The French oboist, Théophile Hartz, principal oboe of the Malmö opera, yesterday won the principal oboe audition of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hartz, 30, studied with Jean Louis Capezzali, Jérome Guichard, Thomas Indermühle and Christian Schmitt. He will now be in need of a Hebrew teacher.

On the first night of the BBC Proms, the German-based pianist Igor Levit played Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in Liszt’s solo-piano reduction as a token of his opposition to Britain leaving the EU. His was a reasoned and reasonable gesture by an artist who has strong views and wished to express them in music alone.

Not so Daniel Barenboim who, before conducting Elgar’s Second Symphony at the Proms last night, announced that ‘Elgar makes the best case against Brexit … because he was a pan-European composer.’

This was out of order.

The Proms are, and must be, politically neutral. Except on the Last Night, when the conductor gets to say a few words (usually too many) and on rare tragic occasions such as 9/11, the job of the conductor is to be seen, not heard. If he wishes to make speeches he can do so before and after in media interviews but the Proms podium is not a place for sermons, however brief or apposite.

Using the Proms as a political platform risks damaging a national treasure. What if a pro-Brexit conductor were to get up and demands equal time? Or a Corbynist? Or an Erdogan supporter? Barenboim should not have spoken.

Which is not to say he is entirely to blame for the lapse. The fault lies with the weak men – David Pickard and Alan Davey – who are employed (in titular BBC parlance) to control the Proms and their broadcasts but who plainly failed to do so. They need to be carpeted by the BBC’s DG, Tony Hall, if he still has the carpet to do so.

Despite a wonderful performance of Elgar’s less favoured symphony, this was a very bad night for the reputation of the BBC Proms.


photo: Chris Christodoulou/LebrechtMusic&Arts

UPDATE: This post can also be read, likely with a different range of comments, on the Spectator website.

NB: Barenboim made the specific Brexit remark quoted above in an interview with Tom Service that was screened just before the live Second Symphony performance. He made a speech in similar vein to the audience after the performance, attacking isolationism though not making further comment on Brexit.

This article on why the Times delayed reporting the birth Beyonce’s twins, while mocking the ‘media frenzy’ around it….

In a situation this sensitive, was it in bad taste to publish a lighthearted article about the rumors? Was it ethical?…

It’s crucial for us to remember that when a story is published by The Times it becomes part of the historical record, so giving in to the knee-jerk impulse to go for the clicks or be part of the conversation is unwise.

Read on here, if your sense of irony is strong enough.


Mason Poole/Parkwood Entertainment

The cultural commentator Antoine Perraud has compared the hiring of Putin-puppet Valery Gergiev on Bastille Day to Radio France’s past error in favouring Herbert von Karajan who conducted in Paris under Nazi occupation.

The full article is pay-walled, but this gives the general gist:

En confiant, pour le traditionnel concert du Champ-de-Mars, l’Orchestre national de France au grand chef Valery Gergiev, salaud politique au sens sartrien du terme, le service public verse dans la bassesse, au nom du panem et circenses…

 

Pour ce 14-Juillet 2017, Radio France – dans le rôle du grand… « crétinstitutionnel » ! – justifie l’injustifiable par la voix de son président, Mathieu Gallet : « Valery Gergiev est un des plus grands chefs d’orchestre. C’est un immense honneur qu’il nous fait de venir diriger les musiciens le soir de notre fête nationale. Je ne veux pas commenter les choix qu’il peut faire au niveau politique. Il ne s’agit que de musique ce soir-là. Sa stature et sa renommée médiatique sont une chance pour nous puisque cela permet au plus grand nombre d’écouter de la musique classique à une heure de grande écoute. Le Concert de Paris est devenu un vrai rendez-vous avec le grand public. »

Traduction : on a réussi un sacré coup de pub pour en mettre plein la vue des gogos et gonfler l’audimat avec une bête de scène qui va rapporter gros. Contexte : ce « Concert de Paris du 14 juillet » est diffusé en direct sur France Inter, France 2 puis, en différé, sur CultureBox.

San Francisco Opera is holding an audition on July 31 for adult extras to appear in Elektra, Manon and the new John Adams opera next season. Auditions start at 6 p.m. at the War Memorial Opera House.

No previous experience required, it says, and you don’t get asked to sing.

The catch? You don’t get paid, either.

Email supers@sfopera.com for more info.


Could this be you?

Decca Gold, Universal’s US classical label, has signed the American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.

His debut album, released late 2018, will consist of arias by George Frideric Handel and Philip Glass. Both will be accompanied by Les Violons du Roy, conductor Jonathan Cohen.

 

The German-based pianist Igor Levit made clear his views on European unity by playing Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy – which serves as the EU anthem – as his encore on the first night of the Proms.

It was an intentional political statement. Igor also wore an EU pin in his lapel.

 

 

The BBC called the encore ‘unexpected’.

Summer visitors turning up at the home base of Italian opera are being asked politely to respect the dress code.

If they show up in shorts and flip-flops, ushers direct them to a nearby H&M to buy shoes and trousers before they are allowed to enter the auditorium.

Quite right, too.

More here.

The Anglo-Greek pianist Marianna Kapsetaki has published a paper at Imperial College, London showing a high incidence of eating disorders among musicians.

Our screening tools for EDs showed a high prevalence of EDs in musicians: the EDE-Q Global Score (EDE-QGS) showed pathological values in 18.66% of the musicians and when questioned about lifetime prevalence, 32.3% of the musicians answered positively. 

In other words, at some point in their lives one in three musicians have an eating disorder.

The risk factors, according to Dr Kapsetaki, are: increased perfectionism, depression, anxiety and stress due to the demands of their job.

You can access the paper here.

 

Dr Kapsetaki, a qualified MD, is currently studying for a PhD in neuroscience at Imperial’s Department of Medicine. She tours as a piano duo (pictured) with her sister, Stephanie.

EDs are a suppressed topic among musicians. Last summer where, after a recital by a major award-winner, I was told that two gastric surgeons came forward from the audience to offer her immediate band surgery.

 

A tour of Germany by the St Petersburg Chamber Orchestra was stopped last week in Cologne.

Police inspected the orchestra’s bus and found it unsafe, with damaged brakes and missing wheel nuts.

Forced to leave the bus, the 40 musicians were shuttled to their next destination in small vehicles.

Report here.

From Deutsche Welle:

Star conductor Alondra de la Parra is both reporter and protagonist in DW’s unique new series “Musica Maestra.” She will be appearing in 26 web-videos and six television shows….

Alondra de la Parra, a renowned conductor from Mexico, invites viewers behind the scenes of the music world as she speaks with distinguished musicians from around the world….

Alondra de la Parra represents a new type of classical musician, said DW’s Director General Peter Limbourg.

“She thinks according to the new rule of modern execution of classical music and doesn’t shy away from other genres. She uses social media like a pop star and makes great music accessible to many young people. And she is a great conductor in a male-dominated field.”

 

From our pals at Scherzo in Madrid: