An article in cracked.com, which purports to be ‘America’s Only Humor Site Since 1958’ (anyone see any .coms around in 1958?) enumerates ‘5 Bizarre Dark Sides to Modern Orchestras’.
Oh, yeah….
Its picture below, credited to the Getty agency, purports to show members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra high on performance-enhancing drugs.
Is that really so? Do we believe these are orchestral players after a concert? Anyone recognise them? Is this really the home-loving BBC Phil? Did cracked.com get that information from a Getty caption. If it did, the BBC lawyers should be getting onto Getty’s long tail without a moment’s delay.
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LATER: I have searched the Getty website and cannot find the image. If it’s not Getty, maybe it’s not the BBC Phil. The plot thickens.
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LATER STILL: I am officially informed by the BBC Philharmonic that these are not their players. Nobody has identified them as classical musicians at all. Lawyers are making the appropriate noises to Getty and cracked.com. I hope to update with further information.
I’ve just had the link to the redesign of Norway’s Klassisk magazine, and it’s a stunner. Look here:
KlassiskMagasin Klassisk Musikkmagasin 03-2011
Not only is the layout icebox Nordic chic, easy on the eye, but you can flip the pages one by one as you browse from start to finish. I haven’t had this much fun with a music magazine since … I dunno, maybe since Gramophone came out in black when Karajan died.
It has just been released that ‘one of the most celebrated artists of our century’ will grace the 9/11 concert at Lincoln Center this Sunday.
But Jessye Norman’s not going to sing. She’s going to take the narrator’s part. And not in one of the great works of oratory, either. Why’s that?
Here’s the billing:
photo: scena.org
A Concert of Commemoration, Honoring the 10th Anniversary of 9/11
Sunday, September 11th at 2pm Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
For Immediate Release, September 6, 2011, New York, NY … Jessye Norman, celebrated opera singer, activist and American icon, joins DCINY on the afternoon of September 11thfor A Concert of Commemoration, Honoring the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. Over 600 musicians will fill the stage for the concert featuring iconic music of war and peace, including over 300 members of England’s renowned Really Big Chorus. Miss Norman will speak the role of the Narrator in Karl Jenkins’s For the Fallen: In Memoriam Alfryn Jenkins, in its U.S. premiere. Jenkins wrote For the Fallen in memory of his Welsh uncle, Alfryn Jenkins, a viola player who was captain of a Lancaster bomber that was lost, with an all Welsh crew, over Berlin in 1944 while the composer was an infant. It is set to the iconic poem by Laurence Binyon, which incorporates the Last Post bugle call, a soprano solo (Erika Grace Powell) and narration. The piece debuted last year at the Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall.
Miss Norman will also read Mayor Bloomberg’s proclamation to open the concert.
The program also includes Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, a stirring work that has been performed nearly 1000 times in 20 different countries since it was written in 2000, and René Clausen’s Memorial, written in 2003 to commemorate the victims of 9/11.The Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International and Distinguished Concerts Singers International will perform.
TICKETS starting at $20: CentreChange at 212.721.6500 or www.lincolncenter.org
or visit the Lincoln Center box office at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza
More information and VIP packages at www.dciny.org
Levine has not recovered from back surgery this summer, in addition to other complaints.
Luisi, named principal conductor, is covering Siegfried and Don Giovanni.
The Met needs to get its succession strategy in place, fast. Luisi has said he’s not interested in the #1 slot. He’s music director at Zurich Opera, thank you very much.
The Dutch broadcasters appear to be following BBC policy on disruption of concerts by political agitators.
The centenary concert of the Dutch composers organisation, attended by Queen Beatrix, was invaded by a lone intruder. The performance is now online at youtube with the interruption completely edited out.
It might have been a better idea to cut out the introductory speeches as well and go straight to the music…
La Reppublica reports that three waiting-list patients have been saved by donations of the late tenor’s two kidneys and liver.
The body mow lies in state at the Teatro Massimo Bellini which, four years ago today, mourned his great mentor, Luciano Pavarotti.
A correspondent in Sicily informs me that the body of Salvatore Licitra, who died yesterday after nine days in a road crash coma, will lie in state for the next two days in the foyer of the Teatro Bellini in Catania, so that people can go and pay their respects.
Licitra had strong ties to the theatre and many local people want to have an opportunity to pay respect and say farewell to an artist many thought might become the next Pavarotti. Licitra was only 43 at his death.
Local newspapers report that both of his kidneys have been transplanted into waiting patients.
Three weeks ago, I posted an item about a bassoonist in Lake Placid, NY, who was retiring after 64 years’ service. Was David Van Hoesen, I wondered, the longest serving player of all time in the same orchestra?
The wires have been buzzing ever since with suggestions and reader Clinton F Nieweg has come up with a near-definitive list.
The list is heavily Anglocentric. Does anyone know of players in other countries who worked as long, or longer? Russians, perhaps?
1. Violinist Francis Darger: Utah Symphony 1942 to 2011 – 69 years – current member.
http://www.utahsymphony.org/about/the-orchestra/item/270-frances-darger
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2. Bass: Jane Little, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – 1945 to 2011- 66 years – current member.
“Asst. Principal Bass Emeritus of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Jane Little, first performed with the ASO in 1945 under their original name of
Atlanta Youth Symphony for two years before the orchestra officially changed to Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 1947.”
http://www.atlantasymphony.org/About/Artists/ASO-Musicians/Jane-Little.aspx
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3. Principal Timpanist Richard Horowitz: Metropolitan Opera Orchestra 1946 to 2011 – 65 years – current member.
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/bio.aspx?id=3964&type=1
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4. Violinist Felix Resnick: Detroit Symphony Orchestra – 1943 until his death in April 2008 at age 89. 65 years.
http://dso.pastsoftware.com/Collections.aspx?ID=33
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5. Bassoonist David Van Hoesen: Lake Placid Sinfonietta NY – 1947 to 2011 – 64 years – retired.
http://www.lakeplacidsinfonietta.org/orchestra.cfm
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6. Clarinetist Stanley Drucker: New York Philharmonic 1948 to 2009 – 62 years – retired.
In 1948, Drucker won a post in the New York Philharmonic clarinet section.
In 1960, he became the orchestra’s principal clarinetist. In January 2008,
the New York Philharmonic announced Drucker’s retirement from the orchestra
at the close of the 2008-2009 season, for a total of 61 years with the
orchestra and 49 years as its principal clarinet. Guinness logs his career
at “62 years, 7 months and 1 day as of June 4, 2009”.
Drucker’s final concert with the orchestra was July 31, 2009 in Vail, Colorado.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/arts/music/05druc.html?pagewanted=all
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7. Violinist Earl Summers Jr.: joined the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra at age 12 as a section violinist in 1929, the founding year of the orchestra, and retired from performing in 1990 as Concertmaster of the WSO – 61 years.
http://wheeling.weirton.lib.wv.us/history/people/hallfame/Summers.htm
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8. Violinist Jerome Wigler: Philadelphia Orchestra – 1951 to 2011 retired – 60 years – age 91.
http://www.juilliard.edu/alumni/news/spotlight/archive/2009-10/200910.php
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9. Principal Trumpet Adolph (Bud) Herseth: Chicago Symphony Orchestra – 1948 until 2001, and served as principal trumpet emeritus from 2001 until his retirement in 2004. 56 years.
http://abel.hive.no/trompet/herseth/
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10. Percussionist Joe Sinai: San Francisco Symphony “His career as a symphonic performer began in 1915 [and continued to 1970]
… for 55 years with the San Francisco Symphony.”
http://www.meredithmusic.com/joe-sinai-san-francisco-symphony
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11.Timpanist Alan Taylor: Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra, 1951 to April 1, 2002. 51 years. (d. May 15, 2002, aged 71)
http://www.s142342584.websitehome.co.uk/alantaylor/
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12. Principal Harpist Sidonie Goossens: “…Her professional debut in 1921
at a Prom concert, and took part in the first tour by the London Symphony
Orchestra. She was Principal Harpist when the BBC Symphony Orchestra gave
its first public concert under its founder, Sir Adrian Boult, in October
1930, and she was still in the post when the Orchestra celebrated its golden
jubilee in 1980, the year she officially retired.”
At age 91 in 1991, she became the oldest person to perform at the Last Night
of the Proms concert, televised by the BBC. She died at the age of 105 on
December 15, 2004. 50 years with the BBC Orchestra.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3393369.stm
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13. “Violinist Newton Mansfield joined the New York Philharmonic in 1961” to 2011- 50 years – current member.
http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=81
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14. Cellist Jules Eskin: Principal of the Boston Symphony Orchestra – 1964
to 2011 – 47 years – current member.
http://www.cellist.nl/database/showcellist.asp?id=1577
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15. Timpanist Erwin Mueller: Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Muncie, IN – since its inception in 1949 to 2011 – current member.
http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/Music/Directory/Brassand PercussionFaculty/MuellerErwin.aspx
“I checked and while Erwin did play the first concert and in the early days
of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, he went off to Grad. School and then on to
the Chattanooga and Indianapolis Orchestras before returning to Muncie in
the late 60s. This probably removes him from the list of ‘constant’
membership but as for ‘allied’ membership..around 45 years.” – Leonard Atherton
I have seen a letter from Hannah Munitz, director of Israel Opera, confirming that she has terminated Graham Vick’s contract for a forthcoming production of Lucia di Lammer moor in Tel Aviv, after the furore over his Mose in Egitto at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro.
Vick represented the Jewish slaves as Palestinians and Moses as a Bin Laden-type demagogue, sparking protests during the first performance and outrage at what some perceived as an anti-semitic slur. Vick has declined several invitations to explain his production and the motives behind it.
That said, I am not sure it was wise of Israel Opera to bow to donor pressure and sack him. Far better to have worked with him in Israel and tried to work on his flawed perceptions. There are no winners in this outcome, only losers.
In her letter to a supporter, Munitz wrote: ‘the director has received from us a letter of cancellation a day after the report on the event took place. We are busy in finding a director and a production to replace the current one. We agree with your opinion and we have acted accordingly.’
On his bike
(salvatorelicitra.com)
Checking out a Maserati
With old warhorse Placido domingo
and Riccardo Muti
(both pics loaned by Licitra to http://www.operawarhorses.com)
Trying it on with Deborah Voigt in San Francisco Opera’s Fanciulla
Good times with Marcelo Alvarez
Vale!
The Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra had died of his head injuries in a hospital in Catania, Italian newspapers report. He was 43.
Licitra came off his Vespa at low speed two weeks ago while searching for a parking space near a restaurant. He was not wearing a helmet and suffered critical injuries. After emergency surgery, he remained in a coma until his death.
Licitra stood in for Luciano Pavarotti at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002 and was acclaimed as his successor.
A full biography can be found on his website. Here’s Corriere on his death and legacy.
Born in Switzerland to Italian parents and dividing his time between Italy and New York, Licitra was a cheerful, popular colleague and a great favourite with Met audiences. He is irreplaceable.
The opera world is in mourning. His body is lying in state for two days at the Teatro Bellini in Catania.
Among all the mutual back-scratching awards that come my way week after week, here’s one that is genuinely hard earned.
Musicians of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra have been working in two mental health wards over the past three years, delivering some 400 sessions to patients and staff. Here’s a video link by way of demonstration (don’t miss the cellist with the stunning French accent). And here’s how it works, from the press release.
Mersey Care commission the orchestra’s musicians to provide therapeutic music sessions for adults and older people with mental health problems, dementia, learning disabilities, brain injury, as well a patients detained in secure units. There are also informal concerts by ensembles from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at inpatient units and service users are assisted, where practicable, to attend the Orchestra’s rehearsals and concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Evaluations of the Musician in Residence programme by service-users, carers, Trust staff, and musicians have been overwhelmingly positive, reporting that the music sessions reach clients who do not otherwise engage with services, helped clients to express themselves, built confidence and self-esteem, and in some cases helped to develop new interests in music, poetry and reading. One client said “Music can touch people the way other therapies cannot.”
In awarding their Special Commendation, the RSPH Awards Committee “…were very impressed by the musical excellence of this project in its work with people with enduring mental health needs. Given the scale of mental health needs in the UK today, and the need for new approaches to supporting recovery, the public health implications of the your work are clear and substantial.”
