This just in from our local paper. Let’s hope support pours in for Abi Baker.

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They are trying to raise money by selling off the roof tile by tile, while appealing to cultured people not to let Australia be ruled by philistines. Watch the video. The attitudes it reveals may shock.

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The city of Munich has published a letter from Valery Gergiev to Munich’s Kulturreferent (cultural advisor) Hans-Georg Küppers, saying that he fully and completely supports the city’s anti-discrimination laws. Text follows.

 

gergiev munich

Dear Dr. Kueppers,
Once again I would like to return to our yesterday’s press conference.
In this press conference you mentioned.
“For the city of Munich it applies that any exclusion, discrimination or harassment of people because of their gender, origin, color, religion, disability or sexual orientation must not occur. Ways of behaviour that contradict these principles will not be tolerated.”
I fully support this attitude of the city of Munich. In my entire professional career as an artist I have always and everywhere adhered to these principles and will do so in the future. All other allegations hurt me very much. In addition, I think it is useful to have a conversation with the community during one of my next stays here in Munich.”
Valery Gergiev
Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Küppers,
noch einmal möchte ich auf unsere gemeinsame Pressekonferenz von gestern zurückkommen. Sie hatten dort geäußert:
“Für die Stadt München gilt, dass jede Ausgrenzung, Benachteiligung oder Belästigung von Menschen aufgrund Geschlecht, Herkunft, Hautfarbe, Religion, Behinderung oder sexueller Identität unterbleibt.
Verhaltensweisen, die diesen Grundsätzen widersprechen, werden nicht toleriert.”
Ich unterstütze diese Haltung der Stadt München voll und ganz. In meinem ganzen Berufsleben als Künstler habe ich überall auf der Welt nach diesen Grundsätzen gehandelt und werde es auch in Zukunft tun. Alle anderen Unterstellungen treffen mich sehr. Darüber hinaus halte ich es für sinnvoll, bei einem meiner nächsten Aufenthalte in München ein Gespräch mit der Community zu führen.”
Valery Gergiev
Gergiev is due to become music director of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, with a reported wage of four million Euros.

Watch. Life’s not always as reported.

The musicians were European and American. The concert was organised by the French Cultural Centre at the Deir-el-Latin, the region’s only Roman Catholic church.

Credits: Michael Dabroski, Violin and interview. “Goldberg in Gaza” Hosted by Al Kamandjati Association (Ramallah) and Cultural Institute Francais Gaza. Michael is Director of Music at Burlington College, Vermont, USA. Other musicians Ariana Falk (cello), Peter Sulski (viola), Demetrios Karamintzas (oboe). Link by Watania (Gaza).

gaza bach

The Cadaques competition has been whittled down to three semi-finalists, all male.

They are:

Michel Delanghe (Belgium)

Lorenzo Viotti (France)

Vlad Vizireanu (US)

Why don’t they just say women needn’t apply?

(Valentina Peleggi of Italy and Holly Mathieson of New Zealand – made it to the second round, but no further).

cadaques

 

UPDATE:  The final is between Lorenzo Viotti (France) & Vlad Vizireanu (USA/Romania).

Min-Jin Kym’s Stradivarius violin, stolen from London’s Euston Station in 2010 and later recovered by police, sold today in an online auction for £1.385 million. The buyer is a UK music festival. Press release below.

 

Stolen ‘ex-Kym’ Stradivarius sold for $2.27m [£1,385,000]

Stolen and recovered Stradivarius sold at auction by Tarisio for £1.385 million The world-famous Stradivarius violin that was stolen from London’s Euston Station in 2010 and later recovered has been sold today, 18th December 2013 for £1.385 million including the buyer’s premium.

The ‘ex-Kym’ Stradivarius has been sold by Tarisio, the leading auction house for fine stringed instruments.

“The 1696 Stradivari has been purchased by a British music festival led by an English violinist. We congratulate the new owner and wish them the best of luck and success with the violin. We are delighted that it will be played and enjoyed for many more years to come and that it will actively contribute to the musical vibrancy of this country through the festival and its wonderful work,” says Jason Price, Director of Tarisio.

The violin previously belonged to London-based violinist Min-Jin Kym, a celebrated international soloist and chamber musician and the story of the theft received worldwide attention and sympathy. After chasing leads across Europe, the instrument was recovered three years later by the police in the Midlands, astonishingly undamaged. The thief tried to flog it for £100.

We’ve received terrible news from Hong Kong. Ambrose Yeung, the popular and capable orchestra director of the Philharmonic, died suddenly today during a game of badminton. Newly married, he was at work as usual in the morning and dropped dead during the game in the afternoon. Tonight’s concert was called off an hour before its scheduled start. The players were too shocked to go on.

Our sympathies to Ambrose’s heartbroken family and colleagues. 

hkphilambrose yeung

The soaring comets and falling stars of a classical year that celebrated Wagner, Verdi and Britten.

The tops:

1 Jonas Kaufmann

The tenor for all tastes

jonas kaufmann

2 Anna Netrebko

Every minigarch’s dream, she dumped an absentee husband and soared in Berlin’s Trovatore

3 Janine Jansen

The first classical soloist to sell strongly on download

jansens vivaldi

4 Daniil Trifonov

A Tchaikovsky winner who prefers Schoenberg, he won a gilt-edged DG contract.

5 PatKop

The barefoot violinist goes boldly where others fear to tread.

 

Patricia+Kopatchinskaja+Luzerner+Sinfonieorchester+Patricia+Kopatchinskaya

 

And as for the flops:

1 Christoph Eschenbach

A conductor can get away with one bad night. This one had three massive flops.

2 Erwin Schrott

Beefcake baritone lost his diva ticket

 

erwin schrott

 

3 The Bolshoi

Will the last conductor please turn out the light?

4 Steinway and Pleyel

One piano maker sold to asset strippers, the other went out of business

5 New York

…. which lost both City Opera and the Brooklyn Philharmonic with barely a public whimper.

Let’s hope for better performances in 2014.

A good deal of disquiet remains after the conductor’s press conference yesterday, when he denied any knowledge of Russia’s anti-gay laws. The matter has been rushed onto today’s council agenda. Our man on the spot says it’s a long agenda, with 71 points, but the Pink List feel strongly enough about the city’s new conductor to keep the issue alive. See UPDATE below.

Here is a further selection of the conductor’s comments, confirmed to us by the Munich Philharmonic:

 

gergiev-prof

“Ich bin ein vielbeschäftigter Künstler” (I’m a very busy artist).
On equating homosexuality with paedophilia, Gergiev said that there were increasing reports of paedophilia and kidnapping of children in Russia. “People are really angry.”
Asked whether he supported Putin’s law that makes it illegal to even talk about homosexuality in front of minors, Gergiev replied that he would be happier if children would learn more about Pushkin and Tchaikovsky.
 “Of course, there is no place for discrimination in the artistic community. If someone is discriminated against in my presence and I remain silent, that is my responsibility.”
But he was a musician and not a politician, Gergiev noted. He could only speak about his area of expertise.
“I’m not a member of the Duma or of the government,” Gergiev said.
UPDATE: Mayor Christian Ude said he feels that Gergiev has managed to clear up his “unclear” and “unfortunate” comments. Ude added that the city council’s anti-discrimination regulations were binding for all employees, including Gergiev.

That’s the pledge from Alexander Pereira, the incoming sovrintendente. Take with large pinch of salt. Here.

riccardo chailly

After 15 years of creating one of the best composer resources in the world, Christian Meyer is moving on. He’s 51 and has one more job in him. Meyer took charge 15 years ago when the archive was transferred from Los Angeles to Vienna. Read here.

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