25Oct

How Herbert von Karajan lost his London job

I’ve heard a version of this story from Neville Marriner, who was a close friend of the rebellious Peter Gibbs. But this account comes from a very young player whose career was almost cut off by the bust-up. Read on here.

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24Oct

Unseen video: Richard Strauss at lunch, Szymanowski in his dressing gown

Xander Rodzinski has just uploaded his grandfather’s (pictured) 1930s home movies on Youtube…. and fascinating viewing it makes. Several immortals are caught at their leisure, including George Gershwin refusing to kiss a man on his lips. Another world.

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24Oct

Galina gets a postage stamp

An honour belated, but richly deserved. Better than being a non-person, as she was for 15 years.

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24Oct

Salzburg revives the dead to run its Easter Fest

They’ve announced the new boss to succeed Peter Alward, who is stepping down from the Karajan Inc. enterprise next July. The suit they’ve picked is Peter Ruzicka, who was a deadly-dull artistic director of the summer festival from 2001-2006 and was then shoved off gently to the eternal Valhalla of the Munich Biennale. But Ruzicka, […]

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24Oct

Just in: Chicago to receive full Klinghoffer broadcast

The Met won’t air or screen its controversial John Adams opera. So a Chicago radio station has stepped in. Land of the free, &c.   Next Weds Oct. 29 I will be broadcasting the Nonesuch recording of The Death of Klinghoffer on my radio show on WHPK-FM Chicago 12-3PM (Central Time) since the Met Opera will not broadcast it […]

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24Oct

Pianist to Islamists: Why are you so scared of us?

The Turkish pianist Fazil Say, an outspoken atheist, has published an open letter to the theocratic government, demanding to know why they have removed his works from concert programmes. Fazil says:  ‘Change your oppressive attitude that sparks outrage and confusion in the whole world. The world condemns this oppression… Stop being destructive… Don’t be afraid of art […]

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24Oct

At last, Ireland has a national opera house

The Irish Government has given Wexford Festival Opera House national status It is now the only EU member not to have a national opera house, apparently a source of some embarrassment over Brussels  mussels. The announcement was made at the festival’s opening this week.  

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24Oct

The unreportable end of Christopher Falzone

Four months ago, we were asked by two musicians to publish the case of a gifted young pianist who was being hospitalised against his will. The young man was supported by the warm-hearted Martha Argerich, among others. His parents and his wife appeared to be on opposing sides. Despite appeals from several musicians, the court […]

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24Oct

An iconic music photographer has snapped his last

We are sad to learn of the death of David Redfern, maker of hundreds of iconic musician photographs and creator of a thriving archive. David, who was 78 and battling pancreatic cancer, had gone to his place in France to cover a jazz festival. He was passionate about jazz above all other musical forms, and […]

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24Oct

Just in: Atlanta musicians say bosses have walked out of mediation talks

A few hours ago, representatives of the Woodruff Arts Center walked away from federally mediated talks with the locked-out musicians, with no indication whether they planned to return. The talks appear to be deadlocked. The WAC refuse to agree a minimum number of musicians in the orchestra. The Atlanta Symphony is now in deep-freeze. We […]

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23Oct

Anna Netrebko to make her Bolshoi debut next week

The Mariinsky-reared diva has never bothered much with Moscow and never graced its historic stage. But she has received a summons to Elena’s Obratsova’s 75th birthday event and will perform at the Bolshoi next Tuesday with her fiancé Yusuf Eyvazov, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Maria Guleghina and more. Forget about getting tickets.  

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