From an interview with Russian state media:

A. N.: Say what you will, but all weight loss is complete nonsense! When Callas began to lose weight, she began to lose her voice….

RG: Do you follow diets?

A.N.: No! Never! I love all of my extra 30 pounds, since Giuditta, who danced barefoot in Baden-Baden.

I’ve been keeping my weight up for the past seven years, I love it. I will not give it to anyone. This is what keeps me going. This is my stamina, my strength, to have something to support my voice. Of course, I’m talking about dramatic parts, not an easy repertoire.

RG: Has the fact that you have dramatically changed your role, having gone from a light, almost soubrette repertoire to the most dramatic roles, changed your character?

A.N.: No. In general, I became calmer, childishness with antics and mimicry has gone. I am already 45 years old, how much can you? I’m tired of acting, of representing all what I am not anymore. I find it much more comforting and interesting to work with big, serious characters.

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Jana Baumeister, a soloist in the Darmstadt Staatsoper, came first last night in the 45th German national singing competition (Bundeswettbewerb Gesang), an event that has uncovered such major talents as Christine Schäfer, Mojca Erdmann and Thomas Quasthoff.

Jana wins 10,000 Euros and a sheaf of engagements.

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On the Today programme this morning, Professor Barry Cooper of Manchester University claimed that a Beethoven manuscript being sold at Sotheby’s today is not an original, but a copyist’s transcription.

At issue is the Allegretto in B minor of 1817.

Cooper, renowned for making a completion of Beethoven’s ‘tenth’ symphony, told the BBC that he had found ‘inconsistencies’ in the Allegretto manuscript. His ‘hunch’ is that it was ‘copied shortly after it was composed’.

Simon Maguire, head of Musical Manuscripts at Sotheby’s, hotly contested Cooper’s claim. You can hear the polite but acrimonious debate here.

UPDATE: BBC row stops Beethoven sale.

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Tadaaki Otaka will be the new chief conductor of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra.

He succeeds Michiyoshi Inoue in April next year.

Osaka with Otaka will be particularly hard on classical announcers.

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History lesson: The first concert of the Osaka Philharmonic – known then as the Kansai Symphony Orchestra – was on April 26, 1947. Otaka was born on November 8 1947. He will become its third music director (Michiyoshi Inoue was not music director but principal conductor).

 

LSO statement:

Valery Gergiev is recovering after a knee operation, and is unable to travel to London to conduct the LSO’s concerts on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 November.

The LSO is very grateful to conductor Thomas Søndergård for agreeing to step in to conduct these concerts at short notice.

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Søndergård is Principal Conductor of BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Principal Guest Conductor of Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Like this:

Cincinnati Symphony principal bass Owen Lee plays a 1590 Gasparo Da Salo restored by Cincinnati Bass Cellar and now on sale.

 

We have received an up-to the-minute list of female musicians who are permanent members of the Vienna State Opera orchestra, en route to becoming full members of the Vienna Philharmonic.

There are now 15, going on 16:

Albena Danailova – concertmaster
Isabelle Ballot, Olesya Kurylyak, Alina Pinchas, Ekaterina Frolova, Petra Kovacic – 1st violins
Patricia Koll, Adela Frasineanu – 2nd violins
Ursula Ruppe, Daniela Ivanova – viola
Ursula Wex – violoncello
Charlotte Balzereit-Zell, Anneleen Lenaerts – harp
Karin Bonelli – flute
Sophie Dartigalongue – bassoon

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And from 1 Sep 2017: Silvia Careddu (flute).

The old barrier is well and truly broken.

1 Il Volo

2 Joyce DiDonato

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3 Mormon Tabernacle Choir – Hallelujah

4 J J Wright

5 Mormon Tabernacle Choir – Messiah

No other record topped 200 sales last week, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

 

The Academy of Ancient Music is losing its manager after less than three years.

Ed Hossack, highly respected in the early music field, cites the long commute from his home in London to the AAM’s Cambridge offices as his reason for leaving. In the two years since Christopher Hogwood’s death, Hossack has greatly expanded the ensemble’s overseas brand.

But though Hogwood (pictured) left the AAM a bequest of just over £1 million in his will, we hear the latest accounts (which we haven’t yet seen) show a £190,000 deficit for the last financial year. Some tightening up may be required.

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David Steinbuhler builds smaller keyboards for pianists with a shorter finger span.

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‘The magic for creating these smaller keyboards takes place in David Steinbuhler’s Titusville, Pennsylvania ribbon factory, a family-run business that has been around since 1897,’ writes Hugh Sung, who has interviewed David on his fascinating weekly podcast here. 

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The free strawberry is first night only.

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photo (c) Elisabeth Naughton