There has been nothing but praise for the Russian National Orchestra – Mikhail Pletnev’s ensemble – which has been playing the piano concerto rounds in Moscow. Alexander Dmitriev has been conducting. Judge Peter Donohoe tweeted: ‘I can say that hearing this wonderful orchestra play Rachmaninov & Tchaikovsky reminds me of why I wanted to be a musician in the 1st place.’
Less impressive were the academy orchestra of the St Petersburg Philharmonic, accompanying the violin concertos. ‘Orchestra was abysmal and conductor worse,’ messaged one judge after the first set. The jury, in uproar, berated the administration. Matters improved slightly last night. Maybe it’s time for Valery Gergiev to step up with the baton….
Rachmaninov D minor concerto today in Moscow. Not to be missed.
The Wiener Kammeroper has lost almost 80 percent of its subsidy and faces dissolution. The company has been a key element in Viennese culture for half a century.
Next Sunday, it stages the 30th international Hans Gabor singing competition under the patronage of the state president. It could well be the last.
Sorry details here, in English und auf Deutsch.
On a South American tour with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Detroit conductor has recorded a short version of Soldier of Orange and appealed for support for the arts in Holland, which are being subjected to devastating cuts.
Here’s the video.
There was police violence in yesterday’s demos in The Hague – but not involving the orchestra.
Pieter-Jelle de Boer tells me: ‘The orchestra played at the Hofvijver (the “Court Pond”), the large group of protesters (between 7 000 and 10 000) were at the Malieveld (a traditional location for large demonstrations), the smaller group (several hundreds) were near the entrance of the Tweede Kamer (Parliament) where deliberations on the proposed budget cuts were taking place at the time. This is also where the riot police were located. Things turned sour towards the end of the afternoon, around 5.30 or 6.’
Another correspondent writes: ‘Peaceful protesters to the Arts cuts (they were apparently sitting showing peace hand signs on the street) were dealt with excessive force by the riot police-symbolic for the government’s treatment of the Arts.’
See for yourselves. Here’s the video (skip the advert).
photo: Frank Kresin / cc-by-nc-sa/ Niederlande.net
Protests are mounting in The Hague against government decimation of state subsidy.
Here’s video of a protest performance of O Fortuna, from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a work created for the Nazi regime. The orchestra was made up of members of all the Dutch orchestras, the choir of several different Dutch soloists, ensembles & choirs. Conductor was Lawrence Renes.
If you recognise principal players and singers in the performance, I’ll insert the credits. If you’re a cop, stay cool.
See previous.
LATE EXTRA: Some viewers have asked whether the street confrontation is genuine, or pieced together from separate video takes in different locations. Anyone able to enlighten us? Thanks to filmmaker Tommy Pearson for pointing this out.
LATE LATE EXTRA: I’ve just been told that the riot police where in a completely different part of town from the orchestra. The video was edited to make it appear they were in a standoff. That’s a propaganda trick. Artists should beware of stooping so low. I have changed the healdine above to clarify the situation.
Here it is.
Judge for yourselves if the conductor Mark Gorenstein was making a legitmate criticism of the contestant’s playing – or whether he crossed the line into racial abuse. The soloist is Narek Hakhnazaryan.
Here’s a rough translation.
“First thing. Do not worry about what he plays, this talent. Your task is to play what is written there in the score, and do it with me. Do not worry about this AUL that is presented here to us – this is Nashimoto’s cousin, I’ve seen it already. We don’t need this. Yes, play with me, please. Everything else is not your buisness. That first thing. Second – you play too loud. In Dvorak. You forgot, that this is not trombone. Whatever he whistles here, you should play softer than him.”
Gorenstein later apologised and withdrew from further participation in the competition.
Classical music in South America (Venezuela honourably excepted) seems to be a long-running series of shootouts.
In Brazil they force musicians to re-audition for their jobs and fire those who don’t.
In Ecuador, they are trying the same gambit.
But nothing beats the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, which is suing seven musicians for the losses of an unending strike – in reality a lockout by the government-backed house administration. Placido Domingo has refused to sing there again until the matter is resolved.
Here’s the latest dispatch I’ve received.
Dear Norman:
Last week Teatro Colón’s director García Caffi added 8 million pesos to the 55-million pesos lawsuit against 8 artists, demanding $63 M ($15 million US dollars) from 4 musicians, 3 choir members and the photographer, in compensation for the performances cancelled by the Director during our strike for better salaries and working conditions.
We had a hearing at the Court yesterday. García Caffi did not attend this hearing. The Buenos Aires city government (counseled by a private firm, because the official BA government lawyers declined this case months ago) dropped the lawsuit. Even though this can be considered the beginning of a good faith agreement between the City and its employees, no progress at all has been made in our demands. Teatro Colón’s director has made substantial discounts to the musicians’ salaries in the past three months (in compensation for the strike) and the administrative sanctions haven’t been dropped. Even though we signed an agreement not to stop performances at the last minute, we will keep demanding better salaries and working conditions, and all sanctions and discounts should be dropped. We’ll keep you updated.
Here‘s a translated news report from Tiempo.
Word has just reached me that the Dutch Parliament has approved a government proposal to cut 60 percent from the subsidy received by the excellent Reisopera touring company.
This decision is not just bad for arts. It is bad government.
Why cut 60 percent? If the rightwing coalition wants to get rid of the company, it should abolish the subsidy altogether. If not, it should make the reduction manageable.
A 60 percent cut is chicken government – a bunch of politicians who are too scrawny and scared to take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions. Reisopera will probably have to shut down as a result of the deep cut. The politicians will then say ‘our hands did not shed this blood.’
Well, they did – and with a cowardice akin to Brutus and his friends. It is a shameful decision, a stain on Dutch democracy.
Fred Steiner wrote many of the early Star Trek soundtracks, but is best known for the Perry Mason theme – a blood-chilling tune for a TV detective, played by Raymond Burr (who later created Ironside). Here it is.
And here’s his Variety obit.
Fred had pedigree. He was the son of the Laurel and Hardy composer, George Steiner.
The Armenian cellist, Narek Hakhnazaryan, one of the last five in his section, has been at the centre of a storm in which it was alleged that the Russian conductor Mark Gorenstein insulted his national and racial origin during a rehearsal for his concerto performance.
Gorenstein allegedly called him an aul, something like a village fiddler, a term which expresses Russian disdain for its former provinces.
Journalists who heard the remark rushed into print and the matter was brought to arbitration. Gorenstein, who is Artistic Director of the Svetlanov State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, offered an apology and has withdrawn from conducting further rounds.
Here’s the full story, just up on Tass.
http://www.epress.am/en/2011/06/27/russian-symphony-conductor-apologizes-for-insulting-armenian-cellist.html
6.27.2011 15:05 epress.am
Russian Symphony Conductor Apologizes for Insulting Armenian Cellist
Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan (pictured) has accepted the apology from conductor Mark Gorenstein for insulting remarks made during the 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition in which Hakhnazaryan is a participant. Hakhnazaryan conveyed this news himself to Russian news agency Itar-Tass.
“All is well. My head, my thoughts are now only on the competition. I am concentrating on the music for my upcoming performance in the finals,” he said.
Note, during the recital on Jun. 25, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia (Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra) and National Artist of Russia Mark Gorenstein told the orchestra: “Don’t let it concern you at all what this talent, this aul [a small village in the mountains; meant to indicate lack of respect] presented to us is playing. Your task is to play what is written there in the score and to do it with me.” This statement offended journalists who were at the recital, after which the story gained public attention.
Since then, an official statement has appeared on the competition website, which reads as follows:
“The Organizing Committee of the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition regards as insulting the statements addressed by Artistic Director of the Svetlanov State Symphony Orchestra of Russia Mark Gorenstein to competition participant Narek Hakhnazaryan.
“We consider that words reflecting on an individual’s dignity do damage to the creative atmosphere that we have worked so hard to establish. The purpose of the Tchaikovsky Competition is to support young musicians, and every one of the competition’s organizers and participants is obliged to treat its competitors with the utmost respect.”
“I would like to explain my position regarding the incident,” Gorenstein told Itar-Tass. “First, it was a conversation within the team. Second, I assure you, I neither conveyed nor did I wish to convey any nationalist undertones in my remarks, since that is totally foreign both to me personally and to our team.”
According to the chief conductor, the orchestra he conducts is a multinational group which employs Armenian, Bashkir, Belarussian, Georgian, Jewish, Russia, Tatar and Ukrainian peoples and “never during my leadership has there been conflict on ethnic grounds.”
“I am very sorry about what happened and I offer my sincere apologies to all those who I hurt with my words,’ said Gorenstein.
Contrary to expectations, Anne-Sophie Mutter has turned up for the finals. So have Maxim Vengerox, Leonidas Kavakos and Yuri Bashmet.
But Nikolai Znaider is a no-show. Sent a doctor’s note.
That makes three out, after Freire and Ashkenazy.
Vladimir Ashkenazy is out, with a gastric infection – possibly the effect of too much long-distance travel. Shame, he was really looking forward to returning to the scene of his early torture and triumph.
He joins Nelson Freire on the sicklist. Nelson’s recovering from exhaustion.
The finals start tonight.
photo: allegro films
