, we hope to underline the range of his achievement, with much to stimulate and to enjoy.”

His programming choices underline Beethoven’s enduring legacy to composers, highlighting coincidences and contrasts with such influential works as Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto and his great ballet scoreLe sacre du printemps, Messiaen’s L’ascension, Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the left hand and Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto. Beethoven’s youthful First Symphony, originally published in 1801, contains tantalising traces of revolutionary sounds to come from the composer in his later symphonies. Its pairing with Stravinsky’s iconoclastic ballet (13 October 2011) is sure to offer fresh insights into the forward-looking nature of Beethoven’s first thoughts on the symphony.

John Adams’s ‘choral symphony’ Harmonium, crowned by an ecstatic setting of Emily Dickinson’s poem ‘Wild Nights’, promises to cast revealing light on Beethoven’s Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’, presented together on 5 November 2011 in another intriguing musical juxtaposition. Sir Mark says: “I am looking forward immensely to conducting the ‘Eroica’ in tandem with Harmonium, a hugely impressive work by a colossus of today’s musical scene.” Markus Stenz, the Hallé’s Principal Guest Conductor, Lothar Koenigs and Edward Gardner will each conduct a Beethoven symphony, while Nikolaj Znaider brings the cycle to a close with Shostakovich’s ironic Ninth Symphony and Beethoven’s profoundly optimistic ‘Choral’ Symphony.

In addition to performing Harmonium, the Hallé Choir returns later in the season to sing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (24 May 2012) and two outstanding works from the British choral repertoire, Holst’s The Hymn of Jesus (15 March 2012) and Elgar’s The Apostles (5 May 2012). “Any admirer of The Planets will warm to Holst’s very personal mysticism in The Hymn of Jesus, one of his greatest works,” says Sir Mark. “I have longed to conduct Elgar’s The Apostles for many years, and here we will perform it with some of the marvellous singers who took part in our performances of The Dream of Gerontius. It should be a night to remember.”

Kathleen Ferrier, born in Lancashire in April 1912, gave many unforgettable performances with the Hallé during her stellar yet tragically short career. The orchestra celebrates the contralto’s centenary with a work often associated with her, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (10 May 2012) under Sir Mark Elder. “Although many of us will never have heard Kathleen Ferrier sing live,” observes the conductor, “we can still be moved by her extraordinary recordings of the ‘Abschied’ (‘Farewell’) from Das Lied. We will mark the centenary of her birth with a performance of Mahler’s work, with Lars Cleveman and Alice Coote who, at the start of her career, won a prize named in honour of this great Lancashire contralto.”

At the season’s height (31 March to 14 April 2012), Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé are set to join forces with the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and The Lowry in Salford to give 16 fully staged performances of Leonard Bernstein’s 1953 musical Wonderful Town. Connie Fisher, winner of BBC One’s How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria? and star of The Sound of Music, will lead the cast as RuthSherwood, who, with her sister, travels to New York in search of love and fortune. “Manchester and Salford are leading the way in artistic collaboration,” comments Sir Mark. “Leonard Bernstein’s magnificent work will get what it deserves – a great orchestra performing a great score as part of a great production.”

The Hallé’s Opus One Concerts continue in 2011/12, once again presenting established musicians in company with outstanding young talents. The series opens on 21 September 2011 with the first of three performances under the Hallé’s Assistant Conductor, Andrew Gourlay, and with the young German artist Sophia Jaffé as soloist in Sibelius’ Violin Concerto. Other Opus One performers include John Lill, Colin Carr, Hong Xu, Nicola Benedetti, Hallé oboist Stéphane Rancourt, Andrew Manze, Polina Leschenko, former Hallé Assistant Conductor Rory Macdonald and Sofya Gulyak, winner of the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition.

“We will also hear five outstanding 20^th-century concertos in 2011/12,” says Sir Mark Elder. “Bartók’s First Piano Concerto opens the Thursday Series with the return of the great Hungarian pianist András Schiff. The violin concertos by Bartók and Stravinsky are in the expressive hands of Nikolaj Znaider and Julian Rachlin, who makes his Hallé debut. We are also delighted to welcome back Garrick Ohlsson and Nelson Goerner for piano concertos by Barber and Ravel.” The orchestra’s survey of solo concertos continues when Alban Gerhardt and Kolja Blacher respectively explore Henri Dutilleux’s sublime Tout un monde lontain for cello and orchestra and Magnus Lindberg’s searing Violin Concerto.

The two big novelties in English National Opera’s new seasons, just unveiled, are by composers barely known in Britain.

Detlev Glanert, one of the most staged composers on the continent, chimes in with Caligula, which ought to be a spine-chiller.

And Wolfgang Rihm is back with Jakob Lenz, an essay on alienation.

John Adams (Death of Klinghoffer) and Damon Albarn (Doctor Dee) make up the pack of living composers.

David Pountney will direct the UK premiere of Mieczys?aw Weinberg’s The Passenger, among 11 new productions.

Looks like a great year ahead at the Coli.

Some mistake, surely?

The Times, usually reserved for  musical puffery, is accusing the nation’s biggest agency of touring dubious orchestras.

The story is not new, not even recent, but it has been given a burst of energy by widening disgruntlement at some of the orchs that have been shuttling the boondocks. The Times, for once, has done a good piece of diligence. The results are here.

Cami is not the only promulgator of dodgy orchestras, or the worst. It has done nothing illegal. If people buy tickets to a concert by the ‘Dublin Philharmonic’ without bothering to google and see if Ireland has such a thing, they have only their gullibility to blame.

Barrett Wissman, disgraced owner of the IMG classical artists agency, has bounced back.

After copping a plea to securities fraud two years ago in New York and withdrawing from active management of the agency, he has just landed a major fish to help haul his business back into serious contention after a series of major setbacks.

IMG represents many of the world’s top conductors and singers, including John Adams, Antonio Pappano and Franz Welser-Möst.

The new part-owner of IMG is a Russian publisher of no previous form in the performing arts. His presence  serves notice of IMG expansion.  Wissmann is married to the well-connected Russian cellist, Nina Kotova. Watch this space for more.

Wissmann, with Angela Georghiu

Nina Kotova, Wissmann and chef (newyorksocialdiary.com)

Here’s the press release, still wet on the screen.

Press Release

IMG ARTISTS ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT BY PPI TALENT

New Capital To Be Used To Expand The Range and Depth Of The Company’s Business

May 16, 2011 – IMG Artists is delighted to announce that PPI Talent has acquired a significant minority position in the company. The PPI investment will help increase the depth of IMG Artists’ core activities as well as assist in its expansion further into new media and entertainment sectors that complement the current portfolio. Additionally, in order to take advantage of the many synergies and opportunities in the Russian marketplace, IMG Artists will open an office in Moscow.

PPI Talent was founded and is owned by Alexander Shustorovich. Mr. Shustorovich’s business interests include television and radio stations, cable television, advertising and other media activities. He has a long history of working within the publishing sector with a particularly impressive track record in scientific journals. His company, Pleiades Publishing Ltd. is the world’s largest publisher of English and Russian-language books, journals and other educational materials in the sciences emanating from the former Soviet Union, China and Japan.

Born in Moscow, Russia and raised in the United States, Mr. Shustorovich earned a BA, JD and MBA from Harvard University, Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School respectively. Mr. Shustorovich has long been an active supporter of the arts and, amongst other activities, funded the Metropolitan Opera’s revival of Prokofiev’s War and Peace conducted by Valery Gergiev in New York.

Speaking for PPI, Mr. John Evans, Managing Director of Pleiades Group Entertainment said, “In the process of our investment decision, we concluded that there is no other company in this industry that can match the global footprint, diversity of business initiatives and stellar client roster of IMG Artists. We are very impressed by what the team has built and even more excited about the platform on which we are able to grow. IMG Artists’ vision, reach and dynamism have already taken the company further than any other business operating in this field. We look forward to expanding IMG Artists’ activities in Russia and throughout the world.”

Jeff Fuhrman, President and Chief Operating Officer of IMG Artists said, “This is a huge opportunity for IMG Artists to enhance our presence in key territories, complement our successful business efforts and pursue a wide range of expansion opportunities. Alex Shustorovich is a great strategic asset and we look forward to working with him to help us reach the next level.”

A friend rang to say that Harold Rubens has died, aged 92.

He was a piano prodigy from Cardiff who played the Beethoven G majpr concerto with George Szell when he was 10 but never made a big career.

His brother Cyril was a violinist in the London Symphony Orchestra. Sister Beryl (still alive) played viola at Welsh National Opera.

The family celebrity was novelist Bernice who won the Booker prize for The Elected Member and wrote a profoundly true story of music teaching, Madame Sousatzka, which was filmed with Shabana Azmi and Shirley Maclaine. Bernice, too, could play.

Harold used to drop in on friends and, if he felt like it, play their piano. One told me that when he finished, there were 50 people in the street outside listening intently, clamouring for more.

Here’s a BBC Wales link.

And here’s Harold with George Bernard Shaw, and his piano teacher, Madame Ledruskaya.

Another friend got in touch later to say that he died a year ago, but everyone’s thinking of him today, on the anniversary.

Just when you thought television had run clean out of ideas, here’s an original wheeze from ITV.

It’s called The Choir That Rocks and the aim is to excite people around the country to join together and sing pop music.

Brilliant, right? Everyone should sing. It wards off depression and cures smoking. It’s better for you than jogging. It puts you at the head of a supermarket queue (try it).

The presenter of The Choir That Rocks, Caroline Redman Lusher, is classically trained and I’d be right up for the idea if it wasn’t a straight steal – sorry, a tribute series – to what Gareth Malone does so successfully on the BBC.

What’s new on telly? Nothing at all.

photo: Telegraph

Press release below:

This new three part entertaining documentary series tells the stories of people from all over Britain united by one common desire… to sing in the inspirational Rock Choir.  Filmed over five months, the cameras follow Rock Choir’s dynamic founder Caroline Redman Lusher and her dedicated team as they expand the Rock Choir empire across Britain.  With their electrifying repertoire of current and classic pop and rock numbers; from Amy Winehouse and Robbie Williams to Aretha Franklin; this Choir will get everyone wanting to join in.

Rock Choir is the largest and most popular choir in the UK, with 150 rehearsals in 90 towns across the country and more than 8000 members.  For many of its members it is a stress-busting inspiration, giving them life-changing experiences they never thought possible.  It’s come a long way from a small advertisement put up in a coffee shop in Farnham by Caroline Redman Lusher five years ago.

In this three part series the uplifting story of Rock Choir will be told; of people all over Britain who come together to sing feel-good rock, pop, soul chart hits.  With no need to audition the only requirements are enthusiasm and commitment.  Full of Brits with true grit and heart-warming stories, Rock Choir and its many characters is a story about real people and real lives.

Over the series compelling stories will unfold and engaging characters will emerge: the plumber who practises his choirs’ dance routine while he mends a leaky boiler; the teenagers performing their version of a Pixie Lott song in the classroom; the 24 year old who has finally found her confidence since being knocked by childhood bullies, the retired husband and wife who enjoy attending the choir together and a women battling cancer who gains strength from her fellow choir members.

This is the true story of what has already been dubbed the “people’s choir”.  A national phenomenon that has touched thousands of ordinary people and changed some of their lives forever.  From rehearsals in drafty halls, barns and theatres to live performances – be they in local shopping centres or school halls, the series will be there as the dramas unfold – seeing the choirs as they struggle with new songs, the battles for the coveted solos and the drive to get members for the newest choirs.

From Portsmouth to Glasgow, Rock Choir is constantly growing, but the ultimate dream is get everyone performing together in one vast stadium.  Will Rock Choir and its members will be able to pull it off?

The programme has been developed by 10 Star Entertainment, who produced Boyzone: A Tribute To Stephen Gately for ITV1 earlier this year, and has been commissioned by John Kaye Cooper, ITV Controller of Entertainment. Series producer is Alannah Richardson (Supersizers, Grand Designs) and is Co-Executive Produced by 10 Star Entertainment CEO, Beatrice Ballard (How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Any Dream Will Do) and 10 Star Entertainment Executive Producer, Rachael Parker (X Factor, Big Brother).

I’ve had a message on behalf of the conductor Jun Märkl, saying he is making every effort to visit Japan, despite the tour cancellation after a vote by musicians and staff by the National Orchestra of Lyon.

Märkl, who is half-Japanese and is leaving Lyon at the end of the season, is putting together a benefit concert in Tokyo, his agent reports.

Good for him.

Just in from my agent, Jonyn Geller, on Twitter:

music sales in US down 64% in 11 years – loss of showcase for product responsible

Bits keep falling off the classical agency wing of Universal Music, and I wonder why.

The raft of artists that agents Jeffrey Vanderveen and Manfred Seipt brought to the media giant three years ago has been getting thinner and thinner as clients drift back to their previous haunts, never having found the pot of gold they were promised.

Van and the Man tried last year to pull off a deal with the British corner store HarrisonParrott, but since that went down the agency wing that was supposed to act as flypaper to Universal’s record labels has simply stalled.

No new artists. Only one conductor on the books (and you won’t have heard of him) and widening discontent among the clients.

The firm has four big earners: Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, Thomas Hampson and Karita Mattila.

Karita quit today. She’s taking her US career back to Alison Pybus at IMG and putting her Europe diary in the hands of Simon Goldstone at Intermusica, the man behind Joyce DiDonato.

That’s a big loss for universal. Not quite as much as the $14 million they have already squandered on the agency, but big name, big prestige, big blow. One other biggie, I hear, is also wavering.

Sounds like someone in a suit needs to take a smart view of the faltering business.

How often do you hear a Korngold piece that is not the violin concerto?

Well, here’s a chance. You’ll have to fly to Glasgow for it but, hey – it’s Korngold, it’s Shakespeare, when will you get another chance?

The Glyndebourne opera festival is about to announce live screenings of three productions at the Science Museum in London.

Breakthrough? Well it’s not penicillin but it’s rare bridge thrown across what C P Snow called the Two Cultures.

Glyndebourne, under Gus Christie’s and David Pickard’s enlightened leadership, is breaking out of the arts ghetto and seeking synergies with science and technology. The festival is going green with electricity derived from its own wind turbine. Talks have also been going on for some time with the Science Museum to explore common promotions and agendas. Sunday at the opera is a new one for science. Next year, maybe, we’ll have molecules and Mozart. The Science Museum, by the way, already has a dancer in residence.

Details: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg live on Sunday 26^th June, Don Giovanni (pre-recorded) on Sunday 31^st July, The Turn of the Screw live on Sunday 21^st August. Tickets from: £30.00-£50.00 on sale from 9am 23 May. Booking: Tel: 0870 870 4868 or visit the website www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/glyndebourne

Even more radical is Glyndebourne’s new link up with the Guardian newspaper, which will carry the last night of the sold out production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg live online via guardian.co.uk and glyndebourne.com. The streaming will be available for seven days after the initial broadcast and will be free of charge to viewers. It will be followed by a second relay of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw in August.

This is the first such link-up between any UK newspaper and an opera company. More remarkably, the Guardian lives on the left in slutwear

and Glyndebourne draws its funding from city folk and the filthy rich, stipulating a black-tie dress code.

Now what was it Isaiah said about lions lying downs with lambs? and which one here’s the vegetarian?

Oh, I could get so excited… we live in revolutionary times.

In the truculent post-War history of the Salzburg festivals, no more resounding slap in the face has been seen than the one delivered by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra this weekend.

After 45 years’ uninterrupted service, the Berlin players gave the festival 12 months’ notice which, in the slow-moving world of festival management, is rather like telling your wife you want a divorce – and have married someone else already. In Berlin’s case, they had done a deal with Baden-Baden before issuing Salzburg with its decree nisi. Their conductor, Simon Rattle, had no say – it is said – in the decision.

Fifteen months ago, the Berliners and Rattle were imploring the former record executive Peter Alward to step into the breach and save the festival – and their jobs – after the last management team were investigated for fraud. Alward obliged and set about rebuilding the enterprise from foundations up. Now, says one of his allies, ‘they have pulled the rug from beneath Peter’s feet, left him high and dry’.

I’m not so sure. Salzburg has toughed it out, year by year, with the Vienna Philharmonic. It won;t be daunted by aggression from Berlin, or by the calibre of the opposition.

Baden-Baden is a privately financed festival with an audience of wealthy Germans and Russians. Its financing is by no means transparent and its creative achievement so far has been modest. Signing Rattle with Berlin is a coup – but only if a sizaable proportion of the Salzburg audience will follow them to Baden-Baden, which, for various reasons, is unlikely.

Alward has the best conductor friendships in the business – from Claudio Abbado to Franz Welser-Möst. He will not be long finding a Rattle replacement, or an equivalent orchestra. Without the encumbrance of inflated egos, he will make a better festival. He has the support of Eliette von Karajan, the Mayor of Salzburg and the festival’s sponsors. He is a man of imagination, loyalty and integrity, qualities notably absent in Berlin.There will be more sympathy for him in the months ahead than for the defecting Berliners.

Then is there is the delicate issue of contracts. The Berlin Philharmonic have coproduction agreements with the Salzburg Easter for the next three seasons, with Gerard Mortier in Madrid as a third partner in the deal. Since those contracts have been broken, consequences will follow. Salzburg and Madrid will sue. The Berlin Philharmonic could lose as much money as it gains.

So why did the players voted to follow the golden calf to Baden Baden? Cupidity and stupidity are not the only reasons. It has been some time since Berlin players flexed a muscle and a new bunch have come through, keen to exert their power. I hear that principal cellist and orchestra spokesman Olaf Maninger was one of the leaders, and he has certainly out a good spin on it in the German press. But for how long?

There will be new blood announced long before next Easter and when the Berliners turn up for a valedictory Carmen they will be greeted with muted hostility mingled with relief. They have done their bit for 45 years. Thank you and goodnight.

Time for renewal.