There will be a memorial concert for the influential clarinettist with the cream of London’s winds at the RCM on February 10. Details here.
This friendly young violinist is an eminent conductor on today’s international stage.
Who is he?
UPDATE: Another clue? Here’s how he looks today.
Tarisio carries an interesting history of William (Willy) Wilkanowski, whose instruments flourished in the 1930s and 1940s and continue to fetch ever-higher prices today. Sadly, Willy lapsed into depression after his wife’s early death and took his own life in December 1954.
Read more here.
In the second instalment of her life-change diary, Anthea Kreston, new 2nd violinist of the Artemis Quartet writes about packing up her American idyll, breaking up her trio and preparing to move to Berlin.
Dear Diary,
The house is becoming empty – every day a steady stream of friends comes to help bring things to donate, or drop off food, or just come and talk. We generally don’t lock our door – our house is always filled with people – students and parents and friends. Did I tell you – the other day I spread the word that we could use some big suitcases and food – we gave away all of our dishes. Several hours later, I came downstairs, and there were 5 suitcases in the front hall, and in the kitchen two lasagnas, a salad, some Indian, Mexican and Persian food, two pies, and a quiche. I love this town! There have been a lot of tears – from students, us, parents. The other day I saw Jason in a full embrace of a father and daughter, all crying. How is it that we have decided to leave this wonderful place – nestled in a valley between mountains and the ocean – surrounded by family and friends?
I constantly go back and forth between feeling guilty for ripping my family from their homeland – their culture, friends, grandparents, language, home, career, possessions – nothing will ever be the same. On the flip side, I know this is an opportunity of a lifetime for us all. But – what if I am wrong? I am directly responsible for the happiness of my daughters and husband. They are making a leap of faith for me – and trust (sometimes shakily) that this is a good leap. To jump from something that is already perfect is a crazy choice. My guilt is only overcome by my deep and unquestionable belief that somehow this must be right for all of us.
The list of things to do is mind boggling – priorities are constantly shifting. One minute, the most important thing in the world is to get the oatmeal on the table, the next is to sell our cars and get my paperwork in order for my work visa application. Finances, housing, visa, health, schooling, and OH – maybe I should practice???? Two full quartet programs Carnegie-Hall ready – I can do this!!! Our final Amelia Piano Trio concert is this weekend.
And to think – the Artemis Quartet – with their still-fresh, public grief of the loss of their friend, colleague. This is the hole that they want me to fill. They speak of their friend often – in rehearsal he is there with us. The mentions of him are sometimes lighthearted, sometimes – “he would have liked it to be this way, there”. This is a group of three people who will never stop grieving – his sound, now emanating from Gregor through his generously donated viola – his ideas, markings in the parts. Friedemann is, as much as Volker, Heime and Natalia, a permanent part of the sound, heart and mind of this quartet. We are not a quartet, rather an octet.
Did I tell you – Heime came to see us for a drink after the audition? What fun to see him – and there are plans to meet with Volker soon. These are the people that I knew at Juilliard – and Heime welcomed me into the Artemis family with a bear hug. He looks the same as he did 20 years ago – with that sparkle in his eyes and warmth of personality just coming out of every pore.
So – grief and hope – for all of us in our own ways – this is the hand we now play. My favorite composer is Schubert – his ability to mix two divergent emotions in a single moment in time – this is what the four of us are embarking on. Grief and hope, all together.
On 30 January 1969, the Beatles gave an ad hoc concert on the roof of Apple’s offices in Savile Row.
It was their last public performance.
Soon after, working a radio news shift, I wrote a short, sad headline: ‘The Beatles Disband’.
The Beatles Rooftop Concert 1969 London (HD) from lordcris on Vimeo.
(An earlier version of this post said it was 46 years ago. We counted wrong.)
Remarkable that an icon of Nazi industry should have staged a Holocaust memorial ceremony this week (report here).
Even more remarkable:
Musicians from the Philharmonic Volkswagen Orchestra then performed the Third String Quartet by Jewish composer Viktor Ullmann (1898-1944), who was murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The piece was written in the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1943, and was first performed at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg.
Volkswagen has a phiharmonic orchestra which performs works by murdered composers…
The music world awoke in sadness today to reports of the death of Christine Jackson, a livewire of the orchestral scene in Britain and far beyond.
Christine played principal cello in the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Ballet, Halle and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras. Latterly she played for Welsh National Opera.
Then she moved to Australia, where she was dubbed the Barefoot Cellist, playing with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and such pop musicians as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. She also worked with a didgeridoo artist.
But a brain aneurysm in June 2009 left her disabled down one side and her life since then was a struggle.
As a teenager, Christine was regarded as one of Britain’s most promising soloists since Jacqueline Du Pre.
In an ABC interview, she said: ‘I can still remember my first concert, with a tiny chair, and a tiny cello. I was six and I never knew the meaning of the word ‘nerves’. I just played and I loved it. It’s opened up a whole world to me…
‘Through music I’ve managed to see more places in the world than most people ever dream of … we’re always on the road. It’s given me the opportunity to meet people from many different cultural backgrounds.’
May she rest in peace.
Immortality assured.
Reginald Hill was principal second violin in the London Philharmonic Orchestra when he moved to Los Angeles, around 1980, to follow his dream.
He wound up playing in the string ensemble in a Michael Jackson hit.
Now, after a prolonged struggle, Reginald’s widow has begun to earn royalties. Story here.
photo (c) Elizabeth Hill
Michael Pletnev’s Russian national orchestra will visit 16 U.S. cities next month in California, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Florida, culminating at Carnegie Hall in New York. The tour dates are February 19 to March 9, 2016.
Pletnev will yield the baton on the second half of the tour to Kirill Karabits, a loyal Ukrainian national who has returned to Kiev to perform on Independence Day.
Looks like there’s some delicate cultural diplomacy going on.
The RNO on Kremlin duty:
Oxford Univeristy has appointed the cellist Natalie Clein to be Director of Musical Performance for the next four years.
Natalie says: ‘Ever since I first visited Oxford as a student and then later as a professional cellist performing at the Sheldonian, Holywell and Jacqueline du Pré, it has occupied a place of great significance in my consciousness, both intellectually and artistically. So it is with great excitement that I take on this newly created position. My ambition over the next four years is to bring students, international artists and academics from across the cultural spectrum together in dialogue and a spirit of discovery.
Music Faculty Chairman Michael Burden said: ‘Natalie brings with her a wealth of experience and has already inspired an unprecedented response among the students. The integrity of her playing speaks for itself. Her time at the University has already been artistically productive for everyone who has the opportunity to work with her.’
photo: Sussie Ahlburg, 2011
From Slipped Disc reader, Jennivine Doo:
Here’s our experience with United with purchasing a cello seat:
Purchase your cello seat separately from passenger seat with United, you may end up paying 6 times more than what you were quoted over the phone, but won’t find out till you receive your credit card statement because United does not send an email receipt of the cello seat within the 24 hour cancellation period. In fact, after more than one month of request, I have NEVER received a receipt.
After we booked our daughter flight for the 2 week Christmas break, she wanted to know if she can bring her cello back home to record her audition….
Read more here.
