We hear that Houston Grand Opera, ambitious and expansionist under David Gockley’s leadership, is cutting back to the bone. First to go is its internal recording program, in which all performances were recorded for broadcast, commercial and archive purposes.

Recording will end next month. HGO has informed WFMT in Chicago that they are not going to renew radio broadcasts for the fall season and beyond. There will be no historic record of future performances.

In an unrelated move, the local radio station recently laid off all its classical presenters.

Houston has a problem, a  big one.

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A row has erupted in Lviv over plans to perform Mozart’s Requiem in memory of those who died in the country’s popular uprising.

Musicians have circulated a protest, saying that the rector of the Lviv conservatoire, Ihor Pylatyuk, was a close political associate of the deposed ruler Victor Yanyukovich and was unfit to lead a commemoration to the demonstrators who died at the hands of his regime. Link here (in Ukrainian, with Google translate).

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The Yellow Label has inked (sic) arms with one of the most successful musical deconstructionists, Max Richter. He has somehow managed to find a new audience for Vivaldi without frightening off the old.

Press release follows.

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Contemporary British composer Max Richter today announced a new partnership with Deutsche Grammophon, the world’s oldest classical music label.

Composer, musician, producer, remixer and collaborator extraordinaire, Richter defies definition. An enigma he may be; what is beyond argument is that he is one of the most prolific musical artists of his generation.

The exclusive new deal encompasses new works and collaborations, as well as the release in April on Deutsche Grammophon of his best-selling solo albums Infra24 Postcards in Full ColourSongs from Before and The Blue Notebooks. In addition, a new recording of Richter’s much-praised orchestral work Memoryhouse will appear in September.

To celebrate the new partnership, Deutsche Grammophon will issue a new edition of Richter’s highly acclaimed Vivaldi Recomposed, his unique reworking of The Four Seasons for violin, chamber orchestra and moog synthesizer – already one of the most talked-about new classical works of recent times. This best-selling album will now also include remixes, newly-composed electronic soundscapes, and an exclusive performance film, featuring Max Richter and violinist Daniel Hope, and shot in East Berlin in late 2013. A brand-new app will go on sale at the same time, allowing users to experience Recomposed and an original version of Vivaldi’s classical hit side by side, with commentary, background essays and unique user functionalities.

Pictured signing his new contract at this week’s Universal Music Global Classical Music Conference, with (left to right) Jane Carter, Mark Wilkinson, Costa Pilavachi, Christian Badzura, Max Hole and Ute Fesquet, Richter commented: “I am thrilled to be part of the Yellow Label family, and look forward to helping shape the presentation of and passion for contemporary music over the coming years.”max richter

Mitch Leigh, who wrote the song for Man of La Mancha (along with the rest of the score, is no more). Mitch was 86.

The song has been covered by every balladeer from Jacques Brel to Placido Domingo.

the impossible dream

Iggy Pop wrotes:

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM IGGY:

My dear friend Scott Asheton passed away last night.

Scott was a great artist, I have never heard anyone play the drums with more meaning than Scott Asheton. He was like my brother. He and Ron have left a huge legacy to the world. The Ashetons have always been and continue to be a second family to me.

My thoughts are with his sister Kathy, his wife Liz and his daughter Leanna, who was the light of his life.

Iggy Pop

Scott was 64.

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Vadym Kholodenko, winner of the 2013 Van Cliburn competition, has been talking to Elijah Ho about the political situation back home. Here is a taste of his anguish when asked about Russia and Ukraine:

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Kholodenko: Thank you for asking, Elijah. My mother and grandmother are still living in Kiev, actually. I think Putin is very passionate about the idea of ‘empire’. Crimea was originally a very important place for the Russians, and the situation is probably a huge bonus for his next presidential election.

Actually, this probably guarantees a fourth, fifth, and 150th presidential term for him. From this perspective, this is good for Putin’s Russia. Putin’s Russia needs power. There is a phantom pain for the separated parts of the USSR that is still in Russian blood.

For Ukraine, this is a tragedy. This is a total failure of the diplomatic section, failure of new government, failure of hope that something can change in Ukraine, and in Russia as well. But all of this is nothing compared to the tragedy of the people. This is not your average war: this is civil war. This is a war between nations who were in the Second World War. Together.

Of course, all of this is just lyrical tweet. War means war. Through all of the hysteria, I feel the weakness of my generation, in comparison with the generation of my grandmother. That generation saw and experienced real war.

Full interview here.

syria01The children are displaced victims of Russian foreign policy, of Moscow’s support for the Assad regime that is murdering its citizens.

Jan Lisiecki, thePolish-Canadian pianist on his first visit to Lebanon, was determined to see conditions for himself and bring some relief.

He writes:

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The day after the concert I had the opportunity to visit the Bekaa Valley, and the sites where UNICEF is giving aid to young refugees from Syria. This is located about 2 hours drive from Beirut, and only 10 km from the Syrian border.
UNICEF is working together with Beyond Borders to establish informal schools where children can be together, learning, and making music, and can overcome any sorrow or pain, at least in the time they are in school.
We visited two separate schools, each slightly different in format and structure.
The teachers told us of the struggles they faced at the beginning; how students could not shake the influence of the violence they had seen and experienced.
Just as we arrived, a music class was in progress in one of the tents.
Initially, the children were very shy, uncertain of the relationship between them and the newcomers. They sang with pleasure but clearly felt uncomfortable. What truly broke the barrier was when I played on the MIDI keyboard they had in the classroom. Even though the music was different and new, something most of them had never heard before, it created a bond. They replied with more songs of their own, and more and more children and teachers streamed into the tent, each student bringing along a personal stool….
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The lyrics were written by the children themselves, and told stories of what they are dreaming of, how they will never give up hope, that they miss their country, and want to go back no matter what. To continue the conversation, I played a little more. Some of the children started clapping and dancing to Western classical music. It was an unparalleled experience.After the visit to the second school, we were invited into a family’s home. Upon stepping in, there was a small hallway, at the end of which we took of our shoes and stepped into the room. In this compact space, the family of 12, including two infants, spent their time together, ate, and slept. We sat on the floor and were told of their struggles and heard their hopes. Many of the refugees had to enter Lebanon illegally; as such they cannot work properly and are often mistreated by their employers.

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, who suffered a dizzy spell on Friday during a concert in Washington D. C., is under medical care for high fever and symptoms of pneumonia.

Frühbeck, 80, was replaced in Saturday’s repeat concert by National Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl.

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Ankush writes: Last night I had the privilege of stepping in for Maestro Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos at the National Symphony Orchestra after he was stricken with a high fever. I wish it was under better circumstances, but I wanted to take this moment to wish Maestro a speedy recovery and also give my colleagues at the NSO a heartfelt thank you for their support, musicianship, and kindness last night. It has been an amazing week with Frühbeck, and a truly emotional one as well, which makes me all the more grateful for all the love and positive energy I was feeling from you all during the show. Bravo to the orchestra and also to my new favorite soloists Kelly O’Conner and Daniil Trifonov!

It was an authorised work, written with his cooperation, but the Dutch master Reinbert de Leeuw, 75, still went to law to block publication of Thea Derks’s generally admiring book.

He failed.

The book, no longer authorised, gets its first warm reviews in Dutch media this weekend. Het Parool: After reading the 381 page biography (…) there’s only one possible conclusion: De Leeuw has enormously put on airs.’

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Tonight’s episode of Music and the Jews goes out at 20.45 London time (2145 Paris, 1545 New York).

It’s about women. I wish I could say more. Forty-five minutes were too short.  Click here for link.

myriam fuks

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos was obliged to sit down during the third movement of Friday night’s performance of Respighi’s Pines of Rome in Washington, D. C.

The Spanish conductor, 80, was seen to clutch the rail of his podium for support. A violinist rusged out to fetch a chair and he finished beating the performance from a seated position. Spanish media have been informed that he suffered a dizzy spell during an overlong programme.

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